The Scarlett Johansson listening party

Also: David Bowie doing backing vocals.

and here I am with all my money on "for Godot"

:(

The electropop version of 'I Don't Want to Grow Up' is deeply disquieting.

You've got to be joking. Right?

http://scoopsnoodle.com/scar/scarlett.jpg

jhoshea otm

even isaac mizrahi wants a piece!

Dead serious on all points.

Sweet merciful Christ.

this will be the best album ever

Johansson Unveils Waits Covers Album In NYC
Scarlett Johansson

February 12, 2008, 6:30 PM ET

Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
Scarlett Johansson unveiled her debut album, "Anywhere I Lay My Head," for journalists today (Feb. 12) at New York's Joe's Pub. As previously reported, the album includes 10 Tom Waits covers and one original ("Song for Jo"), and will be released May 20 via Atco/Rhino.

"Anywhere" was produced by TV On The Radio's Dave Sitek, who told the crowd he was going for a "cough medicine/Tinker Bell" vibe, sound-wise. David Bowie, whom Johansson met a party just prior to beginning work on the album, lends his distinctive vocals to the tracks "Falling Down" and "Fannin' Street," while Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner and members of the band Celebration contribute throughout.

Johansson said she initially considered making an album of standards, but that the project slowly morphed into a Waits-dominated affair. "His melodies are so beautiful and his voice is so distinct," she said.

The result, according to Johansson, has met with the notoriously persnickety Waits' approval. "I sent him some of the early, early recordings, and he said, 'Go ahead,'" she said. "I've heard he's very pleased."

While the majority of the album lives up to Sitek's prior description, there are some up-tempo departures, particularly on "I Don't Want To Grow Up," which boasts drum machine beats straight out of a New Order song.

There are no plans for Johansson to perform live in support of the project, but she says she'd be intrigued by "getting everybody together," perhaps at a festival, at some point in the future. "It would be a missed opportunity not to."

Here is the track list for "Anywhere I Lay My Head":

"Fawn"
"Town With No Cheer"
"Falling Down"
"Anywhere I Lay My Head"
"Fannin' Street"
"Song for Jo"
"Green Grass"
"I Wish I Was in New Orleans"
"I Don't Want To Grow Up"
"No One Knows I'm Gone"
"Who Are You?"

<3 Green Grass. Is that one ok?

Cibelle's cover of "Green Grass" is so killer just FYI.

"Fawn"?!

being flat in one medium wasn't enough for her

she's not flat where it counts

er, yeah, $10 prize to the best "flat" joke coming out of that post

ha xpost

Scarlett Johannson Listening Party is a good band name

""Anywhere" was produced by TV On The Radio's Dave Sitek"

cynicism aside,this is a little more of a good sign than a bad sign.

she can sing whatever the fuck she wants as long as she takes all her clothes off. goddamn is she banging.

his voice is so distinct

If this is what you like about Waits, wouldn't that be an argument not to cover his songs?

steve shasta super otm re: green grass.

Scarlett Johannson Listening Party is a good band name
i actually clicked on this thread because i was not sure if it referred to a band named The Scarlett Johansson or if she had actually released an album.

"Cough medicine/Tinker Bell" vibe is pretty much dead on; now imagine that as an album of Tom Waits covers and put Scarlett's speaking voice on top and you're pretty much there. Didn't do a lot for me; but I won't speak ill. I can kind of imagine your response, Tza.

i really don't know how to take that...

Not badly. I can just imagine your reaction and it woulda been fun to see it.
I love the running comments here:
http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/682386/Scarlett_Johanssons_Album_May_20th.html

<i>Posted by sps73 - Saturday, January 26, 2008 6:25 PM
Who the f#ck is Tom Waits? If he's punk that explains why i don't know, because i don't listen to punk it stanks! It stunk in the 80's and it still stanks. But will someone enlighten me to who Waits is please?

Posted by sps73 - Saturday, January 26, 2008 6:38 PM
Hey ignore my previous post,i know who Waits is know! He wrote songs for a lot of people including Bruce, Rod steward, and The Eagles just to name a few.

I had a brain fart, i just wokeup, sorry!

Punk still stanks though!!

</i>

oh teh lols

i swear i'll learn to use bbcode one day

this album might sound like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F_yCFtFn24

(her cover for "summertime).

Little more like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lh-YPLKJo4&feature=related

OK, everyone's going to d/l "I don't want to grow up" by Tom Waits, originally performed by The Ramones, sung by Scarlett Johansson, in the manner of New Order...

right?

Stephin Merritt should get her to cover him next.

Doesn't singing "I Don't Want to Grow Up" in your early 20s make about as much sense as "I'm Still Here"?

I actually quite like her version of Summertime

How old were T.Waits/J.Ramone when they sang it? (actually, does that make her too old or too young?)

They weren't 23! No, you haven't grown up, young lady.

Just because a song was written and most famously covered by a bunch of 40-year-olds doesn't mean a younger person can't sing it, especially since the whole idea of the goddamn song is that it's from the perspective of a child.

None of my favorite Tom Waits songs are covered on this album. So I'll never listen to it. But it's okay by me that it exists.

I can see this becoming a novelty dinner-party album for ageing hipsters (ie. me)

next: Scarlett & Shatner

Scar J feat. J Lo

Tom Waits played "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" before the Ramones, right?

yeah, his original was 3 years before their cover.

Thanks for the Beavis & Butthead memory.

her voice on summertime is unbelievably good.

this record is great and I wasn't expecting it to be really (I like Sitek but thought Cookie Mountain was kind of cluttered and lacking in good songs, and I'm not Johansson fanboy). Her voice works exactly as it's supposed to in the context of these versions of the songs.

And how is that?

Individual tracks are OK but taken as a whole it sounds like a kitschy/awful version of a Beach House record.

it's a shame that so many people's response to this album is solely based on a knee-jerk reaction to the idea of Johansson doing anything music-related. Anthony Miccio was on point in Idolator when he said it's best enjoyed as a TV on the Radio side project, which, considering the fact that Sitek's production is at least as much on display as Johansson's voice, is pretty much what it is.

except that some of the production is awful.

Based on what I've heard of this record, though -- about 2 songs, I think -- I would've much rather heard her covering mid-'70s Waits stuff, some of the early Asylum songs, just more straightforward melodies that would work better for her voice. Something off of Closing Time or The Heart of Saturday Night would've been nice.

and i don't think that attitude is characteristic of ILM, but there were some comments of that sort in this thread

for people dismissing something about of hand, see every single thread about every musician ever

the lex never dismissed anything he never heard, bless his heart

I'm only here for pix. I will never listen to this album. Ever.

You made the same mistake with the Bacon Brothers.

I would've much rather heard her covering mid-'70s Waits stuff,

she did "I wish I was in New Orleans" which is off Small Change, but that's the only really really old track here. I kidn of like that there are two tracks off Alice and one from Real Gone though, those albums I feel got kind of overlooked

These is actually very good. I like how forceful her voice is, when I was expecting her to be coyly twee. Also, this weirdly reminds me of the Cocteau Twins

Maybe it's just me but her voice sounds a bit like Sinead O'Conner.
At least in the softer sections.

It also has a real 80's feel in the production.

baaderonixx is on point with the Cocteau's - her version of "I Don't Want To Grow Up" sounds amazingly like the Cocteau's version of "Frosty The Snowman."

Now that I've said that, I hope to never hear this again. Painfully bad.

tv on the radio is fucking terrible btw. thanks for asking, everyone.

This is the standard M.O. on ILX. There's plenty of smart people on here, but when a celebrity (especially on considered uncool) decides to make a record, everyone turns into high school-level hipster douchebags.

hahahahahahahhahahahahhahaha

she not into u bruh

These is actually very good. I like how forceful her voice is, when I was expecting her to be coyly twee. Also, this weirdly reminds me of the Cocteau Twins

-- baaderonixx, Sunday, May 4, 2008 9:27 PM (2 days ago)

OTM, this really is very good. Expected the same twee coy voice, but I'll pleasantly settle for the more powerful voice. There's some Pluramon w/ Julee Cruise vibe in there as well. Only song that doesn't seem in place at all is 'I Don't Want To Grow Up'. The song works, it's not that, but it interrupts the hazey dream this album is. Loving it.

i kinda like this

i kinda don't. it sounds like a bad daniel lanois album. all whispery and textural and self-consciously weird and interesting and tasteful and experimental like a michael penn demo or something. it would go perfect with a latte at starbucks.

zooey d's album, on the other hand, is a damn nifty pop record.

Maybe this just isn't the record you're looking for, seeing it's a pop record you're looking for?

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/50200-interview-scarlett-johansson

wtf?

i dunno, what is WTF? about that

http://music.aol.com/video/falling-down-sessions/scarlett-johansson/2124745

ps the fall rulez

tv on the radio is fucking terrible btw. thanks for asking, everyone.

This is false.

Maybe this just isn't the record you're looking for, seeing it's a pop record you're looking for?

this too is false.

(i mean, i am ALWAYS looking for pop records. but that is not all i am looking for. and i wasn't expecting this to be one, exactly. i was just hoping it would be, ya know, good.)

I don't find the production annoying at all, it's actually less cluttered than Cookie Mountain.

OTM

Also, this weirdly reminds me of the Cocteau Twins

OTM OTM

It also has a real 80's feel in the production.

OTM OTM OTM

PS The Fall rulez!

did u cum yet?

baby you don't even know

most unfairly maligned album in recent memory

most undeservedly talked about like it's a big deal album in recent memory

did u cum yet?

-- strgn, Saturday, August 9, 2008 4:41 AM (6 hours ago) Bookmark Link

OTM shot

it's not a "big deal" album at all, i think it's a pretty low key affair. but akm is right, it does NOT deserve the hate it's getting. it's a perfectly fine, enjoyable record for what it is.

i really like this album.

The beginning of Falling Down's "Go on down and see that wrecking ball..." verse is so incredible...

omg, really, it's like there's this gorgeous explosion of noise. it sends chills down my spine!

if you want to experience, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GIQnLhXWBI&feature=related

guys, this new song is amazing, soooo psyched for album

http://www.thebreakupalbum.com/

nothing like the last one, obv

she's covering "I Am The Cosmos," omg

i liked her karoke number in lost in translation, and the producer was an interesting choice, and she has nice tits, so i was ready to give that tom waits cover album a shot. unfortunately, it was totally bland and i just didn't like it at all.

she was the weak link in the prestige too. guess i gotta find a new starlet to wank off thinking about...

and she has nice tits

Yeah, but so does Frank Black, and he hasn't made a great album in years, so there.

she's covering "I Am The Cosmos," omg

wait, what?

Not digging the single so much -- most of the magic in "Anywhere I Lay My Head" was in the production -- but I'm still curious about what the entire album will be like.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b361/tapestore/relator.jpg

http://justjared.buzznet.com/2009/08/13/scarlett-johansson-relator-music-video/

that's really not that bad, could do without that other guy and his harmonies but this kinda blows in comparison with the waits thing which I liked a lot

uh on second thoughts this is a pile of ass but at least her voice is better than i realised it was

holding out for the megan fox/teddy geiger album

mediocre songwriting + forgettable singing. bollocks.

i'd like to relate 'er