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• Pod Fodder (Volume Forty)

  burning world - 2009-05-14 16:21:55

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  01. Seven Inches - To Boldly Go (Indie-Mp3 Records)

  The Indie -Mp3 label gets of to a flying start with it's first release, a seven inch single by The Seven Inches who come from just down the road in Leeds. This is one if three tracks on their "Open-Ness & Honesty E.P." which will be released on 1st June. The title track is a bit of a belter as well. 

  
  

  02. Ear Pwr - Beam Of Light (Carpark)

  Taken from their excellently titled "Super Animal Brothers III" album which will be released through Carpark Records on 19th May.

  
  

  03. The Appleseed Cast - A Bright Light (Militia)

  Taken from the new album "Sagarmatha" which is definitely one of this years must have albums.

  
  

  04. Scott Tuma & Mike Weis - On Cox (Digitalis)

  Well I think the best way to describe this record is... interesting. This track is taken from a vinyl only album called "Taradiddle". I'm not sure how widely available this is but it's well worth tracking down.  

  
  

  05. Pocketbooks - Cross The Line (How Does It Feel To Be Loved)

  Taken from the London bands debut album "Flight Paths" which will be released through How Does It Feel To Be Loved in July. 

  
  

  30th May - London, Goonite Club @ The Wilmington Arms

  9th June - London, White Heat @ Madame Jo Jo's (with The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart)

  25th June - Derbyshire, Indietracks Festival

  26th June - Derbyshire, Indietracks Festival

  
  

  06. Pterodactyl - Share The Shade (Jagjaguwar)

  Taken from the album "Worldwild". 

  
  

  07. The Delgadoes - Pull The Wires From The Wall (Chemikal Underground)

  I still miss The Delgadoes. For me their early stuff was superior but I think it's true to say they never made a bad record. This is one of their singles from 1998.

  
  

  08. Kap Bambino - Dead Lazers (Maton Remix Bin Mix) (Because)

  At last. A new record from the wonderful Kap Bambino. The new album "Blacklist" will be released on 1st June and is preceded by a new single "Dead Lazers" which comes in about a thousand different mixes all of which are top top top. If the new album is half as good as last years "Zero Life Night Vision" then a treat is what we are in for. 

  
  

  14th May - Brighton, The Hope (Great Escape Festival)

  14th May - Brighton, Ocean Rooms Basement (Great Escape Festival)

  9th June - Glasgow, Captains Rest

  11th June - Leeds, A Nation Of Shopkeepers

  12th June - Nottingham, Chameleon Arts Cafe

  13th June, Birmingham, Rainbow

  14th June - Bristol, Cololer

  15th June - Cardiff, Buffalo Bar

  16th June - London, Album Release Party @ Cargo

  25th June - Glastonbury Festival

  
  

  09. 5 Turns 25 - Desert Ants (Scattered Disc)

  By the looks of it 5 Turns 25 are intending to release about a hundred records this year. They sent me a very nice sampler last week with tracks from most of them and I think this is probably the pick of the bunch. It comes from a CD called "Combined Efforts" which doesn't appear to be available from the bands Myspace as yet, but I'm sure it won't be long.

  
  

  10. Nokeys - Eyes Of Riot (Mp3)

  I don't have any info on this at all. It's just a great track.

  
  

  11. Go Faster - Good Times (Alcopop)

  Go Faster are the hottest thing in Liverpool right now, and you can take that to the bank. This track is from their debut E.P. "A Modern Education" without which your summer cannot be complete.

  
  

  20th May - Liverpool, Sound City @ Liverpool University (with The Rascals & Sound Of Guns)

  
  

  12. City Centre - Gladest (Self Released)

  This is another band I have very little information about. All I know is that they come from New York and they have created a brilliant debut album. You'll be hearing a lot more from these boys on this site in the near future. Apparently the record will be released in the UK on 25th May. 

  
  

  13. A Place To Bury Strangers - Missing You (Rocket Girl)

  I really would like to see these guys live. They sound like they should be really really loud. This track is taken from their latest E.P. on Rocket Girl. There are a couple of decent remixes of "To Fix The Gash In Your Head" on here as well. I'll include one in a future Fodder if I remember.

  
  

  14. Art Brut - DC Comics & Chocolate Milkshake (Cooking Vinyl)

  Taken from Art Brut's third album "Art Brut Vs Satan" which is available now through Cooking Vinyl. I missed them when they played in York a couple of weeks ago. I was next door with Mr Vincent watching Sky Larkin instead. Oh well, maybe next time.

  
  

  15. Dreamdate - Tables (Skywriting)
  

  Taken from the excellent album "Patience".

  

• Chemically Enhanced

  Selective Service - 2009-05-04 14:46:12

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  A wise sage once told me “drugs are the answer.” He then gave up his IT job and fled to Cape Cod to run a B&B.

  Dar Williams one mused “There’s so much to see through/Like our parents do more drugs than we do.”

  And I’m sure that Ms. Williams indulged a bit in the land of…. “chemical creative enhancement.” It’s been a lure of composers since the days of Mozart (and likely earlier), and continues to be part of songwriting lore. And some of the best have chronicled their drug adventures in song.

  1. “I Want A New Drug” - Huey Lewis & The News (from Time Flies: The Best Of Huey Lewis & The News)
     Huey Lewis came into his prime in the 1980s, when cocaine was all the rage amongst the rock star elite. The one problem? All the nasty side-effects. So Lewis asks for a better drug that has zero side effects, one that makes him feel like he does when he’s alone with the object of his affections. I blame good ‘ol endorphins and hormones, man.
  2. “My Drug Buddy” - Evan Dando and Juliana Hatfield (from Rare On Air, Vol. 1)
     One of The Lemonheads’ lesser-known tracks, this song talks about scoring some kind of illicit substance, then finding a place to use it. Simple and effective, this sparse arrangement (recorded for an NPR show) makes the whole deal seem a bit creepy.
  3. “Cold Turkey” - John Lennon & Plastic Ono Band (from Live Peace In Toronto 1969)
     In the latter days of The Beatles, John Lennon was fueled by drugs. In particular, 1968 and 1969 saw him addicted to heroin, like many of his peers. His attempt to shake the smack monkey resulted in this song - appropriately titled “Cold Turkey.” He describes the agony of withdrawal from the addictive substance, and this live performance from his one-off peace activism concert in Toronto includes painful warbling from Yoko Ono, who was also shaking the smack, and manic guitar playing by Eric Clapton, who was still very much addicted to the stuff.
  4. “Cocaine” - Bob Dylan (from Live At The Gaslight)
     Sure, Johnny Cash and Eric Clapton (via J.J. Cale) mused about cocaine. But Dylan beat ‘em all to the punch with his folk song about having “cocaine all around my brain.” The song was penned by Woody Guthrie and Cisco Harrison, and its lyrical construct and contents hearken back to Tin Pan Alley more than the rock-and-roll circus (which Dylan had yet to join). But as a song telling the tale of too much cocaine, this one works quite well.
  5. “Addicted To Drugs” - Kaiser Chiefs (from Off With Their Heads)
     This song doesn’t really say much about drug use, other than its protagonist saying that the subject of his warnings is “addicted to drugs.” Seems fitting.
  6. “Another Irish Drinking Song” - Da Vinci’s Notebook (from Brontosaurus)
     Alcohol is a drug (a depressant), and this ditty plays upon the cliché “Irish pub song” by pointing out what really happens when a person drinks non-stop all night. Toungues firmly in cheek, DVN does a nice, four-part harmony job while warning of drinking in excess.
  7. “Who Needs The Peace Corps?” - Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention (from We’re Only In It For The Money)
     Frank Zappa was about as anti-drug as anybody coming out of the 1960s could be. He took pride in his straight-edge ways, and used every available opportunity to poke a bit of fun at the “trippy, hippy” generation. “Forgive me ‘cos I’m stoned” is one of the refrains of this song, which skewers not only the “tune in, turn on, drop out” culture of San Francisco, but also the then-new Peace Corps. It’s classic Zappa, to say the least.
  8. “Smoke Two Joints” - Richard Cheese (from Tuxicity)
     The ultimate Vegas lounge lizard parody artist, Mr. Cheese skewers Bob Marley’s ode to smoking reefer. Irie, all you cool cats and kittens!

  Just remember: don’t drink/smoke/toot/snort/shoot and drive, okay?

  Download: “I Want A New Drug” - Huey Lews & The News (mp3)
  (Right-click/control-click link to download)

  Download: “My Drug Buddy” - Evan Dando and Juliana Hatfield (mp3)
  (Right-click/control-click link to download)

  Download: “Cold Turkey” - John Lennon & Plastic Ono Band (mp3)
  (Right-click/control-click link to download)

  Download: “Cocaine” - Bob Dylan (mp3)
  (Right-click/control-click link to download)

  Download: “Addicted To Drugs” - Kaiser Chiefs (mp3)
  (Right-click/control-click link to download)

  Download: “Another Irish Drinking Song” - Da Vinci’s Notebook (mp3)
  (Right-click/control-click link to download)

  Download: “Who Needs The Peace Corps?” - Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention (mp3)
  (Right-click/control-click link to download)

  Download: “Smoke Two Joints” - Richard Cheese (mp3)
  (Right-click/control-click link to download)

• George Clinton and a River Revolution

  Covert Curiosity - 2009-04-29 14:22:08

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  Here is what's on tap in rain-soaked Austin for the next few days. Tonight the father of funk, the atomic dog himself, George Clinton, will be taking people to outer space with Parliament Funkadelic at Stubb's. Bow wow wow yippee yo yippee yay. Tickets and more info are available at the link.
  
  Elsewhere tonight, Heartless Bastards will be opening for The Gaslight Anthem at Antone's. Thursday night is kind of slow, but on Friday T-Bird and the Breaks are at Emo's with the Greyhounds, and Red Cortez opens for Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit at Antone's.
  
  There are two events on Saturday that I strongly recommend. First, Ultra8201 is putting on a show at La Zona Rosa featuring Ume, True Widow, and a cool new Austin band called The White White Lights. It's well-established that I dig Ume, and I caught TWWL during free week back in January and was quite impressed. The show is just $5 with RSVP. Head over to Ultra for more info on the bands.
  
  Second, there's a sweet house out on the river bank in East Austin, and the owners like to party. Everyone had a good time at the River Revolution they hosted last year, so they're doing it all over again. Entertainment will be provided by The Story Of, Sunset, Diagonals, DJ Thibault and many more. They will also have free booze, a bonfire, a party shuttle, and overnight camping. Find more information on River Revolution 2 at Do512, Austinist, and riverrevolutionparty.com.
  
  If you're down for Sunday fun, go see MC Chris at the Mohawk.
  
  Here's a song that has nothing to do with any of this:
  

  • The Flaming Lips - "Borderline" (Madonna)

  

• Random radio news tidbits

  Rock Star Journalist - 2009-04-23 14:40:49

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  The Gaslight Anthem plays the Beaumont Club in Kansas City on Saturday. I did an interview with the band’s drummer, Benny, and… well… it didn’t go all that well. Not anything to do with Benny, just that somebody forgot to put the interview on their itinerary for the day, and so he was doing the interview from the parking lot of their hotel. Lots of vehicles passing by, which you can hear on the interview. Plus, Benny’s cell died at one point during our call. It was fucking rough, and while I tried to turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse, the back half of the interview (wherein we discuss record collecting) is the better part.
  Download my interview with Benny of the Gaslight Anthem

  Here’s the audio version of my review for Bomb the Music Industry’s Scrambles. It was a last-minute fill-in piece for As Heard From the Hill at the end of February. It’s a little different than the piece that I put up here, plus there are music samples. Nothing special, but it’s a nice change of pace for me. Download the mp3.

  Oh, hey - I’m also selling a ton of stuff on eBay. Check out my auctions. Really, my basement and shelving will appreciate your help in ridding my home of these items. If you buy a bunch, I’ll cut you a deal on shipping.

• Lollapalooza 2009 : Lineup Finalized

  My Old Kentucky Blog - 2009-04-21 09:17:34

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  Wow Wow Wow...
  
  
  (click to enlarge)
  
  Depeche Mode * Tool * The Killers * Jane's Addiction * Beastie Boys * Kings of Leon * Lou Reed * Ben Harper and Relentless7 * Thievery Corporation * Snoop Dogg * Rise Against * Andrew Bird * TV on the Radio * Vampire Weekend * The Decemberists * Neko Case * STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9) * Animal Collective * Band of Horses * Of Montreal * Arctic Monkeys * Coheed and Cambria * Ben Folds * Fleet Foxes * Silversun Pickups * Kaiser Chiefs * Crystal Castles * Bon Iver * Santigold * Atmosphere * Dan Auerbach * Cold War Kids * Deerhunter * Lykke Li * Robert Earl Keen * Peter Bjorn and John * Heartless Bastards * Gomez * Glasvegas * Federico Aubele * Dan Deacon * Passion Pit * Zap Mama * The Raveonettes * The Gaslight Anthem * The Airborne Toxic Event * White Lies * Ra Ra Riot * No Age * Asher Roth * Los Campesinos! * Bat For Lashes * Chairlift * Gang Gang Dance * The Virgins * Amazing Baby * Portugal. The Man * The Knux * Ida Maria * Delta Spirit * Friendly Fires * Manchester Orchestra * Constantines * Ezra Furman & The Harpoons * Hockey * Miike Snow * Alberta Cross * Hey Champ * Sam Roberts Band * The Henry Clay People * Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam * Cage the Elephant * Living Things * The Low Anthem * Blind Pilot * Langhorne Slim * Other Lives * The Builders and The Butchers * Eric Church * Joe Pug * Kevin Devine * The Greencards * Carney * Thenewno2
  
  And spinning at PERRY'S...
  
  Bassnectar * MSTRKRFT * Simian Mobile Disco * Deadmau5 * Boys Noize * KiD CuDi * Crookers * A-Trak * Hercules and Love Affair (DJ Set) * The Bloody Beetroots (DJ Set) * LA Riots * Kaskade * The Glitch Mob * Hollywood Holt * Rye Rye * He Say, She Say * Car Stereo (Wars) * Dark Wave Disco * Moneypenny * Yello Fever * Animal Collective (DJ Set)
  
  Chicago's Grant Park 8/7-8/9. Tickets available now at Lollapalooza.com.
  
  Announcement Video...
  
  
  
  --------------------------------------------------------
  
  Official Site | More MP3s | eMusic | Subscribe To RSS Feed | Follow MOKB on Twitter
  

  

• The 2009 Lollapalooza Lineup!

  Faronheit - 2009-04-21 00:12:03

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  Happy Lollapalooza lineup day, friends! Yes, that long, multiple months of waiting and speculation is finally over, and we can all have a close look at the official lineup finally. I'm excited, you're excited, so let's just run down this list of bands already!
  
  Depeche Mode
  Tool
  The Killers
  Jane's Addiction
  Beastie Boys
  Kings of Leon
  
  Lou Reed
  Ben Harper & Relentless7
  Thievery Corporation
  Snoop Dogg
  Rise Against
  Andrew Bird
  TV on the Radio
  Vampire Weekend
  The Decemberists
  Neko Case
  STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9)
  Animal Collective
  Band of Horses
  Of Montreal
  Arctic Monkeys
  Coheed and Cambria
  Ben Folds
  Fleet Foxes
  Silversun Pickups
  Crystal Castles
  Kaiser Chiefs
  Bon Iver
  Santigold
  Atmosphere
  Dan Auerbach
  Cold War Kids
  Deerhunter
  Lykke Li
  Robert Earl Keen
  Peter Bjorn and John
  Heartless Bastards
  Gomez
  Glasvegas
  Federico Aubele
  Dan Deacon
  Passion Pit
  Zap Mama
  The Raveonettes
  The Gaslight Anthem
  The Airborne Toxic Event
  White Lies
  Ra Ra Riot
  No Age
  Asher Roth
  Los Campesinos!
  Bat for Lashes
  Chairlift
  Gang Gang Dance
  The Virgins
  Amazing Baby
  Portugal. The Man.
  The Knux
  Ida Maria
  Delta Spirit
  Friendly Fires
  Manchester Orchestra
  Constantines
  Ezra Furman & the Harpoons
  Hockey
  Miike Snow
  Alberta Cross
  Hey Champ
  Sam Roberts Band
  The Henry Clay People
  Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam
  Cage the Elephant
  Living Things
  The Low Anthem
  Blind Pilot
  Langhorne Slim
  Other Lives
  Builders and Butchers
  Eric Church
  Joe Pug
  Kevin Devine
  The Greencards
  Carney
  TheNewNo2
  
  DJ Sets:
  Bassnectar
  MSTRKRFT
  Simian Mobile Disco
  Deadmau5
  Boys Noize
  Kid Cudi
  Crookers
  A-Trak
  Hercules and Love Affair (DJ set)
  The Bloody Beetroots (DJ set)
  LA Riots
  Kaskade
  The Glitch Mob
  Hollywood Holt
  Rye Rye
  He Say, She Say
  Car Stereo (Wars)
  Dark Wave Disco
  Moneypenny
  Yello Fever
  Animal Collective (DJ set)
  
  Phew! As the slogan for gas station convenience store giant AM/PM says, there's "too much good stuff." Many of the headliners run a little flat in my opinion (see: The Killers = yawn and Kings of Leon = not headliner material and Jane's Addiction = obvious), but what this festival lacks in big-name acts this year, it more than makes up for with an absolutely stellar middle tier. That's actually been the case for how Lollapalooza has done the past few years, save for last year when it was all about the bang of the headliners. Of course last year was Lolla's biggest year ever, though I'm hoping they'll continue to do as well this year.
  
  Tickets are currently available for purchase at the Lollapalooza website
  
  For my thoughts on this lineup and what its implications are on my "60 confirmed acts" post from last month, I will be posting something on that later and will place a link to that in this post when it is done. Thanks!

  

• Monday: The Kills at Club Congress (Tucson)

  So Much Silence - 2009-04-20 18:14:19

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  After seeing Junior Boys on Sunday night at Rhythm Room, we are driving down to Tucson today to see The Kills at Club Congress. (The mini-marathon of concerts continues Tuesday night with The Gaslight Anthem at the Clubhouse in Tempe.)

  I saw The Kills last year on their first trip out in support of Midnight Boom, a show that quashed some of my skepticism about using a laptop as a drummer. Though I still insist it probably restricts some creative impulses, Alison “VV” Mosshart has enough verve to make up for it.

  Check out the video for U.R.A. Fever, one of my favorite songs of last year.

• Denver/Boulder: Shows this week | 4.20.2009 - 4.26.2009

  Merry Swankster - 2009-04-20 17:17:53

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  [My Bloody Valentine @ El Rey 4.16.09 :: Photo cred]

  Monday, April 20
  Cold War Kids @ Gothic Theatre
  El Ten Eleven @ Hi-Dive
  Rootz Vs. Murphy @ Fox Theatre
  Sugar Jet @ Larimer Lounge

  Tuesday, April 21
  Black Lips @ Bluebird Theater
  Cage The Elephant @ Marquis Theater
  New Riders Of The Purple Sage @ Fox Theatre

  Wednesday, April 22
  El Amor @ Larimer Lounge
  Franz Ferdinand/Born Ruffians @ Ogden Theater
  Junior Boys @ Bluebird Theater
  The Kills @ Fox Theatre
  Sole (Anticon) @ Hi-Dive
  Toadies @ Gothic Theatre

  Thursday, April 23
  Apathetic Drive @ Larimer Lounge
  Bone Thugs N Harmony @ Gothic Theatre
  End Of Empires @ Marquis Theater
  Identity Pusher @ Bluebird Theater
  Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys @ Boulder Theater (E-Town)
  Underground Orchestra & Savoy @ Fox Theatre
  Wye Oak/Pomegranates @ Hi-Dive

  Friday, April 24
  The Autumn Film @ Hi-Dive
  Black Lamb @ Larimer Lounge
  Chris Cornell @ Ogden Theater
  Cosy Sheridan @ Swallow Hill
  Jonatha Brooke @ Soiled Dove
  My Bloody Valentine @ Fillmore Auditorium
  The Gaslight Anthem/Heartless Bastards @ Gothic Theatre
  Sons Of Ra @ Walnut Room
  The Thermals/The Shaky Hands @ Marquis Theater
  Vibesquad @ Fox Theatre

  Saturday, April 25
  The Blasters @ Gothic Theatre
  Dan Zanes And Friends @ Boulder Theater
  Dualistics @ Walnut Room
  Head For The Hills @ Fox Theatre
  Horrorpops @ Bluebird Theater
  Junius @ Larimer Lounge
  Kate Voegele @ Marquis Theater
  Maria Taylor @ Hi-Dive
  Savage Henry @ Soiled Dove

  Sunday, April 26
  Leon Russell/Hazel Miller @ Soiled Dove
  Mest @ Bluebird Theater
  The Photo Atlas @ Hi-Dive
  William Elliot Whitmore @ Larimer Lounge

  Schedule appears courtesy of Mystik Spiral.

• Spin Leaks A Few Lollapalooza Artists

  Sonic Itch Music - 2009-04-20 16:31:18

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  I found this poster on the internet, and honestly can’t confirm any of the artists that they have listed. Maybe it’s just someone’s wish list?

  I did, however, discover that in the latest copy of Spin, a confirmation of several artists playing this year’s Lollapalooza. Nothing too revealing, but a short list.

  • Jane’s Addiction
  • Silversun Pickups
  • The Gaslight Anthem
  • Metric
  • The Killers
  • Tool

  Soon enough, we’ll know the full lineup, but I’m thinking that this year might warrant a trip to Chicago.

• scenes from record store day at aquarius and amoeba

  ipickmynose: a San Francisco Bay Area-centric, mostly indie music blog - 2009-04-19 19:16:33

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  As I said, all the cool kids were going to Record Store Day and I’m cool (not really) so I went to Aquarius and Amoeba and had a good time while buying some sweet stuff.

  

  Aquarius was up first. They had donut holes and custom Barsuk Records Jones root beer soda. I happened to be wearing my Barsuk shirt so they gave me one immediately. It was a jovial atmosphere. I picked up the Numero Group compilation 12″, the Camera Obscura 7″ and the Elvis Perkins 7″.

  

  It was a nice day, so I walked through the Castro and over the hill to the Haight and Amoeba Music.

  

  They had more of the Record Day Exclusives but some–like the Gaslight Anthem 10″–were already out despite the fact that they’d been open less than an hour at that point. I picked up the Magnolia Electric 7″, the Bruce Springsteen 7″, the Booker T 7″ and the El Perro del Mar/ Lykke Li split 7″. The atmosphere around the exclusives at Amoeba was swarming and almost commutative. I also picked up some regular (non-Record Store Day exclusive) CDs.

  

  I learned that later in the day that jerk John Vanderslice brought some of the JV/ Mountain Goats collaborative record to Amoeba. Early bird doesn’t always catch the worm, I guess.

  

  

  

• Coachella 2009: Part I

  Metro Distortion - 2009-04-16 03:02:47

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  APRIL 17
  Definite: The Black Keys, Franz Ferdinand, Paul McCartney, The Hold Steady
  Potential: Girl Talk, Beirut, Silversun Pickups
  Ringer: Leonard Cohen
  Victim: M. Ward (The Black Keys)
  
  
  APRIL 18
  Definite: TV on the Radio, Mastodon, Drive-By Truckers, Cloud Cult, Band of Horses
  Potential: Fleet Foxes, Thievery Corporation, Chemical Brothers
  Ringers: Liars, Henry Rollins
  Victim: Blitzen Trapper (DBT's), MSTRKRFT (Mastodon)
  
  
  APRIL 19
  Definite: Okkervil River, Lupe Fiasco, Peter Bjorn & John, Clipse, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Cure
  Potential: K'naan, The Kills
  Ringer: My Blood Valentine
  Victims: Fucked Up, The Gaslight Anthem (Okkervil River)

  

• Neko Case performs on The Interface

  So Much Silence - 2009-04-06 05:51:59

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  I’ve gone on and on and on already about Neko Case’s new one, Middle Cyclone. So why stop now?

  Neko took her act to The Interface over at Spinner for an interview and a few songs.

  Below is the first single, People Got a Lotta Nerve. And I don’t mean to offend, but does Neko really need a backup singer/harmonizer?

  ******************************
  LAST WEEK, I told you I was doing a guest spot on Arizona State’s The Blaze (1260 AM). I had a blast (thanks, Becky!), but I’m still hesitant to listen to myself on radio. Maybe one day soon.

  In any event, here are the songs I played … tracks I hoped would be somewhat representative of the stuff I champion around here regularly.

  1. Built to Spill, “The Plan”
  2. The Broken West, “On the Bubble”
  3. The Gaslight Anthem, “Great Expectations”
  4. Elbow, “The Bones of You”
  5. The National, “Looking for Astronauts”
  6. Source Victoria, “Miss Spiritual Tramp of 1948″
  7. Frightened Rabbit, “The Twist”
  8. Q-Tip, “Gettin’ Up”
  9. The Gray Kid, “Lonely Love”
  10. The New Pornographers, “Myriad Harbour”
  11. Travis, “Selfish Jean”
  12. Gloritone, “Flying Kites”
  13. Rush, “Tom Sawyer (DJ Z-Trip remix)”

  Songs I brought but did not get time to play:
  Her Space Holiday, “The Truth Hurts So This Should Be Painless”
  Baby Dayliner, “Silent Places”
  Band of Horses, “The Great Salt Lake”

• Song-poem Archived Music: Volume 3 - The Hill

  WFMU`s Beware of the Blog - 2009-04-04 12:10:18

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  Volume 3 concentrates on the wonderfully-generic productions of Columbine Records. 

  (click here for the artwork zip)

  1. Ralph Lowe - Stop In And Howdy With Me
  2. Ralph Lowe - Munchikins
  3. Lee Scott - Moonlight Rocket from the USA
  4. Kay Weaver - The Girl With The High Hopes
  5. Ralph Lowe - One Little Son, Then Another
  6. Ralph Lowe - Lonliness
  7. Ralph Lowe - Harold The Drag Strip Streaker
  8. Kay Brown - Daddy Is Santa Really 6'4"?
  9. Ralph Lowe - You Better Cool It Baby
  10. Lee Scott - Love In A Ring
  11. Lee Scott - That Kind Of Girl
  12. Ralph Lowe - I've Been In Trouble
  13. Ralph Lowe - My Life Is Too Short
  14. Ralph Lowe - The Fights
  15. Ralph Lowe - The Lottery Freak
  16. Ralph Lowe - Funk With Us
  17. Ralph Lowe - Don't Come Crawling
  18. Kay Weaver - Old McDonald No. 1
  19. Sy - Toot DKO
  20. Kay Weaver - Watermelon Man
  21. Kay Weaver - Strip Mining Blues
  22. Kay Weaver - The Chosen One
  23. Kay Weaver - The Gasoline Engine
  24. Kay Weaver - The Hill
  25. Ralph Lowe - Of The USA
  26. Ralph Lowe - Believe In God Until You Die
  27. Ralph Lowe - Thank You Mr. Seward
  28. Ralph Lowe - The King Lives On
  29. Ralph Lowe - Las Vegas

• MacRock Revue #2: Just don't act like you've been here before just dance

  Vinyl Mine - 2009-03-30 18:11:29

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  yes, you will worship these fuckers
  

  
  
  Hail Hydra - Points for the Marvel comic book ref. "Oil Seller" (342 plays on their Myspace page) kinda gives you the tingly feeling you get when your balls automagically shift in the sac and the pubes kinda tickle ya insides your underwears. I'll be elsewhere when they play but if I feel the earth shift a few notches, I'll know whom (or it who?) to blame.
  
  MouthEater - anudder VAG band - makes me think this here MacRock has stacked the deck for the Sons of the Confederacy. Moutheater is the sorry howling of the smashed and rotten tomatoes lying on the floor of stage David Yow and Michael Gerard built in their garages with their 9-5 paychecks. You can't help but feel that this vocalist has already started building said stage and is looking forward to years of entertaining his nieces and nephews after doing their taxes. Which is to say I probably will truly like and respect this outfit and hate myself for doing so. See?
  
  Mouthbreather - so right after Moutheater comes this Richmond crew and is it a coincidence or is something at play at some higher level of the universe? Wasn't Mouthbreather a Jesus Lizard song, too? Wow, because unlike Moutheater, Mouthbreather doesn't sound even remotely like Jesus Lizard more like an thrashy emo band lost somewheres in the mid to late 90's. So what gives, universe? Some other blog has an empty-3 for your collection if you don't beleeve me and want to make your own conclusions ref: general sucktitude of this vibe.
  
  Tideland - Kelley Deal has huge fucking migraine headaches, so fucking huge, every bone aches just to make her brain feel like it won't explode and all that pain, she has to record that shit it runs off her brain in thick green blobs and she pushes it into a tiny tape machine (THAT REALISTIC thing she swiped from DAd cuz it had a handle and she used to bop down the street to it while chewing bubblegum) and it makes everything tinny and without that low and high end shit she can sleep at night knowing and she dreams then that she's got some band thing going and its going to be named after some Terry Gilliam flick she hated because it was so fucking cute and sad and stolen from her life and in the dream her band reaches its zenith opening for another scummy band in some scummier midwestern college town than the last one they played. In the middle of one of the songs, she remembers how she wants to kill her sister and replace her with some other sister that skinnier, more bitchy, less nice (maybe that other Kim) and doesn't flush her stash down the toilet at the gas station where they stopped to get gas and water and cigarettes and whirly pops - she's crying in the gas station and that chick at the cash register who used to play bass in Scrawl hands her a tissue. Its. So. Really. Bad...likethat. Or something. And if this band does "Shatterface" and if it doesn't sound too much like the Silversun Pickups then none of this ever happened.
  
  Pygmy Lush - Tideland's Sterling, VA townmates jump right in next. Will they be emo's answer to White Zombie's second album [(and yes, emos, there is a need for an answer to Soul Crusher in I count at least 30 countries, so shut yer fat traps up and just, y'know deal with it or get into your fucking time machine and go write a song in 1989 that is better than "Godslayer", Q.E.D.)]... or will they be wearing their M. Ward asshats and singing into some vintage microphone aboot trains and shacks and the walking dead and wondering where they can buy a scarf or sumpin'. So... If yer Dad was a security guard at some black windowless building in the world's most powerful country, you'd probably do goofy shit like this, too. Band motto: "Slurp shit and die"...
  
  Brainworms - the entire demo of 16-25 year olds from Richmond VA will prolly be in Harrisonburg next weekend. They will be pounding under mic'ed drums, getting cramps in their necks, standing around talking shit between sets, breaking guitar strings, making $16.50 at the merch table (which pays for gas, yay) and getting their whole I ain't gonna do drugs and drink likker vows tested. Hard. On Monday there will be much headaches and a full accounting. Many kitchen tables will be play host to streams of invective, grudges and complaints. Suicides, murders and even some guys will go gay. Rock is a fucking evil business you'd better know. You might as well learn how to read music and keep better time or just totally go do something else like knitting or soccer. "Born With a Beard " mp3 courtesy of Rorshack Records. Continental European tour begins in May.
  
  Antlers - (not THE Antlers or Crystal Antlers you dimwitted fucks). So... What happend to Mass Movement of the Moth? Kinda liked them. I once asked myself this question in 2006. Or was it 2007? And then I drank a diet Coke. Considered a cheese snack. I think I turned on the TV. I sleeped walked that night (or should it be sleptwalked?) and found myself a choclate glazed donut filled with Reeces Pieces. I choked on the green piece until I realized there are no Reeses Pieces that are green so I must have been drugged. PRobably the diet Coke - who knows where it got it? Oh yeah, Richmond Virginia, hey I know that dude - he's in my journo class down at Virginia Commonwealth. He said the Fleet Foxes CD was shit and why was I wearing their t-shirt. I said it was better than anything he liked (Gwar, probably) ... ...fucker dosed me over some stupid band convo..."Catalpa " (again, thanks or not thanks to Rorshach Reccids ) and then I woke up in someone else's living room and played some X-box for awhile and went home in my boxers and t-shirt.
  
  
  My Disco - (no, no, not My Dear Disco). Kenny Powers on My Disco: "Hey is this mic on? Yeah, shit. This is some of that post-punk minimalist shit that retards listen too. But even so, I cannot say how much the sustained single guitar chord stokes the buzz I got from this weed and coke. If I could put this tune behind that scene where Stevie smashes all those fire alarms at Jeff Davis High School, then my TV show would have been fucking perfect. Can't believe Australians made that shit." "You came to me like a cancer lain dormant until it blossomed like a rose " MP3 blatantly hotlinked via SXSW.
  
  Young Widows - Tundra melodies for old Russian farmers who got fired from their position in the Army for drinking too much and bleeding in all the wrong places. They packed up their shit and moved to Siberia where they hunted wolves and slurped potato and leek soups into their toothless souls. They dreamed of fat Caddilacs and fags on Miami Beach retching out their silvery guts of all the octupus and cheese rind and sour wine. Dogs came to grin at them and they could feel the cold from the outlayer of the skin of their feet to their scab-ridden bald heads. Inside bars, they knocked themselves out playing Pac-Man and that other video game with the worms that came down on top of you. They would stumble out, rank of Husky dogpiss and peach mouthwash, watching flocks of moths rise and fall with the suns and moons. Their faces fell into the ground and there they remained until the next issue of Maxim dropped. That metal blog Brooklyn Vegan has told this story already so don't act like you believe me until you have been there, maaan.

  

• All Points West Schedule

  Metro Distortion - 2009-03-30 09:54:58

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  I was so sure that last year's APW festival would be my first and last.  It really wasn't a great experience, even with Radiohead.  Well damn it they've managed to pull be back in.  This year's lineup is much better.  I'll probably regret this later but Saturday is a given.  It's now just a question of whether its worth going all weekend.  Ugh.

  
  

  Friday, July 31: Beastie Boys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend, The National, Fleet Foxes, MSTRKRFT, Q-Tip, The Pharcyde, Organized Konfusion, The Knux, Ra Ra Riot, Seasick Steve, Telepathe, Shearwater, Heartless Bastards, Flying Lotus, College Humor Live, Arj Barker, Eugene Mirman and Bo Burnham.

  
  

  Saturday, August 1: Tool, My Bloody Valentine, Gogol Bordello, Arctic Monkeys, Neko Case, The Ting Tings, Yelle, Crystal Castles, St. Vincent, Tokyo Police Club, The Cool Kids, Kool Keith, Cage the Elephant, Chairlift, White Rabbits, Electric Touch, The Postelles, Black Gold, College Humor Live, Tim & Eric, Judah Friedlander and Jim Jeffries.

  
  

  Sunday, August 2: Coldplay, Echo & The Bunnymen, MGMT, The Black Keys, Elbow, Silversun Pickups, Mogwai, We Are Scientists, Ghostland Observatory, The Gaslight Anthem, Etienne De Crecy, Lykke Li, Akron/Family, Steel Train, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, College Humor Live, Janeane Garofalo, Michael Showalter and Todd Barry.

  

• The Area Weekend: Welcome Back! Part Two

  Instrumental Analysis - 2009-03-28 17:17:34

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  Hope you all had fun last night. Tonight and Sunday are just as loaded, so without further delay, here's what to check out:
  
  

  Eulogies
  (photo by brantley gutierrez, via bands myspace)
  
  

  Some bands are staring their multiple city stop Saturday. The one I recommend is Eulogies joining up with our friends Middle Distance Runner, set to drop a new album very soon, and The Payola Reserve, who already had a show on Friday. Catch them at IOTA in Arlington for a nice up-close and personal show. Those in Baltimore can get them Sunday at the Metro Gallery.
  
  mp3: Eulogies - Two Can Play (via rcrdlbl.com)
  mp3: Middle Distance Runner - Brother John (via band)
  mp3: The Payola Reserve - Music Is Not Music (via band)
  
  The dirty, bluesy Southern Rock of J-Roddy Walston & The Business is at Baltimore's Ottobar Saturday before opening for The Hold Steady Sunday at the Recher. And that is a free show.
  
  mp3: J Roddy Walston & The Business - Used to Did (via daytrotter.com)
  mp3: The Hold Steady - Chips Ahoy (via vagrant records)
  
  TK Webb & The Visions are joined by Appomattox for a double city stop. Saturday's DC9 show also features Gods & Queens, while the Sunday Talking Head show in Baltimore has David Heumann of Arbouretum fame set to open.
  
  mp3: TK Webb & The Visions - Teen is Still Shaking (via kemado records)
  
  Baltimore's own Ponytail is also hitting two cities this weekend. First stop is at American University in DC with Mittenfields. The next stop is a slot on the Los Campesinos! show at the TLA in Philly Sunday night.
  
  mp3: Ponytail - Celebrate the Body Electric (via nowwearefree.com)
  
  Time for those that are playing just one venue this weekend. Still quite a bit to go.
  
  Saturday
  
  Big show at the Warner Theater as comedian-musician Stephen Lynch take the stage. This is going to be very entertaining.
  
  Another huge show is at The Troc, featuring Jersey's The Gaslight Anthem and Ohians Heartless Bastards. Also on the bill is local group Good Old War. This show is already sold out! Enjoy if you have tix, if not, find a way to get in.
  
  Philly's M-Room is featuring an electronic show with Arms and Sleepers, The Circadian Rhythms and Anni Rossi. Baltimore and DC have some to chose from as locals Squaaks (you may know Elena from Ace of Cakes...Yummy!) and ...So I Had To are joined by The Minneapolis Henrys at Metro Gallery. The Black Cat has a great line up with The Drones from Australia sharing the stage with Deleted Scenes and Pretty & Nice.
  
  mp3: Stephen Lynch - 3 Balloons (via whatarerecords.com)
  mp3: Heartless Bastards - The Mountain (via Sneak Attack Media)
  mp3: Arms and Sleepers - A Mission To Prague (via Expectcandy.com)
  mp3: Anni Rossi - Wheelpusher (via beggarsgrouusa.com)
  mp3: Squaaks - Be Dry My Bleeding Heart(via band)
  mp3: The Minneapolis Henrys (via grapejuice records)
  mp3: Deleted Scenes - Turn To Sand (via band website)
  mp3: Pretty & Nice - Tora Tora Tora (via Hardly Art Records)
  
  Sunday will posted soon!

  

• Muzzle of Bees + 91.7 WMSE Podcast :: Volume 1

  Muzzle of Bees - 2009-03-27 15:32:30

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  I’ve teamed up with my pal Ryan Schleicher at 91.7 WMSE for a weekly podcast. While you’ll most certainly be able to hear the same set via your FM dial, we certainly recognize the need/want for portability as well. Therefore, you’re able to download our first podcast below. In following weeks we’ll be bringing you our favorite tunes, both old and new, in hopes of tipping you to something that might otherwise go unnoticed.

  Please hang with us as we dust off the cobwebs (and nerves) and feel free to drop a comment with your suggested songs, podcast name, etc. Thanks for listening.

  Muzzle of Bees + 91.7 WMSE Podcast: Volume 1: The Avett Brothers - “If It’s The Beaches” / Great Lake Swimmers - “Pulling On A Line” / Megafaun - “Lazy Suicide” / Tallest Man On Earth - “I Won’t Be Found” / Strand of Oaks - “End In Flames” / Bon Iver - “Beach Baby” / Joe Pug - “Nation of Heat” / Jentri Colello - “Cannonballs” / J. Tillman - “First Born” / Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy - “I Am Goodbye” / Henry Clay People - “Something In The Water” / Clock Hand Strangle - “Distaccati” / The Rosebuds - “Life Like” / The Phenomenal Handclap Band - “15 to 20″ / The Gaslight Anthem - “Miles Davis & The Cool”

  Download: Muzzle of Bees + 91.7 WMSE Podcast: Volume 1

• keep you warm. makers.

  hepunkguy - 2009-03-26 13:13:44

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  a. check out these sneakers… UGH OR NICE? HERE.

  b. Black Star getting back together soon?? HERE. Remind me to tell you the time I met Talib…

  c. The Gaslight Anthem covers the Replacements HERE.

  d. LOST ads for those who want to join Dharma HERE. *thanks J

• Let's Talk Lolla

  Faronheit - 2009-03-24 11:29:42

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  On occasion, it pays to have friends in high places. REALLY pays. In this case, my friend in a high place just so happens to work at C3 Presents, the company that puts on Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits each year. In previous years, I've been able to convince this friend to leak me bits and pieces of the Lollapalooza lineup before the actual C3 announcement. The issue the past couple years has been that any leaks I was handed were either already common knowledge or wound up being posted by somebody else (DeRogatis) literally hours before I had a chance to grab the scoop by the horns.
  
  This year is decidedly a different story, it seems. The lineup has yet to leak, aside from the headliners and a few other acts (if you've been following me on Twitter, you would've seen that in mid-February, before any other posted lineup leaks, I correctly named 5 of this year's 6 headliners). Anyways, I've just been sent my yearly list of some artists that are playing the festival. As it is such a highly guarded secret, and considering nothing has been made official thus far, my friend has taken some "preventative" measures to help ensure that if I am the first person leaking this then there's a small bit of credibility to pay for putting it out there amongst the general public. I realize this, am fully aware of the risk I'm taking, but I'm ultimately doing this more out of excitement than anything else. I mean, if you were given access to an unleaked portion of the Lollapalooza lineup and it was really good, wouldn't you want to tell a whole bunch of people? Also, after the headliners leaked, I seemed to sense that a lot of people were very upset with the supposed "big names" set to close out each day. I'm hoping this portion of the middle tier lineup will help the attitudes towards my hometown's biggest music festival. Chances are it won't, but maybe some fears will be assuaged at the very least.
  
  Going back to those "preventative" measures I mentioned, it's worth noting that a few of the artists on this list may not be correct. My friend claims to have "sabotaged" the list by putting in a small number of fake artists with the intention of de-legitimizing the whole thing in case I posted it. Given that I've been told the list is at least 90% correct (if not higher), I'm pretty willing to let a 10% margin of error slide in this case. Think of it this way: if you cut out 6 artists from this list of 60, does it make the remaining lineup a whole lot worse? The point being that I'm okay with there being a few bands wrong if all the rest are right. It's a dynamite lineup either way, and considering this is only half of the total (with a large number of electronica/kids acts to pad out much of the rest of it), I find good reason to be excited for Lollapalooza 2009. The middle tier seems to be where it's at this year, similar to previous years save for 2008. Anyways, take this list for what it's worth, and I hope you find some bands you were hoping for on here. Again, this is from an inside source, a source I trust, not much unlike the "industry sources" other people have cited when making their artist projections. A select portion of the email I was sent with the half-lineup is below, along with the names you're looking for and some label-approved mp3s. Enjoy!
  
  Email snippet:
  Let me just start this by saying that if you're at all considering leaking this by publishing it on your site, you'd best MAKE SURE that my name is nowhere near this. Any word that I was the one responsible for giving this info out and I've lost my job faster than you can snap your fingers. The only reason I'm even giving you a little bit of this lineup is because we're old friends and I trust you to keep this at least a little bit quiet. But I also know you get really excited about this every year and probably won't be able to keep it to yourself. That's why I'm putting some safeguards in place with the hope that they may convince you to not leak this (but who am I kidding, right?). What I'm giving you is half the Lollapalooza lineup. 60 artists total, some of which you have probably already heard rumored about, others you may not have known about before today. Here's the rub: I've thrown a few fake picks in with the real ones. How many exactly I won't say, but I will promise you that this list is at least 90% correct. In other words, as much as 10% of this list could be fake, or 6 out of 60 artists at most. All things considered, I think that's a pretty solid little percentage game.
  
  So what you choose to do with this information (and mis-information) is ultimately up to you. If you want to risk putting this list out there when it may not be completely correct, don't let me stop you, but again make sure my name isn't referenced if you post it. Here's what I can give you, in alphabetical order with headliners first:
  
  * = Previously mentioned as being on the lineup by other reputable sources
  
  *Beastie Boys
  *Depeche Mode
  *Jane's Addiction
  *Kings of Leon
  *The Killers
  *Tool
  
  ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead
  A.C. Newman (Download: Miracle Drug)
  *Andrew Bird
  Animal Collective (Download: Peacebone)
  *Atmosphere (Download: Trying to Find A Balance)
  Band of Horses (Download: No One's Gonna Love You)
  Bat for Lashes
  *Ben Folds
  Ben Harper & Relentless7
  Bon Iver (Download: Blood Bank)
  Chairlift
  Cursive (Download: From the Hips)
  *Delta Spirit
  Dirty Projectors
  Eagles of Death Metal
  Eels
  Ezra Furman and the Harpoons
  Fleet Foxes (Download: White Winter Hymnal)
  Franz Ferdinand (Download: Darts of Pleasure)
  *Friendly Fires (Download: Jump In the Pool)
  Glasvegas
  Heartless Bastards
  *Kaiser Chiefs
  Langhorne Slim (Download: In the Midnight)
  Lily Allen
  *Lou Reed
  Matt & Kim
  Metric
  MSTRKRFT
  *Neko Case (Download: Hold On, Hold On)
  OK Go
  Passion Pit
  *Paul Green's School of Rock All Stars
  Peter Bjorn and John (Download: Let's Call It Off)
  Ra Ra Riot (Download: Each Year)
  Rancid
  Razorlight
  Regina Spektor (Download: Us)
  Rise Against
  Rodrigo y Gabriela
  Sam Roberts Band
  Santigold
  School of Seven Bells (Download: Connjur)
  Silversun Pickups
  Tenacious D
  The Airborne Toxic Event
  *The Decemberists (Download: The Engine Driver)
  The Gaslight Anthem
  The Hold Steady (Download: Chips Ahoy!)
  *The Raveonettes (Download: Aly, Walk With Me)
  *TheNewNo2
  TV on the Radio (Download: Staring at the Sun)
  Vampire Weekend
  Yeah Yeah Yeahs

  

• #1 Hits From Another Planet - 2009-03-09 18:11:17

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  The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
  
  

  

  "Did you hear your favorite song one last time?"
  
  I've been meaning to write about this song for months, but keep forgetting. With The '59 Sound, American band The Gaslight Anthem have crafted the single I wish the Killers would have come back with. It's a grand, melodic rock song with one hell of a chorus. In that way, it's a very close cousin to When We Were Young. These guys have been compared to Springsteen a lot (and maligned by some for that very reason), but I've never really been a Springsteen fan so it doesn't matter to me. What I hear when I listen to this song is a refreshing burst of energy that's been missing in most of American rock during the past few years. Above all, it's an amazing track. I think another one of their songs is doing the rounds on Radio One right now in the UK, but for my money this is the big hit.
  
  (Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here.)

• It's 70 Degrees today

  It`s hard to Find a Friend - 2009-03-05 15:37:08

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  I've been listening to these songs:
  
  [mp3] Bill Callahan - Syamore - BUY
  [mp3] Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Lower the Gas Prices, Howard Johnson! - BUY
  [mp3] American Analog Set - The Hatist - BUY
  [mp3] Apples in Stereo - Ruby - BUY
  
  What is it about beautiful weather that make melodies so much more lovely sing, air drums so much more fun to play, and bass lines so much harder to resist humming all day? What's on your awesome-weather playlist?

• Crystal Antlers have Tentacles

  Covert Curiosity - 2009-03-03 16:03:18

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  Not only are Crystal Antlers responsible for one of my favorite t-shirts, they are now responsible for one of my favorite albums of 2009. Their debut full-length, Tentacles, which sees physical release via Touch and Go on April 7th, is a giant leap forward from their self-released EP that caught my attention last year.
  
  Tentacles was recorded and mixed in the span of a week with two guitars, two drummers, one bass, and an organ. Lots of organ. You can get it digitally via itunes as of today, if you're into masterfully done psychedelic garage punk that pushes hard on the gas.
  
  Crystal Antlers will be rocking the house for three straight days at SXSW, notably at the Village Voice party and Mess With Texas 3.
  

  • Crystal Antlers - "Andrew"
  • Crystal Antlers - "Swollen Sky
  • myspace.com/crystalantlers
    

  via P4K.tv:

• Nostalgia: My Trip Down Late 90's Memory Lane

  ThaBombShelter - 2009-03-02 21:10:48

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  There was a time in my life when I spent a fair portion of my days and evenings at a place that looked very much like the scene above. My first steady job was at the Fitzy's One Stop, a local Shell gas station and convenience store that was all of 5 minutes away from my house. I worked there for about a year, and it was one of the best jobs I've ever had. The money was pretty good (for a high school job), it was easy, the people I worked with were fun, the management was great, and I got to listen to music all day. I was a stockboy/cashier/deli clerk/handyman and it was a blast. I still remember the names of two of my managers, Lori (the aging Parrothead who wore too much mascara) and Bill (one time winner of the Buckeye 5 $100,000 prize from the Ohio Lottery and part-time Meals on Wheels delivery man), they were two of the coolest managers I've had.
  
  I stocked the shelves and the walk-ins, which, if you've never been in one, smell distinctly of spoiling milk, rotting eggs, sticky soda and cold metal. It's a weird combination of scents that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. When I was on the schedule as a stockboy, I'd make sure everything was full, and then I'd sit on the old white deep-freezer in the back with a book and my CD Player. I think I went through two or three CD Players at that job, all of which had to fulfill two very specific criteria: it had to have 3 to 7 second skip protection (back when that stuff mattered) and it had to fit in the back left pocket of my blue jeans. I had Sony Street-Style Headphones (from which my lifelong OCD need for one-sided headphone cords arose) that were the perfect length to go behind my left arm and stay out of the way.
  
  This was before I started at Ohio State and began my long trip into the depths of music obsession. It was before I had ever experienced the wonder of high-speed internet and the joys of Napster and eMusic, and eons before bit-torrents and promo CDs and ThaBombShelter. Back in those stone ages I had my CD Player, a few choice CDs, and the shuffle button. I was reminded of my old spartan listening habits the other day when I was cruising north on SR-51 from Heyworth, IL. Silverchair's, "Miss You Love" came up on my iPod and I was transported back in time, ten years, 400 miles, and tens of thousands of songs ago, to a simpler time with 12 CDs in an off-brand Case-Logic box in the back seat of my car. I'd keep the same 12 discs in rotation for months, swapping between two or three in a given shift. I still love most of that music I listened to day in and day out back then, and all of it has become linked to who I am musically.
  
  I bought this album after I had heard, "Ana's Song" on the radio. Or maybe it was after I saw them in my first concert ever. Memories are fuzzy sometimes, you know? I won tickets to that concert from CD101 and on May 24th, 1999, Scot Leistikow and I took the 30 minute drive into Columbus. It might very well have been my first unsupervised drive into the city. And that drive is where the story begins, interestingly enough.
  
  Just as we were curving toward the city on I-70E, we spotted a car full of girls being chauffeured by a dad. They were punk-ish type girls, all pink hair streaks and thumb-holes ripped in the cuffs of their sleeves, nose rings and studs all the way up their ears. One of the girls in the back seat started waving her arms at Scot as we sped down the highway. I slowed to match their speed, and they continued to flail and flirt across the lanes. The girl pushed what looked to be concert tickets against the window and gesticulated wildly, pointing and smiling. Scot nodded politely as we both realized that this girl was probably crazy. We parted ways as Scot and I exited the highway and began the epic task of finding a parking spot somewhere near the Newport.
  
  We took our spots near the front of the line, I think we were somewhere in front of Insomnia (before it was shut down and replaced by Bento Go-Go). We were just standing around, killing time and being excited to see Silverchair when who should come shrieking up to us but the same three girls that had been flirting with us on the highway. What a small world. I'm still - to this day - blown away at the unlikeliness of that whole encounter. We ended up giving those girls a ride home after the concert, even keeping in touch through the next year. I actually left Fitzy's One Stop on New Years Eve to go to one of the girls' house as we entered the new millenium (I remember being incredibly disappointed that nothing happened at Y2K). That was the last I remember talking to them. I know the girl who had been gesturing wildly in the backseat of the car had a crush on Scot, but I haven't been in contact with any of them in the nine years since.
  
  "Emotion Sickness" Silverchair
  
  Another of those discs that were in pretty heavy rotation that summer of '99 was Len's, "You Can't Stop the Bum Rush." To me, this album epitomized that summer. I was listening to this album when I was in the parking lot changing the gas prices when they went over $2.00 for the first time (I think it was $2.08 for premium). Folks honked at me as if I had any control over the price, but I just waved and nodded, the sunny sounds of Len pumping through my Street Styles.
  
  It was such a strange and different sound for me. I mean, I heard, "Steal My Sunshine" and bought the album, expecting a pop album. What I got was an interesting blend of Hip-Hop and party beats, it was a refreshing, unexpected surprise. Before last week, I hadn't even listened to it since probably that summer, seeing as how it had somehow missed the ripping process years ago. As I began planning this post, I had to dig my CD Binders out of the basement and rummage through the nearly obsolete media to finally rip this almost forgotten disc.
  
  Some might be embarrassed to have a disc like this in their collection, but it's such a piece of that formative summer (first summer with a driver's license and a job) I will never be ashamed of this album, even as I share this great track with you all.
  
  "Cryptik Souls Crew" Len (if you wanna hear more, just let me know)
  
  They Might Be Giants are a band that has been with me for many many years. I think they've been my favorite band as long as I've been friends with my best friend Pat, which is a weird thing to think about. I've grown up listening to TMBG, following their career, their forays into digital distribution (I signed up for eMusic when I was in college so that I could get Long Tall Weekend and a TMBG Fleece Pullover), their forays into children's music, even their fall from grace (in my opinion). I've seen them probably five or six times (and would gladly see them again).. Recently, I've come to realize that I may have outgrown this band that has been such a part of my history and who I am.
  
  I thought about that when I was ripping "John Henry" last week. I thought about "Mink Car" and "The Else", and my disappointment and betrayl. But once the first notes of "Subliminal" started coming through my speakers I remembered why this band was so important to me for so long, they're just so fucking good. As the tracks progressed, I was transported to that smelly walk-in refrigerator, to that hot parking lot and sitting on that old white freezer. As the second half of the disc hit me, I was left questioning my growing distaste of John and John and their Band of Dans. I was struck dumb by the awesomeness of "No One Knows My Plan" and "Destination Moon". I think I'm just going to have to come to terms with the fact that TMBG in 2009 are not the same TMBG that I loved in 1999 and that they never will be. Much like Pulp will forever been preserved in the perfection of "Different Class" and "His n Hers", TMBG will be crystallized in history on discs like "John Henry", "Apollo 18" and "Flood."
  
  "Destination Moon" They Might Be Giants

• So scream! Squeal!

  Galaxy fm ® - 2009-03-01 16:28:05

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  Para regresar, nada mejor que un directo, frío golpe seco de información... aquí las primeras y únicas listas de programación en 2009 para Galaxy 94.3 fm Los Mochis radio... sintonice, escuche y gane...
  
  
  Playlist 102
  9/10 enero 2009
  http://www.galaxyfm.blogspot.com/, www.myspace.com/galaxy_fm, galaxyfm@gmail.com
  110 tracks in playlist, average track length: 3:32 . Playlist length: 6 hours 29 minutes 53 seconds
  
  1. Albert Hammond Jr. - Holiday
  2. Alterkicks - Good luck
  3. Arctic Monkeys - Brianstorm
  4. Arctic Monkeys - I bet you look good on the dancefloor
  5. Army Navy - Silvery Sseds
  6. Band Of Horses - Our swords
  7. Becker - Armstrong
  8. Ben Folds - In between days
  9. Bishop Allen - Middle Management
  10. Bloc Party - One Month Off
  11. Bombay Bicycle Club - Open House
  12. Bromheads Jacket - Trip to the Golden Arches
  13. Cage The Elephant - Back Against The Wall
  14. Cordalene - Headlong
  15. Cut Copy - Far Away
  16. Delays - The Sun Always Shines On TV
  17. Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Dawn Of The Dead
  18. Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream
  19. Fleet Foxes - Mykonos (alt ver)
  20. Florence And The Machine - Dog Days Are Over
  21. Foo Fighters - This is a call
  22. Franz Ferdinand - Take me out
  23. Frightened Rabbit - I Feel Better
  24. Gigantic - Be No More
  25. Gigantic - Hang On
  26. Glasvegas - Geraldine
  27. Good Shoes - Morden
  28. Green circles - Averted eye girl
  29. Green circles - Wunderkind
  30. Hawthorne Heights - Somewhere In Between
  31. Ida Maria - Oh My God
  32. Infadels - Shanghai Melissa
  33. Irving - Jen, nothing matters to me
  34. James - Getting Away With It (all messed up)
  35. Kaiser Chiefs - Good Days Bad Days
  36. Kaiser Chiefs - Never miss a beat
  37. Kashmir - Surfing the warm industry
  38. Kings Of Leon - Molly's Chambers (live)
  39. Kings of Leon - Use Somebody
  40. LCD Soundsystem - All my friends
  41. Look See Proof - Standard Class
  42. Mando Diao - The wildfire (if it was true)
  43. Mates Of State - Fraud in the 80's
  44. Maximo Park - Apply some pressure
  45. Me first & the gimmie gimmies - Mandy
  46. Metro Station - Control
  47. MGMT - Kids
  48. Mumm-Ra - What would Steve do?
  49. New Order - Ceremony
  50. Novastar - Where Did We Go Wrong
  51. Oasis - I'm Outta Time (Get Off Your)
  52. Otis Mace - Dirty coward angel
  53. Pete And The Pirates - Blood Gets Thin
  54. Pete And The Pirates - Jennifer
  55. Pete Yorn - Come back home
  56. Placebo - Pure morning (Live from Arras)
  57. Quasi - Alice the goon
  58. Razorlight - Somewhere else (live)
  59. Ryan Adams and The cardinals - Heavy orange
  60. Say Anything - Alive with the glory of love
  61. Shout out louds - Very loud
  62. Silversun pickups - Lazy eye
  63. Spoon - The Underdog
  64. Stellastarr* - My Coco (edit)
  65. The All-American Rejects - Gives you hell
  66. The Breeders - Huffer
  67. The Breeders - New year (demo)
  68. The Cribs - Don't you wanna be relevant?
  69. The Cribs - Moving pictures
  70. The Crimea - White Russian Galaxy
  71. The Darkness - Friday night
  72. The Dead 60's - Riot Radio
  73. The Decemberists - O Valencia!
  74. The Departure - Lump In My Throat
  75. The Fratellis - A Heady Tale
  76. The Gaslight Anthem - Old white Lincoln
  77. The Gaslight Anthem - The Backseat
  78. The Guttersnipes - Addicted to love
  79. The Holloways - Re-invent myself?
  80. The Killers - All These Things That I've Done
  81. The Killers - Mr Brightside
  82. The King Blues - Save The world, Get The Girl
  83. The Kooks - Naive
  84. The Libertines - Can't stand me now
  85. The Little Ones - Lovers who uncover
  86. The Maccabees - Mary
  87. The Muslims - Grinding Halt
  88. The Parlor Mob - Hard times
  89. The Rifles - Fool To Sorrow
  90. The Rifles - The Great Escape
  91. The Rosebuds - The walk
  92. The Runners - All over again
  93. The Shins - So says I (live)
  94. The Strokes - Barely Legal (live)
  95. The Strokes - You only live once
  96. The Sunshine Underground - Borders
  97. The View - 5Rebbeccas
  98. The View - Shock horror
  99. The Virgins - Radio Christiane
  100. The Volture - Share The Shame
  101. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
  102. Tokyo Police Club - Your english is good (live)
  103. Travis - Song To Self
  104. VHS or Beta - Can't believe a single word
  105. Voxtrot - Blood red blood
  106. We are scientists - Impatience
  107. Weezer - El Scorcho
  108. White Lies - To Lose My Life
  109. White Lies - Unfinished Business
  110. Yeah yeah yeahs - Maps
  
  ------------------------------------------------
  
  
  Playlist 103
  30/31 enero 2009
  
  110 tracks in playlist, average track length: 3:49 . Playlist length: 7 hours 56 seconds
  
  1. Anberlin - Breaking
  2. Arcade Fire & David Bowie - Wake up (live)
  3. Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor (live)
  4. Army Navy - Jail Is Fine
  5. Battle - Demons (live)
  6. Belle and Sebastian - The Boys Are Back in Town (live)
  7. Ben Kweller - I need you back (live)
  8. Bloc Party - One Month Off
  9. Bloc Party - Two more years (live)
  10. Blue October - Dirt Room
  11. Cage The Elephant - Back Against The Wall
  12. Carolina Liar - Show Me What I'm Looking For
  13. Coldplay - Clocks (live)
  14. Crowded House - It's only natural (live)
  15. Dashboard Confessional - Hands down (live)
  16. Dinosaur Jr. - Just like heaven (live)
  17. Editors - Munich (live)
  18. Empire Of The Sun - Standing On The Shore
  19. Fall Out Boy - America's Suitehearts
  20. Fleet Foxes - Mykonos (alt ver)
  21. Foo Fighters - Summer's End
  22. Frank Turner - Reasons Not To Be An Idiot
  23. Franz Ferdinand - No You Girls
  24. Franz Ferdinand - Your Diary
  25. Friendly Fires - Skeleton Boy
  26. Gigantic - Hang On
  27. Gin Blossoms - Hands Are Tied
  28. Glasvegas - Flowers & Football Tops
  29. Glasvegas - Geraldine
  30. Graham Coxon - Freakin Out (live)
  31. Green day - Going to Pasalacqua (live)
  32. I Was A Cub Scout - Pink Squares (live)
  33. Ida Maria - Oh My God
  34. Innerpartysystem - Don't Stop
  35. Jimmy Eat World - The middle (live)
  36. Kaiser chiefs - Modern Way (live)
  37. Keane - The Lovers Are Losing
  38. Kings of Leon - Revelry
  39. Kings of León - The bucket (live)
  40. Ladyhawke - Paris Is Burning
  41. Little Comets - One Night In October
  42. Little man Tate - What what you got (live)
  43. Living Things - Let It Rain
  44. Mando Diao - You can't steal my love (live)
  45. Manic Street Preachers - Motorcycle emptiness (live)
  46. Maxïmo Park - I want you to stay (live)
  47. Morrissey - I'm throwing my arms around Paris
  48. Morrissey - There is a light that never goes out
  49. Oasis - Falling Down
  50. Pete and The Pirates - Blood Gets Thin
  51. Pete and The Pirates - Jennifer
  52. Placebo - Pure morning (live)
  53. Popup - Chinese Burn
  54. Popup - Love Triangle
  55. Ramones - I don't want to grow up (live)
  56. Razorlight - You and The Rest
  57. Razorlight - Vice (live)
  58. Rivers Cuomo - I Was Scared
  59. Sky larkin - Beeline
  60. Snow Patrol - Crack the shutters
  61. Snow Patrol - Run (live)
  62. Snowden - Anti-Anti (live)
  63. Starsailor - Tell Me It's Not Over
  64. Stereophonics - Dakota (live)
  65. Stereophonics - My Own Worst Enemy
  66. The All-American Rejects - Gives you hell
  67. The All-American Rejects - Move Along (live)
  68. The Alternate Routes - Shelly
  69. The Changes - When I wake (live)
  70. The cribs - Mirror kissers (live)
  71. The Departure - Changing pilots (live)
  72. The Drama Club - Brand New Day
  73. The fratellis - Henrietta (live)
  74. The Fray - You Found Me
  75. The Gaslight Anthem - The Backseat
  76. The Hives - Main offender (live)
  77. The Housemartins - Me and the farmer (live)
  78. The Joy Formidable - Cradle
  79. The King Blues - Save The world, Get The Girl
  80. The Kinison - You'll never guess... (live)
  81. The Kinks - Lolla (live)
  82. The La's - There she goes (live)
  83. The Libertines - Can't stand me now (live)
  84. The magic numbers - Love me like you (live)
  85. The Paddingtons - Some old girl (live)
  86. The Paddingtons - Sticky Fingers
  87. The Parlor Mob - Hard Times
  88. The Pixies - Wave of mutilation (live)
  89. The police - Message In a Bottle (live)
  90. The Raconteurs - Teenage kicks (live)
  91. The rifles - Fool To Sorrow
  92. The rifles - In Between Days (live)
  93. The Shins - So says I (live)
  94. The Stills - Love and Death (live)
  95. The Strokes - Clampdown (live)
  96. The Subways - With you (live)
  97. The thrills - What ever happened... (live)
  98. The View - Shock horror
  99. The View - Wasted Little DJs (live)
  100. The Vines - Highly evolved (live)
  101. The Virgins - Teen lovers
  102. The white stripes - The denial twist (live)
  103. Tokyo police club - Your english is good (live)
  104. Travis - Song To Self
  105. We are scientists - Nobody move, nobody get hurt
  106. Weezer - Take control (live)
  107. Weezer - The greatest man that ever lived
  108. White Lies - A place to hide
  109. White Lies - Farewell to the fairground
  110. White Rabbits - The Plot (live)
  
  ------------------------------------------------
  
  
  Playlist 104
  27/28 febrero 2009
  110 tracks in playlist, average track length: 3:34. Playlist length: 6 hours 32 minutes 26 seconds
  
  1. Albert Hammond jr. - Holiday
  2. Arctic monkeys - Brianstorm
  3. Army navy - Silvery seeds
  4. Band of horses - Our swords
  5. Blueline Medic - Plight 217
  6. Built to Spill - Big dipper
  7. Built to spill - Conventional wisdom
  8. Casio Kids - Fot I hose
  9. Dirty pretty things - Deadwood
  10. Doves - Kingdom of rust
  11. Glasvegas - Geraldine
  12. Grandaddy - A.M. 180
  13. Headstones - Mystery to me
  14. Hockey - Too fake
  15. In Case Of Fire - The cleansing
  16. Jimmy eat world - The middle (demo)
  17. Kaiser chiefs - The angry mob
  18. Kids In Glass Houses - Dance all night
  19. Kill Hanna - Paper doll
  20. Kings of Leon - On call
  21. Kingsize - The daze
  22. Longwave - Everywhere you turn (demo)
  23. Mando Diao - Dance with somebody
  24. Mando Diao - You got nothing on me
  25. Marching Band - Makeup artist
  26. Mates of state - Fraud in the 80's
  27. Maxïmo Park - Apply some pressure (demo)
  28. Me first and the gimme gimmes - On the road again
  29. Milburn - What you could've won (demo)
  30. Mile - Perfect ending
  31. Morrissey - I'm throwing my arms around Paris
  32. Muse - Uno
  33. Mystery jets - You can't fool me Dennis
  34. New found glory - Listen to your friends
  35. Oasis - Cigarettes & alcohol (Demo)
  36. Oasis - Falling down
  37. Ocean Colour Scene - Hundred mile high city
  38. Official Secrets Act - So tomorrow
  39. Panic radio - The scam
  40. People In Planes - Last man standing
  41. Pete Doherty - Last of the english roses
  42. Pop evil - 100 in a 55
  43. Radio 4 - How the stars got crossed
  44. Ramones - Blitzkrieg bop
  45. Razorlight - Fall to pieces
  46. Red Light Company - Arts & crafts
  47. Shout Out Louds - Very loud
  48. Skint & Demoralised - This song is definitely not about you
  49. Smashing Pumpkins - Siva
  50. Spoon - Sister Jack
  51. Starsailor - Tell me it's not over
  52. Stellastarr - Somewhere across forever
  53. Swedish Polarbears - Volvo
  54. Tapes 'n tapes - Insistor
  55. Temple of the Dog - Hunger strike
  56. The Airborne Toxic Event - Sometime around midnight
  57. The Boy Least Likely To - Every Goliath has its David
  58. The Cribs - Mirror kissers
  59. The Darkness - I believe in a thing called love
  60. The diggs - Everyone's starting over
  61. The dykeenies - Waiting for go
  62. The Enemy - It's not ok
  63. The Hot Melts - Edith
  64. The Jessica Fletchers - Bloody seventies love
  65. The Jessica Fletchers - The girl I've been waiting for
  66. The Killers - A crippling blow
  67. The kills - M.E.X.I.C.O.
  68. The Kooks - Victoria
  69. The lashes - Sometimes the sun
  70. The libertines - Don't look back into the sun
  71. The Maccabees - No kind words
  72. The metros - Last of the lookers
  73. The pains of being pure at heart - Come saturday
  74. The pains of being pure at heart - Everything with you
  75. The Parlor Mob - Hard times
  76. The Pigeon Detectives - I'm always right
  77. The Rakes - 1989
  78. The Rakes - That's the reason
  79. The real kids - All kindsa girls
  80. The rifles - Repeated offender
  81. The rifles - Romeo and Julie
  82. The star 69 - So what is the news
  83. The strokes - Heart in a cage
  84. The Ting Tings - We walk
  85. The View - Same jeans
  86. The view - Shock horror
  87. The Virgins - One week of danger
  88. The Von Bondies - Pale bride
  89. The walls - To the bright and shining sun
  90. The weakerthans - Watermark
  91. The Whigs - Like a vibration
  92. The White Stripes - Seven nation army
  93. The wombats - My circuitboard city
  94. The zutons - Valerie
  95. Third eye blind - Jumper
  96. Throw me the statue - About to walk
  97. Two Door Cinema Club - Something good can work
  98. UK Subs - Warhead
  99. Voxtrot - New love
  100. We are scientists - After hours
  101. We are scientists - Nobody move, nobody get hurt
  102. Ween - Transdermal celebration
  103. Weezer - Keep fishin'
  104. White Lies - Death
  105. White Lies - The price of love
  106. Who Made Who - The plot
  107. Wolfmother - Woman
  108. Yeah yeah yeahs - Sheena is a punk rocker
  109. Yeah yeah yeahs - Zero
  110. You Me At Six - Save it for the bedroom

• Sasquatch! Lineup: NIN, Jane’s Addiction, YYY’s

  Sonic Itch Music - 2009-02-18 16:06:35

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  I’ve already expressed my lack of enthusiasm for this year’s Coachella lineup, as well as a lack of serious interest in Bonnaroo, but this year’s Sasquatch! lineup is an attention grabber for sure. Not that there aren’t some acts of interest performing @ Coachella or Bonnaro, but Sasquatch! managed a significantly more solid lineup in my opinion. Nice job on tapping into the NIN/Janes Addiction “anti poseurs and pussies” tour.

  Also on the bill: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Doves, Grizzly Bear, TV On The Radio, Animal Collective, M. Ward, Sun Kil Moon, and many other notables.

  Full list and ticket info:

  MUSIC
  Jane’s Addiction (feat. all four original members)
  Kings of Leon
  Nine Inch Nails
  Ben Harper & Relentless7
  Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  Erykah Badu
  The Decemberists
  Fleet Foxes
  TV On The Radio
  Animal Collective
  Silversun Pickups
  Bon Iver
  Santigold
  Of Montreal
  Explosions In The Sky
  Devotchka
  Peter Bjorn & John
  Gogol Bordello
  M. Ward
  The Avett Brothers
  Doves
  Calexico
  Grizzly Bear
  M83
  Girl Talk
  The Gaslight Anthem
  The Walkmen
  Chromeo (dj set)
  Deadmau5
  Mugison
  Sun Kil Moon
  Airborne Toxic Event
  Blitzen Trapper
  Shearwater
  BLK JKS
  The Wrens
  Tobacco
  Monotonix
  King Khan & The Shrines
  St. Vincent
  Passion Pit
  John Vanderslice
  Bishop Allen
  Blind Pilot
  AA Bondy
  Black Moth Super Rainbow
  The Knux
  Ra Ra Riot
  The Dodos
  Beach House
  Arthur & Yu
  The Submarines
  Owl City
  Viva Voce
  James Pants
  Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band
  The Builders & The Butchers
  The Dutchess & The Duke
  Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head
  Dent May & His Magnificent Ukelele
  Fences
  School of Seven Bells
  Death Vessel
  Horse Feathers
  Hockey
  Point Juncture, WA
  The Pica Beats
  Loch Lomond
  Vince Mira
  & more to come

  COMEDY
  Zach Galifiankas
  Demetri Martin
  Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job
  Todd Barry
  Jon Benjamin
  God’s Pottery
  People’s Republic of Komedy
  & more

  Ticket Information

  Beginning February 28th (on sale weekend only):
  A discounted 3 DAY FESTIVAL PASS is available for a very limited time / $154.50
  Offer ends Sunday, March 1st at midnight.
  Single tickets, per day / $56.50

  Beginning March 2nd:
  3 day pass / $199.50
  Single tickets, per day / $66.50

  Beginning May 11:
  3 day pass / $229.50
  Single tickets, per day / $76.50

  V.I.P. package tickets with special amenities also available.
  Full details on the festival website:sasquatchfestival.com
  (Applicable service charges may apply)

  Tickets go on sale Saturday February 28th at 10AM and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, sasquatchfestival.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or charge by phone in Seattle (206) 628-0888, in Oregon (503) 224-4400, and in Eastern Washington (509) 735-0500

• Indie Rockers Hang Out On E Street

  stereogum - 2009-02-18 11:10:24

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  In case you didn't know: Many bands have been influenced by Bruce Springsteen. Not Superbowl crotch-shot Bruce, but the guy who put together Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle, Born To Run, Nebraska, Darkness On The Edge of Town, Born in the U.S.A., etc. He's released a lot of great fucking records. To make note of the influence during the Working On A Dream promo swing, various "up-and-coming" youngsters -- including Jersey guys the Gaslight Anthem and Ted Leo and non-Jersey gal Juliana Hatfield -- are doing brief interviews about why they like Springsteen and performing one of his songs. The series is called "Hangin' Out On E Street." That is not the best name for a series.

  
  Continue reading Indie Rockers Hang Out On E Street...

  

• Farms in Trouble - “The Gas Station Soundtrack” (2008)

  Indie Muse - 2009-02-18 08:21:25

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  Over winter break, I got a chance to give a visit to a few local record stores and a few in Milwaukee as well. On a freezing night, inside of one of the last open shops on Brady St., a not-so-shabby local chain, I fished out The Gas Station Soundtrack by Farms in Trouble. In a plastic sleeve, pressed firmly in the fold of a rectangle of cardboard–the diagram of a patchwork quilt screened on its front–was a disc that the clerk assured me was “dirty.” I don’t think I realized what he meant until later. I gave him $6, the cost of the album. It sat for a few weeks with all the other albums I collected over the break.

  This 27-track epic is the product of Zack Pieper and Riles Walsh (of The Candliers), Milwaukee’s own, better known as Farms in Trouble in their 10-piece format. Totaling in at 42 minutes, this album is genius. It’s also, admittedly, dirty. For several reasons. I’ve just finished listening to it, and aside from the fact that my head is still spinning from the manic joy of the whole thing, its texture is also a force to be reckoned with. It’s not lo-fi, it’s not proper, it’s not simple and it’s certainly not a demo. It’s… dirty. No single song breaks the 3-minute mark, but if you weren’t following along, you’d swear there was a long one in there, for sure. Each track lends itself to the next in some way, sometimes chordally, or lyrically, but more often with a particular juxtaposition that makes it rough and crude without losing its charm and brilliance.

  As I looked back at the album art, I saw the patchwork drawing. A collection of grids, dotted lines, arrows and what I think are pieces of a city map, the album truly does resemble a patchwork collage. The Gas Station Soundtrack is homegrown. It is rough on the edges and jagged in the seams. There is absolutely no way I could describe this album with a few songs, so I’ve picked some momentary favorites.

  MP3: Farms in Trouble - “Pleasure Dome”

  MP3: Farms in Trouble - “Like A Needle In Heaven”

  MP3: Farms in Trouble - “My Beautiful Baby Born Inside Out”

  MP3: Farms in Trouble - “Many Boss Levels”

  Support Farms in Trouble: Activities Recordings | MySpace

  Here’s a video for “Empty Arrows and Exit Signs” (Track 3)

  Click here to view the embedded video.

  A friend of mine was talking about Guided By Voices recently, and I can’t help respect the elements of their early style that reflect in the ambitions of Farms in Trouble. Later I came to realize that Zack Pieper actually lists Robert Pollard as one of his influences.

  

• Sasquatch! 2009 Lineup: Jane's Addiction, NIN, YYYs, Animal Collective & Zach Galifianakis

  stereogum - 2009-02-17 11:39:48

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  Given our state of economic chaos and the subsequent collapse of consumer confidence in everything but gold bullion and good times, music festivals are learning they need to go big or go home. Sasquatch! just went pretty big. This year's party, poised as always to be the best way to spend your Memorial Day weekend, will fill the picturesque Gorge in Quincy, WA with that NIN/Jane's package we mentioned earlier, alongside Animal Collective, Fleet Foxes, Erykah Badu, the Decemberists, TVOTR, PB&J;, M. Ward, Grizzly Bear, M83, the Walkmen, the Gaslight Anthem, Blitzen Trapper, Sun Kil Moon, Black Moth Super Rainbow and Tobacco, etc., and the comedic stylings of Zach Galifianakis, Tim & Eric, Todd Barry, and Demetri Martin. And then later the comedy tent becomes a dance tent, a transfer for which you want Tim & Eric (or at least the Beaver Boys) onstage. But really, Quincy just looks like a pretty place to party. The fest runs from May 23-25 at the Gorge in Quincy, WA. Here's the incomplete but still complete-enough-to-look-like-fun-times lineup:

  
  Continue reading Sasquatch! 2009 Lineup: Jane's Addiction, NIN, YYYs, Animal Collective & Zach Galifianakis...

  

• KINGBLIND - 2009-01-30 11:08:23

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  McCartney, Killers, Cure Anchor Coachella Lineup
  
  Paul McCartney, the Killers and the Cure lead the bill for the tenth Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, to be held April 17-19 at Empire Polo Field in Indio, Calif. Also confirmed are My Bloody Valentine, Amy Winehouse, Morrissey, Leonard Cohen and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
  
  McCartney will be making his maiden American festival appearance at the event. "I have heard that Coachella is one of the greatest festivals in the world," he said in a statement. "I'm really excited to get out there and rock!"
  
  Coachella has been after My Bloody Valentine for years, and nearly had the band booked for its 2008 festival. But frontman Kevin Shields ultimately decided the freshly reunited MBV would not have been ready to perform by last year's show date and instead waited until the fall before playing North American shows.
  
  As for Winehouse, this will be her first major American appearance since performing at the 2008 Grammy Awards. The U.K. artist's 2007 Coachella set came at a time when she was breaking through in the States with her single "Rehab" and album "Back to Black," but in the past 18 months she's been beset with drug problems and erratic behavior.
  
  Meanwhile, Cohen's Coachella appearance will be part of his first North American tour in 15 years, which begins Feb. 19 in New York.
  
  Other highlights of the festival lineup include Fleet Foxes, Conor Oberst, the Black Keys, the Hold Steady, Superchunk, Dr. Dog, TV On The Radio, Okkervil River and Band Of Horses from the world of indie rock; and MSTRKRFT, Girl Talk, Thievery Corporation, the Crystal Method, Throbbing Gristle, Groove Armada and Roni Size from the dance and electronic community.
  
  The Drive-By Truckers will perform their own set on April 18 as well as back soul legend Booker T & the MGs, while rock veterans such as X, Paul Weller, Henry Rollins and Bob Mould add a dose of experience to the lineup.
  
  Among the buzz bands and notable newcomers playing this year are White Lies, who currently have the No. 1 album in the United Kingdom, N.A.S.A., the Airborne Toxic Event, Cage the Elephant, Gang Gang Dance, Hercules and Love Affair, Vivian Girls, Lykke Li, Late Of The Pier, the Knux and the Gaslight Anthem.
  
  Coachella tickets go on sale this morning via Ticketmaster. For the first time, festival promoter Goldenvoice is offering a layaway plan for three-day passes, which is available only online and through Feb. 28.
  
  Here is the lineup for the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival:
  
  FRIDAY APRIL 17: Paul McCartney, Morrissey, Franz Ferdinand, Leonard Cohen, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Beirut, The Black Keys, Girl Talk, Silversun Pickups, The Ting Tings, The Crystal Method, Ghostland Observatory, Crystal Castles, The Airborne Toxic Event, We Are Scientists, N.A.S.A., Patton & Rahzel, M. Ward, The Presets, The Hold Steady, A Place to Bury Strangers, Felix da Housecat, Buraka Som Sistema, Ryan Bingham, Bajofondo, Peanut Butter Wolf, Noah & the Whale, White Lies, The Bug, Alberta Cross, Los Campesinos!, Craze & Klever, Molotov, Switch, Gui Boratto, Steve Aoki, The Aggrolites, People Under the Stairs, The Courteeners, Cage the Elephant, Dear and the Headlights.
  
  SATURDAY, APRIL 18: The Killers, Amy Winehouse, Thievery Corporation, TV on the Radio, Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes, MSTRKRFT, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Atmosphere, Mastodon, TRAV$DJ-AM, Henry Rollins, Crookers, Turbonegro, Hercules and Love Affair, Superchunk, Glasvegas, Dr. Dog, Drive-By Truckers, Booker T & the DBT's, Amanda Palmer, The Bloody Beetroots, Surkin, Para One (Live), Calexico, Liars, Bob Mould Band, Zane Lowe, Electric Touch, Blitzen Trapper, James Morrison, Drop the Lime, Glass Candy, Thenewno2, Gang Gang Dance, Billy Talent, Ida Maria, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Zizek, Cloud Cult, Tinariwen.
  
  SUNDAY, APRIL 19: The Cure, My Bloody Valentine, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Throbbing Gristle, Lupe Fiasco, Paul Weller, Peter Bjorn and John, X, Antony & the Johnsons, Roni Size, Public Enemy, Jenny Lewis, Groove Armada, Paolo Nutini, Christopher Lawrence, Lykke Li, The Kills, Okkervil River, M.A.N.D.Y., Clipse, Sebastien Tellier, Fucked Up, Perry Farrell, The Horrors, Late of the Pier, K'naan, Junior Boys, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Supermayer, No Age, Vivian Girls, Shepard Fairey, Themselves, Gaslight Anthem, The Knux, Mexican Institute of Sound, The Night Marchers, Marshall Barnes.

• song obsession friday! (for the week ending January 30)

  ipickmynose: a San Francisco Bay Area-centric, mostly indie music blog - 2009-01-30 07:40:36

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  Song obsessions are those songs that we listen to on repeat. I noticed that my obsessions are often a week long. I also thought that other people might have similar obsessions. I’ve collected a panel of a few like-minded individuals and gotten their “song obsessions of the week.” Quite often it’s easy to explain why the song is good; it’s much hard to explain why we’re obsessed. Maybe you’ll become obsessed with one of these.

  –

  Adrian (me):
  The Gaslight Anthem - The ‘59 Sound (mp3) (buy)
  

  This song obsession was a long time a-comin’. I saw the band (and heard some buzz) when the band played this song on Conan in early December. I liked the song and mulled over that for a few week. I got the album from emusic and mulled that over for a few weeks. Then, for some reason, I started hitting repeat on this song this week.

  I really don’t know why I became obsessed with it. I can answer an easier and similar question, though: why I like it. It’s got a great melody, the lyrics in the chorus hit me–they’re great–and it’s got great interplay between it’s hard elements (rawk) and softer elements (yearning melodies over sparse instruments).

  –
  Looks a little thin this week–no contributor obsessions this week. I’m sure there’ll be some next week, though.

• Mooie concerten in het vooruitzicht

  Freakystyle.web-log.nl - 2009-01-28 23:31:35

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  Vrijdagavond Ryland Bouchard van The Robot Ate Me. Dat was een paar jaar geleden een enorm leuke, maar af en toe erg maffe lo-fi band. Helaas ter ziele, maar het was toch vooral de band van Ryland Bouchard die alweer een tijdje solo tourt. Ik lees dat zijn solowerk wordt vergeleken met Randy Newman, Jeff Mangum en Nick Drake. Vrijdag dus in Groningen bij Ham Radio Communications! Hij speelt vrijdagavond in het ruim van de boot Voorwaarts Voorwaarts, die bij de Westerhaven heeft aangelegd, ter hoogte van waar vroeger de Intertoys zat, maar waar nu een winkel voor mannenmode zit, jeweetwel. Morgen (29 januari) is Ryland Bouchard ook te zien in dB's in Utrecht. Zaterdag speelt hij in de huiskamer van Jaïr in Leeuwarden en zondag is Zwolle aan de beurt. Komt dat zien! Luister even op de myspace van Ryland Bouchard en je bent verkocht.

  Deze concerten genieten mijn belangstelling de komende tijd:
  30 januari Ryland Bouchard @ Voorwaarts Voorwaarts, Groningen
  06 februari Islands @ Vera, Groningen
  08 februari Giant Sand @ Vera, Groningen (*)
  13 februari zZz @ Pusterviksbaren, Göteborg
  14 februari I'm From Barcelona @ Sticky Fingers, Göteborg
  21 februari The Datsuns @ Vera, Groningen
  25 februari O'Death @ Vera, Groningen
  27 februari The War On Drugs @ Vera, Groningen (*)
  28 februari The Gaslight Anthem @ Vera, Groningen (#)
  01 maart Titus Andronicus @ Vera, Groningen (#)
  05 maart Crystal Antlers @ Vera, Groningen (*)
  06 maart Jay Reatard @ Vera, Groningen
  09 maart Omar A. Rodriguez-Lopez @ Vera, Groningen
  17 maart Animal Collective @ Paradiso, Amsterdam
  19 maart Skeletons @ Vera, Groningen (*)
  09 april ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead @ Vera
  10 april Motel Mozaique @ Rotterdam
  11 april Motel Mozaique @ Rotterdam
  23 april Bonnie 'Prince' Billy @ Paradiso, Amsterdam
  30 april Great Lake Swimmers @ Vera, Groningen (#)
  02 mei Alaska In Winter @ Vera, Groningen
  03 mei Shearwater @ Vera, Groningen
  14 mei Plants & Animals + Malajube @ Vera, Groningen
  21 juni Okkervil River @ Vera, Groningen
  09 juli The Gories + Oblivians @ Vera, Groningen

• First Potential Coachella Lineup Leaks

  The Rawking Refuses To Stop! - 2009-01-28 16:24:05

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  Not these guys, sorry.
  
  Ryan Seacrest, of all people, has posted one of what's sure to be a long list of long lists of rumored Coachella 2009 performers. Highlights: Headlining gigs from Morrissey and Paul McCartney (yes!), plus Neil Young, Nine Inch Nails, the Foo Fighters, the Shins (doubtful), Fleet Foxes, She & Him, the Killers, TV On The Radio, Asobi Seksu and the Hold Steady. Seems like a few too many big names for the three-day fest too afford in these trying times, especially given last year's lean lineup, but I guess we'll see, huh? Plus, where's Animal Collective and Pavement? A guy can dream. Coachella 2009 is on April 17, 18 and 19, and Seacrest's list is after the jump. [Continue reading...]

  
  
  FRIDAY
  
  Nine Inch Nails
  Morrissey
  Orbital
  Franz Ferdinand
  Puscifer
  Katy Perry
  Digitalism (live)
  The Presets
  K's Choice
  Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band
  X
  Metric
  The Black Keys
  Shpongle
  Turbonegro
  Bassnectar
  Fair To Midland
  Ladytron
  Cage
  Brian Jonestown Massacre
  Hercules & Love Affair
  Mickey Avalon
  The Gaslight Anthem
  Laura Marling
  The Whip
  The Bloody Beetroots
  Kristina Sky
  The Airborne Toxic Event
  Friendly Fires
  Straight Line Stitch
  Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.
  Shadrach Kabango
  Los Campesinos
  O'Death
  The Wishing Tree
  Floater
  Alias Westlord
  Snailhouse
  Asteroids Galaxy Tour
  Miyavi
  Kevin Rudolf
  TINARIWEN
  Heartless Bastards
  Drop The Lime
  Lucent Dossier
  
  
  SATURDAY
  
  The Killers
  Neil Young
  Primus
  Basement Jaxx
  TV on the Radio
  Mike Patton Rahzel
  Adele
  Immortal Technique
  Atmosphere
  One Day as a Lion
  Girl Talk
  Primal Scream
  Coolof (of The Knife) (DJ set)
  KT Tunstall
  Crystal Castles
  Amon Tobin
  M.A.N.D.Y.
  She & Him
  Roni Size
  Kimya Dawson
  Glasvegas
  The Black Marquee
  Jade Everett
  Jamie T
  Foals
  Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
  No Age
  Late of the Pier
  Sebastian Tellier
  Peanut Butter Wolf
  The Flobots
  Radio Luxembourg
  Ice Cream Floats
  Flying Lotus
  Kitty, Daisy & Lewis
  The Bug
  White Lies
  The Knux
  The Captains Intangible
  Mad Marge & The Stonecutters
  N.A.S.A.
  Mexican Institute of Sound
  Eric Mcfadden Trio
  Soniko
  Kira Willey
  Lucent Dossier
  KIM H & DANNY R
  
  
  SUNDAY
  
  Paul McCartney
  Foo Fighters
  Public Enemy
  Chemical Brothers
  Keane
  Poe
  MSTRKRFT
  Fleet Foxes
  Band of Horses
  Lupe Fiasco
  Skunk Anansie
  Planet of the Drums
  Jenny Lewis
  Imogen Heap
  The Heavy
  The Shins
  Black Mountain
  Asobi Seksu
  Gus Black
  Alabama 3
  The Faint
  The Sounds
  The Ting Tings
  Yeasayer
  Conjure One
  The Bees
  Bizarre
  Surkin
  The Greencards
  The Hold Steady
  Uh Huh Her
  Christopher Lawrence
  a place to bury strangers
  Carolina Chocolate Drops
  The Death Set
  Florence & The Machine
  Anna Ternheim
  Weston Boys
  Tommy Mills & The Jade Amenity
  Gutevolk
  Buraka Som Sistema
  Lucent Dossier

  
  
  ***
  
  Click below for more News and Links.

  

  

• Video: The Gaslight Anthem - “Backstreets”

  Muzzle of Bees - 2009-01-28 13:02:04

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  Above, Brian Fallon of one my favorite new bands, The Gaslight Anthem, offers an acoustic take on one of our mutual musical hero’s. Ted Leo pays homage with “Dancing In The Dark” here.

  Buy: The Gaslight Anthem - The ‘59 Sound

• Things To Do...

  Music Of The Moment - 2009-01-27 11:48:31

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  for me... and you?
  
  - Get Jeniferever's new song, Green Meadow Island.
  
  Jeniferever - Green Meadow Island (MP3)
  
  
  - Download Jesper Lundager's debut-album, Macuti, for free. Cool Danish Shoegaze!
  
  Jesper Lundager - Marshmallow Skies (MP3)
  
  download Macuti
  
  
  - Listen to another 2008-missed-album: The Gaslight Anthem's The '59 Sound. Great stuff!
  
  
  - Try to get into the Empire Of The Sun. Appealing, but not that easy...
  
  Empire Of The Sun - Half Mast (MP3, via NME)
  
  
  - Get over that most excellent skiing weekend I've just experienced...
  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  More things I should do? Let me know...
  

• THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM - THE ‘59 SOUND

  ninebullets.net - 2009-01-14 20:01:24

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  Normally I avoid “blog bands” like the plague, and when I succumb to the hype enough to give them a listen I am presented with some crap like Vampire Weekend or The Fleet Foxes most of the time.

  Thanks, but No Thanks.

  So, when it came to all The Gaslight Anthem hype I was just considering the sources and ignoring them. Then, as the 2008 year end lists started rolling in and I kept seeing their name, I finally decided to give the band a look-see. It is my pleasure to announce that these guys are worthy of the hype they’re getting.

  There are plenty of words and breathless praise already out on the internets so I’m not gonna get carried away, besides, I’m probably the last person in the world to hear the album. However, in case someone else out there hasn’t checked them out yet, I’ll post some basics.

  The Gaslight Anthem come from New Jersey and have garnered a ton of comparisons to another New Jersey native, Springsteen. A full-length and an EP preceded The 59 Sound and apparently both had a grittier sound than this release. I’ve not heard either to be able to comment on that, but I soon will. The 59 Sound is a rock and roll record without any gimmicks. In a sentence, I’d say it’s the album The Killers were trying to make when they grew mustaches and wrote Sam’s Town.

  Check it out. IMO, it’s Essential Listening and I think you’ll like it.

  The Gaslight Anthem - Even Cowgirls Get The Blues
  The Gaslight Anthem - Here’s Looking At You, Kid
  The Gaslight Anthem - The ‘59 Sound

  The Gaslight Anthem’s Official Site, The Gaslight Anthem on myspace, Buy The 59 Sound

• MP3: Heartless Bastards - “The Mountain”

  Muzzle of Bees - 2009-01-12 15:23:27

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  We knew the new record from the Heartless Bastards was complete when we interviewed Erika Wennerstrom last year. Today, the details emerge on The Mountain, which will be released February 3rd on Fat Possum Records.

  We’ve got the title track of the album for you below as a free and legal download. Catch The Heartless Bastards with The Gaslight Anthem at Turner Hall Ballroom in Milwaukee on Thursday, April 2nd.

  Myspace: The Heartless Bastards
  MP3: The Heartless Bastards - “The Mountain”

• on sale soon (01.08.08 edition)

  ipickmynose: a San Francisco Bay Area-centric, mostly indie music blog - 2009-01-08 05:43:40

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  Posted every Thursday, On Sale Soon is a weekly series of the tickets going on sale that weekend.

  Where to get tickets: The Independent, Great American Music Hall, Slim’s, Fillmore, Shoreline, and other Livenation venues, the Warfield. Another Planet booked venues like Greek Theatre @ Berkeley, Palace of Fine Arts, etc. Bimbo’s.

  On sale now/ Thursday Jan. 8:
  4/13, 4/14, 4/15 Dark Star Orchestra @ Great American

  Pre sale Thursday Jan 8:
  All the Fox Theater dates below. Password = fox.

  On sale Sunday Jan. 11:
  2/6 Bag of Toys, Kapakahi, Still Time @ Great American
  2/6 Social Distortion, The Devil Makes Three, The Black Tibetans @ Fox Theater (Oakland)
  2/6 Solid State Logic, Stagnant @ Slim’s
  2/7 Michael Franti & Spearhead, ALO, Solillaquists of Sound @ Fox Theater
  2/14 Reverend Horton Heat @ the Fillmore
  2/17 Lisa Hannigan, Gavin Glass @ the Independent
  2/18 , 2/19 Jackie Greene @ Great American
  2/20 Stephen Marley, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Julian Marley, Rootz Underground, K’NAAN @ Fox Theater
  2/20 Ben Taylor, Eoin Harrington, Schuyler Fisk @ The Independent
  2/21 Cake, The Lovemakers @ Fox Theater
  2/25 French Kicks, The Broken West @ The Independent
  2/26, 2/27, 2/28 STS9 @ the Fillmore
  2/27 Ra Ra Riot, Cut Off Your Hands, Telekinesis @ The Independent
  2/28 Hank III & Assjack @ the Grand
  2/28 A.C. Newman, Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele @ The Independent

  3/3, 3/4 Mumiy Troll @ The Independent
  3/5 Fujiya & Miyagi, Pop Levi; Project Jenny, Project Jan @ The Independent
  3/11 Jewel @ the Warfield
  3/13 BLVD, Adam Deitch’s Break Science @ Great American
  3/15 The Pretenders @ the Fillmore
  3/17 Millencolin, The Briggs @ Slim’s
  3/19 Zu @ Great American
  3/20 Black Mountain, The Sadies @ Rickshaw Stop
  3/24 Bishop Allen @ Rickshaw Stop
  3/27 Robert Earl Keen @ the Fillmore

  4/3 Leon Redbone, Jay Alexander @ Great America
  4/5 Alesana; Drop Dead, Gorgeous; Fear Before, I Set My Friends on Fire @ Slim’s
  4/10 BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet, David Lindley @ Great American
  4/10 Reckless Kelly @ Slim’s
  4/15 the Derek Trucks Band @ the Grand
  4/16 The Gaslight Anthem. Heartless Bastards @ Slim’s
  4/16 Glasvegas, Mark Sultan @ Great American
  4/16 B.B. King, Lukas Nelson & The Promise of the Real @ Fox Theater
  4/18 The Black Keys @ Fox Theater

  Double check all information as venues and promoters often change on-sale times and days up until the last minute.

• Incoming: The Gaslight Anthem, April 21

  So Much Silence - 2009-01-02 20:40:54

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  After resisting for months, I finally gave in recently and downloaded the Gaslight Anthem album The ‘59 Sound on eMusic. I’m not really sure what took me so long to come around; I think maybe I didn’t like the group’s name or something petty like that.

  Needless to say, I’m glad I wisened up (though not in time for my favorite albums of the year). Thankfully, the band has included the Valley on its headlining spring tour with a stop at the Clubhouse in Tempe on April 21. Tickets go on sale Jan. 10 for the all-ages show, though I’m not sure where or for how much. Heartless Bastards open.

  The Gaslight Anthem “The ‘59 Sound”
  

  Elsewhere, I Am Fuel, You Are Friends has some acoustic Gaslight Anthem goodness.

• I think I'm going deaf, or maybe I'm just hearing less

  Heartache with Hard Work - 2009-01-01 14:43:04

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  100 Resolutions - The Lawrence Arms
  In The New Year - The Walkmen
  New Years - Asobi Seksu
  2006 - Hello Saferide
  My Horoscope Said It Would Be a Bad Year - Beulah
  
  2008 had its ups and downs. On the one hand, we elected Obama and got the ball rolling for a whole host of policies and agendas long past due. On the other, Prop 8 passed, the economy is in free fall, and we wasted yet another year that could have been devoted to starting the long effort to move away from fossil fuels.
  
  In terms of music, 2008 was a good, if not world-beating, year. I'm already pretty excited about some new albums, including a new record from Vanessa Peters and one from Asobi Seksu.
  
  And from a personal perspective 2008 was one of the very best years of my life. Hands down.
  
  Anyways, thanks for reading everyone. If I've counted correctly, I think this is the 600th post here, actually. I never would have anticipated that when things started three years ago. I appreciate the audience for my various ramblings, and love any feedback you've got to offer.
  
  In case you missed them at the time, here's some highlights from my last year of posting:
  
  Top 25 albums of 2008
  Top 40 songs of 2008
  Review of Frightened Rabbit's Midnight Organ Fight
  Review of The Gaslight Anthem's The '59 Sound
  Review of Caithlin De Marrais' My Magic City
  My razorbloodz post that got picked up by NY Magazine
  Thoughts about Obama's victory
  Taking change seriously: politics in the era of Obama
  
  See y'all in the new year...

• I think I'm going deaf, or maybe I'm just hearing less

  Heartache with Hard Work - 2009-01-01 14:43:04

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  100 Resolutions - The Lawrence Arms
  In The New Year - The Walkmen
  New Years - Asobi Seksu
  2006 - Hello Saferide
  My Horoscope Said It Would Be a Bad Year - Beulah
  
  2008 had its ups and downs. On the one hand, we elected Obama and got the ball rolling for a whole host of policies and agendas long past due. On the other, Prop 8 passed, the economy is in free fall, and we wasted yet another year that could have been devoted to starting the long effort to move away from fossil fuels.
  
  In terms of music, 2008 was a good, if not world-beating, year. I'm already pretty excited about some new albums, including a new record from Vanessa Peters and one from Asobi Seksu.
  
  And from a personal perspective 2008 was one of the very best years of my life. Hands down.
  
  Anyways, thanks for reading everyone. If I've counted correctly, I think this is the 600th post here, actually. I never would have anticipated that when things started three years ago. I appreciate the audience for my various ramblings, and love any feedback you've got to offer.
  
  In case you missed them at the time, here's some highlights from my last year of posting:
  
  Top 25 albums of 2008
  Top 40 songs of 2008
  Review of Frightened Rabbit's Midnight Organ Fight
  Review of The Gaslight Anthem's The '59 Sound
  Review of Caithlin De Marrais' My Magic City
  My razorbloodz post that got picked up by NY Magazine
  Thoughts about Obama's victory
  Taking change seriously: politics in the era of Obama
  
  See y'all in the new year...

• I think I'm going deaf, or maybe I'm just hearing less

  Heartache with Hard Work - 2009-01-01 14:43:04

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  100 Resolutions - The Lawrence Arms
  In The New Year - The Walkmen
  New Years - Asobi Seksu
  2006 - Hello Saferide
  My Horoscope Said It Would Be a Bad Year - Beulah
  
  2008 had its ups and downs. On the one hand, we elected Obama and got the ball rolling for a whole host of policies and agendas long past due. On the other, Prop 8 passed, the economy is in free fall, and we wasted yet another year that could have been devoted to starting the long effort to move away from fossil fuels.
  
  In terms of music, 2008 was a good, if not world-beating, year. I'm already pretty excited about some new albums, including a new record from Vanessa Peters and one from Asobi Seksu.
  
  And from a personal perspective 2008 was one of the very best years of my life. Hands down.
  
  Anyways, thanks for reading everyone. If I've counted correctly, I think this is the 600th post here, actually. I never would have anticipated that when things started three years ago. I appreciate the audience for my various ramblings, and love any feedback you've got to offer.
  
  In case you missed them at the time, here's some highlights from my last year of posting:
  
  Top 25 albums of 2008
  Top 40 songs of 2008
  Review of Frightened Rabbit's Midnight Organ Fight
  Review of The Gaslight Anthem's The '59 Sound
  Review of Caithlin De Marrais' My Magic City
  My razorbloodz post that got picked up by NY Magazine
  Thoughts about Obama's victory
  Taking change seriously: politics in the era of Obama
  
  See y'all in the new year...

• [Listmas 2008]: The Top 50 Songs Of The Year (#50-26)

  Faronheit - 2008-12-21 06:39:42

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  With an original plan of dragging my Top 50 Songs of 2008 list out for the entire week, my very busy holiday work schedule and the arrest of the Governor of Illinois put a wrench into everything. So instead, we'll be doing the Top 50 Songs list in 2 parts, with 25 songs apiece.
  
  What can I say about the year in songs? Honestly, not a whole lot. This year's music was surprisingly great, but I find myself thinking back more to specific albums rather than individual songs. So coming up with this list was a little bit of a challenge. Still, it was a whole lot of fun picking and choosing. Before we officially start, let me quickly cover some rules for how these songs were selected. First of all, there's a limit of one song per album or EP. There are multiple songs on some albums I'd love to include here, but to get the maximum number of artists and variety included here, I've set that limit. If an artist released multiple albums or EPs this year, they are allowed multiple songs provided each one is on a different album or EP.
  
  In the past, I've typically given you either an mp3 or YouTube video for each of these Top 50 Songs, but due to some Blogger DMCA love notes and post teardowns thanks to record label threats, this year will be slightly more sparse than previous ones in terms of downloadable music. I hope you'll understand. Also, due to time constraints imposed on me, I'll only be writing a couple sentences about each song. But additionally I'll also include a lyric quote, just to spice things up a little and maybe even add some extra class to these proceedings. Okay, I think I've said enough, so I hope you enjoy the list!
  
  50. Headlights - Cherry Tulips (Download)
  Fragmented thought: The best song Beach House hasn't written yet, with a lovely chorus that feels ripped from a song in the 1940's.
  Lyrical point: "I want the whole sea (and endless cherries)/for you and me (for crimson colors)/for you and me (all just for you and me)"
  
  49. Amanda Palmer - Oasis
  Fragmented thought: For a song that deals with rape, abortion, molestation and extreme Oasis fandom, this is one of the cheeriest and consistently hilarious songs of the year.
  Lyrical point: "When vacation was over/the word was all over/that I was a crackwhore/Melissa had told them/and so now we're not talking/except we have tickets/to see Blue in October/and I think we're still going"
  
  
  
  
  48. Nine Inch Nails - 1,000,000
  Fragmented thought: I may not be an angsty teenager anymore, but this NIN song about disconnection from reality and suicide feels as powerfully great as most of Reznor album highlight "The Downward Spiral."
  Lyrical point: "Put the gun/in my mouth/close your eyes/blow my fucking brains out/pretty patterns/on the floor/that's enough for you/but I still need more"
  
  
  
  47. Marnie Stern - Transformer (Download)
  Fragmented thought: In a song perfect for the hardest echelons of the Rock Band video game franchise, Stern's incredible finger-tapping guitar work and Zach Hill's drumming feel like they're possessed in the best way possible.
  Lyrical point: "I cannot be all/of these things to you/it's true/my arms hang down/my legs don't fight/my fingers/believing for you and for me"
  
  46. We Are Scientists - After Hours
  Fragmented thought: Honestly, I just wish that bars would actually play this during last call because it's so effortlessly catchy and miles better than the worn out "Closing Time" by Semisonic.
  Lyrical point: "One final, final round 'cause/time means nothing/say that you'll stay"
  
  
  
  45. Why? - Fatalist Palmistry
  Fragmented thought: Yoni Wolf writes some of the strangest lyrics I've ever heard, but his attempt at a love song is highly original, intensely addictive, and surprisingly heartfelt.
  Lyrical point: "I'm lucky to be under/the same sky that held/the exhale from your first breath/like a ring on a pillow of clouds/by you my tongue may stutter/but my gift heart screams clear and swells/to burst between the wrecked lengths/of its bowed ribbon cell"
  
  44. Little Joy - Keep Me In Mind
  Fragmented thought: This is the best Strokes song not actually performed by the band (save for Strokes drummer/Little Joy member Fabrizio Moretti), and I happen to enjoy the memorable hook along with its snarky breakup lyrics.
  Lyrical point: "Oh dear/someday you'll learn to be/someone better fit to pursue me/but til then/we'll call it the end"
  
  43. Delta Spirit - Trashcan
  Fragmented thought: This sounds like Cold War Kids, only a lot catchier and less annoying, which additionally makes me thankful Delta Spirit don't have the same amount of hype shoved on them because it probably would've signaled a strikingly bad follow-up album.
  Lyrical point: "My love is coming I can barely hardly wait/my heart is thumping I can feel it more with every beat/my love is coming I can barely hardly wait around"
  
  42. The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
  Fragmented thought: Remarkably intelligent Americana disguised as digestible pop-punk for the kids, this is the song that proved to me you don't always need to go obscure to make good art.
  Lyrical point: "Well I wonder which song they're gonna play when we go/I hope it's something quiet and minor and peaceful and slow"
  
  
  
  41. TV on the Radio - Golden Age
  Fragmented thought: With their latest album "Dear Science" TVOTR proved that they could hold their incredible creative streak while moving in a more commercially viable direction. Nothing better puts that on display than the smartly catchy "Golden Age."
  Lyrical point: "Let it move right in/let it kiss your face/let it sow your skin/in perpetual embrace/like I said love's light is laughter/like the sun spitting happiness into the hereafter"
  
  
  
  40. The Black Keys - Strange Times
  Fragmented thought: The guitar riff completely sells this song and makes me think this may be the best and most mainstream Black Keys song to date.
  Lyrical point: "I will be the one/to pull you through the mirror/before you come/before you come undone"
  
  
  
  39. Passion Pit - Smile Upon Me
  Fragmented thought: It's danceable and upbeat and contains handclaps, falsetto vocals and remarkably meaningful lyrics. Not much more you can ask for.
  Lyrical point: "You're the best damn friend that i'll ever have/you'll always smile on me when the season's bad/you'll always make me feel best even when I'm blue/you'll always smile upon me and I'll smile upon you too"
  
  38. No Age - Teen Creeps (Download)
  Fragmented thought: Blisteringly loud while holding down that washed-out lo-fi sound, "Teen Creeps" is both a fun mosh song and a lyrical depressor. For No Age, it works perfectly.
  Lyrical point: "Wash away what we create/I hate you more I hate this place/I know why I feel this way/teen creeps please don't leave me dead/dead this way"
  
  37. Cut Copy - Lights and Music (Download)
  Fragmented thought: I've yet to hear Cut Copy played on any dance floor, but were some DJ to be smart enough to attempt it, this song would burn the club down (in that really good kind of way...not literally).
  Lyrical point: "All your friends have gone away/so let's celebrate/you're holding hope open for the one/making you wait"
  
  36. The Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead (Download)
  Fragmented thought: This song doesn't have much to go on from a lyrical perspective, but it is really fun and really memorable and can stick in your head for days if you're not careful.
  Lyrical point: "But you came on like you knew you would/wearing high top shoes, walking home from school/and i just bout fell right off the balcony/when I heard you calling back to me"
  
  35. The Raveonettes - Aly, Walk With Me (Download)
  Fragmented thought: If you're a fan of earth scorching, fuzzed out psychedelic guitars cranked up to 11, there is absolutely no better song for you this calendar year.
  Lyrical point: "Aly, step right out of my head/and kiss me goodnight/Aly, walk with me in my dreams/all through the night"
  
  34. The Kooks - Always Where I Need to Be
  Fragmented thought: There's always a song or two every year that preys on my occasional pop music affliction and hooks me in even though I know it's probably bad for me. It may not be the most intelligent song (the chorus is all "do do do's"), but damn it can be addictive and easy to sing along to.
  Lyrical point: "I'm a man I can be so obscene because I/always think that I know how to be/but I always thought I would end up with you eventually"
  
  
  
  33. The Walkmen - In the New Year (Download)
  Fragmented thought: What particularly sells this song, aside from the jangly garage rock guitar work, is Hamilton Leithauser's vocal performance. So say that his overzealous wails smack at the emotional core of this song would be a gross understatement.
  Lyrical point: "I tell you I love you/and my heart's in the strangest place/that's how it started/and that's how it ends"
  
  32. The Stills - Rooibos/Palm Wine Drinkard
  Fragmented thought: This is an epic barnburner of a song that musically and lyrically reflects a descent into madness, and though the chorus has no legitimate lyrics, the harmonized "oh's" still give me goosebumps every time I hear them.
  Lyrical point: "I drifted/into madness/filled with visions from a terrible past/the most polluted city in the world/that turns everything to gold"
  
  31. Chairlift - Bruises
  Fragmented thought: This song is simple musically speaking, but the vocal performances and lyrics help sell it. Apparently they also help sell iPods as well.
  Lyrical point: "I tried to do handstands for you/but every time I fell for you/I'm permanently black and blue/permanently blue for you"
  
  30. Hercules and Love Affair - Blind
  Fragmented thought: In so many ways, "Blind" transcends your typical dance track. This is mostly because of Antony's odd voice singing across the track combined with the horns that would appear to be out of place if it all didn't work so so well.
  Lyrical point: "I wish the light could shine now/for it is closer/it is near/but it will not present my present/it makes my past and future painfully clear"
  
  
  
  29. The Spinto Band - Summer Grof (Download)
  Fragmented thought: The Spinto Band do indie pop better than just about any other band in existence today, and this fun and quick song is exactly the hand-clapper and toe-tapper that proves such a fact.
  Lyrical point: "I won't lie I thought of you when you weren't around/though I thought there was no thinking involved/what went on in that house/who got on in that house/who got off was never resolved"
  
  28. School of Seven Bells - My Cabal
  Fragmented thought: Though it sounds a little different from the rest of the great SOSB album, "My Cabal" is the one song that sticks in my head the most, made even better in the chorus thanks to the small vocal contribution from Benjamin Curtis.
  Lyrical point: "My cabal, he sleeps outside/pulling the shadows over the moonlight/my cabal, won't you come inside/forget the darkness if just for one night"
  
  27. Friendly Fires - Paris (Aeroplane Remix) (Download)
  Fragmented thought: While the original version of "Paris" is great in and of itself, the woman's touch added to the lyrics by the ladies of Au Revoir Simone take the Aeroplane Remix to a new level along with the wild deconstruction and reconstruction of the song into something a lot more dance floor friendly that'll send clubgoers into a frenzy.
  Lyrical point: "And every night we'll watch the stars/they'll be out for us/they'll be out for us/and every night, the city lights/they'll be out for us/they'll be out for us"
  
  26. She & Him - This Is Not A Test
  Fragmented thought: From the 60's girl group backing vocals to the faux trumpet solo to the handclaps and M. Ward's clean-cut acoustic guitar work, this feels like a long-lost pop classic. It also has a great sense of cheer, a great hook and easier said than done I'm in love with Zooey Deschanel.
  Lyrical point: "For those of us who try to keep remembering/try to do our better than our best/think of all the children in the drifts of snow/winners never quit/but winters never rest"

• Top Albums of 2008

  Some Velvet Blog - 2008-12-19 21:54:47

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  Long awaited. Highly anticipated. Some Velvet Blogs's fave albums of 2008
  
  1 - TV on The Radio - Dear Science
  2 - Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III
  3 - Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
  4 - My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
  5 - Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
  6 - Rachael Yamagata - Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart
  7 - Girl Talk - Feed The Animals
  8 - The Very Best - Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit are the Very Best
  9 - Portishead - Third
  10 - Raphael Saadiq - The Way I See It
  11 - Hercules & Love Affair - Hercules & Love Affair
  12 - Lykke Li - Youth Novels
  13 - B.B. King - One Kind Favor
  14 - The Killers - Day & Age
  15 - Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak
  16 - The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
  17 - MGMT - Oracular Spectacluar
  18 - The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
  19 - Deerhunter - Microcastle
  20 - Kathleen Edwards - Asking For Flowers
  
  Runners up:
  The Roots - Rising Down
  Dr. Dog - Fate
  Duffy - Rockferry
  Delta Spirit - Ode To Sunshine
  Nada Surf - Lucky
  Department of Eagles -In Ear Park
  Q-Tip - The Renaissance
  The Low Anthem - Oh My God, Charlie Darwin
  Frontier Ruckus - The Orion Songbook
  Hacienda - Loud Is The Night
  Dungen - 4
  The Cool Kids - Bake Sale
  Return To Forever - The Anthology
  
  
  
  
  

• Las mejores cien del 2008

  Galaxy fm ® - 2008-12-16 23:50:44

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  Esta es la lista final de las mejores canciones del año... es el TOP 100 2008 en Galaxy 94.3 fm Los Mochis radio... desde las 8:23 p.m. escucha en su totalidad estos sonidos, próximo noche de viernes...
  
  
  La Clase del 2008
  The best 100 songs played by Galaxy 94.3 fm in 2008
  
  
  Albert Hammond Jr. - Bargain of a century, Albert Hammond Jr. - G Up, Alkaline Trio - Help me, Attic Lights - God, Biffy Clyro - Mountains, Black Kids - Look at me (when I rock Wichoo), Bloc Party - Talons, Born Ruffians - I need a life, Carbon/Silicon - The News, Dardanelles - Footsteps, Death Cab For Cutie - Long Division, Dirty Pretty Things - Chinese Dogs, Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Dawn Of The Dead, Doug Walker - The Mystery, Elle Milano - I Know Its Good But I'm Playing It Down, Feeder - Tracing Lines, Five O'Clock Heroes - Everybody Knows It, Foxboro hot tubs - Mother Mary, Franz Ferdinand - Ulysses, Frightened Rabbit - Head rolls off, Glasvegas - Daddy's gone, Go:Audio - Made up stories, Ida Maria - I like you so much better when you're naked, Infadels - a million pieces, Jimmy Eat World - Always Be, Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong - Lonely Buoy, Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong - Where Do You Go?, Kaiser Chiefs - Addicted to drugs, Kaiser Chiefs - Never miss a beat, Kamera - Lies, Kathematics - Hands off, Kids In Glass Houses - Easy Tiger, Kings Of Leon - Sex on Fire, Kings of Leon - Use Somebody, Kingsize - What have we become, Low vs. Diamond - Don't forget sister, Low vs. Diamond - I'll be, M83 - Graveyard girl, Maritime - For Science Fiction, Mates of State - My Only Offer, MGMT - Time to pretend, Morrissey - That's how people grow up, My Morning Jacket - Aluminum Park, Mystery Jets - Two doors down, Oasis - The Shock Of The Lightning, One Night Only - Just for tonight, Pete And The Pirates - Mr Understanding, Phantom Planet - Do The Panic, Razorlight - Hostage Of Love, Red Light Company - Meccano, Red Light Company - With Lights Out, Snow Patrol - Take Back The City, Supergrass - Rebel In You, The Automatic - Steve McQueen, The Boxing Lesson - Hopscotch & Sodapop, The Charlatans - Oh! Vanity, The Courteeners - Not Nineteen Forever, The Courteeners - What Took You So Long?, The Cribs - Kind Words From The Broken Hearted, The Enemy - This Song, The Fratellis - Mistress Mabel, The futureheads - Radio heart, The futureheads - The beginning of the twist, The Gaslight Anthem - Old white Lincoln, The Hives - Try it again, The Killers - Human, The Killers - Spaceman, The Kooks - Always where I need to be, The Last Shadow Puppets - Standing Next To Me, The Metros - Education Pt. 2, The Muslims - Future Rock, The Paddingtons - What's the point in anything new, The pigeon detectives - Everybody wants me, The Pigeon Detectives - Love you for a day (hate you for a week), The Pigeon Detectives - This is an emergency, The Raconteurs - Many Shades of Black, The Rifles - Darling Girl, The Rifles - I could never lie, The Rifles - The Great Escape, The Ryes - How Come Loretta, The Shining Hour - Before you know it, The Stereotypes - Home, The Stills - Being here, The Subways - Alright, The Ting Tings - Be The One, The View - 5Rebbeccas, The Weakerthans - Civil twilight, The Whigs - Like A Vibration, The Whigs - Right Hand on My Heart, The Young Knives - Up all night, The Zutons - Always right behind you, Tokyo Police Club - Juno, Tokyo Police Club - Tessellate, Two Gallants - Despite what you've been told, Vampire Weekend - A-Punk, We are scientists - After hours, We are scientists - Impatience, Weezer - Pork and Beans, White Lies - Death, White lies - Unfinished business
  
  
  
  

• The way we all fall in and roll down

  Heartache with Hard Work - 2008-12-14 12:53:00

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  There's a ton of good albums that came out this year that I enjoyed but never got around to writing about. A few of them are so good that they'll make my year-end list. So I may put off covering them until that (unless I really get into the writing mood). But there's also another group of solid-but-not-spectacular records that won't make the list, but deserve a little bit of attention.
  
  So my project for the next week or so, while I'm compiling that final list, is to cover all the ones that won't quite make it. I'll be abandoning my usual strategy of using 1000 words when 50 might suffice. So if you sometimes get sick of wading through all my prose, this is the time to get the short-and-sweet reviews for the year.
  
  The River - Anathallo
  
  First on the list is Canopy Glow, the new record from Anathallo. I know Taylor gets annoyed at people reviewing this record and referencing Sufjan. That said, it's just too easy so I'm going to do it anyways. Sorry. Lush instrumentation from a wide array (including the ever-more-rare autoharp), choir-like backing vocals, songs that spiral up and up and up until they're so large that they write themselves in luminous letters all across the sky...
  
  The Sufjan references aren't a bad thing. Like I said in my last post about The Gaslight Anthem, just because you walk along a path laid by an earlier artist doesn't make your work derivative. There's a strong case to be made for artists that can create new textures and meanings out of a sound that was very good to start with. And that's what Canopy Glow does. It's not as effervescent or heart-piercing as Illinois, but what could be?
  
  If there's a flaw, it's the tendency of a number of tracks to drift off a bit (something the Pitchfork review actually gets spot-on). There's nice stuff going on conceptually all across the record, but the best songs ("The River," "All the First Pages," and "Noni's Field") are the ones with an insistence that pushes you forward. The second half of "The River" in particular is the finest piece of music they've yet created.
  
  Canopy Glow is the sort of record that's intricate and fascinating enough that I find myself listening to it more than some other records I probably like more in a strict sense. For that reason, it has potential to be a grower. For now, though, I don't think it's going to find a place in my favorite records of the year.

• Fuel/Friends favorites of 2008

  I AM FUEL, YOU ARE FRIENDS - 2008-12-12 12:59:39

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  Another year packed with music has come and gone. Music is a language I can't create myself but it does me good to know that every hour someone out there is humming a snippet of a melody, returning to their seat at the bar with a head full of lyrics that just occurred to them, or tapping out a drumbeat on their leg in the car. People everywhere are trying to get it right, to get the music out just so they can be. I am glad that they do.
  
  2008 was full of fantastic (and varied) music from all corners of the world for me. I sometimes feel overwhelmed with the quantity of music and the subjectivity that swirls around the ones that make it vs. the ones that no one ever hears. I wish I'd had more hours to listen to (and properly digest) more songs this year. As it is, these are ten albums (plus two EPs plus one carryover from last year) that affected me on a gut level in the past twelve months. These are the ones I listened to over and over, that knocked the wind out of me and made me glad I have ears.
  
  These aren't "the best." These are just my favorites.
  
  
  FUEL/FRIENDS FAVORITES OF 2008
  
  Lucky
  Nada Surf (Barsuk)
  I've been surprised by the intensity with which I've listened to this album in 2008. I guess it's tapping into the introspective moments of my year as it pertains to "grown-up life," which Caws sings is like "eating speed or flying a plane -- it's too bright." The album cover hints perfectly at the feel of the music; the moment where it's still warm from the sun but the gorgeous pinpricks of light are starting to shine through. I talked today about the cascades of glory on this album, a blazing meteor from this band that's been around so long. I saw Matthew Caws perform solo last night and he said, "We feel blessed to have a second story," (post-mid-Nineties buzz band). "It's the story we always wanted anyways." I've listened to this album a hundred times this year and it still affects me deeply, makes it okay to be fragile -- and to be on a vector up.
  [original review, interview]
  
  Beautiful Beat - Nada Surf
  
  
  Midnight Organ Fight
  Frightened Rabbit (Fat Cat)
  Coming from Scotland with their hearts held out for the offering, these two brothers plus two bandmates have crafted an album that is not for the fainthearted, but excellent for the honest. Over gorgeous melodies and with a thick and wrenching Scottish brogue, Frightened Rabbit guttingly dissect the moments of bravery and moments of weakness that go with a relationship ending. Peter Katis (The National) produced this lilting, rocking piece of perfection -- unflinching in its intimacy.
  [original review, interview]
  
  Backwards Walk - Frightened Rabbit
  
  
  For Emma Forever Ago
  Bon Iver (Jagjaguwar)
  I didn't know when I started 2008 just how much I would need this album. Justin Vernon recorded this achingly vulnerable album in the Wisconsin woods in the dead of cold winter as he recovered from a breakup. The name he adopted means "good winter" in French, and I think the name fits the music as well as that ice-encrusted window on the cover. In winter, things move a little slower, but with more crisply defined edges, and the first time I heard this something was scraped loose inside of me. His music is wrapped in a thin skin but a current thrums powerfully under the surface. This is an album that I am unable to shake.
  [watch: still one of the most perfect things I've seen this year]
  
  Skinny Love - Bon Iver
  
  
  Stay Positive
  The Hold Steady (Vagrant)
  I think the thing that gets me with the Hold Steady, this year or any past year when they've released an album, is that they are unabashed in their belief in rock and roll. Craig Finn is a modern day prophet who flails and explodes with the force of the catharsis of these fantastic sounding songs that they must get out. The lyrics trace some of the most intelligent, evocative stories you'll hear with characters I feel I know by now (they might as well be breathing). This is an immense album, with the pounding piano that crashes across the songs and the brass instruments slicing through. Gorgeously grand and subversively hopeful.
  [original review]
  
  Constructive Summer - The Hold Steady
  
  
  The '59 Sound
  The Gaslight Anthem (Side One Dummy)
  If the Hold Steady filter their love for Springsteen through a lens of kids raised on punk and The Replacements, Jersey's Gaslight Anthem play with an urgency and passion of a pre-Born to Run Bruce, young and hungry. Lead singer Brian Fallon grew up in a home four blocks from E Street, and this band is crafting songs that hold up as well when howled out ragged as they do stripped down to their bare acoustic bones. There's a wisdom and sometimes a resignation beyond their years.
  
  Great Expectations - The Gaslight Anthem
  
  
  Ode To Sunshine
  Delta Spirit (Rounder)
  Delta Spirit was formed in San Diego when lead singer Matt Vasquez was busking loudly by the train tracks and he met with Brandon Young at two in the morning. The honesty and sloppiness that bleeds through at 2am is captured well on this authentic album with a vintage feel. It basks in the warmth of the surf guitars, the singalongs and handclaps and banging on trashcan lids, the tinkly last-call piano over glasses clattering.
  [original review]
  
  Trashcan - Delta Spirit
  
  
  Dual Hawks
  Centro-Matic/South San Gabriel (Misra)
  The cinematic desert beauty and chugging fuzz-rock found side-by-side on this dual album swooped in late in the year to win me over. I saw an acoustic video of Will Johnson, who helms both bands, performing "I, The Kite," from an album I'd passed over too quickly the first time around. Both bands are Will's and explore different dimensions of his music -- Centro-matic electric like the heat in the air even as the Texas August sun has just begun to rise, whereas the more muted, spacious South San Gabriel has tones of evening and fireflies. This album was written and recorded fast and pure in a handful of days in the studio, and has a feeling of distilled essentials.
  
  Counting The Scars - Centro-Matic
  
  
  Oh! Mighty Engine
  Neil Halstead (Brushfire Records)
  Taking six long years from his last solo release Sleeping On Roads, influential British musician Neil Halstead (Slowdive) comes quietly back with a humble album of acoustic folk melodies that rewards the listener for their patience. This is a slow grower for me, and I find that more hues in the songs are revealed to me the longer I sit with it -- a task I am eminently willing to take on. Halstead sings about trying to get the colors right, and with these unassuming tunes I think he does.
  
  Paint A Face - Neil Halstead
  
  
  The Great Collapse
  Everything Absent or Distorted (self-released)
  This Denver collective does things full tilt. They play with seemingly all the instruments they can find, in order to squeeze the earnest beauty out of every melody and every rhythm. They fearlessly meld incisive lyrics with a resilient hope, like on "Aquariums": "We are aquariums -- left outside, but we hold life and a bright light in our glass walls." With eight official members (and up to 15 on stage) EAOD is a joy to watch, and that joy transmits onto this smart album of sweeping scope. Amidst banjos and casio keyboards, trumpets and pots and pans, this band is ready for a larger stage. Literally.
  [original review]
  
  A form to accommodate the mess - Everything Absent and Distorted
  
  
  Little Joy
  Little Joy (Rough Trade)
  It's as simple as this: Little Joy just makes me happy. Their thirty-minute debut album is short and occasionally rough, it's kitschy and danceable with Brazilian influences. I like the quiet Technicolor flicker of songs like the Portuguese "Evaporar" as much as the jerky fun of "How To Hang A Warhol," and all the shades in between. Binki Shapiro's vocal contributions on this album are especially charming, as she croons out of my stereo like an old-time Victrola.
  [original review]
  
  No One's Better Sake - Little Joy
  
  
  HONORARY TOPS (should have been on last year's damn list):
  
  In Rainbows (physical release)
  Radiohead
  Because I was overwhelmed and ignorant at the end of 2007, and didn't give this my undivided attention until someone sat me down in a darkened room and made me really, really listen to it.
  
  And come on Heather. Come on.
  
  Last Flowers To The Hospital (bonus track) - Radiohead
  
  
  
  BONUS: FAVORITE EPs
  
  Second Gleam EP
  The Avett Brothers (Ramseur Records)
  Scaling back from their potently explosive live show of punk bluegrass, the Avetts showed again this year that they can also craft devastatingly simple ballads relying solely on acoustic guitar, strings, and their pure voices that blend and compete as only brothers can. [original review]
  
  Murder In The City - The Avett Brothers
  
  
  The Confiscation EP, A Musical Novella
  Samantha Crain (Ramseur Records)
  Also from the excellent Ramseur label, 22-year-old Oklahoman Samantha Crain has Choctaw Indian roots and a dusky earnestness to her alto voice. The five songs here tell a cohesive story (a musical novella indeed) with shimmering, unvarnished truth.
  [original review]
  
  In Smithereens, The Search For Affinity - Samantha Crain
  
  
  
  LISTEN: Once again this year, I'll be appearing on NPR's World Cafe with David Dye on January 1st to talk about stuff from this list! We have a lot of fun. You should listen (online, or via your local station that carries the show), and tell your mom to listen too. I know mine will be.
  
  
  [top image credit tim!]

• The Gaslight Anthem on Conan Tuesday night

  I AM FUEL, YOU ARE FRIENDS - 2008-12-10 07:13:42

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  "Did you hear the old gospel choir when they came to carry you over?"
  

• It’s The 20080’s!

  Selective Service - 2008-12-08 20:48:10

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  …pronounced “The Two-Thousand-Eighties”

  Tragedy plus time. That’s the oft-stated formula for comedy - one wonders how long after the Lincoln assassination it was finally okay for someone to actually joke about it from the stage of Ford’s Theater. Maybe never. But we have already seen jokes pop up, no matter how awkwardly or tentatively, about the events of September 11th 2001, or even such spinechilling examples of the depths of human nature as Columbine or Jeffrey Dahmer. It’s just how we humans defuse volatile subjects like that, make it okay to talk about. And then you get OJ, whose disarming tactics are (perhaps) second only to George W Bush, in that he’s let himself become such a banana-waving looking-for-the-real-killer joke that it’s easy to overlook that he most likely did actually get away with screaming bloody murder. Anyway, I’m straying greatly from my point. …And my point is thank God he’s so stupid and egotistical that he tempted fate once too often and fate gave in and said, “fine so you apparently want to go to jail for the rest of your life, here you go”.

  No, that’s not my point at all. I was just using the “tragedy plus time” equation to apply to the sudden resurgence I’ve seen, especially this particular calendar year, of the “Eighties Sound”. So in order to spotlight this theme, I guess my pick for a year is… well, this year! In my (rather over-)extensive research to refine my 2008 “best-of” mix, I kept coming across brand new music that sounded like stuff from twenty years ago. You know what I mean, that new-wave post-punk atmosphere of synthesizers, drum machines, keytars, Aqua Net, day-glo, lyrics so light and airy they’re actually transparent if ever held up against the light of the question, “yeah what’s that Duran Duran song about anyway?” That kind of thing. And for some reason it’s really hit a peak this year, with songs that don’t just sound like they’re influenced by the sound of the Eighties, they actually sound like songs that were recorded in the Eighties! Let me show you what I mean:

  1. Neon Neon, “I Told Her On Alderaan”
  A long-lost track for “The Breakfast Club” soundtrack? A rare team-up between Men At Work and Animotion? I mean seriously, they’re using Roland Juno synth presets! This is a big honking chunk of “that rings a bell” nostalgia - almost everything about this song sounds like something you’d find on one of those fluorescent pink and green CD boxed sets with words like “Awesome!” and “Rad!” and “Totally!” on the cover. Luckily the song isn’t quite that grody to the max.

  2. The Helio Sequence, “Keep Your Heads Ahead”
  Second only to We Are Scientists’ “After Hours” (which appears in my 2008 best-of mix), this best exemplifies the continuing legacy of Modern English, The Cure and late Joy Division / early New Order. What’s old actually is new again, it seems.

  3. CSS, “Believe Achieve”
  One might be forgiven for humming “rush rush give me yayo” along with this. An even better example is the stuff The Epoxies have been putting out recently, sounding like Debbie Harry produced by Wendy & Lisa - but unfortunately they haven’t released anything this year.

  4. Cut Copy, “Hearts On Fire (Midnight Juggernauts remix)”
  A long-lost pre-”Violator” Depeche Mode song? Giorgio Moroder back from the (metaphorical) dead? This manages to summon up the spirit of two decades ago without venturing over the line into parody - a not-insignificant feat I fully appreciate and thoroughly enjoy. Somewhere Vince Clarke is leaning back with a big smile on his face. …Which I guess probably has much less to do with what Cut Copy is doing, and a lot more to do with what Andy Bell is doing…

  5. The Gaslight Anthem, “The ‘59 Sound”
  What do you call a throwback to a throwback? Well I guess in Cali they just call it “The Play”, but here in musical terms I’m referring to this song, representative of a few other new bands (Glasvegas, The Virgins, Delta Spirit) who seem to be channeling not the actual leather-jacketed greasers of the 1950s, but rather those in the 1980s who latched onto that feel faster than you could say Sha-Na-Na. You know, The Hooters, Stray Cats, Adam Ant, Billy Idol. “The Year Punk Broke… Down And Embraced Rockabilly”.

  6. Cyndi Lauper, “Rain On Me”
  There’s basically nothing here that exceeds the technology present on Bruce Hornsby & The Range’s “The Way It Is”: just a simple unchanging drum machine, synth piano/pad chords and squishy analog bass plucks, and voice. And that’s it. Sometimes if you write an engaging enough song, it’s all you need. I mean really when it comes to this kind of sound, everyone is worshiping at the altar of Vince Clarke anyway. He was one of the first to really embrace the somewhat detached and experimental (and yet as Afrika Bambaataa and so many others found, weirdly funky) klingklang sounds of Kraftwerk and just write lush pop love songs in that format. If you don’t know who Clarke is, he founded Depeche Mode (”Just Can’t Get Enough”), left almost immediately to form Yazoo (”Situation”) and then Erasure (”Chains Of Love”). There really aren’t many more people on this planet who have been more successful or prolific in the somewhat pigeonholed “white guy alone in a dark room surrounded by blinking lights” genre of music. But yeah, sometimes it’s pretty self-evident that even though a song is inextricably instrumentally tied to the sound of a decade (for example A-Ha’s “Take On Me” with its complete lack of any sound that doesn’t come out of a box), the inherent quality of songwriting might have made it a hit no matter when it was released. So while Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)” is an obvious triumph of the metallic synthpop sound of the 1980’s, I do get the feeling it was probably written with Dave Stewart strumming chords on a guitar and Annie Lennox channeling the soulful riffs of Aretha Franklin. That the song has successfully been covered by multiple artists using varying instrumental formats only bolsters support for the underlying “good song no matter when” status of this classic. …I guess to hammer my point home, there’s probably not many out there working on their alt-rock version of “Somebody’s Watching Me” or a folky “Video Killed The Radio Star”. Some songs simply are a product of the bubblegum of its time, and they should enjoy their well-deserved and undeniable classic / camp legacy… And stop right there.

• Le son de qualité de The Gaslight Anthem

  La sacoche a rooroo - 2008-12-08 00:27:00

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   Au lieu de faire le tri de centaines d'albums et de ne dénicher que deux ou trois qui valent le coup, la perte de temps à goûter sans se gaver est irremplaçable.

   D'où le changement d'organisation pour les travaux de ce blog qui je rassure tout le monde resteront transparente pour les lecteurs. Seul bonne nouvelle, les titres qui passeront ici gagneront certainement en qualité ce qui m'évitera de faire le tour des milliers de mp3 sans bonne pioche.

   Et on commence aujourd'hui par l'excellent The '59 Sound publié par The Gaslight Anthem et sorti au mois d'août cet été. Teinté de punk rock peu violent mais efficace, on se laisse traîner par l'ensemble sans broncher.

  
  The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound

• Home Alone It's...

  The Devil Has The Best Tuna - 2008-12-04 21:57:48

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  The Latch Key Kids
  Genre: Punk / Punk / Hardcore
  From: Houston, Texas, United States
  
  The Latch Key Kids, presumably named after the Bad Religion song of the same name, have been around in one form or another for more than 16 years. They called it quits in 2001 but recently reformed to play with their heroes Bad Religion in Las Vegas and NoFX in their hometown of Houston making me wonder why they ever went away.
  
  Energetic and intense The Latch Key Kids' punk is fast, raw with a hint of melody. Their punch the air anthems will make you want to floor the gas pedal, open the windows and push the odometer to it's limit.
  
  With Fucked Up receiving rave reviews and mainstream music magazine covers then the time could be right for The Latch Keys .
  
  Go Try
  
  MP3 - The Latch Key Kids - Too Soon
  Linked from Purevolume.com
  
  

  Go Visit

  The Latch Key Kids - Myspace

  Go View

  The Latch Key Kids
  Live @ Warehouse 26/02/08
  
  
  
  If you like this you'll love The Latch Key Kids...
  
  MP3 - Fucked Up - Baiting The Public
  Linked from Jade Tree

• Q | Best of 2008

  8/1 - 2008-11-26 01:42:49

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  1. Kings of Leon, Only the Night
  2. Fleet Foxes
  3. Coldplay, Viva La Vida
  4. Vampire Weekend
  5. Glasvegas
  6. Duffy, Rockferry
  7. TV On The Radio, Dear Science
  8. Elbow, The Seldom Seen Kid
  9. The Raconteurs, Consolers of The Lonely
  10. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Dig!!! Lazarus, Dig!!!
  11. Sigur Ros, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
  12. Keane, Perfect Symmetry
  13. MGMT, Oracular Spectacular
  14. Kaiser Chiefs, Off With Their Heads
  15. Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III
  16. Hot Chip, Made In The Dark
  17. Adele, 19
  18. British Sea Power, Do You Like Rock Music?
  19. Goldfrapp, Seventh Tree
  20. The Gaslight Anthem, The '59 Sound
  21. Razorlight, Slipaway Fires
  22. The Killers, Day and Age
  23. Beck, Modern Guilt
  24. The Last Shadow Puppets, The Age of The Understatement
  25. Metallica, Death Magnetic
  26. Conor Oberst
  27. Neil Diamond, Before Home
  28. Paul Weller, 22 Dreams
  29. AC/DC, Black Ice
  30. Portishead, Third
  31. Black Mountain, In The Future
  32. Oasis, Dig Out Your Soul
  33. Hercules & Love Affair
  34. Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago
  35. The Hold Steady, Stay Positive
  36. R.E.M., Accelerate
  37. Lykke Li, Youth Novels
  38. John Mellencamp, Life Death Love And Freedom
  39. Santogold
  40. My Morning Jacket, Evil Urges
  41. Lindsey Buckingham, Gift of Screws
  42. Liam Finn, I'll Be Lightning
  43. Joan As Police Woman, To Survive
  44. Black Kids, Partie Traumatic
  45. Jack Johnson, Sleep Through Static
  46. Jenny Lewis, Acid Tongue
  47. The Verve, Forth
  48. Randy Newman, Harps and Angels
  49. Emmylou Harris, All I Indented To Be
  50. Dido, Safe Trip Home
  
  MP3: Lykke Li - Melodies & Desires
  

• 'Bottle Rocket's Biggest Missing Sequences - Chased By The Cops

  :: The Playlist :: - 2008-11-25 12:43:28

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  The Criterion Collection DVD of Wes Anderson's "Bottle Rocket" comes out today. We took stupidly-long notes and are writing multiple pieces so they don't all go to waste. We've already note the photography of the Laura Wilson, (Luke and Owen's mom) and another deleted scene with a bit of overview from the doc.
  
  Before we get into the notes we took on the commentary track (yes, this is obsessive minutia, no doubt, but we needed multiple long piece to accompany all our screencaps), one must note that the original version of "Bottle Rocket" was at least 30 minutes longer than the original, hence the 11 deleted scenes (though there are more not on the disc).
  
  "There was this whole scene that we filmed about being chase through the yard by the cops and several scenes that followed that ended up being cut from the film," "Bottle Rocket" cinematographer, Robert Yeomen said in the film's making-of documentary.
  
  The biggest "hole" in the film is the sequence right after the stories protagonist's(Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Robert Musgrave) first successful robbery (the bookstore) where they celebrate and then it is revealed the great Mr. Henry and his crew (James Caan) were simply a landscaping outfit and the sequence when they're getting gas and "going on the lam."
  
  In the original version that tested incredibly poorly (as vehmently articulated over and over again the doc and the commentary), there was, according to Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson, about 20 minutes of scenes attached to their post-robbery celebration.
  
  Essentially what happens (and some trainspotters, will remember this from the original "Bottle Rocket" trailer) is while Bob (Robert Musgrave) reveals to Anthony (Luke Wilson) the truth of Mr. Henry, the trio hear swearing and disruptive sounds outside. The group go outside to investigate and see police cars and what seems like some sort of other robbery happening at a nearby house ("You can't blame me for this," Dignan - Owen Wilson - tells the others). Dignan brazenly starts chatting up the cops and engaging in small talk: how long Academy training in, if they're taught hand to hand combat, etc. (Bob marvels at this, "What the hell is he doing?... Dignan loves cops"). Suddenly, Dignan hears a noise and says to the cop, "Did you hear that?" and tells him he thinks he knows where the criminal is hiding. They end up hoping a fence that is actually Bob's backyard property and Hector, his dog, is barking at them ineffectually. We hear Bob faintly yell to Dignan from afar to "not go over there," but he and the officer start searching around everywhere. The cop, looking around with his flashlight discovers Bob's "marijuana crop" to which Dignan inexplicably starts to panic about and then runs off. The police officer gives chase and soon the cops are all chasing after Bob, Dignan and Anthony (there's a quick shot in the original trailer of this shot - Anthony, Bob and Digan running, with cop car lights and flashlights trailing after them, it's pictured above). This isn't obviously in the final film, but connects to the reason why Bob's brother, Futureman (Andrew Wilson) is jailed for the discovery of the marijuana plants later on. There are several deleted scenes, but this sequence is the biggest, "hole" which is also discussed in the commentary track. There are a few scenes that follow it as well, some of the DVD, some not.
  
  From the commentary track:
  The midway scene at the gas station where they're talking about meeting up with Mr. Henry, when they first goes on the lam is a big "lift," according to Anderson. "In a movie without a particularly strong narrative or any action sequences, we made the decision to cut out one our big action bits," Wilson laughed. "One of the few things that actually happens in the story didnt seem right for something to happen like that," Wes chuckled with Owen, adding, "it didn't work for the story."
  
  Here's the scene in question: Note: we're only going to keep this up for 24-hours so as not to annoy anyone (or hopefully, we'll have a tiny excerpt later in the day).
  

  The Playlist - The sweet spot where movies and music meet.

• Cuando menos lo esperas

  Galaxy fm ® - 2008-11-22 16:02:54

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  A sintonizar Galaxy 94.3 fm Los Mochis esta noche desde las 8:22, porque es sábado con espíritu de Friday Night...
  
  
  
  The gaslight anthem - Old white Lincoln.mp3
  
  
  
  
  
  .

• Tonight in Madison :: The Gaslight Anthem/Ladyhawk

  Muzzle of Bees - 2008-11-19 06:06:56

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  The Gaslight Anthem make their way to the High Noon Saloon tonight with support from MoB favorites Ladyhawk. I’m honestly pretty green when it comes to this group, as I’ve only recently been turned onto them thanks to high praise from Kyle and Heather. That being said, I’ve gotten through their most recent offering, The ‘59 Sound, a solid three consecutive times. It definitely deserves the press/praise it’s getting, though I have sneaking suspicion that their live show is where they truly shine.

  The Gaslight Anthem - “The ‘59 Sound”

  Most of all, it sounds like a band worthy to drop $10 on the chance that they might just end up being a new favorite, and a chance to hear something we’re currently pretty high on. Ok, enough hyperbole. Has anyone been digging this record or seen this band live yet? If so, drop us a comment.

  Myspace: The Gaslight Anthem
  Myspace: Ladyhawk
  MP3: The Gaslight Anthem - “I’m On Fire” (Bruce Springsteen Cover)
  MP3: Ladyhawk - “I Don’t Always Know What You’re Saying”

  Find more MP3’s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Strictly Discs | eMusic

• This Week: Concerts We Recommend

  Muzzle of Bees - 2008-11-17 06:10:14

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  Here are the Wisconsin and Chicago shows we recommend you take in this week. Check them out below and let us know which ones you’ll be attending or ones you think should really make our list.

  Upcoming Wisconsin Shows:

  11/17 - No Age - Club 770, Madison
  11/19 - The Gaslight Anthem/Ladyhawk - High Noon Saloon, Madison
  11/21 - William Fitzsimmons - Cafe Montmartre, Madison
  11/22 - Grampall Jookabox - Cafe Montmartre, Madison
  11/22 - The Hood Internet - Club 770, Madison
  11/22 - The Legendary Shack Shakers - Vnuck’s, Cudahy
  11/22 - Susan Tedeschi/James Hunter - Barrymore Theatre, Madison
  11/22 - JJ Grey & Mofro - Shank Hall, Milwaukee
  11/23 - JJ Grey & Mofro - Majestic Theatre, Madison

  Upcoming Chicago Shows:

  11/17 - Bishop Allen - Subterranean
  11/18 - Ladyhawk - Schuba’s
  11/18 - Herbaliser - Dark Room
  11/18 - Smashing Pumpkins - Chicago Theatre (Black Sunshine)
  11/19 - Smashing Pumpkins - Chicago Theatre (White Crosses)
  11/20 - Murder by Death/William Elliot Whitemore - Metro
  11/21 - Calexico - Metro
  11/21 - VHS or Beta - Debonair Social Club
  11/21 - M83/ School of Seven Bells - Bottom Lounge
  11/21 - Daniel Martin Moore - Schubas
  11/21 - Smashing Pumpkins - Auditorium Theatre (Black Sunshine)
  11/22 - Smashing Pumpkins - Auditorium Theatre (White Crosses)
  11/22 - Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Fest (Avett Brothers, David Grisman) - Congress Theatre
  11/22 - Steve Earle/Tom Morello - Vic Theatre
  11/22 - Margot & the Nuclear So & So’s - Bottom Lounge
  11/22 - William Fitzsimmons - House of Blues
  11/23 - Darker My Love - Schubas

  +Bookmark our Wisconsin and Chicago shows pages for all your concert announcements+

• Tellin’ (Nick Cave) Stories

  Selective Service - 2008-11-12 17:43:26

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  While compiling a big, unedited list of songs for this month’s theme, I noticed a pattern: songs by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, one after another after another after another. It’s no secret that he’s a class-A storyteller, so I decided he deserved his own list. Here are some of my favorite Cave tales:

  1. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, “The Lyre of Orpheus”
     The title track from Cave’s 2004 double-album opus The Lyre Of Orpheus/Abattoir Blues. Greek mythology never sounded so vibrant.
  2. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, “Where The Wild Roses Grow”
     A gorgeous duet with, of all people, fellow Aussie Kylie Minogue nicked from 1996’s Murder Ballads, an album brimming with dark tales of death. “Wild Roses” is Cave’s most commercially successful single, hitting #11 in the UK and #2 in Australia, and for good reason: the melody is absolutely gorgeous, and the Rashomon-like shifts in narrative perspective make it truly memorable.
  3. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, “The Ballad of Robert Moore and Betty Coltrane”
     This Murder Ballads-era tune never made it onto a proper album, but it did surface on the 3-disc B-Sides And Rarities collection. Cave’s lyrics are vivid, making this tale of multiple identities, double-crossing, and multiple stabbings is a hoot.
  4. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, “The Curse of Millhaven”
     This number from Murder Ballads (I didn’t want to take more than one track from a single album, but Murder Ballads is just so. damn. good.) is easily the probably the most fun, jaunty song about a teenage girl/serial killer you’ll hear all day. Really. The bouncy rhyming and extensive list of the dead also makes me pleasantly recall Edward Gorey’s The Gashlycrumb Tinies.
  5. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, “More News From Nowhere”
     The epic final track from this year’s Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!. Unpacking the lyrics is good, clean fun, so here’s a starting point: Homer’s Odyssey. Have fun.

  Download: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, “The Lyre of Orpheus” (mp3)
  (Right-click/control-click link to download)

  Download: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, “Where The Wild Roses Grow” (mp3)
  (Right-click/control-click link to download)

  Download: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, “The Ballad of Robert Moore and Betty Coltrane” (mp3)
  (Right-click/control-click link to download)

  Download: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, “The Curse of Millhaven” (mp3)
  (Right-click/control-click link to download)

  Download: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, “More News From Nowhere” (mp3)
  (Right-click/control-click link to download)

• as heard by my wild young heart, like directions on a cold dark night

  I AM FUEL, YOU ARE FRIENDS - 2008-11-09 23:19:41

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  They are called The Gaslight Anthem, they're from New Jersey (natch) and they have struck chords of urgency and passion inside of me something fierce. Lead singer Brian Fallon grew up in a home four blocks from E Street (yes, that one) and their music pays a nod to urgent elements of Springsteen, the Hold Steady and Lucero. Bringing a punk aesthetic to the music of their idols, they embody an audacious belief that music can still be heard "like a shot through my skull to my brain."
  
  I've been listening to this acoustic set all afternoon, and identifying so strongly with the high-resolution magnification of emotions laid bare in these lines. There is a resignation that becomes razor-sharp when all the punk defiance in the ragged yell of the album version is stripped away. The way Fallon sings in "Great Expectations" about seeing tail lights last night in dreams about his old life, and the baldfaced line "everybody left me, Mary, why wouldn't you?" just absolutely kills me.
  
  Not that it needed it (their album The '59 Sound is easily one of my tops this year), but these acoustic versions completely reinvent their music in sepia shades of Nebraska.
  
  
  THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM: ACOUSTIC
  Great Expectations (live at Alternative Press) **highest rec**
  The '59 Sound (live at Alternative Press)
  The Backseat (live at Alternative Press)
  Here's Lookin At You Kid (live on FNX Radio)
  High Lonesome (live on FNX Radio)
  The '59 Sound (live on FNX Radio)
  
  GASLIGHT ACOUSTIC ZIP
  
  
  And two bonus tracks from Berlin this summer --
  
  THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM: LIVE IN BERLIN
  Stand By Me --> I'da Called You Woody, Joe
  I'm On Fire (Springsteen cover)
  
  
  Roadtrip? I have this harebrained idea to drive out to the High Noon Saloon in Wisconsin (Wisconsin?!) to see Gaslight Anthem headlining a show on November 19, and think I may have recruited a hardy adventurer to take to the highway with me. Yeah. I don't know where it came from, but something about their music makes me want to drive across a few states to see them ignite a small saloon. If I go, I can't see regretting it.
  
  And in the wild desert sun
  we drove straight on through the night
  We rode a fever out of Boston
  dreamed of California nights
  Come July we'll ride the ferris wheel
  go round and round and round
  and if you never let me go
  well, I will never let you down
  [lyrics]
  
  
  [header photo credit]

• Jonas Brothers "Burnin' Up" for a Flatulent Canine

  :: The Playlist :: - 2008-10-28 15:03:02

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  High-brow comedy be damned. Alex Sokolow and Joel Cohen (the other one), the writing team behind such gems as "Garfield" and its sequel, "Cheaper by the Dozen" and, somewhat incongruously, "Toy Story," are currently at work on a vehicle for Disney's other megawatt teen stars, the Jonas Brothers.

  
  

  20th Century Fox has confirmed that the Nick, Joe and Kevin, who initially rose to fame as Miley Cyrus's backing band before becoming stars in their own right, will appear in a film adaptation of the improbably popular "Walter the Farting Dog" series of children's books. Also featuring Frankie, the youngest Jonas, the movie follows the band who will play--shock!--a group of musicians who inherit the gassy dog from their dying aunt. Sounds hilarious.

  
  

  Gross-out meisters the Farrelly Brothers are attached to direct, which should lend the entire picture the sort of quiet nobility that you'd expect from a movie about a gasbag dog. Though early reports are slim, director Peter Farrelly has said that Frankie is the only brother impervious to the dog's noxious odors due to a sinus infection. This leads to the youngest brother and the dog getting into various mischief--including the rescue of a koi and battling jewel thieves--whilst the older brothers play music. Perhaps this will lend the whole thing a sort of Hope/Crosby musical road comedy feel. But, you know, with a farting dog.

  The Playlist - The sweet spot where movies and music meet.

• East Coast Nights: Day 4

  Communications Major, English Minor - 2008-10-25 23:59:28

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  And still, no one has commented on the fact that I'm calling this series of posts "East Coast Nights," and in reality I'm just reporting on daytime happenings. Oh well, I guess you guys are as retarded as I am. But please keep reading and commenting and donating and visiting my sponsors' pages, etc. etc..
  
  

  

  
  I saw a really pretty single lady today at the -- JUST KIDDING! Day two of the WFMU Record Fair was more of the same male-dominated nerd convention hullabaloo, only a bit more chill than yesterday. I spent more time working as a dealer than shopping. In fact, I only bought four or five records today. For the collector scum:
  
  Mission Of Burma - Vs - $10 (take that, Patrick from Matador (see: comments section), you know-nothing piece of shit!)
  Julius Hemphill - Dogon A.D. - $10 (remember this one?)
  LSD March - Shindara Jigoku - $8
  Acid Mother's Temple - La Novia - $10
  Original Soundtrack - El Topo - $20
  
  

  

  
  
  Bob, a friend of my bosses and fellow L.A. record store owner, let me put some records out for sale on his table today. I sold one, maybe two (that is if Ilya's brother Daniel made it back over to pick up that Songs: Ohia record after I left), but will try harder tomorrow to drum up interest. I will say though, almost everyone who stopped to look through the records chuckled or commented when they happened upon that Shins LP I never wanted in the first place. I wrote on the post-it note price tag, "Life-Changing. $10." Bob spent a good amount of time walking around today, and a very good amount of time sleeping. The poor guy was tired all day, I felt bad taking photos of him, but my bosses were doing so too, so it felt like an accepted practice.
  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  
  Some other highlights from the day, other than bumping into Ilya's brother and dealing some records, included buying three Steve Keene album paintings for one dollar (Black Flag's Six Pack EP, The Fall's Live At The Witch Trials, and Jandek's Chair Beside A Window), bumping into Z and Sarianna, bumping into Bret, bumping into Mike M. (the one I grew up with, not the one from CT), chatting with Tom Scharpling for a couple minutes, and gabbing with fellow vendors and customers. I think I'm in love with the paintings. I should have purchased more, but I was watching the table for so long that my choices for a second set were limited to Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket and The Decemberists. Everyone must hate those bands because they were the only ones left, and they were left in great numbers.
  
  Ian, Mike and I left the fair at roughly five o'clock, and drove back to Jersey in order to meet Ken, Katie and Melissa at the Gaslight in South Orange for boozing and pub food. I ate the pizza burger, which I highly recommend if anyone is ever stranded in the Oranges and needs a good place to eat. I tried some of their brews, like their stout, but it tasted too much like Guinness (no carbonation, bland taste from start to finish), and their Oktoberfest, which was better but not great. The Wee Heavy was probably the best draft beer they offered. Jack joined us in time to have one beer before we asked for the bill. When we left we walked to the liquor store down the street and loaded up on booze. They had bottles of regular Andre champagne, but not the strawberry flavored one, so I decided it wasn't the right time to introduce suburban New Jersey to Andre. At Jack's house we were joined by one of my oldest and dearest friends, Evan M. It was great to see him, since it happens so infrequently, and I treasure every giggle I get when I'm in his presence. My sister joined us for a little, too, and watched us shoot some pool and play some Xbox. I left relatively early because I have to be awake and on my way into the city early tomorrow. When I return from the Fair tomorrow night, I'll have literally nothing to do for the rest of the week. Things might become interesting really quick...
  
  

  Tags: WFMU Record Fair, WFMU, New York, collector scum, hippie parade, vinyl, music, convention, Manhattan, fetishists, nerds, losers, beards, punks, obscure band shirts

• Dig Out The Sombrero...

  The Devil Has The Best Tuna - 2008-10-11 07:53:58

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  Look Mexico
  

  Genre: Alternative / Rock / Emo
  From: Tallahassee, Florida
  

  
  Look Mexico is a four-piece indie band hailing from Tallahassee. Signed to Lujo Records the band were one of Alternative Press's bands to watch in 2007.

  
  

  With more passion than a desert island of randy teenagers, more emotion than an episode of Hell's Kitchen and a setlist that's as infectious as an STD and as much fun as getting one Look Mexico are at the forefront of a putative emo revival. Think Brand New copulating with My Morning Jacket in the back of Street Smart Cyclist' car.

  
  

  The band released their latest blast of emo-punk, the Gasp Asp EP, on both iTunes and 7" vinyl early last month on Lujo Records. It's a great introduction to a great band.

  
  Go Try
  
  MP3 - Look Mexico - You're Not Afraid of the Dark Are You?
  MP3 - Look Mexico - Guys I Need A Helicopter
  MP3 - Look Mexico - You Come Into My House While I Sleep?

  
  Go Listen
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Stream Look Mexico 'Gasp Asp' here.

  
  

  Go Visit
  
  Look Mexico - Myspace // Website
  Label - Lujo Records // Lujo Records Myspace

  
  Go View
  

  
  Look Mexico

  You Come Into My House, While I Sleep?
  
  
  

• my thoughts on the Cubs

  He`s A Whore - 2008-10-04 11:36:08

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  1. Where's the intensity, the fire?
  2. Did somebody replace their bats with Folgers crystals?
  3. What the @#$% happened to the pitching?
  4. Um, enough with the freakin' errors, already.
  
  Generally speaking, it's pretty disconcerting to see the teams with the best records in their respective leagues both down 0-2 in their first-round best-of-five. It's also pretty difficult as a Chicagoan to see both of our teams winless in four trips to the plate, so to speak.
  
  From the moment the Cubs clinched their spot in the playoffs, I knew they were in trouble. Knowing enough about human nature, I couldn't help but sense them taking their foot off the gas. How could they not? It had been a long, hard-fought season, and there was just no reason to maintain the intensity. The "smart thing" to do was to rest a few players, give some pitchers some extended time off, and enjoy the moment.
  
  Turns out the "smart thing" to do wasn't really the smart thing to do, as it has resulted in a team that is completely flat and lifeless. The pitching is abominable, the bats have been much too silent, and the sight of manager Lou Piniella sitting on the bench midway through Game 2 - a look of resigned defeat on his face - spoke volumes.
  
  Where was the fire? Instead of smashing every Gatorade bucket in sight after being yanked, Cubs ace started Carlos Zambrano sat with his face buried in a towel.
  
  And a stadium full of fans who've been on cloud nine all summer sat dumbfounded.
  
  Is this how the greatest season most living Cubs fans have ever experienced is going to end? A first-round knock out?

• Mira lo que me trajo el agua

  Galaxy fm ® - 2008-09-12 10:14:39

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  Después del paso de Lowell por el norte de Sinaloa, regresa el Friday Night... una nueva edición de viernes por la noche, con la mejor música de la galaxia, llevada a ustedes cortesía de Galaxy 94.3 fm Los Mochis radio... a sintonizar receptores por ahí de las 20:30 horas...
  
  
  
  The gaslight anthem - The '59 sound.mp3
  
  
  
  
  Well, I wonder which song they're gonna play when we go. I hope it's something quiet and minor and peaceful and slow. When we float out into the ether, into the everlasting Arms, I hope we don't hear Marley's chains we forged in life. 'Cause the chains I been hearing now for most of my life. did you hear the '59 Sound coming through on Grandmama's radio? Did you hear the rattling chains in the hospital walls? Did you hear the old gospel choir when they came to carry you over? Did you hear your favorite song one last time? And I wonder were you scared when the metal hit the glass? See, I was playing a show down the road When your spirit left your body. And they told me on the front lawn. I'm sorry I couldn't go, But I still know the song and the words and her name and the reasons. And I know 'cause we were kids and we used to hang. Young boys, young girls, ain't supposed to die on a Saturday night...

• The FADER's new F2 issue

  Keepin It Right Radio - 2008-09-03 11:03:30

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  Click pic for larger view and click here for the entire new issue
  
  Nosaj Thing
  Free The Robots
  The Gaslamp Killer
  Flying Lotus
  more

• Island Rain

  pogo a go-go - 2008-07-30 18:15:16

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  View from Crane Point, Mayne Island
  29 July, 8:30 PM
  
  

  It rained today, the first time it has done so since we arrived on the island over a week ago. I awoke late to the sounds of raindrops pittering and pattering on the metal roof, and turned over to see a film of downy grey mist shrouding the Trincomali Channel. A lone, ghost-like fishing boat sculled across its waters.
  
  I got up and decided to shave for the first time since we arrived. Why? No good reason. My scraggle was well within the realms of acceptable island tonsorial fashion, and the itching had stopped days ago. But shave I did.
  
  After a long breakfast (granola, natch) and ablutions, to the "village" for errands with Little Man. At the Post Office we found out that the mail comes in and goes out at six A.M. on a special Canada Post boat that weaves its way around the islands. It's still raining softly as we walk to the Trading Post for local free-range eggs and then to the Gas Station to pick up a litre of engine oil. Dearest Father-in-Law's 1992 Toyota Camry station wagon (a.k.a. The Green Whale) seems to be guzzling through the stuff (oil, not eggs). We have to wait to pay, as the girl tending the station had to run down to the gas dock to fuel up a passing boat.
  
  We stroll to the True Value to stock up on groceries --blueberries, freshly picked salad greens, and a side of salmon to be barbecued tonight-- and finish with a stop at the Bakery next door for fresh bread. Oh, and a Nanaimo Bar, that Little Man and I share at a damp picnic table outside, watching the world go by. It is still raining.
  
  We drive back to the house, and the afternoon unfolds into puzzles, mugs of tea, story reading, games of checkers, and the occasional squabble of siblings who, if asked, would really rather be out beachcombing, bouldering, and being pulled through the water by Daddy in their kayak, Gumdrop. But they did like the stories, checkers, and puzzles.
  
  Evening approaches, and the salmon is grilled, then enjoyed in the company of a visiting hummingbird and squirrel. And the rain finally stops.
  
  And the sun comes out, just for a brief spell, before it starts to set, gloriously.
  
  Rodney DeCroo - Rain Rain (with Sam Parton of the Be Good Tanyas)
  Rodney has a new album out in September, but in the meantime buy his stuff here.

  

• Interlude: June Evenings, Part 2

  ÜœberDrivel - 2008-07-13 21:35:02

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  We continue our wrap-up of June with a couple familiar destinations. I have to say, there's something incredibly appealing about a series of events. NYC is fragmented when it comes to everything and keeping up with it all is sometimes overwhelming. So knowing that, on a particular day of the week, something is happening at a certain time and place is pretty great. I headed into the last weekend of the month with a pretty good idea of what to expect, as I had previously seen both headliners. I suppose that's another facet to the sad process alluded to before. But usually, the energy's still there, although sometimes it isn't.
  
  

  King Khan & the Shrines - South Street Seaport, June 27th
  
  

  I didn't really know what to expect from King Khan & the Shrines, who played their first US show. As they shared the bill with two noise bands - I only caught the very end of opener Black Acid - I was bracing my ears. It turned out that was unnecessary; although King Khan had a raspy voice, the music went down really nice and easy. I kid you not - it felt like an echo of James Brown, with its rowdy stage antics and the mob of musicians on-stage - horns, percussion and guitars aplenty. I was stunned by the energy level. A go-go dancer and a couple trips into the audience seemed superfluous, but made the set even more memorable. It's rare when an opener yanks the crowd's attention like this, but it's just great to see.
  
  
  King Khan & the Shrines play again on August 2nd at Mercury Lounge and August 3rd at McCarren Pool.
  
  MP3: King Khan & the Shrines - Torture
  MySpace: King Khan & the Shrines
  Official Site: King Khan & the Shrines
  
  
  
  

  A Place To Bury Strangers - South Street Seaport, June 27th
  

  And on the other end of the spectrum, there was A Place To Bury Strangers. Their CMJ performance was terrifyingly loud, so it was a letdown when the Seaport sound system failed to deliver - earplugs weren't even necessary! Alas, without the horrific volume, APTBS just weren't as impressive, and for the most part sounded muddled. The deadpan vocals and searing guitars synced well with the grim projections at the back, which offered some visual points of interest, but the slouched trio didn't command much stage presence. Even singer Oliver Ackermann's guitar flailing was kind of expected, for someone who's already seen them. I like "To Fix The Gash In Your Head," and I'm generally a fan of shoegazey stuff, but it just wasn't a compelling performance. Hopefully, they'll grow on me on the next record.
  
  
  MP3: A Place To Bury Strangers - To Fix The Gash In Your Head
  MP3: A Place To Bury Strangers - To Fix The Gash In Your Head (Grime Reaper Remix)
  MySpace: A Place To Bury Strangers
  Official Site: A Place To Bury Strangers
  
  
  
  

  McCarren Pool - June 29th

  
  For the second to last day in June, I found myself at McCarren Pool. As usual, it was raining, but I ran into a bunch of people unexpectedly, and it seemed like the place to be on that particular Sunday. The Pool is empty, of course, but there's a lot happening aside from the music, including slip 'n side and dodgeball. It will also be hosting free movie screenings on Tuesdays, which just started this week. I'm not entirely sure what the future holds for the Pool Parties - they're probably going to continue, but I've heard talk of refilling the place. But until then, there's lots of fun to be had.
  
  
  
  

  J. Roddy and the Business
  

  
  J. Roddy and the Business opened, and it was clear from the first blast of guitar that things were going to be muscular. There was something inherently absurd, from the hairdos to the continual endorsements of rock 'n roll, but the band had chops, for sure. J. Roddy himself switched from keys to guitar, bouncing on his stool or his feet, and the rest of the band was in similar state of motion. Those aforementioned keys added some nice melodies, but it was mostly meaty guitarwork. I had some regrets about not bringing earplugs, but felt pretty great during the set.
  
  
  MP3: J. Roddy and the Business - Used To Did
  MP3: J. Roddy and the Business - Stop Rip and Roll
  MySpace: J. Roddy and the Business
  Official Site: J. Roddy and the Business
  
  
  
  

  The Loved Ones

  
  It's elitist, but the words on everyone's lips during the Loved Ones was "Warped Tour." That seems to be the demographic the band aims for - whether it's singer Dave Hause's tattoos or the band's style. To make things more difficult, the rain came back with a vengeance, and my attention was split between protecting and the music. The latter was pretty much reiterations of the usual pop-punk love song, which had its supporters amongst the crowd, but didn't do anything for me. Props to Hause for clamoring into the crowd, which is nice to see, but ultimately I couldn't shake the feeling that the band didn't really fit. It was particularly strange when the Hold Steady's Tad Kubler and Franz Nicolay came on-stage for closer "Louisiana," which centered on some sort of repetition of "pounding nails" - a far cry from Craig Finn's songwriting. I'm not one to judge purely on lyrics - I enjoy techno - but if the band was going for something substantive there, they didn't accomplish it.
  
  
  MySpace: The Loved Ones
  Official Site: The Loved Ones
  
  
  
  

  The Hold Steady
  

  
  It was my third time seeing the Hold Steady, which I suppose makes me a fan. It's a testament to relentless touring, as I never really got into their acclaimed Boys and Girls in America on its own merits. Singer Craig Finn's voice was a serious obstacle, as I'm generally more attracted to melody than witticisms, but the band has really grown on me. I think the live setting is a perfect environment for them, as the abundant energy really overcomes the singing shortcomings. The crowd was, as usual, pumped, hollering back at exactly the right spot in "Chips Ohoy" and generally smashing face. I think it's the first time I've legitimately enjoyed being moshed into. Some things were different, as the band played a bunch of songs off of the just about released Stay Positive, but the album pretty much sounds like them, which is a good thing. Sadly, no "Southtown Girls," but that's about the only complaint I have.
  
  
  MP3: The Hold Steady - Constructive Summer (Live)
  MySpace: The Hold Steady
  Official Site: The Hold Steady
  
  
  
  And while we're on the month, this song is sublime.
  
  MP3: Air France - June Evenings
  

• LOOGIES OUT THE WINDOW.

  Cobain In a Coma - 2008-05-08 13:54:36

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  Above is an old/new radio episode, sorry we sound like sickos, it's a dance-a-thon!
  Last night somebody actually siphoned gasoline out of my van and left the fuel door open and the cap was sitting on the ground. It was nice to still have the gas cap but it worries me that indecent criminals are wandering around stealing my gas through big pervy straws. FUCK THIS GAY SILLY WAR!
  
  Love,
  Patrik

• Happy 2008 - Here is some sound.

  we were rockstars | another music blog - 2008-01-06 01:53:00

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  I've been far too lazy this Christmas. A perfect chance for me to get back into the swing of blogging is squandered, with my time going into playing Wii until the early hours. Never mind, eh?

  
  
  To make up for my absense I thought I'd put up a jumbo post of some of the stuff I'm liking at this current moment in time. Firstly, Okioki. Another amazing Aussie band, the Nintendo-friendly three piece from Perth have already played gigs with Hot Chip and Yuksek down under. Their myspace is a little vague with information, but they are worth a listen. Imagine playing guitar along to your gameboy and you are part of the way to working out how they sound. If you are expecting the art noise mess that Crystal Castles get out of nanoloop-ing and 8-bit sampling you may be a bit dissapointed, but if you're looking for a nostalgic gaming sound that could soundtrack games of the future, then this could be the hit your after.
  

  mp3: Okioki - Defend the Gas Station
  mp3: Okioki - Pocoyo vs The Incredible Machine
  

  
  Next up, thanks to a heads-up from Gohan, his remix of fellow Parisians Thieves Like Us's 'Drugs In My Body'. This has become a personal fave of mine, and has been given quite a lot of playtime over in my media player. Thieves Like Us, signed over at Kitsune, ran a remix competition for the track towards the end of last year, spawning many a mix. Yet, out of the mixes I've heard of 'Drugs...' this is probably one of my faves. Tiny keys, synthesized choral line... simply love it. I've been watching over Gohan's stuff for awhile now, and if you haven't checked out his tracks over on his myspace, do so now! Thieves Like Us have UK tour dates in February, check their myspace for more information.
  

  
  

  mp3: Thieves Like Us - Drugs In My Body (Gohan remix)

  
  
  For our third sitting we have CHAINGANG. Flaming hell, Australia keeps throwing up some pretty awesome groups, this foursome hailing from Sydney. The email these guys sent me said a lot about the band all being from other bands, and having come together to create this slab of angry noize-rock. I haven't got an idea who the bands they used to play for were, but it seems that the line-up they are currently holding is pretty damn tight. Pulsing drums, dirty bass and heavy guitars, and with a distinctive punk attitude, encapsulated in front-woman Hayley's urgent vocals.
  

  mp3: CHAINGANG - Get Off My Stage (demo)

• THE TOFU HUT - 2007-05-09 12:53:55

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  rollin' on 20s

  =================================================================
  the return of the deadly clicky
  
  Glenn Danzig leads a guided tour through his library
  "This is great... there are lots of great werewolf stories in here. All documented. All true."
  
  Wonderful ILX compendium thread of dogs in costume
  A nice bookend for the infamous "Imagine: your dog, cat or other pet in full military regalia."
  Honestly, pancake astronaut is never going to stop cracking me up.
  
  sampleur sample offers brief snippets of contemporary rap or electronic songs and equally brief snippets of the songs that are being sampled to make up the new ones. Think of it as a before and after collection where you can hunt down the origins of hooks that you've enjoyed for years. Best part is that there are over eighteen hundred of these to choose from. That combined with the sites excellent googlability makes sampleur sample a real boon to anyone looking for tricky progenitor track info. I hope they go on forever.
  
  This Blog Gets the Gas Face has rock and punk bootlegs from Jesus and Mary Chain, Nirvana/Melvins doing Flipper covers, Mozz, Bad Brains, Velocity Girl and the such.
  
  Lost-in-Tyme is a multiple-user blog with a monster collection of overlooked wonders and out-of-print classics. There's so very much activity on Lost-in-Tyme that they've spread the blog out in four different URLs: one that covers psych-pop, acid-rock, folk music and garage rock, one for krautrock, prog, classic rock and blues, one for alt-rock, punk and new wave and one for funk and soul, jazz and world. Lost's multiple blogs engage in two methods that I've long been ambivalent about: YSI/RapidShare/MegaUpload type file-sharing rather than hosting one's own files on a dedicated server and zipped full-album downloads. My distaste for the file-sharing utilities is unlikely to bridle anytime soon, but at least the albums that Lost's members are sharing are obscure and difficult enough to find to somewhat justify their full-length posts. I'm gonna stay on the fence on the legitimacy about full-length album sharing; as long as the disc is completely unavailable and out-of-print (as most, if not all, of Lost's albums are), I have a hard time seeing who's being hurt by bringing the material back into the parley.
  The best thing Lost has to offer is great hivemind taste; the worst is the paucity of commentary for the albums. Text is often cribbed completely from AMG or wiki and when it is not, it's difficult to tell. If these guys ever step up their writing game, they're gonna be a daily must-visit and a force to be reckoned with.
  
  Speaking of forces to reckon with, Weirdomusic has undergone a recent facelift that has it looking ten years younger and ten times more navigable. Scope their downloads section for links to any number of excellent sites trafficking in what they call "sharity" and what I call "mucho eclectric tunage".
  
  Google Video has Brass Eye!
  Five years old and still vastly more risky than anything else on television before or since. If you've never seen Channel 4's cracker-dry, acidly funny, mock-Dateline show before, you're in for a treat.
  
  The magical wonder of K. Chin
  More information here and here; outside of an ILX thread I started some time ago, I can't find any appreciation sites on the web. Anybody wanna point one out to me? I'd love to get some hi-res K.Chin desktop images.
  
  One last note: I'm planning on bringing 'clicky' back as a weekly function of the Hut, so I welcome any and all readers to contribute links for audioblogs of note or general weirdness. You can mail links in to the email listed at the top of the page with the subject heading "CLICKY" and I'll give 'em a once over. Promise.

Suggested Tracks

Count:

218

1. Huey Lewis & The News

   or-200905-1

2. Evan Dando With Juliana Hatfield

   or-200905-2

3. John Lennon

   or-200905-3

4. Bob Dylan

   or-200905-4

5. Kaiser Chiefs

   or-200905-5

6. Da Vinci's Notebook

   or-200905-6

7. Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention

   or-200905-7

8. Richard Cheese

   or-200905-8

9. The Flaming Lips

   Borderline Flaming Lips Madonna

10. Unknown Artist

    btmi

11. Ralph Lowe

    Stop In And Howdy With Me

12. Ralph Lowe

    Munchikins

13. Lee Scott

    Moonlight Rocket From The USA

14. Kay Weaver

    The Girl With The High Hopes

15. Ralph Lowe

    One Little Son Then Another

16. Ralph Lowe

    Lonliness

17. Ralph Lowe

    Harold The Drag Strip Streaker

18. Kay Brown

    Daddy Is Santa Really 6foot4

19. Ralph Lowe

    You Better Cool It Baby

20. Lee Scott

    Love In A Ring

21. Lee Scott

    That Kind Of Girl

22. Ralph Lowe

    Ive Been In Trouble

23. Ralph Lowe

    My Life Is Too Short

24. Ralph Lowe

    The Fights

25. Ralph Lowe

    The Lottery Freak

26. Ralph Lowe

    Funk With Us

27. Ralph Lowe

    Dont Come Crawling

28. Kay Weaver

    Old McDonald No1

29. Sy

    Toot DKO

30. Kay Weaver

    Watermelon Man

31. Kay Weaver

    Strip Mining Blues

32. Kay Weaver

    The Chosen One

33. Kay Weaver

    The Gasoline Engine

34. Kay Weaver

    The Hill

35. Ralph Lowe

    Of The USA

36. Ralph Lowe

    Believe In God Until You Die

37. Ralph Lowe

    Thank You Mr Seward

38. Ralph Lowe

    The King Lives On

39. Ralph Lowe

    Las Vegas

40. Brainworms

    Born With a Beard

41. Antlers

    Catalpa

42. My Disco

    You came to me like a cancer lain dormant until it blossomed like a rose

43. The Hold Steady

    Chips Ahoy

44. Deleted Scenes

    Turn to Sand

45. Middle Distance Runner

    Brother John

46. The Payola Reserve

    Music Is Not Music

47. Unknown Artist

    Teen Is Still Shaking

48. Ponytail

    Celebrate the Body Electric

49. Unknown Artist

    3 Balloons

50. Heartless Bastards

    The Mountain

51. Arms And Sleepers

    A Mission To Prague

52. Anni Rossi

    Wheelpusher

53. Squaaks

    Be Dry My Bleeding Heart

54. Pretty & Nice

    Tora Tora Tora

55. Band Of Horses

    4025

56. Fleet Foxes

    4264

57. Unknown Artist

    bloodbank

58. Bill Callahan

    10cgdcma7u

59. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

    fb093uh93s

60. Unknown Artist

    g71715k3r1

61. The Apples in Stereo

    edpijlnhjn

62. Crystal Antlers

    Andrew Crystal Antlers

63. Crystal Antlers

    Swollen Sky Crystal Antlers

64. Silverchair

    mj38fx1qkj

65. Len

    g6i7qrf84z

66. They Might Be Giants

    ooih5ofrle

67. Unknown Artist

    Evident Utensil

68. Unknown Artist

    Where Do You Run To

69. Unknown Artist

    download 'Your Love (Live)' by Bon Iver (MP3)

70. Unknown Artist

    Starting Over

71. Unknown Artist

    People Got A Lot Of Nerve

72. Unknown Artist

    I'm Confused

73. Unknown Artist

    The Rake's Song

74. Unknown Artist

    download 'Consolation Prize' by Julie Doiron (MP3)

75. Unknown Artist

    Dear Corinne

76. Unknown Artist

    Used To Be Funny

77. Unknown Artist

    Kiss With A Fist

78. Unknown Artist

    Is This Really What It's Come To

79. Unknown Artist

    Boy Boy

80. Unknown Artist

    We Do What We Want To

81. Unknown Artist

    download 'Politicians In My Eyes' by Death (MP3)

82. Unknown Artist

    Sunlight

83. Unknown Artist

    Good

84. Unknown Artist

    That Song

85. Unknown Artist

    But For You Who Fear My Name

86. Unknown Artist

    Connjur

87. Unknown Artist

    Now We Can See

88. Unknown Artist

    download 'Betty Wang' by Hospitality (MP3)

89. Unknown Artist

    download 'Argonauts' by Hospitality (MP3)

90. Unknown Artist

    Future Primitive

91. Unknown Artist

    download 'Tunnelvision' by Here We Go Magic (MP3)

92. Unknown Artist

    Karamazov (Live)

93. Unknown Artist

    Wake Up Your Saints (Live)

94. Unknown Artist

    We're Good

95. Unknown Artist

    A Bright Light

96. Unknown Artist

    Red and Black Guitars

97. Farms In Trouble

    26 Pleasure Dome

98. Farms In Trouble

    06 Like A Needle In Heaven

99. Farms In Trouble

    01 My Beautiful Baby Born Inside Out

100. Farms In Trouble

     12 Many Boss Levels

101. Unknown Artist

     Evident Utensil

102. Unknown Artist

     California Goth

103. Unknown Artist

     So Bored

104. Unknown Artist

     Where Do You Run To

105. Unknown Artist

     download 'Your Love (Live)' by Bon Iver (MP3)

106. Unknown Artist

     Starting Over

107. Unknown Artist

     People Got A Lot Of Nerve

108. Unknown Artist

     I'm Confused

109. Unknown Artist

     The Rake's Song

110. Unknown Artist

     download 'Consolation Prize' by Julie Doiron (MP3)

111. Unknown Artist

     Dear Corinne

112. Unknown Artist

     Used To Be Funny

113. Unknown Artist

     Kiss With A Fist

114. Unknown Artist

     Is This Really What It's Come To

115. Unknown Artist

     Boy Boy

116. Unknown Artist

     Jimmy Dove

117. Unknown Artist

     The Warm Current's Pull

118. Unknown Artist

     download 'I Carried Myself' by Roadside Graves (MP3)

119. Unknown Artist

     download 'Take A Train' by Roadside Graves (MP3)

120. Unknown Artist

     Pagoda

121. Unknown Artist

     Gun In The Sun

122. Unknown Artist

     download 'We're Treehouse Kids' by Blind Man's Colour (MP3)

123. Unknown Artist

     We Do What We Want To

124. Unknown Artist

     download 'Politicians In My Eyes' by Death (MP3)

125. Unknown Artist

     Sunlight

126. Unknown Artist

     Good

127. Unknown Artist

     That Song

128. Unknown Artist

     But For You Who Fear My Name

129. Unknown Artist

     Connjur

130. Unknown Artist

     Now We Can See

131. Unknown Artist

     download 'Betty Wang' by Hospitality (MP3)

132. Unknown Artist

     download 'Argonauts' by Hospitality (MP3)

133. Unknown Artist

     Future Primitive

134. Unknown Artist

     download 'Tunnelvision' by Here We Go Magic (MP3)

135. Unknown Artist

     Karamazov (Live)

136. Unknown Artist

     Wake Up Your Saints (Live)

137. Unknown Artist

     We're Good

138. Unknown Artist

     02 The 59 Sound

139. Unknown Artist

     www.magazinesubscriber.com.au

140. Jeniferever

     Jeniferever Green Meadow Island

141. Unknown Artist

     Marshmalllow Skies

142. Empire Of The Sun

     half-mast

143. Unknown Artist

     Even Cowgirls Get The Blues

144. Unknown Artist

     Here's Looking At You, Kid

145. Unknown Artist

     The '59 Sound

146. Heartless Bastards

     HBTheMountain

147. The Lawrence Arms

     100resolutions

148. The Walkmen

     innewyear

149. Asobi Seksu

     newyears

150. Hello Saferide

     2006

151. Beulah

     horoscope

152. The Lawrence Arms

     100resolutions

153. The Walkmen

     innewyear

154. Asobi Seksu

     newyears

155. Hello Saferide

     2006

156. Beulah

     horoscope

157. The Lawrence Arms

     100resolutions

158. The Walkmen

     innewyear

159. Asobi Seksu

     newyears

160. Hello Saferide

     2006

161. Beulah

     horoscope

162. The Helio Sequence

     3969

163. The Walkmen

     thewalkmen inthenewyear

164. The Spinto Band

     thespintoband summergrof

165. No Age

     4708

166. Marnie Stern

     Transformer

167. Unknown Artist

     prc-149-02

168. Cut Copy

     Cut Copy-Lights & Music

169. Raveonettes

     raveonettes-aly walk with me

170. Aeroplane

     FriendlyFires Paris(AeroplaneRemix

171. Anathallo

     theriver

172. Nada Surf

     03 Beautiful Beat

173. Frightened Rabbit

     09 Backwards Walk

174. Bon Iver

     03 Skinny Love

175. The Hold Steady

     01 Constructive Summer

176. The Gaslight Anthem

     01 Great Expectations

177. Delta Spirit

     02 Trashcan

178. Centro-Matic

     09 counting the scars

179. Unknown Artist

     Paint A Face

180. Everything Absent Or Distorted (A Love Story)

     04 A form to accomodate the mess

181. Little Joy

     04 No Ones Better Sake

182. Unknown Artist

     2-05 Last Flowers to the Hospital (b

183. The Avett Brothers

     02 Murder in the City

184. Samantha Crain

     04 In Smithereens, the Search for Af

185. Unknown Artist

     02-the gaslight anthem-the 59 sound

186. Unknown Artist

     Latch Key Kids TX-Too Soon

187. Fucked Up

     Fucked Up-Baiting the Public

188. Unknown Artist

     Melodiesdesires

189. Ladyhawk

     idontalwaysknow

190. Unknown Artist

     19 I'm On Fire (Springsteen cover)

191. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

     2-01 The Lyre Of Orpheus

192. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

     05 Where The Wild Roses Grow

193. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

     2-09 The Ballad Of Robert Moore And Betty Coltrane

194. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

     06 The Curse Of Millhaven

195. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

     11 More News From Nowhere

196. The Gaslight Anthem

     01 Great Expectations (acoustic on A

197. The Gaslight Anthem

     02 The 59 Sound (acoustic on AP)

198. The Gaslight Anthem

     03 The Backseat (acoustic on AP)

199. The Gaslight Anthem

     03 Heres Looking At You, Kid (live

200. The Gaslight Anthem

     02 High Lonesome (live on FNX

201. The Gaslight Anthem

     01 The 59 Sound (live on FNX Radio)

202. Unknown Artist

     05 Ida Called You Woody, Joe

203. Unknown Artist

     19 I'm On Fire (Springsteen cover)

204. Look Mexico

     Guys, I Need A Helicopter

205. Look Mexico

     01 You Come Into My House, While I Sleep

206. Unknown Artist

     The '59 sound

207. Unknown Artist

     Rain Rain

208. Unknown Artist

     King Khan-Torture

209. A Place To Bury Strangers

     to fix the gash in your head

210. Unknown Artist

     InYourHead GrimeReaperremix

211. J Roddy Walston And The Business

     04 Used to Did

212. The Hold Steady

     02ConstructiveSummer live

213. Air France

     02juneevenings

214. Unknown Artist

     cobain-04-04-08

215. Unknown Artist

     Defend The Gas Station

216. Unknown Artist

     Pocoyo vs The Incredible Machine

217. Unknown Artist

     Drugs In My Body (Gohan Remix)

218. Unknown Artist

     Get Off My Stage (demo)

Artist Biography

Frequently compared to Elvis Costello, and sometimes even to Graham Parker and the Clash, the Gas were more of the punk-pop-mod school of outfits like the Jam and Chords. Emotional Warfare, a ripping pop LP, shows the trio's sharp attack and some of the busiest music this side of the Buzzcocks. "Definitely Is a Lie" and "Losing my Patience" are the kind of aural pummels one never expects from music so catchy; similarly, the band's vitality masked the incredibly bitter lyrics by singer Donnie Burke, an intelligent yet disillusioned and terminally unsatisfied frontman.

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