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New Iran - Can I Feel What, I Can See The Future, I Already Know Youre Wrong

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Aaron Aites is a mysterious man. He released a pair of amazing, near masterpieces as Iran a few years ago -- a self-titled collection in 2000 and The Moon Boys in 2002, both on tUMULt -- then he stopped. He was busy working on a Norwegian black metal documentary, Until The Light Takes Us, which he's since completed. For a time, it looked like Dead Oceans was releasing the new album Same Song Over And Over, but the MP3 links over there are dead and now it's slated for release on Narnack. We still don't know an exact date (Narnack just told us "sometime in October"), but Iran has a MySpace with three of the "new" tracks (they've been floating around for the last few years, but never in one place). Each is super. If you haven't heard the old stuff, track it down -- way noisier and fuzzed and lo-fi than this material. He made a conscious decision to up the production value, and while the song's are still strong, there's something even more beautiful about his tunes when you have to dig through a foot of feedback to get to the hook or heartbreak. Yes, Kyp Malone from TV On The Radio is in the band, but Iran is really the brainchild and obsession of Aaites -- and we're glad to have him back.

New Real Tuesday Weld - Over The Hillsides

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

We really dug the electro-tinged cabaret of the Real Tuesday Weld, aka Stephen Coates' sixth album The London Book of the Dead. Before that collection had time to cool off, Coates has a new imaginary live release, The End of the World, which takes place in an imaginary club. As Coates puts it:

The End of the World is a valedictory "performance" recorded on the eve of Valentine's Day at the mysterious/mythical End Of The World club in London. The band performed a set of pre-apocalyptic junkyard blues songs about, in honor of, and inspired by dreams and dreaming in a one-off set recorded especially for this release. Special guests appear and disappear as both performers and audience prepare themselves to say goodbye and to face an uncertain future realizing that only heaven knows what tomorrow will bring."

The late-night lounge of "Over The Hillsides" comes complete with faux applause and yodeling. How meta/Sound Of Music is that?

Sad Kermit Covers Elliott Smith

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

It isn't easy being green, nor is it easy knowing how to react when Sad Kermit uploads videos to YouTube. If you've been on the internet before you've seen his syringe-ful take on "Hurt." Today it's all about his "Needle In The Hay" cover, which is mostly wrong with a little bit of right (nice recreation of the dark Luke Wilson moment from The Royal Tenenbaums). As Lindsay says, "Too soon Kermie. Too soon." But still it exists, which means you have to watch it. Videogum also has John Mayer's latest attempt at being funny in a Judd Apatow-directed clip which is meant to joke about who he is as an artist, but which Gabe says actually reveals just how fucking rich John Mayer really is:

I don't think people realize how much money John Mayer actually has. It's so much. He made a joke about it in that video of him recording with Kanye (go back and listen to "Daughters," bitches), but it's most visible in his apparent disregard for his media image. He's the Regional Vice President of Fucking With Ryan Seacrest. Not to mention his weird drop in sets at New York comedy clubs, like whuuuuuut. Dude just doesn't care, and you know who doesn't care? People who can afford not to care. But I think this video really ends it. He's not "playing" with his image at this point, he's donkey punching it and then leaving it by a highway exit ramp.

We watched. And we agree.

But at least it has JB Smoove in it.

Brian Chippendale Welcomes Us Aboard The Magic Pus

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Interestingly, after MTV taught us about all that lo-fi business, Lightning Bolt drummer and Björk collaborator Brian Chippendale mailed us a copy of Black Pus 4: All Aboard The Magic Pus, the fourth full-length from his one-man side project. (It was recorded on cassette tape. Remember that stuff?) As with the past Black Pus offerings, it comes wrapped in beautiful hand-screened packaging, showcasing the man's skills as a comic artist. This time, to our surprise, it also came with the closing track, "Body On The Tide," which reminded us somehow of Guided By Voices. As much as a Chippendale song will ever remind us of GBV. Seriously, though, check out these vocal lines.

New PAS/CAL - You Were Too Old For Me

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

After a series of EPs, Detroit crew PAS/CAL's debut full-length I Was Raised on Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Laura is just around the corner (if you consider July around the corner). The excellent "You Were Too Old For Me" isn't about R. Kelly, instead it's elegant '60s-via-E6-inflected pop with a tad Dan Bejar to its lit (listen at 1:15) and -- seriously -- something about that phrasing that's made us think about Cursive's Domestica for the first time in years. Like, if Cursive was writing baroque pop, ahem. The track's about frontman Casimer Pascal's dad -- at least in part. As he says:

I have some daddy issues. I admit it. My old man succumbed to the Cancer nearly a decade ago, but every time I sit down to write a new tune it's amazing how many allusions to him creep in. I guess the plan for this song was that it was gonna be an exorcism of sorts. I figured if I could just fit it all in one neat container I could regain a lil' control -- possibly even choose to throw the whole damned thing out and move on. That was the plan anyway...

All that, a million parts, and please note the "heroic drum rolls" and mid-song emotional entreaty.

Mammas, Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Indie Rockers

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Mother's Day is this weekend. Hopefully you haven't forgotten. If you did, then hopefully you've done something great enough that your poor mom can get by on motherly pride alone. Like, for instance, over at emusic, there's a dang cute feature where the mothers of some of our favorite indie rockers sound off on their favorite song by their kid and why they're proud of 'em. Each selection comes with a link to the song, so you can listen along while you wipe away those Hallmark tears. Actually, you gotta love the beginning of Holy Fuck mom Michele Schulz's response:

My son, Matthew Schulz is the drummer with 'HF,' as I lovingly call the band. The music is profound and mesmerizing. I'm a child of the late 60's and 70's music. I was there with the likes of Led Zeppelin, Hendrix and Cream...

True hardcore. There are thoughts, too, from those who gave birth to Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, Zach Condon, and Mary of High Places...

MySpace Brought Neil Diamond Back To The Bitter End For A Secret Show

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Last night while you were not standing in line with a print out of your MySpace profile with Secret Shows in your top friends at the Bitter End on Bleecker, these people were:

And most of 'em wound up looking at this:

[photo by Marisafaith]

Honestly, was Gelmania at Rififi worth it? Yeah, probably. But acknowledge the awesomeness that must have been seeing Neil fucking Diamond at a place as tiny as the Bitter End (capacity: 110 JD McNugents), down in the NYU drinking quad the Village. Speaking of, the Voice got setlist:

"Solitary Man"
"Don't Go There"
"Home Before Dark"
"Really Amazing Grace"
"Kentucky Woman"
"Cherry, Cherry"
"Sweet Caroline"

And the crowd got the video:

New Annie - I Know Your Girlfriend Hates Me (Get Shakes Remix)

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

When Annie's Don't Stop single "I Know Your Girlfriend Hates Me" showed up (also in colorful, but unfortunately hard-to-keep-on-YouTube video form), we were excited to get another taste of Anne Lilia Berge Strand's bubblegum after too long a gap (three years and change, to be somewhat more exact). Then came along a doubled-up Knife-y remix by brotherly UK duo Get Shakes, which we sorta like more than the original, to be honest. Much darker, which makes that girlfriend's hate all the more palpable. Grab MP3 at Discobelle, and note Annie's scary skeleton hands above. She must get the Knife thing, too.

Breaking Artist: These New Puritans

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

British dance-rock noisemongers These New Puritans are this week’s Breaking Artist. Their swirls of jagged noise and thunderous percussion has already earned them critical accolades and an aggressive fan base. Click here for more on These New Puritans, including their video for “Elvis.” • Breaking Artist: These New Puritans

Tour Tracker: Santana, Staind/3 Doors Down/Hinder and Alkaline Trio

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Santana uses black magic to bring his world tour back to the states, Staind, 3 Doors Down and Hinder come together like Voltron to form a megatour and the Alkaline Trio head to the road to see how many teenager girls they added as fans after being featured on The Hills. All tour dates await [...]

Rev Theory Assault Rock Radio, American Cities, Pro Wrestlers

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

The men of Rev Theory live by a single axiom: “People are always going to want good, loud rock music,” says guitarist Julien Jorgensen. It’s a mantra that has served them well, as the band’s two rugged, anthemic, distortion-heavy singles “Light It Up” and “Hell Yeah” are both becoming more and more ubiquitous at rock [...]

Fricke?s Picks: James Blackshaw

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

In 1999, James Blackshaw was a teenage guitarist from the London suburbs, playing in indie-rock bands. Then a friend played him The Dance of Death and Other Plantation Favorites, a mid-Sixties album of solo acoustic fingerpicking by the iconic American guitarist John Fahey. “I remember not quite understanding it,” Blackshaw says now of that record, [...]

Trey Anastasio Returns to the Stage, Stars Collide for Performances at Jammys

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

So close, but no cigar: The four members of Phish all showed up last night to accept their Lifetime Achievement prize at the 2008 Jammy Awards ceremony, at the WaMu Theater in Madison Square Garden. But bassist Mike Gordon and drummer Jon Fishman just talked; guitarist Trey Anastasio and keyboardist Page McConnell played earlier in [...]

Jason Castro Overthrown on ?American Idol?

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

There will be no more easy-going, dreadlocked vibes on American Idol this season, as Jason Castro was shown the door on last night’s show. He was the most jubilant Idol reject in history, smiling like a goofball and shrugging as if to say, “I’ve been phoning it in for weeks and deeply miss my gravity [...]

Madonna Preps Sticky and Sweet Tour

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

After giving her old label Warner Brothers one last going-away present with the number one debut of Hard Candy, Madonna is ready to make good on her ten-year contract with Live Nation by launching her Sticky and Sweet Tour. The trek will kick off in Cardiff, Wales, on August 23rd, spin through Europe and then [...]

News Ticker: Amy Winehouse, DMX, Coldplay

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Amy Winehouse was released on bail after being arrested yesterday on suspicion of drug possession. A police spokesperson confirmed the arrest was related to the footage showing Winehouse allegedly smoking crack that circulated earlier this year. Rapper DMX has been arrested on suspicion of racing on a highway and several other charges after [...]

Ask a Rock Star: Paramore

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

When we caught up with Paramore at the Bamboozle festival last weekend, we matched them up with their most challenging interviewers yet: their rabid fans. Click above to see Josh Farro, Jeremy Davis, Zac Farro and Hayley Williams discuss breakup rumors, touring with Jimmy Eat World and whether or not Williams is open to marriage [...]

Rock And Blues Festival cancelled

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

According to this report on the BBC News website, the organisers of The Custom Rock And Blues Festival have withdrawn their application for a licence amid fears of violence after a biker's death.

The Custom Rock and Blues Festival was scheduled to take place at Catton Hall in south Derbyshire in August.

But police feared some people may have used it for 'high-profile' retaliation over the death of Hell's Angel Motorcycle Club member Gerard Tobin.

The 35-year-old from south London was shot dead on the M40 last August.

Police objected to the four-day event because they said there was an unacceptable risk to local people and the event's 15,000 visitors.

Intelligence suggested a clash between rival biker gangs over the death of Mr Tobin who was shot dead leaving a bikers' festival on the M40 in south Warwickshire.

In a statement, events organisers One Percent Entertainments Limited said: "We have not received threats of any kind about this event.

"However, we have a duty to customers, employees and the general public to take very seriously any representations made by the police based on intelligence which they have, no matter how sensationalised we believe it to have been."

The stage line-up included Glenn Hughes, Molly Hatchet, Fastway, GMT, Blackfoot, Magnum, Hanoi Rocks and Budgie.

Golden Earring announce rare British dates

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

The good news is that veteran Dutch rockers Golden Earring have announced a brace of British dates. The bad news is that they're not until March next year.

The Radar Love hit-makers play: Ipswich Regent March 13 and London Shepherds Bush Empire 14.

You can view a list of Golden Earring's full upcoming tour schedule here.

And for a magnificent slice of nostalgia, you can eatch 'em in their prime playing the aforementioned Radar Love here.

Brian answers Planet Rocks Mayday

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

According to a report this week in music business magazine Music Week, Queen guitarist Brian May is involved in a rescue mission to save radio station Planet Rock.

The digital-only station was put up for sale by its owner, GCap Media, in March and will be closed if a buyer is not found by the end of the month.

May posted a statement on his official website admitting that he was 'involved in mounting a rescue operation to save the station'.

May revealed he was part of a small group of people 'who had great hopes' in succeeding taking over the station.

He said: “I regard Planet Rock as rather more than just a radio station – it is a symbol of free radio… radio which is not run by large corporate organisations for the purpose of making tons of money, and has a free choice of what it plays.

"DAB Radio has had a brave start, and can provide freedom from domination by commercially minded programming, but it might, at this point, slip between the cracks.

"I believe this cause is worth supporting… and will be doing my best to put my money and expertise where my mouth is.”

It is understood May first got involved with Planet Rock after listeners emailed him to ask if he could help save it.

Felipe Salles: South American Suite

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Rapidly changing rhythms, crisp ensemble playing, a broad sonic feel and unique voicings define South American Suite, an adventurously composed look at Brazilian music from multireedist/flutist Felipe Salles. While he draws on Brazilian music, Salles eschews the breezy bossa beats that are typically associated with that country's jazz intercourse. Instead, he utilizes lesser-known styles such as choro, frevo and baiA o to inspire new extended compositions and advanced arrangements for a distinctive take on Latin jazz...

Teo Macero Presents The Inner World Band: Study in Contrast

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Teo Macero, who while at Columbia Records produced many Miles Davis records from Kind of Blue (1959) to Bitches Brew (1969), as well as other seminal discs like Dave Brubeck's Time Out (1959) and Ellington's Blues in Orbit (1958), passed away in February at age 82. Study in Contrast, recorded in 2007 with the NYU Steinhardt Jazz Orchestra--which he called "The Inner World Band"--is full of boundless energy and reveals just how youthful Macero was as both composer and producer. Macero penned all nine tracks, which alternate tempos between fast and (relatively) slow and focus between rhythmic elements and solo features...

Anthony Coleman: Lapidation

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

After a recording career given over in large part to shtick and nostalgia, the last few years have seen a well-deserved spike for Anthony Coleman. His last two records for Tzadik showed him (on 2006's Pushy Blueness) as a strong composer and (also 2006, Shmutisige Magnaen: Coleman Plays Geburtig) a remarkable interpreter. Lapidation continues the documentation of the pianist as a strong composer...

Russ Nolan and the Kenny Werner Trio: With You in Mind

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Two Colors (Rhinoceruss, 2004), the first release from saxophonist Russ Nolan as a leader, impressed both by an exquisite partnership with pianist Sam Barsh and the leader's convincing command of both tenor and soprano saxes. The saxophonist's sophomore effort, With You in Mind, reprises his traditional approach in the context of pianist Kenny Werner's superb piano trio. Nolan's affinity for pianists is again readily apparent on a varied musical program that includes paeans to Trane, Monk and drummer Billy Kilson...

Pete Robbins: Do The Hate Laugh Shimmy

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Submitted by Wilbur MacKenzie Altoist Pete Robbins' Do The Hate Laugh Shimmy functions like a treatise on synthesis, where disparate influences are not so much juxtaposed as woven together with style and grace. This CD makes a clear statement that these are times that celebrate a storied history of musical innovation. What felt like a gradual exploration of evolving alternatives in the 20th Century is now reaching a level of refinement, where today's innovators are synthesizing the work of predecessors who had done the same themselves...

George Schullers Circle Wide: Like Before, Somewhat After

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

On Like Before, Somewhat After, drummer George Schuller reconvenes his group Circle Wide, last heard on its 2003 Playscape debut Round 'Bout Now, a tribute to the pre-fusion electro-acoustic work of Miles Davis. Once again tapping the 1970s for inspiration, Schuller delves into the discography of pianist Keith Jarrett's classic American Quartet, which featured Dewey Redman (reeds), Charlie Haden (bass) and Paul Motian (drums)...

E_L_B (Peter Erskine_Nguyen Le_Michel Benita): Dream Flight

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Active leaders all--and busy sidemen as well--drummer Peter Erskine, guitarist NguyA n LA and bassist Michel Benita worked together in other contexts, prior to forming the collective trio E_L_B and releasing their self-titled 2000 ACT debut. Busy schedules prevented a follow-up for seven years; but following a successful tour where the trio became a quartet with the addition of impressive up-and-coming saxophonist StA(C)phane Guillaume, Dream Flight retains all that made E_L_B such a compelling listen, while demonstrating the growth one would hope to hear in the intervening years...

Ron Thomas / Paul Klinefelter: Blues for Zarathustra

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

With Blues For Zarathustra, pianist Ron Thomas returns to an area of interest that has always been a part of his musical life, but which has not be emphasized or recorded recently. What he presents, with his long time playing partner, bassist Paul Klinefelter, is a straight-ahead set where simplicity, delicate intensity, constant interplay and a fertile imagination rule...

Marc Copland: Another Place

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

It's taken nearly a lifetime for British pianist John Taylor to receive the credit he's due. While still underappreciated in his own country, Marc Copland does seem to be pushing his way through the morass of American pianists to a position of greater prominence. With a discography that gets better every year, Copland--approaching sixty, but looking a decade younger--is, with little fuss but relentless persistence, emerging as an artist of significance, with a leading voice and compositional approach...

Gonzalo Rubalcaba: Avatar

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Listening to Avatar--pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba's first release since 2006--is kind of like eating unshelled lobster: It takes hard work and a will of iron to get to the meat. And while that meat may be succulent to some, the taste may not be for everybody. The problem originates with the "shell" that surrounds most of the seven tunes on Avatar. Rubalcaba gets some terrific performances from his quintet, and does his usual stellar job at the piano. Unfortunately, there was a conscious decision to make most of the heads exceedingly dense--not dense in terms of intelligence (the compositions are nothing if not smart), but dense in terms of the amount of musical information the listener must process right from the outset...

Bobby Previte and the New Bump: Set The Alarm For Monday

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

A seminal figure in the Downtown New York scene, drummer and composer Bobby Previte resurrected his Bump the Renaissance ensemble for the cinematic Set The Alarm For Monday. Previte's venerable acoustic group has featured a rotating roster of talent over the years, including Ray Anderson, Curtis Fowlkes, Wayne Horvitz, Lenny Picket, Steve Swallow and Tom Varner. Ellery Eskelin (tenor saxophone), Bill Ware (vibes) and Brad Jones (bass) form the current incarnation, with special guests Steven Bernstein (trumpet) and Jim Pugliese (percussion)...

Miamis JVC Jazz Festival Presents Brazilian Stars Jorge Ben Jor and Sergio Mendes May 17

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

JVC's Jazz Festival brings an eclectic exciting mix of bossa nova, pop and jazz the majestic Bayfront Park Amphitheater. The lineup will include the Grammy Award winning Sergio Mendes, R&B singer/songwriter Anthony Hamilton, Brazilian artist Jorge Ben Jor and the Grammy nominated artist Ledisi.

Then, enjoy After Dark at the Oasis with performances by Raul Midón, The Yoruba Soul Orchestra featuring Osunlade, Quetzal Guerrero and Siji, plus DJ sets by Osunlade, Djinji Brown and Rainer Trüby at The Oasis at The Raleigh Hotel. JVC Jazz Festival:
Sergio Mendes - Anthony Hamilton - Jorge Ben Jor - Ledisi
Saturday, May 17th, 5 pm
Bayfront Park Amphitheater, Downtown Miam...

Persuasive Lure into a World of Wonder

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Biomusique

The 10,000 Steps (Kosmic Music, 2008)

Combining the talents of singer/songwriter Lisbeth Scott, known for her musical collaborations on such movies as The Chronicles of Narnia, Munich and ...

New Interpol Video - Rest My Chemistry (Unofficial, But Endorsed!)

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

We've all seen unofficial music videos -- clips that folks who dig a band make because ... they dig a band. Some work out great like "My Body Is A Cage" or HEALTH's "Heaven," and others are better left to the dustbin. Well, Aaron Koblin, a visual artist/Interpol fan, put together a tech-y video for "Rest My Chemistry" with the help of his production company, Blip Boutique. He wanted to adapt the technology he uses for his art to make a kind of art piece for the song. As the production company noted:

We wanted to do something for this song that was not specifically intended for broadcast, but that was more of an art piece that would live and grow primarily online. We wanted to use a new technology using data mapping to create an abstract video.

The result looks like biological -- or, right, chemical -- fireworks. Or Tron. Interpol was contacted about the project, liked it, and endorsed it. Does that make it official? We're not sure, but it's definitely a striking accompaniment to those starry, Pixie-ish guitar licks and Paul's baritone.

New Young Rival - 4:15

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

We don't know too much about Hamilton, Ontario quartet Young Rival, but "4:15"'s been sounding good on repeat listens, so we wanted to post it. We do know they recorded their forthcoming album with Emery Dobyns, a Grammy winner who's also turned knobs for Antony, Battles, and Patti Smith. Also, they went on tour with the Sadies in Canada last fall and Born Ruffians this spring. Not bad, Young Rival. But whatever, the background's not that important. Just take a listen to "4:15," a smoothly dark, refined Zombies-esque pop with a great guitar sound. That's what hooked us first.

New These New Puritans - Elvis, Swords Of Truth, And Numbers Live @ Antones

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

One of our favorite sets of SXSW was These New Puritans' post-punk ass-kicking at Antone's. We liked it so much, we shot a video of "Elvis." Just about two months later, we have audio tracks from the show that have been mixed down so that we can now relive the night in an even more pristine glory. The three tunes are the aforementioned "Elvis," the appropriately chainmailed "Swords Of Truth," and "Numbers." If you haven't, uh, Fall-en for the young Brits before, this just might convert you.

My Bloody Valentine Announces Full(er) Tour

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

As mentioned previously, My Bloody Valentine are returning to the US of A for their first show in 16 years when they touch down in Monticello, New York to curate a jam-packed edition of All Tomorrow's Parties with Polvo, Built To Spill, Shellac, Tortoise, and other bands we listened to a lot before we had facial hair (as well as some relative newbies like Drones, Fuck Buttons, Wooden Shjips, etc.). Well, for those of you who can't make it to NY State, those seminal shoegazers might be coming a tad closer to your hometown than you originally thought. Some dates were already announced, like Roskilde and some UK stuffs, but there are definitely surprises.

Siren Festival 2008 Initial Lineup

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

We offered muted praise for last year's initial lineup, but hat tip to the Village Voice for a) bringing back Siren for another installment (weren't their rumblings that last year was the end?) and b) pulling together a spread much more worthy of a train ride to Coney this year. Here's the first dispatch:

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
Broken Social Scene
The Helio Sequence
Beach House
Times New Viking
Jaguar Love
The Dodos
Annuals
Film School
Parts & Labor
Dragons Of Zynth
These Are Powers

Malkmus, BSS, Times New Viking, Annuals, this will conquer the beach. But Beach House? Really? A summer stage with boomy sound isn't exactly the best environment for the narcotic Baltimore duo, but hey -- it is free, it's July 19th, and pro tip: you'll probably wanna remember your earplugs. More info when we get it, or just keep tabs here.

New Pepi Ginsberg Video - The Waterline

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

The 24-year-old Brooklyn (via Philadelphia) singer-songwriter Pepi Ginsberg released her third album Red the end of last month. The collection, produced by her Park The Van labelmate Scott McMicken of Dr. Dog, has a vintage, analog-drenched feel, but with more than enough tweaks and twitters to keep it expansive and interesting. The Albert Birney-directed video for bona fide standout "The Waterline" finds Ginsberg ambling through a shifting, color-coding NYC landscape (St. Marks, Alice tripping in the park). She smiles, looks concerned, loses her head, is frozen in space and smeared with paint, and there are creepy encounters with people in masks, etc., but the real star of the whole thing is her gorgeous voice. It hits with some sorta Edie Brickell warmth, but in a much jazzier Jolie Holland or, better yet, Spector realm. Also, listen closely to her words: "Tell them life is poetry, you can't ... read twice."

The Gum Drop Volume XXXVI: Hear New Elf Power, Win Limited-Edition Arcade Fire Superchunk Poster

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Speaking of veteran Elephant 6ers, last month longstanding Athens-born crew Elf Power released their ninth album In A Cave via Rykodisc. They recorded "Mutiny" during those Cave sessions, but the gem didn't end up on the final tracklist. No worries, we included it in this week's Drop. We also spoke with frontman Andrew Rieger about the horn-lined chunk of psychedelic pop's apocalyptic storyline. Read his Derrick Jensen-themed response and listen to "Mutiny" over here.

[Photo by Kristen Bach]

In addition to those sounds, we offered a chance to win a limited-edition, signed, and numbered Arcade Fire and Superchunk "Change Rocks" poster.

New Coldplay - Viva La Vida

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Hate 'em or hate 'em, you guys love talking about Coldplay. EMI's bragging that 2 mililion people downloaded the first free single "Violet Hill," so feel good, you're not the only ones hate-listening. And Chris Martin knows this: On the new cut "Viva La Vida," he croons "revolutionaries wait for my head on a silver plate." So, one point for self-awareness, and another for turning out a fresh sounding (if U2-y in spirit) track. A Coldplay song with a string section and church bells that manages not to sound pretentious? No small feat, you guys. We credit fatherhood. Or Eno. Either way, the half-the-title track to the forthcoming Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends will probably inspire fewer bilious comments than last time -- and definitely fewer comparisons to Radiohead.

Gang Of Two: Original Rhythm Sections Quits Gang Of Four

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

The reunion's over. That's right, the post-punk quartet who got back together in 2005, a couple years after every band in Brooklyn was trying to sound like them, are down to two now that the original rhythm section of bassist (and stellar blogger) Dave Allen (on the left of the pic to the right) and drummer Hugo Burnham (on the right) have called it finis. Vocalist Jon King and guitarist Andy Gill plan to soldier on with the Gang Of Four name, though it's unclear who'll be joining them. According to a press release, "Burnham last performed with the band at All Tomorrow's Parties in the UK in December 2006, while Allen played a few shows alongside a session drummer in 2007, and recently worked on new material with King and Gill." And there are statements from the recently departed.

Still No Neutral Milk Hotel Reunion, But The Music Tapes Are Back With New Album, Video, Live Show

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

We were big fans of First Imaginary Symphony For Nomad back in the day, as well as the Music Tapes' prop-heavy, metronome-toting live show. If you can believe it, that debut came out nine years ago. Around that time, Neutral Milk Hotel was still active, so it was seen as Julian Koster's singing-saw and wire-recorder side project. Since then, NMH went the way of legends, and Koster's kept a lower profile. Well, he and his Tapes are back. Via Merge:

[Koster is] working on a story album entitled 2nd Imaginary Symphony for Cloudmaking, narrated by Brian Dewan and accompanied by bowed banjos, singing saws and sound effects. Portions of the story were aired in early 2003 on WNYC in New York, and were met with great enthusiasm by Music Tapes fans longing for new material.
Music Tapes For Clouds And Tornadoes spotlights Julian's songcraft and distinctive vocals, his almost religious devotion to the singing saw, and numerous contributions from other musicians in the Elephant 6 orbit. As on previous efforts, recording was done using an array of antique hardware, giving Music Tapes For Clouds And Tornadoes a timeless, texturally rich sonic palette. It is the sound of Julian's world poking through the curtain surrounding objective reality. In his words, "I just find the imaginary more real than the physical. Magic, the way we find things beautiful, the light behind eyes, kindness, and how we want to serve and protect the things we care about - these things seem like the real foundation of the world to me. I hope that the songs on this record can be more than just postcards from a world, but an invitation to it, to anyone at all who may find such a place comforting and nice."

Quite the build-up, eh? Now it's time to look and listen.

New Gregor Samsa - Jeroen Van Aken Abutting, Dismantling

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

You won't get any Kafka jokes from us this morning, but you will receive two tracks from the multi-city minimalist collective Gregor Samsa, which includes members of Antlers, Kayo Dot, etc. Their third full-length Rest, which the band put together via email and then eight months of recording, is arriving in five formats. Count along:

Digital, Limited Edition of 500 (CD format, includes an extra booklet of artwork and lyrics, hand numbered), Collector's Edition of 30 (packaging is in a Super 8 film can with artwork and extra goodies, and will include one of the films that Gregor Samsa has made), Unlimited Edition (CD art, made from black stock and screen printed), Vinyl (like the Limited Edition, but on vinyl)

That's almost as complicated as figuring out where all the members live. Here's the lovely piano-lined video for the ambient, Bosh-y "Jeroen Van Aken," which was directed by Spokane's Rick Alverson.

If you liked that, we also have the song without pictures along with "Abutting, Dismantling."

New American Music Club Video - All The Lost Souls Welcome You To San Francisco

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

We enjoyed "All The Lost Souls..." in its image-free, Pernice Brothers-y form. The Jon Ramos-directed video for The Golden Age's appropriately nostalgic standout track stars Laura Palmer's mom getting slowly wasted in some west coast bar. As she passes the hours, drowning her sorrows amid cigarette butts, doodles, peanuts, and the hard stuff, Mark Eitzel and his American Music Clubbers are reflected in the glasses in lieu of pink elephants.

Drink up, Twin Peaks fans.

The Golden Age is out via Merge.

2008 Latin Alternative Music Conference

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

You might think that if you are not planning on becoming a star in the fascinating cutting-edge genre of Latin alternative music, there's no reason to attend a Latin Alternative...

Sebastian Bach Won?t Rock Velvet Revolver?s Mike

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Despite getting the thumbs up from outgoing singer Scott Weiland, Sebastian Bach will likely not take over the lead-singing vacancy in Velvet Revolver, saying it would be “really awkward.” Talking to Tampa radio’s “The Buckethead Show,” Bach said he likes his own new album Angel Down more than the VR records, plus Bach would rather [...]

News Ticker: Paul McCartney, Jonas Brothers, Oasis

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Paul McCartney will be giving away copies of last year’s Memory Almost Full in the U.K.’s Mail on Sunday on May 18th, following the paper’s free distribution of Prince’s Planet Earth last summer. The Jonas Brothers will pull a Miley Cyrus and release a 3-D concert movie of their upcoming summer tour. The [...]

Emmanuel Jal: Rapper Mines Life as Child Soldier in Sudan for Powerful Album

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

In the current issue, Evan Serpick profiles Emmanuel Jal, an MC who grew up in Sudan and became a soldier in the country’s vicious civil war at age seven. After escaping five years of battle and unimaginable atrocities (he details how child soldiers ate the fallen to stave off starvation on “Forced to Sin”), he [...]

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