News Archive 2009

Tue Dec 15 2009: End Times Liner Notes
A fact sheet about the upcoming “End Times” was released recently:

END TIMES
Written and produced by Mark Oliver Everett, aka E
Recorded in his basement studio, OneHitsville, U.S.A., Los Feliz, CA.
Performed by E: vocals, guitars, bass, harmonica, piano, Optigan, Hammond B3 organ, banjo, Harmonium, Vox Continental organ, drums, percussion.
With guest appearances by Koool G Murder (bass, guitar), Jim Lang (horn arrangements), Butch (drums), Wayne Bergeron, Andy Martin, Chris Bleth (horns).

Note that the guest appearance by Butch might be from a recording session in the early naughties. It is probably on “A Line in the Dirt”, a song which was already performed on the “Respect the Rock” tour in 2000.


Wed Dec 09 2009: In My Younger Days Video Premiere
With all those promotional videos for “Hombre Lobo” and “End Times”, it seems like E has been getting into making Eels videos lately. You can watch the latest “In My Younger Days” video right HERE.


Mon Dec 07 2009: Miscellaneous News
Some news updates:

  • There are several different options to get hold of the upcoming “End Times” album (Digital, CD, Vinyl, Bonus EP, etc.). There’s also a special t-shirt, which you can buy. All HERE
  • ADRIAN TOMINE has not only created the cover of “End Times”, but is responsible for booklet illustrations, as well.
  • The SONGJACKERS tribute album has been downloaded 500 times in the first week of release. Thanks for that. We are glad you’re all enjoying the record.
  • To make clear what some of you have asked: the “Eels Song of the Decade” POLL will run until the end of December.


Wed Dec 02 2009: In My Younger Days
Listen to “In My Younger Days”, yet another song from the upcoming Eels album “End Times”, right HERE.


Tue Dec 01 2009: Download now! Songjackers, the Eels Fan Tribute Album
Finally, the third tribute album is out. We’d like to thank everybody who has been involved in the making of this record over the course of the last couple of months. We sincerly hope you all enjoy it. We absolutely love it. You can download and get more information about the double album on our TRIBUTE SITE.


Fri Nov 27 2009: End Times Bonus Disc Tracklist
The tracklist for the bonus disc of the “End Times” Deluxe Edition will be as follows:

  1. And Now The End Times Bonus EP (Digital Only)
  2. Some Friend
  3. Walking Cloud
  4. $200 Tattoo
  5. The Man Who Didn’t Know He’d Lost His Mind


Thu Nov 19 2009: “Songjackers” Tracklist
The Eels Fan Tribute Album “Songjackers” will be released on December, 1st. Look at the tracklist of this phenomenal double album HERE.


Thu Nov 19 2009: Deluxe Edition and Vinyl
The official site just announced that there’s gonna be a deluxe 2CD “End Times” set including a bonus EP with 4 non-album tracks. Also, a 12″ vinyl with a 7″ bonus EP will be released. So we’ll get 18 brand new Eels song in January. This is awesome.


Wed Nov 18 2009: Little Bird Video
Watch it HERE.


Tue Nov 17 2009: Eels Song of the Decade
As the year 2009 will be gone soon we look back on a wonderful and very successful decade of Eels music. So what’s your favourite Eels song of the decade? We know this is very difficult to choose. All you can do is try it anyway in our LATEST POLL.


Mon Nov 16 2009: End Times Information
Read everything about “End Times” right HERE. You will also have the chance to download an mp3 file of the song “Little Bird” on this page.

Furthermore, you can see the cover of our Fan Tribute Album (to be released on Tuesday, December 1st) HERE.


Wed Nov 11 2009: Little Bird
Listen to “Little Bird” from the upcoming Eels album “End Times” right HERE. Amazing! We can’t wait!
Update: Thanks to our friend Jonny Crabb. He sent in TABS for that song.


Sun Nov 08 2009: Tribute Album Release Date
The deadline for the tribute album participation was today. Thank you all for participating in this, what seems to be very successful tribute project. From now on no submitted track can be accepted, though. 37 artists have submitted 59 songs over the last couple of weeks. That is amazing! Congratulations and a big thank you to everybody!
This tribute album will be entitled “Songjackers” (thanks for participating in the poll) and will be released on this website on Tuesday, December 1st. More info on details regarding the album and this project will be posted here and on our very own TRIBUTE BLOG in the days and weeks to come.


Sat Oct 31 2009: Tribute Album
For information about the process of our Eels Fan Tribute Album visit the TRIBUTE BLOG. Learn about the contribution deadline extension, the title poll (please all vote) and many more things.


Tue Oct 20 2009: Cover and Tracklist
The official Eels site revealed the cover and tracklist of the upcoming Eels album “End Times”. Check it out HERE. Notice that there are two tracks on the album which might be familiar to some Eels fans: “Nowadays” was performed live on several gigs on the “No Strings Attached Tour 2006″ and “A Line in the Dirt” is a song nobody has ever heard about except for ESTRANGED FRIENDS FORUM member “burgertime“, who has been talking about it for years. Furthermore, it’s interesting that this record seems to be released by “EWorks” and not by “Vagrant”. Stay tuned…


Thu Oct 15 2009: Tribute Album
While we will have to wait another 95 days for the next official Eels album (we’re all so delighted about that), the FAN TRIBUTE ALBUM is in its final stages of collecting songs and should be presented in mid-November. It is really going well. Keep sending in those amazing songs, folks. We need some help with title decisions, album artwork, etc., so please check out our TRIBUTE BLOG to get information on how to support this wonderful project.
Furthermore, feel free to follow us at TWITTER.


Wed Oct 14 2009: New Album
END TIMES will be the 8th studio album by the Eels, released on January 19, 2010. How amazing is that? According to INTRO.DE it will consist of 14 songs, almost all of them recorded in Los Angeles. THIS site confirms that: “The new album features 14 tracks largely self-recorded by Eels leader Mark Oliver Everett, aka E, in his Los Angeles basement studio.”


Thu Oct 08 2009: MC Honky, the 2nd (?)
Let us all look at what WIKIPEDIA has to say about the phrase “END TIMES ARE COMING” (as currently depicted on the official Eels site): “In Abrahamic religions, End times are often depicted as a time of tribulation that precedes the appearance or return of the Messiah…” The Return of the Messiah. What could that be? Exactly, another MC HONKY record. As of now this is, of course, only speculation. But let’s remind ourselves of a comment made by E back in JANUARY 2008: “I would like to say that eventually there WILL be a sequel [to the first Honky album]“. Let’s wait for the official announcement. Thanks to Wouter for the hint.


Mon Oct 05 2009: Tribute Album
Everything Tribute Album related (as, for instance, a title poll) can now be found at THIS BLOG.


Thu Oct 01 2009: Gossip Alert
The first ever gossip news here on RockingEels.com: Apparently Padma Lakshmi, the love interest in the latest Eels video “That Look You Give That Guy”, is pregnant. BOSTON.COM is already speculating about the fater: “The father? No one’s saying, but she has been linked to Eels singer Mark Oliver Everett of late.”

On a more serious note: The EELS FAN TRIBUTE PROJECT is well under way. We’ve already had some very nice cover songs. The deadline for contributions is at the end of October, so there’s plenty of time left for all of you who haven’t already taken part. Go ahead, it’ll be fun. :)


Wed Sept 30 2009: End Times Are Coming
On the OFFICIAL EELS PAGE one can see a countdown with the slogan “END TIMES ARE COMING” written above. We don’t know what this should signify. All we know is that the timer is counting down to just past midnight on January 19th, a Tuesday. On this day of week records are generally released in the United States. Stay tuned…


Wed Sept 16 2009: Eels Fan Tribute Album 2009
We from RockingEels.com feel that it’s time for another Eels FAN TRIBUTE ALBUM. If you have the same feeling as us take a look at how to take part in this worldwide project right HERE.


Thu Sept 03 2009: Summer Break Over
Hey everybody in Eelsworld. We hope you all had a great summer. We certainly did!
What has happened in the last weeks of our absence?

  • To everybody’s surprise (and enlightenment) Eels co-founder Tommy joined the band on their great JIMMY KIMMEL PERFORMANCE on July 24th.
  • The “Transmission Session 2009″ EP can be downloaded HERE. It is also available on an exclusive vinyl release.
  • A wonderfully produced and humorous video of “That Look You Give That Guy” can be watched HERE.


Wed July 22 2009: Summer Break
RockingEels.com is taking a summer break until September. If you can’t live without any Eels news, join Estranged Friends, the one and only message board. Have a ridiculously fantastic summer everyone! :)


Wed July 22 2009: Transmissions Session 2009
Thanks to our friend Embryo we can reveal the following news:

“EELS – TRANSMISSIONS SESSION 2009″
6 tracks recorded at the Village Recorder in Los Angeles (a classic studio used by Bob Dylan, the Stones, Pink Floyd, Supertramp, Steely Dan and many more) for a MySpace promotion.. MySpace will only have 5 of these tracks for their give-away, and otherwise vinyl is the ONLY place to find these versions! 4 re-recordings of tracks from the “Hombre Lobo” album plus a track from 1996’s “Beautiful Freak” album, and a Bob Dylan cover (”Girl From The North Country”).
Tracklisting:
01. IN MY DREAMS
02. TREMENDOUS DYNAMITE
03. THAT LOOK YOU GIVE THAT GUY
04. MY BELOVED MONSTER
05. THE LONGING
06. GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY
Release date: 25th August 2009

From the “Village Recorder” WEBSITE:
“Right off the bat, you can’t help but like The Eels. Founded by singer/songwriter, “E”, their feel is as earnest and melodic as a Sunday swaying in your hammock. The music on the latest album sounds like haunting lullabies and refreshingly innovative rock songs rolled into one classic collection. MySpace Music brought this band that is known for doing covers of old favorites, into Studio A with engineer Chris Owens. The Eels played some old tunes, some new tunes, and some somber blue tunes, but all of it was fantastic. The session was followed by an interview, and in their quirky vintage style, it will be released on vinyl.”

This is really great. Expect the offical Eels site to comment on this news in a few hours/days….


Wed July 22 2009: Jimmy Kimmel Live
Eels will appear on JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE this Friday, July 24th at midnight (Eastern/Pacific).


Fri July 17 2009: E Interviews
Read through two very nice interviews with E on MSN MUSIC and TINY MIX TAPES.


Wed July 15 2009: E on 95bFM The Originator
Listen to a nice interview with E on “Morning Glory” HERE.


Thu July 09 2009: Butch
Yesterday we were fortunate enough to get to hang out with the greatest drummer on earth, Butch Norton, in Berlin. As you may know, he is now part of Lucinda Williams’ band, as is The Chet. Here are some facts which might interest you:

  • Butch would love to be part of the Eels again. Artistically, working with E is amazing.
  • The rumour that Puddin’ is Butch’s cousin is, of course, not true.
  • Butch did a couple of remixes of “Fresh Feeling” with an 80 year old guy called “Harmonica Slim”. Check out one of the remixes on Butch’s MYSPACE
  • Check out BUICK6, a new band with Butch and The Chet.
  • Carter, E’s manager until the ESB release when he was fired/let go, is now Butch’s golf buddy.
  • “At this point of time, there’ll definitely be no ‘Hombre Lobo’ tour”, said regular Eels tour manager Eric, who is currently managing the Lucinda Williams tour. “Firstly, the Chet is currently on tour with Lucinda and can therefore not be part of the Eels. Secondly, E’s a lazy bastard”, Eric jokingly said.
  • Initially, the actor Sean Penn (a friend of E) was going to do the audiobook of “Things The Grandchildren Should Know”.
  • Butch is the nicest and sweetest guy one could EVER imagine. Butch just ROCKS.


Thu July 09 2009: E on Talking Animals
Enjoy E’s nice interview about his love for animals on Duncan Strauss’ radio show TALKING ANIMALS.


Fri July 03 2009: “I’m not going to disrespect the audience”
E explains his decision not to tour “Hombre Lobo” at the moment on SPINNER.


Thu July 02 2009: In My Dreams Video
Yet another song from the new Eels record has its own video now. Watch a young hombre lobo on his quest of a frog in the new IN MY DREAMS VIDEO.


Tue June 30 2009: Hombre Lobo Tabs
Thanks to our friends El Turbo and Jonny Crabb you can now find tabs of some of the brand new “Hombre Lobo” songs. Check them out in our TABS SECTION.


Fri June 26 2009: E on Michael Jackson’s death
It seems like now they’re asking literally everybody to share thoughts about the tragic death of the “King of Pop”. “They don’t make stars like Michael Jackson anymore,” E tells SPINNER. “Staggeringly talented, from his first hit with the Jackson 5, ‘I Want You Back’ — one of the most deceptively complicated and amazing pop songs ever made — to ‘Billie Jean’ … We won’t be seeing his like again. Plus, he was a genuine weirdo, which is always a plus in my book.”


Tue June 23 2009: E on Triple J
On THIS site you can listen to an audio interview with E on “Mornings with Zan”, a show on the Australian radio station Triple J. Furthermore, learn more about the new record and E’s decision not to tour the album at the moment on ABOUT.COM and INTERVIEW MAGAZINE.


Fri June 19 2009: No Tour?
According to THIS article there is NOT going to be an “Hombre Lobo” tour. “E has no plans to tour the album, having undertaken three world tours in the past four years [...]“ Let’s just hope this to be a matter of miscommunication or an outright lie.


Thu June 18 2009: Letterman
Watch Eels’ (E and Knuckles, that is) performance of “In My Dreams” on the “Late show with David Letterman” HERE.


Mon June 15 2009: News, News, News
# Eels are performing on LETTERMAN on June 17th.
# Eels articles are on NY TIMES, AOL and AVERSION.
# A paperback edition of E’s autobiography with an exclusive CD featuring the original songwriting demo (!) of the “Things The Grandchildren Should Know” song will be published by Little, Brown on July 2. The US paperback edition is due in the fall. Infos HERE.
# Billboard reports that “Hombre Lobo” debuted on its Top 200 at #43, selling roughly 10,000 copies in the United States. This is one of Eels’ best showings in the US in a very, very long time.


Tue June 09 2009: Filter Magazine and NY Times
Check out PART 1 and PART 2 of the Eels interview in Filter Magazine. Furthermore, the NY Times reviewed “Hombre Lobo” HERE.


Mon June 08 2009: “An emotional rollercoaster of an album”
Check out more “Hombre Lobo” reviews on: DROWNED IN SOUND – CLASH MUSIC – RECORD COLLECTOR – SPIN – ALLMUSIC.COM. You might also check out METACRITIC.COM, a very cool website that collects several reviews. By the way, Eels latest record charts at #18 in the UK this week. (BBC.CO.UK)


Sun June 07 2009: Is this it?
WHAT’S NEW PUSSYCAT?


Sat June 06 2009: NPR Interview
NPR’s Weekend Edition (with Scott Simon) featured E today. Listen to the 10min interview right here at NPR.ORG. If you’re interested in more audio interviews with E you should have a look through our INTERVIEW ARCHIVE.


Fri June 05 2009: Interesting Articles
Read a very interesting interview with E on THESUN.CO.UK and a not-so-good “Hombre Lobo” review by PITCHFORK.


Wed June 03 2009: Eels on KCRW Bootleg
Download E’s performance on KCRW right HERE.

Furthermore, you can watch the new “Prizefighter” video HERE.


Tue June 02 2009: KCRW Performance
A few seconds ago E concluded his 8th live performance on KCRW. Wonderful set, we really like it. Here’s the setlist (audio bootleg will follow in a few days):
01 In My Dreams
02 Tremendous Dynamite
03 That Look You Give That Guy
04 My Beloved Monster
05 The Longing
06 Prizefighter
07 I Need Some Sleep
08 Flyswatter
09 Bus Stop Boxer
10 Girl From the North Country
11 A Magic World


Mon June 01 2009: Tomorrow
Tomorrow the latest Eels album “Hombre Lobo: 12 Songs of Desire” is going to be released in the rest of the world. After listening to it for a few times we can safely say that while it is certainly no step forward (neither musically nor lyrically) this album combines everything Eels stands for. A collection of lovely little tunes and kick-ass rock songs. We definitely enjoy it a lot! Also, we’d love to hear those great songs performed live. Let’s pray for a tour!
Furthermore, we’d like to remind you that E is going to perform on KCRW’s “Morning Becomes Eclectic” tomorrow at 11:15AM (PDT).


Sun May 31 2009: Hombre Lobo Reviews
Check out some reviews and articles regarding the new Eels album “Hombre Lobo”:
SUNDAY HERALD – TIMES ONLINE #1 – TIMES ONLINE #2 – THE GUARDIAN #1 – THE GUARDIAN #2 – BILLBOARD – CALIFORNIA CHRONICLE – THE HUFFINGTON POST – WEREWOLF NEWS – SPIEGEL ONLINE (GERMAN) – FAZ (GERMAN) – ZEIT ONLINE (GERMAN) – 2 DUTCH INTERVIEWS


Fri May 29 2009: European tour in September????
Rumours about an upcoming Eels tour are floating around. According to ESTRANGED FRIENDS user TS the Eels are planning a European tour for September. Remember, this is only a rumour, we have to wait until the official page comments about a possible tour.


Thu May 28 2009: Listen to Hombre Lobo
Those of you who don’t already have “Hombre Lobo” can stream the entire new record at the EELS MYSPACE PAGE (until June 2nd). We at RockingEels.com are really enjoying this amazing album. Two thumbs up!


Thu May 21 2009: Eels to tour soon?
E on touring this year: “We don’t know yet. We have to decide what happens next, but it’s definitely a possibility.” This and other interesting stuff can be read at BILLBOARD.COM.


Sun May 17 2009: Eels on KCRW
Once again, Eels will be guests on L.A. radio station KCRW. “Tuesday, June 2, L.A. favorites Eels perform songs for their new release Hombre Lobo on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.”, reports VOX.COM.


Thu May 14 2009: That Look You Give That Guy
Watch the new video for “That Look You Give That Guy” HERE. Only three weeks left until, finally, “Hombre Lobo” comes out…..


Thu May 07 2009: “Eels’ most naked accounts on seeking love”
Read a very nice review of the upcoming “Hombre Lobo” album on GIGWISE.COM


Fri May 01 2009: Hombre Lobo Vinyl
For LP lovers: The VINYL edition of “Hombre Lobo” to pre-order.


Wed Apr 29 2009: Fresh Blood Video
Watch the new video for the Eels single “Fresh Blood”, directed by Jesse Dylan (who also directed the video for “Trouble With Dreams”) HERE. E’s comment about the video: “For years people have asked me what I do when I’m done recording all day. So here it is. A typical night.” E + Amazing Beard + Gorgeous Girl + Howling Protagonist = Fantastic Video!


Sat Apr 25 2009: Fresh Blood Vinyl
“Fresh Blood”, the first single from the new Eels album is going to be released in a few days on iTunes. For everyone who cares for music and does not give a crap about digital single releases the following link might be interesting: FRESH BLOOD VINYL ON EBAY
Thanks to jay for the link.


Fri Apr 24 2009: Hombre Lobo Deluxe Edition
If the online store PLAY.COM is to be believed, Eels will release both a NORMAL edition and a DELUXE CD/DVD edition of the upcoming album “Hombre Lobo”. Will this DVD feature the “TREMENDOUS DYNAMITE: Making HOMBRE LOBO” film (trailer HERE)? Let’s wait until the offical site will comment about it in a few hours/days/weeks…..

By the way: E has abandoned his Twitter account after one month of existence. Who cares about Twitter, anyway?


Thu Apr 16 2009: Young Dog Faced Boy grows up
Our friend Edgar (webmaster of EELS.NL) has shared some press sheet quotes about the upcoming Eels album “Hombre Lobo”, which according to him was recorded as a threesome (E, Koool G and Knuckles):

  • “I wanted to write a set of songs about desire. That dreadful, intense want that gets you into all sorts of situations that can change your life in big ways.”
  • “I was thinking, ‘What happens when the young Dog Faced Boy (of 2001’s Souljacker album) grows up?’ He tries to function in society. But he can’t get past the fact that he’s still likened to an animal… I figured the best he could do was to become a dignified old werewolf.”
  • “I didn’t want to write a bunch of blatantly autobiographical songs about a lonely old indie rocker, so I thought it would be more interesting if it came from this character”.
  • “Every time I branch out and try something else, I think it will be some kind of relief to take a break from music. But I always come back with my tail between my legs, because there’s nothing I enjoy more than making music. The other projects have been great experiences for me, but this is what I love to do.”


Fri Apr 10 2009: Happy Birthday, Mr.E
Our beloved Eels frontman turns 46 today. Have a nice one, Mr.E. We’re all looking forward to see you at upcoming concerts. Rock on!


Wed Apr 08 2009: New Eels song on Ben Lee album
For the past 7 years BEN LEE has been trying to release an album called “A Mixtape from Ben Lee”. It’s a collection of new songs written by him, each sung by a different artist, including Neil Finn, Kylie Minogue, Ben Folds, Gomez, Ash, Zooey Deschanel and…oh hey….EELS. Have a look at some (old) reports about this record: SPINNER – DROWNED IN SOUND – MTV.
It’s a real shame that the album has not come out yet. It was produced by Sam Spiegel (a.k.a. Squeak E. Clean), who states in the discography section on his WEBSITE that the said Eels song is titled “Just Like Jerusalem”. Now it seems that finally the time has come for this record to be released, as Ben Lee stated on his BLOG a few months ago: “Also, Squeak-E-Clean and I are FINALLY finishing the Mixtape album! We are in the mixing stage, and once we get all the legalities squared away with the various artists, we will be ready to release it. As a refresher, this is an album of new songs I’ve written for different singers like the eels, Zooey Deschanel, Nina Persson, Kylie Minogue and the Sleepy Jackson amongst others. It’s been my personal “Apocalypse Now” in that its taken about 7 years to get finished with…but the finish line is within sight!”


Wed Apr 08 2009: “I aaaaaam el hombre lobo”
To see the trailer of the exciting documentary film called “TREMENDOUS DYNAMITE: Making HOMBRE LOBO” go to the band’s MYSPACE site or click HERE.


Sat Apr 04 2009: Documentary about new album
The official Eels page reports that a 30 minute documentary film about the making of the new album called “TREMENDOUS DYNAMITE: Making HOMBRE LOBO” is coming soon. How cool is that?!


Tue Mar 31 2009: Fresh Blood first single
As already reported yesterday, “Fresh Blood” will be the first single of the brand new Eels album. The good news: the song is a very catchy tune, adding another sound to Eels’ repertoire. Listen to it in full length HERE. The bad news: as it seems now, the single (along with the b-side “Devil’s Dog”, already known from “Licence to Eel”, the secret 2003 record) will only be available via iTunes, on April 28. We’re still hoping for a proper CD release, because this amazing song deserves it.


Mon Mar 30 2009: Fresh Blood first single?
The Australian radio station TRIPLE J played the track “Fresh Blood” from the upcoming Eels album “Hombre Lobo” today. Could this be the first single? Update: Listen to a 30 seconds snippet of this song HERE