"I liked the idea of doing an L.A. album," James said. "We were thinking about Phil Spector and the 5th Dimension and The Doors," Sammy James, Jr., on his band, The Mooney Suzuki joining up with The Matrix for their new album, Alive & Amplified.

"There's nothing really much to do in Sweden except to play music and work in factories," Division of Laura Lee bassist and singer Jonas Gustavsson tells the Las Vegas Mercury after his trip to Wal-Mart.

MSNBC publishes an online excerpt from the Alice Sebold novel The Lovely Bones, now in paperback.

Captain Underpants and Walter the Farting Dog make "poop fiction" popular among young children, according to the Associated Press.

Drive-By Truckers are on the cover of the new Fader, which also includes a picture of the band in front of Muscle Shoals' famed Fame recording studio.

Goodbye, listen-to.com... the free music tracking service is shutting down in June, leaving Audioscrobbler as the only alternative for cross-platform users like me.

Billboard reviews the Patterson Hood (of Drive-By Truckers) solo record that will finally be released next week, Killers & Stars.

Jeff Tweedy: 2003-08-08, Minneapolis (registration required) [mp3]
Smiths: 1983-12-07, Derby [mp3]
Smiths: 1984-12-01, Versailles (first half of show, check back for second half) [mp3]
Foo Fighters: 1995-06-11, Paris [mp3]
Jason Ringenberg: three tracks [mp3]
Marah: four tracks [mp3]
Sodastream: several tracks and videos [mp3, mov]
Various Artists: assorted gems courtesy of Revenant Records [mp3]
Division of Laura Lee: "Does Compute" [mp3]

!!!: 2004-03-25, NYC [real video]
TV on the Radio: 2004-01-28, NYC [real video]

Eats, Shoots & Leaves is a book that had potential to be great. The premise, exposing grammatical errors and instructing the public in a witty, chatty manner, had me hoping for the best. Unfortunately, I found the humor in the book forced at times, and the chatty dialog often rambling. It's not a bad read, and at times it is a bit humorous, but at most I'd give the book two stars out of four.

My next book is Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation, by Joseph J. Ellis. Many thanks go to Lauren for the suggestion. I am definitely in the mood for some political biography.

Thanks to Washington Post music critic David Segal for saying some nice things about LHB in a recent online chat: "Let me point you to my favorite music web site, largeheartedboy.com. There's a blog there with links to tons of great online radio stations and whoever is blogging the site has really good taste. Constantly digging up great MP3s, too." You may remember Segal as the critic who played guitar on stage with Guided By Voices for a couple of songs, giving every one of us Walter Mitty's a glimmer of hope.

"Save for a handful of flag-waving country songs, the disc’s topical references are among the first to be heard in pop music since the war started a year ago — and maybe the last we’re likely to hear until Steve Earle makes another album," Brett Milano of the Boston Phoenix in his review of Patti Smith's new album, Trampin'.

“In the ’90s the music got so serious, so slow and so deliberate, so overly thought-out and mathematical that we just kind of wanted to let go of that for a while,” Jennifer Rogers of the Rogers Sisters explains to the Detroit Metro Times.

"Imparting every extreme state of mind with his unwholesome sense of humor, Merritt will gently subvert them—with an intentionally overwrought metaphor, a silly rhyme, a rococo arrangement, or, best of all, casual violence." The Seattle Weekly reviews the new Magnetic Fields album, i.

Creative Loafing examines Bookcrossing and its users.

"Back then we had this indie-cred-sort-of thing going on... once we upset the balance of that, people divorced us from their lives because we no longer looked cool sitting next to their new Jets to Brazil record, or whatever people were starting to listen to at that point in time." Lou Barlow talks to Flagpole about the Sebadoh history and current reunion tour.

Will Oldham to play Athens, Georgia, June 12th? At the Orange Twin community? I am so there...

Pixies: 2004-04-13, Minneapolis, Minnesota [mp3]
Over The Rhine: several older tracks [mp3]
Les Savy Fav: two tracks [mp3]
The Pillbugs: several tracks (registration required) [mp3]
The Pillbugs: many demo and unreleased tracks [mp3]
REM, Various Artists: the r.e.m.IX album [mp3]
Pet Shop Boys: rarities [mp3]
Joseph Arthur: several live shows and rarities [mp3]

Barbara Cue: "Ann Marie" [mp3]
Over The Rhine: "Let It Be" (Beatles cover) [mp3]

Two 2003 releases have been getting a lot of play at the largehearted house lately. After hearing some good things about Sea Ray, I finally listened to a couple of tracks and on their strength, picked up Stars at Noon. Their music is dreamy, infectious and well-suited for my cool spring morning drive to work, I cannot believe I missed this album last year. Sea Ray will be touring with The Stills and Metric in May and June, catch them if you can.

Last year a friend and I were discussing Of Montreal, and since I am a huge fan of the band, he recommended The Pillbugs. Two weeks ago I found a new copy of their album, The 3-Dimensional In-Popcycle Dream (complete with Viewmaster and reel) for five dollars. Needless to say, I snapped it up, sucker as I am for any record with a bonus dvd, poster or even, alas, a sticker. The lush arrangements and analog feel of the record hearken back to the sixties, but the sound is fresh and the musicianship sharp. I found myself singing along to most of the choruses the first time through, I'll be looking forward to more of The Pillbugs.

The Daily Charlie has been imitating (some would say plagiarizing) both Chromewaves and Largehearted Boy (and undoubtedly others). Compare this DC post to this from LHB (the dvd paragraph), then you can make the call. I'm amused more than offended... but seriously, how hard is it to write something semi-original? Drop him a line with some possible blog topics, if you get the chance.

The San Francisco Bay Guardian explores the world of neuroscience self-help books written for adults.

According to Filter, Gomez is offering fans in select cities a unique bonus: "Those wish to attend the Gomez shows in New York, Pittsburgh and/or Columbus can, for $10 more than the regular ticket, get a full Gomez package that includes a concert ticket, a copy of the new record, and three live exclusive bonus downloads from the concert they attended."

Book to chronicle the 1993 Pixies breakup?

"Things are pretty bad in the world right now, and we truly believe that if young people in the US don't pay attention and vote, things can only get worse," Tim Fletcher of The Stills gets political in an interview with the Guardian (quickly becoming my favorite UK newspaper).

Bob Marley: several concerts [mp3]
Talking Heads: 1980, Toronto [mp3]
Sublime: rarities [mp3]
Neil Young: two live shows [mp3]
Miles Davis: three live shows [mp3]
King Crimson: seven live shows [mp3]
Jimi Hendrix: two live shows [mp3]

Magnetic Fields: "If I Were A Rich Man" [mp3]

Bob Dylan and John Lennon take a car ride together [mpg]

Merge Records is celebrating their birthday with the Merge 15 Year Anniversary Festival:

7/29 - Thursday (Cat's Cradle, Carrboro, NC):
SUPERCHUNK
M. WARD
THE ESSEX GREEN
RICHARD BUCKNER
THE ROSEBUDS

7/30 - Friday (Cats Cradle, Carrboro NC):
CROOKED FINGERS
CAMERA OBSCURA
VERSUS
RADAR BROTHERS
PORTASTATIC
DOUBLE DYNAMITE

7/31 - Saturday (Cat's Cradle, Carrboro, NC):
SPOON
DESTROYER
THE LADYBUG TRANSISTOR
MATT SUGGS & THE HIGHER BURNING FIRE
SHARK QUEST

8/1 - Sunday (Carolina Theatre - Durham, NC):
LAMBCHOP (full-on Lambchop, w/string section accompaniment)
THE CLIENTELE
DAVID KILGOUR

Tickets are $18 a night or $55 for all four evenings. The impressive lineup will probably induce a trip north for us. Anyone else catching this?

Legendary Minneapolis label Twin/Tone has many mp3 samples from their catalog available, as well as an extensive video collection. Be sure to check out the Replacements' 1981 7th Street Entry show. (via the mystical beast)

Newsday profiles New York's 92nd Street Y.

“To a certain extent,” says the composer, “all the songs are gay marriage ballads. Though I am currently single. Or,” he clarifies, “unmarried.” Stephen Merrit talks to The Advocate about his busy life and new album, I (released next week).

Filter is holding a Morrissey Prize Pack contest.

For the mother who has everything: a "Happy Mother's Day" instant win Tennessee Lottery scratch-off card

With typical poise and charm, John Darnielle ponders Bill Callahan's lyrical touch.

"If you listen to the newer stuff compared to the old you’ll see a complete change, if this wasn’t there I think people would be suspicious of why it all sounds the same and nothing is changing," Tim Fletcher of The Stills in his interview with Skiddle.

The Roots: 2001-08-18, Mariaville, NY [mp3]
The Roots: 2000-05-28, Detroit, Michigan [mp3]
Bob Dylan: 1979, Fox Warfield (first half) [mp3]
Radiohead: 2003-06-05, Montreaux [mp3]
Radiohead: 2003-07-11, Ferrara [mp3]
The Minus 5: two tracks [mp3]
John Vanderslice: Insound Tour Support 18 [mp3]
John Vanderslice: Mass Suicide Occult Figurines [mp3]

No Love For Ned's weekly online streaming radio show celebrates their second anniversary this week with an in-house set by The Long Winters. As an added bonus, all archived shows are now available for streaming, most with eclectic in-studio sessions.

Happy anniversary, Ned! You make my Mondays much more bearable.

Two DVD's are the highlight of this week's releases for me. The Pixies DVD includes a 1988 live show, several promotional videos, and two documentaries, adding up to two and a half hours of Black Francis and the gang. I have been anticipating the first season of the Kids In The Hall on DVD for a while. My wife has yet to experience the series, and is looking forward to seeing exactly what I've been raving about. She wasn't horribly impressed with Brain Candy, but I'll chalk that up to all the jokes from the series that went over her head.

The Streets release two different singles for "Fit But You Know It" today, and these look like the only new cd's I'll pick up tomorrow.

The Streets: Fit But You Know It, Pt. 1 [cd]
The Streets: Fit But You Know It, Pt. 2 [cd]
Pixies [dvd]
The Kids in the Hall - Complete Season 1 (1989-1990) [dvd]

These are interesting, just not interesting enough to pick up at full price:

Bela Fleck & Edgar Meyer: Music for Two [cd]
Black Sabbath: Black Box: The Complete Original Black Sabbath (1970-1978) (box set) (remastered) [cd]
Camper Van Beethoven: II & III [cd]
Camper Van Beethoven: Camper Van Beethoven [cd]
Camper Van Beethoven: Camper Vantiquities [cd]
Camper Van Beethoven: Telephone Free Landslide Victory [cd]
Dan Zanes: Sea Music [cd]
Dave Edmunds: From Small Things: Best of Dave Edmunds (remastered) [cd]
Glenn Branca: Lesson No. 1 [cd]
Loretta Lynn: Van Lear Rose [cd]
One Am Radio: A Name Writ In Water [cd]
Patti Smith: Trampin' [cd]
Various Artists: Emo Diaries 10: Hope I Hide Inside [cd]

Big Fish [dvd]
Louder Than Bombs [dvd]
Love Actually [dvd]
Osama [dvd]

Help lighten my wallet, what else is released this week that is worth a look?

Late Saturday night, Bob Pollard (the musician, not real estate salesman) announced that come 2005, Guided By Voices will no longer exist as a recording or touring entity. Pollard will continue to record and tour as a solo artist.

This sounds like bigger news than it is. Since Tobin Sprout left the band in 1996, Guided By Voices has been Robert Pollard. He's written the music and lyrics almost exclusively (with the exception of Doug Gillard's "I Am A Tree"). Members of the band have been hired and fired on his whim, and every GBV album has essentially been a Pollard solo album.

All things considered, though, I expected this ending to affect me more. Guided By Voices was the first band for whom I held a fanatical fervor. Between 1994 and 1996 I rearranged business trips, vacations and long weekends to see the band at least ten times a year. The shows were inspired mayhem, the very essence of what I felt rock and roll should be at the time. Clever lyrics built around poppy melodies, every song begged to be sung with a beer in one hand and your other arm around a fellow fan..

When Pollard hired Cobra Verde as his band for Mag Earwhig! I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately, for me at least, the sweet songwriting counterpoint that Tobin Sprout added to the band was sadly missed, and Pollard started his move toward more rock and prog, and less of the pop masterpieces that I adored appeared in the following albums.

I started seeing less shows by the band, even missing a hometown show literally down the street (I was living in Salt Lake City at the time) because someone else I'd rather see was playing across town. The recent albums, though stellar in parts, ceased to earn their way into my playlists. Pollard's side projects suffered the same fate. Slowly I came to the realization that once again, I didn't have a favorite band.

The magic that is Propeller, Vampire on Titus, Bee Thousand, Alien Lanes, Under The Bushes, Under The Stars still moves me. I play these albums and am transported to a time and place where I hung on every note. This Bud's for you, Bob, you are a stellar songwriter, and gave me some of the best musical moments of my life.

audio:

The GBV Philosophy [mp3]
Guided By Voices: "Shocker In Gloomtown" [mp3]
Guided By Voices: "Peephole" [mp3]
Guided By Voices: "Echos Myron" [mp3]
Guided By Voices: "Do The Earth" [mp3]
Guided By Voices: "June Salutes You" [mp3]
Guided By Voices: "Choking Tara (Creamy Version)" [mp3]
Guided By Voices: "Teenage FBI" [mp3]Guided By Voices & Julian Casablancas: "Glad Girls" [mp3]
Guided By Voices: "Secret Star" [mp3]

video:

Guided By Voices: "Bulldog Skin" (realmedia)

more multimedia at GBV's site

My wife has been working on her personal music history... here it is:

Music has been a part of my life from as far back as I can remember. Hearing a song can transport me back to a time, place, event, or people that I've known. In fact, I'm able to define pretty closely what was happening in my life by the music I heard at that specific time.

In the late 60's my musical taste was influenced by the music of my oldest sister(ten years my senior). This music, despite its often adult content, brings me back to a time of innocence and lightness of being. On the radio there was "Incense and Peppermint" and "Wendy," which I always thought should have been the opening music to the Mary Tyler Moore Show. On my sister's record player were The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Three Dog Night, The Doors, Simon and Garfunkel and The Monkees. I used to watch the Monkees' show on Saturday mornings. Being the youngest of four girls left me with the last choice for picking my favorite boy in the band, so I got stuck with Peter Tork, whom I considered a redhead (which automatically took him out of the running as a heartthrob for me). My unfortunate birth order also left me in last place for picking a favorite Beatle, but lucky for me, I was left Ringo Starr (who was my first choice because he had kind-looking eyes).

Growing up in a small city in the south in 70's did not afford us much musical variety. We had a radio alarm clock on the night stand between me and my sister's bed. It was always tuned to WKIX because that was the only "good" station on the AM dial. It was the beginning of disco, notably KC and the Sunshine Band, and heavy metal, such as KISS and Alice Cooper. I remember songs like "Rock The Boat" from my early school days. Many mornings I awoke to Elton John or Olivia Newton John (I thought they were related). There were Captain and Tennille and Peaches and Herb. There were "The Streak" and "A Boy Named Sue." All of these songs, whether I like them or not, I know by heart because repetition was the order of the day and our choices were few.

My next oldest sister (by six years) went a little bit country. Linda Ronstadt, Gordon Lightfoot, and Jim Croce were on her turntable. She liked disco, too. She took a bit of a tangent with Frampton Comes Alive, but she enjoyed learning all the steps to the latest dance club hits, her bellbottoms swishing against each other as she practiced her moves.

Next in my life, album rock finally hit the airwaves and FM was the newest thing. I was a little late coming around to that. Not being particularly popular, I was out of the loop as to what was hip and cool. WKIX was dosing out huge quantities of The Bee Gees and all kinds of love songs with conflicting messages that I'm sure to this day is what drove me to therapy.

Thank goodness for high school because by that time I was reevaluating music I had heard in my early childhood. Led Zeppelin was my favorite band. I had all their albums. Then John Bonham died. I still had the Rolling Stones, The Who and Pink Floyd to explore along with more contemporary bands like ACDC and Van Halen. My sister and I were no longer sharing a room, which was a good thing, because she was way into Bob Dylan, and, I'm sorry, but that man can't sing. She was also into other folk artists, Arlo Guthrie and Joni Mitchell.

Punk was starting to make some headway into America, but it came late to my town, like everything else did, it seemed to me. I remember The Knack, Blondie and Elvis Costello interspersed with my classic rock. As we were graduating high school, my science lab partner suggested I check out The Sex Pistols. I'm sorry to say I never did.

The beginning of college afforded me a complete break from classic rock which had become tiresome to my ear. I was looking for something new, and the new wave filled that niche. The Police released their second album and a band from Australia, Men at Work, was being played relentlessly on the radio. Every time I drove to my boyfriend's house, "Be Good Johnny" was on the radio. It was time to install a tape player.

My first boyfriend turned me on to The Pretenders, The Motels, and The Waitresses. "Bad Boys Get Spanked" made me laugh and I decided that any music that made me laugh was okay by me. It explains some of the odd musical choices I would make in the future. Billy Idol made me laugh, so I liked him, too.

I spent way too much time at a dive of a dance club ignoring much of meat-market aspect of it and enjoying the danceability of music like The Ramones, the B-52's, Romeo Void, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, and the Violent Femmes. It was around this time that I started the art program at a nearby community college. My carpool buddies liked UB40, U2 and Talking Heads. I saw my first Dead Kennedys concert and lost some measure of my hearing. I enrolled in a university art program later in the Appalachian mountains and was cut off from all television and radio during that time, so I relied on my fellow students for musical stimulation. Laurie Anderson became a favorite, along with the Eurythmics. I was also subjected to George Micheal and a soft jazz genre favored by a dollmaker with whom I was employed.

My first job out of college landed me into the noisy bustle of Washington, DC. Those early days I played cultural catch-up discovering Edie Brickell and Tracy Chapman, though I've never been a huge folk fan. Fine Young Cannibals brings to mind a business trip to NYC for a photo shoot. Roxy Music's Avalon was on the turntable throughout much of the figural painting series pictured at left on my About Me page. The B52s released "Love Shack." My boss got tired of the Glenn Miller and Patsy Cline I was playing at the office and bought me several tapes of Squeeze.

A particularly rocky relationship left me on the brink of sanity and the incessant Michael Bolton music at work tipped me over the edge. I hate Michael Bolton (sorry man, nothing personal). Depeche Mode was also thick in the air at that time. Only the alternative radio station at home lent me my sanity back. Thank goodness for grunge. Suddenly all kinds of new bands were playing sounds from the sixties and seventies. My art school critiquing skills, I found, applied to music, as well. I remember the critique question "Who are your influences?" and here they were so easy to pick out of the music. Green Day and Nirvana and Pearl Jam were the order of the day. Beck, well, he made me laugh. And then there were the female artist: Breeders, Liz Phair, Sarah McLaughlin, and Veruca Salt all lent voice to a feminine side of music that made me proud.

I left Washington and moved to Alabama where I met the Largehearted Boy. When I heard he didn't care for Bruce Springsteen I knew I'd found a kindred spirit. His influence enhanced my depth of appreciation for Liz Phair and Kim Deal. I also was introduced to Guided By Voices and the whole Indie scene. It was a love match. I trust his taste in music so completely that I let him "man" the radio. Though I don't always agree with his choices, I'm never short of new music because he's always ferreting out new material.

During and after massage school, I decided to educate myself some on classical music, hence the professional library of classical music for relaxation. The romantic style is mostly to my tastes, at least for purposes of work.

Returning to the south after school, Largehearted Boy took me to my first GBV show. It had been years since I'd seen a live band in a small venue. I couldn't believe how excited I was, the energy of the band was palpable. We've been to other shows, but that first one was, for me, the most exciting and memorable. Now another band helps me appreciate my southern upbringing, Drive-By Truckers. They remind me of boys I grew up and went to school with but wouldn't date 'cause they'd get you in trouble. I'm still rather fond of them anyway.

Beware if you venture into north Alabama, the girl singing along to all the canned muzak in the supermarket and mall may be the Largehearted Girl taking a tour down memory lane.

"That's it," Pollard said about an hour through the three-hour set, which featured a guest appearance by Chavez/Zwan member Matt Sweeney on "Quicksilver" and a cover of AC/DC's "Whole Lotta Rosie." "You can't be the Rolling Stones. You've gotta quit while you're relatively handsome," Guided By Voices' Robert Pollard announcing the end of the band at year's end, when he'll continue as a solo artist.

The Sounds are keeping a tour diary (via it's a trap).

Glorious noise is holding a contest, giving away three copies of Greg Kot's book, Wilco, Learning How To Die.

Watch video snippets of a German interview with Neko Case last year.

Fifteen upcoming indie shows in Denver "not to miss"

The Cure: nine live shows, rename to .mp3 [mp3]
Mr. Bungle: four live shows [mp3]
Centro-matic: several tracks [mp3]
Modest Mouse: four live tracks [mp3]
Yuji Oniki: three tracks [mp3]
Jason Mraz: assorted tracks (for my niece, I swear) [mp3]
Various Artists: metal covers [mp3]

The Replacements: "Seen Your Video" [mp3]
Angra: "Wuthering Heights" (Kate Bush cover) [mp3]
"The Banana Splits Theme" [mp3]

For my eighteenth book of the year, I'll be reading Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation, by Lynne Truss. The premise is intriguing: the dissection of common grammatical errors in a humorous manner. I'm looking forward to starting this today.

Tickets for the Austin City Limits Music Festival went on sale (again) at 12:01 this morning. We are definitely returning... Neko Case and Calexico rumors have me excited, and I've seen the Pixies were booked (which has me yawning, even moreso after hearing the recent live boots). No one else listed at Pollstar right now lights my fire, so feed me some rumors, people (I'm calling on you Austin folks, in particular).

Merlin is looking for powerpop bands to cover Palace's "I am a Cinematographer."

"'C'mon, wear it with your motorcycle boots. That's what Carolyn Mark would do,' he says, referring to the cool indie singer." Toronto's Globe and Mail tries out the "big skirt," the latest must-have fashion accessory.

NPR's Brook Gladstone explores "Chick-lit" and its sub-genres (African American chick-lit, Christian chick-lit. etc.).

William Hung: The Mixtape [mp3]
The Long Winters: several tracks [mp3]
John Squire: 2003-01-31, Leeds [mp3]
Heather Nova: 2003-06-15, Munich, Germany [mp3]
Ween: assorted live tracks [mp3]
Explosions in the Sky: 2004-02-09, Nottingham, England [shn]
Roxette: live shows, demos, unreleased tracks, rarities [mp3]
Various Artists: The RIAA Mix [mp3]
Cathal Coughlan: Grand Necropolitan (complete album) [mp3]

Neko Case: "Set Out Running" [mp3]

"In the mental iconography of the New York culture junkie, the Netflix queue has joined the line of must-have life accouterments," so says the New York Observer in their article, "The Netflix Neurosis." (via Progressive Review)

The Orlando Weekly profiles Lloyd Cole and his new album, Etc, as well as his upcoming May release, Plastic Wood.

"Poems are little machines where we talk about things that can't be kept in words," Julia Alvarez explained to her audience in this Austin Chronicle piece covering the novelist's book of poetry, The Woman I Kept To Myself.

"I think in today's age, there're so many bands, it's hard to make truly original music," he continues. "I don't think a revolution is possible anymore. When the Beatles started out, they were creative guys in a world of uncharted territory, but nowadays... I mean, there's only so many chords and combinations you can put together," stellastarr**'s Arthur Kremer tells the Seattle Stranger.

"The indie-press mentality always wants to try and take you down a notch," he said. "I figure if they want to take me down a peg, they should do it just on the strength of the songs, like, 'This guy's songs blow! Signed, Pitchfork,' rather than getting all snotty about Blake Wescott playing tambourine on the thing," The Long Winters' John Roderick taks to NYU's Washington Square News.

Kevin Spacey guest edits Friday Review for the Guardian.

"The music 'industry' is only a few decades old," Hersh said. "Music used to be what people did together in their houses and in bars and at parties. That concept, almost of folk music, of music that is written for and played by a generation and shared, is kind of where I'm coming from philosophically. It doesn't sound like folk music, but it's this generation's sound as far as I'm concerned, and this generation hasn't been allowed to hear it because the industry thinks it's easier to make money selling 'fashion-sound' to pre-teens. It might sound bitter, those words, but I don't feel that way." Kristin Hersh on the music industry and her new band, 50 Foot Wave.

Steve Earle: 2000-06-30 [mp3]
Billy Bragg: "The Price Of Oil" [mp3]
Courtney Love, Hole: assorted live tracks [mp3]
Hole: live tracks [mp3]
Kraftwerk: 1981 show, Tokyo [mp3]
All About Eve: live tracks, video (zipped) [mp3, avi]
The Alarm: rotating live tracks [mp3]
Allen Ginsberg: 1994 interview [mp3]

Depeche Mode: 1995 show, Warsaw (video) [asf]

Courtney Love: "Voices Carry" (rename to .mp3) [mp3]

Thanks to Possumblog for the questions:

1) What three (3) Southern places, towns, or regions (aside from your own, if you currently reside in the South) do you think you would enjoy living in?

I have lived in and enjoyed both Birmingham and Athens, Georgia. Birmingham has some great neighborhoods with a wonderful sense of community. Athens has a variety of cultural opportunities. For these same reasons, I'd consider living in Chapel Hill or Carrboro, North Carolina.

2) What 3 (three) Southern places, towns, or regions have you ever visited and would never want to set foot in again? (I make the special note that you must have actually visited there, mainly because some people have irrational negative opinions about places based entirely upon what they have heard from others. Nothing like first-hand experience.)

This is an easy question: South of the Border, South Carolina; Gatlinburg, Tennessee; Selma, Alabama. South of the Border is simply the tackiest town in existence, a tourist trap filled with offensive signage and overpriced junk. Gatlinburg isn't much better in that regard, but at least the mountains are attractive. Selma is amazingly the most racist city I've visited in the south. This amazes me considering its place in the civil rights movement, and I've never felt comfortable there.

3) Finally, what are the three most distinctly Southern tourist traps you have ever visited?

Hmmm.... I'll go with the most distinctly southern tourist spots.

Bellingrath Gardens in Mobile has a wonderful mansion and its gardens are filled with azaleas and other signature southern flora.

Graceland may seem an obvious choice, but Elvis always prided himself on being a southern boy at heart.

Music Row in Nashville holds much of this country's musical history.

"Are you a local band in the Atlanta area that is willing to get a makeover on national television? Spike TV is looking for an alternative or hip hop group that is willing to participate in a reality show that will air this summer." Email Shawn at otrcasting@yahoo.com for full details. (via Flagpole's Threats and Promises)

Ben Gibbard, Ryan Adams and Lucinda Williams (among others) play DJ for All Songs Considered.

"It’s more unusual and uncomfortable for people to leave knowing that the arrow of blame isn’t pointing one way. It’s spinning around and there are a lot of reasons things like this happen," director Matthew Ryan Hoge on the ending of his film, The United States of Leland.

The Saratogian covers the restoration of the Yaddo artist colony.

"To say I'm without fear--
It wouldn't be true.
I'm afraid of sickness, humiliation.
Like anyone, I have my dreams.
But I've learned to hide them,
To protect myself
From fulfillment: all happiness
Attracts the Fates' anger.
They are sisters, savages--
In the end they have
No emotion but envy."
Happy Birthday, Louise Glück (poem quoted, "Confession").

copy, right? is an mp3 blog done right: rare and interesting tracks presented with insightful commentary, (via ToT)

"In fact, with so much attention and critical acclaim recently, it was extremely satisfying to lance some boils of anticipation with FF finally giving their Midland fans a full set-list to chew on," the Birmingham Post glowingly reviews a Franz Ferdinand show.

The Thursday Three: a southern (US) meme from possumblog

Neil Young: Chrome Dreams (unreleased album, registration required) [mp3]
Neil Young: 1971-02-23, BBC solo (registration required) [mp3]
Calexico: assorted tracks [mp3] (via kingblind)
Yann Tiersen: Black sessions [mp3]
Feeder: several shows [mp3]
Motorhead: rarities [mp3]
40 Below Summer: assorted studio tracks [mp3]
Soccer Chants and Anthems [mp3]

Depeche Mode: television appearances [avi]
Devo: videos [mpg, mov, swf]

TV On The Radio: "Young Liars" [mp3] (from Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes)

Barbara Kingsolver's book of essays, Small Wonder, though not enlightening (I had seen most of these essays in their originally published form), was still an enjoyable read. Her political rhetoric is deftly weaved into the fabric of her life. Reading these essays is like sitting across the coffee table from the author, enjoying the conversation as it meanders from the natural world to America's conspicuous consumption to the importance of ecology.

What will I read next? Much depends on whatever Books-A-Hundred has available this afternoon. The time has come for another biography, preferably a political figure. Any suggestions?

Liz Spikol of Philly Weekly experiences the city's new tourist attraction: "Ride The Ducks" bus-boat.

"We were little more than a paid rehearsal for reunited legendary alterna-rockers the Pixies," the Calgary Sun, reviewing the band's recent reunion show.

Creative Loafing lists "21 southeastern bands to watch"as well as the "top 25 music festivals in the southeast."

Freaks and Geeks creator Paul Feig talks to Suicide Girls about the recently released Freaks and Geeks dvd.

Celia Farber takes on Martin Amis for the New York Press.

The Toronto Star explores both the reading lists and cuisine of local book clubs.

Pixies: 2004 shows, bittorrent links [mp3, flac]
The Frames (and others): several live shows [mp3]
Nickel Creek: 2001-10-12, Chicago, Illinois [mp3]
The Cure: 1995-07-14, Bern, Switzerland & rarities [mp3]
The Cure: videos [mpg, mov]
Slash's Snakepit: 2000-11-14, Osaka, Japan [mp3]
Rammstein: many live shows [mp3]
Planet Prog: radio show [mp3]

The Zombies: "Just Out of Reach/Come on Time" [mp3]
Miles Davis: "Summertime" [mp3]
Joan Baez: "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair" [mp3]

Thanks to an Amazon gift certificate, I've already picked up today's two releases that interest me:

Bright Eyes/Neva Dinova: Split (cd)
Various Artists: Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1 (cd)

These have been added to my master list of interesting releases:

The Alarm: In The Poppy Fields (cd)
Django Reinhardt: Django in Rome 1949-1950 (box set) (cd)
Franz Ferdinand: Franz Ferdinand (cd)
Jay Bennett: Bigget Than Blue (cd)
Jon Langford: All the Fame of Lofty Deeds (cd)
Les Savy Fav: Inches (w/ bonus dvd) (cd)
Lloyd Cole: Etc (cd)
Patty Griffin: Impossible Dream (cd)
Prince: Musicology (cd)
Some Girls: All of my Friends Are Going Death (cd)
The Office - The Complete Second Series (dvd)

What am I missing? Anything interesting enough to send me to the store on my way home?

London Booted! The Clash's London Calling mashed-up and available for your downloading and listening pleasure (thanks, Max). Honor their wishes and donate to one of the good causes they have listed if you download the album.

"Rather than fading into the record books as a chart-busting, one-hit wonder, Hanson has established itself as a credible rock band whose best years and music are still to come," The New York Post on Hanson's Underneath, released today.

The Mountain Goats are playing tonight in Carrboro, North Carolina in support of 90 Day Men at Go! as a last-minute replacement for Coco Rosie.

"Because I sound like a child, people tend to dismiss me. I'm also rather petite, and people don't think of me as a writer. We also don't think of writers coming from working-class communities or being people of color. But seeing and hearing me allows women and working-class people to talk to me," novelist Sandra Cisneros in an interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The Washington Post examines the NEA project to record oral histories from soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Neil Young, Tori Amos, Talking Heads and more: live shows and tracks (mp3)
Butthole Surfers: live 1993 show (mp3)
Swans: two tracks (mp3)
Morrissey: four tracks (mp3)
Public Enemy: unreleased album, live shows, rarities (mp3)
Steely Dan: rare, live & unreleased tracks (mp3)
The Faint: released, unreleased and remixed tracks (mp3)
Jane: several tracks (mp3)

Lynyrd Skynyrd: "Freebird" (mp3, mpg)
They Might Be Giants: "Particle Man" (mpg)

"Dr Laura Schlessinger makes the Stepford Wives look like feminists and her critics accuse her of setting the women's movement back 50 years." So starts the London Times' piece on Laura Schlessinger.

Stream season two of the Dave Chappelle Show (realmedia).

Matador has a great sale ongoing, including Chavez's "Gone Glimmering" and "Ride the Fader" for $8 US a pop!

Attention fellow Axis of Weevil members: Death Cab For Cutie/Ben Kweller/Pedro The Lion Thursday night at Workplay Theatre

The Economist wonders how big Wal-Mart can grow.

Rev. Run (of Run DMC) considering run for Poet Laureate of Queens.

Grab some great tunes at Tofuhaus (and brush up on your Deutsch along the way).

Damien Rice: various tracks (mp3)
Bob Dylan: April, 1966, Sydney, Australia (mp3)
Kill Hannah: live shows and miscellaneous tracks (mp3)
Goober & The Peas: several tracks (mp3)
Evanescence: Not For Your Ears (demos) (mp3)
Jerry Garcia: rare audio & video clips (real)
Various Artists: surf music (mp3)

Damien Rice: "Creep" (mp3)
Dick Dale: "Hava Nagila" (mp3)
Neko Case & Her Boyfriends: "Guided By Wire" (mp3)

"Rap In Sweden: A Pictorial Essay AboutTrue Stupidity":
"I'm not black like Barry White
No I am white like Frank Black is" (via monkeyfilter)

The Scotsman previews Isobel Campbell's upcoming covers EP, Just The Same.

The Grand Rapids Press talks to Sufjan Stevens.

Sabremetric legend and baseball writer Bill James chatted online last week.

The Sunday Herald reviews the second installment of C.S. Lewis's collected letters, CS Lewis: Collected Letters Volume II – Books, Broadcasts and the War 1931-1949

The San Francisco Gate reviews John Barth's new book of short stories, The Book of Ten Nights and a Night.

Beth Orton: Superpinkymandy (mp3)
Elliott Smith: 2003-06-06, Brooklyn, NY (mp3)
Robyn Hitchcock: rarities (mp3)
Miles Davis & John Coltrane: various tracks (mp3)
Julian Priester: love, love (mp3)
Decibully: several tracks (mp3)
Ben Kweller: several tracks (mp3)
Various Artists: live tracks (mp3)
Various Artists: Devo fan covers (mp3)
Various Artists: several live shows (mp3)

Dave Eggers reviews Edward Lewis Wallant's reissued novel, The Tenants of Moonbloom.

Baseball has Moneyball, now basketball has its own quantitative statistical analytical tools. (via sportsfilter)

Blowin' in the Wine: Bob Dylan Teams Up With Italian Winemaker

The Washington Post's Jonathan Yardley reconsiders "The Count of Monte Cristo."

Ben Kweller: 2003-06-13, Bonnaroo (shn)
Emmylou Harris: 2003-06-14, Bonnaroo (shn)
Flaming Lips: 2003-06-14, Bonnaroo (shn)
Liz Phair: 2003-06-14, Bonnaroo (shn)
Lucinda Williams: 2003-06-13, Bonnaroo (shn)
My Morning Jacket: 2003-06-13, Bonnaroo (shn)
Neil Young: 2003-06-13, Bonnaroo (shn)
Polyphonic Spree: 2003-06-14 (shn)
The Roots: 2003-06-14, Bonnaroo (shn)
Tortoise: 2003-06-13, Bonnaroo (shn)

Greg Kot's Wilco book, Learning How To Die has its own website (via chromewaves).

The Scotsman raves about the Fiery Furnaces.

Two Vail bookstores list their top ten reads.

"We don't want teenagers to write violent poems, horrifying stories, explicit lyrics and rhymes; they're ugly, in precisely the way that we are ugly, and out of protectiveness and hypocrisy, even out of pity and love and tenderness, we try to force young people to be innocent of everything but the effects of that ugliness," Michael Chabon in the San Francisco Gate on censoring teen essays that contain violent and/or explicit topics.

Bad-Candy.com: The Ultimate Bad Candy Website!

Happy birthday to Martin Amis's father!

Drive-By Truckers: 2002-12-30, Chicago (shn)
Frank Black: 1993-07-03, New Orleans, Louisiana (shn)
Frank Black: 1994-06-04, Paris (shn)
Genesis: many live shows (shn)
Gillian Welch: 1999-09-04, Yosemite, California (shn)
Pernice Brothers: 2000-11-06, London (shn)
Pernice Brothers: 2003-07-22, Toronto (shn)
Pixies: several shows (shn)
Radiohead: several shows (shn)
Roger Waters: 1984-06-17, Stockholm (shn)

(link thanks to taperfriendly, if these links don't work for you, please register, thanks Frank)

A UT student exhibits Knoxville indie flyers from past decades.

Scott Jacoby: he's big in Japan.

The Pixies first reunion show is available at Sharing the Groove, but for how long???

How would Jesus vote? Ghandi? King Arthur?

Flagpole interviews Marshmallow Coast's Andy Gonzales.

Added to my wishlist (buy one for someone you love): Prince's Sign O' the Times (Thirty Three and a Third series), by Michaelangelo Matos

Beulah: live show, b-sides, Peel session (mp3)
The Continental: demos (mp3)
Finch: many live shows (mp3)
Frank Zappa: 1976-10-24, Boston (mp3)
Frank Zappa with John and Yoko: jam session (mp3)
New Order: 1989-07-05, Cleveland, Ohio (mp3)
Cheap Trick: boot of the month (mp3)
Stereo Total: rare and unreleased tracks (mp3)
Coldplay: live and rare tracks (mp3)

Dizzee Rascal vs. Vitalic: I Luv Poney (mp3)

Jenny and the Jaws of Life, by Jincy Willett, is a collection of dark, well-formed psychologically thrilling stories. Though a bit uneven and at times seemingly repetitive in its characters, the book holds much promise for a first collection of short fiction. I am intrigued enough by Willett's craft to put her only novel, Winner of the National Book Award: A Novel of Fame, Honor, and Really Bad Weather, on my future reading list.

Next up: Small Wonder, a collection of essays by one of my wife's favorite novelists, Barbara Kingsolver.

The Sun City Girls get a well-deserved tribute in the Seattle Weekly.

Peter S. Scholtes' lists his top 100 albums.

If youre in NYC, check out the WYSIWYG Talent Show presents: The Dope Show tonight at P.S. 122, starring the multitalented Miz Uffish, among others.

My ideal birthday present (via Uffish Thoughts)

Indie music is alive in China at the 2nd Chinese Independent Music Festival: Street Roar 2004.

At The Drive-In reissues and anthology are on the way, according to Chartattack.

Ben Kweller: assorted tracks (mp3)
Various Artists: streaming bootlegs
High School Speeding: several tracks (mp3)

Carl Perkins & Van Morrison: "Sittin' On Top Of The World" (mp3)
Lucy Kaplansky: "This Is Home" (mp3)
William Shatner: "I Am Canadian" (mp3)
The Thermals: "Endless Supply" (mp3)
The Notwist: "Pick Up The Phone" (mp3)
Nancy Sinatra: "Bang Bang" (mp3)

Monica Lewinsky is apparently a big Azure Ray fan, Mike Kratky of Neva Dinova writes in his tour diary for the Daily Nebraskan.

Junior Senior continues to sweep America off its feet, according to The Advocate.

Aversion examines Snow Patrol and their new album, Final Straw.

Siouxsie Sioux to tour US in September (via filter)

IGN interviews The Darkness (part 1, part 2)

The Guradian looks at falling single sales.

White Stripes: 2001-11-23, Vera Groningen, Netherlands (mp3)
Siouxsie Sioux & The Banshees, The Creatures: live shows, covers (mp3, real)
Vovoid: shows, demos, interviews, video (mp3, mpg)
ACDC: rare live tunes (mp3)
Bush: live shows, b-sides, demos, rarities (mp3)
In Flames: live show, interviews (mp3)
REM: 2001-10-21, Mountainview, CA (mp3)
Roger Waters: August, 1999, St. Louis, Missouri (mp3)
The Roots: live shows (mp3) (changes almost every month)
Sonic Youth: audio, video (mp3, real, mov)
Ben Folds: 2004-05-04, Urbana, IL (mp3, shn)

These are the two releases I'll definitely pick up tomorrow:

Mum: Summer Make Good (cd)
Watch This! (dvd)

Watch This! is a collection of folk rock videos, including clips from Sarah Harmer, Blue Rodeo, Kathleen Edwards and Great Big Sea.

Am I missing anything groundbreaking? Is there something else being released that I should at least give a listen?

These releases are interesting, but not enough to pick up at full price:

Blue Rodeo: Greatest Hits 1 (cd)
Various Artists: Tribute To Teenage Fanclub: What A Concept (cd)
Girls On Top: Ovulator (cd)
Ex-Girl: Endangered Species (cd)
Various Artists: Kill Bill Vol 2 (cd)
Paul McCartney: Music & Animation Collection (dvd)
Kill Bill, Vol 1 (dvd)
46664, The Event - Nelson Mandela's AIDS Day Concert (dvd)

Jay Z's Black Album + Pavement's Slanted & Enchanted = The Slack Album

The Morrissey Exhibition (short fiction from 3AM)

I've been enjoying push fluids, a weblog written by three medical students.

Playlouder does a song-by-song analysis of the Streets new album, A Grand Don't Come For Free.

Jazz & Blues Music Reviews, the blog!

Like the rest of us, Travis Morrison has rock and roll crushes.

Superchunk: studio, live, rare tracks (mp3, real)
Buzzcocks: audio, video (mp3, mov)
Crooked Fingers: album tracks (mp3, ogg)
Third Eye Foundation: album tracks, samples, interviews (mp3, real)
Portastatic: album, live and unreleased tracks (mp3)
The Ladybug Transistor: two album tracks (mp3)

Annie Hayden: "Start A Little Late" (mp3)
Ashley Stove: "Fire" (mp3)
Ganger: "Canopy" (mp3)

Tom Waits: "Books Of Moses" (mp3)
Iron and Wine: "Jesus the Mexican Boy" (mp3)
Wilco: "Jesus, Etc. (live)" (mp3)
Magnetic Fields: "Let's Pretend We're Bunny Rabbits" (mp3)

In response to this post, young rocker StuStu sent this missive:

Hi, I'm Stuart McErlain-Naylor (known in the rock world as StuStu)

StuStu

Guiness: the beer that is good for you

The Indianapolis Star frames Damien Rice as a "male counterpart to indie-rock goddess PJ Harvey."

Franz Ferdinand announces US tourdates

The Chicago Sun-Times profiles Todd Rundgren and his new album, Liars

Mojo Nixon: many live shows (mp3)
Libertines: Branding sessions (mp3)
Libertines: legs 11 (mp3)
Libertines: 2004-01-04, Manchester Academy (mp3)
Gruff Rhys: 2003-10-05, NYC (mp3) (via information leafblower)
Pearl Jam: several shows (mp3)
Iggy Pop: 1988-08-20, NYC (mp3)

Iron and Wine: "Naked As We Came" (mp3)
The Long Winters: "Blue Diamonds" (mp3)
Libertines: "For Lovers (xfm)" (mp3)

Remember the good old days, when being sick meant a day off from work, watching bad daytime television curled up on the sofa? The internet, cell phones and broadband have changed that day of rest forever.

I've been fighting a cold for the past couple of days. I couldn't sleep, so I got up at four this morning, e-mailed my boss that I was working from home today, and finished a project in record time (without the usual office distractions).

Any suggestions to fighting a cold? I'm using chicken soup, megadoses of vitamin C, lots of water, orange juice, hot green tea, and 69 Love Songs by The Magnetic Fields. All suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Of course, the worst part of my cold is that I'll miss smog at The Nick in Birmingham tonight... maybe someone will leave a miracle cure in the comments.

Here's a mini-mixtape for a Friday morning. Sleater-Kinney has always been a favorite band of mine, combining driving, melodic music with a social conscience.

"One Beat" (mp3), from One Beat
"Oh!" (mp3), from One Beat
"All Hands on the Bad One" (mp3), from All Hands On The Bad One
"You're No Rock and Roll Fun" (mp3), from All Hands on the Bad One
"Was It A Lie?" (mp3), from All Hands on the Bad One
"Get Up" (mp3), from The Hot Rock
"Burn, Don't Freeze" (mp3), from The Hot Rock
"Words and Guitars" (mp3), from Dig Me Out
"Words and Guitars (live)" (mp3), from the soundtrack Songs For Cassavetes

"Faraway (live)" (mp3)
"One Beat (live)" (mp3)

On the road with Modest Mouse...

My Morning Jacket to headline Lebowskifest in Louisville June 18th, with Bobby Bare, Jr. opening.

Two songs that should be played back-to-back (at full volume): "God and Country by The Thermals (from their upcoming album) and the new Morrissey single, "Irish Blood, English Heart."

"I'm not really that hot on the human race to be honest. Very few people have anything to offer," Morrissey tells the Guardian.

Wilco: Australia show (mp3, registration required)
Muse: several shows (mp3)
Audioslave: AOL Radio Takeover (mp3)
Pearl Jam: 2003-10-22, Seattle (mp3)
A Perfect Circle: several shows (mp3)
Deftones: demos (mp3)
Deftones: 2003, Paris (mp3)
Led Zeppelin: three shows (mp3)
Various Artists: an antiwar compilation (mp3)
Big Big Love: Pixies cover band (mp3)

Davy Jones: "Mr. Wong" (mp3)

This week, Sugarmama has solicited topics from her readers. Not only is her blog well-written, humorous and heartfelt, but the comments she receives are often as entertaining as the weblog itself. Topics this week have run the gamut from choosing her puppy to bad drivers, with the value of a college education and a worst date tale thrown in for good measure.

"The most interesting stuff about my life has been like my failed attempts to start a rock band and to throw really cool parties. All my failed attempts to become cool are very funny and interesting. But I’m not going to write a book about that I’m just gonna keep doing what I do," Neal Pollack, in his Suicide Girls interview.

"Album covers are probably looked at more closely than your average museum painting, often studied for the entire length of the record or more. And yet the artists behind them get very little credit." Athens' Flagpole gives album artists their due.

"I think that just to stay active, to continue writing songs, you can't always write songs about your emotions or about girls in your life; it just gets boring. I'll think, 'I need to find some different subject matter,' I'll invent a character and see what happens to them," Of Montreal's Kevin Barnes tells Flagpole.

"Unfortunately -- or fortunately, I don't know which -- I think I'm more along the lines of someone like Beck or Neil Young or David Bowie. I'd like to do a full-on country record eventually. Or a piano ballad record. Or a total fuckin' hardcore punk album, where every song is 50 seconds. I just want to keep exploring," Ben Kweller talks to Philly's City Paper about his new album, On My Way.

The Psychedelic Furs: strangely timeless

Wilco: 2002-04-27, Schenectady, NY (mp3)
Bob Dylan: 1998-06-14, Bremen, Germany (mp3)
Smashing Pumpkins: 2001-01-07, Sweden & Adore demos (mp3)
Queens Of The Stone Age: 2002-11-06. Stockholm (mp3)
Bob Dylan: more Empire Burlesque outtakes (mp3)
Indie Pop Live: many bands' live songs (mp3)
Various Artists: truckin' songs (mp3)
Various Artists: space tv themes (mp3)
Various Artists: ska from around the world (mp3)
Jay Z vs. Metallica: The Double Black Album (mp3, bittorrent)

Division Of Laura Lee: "Does Compute" video (mp4)

The NHL playoffs start tonight, and I'm sticking to my original prediction: an Ottawa versus Vancouver final. The east is full of pretenders (Tampa Bay, Boston), perennial disappointments (Philly, Toronto) and the occasional contender (New Jersey). Look for Ottawa to rise above this disappointing crop and move into the finals. The western conference is a coin flip, but the aging and injury-riddled (Detroit, Colorado) will limp away, and Vancouver will overcome their Bertuzzi stigma and claim their first Stanley Cup.

(Some monkey disagrees, thinking that Toronto will knock Ottawa out in round one)

The Daily Telegraph weighs in on Bob Dylan's recent "selling out."

Buy an amp used by Pete "Bassman" Bain of Spacemen 3.

While Gateway is closing their retail stores, Apple stores are going strong, according to this Business Week article.

"It's usually a bad sign when the clerk ringing up your CD at the music store shakes her head repeatedly and mutters "oh my" under her breath," the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tries to explain the William Hung phenomenon.

Brush up on your French and download some great mp3's at indiepoprock.net.

Talking Heads: 1978-09-16, San Francisco, CA (shn)
Del McCoury Band: 2002-02-02, Bloomington, IN (shn)
Minutemen: 1981-10-26, San Francisco, CA (shn)
Godspeed You Black Emperor!: 2002-12-02, Baltimore, MD (shn)
Godspeed You Black Emperor!: 2003-03-28, Toronto, Canada (flac)
Mike Watt: 1998-04-11, Doornroosje, Nijmegen, Netherlands (flac)
Pinback: 2003-04-09, San Francisco, CA (flac)
Ryan Adams: 2002-02-18, Milan, Italy (shn)
Ryan Adams: 2003-12-10, Toronto, Canada (shn)
Xiu Xiu: 2004-03-20, New York, NY (flac)

Preview Wilco's A Ghost Is Born legally (quicktime stream).

Preorder the album

Jane Leavy's biography of Sandy Koufax, A Lefty's Legacy, was a surprisingly light read, given the subject matter. Sandy Koufax was the premier pitcher in the mid-1960's, and Leavy examines his career in parallel with the changes in society and baseball during that time. I expected a more detailed view of the great pitcher's life, but the book mostly delves into Koufax's youth, on-field accomplishments and the arm problems that forced an early retirement. If you're looking for a Kitty Kelley tell-all, pass on this biography. This book is entertaining spring reading, the story of a reluctant hero in a time of change.

My next book, Jenny and the Jaws Of Life: Short Stories by Jincy Willett was recommended by a good friend. I have been a lifelong fan of short fiction, from fairy tales to Flannery O'Connor, Chekhov to Cheever, so I have high hopes for this book.

"In a time where cynicism is too often equated with success, the album is a triumph for the band and its joyous, post-ironic brethren like The Polyphonic Spree and The Flaming Lips," Newsday raves about the new Modest Mouse album.

"Pierce Brosnan's only going to do one more movie for them, if that, so if he stayed on to do one more with me, let's just this one year go my way and do it a little differently. I won't do anything that will ruin the series," Quentin Tarantino on possibly directing the next James Bond film.

Swedish band Holden plays KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic.

Morrissey: The "Irish Blood, English Heart" I Love Music thread

Sonic Youth: 2003-06-13, Bonarroo (mp3)
High Llamas: Black Session (mp3)
Bruce Springsteen: 2002-10-05, Saturday Night Live performance and soundcheck (mp3)
Radiohead: 2003:10-04, West Palm Beach, FL (mp3)
Soundgarden: 1994-03-23, Oslo, Norway (mp3)
U2: 2001-08-18, London (mp3)
Various Artists: assorted live songs (mp3)

Guided By Voices: "Everywhere With Helicopter (live)" (mp3)
Kermit the Frog: "The Rainbow Connection" (mp3)
!!!: "Me and Giuliani Down By The Schoolyard" (mp3)

It's a good week for album releases. I'm most excited about getting the new Elf Power and Of Montreal in my hands. Here's what I'll be picking up tomorrow:

Radiohead: Com Lag 2 + 2 = 5 (enhanced) (cd)
Of Montreal: Satanic Panic In The Attic (cd)
Elf Power: Walking With The Beggar Boys (cd)
Various Artists: Anticon Sampler (cd)
Calexico: Convict Pool EP (cd)
Ben Kweller: On My Way (cd)

I'll buy these if they are heavily discounted or in the used bin:

Modest Mouse: Good News For People Who Love Bad News (cd)
Bottle Rockets: "Brand New Year" (cd)
Bottle Rockets: Leftovers (cd)
Jonathan Richman: Back In Your Life (import reissue) (cd)
Carl Perkins: Dance Album (with extra tracks) (cd)
Manta Ray: Estratexa (cd)
Atom & His Package: Hair: Debatable (cd)
Carla Bozulich: I'm Gonna Stop Killing (cd)
They Might Be Giants: Indestructible Object EP (cd)
Tortoise: It's All Around You (cd)
Seachange: Lay Of The Land (cd)
The Butchies: Make Yr Life (cd)
Throbbing Gristle: Mutant Tg (cd)
Mum: Nightly Cares (import single) (cd)
Elysian Fields: Fields That Dream Your Name (cd)

I can understand pop (idol) culture icons, but this is ridiculous???:

William Hung: Inspiration (cd with bonus dvd)

Okay folks, you know the drill. Remind me of something I should be buying or considering, or open my eyes to something I'm missing that is worth previewing.

Isaac Brock (of Modest Mouse) radio interview (mp3 link)

dios: the movie

A French critic takes on British culture in The Guardian, including The Darkness and Coronation Street.

What is soprano Roberta Peters reading? Saul Bellow and Philip Roth, among others, she tells the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Carrie Fisher's writing "has been compared to that of Martin Amis and P.G. Wodehouse, and the ghost of Dorothy Parker smiles on it as well," according to this feature on her new novel, The Best Awful.

Pink cast as Janis Joplin in film.

Newsday reviews the new Modest Mouse album.

The Olympian remembers Kurt Cobain.

Grandaddy: 2003-03-08, Merced, CA (mp3)
Grandaddy: 2003-03-30, KCRW (mp3)
Grandaddy: 2003-06-18, Paris (mp3)
Grandaddy: 2003-06-26, Newport, KY (mp3)
Grandaddy: 2003-06-13, Later With Jools Holland (mp3)
Grandaddy: 2000-06-03, Stockholm (mp3)
Grandaddy: Peel Session (mp3)
Grandaddy: 2003-06-23, Black Session (mp3)
Grandaddy: 2003-10-17, Seattle, WA (mp3)
Grandaddy: 2003-06-06, Radio 1 Session (mp3)

Grandaddy: "Glass Dusty" (mp3)
Grandaddy: "Yeah Is What We Want" (mp3)

Liv Tyler reviews the new Elf Power album, Walking With The Beggar Boys (nice one, Troy)

The Pixies offering reunion on-demand reunion tour cd's: individually numbered, foil-stamped, limited edition double-CD copies of each concert (via Bradley's Almanac)

"Kill The Juggermart": some Chicagoans are fighting Wal-Mart's entrance into the Second City

The worst country song titles (via Progressive Review)

Billy Bragg: 1991-12-31, London (flac)
Billy Bragg: 2001-10-21, Adelaide, Australia (flac)
Billy Bragg: 2002-01-21, NYC (flac)
Ben Kweller: 2001-01-26, Oneonta, NY (shn)
Ben Kweller: 2003-03-06, Cincinnati, OH (shn)
Seahorses: 1998-07-11, T in the Park (mp3)

Sarah Harmer: "Almost" (mov)

Devlins: "Waiting (Tom Lord-Alge remix)" (mp3)
Tobin Sprout: "Courage The Tack" (mp3)

Ben Kweller: "Commerce, TX, Q101" (mp3)
Ben Kweller: "Wasted and Ready, Q101" (mp3)
Ben Kweller: "Ice, Ice Baby, Q101" (mp3)

The Reader reviews Jeff Tweedy's book of poetry, Adult Head:
These poems do not directly reveal themselves, but rather they are complex, cerebral constructions that require serious contemplation. While musically, Tweedy wails 'there’s something in my veins, bloodier than blood,' poetically, he quietly proposes ‘the best way/ to feel your blood/ is to lie.'"

Neal Pollack summarizes the "Left Behind" series (via my daily morning Cup of Chica, the brew that blends both form and content). Now if we can get Quentin Tarantino to review the film adaptations...

The import single for the Mountain Goats' "Letter From Belgium" includes two b-sides, "Nova Scotia" and "Attention All Pickpockets."

Watch the Modest Mouse video, "Float On."

Tyrone Shoelaces is a weblog from Singapore, offering interesting mp3's almost daily (Willie Nelson image NSFW)

A Sea Black With Ink, the Wilco lyrics archive

Morrissey & Siouxsie Sioux: "Interlude" (mp3)
Shonen Knife: "Top Of The World (Carpenters cover)" (mp3)
Neutral MilkHotel: "Holland, 1945" (mp3)
"Nappy Roots vs. The Mountain Goats" (mp3)
The Mountain Goats: "Two-Headed Boy" (mp3)
Magnetic Fields: "Let's Pretend We're Bunny Rabbits" (mp3)
Amps: "Pacer" (mp3)
Drive-By Truckers: "Sink Hole" (mp3)
Slobberbone: "Gimme Back My Dog" (mp3)
Elf Power: "The Sun Is Forever" (mp3)
Apples In Stereo: "Please" (mp3)
Bob Hund: Spelad Gladje (mp3)
Pixies: "Here Comes Your Man" (mp3)
Bright Eyes: "Bowl Of Oranges" (mp3)
Desaparecidos: "Man And Wife, The Latter" (mp3)

Friday is the longest day... hopefully the Shins will help make today bearable. James Mercer and gang make breezy guitar pop that makes the time fly...

"Kissing The Lipless" (mp3), from Chutes Too Narrow
"So Says I" (mp3), from Chutes Too Narrow
"Caring Is Creepy" (mp3), from Oh, Inverted World
"We Built A Raft And We Floated" (mp3), from Nature Bears A Vacuum
"Styes From Elephant Eyes" (mp3), from Nature Bears A Vacuum
"Girl On The Wing" (mp3), from Oh, Inverted World
"Know Your Onion" (mp3), from Oh, Inverted World

"The Shins" (mp3), by Flake Music (Mercer's previous band)

2002-07-13, Austin, TX (mp3)
2003-09-21, Austin, TX (mp3)

video:

"So Says I" (mov)
"Know Your Onion" (wmv)
"New Slang" (mov)
"Pressed In A Book" (mov)

Air's Dave Godin talks to the Dallas Observer about the band's recent album, Talkie Walkie and the older 10,000 Hz Legend:
"This is the first time really we talk about something personal," he explains. "We wrote songs about things that happen to us, about relationships. 10,000 Hz and Moon Safari were about something else--us as observers, you know? And the fact that we sing together, it makes it the most personal album we've ever done."

"The Unicorns resurrect the mystic rite of having fun," according to the Denver Westword

My new favorite weblog: Rake's Progress. Literary soundbites abound, and this Martin Amis post made me smile all day

Zumpano: b-sides, rarities, one show (mp3)
Modest Mouse: unreleased & live tracks (mp3)
Bob Dylan: April, 1996, Sydney (mp3)
Sam Champion: two tracks (mp3) (via coolfer)
Best Kissers In The World: several tracks (mp3)
Rocky Horror Picture Show: original songs, ads, remixes (mp3)
Dahlia Seed: various tracks and live performances (mp3)
Pearl Jam: several live shows (mp3)

Neutral Milk Hotel: live videos (and previously posted rarities and live shows) (mov)
Coldplay: "The Scientist," 2002-11-24, Top Of The Pops (mpg)

Robert Pollard: "Their Biggest Win" (mp3) (from his upcoming solo effort, Fiction Man)

Should you feel guilty for listening to the leaked Wilco?

MSNBC has Morrisssey article, but wrong photo

Michaelangelo Matos reviews the new definitive history of disco, Love Saves The Day: A History of American Dance Music Culture, 1970-1979 by Tim Lawrence

Seattle Weekly talks to Stereolab's Tim Gane about the band's album, Margerine Eclipse

"Blonde Redhead's lyrical music evokes an histoire du cinema"

Astrologer says: No World Series for Houston Astros this year

Whatever happened to Bob Horner? He joined Tony Larussa's "Shadow Cardinals"

"The New Bleacher Bums" (baseball fans who cherish statistical analysis)

Elvis Costello & Steve Nieve: 1995-05-20, Boston, MA (shn)
B-52's: 1982-11-26, Jamaica (shn)
Camper Van Beethoven: 2002-08-17, NYC (shn)
Nickel Creek: 2000-11-16, Berkeley, CA (shn)
Paul McCartney: 1990-07-04, Washington, DC (shn)
Pearl Jam: live shows (mp3)

Bubblegum Music: collect them all! (mp3)

White Stripes: 2004 Grammy performance (mpg)
Frank Zappa: TV spot for Portland General Electric (mpg)
Alice In Chains & Pearl Jam: concert video (mpg)

Richard Harris: MacArthur Park" (mp3)