In Case You Missed It

Or, in case the talk about McCain's VP selection made you forget.



Obama's the "one" person on Earth who could get me to like a post-Achtung Baby U2 song.

John McCain's Energy Policy

Day One, And Sarah Palin Already a Liar

Wow. In her very first speech, Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin has proven herself to be a liar.

Governor Palin's statement today:

"...I championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. In fact, I told Congress -- I told Congress, 'Thanks, but no thanks,' on that bridge to nowhere. If our state wanted a bridge, I said we'd build it ourselves." (Source.)

Yet, she specifically told the Anchorage Daily News on October 22, 2006 that:

5. Would you continue state funding for the proposed Knik Arm and Gravina Island bridges?

Yes. I would like to see Alaska's infrastructure projects built sooner rather than later. The window is now--while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist.(Source)

It wasn't until the bridge became a national joke that she finally decided to oppose it.

Something like this is pretty par for the course in politics, but what bothers me most about it is the fact that (a) this is one of the issues that Governor Palin and her supporters have pointed to in order to show her "credentials", and (b) she lied in her very first speech as the Republican VP nominee.

She couldn't at least wait until her second day on the job?

The Dead Are Back For Obama

No, not the dead people who used to vote for the first Mayor Daley... The Grateful Dead.

According to FOX News' Roger Friedman, the band is set to reform for at least one show this Fall to raise money for Barack Obama. The show will either be in Pittsburgh or Philadelphia. If it's the latter, I'm totally going.

And, if things go well, the band is considering doing a full reunion tour next Summer.

I know this isn't the same band that it was in 1995, let alone 1975 or 1969, but this still makes me pretty giddy.

Two Great DC Shows Tomorrow

For those of you who will be in or around D.C. this weekend, there are two great shows tomorrow night that I strongly recommend. I haven't decided which one I'm going to yet.

The first show is at DC9, and features Stew-favorites Yell County along with Lode Runner and Pup Tent. Tickets are only $8.

The second show is at the Red and the Black, and features Stew-favorites Tereu Tereu along with Prabir and the Substitutes, Red Racer and Wakey Wakey. The show starts at 9pm and tickets are also only $8.

I think my decision is going to be made by my stomach -- would I rather have dinner at Ben's Chili Bowl or Granville Moore's? The former offers $5 hot dogs, whereas the latter offers $15 beers. Hmm...

Frightened Rabbit at RnR Hotel - CANCELED

Just noticed over at the RnR Hotel calendar that the Frightened Rabbit show scheduled for Monday, November 17th has been canceled.

I haven't seen an explanation yet, or info about rescheduling, but I'll post something as soon as I find it.

This disappoints me greatly.

Edited to add: I have no confirmation of this, but my current guess is that the band is going to get added to the 11/14 Spinto Band show at the Black Cat. They're opening for the Spinto Band throughout October, and it makes sense that they'd add on a few more dates as well.

New Golden City, "Big Country"

Been meaning to post this for a couple of weeks.

Brooklyn's own Golden City is back with its first new song since last summer, and it's everything you'd expect. If you liked Christie Front Drive and The 101 (i.e., Eric's previous rock bands), you're gonna like this as well.

Broken West Added to TMTS / Tereu Show!

It's almost as if someone read my post last week:

Los Angeles' The Broken West has been added to the Wednesday, September 24th show at Rock and Roll Hotel along with Throw Me The Statue and Tereu Tereu, officially making it the show of the month (and possibly the Fall).

Can't tell you how awesome this is. Go to this show.

DC Show Update

Seems like a slow week, probably due to the holiday.

As usual, my picks in bold, and updates in italics.

9:30 Club
Sat., 9/20: Blowoff DJ Set w/ Bob Mould and Richard Morel
Fri., 10/10: Girl Talk
Sat., 10/11: Wire
Mon., 10/13: Yelle
Wed., 10/15: Notwist, Dosh

Unless otherwise noted, all 9:30 Club shows go on sale on Thursday (8/28) at 10am Eastern via Tickets.com.

Black Cat
Tue., 9/9: The Moderate, Brandon Butler (backstage)
Mon., 9/22: The Caribbean, The Jet Age (backstage) (on sale now)
Mon., 10/6: Black and Tan Fantasy Band, Felt Letters (backstage)
Sat., 11/8: The Sea and Cake
Wed., 11/12: Diplo, No Age, Abe Vigoda, Boy 8 Bit, Telepathe (mainstage)

Unless otherwise noted, all Black Cat shows go on sale on Friday (8/29) at 5pm Eastern via Ticketmaster.

DC9
Tue., 9/23: Mugison
Thu., 10/9: Apollo Sunshine
Wed., 10/22: Black Joe Lewis & The Honey Bears
Wed., 11/12: Rose Hill Drive, Colour Revolt

Unless otherwise noted, tickets for all DC9 shows are sold at the door only.

Rock and Roll Hotel
Sat., 9/27: Sons of Bill, 6 Day Bender, Erick Baker
Thu., 10/9: Safe & Sound - Laura Burhenn, Olivia & The Housemates, Lode Runner, KOKO
Sat., 11/1: Murs
Fri., 11/07: Nicole Atkins & The Sea, Salt & Samovar

Unless otherwise noted, all Rock and Roll Hotel shows go on sale on Friday (8/29) at 10am Eastern via Ticket Alternative.

Board the Rock and Roll Train

AC/DC have released the first single from their new album, Black Ice, which is due out in... err... Wal-Marts across the country, on October 20th.

The song, "Rock and Roll Train", is pretty much what you'd expect. Brian's voice sounds as it should, as does Angus' guitar, and just about everything else. The song isn't as catchy as others in the band's catalog, but it's loud and relatively fun, and will definitely be heard in strip clubs across the country this Fall.

R.I.P. Steve Foley (Replacements)

Sad news via Brooklyn Vegan this morning:

Steve Foley, one-time drummer for The Replacements and Bash & Pop, has died at the age of 49 due to an accidental overdose on prescription medication.

Steve in better days:

A Choice I Don't Want To Have To Make

If I had a gun to my head, I really have no idea which cruise I'd pick.

New Birdmonster Video, "The Iditarod"

(Via Indie Blog Heaven)

New Secret Life of Sofia Video, "Outside"

Secret Life of Sofia home page
Secret Life of Sofia on MySpace

The Antlers Are Touring

Brooklyn's The Antlers are touring. And, as I've mentioned before, they'll be in DC at the Velvet Lounge on 10/13. They'll also be a bunch of other places. You really ought to go if you can.

More dates TBA. The tour will be in support of the band's new album, Hospice. Here's the first track:

The Antlers, "Two"

Antlers Fall Tour Dates
10/1/08: Talking Head BALTIMORE, MD
10/2/08: TBA PHILADELPHIA, PA
10/3/08: Garfield Artworks PITTSBURGH, PA
10/4/08: Tower 2012 CLEVELAND, OH w/ Dreadful Yawns, Good Touch Bad Touch
10/5/08: Cafe Bourbon St COLUMBUS, OH w/ Matt Bauer, Time & Temperature
10/6/08: The Cinemat BLOOMINGTON, IN
10/7/08: Northside Tavern CINCINNATI, OH
10/8/08: Skull Alley LOUISVILLE, KY
10/9/08: R3V3RB GREENVILLE, SC
10/10/08: Village Tavern CHARLESTON, SC
10/11/08: TBA CHAPEL HILL, NC
10/13/08: Velvet Lounge WASHINGTON DC
10/15/08: Clementine HARRISONBURG, VA w/ Pattern Is Movement

Arts on Foot Festival in DC - Sat., September 13

(I'm cutting and pasting here. Please forgive me.)

Marking its 16th anniversary, Arts on Foot presented by Wines of Argentina is a one-day, multimedia Festival that kicks off the fall arts season in Downtown DC’s Penn Quarter.

Incorporating visual art, music, theatre, dance, film, and creative cuisine, it’s an interactive celebration the whole family will enjoy. With a lively outdoor street festival as its centerpiece, Arts on Foot also invites you to explore the neighborhood’s museums, theaters, galleries, cultural organizations, and shops. From traditional classics to cutting edge, Arts on Foot offers something for the arts and food lover in everyone!

Music Schedule
11-11:30am - Lisa Said (singer/songwriter)
11:30am-noon - Lou Black (of Ash Lovely) & Friends
12-12:40pm - Cara Cara
1-1:40pm - We Were Pirates
2:00-2:30pm - Minefields of Washington (the handclap attack)
2:50-3:40pm - The Jet Age
4-5pm - Ra Ra Rasputin

To The Nuts!

Only one song for you in this edition... Haven't had a whole lot of free time for blog-related activities this week, but I just heard this song and really, really liked it, and I wanted to share.

Caw! Caw!, "Organisms"

Caw! Caw! is based in Chicago and is releasing their debut EP, entitled Wait Outside, on September 23rd via Slanty Shanty Records.

You can hear more from the band at their MySpace page. And those of you in New York an catch them at Arlene's Grocery on 9/29 and at Pianos on 9/30. No DC date that I can see.

Random DNC Thought of the Night

I'm proud of Brian Schweitzer for having the guts to wear a bolo tie during a speech at 10:30pm (Eastern) at the DNC.

I really wanted to wear a bolo tie to an argument I did before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals a few years ago, just so I could say I did. My better judgment prevailed, thankfully.

John McCain's Not a Maverick, He's a Sidekick

Best line of the week so far, via Senator Bob Casey.

Bon Iver Covers Okkervil River

So it looks like they ARE releasing covers of all 10 songs on Okkervil River's new CD, The Stand Ins. Very cool.

Here's Bon Iver covering "Blue Tulips":

Rival School Reunion Dates

Was hoping they'd add a DC show, but that's looking less and less likely. Guess I'm drivin' to Baltimore.

Rival Schools Fall Tour
October 9 - Los Angeles, CA @ Echo
October 10 - San Diego, CA @ Brick by Brick
October 11 - Irvine, CA @ Lisk Fest
October 12 - San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
November 3 – Philadelphia, PA @ Khyber
November 4 - Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell’s
November 5 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
November 6 - New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge

MSM's DNC "Coverage" Is a Joke

Why do CNN, MSNBC and Fox News call it "coverage" of the Democratic National Convention if they're only showing about 20 minutes of speeches per night?

Earlimart Touring With The Wedding Present

I had heard rumors that Earlimart might be touring with The Wedding Present this fall, and it's turns out to have been true. Well, partially - they're only opening for the Weddoes' dates on the West Coast. So no Black Cat. Crap.

Earlimart/Wedding Present Tour Dates
September 18 - San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
September 19 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Troubadour
September 21 - San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
September 23 - Eugene, OR @ John Henry's
September 24 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos
September 25 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
September 26 - Vancouver, Canada @ Media Club

And here's some video of the band's (err, Aaron's) recent performance at Waterloo Records in Austin:

More Politics

Decent ad, but I'd much prefer to hear the words coming from McCain's mouth than to have them only flash on the screen. Seems to me like that would really hit home better.

But at least we're finally hitting him on this.

Listen to Fat Planet's Athens PopFest Set

Who exactly are Fat Planet?

Fat Planet was a high school band based out of Ruston, Louisiana in the late 1980s featuring Robert Schneider (Apples in Stereo, Ulysses, etc.), Bill Doss (Olivia Tremor Control, Sunshine Fix), Will Cullen Hart (Olivia Tremor Control, Circulatory System), Peter Ehrchick (Olivia Tremor Control, Pipes You See Pipes You Don't) and Charlie Johnston (Circulatory System, 63 Crayons).

So, to put it simplistically, Fat Planet was the band that begat the Elephant Six collective.

And they reunited for the first time in two decades at last week's Athens Popfest.

And, thanks to Lance over at The Flat Response, you can hear the set here. Can't wait to hear it. (FYI, Lance also recorded a ton of other sets at PopFest and is putting them up on his blog as well.)

Jack Ladder Covers Okkervil River

And one more... this one has Australian musician Jack Ladder covering the third track from The Stands In, "Starry Stairs".

Yeah, I've never heard of him either, but I'm assuming he's a friend of the band. This is apparently an "official" cover (as were the other two). Can we expect more official covers of the rest of the album? That would be pretty cool.

A.C. Newman Covers Okkervil River

And here's a video of A.C. Newman joining Will Sheff to semi-cover Okkervil River's "Lost Coastlines" (my favorite song off of The Stand Ins, FWIW).

I call it a semi-cover because, of course, Will wrote it. But Newman is performing Will's portion of the song, and Will is performing the part sung on the album by Jonathan Meiburg (of Shearwater and Okkervil).

David Vandervelde Covers Okkervil River

This is one of my 2 or 3 favorite tracks off of Okkervil River's forthcoming The Stand-Ins CD. Interesting to hear David's take on it.



Thanks to Indie Blog Heaven for the heads up.

To The Nuts!

Quite a range of styles for you today, from fuzzy, VU-inspired noise pop to sunny 70's A.M. pop to alt-country.

Manhattan Love Suicides, "Clusterfuck"

This track is from MLS's new CD, Burnt Out Landscapes [BUY]. The CD is a compilation of several of the band's 7-inches, live tracks, and 4 brand-new songs. The 27 tracks on the CD should certainly hold us over until album #2.

Gramercy Arms, "Looking At The Sun"

Gramercy Arms is a NYC "supergroup" of sorts featuring members of Joan As Policewoman, The Dambuilders and Guided by Voices (they get the latter two references by virtue of drummer Kevin March). Sarah Silverman even contributes backing vocals, as does Nada Surf's Matthew Caws. From what I can tell, their self-titled debut CD is currently only available in the UK. You can order it here.

Blue Mountain, "By Your Side"

One of my favorite alt-country bands of the 90's was Blue Mountain, a Mississippi band fronted by the husband and wife team of Cary Hudson and Laurie Stirratt (the sister of Wilco's John Stirratt). The two ended up getting divorced in 2001, and the band soon broke up. After some time away, though, they've regrouped (in musical terms only, I believe), and just released a brand new album called Midnight in Mississippi [BUY].

The Most Disturbing Thing Ever

And Some Pavement

"Unfair"


"Stop Breathin'"


"Cut Your Hair"

Old School SDRE

I mentioned the other day that Guns n' Roses and Metallica were my favorite bands during the period from about 1987 to 1990. From 1991 to 1994, it was Nirvana and Dinosaur Jr. From 1994 to 1996, it was Guided by Voices and the Afghan Whigs (both of whom still hold the distinction) as well as Sunny Day Real Estate.

Sadly, I never managed to see SDRE live, during either their first or second go-round. Thankfully, though - and amazingly - MTV still has video from the band's performance on 120 Minutes from 1994.

"Seven"


"In Circles"


"Rodeo Jones"

Reminder: Rock Show Tonight

Just a quick reminder about an excellent show on the Black Cat's main stage tonight:

Bryan Scary & The Shredding Tears
Kitty Hawk
The Jet Age
The Beanstalk Library

That's 4 great bands for just $10. Doors are at 9pm. See you there.

Frames News -- It Ain't Good

From the new Frames newsletter:

on a side-ish note - theres a lot of you asking for a frames gig, especially on new years eve, but im sorry all - its really, really unlikely to happen this year. the touring with the film/soundtrack/swell season projects still hasnt come to an end yet globally, and everyone is really looking forward to a break through the last bit of dec and into early jan. its also tough to switch from swell season mode to frames mode when youre not immersed 100% in a particular band. the frames will be back, just not this year.

the lads and mar are actually in a studio this week between gigs in america recording some new tracks. dont ask me which particular incarnation its going to end up as, but, they are all VERY much enjoying being creative in a studio situation for 5 minutes... theres a good bunch of new songs been floating around for a little while and, as they had 6 days between the pines gig and the dylan support in saratoga, it seemed like a good idea to go into a studio and try laying some down.

So, best case scenario is new Frames music and tour dates next year. But, honestly, who seriously thinks that the new music they're recording is going to be a Frames album instead of a Swell Season (as seen in the movie Once!) album? Not I.

Ugh.

New Metallica, "The Day That Never Comes"

From approximately 1987 to 1990, Metallica was either my favorite or second favorite band on Earth (along with GnR). Sadly, the Black Album didn't do a whole lot for me, and it's been a steep decline ever since. I don't think I even made it through one entire listen of St. Anger, which even the band now seems to admit was a steaming pile of crap.

So it was with quite a bit of trepidation that I listened to their new song, "The Day That Never Comes", at Metallica's MySpace page today.

And, I gotta say... despite a slow start (James' voice is showing wear), the song eventually gets around to kicking all kinds of ass. Seriously, while I recommend listening to the entire song, you wouldn't be too out of line if you just skipped straight to the 5:00 mark and listened from there to the end.

Overall, the song seems like an intentional amalgam of everything the band has done since ... And Justice for All. In fact, it almost seems at times like they've merely cut and pasted song snippets from unused songs from 1988, 1991 and 1996 together into a whole. But ya know what? It works for me.

If the rest of the album is as good or better than this, then this band is back in a big, big way.

Oh, and by the way, I hadn't noticed this -- Metallica, Washington DC, Verizon Center, 1/15/09.

Awesome

(Thanks to Matt for the heads up!)

New Guns n' Roses, "Shackler's Revenge"

This will be pulled from YouTube very, very soon.

My thoughts after one listen? It's OK. I don't like the intro, but the chorus is decent, and Axl's voice sounds good. Is it up to par with anything from either Appetite or Ilusions? No. But, to my ear at least, it's significantly better than bad.

BTW, this is the tune that is going to "debut" in Rock Band 2.

Black Crowes Fall Tour

So I already mentioned that the Black Crowes are playing 3 nights here in DC at the 9:30 Club.

Well, this is apparently part of a huge tour that will take the band pretty much from now through the end of the year. The tour includes a 4-show run in NYC over Halloween. I actually saw the band's 1996 Halloween show at the Beacon Theater. Not that that means anything.

The shows all seem to go on sale on different dates. Go to the Tour Dates section of the band's website for specific info on your town.

Black Crowes Fall Tour
8/29: Milwaukee, WI (Harley Davidson Anniversary)
8/30: Minneapolis (Minnesota State Fair)
9/3: Victoria, BC (Royal Theater)
9/4: Vancouver (The Orpheum)
9/5: Portland, OR (Edgefield Concert Park)
9/7: Jacksonville, OR (Britt Festival)
9/8: Puyallup, WA (Western Washington Fair)
9/10: Arcata, CA (Van Duzer Theater)
9/13: Las Vegas (The Joint)
9/14: Santa Cruz, CA (Civic Auditorium)
9/16: Mesa, AZ (Ikeda Theatre)
9/17: Los Angeles (The Greek)
9/19: Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara County Bowl)
9/20: San Diego (Street Scene)
9/21: Santa Rosa, CA (Wells Fargo Center)
10/5: Alpharetta, GA (Verizon Wireless Ampitheater)
10/7: Richmond, VA (The National)
10/8: Richmond, VA (The National)
10/10: Atlantic City (Borgata)
10/11: Albany, NY (Palace Theater)
10/12: Northampton, MA (Calvin Theater)
10/14: Providence (Lupo's)
10/15: Portland, ME (Merrill Auditorium)
10/17: Boston (Boston Opera House)
10/18: Buffalo (Town Ballroom)
10/20: Burlington, VT (Higher Ground)
10/21: Burlington, VT (Higher Ground)
10/23: Washington DC (9:30)
10/24: Washington DC (9:30)
10/25: Washington DC (9:30)
10/27: NYC (Hammerstein)
10/28: NYC (Hammerstein)
11/3: NYC (Town Hall - Acoustic)
11/4: NYC (Town Hall - Acoustic)
11/6: Charlotte, NC (Neighborhood Theater)
11/7: Charlotte, NC (Neighborhood Theater)
11/8: Raleigh, NC (Lincoln Theater)
11/10: Clearwater, FL (Ruth Eckerd Hall)
11/11: Orlando (House of Blues)
11/12: Miami Beach (Jackie Gleason Theater)
11/14: St. Augustine, FL (St. Augustine Ampitheater)
11/15: Birmingham, AL (Alabama Theater)
11/16: Nashville (Ryman Auditorium)
11/18: New Orleans (House of Blues)
11/20: Houston (House of Blues)
11/21: Dallas (Palladium)
11/22: Austin, TX (Austin Music Hall)
12/5: Chicago (Riviera Theater)
12/6: Detroit (State Theatre)
12/7: Milwaukee (Eagles Ballroom)
12/9: Fargo, ND (The Venue)
12/11: Des Moines, IA (Val Air Ballroom)
12/13: Denver (Fillmore Auditorium)
12/15: San Francisco (Fillmore)
12/16: San Francisco (Fillmore)
12/18: San Francisco (Fillmore)
12/19: San Francisco (Fillmore)
12/20: San Francisco (Fillmore)

Black Crowes Playing 3 Nights in DC

Wow. Didn't see this coming. Guess I'll have to go to one.

An Evening With The Black Crowes
Thursday, October 23
Friday, October 24
Saturday, October 25
Washington, D.C.
@ 9:30 Club

Tickets go on sale tomorrow.

DC Show Update

My picks in bold. Updates throughout the week in italics.

9:30 Club
Thu., 10/2: The Rocket Summer
Fri., 10/3: Duke Ellington Jazz Festival (early)
Fri., 10/3: Kool Keith (late)
Tue., 10/7: The Residents (The Bunny Boy Tour)
Mon., 10/13: All Time Low, The Mayday Parade, The Maine (on sale 8/23)
Thu., 10/23: The Black Crowes
Fri., 10/24: The Black Crowes
Sat., 10/25: The Black Crowes
Wed., 10/29: Slightly Stoopid (on sale 8/23)
Mon., 11/17: The Academy Is... (on sale 8/22)
Sun., 11/23: Jedi Mind Tricks

Unless otherwise noted, all 9:30 Club tickets go on sale sale tomorrow (Thu., 8/21) at 10am Eastern via Tickets.com.

Black Cat
Thu., 9/4: Shortstack, Suns of Guns, Zeke Healey (backstage)
Tue., 9/16: Miracle Fortress (backstage)
Thu., 9/18: Faraquet, Statehood, Red Tag Rummage Sale (backstage)
Thu., 10/9: Antibalas (mainstage)
Mon., 10/27: Crystal Antlers, The Strange Boys (backstage)
Tue., 10/28: Jay Reatard, Cola Freaks (backstage)

Unless otherwise noted, Black Cat tickets go on sale this Friday at 5pm Eastern via Ticketmaster.

Broken West Fall Tour Dates

Los Angeles' The Broken West is headed out on tour in a few weeks in support of their new album, Now Or Heaven (out 9/9 on Merge Records).

The band has a DC date scheduled for Wednesday, 9/24, but no confirmed location yet. A quick look shows that the Black Cat is completely open that night right now, as is DC9. Rock and Roll Hotel, on the other hand, has Throw Me The Statue and Tereu Tereu. Honestly, I'd love to see the Broken West get added to this lineup, but I'm guessing this won't happen.

Broken West Fall Tour Dates
9/09 Denver, CO @ Hi Dive
9/10 Omaha, NE @ Slowdown Jr.
9/11 Iowa City, IO @ The Picador
9/12 Madison, WI @ Orpheum Stage Door
9/13 Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar
9/15 Chicago, IL @ Schubas
9/16 Pontiac, MI @ Pike Room
9/17 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
9/21 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
9/22 Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
9/23 New Haven, CT @ Cafe Nine
9/24 Washington, DC @ TBA
9/25 Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
9/26 Mt Pleasant, SC @ Village Tavern
9/28 Nashville, TN @ The Basement
9/29 Memphis, TN @ HI Tone
9/30 Denton, TX @ Dan's Silverleaf
10/1 Austin, TX @ Mohawk
10/4 Los Angeles, Ca @ Spaceland

LeRoi Moore of Dave Matthews Band Dies

Never was a DMB fan, but it's never good to hear things like this.

Via Wikipedia:

LeRoi Moore (September 7, 1961 - August 19, 2008) was the saxophonist for the Dave Matthews Band.

***

Moore was injured on June 30, 2008 in an ATV accident on his farm outside Charlottesville, Virginia, breaking several ribs and puncturing a lung[citation needed]. Moore was hospitalized at UVa for several days. Jeff Coffin, the saxophonist from Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, stood in for Moore on subsequent tour dates. Though released several days later, Moore was rehospitalized in mid-July for complications from the accident.

On August 19, 2008, the official Dave Matthews Band website reported that Moore died of complications from his injuries in the ATV accident.

Jack the Ripper Identity Revealed?

Yeah, I'm on a bit of an Amazon Women on the Moon tear right now.

The Blood And Ice Cream Trilogy

Fans of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz (and Spaced too), take note - there's a third movie coming from Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright.

The movie is called "The World's End", and it's about... well, I have no idea. But IMDB says it's coming in 2010, and that it represents the final installment of "The Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy", along with SOTD and HF.

I use this word a lot, but... spectacular.

BTW, if you haven't bought the new Spaced DVD yet, what the hell are you waiting for?

New Bloc Party Album Out on Thursday!

Just saw this over at Tiny Mix Tapes:

Bloc Party is due to release its third LP, entitled Intimacy, this Thursday. This is a digital-only release, and will be followed by a physical release on October 28th via Atlantic Records. Apparently the band felt burned by the early leak of A Weekend In The City, and decided to release the album immediately upon mastering.

It appears that the physical album will have a slightly different tracklist from the digital version. The digital tracklist is as follows:

1. Ares
2. Mercury
3. Halo
4. Biko
5. Trojan Horse
6. Signs
7. One Month Off
8. Zephyrus
9. Better Than Heaven
10. Ion Square

BTW, you can pre-order the album now. For $10 you get the digital release this Thursday, and for $20 you get both the digital and physical versions.

New MMJ Video, "Touch Me I'm Going To Scream, Pt. 2"

Two Effective New McCain Ads

I'm starting to get a little nervous. These ads hit hard.



(BTW, that's Eugene Mirman.)

Sometimes Spam Is Funny

So have you been paying attention to your Spam box lately? There's been a ton of Spam supposedly coming as "Breaking News" emails from MSNBC. And the email titles are freakin' hilarious.

Here are the most recent ones I've gotten:

msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: Arnold Says im Gay Too!‎
msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: Paris Hilton Considered For Mother Teresa Role‎
msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: Madonnas Former Home Destroyed By Jesus‎
msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: Jessica Simpson Starts Doing It With Some Other Guy. Video.‎
msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: Brave Suicide Bomber Survives Blast!‎
msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: Old Man Dies Inside Paris Hilton‎
msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: McCain A 'GPS Black Hole' Say Scientists‎

Spammers may be scum, but these at least seem to at least have a sense of humor.

Hold Steady and Drive By Truckers Touring Together

Holy crap, what a freakin' show. Can't believe there's no DC date. (This is becoming a pattern today.)

The band's will be co-headlining, with each band taking the opening slot on alternating dates.

Tickets go on sale here tomorrow (8/19) at 10am Eastern for ALL shows.

Rock and Roll Means Well Tour Fall 2008
10/30: Louisville, KY (Coyote's)
10/31: Nashville, TN (Ryman Auditorium)
11/1: Atlanta, GA (Tabernacle)
11/2: Tallahassee, FL (The Moon)
11/3: Raleigh, NC (Lincoln Theatre)
11/5: State College, PA (The State Theatre)
11/6: NYC (Terminal 5)
11/7: NYC (Terminal 5)
11/8: Philadelphia (Electric Factory)
11/9: Boston (Orpheum Theatre)
11/11: Toronto (Phoenix Theatre)
11/12: Pittsburgh (Carnegie Music Hall)
11/13: Bloomington, IN (Bluebird)
11/14: Chicago (Riviera Theatre)
11/15: Minneapolis, MN (First Avenue)
11/16: Minneapolis, MN (First Avenue)
11/19: Boise, ID (The Big Easy)
11/20: Seattle (Showbox)
11/21: Seattle (Showbox)
11/22: Portland, OR (Crystal Ballroom)
11/23: San Francisco (Fillmore)
11/24: San Francisco (Fillmore)
11/25: Los Angeles (The Wiltern)

Dirty On Purpose Fall Tour

Arg, nothing in DC for these guys either.

Although I do have to compliment their choice (?) in tour mates - The Wedding Present, Liam Finn and The New Year. Pretty good company.

Dirty on Purpose Fall Tour
8/27: Chicago (Raven Festival) w/ The M's, Bound Stems, Detholtz!
9/29: St. Paul, MN (Turf Club) #
9/30: Madison, WI (High Noon Saloon) #
10/1: Chicago (Empty Bottle) #
10/2: Pontiac, MI (Pike Room) #
10/3: Toronto (Lee's Palace) #
10/4: Ottawa (Barrymore's Music Hall) #
10/5: Montreal (Pop Montreal) @
10/6: Philadelphia (Johnny Brenda's) %
10/10: Brooklyn (MHOW) %
10/12: Providence, RI (The Living Room) %

# = w/ The Wedding Present
@ = w/ Liam Finn and The Veils
% = w/ The New Year

Dead Confederate Fall Tour

No DC show as of yet. Hopefully they'll fit something in between Union Hall and the Cat's Cradle. Hell, they're playing the Exit/In twice in a month - they ought to at least play here once, eh?

The band will be touring in support of their debut LP, Wrecking Ball, which comes out on September 16th via TAO Records [Pre-Order]. Check out the first track from the album, "The Rat", here:

Dead Confederate, "The Rat"

Dead Confederate Fall Tour
9/11: Nashville, TN (Exit/In) w/ Turbo Fruits
9/12: Augusta, GA (Sky City) w/ Turf War
9/18: Macon, GA (The Hummingbird)
9/19: Athens, GA (40 Watt - CD Release Show) w/ Kuroma, Twin Tigers, and Gift Horse
9/20: Atlanta, GA (The Earl - CD Release Show) w/ Wax Fang, Twin Tigers
9/23: Chattanooga, TN (JJ's Bohemia) w/ Wax Fang, Twin Tigers
9/24: Birmingham, AL (The Bottletree) w/ Wax Fang, Twin Tigers
9/25: Little Rock, AK (Sticky Fingerz) w/ Wax Fang
9/26: Austin, TX (Emo's - ACL Afterparty) w/ Heartless Bastards, Wax Fang
9/27: Dallas, TX (The Cavern) w/ Wax Fang
9/29: St. Louis, MO (The Bluebird) w/ Catfish Haven
9/30: Lawrence, KS (Jackpot Music Hall) w/ Catfish Haven
10/1: Omaha, NE (The Waiting Room) w/ Catfish Haven
10/2: Madison, WI (The Annex) w/ Catfish Haven
10/3: Milwaukee, WI (Mo's - MMJ afterparty) w/ Catfish Haven
10/4: Chicago (Schuba's)
10/7: Cambridge, MA (TT the Bear's) w/ Catfish Haven
10/8: Philadelphia, PA (The Khyber) w/ Catfish Haven
10/9: New York, NY (Mercury Lounge) w/ Catfish Haven
10/10: Brooklyn, NY (Union Hall) w/ Catfish Haven
10/14: Carrboro, NC (Cat's Cradle) w/ Heartless Bastards
10/16: Nashville (Exit/In) w/ Heartless Bastards
10/17: Oxford, MS (Proud Larry's) w/ Heartless Bastards
10/25: New Orleans, LA (Voodoo Experience)

New Takka Takka Video, "Silence"

I missed this when it made the rounds a couple of days ago... cool stuff.

Takka Takka plays the Black Cat Backstage with the Oxford Collapse on Thursday, September 25th. They're supporting their new album, Migration [BUY], which will almost certainly be somewhere on my year-end list.

Doveman Covers The Entire Footloose Soundtrack

I can't say I'm a huge Doveman fan. Thomas' voice has always kinda bothered me. Yet I've somehow managed to see him live 4 or 5 times due to the fact that he's friends with, and has opened shows for, the National, Glen Hansard and The Frames.

Interestingly, though, I saw today that Doveman had recorded a cover album for the Footloose soundtrack. As a child of the 80's, I admit to having listened to this album a LOT at one point in my life. I suppose it also had something to do with the fact that my uncle engineered the soundtrack, and that everyone in the family was required to own at least one copy of the album.

I've listened to the first two songs so far, and it's pretty much what you'd expect - dirge-like piano balladry alongside Thomas' throaty vocals. Not my thing. But maybe it's yours.

Edited to add: Go here to listen. The widget I had been using starts to play automatically anytime you'd come to this blog, and that annoyed the crap out of me.

The Funniest Movie Ever?

No, not really, but I caught a few minutes of Amazon Women on the Moon on cable last night for the first time in 15 years, and it reminded me just how funny that movie was.

Who knew that David Allen Grier used to be funny?

The part that absolutely kills me every time is his version of "Joy To The World" (Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog). It starts at the 3:13 mark.

One Year In The Wilderness

So today is officially my one-year anniversary of living in D.C. (well, actually Northern Virginia, but there's not much distinction to me).

Things are still in flux, but I'm thinking there ain't gonna be a second anniversary.

Miracle Fortress Playing Black Cat on 9/16

Spectacular.

Miracle Fortress
Black Cat (Backstage)
Tuesday, Sept. 16
On sale on Fri. 8/22

No word as to any other dates on the tour yet, but I'll post them when I find them.

The Hold Steady @ 9:30 Club, DC [8/14/08]

Standard Hold Steady show. Standard = loud and a lot of fun.

I enjoyed this show a lot more than the band's last trip through town, due in large part to the fact that I got there early enough to get a spot where I could actually see the band this time.

My only complaint? Very little in the way of older tunes - the set was almost entirely Boys and Girls in America and Stay Positive. Although we did manage to goad them into a second encore of "How a Resurrection Really Feels."

As for the openers, The Loved Ones... they wear their ties to Lifetime on their sleeves a bit too much. (Lead singer Dave Hause was in Paint It Black with Lifetime's Dan Yemin.) Unfortunately, the comparison is more of an aspiration than a reality.

Initial CMJ Lineup Announced

Thanks to Brooklyn Vegan for the heads up.

My picks in bold. And I want to point out that Hey Rosetta! is on this list, and may be all the justification I need to haul my ass to CMJ. That and The Dears.

3OH!3, A Place to Bury Strangers, Aa, Adept Aggrolites, AIDS Wolf Albertans, Amazing Baby Ambulance Ltd, An Albatross Ane Brun, Anna Ternheim Annuals, Anthony Green Arbouretum, Ariel Pink and Geneva Jacuzzi, Bailiff, Beach House, Benji Cossa, Black Hollies, Black Taxi, BM Linx, Bonne Aparte, Broken Social Scene, Brighton, MA, Canasta, Canon Logic, Caroline Weeks, Catcall, Charles Burst, Coathangers, Cool Kids, Cotton Jones, Crystal Castles, Cut Off Your Hands, Deanna Devore, Death Vessel, Deerhoof, Del McCoury Band, Delta Spirit, Die! Die! Die!, Dive Index, DMBQ, Donavon Frankenreiter, Doug Paisley, Dungen, Eagle Seagull, Envy On The Coast, Experimental Dental School, Fiasco, Flying, Franki Chan, Fujiya & Miyagi, Gang Gang Dance, Gliss, Growing, HeartsRevolution, Hecuba, Hey Rosetta, Higgins, High Places, Hollywood Holt, Hospital Bombers, IRAN, James Jackson Toth, Japanese Motors, Jay Reatard, Joe Pug, Juliana Hatfield, Jupiter One, Karkwa, King Khan & The BBQ Show, Lacona, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Let's Go To War, Life and Times, Looker , Lykke Li, Magnetic Morning, Margot and the Nuclear So-and-Sos, Marissa Nadler, Marnie Stern, Matt Duke, Matthew Dear, Micachu, Mike Bones, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, Minus the Bear, Mirah, Monotonix, mother mother, Natalie Walker, Needers & Givers, No Kids, Nouvellas, Oakley Hall, Octopus Project, Other Lives, Oxford Collapse, Parts and Labor, Peephole, Pegasuses-XL, Pit er Pat, Plastic Little, Pontiak, Portastatic, Princeton, Psychic Ills, Rainbow Arabia, Real Ones, Rebecca Pidgeon, Restaurant, Rio en Medio, Rocketship Park, Roisin Murphy, Ruby Suns, Rumspringa, Said the Whale, Savoir Adore, School of Seven Bells, Screens, Shad, Shellshag, Sian Alice Group, Sky Cries Mary, Sole and Skyrider Band, sPADH, Takka Takka, Terry Lynn, The Apes, The Broken West, The Dears , The Homosexuals, The Mae Shi, The Moin Non Plus, The Music Tapes, The Muslims, The New Number Two, The Octagon, The Psychic Paramount, The Rosebuds, The Takeover UK, The Two Man Gentlemen Band, The Unsacred Hearts, The Virgins, Theresa Andersson, They Might Be Giants, TK Webb, Tunnels To Holland, Two Spot Gobi, Violens, Vivian Girls, Whomadewho, Wild Light, Will Hoge, Woods, Wye Oak, Yip Yip, Yo Majesty

Two Great Shows

So I was perusing the NYC concert listings in an attempt to figure out what shows I might need to start buying tickets for soon, and I noticed a great show at Mercury Lounge on Sunday, September 28th: David Vandervelde and Throw Me The Statue.

This is the first date I've seen announced for Vandervelde, who will be touring in support of his new album, Waiting for the Sunrise, which is out now on Secretly Canadian. I'm enjoying the album quite a bit, though it's very, very different than David's first disc. Whereas the first album had an undeniably strong Marc Bolan/T. Rex vibe, the new album reminds me quite a bit of George Harrison's All Things Must Pass.

Here's the first track from the album:

David Vandervelde, "I Will Be Fine" (from Waiting for the Sunrise)

No word yet if Vandervelde will be doing any other dates with Throw Me The Statue. If he does end up joining TMTS's Wed., 9/24 show at the Rock and Roll Hotel here in DC, which also features the excellent Tereu Tereu, then that will pretty much wrap up the title as Best DC Show of September.

DC Show Update

My picks in bold. Updates throughout the week in italics.

9:30 Club
Sat., 9/27: Super Diamond
Sun., 9/28: Apocalyptica
Sat., 10/4: Chromeo, Midnight Juggernauts
Fri., 10/10: Shudder to Think, Pattern is Movement (on sale 8/16)
Tue., 11/11: Toadies

Unless otherwise noted, 9:30 Club tickets go on sale tomorrow (Thu., 8/14) at 10am Eastern via Tickets.com.

Black Cat
Fri., 8/29: Pacha Massive, DJ Rockactivo (mainstage)
Sat., 8/30: Bellman Barker, Andy Zipf, Cobra Collective (main)
Mon., 9/1: Raphael Saadiq (main)
Mon., 9/8: Bellflur, Mr. Gnome (backstage)
Mon., 9/15: Peelander-Z (back)
Fri., 10/3: Fleet Foxes (main)
Fri., 10/10: Los Amigos Invisibles (main)
Mon., 10/13: Langhorne Slim, Heartless Bastards (main)
Tue., 10/14: Chuck Ragan, Ben Nichols, Tim Barry, Frank Turner (main)
Sat., 10/25: Mirah, No Kids (main)
Sat., 11/1: Bishop Allen (main)
Tue., 11/4: Deerhunter, Times New Viking, Knyfe Hyts (main)
Fri., 11/14: The Spinto Band

Unless otherwise noted, Black Cat tickets go on sale on Friday (8/15) at 5pm Eastern via Ticketmaster.

Rock and Roll Hotel
Fri., 11/7: Nicole Atkins & The Sea, Salt & Samovar
Sat., 11/8: Bassnectar
Mon., 11/17: Frightened Rabbit

Unless otherwise noted, RnR Hotel tickets go on sale on Friday (8/15) at 10am Eastern via Ticket Alternative.

The Antlers Coming to DC (Finally!)

Just saw this...

The Antlers
Velvet Lounge
Monday, 10/13
Doors 9pm/Show 9:30pm/21+

I'll be talking about this one a lot more as it gets closer.

Vivian Girls @ DC9, DC [8/13/08]

I cut out of Margot during the last song of their encore and jogged down to DC9 in time to catch Vivian Girls. Glad I did.

Margot and The Nuclear So & Sos @ 9:30 Club, DC [8/13/08]

Hopefully I'll get around to talking about the show tomorrow. We shall see.

Last Fort Reno Show of the Year

Meant to post about this a few days ago... my apologies.

This year's Fort Reno concert series is coming to an end with a HUGE bang tomorrow night. The show will feature Title Tracks, the new band from John Davis of Georgie James and Q and Not U; the boot-stomping Americana punk of Yell County; and, IMO, Washington D.C.'s most criminally underappreciated band (well, maybe it's a tie), The Jet Age.

As usual, the show starts at 7:15pm and ends at 9:30pm.

Go, people. Go.

Listen to the New Broken West Album

The Broken West's new album, Now or Heaven, is now available for pre-order and STREAMING at the Merge Records website. The album is officially released on Tuesday, September 9th.

I just started listening to it, and will share my thoughts once I've gotten through it.

Now or Heaven Tracklist
1. Gwen, Now and Then
2. Auctioneer
3. Elm City
4. Ambuscade
5. Perfect Games
6. House of Lies
7. The Smartest Man Alive
8. Got It Bad
9. Terror for Two
10. Embassy Row

Frightened Rabbit Fall Tour Dates

A couple of days ago, a commenter asked if I had full dates for Frightened Rabbit's upcoming North American tour. I didn't then -- I do now. All dates other than DC and Northampton are with The Spinto Band.

Not sure if any other dates will be announced or not. They do seem to have a few gaps in November, including a free date on Tuesday, 11/18 that could be a second NYC show.

Frightened Rabbit Fall North American Tour
Fri., 10/17: Philadelphia (First Unitarian Church)
Sat., 10/18: Brooklyn (MHOW)
Sun., 10/19: Cambridge, MA (Middle East Downstairs)
Mon., 10/20: Montreal (Petit Campus)
Wed., 10/22: Columbus, OH (Skully's Music Diner)
Thu., 10/23: Chicago (Metro)
Fri., 10/24: Madison, WI (High Noon Saloon)
Sat., 10/25: Minneapolis (7th Street Entry)
Tue., 10/28: Seattle (Chop Suey)
Wed., 10/29: Vancouver, BC (Media Club)
Mon., 11/3: Los Angeles (Echoplex)
Thu., 11/6: Phoenix (Rhythm Room)
Sun., 11/9: Austin, TX (Fun Fun Fun Fest)
Mon., 11/17: Washington, DC (Rock and Roll Hotel)
Wed., 11/19: Northampton, MA (Iron Horse Music Hall)

We're Going to Candy Mountain!

I have absolutely no idea how I missed this when it first came out a long, long time ago.

It has quickly become my favorite thing of all time.

Frightened Rabbit Coming Back to DC

I'm out of town for a funeral, so my apologies for the slowness on the blog the last few days.

Wanted to point this out, though:

Frightened Rabbit
Rock and Roll Hotel
Washington, DC
Mon., November 17
Tickets on sale Fri. 8/15

I'm surprised they're only playing RnR Hotel. They filled the Black Cat Backstage in June, and RnR is approximately the same size. So all I can say is... buy your ticket early. It's gonna sell out.

Fleet Foxes Coming Back to Black Cat on 10/3

I guess DC just can't get enough of the beards...

Fleet Foxes
Black Cat (mainstage)
Fri., 10/3
On sale 8/15

I've had tickets to the last two shows the band did in town but didn't make it to either. I did catch them at SXSW, though, and enjoyed their live show. So I may end up trying again. Maybe.

DC Show Update

Seems like I'm starting on Monday every week at this point...

My picks in bold. Updates will be in italics.

9:30 Club
Thu., 9/18: James
Tue., 9/23: Built to Spill performing Perfect From Now On
Wed., 10/22: Minus the Bear, Annuals, Sylvie

Unless otherwise noted, 9:30 Club shows go on sale tomorrow (8/7) at 10am Eastern via Tickets.com.

Black Cat
Fri., 8/22: Bryan Scary & The Shredding Tears, Kitty Hawk, The Beanstalk Library (mainstage)
Sat., 8/30: Bellman Barker, Andy Zipf, Cobra Collective (mainstage) (on sale 8/15)
Tue., 9/2: Len Bias, The Poison Arrows (backstage)
Thu., 9/11: The Ettes, Impossible Hair (backstage)
Sun., 9/14: Maps & Atlases, Rahim (backstage)
Thu., 9/18: Faraquet, Statehood (backstage)
Sat., 9/20: Chopteeth (CD Release) (mainstage)
Mon., 9/22: The Caribbean, Silences Sumire (backstage)
Tue., 9/23: The Points (CD Release), Black Time, Static Static (backstage)
Thu., 9/25: Oxford Collapse, Takka Takka (backstage)
Fri., 10/3: Fleet Foxes (mainstage) (on sale 8/15)
Sat., 10/4: Jukebox the Ghost, Say Hi, Junior League (mainstage)
Fri., 10/10: Los Amigos Invisibles (mainstage)
Mon., 10/13: Langhorne Slim, Heartless Bastards (mainstage) (on sale 8/15)<
Tue., 10/14: Chuck Ragan, Ben Nichols, Tim Barry (mainstage) (on sale 8/15)
Wed., 10/29: Bouncing Souls, Strike Anywhere, The Casting Out, Gimme Drugs (mainstage)
Sat., 11/1: Bishop Allen (mainstage) (on sale 8/15)
Tue., 11/4: Deerhunter, Times New Viking, Knyfe Hyts (mainstage) (on sale 8/15)
Fri., 11/14: The Spinto Band (mainstage) (on sale 8/15)
Fri., 11/7: The Gutter Twins (mainstage)
Mon., 11/17: The Aquabats, Suburban Legends

Unless otherwise noted, Black Cat tickets go on sale this Friday (8/8) at 5pm Eastern via Ticketmaster.

DC9
Sat., 8/30: Lode Runner, Yell County
Sun., 9/14: Sera Cahoone, Sam Champion, The Beanstalk Library, Brothers and Sisters
Wed., 9/17: Vandaveer (added to existing Basia Bulat show)

DC9 tickets are generally sold at the door only, except for the Basia Bulat/Vandaveer show, which is on sale now here.

Rock and Roll Hotel
Thu., 9/18: HORSE the band, Heavy Heavy Low Low, So Many Dynamos
Fri., 10/3: Glasvegas
Sat., 10/11: Mike Relm
Fri., 10/17: Magnetic Morning, Springhouse, Julie Ocean, Jet Age (on sale now)
Sun., 10/19: Fucked Up
Wed., 10/29: Portugal.The Man, Earl Greyhound, Wintersleep
Mon., 11/10: Mark Kozelek

Unless otherwise noted, RnR Hotel tickets go on sale this Friday (8/8) at 10am Eastern via Ticket Alternative. By the way, the Rock and Roll Hotel is not really a functioning hotel.

Velvet Lounge
Thu., 9/25: Bloodsugars, Bridges & Powerlines

Velvet Lounge tickets are sold at the door only.

The Dears Sign To Dangerbird

Just saw over at Rock Insider that Montreal's The Dears have signed with LA's Dangerbird Records, and will be releasing their third LP, entitled Missiles, on October 21.

The Dears' last album, Gang of Losers, was my second favorite album of 2006. (And, honestly, if I were doing that list now, it might be #1.) So it goes without saying that I'm really, really looking forward to hearing the new album.

A song called "Meltdown In A Major" is currently streaming at the band's site, and I assume it's on the new album. Unsurprisingly, it's pretty great, though it's quite a bit softer and dreamier than anything on the last album.

Julie Ocean @ Fort Reno Park, DC [8/7/08]

I declare this to be the best photo I've ever taken at a rock show with a kid doing a somersault right in front of the band.

Bon Iver Playing Town Hall (NYC)

Jeez, this dude has exploded. Town Hall holds 1,500 people, and my guess is this will easily sell out.

I may be back in NYC by this show, so I'll probably have to go ahead and buy a ticket.

(Thanks to Danny The Rock and Roll Kid for the heads up!)

Spoon Pimps For The Feather Blenny

I've been seeing this ad for the National Aquarium a ton lately...

Who knew fish people had good taste in music?

Drudge Gets One Right!

It's a rare day that the very right-leaning Matt Drudge calls a Republican on their crap. Thankfully, he did it today.

911 Is A Joke

Well, at least these 911 calls are a joke. They're real, unfortunately, but the whole thing makes me weep for America.

Listen here (be sure to follow the link).

For more info, including a photo of the justifiably-angry caller (I'd call 911 too if Subway didn't give me green peppers), go to The Smoking Gun.

Wonder if this is will convince Burger King to get rid of their "Have It Your Way" slogan...

New Wilco Song, "One Wing"

From Lollapalooza:

Julie Ocean Touring With Magnetic Morning

Just got some excellent news...

One of my favorite DC bands, Julie Ocean, will be joining Magnetic Morning (ft. Adam Franklin of Swervedriver and Sam Fogarino of Interpol) and Springhouse (ft. Jack Rabid) on their upcoming tour through the Northeast, including dates in Boston, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, DC and Chapel Hill.

And, as if the DC show couldn't get any better, the bands will be joined by another of my favorite DC bands, The Jet Age.

If you're in any of these towns, seriously, see this show.

Julie Ocean Fall Tour
Thu., 10/16: Chapel Hill, NC (Local 506)
Fri., 10/17: Washington, DC (Rock and Roll Hotel)
Sat., 10/18: Philadelphia (Johnny Brenda's)
Mon., 10/20: Allston, MA (Great Scott)
Tue., 10/21: Brooklyn (Southpaw)

For a full listing of Magnetic Morning Fall US tour dates (including Midwest and West Coast dates), go here.

Birdmonster Update

Just a quick note to remind everyone that the new Birdmonster album, From The Mountain To The Sea, is available for digital download tomorrow at iTunes and "other digital media outlets." (I'm not sure if this includes eMusic or not, but I hope it does.)

If you're in the band's native San Francisco, be sure to catch the band's CD Release Party this Sunday (8/10) at Hotel Utah. It's not a full Birdmonster gig per se, but DJ Ted from Bagel Radio will be spinning the entire album, and there will be "special acoustic sets." I assume that means by Birdmonster, but they don't specify.

And, if you're not in SF, you can catch the band on tour with The Rumble Strips this Fall. Here's the dates:

Birdmonster Tour Dates
8/7: St. Helena, CA (Free Show - Music in the Park)
8/10: San Francisco (Hotel Utah - CD release party)
8/13: Palo Alto, CA (KZSU In-Studio @ 9pm - stream)
9/2: Los Angeles (Troubadour, w/ Sons & Daughters)
9/3: San Francisco (Great American Music Hal, w/ Nada Surf)
10/4: Philadelphia (Johnny Brendas) #
10/5: Washington, DC (Black Cat) #
10/6: Carrboro, NC (Cat's Cradle) #
10/7: Atlanta, GA (The Earl) #
10/8: Orlando, FL (The Social) #
10/10: New Orleans (House of Blues) #
10/11: Austin (The Parish ROOM) #
10/14: San Diego (The Casbah) #
10/18: Portland, OR (Doug Fir) #
10/19: Seattle (Chop Suey) #
10/20: Vancouver, BC (Media Club) #
10/23: Minneapolis (7th Street Entry) #
10/24: Chicago (Abbey Pub) #
10/27: Newport, KY (Southgate House) #
10/31: Cambridge, MA (TT the Bear's) #
11/1: NYC (Bowery Ballroom) #

# = with The Rumble Strips

Guess that means no CMJ this year, since it runs from October 21-25. Oh well. At least it looks like I'll be able to catch them twice on this tour.

Random Thought of the Day

Is there a better lyric in music than: "Bustin' makes me feel good?"

Qualified To Lead?

If you haven't seen it, this video is pretty astounding and important.

McCain's age has always been an easy target, even though there wasn't a whole lot to back up the idea that he was in any way losing his edge.

Well, now there's proof. Not only can he not remember a question he was asked just seconds before, but he also seems to be relying on some sort of computer to give him answers to questions during a press conference.

And we're supposed to believe that he can make hugely important decisions in a fast manner because.... ??

More Talk Talk

If you don't want to wade through Pandora's "suggestions", here's a quicker way to hear some Talk Talk. The songs are in chronological order, and if you're not familiar with the band at all, you'll be pretty surprised how much they changed from album to album.

You may also recognize one of the songs if you were at the show last night.

Bon Iver @ Black Cat, DC [8/1/08]

Pics now, I promise some discussion tomorrow. And maybe I'll get to some discussion of this week's Old 97s and Jet Age shows.

Oh, and to the clueless kid behind me who spent the entire show trying to convince his friend he was cool because he knew Sonic Youth, but then asked "Who the hell is Talk Talk?" when the band pulled out a Talk Talk cover during the encore... read and listen.

And, yes, DC crowd... playing a Talk Talk song was the band's message to you to shut up during largely-acoustic shows. I hope you figured that out.

Bon Iver




Judy Tenuta Bowerbirds

SXSW 2009 Registration is OPEN!

We're officially 7 months and 17 days away from South By Southwest 2009, so you know what that means... it's time to buy your badge and book your hotel.

Prices have gone up again this year. Instead of the $500 early-bird special, it's now $550 for a Music Festival badge. Downtown hotels, on the other hand, seem to be somewhat reasonable (approx. $200/night), especially if you're sharing.

This is the first year I've registered early enough to request a room in the downtown Hilton (right by the convention center), and I'll be beyond psyched if I actually get a room there.

So who else is going?

Jarvis Cocker Video from Pitchfork Fest

A friend who was at the Pitchfork Fest mentioned that Jarvis Cocker's set was, surprisingly, the highlight of the weekend. Based on this video, I can see why. Good stuff.

Sorry it doesn't fit perfectly...