Anti Blog

The Swell Season performed their lilting and soulful song “Low Rising” from the album Strict Joy on the David Letterman Show recently. This video comes care of the wonderfully named Audio Perve music blog. Enjoy!

(pic Washington Post)

Great Super bowl. Loved seeing the Saints win one for New Orleans. I do question my decision to eat so many chili dogs and the fruit of the gods otherwise know as Tater Tots, but I’ve always lived on the edge.  Back to New Orleans. Galactic’s amazing new album “Ya-Ka-May” comes out tomorrow and the band is on tour right now. The Washington Post has a great article/interview explaining all the New Orleans musical styles and especially “sissy bounce.” You can read all about it here.

As Mardis Gras approaches and the Saints march towards their first ever Super Bowl appearance, Galactic producer/horn player Ben Ellman and drummer Stanton Moore speak with NPR Weekend Addition host Audie Cornish about their momentous new album Ya-Ka-May, discussing the myriad of musical styles coming out of New Orleans that comprise their electrifying new record. To read more and listen, go here. Go Saints!

Dearest Anti friends, we wanted to let you know about the new ANTI Amazon Facebook Discount club. For every release we put out on ANTI we’ll then be distributing a discount code for Amazon.com for a particular record the week of its release. This week we’re promoting a discount code for the new Galactic album “Ya-Ka-May” coming out 2/9. Watch in the coming weeks for discounts on releases from Dr. Dog, Roky Erickson with Okkervil River, and Mose Allison. Just be our “friend” on Facebook and you’ll get a discount on every record we put out. It’s that simple and there’s no catch. Be friends, get discount. And to be our friend on Facebook just go here.

A great new Billy Bragg song entitled “Last Flight to Abu Dhabi” being played at the Concert for Haiti benefit on this week. Inspired by the NoBonus4RBS campaign.

Spoon’s new video for the song “Written in Reverse” off their new album Transference (on Anti in Europe) just premiered on Pitchfork. The video was directed by Danny Clinch whose credits include Tom Waits’ “Lie To Me” and Bruce Springsteen’s “Devils & Dust DVD. ” The clip documents an actual live performance of the song recorded expressly for the video, rendered in stark black and white.

Anti- Records offers heartfelt congratulations to Booker T. Jones for his Grammy Award win in the category of “Best Pop Instrumental Album” for his spectacular album Potato Hole featuring the Drive-By Truckers and Neil Young. Booker T. was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 and previously won Grammys in 1997 for work with his band Booker T. and the MGs as well as a lifetime achievement award in 2007. Potato Hole was Booker T’s first new album in nearly two decades, and the lead single “Warped Sister” was nominated for Best Rock Instrumental (losing in that category to the legendary Jeff Beck.)

On the Friday prior to the Awards Ceremony, Booker T. appeared at the MusicCares benefit event honoring his old friend Neil Young (who contributed guitar on Potato Hole) As part of what Rolling Stone Magazine called “a true power trio” (along with Keith Urban and John Fogerty) Booker T. played keys on a rousing rendition of Young’s anthem “Rockin’ in the Free World.” “Potato Hole” and two other tracks from the album, “Hey Ya” and “Space City,” were included in The Village Voice’s annual Pazz & Jop poll which tabulates votes from over 697 music critics’ to distill the most important music of the prior year. Potato Hole was also recognized by No Depression in its Top Albums of 2009. Booker’s signature Hammond B-3 sound was also featured on the latest album by celebrated punk band Rancid.

The song “Pound It Out,” from Potato Hole will be featured in Ken Burns’ forthcoming “Tenth Inning,” an epilogue to the filmmaker’s acclaimed nine-part “Baseball” documentary series. Following the Grammy ceremony, Booker T. departed California to embark on a whirlwind tour of Japan, before returning Stateside to work on his as-yet-untitled follow-up to Potato Hole.

(Jean-Baptiste Mondino)

An exciting possible upcoming project is………..  Tom Waits once again teaming up with visionary director Robert Wilson for a fourth stage musical following The Black Rider, Alice in Wonderland, and Woyzeck. Contributing to this yet untitled project would also be play-write Martin McDonagh who is most known for writing and directing the 2008 Oscar nominated film “In Bruges.” The musical would be slated to premiere in Paris next year. More info as it comes in.

In case you missed it the first time around, songstress extraordinaire Neko Case’s stellar performance of “This Tornado Loves You” from her album Middle Cyclone on the now defunct Conan O’Brien show will re-air this Tuesday night at 11:30 PM. The other guests are comedians Norm Macdonald and Jim Gaffigan.

(Thanks Chris Samson)

Anti- Records would like to offer a heartfelt congratulations to legendary musician Ramblin’ Jack Elliott for receiving a Grammy Award in the category of “Best Traditional Blues Album (Vocal or Instrumental) “for his stunning album “A Stranger Here” produced by fellow Anti- artist Joe Henry.

One of the great American musical treasures, Elliott has been an undeniably influential figure in American music. He developed his voice under the tutelage of Woody Guthrie, was a fixture of the Greenwich Village scene, and was a mentor to an up-and-coming Bob Dylan, who was often mistakenly dubbed the “son of Jack Elliott.” Elliott’s dramatic life story was recently documented in a new literary biography entitled “Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: The Never–Ending Highway.”

On A Stranger Here, Elliott teamed with producer Henry (who has just finished working with another musical legend in Mose Allison) to explore a set of depression era blues songs in a deeply personal and innovate style with assistance from a cadre of talented musicians including Van Dyke Parks and David Hidalgo (Los Lobos).

Elliott’s Grammy win is a deserved gesture of appreciation from his industry peers and a further testament to Ramblin’ Jack Elliott’s lasting and continuing mark on the world of music.