Elliott Smith Recent News

Tom Waits, Elliott Smith and Nick Cave all make the Pop Matters best of 2004 list.

Mon, 20 Dec 2004 00:12:00 -0800

1. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus (Anti-)
Nick Cave's magnum opus, a thrilling pasticcio of magnanimous rock, pastoral folk, and wicked church music, covers more ground in two discs than most artists can in an entire career. God, cannibals, deception, nature, divine inspiration, slaughterhouses, Johnny Cash, mythology, comfort, love, greed, sorcery, and little redemptions in the face of massive tragedies represent just the half of it. Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus is a sprawling "Song of Myself" manifesto, bubbling with piety, fear, and hope. The Bad Seeds sound like they're capable of anything; they use Cave's poetics as kindling to set fire to any stereo willing to risk its mechanical life. This year's gospel.

4. Elliott Smith, From a Basement on the Hill (Anti-)
From a Basement on the Hill presents a rawer Elliott Smith than we had recently become accustomed to; its songs are rough around the edges and frequently devoid of Smith's impeccable bridges. Still, the final record of Smith's career is loaded with peerless melodies that guide the lyrics to an emotional resonance lacking pretension. From naked acoustic tracks "A Fond Farewell" and "Memory Lane" to the kitchen-sink absolution of "King's Crossing" and "Coast to Coast", From a Basement on the Hill plays like a best-of collection filled with previously unknown songs.

12. Tom Waits, Real Gone (Anti-)
When it comes to Tom Waits, weirder is better. Real Gone reclaims the farmland funkmeister thread of Bone Machine, a sloppy stew of cacophonous percussion and Mark Ribot's Ginzu knife guitar. "Hoist That Rag" and "Make It Rain" groove with weathered authority and knowing futility -- eyes rolling into the back of the head, James Brown singing Kurt Weill, real gone funk stuff. Waits is the undisputed heavyweight of surrealist blues.

popmatters.com

Elliot Smith on the cover of Magnet Magazine.

Tue, 14 Dec 2004 00:12:00 -0800

Elliott Smith graces the cover of the upcoming (Jan/Feb) issue of Magnet Magazine. There will also be a cover story featured in the issue:

Elliott Smith

Released a year after his death, From A Basement On The Hill is an album that�s as complicated, melancholy and beautiful as Smith himself. Like all important works of art, it raises many questions about his life, death and legacy.

Go to magnetmagazine.com for more info and a picture of the cover.

Nick Cave, Elliott Smith and Tom Waits named among the Best Music of 2004.

Mon, 06 Dec 2004 00:12:00 -0800

From Popmatters.com:

1. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Abattoir Blues/The
Lyre of Orpheus (Anti-)

Nick Cave's magnum opus, a thrilling pasticcio of
magnanimous rock, pastoral folk, and wicked
church music, covers more ground in two discs
than most artists can in an entire career. God,
cannibals, deception, nature, divine inspiration, slaughterhouses, Johnny Cash, mythology, comfort, love, greed, sorcery, and little redemptions in the face of massive tragedies represent just the half of it. Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus is a sprawling "Song of Myself" manifesto, bubbling with piety, fear, and hope. The Bad Seeds sound like they're capable of anything; they use Cave's poetics as kindling to set fire to any stereo willing to risk its mechanical life. This year's gospel.

4. Elliott Smith, From a Basement on the Hill
(Anti-)

From a Basement on the Hill presents a rawer
Elliott Smith than we had recently become
accustomed to; its songs are rough around the
edges and frequently devoid of Smith's impeccable
bridges. Still, the final record of Smith's
career is loaded with peerless melodies that
guide the lyrics to an emotional resonance
lacking pretension. From naked acoustic tracks "A
Fond Farewell" and "Memory Lane" to the
kitchen-sink absolution of "King's Crossing" and
"Coast to Coast", From a Basement on the Hill
plays like a best-of collection filled with
previously unknown songs.

12. Tom Waits, Real Gone (Anti-)

When it comes to Tom Waits, weirder is better.
Real Gone reclaims the farmland funkmeister
thread of Bone Machine, a sloppy stew of
cacophonous percussion and Mark Ribot's Ginzu
knife guitar. "Hoist That Rag" and "Make It Rain"
groove with weathered authority and knowing
futility -- eyes rolling into the back of the
head, James Brown singing Kurt Weill, real gone
funk stuff. Waits is the undisputed heavyweight
of surrealist blues.

popmatters.com

Preview five tracks from Nick Cave and Elliott Smith!

Fri, 22 Oct 2004 00:10:00 -0700

Both Elliott Smith's new record 'From A Basement On The Hill' and Nick Cave's upcoming release 'Abattoir Blues/The Lyre Of Orpheus' are featured in the MuchMusic.com Listening Lounge. Head over there and you can listen to five tracks from both of these amazing artists. Click HERE to check it out!

Pre-order and stream the entire new Elliott Smith record.

Thu, 14 Oct 2004 00:10:00 -0700

There are a few different listening parties happening right now surrounding the upcoming release of Elliott Smith's 'From A Basement On The Hill' out October 19th on Anti-! VH1 and MTV are both holding listening parties where you have the opportunity to stream the entire new record before it is released in stores.

This record is already being regarded as one of his best works, so after listening, pre-order your copy from Newbury Comics HERE!

See the e-card for Elliott Smith's new record!

Fri, 01 Oct 2004 00:10:00 -0700

The brand new Elliott Smith mini-site is here. Complete with two downloadable MP3s and an exclusive stream of the song "Pretty (Ugly Before)"! Get ready for one of the most anticipated releases of the year Elliott Smith's 'From A Basement On The Hill' out October 19th on Anti-. View the site HERE!

*Designed by Nick Pritchard.

Elliott Smith's 'From A Basement On The Hill' to be released on ANTI-!

Wed, 21 Jul 2004 00:07:00 -0700

The estate of Elliott Smith has just completed their deal with ANTI- to release 'From A Basement On The Hill' on October 19th, 2004. The 15 tracks comprising the album were completed by Elliott prior to his death in the Fall of 2003.

ANTI- is the home to other such talents as Tom Waits and Nick Cave.

from a basement on the hill, took its final shape in the same studio where Elliott recorded much of the material on, 1998's XO and its 2000 follow-up, Figure 8.

�This is prime Smith, with the kind of meticulous, evocative lyric, bittersweet melody and intimate delivery that made him one of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of his generation." - Richard Cromelin, LA Times