Echo and the Bunnymen Keyboardist Dies

Sadly, tragedy strikes Echo & the Bunnymen again. Longtime Echo & the Bunnymen keyboard player Jake Brockman was killed in a motorbike crash on the Isle of Man in the UK on Tuesday, September 1st. He was 53.

According to BBC News, the motorcycle he was riding collided with with a converted ambulance near Kirk Michael. He later passed away from injuries sustained by the accident at Noble Hospital.

Brockman, also called 'the fifth Bunnyman' by fans, joined the group in 1989, and also appears on the Bunnymen's forthcoming LP, The Fountain, out October 12th. The band shared their condolences via Bunnymen.com:

"Our thoughts are with his wife, family & friends.

Love
Ian, Will, Les, Peasy, Pete, Peter & all his fans"

In 1989, original drummer Pete De Freitas was killed in a motorcycle accident
at the age of 27 while traveling to Liverpool from London.

Along with Echo & the Bunnymen, Brockman also played with Spiritualized's Damon Reece in the dance outfit, BOM. The duo issued one album, Bom Bom Shevaya -- featuring Bunnymen guitarist Will Sergeant on keyboards and additional vocals by Pete's sister Lucy De Freitas -- in 1996.

Echo to Reel Around 'the Fountain'

Echo & the Bunnymen are set to release their 11th studio effort, The Fountain, their follow-up to 2005's stunner Siberia. Produced by John McLaughlin, The Fountain will arrive October 12th in the UK (and hopefully October 13th in the US?). Coldplay frontman Chris Martin also joins Ian McCulloch, Will Sergeant and Co. on one track.

Four track samples -- "Think I Need It Too," "Do You Know Who I Am," "Proxy," and "Drivetime" -- are currently live for preview at Bunnymen.com and the band's MySpace page. Pretty nice stuff so far. "Drivetime" could shape up to be a EATB classic, no doubt.

"Think I Need It Too" will mark the album's first single and will be available as a digital download and CD-single September 28th.

Other confirmed tracks include: "The Idolness of Gods," "Forgotten Fields," "Shroud of Turin," "Life of a Thousand Crimes," and "The Fountain."

Four UK dates are expected to be announced on Bunnymen.com this week. US fans can catch the Bunnymen at All Points West Festival at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, NJ on Sunday, August 2nd at 8pm.

I know I've posted EATB videos before, but I adore them ... so here's "My White Devil" from my favorite Bunnymen album, Porcupine.

Watch the Guitar, Watch the Guitar

Many thanks to Alex for sharing this Echo & the Bunnymen video with me the other day. Heaven Up Here is my second favorite Bunnymen album behind the oh-so-underated Porcupine. In this 1983 footage from the German television show, Rockpalast, the Liverpudlian dudes sweat it OUT hardcore during their performance of "Heaven Up Here." Look at Ian McCulloch's shirt! Better yet, his hair is in tip-top form. Drummer Pete deFreitas (RIP) is drenched in sweat. God bless YouTube.

Supermellow Man

Happy Birthday to Echo & the Bunnymen frontman Ian McCulloch. The Liverpudlian-born rocker was born 49 years ago today. This year, Mac and Co. will be playing a host of shows in support of their 30 years as a band and celebrating their epic LP, Ocean Rain. I'll be at the Radio City Music Hall show October 1st.

Echo & the Bunnymen turn 30

See, turning 30 isn't so bad? One of my absolute favorite bands, Echo & the Bunnymen, will be celebrating their 30th year together with a series of live shows commemorating their epic LP, 1984's Ocean Rain. While I'm partial to the dramatic rawness of Porcupine, I am thrilled to hear that Mac and Co. will be performing Ocean Rain in its entirety (with an orchestra!) Wednesday, October 1st at Radio City Music Hall. You better believe I'm getting tickets!

Check out Bunnymen.com Saturday, April 26th at 12PM EST for exclusive rights for a week of pre-sale tickets. Only those fans subscribed to the newsletter (moi!) will have access to the purchase link and password. General public tickets are slated to go on sale a week later.

In other Bunnymen news, the band is putting the final polish on their forthcoming album, The Fountain. Produced by Scots songwriter John McLaughlin (Busted, Liberty X, Westlife), Ian McCulloch claims it's his best material to date.

"It is exciting - it is probably the best thing I've ever done in my life," McCulloch shared with the UK's Sunday Mail. "Obviously I have loads of love for the older stuff but this one sounds almost like a debut album with a lot of hard rock. I hate using the word rock, it's not right for us. It's more vibrant and hardish. I think we will always be of the moment because so many bands have either been inspired by us or blatantly ripped us off, which makes us current. It's the same with the Velvet Underground."

Here's a clip of Echo & the Bunnymen performing the Ocean Rain track "Nocturnal Me":

Tuesday's Jibber Jabber

It's heeeeeere! Apple's iPhone! Isn't it gorgeous? [Endgadget]

Bill O'Reilly vs. Stephen Colbert = GENIUS! [AP]

If you love drinking tea, don't drink milk. [Reuters]

Bob Seger plus the Motor City = 4EVA. [NPR]

Geraldo Rivera hates Keith Olbermann. [Boing Boing]

People are leaving Michigan. Duh. [Detroit Free Press]

Hey Mac users! Make your own Widget. [Downloadsquad] ...Echo and the Bunnymen did!

Elvis robots. (Thanks Matt!) [AP]