When Elvis Costello and The Roots teamed up for a new album, they knew their pairing was unlikely and unconventional, so they secretly recorded music without the approval of their record labels. “Sometimes if you … get the record company involved, then people have ambition rather than starting to play, so we started to play,” Costello said in a recent interview. “We did it without a label or deadline pressure,” said Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson as he sat next to Costello. “This absolutely was a passion project.” Two years ago, they began recording Wise Up Ghost, which will be released Sept. 17. It’s a moody, 12-track album that features both new songs and others borrowed from Costello’s catalog, including the drum-filled “Sugar Won’t Work,” which samples from “You Left Me in the Dark,” and the soft and simple “Tripwire,” which takes from “Satellite.” The Roots first collaborated with Costello on NBC’s Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, where the hip hop group is the house band. They also worked with the 58-year-old British rocker at a Prince tribute concert in March. “This is like our dream - that’s all I can say,” a smiling Questlove said. The thing I like most of all, the drums are really loud,” Costello said. “I’m singing quite close, not having to yell to get it over.” The Roots released a collaborative album with John Legend in 2010. A year later, they released an album with Betty Wright.
Justin Timberlake will be the headliner when the iTunes festival kicks off in September in London. The star is among the acts scheduled for the annual music series, which will be held each night that month and streamed on Apple devices such as the iPad, iPhone and Apple TV. Fans can see it in person by winning tickets. Others tapped to appear at the London festival include Thirty Seconds to Mars, Jack Johnson and Jessie J. The festival, which has included acts such as Paul McCartney, Amy Winehouse, Coldplay and Adele, is entering its sixth year.
Front Section, Pages 2 on 05/31/2013