SCARLETT JOHANSSON RELEASES EP, COVERS CURE
Scarlett Johansson, much storied already in these pages (postings?) for her recent album of Tom Waits covers entitled Anywhere I Lay My Head, has just released a new live EP covering songs from said record as well as “Boys Don’t Cry”, the Cure classic. Given the live setting, one might think the songs wouldn’t translate as well without the David Sitek production touch. However, these tracks remain whoozy and beautiful with Johansson’s deep and whispy vocals providing an original and creative take on the bark and growl of Waits. Still, both artists deliver the songs with a common ingredient: soulfulness, and these tracks are chock full of it. Taking a hit to our wallets for the blogosphere, we at Cannibal Cheerleader purchased the EP from iTunes and will now post a few tracks for everyone.

Scarlett Johnasson – “Boys Don’t Cry (live)”
********************************************************************

NEW KANYE VIDEO W/ ANDRE 3000
Courtesy of Kanye’s blog, we have this completely awesome Michael Jackson meets Motown meets modern day track called “Everybody”, featuring the “Cool Outrageous Lovers Of Uniquely Raw Styles” (COLOURS for short, haha, oh politics) which features Andre 3000, Kanye West, and Sa-Ra. I also do believe that if you watch the video you’ll spot Chromeo spinning on top of the platform. Check it out y’all, see what you think!

********************************************************************

BLOC PARTY BASSIST TAKES PATERNITY LEAVE
Looks like our favorite post-punkster bassist Gordon Moakes of Bloc Party fame is going to be a daddy, and as such is taking a few months off the BP tour-wagon in order to be at home when the baby arrives. Says Moakes from a posting at the Bloc Party website:

“Unfortunately I’m not going to be able to join the boys during the next month or so of touring. The reason for this is that my wife is expecting our first baby in a few weeks and after some long hard thinking we all decided, band included, that it was a bit silly for me to be flying round the world at such a critical time in the pregnancy. No one wants me to wind up in the wrong continent should there be any complications or should the little one decide to put in an early appearance. So while the other chaps are jetting around the Pacific Rim I will be buying the groceries, attending ante-natal classes and generally preparing myself for the cloud of unknown that is becoming a Dad.

In my stead we’ve been schooling a friend of ours, Daniel Lindegren (aka Tommy Sparks), in the ways of the Bloc. For the next few weeks Daniel will be doing his best to cover my portfolio of bass, keys, buttons, knobs and things that go ‘clonk’. He is more than proficient at many of these things so I can’t see it marring anyone’s enjoyment of the Bloc Party experience while I’m away. All being well, I will return to reclaim my mantle around the end of August, possibly bringing with me some profound wisdom as a new father, if not a complete lack of sleep.“

Seems reasonable to us Gordon! Good luck with the baby, and stay tuned CC readers for more info on the upcoming third LP from Bloc Party. Here’s a little track that makes us hope this little guy continues the family lineage.

********************************************************************

NEW BAND CHEER – THE SHONDES
I was attracted to this band by a banner ad that read ‘The Shondes – The new Sleater-Kinney?”. While it may be a lofty comparison to set this Brooklyn quartet alongside the greatest American punk act of all time, the Shondes do bring the rock and definitely have some tracks behind them. With a combination of old school riot grrrl, neo-classicism, queercore, and traditional Jewish music (yeah, we don’t know how it all works together either), The Shondes pull off punk with the immediacy of bands like Bikini Kill but with the panache and songwriting skills of acts like Team Dresch. Definitely worth checking out if only for the killer violin parts; take a listen below and visit the band’s Myspace.

The Shondes – “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”
********************************************************************

OF MONTREAL REVEAL SKELETAL LAMPING
After a few news-releases and subsequent retractions over at Pitchfork, our favorite gender-bending Canadian indie-rockers Of Montreal have announced the details behind their upcoming album Skeletal Lamping (that’s the crazy and bizarre cover art up there). Read more details here, but if it’s anything like the band’s last LP, we can expect a brand of subversive pop that transcends boundaries yet again.

On a side note the band is swinging through Austin on their upcoming tour, though according to the Pitchfork article the band will be playing at “507 E. 6th St.”. What, no club, no Emo’s or Mohawk?

Here’s what Google Maps says 507 East 6th St. looks like but given this is away from West 6th St. (West of I-35 that is) and subsequently far from the downtown area where music clubs hold shows every night, we’re not sure what this place is, we’ve never been there. Looks like we’re going to have to a little CC investigating to see what’s so special about this location (Google Maps says it’s not a known business either) and why Of Montreal are playing there. Stay tuned…

Any comments?