Headlines for January 8, 2010
By: Roisin Bonner
Xiu Xiu Give Fans Blood and Chocolate
In the special editions of their forthcoming album Dear God, I Hate Myself, experimental art popsters Xiu Xiu are including curious little treats. One special edition will come complete with handmade chocolates and T-shirts emblazoned with "Xiu Xiu For Life" in actual blood, the source of which is undetermined. We think this is both gross and awesome. The T-shirts are in a limited run of 21, while the chocolates will come with 100 special edition albums. Dear God, I Hate Myself is set to drop on February 23, and the band embarks on their UK tour on February 20.
Knife Releases Darwin Opera Soundtrack
An avant garde opera? About Charles Darwin? Scored by The Knife? Those are our three favorite things! Pitchfork is reporting that The Knife will release the soundtrack it recorded last year for the experimental opera Tomorrow, In A Year, based on Darwin's writings in On The Origin of Species. The album will be available on February 2 for download. Get a preview of its mindboggling awesomeness by listening to the track "Colouring of Pigeons" currently streaming on the band's website.
Yoko Ono Auto Bio
Yoko Ono is planning to write an autobiography about her life with John Lennon. According to Spinner, Ono's tell-all will tell all about her affair with Lennon that prompted the Beatle to leave his first wife and dispel the notion that she was the catalyst for the Beatles' breakup. Ono hopes that the tome will be written in the next five years.
Hole Is Back, Minus the Band
The Guardian is reporting that Courtney Love is getting the old band back together. Except that she's the only old (read: original) member. Is it a Hole reunion? We guess so! Courtney has gathered a new group of musicians to perform three dates with her (in London, Milan, and Amsterdam) as Hole. Newly minted Hole members include guitarist Micko Larkin, bassist Shawn Dailey and drummer Stu Fischer. Hole co-founder Eric Erlandson has been vocal in his disapproval of Love's use of the band name and will not be part of the upcoming gigs; no word yet on whether bassist Melissa Auf der Maur will show up. The shows will support the new Hole album Nobody's Daughter, originally conceived as a Love solo effort but rebranded as a Hole LP in June 2009.
