They say that breaking up is hard to do, but maybe making a good record out of romantic dissolution makes it easier to endure. We’ll find out September 29 with the Swell Season’s Strict Joy, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova’s follow-up to the extremely well-received Once soundtrack. The LP documents the end of the duo’s romantic relationship, if that wasn’t clear from the intro … Beatles aficionados already stiff with anticipation of the September release of the Fab Four’s digitally remastered catalog can pre-order The Beatles Box Of Vision, a package featuring a 200-page, 12-inch-vinyl-sized book of the band’s record-sleeve artwork, a full-color discography and storage to organize and display 32 Beatles CDs. Place an order for late-August delivery. Then go to the nearest mirror and say, “I’m a huge nerd.” … Speaking of collections, Reprise is honoring the Bee Gees—Barry, Maurice, Robin and Andy Gibb—November 3 with Mythology, a four-disc boxed set with each CD dedicated to one sibling. And if that leaves you jonesing for more Brothers Gibb, don’t despair: Reprise is also issuing The Ultimate Bee Gees: The 50th Anniversary Collection, a two-disc retrospective available, as per, in a deluxe edition with a DVD … In other punk-rock news, Chicago’s legendary Naked Raygun is hitting the studio for the first time in more than a decade to cut tracks for a series of seven-inch singles on Riot Fest Records. The band hasn’t released any new material since 1992 and hasn’t been heard from record-wise since 1997’s Last Of The Demohicans collection. Download “Backlash Jack” … Female Japanese pop-punk combo Shonen Knife returns August 25 with Super Group (Good Charamel). A super happy terrific tour of Europe, Australia and North America will follow. Download “Super Group” … Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s Alec Ounsworth releases his first solo effort, Mo Beauty (Anti-), on October 20. The disc was recorded in New Orleans in between gumbo binges … One of indie rock’s best-named bands, Scotland’s We Were Promised Jetpacks, blasts off this month with With These Four Walls (FatCat). The group will be touring with lesser-monikered labelmates the Twilight Sad and Frightened Rabbit in the fall … More than 8,000 people packed Chicago’s Millennium Park July 13 for a Shel Silverstein tribute concert. Performers included Will Oldham (pictured), Jon Langford, Sally Timms, Bobby Bare and Bobby Bare Jr. … The Reverend Horton Heat releases its first non-holiday album in five years, Laughin’ And Cryin’ With The Reverend Horton Heat (Yep Roc), on September 1. The band then hits the road with Motörhead … Mark your calendars for September 29, so you can be first in line to get not one but two records (both on Rock Ridge/Space Age Bachelor Pad) from the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies: Susquehanna (a national release of an LP previously only available on the band’s website) and Skaboy JFK: The Skankin’ Hits Of The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies (a compilation of new tracks mixed with older songs, some of which have been re-recorded). Or you can be like us and not care.
—photo by Jerry Goldner
