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Monday, Oct 22, 2018

Julian Woolsey


Good morning Radicals! Here’s some music news to start your day!

Pearl Jam is investing in a carbon offset project in Alaska managed by ClimeCo, The American Land Conservancy, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, allowing the band to be “accountable” for pollution the group created on its 2018 tour. The project, the first of its kind in the region, will help protect the coastal temperate rainforest area of Afognak Island and preserve the habitat of important animal species.

Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard, who manages the band’s carbon mitigation efforts, said in a statement, “As a band, it’s important for us to be accountable for the pollution we create. Since 2004 we’ve invested in projects around the world to mitigate the CO2 emissions caused by our tours.” The new project will offset an estimated 3,500 tons of carbon dioxide produced during the band’s 2018 tours.

ClimeCo VP Dan Linksy added, “We are so thankful for the example Pearl Jam sets when it comes to offsetting the greenhouse gas emissions that result from their concert tours,” while Toby Janson-Smith of carbon standard verification non-profit Verra added, “Pearl Jam’s continued climate leadership and commitment . . . has helped protect critical ecosystems around the world while showing fans how individual actions can make a real difference.”

Pearl Jam has been promoting environmental awareness for years while making its tours more eco-friendly. Vocalist Eddie Vedder told us a while back that it was important for the band to use its status to bring these issues to the public’s attention: “Bringing it up and saying, ‘What are we doing to this planet?’ — it’s an obvious thing to be thinking about these days. And it just so happens that in our job, you know, there’s a microphone, and people in front of it, and us behind it, and I guess we’re gonna use it for what it’s worth.”

Vedder, Gossard and the rest of Pearl Jam currently do not have any live shows on their schedule through the rest of 2018. The band is rumored to be mapping out new live dates for next year in conjunction with the possible release of its 11th studio album.

Nine Inch Nails main man Trent Reznor was asked in a new interview with Stereogum about the band being left off the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballot for the second straight year, after being nominated but not inducted in 2016. Reznor replied, “I saw somebody write something online or comment on Twitter like, ‘What could be less rock and roll than the f**kin’ Hall Of Fame.’ And that is authentically how I feel about it. I’ll say this: It’s nice to be appreciated. It’s nicer when it feels like that’s coming from a place that you care about.”

Reznor added, “Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, who knows what that is. I don’t give a s**t. It’s irritating every year that suddenly my inbox lights up with, ‘Oh man, sorry about …” I don’t give a f**k! [Laughs] You know what I mean? I don’t . . . the worst would be if we did [get inducted] and then what? We’d have to f**kin’ show up and jam? I can’t even imagine what that would be.”

Reznor continued, “I’m not saying this as sour grapes. I honestly couldn’t give less of a s**t. I’m not gonna sleep any better. Included or not. With that being said, it’s always nice to feel you’ve been appreciated to some degree but it’s not on my list of things I have to achieve before I die.”

Reznor and collaborator Atticus Ross did win an Oscar in 2011 for their first film score, The Social Network. Reznor said about that accolade, “The Oscar was completely unexpected. When you see what goes on behind the scenes there and the different guilds and how many people are involved and how seriously they take it, I’m still pretty blown away by that.”

Nine Inch Nails is currently doing live dates in support of Bad Witch, the third in a trio of EPs that included 2017’s Add Violence and 2016’s Not The Actual Events. The trek next hits Detroit for a two-night stand on Monday and Tuesday, October 22nd and 23rd.