Tom Waits Recent News

Anti Records Reviews An Exceptional 2009

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:12:00 -0800

Legendary Artists, A Breakout Album for Neko Case, A Triumphant And Soulful Offering From The Swell Season, Six Grammy Nods for Anti Artists, Tom Waits Live Album and Much More

William Elliott Whitmore: Animals in the Dark - On his Anti debut Whitmore reflects on life and loss and the world surrounding his Iowa horse farm on the banks of the Mississippi. The album showcases Whitmore’s classic songwriting and mastery of the acoustic guitar and banjo, but adds elements such as strings, an organ and a pedal steel, giving the songs a more expansive, cultivated sound. 2009 saw this unique artist captivating audiences around the world with his haunting and timeless sound.

"Animals reinforces his reputation as one of today's most transcendent folk artists." - Kansas City Star

"There's a time-honored truthfullness to William Elliott Whitmore that can't be rehearsed and most certainly can't be faked. It's tonally apparent in the world-weary ache of his baritone voice; it's lyrically manifested in the god-fearing mannerisms of simple protagonists; and it's buried deep within the gutsy pride and righteous integrity with which the Americana singer confronts issues of moral wrongs, institutional control, and fundamental rights throughout Animals in the Dark." - The Absolute Sound

NASA: The Spirit of Apollo - A joyfully sometimes surreal musical expedition overflowing with inspired collaborations -Tom Waits growls over Kool Keith, Karen O taunts while Ol' Dirty Bastard gives shout-outs to Wu Tang and N.A.S.A from the grave, and David Byrne, Chuck D and others expound on the evils of "Money." In spite of the range of performers, the pairings make perfect sense. Live the band features dancing aliens which is always a plus.

“The Spirit of Apollo is what happens when the imagination is let out of its cage. Good things happen.” – Urb

N.A.S.A.'s dope beats and wet-dream collaborations make Apollo an absolute must-have. - Alternative Press

Neko Case: Middle Cyclone – A stunning album by one of the preeminent songwriters and performers today. This is the record that finally transported Case from heroine of the underground into a deservedly larger spotlight. A riveting tour de force which has already graced many best of polls including those of Spin, Pitchfork and the top position on Amazon’s “Best Music of 2009” list. The album has also received Two Grammy nominations for “Best Contemporary Folk Album” and “Best Recording Package” (for the striking album cover)

“Case has one of the most powerful sets of pipes in pop” - Rolling Stone

“Neko Case’s songs are full of claws, wolves, tornadoes, birds of prey and the occasional gust of wind. But her voice is the real force of nature.” – New York Times Magazine

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: A Stranger Here - The renowned troubadour steps out of the country/folk arena that has shaped his legend and examines pre-WWII blues songs in a wholly unique way. A Stranger Here proves another wonderful tome in the library of one of the great American storytellers. The album has been nominated for a Grammy in the category of “Best Traditional Blues Album” and has garnered the album’s esteemed producer Joe Henry a nomination in the “Best Traditional Blues Album” category.

“Ramblin’ Jack Elliott is, along with Pete Seeger, one of America’s finest living folk singers. Seeing him play is a treat, but hearing him tell long, meandering stories — he didn’t get that nickname for nothing — is transformative.” - New York Times

“Both beautiful and brave in its purity" - Performing Songwriter

Bob Mould: Life and Times - A cathartic and vital album by an influential artist marks the respective anniversaries of the formation of Husker Du and Mould’s lauded solo effort Workbook with an album of unflinching self-reflection. Standouts like "Wasted World" and "I'm Sorry Baby, But You Can't Stand In My Light Anymore" highlight an artist completing a cycle decades in the making, his talent undiminished, his perspective acute.

"Passion, beauty, intelligence, grace: it's all here." – Filter

"This newest collection is moody and minimalist, and it showcases Mould’s introspective side. The most compelling songs evoke the speed, energy, and passionate commitment that justly made Mould an icon." - New Yorker

Jason Lytle: Yours Truly, The Commuter - Two years after Grandaddy's demise, Lytle returns with an immaculately crafted pop soundscape that mirrors both the dramatic environment of Lytle's newly-adopted Montana and the vintage twang of the Central California farmland that inspired hiss earlier work. Electronic flourishes collide with acoustic guitars and soulful piano parts, perfectly recreating Lytle’s signature lo-fi-electro atmospheres.

“A richly textured work that is lovingly crafted and affectingly poignant." - Alternative Press

“A textured homage to the lush and laid-back West Coast dream life of his youth…it’s like Bruce Springsteen’s open highway finally reached a melancholy kid from Modesto.” - Spin

Booker T: Potato Hole – The trailblazing soul man has written the most audacious chapter of his career with his first solo album in decades. Backed by the Drive-By Truckers with Booker's signature Hammond B3, the album bristles with energy and heart. The album has earned a Grammy nomination for Jones in the category of “Best Pop Instrumental Album.”

“There are no chart-baiting superstar guest vocalists or gimmicks, just gut-punching, funky, loose-limbed, rock 'n' soul jams recorded in down-and-dirty sessions without an inch of fat.” - Boston Globe

“Potato Hole proves as extraordinary, delirious and laugh-out-loud weird as anyone might dare hope.” – Uncut

The Field: Yesterday & Today - The innovative sound artist expands his ever transfixing audio palette, continuing the oblique sampling strategy of his critically praised “From Here We Go Sublime” while building up the rhythmic architecture to startling new heights.

“Full of driving, dirty beats, crisp bells and hats that delicately pepper the high end, this sonic treasure offers plenty of infectious grooves.” - DJ Times

“Yesterday & Today is gorgeous, overwhelming, lush and (mainly) wordless, and it reeks throughout of inarticulable emotion.” - Prefix Magazine

Bettye LaVette: Change is Gonna Come Sessions – The soul singer extraordinaire revisits her forgotten post-Atlantic Records years as a nightclub singer and Broadway performer with a mix of classics including a heart wrenching rendition of Billie Holiday's "God Bless The Child" and an acclaimed version of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come," which LaVette performed at the Obama Inaugural Celebration.

"There's no one more soulful than Bettye LaVette…Bettye makes great music now because of her obstacles. She has a fire in her belly and a passion that was never squashed over the years...you just hear it and feel it in everything she sings." - CNN.com

“a compelling and intimate set of songs that adroitly combine a smoky jazz club, Saturday night rent party and Sunday morning church service. “ - Creative Loafing

Busdriver: Jhelli Beam – The art rap progenitor returns to jolt rap back into shape with virtuoso vocal stylings and poignant (and at times dadaist) lyricism. This record not only effortlessly trumps all previous mind-bending performances of his earlier works, but gives them new context; highlighting their dexterity with nuggets of election year paranoia and absurdist humor.

"Everything on Jhelli Beam makes sense. Every word is a picture. Every sentence pushed over the one before it the way dominos fall when they're lined up in a row....This is creativity - this is the reason for being: to preceive/ingest, and digest, and poop it out." - LA Record

“Busdriver's crazy, quick verses sprint from inside-out humor to social criticism alongside challenging beats that reward repeated listens. Exciting, odd stuff." - Chicago Tribune

Solillaquists of Sound: No More Heroes - With this release the Orlando-based hip hop quartet have accomplished the rare feat of creating a body of work that's as palatable to the public as it is groundbreaking, imaginative, and rewarding to listeners looking for something more in the soundtrack to their lives.

“authentic and raw, blending elements of dubstep, afrobeat, folk, most
obviously hip-hop, but surprisingly more synth-beats infused in a background of beautiful harmonies.” - 7x7 Magazine

“A lyrically potent, melodic, and danceable piece, make sure to cop one of the best records the year has to offer.” – Sputnikmusic

Joe Henry: Blood From Stars - The revered solo artist and Grammy-winning producer’s music spans many genres but the dominant sound on Blood From Stars is a rich blues tonality that swells into ravishing epics that jump the rails to incorporate folky jazz and bent Sinatra-esque washes of sampled strings. Henry’s eleventh album is a tour de force of lush arrangements and seductive song lines. The acclaimed musician/producer was also nominated for a Grammy for his work guiding Ramblin Jack Elliott’s release, A Stranger Here.

"Joe Henry is like that unexpected piece of dark chocolate at the bottom of the ice cream dish: something rich, sweet and so surprisingly good that you wonder how it escaped you before. This album captures a sensuous musicality, whether it's torch songs or avant-garde and traditional jazz, raw blues or pumped up soul escapades." – RELIX

“For connoisseurs of craft, Henry’s writing is an absolute joy, drawing effortlessly on classic pop, roots, and folk traditions and alchemizing these various strains into a single, sweet sound.” – American Way Magazine

Os Mutantes: Haih or Amortecedor - Still psychedelic, influential, political and playful after all these years – the near mythical has crafted triumphant return with their first record in 35 Years. Revered by luminaries such as Kurt Cobain, the Flaming Lips Devendra Banhart and Beck, the Mutantes have delivered one of the most original and enjoyable albums of the year.

"a superb, politically tinged reunion effort....their new songs remain as bold and fascinating as their old ones." – New Yorker

"Haih Or Amortecedor is rhapsodic, an endearing tribute, and a welcome addition, to one of pop music’s strangest group of musicians." – Popmatters

Islands: Vapours – The ever evolving Montreal outfit returns with an album that flits back and forth between moody synthesizers and drum-machine-heavy beats and an array of intriguing sonic textures, all the while remaining firmly rooted in the classic pop sensibilities and melodic hooks the band is celebrated for. 

"infectious and weird....masterful, refreshing synth-pop, served up pure and simple.” – Blackbook

"one of our favorite albums of the fall. It's just some lush, pop goodness." – Paper Magazine

Rain Machine: Rain Machine - Kyp Malone’s solo project features ten unflinchingly original and emotional songs mixing elements of modern jazz, blue-grass and blistering guitar driven rock into a refreshing new sound. As singer and guitarist for celebrated band TV on the Radio, Malone proved himself both a captivating and delightfully unpredictable musical force. On Rain Machine, he shows himself a singer and a lyricist of startling talents.

“Malone steps out with an emotionally open debut just as experimental and daring as his work with TVOTR.” – USA Today

“The tunes sound a bit like a rain dance—tribal bells, trance-inflected refrains, the occasional howl—but one that's been fed through the post-apocalyptic fury of TV On The Radio. The result proves a compelling sonic exploration, knotty and exultant as ever.” – The Onion

Dead Man’s Bones: Dead Man’s Bones - Initially intended as play about a monster-ghost-love-story, Zach Shields and Ryan Gosling eventually scrapped the stage show and recorded Dead Man’s Bones, a refreshingly original album featuring doo-wop songs about werewolves, haunting melodies telling tales of zombies with broken hearts, and children singing the joys and pains of being alive or being dead.

“Simultaneously sweet and spooky, heart-stirring and imaginative; a wonderful requiem to our forgotten fear of the dark" – LA Weekly

“A decidedly beautiful thing" – MOJO

The Swell Season: Strict Joy – The follow up to their Oscar winning “Once” soundtrack, Strict Joy finds the duo of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova evoking the bittersweet aftermath of their real life romance and breakup with an album of stirring folk tinged blue eyed soul.

“a lush, lovely, heartfelt gem.” – NPR

“Strict Joy is a joy from start to finish, as few bands manage to mix intimacy and sweeping songcraft with such finesse.” – All Music Guide

Alec Ounsworth: Mo’ Beauty - a soulful and intriguing solo endeavor from celebrated singer/songwriter Alec Ounsworth of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Recorded in music-steeped New Orleans with an all star cast of local talent, the end result is a display of masterful songwriting and arguably Ounsworth’s best work yet.

"Mesmerizing and profound" – The Onion

"The sharpest arrangements and best songwriting of his short career: Almost every tune on Mo Beauty equals or betters those on CYHSY's lauded 2005 debut, mixing spooky folk with frantic fun. Ounsworth's regular band may have a shaky future, but he doesn't." – Spin

Tom Waits: Glitter & Doom Live – This two disc collection perfectly documents Waits' sold out, acclaimed 2008 “Glitter and Doom” tour. The music disc features Waits' in his eclectic glory shifting seamlessly from an array of characters: carnival barker, preacher, country singer, soul balladeer; cabaret singer and storyteller. Disc Two is a selection of the comic bromides, strange musings, and unusual facts that Waits traditionally shares with his audience during the piano set.

“One of the most charismatic and straightforwardly entertaining live artists you are ever likely to see or hear. (..) Pick disc one for the uninterrupted junkyard blues and bewilderingly tender crooning: choose disc two for trivia and lies dredged from the back pages of the Fortean Times and delivered sans songs with the impeccable timing of a seasoned professional still in love with the stage and his audience.” – Time Out London

“Equal parts Captain Beefheart and Louis Armstrong as he examines the full spectrum of life, from the grimly grotesque to the sweetly sentimental… It’s an utter delight.” - NME

* Mavis Staples: Live: Hope at the Hideout - While technically released at the end of 2008, it’s worth mentioning that Mavis’ blistering live album has just earned the legendary soul singer a well deserved Grammy nomination in the category of “Best Contemporary Blues Album.” Mavis was previously awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2005 Grammys for her collective work with the Staples Singers.

Lightning Deals at Amazon Featuring Tom Waits, Neko Case & The Swell Season

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:12:00 -0800

Celebrate the holidays with great deals on ANTI releases! This week, Amazon.com is offering a series of Lightning Deals, featuring Neko Case Middle Cyclone, The Swell Season Strict Joy, Tom Waits Glitter and Doom Live Booker T. Potato Hole, Mavis Staples Live: Hope At The Hideout and Ramblin' Jack Elliott A Stranger Here. Click here to check out all the deals!

Thursday, December 17th
2pm - 3pm PST
The Swell Season - Strict Joy (Limited Deluxe Version)
Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

Friday, December 18th
9am - 12pm PST
Tom Waits - Glitter and Doom Live

3pm - 6pm PST
Booker T - Potato Hole
Mavis Staples - Live: Hope At The Hideout
Ramblin' Jack Elliott - A Stranger Here

Tom Waits 'Orphans' Vinyl Box Set Now Available

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:12:00 -0800

Now RIAA-certified Gold, Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards is a spectacular musical journey, which visits most every genre of American song tradition. This box set redefines the words “Deluxe” or “Collectors Edition.” With 7 LPs of 180 gram vinyl, six previously unreleased songs, a 32-page book featuring lyrics and insight, and a beautiful hardbound box, the collection captures the full scope of Tom Waits’ shamanic powers as a vocalist, literary lyricist, romantic melodist, innovative arranger and pioneer of sonic worlds.

Click Here to get it today!

Tom Waits' Landmark Collection 'Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards' To Be Released On Vinyl

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:11:00 -0800

TOM WAITS' gold-certified triple-disc masterpiece ORPHANS: BRAWLERS, BAWLERS & BASTARDS (Anti-) will be reinvented on December 8 as a limited edition vinyl set, complete with a deluxe 12" booklet and six new bonus cuts. The collection totals 62 tracks over seven full length LPs, all pressed on 180 gram vinyl. (In the original CD collection, the package contained 30 new recordings which have now been upped to 32 with two newly recorded tracks as part of the bonus 6 on the vinyl set.)

An assemblage of rare, new and mostly unheard tracks, ORPHANS includes irreverent--or, rather, remarkably relevant-covers of songs by artists as disparate as the Ramones and Leadbelly, along with WAITS compositions originally recorded by other artists. Waits' selections dazzle as sonic experiments and twisted tales.

WAITS says, "Orphans are rough and tender tunes. Rhumbas about mermaids, shuffles about train wrecks, tarantellas about insects, madrigrals about drowning. Scared, mean, orphaned songs of rapture and melancholy. Songs that grew up hard. Songs of dubious origin rescued from cruel fate and now left wanting only to be cared for. Show that you are not afraid and take them home. They don't bite, they just need attention."

Each of the three CDs is separately grouped and sub-titled - "Brawlers," "Bawlers" and "Bastards" - to capture the full spectrum of Waits' ranging and roving musical styles. "Brawlers" is chock full of raucous blues and full-throated juke joint stomp, "Bawlers" contains Celtic and country ballads, waltzes, lullabies, piano and classic lyrical Waits songs, while "Bastards" is filled with experimental music and strange tales.

Termed "a definitive album" by Robert Christgau in Rolling Stone, the original CD release of ORPHANS was among the fastest-selling offering of WAITS' career, and a hit with critics. "Waits may call them orphans, but another artist would call this a career," noted Keith Phipps in The Onion.

In the Los Angeles Times, Richard Cromelin called ORPHANS "A fulfillment of the ideal Waits...This is one to salt away to sustain you through many winters of the soul."

Among the bonus tracks exclusive to this vinyl collectors' edition are a whimsical take on Fats Waller's "Crazy ‘Bout My Baby" and "Diamond In Your Mind," a WAITS/BRENNAN song first heard on Solomon Burke's GRAMMY-winning CD Don't Give Up On Me. Others include "Pray," Kurt Weill & Bertolt Brecht's "Canon Song," "No One Can Forgive Me" and "Mathie Grove."

Meanwhile, WAITS is set to release Glitter and Doom Live on November 23 both on LP and as a 2 CD set. The collection of outstanding live tracks from his 2008 sold out US and European tour features 17 live recordings from ten nights along the tour. The second CD entitled Tom Tales, holds nearly 40 minutes of Waits quixotic ruminations on topics ranging from romantic spiders to injured vultures. The live discs encapsulate Waits in all his chug, boom and steam.

On Christmas Day, WAITS hits the big screen alongside Christopher Plummer, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and the late Heath Ledger in Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. And in January, he can also be seen in the Hughes Brothers' Book of Eli with Denzel Washington.

For more on TOM WAITS and ORPHANS, check out the newly launched www.tomwaits.com

Tom Waits To Release 'Glitter and Doom Live' November 24 On CD and Vinyl

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:10:00 -0700

EACH INCLUDES 17 SONGS FROM
THE SOLD OUT TOUR OF EUROPE AND THE US
IN THE SUMMER OF 2008

TOMWAITS.COM TO GO LIVE ON 10/12

TOM WAITS is set to release Glitter and Doom Live, a collection of outstanding live tracks from his 2008 sold out US and European tour. This two CD set contains 17 live recordings from ten nights along the tour including, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Tulsa, Knoxville, Atlanta, Paris, Milan, Jacksonville, Dublin and Columbus. The second CD entitled, Tom Tales holds nearly 40 minutes of Waits quixotic ruminations on topics ranging from romantic spiders to injured vultures. The CD will also come with a booklet of live photos.

The vinyl version of Glitter and Doom Live will feature gatefold sleeve with live photos from the tour and contain all 17 tracks but no Tom Tales. Inside the LP, Anti- is providing a card w/mp3 download instructions, which will enable the buyer to download Tom Tales as well.

Musically, the live discs encapsulate Waits in all his chug, boom and steam. His shamanistic vocals, innovative arrangements, visionary lyrics, pounding rhythms and emotional melodies are all here. There are dark swampy tribal rhythms, ominous hymns, and cautionary tales all swirling around Waits’ unmistakable howl and croon. The CD has a dead man singing to his widow, a convict’s last words, an instructional dance number, lamenting sword swallowers and bragging pirates. All of the tracks were personally selected and sequenced to give you the feeling of one great night on tour.

On October 12, www.tomwaits.com is set to go live. You are invited to wander and roam through the first ever official website for all things Waits: news, updates on recordings, new releases, tours, films and more. A resource for lyrics, photos, wit and wisdom, strange but true tales, and more imponderables on topics as far ranging as the origin of consciousness, the sexuality of Christ and the lonely journey of the male seahorse.

Track listing is as follows:

1. Lucinda / Ain't Goin Down (Birmingham - 07/03/08) - 5:37
2. Singapore (Edinburgh - 07/28/08) - 5:00
3. Get Behind The Mule (Tulsa - 06/25/08) - 6:26
4. Fannin Street (Knoxville - 06/29/08) - 4:16
5. Dirt In The Ground (Milan - 07/19/08) - 5:18
6. Such A Scream (Milan - 07/18/08) - 2:51
7. Live Circus (Jacksonville - 07/01/08) - 5:04
8. Goin' Out West (Tulsa - 06/25/08) - 3:48
9. Falling Down (Paris - 07/25/08) - 4:21
10. The Part You Throw Away (Edinburgh - 07/28/08) - 5:07
11. Trampled Rose (Dublin - 08/01/08) - 5:06
12. Metropolitan Glide (Knoxville - 6/29/08) - 3:10
13. I'll Shoot The Moon (Paris - 07/24/08) - 4:25
14. Green Grass (Edinburgh - 07/27/08) - 3:20
15. Make It Rain (Atlanta - 07/05/08) - 3:58
16. Story (Columbus - 06/28/08) - 2:02
17. Lucky Day (Atlanta - 07/05/08) - 3:47

SISTER LABELS ANTI- AND EPITAPH RECORDS JOIN FORCES TO HONOR RECORD STORE DAY

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:04:00 -0700

TOM WAITS, BOOKER T. JONES and BAD RELIGION Create Special Limited Edition 7”s for Second Annual Celebration of Independence

Epitaph’s founding artist, Bad Religion, and two of ANTI- Record’s most enduring figures, Tom Waits and Booker T. Jones, are set to release limited edition 7” vinyl singles on April 18th in honor of the second annual Record Store Day.

Record Store Day unites indie retailers “as a celebration of the unique culture surrounding over 700 independently owned record stores in the USA, and hundreds of similar stores internationally.” Special releases, in-store appearances and general revelry will surround these stores and bring community awareness to these cultural institutions who are surviving, even thriving, in the changing music environment.

Tom Waits will release a three song vinyl 7” with live tracks from his overwhelmingly acclaimed 2007 Glitter and Doom Tour. “Lucinda” and “Ain’t Going Down to the Well” were recorded in Atlanta GA, while “Bottom of the World” comes from Waits’ performance in Edinburgh, Scotland. Together, these three songs are the first live recordings released since Waits’ Big Time came out in 1988.

Booker T. Jones is releasing a two song 7” with studio tracks – “Warped Sister” and “Reunion Time” -- from his upcoming ANTI- debut Potato Hole, his first solo album in over 20 years which features backing from the Drive-By Truckers, guitar tracks by Neil Young and Booker T’s unmistakable Hammond B3 organ stylings.

Bad Religion will celebrate Record Store Day with the first-ever re-release of the record that started it all: 1981’s 6-song 7” EP. In a tribute to RSD 2009, Bad Religion founder/Epitaph owner Brett Gurewitz wrote “I got my start by going around to record stores like Moby Disc and Middle Earth and giving them The Bad Religion 7” to sell on consignment. I’d go back every couple of weeks to see if they needed any more and while I was at it I’d always check out the zines, flyers and new punk releases. These places were more than stores, they were gathering places and hubs of information. They were the heart of the LA Hardcore scene and it would never have existed without them.”

For more information, please visit the official Record Store Day website.

TOM WAITS GOES GOLD WITH 'ORPHANS: BRAWLERS, BAWLERS & BASTARDS'

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:03:00 -0700

VINYL VERSION TO BE RELEASED SOON;
CURRENTLY FILMING 'THE BOOK OF ELI' WITH DENZEL WASHINGTON AND GARY OLDMAN; AND TOM HAS BEGUN WRITING FOR NEW CD

TOM WAITS latest 3 CD set - Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards - has been certified gold by the RIAA® and will be released on vinyl by Anti- Records in the not-too-distant future. He has also collaborated with Kool Keith on N.A.S.A.'s recently released The Spirit of Apollo, which also features such diverse artists as David Byrne, Karen O and Ol' Dirty Bastard. As for new material, Waits and his long time collaborator and wife, Kathleen Brennan, have begun writing new songs, which they plan to record this summer for an upcoming CD. (No release date at this time.)

Of Orphans, Bill Flanagan stated on CBS SUNDAY MORNING: "No contemporary musician embodies the twin virtues of elegance and piracy better than Tom Waits. He is a gravel-voiced poet, the Edward Hopper of rock n' roll." Elsewhere in MOJO, the preeminent music magazine of the UK, declared: "Mojo Instant Classic..Masterpiece isn't the right word for such a profusion of profound delights...exhibition is better…With his unfussy brushstrokes, umber hues, and humanely honest delight in warts and all, he is the Rembrandt of modern music."

Currently, Tom Waits is in the midst of filming The Book of Eli, directed by Albert and Allen Hughes (From Hell, Dead Presidents, Menace II Society, among others). Eli is a post-apocalyptic Western, in which a lone man fights his way across America in order to protect a sacred book that holds the secrets to saving mankind. The film stars Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman with Tom Waits in a small role as "Engineer." This will mark Waits' second teaming with Oldman as Waits' played Renfeld to Oldman's Count Dracula in the Francis Ford Coppola version of the classic vampire film.

In other film news, Waits stars as Mr. Nick (the devil) opposite Christopher Plummer in Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which is also Heath Ledger's last film. Due to Heath's premature death, his unfinished roll was taken on by Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell. The fantastical morality tale set in the present day also features Lily Cole and Verne Troyner. The film looks to premiere at Cannes and open worldwide later this year.

Tom Waits Provides Soundtrack for National Campaign Combatting Hunger

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:12:00 -0800

“We all need to be reminded that the folks who need help getting back on their feet are all members of our family.” - Tom Waits

On November 25th, the Advertising Council and Feeding America announced the launch of a new national public service advertising campaign designed to raise awareness of the issue of hunger in America and motivate Americans to help combat the problem.

Hunger in the U.S. remains invisible to most Americans, yet as the economy worsens, demand at U.S. food banks is increasing at an alarming rate. According to Feeding America, a staggering 1 in 8 Americans, including millions of children, seniors, and the working poor live with hunger every year.

“The fact that more than 35 million Americans struggle with hunger each year is inexcusable. This campaign will help the country to realize that they have neighbors, acquaintances, and other people they interact with every day who need their help,” said Vicki Escarra, President and CEO of Feeding America. “In this nation of abundance, we all need to join together to help those in need.”

Created pro bono by Ogilvy NY, the new TV, radio, print, and web advertising aims to change the way Americans look at this critical issue affecting our country and to understand the fact that many people they interact with on a daily basis may not know where their next meal will come from. The PSAs direct the audience to the campaign’s website www.feedingamerica.org to find out more about hunger in the United States and how they can help in their communities.

“We are thrilled to partner with Feeding America to educate Americans about just how close hunger is to each one of us,” according to Peggy Conlon, President & CEO of The Advertising Council. “I believe that the 1 in 8 campaign will inspire Americans to become involved in this critical issue.”

“This work uses simple visual imagery to demonstrate the reality of the fact that everyone today knows someone who is hungry,” said Antonio Navas and Chris Bradley, creative directors at Ogilvy who developed the campaign. “We were very fortunate to get musician Tom Waits to contribute a beautiful piece of music – “Never Let Go” off of 2006’s Orphans — that helps bring the work to life and connect with the public in a tangible way. We believe it will have great impact on this important cause.”

Per the Ad Council model, the PSAs will be distributed to media outlets nationwide this week and will run and air in advertising time and space that is donated by the media.

FEEDING AMERICA
Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity, Feeding America and its network members supply food to more than 25 million Americans each year, including 9 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks operate 63,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms.

THE ADVERTISING COUNCIL
The Ad Council (www.adcouncil.org) is a private, non-profit organization that marshals talent from the advertising and communications industries, the facilities of the media, and the resources of the business and non-profit communities to produce, distribute and promote public service campaigns on behalf of non-profit organizations and government agencies in issue areas such as improving the quality of life for children, preventive health, education, community well-being, environmental preservation and strengthening families.

TOM WAITS' "GLITTER AND DOOM" TOUR A TRIUMPH IN EUROPE AND US

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:08:00 -0700

TOM WAITS finished his electrifying "Glitter and Doom" tour several weeks ago with three sold-out nights in Dublin. Other stops in Europe included Edinburgh, Paris, Prague, Milan, Barcelona and San Sebastian. The European tour was as celebrated as the shows in the US, with unanimous acclaim worldwide:

UK:

The Guardian/Alexis Petridis: "Waits is an utterly magnetic performer...it seems less like you've bought a ticket to a concert than to a different world."

The Independent/David Pollock: "★★★★★"

The Times/David Sinclair: "Waits wove a spell as intricate and engaging as that of any performer I can remember seeing on a musical stage."

The Daily Telegraph/Andrew Perry: "...you were in no doubt that you had just witnessed the greatest entertainer on Planet Earth."

The Daily Telegraph/Neil McCormick: "For a couple of hours every night on the Glitter and Doom tour, with Waits as lightning conductor, whipping up the band, stirring up his demons and roaring up a storm, he puts on what is, quite simply, the greatest show on earth.

Glasgow Herald/Neil Cooper: "Voodoo of the sweetest kind..."

ITALY:

Il Corriere Della Sera: "A mindblowing concert. Tom Waits is an old-time magician."

La Repubblica: "'Jesus Gonna Be Here Soon' is wild and brutal, 'November' is the quintessence of all the autumns in this world. 'Innocent When You Dream' is marvelous and so sweet. Who wouldn't want a serenade like this?"

QN (Quotidiano Nazionale): "Enlightening, powerful, moving."

Il Secolo XIX: "The concert is almost like finding a light that will guide you to salvation."

FRANCE:

Le Monde: "Tom Waits leads a show that raises a panorama of his explorations and musical obsession since his beginning in the 70's."

Le Parisien: "Tom Waits has put a spell on the Le Grand Rex...8 years after the last Paris show of the legendary Californian singer/songwriter; he was welcomed by a standing ovation..."

SPAIN:

El Mundo: The national premier of the mature and angular blues and jazz master, of the experimental narrator, of the restless patriarch of the creative library, will be recorded in the annals of history for many more reasons than just for being the first time in Spain."

Diario Vasco: "Personal, sometimes brushing against pure genius in his parodies and in his viral ironies...The wait in time and the strict organization requirements to avoid the reselling (of tickets) were vindicated with a spectacle so captivating that could not disappoint."

El Pais: Two hours of music, poetry, mime, vaudeville, contortionism, whispers, roars, love, surprise, always surprise, always, yesterday—during two long but so very shorty hours—the sweet and scarce dictatorship of the unexpected."

US:

Los Angeles Times/Ann Powers: "Waits is underrated as a vocalist. His baritone is easy to caricature, but a lengthy concert like this one offers a chance to hear what else he can do. He often capped a song with an eerie falsetto; on a couple of songs...he adopted the hiccupping style of early Elvis Presley...And he was frankly emotional on the ballads that demand that approach..."

Wall Street Journal/Jim Fusilli: "...it was an unforgettable experience...The dark humor of Mr. Waits' work can disguise its beauty and compassion. But throughout this performance, there were transcendent moments when the song and its expression permitted a profound understanding of what he was communicating. That's what makes a concert by a gifted songwriter extraordinary."

VanityFair.com/Michelle Ciarrocca and Leonardo DiSanto: "And he lived up to every inch of his reputation as a dynamic and theatrical performer. There is a certain grace in Tom's weird angular gyrations and Frankenstein's-monster posturing. 'I didn't expect him to be so sexy,' said one fan. Indeed, what could be sexier than the man standing, arms outstretched, beneath a shower of glitter?"

Phoenix New Times/Paul Rubin: "Waits did the near impossible and lived up to the great expectations..."

Associated Press/Sandy Cohen: "Tom Waits returns to the road with searing two-hour set...packing more than two dozen tunes into a set that was sure to satisfy any fans that made trip."

Dallas Morning News/Thor Christensen: "In the 20-odd years since Tom Waits last played Dallas, his music has grown more demented and, at the same time, more poignant."

Ft. Worth Star Telegram/Preston Jones: "That unmistakable national treasure of a voice gave the troubadour the air of a carnival barker."

Atlanta Magazine.com/Steve Fennessey: "The greatest musical event of the year...the single best musical event I've ever witnessed."

Knoxville News Sentinel/Wayne Bledsoe: "Waits' voice is actually more complex than most would give him credit for. His most marked asset is an almost feral growl...Yet, Waits can also sing in a high, almost fragile, voice as well and croon with the rough beauty inspired by Louis Armstrong."

Blender.com/Mike Errico: "Tom Waits has traveled to the source of the American songbook and returned with an alternate theory of its evolution. The ingredients are recognizable in flashes—Vaudeville, bebop, spoken word, Brill Building, funk, hip-hop—but the connections he makes between them are utterly unique...he connected the dots for a rapt and grateful audience."

Birmingham News/Mary Coluso: "Tom Waits keeps 'em spellbound at Alabama Theatre. Although the concert lasted more than two hours, Waits kept listeners on the edges of their seats, wondering what he'd so next. No sluggish spots, no dead ends, just an immaculately paced, consistently exciting meld of music and theater."

El Paso Times/Doug Pullen: "Friday's...show at the Plaza Theatre...probably was unlike anything ever seen in the historic, atmospheric movie palace, before and after its 2006 restoration....playing out like some twisted journey through a house of broken mirrors...Friday's concert was part performance art, part roadhouse blues revival, all good."

RollingStone.com/Bret Gladstone: "Waits ultimately spent the night demonstrating that he's one of the last remaining character actors in American music: a self proclaimed 'moonlighting' thespian who's always known that music is another kind of theatre—a very particular storytelling practice—and that it's all in the delivery."

The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC)/Devin Grant: "It was definitely worth a drive to Atlanta. Heck, I would have sailed to Singapore for a show that good. Well done, Tom."

NPR MUSIC EXCLUSIVELY WEBCASTS, PODCASTS TOM WAITS IN CONCERT

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:07:00 -0700

SHOW FROM WAITS’ “GLITTER & DOOM” TOUR AVAILABLE JULY 29; JOINS NPR MUSIC “LIVE IN CONCERT” SERIES

July 28, 2008; Washington, D.C. – Iconic singer-songwriter Tom Waits is adding an extra stop to his sold-out “Glitter & Doom” summer tour: NPR Music’s “Live in Concert” series. NPR Music is the only place to hear a full concert from Waits’ tour, which will be available for both free streaming and podcast at www.NPR.org/music beginning Tuesday, July 29.

During the show, recorded at Atlanta’s historic Fox Theater on July 5, Waits gives a stunning, two-and-a-half hour performance, featuring songs he’s never played outside a studio. The 25-track set includes “Hold On,” “All the World is Green” and “Hoist That Rag,” followed by an encore of “Anywhere I Lay My Head.”

Waits is the latest musician to have an entire performance streamed by NPR Music, which frequently webcasts rock, pop and indie concerts as part of its expanding “Live in Concert” series. The series has featured more than 100 events to date. In March, NPR Music and Member stations traveled to Austin, TX, to live webcast and broadcast 14 concerts from the influential music festival South by Southwest, among them R.E.M., My Morning Jacket, Vampire Weekend, Bon Iver and Yo La Tengo. This summer, NPR Music is also webcasting and broadcasting performances from the Newport Folk Festival and JVC Jazz Festival Newport in Rhode Island.

NPR Music launched in November 2007 as a free, comprehensive music discovery destination, featuring content from NPR and 12 NPR Member public radio stations, as well as original-to-NPR Music features such as live performances, studio sessions, interviews, reviews and blogs. Specific sections of the site are dedicated to rock/pop/folk, classical, jazz/blues, world and urban music. The site culls from NPR’s and the stations’ extensive music archives to present thousands of features; its popular Concert section offers hundreds of regional and national web concerts, with more than 15 new performances added each month. NPR Music also has dozens of original music podcasts.