EDDIE VEDDER
Pearl Jam: Twenty is a Cameron Crowe documentary that highlights the first 20 years of the Seattle rock legends' career, from their small-town beginnings to their 90's mainstream explosion. The documentary, which hits stores tomorrow will include a companion book, highlighting the history of Pearl Jam from the band and crew themselves.
In addition to the film and book, the band is releasing a 29-track soundtrack CD featuring rare recordings and demos, in addition to live recordings from the group's appearances on Saturday Night Live and MTV: Unplugged.
This collection of solo tunes may be a far cry from the dynamic front man fans are used to, but Vedder comes to the table with the same intensity in his voice, just stripped down and accompanied only by a ukulele. What started out as a joke, according to Vedder, turned into a cleverly crafted compilation of sixteen songs.
Vedder’s latest effort showcases his versatility, however the tracks seem to carry the same mellower vibe throughout. He can’t escape his distinctly guttural sounding voice, but this is as close as listeners can get to a solo sound.
Turning on the radio, the TV, or the computer, you may feel as if you are having a flash-back of the ‘90s. The main squeeze popping up everywhere, again, is Pearl Jam. They re-issued the album Ten on Mar 24, 2009. They also have an upcoming album in the works called Backspacer, scheduled for an early fall release (according to Billboard).
This is the first album the band will be releasing without being under contract with Sony-affiliated labels. Instead, they have a group of partners- one of which being Target as their "big box" retail partner. Don’t worry, Pearl Jam is not selling out. It is also rumored that they are partnering with indie retail stores. Kelly Curtis, the manager of the band, told Billboard that, “Target ended up allowing us to have other partners. We'll be able to take care of all levels of the Pearl Jam fan...Target was cool enough to realize that little independent record stores are not their competition.”
Billboard.com reported that Pearl Jam is getting ready to hit a Los Angeles studio with producer Brendan O’ Brien. This will be the first time the band has worked with O’Brien since their 1998 album Yield. The album is expected to be out sometime in 2009 and will be self-released. The band actually sounds excited about the album, Eddie Vedder told Rolling Stone, “The new record feels good so far — really strong and uptempo, stuff we can sink our teeth into.” This can mean two things: either grunge really is dead or they’re still just ODing on that good ol’ Seattle coffee.
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