Oakenfold, Ahmed, Voorn, Remix Paul Simon Tunes

Modern Rock

By Kristi Kates | May 19, 2018

Eleven EDM/DJ and dance music artists are teaming up to revamp songs from Paul Simon’s classic Graceland album for a new remix album simply called Graceland: The Remixes. The album, which will be out June 1 on Legacy Recordings/Sony Music, will include new versions of Simon’s songs by Paul Oakenfold (“Crazy Love, Vol. II”), Richy Ahmed (“The Boy in the Bubble”), Thievery Corporation (“Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes”), and MK (“Graceland”), and Photek (“All Around the World or the Myth of Fingerprints”), plus two versions of “Homeless” by Joris Voorn …

Blissfest is heading back to Bliss, Mich. for its 38th year, this year featuring headlining sets by Mary Chapin Carpenter, Bruce Cockburn, and Nahko and Medicine for at the festival farm north of Petoskey. Running July 13–15, the event will also welcome in a variety of regional Michigan acts, including Seth Bernard, Ben Daniels, The Red Sea Pedestrians, May Erlewine, Mark Lavengood, and many more. Cockburn is a particular coup for the fest; much of his work focuses on environmental, human rights, and social issues, causes all supported by many of the artists and attendees of Blissfest. For tickets and more information, visit blissfest.org …

Thirty Seconds to Mars is returning with its fifth album, It’s America, a more electronica-focused album than previous efforts, and a set that also includes a whole lot of pop elements via guest contributions from Halsey, A$AP Rocky, and Zedd. The set is thought to be frontman Jared Leto’s first “concept album.” The band will tour the U.S. throughout summer …

More festival news on the opposite coast: The 2018 Outside Lands Festival is hitting San Francisco July 21–22, featuring headliners The Weeknd, Florence and the Machine, and retro ’80s singer Janet Jackson, plus additional performances from Chvrches, James Blake, Odesza, DJ Snake, Bon Iver, and the always-entertaining Beck. Also out West July 21–22 will be the 15th Annual FYF Fest in Los Angeles, also featuring Florence and the Machine and Janet, plus sets from Future, My Bloody Valentine, and The xx …

LINK OF THE WEEK
Jack White’s new album, Boarding House Reach, is already cranking up the indie charts. Check out the video for one of the album’s first singles, “Over and Over and Over,” in which White careens through a variety of themed rooms, now on Vevo: https://tinyurl.com/jackover …

THE BUZZ
As part of her Rainbow Tour 2018, pop performer Kesha will appear at Grand Rapids’ Van Andel Arena on July 6 …
West Michigan singer-songwriter Jacob Bullard and his band, Major Murphy, are prepping to release their first full-length album, titled No. 1 …
Frankenmuth rock outfit Greta Van Fleet will perform at this year’s Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago …
The Fillmore in Detroit is temporarily closing this summer to undergo restoration, primarily on the auditorium ceiling. The famed venue is slated to reopen Oct. 27 with a show from Wayne Kramer and The MC5 … and that’s the buzz for this week’s Modern Rock. 

Comments, questions, rants, raves, suggestions on this column? Send ’em to Kristi at modernrocker@gmail.com.