He exclaims: *What I’ve tried to do with the new stuff, rather than me just sit there and wait for inspiration to come at some point, which takes ages, instead I’ve written stuff together with other people. And it’s a bit louder. That really made me think. I’d never really had that before. Pulp could be loud, but we didn’t really rock. Well, maybe occasionally.* Read more here. MP3 at bottom of post.

MP3: Jarvis Cocker – Don’t Let Him Waste Your Time

He exclaims: *What I’ve tried to do with the new stuff, rather than me just sit there and wait for inspiration to come at some point, which takes ages, instead I’ve written stuff together with other people. And it’s a bit louder. That really made me think. I’d never really had that before. Pulp could be loud, but we didn’t really rock. Well, maybe occasionally.* Read more here. MP3 at bottom of post.

MP3: Jarvis Cocker – Don’t Let Him Waste Your Time

Enjoy his take on ‘Space Oddity’ below. He follows it up with ‘We Will Rock You’.

MP3: Jarvis Cocker – Don’t Let Him Waste Your Time

Catch him at one of the following gigs:

Mar 6: Havana – Monterrey
Mar 8: Centro Dinamico Pegaso – Mexico City
Mar 11: La Trastienda Club – Buenos Aires

Visit Jarvis on MySpace.

MP3: Jarvis Cocker – Don’t Let Him Waste Your Time

His set from last night’s London show included:

-Survivor’s ‘Eye Of The Tiger’
-Thin Lizzy’s ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’
-Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Purple Haze’
-The Jesus & Mary Chain’s ‘Sidewalking’

He closed with ‘Winter Wonderland’.

Read more about the Rough Trade Xmas party here.

MP3: Pulp – This Is Hardcore

The Independent reports: *It appears Jarvis Cocker will not be the man after all to save Britain from its annual humiliation at the Eurovision Song Contest. Earlier this year, the gangly popstar made a bizarre bid to pen the UK’s entry in 2008. “The door is always open if they want to ask me,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to do one.” Sadly, his interest appears to have waned. When Pandora recently tried to get Cocker to commit to his pledge, I was practically laughed off the telephone line. Chortled a spokesman: “Sorry, but I wouldn’t hold your breath on that one.”*

MP3: Jarvis Cocker – Don’t Let Him Waste Your Time

Billboard’s got the dirt: *The Beastie Boys are moving ahead with plans for a vocal version of their latest album, the all-instrumental “The Mix-Up.” Adam “MCA” Yauch tells Billboard.com the trio is “talking to some different artists who might do kinda like remixes and put vocals on it, so it wouldn’t be us doing vocals on it. It would be kind of like a different version of the album, with a bunch of people guesting on it.” Among those in the loop, according to Yauch, are M.I.A., Lily Allen and Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker — “a bunch of British people,” Yauch notes with a laugh. “It’ll be interesting to see what they do with the stuff.” That might not be the only outgrowth of the “The Mix-Up,” which Yauch, Mike “Mike D” Diamond and Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz released in June. Yauch says the Beasties have an idea for a visual version of the album as well, incorporating images from the group’s touring to support “The Mix-Up.” “We’ve been traveling with a Super 8 camera,” he reports, “and a lot of times we’ll just make something. While we were in Singapore we filmed stuff, and in Australia and different places. We’re talking about cutting it together into a full-length film that kinda goes the length of the album.”*

Read the rest of the article here.

MP3: Beastie Boys – So What’cha Want? (Remix Featuring Cypress Hill)

Via Contact Music: *One of Jarvis Cocker’s favourite bands, Artery, have decided to reform after a request from the Pulp frontman himself. The post-punk art rockers from Sheffield were asked to play at Jarvis’ Meltdown festival at the Royal Festival Hall in London.

After their first gig for over 20 years, Artery have now decided to give it another go, all because of the influence wielded by the bespectacled genius. Mark Gouldthrope, frontman of Artery, said: “It was a shock to hear from Jarvis after all that time, but once he’d explained what he was up to we jumped at the chance to get involved. It’s not every day you get asked to play the Royal Festival Hall.

“It was an amazing experience to be on stage again at such a brilliant venue, and now we’ve got the bug we’re really excited about making some new music together.” The band are now looking onwards and upwards, with a fifth album scheduled for later this year and the chance to tour again with their new-found energy. Artery produced four albums between 1983 and 1985 and influenced Jarvis a great deal during his youth.*

MP3: Artery – Afterwards (via The Stodge)

Jarvis Cocker explained his views on modern day pop music to Radio Times this week. He has some very valid points. Some highlights from the interview are below.

“It saddens me because I love pop music and these shows prove that it’s become an industrialised process. They never pick people with great voices. They pick people who show off how many notes they can fit into a 10-second period.

A great voice expresses something and gives you some idea of the personality behind the voice. There’s zero personality in the voices of any of the people who sing on these shows. The kind of pop I was brought up on is over. The pop charts used to be where everything happened. Now the most interesting stuff is happening outside in the independent music sector.”

MP3: Jarvis Cocker – Don’t Let Him Waste Your Time

Oh, to be a curator. David Bowie got to curate the inaugural year of NYC’s Highline Festival (going on as I type) and now Jarvis Cocker is coming forth to choose his favorite acts for the upcoming Meltdown Festival in London’s Royal Festival Hall.

When Morrissey curated the show back in ’04 he brought along The Libertines, Nancy Sinatra, Sparks and Loudon Wainwright III. The following year, Patti Smith brought Antony & The Johnsons, Cat Power, Beth Orton & Billy Bragg. Last year the venue was closed due to refurbishment but now, in its 14th go-round, former Pulp star and solo artist in his own right, Jarvis Cocker will be engaging in the selection process.

So far, he’s doing a splendid job. Bands already confirmed for this year’s shindig include: Iggy Pop & The Stooges, The 13th Floor Elevators, Jesus & The Mary Chain, Cornershop, Motorhead, Devo and Clinic. Not bad, eh? If previous years are any indication, the total number of performers will probably grow to twenty or so; we’ll keep you upated as that news travels into our inboxes. For now, enjoy one of my favorite Clinic tunes below.

Learn more about the festival here on its official site.

MP3: Clinic – Circle Of Fifths