Wilco's Jeff Tweedy talks to the Denver Post. "The mythologizing that goes on around this band is disproportionate to the amount of commercial success we've had."
The O.C. leads the way in offering indie bands exposure both on the show and on soundtrack albums.
ILX names their top five albums of 2004.
The Japan Times interviews musician M. Ward. "If I had to pick one song that made me want to learn the guitar, it was 'Julia' from the [Beatles'] White Album, because of the sound of the guitar. At the same time I was also discovering Sonic Youth, which made me want to buy an electric guitar. It never ceased to amaze me that that those two very different sounds came from the same instrument."
Newsday examines bloggers and their revenue streams, focusing on Blogads.com.
The Sunday Times remembers John Peel as champion for out of the mainstream artists.
PJ Harvey talks about her latest album, Uh Huh Her. "I read and studied quite a lot of Russian folk music before I wrote Uh Huh Her. It's very much rooted in that tradition, as well as English folk music and Scottish folk music and Irish folk music. I've been very interested in all of that. Because as I've been looking for justification in the work I'm doing, I've been looking back to where music came from. ... It's such a strength for me, and a unifying thing."
BookCrossing.com, the book loaning website, gains a foothold in a small Connecticut town.
Nick Cave talks to the Sunday Herald. "I kind of figure that I work in rock’n’roll music and I think it’s part of my job is to act irresponsibly. That’s what rock’n’roll was invented for, it’s supposed to upset people, what other use does it have?"
The New York Times examines the lifespan of the fake Nick Nolte weblog.
Newsweek is less than impressed with Tom Wolfe's latest novel, I Am Charlotte Simmons.
Download mp3's of the WiredCD.
Wilco: 2004-10-29, Chicago [flac]*
Rilo Kiley: 2004-10-23, Dallas (Good records in-store) [mp3]
Prince & Miles Davis: 1987-12-31, Minneapolis [flac]**
Radiohead: 1993-02-23, Paris (Black session) [mp3]
Radiohead: 1994-02-21, Reading [mp3]
The Silent League: several tracks [mp3]
Scatter The Ashes: two tracks [mp3]
Caribou née Manitoba: audio & video [mp3,real,wmv,mov,mpg]
The Silent League: "Catbird Seat" [mov]
Mountain Goats: "The Sign (live on CBC radio)" [mp3]
*bittorrent
**bittorrent, registration required
Travels With Barley is part beer history, part travelogue, and all about the love of beer in all its forms. Ken Wells holds the reader's interests, even through a chapter devoted to beer yeast, with humor and well-written prose. This book would make a great present for any beer lover on your holiday shopping list.
Book #44 is Tears of the Cheetah: And Other Tales from the Genetic Frontier, by Stephen J. O'Brien.
"Nine tenths of education is encouragement."--Anatole France
Finally, a post that combines education, literature, music, politics and blogging...
My favorite dance music authority has started an education weblog for Al.com. Max (a high school teacher when not wearing his pop culture guru hat), of lostsofco fame, unveiled Nine-Tenths Thursday, which will cover education issues. Please pass the link on to any educators you know. Max writes with wit, compassion, knowledge and understanding (the same characteristics that make his students love him).
Mike Cooley of the Drive-By Truckers talks to the Chicago Sun-Times. "It's not a good idea to take your press seriously, one way or the other. I can describe somebody else's music all day long, but I'd rather play mine."
Barsuk is releasing the vinyl version of Rilo Kiley's More Adventurous on November 23rd.
Author Ha Jin is interviewed by the Globe and Mail about his new book, War Trash. "People talk about victory and abstract numbers and all kinds of triumphs, but very few really know about individuals in war, how each person has a family or lovers and siblings."
Pot Culture lists music with marijuana references, including the occasional mp3.
Jon Brion as Tom Waits doing a Radiohead cover (Quicktime link).
Expecting Rain is a daily Bob Dylan news weblog.
Indiecentre offers a collection of articles for anyone thinking of starting their own record label.
Sleater-Kinney signs to Sub Pop.
Sigur Ros: 2000-01-25, London (plus other live tracks) [mp3]
Soundgarden: 1992, Chicago [mp3]
New Order: 1999-07-05, Cleveland [mp3]
Wilco: 2004-10-10, Ann Arbor [flac]*
Wilco: 2002-05-18, Nurburgring [mp3]***
Uncle Tupelo: 1990-07-18, NPR [flac]**
Drag Day: two tracks [mp3]
The Online Romance: several tracks [mp3]
El Jezel: audio & video [mp3,mov]
Unsacred Hearts: several tracks [mp3]
*bittorrent
**bittorrent, registration required
***registration required
Scenestars, the mp3 blog, gets a shoutout in their hometown paper.
The New York Times profiles the music video channel, Fuse.
The Guardian interviews James Murphy, aka LCD Soundsystem. ""I'm a bit of a Zelig. I've always been a good imitator. I love music. But I'm just not that original."
Overclocked Remix is the "unofficial game music arrangement community."
Dizzee Rascal talks to the Independent about his rise to fame. "I'm not just a garage MC or an urban MC or a rapper, I'm capable of taking something new and innovative to a commercial level and making it popular music."
Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven frontman Dave Lowery is interviewed by the Chicago Sun-Times. "Even though this is a Camper tour, there's a smattering of shows with Cracker. We like to think of ourselves as the Parliament-Funkadelic of indie rock."
Nick Harmer of Death Cab for Cutie tells the GSU Signal how a DCFC album is made. "Everybody listens to a lot of different stuff going into the recording and then typically we end up just listening to the demos so much that we kind of stop listening to what else is going on in the world and just do our own thing."
Author Ha Jin talks to On Point Radio about his new book, War Trash.
Le Tigre's Kathleen Hanna gets a proper interview with the Washington Square News. "We wanted to have songs that were dancy, where you could really feel the bass in your body. Our other records are more experimental rock and have an electronic feel."
The Darkness official thongs are a huge success.
Mountain Goats: 2004-02-18, Atlanta [mp3,ogg,flac]
The Soundtrack of Our Lives: 2001-02-15, Lund [mp3,ogg,shn]
Wckr Spgt: 2004-10-02, Pomona [mp3,ogg,flac]
Barbara: several tracks [mp3]
Ulrich Schnauss: several tracks [mp3]
Lali Puna: several tracks [mp3]
John Peel's voice [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks from Bomp Records [mp3]
Kiila: several videos [mp4]
The Retsin: "My Liver Needs A Lawyer" [mp3] from Pure Beauty
While I was uploading a Mountain Goats live performance (February of this year in Atlanta) to the Live Music Archive, I wondered why most bands do not avail themselves of this wonderful resource.
In my experience, the fans downloading these live performances are the same hard-core faithful fans that buy every release and evangelize about the music they love, a roaming street team. If you are a musical artist, please consider allowing your live recordings to be archived in the Live Music Archive. If you have contact with a band, consider asking them to set up a taping policy and consider joining the LMA.
The Live Music Archive is continually adding several artists a day to its vaults. In the last month, The Mother Hips, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, and many others have been added in the last month alone. If you have live lossless performances of these artists (or any of those listed at the Live Music Archive), please share the good music and upload them. The exposure will help the musicians and the fans get live music, so everyone benefits.
The New York Times writes that, "on Fridays, bloggers sometimes retract their claws."
Morrissey wants Bush out, Kerry in.
MSNBC has an excerpt from Philip Roth's new novel, The Plot Against America.
The Riverfront Times profiles Camper Van Beethoven and the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players. Ten year-old drummer Rachel Trachtenburg is interviewed for the TFSP piece. "I don't like sound checks! You just have to play the songs that you're just going to play again later."
Hunter Davies profiles his love for soccer biographies in the New Statesman.
Sandie Shaw tells the Guardian she's not interested in another comeback.
The Houston Press examines the local blogging scene.
The Shins will perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live on November 5th.
The Metro Active profiles the Suicide Girls current burlesque tour.
Web 2.0 interviews Lucas Gonze of Webjay.
Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie talks to the Las Vegas Mercury about political involvement and new avenues of band promotion. "It's perfectly valid for someone in the middle of the country without a Net connection and a college radio station to watch a commercial and discover the Shins, and then go out and buy their record. That's one of many examples of how people can discover new bands. It's made the majors and the broadcast companies to look and see that there's another way to exploit bands."
Regis Philbin and William Shatner still rock.
Yo La Tengo: 1990-10-08, NPR [flac]
Camper Van Beethoven: 2004-10-24, Madison [mp3,ogg,flac]
Jon Langford: 2004-10-15, Brooklyn [mp3,ogg.flac]
Kaizer's Orchestra: 2003, Arvika [mp3]
Tim Easton: several tracks [mp3]
Gleek: several tracks [mp3]
The Smiths: several midi tracks [mid]
Various Artists: October's "WFMU On The Download" [mp3]
Various Artists: mash-ups courtesy of BRAT Productions [mp3]
Madison Strays: "Last Train" [mp3]
**bittorrent, registration required
John Peel's obituary at BBC News
The Guardian asks musicians how John Peel changed their lives.
Ten reasons John Peel was a hero.
Tributes to John Peel flood in to XFM.
Mixtaper.com offers a John Peel tribute with legal online selections from his Festive 50.
The Glastonbury Festival will honour John Peel bu naming its new bands tent after him.
My largehearted John Peel tribute: a previous daily downloads post consisting entirely of Peel sessions.
ChartAttack! previews Mint Records' holiday album, It's A Team Mint Xmas Vol. 2.
Douglas Wolk (one of my favorite music critics) has declared November to be "National Solo Album Month," or NaSoAlMo for short. (via)
The Guardian reviews Dizzee Rascal's Leeds University show. "Just when the crowd's attention shows hints of waning, he plunges into Jus' a Rascal and Stand Up Tall, highlights of a six-song salvo that could leave any opponent breathless."
The New York Times ponders current and future connections between Madison Avenue and weblogs.
Red Herring thinks that Apple's iPod honeymoon will continue.
Jennifer is single and chronicling her "perpetual pursuit of the perfect guy" on her weblog, My Dating Life. Follow her adventures in online personals, and if you live in Birmingham, maybe you know just the right guy for her.
BlogExplosion is an interesting free way to build traffic for your weblog.
Howard Zinn and Radiohead's Thom Yorke are interviewed together in this article from last November.
Blogging airline attendant grounded for her posts.
The Daily Iowan profiles Saddle Creek band Little Brazil.
Wilco: 1997-09-14, Austin [flac]**
Guided By Voices: 1996 Peel Session [flac]**
Floating Opera: several tracks [mp3,real]
Tenki: several tracks [mp3]
Faint of Heart: several tracks [mp3]
Cerulean: several tracks (click the album covers for tracks) [mp3]
Rilo Kiley: interview on MTV2's Subterranean [mov]
Chin Up Chin Up: "Virginia Don't Drown" [mp3] from We Should Never Have Lived Like We Were Skyscrapers
Futureheads: "Piece of Crap" [mp3] from Futureheads
Pavement: "All My Friends" [mp3] from Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: L.A.'s Desert Origins
**bittorrent, registration required
In honor of John Peel, here is a cut from Smog's 2001 Peel session, "Jesus," (mp3 link) a Velvet Underground cover that reflects my mood this morning.
John Peel will be missed, he was a true champion for good music and changed the world for the better in his own way. My sympathies go to his wife and children.
Interpol's Paul Banks is interviewed by Nerve's Grant Stoddard. "You can sell a lot fewer records, but just have the right people talking about you, and it gives this impression of you being a lot bigger."
The Globe and Mail examines bands whose names have incited trademark infringement litigation, including Manitoba (now Caribou) and The Postal Service.
John at The Tofu Hut has organized an amazing list of music blogs in his sidebar.
No Love For Ned celebrates Halloween week with a spooky vibe in this week's show.
Truman Capote is hot again, according to the Advocate, with a book of letters, a short story collection and a new edition of In Cold Blood.
I Love Radio. org offers a five-point roadmap to podcasting's future.
Suicide Girls interviews Sarah Michelle Gellar.
The New York Times examines the internet's fascination with memes.
Band demos from hell (with RealAudio links)
Sharing The Groove is dead, long live Sharing The Groove.
The Star Tribune reviews Wilco's Monday night Minneapolis performance. "This proved to be Wilco's greatest onstage lineup yet."
Many thanks to new LHB sponsors Kevin Kringle.com and Podstar.com. KevinKringle.com is the humorous site of Kris Kringle's younger brother, with movies and even a holiday game to play. Podstar is a weblog that gathers links and information about podcasts and their authors. Feel free to check these out and support my ugly bandwith habit.
Nick Drake: Second Grace (Demos & Outtakes) [mp3]
Rilo Kiley: 2003-09-24, San Francisco [mp3]
Rilo Kiley: 2004-10-10, Washington [mp3] (different server)
XTC: 1980-01-22, Ann Arbor [mp3]
Swell Maps: two tracks [mp3]
Black Tape for a Blue Girl: several tracks [mp3]
FakeID: many remixes [mp3]
The Bloody Hawaiians: Threego album [cd]
Various Artists: tracks from Jade Tree Records [mp3]
On The Speakers: "Could I Be Right" [mp3] from On The Speakers EP
Looking for a New Year's Eve show to attend? Wilco, The Flaming Lips, and Sleater-Kinney will play Madison Square Garden in New York this year on December 31st. Ticket presale will be November 1st at 10 am, with general public tickets available on November 5th.
Besides the final Guided By Voices show in Chicago, anyone have any other great New Year's Eve show news around the US and the rest of the world?
Yo La Tengo will play eight days of Hanukkah shows again this year at Maxwell's in Hoboken, from December 7th through the 14th. Ticket sales haven't been announced, but are available through TicketWeb (click the TicketWeb link at the very bottom, and keep clicking "more events" until they show up).
Previous Yo La Tengo Hanukkah shows (in 2001 and 2002) have featured David Byrne, Portastatic, David Cross, The Sun Ra Arkestra, and many others. The tickets are gone quickly, so jump on these if you're interested.
Thanks to Brandon for the heads up.
Tomorrow brings the release of two Bright Eyes singles, Lua and Take It Easy (Love Nothing), and both will be in my music-loving hands by evening. I'll definitely pick up the Futureheads self-titled release and Key by Son Ambulance. I preordered the Ulysses album, 010, in hopes that it would arrive early (it hasn't), so maybe that will top off my new music for the week. Anything my list of releases is missing? Anything I shouldn't miss?
An addition to my list: Frank reminded me of the Matador reissue of Pavement's Crooked Rain Crooked Rain, which I'll definitely pick up based on the strength of 2002's Slanted and Enchanted reissue.
There are three DVD releases this week that I will have to pick up. The Cat Power documentary, Speaking For Trees is a must-buy (as is anything that includes Chan Marshall). The bonus cd is pure frosting. David Byrne's live DVD and comedian Bill Hick's three live shows will round out my purchases.
89 Cubs: There Are Giants in the Earth [cd]
The Alarm: Mmiv: Live in the Poppy Fields (bonus dvd) [cd]
Autolux: Future Perfect [cd]
Big & Rich: Big & Rich's Super Galactic Fan Pak (with dvd) [cd]
Bright Eyes: Lua (single) [cd]
Bright Eyes: Take It Easy (Love Nothing) (single) [cd]
Collections of Colonies of Bees [cd]
Death From Above 1979: You're a Woman, I'm a Machine [cd]
Depeche Mode: Remixes 81-04 [cd]
Depeche Mode: Remixes 81-04 (limited edition box set) [cd]
Dogs Die in Hot Cars: Please Describe Yourself [cd]
Donnas: Gold Medal [cd]
Donnas: Gold Medal (with bonus dvd) [cd]
Futureheads: Futureheads [cd]
Howard Zinn: People's History Project: 1 (box set) [cd]
Jet By Day: Cascadia [cd]
John Frusciante: Inside of Emptiness [cd]
Leonard Cohen: Dear Heather [cd]
Luna: Rendezvous [cd]
Miracle of 86: Last Gasp [cd]
Mose Allison: Hello There Universe (reissue) [cd]
Nick Cave: Abattoir Blues / Lyre of Orpheus [cd]
Pavement: Crooked Rain Crooked Rain (reissue) [cd]
Soledad Brothers: Voice of Treason [cd]
Son Ambulance: Key [cd]
Sigur Ros: Recycle Bin [cd]
Ulysses: 010 [cd]
Various Artists: How Soon Is Now: The Songs of the Smiths [cd]
Various Artists: Music From the O.C.: Mix 2 [cd]
Various Artists: Music From the O.C.: Mix 3 Have a Very Merry Chrismukkah [cd]
Various Artists: A Very Special Christmas Collection (box set) [cd]
21 Jump Street - The Complete First Season [dvd]
Bettie Page - Dark Angel [dvd]
Bill Hicks Live - Satirist, Social Critic, Stand-Up Comedian [dvd]
Breaker Morant (Masterworks Edition) [dvd]
Building Big [dvd]
Burning Britain: History of UK Punk [dvd]
Control Room [dvd]
David Byrne:Live at Union Chapel [dvd]
Dawn of the Dead (Widescreen Unrated Director's Cut) [dvd]
Father and Son [dvd]
I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown [dvd]
In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great [dvd]
Inside Bowie and the Spiders:1969-72 [dvd]
Jerry Lee Lewis: I Am What I Am [dvd]
Lost Boys of Sudan [dvd]
Macbeth [dvd]
The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 6 [dvd]
No Quarter - Jimmy Page & Robert Plant Unledded [dvd]
The O.C. - The Complete First Season [dvd]
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians [dvd]
Speaking for Trees (Cat Power documentary with cd) [dvd]
Sonny & Cher - The Christmas Collection [dvd]
Tales From a Golden Age - Bob Dylan - 1941-1966 [dvd]
That '70s Show - Season 1 [dvd]
Townes Van Zandt - Houston 1988 - A Private Concert [dvd]
Viva La Bam - The Complete First Season [dvd]
Rock and Roll Geek is a music weblog worth hearing. Written by Michael Butler (of the band American Heartbreak), the podcasts are exceptionally interesting and fun.
Webtalkguys discuss podcasting.
After Ellen profiles musician Melissa Etheridge.
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reviews Friday night's Interpol show. "It seemed that their music wasn't so much morose as it was simply magnetic."
Lipsync.us is a weblog devoted to the Ashlee Simpson SNL appearance, with the tagline, "she thought she'd do a hoe-down."
Would competition help Netflix? The Seattle Times thinks so.
Cincinnati's Enquirer reviews Saturday night's Green Day show.
Hello Kitty turns 30 this year.
Dizze Rascal talks to ic Newcastle. "I just wanted to make music. It's not rock, it's not hip hop, it's not garage, it's just my way of putting a track together. People always try and find a category for music, but I hate the term 'urban'. I don't know what it means, but they have it as a category in HMV. But while I don't like it, I cannot deny it has helped acts like me cross over into the mainstream."
The Tennessean reviews Jason Ringenberg's new album, Empire Builders.
CD Baby has passed the $10 million mark in artist royalties paid.
To start the workweek on a cheerful note, here are some Ashlee Simpson videos of her debacle on Saturday Night Live. Included is a silly (but enjoyable) remix of her second performance:
Ashlee Simpson: Second song on Saturday Night Live [mpg]
Ashlee Simpson: blames her band [mpg]
Ashlee Simpson: the remix [wmv]
Now, for our regularly scheduled daily downloads:
Rilo Kiley: 2004-01-09, Pomona, acoustic [mp3]
Camper Van Beethoven: 2004-10-23, Indianapolis (Luna in-store) [mp3,ogg,shn]
Camper Van Beethoven: 2004-10-23, Indianapolis (evening show) [mp3,ogg,shn]
Fiery Furnaces: 2004-06-17, Chicago [mp3]*
Andrew Bird: 2004-08-02, WMSE [mp3,ogg,flac]
Neko Case: two tracks from The Tigers Have Spoken
The Monolith: several tracks [mp3]
Peter Himmelman: several tracks [mp3]
Various Artists: several tracks from In Music We Trust Records [mp3]
Minus 5: two videos [mov]
Pablo Brazil: "New Year's Eve 3005" [mp3]
*bittorrent
Before I write a brief review of Greg Kot's Wilco: Learning How To Die, I have to admit to being a huge Wilco fan. Kot paints a vivid picture of the formation of the band, and in particular the life and evolution of Jeff Tweedy. I'd recommend this book to any fan of modern music.
As my next book, I finally read Fast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser. I know I'm stating the obvious, but this book reminded me of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, which I reread last year. This eye-opening and and often horrifying story of the fast food industry should be read by anyone contemplating a meal at McDonald's for lunch.
Next up is Ken Wells' Travels with Barley: A Journey Through Beer Culture in America. As a fan of both travelogues and beer, I am hoping this book will quench my literary thirst.
Looking to get an iPod for a loved one this Christmas? Act soon, Steve Jobs recently warned, "We've taken our best guess, and we're building a lot, but the demand may be even larger. So if you want to be sure to get an iPod this holiday season, I'd get one soon."
Conor Oberst and Jack White: saviours of songwriting?
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram asks if we are overdocumenting our lives, with personal blogs one example.
The Oregonian is impressed with Ha Jin's new novel, War Trash. "There is a poignant, sometimes alarming irony to this story, coming as it does so soon after reports of Iraqi prisoner abuse by American troops."
The Cincinnati Enquirer reviews Friday night's Guided By Voices show at Southgate House.
The Edmonton Sun loves the new Neko Case live album, The Tigers Have Spoken.
John Vanderslice: 2004-10-18, Atlanta [mp3,ogg,flac]
Neutral Milk Hotel: 1998-04-25, Chicago [flac]**
Fairburn Royals: several tracks [mp3]
Nirvana: several live tracks [mp3]
PS: several tracks [mp3]
The Feverfew: several tracks [mp3]
The Boy Bathing: several tracks [mp3]
Jeannie Scofield: several tracks [mp3]
Rachel Jacobs: several tracks [mp3]
Crystal Brandt: several demos [mp3]
**bittorrent, registration required
As a fundraiser for the Athens Music Museum, Wuxtry Records has donated the following disks to be sold:
Full Length CDs
18th Dye - Tribute to a Bus (Matador)
Ashley Stove - All Summer Long (Merge)
Syd Barrett - Wouldn't You Miss Me (Capitol)
the Black Watch - very Mary Beth (Stone garden)
the Busy Signals - Baby's First Beats (Sugar Free)
Cath Carroll - True Crime Motel (Teenbeat)
Cloudberry Jam - Providing the Atmosphere (North of No South)
Richard Davies - There's Never Been a Crowd like This (Flydaddy)
Divine Comedy- Cassanova (Setanta) dbl CD version ($7.50 rare)
Divine Comedy - Absent Friends (Network)
Electronic - Raise the Pressure (Warner)
From Bubblegum to Sky - Nothing Sadder than Lonely Queen (Eennie Meanie)
Grenadine - Nopalitos (Simple Machines)
Hula Hoop - the Loveliest Ring of Saturn (Silver Girl)
Jumprope - Bookshelf Adventures (Reverse Curve)
Lucys - Looking for a Plane or Two (Tappersize)
the Marbles - Pryamid Landing (Spinart)
Mean Red Spiders - Still Life Moving Fast (Claire)
Mecca Normal - Flood Plain (K)
the Pastels - Mobile Safari (Up)
Poster Children - On the Offensive (Hidden Agenda)
Slipstream - Be Groovy or Leave (Che)
Graham Smith - Final Battle (March)
the Softies - s/t (Slumberland)
Unbunny - Snow Tires (Hidden Agenda)
the Wannadies - Before & After (Hidden Agenda)
the Windmills - Edge of August (Matinee)
various- Team Mint (Mint) cub, pansy division, smugglers, mr t experience,
maow, gob & more
various - Red Hot + Bothered (reprise) built to spill, folk implosion,
heavenly, future bible heroes, sae and cake, noise addict, grifters and more
CD EPs
Airport Girl - the Foolishness that We Create..... (Fortuna Pop)
the Cat's Miaow - the Long Goodbye (Darla)
the Darling Buds - Please Yourself (Chaos)
All full length CDs $5.00, all CD EPs $3.00
shipping is $2.00 first item in the USA/CANADA, and 25 cents each additional item. Overseas $5.00 first item and $1.00 each additional. All proceeds go to the Athens Music Museum for painting, fixing the floor, framing old show posters, etc.
E-mail Mike to reserve your music and make payment arrangements (and help a good cause).
No Love For Ned has the Fairburn Royals as an in-studio guest for this week's program.
New West is hosting the new video for the Drive-By Truckers, "Never Gonna Change."
In other New West news, the label has signed both Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion and Ben Lee.
"A match made in bloggers' heaven"
"Rilo Kiley: Adventures And Nudity In The Studio". Now we know Jenny Riley's secret: nude singing.
Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers talks to The Columbian. "Honestly to me, my favorite songs are the other guys' songs. Not knocking mine because I'm proud of a lot of what I do and I certainly enjoy doing it and all of that. So for me it's kind of an honor and a privilege to get to be one of the writers."
Mercedes-Benz offers a downloadable "mixed tape."
The Globe and Mail profiles and talks to book cover designer Chip Kidd.
NPR profiles musical artist Jill Sobule.
The Mountain Goats: 2004-10-18, Atlanta [mp3,ogg,flac]
Radiohead: many live performances [mp3,mpg] (a repost, but it's up again with new content)
Guided By Voices: 2001-03-09, Asheville [flac]**
Fleetwood Mac: 1969 Chicago show [mp3]
I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch In The House: live audio & video [mp3,wmv]
Tarantel: "Hello We Move" [mp3] from We Move Through Weather
Lazarus: "Singing to Thieves" [mp3] from Like Trees We Grow Up to Be Satellites
Anomoanon: "Mr. Train" [mp3] from Joji
Guided By Voices: "Echos Myron (live)" [mp3]
Mountain Goats: "The Boys Are Back In Town" (Thin Lizzy cover from recent VPRO session) [mp3]
** bittorrent, registration required
Rhino is serving up videos from the current Zombies tour.
Poet Anthony Hecht is eulogized in the Washington Post. "His poems are never half-finished or rough-hewn; they are shaped, carefully molded, almost chiseled in their concordant, harmonious beauty."
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have site featuring clips from their new DVD, What Rockers To Swallow.
Too busy to load your music on your new iPod? Use the Fillpod service.
An E6 fan has started the Elephant6 BT project, and will be seeding several lossless live shows from the Elephant6 collective at EZTree. First up: 2004 Of Montreal and 1999 Olivia Tremor Control shows.
Jeff Tweedy rates Wilco's other albums for the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
KEXP is streaming several shows from last week's CMJ musicfest.
The Guardian's Alex Petridis attempts to listen to every cd released this month in a week.
Dizzee Rascal talks to the Belfast Telegraph, and discusses Franz Ferdinand. "They're amazing, I love them. They are worthy successors to Mercury Prize victory. They are an original sounding band - when I heard them live, I was touched. I like what they have to say - they're special."
Mountain Goats & John Vanderslice: 2004-10-18, Atlanta [flac]**
Neutral Milk Hotel: 1998 UK Radio [flac]**
Death Cab for Cutie: 2004-10-06, Asheville [flac]*
Death Cab for Cutie: 2004-10-02, Toledo [flac]*
Devin Davis: two tracks [mp3]
The Foolish: two tracks [mp3]
Gravity and Henry: several tracks [mp3,wma]
Evolution Control Committee & DJ Pantshead: several tracks [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks from March Records [mp3]
Aqueduct: "Hardcore Days & Softcore Nights" [mp3] from Pistols at Dawn
*bittorrent
**bittorrent, registration required
Paul is blogging again at The Rub, and music fans are thankful.
Radiohead is not only for the stereo, but also for the pianoforte.
Independent record stores hang on, thanks to obsessive music fans.
Pulse of the Twin Cities interviews Wilco's John Stirratt. "The theater of rock kind of relies on being able to look at a singer and then look over at a guitar player. It’s a traditional kind of thing in rock and I’m glad we tried getting away from it, but having Nels, who is really an exciting lead guitar player, it helps quite a bit in both the sound but also the look of the show."
ChartAttack reviews last Wednesday's "Libertines Lite" show in Toronto.
Cartoonist Keith Knight talks about the connection between books and comics.
Dave Keuning of the Killers talks to The Pitch about the pressures of being in an "it band." "We always have expectations to be a five-star band, every single night. And we try to live up to that, so there's always pressure on us. It's been on us so long that we're used to it now."
The Boston Phoenix profiles the music activist group, Downhill Battle.
Salon interviews Frank Black (aka Black Francis). " I don't know about that. [Mockingly] Kurt Cobain liked us. Nothing against him -- that's great that he liked us -- but we're a quirky band and a bunch of people liked us."
Now Toronto interviews Moving Units frontman, Blake Miller. "One day I was fooling around with a bass and came up with something that sounded like a bassline Peter Hook might've come up with for Joy Division. I recorded it, put on a drum track and dubbed on some guitar, and the other guys were into it when they heard it. That song, Between Us And Them, was really the genesis of the Moving Units sound."
Tift Merritt talks to the Kansas City Star.
David Boyle's "George W. Pussy" gets some love in the Boston Phoenix, which adds callouts to Fluxblog and the Tofu Hut.
John Vanderslice talks about recording with the Arizona Daily Wildcat. "I see digital recording as using a microwave or buying your produce from Piggly Wiggly. I am stridently pro-analog and see it as being more wholesome and organic because I just think that it sounds better. And I think that's what people listen for."
Neutral Milk Hotel: 1998-08-19, London [flac]**
Erlend Øye: 2003-02-12, Paris (Black session) [ogg]
Drive-By Truckers: 2004-10-08, Huntsville [flac]*
Decemberists: 2004-01-23, Portland [mp3]
Spoon: 2003-03-14, Austin [mp3]***
Radiohead: 2003-11-27, Earl's Court [mp3]
Prince: 2004-07-28, Toronto [mp3]
Various Artists: Silvergate and Dovetail Compilation [mp3]
Slingshot Dakota: two tracks [mp3]
Drive-By Truckers: "Never Gonna Change" on The Late Late Show, 2004-10-19 [mpg]
*bittorrent
**bittorrent, registration required
***registration required
Camper Van Beethoven's guitars, violin and merchandise were stolen last night in Montreal. Following is a list of items taken, if you have any information about these please contact the Montreal police or email Jonathan Segal:
jonathan's violin with stickers all over it
jonathan's 1971 strat (sunburst) (with a couple stickers, etc.)O
victor's 1969 precision bass (natural finish)
david's green charvel surfcaster
david's black jackson surfcaster
a couple ibanez acoustics
johnny's black eric clapton strat
greg's frankenstein strat (black) and tele (tobacco sunburst)
mike duclos' precision bass
ezster balint's gibson danelectro semi acoustic.
maybe more...
a few tshirts and a road case of cds
Clint Conley of Mission of Burma talks to Metromix. "I just assumed that we'd just slowly fade, fade, fade away into the distant memory of people who had seen us."
Instapundit's Glenn Reynolds discusses how the blogosphere has grown up.
Also from Metromix, Har Mar Superstar is interviewed. "Sex plus drugs equals rock 'n' roll. When people are too conservative they're going to listen to Nickelback, you know?"
BBC News tells Alan Hollinghurst what to expect as a Booker Prize winner.
Otis Fodder has posted a two disc Halloween mix.
Former Smashing Pumpkins and Zwan frontman Billy Corgan discusses his book of poetry with the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. "I shouldn't be saying this, but I think some poems in the book aren't very good. They create a sense of balance . . . that I felt had to be in there."
The Seattle Times reviews Monday night's Tom Waits show.
Pixies: 2004-07-03, Belfort [mp3]
Jack Johnson: 2004-10-09, Laguna Beach [mp3,ogg,shn]
Sainte Chapelle: several tracks [mp3]
Troy Campbell: several tracks [mp3]
Hood: audio & video [mp3]
Macrosick: "Under These Skies" [mp3]
Sainte Chapelle: "Mantra" [mp3] from Soon To Fail
The Nein: "War Is on the Stereo" [mp3] from The Nein
El-P: "Jukie Skate Rock" from Collecting the Kid
A. Graham and the Moment Band: "Blurred Back" [mp3] from This Tyrant Is Free
With Guided By Voices coming to an end with their New Year's eve performance in Chicago, it is only fitting that this week's tune pays homage to one of my favorite bands. The brevity of the song only adds to its charm, it is one of the wispy, magical fragments that earn Bob Pollard a gold star (for robot boy) in my book. The fact that the song mentions my home state doesn't hurt, either (it's the only GBV song to mention Alabama).
"Tropical Robots" first appeared on the Teenage FBI 7" and CD single in 1999, then on the Hold On Hope EP in 2000, then the Fading Captain vinyl release Daredevil Stamp Collector: Do The Collapse B-sides.
This track is from the 2004-09-11 Washington show at the 9:30 Club.
My 2004 Austin City Limits Music Festival download page has been updated, with newly listed shows by Spoon, Bruce Robison, Dayna Kurtz, Papa Mali, Reckless Kelly, Terri Hendrix, and Tucker Livingston.
Grist magazine started Gristmill, an environmental news blog late last month.
The Drive-By Truckers perform tonight on CBS's Late Late Show.
Author Joyce Carol Oates visits Yale and describes her writing style. "The process of writing is something that I live with everyday. I try to have dialogue in the center of chapters. It's the living part of the narrative."
The Times Online reviews a recent Scissor Sisters show. "The Albert Hall stage was a vision of decadent grandeur and urban sleaze."
Poynter Online's Thomas T. Huang looks for answers in Oprah's "O" magazine.
The Orlando Sentinel reviews Friday night's Mountain Goats show. "Unlike a lot of solo songwriters, Darnielle excels at blending earnestness with a disarming humor that keeps things from becoming maudlin."
Drive-By Truckers: 2004-10-09, Nashville (Grimey's in-store) [flac]**
Centro-matic: 2004-10-16, Denver [flac]*
The 101: two tracks [mp3]
Early Day Miners: audio & video [mp3,mov]
Novi Split: several tracks [mp3]
The Love of Everything: several tracks [mp3]
Lisa Cerbone: two tracks [mp3]
Rilo Kiley: "Portions For Foxes" on Conan O'Brien, 2004-10-06 [mov]
U2: "Vertigo" from Top of the Pops [wmv]
Prosaics: "Teeth" from Aghast Agape
*bittorrent
**bittorrent, registration required
My birthday is roughly a month away (November 15th), and since last year's suggestions from the largehearted peanut gallery helped my wife considerably, she asked me to ask for your gift advice yet again. I can be difficult to shop for, so your help will be appreciated for Christmas as well. If you haven't been reading this blog for very long, here's my Amazon wishlist to get an idea of my tastes...
I'll be blindly forwarding all comments to my wife, Ms. Fingertips, and avoid reading them until after ny birthday. If she uses your advice, I'll send you a LHB surprise pack after the 15th. Thanks.
This week's key release for me is the new Elliott Smith album, from a basement on a hill, so I'll be picking that up along with the new Le Tigre, and The Music's new album, Welcome to the North. The holiday albums are tempting, but I can pick them up after the holidays for a couple of bucks each. What else can you recommend? How about the new Ted Leo? Am I missing anything?
Among the DVD releases, it will be hard to resist the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' concert and video collection, Tell Me What Rockers to Swallow, SCTV's volume two, and the complete series of Greg the Bunny.
Releases this week that caught my eye:
Air: Surfing on a Rocket ep [cd]
Alfie (soundtrack) [cd]
Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series) (box set) [cd]
Charley Patton: Devil Sent the Rain Blues: Complete Recordings [cd]
Doug Gillard: Salamander [cd]
El-P: Collecting the Kid (limited edition) [cd]
Elliott Smith: from a basement on the hill [cd]
The Gourds: Blood of the Ram [cd]
Green Pajamas: Ten White Stones [cd]
Guitar Wolf: Rock N Roll Etiquette (remastered with extra tracks) [cd]
Jason Falkner: Bliss Descending ep [cd]
Jimmy Eat World: Futures (Bonus CD) [cd]
John Wesley Harding: It Happened One Night & It Never Happened at All (reissues) [cd]
Le Tigre: This World [cd]
Peter Murphy: Unshattered [cd]
The Music: Welcome to the North [cd]
Quasar Wut-Wut: Taro Sound [cd]
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: Shake the Sheets [cd]
Various Artists: Bataclan 72 [cd]
Various Artists: Classic Rockin Christmas [cd]
Various Artists: Enjoy Every Sandwich: Songs of Warren Zevon [cd]
Various Artists: A Very Unschooled Christmas [cd]
Zutons: Who Killed the Zutons? [cd]
William Hung: Hung for the Holidays [cd]
50 First Dates (Widescreen Edition) [dvd]
Arrested Development: Season One [dvd]
Creature from the Black Lagoon - The Legacy Collection (Creature from the Black Lagoon / Revenge of the Creature / The Creature Walks Among Us) [dvd]
David Bowie: A Reality Tour [dvd]
Ed Wood (Special Edition) [dvd]
Fat Girl - Criterion Collection [dvd]
Going Upriver - The Long War of John Kerry [dvd]
Greg the Bunny - The Complete Series [dvd]
Invisible Man - The Legacy Collection (The Invisible Man/Invisible Man Returns/Invisible Agent/Invisible Woman/Invisible Man's Revenge) [dvd]
The Mummy - The Legacy Collection (The Mummy/Mummy's Hand/Mummy's Tomb/Mummy's Ghost/Mummy's Curse) [dvd]
Pee Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special [dvd]
SCTV, Volume 2 [dvd]
SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete 2nd Season [dvd]
Stargate SG-1 - The Complete Seasons 1-7 [dvd]
Straw Dogs [dvd]
Tell Me What Rockers to Swallow [dvd]
Xena Warrior Princess - Season Five [dvd]
Elvis Costello has scheduled a rare in-store performance at Amoeba Music in Hollywood Tuesday.
Time Asia reviews the stage adaptation of Haruki Murakami's The Elephant Vanishes.
The Drive-By Truckers are performing today at Sugarbeats in Salt Lake City at five o'clock. The acoustic performance will be aired live on KRCL.
The Denver Post reviews Ha Jin's new novel, War Trash.
Guided By Voices sideman Doug Gillard has launched his solo website in advance of the release of his album, Salamander, tomorrow.
MP3newswire.net lists their iPod Killers for Christmas, parts I and II. (via)
ILX sez these are the "Top 100 Most Bangin Techno Tracks."
The Seattle Post Intelligencer was "captivated" by a recent Gillian Welch and David Rawlings show.
The New York Times looks back on CMJ week.
The Boston Herald reviews a Camper Van Beethoven show.
Rilo Kiley: 2004-10-10, Washington [mp3,flac]
Radiohead: 2003-05-18, Dublin [mp3]
Bob Dylan: 1978 Rundown Rehearsal tapes [mp3]
Jack Johnson: 2004-09-17, Annapolis [mp3,ogg,flac]
The Fiery Furnaces: 2004-10-13, Portland [flac]**
The Gaskets: several tracks [mp3]
Ramona The Pest: several tracks [mp3]
Telto: two tracks [mp3]
The Visible Men: two tracks [mp3]
Mountain Goats: 2004-10-10, Cambridge videos [mov]*
*bittorrent
**bittorrent, registration required
#38: I have great respect for Birmingham's own Denis Covington as an author. I count his Salvation on Sand Mountain as one of my favorite pieces of non-fiction, so I had high expectations for Redneck Riviera. The book is an excruciatingly honest account of Covington's attempt to claim his inheritance, a piece of worthless Florida land. Like all of Covington's work, though, events cannot be anticipated, and the book takes unexpected turns. Gripping and heartfelt, this was a quick read yet fascinating.
#39: When we recently adopted a kitten, my sister-in-law sent us Cat Speak: How to Communicate With Cats by Learning Their Secret Language, by Bash Dibra and others. Overall, I found the book insightful into the language of cats, their body language especially. I expected more in-depth analysis, but found this an excellent entry-level book on how to understand your feline.
#40: My fortieth book of the year was Green River, Running Red: The Real Story of the Green River Killer--America's Deadliest Serial Murderer by Ann Rule. I am a huge fan of true crime, and this book is one of the best examples of the genre I have read in several years. Rule manages to respect the victims by recounting their lives with dignity, while shocking the reader with the abnormal psychology of the killer and the horrifying details of the crimes.
My next book will be Wilco : Learning How to Die by Greg Kot.
The Guardian talks to the people who choose music for fashion shows.
Le Tigre talks to the New York Times about working with Ric Ocasek.
The New York Daily News reviews Ha Jin's new novel, War Trash.
Sugar Mountain compiles Neil Young setlists over the years.
The Birmingham News examines blogging in Alabama (I'm proud to state that I am a member of the "Axis of Weevil" mentioned in the article).
The New York Post interviews Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service. "We're just regular people. We play rock 'n' roll."
The Kansas City Star publishes a primer on internet vernacular.
The Denver Post asks Senate candidates who Andre 3000 is.
The Edmonton Sun is wowed by Richard Buckner's new album, Dents and Shells.
The Toronto Star lists unlikely band reunions.
Drive-By Truckers: 2004:10-15, Denver [flac]
Drive-By Truckers: 2004-10-16, KBCO studio session [flac]*
Camper Van Beethoven: 2004-10-10, Teaneck [flac]*
Wilco: 2004-10-08, Skidmore College [flac]*
Wilco: 2004-09-14, Columbia [flac]
Radiohead: 2002-08-01, San Sebastian [mp3]
Various Artists: audio and video from Polyvinyl Records [mp3,mp4]
Various Artists: tracks from Plan-It-X Records [mp3]
Collections of Colonies of Bees: "Fun" from Customer
Aloha: "Summer Away" from Here Comes Everyone
*bittorrent
Rolling Stone profiles Luna as they release their final album and embark on their last tour.
Indie rock is casting off its slacker image, according to the New York Times.
The Providence Business Times examines online music's effect on Newbury Comics.
The Memphis Flyer reviews the latest albums by John Vanderslice and the Libertines.
The London Free Press says, "Welcome to the blogosphere."
The Montreal Gazette examines how iPods change the way we listen to music.
The Chicago Sun-Times interviews Gordon Downie of The Tragically Hip. ""In our career, we've gone through all the different stages, from lean to excess. We've written an entire album in the studio, just like the Beatles. It's ridiculous."
Radiohead: 2002-07-30, San Sebastian [mp3]
Explosions In The Sky: 2004-10-13, Lansing [mp3,ogg,flac]
Jack Johnson: 2003-11-16, Brisbane [mp3,ogg,shn]
Camper Van Beethoven: 2003-04-18, Atlanta [mp3,ogg,shn]
Vinyl: 2004-04-29, New Orleans [mp3,ogg,shn]
The Roots: 1997-01-08, Lund [mp3]
The Libertines on Conan O'Brien [avi]
Gold Chains & Sue Ci: "Shoot Straight"
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists: "Me & Mia" from Shake the Sheets
Jon Stewart: CNN Crossfire appearance [mp3]
John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats talks to the Orlando Sentinel. "As far as the writing, that's not so hard. Performing is the part that is kind of weird. It makes me feel very vulnerable in an exciting way. It's like doing improvisational music."
In a related article, Darnielle's current tourmate John Vanderslice is interviewed in the Tallahassee Democrat. "I absolutely believe in my own intuitive feelings about music, and I do what I think is in my best interests as a creative person. I'm not too stressed out about the general plan of my career. I really just want to make interesting records."
Fortune profiles Nick Denton and his Gawker Media blog empire.
The Nation interviews Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla. "The sheer quantity of information that is available to any person on any given day by way of a seemingly infinite number of cable channels and websites and blogs is a little bit staggering and a little bit terrifying. But there are sources for all of those things, and I think that finding the source is really the answer."
Erasing Clouds interviews Tom Wilson, Jr., who draws the comic strip Ziggy. "Actually, I like the fact that even though I have a limited space of one panel instead of say, three or four, I try and keep Ziggy simple as a character, and because of the massive reduction that's going on in size, I work six-and-a-half by six-and-a-half and make it down to, you know, really tiny in some papers, I want to keep as little copy, and keep it as un-detailed as possible, so Ziggy is basically relaying what I want him to relay."
Also from DCfC, Ben Gibbard talks to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune's Free Time and the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The Vail Daily News asks two local independent booksellers for reading suggestions.
Mother Jones interviews Steve Earle. "I’m blogging a little bit more. It’s kind of a cool medium because you run across stuff, just traveling around on the “Silver City” junket with John Sayles, and then the tour’s going to start."
Time lists their "election websites" and includes a section on political blogs.
The Seattle Times eulogizes local music venue, the Hideaway.
The Sacramento Bee profiles four local weblogs.
Camper Van Beethoven: 2004-10-12, Washington [flac]*
Radiohead: 2003-05-18, Dublin [mp3]
My Morning Jacket: 2004-10-02, Dayton [shn]
Los Lonely Boys: 2004-09-17, ACL Music Festival, Austin [flac]
Avril Lavigne: demo album [mp3]
Firesign Theatre: twelve out-of-print vinyl albums [mp3]
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: "For Kate I Will Wait" [mp3] from The Doldrums
Human Television: "Tell Me What You Want" [mp3] from All Songs Written by: Human Television
Williamson: "Time You'll Never Get Back" [mp3] from Few Things to Hear Before We All Blow Up
Jonny Greenwood: "Smear (live)" [mp3]
*bittorrent
John Seroff has been the center spoke of the music blog community lately, interviewing fellow music bloggers and reviewing music sites. His mp3 blog, The Tofu Hut offers an eclectic selection of downloads from all over the musical map as well as music news and the heads up on the latest and greatest music sites.
Since John's done such a great job bringing the online music community a little closer, I thought I'd turn the tables and have him answer a variety of his own questions.
1. Where did the name of your blog originate from, and when did the blog start?
The name of the blog is a piss take on my online nick, "forksclovetofu", by way of a reference to Matt Groening's Life In Hell. There's a strip where his be-fezzed gay couple Akbar and Jeff open a stripmall called "The Tofu Hut". Honestly, I didn't give much thought about the name when I started the blog and it wasn't originally a music site. Knowing then what I do now, I've occasionally mused that I might've been better off calling the thing "John the Revelator" which would make it easier for people to associate the site with me. Ah well. Missed opportunities.
For the record: no, I'm not a vegetarian but I _DO_ love to eat tofu in all its many forms.
2. What are the criteria you judge a song by to decide if it's post-worthy
It should be something that 95 people out of a hundred haven't heard before. It should be awesome. Bonus points if it utilizes a vocoder or gamelan. It should not be commercially available as a single. It should fit the theme of whatever I'm currently running. It should be something neither I nor anyone else has posted before. It should continue to expand the variance of genres that the blog explores.
3. What song consistently makes you happy?
A few off the top of my head: Stevie Wonder's live version of "Ribbon in the Sky" off of 'Natural Wonder' (5:45 to ending only), Desmond Dekker's "Poor Me Israelites", Leslie Feist's "Mushaboom", Basement Jaxx's "Good Luck", Louis Jordan's "The Green Grass Grows All Around", The Golden Gate Quartet's "My Walking Stick", Tatu's "Malchik Gay", Taj Mahal "Cakewalk Into Town", Twista and R. Kelly's "So Sexy", Ghostface/RZA/SlickRick/Raekwon's "The Sun"... that'll do for the moment.
4. What do you do for kicks when you're not posting?
Women (when available and not prohibited by law), surf the web relentlessly, run, hit that gym, eat, go to the museum/library/rekkid store, read paper products, video games, find new music, watch films, yaketty yak, work (too often), sleep (too often), worry (too often), job hunt (not often enough), whatever happens happens yaknow?
5. Do you have a favorite music critic?
I really like Sasha Frere Jones; I'll try anything his name is on. Outside of that, I have a list of my fave critic on my blog; they're my favorite musicblog kids.
6. Gimme five desert island discs (I'll take compilations).
Oh so arbitrary, but:
1. Le Triomphe des Blues (20 disc French import collection)
2. Prince: Hits and the B-Sides
3. John Coltrane: either "A Love Supreme" or "Giant Steps" or "Favorite Things", couldn't tell you which.
4. The Complete Hank Williams (Mercury box set)
5. Goodbye Babylon (dusttodigital box set)
Of course, I would OBVIOUSLY just take my computer with me to any desert island. With Wi-Fi. And a terragig drive.
7. Do you consider yourself a "music journalist"?
Only when I get paid.
8. What was the last track you heard that really changed your life?
Oh, they change my life every day; a good song alters the way you feel and the way you see the world more than damn near anything for me. The last one that jumps to mind is the Quarteto Em Cy's "Tudo Que Você Podia Ser" off their 1972 eponymous album; that thing is so goddamn heartfelt. Should be on the Hut shortly and you can judge for yourself just how good it is.
9. Is there a major flaw in the way musicblog sites function that you'd like to see corrected??
I'd like to see a greater sense of community. For some reason there's a real cynical attitude toward embracing people who are doing the same thing that you're doing on the web. This strikes me as excessively self-defeating. There should certainly be critical standards but we could do worse than to offer everyone a kiss on the cheek and a pat on the back while they get acclimated and see if they have something interesting to offer.
10. Do you really think posting music effectively promotes sales of the album?
Yeah I do and for reasons that I've rehashed so extensively and repeatedly on my own blog and across the internet that it bores me to even think about getting back into that tangle. Suffice it to say: curious consumers with one free track+computer=curious consumer with a budget that includes discretionary income for music willing to buy more. Etc, ad infinitum.
11. Describe the space you do your writing in.
I'm currently living in a vastly overpriced NYC underground cave on a chair with not enough padding and listening to music through my only soundsystem/conduit to the world/writing utensil, which is to say Sonya the II, my erstwhile compooter. It's dark and hell is cold.
12. That old chestnut dinner party is at your house and you can invite three musicians living or dead. Who are you inviting?
Seems to me that John Coltrane, Robert Johnson and Andre 3000 would have a lot to talk about. Again, this is so damn arbitrary; catch me tomorrow and I'll tell you Tom Waits, David Banner and Orpheus.
13. Is there any genre of music that you dismiss out of hand?
There used to be quite a few; now there's pretty much nothing that I don't think deserves a fair shake, up to and including kids hitting tin cans with sticks.
14. What is the most rewarding facet of writing a music weblog?
The response from interested readers and the cross-pollination of musical tastes that engenders. It also represents a creative outlet and a dream to try to pin my star on.
15. Do you someday hope to make a living with something music or
internet related?
Fuck, _please_? I'm asking nicely ovah heah!
16. Drop on by Better Propaganda at http://www.betterpropaganda.com/ and pick out a track from their archives to hype.
I finally picked up "Treddin' On Thin Ice" a little while ago and it's pretty much straight fire. This is the track that got me started on this fella. If you dig th' Streets and Dizzee Rascal, this is the next logical rung on the ladder.
My 2004 Austin City Limits Music Festival download page has been updated with shows by Franz Ferdinand, the Old 97's, Sheryl Crow, Rachael Yamagata and others.
Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst talks to MTV.com.
PopMatters interviews Emily Haines of Metric. "The feeling that no one gives a shit about you is such a wonderful thing about New York, and America in general. At least my perception of it is no one's going to pander to you. And I really, I think that's a good thing for art. By contrast, in Canada there's an extensive grant system that really allows people to make their work without having to suffer that much, and I'm staring to come around on that, that maybe people don't have to suffer. Maybe you can just not be unhappy and make beautiful music in Canada, maybe that's ok."
Watch your favorite TV themes from the 80's (unfortunately the files are mostly wmv, though).
The Des Moines Register profiles Iowa college towns and their respective music scenes.
Blogs viewed cautiously as vital medium.
LA City Beat calls a recent Mark Lanegan show a "monochromatic miasma."
Badly Drawn Boy: 2004-10-12, KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic [mp3]
Camper Van Beethoven: 2003-04-19, Atlanta [mp3,ogg,shn]
Radiohead: 2003-05-22, Manchester [mp3]
The Prodigy: 2004 Athens Show [mp3,wmv]
My Morning Jacket: 2004-10-01, University Park [shn]
Lake Holiday: Send Off the Summer ep [mp3]
Bill Janovitz and Crown Victoria: several tracks [mp3]
Vells: several tracks [mp3]
Adult Swim: various Aqua Teen Hunger Force remixes [mp3]
Devendra Banhart: "Be Kind" [mp3] from Nino Rojo
As an extra birthday celebration of my wife, here is a collection of tracks available by her favorite band of the moment, the Decemberists.
I have many things of which to be thankful, and one is a partner who keeps an open mind to new music. When I started playing the Decemberists' debut ep, she was unfazed either positively or negatively towards the band. Two albums later, she finally saw the band live and the music clicked. Now, the band's CD's follow her to and from work, and I'm happy to have introduced her to something she enjoys.
"Shiny" [mp3] from 5 Songs ep
"The Bachelor and the Bride" [mp3] from Her Majesty The Decemberists
"The Soldiering Life" [mp3] from Her Majesty The Decemberists
"California One/Youth and Beauty Brigade" [mp3] from Castaways and Cutouts
"July, July!" [mp3] from Castaways and Cutouts
"Grace Cathedral Hill" from Castaways and Cutouts
"Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect" [mp3] from Castaways and Cutouts
KUT Interview, 2004-03-19 [real]
Stream the new Soundtrack of our Lives disc.
The Mountain Goats now have a "website ex officio."
Speaking of the Mountain Goats, Three Beads of Sweat has repressed Bitter Melon Farm.
Donewaiting interviews Green Party US presidential candidate David Cobb.
Poet Maya Angelou talks about her "book on food, not a cookbook."
No Love For Ned's streaming weekly radio show features a Tracy Shedd in-studio appearance this week.
CFO magazine examines the marketing power of blogs.
Passenger86's Jere interviewed Frank Black before the Pixies hit Birmingham last night.
Cat and Girl remember the good old days.
The Telegraph profiles Franz Ferdinand and their success.
Franz Ferdinand to write some tunes for the next Harry Potter film. "There's a section where there's a band of ugly sisters playing," said the band's singer, Alex Kapranos.
isnoop.net's Gmail invite spooler is still doling out those Gmail invitations that you can't seem to give away these days. Stop by if you need an invite or have some to give away.
Interpol's Daniel Kessler and Sam Fogarino talk to the Toronto Star.
The Globe and Mail profiles Daniel Handler, author of the Lemony Snicket books.
Wilco: 2002-10-30, Memphis [mp3]*
Wilco: 2004-09-30, Burlington [flac]**
Cave In: many tracks [mp3]
Wckr Spgt: Cream ep [cd]
The Kids of Widney High: several tracks and samples [mp3]
Various Artists: mix cd courtesy of Descender [mp3]
Various Artists: FatCat Records demo archive [mp3]
The Concretes: "You Can't Hurry Love" (video) [mov] from The Concretes
David Boyle: "George W. Pussy" [mp3] (many thanks to John at the Tofu Hut, see discussion)
Le Tigre: "New Kicks" [mp3] from This Island
*registration required
**bittorrent
Recorded by Jeff Mangum solo for a May, 1998 XFM radio session, I'll let the lyrics from this On Avery Island track be its description:
There are beads that wrap
Around your knees that crackle into the dark
Like a walk in the park like a hole in your head
Like the feeling you get when you realize you're dead
This time we ride roller coasters into the ocean
We feel no emotion as we spiral down to the world
And I guess it's worth your time
Because there's some lives you live
And some you leave behind
It gets hard to explain
The gardenhead knows my name
Leave me alone, for you know this isn't the first time
In fact this is twice in a row
That the angels have slipped through our landslide
And filled up our garden with snow
And I don't wish to taste of your insides
Or to call out your name through my phone
For the glory boys at your bedside will love you
As long as you're something to own
Follow me through a city of frost covered angels
I swear I have nothing to prove
I just want to dance in your tangles
To give me some reason to move
But to take on the world at all angles
Requires a strength I can't use
So I'll meet you up high in your anger
Of all that is hoping and waiting for you
The Advocate says Le Tigre is poised for mainstream success with their new album, This Island.
The Christian Science Monitor reviews the new Ha Jin novel, War Trash.
Billboard reviews the last Guided By Voices studio album, Half-Smiles of the Decomposed.
Gay bloggers are having their voices heard.
The Grand Rapids Press interviews Matt Sharp.
The Red Sox - Yankees rivalry extends to the blogging world.
Franz Ferdinand members almost broke?
My 2004 ACL Music Festival download list has been updated with shows by Trey Anastacio, the Wailers and others.
Why is Henry James the subject of two recent novels? Slate explains.
Wilco: 2004-10-08, Skidmore College [flac]*
Rilo Kiley: 2004-10-05, Somerville [mp3]
Radiohead: KROQ acoustic [mp3]
Siouxsie and the Banshees: 2004-09-07, New York [mp3]
Kings of Convenience: live shows and rarities [mp3] (via)
Mogwai: Radio One sessions [mp3]
Blanket Music: two tracks from Cultural Norms
Various Artists: tracks from Hush Records [mp3]
Decemberists: 2004-09-24, Cleveland DVD**
Drive-By Truckers: "Goddamned Lonely Love (live video)" [mpg]
*bittorrent
**bittorrent, registration required
As fall progresses, more and more albums are released each week that catch my eye. After picking up my wife's birthday present tomorrow (I have my priorities), I'll be heading to the store to buy lots of music. I'll definitely purchase the re-release of Camera Obscura's Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi, The Dears' No Cities Left, The Hidden Cameras' Mississauga Goddam, Moving Units' Dangerous Dream, Richard Buckner's Dents & Shells, and Matador at Fifteen. Let's hope some of these are on sale. Anything I'm missing this week? What's everyone's impression of the new Pinback? I'll be looking for the rest of the list in the used and bargain bins in the coming months.
On the DVD front, the live Wire and Calexico discs are intriguing, I'll pick these up, too, if the price is right.
A.M. Sixty: Big As The Sky [cd]
American Music Club: Love Songs for Patriots [cd]
Joseph Arthur: Our Shadows Will Remain [cd]
Barbara Cue: Rhythm Oil [cd]
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy: Everything You Want for Christmas [cd]
Blood Brothers: Crimes [cd]
Brian Setzer: Boogie Woogie Christmas (reissue, extra tracks) [cd]
Camera Obscura: Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi [cd]
Camper Van Beethoven: New Roman Times [cd]
Chris Isaak: Chris Isaak Christmas [cd]
The Cure: Alt.End / Why Can't I Be Me / Your God Is Fear [cd]
The Dears: No Cities Left [cd]
DJ Shortkut: Blunted With a Beat Junkie [cd]
Duran Duran: Astronaut (with bonus dvd) [cd]
Frank Black: Frank Black Francis [cd]
Hidden Cameras: Mississauga Goddam [cd]
Holly Golightly: Slowly But Surely [cd]
Jon Brion: I Heart Huckabees Score [cd]
Kool Keith: Dr. Octagon 2 [cd]
Kool Keith: Official Space Tape [cd]
Library of Congress Collection: American Sea Shanties & Songs [cd]
Madlib: Blunted in the Bomb Shelter Mix [cd]
MC5: Extended Versions [cd]
Moving Units: Dangerous Dream [cd]
Pinback: Summer in Abaddon [cd]
Richard Buckner: Dents & Shells [cd]
TV on the Radio: New Health Rock (single) [cd]
Various Artists: Isota Records Singles Club: Short Tale of Beauty/Madness/Greed [cd]
Various Artists: Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the '80s Underground (remastered) [cd]
Various Artists: Matador at Fifteen (with dvd) [cd]
Zykos: Zykos [cd]
After School Specials 1974-1976 [dvd]
After School Specials 1976-1977 [dvd]
The Battle of Algiers - Criterion Collection [dvd]
Bush's Brain [dvd]
C.S.I. Crime Scene Investigation - The Complete Fourth Season [dvd]
Calexico - World Drifts In (Live At The Barbican London) [dvd]
Dream On - Seasons 1 & 2 [dvd]
Felix the Cat Saves Christmas [dvd]
Invader ZIM - Horrible Holiday Cheer (Vol. 3) [dvd]
MTV Punk'd - The Complete Second Season [dvd]
Ren & Stimpy - The Complete First and Second Seasons [dvd]
The Rolling Stones - Rock and Roll Circus [dvd]
Taxi - The Complete First Season [dvd]
Wire On the Box:1979 [dvd]
The Boston Herald interviews Interpol's Daniel Kessler. "There is no sound as far as Interpol goes. This record is very different from 'Bright Lights', each song has more individuality. A lot of it comes with time, just knowing what you want to say and not stopping until you say it."
Blogs put revealing info at employers' fingertips.
We Eat So Many Shrimp lists their good and bad hip-hop singles of 2004.
The Herald calls the Delgados "the most consistently imaginative pop band working in Scotland."
The Chicago Tribune profile Creative Commons and its unique alternative to copyright.
Dublinks profiles UK band Hope of the States.
Suede re-forms. "There is a curiosity among the fans to see if they can still do what they once did and the Pixies are a good example of where it has worked. I'm not sure that Suede have that same cultural cachet."
The Chicago Sun-Times' Jim Derogatis wasn't impressed with Arthur Lee and Love or the Zombies.
Big & Rich befuddle Nashville.
Madness is returning with a covers album.
Radiohead: 2000-09-18, Paris (Canal+) [mp3]
Shellac: 2002-04-07, Camber Sands [mp3]
Jay Bennett: several tracks [mp3]
The Roots: Hip-hop 101: On The Road With The Roots, Hosted By: Chuck B, 1996) [mp3]
Jeunes: several tracks [mp3]
Infomatik: two tracks [mp3]
Broken Spindles: two tracks [mp3]
Tarantel: many live and studio tracks [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks from Jackpine Social Club [mp3]
Kite Pilot: "On My Lips" [mp3] from Kite Pilot ep
David Byrne is keeping a tour journal of his 2004 tour.
The Boston Globe tries live karaoke (with an actual band).
The San Francisco Chronicle isn't impressed with Ha Jin's new novel, War Trash.
The Daily News Tribune profiles author Ha Jin.
The St. Petersburg Times jumps into the world of teen weblogs.
Was the Fort-Worth Star-Telegram impressed by the recent Bright Eyes, M. Ward and Jim James show? "The reverb effect on his (Jim James) microphone was turned up so high that every note he sang had a deep metallic resonance as if there was a crack in heaven and the angelic sound was leaking out."
The Arizona Republic tells us about "this cool new 'weblog' thing."
Conrad Jordan has reworked the Dion hit "The Wanderer" into an ode to our president, "The Squanderer." Half the proceeds will be split between the Kerry campaign and charitable contributions aimed specifically at wounded soldiers returning from Iraq.
Newsday interviews Duran Duran's Simon LeBon.
Death Cab For Cutie: live tracks [mp3]
Mike Watt: 2004-10-05, Indianapolis [mp3,ogg,flac]
... And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead: 2004-10-07, Austin [flac]
Swearing at Motorists: 2002-10-30, Amsterdam (VPRO radio) [mp3]
Swearing at Motorists: two live tracks (Songs: Ohia covers) [mp3]
Panthers: two tracks [mp3]
Holcombe Waller: several tracks [mp3]
Vinyl: several tracks [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks from Anticon [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks from Temporary Residence Ltd
Not having read anything by Paul Auster, I had great expectations for his New York Trilogy. Friends have been recommending Auster for year with glowing references, and after reading this trilogy of novels I can see why. Auster transports the reader to his version of New York City, into thrillers that take you on a mythical journey. This collection is easily one of the ten best books I've read this year.
Book #38 of 2004 is the non-fiction Redneck Riviera: Armadillos, Outlaws, and the Demise of an American Dream, by Birmingham author Dennis Covington. I have always enjoyed Covington's fiction and nonfiction, and this should be a quick yet fulfilling read.
John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats is profiled and interviewed by the Raleigh News and Observer. "People engage so deeply with my stuff that it ends up shaking them internally. But I can defuse a lot of situations by being approachable. It's easy to talk to me, and I don't play much of the unapproachable-artist role except right before a show -- I hate it when people approach me when I'm trying to get my mojo on. Any other time, it's fine. So it's hard for someone to be an obsessive stalker of a guy if he makes himself available. I'm fortunate in that my level of 'fame' is slight enough for that to work. I lead a charmed life."
The New York Times looks at the current crop of first novels.
Kingblind is presenting one of my favorite bands, Japancakes, Wednesday night at the Echo Lounge in Atlanta. Also on the bill are National Grain and Paul Melancon. Stop by and buy Morgan a drink for me (we'll square it up later...).
MF Doom is interviewed by AllHipHop.com. "There’s definitely a second Madvillain album in the works. He would send me a CD and it would have like a hundred beats on it (laughs). The CD would say like '150-250', then I’d get another CD and it would say '250-350'. I got so many Madlib beats that I could do Madvillain albums from now until 2030, kid."
Is Bush Wired? (the weblog)
I've restarted posting pictures to our Flickr account. Stop by if you're feeling voyeurish.
I really don't need a Gucci iPod case, but I'm sure someone does.
sfist interviews Oliver Wang of Soul Sides.
The Chicago Tribune writes about businesses using fake blogs to push products.
Quote of the day from Mike Cooley of the Drive-By Truckers (about the future live dvd of the band's recent record release shows for The Dirty South): "We're trying to do something visual. You can't get arrested these days unless you make a fucking video. I thought it was silly in the 1980s whenever they started that crap and I still think it is. I think we should film a nice landscape with a song over the top of it and they can send me a check."
Nellie McKay: 2004-07-07, New York [mp3]
Palermo: several tracks (music>>download) [mp3]
Shearwater: several tracks [mp3]
Farma: several tracks [mp3]
Tussle: several tracks [mp3}
Various Artists: tracks from Dirigeable Records [mp3]
Cex: two videos [mp4]
Universal Honey: "Unlucky" [mp3] from Vicious Circles
Various Artists: reVerse audio collage [mp3]
Scott McCaughey & Mike Mills: "Dead From the Waist Down" [mp3]
The Christian Science Monitor examines online communities and their increasing interaction with the music industry, quoting me and Matthew Perpetua of Fluxblog in the process.
Isn't it wonderful when two of your favorite things converge? Christopher Porter (of The Suburbs Are Killing Us) profiles and interviews Andrew Nosnitsky of Cocaine Blunts and Hip Hop Tapes in the Washington City Paper.
The Tuesday Tune ("The Irony Engine" by the Mountain Goats) link has been fixed, download away (the link is at the top left or a couple of posts down).
Which Parasite Pal are you? (I *heart* Archie McPhee)
Adam Smeltz (who also writes the weblog Life of the Parties) delves into the effect of political music on today's youth.
Adam Reed, creator of Sealab 2021, talks to Suicide Girls.
Jen is compiling a list of restaurants in Chicago that serve vegan dishes. If you can add to the list, please contact her.
Girl power is alive in the Malaysian indie music scene.
The Boobiethon has raised over $6600 towards breast cancer awareness and research in one week. Stop by and make a donation before the event ends Sunday.
Australia's The Age talks to Fatboy Slim.
The Guardian examines the Vote for Change concerts and their effect on American voters.
The Scotsman reviews an Elvis Costello and the Imposters show.
The Yale Daily News profiles Q and not U.
Yo La Tengo's Georgia Hubley discusses the band's influences and the Vote For Change tour.
Rilo Kiley: 2004-09-23, San Francisco Amoeba in-store [flac]*
At The Drive-In, Sparta: many live shows [mp3]
John Vanderslice: many tracks [mp3]
Oasis: live tracks [mp3,avi]
Horns of Happiness: two tracks [mp3]
The Poem Adept: several tracks [mp3]
Rilo Kiley: Conan O'Brien appearance video [mov]
The Hidden Cameras: "I Believe in the Good of Life" [mp3] from Mississauga Goddam
The Honorary Title: "Bridge and Tunnel" [mp3] from Anything Else But The Truth
Liars Academy: "Dying as Fast as I Can" [mp3] from Demons
*bittorrent
What's in Nels Cline's cd player? The Wilco guitarist tells Toronto's Now.
Erasing Clouds interviews Carole King. "A musical artist is a citizen. I'm an American citizen who happens to be a musical artist, and if my celebrity happens to bring people into a room for discussion, so much the better. But then I better know what I'm talking about, and I do."
Should Bob Dylan win the Nobel Prize for literature?
Tom Waits talks to Amazon UK about some of his favorite albums.
Comedian and social activist (and Largehearted Boy candidate for president in 2008) Margaret Cho talks to the Arizona Daily Wildcat. "This (tour) is all about really promoting the idea of change, no matter what that change is. To break down the idea of hierarchical myth. I think the country is so polarized and things are so dire. This is going to decide whether or not we grow as a nation or decay."
A Boston Globe columnist spends a night in the Britney Spears mini-suite at the Onyx.
Austin City Limits unveils their new website and new season. Wilco, Bright Eyes, Pixies, The Flaming Lips, the Shins, this will be an interesting ACL season, indeed.
HouseConcerts.com lists house concerts all over the US.
Disney's music division is proving profitable for the company.
CNN interviews Paul Westerberg. "It (a replacements reunion) would be a wondrous disaster. I think we'd all retain what we had to begin with, and it would be a blast. It would be a lot of hard work, I think mostly for me, to go back and relearn the songs and the words. ... A little bit easier for them, maybe, to kind of just thump along."
Boston Globe and Boston Herald review Rilo Kiley's recent show.
The Springfield State Journal-Register offers "ten art films to watch for."
M.Ward tells the Las Vegas Mercury about playing on the Vote For Change tour with Bright Eyes.
De La Soul is still cranking out good music after fifteen years.
Canadian songstress Sara Harmer talks to the Calgary Sun.
Drive Like Jehu: 1994-09-16, San Francisco [mp3]
Wckr Spgt: Fake Party [mp3]
Jukeboxer: several tracks [mp3]
The Court and Spark: several live tracks [mp3]
The Stratford 4: several tracks [mp3]
Various Artists: audio & video from Swami Records [mp3,mpg]
Codeseven: "Alt.Wave" [mp3] from Dancing Echoes/Dead Sounds
Lockgroove: "Waste My Time" [mp3] from Calm Right Down
Pitty Sing: "We're On Drugs" [mp3] from Demons, You are the Stars in Cars Til I Die
Zykos: "Mrs." [mp3] from Zykos
Sponic tells the story of the Guided By Voices lp, Propeller, that recently sold on eBay for $6200. View the "Propeller Gallery."
Newsday calls Susanna Clarke's "fantasy novel for adults" a "work of magic," and interviews the author of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.
Flagpole looks back at the Biggest concerts to come through Georgia this past summer.
The Village Voice profiles John Vanderslice.
Billboard previews Guided By Voices guitarist Doug Gillard's upcoming solo album.
The Telegraph takes on artists who lip-sync in concert.
Seattle Weekly profiles the Ponys.
Ben Chasny (Six Organs of Admittance) talks to the Seattle Weekly.
Baghdad Blogger Salam Pax is interviewed by the Globe and Mail.
Rolling Stone interviews PJ Harvey.
Joanna Newsom: 2004-06-30, Nashville [flac]**
Rilo Kiley: 2004-09-23, San Francisco [flac]*
Drive-By Truckers: 2004-09-24, Washington [flac]*
Zwan: 2003-03-29, Towson [mp3,ogg,shn]
Various Artists: audio and video from Anticon artists [mp3,mov]
The Munsters: At Home With the Munsters (out-of-print album) [mp3]
Carl Stone: several tracks [mp3]
Mark Knopfler: live tracks [wma]
Telephone Jim Jesus: "Struck By Falling Object" [mp3] from A Point Too Far To Astronaut
The New Pornographers: "Graceland" [mp3] from Matador at 15
*bittorrent
**bittorrent, registration required
Franklin Bruno is an amazing songwriter, writing smart songs that even academics can love. In this week's Tuesday Tune, I'm offering the Mountain Goats covering Bruno's "The Irony Engine" in an October 19, 2000 WFMU performance.
The synergy of John Darnielle and Franklin Bruno is mesmerizing. Their album together (as the "Extra Glenns), Martial Arts Weekend, is one of my favorites of all time, but I won't bore anyone with that sermon again. Hear for yourself.
Guided By Voices sideman Doug Gillard's first solo album, Salamander, will drop October 19th (see today's daily downloads for a track).
The Guardian wonders where Britain's John Grisham and Scott Turow are hiding.
The Houston Press talks to Gillard about the final Guided By Voices tour.
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune profiles three local baseball weblogs.
The Drive-By Truckers are doing an in-store performance at Grimey's in Nashville this Saturday at 4, sandwiched between their evening shows at the Mercy Lounge Friday and Saturday evening.
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel offers an interactive quiz matching artists and their publicists.
The Tennessean collects snippets of reviews of Minnie Driver's new album, Everything I've Got In My Pocket.
The Alameda Times-Star profiles the 21st century edition of the New York Dolls.
Donovan is hip again, at least according to the Washington Times.
Blogads is the centerpiece of a New York daily News piece about blogging and advertising.
Reigning Sound: several tracks [mp3,real]
Various Shortwave Operators: The Conet Project - Recordings of Shortwave Numbers Stations [mp3]
Papercuts: several tracks [mp3]
Mosquitos: videos [wmv,real,mov]
Dolorean: "The Righteous Shall Destroy The Precious" [mp3] from Violence in the Snowy Fields
Mark Lanegan Band: "Methamphetamine Blues" [mp3] from Bubblegum
Papercuts: "Pan American Blues Pt. 2" [mp3] from Mockingbird
Tom Waits: "How's It Gonna End" [mp3] from Real Gone
Doug Gillard: "Symbols, Signs" [mp3] from Salamander
Clem Snide: "Fill Me With Your Light" [mp3] from The End of Love (to be released in February 2005)
The number of music releases of interest this week is almost overwhelming, but few entice me enough to buy them new. I'll be picking up Kimya Dawson's Hidden Vagenda because I simply adore everything she's done. After adding Tom Waits new release, Real Gone, and the Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute, Under The Influence, I'll probably look for the rest of these releases in the used and cutout bins. Anything I should reconsider (or consider)? (A note: I found the new R.E.M. pretty underwhelming and very boring)
A Stone Roses dvd is out this week, and I'll be picking up a couple of copies of Fahrenheit 9/11 as Christmas gifts.
This week's interesting releases:
Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso UFO: Does the Cosmic Shepard Dream of Electric Tapirs [cd]
Albert Ayler: Holy Ghost (box set) [cd]
Beach Boys: Christmas with the Beach Boys (reissue) [cd]
Bloodthirsty Lovers: Delicate Seam [cd]
Blues Explosion: Damage (limited edition) [cd]
Blues Explosion: Damage (enhanced) [cd]
Brian Eno: Ambient 1: Music for Airports (reissue) [cd]
Brian Eno, Harold Budd: Ambient 2: Plateaux of Mirror (reissue) [cd]
Brian Eno: Ambient 4: On Land (reissue) [cd]
Cake: Pressure Chief [cd]
De La Soul: The Grind Date [cd]
Fatboy Slim: Palookaville (limited edition) [cd]
Guided By Voices: Half Smiles of the Decomposed (Japanese import, extra tracks) [cd]
Hope of the States: Lost Riots [cd]
Hot Snakes: Audit in Progress [cd]
Jay Bennett: Beloved Enemy [cd]
Kimya Dawson: Hidden Vagenda [cd]
Kiss: Gold: 1974-1982 - Sound+Vision (dvd) [cd]
The Late BP Helium: Amok [cd]
Liz Janes: Poison and Snakes [cd]
Marillion: Marbles [cd]
Matthew Sweet: Kimi Ga Suki [cd]
Merzbow: Merzbird [cd]
Minnie Driver: Everything I've Got In My Pocket [cd]
Q and not U: Power [cd]
R.E.M.: Around the Sun [cd]
R.E.M.: Around the Sun (special edition) [cd]
Robyn Hitchcock: Spooked [cd]
Scout Niblett: Uptown Top Ranking ep [cd]
Spacemen 3: Dreamweapon: An Evening of Contemporary Sitar Music [cd]
Spacemen 3: Recurring [cd]
Tom Waits: Real Gone [cd]
Various Artists: A Very Special Christmas Collection (box set) [cd]
Various Artists: All Songs Considered [cd}
Various Artists: Fahrenheit 9/11 soundtrack [cd]
Various Artists: Mary Had a Little Amp [cd]
Various Artists: Songs And Artists That Inspired Fahrenheit 9/11 [cd]
Various Artists: Napoleon Dynamite Soundtrack [cd]
Various Artists: String Quartet Tribute to Pixies [cd]
Various Artists: Under the Influence: Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd [cd]
William Shatner: Has Been [cd]
Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights [dvd]
American Experience - RFK [dvd]
American Experience - The Kennedys (Complete Set) [dvd]
Badly Drawn Boy - Video Collection [dvd]
Body Snatchers [dvd]
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari [dvd]
Cartoon Network Christmas - Yuletide Follies [dvd]
Chicago Bears - Super Bowl Shuffle [dvd]
A Christmas Carol [dvd]
Coupling:Complete Seasons 1 & 2 [dvd]
The Dame Edna Experience - The Complete Collection (Series 1/2 & Specials) [dvd]
Devo - Live in the Land of the Rising Sun [dvd]
Dr. Seuss - How the Grinch Stole Christmas/Horton Hears a Who [dvd]
Fahrenheit 9/11 [dvd]
Farscape - The Complete Fourth Season [dvd]
Friday the 13th - From Crystal Lake to Manhattan (8 Movies) [dvd]
George W. Bushisms [dvd]
The History of Rock and Roll [dvd]
John Cale - Fragments of a Rainy Season [dvd]
Let's Bop With the Polecats [dvd]
Michael Moore Limited Edition DVD Collector's Set (Bowling for Columbine / The Big One) [dvd]
Saved! [dvd]
The Shawshank Redemption (Two-Disc Special Edition) [dvd]
Stone Roses [dvd]
Stranglers - Live 1978 in San Francisco [dvd]
Tanner '88 - Criterion Collection [dvd]
John Darnielle talks to Philly's City Paper about the next Mountain Goats album. "I've got a working title for the album already—The Sunset Tree—which I took from a hymn mentioned in a particularly brutal scene in Samuel Butler's The Way of All Flesh. There's other stuff in the hopper, probably, but I'm pretty focused on this next album for now—the songs are really direct and savage and I'm really happy with them."
Drummer Lisa Milberg of The Concretes talks to Canada's National Post.
Drive-By Truckers: 2004-10-01, Washington and Lee [flac]*
Calexico: 2000-07-01, Roskilde [flac]
Deerhoof: live and radio tracks [mp3]
Radiohead: Bodysong b-sides [mp3]
Deathray Davies: several tracks [mp3]
Destroyer: several tracks [mp3]
The Ettes: several tracks [mp3]
Flotation Toy Warning: "Happy 13" [mp3] from Bluffer's Guide To the Flight Deck
The Race: "Sinking feeling Rose" from If You Can
Franz Ferdinand: "Can't Stop Feeling" demo [mp3]
White Stripes: "Maps" (Yeah Yeah Yeahs cover) [mp3]
*bittorrent
Exclaim! offers a year-by-year history of Tom Waits' career.
Waits talks to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Martin Amis reviews soccer legend Diego Maradano's autobiography and life in the Guardian.
San Francisco's Litquake starts Saturday with a concert by several "author bands."
The Boston Globe interviews Daisuke Inoue, inventor of karaoke.
Jim Romenesko's Starbucks Gossip weblog gets profiled in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Go Girls Music promotes women in music (cuz chicks rock!).
The Boston Globe profiles Tilly and the Wall.
Also in the Globe, Morrissey's music is examined.
Herbie Hancock: "All Apologies" (Nirvana cover) [mp3]
Tears For Fears: "Creep" (Radiohead cover) [mp3]
The Distillers: "No Love Lost" (Joy Division cover) [mp3]
My Bloody Valentine: "Mapref" (Wire cover) [mp3]
Yayahoni: "Being Cool" (Kimya Dawson cover) [mp3]
The Killers: "Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself" (Morrissey cover) [mp3]
Violent Femmes: "I Wanna Be Sedated" (Ramones cover) [mp3]
Mountain Goats: "Two-Headed Boy" (Neutral Milk Hotel cover) [mp3]
Guided By Voices: "Draw(in)g To A (W)hole" (Clean cover) [mp3]
Dickies: "Banana Splits Theme" (Ritchie Adams and Mark Barkan cover) [mp3]
The third annual blogger Boobiethon (front page safe for work) started yesterday. Stop by, make a donation and bare some skin for a good cause, the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The foundation works to eradicate breast cancer through research, education, screening and treatment.
The Drive-By Truckers will be on CBS's "The Late Late Show" on October 19th performing their single, "Never Gonna Change" (mp3 link).
The San Fransisco Chronicle examines the relevance of author Graham Greene on his 100th birthday.
Al Jourgensen of Ministry talks to the Calgary Sun.
The Mercury News previews VH1's five part series, "And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip Hop."
Young celebrities make it cool to be a voter.
The Southern Festival of Books takes place in Memphis next weekend, featuring James Ellroy, among others. Here's the full lineup.
The Hartford Courant reviews Thursday night's Robbie Fulks show.
Entertainment Weekly offers their favorite Philip Roth books.
Dawn Landes: several tracks [mp3]
Innocence Mission: several tracks [mp3]
Les Sans Culottes: several whole tracks and a couple of samples [mp3]
Jane Siberry: several tracks [mp3]
Goh Nakamura: several tracks [mp3]
El Jezel: "Je Devenir" [mp3]
Umbrella Brigade: "Unsown" [mp3]
Innocence Mission: "What A Wonderful World" [mp3] from Now The Day Is Over
Pearl Jam: "Masters of War" (live on Letterman 2004-09-30) [mp3]
My Morning Jacket: "The Bear" [mp3]
The Christian Science Monitor declares concept albums hip again.
Looking for an interesting camp to send your 12 to 18 year-old daughter this summer? Try Southern Girls Rock and Roll Camp.
Nathalie Chicha is serving up literary links at GalleyCat (as well as the elegant Cup of Chicha).
A collection of Tori Amos quotes
Business 2.0 examines the synergy between blogs and marketing.
If the first couple of posts are indicative at all (tracks from Sarah Vaughn; Love, Sex and the Zodiac; Cannonball Adderly; a Radiohead mashup), the naugahyde life has a strong and interesting mp3 blog future ahead.
Reuters reviews a recent Scissor Sisters show.
Inc. lists the positives of blogging for business.
Steve Mizek (who also writes codebreaker) interviews Sons and Daughters for Junkmedia.
Raymond Carver's boat is for sale on eBay.
The Guardian reviews the new Tom Waits album, Real Gone, giving it four out of five stars.
A Vermont editorial asks, "Just what do those 'patriotic' car magnets really mean?"
Liam Howlett of the Prodigy talks to Arjan Writes, and lashes out against Maverick for not promoting their album enough in the US.
T-shirts make plea for young votes. Armani, Sean John, and Donna Karan are all helping get out the vote.
Ben Kweller is touring with Incubus.
Wilco: 2004-09-24, Nashville [mp3]
M. Ward: 2004-07-29, Carrboro, Mergefest [mp3] (thanks)
Delays: live radio sessions [mp3]
Van Dyke Parks: several tracks [mp3]
Various Artists: out-of-print tracks from Ghostmeat Records [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks from current Ghostmeat Records releases [mp3]
Drive-By Truckers: "Bulldozers and Dirt" [mp3] from Pizza Deliverance
Cub Country: "Good Job Jer Blue" [mp3] from Stay Poor. Stay Happy.
Tori Amos: videos [mpg,real,wmv,mov]
Tom Waits: "I'm Just Saying (on Letterman)" [mov] (via)