SOUND BITES

  Listening to Eddie Vedder's third solo album planted a seed of wonder into my crazed Pearl Jam fan brain as it pertains to Gigaton , their 2020 album, something that hadn't clicked until I heard Earthling ; I have to wonder if this whole Pearl Jam thing is any fun for Vedder anymore. Thinking back to the heavy-hearted, mostly solemn and super serious tracks on that album and comparing it to Earthling 's wide-eyed, playful and exploratory energy, the latter record is starkly different not just from recent Pearl Jam records, but Vedder's other solo records as well. Having previously only ventured outside his main gig for the folky, mostly acoustic Into the Wild soundtrack in 2007 and the gimmicky but sweet Ukulele Songs in 2011 (plus a handful of one-off singles), this time out Vedder's supported by an entirely new band of co-creators. Aided by producer Andrew Watt and Red Hot Chili Peppers alumni Josh Klinghoffer and Chad Smith (and a few notable guests, which we...

Having whiled the past few years split between his day job with Pearl Jam and his solo career (which is blossoming in its own right), Eddie Vedder could be forgiven for taking a break.  However, ever the busybody, Vedder has contributed a new song to the benefit compilation Every Mother Counts 2012 . Skipping shouldn't surprise anyone who's familiar with Vedder's recent work; it's a gentle acoustic ballad that falls right in place with the rest of his canon. The compilation also features alternate and/or unreleased tracks from a bunch of artists I don't really care for, but it's for a good cause (you can learn more about Every Mother Counts here ).  You can pick it up at participating Starbucks locations during the month of May, with $8 of the proceeds from each sale going to Every Mother Counts.  And really, if you can afford coffee at Starbucks, you can afford a CD.

Here's a sketch featuring Eddie Vedder (in animated and actual human form) from a recent episode of IFC's hilarious Portlandia, which stars longtime friend of Eddie (and former member of hopefully-reuinting soon Sleater-Kinney) Carrie Brownstein, and some guy who used to be on Mad TV or something (I kid, it's lovable SNL'er Fred Armisen).  No more talking, watch this:

EDDIE VEDDER Longing to Belong From: Ukulele Songs Released: May 31 Being a Pearl Jam lifer can sometimes be a little overwhelming.  Take this year, for instance: marking the 20th anniversary of their debut album Ten, 2011 was designated "PJ20", and saw a big year of special treats for fans of the band.  It culminated in the premiere of the Cameron Crowe-directed feature film, which just saw release on DVD and Bluray.  There was also that film's two-disc soundtrack, massive coffee table book, Live on Ten Legs concert collection, and deluxe (and super deluxe) reissues of their second and third albums Vs. and Vitalogy .  All told: four albums, a ginormous book and a feature film.  And that's not even mentioning their Labour Day Weekend concert, or the two releases Eddie Vedder released solo this year.

The Pearl Jam main man's first solo record is a little too short and a little too sweet.