When I finally received my iPod, I had a fleeting, illogical notion that 20 gigabytes was plenty to store the albums I consider vital as well as enough new discs to keep me interested. I had forgotten one key point: that almost every piece of music I buy is essential.

After consistently tagging my digital music collection, I decided to start loading my iPod. Unfortunately, Robyn Hitchcock's Storefront Hitchcock was the last disc that would fit, leaving mid-R to Z unloaded.

At other times this would be a major hassle. Lucky for me, I have been on a major Centro-matic kick lately, and "C" comes before "R," thank goodness. If I had to, I could live on "Flashes and cables" and "The Mighty Midshipman" from Love You Just The Same. Will Johnson is an amazing songwriter, catch the him solo or the band live if you get the chance.

Centro-matic Online Mixtape:

"The Mighty Midshipman" [mp3] from Love You Just The Same
"Flashes and Cables" [mp3] from Love You Just The Same
"Argonne Limit Co." [mp3] from Love You Just The Same
"Janitorial On Channel Fail" [mp3] from Distance and Clime
"To Unleash The Horses Now" [mp3] from Distance and Clime
"Glacial Slurs" [mp3] from Centro-matic
"Ninety Secretaries Down" [mp3] from Centro-matic
"Members Of The Show Em How Its Done" [mp3] from All the Falsest Hearts Can Try
"Most Everyone Will Find" [mp3] from All The Falsest Hearts Can Try
"Huge In Every City" [mp3] from All The Falsest Hearts Can Try
"Love Has Found Me" [mp3] from Centro-matic/Tripping Daisy 7"
"D. Boon-free (A Ninth Grade Crime)" [mp3] from The Static vs. Strings Vol. 1
"Now That You've Blown Away The Cards" from The Static vs. Strings Vol. 1
"Numbers One and Three" [mp3] from Navigational
"The Massacre Went Well" [mp3] from Navigational
"Most Everyone Will Find" [mp3] from line.connection.aim
"Say Something" [mp3] from line.connection.aim
"Fall Of The Scenester Girl" [mp3] from Non-directional Jetpack Race
"My Test" [mp3] from Non-directional Jetpack Race

"Karcher's Contacts" [mp3] from Murder of Tides (Will Johnson solo)
Murder Of Tides (Westerlies) [mp3] from Murder of Tides (Will Johnson solo)

"Smelling Medicinal" [mp3] from Welcome, Convalescence (South San Gabriel)
"Saint Augustine" [mp3] from Welcome, Convalescence (South San Gabriel)

The Chicago Tribune interviews Rilo Kiley's Jenny Riley.

Take the Evening Standard's quiz to find out how cool you are.

First there was Free iPods, then Free Flatscreens, then Free Desktop PC's. The latest promotion from Gratis Internet? Free Handbags! The winter holidays are approaching, and one of these would look good under my niece's tree. I wonder if she'd prefer the Kate Spade, the Louis Vuitton, the Coach or the Prada?

The Arcade Fire's Win Butler talks to Toronto's Eye Weekly.

The Independent fields reader questions for Dave Eggers.

Also in the Eye, mp3 blog Mystery and Misery gets a well-deserved namecheck in John Sakamoto's always worthwhile Anti-Hit List.

Nine Bullets is keeping track of live Drive-By Truckers bittorrents, as well as hosting a video of the band playing "Marry Me" from Athens last year (the day drummer Brad "EZB" Morgan got married).

I'll be asking Santa for these shirts: "Ryan Adams Ain't No Brent Best" and "Drink Beer and Fight."

American Mavericks offers interactive versions of Harry Partch's instruments.

Newsday offers a timeline of American novelist Philip Roth's career.

Rolling Stones logo artist Ruby Mazur quietly (and soberly) pursues his craft in Las Vegas.

What do Mandy Moore, Foxy Brown and Moby have in common? Lending their names to commercial products.

Forward profiles Michael Caplan, co-founder of Or Music.

USA Today lists the top five challenged books as the US celebrates Banned Books Week.

Scorcher Jason Ringenberg discusses performing for two audiences, adults and children.

Largehearted friend Dfactor Pop has his new weblog, Waved Rumor, up and running.

PC World Magazine offers a list of "No-Guilt Downloads: Free Books, Music, and Movies."

Metallica: demos [mp3]
Kill Me Tomorrow: audio & video [mp3,mov]
Hella: several tracks [mp3]
Shesus: several tracks [mp3]
Parts & Labor: audio & video [mp3,mov]
Langhorne Slim: several tracks [mp3]
The Nationale Blue: several tracks [mp3]
Various Artists: Kong In Concert, Donkey Kong Country, An Arrangement Collaboration [mp3]

Michael Nace: "Time Passes" [mp3] from The Voyage Out
Paul Kelly: "I Guess I Get A Little Emotional Sometimes" [mp3]
The Congress (John Darnielle and Mark Givens): Pure Dynamite [mp3]

Even in Japan, some music artists are choosing indie labels over the majors.

The Guadian examines the American bumper sticker battle.

The Scotsman asks, "Whatever happened to Phil Spector?"

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch profiles Mark Newgarden, creator of the Garbage Pail Kids and author of the recently published Cheap Laffs: The Art of the Novelty Item.

The Boston Globe is impressed with the new Green Day album, American Idiot.

Who was Harry Partch? Find out here, and thank me later.

Donate to First Night Boston and download Joe Pernice's ode to Manny Ramirez and the Boston Red Sox, "Moonshot Manny (Pega Luna Manny)"

It's time to export Canadian culture again, according to the Toronto Star.

Fortune says it's hard to manage if you don't blog.

Radiohead: KCRW Live Thom and Jonny [mp3]
Cracker: 2004-07-17, Des Moines [mp3,ogg,flac]
Giant Sand: 1989-05-04, Vienna [flac]
Howe Gelb, Giant Sand, M. Ward: several tracks [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks from Glorious Noise Records [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks from The Self-Starter Foundation [mp3] (Sea Ray, Les savy Five, Actionslacks, etc.)

Clinic: "Nicht" [mp3]
Delgados: "Sink or Swim" [mp3] from Universal Audio
High Water Marks: "Queen of Verlaine" [mp3] from Songs About The Ocean
Midnight Movies: "Persimmon Tree" [mp3] from Midnight Movies

Athens rockers Elf Power have scheduled US tour dates for October and November.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer lists "fall's late harvest of books."

Must Vote is giving away free music downloads for getting others to register to vote.

The New Yorker interviews Gillian Welch and David Rawlings.

My iPod is obsolete, I need a Pez mp3 player.

Meet the mp3 blog HTML spreadsheet.

Nancy Sinatra is cool again.

The Guardian publishes a piece by political blogger Markos Moulitsas of the Daily Kos.

Have people had enough of silly love songs?

Mandy Moore is helping the Olsen twins record an album.

The Delays have added dates to their October UK tour.

Jeff Tweedy: 2003-01-09, Chicago [mp3]*
Wilco: 2004-09-25, Raleigh [flac]**
Gillian Welch: live show, disc 1, disc 2 [mp3]*
Daniel Johnston: many tracks [mp3]
Golden Shoulders: several tracks [mp3]
Bobby Birdman: two tracks [mp3]

Parenthetical Girls: several tracks [mp3]
We Versus the Shark: two tracks [mp3]
Scott Andrew: several demos [mp3]
Origami Galaktika: several tracks [mp3]

*registration required
**bittorrent

Nuçi's Space is holding a charity rock auction on eBay, with items donated by Athens musicians to benefit this great cause. Included are items from the Drive-By Truckers, REM, Vic Chesnutt and many others.

On Friday, Patterson Hood and Friends will play a benefit show, so stop by for some great music and help a worthy group.

Nuçi's Space is a resource/support center dedicated to promoting the emotional, physical and occupational well-being of the music community of Athens, Georgia.

Brian Wilson's SMiLE looms over this week's releases, and it will share my shopping bag space with Kevn Kinney's new disc and the new Wolf Eyes. Should I add anything to my shopping list or list of notable releases?

I preordered season three of Strangers With Candy several weeks ago, that looks like my lone DVD purchase. Any impressions of the new Ramones disc?

Notable releases this week:

Blanche: If We Can't Trust the Doctors [cd]
Brian Wilson: Smile [cd]
Chuck Prophet: Turn the Pigeons Loose [cd]
Delgados: Universal Audio [cd]
DJ Spooky: Necropolis [cd]
Earlimart: Treble & Tremble [cd]
Interpol: Antics [cd]
Kevn Kinney: Sun Tangled Angel Revival [cd]
Long Ryders: Best of the Long Ryders [cd]
Mark Knopfler: Shangri La [cd]
Mekons: Heaven & Hell: The Very Best of The Mekons [cd]
Miles Davis: Seven Steps: Comp Columbia Recordings 1963-1964 (box set) (limited edition) (remastered) [cd]
Nancy Sinatra: Nancy Sinatra [cd]
Panda Bear: Young Prayer [cd]
Supergrass: Supergrass Is 10: Best of 94-04 [cd]
Travis Morrison: Travistan [cd]
Various Artists: Can't You Hear Me Callin: Bluegrass 80 Years (box set) [cd]
Various Artists: Ultimate Xmas Cocktails [cd]
Wolf Eyes: Burned Mind [cd]
Wu-Tang Clan: Disciples Of The 36 Chambers [cd]
Yo Yo Ma: Plays Ennio Morricone [cd]

Afghan Stories [dvd]
Baseball - A Film by Ken Burns [dvd]
Degrassi Season 1 Box Set [dvd]
Ellen - The Complete Season One [dvd]
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (Widescreen Edition) [dvd]
Jazz - A Film By Ken Burns [dvd]
Ken Burns' America Collection (Brooklyn Bridge/The Statue of Liberty/Empire of the Air/The Congress/Thomas Hart Benton/Huey Long/The Shakers) [dvd]
New York (8 Episode PBS Boxed Set) [dvd]
Ramones - Raw [dvd]
Strangers With Candy - Season Three [dvd]
Super Size Me [dvd]
Tess (Classic Masterpiece Book & DVD Set) [dvd]
The Big One [dvd]
The Hunting of the President [dvd]

"You jerks are too young to be nostalgic for vinyl records!"

Libraries take part in Banned Books Week.

The What’s That Called Weekly Top Ten of music in TV commercials

Many thanks to Bookslut's Michael Schaub for saying Largehearted Boy is "brilliant" and calling me his "new hero." I'll smile all day after the kind words from one of my favorite sites.

Newsweek publishes an excerpt of Bob Dylan's autobiography, Chronicles, Vol. 1.

Sasha Frere-Jones and Ben Greenman discuss pop music in the New Yorker.

MSNBC publishes an excerpt from Yao Ming's autobiography, Yao: A Life in Two Worlds.

Is Kanye West's "Jesus Walks" hip-hop or gospel? More importantly, why does everything have to be labeled?

Author Paul Kemp talks to the Nashville City Paper about his book, Dixie Lullaby: A Story of Music, Race, and New Beginnings in a New South.

The Chicago Sun-Times examines the literary art of blurb writing.

Joanna Newsom: 2004-04-10, Atlanta [shn]**
Drive-By Truckers: 2004-09-25, Raleigh [shn]*
Jack Johnson: 2004-08-28, San Diego [mp3,ogg,shn]
Radiohead: 1996-08-26, Hershey Park [shn]**
In Ink Please: ...And That's How The Printers Work EP [mp3]
Half-handed Cloud: two tracks [mp3]
Slomo Rabbit Kick: two tracks [mp3]

The Orange Peels: "California Blue" [mp3]
By Divine Right: "I Can't Do This By Myself" [mp3] from Sweet Confusion
Sunshine Fix: "Enjoy the Teeth" [mp3] from Green Imagination

*bittorrent
**bittorrent, registration required

Cracker: 2003-10-18, Lexington [mp3,ogg,shn]
Radiohead: 2003-06-04, KCRW (bittorrent) [shn]
Franz Ferdinand: 2003-05-03, Paris (bittorrent, registration required) [flac]
Har Mar Superstar: 2004, July, XFM [real]
Kristofer Astrom: 2001-12-06, Stockholm [mp3]
Gina Villalobos: several tracks [mp3]
The Mighty Rime: two tracks [mp3]
Add Music: several tracks [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks from Interstate 40 Music [mp3]

Travis Morrison: "Born In '72" [mp3] from Travistan

I have added several shows to my master list of 2004 ACL Music Festival shows available for download.

Brandon Fuller has developed a "now playing" hack for Windows iTunes users.

The Guardian profiles and interviews the Scissor Sisters.

The Independent jumps on the bandwagon with an interesting Yusuf Islam/Cat Stevens profile.

The New York Times spends a night out with Rilo Kiley.

The Montreal gazette previews the Pop Montreal music festival.

Butthole Surfer Gibby Haynes talks to Phillyburbs.com.

Decemberists: 2004-09-22, Champaign (bittorrent) [shn]
Wilco: 2004-09-17, Dallas (bittorrent) [flac]
Drive-By Truckers: 2004-09-22, Charlottesville (bittorrent) [flac]
The Black Keys: 2004-09-23, Milwaukee (bittorrent) [flac]
Tegan and Sara: several tracks [mp3]
Suffrajett: several tracks [mp3]

Rachael Davis: "Better Than Me" [mp3] from Minor League Dieties
Trespassers William: "Lie In The Sound" [mp3] from Different Stars
Panda Bear: "Track One" [mp3] from Young Prayer
Psychatrone Rhonedakk: "Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun (Trone Alone Mix) (Pink Floyd cover)" [mp3]

Though some are having troubles getting their free iPods (see today's "Shorties"), mine arrived yesterday. After charging the battery and reformatting from Windows to Mac (I had switched to the HP version to speed up my shipping), I was listening to the Amps' Pacer album and dancing like an Apple commercial (not a pretty sight, believe me). Will the iPod change my life? Probably not, but I can already see that it will be one of the first things in my messenger bag every morning.

This renews my faith in Gratis Internet's Free Flatscreen and Free Desktop PC promotions as well, as I am still far short of completing the requirements for both.

The Omaha Reader recounts why Rilo Kiley left Saddle Creek Records.

Vote online for your favorite Triangle (Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill) musicians in the Indy Music Awards. The winners will be announced October 2nd in Carrboro with "plenty of bands, food and fun." (thanks)

Not everyone is happy with Gratis Internet and their Free iPod promotion.

Glide Magazine talks to Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers about the band's new album, health insurance and US politics.

Salon interviews Neal Stephenson (well worth watching the commercial to gain access to the full article).

Reuters reviews the LA Pixies show.

More authors are keeping online journals.

Elvis Costello on the FBI anti-piracy warning.

The Vail Daily gets book recommendations from two independent booksellers.

The Independent interviews Dave McCabe of the Zutons.

Green Day is offering self-branded CD-R's.

In this interview, Roseanne admits she is recording an album of children's songs.

Kristin Hersh talks to the Belfast Telegraph.

Wilco: 2004-09-22, Nashville (bittorrent) [flac]
Guided By Voices: 2004-06-18, Iowa City (bittorrent, registration required) [flac]
Hang on the Box: track samples [mp3]
Low Skies: several tracks [mp3]
Bumblebeez 81: two tracks (under "music") [mp3]

Ulysses: "Glacier" [mp3]
The Like Young: "Tighten My Tie" [mp3] from So Serious
The Red Onions: "Gimme Some More" [mp3] from The Red Onions EP
The Rolling Blackouts: "Hung Up on the Hang Ups" [mp3] from Black Is Beautiful
Ivory Elephant: "Nancy Sings (Jandek cover)" [mp3] from Naked in the Afternoon: A Tribute to Jandek

Uncle Grambo of Whatevs.org gets serious buzz from his hometown Detroit Free Press (obvs).

Former Guided By Voices guitarist Tobin Sprout has joined Bob Pollard and is auctioning a signed copy of the limited edition Propeller lp.

Poynter Online examines how the internet is changing the way we talk about literature.

This is my favorite gig poster of the year, printed on Budweiser and PBR boxes.

The Lansing City Pulse previews Margaret Cho's upcoming show supporting Ani DiFranco. (Margaret Cho is still the Largehearted Boy candidate of choice for US president in 2008)

Paul Westerberg and Bob Mould will take part in an October 23rd Minneapolis benefit for Soul Asylum bassist Karl Mueller, stricken with throat cancer.

Ben Kweller is making the world unsafe for irony, according to the Broward County New Times.

Athens' Flagpole says goodbye to Guided By Voices in advance of the band's final show in the city next Wednesday.

Actor Robert Downey, Jr. signed a record deal with Sony Classical.

Reuters profiles Cat Stevens.

Austin360 looks back at the 2004 ACL Festival with a collection of photos and show reviews.

Oasis pegs May 26th of next year as the release date of their next album.

The Boston Globe chronicles famous people who live in Boston (and why).

Drive-By Truckers: 2004-09-21, Philadelphia (bittorrent) [flac]
Ryan Adams: 2004-09-17, Austin City Limits Music Festival (bittorrent, registration required) [shn] (thanks)
Los Lonely Boys: 2004-09-17, Austin City Limits Music Festival (bittorrent) [flac]
Robyn Hitchcock: 2004-09-04, KEXP (bittorrent, registration required) [shn]
Ulysses:
Seksu Roba: several tracks [mp3]
The Faraway Places: several tracks [mp3]
Film School: two tracks [mp3] (via)
Lian Amber: several tracks [mp3]

Graham Smith: "USHC Brand Men's Jeans" [mp3] from Final Battle

Ulysses:"The Falcon" [mp3]

Yesterday we returned from a ten day Texas vacation, where i was able to put a significant dent in my 52 Books/52 Weeks project. Leisurely reading is a luxury I look forward to on holiday, and I finished four books during our much-needed break.

When I picked up Waiting for Snow in Havana, I expected a thrilling true account of Cuba's revolution through the eyes of a child. The book not only rewards the reader with the memoir, but does so with beautiful use of language that captivates as well as narrates.

Before we left on our trip, I found a tattered copy of Flannery O'Conner's Wise Blood at a used bookstore. Having lost my own copy while in college, I picked up the book and decided that it would be the first book I've reread all year. I found the book heartbreaking, bleak, and funny, as it celebrated the southern grotesque as only Flannery O'Conner could.

Once we arrived in Texas, I asked my brother for an interesting book or two (a tradition we carry on every time we meet). The first book he handed me was On Love by Alain de Botton. de Botton examines a love affair in great detail, from beginning to end, and through that affair love in general. The result is insightful and classically-tinged without being dry. This book drew me into the lives of the protagonists with humor and discerning observation, and made me anxious to read more of de Botton.

The second book I borrowed from my brother was The Advent of the Algorithm: The 300-Year Journey from an Idea to the Computer, by David Berlinski. The book was fascinating for its ideas, but these were often hidden under the dense prose of Berlinski. His style is probably an acquired taste: a mix of essays, fiction and history. I would have a hard time recommending this to anyone who didn't enjoy at least one of Berlinski's previous books.

My next book is Paul Auster's The New York Trilogy: City of Glass, Ghosts, the Locked Room.

John Seroff (of Newsweek fame) has been interviewing music bloggers, and Monday he published an interview with me.

Check out the other music blogger interviews at the Tofu Hut (you'll have to search the archives, the archive links don't seem to be working):

Radio KRUD
Teaching the Indie Kids to Dance Again (a personal favorite)
Womenfolk
Oliver at Soul Sides
Sean at Said the Gramophone
Matthew at Fluxblog

John's reviews of music blogs can be found at Better Propaganda, and include reviews of:

Music For Robots
Ditties For the Party
Swung By Seraphim/Something I Learned Today

John is dutifully spreading the music blog gospel, stop by and listen to a sermon.

eMusic revamps and goes after the indie music digital download market.

Now What?! is a daily blog about choice issues.

AfterEllen reviews the new Tegan and Sara CD, So Jealous, "delivers solid indie rock that should appeal to their established fan base, at the same time that it attracts a new audience."

John Travolta is planning to pen his autobiography, having signed a publishing deal with Hyperion.

The Guardian covers bloggers holding the media accountable.

Rolling Stone interviews Elvis Costello.

It's an mp3 blog where you can practice your French and download a variety of tracks: la Blogotheque.

US refuses Cat Stevens entry into the country.

Jackie Chan isn't impressed with his son's first pop single.

"Web logs" are "kindling for change," according to the Seattle Times.

Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals: 2004-05-29, Rock in Rio (zipped) [mp3]
Cracker: 2004-09-18, Milwaukee [mp3,ogg,shn]
Sonic Youth: 2000-07-22, San Francisco (bittorrent) [shn]
Dave Chapelle: 2004-04-14, Columbus [mp3]
Neil Young: 2004-09-15, Berkeley (bittorrent, registration required) [flac]
Orbit: 2000-11-18, NYC [mp3]
Pipes You See, Pipes You Don't: two tracks [mp3]
The Adventures of Pete and Pete: soundbites [mp3,wav]

Ryan Ferguson: "On Elvira Street" [mp3] from My Favorite Song Writers
Shindig: "When Words Aren't Enough" [mp3] from This Beginning Is Your End

Drive-By Trucker Jason Isbell's solo album, tentatively titled "Sirens of the Ditch" is scheduled for an early 2005 release on New West, DBT's label.

Judging from his tracks on the band's The Dirty South and Decoration Day and the rough mixes and live performances I've heard from this solo effort, it could well be my most highly awaited 2005 release.

Here's a list of downloadable shows from this year's Austin City Limits Music Festival. I'll update this list every evening, please drop me a line if you can contribute a link. Most of these will be lossless and bittorrents at first...

Ryan Adams: 2004-09-17, ACL Music Festival [shn] (thanks)**
Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra: 2004-09-19, ACL Music Festival [flac]*
Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals: 2004-09-19, ACL Music Festival [flac]*
Ben Kweller: 2004-09-19, ACL Music Festival [flac]**
Bruce Robison: 2004-09-18, ACL Music Festival [flac]**
Butch Hancock: 2004-09-17, ACL Music Festival [flac]**
Cake: 2004-09-19, ACL Music Festival [flac]**
Dale Watson: 2004-09-17, ACL Music Festival [flac]**
Dayna Kurtz: 2004-09-17, ACL Music Festival [flac]**
Drive-By Truckers: 2004-09-19, ACL Music Festival [flac]**
Franz Ferdinand: 2004-09-17, ACL Music Festival [flac]**
The Gourds: 2004-09-18, ACL Music Festival [flac]**
Jack Johnson: 2004-09-19, ACL Music Festival [flac]*
Jack Johnson: 2004-09-19, ACL Music Festival [flac]
Los Lonely Boys: 2004-09-17, ACL Music Festival [flac]*
Marcia Ball: 2004-09-18, ACL Music Festival [flac]**
Medeski, Martin & Wood: 2004-09-19, ACL Music Festival [flac]*
Mindy Smith: 2004-09-19, ACL Music Festival [flac]**
Abra Moore: 2004-09-18, ACL Music Festival [flac]**
My Morning Jacket: 2004-09-18, ACL Music Festival [shn]*
New Monsoon: 2004-09-18, ACL Music Festival [flac]*
Old 97's: 2004-09-18, ACL Music Festival [flac]**
Papa Mali: 2004-09-19, ACL Music Festival [flac]*
Particle: 2004-09-17, ACL Music Festival [flac]*
Pat Green: 2004-09-19, ACL Music Festival [flac]**
Rachael Yamagata: 2004-09-19, ACL Music Festival [flac]**
Ray LaMontagne: 2004-09-18, ACL Music Festival [flac]**
Reckless Kelly: 2004-09-18, ACL Music Festival [flac]**
Sheryl Crow: 2004-09-17, ACL Music Festival [flac]**
The Soundtrack of our Lives: 2004-09-18, ACL Music Festival [flac]**
Spoon: 2004-09-19, ACL Music Festival [flac]**
Tea Leaf Green: 2004-09-17, ACL Music Festival [flac]*
Terri Hendrix: 2004-09-17, ACL Music Festival [flac]**
Trey Anastasio: 2004-09-18, ACL Music Festival [flac]*
Troy Campbell: 2004-09-18, ACL Music Festival [flac]**
Tucker Livingston: 2004-09-17, ACL Music Festival [flac}**
Wailers: 2004-09-18, ACL Music Festival [flac]*
Wilco: 2004-09-19, ACL Music Festival [shn]*

*bittorrent
**bittorrent, registration required

Big Star: "What's Going Ahn" rarities collection (bittorrent, registration required) [shn]
My Morning Jacket: 2004-09-18, Austin City Limits Festival (bittorrent) [shn]
Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals: 2004-09-19, Austin City Limits Music Festival (bittorrent) [flac]
Cake: 2004-09-19, Austin City Limits (bittorrent, registration required) [flac]
Particle: 2004-09-17, Austin City Limits Music Festival (bittorrent) [flac]
Various Artists: protest songs via Mixtaper.com [mp3]
Jonatha Brooke: several tracks [mp3,real]
The Washdown: two tracks [mp3]

Fokofpolisiekar: My Lis Verskonings [mp3]

Drive-By Truckers: 2004-08-24, Good Day Atlanta appearance [mpg]

This week's releases look slim, but bear in mind that I skimmed over the list while on vacation. I preordered Devendra Banhart's Niño Rojo, the Regina Spektor record and Thalia Zedek's new release. What have I missed, and what on my list can you recommend?

This week's releases I'm buying or adding to my watchlist:

Devendra Banhart: Niño Rojo [cd]
The Black Spoons: My Dear Radium [cd]
Bloc Party: Bloc Party EP [cd]
Luka Bloom: Before Sleep Comes [cd]
The Clash: London Calling: The Legacy Edition (bonus cd) [cd]
Elvis Costello and the Imposters: Delivery Man [cd]
The Cramps: How To Make a Monster [cd]
Dwarves: Dwarves Must Die [cd]
Al Franken: O'Franken Factor Factor: Very Best of O'Franken [cd]
Green Day: American Idiot [cd]
Orin Hatch & Star Saylor: Orrin Hatch's Christmas Eve (reissue) [cd]
Ben Harper & The Blind Boys of Alabama: There Will Be a Light [cd]
Angie Heaton: Let It Ride [cd]
Junior Boys: Last Exit (bonus cd) [cd]
Karate: Pockets [cd]
Buddy Miller: Universal United House of Prayer [cd]
Papercuts: Mockingbird [cd]
Jonny Polonsky: Power of Sound [cd]
Scissor Sisters: Scissor Sisters Remixed [cd]
Silkworm: It'll Be Cool [cd]
Sonic Youth/Mats Gustafsson: Hidros 3 (To Patti Smith) [cd]
Regina Spektor: Soviet Kitsch [cd]
Various Artists: Ultimate Soul Christmas [cd]
Visqueen: Sunset on Dateland [cd]
Saul Williams: Saul Williams [cd]
Thalia Zedek: Trust Not Those in Whom Without Some Touch of Madness [cd]

American Pimp (Raw Outtakes and the Hard Truth Edition with Official CD Soundtrack) [dvd]
Bruce Hornsby & Friends [dvd]
The Complete Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes Collection [dvd]
Depeche Mode - Devotional [dvd]
Felicity - The First Three Complete Seasons (Freshman-Junior Years) [dvd]
La Dolce Vita (2-Disc Collector's Edition) [dvd]
Mean Girls (Widescreen Edition) [dvd]
Mr. Show - The Complete Series (Seasons 1 - 4) [dvd]
Mr. Show - The Complete Fourth Season [dvd]
Ray Charles Live - In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony [dvd]
Star Wars Trilogy (Fullscreen Edition) [dvd]
Star Wars Trilogy (Widescreen Edition) [dvd]

Wilco: 2004-09-19, Austin City Limits Festival (bittorrent) [shn]
Bob Dylan: 1984-06-14, Austria [mp3]
Jayhawks: 1995-04-29, San Francisco (bittorrent, registration required)[shn]
Rilo Kiley: 2004-01-17, NYC acoustic show [mp3]
Cowboy Junkies: 2000-02-05, Milwaukee [mp3,ogg,flac]
Various Artists and Authors: UBUWEB's fabulous archives [mp3,real]
Papercuts: two tracks [mp3]
Brian Eno and others: seminars from the Long Now Foundation [mp3,ogg]

The Stills: "Retour A Vega" [mp3]

Radiohead: Radiohead.tv episodes [mov]

Howie Day: 2004-09-02, Los Angeles [shn]
Drive-By Truckers: 2004-09-14, Boston (bittorrent) [flac]
Radiohead: 1997-06-24, Utrecht [mp3]
The Dead: 2004-07-24, Noblesville [mp3]
Radiohead: rare tracks [mp3]
Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra: two tracks [mp3]
Bearsuit: "Itsuko Got Married" [mp3]
The Nervous Return: "Red Camaro" [mp3] from Wake Up Dead
Scott Stapleton: "Broken, Lost and Beautiful" [mp3] from A Storm Over Springtime [mp3]

Drive-By Truckers: "Never Gonna Change" on Conan [mpg]

Mekons: 2000-03-07, Buffalo [shn]
Local H: 2003-03-07, Lemont [mp3,ogg,flac]
Jack Johnson: 2004-08-31, Santa Barbara [shn]
Flaming Lips: 2003-10-02, Norfolk (bittorrent) [flac]
Neil Young: 1973-11-05, London (bittorrent, registration required) [shn]
The Cure: 1991-01-24, London (bittorrent, registration required) [shn]
Pixies: 2004-07-03, Belfort (bittorrent, registration required) [flac]
Miles Davis: 1957-11-30, Paris (bittorrent, registration required) [flac]
Norah Jones: three radio appearances (bittorrent, registration required) [shn]
Elliott Smith: 2003-01-31, Los Angeles (bittorrent, registration required) [shn]

LAUNCH is offering a live webcast of the Austin City Limits Music Festival if you can't make it in person.

Ben Gibbard talks to MTV News about his "other" band, The Postal Service.

Sammy Hill, the debut novel by Al Gore's daughter Kristin, is "Bridget Jones goes to Washington" according to the Seattle Post Intelligencer.

Canada.com profiles Elvis Costello.

Newsday talks with Fresh Air's Terry Gross about her new book, All I Did Was Ask: Conversations With Writers, Actors, Musicians and Artists.

The Boston Globe profiles quirky local college radio programs.

Glen Matlock was a teenage Sex Pistol, and now is a middle-aged Philistine.

Brandon Flowers of The Killers talks to Neon.

Allison Moorer: 2004-09-14, Boston (bittorrent) [flac]
REM: 2004-09-14, London (bittorrent) [shn]
Bring Back The Guns: several tracks [mp3]

.22: "Are You Still There, Cherie?" from The Patriots
Bring Back The Guns: "The Act of Malnutrition" [mp3] from Demons and Rare Meat
The Datsuns: "Blacken My Thumb" [mp3] from Outta Sight/Outta Mind
Inouk: "No Danger" [mp3] from No Danger
The Missouri Compromise: "Directions" [mp3] from Creation of Maine
Q And not U: "Wonderful People" [mp3] from Power
Singapore Sling: "Guiding Light" [mp3] from Life Is Killing My Rock 'N' Roll

Apparently the farewell Guided By Voices tour isn't generating enough income, so frontman Bob Pollard has put yet another batch of his autographed vinyl albums for sale on eBay.

The San Francisco Chronicle lists hockey's problems on the first day of the work stoppage.

Austin's News 8 Austin previews the Los Lonely Boys ACL Festival performance, as well as offering a video of their rooftop performance.

Heraclitus Says interviews Monster Movie, whose new album, To The Moon, is out on Clairecords .

The Concord Monitor profiles poet Donald Hall.

LA City Beat reviews the new Libertines record, appropriately titled The Libertines.

Ani DiFranco (god bless her) folk-rocks the vote in Pompano Beach Friday.

Popmatters writes an elegy for Guided By Voices.

The Rocky Mountain Collegian gives blog advice.

The East Bay Express calls Cake "the most underrated act of the alt-rock era."

Going to the Austin City Limits Music Festival? Austin360 suggests ten local restaurants.
Gleaned from this article on upcoming horror flicks: a film adaptation of Ha Jin's Waiting is in the works.

Rilo Kiley: live shows [mp3,mov]
Wilco: 2004-06-06, Pittsburgh (bittorrent) [shn]
Guided By Voices: 1995-05-07, Dayton (bittorrent, registration required) [flac]
Camper Van Beethoven: 2004-06-18, Athens (Athfest) [shn]
Fiona Apple: live shows and tracks [mp3]
Detachment Kit: two tracks [mp3]

Scott McCaughey w/JWH and Dag Juhlin: "Twilight Distillery" (live, 2004-07-18, Chicago) [mp3]
John Wesley Harding w/Scott McCaughey and Dag Juhlin - Tell It To The Raven (live, 2004-07-18, Chicago)
Earlimart: "The Hidden Track" [mp3] from Treble & Tremble
Moving Units: "Between Us and Them" [mp3] from Dangerous Dreams

Elliott Smith and the Big Nothing, a biography of the singer/songwriter by Benjamin Nugent, will be released October 30th.

Do you really need a blog? MarketingProfs.com offers pros and cons of starting a weblog.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists announce fall US tour.

Opening Hooks is holding a vote for the best opening literary line.

The Daily Texan previews this weekend's Austin City Limits Festival performances by Modest Mouse and The Roots.

Popmatters interviews humor columnist Marc Acito, who recently published his first novel, How I Paid for College : A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship & Musical Theater.

Up and Coming reviews the new Camper Van Beethoven and Buddy Miller releases, New Roman Times and Universal United House of Prayer, respectively.

Billboard reviews the new Drive-By Truckers disc, The Dirty South.

Tommy Stinson is hopeful that the new GN'R album will be released soon. "A few of the songs are pretty epic in length, but that's always been GN'R's thing, hasn't it? I don't think it's a particularly long album, but I think the six I heard are pretty epic."

The Online Journalism Review wonders if bloggers can win the war with comment spammers.

Tegan and Sara discuss the creation of their recent album with Rolling Stone.

Son Volt: 1996-11-14, Austin (bittorrent, registration required) [flac]
Miles Davis: 1975-06-11, New York [mp3]
White Stripes: 2002-07-13, Minneapolis [mp3]
Wckr Spgt: Pure Heaven album [mp3]
Super 400: several tracks [mp3]
HorrorPops: two tracks [mp3]
Che Arthur: two tracks [mp3]

Bearsuit: "Little Donkey" [mp3]
An Angle: "Unnoticeable" [mp3]
Chin Up Chin Up: "Collide the Tide" [mp3]

No Love For Ned has The Mendoza Line as in-studio guests for his weekly streaming radio show.

Rolling Stone reviews this week's cd releases, including Dizzee Rascal, Tegan & Sara and more.

Edith Hamilton's Mythology is still a bestseller over 60 years after its publication.

Professional bloggers find workload high, return slim, according to eWeek.

The Echo interviews singer/songwriter Saul Williams.

Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac unleashes new wine label.

Elvis Costello to film live DVD in intimate Memphis club.

Newsday covers the day CBS got "blogged down."

Guided By Voices: 2004-09-11, Washington (bittorrent, registration required) [flac]
Radiohead: 2003-11-26, Earl's Court Xfm broadcast (bittorrent) [shn]
Bloc Party: two tracks [mp3]
Zelienople: two tracks [mp3]

Bloc Party: "Banquet" [mp3] from Bloc Party ep
Channels: "Chivaree" [mp3] from Open
Flossin: "Untitled #9" [mp3] from Lead Singer
S: "Falling" [mp3] from Puking and Crying
Zach Hill and Holy Smokes: "Royal Jelly/Maybe Another Lover" [mp3] from Masculine Drugs
Zelienople: "Ship That Goes Down" [mp3] from Sleeper Couch

Some great music is being released tomorrow, but I'll be content with the new releases by Dizzee Rascal, The Arcade Fire, Augie March and Tegan & Sara. Please, try and talk me into (or out of) buying these or other discs. Have I missed anything on my watch list?

Old Christmas specials are most interesting among the dvd releases, so I'll pass up buying anything new for the telly this week and concentrate on the music.

The Arcade Fire: Funeral [cd]
Augie March: Strange Bird [cd]
Lenny Bruce: Berkeley Concert (reissue) [cd]
Lenny Bruce: Let The Buyer Beware (box set) [cd]
Citizen Cope: Clarence Greenwood Recordings [cd]
The Datsuns: Outta Sight/Outta Mind [cd]
DJ Spooky: Necropolis: The Dialog Project (reissue) [cd]
The Faint: Wet From Birth [cd]
Frog Eyes: The Folded Palm [cd]
Giant Sand: Is All Over... The Map [cd]
Har Mar Superstar: Handler [cd]
The High Water Marks: Songs About The Ocean [cd]
Japancakes: Waking Hours [cd]
The Long Ryders: Best of the Long Ryders [cd]
Willie Nelson: Anthology (Bonus Dvd) [cd]
Prodigy: Always Outnumbered Never Outgunned [cd]
Dizzee Rascal: Showtime [cd]
Saturday Looks Good to Me: Every Night [cd]
Shoplifting: Shoplifting ep [cd]
Silkworm: It'll Be Cool [cd]
Super Furry Animals: Phantom Phorce / Slow Life Ep (limited edition) [cd]
Tegan & Sara: So Jealous [cd]
The Thrills: Let's Bottle Bohemia [cd]
Sally Timms: In the World of Him [cd]
Various Artists: Not Another Xmas Album: An Alternative Xmas [cd]
Paul Weller: Studio 150 [cd]
Thalia Zedek: Trust Not Those In Whom Without Some Touch Of Madness [cd]

7th Heaven - The Complete First Season [dvd]
Angels in America [dvd]
The Corrs - Live at Lansdowne Road [dvd]
The Corrs - Unplugged [dvd]
Diff'rent Strokes - The Complete First Season [dvd]
Everybody Loves Raymond - The Complete First Season [dvd]
Frosty the Snowman/Frosty Returns [dvd]
Law & Order - The Fourteenth Season [dvd]
The Little Drummer Boy [dvd]
Live By Request (Blondie) [dvd]
Lost in Space - Season 2, Vol. 1 [dvd]
Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol [dvd]
Sanford and Son - The Fifth Season [dvd]
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town [dvd]
Simpsons Gone Wild [dvd]
Slacker - Criterion Collection [dvd]
Survivor All-Stars - The Complete Season [dvd]
THX 1138 (The George Lucas Director's Cut) [dvd]
Travis at the Palace [dvd]
Watermelon Man [dvd]
The Who - Live in Boston [dvd]

Neko Case: 2004-07-16, San Francisco (bittorrent, registration required) [shn]
Cracker: 2004-09-09, Louisville [mp3,ogg,shn]
TV on the Radio: 2004-08-14, Fort de Saint-Père [(bittorrent, registration required) [flac]
Breeders: 2001-11-03, Pomona (bittorrent, registration required) [flac]
Ladytron: 2001-08-10, St. Malo [mp3]
Jack Johnson: 2004-08-30, Los Angeles [shn]
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones: 2004-08-09, Cleveland Heights [mp3,ogg,shn]

Noel Gallagher and Ian Brown: 2004-09-10, "Friday Night With Jonathan Ross" video (bittorrent, registration required) [mpg]

The Arcade Fire: "Wake Up" from Funeral
Augie March: "Songs in the Key of Chance" from Strange Bird

Libertines: 2004-07-24, Wolverhampton video [wmv]
Twilight Singers: several tracks [mp3]
Various Artists: free & legal tracks from smart-music.net [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks from Sad Robot Records [mp3]
n.lannon: several tracks [mp3] [via]
Yumi Yumi: several tracks and samples [mp3]
The Figgs: several tracks [mp3]

Steve Turner: "Living Through Mistakes" [mp3]
Libertines: "Hooligans on E" [mp3]
Jonny Polonsky: "Half Mind" [mp3]

When Neko Case asks a favor, I cannot resist (especially when part of the favor includes her dancing in her underwear)... She posted this on the Porchlight discussion board:

EMERGENCY! WE ONLY HAVE UNTIL SEPT. 14TH!!!!!

P.S. HEY, I FORGOT TO ADD IN MY DEAL THAT I DID THE THING ON THE 'OUR FORESTS' WEBSITE AND IT WAS SUPER EASY, IT TOOK TWO MINUTES. LOVE N

I agree, Neko, we cannot continue to take our environment for granted.

Feel free to pass this on.

Spoilt Victorian Child is a wonderfully diverse mp3 blog. Recent posts have ranged from the Monkees to Sebadoh to Urusei Yatsura, so stop by and say hello to Simon.

The Jandek documentary, Jandek on Corwood, will be released on DVD November 23rd.

Division of Laura Lee has canceled their North American tour with Rye Coalition due to lack of funds. [via]

The Louisville Scene isn't impressed with the new RL Burnside album, A Bothered Mind.

Rhett Miller of the Old 97's talks to Paste magazine. "We’ve been doing this for 11 years now, and I really see no reason why we shouldn’t be doing this when we’re old men."

Classic Cat is "the free classical music directory," offering links to a plethora of free and legal classical music downloads.

Being There profiles Nonesuch Records.

Anti-Bush CDs is a blog "created to help ensure that George W Bush will not be re-elected in 2004."

The Globe and Mail examines the redefinition of the term "alt-country."

Stream the new Cake album, Pressure Chief (out October 5th).

Many thanks to etree and EzTorrent for hosting the torrent files for these downloads. Make the most of your broadband connection and download some great live music. For the broadband-challenged, mp3 and other lossy selections will return tomorrow.

Drive-By Truckers: 2003-06-15, Bonnaroo (bittorrent, registration required) [flac]
Wilco: 2004-07-23, World Cafe (WXPN/PRI) (bittorrent) [flac]
Wilco: 2004-06-11, Bonnaroo (bittorrent) [flac]
Wilco: 2004-08-03, Toronto (bittorrent) [flac]
Radiohead: 2000-10-17, Toronto (bittorrent) [shn]
Bjork: 2001-11-04, Barcelona (bittorrent, registration required) [flac]
Pixies: 1989-06-16, Glastonbury (bittorrent, registration required) [shn]
Indigo Girls: 1993-08-22, Eugene (bittorrent) [shn]
Coldplay: 2002-09-14, 99X acoustic show (bittorrent) [shn]
Miles Davis: 1964-07-12, Tokyo (bittorrent, registration required) [shn]

Robyn Hitchcock recounts his Bumbershoot experience for the Seattle Times.

Knack frontman Doug Fieger chats with the Knoxville News Sentinel about the band's quick rise and fall.

The Chicago Tribune plays paintball with William Shatner.

Jay Farrar talks to the Rocky Mountain News. "Politics is really the last thing I'd like to be writing about. There are much better things to be writing about, things that are a little less ephemeral. It's difficult to keep it in a context that's going to be relevant 20 or 30 years from now."

The Associated Press previews fall book releases.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer loved the new album by the Fiery Furnaces, Blueberry Boat.

Jason Kottke gets a nod (for posting Jeopardy champ Ken Jennings' alleged loss) in this AP media roundup.

The Guardian profiles former Housemartins bassist Norman Cook.

Music and cooking feed Lisa Loeb's soul, according to USA Today.

Stream the new album from The Faint at MTV.com.

Sharing the Groove is up and running again! (Let's hope this is for good)

The North Bay Bohemian calls Steve Earle a "working class hero."

Newsday profiles Tommy Stinson.

Spin reviews a recent Liz Phair show.

The Arizona Daily Wildcat compares two soundtracks: Wicker Park and Garden State.

From a Philadelphia Daily News list of upcoming shows: "They're a pair of New York blogger faves but don't let that stop you." (concerning Benzos and Asobi Seksu)

REM's Peter Buck's latest passion: buying iPods, filling them with music, then giving the devices away. (Free iPod update: still waiting for mine to ship. The promotion company has offered to swap the HP version for Apple's for a quicker delivery, but I'll wait for the original. In other news, I still need referrals for the Free Flatscreen and Free Desktop PC).

Neil Young: 1971-02-27, London [mp3]
Le Tigre: several tracks [mp3]
Iggy & The Stooges: several live tracks [mp3]
The Unicorns: several tracks [mp3]
The Buried Beds: several tracks [mp3]
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum: several tracks [mp3]
Billion Stars: two tracks [mp3]
Pawel Osmolski: Radiohead mixes [mp3,flac]
Wckr Spgt: Who Will Die? [mp3]

Wolf Eyes: "Stabbed in the Face" [mp3]

If you have pre-schoolers (and even if you don't), check out Higglytown Heroes on the Disney Channel Sunday evening. Philip Szostak (who was kind enough to draw the logo for Largehearted Boy) has been working on this project for a year, and promises the show is a "really cute and funny cartoon, beautifully designed, and good for the kids without being cloying or dumb, as so much children's programming can be." Good luck with the show, Phil.

The Las Vegas Mercury tackles the issues of intellectual property and fair use when it comes to cd burning.

NPR's Christian Bordal gives an audio review of the new Roots disc, The Tipping Point.

Rilo Kiley will appear on NPR's World Cafe, the segment will air October 7th.

Rolling Stone adds an article on mp3 blogs.

The Pitch talks to Nick Stumpf of the French Kicks.

Fall offers many family films.

Robbie Fulks talks to the the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and discusses the Johnny Paycheck tribute album he produced.

The New Times takes you into the cribs of local south Florida bands.

The Budapest Sun asks, "Do the Corrs really rock?"

Flagpole talks to Electrelane's Mia Clarke.

Also from Flagpole, a review of the best shows I've seen all year, "The Trucker Trifecta."

Red Herring interviews Joyce Park, fired from her job at Friendster because of her blog.

Largehearted Boy is mentioned in an Italian article on mp3 blogs.

Playlouder reports that the Wedding Present will reform and play a Peel session at the end of September. An album will follow in October.

The Telegraph calls Har Mar Superstar, "short and balding-- the unstoppable R&B sex machine."

Aversion reviews the new Dwarves record, The Dwarves Must Die.

Toronto's Eye Weekly gives the new Arcade Fire disc five (out of five) stars, the new Drive-By Truckers three.

Also from The Eye, Tommy Stinson does a Q&A.

John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder & Harry Nilsson: "A Toot And A Snore In 74" (bittorrent, registration required) [flac]
Dirty Dozen Brass Band: 2004-06-20, Wakarusa [mp3,ogg,flac]
Fiery Furnaces: audio, video [wma,real,mov]
Prosaics: two tracks [mp3]
Morningwood: two tracks [mp3]
Rocky Votolato: several tracks [mp3]

Action Action: "Drug Like" [mp3]
Low Skies: "Ready to be Done" [mp3]
Mandarin: "Eye on Time" (54º40' or Fight!) [mp3]
Elliott Smith: "Twilight" [mp3]