Still Kisses with Saliva

Still Kissing!

2006-11-27T00:31:00.000-05:00

I am kissing just as well, if not moreso, than ever! Unfortunately, it will no longer be at stillkisseswithsaliva.blogspot.com. Today's post at Quick, Before it Melts marks my first there, and I've already got two more ready, so expect some more kisses very quickly! I will be running under the MattSKwS moniker there and over at Our Last Quarterstance (which is back from hiatus), and you can find my album reviews at various webzines. If you ever need to get in touch with me, you can email me at mattskws@gmail.com.

Cheers,
Matt, SKwS

The Morning Benders

2006-10-28T16:00:00.000-04:00

Just thought I'd point yous guys' direction toward Berkley's Morning Benders. They make some delicious pop that I ought to have posted about when it was warmer out, but what can you do - they're still good tunes.
Show tonight for all of my San Fran readers, they're on a 9, opening for Pitchfork-approved Figurines at the Rickshaw Stop.

Mp3s:
Grain of Salt
Heavy Hearts

October Mixtape

2006-10-25T15:22:00.000-04:00

So...this mixtape really has little to do with October. Some of the songs are tracks that were just released this October, but the majority of them are songs that I've just been listening to a lot. But yeah, they don't sound "autumn-y" or anything like that, they're just really good songs that have been getting some playtime at SKwS Headquarters.

Here's the tracklist:

01 Casey Dienel - "Cut Your Hair" (Pavement cover)
02 Art Brut - "Nag Nag Nag Nag"
03 Pink Nasty (ft. Will Oldham) - "Dont Ever Change"
04 Albert Hammond, Jr. - "Hard To Live (In the City)" - It sounds pretty much exactly like old Strokes with a new vocalist. Is that a bad thing? I'm not entirely certain. It's fun retro-guitar pop.
05 Of Montreal - "The Party's Crashing Us" - Are these guys due to make an absolutley kick-ass album or what? They've been flirting with greatness for years now but haven't been album to make a consistent enough album that I could consider it awesome. New album due out soon; here's hoping.
06 Kim Jong-Il - "I'm So Ronery"
07 Lifter/Puller - "Space Humping $19.99"
08 Destroyer - "Watercolours into the Ocean"
09 Peter Bjorn and John - "Amsterdam"
10 Various - "Hater"
11 The Little Ones - "Lovers Who Uncover"
12 Nina Persson - "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" (White Stripes cover)

Sorry you guys for those songs not working. I am again un-hosted. Un parado, if you will. Regardless, here's the yousendit version of the .zip for this mixtape:

October Mixtape.zip

Also, I'm experimenting with a new host. Here's the Art Brut mp3 through them - tell me if it's working for you guys.

Art Brut - Nag Nag Nag Nag

Xiu Xiu/Devendra Banhart

2006-10-24T20:16:00.000-04:00

I told you entirely too long ago that I'd be running this piece, so here it is.
Devendra Banhart and Xiu Xiu, two of the weirdest and most popular indie rockers, did a take on each others' songs. Devendra took on Xiu Xiu's "Support Our Troops OH!," one of the most frightening tracks on an already frightening album, while Xiu Xiu took on Banhart's beautiful "The Body Breaks."

Devendra Banhart - "Support Our Tropps OH!" - Pulls it off in traditional Banhart style, and manages to turn the creepiness down. Not that it's still not creepy, mind you. It's just less so 'cos we don't have Jamie's entirely-too-human voice on top of it.
Xiu Xiu - "Support Our Troops OH!"

Xiu Xiu - "The Body Breaks" - Really sounds like any other Xiu Xiu track, dance-able beat, Jamie's fragile vox and all.
Devendra Banhart - "The Body Breaks"

Tomorrow I'll hook you guys up with a mixtape of songs that have been awesome around here lately.

2006-10-17T17:27:00.000-04:00

The latest Contrast Podcast is up! Head on over here to listen. My contribution was...

Annuals - Bleary-Eyed

Art Brut and We Are Scientist Split EP

2006-10-14T15:16:00.000-04:00

I told you the other day that I would hook you up with some split EP tracks. Enjoy.

Art Brut - "The Great Escape" (SKwS Recommended Track)

The original is perhaps my favorite WAS song, but that isn’t saying much given that I’m not a big fan. Regardless, Eddie and friends give it the Art Brut treatment – in your face punk guitars and Argos’s speak/yell vocals. The “Freebird”-esque guitar solo is the icing on the cake, however. It would have fit right in on BBR&R.

We Are Scientists - "Bang Bang Rock and Roll" {(SKwS Top Track)}

Though not a fan of WAS, I must confess that this cover is one of the best I’ve heard in a while. In response to the lines in this song, “I can’t stand the sound of The Velvet Underground,” Art Brut’s tour mates do this song in Lou Reed fashion. The vocalist does his best imitation of the man, and they slow it down into a druggy, offbeat track. Excellent.

Originals:
We Are Scientists - "The Great Escape"
Art Brut - "Bang Bang Rock and Roll"

Art Brut’s myspace, where you can hear the new track, “Nag Nag Nag Nag”

We Are Scientists' myspace.

Tune in tomorrow/the next day/soon for the next installment in this series - Xiu Xiu/Devendra Banhart split EP!

Throwback Thursday: Blood on the Wall

2006-10-12T20:00:00.000-04:00

I know, I know, I've been failing on my other feature lately, but I'll get one up this weekend hopefully. This one's gonna be cool, too. I take a song that received a bit of praise and/or hype from last year or two ago that has fallen off the radar. Like, Blood on the Wall's "Mary Susan," for instance. And then I talk about the band/song and post the song and maybe some others. These songs are good songs, by the way, not songs that fell off 'cos they aren't so good (ahem, Beirut - never really liked those guys).Blood on the Wall's Awesomer (released 2005) received a "Recommended" rating from Pitchfork, and track "Mary Susan" received a fair amount of hype. This trio from Brooklyn sounds pretty much exactly the same as the Pixies, but with some more noise and some less new wave. Their album found its way on pretty much no one's year-end lists, and neither did the stellar "Mary Susan." This leads me to beleive that many people have missed out on this stellar (if derivative) song (which is the whole idea here - these songs are good, but they have been forgotten). So here it is.

Mary Susan {(SKwS Top Track)}
Reunite on Ice (SKwS Recommended Track)

Oh and by the way, Digsy over at Q,BiM is doing a Kasabian contest which runs out tomorrow! So hurry up and win some playing cards and other such Kasabian-related goodies!

Soft Boys + REM + The Minus 5 = Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3

2006-10-10T20:30:00.000-04:00

Sorry that I don't write more, but I haven't got a ton of time. Still, I thought I'd direct your attention towards the new Robyn Hitchcock album. It's got guys from R.E.M. in it and some fellas from The Minus 5 as well, with Hitchcock in the front. "That sounds pretty good, but how does it work?" Well. I had the same exact question at first, but I was pleasantly surprised when I finally heard the album. And yes, it's got Hitchcock's trademark bizarre lyrics.

Adventure Rocketship (SKwS Recommended Track)

Buy it from insound.

Finally

2006-10-09T16:58:00.000-04:00

I don't know if you caught this over at Pitchfork today, but if you didn't, it's okay, 'cos I'm filling you in now. Sebado h's original line-up is back! They said it was a possibility, and here it is. According to Barlow...
"Sebadoh Classic will be touring this spring 2/25/07 -> 4/07. Sebadoh Classic = Gaffney-era III -> Bubble and Scrape. Eric, Jason, and I will be heading out together."
First a Dino Jr. reunion, now a Sebadoh one, and a Pavement one in the works! All we need is Robert Pollard and friends to make up, and all of these guys to get together and have the best festival ever. I'd pay at least five hundred dollars to see a festival of the best bands of the 90s lo-fi scene. At least.

Truly Great Thing
Hoppin' Up and Down
Unseen Waste (Lou's favorite track, as he so kindly informed us)

"But Why Didn't They Wait Until December?"

2006-10-08T20:15:00.000-04:00

So this band and I go a bit back. My girlfriend is a huge fan and many times attempted to get me into The Decemberists. Unfortunately, they fit in the same category as DCF C for me: standard indie-pop with a vocalist I just couldn't get past. I never really came around to either group, but with the release of The Crane Wife (buy it from AmpCamp) this past week, it's impossible to not hear the most popular nerd band since Weezer (R.I.P.) pretty much everywhere. After hearing "O Valencia" on my local branch of NPR the other day, I gave in. The song is kickin'. It's a good thing my girlfriend doesn't read this thing, or I could find myself in an embarrasing position.
O Valencia ! (album version) {(SKwS Top Track)}
O Valencia! (live on KCRW)
Colin Meloy - Valencia (live back in 2005)
Of Angels and Angles (off of Picaresque)

And here's that amazingly obnoxious Killers remix everyone is talking about. It gives me a headache. Still love the original, though, even if the rest of the album is as good as Live covering Creed.

When You Were Young [Freeform Five Remix]

Tomorrow/the next day/soon: Split Cover EP feature! I had a run-in with two lately, and I'll hook you up with them.

Swearing at Motorists since 1995

2006-10-05T19:43:00.000-04:00

For all of my Swearing at Motorists fans out there, I recently got a press release from S C about a (free) download only album by our favorite modern day lo-fi act that's not ~~Love Is All~~ Islands (sorry anon, I guess I feel that their sound is rather low fidelity even if their style isn't particularly close to what is usually considered "lo-fi." I guess Islands fits the situation better.). Titled Exile on Gipsstraße, you can check it out here, but hurry! You only have until the boys return from tour, which is around Election Day (dates below).

10/07/06 Dayton, OH - Gilley's
10/10/06 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop w/ Paper Cranes
10/11/06 Grand Rapids, MI - The Intersection w/ Paper Cranes
10/12/06 Chicago, IL - Schuba's w/ Paper Cranes
10/13/06 Columbus, OH - Little Brothers w/ The Wrens
10/14/06 Newport, KY - Southgate House w/ The Wrens
10/15/06 Bloomington, IN - Landlocked Music
10/16/06 Chattanooga, TN - LaMar's
10/18/06 Tampa, FL - New World Brewery w/ New Roman Times
10/19/06 Gainesville, FL - Common Grounds w/ Holopaw
10/20/06 Orlando, FL - AKA Lounge
10/21/06 St. Augustine, FL - Cafe Eleven w/ Holopaw
10/22/06 Mt. Pleasant, SC - Village Tavern
10/24/06 Nashville, TN - Exit / In
10/26/06 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 w/ Hudson Bell + Dodo Bird
10/27/06 Philadelphia, PA - North Star Bar
10/28/06 Allston, MA - Great Scott
10/29/06 Providence, RI - The Century
11/01/06 New York, NY - Fotana's w/ CMJ Showcase Fields of Gaffney
11/02/06 Dayton, OH - Pearl Nite Club

Here's that link to the download only album, Exile on Gipsstraße (pictured above), again.

And here's a cut from their latest official release, Last Night Becomes This Morning:

Northern Line

Echo Maestroplex

2006-10-05T16:44:00.000-04:00

You guys know I've been rockin' out to some Catbird Records releases lately, and Maestro Echoplex was one I was really looking forward to before I got these albums, and my expectations were met. While I may have admitted that I enjoy Hemstad more the other day, Maestro is pretty impressive stuff, too. A rather mysterious fellow, this Maestro is, and I can't find a whole lot about him. He is apparently from NYC, and his debut, Last Night I Saw God on the Dancefloor, was released back in 2001, when, according to the Catbird site, "it was BBC New Music's 2001 Runner Up for Album of the Year, and was highly praised by the Village Voice, Time Out NY, the Washington Post, and many others." Somehow, along the way, the album became "almost always next-to-impossible to find," and the awesome folks at Catbird (no, seriously, I mean, they sell their releases at amazing prices - even if you add the extra dollar to go straight to the artist, they're easily affordable) brought it back to life.
What does he sound like, you ask? He's rather singer/songwriter-y, but he has some country twang now and again (not much), and knows how to orchestrate some backing strings.

Last Night I Saw God on the Dancefloor

Hear more, and buy it, here. And really, just pay the seven dollars. It's not like there's much difference between six and seven dollars, and you would have paid like at least eleven dollars anywhere else anyways.

Chicago

2006-10-04T15:49:00.000-04:00

So...my Cubbies finished an abominable last in the National League. For a long time now, I had been holding out, saying that Mark Prior and Kerry Wood would get better, and my boys would start taking names and summat. Well I have given up hope for that idea. In fact, I've just given up hope for the Cubbies in general. It's Raiders all the way this winter, baby.

In honour of my Cubbies awesome season, here's two different editions, and one regular of the best song off of Illinois. Even I, who viewed Illinois as overrated (still good, but not that good), find this song to be downright excellent. Maybe if the Cubs listened to this song they'd put their act together.

Sufjan Stevens - Chicago
Sufjan Stevens - Chicago (acoustic)
Sufjan Stevens - Chicago [Jongalloways' To String Remix]

In unrelated news, I got a promo for Swan Lake's debut, Beast Moans, the other day, and it's damn good. I really didn't expect much, given that it is a collaboration of the three most obnoxiously-voiced Canadian musicians, but my low expectations were mowed down. The voices are not as prominent as they are in these artists' other works, and the ambient, frightening music is excellent. It's very similar to Kid A, but less electronic. I'm not saying it's going to be getting a 10.0 from Pitch4k or anything, just saying that style wise it is similar to Radiohead's best. Though you've heard it...

All Fires {(SKwS Top Track)}

Head on over to Gvs.B for another - JJ doesn't like people posting non-certified tracks, so I don't want to upset them. They're a nice label and they've got some excellent stuff.

Three Times the Bands, Three Times the Fun

2006-10-03T16:08:00.000-04:00

First up...Hemstad.
Got some promos from Catbird Records recently, and this was a surprise for me. I was most excited about Tap Tap's Lanzafame and Maestro Echoplex's Last Night I Saw God on the Dancefloor, but this one ended up finding the most play time here at SKwS. The other two are excellent, that's just a testament to how much I love this band. From

Sweden

(like all good bands these days), they sound a whole lot like The Go! Team, but less hip-hop influenced, more psychedelic, and nearly completely free of vocals. This mos def needs a listen:

Fyllekärring {(SKwS Top Track)}
Partrik Sjöberg (SKwS Recommended Track)

Theirspace.
Buy from, by far, the coolest record label ever.

Next up, The Little Ones.
While their artwork may resemble The Shins, their sound doesn't really, a whole lot. Well maybe a little. Recently signed to Astralwerks, they land somewhere between tour mates French Kicks and feel-good indie psych-pop. They've got the nice melodies, but there's a little bit of that semi-garage (but not really) feel that French Kicks have. Mp3s after the tour listing...

10/03/06 Washington DC @ Black Cat *
10/04/06 Philadlephia, PA @ North Star*
10/05/06 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom#
10/06/06 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom#
11/03/06 New York, NY @ Canal Room (Astralwerks CMJ Showcase)

01/15/07 Norwich, UK @ Arts Centre %
01/17/07 Brighton, UK @ Komedia %
01/17/07 Bristol, UK @ Fleece %
01/18/07 Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms %
01/19/07 Glasgow, UK @ Oran Mor %
01/20/07 Aberdeen, UK @ Moshulu %
01/21/07 Newcastle, UK @ Academy 2 %
01/22/07 Newcastle, UK @ Academy 3 %
01/23/07 Birmingham, UK @ Barfly %
01/24/07 Portsmouth, UK @ Wedgewood Rooms %
01/25/07 London, UK @ Scala %

* = w/ French Kicks
# = w/ Gomez
% = w/ The Boy Least Likely To

Man do I wish I was in the UK. What a show that would be, with my Boys and The Little 'Uns.

Lovers Who Uncover (SKwS Recommended Track)
Cha Cha Cha

Myspace
Goods

Lastly, some old covers by TVotR, a band whose new album I am finally coming around to. I know, I know - you've had seven epiphanies since you first heard the album in July. I'm sorry. I still think the vocals were better on their earlier stuff, but I've gotten past that and am loving the beats.

Modern Romance (YYYs cover)
Mister Grieves (Pixies cover)

One last thing - check out Pitchfork's bit about the Nurse with Wound reissue. Has this year been kicking ass when it comes to reissues or what? The Pavement reissue, Sebadoh's III, Psychocandy, etc. - and now this. Wowee Zowee.

Reviews

2006-10-02T11:20:00.000-04:00

Today was an excellent day for reviews. Three buzzed about albums got reviewed by three of the biggest review sites:

Pitchfork

The Hold Steady
Boys and Girls in America
9.4

Wow. Not at all what I had expected. "Chips Ahoy!" (mp3) is awful compated to the rest of what they'd put out, and the reviewer himself can hardly justify why this is .7 points better than Separation Sunday. All that the reviewer does is say about how good of a lyricist Craig Finn is (true), but otherwise does nothing to substantiate this being one of the year's best. The guy has been an excellent lyricist for ages, man. It may be mad good (I'll wait on that judgement), but I guess I just expect better reviews than that from Pitchfork.
At least they directed us towards Danielson's excellent video for "Did I Step on Your Trumpet?" (mp3)

The Hold Steady - Knuckles (from Almost Killed Me)

Stylus

Beck
The Information
B-
The reviewer is impressed by Beck's grooves (I can't say that I am based upon what I've heard thusfar, however), but disappointed by the fact that Beck took a note from Oberst. Why don't these guys hire editors to trim down their works? I know it's tough to do it yourself, I mean no one wants to admit that something they wrote is bad, but have someone else do it. Maybe the guys from Red Hot Chili Peppers. But the review becomes highly excellent when they start ripping into Beck for bringing up his Scientologist beliefs too much. This is the site that gave The Thermals and their constant espousing of their views a positive review. Shut up.

Beck - Cellphone's Dead
The Thermals - No Culture Icons (from More Parts Per Million)

PopMatters

The Killers
Sam's Town
3/10
Do you even want me to talk about this?

The Killers - Indie Rock and Roll (B-Side from Hot Fuss)
The Killers - When You Were Young [Jacque Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Radio Edit]

Takka Takka, Architecture in Helsinki, and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at the Trocadero

2006-10-01T13:51:00.000-04:00

So we left with plenty of time to spare, but hit a ton of traffic and got there too late to meet the boys from Takka Takka before the show. Then they let us stand outside until like twenty minutes after TT was sposed to go on in the first place, and they didn't start until an hour later. It was well worth the wait, however. Few people in the audience were familiar with these boys, but pretty much everyone was getting into it by the end. They put on an excellent set, with vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Gabe Levine busting out some excellent harmonica solos, and Damion (also in the stellar Nuh Uh) doing some crazy guitar work. Like, most of the time it was relatively standard stuff, but then they would let him go with a nuts solo that didn't at all seem out of place in this indie pop band. Nice. Bassist J.P. Jones was a crowd favorite as well, dancing around the stage awfully.
Highlights:
Coco on the Corner - My favorite song off of We Feel Safer at Night, and it was played well live.
Next up was Architecture in Helsinki, who put on quite a set. They played a lot of new material (all of which was closer to "Do the Whirlwind" than their more orchestral tracks), and they were really energetic. They had the crowd going along fervently the whole time, and they were just as into it as we were. Lead singer Cameron Bird gave Jones a run for his money when it came to awful dancing. It was cool to see them switch their instruments, as well. They switched instruments about as often as their songs change tempo. I was always worried that they'd leave some instrument behind. Like when you're traveling with two cars and you stop somewhere, and one car thought that you were in the other car. Feelin' me? Anyway, they were ridiculously fun, the Flaming Lips to what was to be CYHSY's Sonic Youth.
Highlights:
In the Cemetery - One of my favorite tracks off of In Case We Die, I was rather surprised when they played it. I was disappointed that they didn't bring up the vox when they have the deep voice though.
Maybe You Can Owe Me - What can I say? This song was great on the album, and great live.
Didn't really expect much here, honestly. After how excellent AiH was, I was convinced that CYHSY made a mistake in playing after them; we'd expect an even better performance from a band that has a notoriously bad show. Well, it was not in the least bit bad. In fact, it was quite good. I always say that no song can have too much noise, and CYHSY seemed to agree. Instead of the pristine sound of their debut, we were greeted by a barrage of noise. And it was excellent. Lead singer Ounsworth's vocals were tuned down low enough that they weren't grating, and everything was really impressive. If this is the way that they go on their next disc, I predict that it will be absolutely excellent.

Highlights:
Satan Said Dance - I had heard a live cut of this, and it was downright awful. Since the recording of that, they thoroughly fixed it up, and it is darkly awesome.
In This Home on Ice - One of the self-titled's best tracks, it kicked ass live, too.

Takka Takka - They Built You Up Too Fast (live cut off of the EP)
AiH - It's 5! (live cut from the tour-only EP)
CYHSY - Satan Said Dance (the old awful cut...imagine that song ten thousand times better)

The EP is most def cool, and I recommend that you pick it up if you get to one of their shows. The CYHSY cuts are exceptionally good, as is the other AiH track. The two I posted are top-notch as well.
Anyway, after the show I finally caught up with the guys from Takka Takka. They were all really cool guys, and Damion (guitarist) hooked me up with an actual copy of Nuh Uh's debut, which is just as awesome as ever. Buy it here.

Fields

2006-09-30T11:17:00.000-04:00

UK's Fields have been receiving a bit of buzz lately, and, after listening to the song they sent me, I can see why. They mix all this freak folk that is making a splash with a little bit of shoegaze. No, seriously. It sounds really weird, but they do. Their vocalists manage to sound like Devendra Banhart, but instead of the sparse arrangements they've got very lush freak folk. And sometimes they break down their arrangements into swirling noise like MBV or summat. Gotta love MBV. Seriously. The idiot who said "I therefore urge him [Kevin Shields] or someone with any power or influence in EMI to remaster Loveless" on Amazon is an idiot. Or no. That was stated. Um. Anyway, why is My Bloody Valentine's classic album not the first result when you put "Loveless" into Amazon? C'mon you guys. Oh right, the Fields. Here's thier myspace where you can hear some more sweet tunes, and here's the excellent song that they sent me's video. I'm not much of a video guy, but that's pretty cool. Here's the excellent song itself:

Song for the Fields (SKwS Recommended Track)

My Bloody Valentine - When You Sleep ~{(SKwS Seriously This Is One of the Best Songs Ever)}~
Devendra Banhart - When the Sun Shone on Vetiver

Sorry

2006-09-29T15:37:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry I've been neglecting SKwS lately. Between Our Last Quarterstance, the work I've been hit with lately, and some album reviewing I've been doing on the side, I'm a busy guy. But that's no excuse, and I'm sorry. I'm going to direct you guys' attention towards a few blogs who've been posting some new bands that I like (rather than just re-posting the tunes here), and then put up some stuff on my own.

Mr. Curioisty over at Covert Curiosity (and a writer for OLQ who did an excellent piece on Pink Floyd's Piper...here) recently did a post on Tap Tap. He describes them as "What...you get when you mix a little bit of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! with a dash of The Arcade Fire with a light dusting of Wolf Parade." That's pretty well spot-on, and I recommend you take a look.
As a side note, Tap Tap is on the amazingly cool label Catbird Records, which you ought to purchase things from at exceptionally good prices.

Brad at Both Sides of the Mouth recently did one on The Fratellis. They aren't exactly original, but it's really fun stuff. Like a "marriage between The Archie Bronson Outfit and Arctic Monkeys." I see a little bit of Pavement in them too, but I see Pavement in most bands these days. Maybe it's just hope.

The Culture Bully has been doing a lot of contests lately for free cds of some really good bands. Most of the time, giveaways are of lame bands, but they've got some good bands.

Speaking of giveaways, Ekko from Berkeley Place (another OLQ contributor...check his latest piece out here) has an excellent giveaway going on, too, for some free tickets to see Tapes n' Tapes and Annuals in DC on Halloween.

As for me, the band I've really been diggin' lately is Coach Fingers. I've been on a huge Man Man trip, so I've been into that Zappa/Beefheart kind of stuff, and these guys fit in well. They aren't as influenced by eastern European sounds as Man Man is, nor are they as strange. But they're still quite good.

Drop Off (yousendit...sorry.)

Man Man - Engrish Bwudd (follow link)

2006-09-24T17:24:00.000-04:00

So if you guys haven't figured out yet, I am quite of fan of The Boy Least Likely To. I don't know exactly why, as I'm usually more of one to enjoy darker tunes with more ambient and noise influences, but I think the lyrics really strike a chord with me. Jof writes about some rather obvious things, but he does so in a fashion that makes you think about things that we take for granted. If you didn't read the piece he wrote for SKwS a little bit back, I advise you do so. Head over to his official blog for some more of his entertaining, somewhat naive, and self-deprecating articles.
I was fortunate to stumble upon some BLLT radio sessions that they did for BBC Radio 2 and XFM and I thought I ought to share the songs with y'all. Some of them sound very similar to the regular versions, and some sound rather different. Regardless, they all sound excellent. I have the full sessions, interviews and all, as well, so if you wanted one of them, just drop me a line. You know the address.

BBC Radio 2:
Faith
Hugging My Grudge

XFM:
Hugging My Grudge
My Tiger My Heart
Paper Cuts

2006-09-22T17:36:00.000-04:00

Man, this is so totally exciting. SoaP was def my movie of the summer, and a sequel would be totally awesome! I mean, we're talking sequels in the way that Talladega Nights was to Anchorman, but they worked out, so why won't this!
Yeah...no. The jokes were lame even when Conan O'Brien used them. C'mon guys, find something better to do with your time than mock a movie just 'cos you don't understand it. It seriously was highly entertaining, and it seriously was my movie of the summer. I'm embarassed to admit that I was so stoked about it that I sat through Cobra Starship's song many times. I fact, I knew pretty much all of the lyrics. And I still don't understand the part about dollar signs in the snakes' eyes. Regardless, that Cee-Lo song was stellar.

Cee-Lo - Ophidiophobia - Cee-Lo just has the sweetest voice. Ever.
Cobra Starship - Snakes on a Plane (Bring It) [Juan Maclean Remix]
Both yousendit, sorry - anyone know a good host? Mediamax is rather difficult, but I like the direct mp3s.

OLQ

2006-09-20T17:51:00.000-04:00

So, SKwS is going to be seeing many less updates soon. Why? Because of Our Last Quarterstance: The Blog Tribunal. I'm not going to be abandoning this here site, but OLQ is going to get a lot of my focus, as I am doing a lot of writing for it, as well as editing. Oh, and I am officiall 'ad-free" now.

Blood Mountain

2006-09-18T21:01:00.000-04:00

Metal really isn't my thing. I think the last metal band I posted about was on 6/6/06, and that was purely for novelty purposes. So, one could assume, I really don't know anything about metal. And you would be spot on. I really don't. Boris still baffles me, even though I've been trying to get my head around them for ages. So this post really isn't based a whole lot on anything I know, it's more on what I've read and what I think of it.
I just read Popmatters' review of Mastodon's Blood Mountain, and they gave it a 10. I've not seen them give a ten for a while, so I knew this album must be pretty good. I've actually had limited exposure to Mastodon, and when I finally found a song off of Blood Mountain, I was amazed by how metal it was. Like, how can an album be that metal and get a 10 from a site that isn't mad metal? But regardless, it got a ten, and, I like it. It's more metal than most of my tastes, but its good, and worth checking out just to remind you of whether or not you can trust Popmatters.

The Wolf Is Loose

New Deerhoof Album

2006-09-17T20:35:00.000-04:00

This just in from Kill Rock Stars:

"Deerhoof finished recording and mastering their new record last week! It's called Friend Opportunity and will feature art by David Shrigley. Mark your calendars for its release: January 23, 2007."

Milk Man (yousendit again, sorry)

Fiery Furnaces Dates

2006-09-16T13:54:00.000-04:00

Some new Fiery Furnaces shows in some rather unlikely places.

18 Providence, RI / Lupo's @ The Strand *
19 New Haven, CT / Toad's Place *
22 Los Angeles, CA / Arthurfest @ Echo Plex
26 Northampton, MA / Pearl Street
27 Boston, MA / Middle East
28 Buffalo, NY / Showplace Theatre *
30 Toronto, ONT / Opera House *
31 Montreal, QUE / Cabaret La Tulipe *
1 Burlington, VT / Higher Ground *
3 Pittsburgh, PA / Mr. Small's
4 Columbus, OH / Little Brother's

* with Deerhoof

If you haven't yet gotten out to purchase Bitter Tea yet, I highly advise that you do so; it's one of the best albums of the year.

Police Sweater Blood Vow (live) - yousendit again, sorry - I'm having some difficulties with my new host.

Top 7 Pavement B-Sides

2006-09-14T18:16:00.000-04:00

So, yesterday's foray into the world of Pavement b-sides has sparked me to run my seven favorite Pavement b-sides! You're in luck.

7. My First Mine
Featured on Slanted and Enchanted: Luxe & Redux and originally from the Slanted sessions.
A pleasantly bouncy tune that gives the cymbals a nice work out. It also has a sweet harmonica/noise solo of sorts that sorts itself out as SM begins singing again, laying the groundwork for "Elevate Me Later."

6. Camera
Featured on Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: LA's Desert Origins and was originally from the "Cut Your Hair" single.
One of Pavement's mellower songs, more akin to what was to come than what they had already done. It features a great but quiet bass line and lots of noise, with SM's croon on top of it all.

5. Baptist Blacktick
Featured on Slanted and Enchanted: Luxe & Redux and originally from the Slanted sessions.
One of their most ferocious songs, "Baptist" is pulsing and in-your-face, with yet another killer bassline. SM's vocals reach levels never heard before, and rarely again.

4. Raft
Featured on Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: LA's Desert Origins and was originally from the "Range Life" single.
Another more mellow number, and another with an awesome bassline. There's very little noise, focusing more on SM's melodic (for once) vocals. Some excellent lyrics, too, with one of my Pavement faves: "You're an ocean of honey/painfully funny."

3. Kentucky Cocktail
Featured on Slanted and Enchanted: Luxe & Redux and originally from their June 23rd, 1992 John Peel session.
The guitars fuzz like Sonic Youth after listening to Dinosaur Jr., and the bass keeps it all going, slipping in and out of the noise. This song isn't so concerned with vocals, but they drop the noise for the verses, which are held up simply by the rhythm section. Some really great noise, though, if that's what you're into (like me).

2. For Sale: The Preston School of Industry
Featured on nothing currently, and really only from this video, which you can also find on the excellent Pavement documentary Slow Century.
A vocal "ooh"-based song a la "Cut Your Hair," with Spiral Stairs on the vocals, a rare occurrence. It is another more mellow cut, and wouldn't feel out of place on Wowee Zowee. Or at least the re-issue. Please Matador?

1. Unseen Power of the Picket Fence
Featured on Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: LA's Desert Origins and was originally from the alternative music compilation No Alternative.
Whoa. Preston School of Industry wasn't number one! Indeed it wasn't. As good as it is, "Unseen Power of the Picket Fence" is downright stellar. It is an R.E.M.-tribute song, informing you of everything about R.E.M. you would ever want to know, and then some. Outside of this unique aspect of the song, it also features some excellent instrumentals. It's pretty heavy and very lo-fi, but still has a CRCR flavor. Amazing.

Pavement? Wowee Zowee!

2006-09-13T19:06:00.000-04:00

I'd like to start off by thanking Jof from The Boy Least Likely To for writing his birthday present review. If, for some strange reason, you are reading this site and have not ever listened to TBLLT, do it. Right now (you can listen here). Anyways...

You all know how much I love Pavement. Well, if you don't, the answer is "lots." Which would of course lead one to beleive that I am very stoked for the Wowee Zowee reissue. And one would be correct.
Here is the tracklist (thanks to Pitchfork) for Wowee Zowee: Sordid Sentinels Edition:

DISC ONE
1 We Dance
2 Rattled by the Rush
3 Black Out
4 Brinx Job
5 Grounded
6 Serpentine Pad
7 Motion Suggests Itself
8 Father to a Sister Of Thought
9 Extradition
10 Best Friend's Arm
11 Grave Architecture
12 AT & T
13 Flux = Rad
14 Fight This Generation
15 Kennel District
16 Pueblo
17 Half a Canyon
18 Western Homes
19 Sordid [previously unreleased Wowee Zowee session outtake]
20 Brink of the Clouds [Rattled by the Rush b-side]
21 False Skorpion [Rattled by the Rush b-side]
22 Easily Fooled [Rattled by the Rush b-side]
23 Kris Kraft [Father to a Sister of Thought b-side]
24 Mussle Rock [Father to a Sister of Thought b-side]
25 Give It a Day [Pacific Trim EP
26 Gangsters & Pranksters [Pacific Trim EP
27 Saganaw [Pacific Trim EP
28 I Love Perth [Pacific Trim EP
29 Sentinel [previously unreleased Wowee Zowee session outtake]

DISC TWO
1 Sensitive Euro Man [I Shot Andy Warhol soundtrack]
2 Stray Fire [previously unreleased Wowee Zowee session outtake]
3 Fight This Generation [recorded March 3, 1994 at Hilversum, Holland]
4 Easily Fooled [recorded March 3, 1994 at Hilversum, Holland]
5 Soul Food [Wowee Zowee jam session w/Doug Easley on piano]
6 It's a Hectic World [from Homage to Descendents tribute album]
7 Kris Kraft [BBC in-studio; Steve Lamacq Evening Session, March 15, 1995]
8 Golden Boys/Serpentine Pad [BBC in-studio; Steve Lamacq Evening Session, March 15, 1995]
9 Painted Soldiers [BBC in-studio; Steve Lamacq Evening Session, March 15, 1995]
10 I Love Perth [BBC in-studio; Steve Lamacq Evening Session, March 15, 1995]
11 Dancing With the Elders [from Medusa Cyclone/Pavement split 7"]
12 Half a Canyon [live; Wireless JJJ Radio, Australia, July 7, 1994]
13 Best Friend's Arm [live; Wireless JJJ Radio, Australia, July 7, 1994]
14 Brink of the Clouds/Candylad [live; Wireless JJJ Radio, Australia, July 7, 1994]
15 Unfair [live; Wireless JJJ Radio, Australia, July 7, 1994]
16 Eaily Fooled [live; Wireless JJJ Radio, Australia, July 7, 1994]
17 Heaven Is a Truck [live; Wireless JJJ Radio, Australia, July 7, 1994]
18 Box Elder [live; Wireless JJJ Radio, Australia, July 7, 1994]
19 No More Kings [from Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks comp]
20 Painted Soldiers [from Kids in the Hall in Brain Candy soundtrack]
21 We Dance (alternate mix) [previously unreleased Wowee Zowee session outtake]

I'm really looking forward to this and all, but why isn't this song on there? I really want it in audio format.

Jof from The Boy Least Likely To - Guest Post

2006-09-13T16:01:00.000-04:00

it was my birthday a couple of weeks ago. and so i decided to write a review of all the presents that everyone gave me. and i decided to send it to still kisses with saliva because matt had written to me a few weeks ago asking if i wanted to write something. i’m still not sure why i decided to write a review of my birthday presents. i just thought it would be easier than sending everyone an email or writing to them to say thank you i guess. so here it is. a review of everything i got for my birthday. a big thank you to everyone who gave me a present.

simon and tracy gave me a copy of donny osmond’s 1973 classic ‘the twelfth of never’ on seven inch. although i have to admit to never having heard it before, so i gave it a listen. it was a bit rubbish. but it had quite a cool picture of donny on the cover. but the song was nowhere near as good as ‘puppy love’.

my friend morley gave me three cds that i think he must have found lying around at the pressing plant that he works in. all on the fence label. the first was a compilation of electronic remixes of lots of different artists, including king creosote, gangplank, the pictish trail and viva stereo. although at first it looks like a compilation, in fact half of the songs feature king creosote in some way. and then he gave me two king creosote albums, ‘disclaimer’ and ‘psalm clerk’. i listened to them both at five o clock in the morning on the way into london to do ‘hugging my grudge’ on breakfast televison. i was a big fan of the ‘kenny and beth’s musical boatrides’ album, so i was looking forward to these two albums. ‘psalm clerk’ was quite nice, a bit rambling in places, and it kept going off on psych folk wig outs a bit too much for my liking. but there was still some really lovely songs hidden in there. and a lovely line, “my problem is i see everything as a problem”, which i wish i’d written. i think i like the ‘disclaimer’ album better though.

my sister gave me forty pounds. in cash. brilliant. i’m not going to buy anything special with it. i’m going to waste it on alcohol and takeaway food.

amanda applewood gave me a book called ‘the rattle bag’, which is a collection of poems selected by ted hughes and seamus heaney. it’s a pretty amazing collection. hundreds and hundreds of poems that i’ve never read, and some of my favourites too. like ‘cut grass’ by philip larkin and ‘poppies in july’ by sylvia plath. i haven’t had a chance to read through it properly yet because it’s nearly five hundred pages long, but on the train home i found ‘how happy is the little stone’ by emily dickinson, and i liked that. and i read a poem by robert graves called ‘flying crooked’ which is all about a butterfly flying around without much sense of direction, and includes the lines “he lurches here and here by guess and god and hope and hopelessness”. and it reminded me of the direction that my life often seems to move in.

will and lucy gave me a bag of seven inch singles. most of which i’m embarassed to say i’d never heard of. a copy of ‘we’re going shopping’ by the pebbles on the damaged goods label, which is a fantastic garage pop record by a japanese girl band that i’d never heard of before. really great. ‘all we have to do is stay together’ by love junk, which was quite nice. reminded me of a grungier ramones. ‘company news’ by jacob’s mouse from the rough trade singles club series. a big mess of hand claps and raw stooges style rock n roll indie pop. ‘i’m a bee’ by love as laughter on k records. i had already heard of this and i really like what i’ve heard of love as laughter, so that was a nice present. and finally they gave me a copy of ‘monster’ by the beauty shop. an alt country power pop group from champaign illinois. it reminds me of absentee, and i think absentee are brilliant so this is brilliant too. i think will would really like this. i wonder if he knows what he gave me. maybe i’ll give it back to him for christmas.

as well as the singles they also gave me a tiny book with pictures of things that you point at when you don’t know the words for them. which will be really useful for me in countries that don’t speak either english or french. and they found me a plastic tube of touchabubbles. bubbles that you blow like ordinary bubbles but that don’t pop upon contact. a scientific twee pop phenomenon.

i got a copy of snow country by yasunari kawabata from my mum and dad, except they ordered it from the bookshop and it hasn’t come in yet so they just gave me a postcard with the title of the book written on. still exciting. and they gave me two buffy the vampire slayer dvd box sets. seasons four and five. which is brilliant. my two favourite episodes are included on there, ‘hush’ and ‘i was made to love you’. i watched them both today. i love the bit at the end of ‘i was made to love you’ when april the robot is running out of batteries and she says “when things are sad... you just have to be patient. because... because every... cloud has a silver lining. and... when life... gives you lemons... make... lemonade.” i always wanted to sample that bit of dialogue for ‘the best party ever’, to go between two of the songs, but i guess i just never got round to sorting it out. and season four has got the ‘superstar’ episode where jonathan becomes the superhero vampire slayer. i think jonathan is the character in buffy that i feel closest to somehow.

i got a home brew cider making kit from sophie and greg. it makes about forty pints of cider in all. and it has it’s own labels that i get to design for my cider. i’ll have to think up a clever name for my home brew. or maybe i’ll just call it ‘the best home brew ever’.

i also got some miniature wooden birds that have been beautifully hand carved and painted and sit on a little branch. one of the birds is a definitely a parrot, but i’m not sure what the other two are. definitely tropical though. i’m going to hang this in my bedroom window.

a few different people got me bags of sweets, so i thought i’d better mention them in the review. a generally good selection all round. alistair and justine bought me a particularly sugary bag which included cables, sour pink and blue bottles, strawberry crystal pieces, midget gems, jelly beans and two large foil wrapped caramel cups, which looked quite out of place in the bag. a really diverse and colourful selection, although if i was to have one complaint it would be that a lot of the jelly beans were green, and i’m not crazy about green sweets. also i have no idea how there came to be so much excess sugar in the bag. i’ll have to ask alistair if he put extra scoopfuls of sugar in there. the second bag of pick n mix leaned more towards chocolates and soft candies, like bananas and shrimps. again, a really interesting selection, but the flavours were a bit more subtle and less sugary. a really exciting find, towards the bottom of the bag, was a pink chocolate mouse. i don’t think i’d ever had one of them before so that was really something. i think they must have been bought in london. i also received two unmixed bags of sweets which definitely deserve a mention. one of dolly mixtures, which are probably my favourite sweets, and another bag of pink strawberry fizzy piglets, which i mixed in gradually with the other bags and which really complimented the other selections.

and i got a book ‘archy and mehitabel’ by don marquis, which is a collection of poems written from the perspective of a cockroach called archy that lives in a newspaper office, and a cat called mehitabel that used to be cleopatra. archy types up little poems on the typewriter after everyone has left for the day, except he can’t use the shift key on the typewriter so it all reads like an ee cummings poem. i love this book already.

and i got a stone. a stone that was perfectly shaped like a heart. it’s deep red with tiny little spots on. and it’s heavy and cold. and i’m going to sit it next to my bed to remind me.

Ah, Glasgow

2006-09-12T18:14:00.000-04:00

First, there was Orange Juice. Then there was Franz Ferdinand. Now there's Hoboken? We can only hope. On Royal Jelly Records, they formed in 2001, and are as well dressed as the boys from Interpol, even if they'd fit in better in the 50s than the 80s when it comes to style. Yes, I know I just named dropped like three bands right there, but don't get the idea that these guys sound like any of them. The closest x+y description of these guys was made by The Morning Star, who claimed that Hoboken "sounds like Scott Walker turning up unannounced at a Pet Shop Boys gig," but I seriously recommend checking them out for yourself to hear what they sound like. They've got a dynamic vocalist like Scott Walker or David Bowie (and their name may be a reference to Frank Sinatra's hometown) and they've got synths that would fit right in with My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. I rarely get this stoked about an upandcoming new band. Seriously, check these guys out:

Beauty Queen {(SKwS Top Track)}
Suicide (SKwS Recommended Track)

Myspace.
Buy.

U.F.O.s at the Zoo

2006-09-11T15:55:00.000-04:00

A little bit back, I mentiond this very exciting concert. Want some reasons why it's excellent? It's at the zoo. Wayne Coyne and friends have been going all out to make this their best production yet. Deerhoof is playing with them. So are Stardeath and White Dwarfs. Wait up, who?

Stardeath and White Dwarfs is from Oklahoma City and claim to make the "sound that might occur if King Crimson and Coldplay got stoned and had sex with each other." To me they sound more like The Flaming Lips bipolar cousin. They've got a similar vocal style and psychedelic tendencies, but they tend to be either less happy or more glitchy. Sometimes bouncing between the two in the same song. It's really good though. Like seriously. Listen to "The Progressive" down there. You won't be disappointed.
This is a band who's progession I'm interested in watching. They seem to be under the wing of The F'Lips, which can never be a bad thing, and they make some great tunes in their own right. Expect their debut album sometime at the end of this year.

The Progressive {(SKwS Top Track)} - One of their less happy ventures and certainly their best.
Point It at Another (SKwS Recommended Track) - Another less happy track, but one that also demonstrates their more electronic/glitch side.
Chemical - Their most glitchy track, and it's certainly an interesting one.

As Deerhoof is playing there, too, here's an exciting remix by Vancouver's Hot Loins:
Rrrrrrrrrght [Hott Loinz Mxx Down]

If you made your own remix of Rrrrrrrrrright, send it in (mattskws@gmail.com) and, if I like it, you'll see it up here.

Five Years

2006-09-11T15:27:00.000-04:00

In commemeration of the five year anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center, one of the things that stands out best in my mind:

If you haven't got time to watch all eight and a half minutes of it, at least watch the fifth minute.

David Bowie - Five Years

Collapsing Opposites

2006-09-09T12:05:00.000-04:00

Vancouver's Collapsing Opposites are an excellent amalgam of the most chill stuff Pavement ever put out and Architecture in Helsinki, led by the saxophonist for They Shoot Horses Don't They, everyone's favorite band three months ago. They've got the carefree style of Pavement, and a lead singer who is actually pretty awful (and kind of sounds like Daniel Smith, but that's nothing to do with SM), but it works out. They have the witty lyrics of Pavement, and they actually name-drop Pavement at one point, as well as The Fall. Any band that name drops good bands gets free kudos. On top of their pavement-isms, they've got a wide array of instruments that they may have stolen from AiH, though I'm not sure.

Mirror Stage (SKwS Recommended Track)
Looking Back
Letter to the Editor

Theirspace. Their source of income (it's only eight dollars!).
--
As a last minute clarification of something in the post, the lead singer is not bad, per se, he's just not Antony Hegarty. Stephen Malkmus and Thurston Moore are similar to this, as, even though they aren't excellent vocalists, the song sounds great. The song just wouldn't be the same with an excellent vocalist.

Sofamecca

2006-09-08T23:28:00.000-04:00

Two things to remember before I make this long overdue post (I've been meaning to talk about these guys for a while now):

sofa: n a long, upholstered couch with a back and two arms or raised ends
mecca: n any place that many people visit or hope to visit

Given what we know, we can assume that a "sofamecca" would be a place that sofas would visit/hope to visit. Well, true to their name, Australia's Sofamecca make music that seems comfortable and wraps you up, just like an excellent sofa. They have some M. Ward-esque folk overtop of swirling ambience that creates a cozy atmosphere that could only be existant in an area full of something as cozy as a whole lot of sofas.
Okay, that was a horrible idea, the whole "mecca for sofas" thing. Feel free to berate me to no end. Before doing so, give these tunes a listen:

Omar Sharif - SKwS Recommended Track
Saturdays
Forest Fires

Purchase.

Love Is All Is All You Need

2006-09-07T17:04:00.000-04:00

My buddies over at Pitchfork have recently informed me that my second favorite Swedish imports are going to see a re-release of their stellar debut, and us American folks are going to see them live at a variety of places. Love Is All's debut, Nine Times That Same Song was an excellent lo-fi garage/punk album with some nice instrumentation. Here's the schedule:

09-10 Isle of Wight, England - Bestival
09-11 London, England - Trash at the End
09-12 London, England - King's College
09-14 Sheffield, England - Leadmill
09-15 Glasgow, Scotland - ABC2
09-16 Manchester, England - The Roadhouse
09-17 Birmingham, England - Academy
09-18 Oxford, England - Zodiac
09-30 Glasgow, Scotland - Academy
10-01 Manchester, England - Academy
10-02 Middlesbrough, England - Town Hall
10-04 Sheffield, England - Octagon
10-05 Birmingham, England - Academy
10-06 London, England - Brixton Academy
10-14 Cardiff, Wales - Barfly
10-19 Reykjavik, Iceland - Airwaves Festival
10-24 Philadelphia, PA - Starlight Ballroom
10-25 Washington, DC - Black Cat
10-27 New York, NY - Knitting Factory (two shows)
10-28 Montreal, Quebec - Main Hall
10-29 Toronto, Ontario - Horseshoe Tavern
10-30 Seattle, WA - Neumos
10-31 Vancouver, British Columbia - Pat's Pub
11-02 San Francisco, CA - Popscene
11-03 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo
11-10 Lille, France - Aeronef
11-11 Paris, France - Cigale
11-12 Nantes, France - Olympic
11-14 Bordeaux, France - Theatre Barbey

Felt Tip (demo) - This is a weird one, let me tell you. Without that killer bassline, and with an ambient keyboard backing it, the song takes on a whole new format. See what you think.

Do You Hate Bathtime?

2006-09-07T16:48:00.000-04:00

Lurch hates bathtime. Lurch also makes some good music. Straight from London, Lurch reminds us what punk is all about. In the same vein as Art Brut, they make music that is in your face and knows it. It's kinda lo-fi, which works out very well, and they know how to make a ruckus. The lead singer lands somewhere between Eddie Argos and Johny Lydon, and the basslines are already making all of your little sister's favorite post-punk bands salivate. I've got "I Hate Bath Time" here for y'all, and I recommend that you give "Juicy Lucy" a listen over at their myspace.

I Hate Bathtime

This Town Is Full of Monsters

2006-09-06T22:28:00.000-04:00

Quick post today, sorry.
Cindy Hotpoint was kind enough to put up the hotly anticipated Armand Van Helden Mix of our Boys Least Likely To's stellar track "Monsters." As soon as I heard that it would be available as a b-side to the new single I was pretty stoked. Here's the original, and here's a link to Cindy's hot blog, The Rich Girls Are Weeping, where you shall find this...interesting remix.

Monsters

Buy the Boy's material here.

The Breeders

2006-09-05T15:44:00.000-04:00

So...an update on the seminal chick-alt-rock band of the 1990s, The Breeders. Apparently they are going to have an EP ready for release by the end of the year, and a new full-length by the beginning of next year. That's pretty exciting. It seems that early-90s bands are making a combeack lately (Sebadoh reissuing III, Pixies reunion, Dinosaur Jr. reunion) If you don't know anything about them, they were originally the side project of Pixies's bassist Kim Deal and Throwing Muses's guitarist Tanya Donelly. Both of these bands met their demise in the early '90s, and The Breeders became the focus of these two, resulting in a) better material, and b) more recognition. In 1993, they got large amounts of said recognition, due in large part to the popularity of "Cannonball," off of Last Splash. Here is "Cannonball," as well as some of The Breeders' takes on classic tunes:

Cannonball
The Freed Pig (Sebadoh cover)
Happiness Is a Warm Gun (Beatles cover)

One Hit Wonders for the Weekend

2006-09-02T23:40:00.000-04:00

"One Hit Wonders for the Weekend" is about artists who I find while scouring the internet. These artists however, despite being on download.com, myspace, purevolume, or epitonic, have nothing else to find about them. They have no official website and limited-to-no contact info. I do, however, enjoy a song or two by this artist (who will likely never make another song that I hear - therefore, they are a 'one-hit wonder'). Hopefully it will inspire a few of these bands to come out of hiding. Another style of this is just about the traditional idea of a one-hit wonder, where I will post a specific song that I like by a band, but everything else that I have heard by them is less than good.
Artist:
Dirty Moblins
Found them through:
download.com - It's the only thing about them online, and they have no contact info there.
Given Description:
"Despite the name, Dirty Moblins is the project of one very lonely individual. This individual sings, plays guitar and bass, and relies on a drum machine for beats. He enjoys concise guitar solos, simple bass lines, and vocal harmonies built on 3rds and 5ths."
What Really Matters:
So...I'll probably lose some cred admitting this, but this song really impresses me. It honestly sounds kinda like Chris Carrabba, but it seems a lot more honest. Anyway, it is just a guy and his guitar, playing some poppy heart on his sleeve songs, so if that is something you always try to avoid, don't give this a shot. If you like a good singer/songwriter, check this out, 'cos it's really impressive. Mr. Dirty Moblins, please show us what else you have to offer. Maybe throw in a little bit of electronic experimenting, too. Please?

Track:
Diane Lane

Magic Numbers, Sonic Youth, Ween, Flaming Lips Live

2006-09-01T09:38:00.000-04:00

So...we really missed most of The Magic Numbers, and what we saw was decent, but nothing like what was to come. Sonic Youth came on and started with "Teenage Riot," which was done excellently (intro and all) and ended with an almost ten minute feedback "solo," if you will, including Thurston (pictured second from the right) and Lee (all the way to the left) having a swordfight with their respective instruments (guitar and bass). It was sweet. "Reena" and "Incinerate", both off of the somewhat disappointing Rather Ripped were stellar live, and Kim's awful dance moves made it a whole lot better. Top the dance moves off with Thurston's insane shredding, and it was pretty sweet. Then add Pavement's own Mark Ibold! He stayed on for the whole show, doing a good job, but looking somewhat out of place during the feedback solos. Let's hope that's not the closest I get to seeing a Pavement show this decade. "Do You Beleive in Rapture?" is my favorite from Ripped and it was amazing as well, perhaps the best song they played all night. Everything was not perfect however, as they had some technical troubles. "There's nothing worse than a perfect band" said Thurston at one point. Too true.

Set list:
Teenage Riot
Reena
Incinerate
Mote
Do You Beleive in Rapture?
What a Waste
Schizophrenia
Turquoise Boy
Candle
Jams Run Free
Pink Steam
Coming in, I really didn't know much about Ween, and, well, I still don't really. I had the impression that they were kind of a joke band, which this concert only verified, if in a good way. The lighting and other such effects were excellent, and the songs were nice and loud, but I couldn't really get into them. "Leave Deaner Alone" was pretty entertaining, however.

Set List:
Buckingham Green
Spinal Menengitis
Happy Colored Marbled
Light Me Up
Voodoo Lady
The Stallion Pt 3
She's Your Baby
Let Me Roll It
Take Me Away
Touch My Tooter
Pandy Fackler
Even If You Don't
The Mollusk
Leave Deaner Alone
Wavin My Dick In The Wind
I'll be Your Johnny On the Spot
Someday (Missing)
So...the big guns now. It took The Flaming Lips some time to get on stage, but it was well worth the wait. Just watching the people dressed up like superheroes getting the stage ready was entertaining enough, and, every once in a while, Wayne would walk out on stage and the audience would go nuts. Finally, when we'd waited long enough, they busted out the hamster ball, and the games began. After Wayne got back on stage, they opened with "Race for the Prize," which was an amazing opener. They kept it dark on stage until the opening notes of the song, at which point everything lit up and every confetti gun they had shot their entire contents into the crowd. At this point, I decided that nothing they did could top how they began. I was proven wrong, though, as nearly every song was better than the last, discounting two of the slower songs from Mystics ("Vein of Stars" and "My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion"). "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 2" was a track that surpirsed me when they played it, and it was pretty rockin'. Wayne walked around the stage firing his streamer gun into the audience while Drozed rocked as hard as those guys from Lordi. "She Don't Use Jelly" was another surprise, also pulled off very well. "The W.A.N.D." was an unsurprising pick that was excellent, and "Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" did a great job with audience participation. Speaking of audience participation, as a means to get the people in the seated section to sing along, Wayne busted out what appeared to be a Mother Theresa puppet. They returned no less than a minute after leaving the first time, and played an awesome rendition of "A Spoonful Weighs a Ton," off of The Soft Bulletin. Mixing the amazing old-school tune with the crunch from their new album worked really well, so, if you're someone who wants to hear their classic songs redone with the new-school crunch, hit up a F'Lips show at a county fair near you. Or if you're just someone who likes amazing shows.

Set List:
Race For the Prize
Free Radicals
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 2
Vein of Stars
Yeah Yeah Yeah Song
The W.A.N.D.
My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion
She Don't Use Jelly
Do You Realize??
Encore:
A Spoonful Weighs a Ton

Recipe of the Day

2006-08-30T17:41:00.000-04:00

The Annuals
Ingredients:
1 Cup Arcade Fire
2 Cup Danielson
1 Cup Sufjan Stevens
4 Cups ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead

To prepare, mix all of the ingredients together, then sift through some electronic noises. Put the hype to high, and leave it there until the album releases, occasionally turning the hype up a little more. Enjoy!

Brother - {(SKwS Top Track!!)}
Nice Sufjan-esque acoustic beginning, until about the 1:50 mark, when they break it down better than (dare I say it?) Band of Horses do on "The Funeral". They've got the bombast of all the biggest bands of the past few years and a lot of Trail of Dead-like power and emotion.
Bleary-Eyed
Dry Clothes
(mp3s courtesy of Ace-Fu)
Befriend them.

This...And Everyone Else

2006-08-29T16:35:00.000-04:00

This Et Al hail from Leeds. Formed in 2002, they have been compared to Sonic Youth, ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, and Queens of the Stone Age. Honsetly, if you put those three in a blender, you'd end up with what these guys sound like. Maybe add a pinch of post-punk. But anyways, they're pretty noisy a la Sonic Youth, but more melodic, a la QOTSA. They've also got a bit of the emotion that ...Trail of Dead utilizes so well, but not quite as much bombast. It's good though. They've got a their debut coming out pretty soon; this one is from a split with everyone's favorite Forward Russia!:

He Shoots Presidents

Be their friend.
Buy their records here.

Sebadoh Interview

2006-08-28T15:33:00.000-04:00

In honour of the reissue of Sebadoh's III, I got to interview the three jolly fellows who make up the seminal lo-fi folk band of the 90s. Here it is, in its full and unabridged form:

SKwS: Alright, so, first things first: What inspired you to re-issue III this year, and are you pleased with how the re-mastered edition sounds?

Lou: we released it now simply because it took this long for eric and i to hash out all the details..the fact that it is on the heels of the dinosaur reissues/reunion is coincidence.. III was originally released on homestead records which was run by a thieving bastard..it's nice to get into the capable hands of domino who did a great job getting the record remastered and trying to make it look good.. i think waiting 16 years for the first sebadoh reissue shows a remarkable amount of restraint on our part...we haven't even released a compilation..i think we have been refreshingly unimpressed by ourselves..or nobody wants the shit..haven't figured that out..

Eric; We were inspired to re-issue III because we have quite a few recordings out of print from the early days and III was tops on the list and a favorite of fans and critics alike. Plus, I needed the spending money. WE love it, mastered the fucker at Abbey Road.

Jason: Finally wrestled it back from the grimey paws of Homestead Records! I cant answer the 2nd 1/2 of the question, because I havent seen or heard a final copy of the reissue yet.

SKwS: Does the re-issue of III mean that we can expect a new Sebadoh album sometime soon, or at least a tour?

Lou: maybe..we're talking about a tour..but i dunno..eric and i don't agree on much..

Eric; We're debating when and how. Sure, I'm up for touring and reissues and hard at work trying to see if we can make it happen. Jason is gonna join me on drums at CMJ in New York this fall if I get in, and if he's not out with the Fiery Furnaces, so you can count on seeing 2/3 of us if I get us a showcase.

Jason: I think that there was always going to be another Sebadoh record and more touring. This reissue event has maybe made it a possibility that the original lineup might tour again though. I really never thought that could happen before.

SKwS: Did you ever expect Sebadoh to become as popular as they are? I mean, you started out self-releasing cassettes through record stores, and your sound was quite different than everything else in the lo-fi scene, as your songs were (usually) less hardcore and more folk-influenced.

Lou: i had already experienced success with dinosaur so i can't say it surprised me..we toured alot and wrote some good songs, there weren't many bands back then so it wasn't such a stretch to think we'd do OK..and we did OK..nothing crazy..nothing near what pavement did.. there was a huge backlash against us in the late 90's, we lost half our fans and pretty much ended the band due to universal indifference.. i'm glad the reissue seems to be doing well but from my experience on the road, picking up the pieces of the sebadoh legacy, it's hard for me think of us as popular..since 2000 it's been a real struggle with no resurgence in sight..

Eric; Yes, I knew it all along. I sprinkled fairy dust over the Freed Man tape, stuck it in the DR. Seuss display box and Zing! Instant success.

Jason: I just wanted to make records and tour. So everything else was a surprise... Going to Europe, making money, getting better record deals, having people give a damn. That was all unexpected from my point of view.

SKwS: If you each had to pick a favorite Sebadoh song, what would it be? Favorite Sebadoh member?

Lou: i like unseen waste.. and jason..

Eric; My favorite Sebadoh member? Is this a joke? I vote for me, the leader. Fave song? The Lorax.

Jason: From Lou "Sexual Confusion" comes to mind. From Eric: "Holy Picture"
"Favorite Sebadoh member?" - Please... "Honey, did you know that you are my favorite grandchild?"

SKwS: What sort of new music have you guys been enjoying? Do you think that today’s indie rock scene is as good as the scene that you were such key players in?

Lou: bands are much better now..maybe because there are so many of them..more to choose from.. i like animal collective, the walkmen, priestess ..i thought indie bands in the 90's were relatively bland..

Eric; The radio in San Francisco is weak, I like Broadcast Ha Ha, are they new? Today's Indie Rock scene is like melted margarine. ie; I don't want to see it, hear it. Just kidding. There's lots of great music out there, it just doesn't always find it's way to me. It has to be in Billboard's Top 200 or I wont even listen to it, whatever it is.

Jason: I like Deerhoof, Fiery Furnaces and Om... Saw a band called "Die! Die! Die!" the other night... Thought they were great.
For the most part, I think that the indie rock scene is a goddamn disaster. Posers all!

SKwS: Eric, you are considered to have a big influence on the psychedelic sound of Sebadoh. Where does you interest in psychedelic music come from?

Eric; I AM the psychedelic sound of Sebadoh you dumb shit. I grew up with the music. My parents were fans of the 60's SF-sound, folk rock, Beatles, Dylan, Pentangle, Jefferson Tuna Fish Can Opener, and all that.

SKwS: Jason, you’ve worked with Will Oldham and the Fiery Furnaces. How was working with these well-regarded songsmiths?

Jason: Singular experiences. I was / am a fan of both of these "bands" before playing with them so it makes me hugely proud to have worked with them.
Working with Matt and Eleanor Friedberger has been challenging and mind expanding as a player, and for my sense of how music is written and made to work for a band. I think that I am lucky to be working with some extremely talented and inspired people.

BTW... I am STILL a member of the touring version of the Fiery Furnaces.... Lead guitarist now!

SKwS: You released your solo album, At Sixes and Sevens, in 2002. Did you find it difficult to be the only instrumentalist on the album? Any plans for more solo work?

Jason: Nope, I find it easier to work alone for the most part! Im working on some new stuff right now!

SKwS: Lou, does the recent reunion of Dinosaur Jr. mean that we can expect a new Dino Jr. album sometime soon? Also, how are you feeling about Mascis right now? I know that you two have had your trouble, but does the reunion mean that you have settled your differences?

Lou: we are working on a new record, in fact murph is here now and he and i are trying to jam some ideas together.. j is a very unique person, i have more of an appreciation of that now..and he's not abusive which makes it a whole lot easier too..

SKwS: You have been one of the best, most prolific song writers since the 1990s. Where do you find the constant inspiration?

Lou: i've slowed alot..i'm not sure why i still get called prolific..the last few records i've done totally tanked too so it's hard for me to believe that anyone but the die hards give a shit these days.. but, i love music..it's all i do, all i can do .. a good song can change your day, even your life so it's my duty to continue trying to find new combinations of words and sounds...

SKwS: Is there any chance of a Lou Barlow-Stephen Malkmus collaboration? A Lou Barlow-Robert Pollard collaboration? Maybe all three of you together?

Lou: ..though i'm friendly with both of 'em (even born in the same hospital as pollard!) i can't imagine what set of circumstances could make that happen..

SKwS: In 2005, you toured Spain to back Emoh. What was your experience there? Were you as popular across the Atlantic as you are here?

Lou: my audiences are the same size everywhere..50-100 on average.. jesus from acualera records made the spain tour possible..my shows are the same everywhere too: personal, fun, funny..the people that come to see me play are very considerate..everywhere..

Thank you all for your time.

--

Head on over to the Domino Mart to buy the album.

One-Hit Wonders for the Weekend

2006-08-26T20:26:00.000-04:00

"One Hit Wonders for the Weekend" is about artists who I find while scouring the internet. These artists however, despite being on download.com, myspace, purevolume, or epitonic, have nothing else to find about them. They have no official website and limited-to-no contact info. I do, however, enjoy a song or two by this artist (who will likely never make another song that I hear - therefore, they are a 'one-hit wonder'). Hopefully it will inspire a few of these bands to come out of hiding. Another style of this is just about the traditional idea of a one-hit wonder, where I will post a specific song that I like by a band, but everything else that I have heard by them is less than good.
Band:
Action Action
Style:
Pop-Punk with an 80s influence
My 2 Cents:
I'm not too big into pop punk really. In fact, I really dislike it. However, this one particular track by Action Action does something right. The lead singer sounds like he's trying to be Robert Smith (which I, for one, don't mind), and the synths are noticable, if not as key as they are to The Killers. I've never heard anything else too stellar by these guys, but this track is a-pretty-pretty good.
Track:
Let's Never Go to Sleep

The Higher State

2006-08-26T11:55:00.000-04:00

We all like Love. And Cream, and the Byrds, and all those bands. So does The Higher State. Formed in 2005, these folks make psychadelic folk rock for today's generation, with just a touch of punk. They really would not feel out of place if they wound up in the 60s, kinda in the same way that Nic Armstrong and the Thieves wouldn't feel out of place back then either. Not that they sound like Nic Armstrong, it's just that they don't sound retro, they sound...old. There's a difference there. But, anyways, these guys are much more diggable than Nic Armstrong. I mean, I like Nic Armstrong; I have his CD. But I like psychadelic rock moreso than roots rock, thus I find myself diggin this a ton more. Chickity check out the un-mastered versions (I think they sound just fine this way, however):
From Round Here - SKwS Recommended Track
Every Word

Head on over to their myspace for some more tunes, or buy from their label.

Animusic

2006-08-25T23:10:00.000-04:00

Hey sorry for the quick post today, but things were mad busy (and probably will continue to be for the next few days, so forgive me).

Anyway, what's in the title.
I was introduced to Animusic by my cousin, and it's pretty sweet. Like sure, you'll watch it and tell everyone how cheesy it is. But, deep inside, you think it's sweet, too. You just don't have the balls like I do to admit it.
What is it, you ask? They are these Yngwie Malmsteen-kinda songs when it comes to how technically complicated they are, and they've it's got these really cool animations of the music being played by all sorts of machines. here's my fave:

Head to their site to buy it on DVD, VHS, or audio only on CD.

Bang

2006-08-24T17:50:00.000-04:00

I've never heard of the Bang Music Festival before, but it seems exciting in a really non-indie sort of way. I mean, the most indie band there is Modest Mouse, who, despite being awesome, aren't so indie these days. But, it's got Gnarls Barkley, Daft Punk, and the headliner is...DURAN DURAN! I love Duran Duran. Unfortunately, it's in Miami, which is quite a drive from my house. Regardless, it would be really cool to go see some good bands that aren't mad indie. I don't do that often. Anyway, what you're here for, the cuts:

Duran Duran - Girls on Film [Night Version]
Gnarls Barkley - Crazy (live)
Modest Mouse - Perfect Disguise
Daft Punk - Crescendolls

In other news...

"All humans are urged to attend."

Brief Update

2006-08-24T13:20:00.000-04:00

Just got an e-mail from Nuh Uh in regards to their show this Friday night. Check it:

"Come join me [Damion] and Conrad [the two guys from Nuh Uh] tomorrow night for one last hurrah with Nuh Uh before we hit the road with our other great band (the burgeoning Takka Takka). Note that we are *headlining* this show, which is a first in Nuh Uh history (let's hope it's not the last). We're debuting a new song, working with new equipment, and generally bringing a whole new Nuh Uh experience. Here's the skinny:

Friday, August 25th
FAT BABY
112 Rivington St.
New York, NY
$7 cheap
**Nuh Uh (10:30)**
Pablo (9:30)
Titles (8:30)
Bikini Carwash Company (7:30)

Bring your friends, bring your family, bring your earplugs. And bring your butt -- this show is going to kick it."

Already posted this, but here is "This Is Embarassing" again, an awesome 10-minute plus lo-fi epic:

This Is Embarassing

Nice Day for a Drive By Shooting

2006-08-23T15:48:00.000-04:00

Meet Whitey. I don't know much about the guy; he's got no website. He's either on 1-2-3-4 Records, Dim Mak, or both. He has toured with LCD Soundsystem, Buzzcocks, and New Order. So, is he house, punk, or post-punk? Well, mostly house, but he's got some punk influence. It seems like his debut, The Light at the End of the Tunnel Is a Train was available since 2005 over at 1-2-3-4, but Dim Mak is claiming it isn't coming out until this October. I don't really know. But, I do know that I like this new song, which is reminiscent of LCD Soundsystem (especially the vocal delivery), but with more live instruments:

A Walk in the Dark/Reprise

-edit-

I forgot to mention that Whitey was on Bloc Party's Silent Alarm Remixed album, remixing "Helicopter." Take a listen:

Helicopter [Whitey Version]

Buy the whole thing at Amazon.

In Touch with the Ground

2006-08-23T11:21:00.000-04:00

Ever wonder what Hungry Like the Wolf would sound like if it got 90's-ified and lost all aspects of pop that it once had that made it so brilliant? Me neither. Well, in case you ever find yourself pondering that, Superbeing filled this unnecessary niche. Hailing from Vancouver, they are "hard rocking, blue-collar heroes," or so they claim. I usually wear t-shirts, so don't ask me. Anyway, here's that Duran Duran cover:

Superbeing - Hungry Like the Wolf (Duran Duran cover)

I think I originally found this song from Copy, Right? a downright stellar blog.

Some News

2006-08-22T09:54:00.000-04:00

Everybody's favorite Hobokiens, Yo La Tengo, are putting together a sweet little program for people who pre-order the new album (from any of the sources listed at the site). The "Beat Your Ass Season Pass" allows you to stream the whole new album before it ships to your house ("in all its 77 1/2 minute glory"). Further bonuses: Quicktime version of the booklet before it ships to your house, free mp3s, available only to people who get the pass, and some other things like advanced access to tickets. Participating retailers:

Criminal Records, Atlanta, Georgia - This place is highly excellent, by the way.
Easy Street Records, Seattle, Washington
Insound
Lou's Records, Enicintas, California
Directly from Matador
Other Music, New York, New York
Park Ave. CDs, Orlando, Florida
Sonic Boom, Seattle, Washington
Twist and Shout, Denver, Colorado

In other, news, AIH hit us with a lot today. First, they've got anywhere from 9-20 songs ready for their next album, which should be ready by early-to-mid '07. Second, wait for it...they are making a remix album! Who isn't these days? I won't berate them too much however, 'cos I like them too much. Last, in a sad bit of news, Tara and Isobel are "no longer part of the group." Didn't give us a reason why, though. What can you do?

Max Tundra - The Owls Go (Architecutre In Helsinki cover)

d'Astro

2006-08-21T00:30:00.000-04:00

So I've no clue the definition of what is in my header there. None. The band seems to have some problems of their own, because, as they describe it, "The drummer thinks he is in a disco, the singer is trying to be a white rapper, the bass player is clearly angry the world and it's injustices and the guitarist appears to be eating an entire beehive." Their website is really un-informative, if colourful, and all I've really learned from it is that they're from Leeds. By listening to their tunes, however, I've learned a few more things. Mainly, that they sound a ton like The Fall, but if The Fall did more things that I liked.

Similarites to The Fall, which just so happen to be my favorite things about The Fall:
Lo-fi sound
Dance vibe a la Gang of Four
Vocal delivery similar to Mark E. Smith, the man every parent wants their child to be

Differences from The Fall, which just so happen to be the reason that I think I like them more (even if they are less influential):
Less mantras. After hearing "Couldn't get ahead" yelled/spoke 30 times, the last thing I need is 15 more.
Shorter songs. The Fall have some killer hooks, but their songs are entirely too long. d'Astro keeps their songs short.

Here's a sample, which is an SKwS recommended track:
Four/four

Go listen at their myspace if you liked that one.

One-Hit Wonders for the Weekend

2006-08-19T22:55:00.000-04:00

Finally, a feature that I think I may keep on doing. It is about artists who I find while scouring the internet. These artists however, despite being on download.com, myspace, or epitonic, have nothing else to find about them. They have no official website and limited-to-no contact info. I do, however, enjoy a song or two by this artist (who will likely never make another song that I hear - therefore, they are a 'one-hit wonder'). Hopefully it will inspire a few of these bands to come out of hiding. Another thing I will try is just about the traditional idea of a one-hit wonder, where I will post a specific song that I like by a band, but everything else that I have heard by them is less than good.

First up:
Explain Red
Found them through:
download.com
Only one good song, or could only find what is on download.com?
Could only find what is on download.com
Given Description:
"Sweden's Explain Red makes club-ready electronic anthems for in-the-know indie kids. Students of Kraftwerk will appreciate the earnest robotic effects--Explain's synth organ has every one of its "'80s" stops pulled--while throbbing beats will entrance dance-punk devotees or Trent Reznor ideologues."
What Really Matters:
This is straight-up house. This is the stuff that Daft Punk was making back on Homework (if not quite as amazing). This is MSTRKRFT with a poppier side. This is not The Knife. But this is still very good. It would fit in well on any dance mix you're making, and it's indier than a Pavement concert in your local bar's basement.

Track:
Explain Red - I Mr You

P.S. In other news, I'm conducting an interview with Sebadoh that will be available ASAP. x3

Nuh Uh Is a Rock Band, Suckers.

2006-08-19T11:06:00.000-04:00

"Nuh Uh is a rock band," reads the tagline from their official site. How true. But, look a little deeper, and you'll see what else there is about them. Their recently-released debut album (available at Amp Camp) is three tracks and nearly a half-hour long. They claim that "manage to avoid being 'jammy'," another completely true comment. Despite the fact that their songs are 10+ minutes long, a guy like me (who has difficulty focusing on the Grateful Dead) can enjoy them from start to finish. Here's the kicker though: "The songs owe a greater debt to Guided by Voices than Yes." Completely true (3 for 3 - they're honest folks, so go buy their album!), as the lead singer sounds like he fell straight out of the Pavement/Dinosaur Jr./GVB movement, as does the sound quality. And there is the greatest irony. That whole movement was all about short songs, while Nuh Uh is making ten-minute tracks. But they still sound like they belong in my favorite musical scene ever. So, they're pretty sweet.

This Is Embarassing - SKwS Recommended Track

Fresh off the Boat

2006-08-17T18:45:00.000-04:00

You like Beirut, right? I mean, c'mon who doesn't love the Eastern-europian sounds from non-eastern european people? Apparently, Golem likes the idea too. A six-piece from NYC, this mini-collective makes tunes that make Beirut seem American. Toss some 70s punk into the mix, and bam! - it's kicked up a notch. Their new album, Fresh off the Boat, comes out August 22nd, and features appearances by Phish's bassist and the Dresden Dolls' lead singer. Also, if you order before August 21st, you are entered to win a Video iPod! What luck.

Warsaw Is Khelm (featuring Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls) (mp3 couresy of Spin)

Be their friend.
Pre-order their new album (and be entered to win a Video iPod)
Reserve them for your bat mitzvah. No, really.

Chinchilla

2006-08-17T17:30:00.000-04:00

A bit back I posted about how I was beat to the punch on posting about Chris Chinchilla's Macaca Mulatta. Well today, I just learned that Chris is quite prolific - he is putting out some solo materials, too, which can be heard over at his myspace. They aren't half bad. This seems very similar to the Dino Jr.-Sebadoh split - it may be lacking the drama, but otherwise it's rather similar. Especially with how much the guy churns out - just like Barlow.

Takka Takka

2006-08-17T15:07:00.000-04:00

Meet Takka Takka. I spoke about them eariler, as they are going on tour with CYHSY and AIH. I'm expecting a good show, even if Anon was hatin' on Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's live show. But anyways, due to the fact that they are playing at a concert I'm attending, I felt I should check them out. I'm glad I did. They're what you'd get if you made Yo La Tengo slightly more twee (but not really) and a lot more lo-fi. Take a glance at my favourite track I've heard so far.
Coco on the Corner - SKwS Top Track!!!
If you like it, head on over here to download a free download-only EP.
Theirspace for even more songs.

Buy Now for Big Savings!!!

2006-08-16T22:19:00.000-04:00

If you haven't yet, I highly recommend heading over to Fat Possum's merch site, where every CD is ten dollars or less! So, if you haven't bought Bitter Tea or Bloodsongs yet, now is an excellent time to do so. They are two amazing albums that come with very high recommendations (even if Gil Mantera's Party Dream isn't half as good on disc as they are live). Here's a recently-released rarity that, much like the rest of their work, was ten times better in concert:

Dreams (Fleetwood Mac cover)

Go be their friend.

And go buy cheap, excellent albums from the lovely folks at Fat Possum.

Jens Lekman Live

2006-08-16T00:51:00.000-04:00

Two quick videos of Jens Lekman playing live for the most part by himself on what appears to be a tennis court at dusk.

Happy Birthday Dear Friend Lisa:

F-Word:

South by Scott Walker

2006-08-14T22:57:00.000-04:00

So here's Scott Walker. No sorry. Wrong Scott Walker. Here's Scott Walker. Sort of. I guess 60s pop stars who are now avant-garde-ners don't need real web pages too be cool. Apparently Republican candidates for Wisconson governor do, however. Anyway, back in May, Pitchfork gave the avant garde Scott Walker (as opposed to the Wisconson gubernatorial candidate) an very impressive 9.0 on his latest attempt, calling it, "as inspiring as music gets." Despite the P-fork praise, I've heard very little buzz about the only one of The Walker Brothers to ever try anything solo (why is this the case, I ask). Regardless, I feel that this is unfortunate, as The Drift is much, much better than Liars' latest album, which Pitchfork gave the same rating, but has received much more buzz. I feel that it is at least as experimental and much more frightening, while much less droning.
Here's a cut from The Drift:
Jesse - Seriously frightening, especially if you listen in the dark with headphones on. Sounds like the Phantom of the Opera is singing over a minimalistic, slow song.
Here's a cut from my favorite album of his, ingeniously titled Scott 4:
The Old Man's Back Again (Dedicated to the Neo-Stalinist Regime) - His voice has the distinctive quality that sets his music apart so much, and the bassline is killer. Combine that with a choir straight out of Jesus Christ Superstar backing him up at times, and it's pretty sweet stuff. This album is highly recommended, and this is an SKWS Top Track!!!

Guess Who's Back?

2006-08-13T17:29:00.000-04:00

No, still not Marshall. But I am. And let's be honest, that's so much better. Unfortuantely, this past week while I was out of town, the annual Musikfest was going on. It's a pretty sweet week-long festival in a town near me that shows off some our local acts, and draws a few big-namers (but no big name indie bands, unfortunately). Luckily, I will have a chance to run over tonight and catch the closing festivities and the Mountain Laurel Bluegrass Band. I have a weak spot for bluegrass. That's why I bought Pickin' On Franz Ferdinand by Cornbread Red.

Here's Cornbread's attempt at my favorite song off of the first FF album:

Dark of the Matinee

And here's their hack-up of another fave:

Michael

Anyways, as much fun as I had on vacation, I'm really bummed that I missed out on the Regional Band Showcase. Local bands are tough to find around these parts, and I'm always stoked to go find some good local acts. C'est la vie. One of my favourites from last year's show, The Insidious Rays, played last Friday, and I really wish I could have seen them.

I'll let their official words sum them up:

"By blending the sweet sounds of surf, psychedelia, country, metal, funk, soul, jazz, reggae and punk rock; while keeping one foot firmly planted in old school rock n roll, The Insidious Rays are blazing a trail into the future of music. In January of 2006, The Insidious Rays were voted band of the week by High Times Magazine. The Rays have certainly established their presence, and with new doors opening they have no intention of idling now. They will continue to pursue their vision the same way they always have, with honest songs and phenomenal music."

Basically, they're a musically diverse group held together largely by their jam, psychadelic, and bluegrass tendencies. It took me a bit to get past their lead singer (who I liked more live - it seemed more bluegrass-y), but once I did I found myself enjoying them a bit.

A few live cuts from their site:
Kiss Like You Been Cheating
Magic Fingers (Frank Zappa cover)

You Better Watch Your Step

2006-08-04T16:51:00.000-04:00

Heartbroken over the split of DFA1979 (like me)? Luckily for you, I searched high and low to find myself a drum and bass pair that could fill the hole in my heart where they used to be. Unfortunately, I am having difficulty finding a band that has the dance influences of DFA1979, as well as their acknowledgement of the fact that taking hardcore too seriously is a bad thing. Fortunately, I did find some tracks from Jesse F. Keeler's first (and still going) band, Femme Fatale. The story goes that Keeler was looking for a drummer for Femme Fatale (which gets its name from the Velvet Underground song), and that was how he met Sebastien Grainger, who played (still plays? who knows) drums for FF. Here are some really hardcore tracks (no like, for real, this is HxC) from the album From The Abundance Of The Heart, The Mouth Speaks:

Into Dust
The Umbrella Opens
Party Tonight

(All tracks come from the best DFA1979 fan site ever.)
Buy their stuff here.

ps. What is gonna happen to Sebastien Grainger now? We all know what Keeler's off doing (work with MSTRKRFT and playing bass for Queens of the Stone Age), but where's the excellent drummer/vocalist going?

Crime Does Pay

2006-08-04T13:01:00.000-04:00

...or so says The Hourly Radio. They've toured with the most excellent Clap Your Hands Say Yeah-sters, as well as the most-okay Stellastarr*-sters. They've played at SXSW. They're basically your momma's band. I could go on and on about how "The Hourly Radio's sound [is set] apart from anyone." But I won't. 'Cos I don't know if that's entirely true. But it is pretty dec.

Crime Does Pay - It's got a nice 80s vibe. But not like the Killers.
Travel Signs - Sounds like OK Computer-era Radiohead - most specifically "Airbag". You decide if that's a good thing.

Speaking of CYHSY, they're going on tour soon with Arhcitecture in Helsinki! What a combo! Coming to an entirely-too-small venue near you:

08.25.06: France // Rock en Seine
08.26.06: Reading, UK // Reading Festival // GET TICKETS
08.27.06: Leeds, UK // Leeds Festival // GET TICKETS
09.02.06: Montreal, Canada // Osheaga Festival // GET TICKETS
09.23.06: Baltimore, MD // Virgin Festival // GET TICKETS
09.26.06: Boston, MA // Avalon // PRE-SALE * #
09.28.06: New York, NY // Rumsey Playfield, Central Park // GET TICKETS *
09.30.06: Philadelphia, PA // Trocadero // PRE-SALE * #
10.01.06: Cleveland, OH // House of Blues // PRE-SALE * #
10.02.06: Chicago, IL // Vic Theatre // PRE-SALE * #
10.03.06: Chicago, IL // Vic Theatre // PRE-SALE * #
10.04.06: Minneapolis, MN // First Avenue - Main Room // PRE-SALE * #
10.06.06: Englewood, CO // Gothic Theatre // PRE-SALE * #
10.07.06: Boulder, CO // Boulder Theater // PRE-SALE * #
10.10.06: Seattle, WA // The Showbox // PRE-SALE * #
10.11.06: Seattle, WA // The Showbox // PRE-SALE * #
10.12.06: Portland, OR // Crystal Ballroom // PRE-SALE * #
10.13.06: San Francisco, CA // Warfield Theater // PRE-SALE * #
10.14.06: Los Angeles, CA // Henry Fonda Theatre // PRE-SALE * #
10.15.06: Los Angeles, CA // Henry Fonda Theatre // PRE-SALE * #

* with Architecture in Helsinki
# with Takka Takka

Some CYHSY live cuts from Radio One in Berlin:
Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood
Heavy Metal

Good News for People Who Love Bad News

2006-08-04T12:16:00.000-04:00

So...my good news is that I got the power back sooner than expected, so I will be able to post. Now for the bad news:Remember my post on Love and Arthur Lee not that long ago? Well spot of bad luck there; Arhtur Lee has passed away. To quote Pitchfork:
"Arthur Lee died peacefully at Methodist Hospital in Memphis, a little after four in the afternoon Aug 3, 2006 with his wife Diane by his side. His death comes as a shock to me because Arthur had the uncanny ability to bounce back from everything, and leukemia was no exception. He was confident that he would be back on stage by the fall."
Love made some great music; this is indeed a sad event. If you haven't yet, go purchase Forever Changes at your nearest cd retailer. Or from Amazon.

Andmoreagain

The other spot of bad news is that, according to Stereogum, the awesomest dance-influenced thrash garage metal band ever, DFA1979, have called it quits. This is terrible news, as I was so looking forward to Pitchfork's reported triple album. It seemed so cool.

Cold War

My Apologies, pt. 2

2006-08-03T22:36:00.000-04:00

So...major storm near my place today, and the power peaced out. It's not coming back for awhile, and I'm leaving town soon too. In other words, no postage for likely awhile. I'm at a friend's house, and I don't have Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's "Raining in Darling," 'cos if I did, I would post it, as it is a propos, and entirely amazing. In fact, that whole album (I See a Darkness) comes with my highest recommendation. But anyways, I feel horribly about neglecting you all so, but I have no choice. My love and best wishes to all.

edit.
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Raining in Darling - Closes the album, and does so with more excellence than any other track that comes to mind.

Please Excuse Our Dust

2006-08-02T20:36:00.000-04:00

I'm trying to pimp my blog you guys, so if anything funny happens, do not be alarmed! Also, I'm thinking of some other very exciting changes to the site that will hopefully happen sooner than I think! As a side note, if you are using IE and notice anything strange, please inform me, as I use the much superior Mozilla Firefox, and things may appear differently on my browser than yours. I will see what I can do to rectify the problem.

Thx,
The Mgmt.

I Don't Think I'll Ever Be Happy Unless I'm Unhappy

2006-08-02T10:52:00.000-04:00

I'm gonna be honest with you; music videos kinda bore me. It takes a really good one to get me to watch it from start to finish. I watched this one from start to finish. It has The Boys Least Likely To become half as popular as they are out on a picnic with a bunch of those cute monsters having a good time, at least until a bunch of evil monsters start bombarding them with food. Cute. Know I now TBLLT's secret to making such cute music; they have cute monsters play the instruments! Or something. Comprehensive Boy Least Likely To b-side post soon? Hopefully.

My Apologies

2006-08-01T20:03:00.000-04:00

I'm quite sorry for my brief abscence, it's been very busy around here. In acknowledgement of that fact, I am gonna post some sweet rarities and release the first of a new feature I thought of.

First, the feature. It is gonna be called, "As Much As We All Hate Pitchfork We Have to Admit They Can Be Funny from Time to Time." In other words, when I find a funny line at Pitchfork, I'm gonna post it (whether it be intentionally funny or just so preposterous a claim that it's humourous). Today's quote (from here):

" You know, people talk about Canada as if it's just one big, homogenous blob of moose, ridiculously polite people who say 'aboot,' and french fries dripping with vinegar. But it's completely unjust to judge a land of such diversity with such general stereotypes. I mean, as a New Yorker, I would be really insulted to hear some Canadian say, 'Oh, you're from America, eh? Well, howdy, y'all! You married your sister, eh?'"

From the same review:
"Ladies, being hit on by some creep from the lovely city of Toronto? Simply offer: 'No thanks, fella, there's only one Loverboy from Toronto, and people stopped giving a shit about them ten years ago!'"

And now, for the rarities...

The Flaming Lips - Thank You Jack White (for the Fiber Optic Jesus That You Gave Me) - This song was absolutley impossible for me to find online. No kidding. Eventually, I went out and bought the Fight Test EP, just for this song. I wasn't disappointed (Yoshimi is one of my favorite albums), and you won't be disappointed by this track. A funny song that is actually worth listening to more than once.
Radiohead - Nobody Does it Better (live Carly Simon cover) - Didn't know this song existed until I was looking for tracks for a good mixtape of love songs. Yeah, cheesy, I know. Anyway, I found this song, and was quite surprised to find out that Radiohead played songs with happy lyrics once in a while.
LCD Soundsystem - Where Is Love? - I don't know where I got this song originally, but I do recall that they informed me that this was cut off from last year's excellent LP because it didn't fit the feel quite right. It feels alright to me.
Muse - Feelin' Good (Nina Simone cover) - Ah, Muse. Every indie kid's guilty pleasure. This version of Feelin' Good makes it Muse-alicious, and Bellamy's voice handles the song wonderfully.

Where Is Love?

2006-07-29T11:20:00.000-04:00

Hey got two references for you guys...
First off, go read this piece on Sufjan Stevens. Makes a good case as to why Sufjan isn't as good as we all make him seem to be. It's an interesting read, and, even if you disagree, it will make you think.
Secondly, go read this post at Pop Tarts Suck Toasted. Pat beat me by like ten days on doing this post. I was all stoked to break Chris Chinchilla's (former Art Brut guitarist) new band, Macaca Mulatta, and then I saw that he had beat me to it. C'est la vie, non? Anyway, they're a pretty sweet band. Like a more melodic Art Brut. Take a listen over there.

SE7EN

2006-07-28T16:10:00.000-04:00

So I recently watched the movie Se7en (that is apparently the correct spelling) starring Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman (one of my favourite actors), Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kevin Spacey (in one of his most unsettling perfomances), and directed by David Fincher, the guy who did Fight Club. It had been some time since I had last seen it, and watching it this time reminded me how freakin' amazing that movie is. It comes with my highest recommendation.
Anyway, then I thought to myself, what better list to make than a "Seven Sweet Songs over Seven Minutes Long" list? No better list. So, thanks to an excellent movie, you folks have an excellent list, hopefully a first of many.
Disclaimer: The list is in no particular order, but the best of the list will be denoted. This list should not be taken as a "Best Seven Songs over Seven Minutes Long" list, as I have not heard all of the songs over seven minutes long and therefore cannot judge. Plus, there's probably one I overlooked.
Disclaimer, pt. 2: Insstrumental tracks have been excluded.

Seven Amazing Tracks over Seven Minutes Long
The general idea here is that the songs don't feel as long as they are.

The Beatles - "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" - One of The Beatles's darkest tracks, "I Want You" spews jazziness and feels reminiscent of Hendrix or Cream. It's the closest to the blues/jam genre that the Fab Four ever came, and makes one wonder why they didn't do so more often. The way it fits on the album is marvelous too, with "Here Comes the Sun" following it up. If you haven't listened to Abbey Road, I advise you listen to those two tracks back to back. Did I mention that it's one of their sexiest tracks?
Guns N' Roses - "November Rain" - When one says "hair metal," I say, "no thanks," but bring up "November Rain" and I make an exception. It took the best part of hair metal (the solos), and combined it with an amazing ballad. Then made the song 9 minutes long. And that sneaky part about 6:50 into it, where you think it's gonna end but then it turns into the most memorable solo in the world (yeah, I said it) - top notch.
Led Zeppelin - "Stairway to Heaven" - I'll admit it, this song has been embraced entirely too much by pop culture. It has been beaten to death, and then trodden upon, and then beaten one more time for good measure (according to Wikipedia, "During the track's 35 years of existence, its combined radio airplay in the United States alone has totaled over 50 years."). Well, look past that. It has an amazing acoustic intro (look past the fact that every kid learning to play guitar knows it), made even better with Plant's soft croon overtop of it. And when they break it down - when they break it down! Sure, it loses its prom theme-ability, but man, it sure is good.
Sigur Rós - "Ný batterí" - I enjoy () moreso than Ágætis byrjun, but this is, by far, my favourite Sigur Ros track. The best part? The crescendo. Oh, the crescendo. One of the best I've ever heard. This seems to be a post of controversial claims. Deal.
Television - "Marquee Moon" - A guest spot by Chris Dahlen of Pitchforkmedia.com:
"...Every part of the song is a bridge to the monstrous Verlaine showpiece, and yet his guitar solo has no bombast: it climbs and soars in tangible increments, edging its way up scales and pounding like a contained explosion. The structural integrity makes this an Eiffel Tower in a world of Burning Men: in a decade full of guitarists spraying sweat on the arenas, Verlaine comes off like a man punching through ceilings."
The longest song on this list, this one is head and shoulders above all of them but one. Even though it's not as good as that one, it just so happens to be amazing. If you listen to two tracks on this post, make sure this is one of them.
Velvet Underground - "Heroin" - This is the shortest song on this list, and the best song on this list, too (how's that for denotation?). It feels as I can imagine a rush on heroin does, euphoric and pleasant at the start, and chaotic and less cheery as the song progresses. The rhythm stays largely the same while all the individual instruments that the Velvets are playing seem to go their own way (most noticably John Cale's viola). Yes, that was a nod to you, Fleetwood Mac. This track is really amazing. Like, when I listened to the album the first time, I couldn't stand the song. I thought it was obnoxious and lacked a structure. As I listened more often, I realized I was right, but there was nothing wrong with that.
Weezer - "Only in Dreams" - A great closing song to a great album. I like how the Weezers tried to do something different by making a long, more experimental track. We're not talking Kid A here, but it's different from what they had released until then. While being so, it did manage to keep many of Weezer's traditional aspects, like the Pixies-esque guitaring and Cuomo's instantly recognizable vox.

P.S. Check out the blogathon!

UTIOG

2006-07-27T23:30:00.000-04:00

Meet Under the Influence of Giants. I'm gonna go out on a limb about this band. I'm gonna call them the next Killers. Why is that? Because they make a smart kind of pop that references a sound that hasn't been tapped lately, and because I think they're going to start out with the "Modern Rock" crowd and eventually hit the Top 40. But that's just me. They sound sort of like Weezer (R.I.P.) after listening to some funk for a while and realizing that synths are still cool. Early Weezer. Anyways, take a listen.

Beautiful
Day Sleeper

Be their friend and enjoy some more tunes.

We Share Our Mother's Health

2006-07-26T15:58:00.000-04:00

If you haven't already, head on over to play The Knife's new game released in honour of the "We Share Our Mother's Health" single. You could win "1 out of just 10 super-limited edition signed screen prints by Motomichi Nakamura." Or so says the official site.
If you haven't already, enjoy the two "We Share Our Mother's Health" remixes I have here. It's an excellent song (on my top 7 of the first half of 2006) and I'm glad they're single-ing it out.

We Share Our Mother's Health [Ratatat Remix] - Really gives the song it's own unique feel. Good remix.
We Share Our Mother's Health [Trentemoller Remix] - Not as good as the other, but still a good remix. Does the song justice, but does very little to enhance it.

And, lastly, the video itself:

Various: adj. Being more than one; several

2006-07-25T15:14:00.000-04:00

"Various are simply one of the most thrilling electronic pop outfits to have emerged in years – ferocious beats that are manifestly rugged and raw, whilst the melodies are pop incarnate."

And now you know Various, XL's latest signee. Though the above lines are somewhat overblown, they are still an impressive band. I find it unfortunate that XL did not mention the obvious industrial influences or the fact that their lead singer's voice has some pleasant soulful aspects to it. I mean, we're not talking Cee-Lo here, but she's got some soul. Nor did XL mention the obvious influence from The Knife. All of these facts would be things I would brag about. But hey, that's just me. I mean I guess if they sounded exactly like our creepy Swedish friends I wouldn't brag about it, but they sound like The Knife enough for it to be a good thing, not for it to be derivative. Whatevskees. Enjoy.

Hater
Deadman

Buy their album here.

Arcade Fire Nuggets pt. 2

2006-07-24T22:38:00.000-04:00

So Conor over at One Part Team Extreme (very intellectual, well-written blog) did a post recently on Arcade Fire songs not featured on EPs or LPs, and I figured I would continue with it and add some more Arcade Fire rarities. Enjoy them:

Accidents - Largely acoustic song with Win on the lead vox that builds into pleasantly familiar Arcade Fire territory towards the end. Not Funeral, that's for sure, but it ain't bad.
Born on a Train (live Magnetic Fields cover) - You've probably got this already, but if not, I'll go more in-depth about it. I once read somewhere that it wasn't as good as the original version, but I find myself liking it a whole lot more. Something about it feels so much more real. Maybe it's the lack of Stephin Merritt's deadpan vox.
BONUS - Stephin Merritt - Ukelele Me! - You want me to be honest? You have to hear this song. Off of his new album, it's...kinda weird. But I can't get it out of my head. Neither can anyone I've played it for.
Brazil (live) - Off of the Cold Wind single, I listen to the B-Side just as often as the A-Side. This live cut largely stays to the formula from the track on the single.
Five Years (live Bowie cover) - Love the original, love the cover (if not as much).

End of the first half. I'll post the rest later on. No one likes a post with more than 5 mp3s in it. Looks desperate.

In an unrelated note, what has the world come to?

One of the Best Covers I Have Heard in a Long Time

2006-07-23T23:46:00.000-04:00

Here it is. By one of my favorite artists. I think he does a good job of keeping the original feel of the song while adding his own unique flavour. I can't quite identify what it is. Maybe a latin flavour? What do you think? I particularly enjoy the part of the video with Hilary Clinton jumping up and down about 12 seconds in.

George W. Bush - Sunday Bloody Sunday:

Paul "Phones" Epworth

2006-07-22T23:30:00.000-04:00

So the good men over at Good Weather for Airstrikes recently did a post on the good producer pictured above. Make that stellar; I was just going for the repetition. It is an excellent post, and one I intended on doing myself until I was browsing the site and noticed he had beat me to it. So, go look at it and imagine I wrote it. Just a slight edit to his post, I'd make the Romantic Rights remix "highly recommended," as well as "Heartbeat," and "Fit But You Know It." Also, I'd add this remix by Epworth, which isn't as good as his work as Phones, but is a Paul Epworth remix:

The Futureheads - Meantime [Echo Channel Polite Mix]

Edit - Just noticed that GWfA lacked this Phones mix, which would be listed as "highly recommended" as well:

The Futureheads - Decent Days and Nights [Phones Bad Acid Remix]

Speaking of phones, The Microphones are an amazing band that doesn't get the blog respect that they deserve. But since I don't have much time right now, here's a downright stellar song by them to tide you over until I talk about them more.

The Microphones - I Want Wind to Blow (SKWS Top Track!!!)

On a completely unrelated note that has nothing to do with phones, I think the new Killers song a) actually is pretty impressive (I did enjoy the first album, but don't listen to it much these days), and b) sounds quite a bit like Bruce Springsteen. That makes it all the more impressive. I love The Boss. I am finding myself looking forward to this album qutie a bit. There went my cred.

In case you haven't heard it:

The Killers - When You Were Young (SKWS Top Track!!!)

Zaireeka!

2006-07-22T00:33:00.000-04:00

So I had a good time at the beach. Minus the millions of jellies. But enough of that. Time for music.

So, I finally got The Flaming Lips' most debated about part of their discography: Zaireeka. For the six of you who don't know, it was the third "modern" Lips album (T ransmissions from the Satellite Heart being their first, and the stellar Clouds Taste Metallic being the second), and was given the rare Pitchfork rating of 0.0 (followed shortly thereafter by a just-as-rare 10.0 on the good, if overrated The Soft Bulletin). The reason that this album was given a 0.0? To sum it up, because all Flaming Lips fans spend their money on illicit psychedelic drugs and therefore cannot afford four cd players in order to listen to the album. You see, the album was released on four discs that must be played simultaneously in order to get the full idea. My qualm with the review is that the idea is for it to be a social event, and every Lips fan's got a player, so they just need to get together to work it out. But whatever. Moving on to the music of it, it's weird. Let me tell you. I've listened to abrasive tunes, and I've listened to bizzare tunes, but these are some of the strangest, most abrasive songs I've yet heard. Behind this abrasive weirdness, I can see a more jazz-influenced Flaming Lips than I've seen before, and a slightly funkier one. But, I've yet to listen to a mixdown (I can't find a complete one actually - email me at raiders81@juno.com if you've got one), and can't completely judge the tunes til then. But what can I say as of right now? I'd get it just because it's so fun.

The Train Runs Over the Camel But Is Derailed by the Gnat (Mixed Down Version)
The Big Ol' Bug Is the New Baby Now (Mixed Down Version) - Spoken word over the Lips' usual chill style. For some reason the fact that this song was on Zaireeka was advertised by a sticker on the cover when I received the album. No idea why.
Bonus - Nobody Told Me (John Lennon cover)

In my final bit of news, I apologize for the dearth of exciting upandcomingnewbands as of late, but I just haven't heard anything that I want to give y'all, I mean, I'm not just gonna post some band that isn't any good just to have a post. 2006 has been a disappointing year for music, but that's a rant for another day. Also, I am planning a lot of list-oriented posts a la Out of 5, but with more words than theirs.

Love

2006-07-16T12:54:00.000-04:00

So here's a band that doesn't quite get the recognition that it deserves. The band is called Love, and they were around in the late 1960s/early 1970s. Led by Arthur Lee (the man in that picture up there), they made a folksy/psychadelic rock sound that was a big influence on groups like Pink Floyd and The Who. They never really made it that big, and they seem today to get rarely mentioned, being overshadowed by bands like The Velvet Underground (amongst indie cirlces, while pop people ignore them completely).
The album Forever Changes was recorded during a tumultuous time in the band's history, but you wouldn't think it if once you listened to the album. It's a somewhat dark album, largely acoustic folk based, but with tons of backing instrumentals. As Rolling Stone described it, it "[sounds] like the Byrds morphing into the Doors." Highly recommended.

Alone Again Or
The Red Telephone - I'm not a lyrics guy, but listen for the lyrics on this song. Bizarre and amazing. SKWS Top Track!!!

Paul Banks

2006-07-16T10:42:00.000-04:00

Got myself some aviators recently, and they make me look like paul banks! How exciting! In honour of this event, a post on Interpol. Good news there. A new album on the way in 2007! Do I have proof? Yeah. Right here, from the official site:
In all seriousness, we’re hard at work on the writing of album three. We’ve been at it for six months - in case you heard we were on hiatus. We’re all very excited about it and think that you will be too. Having yet to record, we can only say that Release will come sometime next year.
That makes two albums that are already competing for album of 2007 (the other is by a band called Radiohead).

Interpol - NARC [Paul Banks Remix] - In all honesty, it's kind of a strange track, but it is an Interpol rarity, so...

In other news, bad news. I'm going to the shore next week, but I will have some exciting new posts for when I return. Promise!

The Vocoder

2006-07-15T11:43:00.000-04:00

I was listening to a Daft Punk song the other day and was like, what is that sweet instrument they use to make their voice sound like that? Looked it up: the vocoder (semi-abbreviation of voice encoder). It was invented in the 1930s with the intent of using it as a way to encrypt voices for transmission, but today is used regularly in music. I don't exactly understand how they work, if you know much about sound waves and how speech works head over to Wikipedia to see if you understand any better than I. Anyway, in the 1970s, the first musical vocoder was invented (half by Robert Moog!), and the soundtack to A Clockwork Orange featured extensive use of said instrument. From there, its popularity took off, and it's used all over the place. A few of my favourite songs that use the vocoder are:

Imogen Heap - Hide and Seek - I'm sure you've heard the song, but if you haven't: highly recommended. It consists of nothing but the former lead singer of Frou Frou singing into a vocoder and her voice bouncing all over the place.
Daft Punk - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger - The use of the vocoder could be seen as slightly gimmicky, but I think it's sweet, and it has yet to get old.
Air - Kelly Watch the Stars - I like the more 'acoustic' version (as seen in the previously posted video) better, but can't seem to find just the audio for it - any ideas? The tracks still super though.
Gil Mantera's Party Dream - Elmo's Wish - They opened for Art Brut when I went to see them at the First Unitarian Church and blew me away. If you haven't listened to them yet, I highly advise that you do, but you still won't do their live show justice; it's amazing. Like a mixture of metal, Britney Spears-pop, and Daft Punk. Frightening. The two old guys had no qualms with heart-on-their sleeve stories or removing too many layers of clothes. I'll say it again. Frightening. And great.

Good News

2006-07-12T23:18:00.000-04:00

I've finally learned, thanks to ESPN's Page 2, why the NL never wins. Take a look:

Are you only being nice cause you want something?

2006-07-12T16:03:00.000-04:00

So I bought the Eraser yesterday. I really like it. Anyways, when I got home I was looking at the artwork and noticed how nice it was. It's in one of those cardboard cases with a little place to slip the cd in a la Arcade Fire's Funeral, not one of those cardboard ones with the plastic tray a la AiH's In Case We Die. But yeah the things all folded up (there's no 'spine' per se) so when you unfold it its one continuous black and white drawing by Stanley Donwood, and then there's the cd, which is bright colours. Amazing use of contrast. But anyways, when I was attempting to yank the cd out, I ripped my case! Oh no!!! It made me think of Stylus's recent top ten list. Here it is, in its original quite funny and unfortunately true form:

Top 10 Things I Hate About CDs

Ds are ace, aren’t they? Little silver slivers of joy packed with music. They’re indestructible! Allegedly. (I microwaved my copy of The Others’ debut album and that destroyed it well enough, believe me.) And they refract light into pretty patterns just like the cover of that Pink Floyd album. And you can use them as bird-scares if you tie ‘em to trees. AND they’ve got a greater dynamic range than vinyl, so stick that. Bloody fantastic.

So why do so many artists and record companies screw them up? Why are we, after more than twenty years of practice, still absolutely bloody rubbish at making the most of all the fabulous opportunities that CDs offer us? Badly designed artwork and packaging, thoughtlessness in pagination of booklets: the fuck-ups people make with CDs are legion. Here are a few that really piss me off.

10. Outer sleeves
I do not like card outer-sleeves on albums with normal jewel cases—what’s the point? They scuff, they rip, sometimes they’re so bloody tight it’s a mammoth struggle to even get the sodding CD out and play it. I take them off and keep them all in a drawer somewhere.

09. Stickers
Stickers on a jewel case indicating an album’s title when the title is not on the actual cover are bad, wrong, and should not be allowed. If the album title was MEANT to be on the cover, they'd have put it there. See: Out Of Nothing by Embrace, Emergency & I by Dismemberment Plan, lots of others.

I don’t know how Americans deal with all the goddamn security stickers they put along the edges of a jewel case. They’re designed to rip but they stay stuck if you try and pull them off. Is this only on import CDs that I get from the US, or is it on EVERY DAMN ONE in every record shop over there? Hideousness. I’ve bought the CD, please let me open it!

Albums with essential stickers on the jewel case, like Idiology by Mouse On Mars, where the “cover” is a sticker. What if the case breaks?! To be fair, that particular album supplied a spare. Which I had to use straight away.

Actually ANY stickers on cover (with those handy quotes from places like NME that say things like “The Shins will change your life,” for instance, or shop-specific barcodes or price tags) that have glue which is not easy to peel-off are wrong. I won’t ever listen to No Code by Pearl Jam again because the cover of the card sleeve (argh) got ripped (ARGH) when I had to peel the barcode off. Why was the barcode on a sticker? Because Pearl Jam are about the music and not the sales, maaaaan, and therefore didn’t have one in the first place—hence the album title. Bastards.

08. Bad / unimaginative graphic design
People should be FORCED to include the track number next to the track name in the track listing, especially if there are more than 10 tracks. I hate having to count to find out what number a song is. I feel like I’m being persecuted for having a bad memory.

CD covers with boring layouts annoy me—the title on the front and the tracklisting on the back; how unimaginative is that? Try putting the tracklisting on the front like people used to do in the 60s for a change!

I remember spending twenty minutes trying to find the tracklisting for Orbital's Middle Of Nowhere when I first got it. I was with a mate and neither of us could find it. Not on the back, the front, the card outer sleeve (argh), not anywhere in the booklet. Where is it? In tiny fucking letters on the spine. Arseholes.

(As for unimaginative designs on the CDs themselves, I know they're either in a case on the shelf or else spinning in a CD player, but a bit of thought and creativity shows you care, doesn't it? For a while I had a glass-fronted, vertical-load CD player where you could see the CD spinning (it sounded like shit, so I sold it). Mind you, at 5,000rpm, everything’s a blur. Still, it’d be nice.)

07. CD tray pins
CD trays where the little pins to hold the CD in place doesn’t hold the CD tightly enough (causing it to spin around annoyingly when you pick it up) nearly drive me to kill. But it’s even worse when they break, and you need to replace the tray. Of course you can’t do that with digipaks at all. Damn it.

06. Inconsistent spine writing
I hate when spine text is written in a stupid direction so you have to turn your head 180 degress when browsing your collection. What is that? Bloody-mindedness? “MY CDs are special, and will face the other way to EVERYONE else’s.” One notable exception is All Hail West Texas by Mountain Goats, where the text reads downwards. I recall John Darnielle saying at one point that he wished he’d specified this for all his albums.

Talk Talk and The The are bastards though. Why? Line up the remasters of their classic 80s albums on your shelves. The Talk Talk ones say “Talk” at the top and bottom of each spine, thus “Talk Talk” when two are next to each other. This means that unless you have all four of the EMI albums it says “Talk Talk Talk,” and that’s just stupid. Ditto for Matt Johnson. I own three The The albums and thus my shelves say “The The The” at me. Tauntingly. Bastard.

But the worst thing is when a record company gets the font wrong on the spine, and after a string of aesthetically consistent, pleasing spine labels in, say, Ariel Bold, you get one in bold Ariel and the fury and the itching builds up inside you and you can’t take it anymore.

05. Nipples
I really, really hate it when the jewel case cover has those sharp little nipples to keep the booklet in rather than either the round nipples or the vertical slats, because the sharp nipples crease and rip the booklet. Then you have to buy a new one and get a new case. And spend ages in the shop hunting through racks of seemingly identical (to the ignorant bystander) CDs just to find one with no nipple-damage. And then the assistant manager throws you out of the shop for fondling the CDs again because he thinks you’re a pervert. I’m not a pervert! The bastard who invented the slatty-nipple is a pervert! Getting perverse joy from MY suffering! Bastard!

04. Free DVDs
I don’t want a free DVD of some shitty live footage or some embarrassing fans or the band being “creative” in the studio. I want a record. Tossed-off freebie DVDs dreamt-up by wankers in the marketing department of a record company are not “added value,” they’re a drain on resources.

I hate that “added value” point-of-sale bullshit anyway. You wouldn’t need to “add value” if the songs were good enough in the first place. It’s the Happy Meal-isation of culture: “our actual product is total shit and bad for you and will kill you but LOOK, A TOY” and people fall for it. More than fall for it. They fucking love it. It’s shite.

03. Huge booklets
My copy of Voodoo by D’Angelo has little rips at the corner of the booklet ‘cos it’s so fucking huge and thick. Ditto Maxinquaye by Tricky, with its weird-ass folding booklet that’s double the normal width. I became so distraught with my D’Angelo booklet that after I’d inadvertently trashed it, I bought my mate a copy of the album and switched them.

02. Hidden tracks
Hidden tracks are shit. Why hide a song? Worse, why hide 2 minutes of aimless ambient wankery? Wankers. Super Furry Animals hid a track at the end of Guerilla, a brief yelp after a few minutes of silence, presumably designed to give narcoleptic listeners heart attacks, the bastards.

But even worse than that, they hid a track BEFORE THE START OF THE ALBUM, TOO. Why? Why would you do that? You have to rewind the CD back from the start of the first track. These de-indexed songs before the album “proper” can’t even be played on all CD players; mine won’t play them. Bastards. And that particular one is quite a good song.

On a related matter, I’ve come across two different pressings of the Kyuss album Welcome to Sky Valley, one with 11 tracks (ten listed plus a hidden track; surprise surprise, THEY’RE NOT SO HIDDEN WHEN YOU PUT THE BLOODY CD IN THE PLAYER, ARE THEY?), and one with four, where the tracks run together as, oh I dunno, “suites” or “movements” or something. Annoying as all hell if you just wanna rock out to “Super Scoopa and Mighty Scoop”

I do like it when people do creative things with the gaps between tracks though, either running/mixing tracks together into a single piece (lots of dance music, Talk Talk’s Spirit of Eden, others), having negative seconds with incidental music in between—music that is lost forever to people who just rip an album straight to their MP3 players and never play the CD (You Forgot It in People), or having odd length gaps or weird negative countdowns. Possibly the oddest example of this is “You've Only Got to Stop to Get Better” by Embrace, the last twelve or so seconds of which counts backwards. Wtf?

01. Digipaks
The mother of all irritants. Digipaks. All of them. Not just digipaks, but any card sleeve. Arcade Fire, most recent Warp releases, the remaster of One Nation Under a Groove (more on that later); anything in cardboard. Once these break, you're fucked. Jewel cases can be replaced. Break a digipak, buy the whole CD again. Unless it’s rare, because then it’s either too expensive or else impossible. Who wants to play a CD with a ripped or broken case? Not anally-retentive OCD sufferers like me, that’s for sure.

That goes double if the cardboard case is larger than a normal jewel case, and thus doesn’t fit in your rack. Sigur Ros, I’m looking at you. I’ve actually taken to keeping anything not in a standard jewel case on a different shelf. Well, shelves.

Takk is quite tame though. Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space by Spiritualized originally came in a cardboard box (argh) within which was a foil-sealed blister pack that you had to “pop” the CD out of, like a prescription medicine. My brother worked for Vital in distribution when it was released, and Dedicated produced a limited-edition version composed of twelve 3-inch CDs, one for each song, packaged in two foil blister pack trays of six, like a big packet of pills. He nearly won one for me in a raffle. (But only nearly; I have never forgiven him.) He did, however, get me a jewel case version of the sleeve, so I could keep the card sleeve safe. Other stupid Spiritualized packaging gimmicks include a glow-in-the-dark case (Pure Phase) and a daft moulded vacuum-plastic case (Let It Come Down).

Don’t even think about Metal Box.

As for Funkadelic, well… the remaster of One Nation Under a Groove is in a card sleeve, which is bad enough, but the CD itself is in a little fabric bag inside that. It doesn’t fit. It folds. It bunches. It creases. WHY GOD WHY?!

...

2006-07-12T01:35:00.000-04:00

So...the AL won again. Who's surprised. At least Michael Young pulled it out for them; I like him even if he's stopping my Cubbies from getting homefield advantage. Speaking of that, who hates the whole "This time it counts" thing. I think it's lame. The All-Star Game is about fun. As my brother put it, there's only two groups of people who like it, "die-hard AL fans and 'he's not my' Bud Selig." I'm tired, so I'm just gonna post an mp3 of a song I've been diggin and peace.

Duran Duran - Girls on Film

(watch out - my cousin made me a dangerous Duran Duran fan just the other day.)

A Collection of Reviews Representing an Enthusiasm for The Eraser...Or Not.

2006-07-10T11:30:00.000-04:00

Stylus Magazine gave The Eraser an "A-," but did not put it in the "Stylus Recommends" category. The reviewer says that this album is "one of the least psychedelic albums ever made," pointing towards the cold, calculated instrumentation as his logic behind that remark. The reviewer admits that the second half is where the best tracks lie, most of them "following in the vein of Radiohead's most successful electro foray ('Idioteque')." The final paragraph is the best one, however, with lines like "I assumed that this was going to be a referendum on how...Nigel Godrich has become the most important band 'member' since Thom started writing lyrics by throwing pieces of paper into a hat," "The Eraser is a triumph," and "it will always be a stunning final word for one of our generation's most reliably innovative partnership."
Read it.

PopMatters gave The Eraser a 7/10, which is not as good as a colletion of Sufjan Stevens outtakes. Blasphemy. The review follows a fairly normal path, beginning with the reviewer talking about Radiohead ("Radiohead’s career path follows a completely standard line" - then discussing the path), praising Radiohead (" As typical as that biographical arc looks, it doesn’t suggest the surprise that came with each new development..."), and dissin' Radiohead ("...at least through the release of Kid A"). Then we get to the point of the review, and the reviewer says "Thom Yorke has created exactly the album we were anticipating." A little bold (did anyone know what to expect?), but let's continue. Then we get into exciting little aphorisms like "Yorke hasn’t lost the ability to be unsettling" and "sounds like Halloween in Antarctica." As we get towards the finish, the reviewer finally gets to tha point: "The Eraser isn’t a masterpiece, but it’s much more than solo-project divergence." And then, as if to save himself from hate mail becauses he said the album wasn't a masterpiece, he closes with "Yorke has proven himself more than a little special."
Read it..

Now onto the only review anyone cares about...Pitchfork. They gave the album a 6.6/10.0. Not under the "Best New Music" or "Recommended" headings. I cried when I saw this, because I knew that it would kill this young band's hope at having any success, because the band never received any hype from the blogs and like all the pop people that don't read the blogs read pitchfork and now they'll just blow the album off. Oh wait. Pop people don't read Pitchfork. People that read Pitchfork tend to read the blogs and are people who are capable of making decisions on their own. Sorry about the rant. Back to the review. " No band of the last 15 years has seen its individual players revered to the same extent as Radiohead's" confesses the reviewer. He even calls Radiohead fans subscribers "to the church of the blinking bear." Sweet. Then the bad news. "It's not an attempt to remake the wheel." Uh-oh. "Like too many of Radiohead's new songs, they contain a single weak idea dragged on interminably." Does that mean Radiohead will go the way of so many other bands, falling off at the end, not knowing when to quit? If Pitchfork reviews the next album poorly, it will. Sorry, moving on. Then the reviewer has the audacity tosay that "there's little-to-no dynamic range on The Eraser." As a closer, the reviewer pulls a very Pitchfork-esque move, suggesting that the listener play this together with Jonny Greenwood's Bodysongs, "Zaireeka-style." At least they posted their "infinite mixtape."
read it,

Jeff Magnum and the Six Pachyderms

2006-07-09T16:02:00.000-04:00

There's Jeff Magnum for you. Jeff Magnum was a key player in the Elephant Six Collective, a large part of indie music in the 90s. Many bands in the collective do not get the recognition they deserve, and I have no clue why. Many of the bands in the collective were psychadelic, lo-fi bands with singer/songwriter sensibilities. C'mon, how sweet does that sound? Well, nonetheless, Elephant Six has a somewhat confused, mystical history, much like Magnun himself. Fortunately for you, Popmatters has posted an "Oral History of the Elephant Six Collective," which can be viewed here.

In other, very similar news, there is another exciting album that will be released before the summer ends (though it is more exciting than III, I am eagerly anticipating The Eraser much more). That album is by Of Montreal, who were formerly part of the Elephant Six Collective discussed earlier. This album is titled The Satanic Twins, an amalgam of two of their former albums (The Sunlandic Twins and Satanic Panic in the Attic), and will feature remixes of songs off of both of the aforementioned albums by artists like Grizzly Bear, I Am the World Trade Center, and Supersystem. Here's the official site.

Of Montreal - Disconnect the Dots [Mixel Pixel Remix] - Though not as good as the original, it pleasantly accents the new wave aspects of/Of Montreal.
Of Montreal - Psychotic Feeling - Off of an EP released only at their shows, this track is amazing. One of my favorites by OM.

Little My

2006-07-05T11:58:00.000-04:00

"little my is confused, small and ever so slightly round. sometimes songs pop out. hopefully one might have landed right in your earholes. they aren't very big and don't take you very long."

Little My, hailing from Walse, will likely get compared to The Boy Least Likely to endlessly. They've got the cutesy artwork, the acoustic folk-pop melodies, and the fragile vox. However, the less pristine production sets them apart from their English brethren, as does their tendency to not fill songs with every instrument under the sun. In other words: they make brief folk-pop songs that are fun and upbeat, but aren't overly produced. Recommended for your summer mixtape.

Moths
Wouldn't You Like to Know

ps. Be their friend.

Eef Barzelay

2006-07-03T14:20:00.000-04:00

Clem Snide frontman Eef Barzelay put together some solo material earlier this year. Released on spinART (I find myself talking about this label a lot), Bitter Honey received an admirable 7.2 from Pitchfork. It's basically your run-of-the-mill singer/songwriter stuff with mopey vocals and minimalistic music. Does it impress me? Not wholly, but hearing a singer-songwriter sing the lines "That was my ass you saw bouncin' next to Ludacris" makes it all worthwhile.

Ballad of Bitter Honey

Befriend him.

Thinking about What a Friend Had Said...

2006-07-03T11:48:00.000-04:00

Neil Young. Everybody knows him, from his time in CSN&Y to his amazing album Harvest. When bands like My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses are discussed, the first thing noted is the Neil Young-esque vocals, especially from his Gold Rush era. It seems that everybody overlooks the fact that Win Butler (of everyone's favorite Arcade Fire) sounds quite similar to Neil. Young's voice lacks the epic, echo-y quality of the lead singers of MMJ and BoH, but retains the whiny, "permanent falsetto" style that Win seems to utilize. Chickity check it:

Neil Young - After the Gold Rush
Neil Young - Only Love Can Break Your Heart
Arcade Fire - Vampire/Forest Fire

Books and Music

2006-07-02T17:48:00.000-04:00

Today's book: Michael Savage's Liberalism Is a Mental Disorder

I don't know how much y'all know about my buddy Mike here. He's a radio show host who is not afraid to take a stance. A very conservative one, at that. His book was rather funny, and he had some good ideas. Many of them were entirely too extremist to handle, but it was a nice respite from the constant barrage of liberalism that the media throws at me daily.

Accompanying music -
The Right Brothers - Bush Was Right

Top Seven Songs of the First Half of 20-06

2006-07-02T11:56:00.000-04:00

So I know I said top 5 lists, however, when it comes to individula tracks, i do a top 15 at the end of the year so ill do a top 7 now. Enjoy.

Band of Horses: "The Funeral" - Took me some time to get into this band despite blog hype and a praising P-fork review. I was like, "sounds like early MMJ, so what." Then I got some sense and was like "it sounds like early MMJ!" It Still Moves still amazes me, and BoH takes that formula and adds some emotion to it.

Gnarls Barkley: "Crazy" - Another late-bloomer for me. I mean, Crazy was all over the place, but I didn't appreciate it until I saw this video. I guess I never really listened to it too well, but when I saw this video I was like "Hey that's a good song there, maybe I do like Gnarls!"

Tapes n' Tapes: "Insistor" - Tapes n' Tapes. What more can I say about them that you don't already know? Hyped (by blogs and p-fork) moreso than their music could live up to, most of their songs were let-downs, however, Insistor did it right.

Fiery Furnaces: "Teach Me Sweetheart" - With Bitter Tea competing for "album of the first half" merits, the Furnaces had to have a song on here. Teach Me Sweetheart is a pleasantly slow ballad with the Furnaces' trademark oddball lyrics and sound effects that go unnoticed on first listen, but add quite a level of depth to the track.

Tortoise and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy: "Thunder Road" - This album, I will admit, was a letdown. It sounded amazing in idea (Tortoise's sprawling post-rock with Oldham singing over it? and all covers!?), but in execution was not as amazing. Their try at Springsteen's classic is love it or hate it, and I for one, love it. My only qualm with the song is when Oldham says "I've got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk." It seems even more pointless in this song without the talking guitar utilized shortly thereafter. Nonetheless, the song does an excellent job of being it's own song whilst remaining a cover.

The Knife: "We Share Our Mother's Health" - The Knife have brought the only album that competes with Bitter Tea so far this year. We Share Our Mother's Health begins with sounds that my friend beleived sounded like "Mario Paint sounds," but swiftly improves into this tight album's strongest track.

Wolfmother: "Where Eagles Have Been" - Wolfmother is...interesting. They don't have many good songs, but when they do a song right, they do it very right. Or something like that. Where Eagles Have Been, which does it very right, begins sounding like John Lennon before moving into an area that is the average of Led Zep and Black Sabbath. These influences (yes, Metallic cited Imagine as a very key influence to them) are rarely used by bands that aren't metal as all hell (see: Aurora Borealis), and it is refreshing to see a band that appeals more to my tastes tap these greats.

III

2006-07-01T12:15:00.000-04:00

Another exciting upandcoming realease...Domino's reissue of Sebadoh's classic III. It's not coming out until like August, but I was just recently reminded of it and got excited. If you don't know much about Sebadoh, they were helmd by Lou Barlow, former bassist for my favez Dino Jr. After the split, he went off and played a more acoustic style, which was predated by tracks from his Dinosaur Jr. era like "Poledo." The most exciting part? That Domino is selling a t-shirt. I love band shirts. Go order it punks.

Sebadoh - The Freed Pig
Dinosaur Jr. - Poledo

.The Eraser

2006-06-30T21:15:00.000-04:00

The Eraser comes out soon. Ask me iif I'm excited. I'm excited. Rolling Stone, a magazine that gets often (if rightly) overshadowed by Pitchfork, reviewed the album eraly. One of the first to do so, that I;ve seen. ANd they luke it. They gave it four out of five stars. They also started the review with one of the best lines I''ve ever read: "Many people find Thom Yorke disturbing," and refer to my main man as "Lieutenant Yorke" on many occasions. Love 'em. Days until release: 11.

Thom Yorke - The Eraser

Sounds Like...

2006-06-30T19:49:00.000-04:00

Sorry you guys, I was on an out-of-town trip, but I have fortunately returned to post once more.
Today's post is not about an upandcomingnewband. Today's post is different.

First up:

Will Bonnie 'Prince' Oldham Palace Brothers Music Billy

v.

Eddie Vedder

So. I'm listening to The Brave and the Bold the other day (the collaboration between Bonnie Billy and Tortoise), and, despite listening to other Bonnie Billy works in the past, it only dawned on me now how much Bonnie Billy and the Pearl Jam frontman sound alike. Take a gander:

Tortoise & Bonnie "Prince" Billy - It's Expected I'm Gone (Minutemen Cover)
Pearl Jam - Light Years

In other news...
Pavement. Everyone's favorite band. Including my own. Unfortunately, I was listening to Wowee Zowee the other day, and noticed quite a similarity between "Kennel District" off of the aforementioned album and "Loretta's Scars" off of S&E. Sure, when I got CRCR and Wowee Zowee at the same time a bit ago I was convinced that every Pavement song sounded the same (kinda like reggae), but once I got over that...I don't know where I was going with that. I hate sauerkraut.
¿Que piensas?

Loretta's Scars
Kennel District

Coming up soon...

Top 5 lists of the first half of 2006!

2006-06-23T23:39:00.000-04:00

So i direct your attention towards Stereogum for their post about the ten gayest songs.

The list is as follows:

Top Ten Gayest Songs Ever
1. Lucille Ball and Bea Arthur - "Bosom Buddies"
2. Sylvester - "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)"
3. ABBA - "Dancing Queen"
4. Andy Bell & k.d. lang - "Enough is Enough"
5. Tim Curry - "Sweet Transvestite"
6. Pete Shelley - "Homosapien"
7. Doris Day - "Secret Love"
8. Klaus Nomi - "You Don't Own Me"
9. The Weather Girls - "It's Raining Men" [Fun fact: co-written by Paul Shaffer]
10. The Smiths - "Handsome Devil" / David Bowie - "Boys Keep Swinging"

Jay-Z Pt. II

2006-06-23T23:30:00.000-04:00

Don't know if you've seen this vid yet. I told my brother about the Cristal remark (see earlier post), and he drew my attention to this vid. It's a bunch of of lines that Hova stole from other rap artists like Snoop, Biggie, and Nas. Yeah, Nas (he didnt like Nas til after he retired, don't forget). I really liked Jay before this, and I still do now, but he may have gone down a notch or two in my eyes. The line he stole from Snoop in Jigga that N---a ((Hov'!) V is I, and I am him/Slim with the tilted brim on twenty inch rims) was a favorite of mine. What can you do?

Feat. Thurs.: Underrated Band: THE ARK

2006-06-22T23:23:00.000-04:00

So this band is pretty nice. They are essentially what you would get if you put the Scissors Sisters (site not recommended for younger readers) and The Darkness in a blender and pressed the 'chop' button. They're a prett homogenized mix of the two, but there' sort of chunks of each. To genre-ize them, they are a glam-rock band, with some dance-y influences to them. What I'm surprised about is that the Ark, being from Sweden and all, have not been on the receiving end of a whole lot of hype. When Canada was big, if you were a Canadian band, you were amazing. Now that Sweden's big with bands like José González, The Knife, and Love Is All, I'd figure people would be all up ons this band. C'est la vie, non?

Rock City Wankers (yousendit, sorry)

Will the Sun Shine Again When I;m Gone?

2006-06-22T14:06:00.000-04:00

So this Imaad Wasif guy, he's pretty impressive. He was in Zao at one point, and is a tours with the YYYs. ~~Not as in opens for them~~. (Apparently he opens for them too - my apologies.) As in plays in them when they go on tours. You get the idea. Anyway, his album was also produced by the guy (Mark Nevers) who produces for Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Calexico, and the Silver Jews. Given that, you can pretty much assume he's an alt-country/folk artist. You'd be right.
"Out in the Black" has Elliot Smith-like guitars, but less minimalistic. Imaad's singing sounds much less pained than Elliot's, however, thus providing for a more upbeat view on the unhappy things he's singing about.
Be his friend.

Jay-Z Boycotts Cristal

2006-06-22T13:34:00.000-04:00

The managing director (Frederic Rouzaud) of the company that makes Cristal said in a recent interview that "We can't forbid people from buying it. I'm sure Dom Perignon or Krug would be delighted to have their business." He said this in response to someone asking about whether or not the "bling lifestyle" that is associated with Cristal is good for the brand. Cristal is known to be a favorite drink of Jigga's, as he mentions it in quite a few of his songs (at least more of them than he mentions Guiness). So now, Young Hov is boycotting the drink. I'd do it too. But that's just me.

Song in which Jay mentions Cristal, circa 2004:
Kanye West - Never Let Me Down (feat. Jay-Z and J. Ivy)

Books and Music

2006-06-21T18:37:00.000-04:00

I recently finished reading Zamyatin's We, one of the forefathers of the dystopia genre. Interesting book, I wouldn't recommend it highly, however, the ending was rahter pleasing (if somewhat anticlimactic). The major problem was the anti-climax of the novel - everything was presented very deadpan and objectively. But, the gist of the story was this: there's a big war and major reform on soceity. Those left alive after the war are put into one city made of glass (the "guardians of happiness" watch your every move) with walls surrounding it. Everyone is given a number and refer to each other as "Numbers" rather than people. Our protagonist is a run-of-the-mill happy camper about all this until he meets a rebellious Number who attempts to lead him astray. I won't spoil anything else if you plan on reading it, however, there are some moving observations that the protagonist makes in his time of confusion in there.
What music did I picture these mindless drones to listen to?
Droning, monotonous music that the Liars new album employs (zing.) seems to be the type these cats would listen to. It's also creepy and full of "sci-fi" sort of sounds that seem apropos for the era.

Liars - To Hold You, Drum

All I can ask is, what happened to Mr. You're on Fire Mr?

What would they have been listening to had they not been set back culturally?
Cut! Copy! is what the hipsters would have been listening to had the hipsters not been completely wiped off the Earth. They are madly futuristic, not wearing their 80s influences on their sleeves. Oh wait. Let me rephrase that. They are very 80s, which is what the future would have been like. Very 80s. Let's face it, the future will be comprised of bad hair, bright colours, and ADD-fueled techno/rock music meant to be danced to.

Cut! Copy! - Going Nowhere

Pitchfork's Top 100 Music Vids

2006-06-20T18:59:00.000-04:00

So today Pitchfork released their list of "100 Awesome Music Videos." I was glad to see a number of my favorites, a number of classics, and a number of vids I had yet to see and found quite enjoyable.

Air.Kelly Watch the Stars.
Had not seen this one before, and found it to be quite an entertaining vid. I really enjoy Air and the video kinda goes along with their whole "ping-pong" theme that all of their songs exude.

Jay-Z.Big Pimpin.
The original video with one man rapping with ten thousand scantily clad ladies around him. Like 'em or hate 'em, this is the vid that started the craze.

Fiery Furnaces.Tropical Iceland.
Loved the song, and this vid is top notch. P-to-the-4k is right, they aren't the best actors, however, the idea and theme is sweet, and, outside of the acting, well executed.

Electric Six (feat. Jack White).Danger Danger! High Voltage!
Wow. Nuts vid. Really weird. And kinda funny. And is that Jack White?

My Bloody Valentine.To Here Knows When.
Gotta love some MBV now and again. This vid goes well with their theme. It's essentially if the cover of Loveless were a moving picture. In other words, like the best acid trip you've never been on.

Pavement.Shady Lane.
Good song, yeah. Entertaining vid, yeah. But c'mon! Where's Cut Your Hair or Gold Soundz? Two vids that top that one no doubt.

Cut Your Hair:

radiohead. just.
This video is amazing. A-freaking-mazing. Still, Street Spirit belongs somewhere on that list.

Street Spirit:

Sigur Ros.Untitled 1.
() gets made fun of more than it gets praised, however, I find it to be their most appealing work. This vid is essentially a mini-epic set to perhaps the best song off of the album, and it's creepy, sad, and hopeful all at once, just like the song.

Talking Heads.Once in a Lifetime.
This song is my favorite off of Remain in Light and this vid is absolutley nuts. It embodies the 'Heads: dancable, weird, 80s, and weird.

Yo La Tengo.Sugarcube.
One of the better songs off of ICHTHBAO gets one of those vids where they talk in it. Never cared for them so much 'cos they kinda ruin the song, but this one is quite entertaining, making stabs at traditional rock ideals.
What was missing:

Red Hot Chili Peppers.Californication.
This vidwas one of the first to use CG animation popularly and deserved to be on the list. Shame on you Pitchfork - I know you hate RHCP, but you gotta give credit where it's due. I mean, I don't like Fall Out Boy, but I'm willing to admit that I sure did enjoy those pictures.

The Flaming Lips.Do You Realize??
This vid is weird, and wholly Lips-like. Which is a good thing.

You Know What They Say about Doing Laundry on Your Birthday

2006-06-18T22:35:00.000-04:00

Minneapolis's Fog are a tough group label. Largely the brainchild of DJ Andrew Broder, they have a heavy influence of techno sounds and experimenting. However, just as easily noted is the influence of bands like The Notwist and Neutral Milk Hotel. I guess the Notwist and "techno sounds and experimenting" are very similar influences. They are. Anyway, the glitch-pop with a somewhat dead-pan delivery on top of it that The Notwist perfected immediately hit me, and I found this more melodic Notwist quite pleasing. On second listen, I noticed the dark, cryptic lyrics reminiscent of Magnum and friends as well as their lo-fi orchestral experimenting. It was about then that I decided that I was quite a fan.

The Rabbit

PARTY PARTY PARTY

2006-06-17T21:53:00.000-04:00

Parties left and right this time of year, I've been spending quite a bit of time myself at them. In honour of this, I've decided to post a handful of party-liscious tracks that I find entertaining. Enyoy (I think it's a soft "j").

Beck - Nicotine and Gravy - Midnite Vultures is his best album. Don't deny it. It's just play party fun, though he still uses his bizarre Pixies-influenced lyrics. Strange and amazing, N&G tops all the other tracks on this stellar album (sounds like an advertisment).
Le Tigre - Deceptacon - Yeah, the voice takes some getting used to, but try not dancing. Try it. Yeah, that's right, you can't.
Louis XIV - Finding Out True Love Is Blind - Okay so this band is pretty derivative and fascinated with things that seem somewhat...immature. However, their songs (this one in particular) are quite catchy and easy to dance to. Plus, aren't parties just about dancing and being fascinated with immature topics?