Graham Coxon's next album is out the week before (11th May). What a great two weeks they look set to be.

I think The Rakes release an album the month before aswell (not sure if anyone else is fans of either of them!?)

I'm really looking forward to Jarvis new album, I like the thought that it will be pulled in the direction of Fat Children!

So this album is "Jarvis Cocker" instead of simply "Jarvis"? Interesting.

Well due to computer problems I ain't been around much so this is WELCOME NEWS! Great stuff. Brightened my day. Might head to Troxy.

speaking of the art work..this picture is quite funny to. And a bit weird.
http://www.acrylicafternoons.com/images2/adjarvistroxy.jpg

There is a review here of the sampler.

http://www.uncut.co.uk/blog/index.php?blog=6&p=1124&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

I was expecting some new tracks to appear on Myspace or something today. Perhaps there have been some erm... further complications.

weed wrote:

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There is a review here of the sampler.

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The jist of which appears to be: "an improvement over the first solo record, but there's still something missing".

I'd like to hear a track.

 

Yeah this sounds promising at least. Cept maybe angela as an opener, uhm...

The Idiot wrote:

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Remember those notes were intended for the press, he mentioned nothing about Myspace etc.

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Indeed. The press got it probably.

I wouldn't take a ''sampler'' as great indication of the album track-listing or the order of songs (except ''In My Eyes'' being the closing song, I've always thought that will be the case).
No surprises that he lauds that song & ''Told You Twice'', they're probably the two stand-out songs of the new material he's already previewed live.

Interesting that 'Hold Still' is said to be excellent (though he doesn't go into great depth) and Pilchards is an instrumental only.

He's a very good journo, and I see what he's saying about the new record attempting to show a harder, more straight-rock side to Jarvis and how this will invariably meet with mixed results but I think there's enough quality pop moments (Girls Like It Too, Disco Song, Never Said I Was Deep) to suggest mixing it up can be fruitful...

I just wonder if we will hear anything about a single coming out. I imagine sales of his debut were really hampered by nothing to trailer the album. Don't Let Him Waste Your Time didn't appear til two months after. It would be stupid to repeat that again, if he wants his ''new sound'' to get the exposure that it appears to merit.

But if the album arrives without any song to promote it, it becomes in danger of being forgotten about quickly. A song such as Girls Like It Too has immense potential for radio play. Leaving aside long-term fans, albums are always bought by the strength of what the floating punter has heard and seen on radio/tv/online which first and foremost is the lead-single. A strong first single generally dictates whether an album lives or dies.

Now Jarvis is probably too long in the tooth to care too much either way and I imagine one of the perks of him being on Rough trade is that they give him free reign to do pretty much what he wants. But I want him to be popular. If only for the reason that the likelihood of hitherto unreleased Jarvis/Pulp material (live DVDs, reissues etc) is far greater when there's a market waiting to be tapped into rather than just a clutch of geeks on pulp.gb.com

I suppose the other aspect is the video that has to be made for a single. Given Jarvis' film-making interests and the artistic success of most Pulp/Jarvis promos, you imagine he'd come up with some sort of quirky three minute story within the budget given to him.

Business-wise, I think it makes sense to release the single -after- the album. Any album Jarvis puts out is going to have strong early sales, especially by "indie-label" standards. By releasing the single a few months after the album, the label then re-invigorates sales after the initial wave of excitement (and curiosity) has run its course.

In other news...

A little bird told me that Jarvis was back in Chicago last week to review the final mixes, and possibly do some replacement vocals.

And on that note, if anyone else wants to record with Steve Albini, his studio goes for a mere $500 a day, and his personal day rate is a preposterously low $650. You're average IT consultant charges more than Steve Albini.

By the way, this quote summarizes why I think Albini and Jarvis are a good pairing:

Albini: "I am convinced that any decent art (including records) is made with a measure of disregard for its audience. Good art is an almost entirely selfish pursuit, in that the artist is doing something unique to him, and any outside perspective (this "objective" one) would be ignorant and unable to judge it completely. Having seen many bands go through the process, I am convinced that making concessions to the imaginary audience (or any "objective" considerations) almost always weakens the record.

Good records are made by freakishly-obsessed people, driven to do what only they can do, and their thinking and processes are often "objectively" wrong. Objective measures are at best a benchmark of mediocrity and shouldn't be in consideration."

-- Edited by Fuss Free on Saturday 28th of March 2009 03:59:08 PM