'Til Infinity
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Furious: SEUN ANIKULAPO KUTI WORLD BY MICHAELANGELO MATOS »>XTINA JOINS have a kicking bassline," he says. MAROON 5 ON But "Rise" kicks more than bass. This NEW SINGLE outing finds Seun more topical. The Christina Aguilera and song "Rise," for example, takes gov- Adam Levine, who are RISING SON ernment and corporate both judges on NBC ;áA1`lftfííft1$llillllh corruption to task, calling out 1'qPlttliá!11NgttttrP!trl tll, talent show "The Voice," Seun Kuti Returns With students would sit around Halliburton, among others, by are putting their voices A Powerful New Project listening to music. Eno was in name. Needless to say, Seun :NtHt 0I11111111tI1N11ittr together on a new every aspect of every era of has been keeping track of Maroon 5 single. Aguilera "A first album is always difficult, no mat- rock music. Coldplay were 1 .r recent events. is featured with Levine r' uyl1!liñiNtilNiilut41 ter how confident you are," Seun Aniku- just coming out at that time, "I'm supporting all the and his band on the tune liùii f11Ñ11Nt111t,,4\vt,/' lapo Kuti says during a phone from I "Moves Like Jagger," call think, and he made that uprisings around the which will be released on London. "You have your doubts." album." world," says Seun, whose iTunes. The two will Maybe so, but three years ago, "Seun In 2009, Eno invited Seun father was famous for his perform the song on the Kuti & Fela's Egypt 80" could've fooled and Egypt 80 to perform in outspoken politics. "I'm June 21 episode. The anyone. It's an audacious reclamation, Sydney at the Luminous an anti -establishment studio version will be not only of the band that his father, Festival; a year later, he kind of person. When available to buy online Afrobeat pioneer and global music leg- brought them to the people are standing up following the show. end Fela Kuti, had led until his death in Brighton Festival in England. by themselves for change, 1997 (when Seun was 15), but also of Soon, I »JOSS STONE Eno and Reynolds had support it. People die for `FINE' AFTER the music Fela had pioneered. "Seun decamped to Rio to help Seun the cause of revolution, and that's what Kuti & Fela's Egypt MURDER PLOT 80," which ap- make "Rise." makes it sacred. I feel all the govern- Joss Stone says she's peared on Disorien, was as close to a "Eno was serious," Seun says. ments in the world have to represent doing OK after police new Fela album as it could get. "He said, 'You don't have to pay me a the people. Not all governments in the uncovered a murder and Seun's second album, "From Africa dime.' He did it for the love of the world represent their people." kidnap plot against her With Fury: Rise," released globally on music, not for the money." Presum- Should we expect to hear about on June 14. "I'd like to Knitting Factory Records in April and ably, Eno received at least a couple these specific uprisings in future thank everyone for their set for a June 21 release in North Amer- of dimes for his work in the end. Ei- songs? Seun's answer is blunt. concern but I'm ica, is an even more complex piece of ther way, Seun is proud of the result. "I predicted this," he says. "I was absolutely fine and machinery. Recorded in Rio de Janeiro "Every aspect of the album is an waiting for it to happen. I already getting on with life as with co- producers Brian Eno and John improvement, not just the songwrit- knew normal while the police it was going to happen two continue with their Reynolds, "Rise" is at once supple and ing and production- everything," years ago -I could sense the tension intricate weave of percussion and he says. inquiries," she said in a -the everywhere in the world. People guitar that makes "Mr. Big move, statement. Two men were Thief" Although Seun doesn't divulge his couldn't take it anymore. I talk about arrested near her Devon, for example, is articulated more clearly writing methods -"That is classified this on the new album. It's written in England, house with than even on his father's prime records. information. If I told, everyone would the new album already. I'll continue swords, rope and a body "I found Brian I out about when was start making music like me," he says to talk about how I feel, and I hope bag after neighbors in Liverpool studying," says Seun, who with a laugh -he will admit to one key. the world feels the same way. It's im- called police to report is Fela's youngest son. "My fellow "For me, my songs do not fit until I portant." suspicious activity. Police say the men also had detailed maps and aerial Stone's rural photos of BY JUSTIN JACOBS home. Reps for the star say she was "aware of the arrests" and that police were "keeping her updated with 'Til Infinity developments." »GAGA MEAT DRESS GOES TO And Beyond HALL OF FAME Jeff The Brotherhood Teams With Warner, ADA Lady Gaga made history at last year's MTV Video To Deliver `We Are The Champions' -And More Music Awards when she turned butcher's cuts into Some fathers build treehouses with their kids. Robert The Warner deal comes in three high fashion. On June 16, Ellis Orrall built a record label. steps. First, though Jeff is now a the Rock and Roll Hall of Nearly a decade ago, songwriter /musician Orrall Warner act, "Champions" remains Fame unveiled the founded Infinity Cat Recordings in Nashville with an Infinity Cat release, distributed Yo, bro: JEFF THE singer's infamous raw - his sons Jake and Jamin, then 16 and 14. Soon after by the major's Alternative Distri- BROTHERHOOD meat dress to the public. the boys began working to put out other bands' bution Alliance. Jeff's subsequent The outfit -made of recordings they started cutting their own, and Jeff releases will come out jointly on Warner and Infin- a - layers of Argentine leaks, Jeff invited its own by printing special the Brotherhood was born. As the label slowly grew, ity Cat, and future Infinity Cat releases will also ben- edition vinyl version "Champions," beef -was kept in a meat of available ex- so locker, placed in a vat of did the Brotherhood -with Jake on guitars and efit from ADA, which distributes for independent clusively at shows months before the album's release. chemicals and then dried vocals and Jamin on drums -sharpening its fuzzy label giants like Merge, Matador and Sub Pop. "Anyone who's going to buy the record is going out by taxidermists in guitar blowouts and garage -pop songs on limited The deal represents something "a little different to buy the record, so it wasn't an issue for the music California before being editions and splits with bands like Best Coast and than how we usually work with bands," Warner Bros. to come out early," Jake says. Plus, as deal negotia- transported to the the Greenhornes, constituting much of Infinity Cat's A &R representative Ryan Whalley says, in that the tions pushed back release dates, he says, "people museum. The dress is 60 -plus releases. Orrall brothers maintain a foot in both Warner and were getting antsy for the next record. We were get- being displayed as part "It's been a long, slow climb, and our ethic has al- Infinity Cat. The latter is, after all, their label. ting antsy. So when the record was done, we pressed of the "Women Who ways been completely DIY," Orrall says. "But peo- "We realized we didn't actually need any help it on our own." Rock: Vision, Passion, ple started to poke in the last few years." from anyone to do what we were already doing," As the Orrall brothers have already begun writ- Power" exhibit, which One of those pokes turned into an 18 -month ne- says Jake, now 25. "But if we have the option to use will official -label runs until February 2012. ing what become their major debut, gotiation and, finally, an announcement in May: Jeff the resources of Warner Bros., then it's basically expect upcoming tours to offer a taste of what's to Reporting by the the Brotherhood had signed to Warner Bros., which our dream deal." come. "We like to play every song we write on tour Associated Press and the would distribute the duo's "We Are the Champions" Jeff the Brotherhood has always operated on its for at least a month before we record it, because it Hollywood Reporter. album on June 21. own terms. Where many bands are haunted by album changes so much," Jake says. .. 30 BILLBOARD JUNE 25, 2011 .