NEWS: Cocker Preaches In The City

Music-conference-slash-festival In The City has today announced one of their most exciting guest speakers for this year’s music conference.

Former Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker is to appear at the international music convention founded by Tony Wilson, which takes place in Manchester over October 5th, 6th and 7th.

Cocker will take to the lectern on the final day of the event. His lecture will discuss the function of lyrics in modern popular music.

Entitled ‘Saying the Unsayable’, ASAD is told it will be a completely biased and subjective exploration of a selection of Jarvis’ favourite songs on top of a dissection of some of his own lyrics.

He's likely to talk about Leonard Cohen, Pete Doherty, Hot Chocolate, Amy Winehouse, David Bowie, Lou Reed, Neil Sedaka, Dory Previn, Katerine, Rozalla, Arctic Monkeys plus many more he hasn’t thought of yet. There will also be an in-depth analysis of ‘Louie, Louie’.

Other keynote speakers already confirmed include former Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham, UK Culture Secretary Andy Burnham MP and some guy called Sean Adams from some site called Drowned in Sound. Other guest speakers and panelists will be announced over the next few days.

More details are available from In The City’s official website.

This news story can be found on Drowned in Sound with other pieces by Dean Samways.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: Google

NEWS: Jarvis Showcases New Rock Songs

Britpop hero and Quietus guest writer Jarvis Cocker has revealed that he will be roadtesting new material during a short US tour this week.

Speaking to BBC 6 Music today the former Pulp frontman also gave details of his first album since the acclaimed 2006 solo debut and its heavier sound.

“I have been working and I have been writing. I’m doing three shows in America in July where I’m gonna try a lot of new stuff out. I’ll see if I survive that, then I’ll try and get it recorded as soon as possible really.

“I probably won’t get it out this year being realistic. But I’d like to get it out as soon as possible. But I’m afraid I will kill again. There will be another record.”

Elaborating on the new material further, the Artery fan spoke of the more wholesome band sound that will be incorporated into the follow-up to Jarvis.

“It’s hard to say as it’s not all done yet but I think it’ll probably be louder than the last one. The thing was, I wrote that record over a period of time and enlisted the help of Steve [Mackey – bass] and Ross [Orton – drums] and Richard [Hawley – guitar] to help me record it. Then went out and played it, and discovered I had a band that could rock.

“That really made me think. I’d never really had that before. Pulp could be loud, but we didn’t really rock…. Well, maybe occasionally. So what I’ve tried to do with the new stuff, rather than me just sit there and wait for inspiration to come at some point – which takes ages – instead we’ve written stuff together. And it’s a bit louder.

“It’s probably something to do with some kind of midlife crisis as well, y’know? Rock while to still have the ability to do it before your bits start falling off.”

May the testing commence, hopefully with Jarvis’ Cocker full intact. His US tour dates are as follows:

• 19th July - Pitchfork Music Festival, Union Park Chicago
• 21st July - Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn
• 22nd July - Terminal 5, New York

For a live version of Cocker’s ‘Fat Children’ head below:

This news story can be found on the Quietus with other pieces by Dean Samways.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: the Quietus