NOW HEAR THIS

Yeah Yeah Yeahs : Now Playing : Heads Will Roll

2009-08-06T13:17:00.001-07:00

Yeah Yeah Yeahs : Now Playing : Heads Will Roll

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Move It On Over

2008-10-03T15:28:00.000-07:00

The new website is up and things are looking pretty good. We're going to taper down the mirroring thing here so switch those bookmarks to www.nowhearthismusic.com and come on over!

2008-09-23T17:41:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday was, according to most time-lines, the 39th anniversary of the start of all those news reports of Paul McCartney's death and subsequent replacement by a look-alike. To mark the occasion I played a few segments of a 1979 radio documentary written by Beatle expert Joel Gasiler (sp?) and hosted by Dave Fox on my regular radio show on KALX. Since it got more phone calls than any piece of music I'd played in months I figured it deserves airing here:

Is Paul Dead? Turn me on dead man

I only have about 37 minutes of the original hour long program but it's more than enough minutia to satisfy the diehard Beatles fan and Fox's flare for melodrama is hilarious. My favorite part is when they play all those tracks backwards to reveal alleged clues behind one of the more famous hoaxes in rock history. Wikipedia has a very detailed account of the whole conspiracy theory. Be sure to check out the exstensive list of external links at the bottom.

And I thought I had too much spare time...

Spoon live in '05

2008-09-22T12:29:00.000-07:00

Spoon starts a three night run at the Filmore tonight. I came to the Spoon party well beyond fashionably late so this will be my first time seeing them. I know, I don't get out much. But since falling hard for Gimme Fiction (made my best of 2005 list) forces have conspired against me finding myself in the same room. Their latest effort Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is just as strong, making my best of '07 list. Barring any further twists of fate I'll be catching the closer Wednesday. I'm also really looking forward to opening act Heavenly States. Kudos to Britt & Co. for giving a fine local act an opportunity like this!

The Sly Oyster has posted a couple of new songs (one featuring Janet Weiss) from frontman Britt Danile's solo set in Portland earlier this month. Check them out here. Unless his long rumored solo debut is actually going to happen it's very likely these will show up on the next Spoon album proper. Here's hoping they pull these out for the Fillmore run but what would really make my life complete (for the next coupl of weeks anyway) would be seeing their killer cover of The Rolling Stones' "Rocks Off".

Rocks Off (from their set in Brooklyn's Prospect Park back in July thanks to the bottomless Internet Archive, the whole show is here.)

Since Gimme Fitcion will always have a special place in my heart I thought I'd post this live set from 2005 in preperation for Wednesday.

Spoon live at Village Studio, L.A. 5/13/05 (broadcast by KCRW)

The Beast And The Dragon, Adored

The Two Sides Of Monsieur Valentine

I Summon You

Sister Jack

Utilitarian

Everything Hits At Once

Someone, Something

My Mathematical Mind

Here's the whole deal in a zip file if you want to save time (caveat: lesser quality mp3's but the interview in the middle is included...)

Best stage invasion video EVER!

2008-09-19T12:18:00.000-07:00

By now many of you've probably already checked out the video of that crazy Canucker shoving Noel Gallagher to the ground near the end of Oasis' set in Toronto a couple weeks ago. If not check it out here (be warned, you have wade through a minute and a half of "Morning Glory" first). I'm sure many of us have felt like doing the same at some point but you've gotta give kudos to Noel for coming back and playing six more numbers with a pair of broken ribs. Brother Liam appears to think better of delivering a haymaker to the intruder's kisser which brought to mind one of the best stage invasion videos I've ever seen. Just don't f#*k with Keefus is all I have to say:

Check out NME's marvelouse When Fan's Attack blog entry for more (of course the Jeff Tweedy incident makes the list).

New single from The Last Shadow Puppets

2008-09-09T15:20:00.000-07:00

The Last Shadow Puppets are a collaboration between Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner and Miles Kane (Little Flames, Rascals). Discovering a shared appreciation of early Bowie the two devised an ambitious take on 60's symphonic-pop whose best moments bring to mind Love meets The Yardbirds with Enio Morricone and John Barry flourishes without sounding pretentious (despite the presence of 22-piece London Metropolitan Orchestra). At it's worst it sounds like the Arctics with strings, still an interesting proposition. To his credit Turner retains his boyish, angry young Brit vocal style rather than trying to mime early Scott Walker. The second single from their fabulous debut, The Age Of The Understatement, features 2 non-album tracks. My favorite of the two, "Hang The Cyst", has a nifty psych guitar freakout tacked onto the end that stretches it to twice the length of anything else they've recorded so far.

Give it a listen:

Hang The Cyst

Check out a live video of "Standing Next to Me"

You can find more live & promo videos here.

The next single, "My Mistakes Were Made For You" will be out October 20th and will feature an exclusive live orchestrated version of the band's "Separate And Ever Deadly" plus live cover versions of the Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra classic 'Paris Summer' and the Burt Bacharach penned, Love covered 'My Little Red Book'.

My Mistakes Were Made For You

All this fabulous music is available on Domino Records.

2008-08-29T14:17:00.001-07:00

Stuck here in the Bay Area when you want to be in Black Rock City? Good news! You can head to the East Bay for a sweet rockin' alternative to Burning Man called Burnout Man. In it's second year, the fest is delivering ten bands for only ten bucks (though I'm told no one will be turned away for lack for funds). You can't beat that with a sweaty hippy. It's all going down tomorrow at the Grant Irish Warehouse, 2230 Poplar St. @ West Grand in Oakland.

The lineup:

Big Baby Tiger Tears

Groggs

Wyld Youth

Rock The Light

The Moral Tourists

Shannon And The Clams

Forever

Homo²

Steve Mcqueen For A Day

Glitter Wizard

Byrne/Eno Streaming Beauty

2008-08-28T17:03:00.000-07:00

Some thirty years after their initial collaboration My LIfe In The Bush Of Ghosts and a clutch of Talking Heads records Brian Eno produced as a de facto member of the band Byrne and Eno are back with a new record called Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. While longtime Eno fans hoping for ambient quirk pop might be disappointed this music, culled from tracks Eno's been collecting over the last few years augmented by words and melodies provided by Byrne, is full of hope and warmth. In fact, to these ears it sounds closer to the Talking Heads than anything Byrne's done since they disbanded in '91. Add guest spots from the likes of fromer Soft Machiner Robert Wyatt (frame drum solo on "Strange Overtines"), ex-Sex Pistol Steve Jones (guitar on no less than four tracks) and Eno's old Roxy Music cohort Phil Manzanera ("I Feel My Stuff") and you've got a gorgeous new record its creators are calling "electronic gospel".

The album is available in myraid formats (including a $70 deluxe version) exclusively from their website. You can get a full listing of who does what here. Why not give it a listen right now:

David Byrne is planning an ambitious tour that will feature material from the three Eno produced Talking Heads records as well as material from the new record. Sadly Eno does not plan on joining him.

Tour dates:

9/16 Bethlehem, PA - Zoellner Arts Center - Baker Hall
9/17 Baltimore, MD - Lyric
9/18 Newport News, VA - Ferguson Center for the Arts
9/20 Atlanta, GA - Chastain Park Amphitheater
9/21 Asheville, NC - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
9/22 Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
9/23 Memphis, TN - Orpheum Theatre
9/26 Austin, TX - Austin City Limits (Zilker Park)
9/28 Albuquerque, NM - Kiva Auditorium
9/30 Phoenix, AZ - Orpheum
10/2 San Diego, CA - Humphreys
10/3 Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
10/4 Santa Barbara, CA - Arlington Theater
10/6 San Francisco, CA - Davies Symphony Hall
10/8 Santa Rosa, CA - Wells Fargo Center For the Arts
10/9 Saratoga, CA - Mountain Winery
10/11 Park City, UT - Eccles Center for the Performing Arts
10/12 Denver, CO - Buell Theater
10/14 Minneapolis, MN - State Theatre
10/15 Milwaukee, WI - Pabst
10/17 Omaha, NE - Kiewit Concert Hall
10/18 St. Louis, MO - Fox Theatre
10/19 Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theatre (Reserved)
10/21 Louisville, KY - Louisville Palace Theater
10/23 Cleveland, OH - Allen Theatre
10/24 Ann Arbor, MI - Michigan Theatre
10/25 Indianapolis, IN - Clowes Memorial Hall
10/26 Chicago, IL - Chicago Opera House
10/29 Toronto, ONT - Massey Hall
10/30 Montreal, QUE - Metropolis
10/31 Boston, MA - Wang Center
11/1 Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata
11/3 Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theatre
11/5 Albany, NY - Empire State Plaza
11/7 Pittsburgh, PA - Carnegie Music Hall
11/8 Philadelphia, PA - Tower Theatre

Penelope Houston's doing it for the kids

2008-08-27T18:01:00.000-07:00

Local Punk/Folk goddess Penelope Houston is playing a benefit for Music In Schools Today (MuST) at the Café du Nord on Monday Sept. 8th. MuST is a San Francisco non-profit organization supporting music programs in public schools and helps over 10,000 kids every year get at least a semblance of the music education we pre-Prop 13 fogies enjoyed. A portion of the evening's proceeds will also go to the Claremont Middle School Band & Orchestra from Oakland. If you're planning on making the scene they're accepting donations of instruments in usable condition for MuST's Adopt an Instrument Program which has distributed much needed items to over 100 schools and community centers. So not only is the former Avengers frontlady helping with cold hard cash, she's donating her childhood violin as well: “It was my introduction to playing music but became an instrument of torture for me. Perhaps I should have started with something more tuneful, like piano or guitar.”

Luckily, Houston eventually discovered how to write her own dark folk/pop songs on June Carter's instrument of choice, the autoharp, sometimes with the help of co-writers like Chuck Prophet, Billy Joe Armstrong, Steve Jones, Charlotte Caffey, and most frequently guitarist Pat Johnson, who performs with her band Sept 8th. The show will feature six new songs and the addition of noir-folk master Jeffrey Luck Lucas to the line up on cello.

Also on the bill is Colin Gilmore, son of legendary Austin songwriter Jimmie Dale Gilmore. Colin describes his music as “West Texas-style rock, with a country/punk/psychedelic/pop edge.”

Houston is also donating 100% of sales of select CDs on her website to raise even more money for this fabulous cause. Click here to do the right thing and get some great music while yer doin' it. My favorite of the lot is The Whole World where you can get the original versions of these two classics that were re-recorded for her major label debut Cut You:

Glad I'm A Girl

Sweetheart

If you can't make it out on the 8th but still want to help you can donate directly to MuST right here.

Happy birthday Joe

2008-08-22T16:03:00.000-07:00

Joe Strummer would have turned 56 yesterday had he not left this mortal coil criminally early. The Clash's influence on my beliefs about what music can do and what it should strive to be are impossible to put into words.

I had the opportunity to pay tribute to Mr. Strummer on KALX in Berkeley last night. A brief search around the internet made it seem like The Clash was well represented in the myriad tributes across the blogosphere so I decided to focus on his post and pre-Clash output. Both are as deserving of further investigation as "London Calling" and "I Fought The Law" deserve repeated plays.

Give it a listen:

Joe Strummer birthday tribute podcast (48 MB)

Songlist:

"Get Down Moses" - Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros (from Streetcore, released almost a year after his death and #1 on my 2003 Top Ten)

"Straight To Hell" - The Clash (from Combat Rock)

"Keys To Your Heart" - The 101ers (Joe's first band, from the soundtrack to the recent documentary The Future Is Unwritten)

"Slant Six" - Joe Strummer (from, barring the soundtrack to Walker, his first post-Clash album Earthquake Weather)

"Coolin' Out" - Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros (from their second album Global A Go-Go)

Joe, you are sorely missed...

Drive-By Truckers & The Hold Steady presale tomorrow!

2008-08-18T12:14:00.000-07:00

The rumors are true. While this paring might seem odd check this quote from Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn: "Seeing the Drive-By Truckers on the Southern Rock Opera tour was instrumental to me wanting to start a band and play music again. That band is the Hold Steady. This tour brings it full circle, and it will be a pleasure and an honor to be able to share a stage with the Truckers. We're gonna have a really good time." I'm sure a beer or two will be swilled onstage. Fans of either band will get a chance to see one or the other headline as they're taking turns closing the show on what they're calling the "Rock And Roll Means Well Tour"

The online pre-sale starts tomorrow at 10 AM Eastern time. Click the picture above to buy tickets. To get you in the mood here are some live tunes from both bands:

The Hold Steady on WXPN in Philadelphia: 8/15/08

Constructive Summer/Hot Soft Lights

Sequestered In Memphis

Stay Positive

Here's a whole DBT's show from First Avenue in Minneapolis on July 2nd

Tour dates with closer info:

Thu Oct 30 Louisville KY COYOTE'S @ CITY BLOCK (HS Closes)
Fri Oct 31 Nashville TN RYMAN AUDITORIUM (DBT Closes)
Sat, 11/01 Atlanta GA TABERNACLE (DBT Closes)
Sun, 11/02 Tallahassee FL THE MOON @ FSU (HS Closes)
Mon, 11/03 Raleigh NC LINCOLN THEATRE (DBT Closes)
Wed, 11/05 State College PA THE STATE THEATRE (HS Closes)
Thu, 11/06 New York, NY TERMINAL 5 (Closer TBA)
Fri, 11/07 New York, NY TERMINAL 5 (Closer TBA)
Sat, 11/08 Philadelphia, PA ELECTRIC FACTORY (DBT Closes)
Sun, 11/09 Boston MA ORPHEUM THEATRE (HS Closes)
Tue, 11/11 Toronto ONT PHOENIX THEATRE (DBT Closes)
Wed, 11/12 Pittsburgh PA CARNEGIE MUSIC HALL (HS Closes)
Thu, 11/13 Bloomington IN BLUEBIRD (DBT Closes)
Fri, 11/14 Chicago IL RIVIERA (HS Closes)
Sat, 11/15 Minneapolis MN FIRST AVENUE MAINROOM (DBT Closes)
Sun, 11/16 Minneapolis MN FIRST AVENUE MAINROOM (HS Closes)
Wed, 11/19 Boise ID THE BIG EASY (DBT Closes)
Thu, 11/20 Seattle WA THE SHOWBOX (HS Closes)
Fri, 11/21 Seattle WA THE SHOWBOX (DBT Closes)
Sat, 11/22 Portland OR CRYSTAL BALLROOM (HS Closes)
Sun, 11/23 San Francisco CA THE FILLMORE (DBT Closes)
Mon, 11/24 San Francisco CA THE FILLMORE (HS Closes)
Tue, 11/25 Los Angeles CA THE WILTERN (DBT Closes)

New music & video from Bart Davenport

2008-08-14T17:23:00.001-07:00

Hi everybody. Now that the kiddies are ready to go back to their 9-5's (or rather 8:30 to 2:50's) it's time to put my summer lazy down and get back into the swing of this thing. No better way to restart than share some new stuff from the hardest working man in Oakland. My good friends at Antenna Farm Records have given the thumbs up to sharing a couple slices of pop deliciousness from his upcoming release Palaces. Hope you dig it.

Jon Jon

A Young One

Check out the video for A Young One:

No one but Bart could step right up to the edge of insufferable cheese and make it seem so sincere. Crush on your corny! Palaces is out September 9. A CD release party is happening at Cafe Du Nord on the 19th

Nips reunion

2008-06-24T23:04:00.000-07:00

Before he had the flash of brilliance to blend traditional Irish music with punk's snotty middle finger in The Pogues and blossomed into one of the greatest songwriters of the late 80's Shane MacGowan fronted The Nipple Erectors, a reckless and unflinching band even by circa 1977 British punk standards. Shane was a fixture of the Sex Pistols scene. If you're watching any documentary about that period (particularly the highly recommended "The Filth And The Fury") and see a shot of the crowd at those seminal punk gigs be patient, it's only a matter of time before he comes pogo-ing into the frame.

Well just a few weeks ago those very Nipple Erectors (shortened to Nips following the release of their first single) reunited for their first show in close to 30 odd years at the legendary 100 Club as a surprise guest supporting The Cute Lepers and Johnny Moped. The following videos provide an interesting before and after study.

The Nips at the 100 Club May 6, 2008

Compare that with this vid from German TV circa 1978

There are a couple more dates (and a whole bunch of songs) on The Nips myspace page but Shane does not appear to be participating.

Two long out of print singles that appeared on the defunct Chiswick label:

Gabrielle
King Of The Bop

Win a pair of tickets to Totimoshi @ the Hemlock Tavern

2008-06-12T19:39:00.000-07:00

File this under "I've been living under a rock". How has this incredible Oaktown band managed to fly under my radar for more than ten years!? Their fifth album, Milagrosa, continues their patent blend of stoner rock, punk, and metal with a nod toward their Latin heritage.

Sound The Horn

The blistering opening track from Milagrosa is a perfect example of how effortlessly the band shifts from blazing, tight riffage to moody late 70's drama metal and back without missing a beat.

Singer/guitarist Tony Aguilar explains the thinking behind the band's first conceptual record: “I wrote most of the songs as an imaginary fight between love/compassion and hate/violence. I wanted to relay the stories as one choice versus the other both in the lyrics and melody, like on the song ‘Milagroso,’ where I say ‘the fields of hate that turn our fate the putrid stench the violence at hand/decisions towards compassion to be made by each and every hand’”. Sounds like something I've been looking for lately... They also appear to have finally put an end to the Spinal Tap parade of drummers.

The new record, produced by Page Hamilton of Helmet, comes out July 8.

CONTEST:
Titomoshi is playing at the Hemlock Tavern in San Francisco on the 21st with fellow locals Grayceon & Hurry Up Shotgun. I have a pair of tickets for the first person to email me at mlubenow@gmail.com with the English translation of their new record's title.

Tour dates:
8 July: San Francisco- *Record release @ 12 Galaxies w/ Big Business & Triclops
25 July: San Francisco- Benders w/ Hail Satan
5 August: Tempe, AZ - the Sets w/ Nebula
6 August: Albuquerque,NM - Ralli's 4th St. Pub w/ Nebula
8 August: Austin, TX - Red 7 w/ Nebula
9 August: Dallas, TX - Granada Theatre w/ Nebula
10 August: Houston, TX - Rudyards Beer Bar w/ Nebula
12 August: New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks w/ Nebula
13 August: Birmingham, AL - the Nick w/ Nebula
14 August: Jacksonville, FL - Landshark Cafe w/ Nebula
15 August: Orlando, FL - Backbooth w/ Nebula
18 August: Atlanta, GA - Smith's Olde Bar w/ Nebula
19 August: Wilmington, NC - Soapbox w/ Nebula
20 August: Virginia Beach, VA - Jewish Mother w/ Nebula
21 August: Washington DC - Black Cat w/ Nebula
22 August: Philadelphia, PA - the Khyber w/ Nebula
23 August: Baltimore, MD - Otto Bar w/ Nebula
24 August: Boston, MA - Church of Boston w/ Nebula
25 August: NYC, NY - Knitting Factory w/ Nebula
27 August: Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop w/ Nebula
28 August: Lansing, MI - Mac's w/ Nebula
29 August: Columbus, OH - Ravari Room w/ Nebula
30 August: Chicago, IL - Reggie's w/ Nebula
1 September: Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon w/ Nebula
6 September: Portland, OR - Ash St. Saloon w/ Nebula
10 September: Hollywood, CA - Viper Room w/ Nebula
11 September: Long Beach, CA - Alex's Bar w/ Nebula

More twang in the mailbox

2008-05-29T12:20:00.000-07:00

Carlene Carter and Justin Townes Earle have a bit in common. Both have fathers who, aside from being country music legends, overcame serious drug habits and both have battled their own drug addictions. Both also have fine new records out.

Imagine you're the son of Steve Earle and you're named after Townes Van Zandt. No pressure there... Justin's debut, The Good Life, is straightforward, subdued country with a shuffley swing feel that's perfect for recovering on a Saturday morning but his sweet voice sounds more like the dulcet tones of George Jones then his father.

Hard Livin'
Ain't Glad I'm Leavin'

The good folks at the Hear Ya blog have a live session up here.
Buy The Good Life from Bloodshot Records.

Stronger, the first record in over twelve years from this country rock survivor sounds more mainstream than Earle's record, thanks in large part to the production by ex-Doobie Brother John McFee. But that doesn't keep this from being a welcome comeback. Carlene's in fine, soulful voice and the lyrics (all self penned), full of redemption and hard fought victory, are some of her best and most personal work.

The Bitter End
To Change Your Heart

That last track features some sweet autoharp that would make her mother June proud. Buy Stronger from Yep Roc records.

Love vs Hate

2008-05-22T13:15:00.000-07:00

For a battle as old as humankind I'm having a hard time thinking of songs that explore the classic duel between love & hate. No one would deny that love by itself is the most prolific muse in any art form, let alone pop music. Hate has inspired its fair share of memorable songs as well ("Positively 4th Street" and "You Oughta Know" spring instantly to mind). But what about songs examining the relationship between the two? The subplot of Good vs. Evil gets plenty of play if we're talking about heavy metal or video game soundtracks but the pop world largely shies away from the subject. I've thought of the two songs below as thematically linked for some time and hopefully they'll stoke the fires of discourse with you, kind reader.

Ballad Of Love And Hate - The Avett Brothers

The seventh record form this Concord, NC trio made my Best of 2007 list. The song's a heartbreaker about how L&H are inextricably intertwined, depicting them as a dysfunctional couple.

“Love writes a letter and sends it to hate.
My vacations ending I’m coming home late.”/
“Hate reads the letter and throws it away.
No one here cares if you go or you stay.”

and later:

Love has been waiting patient and kind.
Just wanting a phone call or some kind of sign.
That the one that she cares for who’s out of his mind
Will make it back safe to her arms.
Hate stumbles forward and leans in the door.
Weary head hung down, eyes to the floor
He says, “Love I’m sorry” and she says, “What for?”
“I’m yours and that’s it, forever”

Happy Noodle vs. Sad Noodle - Logan Whitehurst & The JSC

From the serious to a seriously whimsical take on the good & evil side of things. In the end happy and sad can't really do without each other. Heartbreaking in that Logan was a truly gifted individual who left us too soon. The humor evident here pervades all his material. A rich stockpile can be found here.

If you can think of any more musical explorations on the theme of love vs. hate, good & evil, Cain & Abel, whatever leave a comment! If they can be on the same t-shirt they must be in the same song...

New music

2008-05-20T14:21:00.000-07:00

The Gossip - Live In Liverpool
When oh when are we going to hear some new music from The Gossip? Their last record, the fabulous Standing In The Way Of Control, came out almost 3 years ago and they're still flogging it on Letterman. At least we have a new live record to tide us over. This raw, ferocious set was recorded last summer where Beth & Co seem to be spending all their time with their NBF's in the UK. All their garage/dance punk faves are included along with covers of Aaliyah (meh) and Wham! (thumbs up!) The band's primal live act is captured in all its intensity with far better sound than 2003's Undead In NYC. Beth Ditto's feral R&B howl is in full effect and the band is hyper-tight.

My two favorite tracks so far:
Standing In The Way Of Control (obligatory at this point)
Yr Mangled Heart

The Little Ones - Terry Tales & Fallen Gates EP

I saw The Little Ones open for Quasi at Noisepop earlier this year and just couldn't get behind them. Maybe I was too prepared for Sam Coomes' morose musings to let in a little sunshine. My loss. The second EP from these LA popsters is so damn cheerful and sparkly my mouth hurts from smiling so much. Fans of The New Pornographers will be glad they picked this one up.

New Branches

Hard Place - Get Your Hopes Up
Despite the fact that Nathan Shafer is replaced by Ashley Huizenga the second release from this LA/SF glitchy disco tinged glam throwback act is pretty close to their debut EP from ‘04. Think The Cars meets CSS or Bonde do Rolê. Adding a female foil to Freddy Cristy’s sleazy Sparks lounge act is an interesting move and from the looks of the photos on their myspace page their live act is quite a spectacle. Another bold (and hilarious) move is posting negative reviews of their debut.

Last Goodbye

New music/dvd from The National

2008-05-13T19:18:00.000-07:00

So what does The National do after releasing one of the hottest records of last year? Well of course they enlist old pal and current La Blogotheque auteur Vincent Moon to direct a movie that's kinda about the making of said record but also about, if I may quote from Beggar's Group USA, "how music is made today -- not with classic rock bravado, or debauched indulgence, but through novelistic attention to detail, a collective implosion of personality, and worried worried nights".

But a simple dvd won't slake the thirst of all those new fans clamoring for more material so you have to slap an odds and (surprisingly few) sods ep to go with it. Bravo! Moon's movie "A Skin, A Night" and accompanying The Virginia EP comes out next Tuesday, almost a year to the day after their fantastic Boxer full length.

The Virginia EP tracklist:
1) You’ve Done It Again, Virginia (w/ Sufjan Stevens, previously unreleased)
2) Santa Clara (UK b-side)
3) Blank Slate (UK b-side)
4) Tall Saint (demo)
5) Without Permission (unreleased cover of

alt. folkster Caroline Martin)
6) Forever After Days (demo)
7) Rest Of Years (demo)
8) Slow Show (demo)
9) Lucky You (from last year’s Daytrotter session)
10) Mansion On The Hill (live Springsteen cover)
11) Fake Empire (live)
12) About Today (live)

Check two of my favorite tracks so far:
You’ve Done It Again, Virginia
Without Permission

It's all more of their distinctive brand of after hours indie pop that feels like the bastard love child of Tindersticks and Spoon. A couple of the demos sound to these ears like full fledged songs ready for release, particularly "Forever After Days" while others are intimate sketches recorded in the Dessner home. The live tracks include the Springsteen cover that's been all over the international network lately and a robust 8+ minute version of "About Today".

Spoon coming to the Fillmore

2008-05-09T11:15:00.000-07:00

Tickets for Spoon's three night run at the Fillmore in SF (9/22-24) go on sale this Sunday. They've been near the top of the lengthy "must check 'em out" list for some time now and the chance to hear material from one of my Top 20 records from last year at one of the best live venues in town pushes the pull-out-the-wallet button in a big way.

There's been talk of pre-sales ending at 5PM today but after becoming a signed up fella for one of the big mersh stations here in the Bay Area it looks to me like the damn thing's either broken or sold out... I'll just have to hop on the phone at 10AM Sunday like ever'body else.

For an idea of how fabulous an evening of indie pop this will surely be check out WYEP in Pittsburgh's stream of an in studio performance they did last Wednesday here. If mp3's are your thing Gregor over at Captains Dead has posted their live set from Sydney in January here.

All that literate, hook laden songcraft for only $25? I'm in!

Free Scion House Party: Radioclit, 120 Days and Franki Chan

2008-05-02T19:42:00.000-07:00

The Scion House Party pulls in to 333 Ritch Street in San Francisco this Tuesday night with a pretty decent lineup. British electro-house duo Radioclit headline with support from Norwegian shoegazers 120 Days. Franki Chan, IHEARTCOMIX impresario and premier L.A. hipster DJ, will be working the wheels of steel as well. The event is co-hosted by XLR8R magazine.

MattnKim rmxxx - Radioclit

Come Out, Come Down, Fade Out, Be Gone (Timo Kaukolampi remix) - 120 Days

IHEARTCOMIX/SCION Mixtape - Franki Chan

This booty shaking shindig might be free but it is not open to the public. You gotta RSVP here to get yourself a spot on the guestlist. Mucho thanks to Disco Shawn for the heads up!

Jim Marshall exhibit in SF

2008-05-01T14:03:00.001-07:00

Gallery 291 in San Francisco is hosting the premier show by one of the greatest rock photographers of all time. A San Francisco native and staff photographer for Rolling Stone in the earliest of days, Jim Marshall was backstage at so many epic events in music history it boggles the mind. We've all seen the infamous shot of Johnny Cash reacting to Marshall's request for a picture "for the warden" at Folsom Prison (I'd post that one but we try to keep things kid friendly around here). He was the principle photographer at Woodstock and the Monterey Pop Festival (incredible shots of Otis Redding and Jimi setting his guitar on fire); his work adorns the covers of The Allman Bros. Live At The Fillmore East, Cream's Best of Cream, Jimi Hendrix's In The West and many others; he was the only photographer allowed backstage at The Beatles final concert at Candlestick Park. Hard to imagine this is the first extended showing of his work, no?

Marshall will be at the opening reception at Gallery 129 tonight from 6 to 9 PM at 291 Geary Street, Floor 5 in San Francisco.

A great slide show is on the gallery's website here. More photos here.

Lou & Laurie hitched

2008-04-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

Of the dozens of google results on this union of NY art-rockers Sean Michaels' piece in the Guardian had the snarkiest tag line:

"The knot was tied (in Colorado) on April 12 and the celebrations only made their way to New York this week, when Reed and Anderson partied with their suitably-arty friends at the East Village home of photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders.

Film-maker and artist Julian Schnabel was there, as were Mike "Limbo King" Quashie, actors Richard Belzer and Hal Willner, and even tai chi guru Master Ren. Presumably Lou Reed's guest-list also included a raft of transvestites and drug-dealers, while Laurie Anderson invited a hologram artist, a sound poet and an empty cardboard box."

oh SNAP!

Paul Davis RIP

2008-04-23T20:15:00.000-07:00

The Main Man (or should that be "Mane Man"?) of Mellow died of a heart attack in his hometown of Meridian, MS yesterday. In memoriam PopDose has reposted this classic edition of Jason Hare's fabulous Adventures Through the Mines of Mellow Gold series. There's just nothing I can add to that...

I Go Crazy
Cool Night
‘65 Love Affair

There's an insanely thorough PD discography compiled by David Jennings here.

Check out the Ricky Nelson introduction:

New Firewater LP & tour

2008-04-22T21:08:00.000-07:00

Firewater’s sixth record (and first in four years) leaves behind the Eastern Euro-Klezmer sound of previous efforts in favor of a distinctly Middle Eastern flavored music recorded, often with local musicians, during front man Tod A’s 3 year sojourn through India, Pakistan, Israel & Turkey. Tod’s darkly humorous appreciation of both the beauty and ugliness of life is in full force and the production from long time drummer Tamir Muskat (now also in Balkan Beat Box) is fabulous. Possibly Firewater’s strongest work.

Borneo
This Is My Life

Firewater are currently touring Europe in support of The Golden Hour which comes out May 6 on Bloodshot Records. A US tour starts in late May and pulls into the Bottom Of The Hill on June 6. You can hear a stream of the new record on either their myspace page or their website.

For a more in depth look at Tod A's 3 year journey check out his blog Postcards from the Other Side of the World or this brief "making of" video:

North American Tour dates:
5/23 Boston, MA - Paradise
5/24 Brooklyn, NY - Southpaw
5/25 Philadelphia, PA - North Star
5/26 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
5/28 Toronto, Ontario - Horseshoe Tavern
5/29 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
5/30 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
5/31 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock Social Club
6/03 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey
6/04 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
6/06 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
6/07 West Hollywood, CA - The Roxy Theatre
6/08 San Diego, CA - Casbah
6/09 Tucson, AZ - Plush
6/11 Fort Worth, TX - Lola's
6/12 Austin, TX - Emo's Lounge
6/13 New Orleans, LA - House of Blues Parish
6/14 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
6/15 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
6/16 Washington, DC - Black Cat Backstage
6/17 Baltimore, MD - Ottobar

The Botticellis album release party at Cafe Du Nord this Friday

2008-04-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my first ever post The Botticellis' fabulous debut record Old Home Movies comes out May 13th but if you want to pick up a copy a couple weeks early it's sure to be available at their record release party hosted by the good folks at Antenna Farm Records. It's an all SF affair at the Cafe Du Nord this Friday with The Papercuts headlining and The Mantles opening the show. The show's being co-announced by KALX so if you tune in there's going to be plenty of tickets given away between now and Friday.

Here are some Botticellis tunes I hope convince you to go:

Old Home Movies

Up Against the Glass