QOTSA: Random Midwest Dates, Covering Elliott Smith and Tom Waits

Era Vulgaris drops on June 12. You can pre-order it at Insound.

A European online retailer (Lo-Fi Merchandise) is releasing a digipack single for "Sick, Sick, Sick" that contains a remix of "Im Designer" and covers of Tom Waits' "Goin' Out West" and Elliott Smith's "Christian Brothers".

Initial US tour dates follow:

06-07 Fresno, CA - KFRR's Birthday Bash
06-08 Ventura, CA - KJEE's Seaside Beach Ball
06-09 Mountain View, CA - Live 105's BFD
07-22 Costa Mesa, CA - Orange County Fair
07-24 Chico, CA - Senator Theater
07-25 Eugene, OR - McDonald Theater
07-27 Boise, ID - The Big Easy
07-28 Missoula, MT - Wilma Theater
07-29 Billings, MT - Shire Auditorium
07-31 Fargo, ND - Playmaker's
08-01 Duluth, MN - DECC Arena
08-04 Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room
08-07 Memphis, TN - New Daisy Theater
08-08 Little Rock, AR - The Village
08-10 Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom
08-11 Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom
09-16 Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Festival

Elliott Smith: Rarities CD, Tracklisting

The info from Filter Magazine:

Kill Rock Stars will release a collection of unreleased music from deceased singer-songwriter Elliott Smith on May 8th. The two-CD collection titled New Moon rounds up 24 tracks recorded between 1995-1997 and will also be available on double vinyl. Some of the material is understood to have been produced by longtime collaborator Rob Schnapf, while final mixing was by Larry Crane.

The album includes an early version of his Academy Award-nominated "Miss Misery" as well as an alternate take of "Pretty Mary K," which was first released on 2000's Figure 8. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Portland, OR based social service organization Outside In which aids homeless youth. Elliott Smith died Oct. 21, 2003, in Los Angeles due to knife wounds to the chest. His death is thought to be a suicide and the LA County Coroner's Office's investigation into Smith's death remains technically open, although it has not been active for several years and will likely remain this way indefinitely.

Filter Magazine also has the tracklisting:

Disc 1
"Angel in the Snow"
"Talking to Mary"
"High Times"
"New Monkey"
"Looking Over My Shoulder"
"Going Nowhere"
"Riot Coming"
"All Cleaned Out"
"First Timer"
"Go By"
"Miss Misery" (early version)
"Thirteen"
Disc 2
"Georgia Georgia"
"Whatever (Folk Song In C)"
"Big Decision"
"Placeholder"
"New Disaster"
"Seen How Things Are Hard"
"Fear City"
"Either/Or"
"Pretty Mary K" (other version)
"Almost Over"
"See You Later"
"Half Right"

Christopher O'Riley @ Kennedy Center Sunday Night

[Photo Credit]

Thanks to friend, patriot, and Metro-challenged VH for the head's up.
The Kennedy Center
"Modern rock collides with the beauty and intricacy of classical music in Christopher O'Riley's acclaimed, unforgettable transcriptions. This piano master reinterprets music by the innovative rock group Radiohead and the late singer/songwriter Elliott Smith, bridging the gap between pop and classical genres."
[Terrace Theater | 8:00 PM | $30 |Tickets]

"O'Riley claims his renditions have introduced the music of Radiohead to an ignorant classical audience as well as introducing classical music to a wider or younger audience, as he sometimes performs both standard concert repertoire, such as Shostakovich or Mozart, and Radiohead, Elliott Smith or Nick Drake interpretations at the same concert. O'Riley describes himself as an obsessed Radiohead fan in interviews, and says he was attracted to the multilayered nature of the band's music, leading him to listen and transcribe lesser known album tracks, live bootleg recordings of performances, b-sides, and even songs never officially released, as well as some of their hit singles. In his liner notes for Home to Oblivion, he calls Elliott Smith 'the most important songwriter since Cole Porter,' although admitting he was unaware of Smith's music until his apparent suicide in 2003. When asked to explain his unusual choice of material for a classical pianist, O'Riley has often quoted Duke Ellington's statement that 'there are two kinds of music. Good music, and the other kind.'

"O'Riley does not sing, but his pop interpretations usually stick to the original song's structure and incorporate the vocal melody. He compares them to the work of classical composers who sought material in popular songs and dances, although O'Riley notes he is not a composer. His intricate Romantic-style performances have met with praise from many Radiohead fans, especially on the Internet, while some would have preferred more improvisatory arrangements (such as those of jazz pianist Brad Mehldau), or feel he is unfairly profiting from the band's name, or from the untimely deaths of cult icons like Smith and Drake (his next project)." [Wikit]

Christopher O'Riley's Official Site

Radiohead
MP3: Christopher O'Riley - "Karma Police"
MP3: Christopher O'Riley - "No Surprises"
MP3: Christopher O'Riley - "True Love Waits"

Elliot Smith
MP3: Christopher O'Riley - "Roman Candle"
MP3: Christopher O'Riley - "Not Half Right"