photos by Ryan Muir

"What the Fuck Arizona?" - Massive Attack

"Tuesday night's Massive Attack show in New York City verged on sensory overload. The air was hazy and thick with incense, and the stage was aglow with blue lights; chimes tinkled throughout the cavernous venue, Terminal 5, and an enormous LED screen flashed assorted facts and quotes behind the band and their impressive array of drum sets, synths and keyboards: Cubic meters of water used per person in Canada, "The Truth About Elvis".... on and on....

...The duo, Robert Del Naja (a.k.a. 3D) and Grantley Marshall (Daddy G), played a two-hour set that relied heavily on the new album -- whose musical contributors include Blur's Damon Albarn, Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval, and TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe (none of whom played with the band last night) -- and on their 1998 classic, Mezzanine.

Longtime collaborators Martina Topley-Bird and Horace Andy were on hand to help, however. [SPIN]

As SPIN points out, we didn't get any Tunde last night (I thought we would), but Deborah Miller, Horace and Martina did a great job assisting the band on vocals during the awesome 2-hour show Massive Attack played at Terminal 5 last night (lights, music, quotes by Howard Zinn and others, everything). Martina handled "Teardrop". And they do it again tonight (with Neon Indian opening).

The setlist and more pictures from last night (but not of Anti-Pop Consortium or Martina who also opened - yet) below...

Continue reading "Massive Attack @ Terminal 5 (night 1) - pics & setlist"

Trip-Hop legends Massive Attack have released their new video for "Paradise Circus" (ft. Hope Sandoval) in support of their album, Heligoland, set to release February 9th via EMI's Virgin Records. The Toby Dye directed video features former porn star, Georgina Spelvin, and her candid look on filming the infamous adult film, The Devil in Miss Jones. Original shots of the '73 hit (NSFW) are interlaced with Spelvin's honest take on her physical and emotional state during the production of the film nearly forty years ago.

Heligoland, Massive Attack's highly-anticipated 5th studio album, will feature guest vocals from Damon Albarn, Marina Topely-Bird, Guy Garvey and Tunde Adebimpe. Longtime cohort, Horace Andy, is also set to return alongside Massive Attack founding members Robert Del Naja (3D) and Grand Marshall (Daddy G). The prelude to Heligoland, the Splitting the Atom EP, is available now.

It feels like forever that I've been waiting to hear the new Hope Sandoval-contributed Massive Attack track and it's well worth the wait though I could do without the distracting commentary by Georgina. I hope there's a version without her. I don't really think that The xx sound like Hope Sandoval, but this song definitely sounds a little like The xx. Listen/watch (NSFW) the video with the album art and tracklist, below...

Continue reading "Massive Attack - new album w/ guests & a NSFW porn video for the track featuring Hope Sandoval "