From the weird to the wonderful

With the Grammy Awards over, new rumours and wacky release announcements begin to make their way across North America.

Three artists I found particularly interesting involved Frances Bean Cobain, daughter of the late Kurt Cobain from Nirvana and Courtney Love from Hole; a new collaboration between Tool guitarist Adam Jones and King Crimson founder and guitarist Robert Fripp; and a new EP and related contest from French electronic wonder Danger.

Frances Bean Cobain, who’s managed to live mostly under the radar, is making her debut on a new Amanda Palmer (Dresden Dolls) side project album called Evelyn Evelyn.

Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley aren’t exactly mainstream performers. Best described as gypsy folk cabaret, their music is a little weird but highly entertaining. Evelyn Evelyn is no different, and band founders came up with a wild story to accompany their act which includes two conjoined twins from a travelling circus.

While it’s hard to say if Cobain will be joining them on a live tour, her contribution is included in the track “MySpace”, due out with the album on Mar. 30. The song has been described as an anthemic ‘80s power ballad, featuring Tegan and Sara, Andrew W.K., and Weird Al Yankovic. It’s hard to say how this track will actually play out, but it’s pretty obvious it’ll be nothing like Hole or Nirvana.

The hyped meeting between guitarists Adam Jones and Robert Fripp in London last month set off excited anticipation of the completion of their collaborative album. Quoted from his online diary, Fripp called the meeting “a fabbo lunch with (Jones) covering a wide range of common interests and experiences among which: the possibilities of continuing our album, begun in Los Angeles some five to six years ago.”
Only time will tell, but if it does produce an album, it’ll be mind blowing.

Last but not least the new Danger EP 09/17/2007. This DJ/Producer, actually named Franck Rivoire, is renowned for his uniquely crazy songs, most notable “11h30”. The new album is full of synth-electro beats, an epic video game soundtrack to play with the strobe lights on.

Fans should check out the Danger Bostleg Tournament, held through www.bostleg.com. A “bostleg” is “a mix between a bootleg and an original sound track.” Fans, electro and movie lovers alike are asked to mix or overlay a part of original video (video game, film, cartoon, etc.) with a song from Danger’s new album.

Contestants have until Mar. 8 and the three winning bostlegs get the new vinyl EP, a T-shirt and Danger medal. So if you want to try your hand at making a new film soundtrack, check it out.

With this kind of a start it definitely looks to be weird and wacky year for music.