Regina Spektor Returns With New Album In June

Eva Lam — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 02:11:32 +0000

Piano songstress Regina Spektor is set to release her third major-label album, “Far,” early this summer.

The 13-track album, the follow-up to 2006’s “Begin To Hope,” will hit store shelves on June 23 via Sire Records. The first single will be a track called “Laughing With.”

Spektor sought the talents of four different producers for the new album: Jeff Lynne (ELO, The Traveling Wilburys), Mike Elizondo (Dr. Dre, Eminem), David Kahne (Paul McCartney, The Strokes) and Garret “Jacknife” Lee (Weezer, REM). In a recent interview with Pitchfork, the singer/songwriter/pianist was asked if she was worried about creating a cohesive sound with such varied producers.

“I’m pretty much stuck sounding like myself so it’s going to be cohesive, in a way,” she said. “And matching producers with songs was done kind of thoughtlessly – it wasn’t like I was sitting there thinking, ‘Well, this person would make more sense with this song.’ I didn’t do research or anything like that. It’s almost like throwing stuff on the floor and seeing how it lands, you know?”

Spektor plans to launch a worldwide tour in support of “Far,” though dates have yet to be announced.

Since the breakout success of ”Begin To Hope,” Spektor has contributed songs to several projects, including the compilation album “Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur” and the 2008 film “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.”

Norah Jones’ Indie Band Signed

andPOP Staff — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:27:30 +0000

Get ready for a new sound from Norah Jones.

Jones’ indie rock band, El Madmo, has just been signed to the label Team Love. According to Exclaim!, the band will be releasing an album on May 20.

Jones adopts a pseudonym and blonde wig when performing with the El Madmo. On their MySpace, the band has written this colourful description of themselves: Born of social ineptitude and an ageless belief in trick-or-treatery, EL MADMO offers escape, justice, karmic postulation, and that feeling you get when you know something that no one else does. Starting out as a garage band trapped in the basements of various hockey arenas, their is a powerfully raw sound that could only be inspired by the smell of Zamboni fuel and sweaty skates. The band consists of guitarist/singer, Maddie, bassist/singer, El, and majestically afroed drummer, Mo. Their self-titled debut album is a solid piece of body rocking ear-munition revealing a musical labyrinth that challenges you to, “Choose your own adventure.” From the Aeolian darkness of “Vampire Guy”, to the sassy cha-cha of “Fantasy Guy”, to a song that simply asks, “What good is a smile when your head’s in a vise?”, EL MADMO serves up a hot and tasty meal that’ll fill you up and also “Rock Yer Balls Off.”

Fans can listen to three tracks at MySpace.com/elmadmo.

andPOP » album release

Regina Spektor Returns With New Album In June

Norah Jones’ Indie Band Signed