Videos: Blur reunite; the Gossip dance; Fiona Apple covers Elvis Costello
Thursday, June 18, 2009 | 5:04 pm
For a long time, Blur seemed long gone.
Lead guitarist Graham Coxon had left the Britpop group in 2002 to release middling solo albums.
The remaining three members put out one more Blur album, "Think Tank," but it quickly faded from memory.
Then Blur frontman Damon Albarn launched a massively successful sideproject, Gorillaz, which became a bigger phenomenon in the U.S. than the Blur ever was.
The idea of a reunion, at best, seemed faint.
So when Blur announced it was actually getting back together — “It just felt it was right again,” Albarn told NME — fans went on pins and needles. Now that the group has started playing live, fans have all the reason they'll ever need to shout, “Whoo-hoo.”
Blur — “Country House” — Live
Anyone who doesn’t already own Blur’s “Best of” — genuinely full of great hits — now has another reason to buy it, with the reunion official. Here’s a clip from the group’s small reunion show, which found the once-fractious band happily bouncing about. The video quality is great, but the sound is lacking. Still, you can make out the song’s best line: “I’m a professional cynic, but my heart’s not in it.”
The Gossip—“Heavy Crosses”—Video
Rick Rubin has had an eye on turning the Gossip into big-deal rock stars for years. The super-producer may accomplish that goal with the band’s new album, “Music for Men.” For the album’s first single, frontwoman Beth Ditto belts it out over a disco-ready beat and stabs of guitar.
Fiona Apple — “I Want You” — Live Elvis Costello cover
I interviewed OK Go when I was in college, and the group’s frontman mentioned the song “I Want You.” At the time, I knew nothing about Costello, but I picked up the album, and was happier for it. Flash forward to a week ago, when Rolling Stone plugged this cover. Again, I hadn’t heard it, and again, I was very pleased to do so.
Lead guitarist Graham Coxon had left the Britpop group in 2002 to release middling solo albums.
The remaining three members put out one more Blur album, "Think Tank," but it quickly faded from memory.
Then Blur frontman Damon Albarn launched a massively successful sideproject, Gorillaz, which became a bigger phenomenon in the U.S. than the Blur ever was.
The idea of a reunion, at best, seemed faint.
So when Blur announced it was actually getting back together — “It just felt it was right again,” Albarn told NME — fans went on pins and needles. Now that the group has started playing live, fans have all the reason they'll ever need to shout, “Whoo-hoo.”
Blur — “Country House” — Live
Anyone who doesn’t already own Blur’s “Best of” — genuinely full of great hits — now has another reason to buy it, with the reunion official. Here’s a clip from the group’s small reunion show, which found the once-fractious band happily bouncing about. The video quality is great, but the sound is lacking. Still, you can make out the song’s best line: “I’m a professional cynic, but my heart’s not in it.”
The Gossip—“Heavy Crosses”—Video
Rick Rubin has had an eye on turning the Gossip into big-deal rock stars for years. The super-producer may accomplish that goal with the band’s new album, “Music for Men.” For the album’s first single, frontwoman Beth Ditto belts it out over a disco-ready beat and stabs of guitar.
Fiona Apple — “I Want You” — Live Elvis Costello cover
I interviewed OK Go when I was in college, and the group’s frontman mentioned the song “I Want You.” At the time, I knew nothing about Costello, but I picked up the album, and was happier for it. Flash forward to a week ago, when Rolling Stone plugged this cover. Again, I hadn’t heard it, and again, I was very pleased to do so.
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