China Becomes a Democracy on 11/25?

So are these articles actually right?

Is this thing finally coming out?

Is it gonna be any good?

Will I actually go to a Best Buy to purchase one?

Free Rock Show on Saturday!

If you're in DC this weekend, I recommend heading over to Dahlak in Adams Morgan to check out some great, FREE rock music.

The show starts at 10pm with Kalem Jones (singer-songwriter/shoegaze), followed by Stew faves The Jet Age at 10:30pm, and then 7 Door Sedan (T-Rex-y guitar heroics). THEN, if you're still not satisfied, you might just get a second helping of The Jet Age at midnight.

So, err, yeah. Go. It's at 18th and U. You can grab a jumbo slice afterwards.

Rally With Barack Obama and Joe Biden in VA on Saturday!

RSVP here.

Change We Need Rally
with Barack Obama and Joe Biden

This Saturday, September 27th, please join Barack Obama and Joe Biden in Fredericksburg, where they will talk about their vision for creating the kind of change we need.

Ball Circle
University of Mary Washington
1301 College Ave.
Fredericksburg, VA [MAP]

Saturday, September 27th
Gates Open: 3:00 p.m.
Program Begins: 5:15 p.m.

This event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required; however, an RSVP is strongly encouraged.

For security reasons, do not bring bags and please limit personal items. No signs or banners are permitted. Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

DC Show Update

Sorry I'm running late on this this week. My picks in bold.

Black Cat
Thu., 10/16: Paul Michel (backstage)
Fri., 10/17: The Cassettes (mainstage)
Sun., 11/2: The Andalusians, The Bickersons (backstage)
Tue., 11/18: Little Joy (ft. Fabrizio of the Strokes), The Dead Trees (backstage)
Sun., 12/7: Radar Bros. (backstage)
Mon., 12/29: The Damned, Theo and the Skyscrapers, Electric Frankenstein (mainstage)

Unless otherwise noted, all Black Cat shows go on sale on Friday (9/26) at 5pm Eastern via Ticketmaster.

Rock and Roll Hotel
Sun., 11/2: To Write Love On Her Arms, Nevertheless (and others)
Sat., 11/15: The Dance Party
Fri., 11/21: Subtle, Zach Hill, Pattern Is Movement
Sun., 11/23: Municipal Waste
Fri., 12/5: Hayes Caril
Sat., 12/6: Darker My Love
Sun., 12/7: ohGr

Unless otherwise noted, all RnR Hotel shows go on sale on Friday (9/26) at 10am Eastern via Ticket Alternative.

DC9
Mon., 11/17: Butch Walker (on sale 10/3 at noon)

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

Iota
Thu., 11/13: Blue Mountain

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

Obama's Brisket Is Beyond

Awesome.

Letterman Skewers McCain

This is spectacular.

My Bloody Valentine @ Roseland Ballroom, NYC [9/22/08]

Wow, I seriously haven't been this busy since my days as a lawyer. Between volunteering for the Obama campaign for about 60 hours a week, and my 24-hour trip to NYC this week, I've been seriously slacking on the blog here... my apologies.

Anyway, here's some pics from Monday night's My Bloody Valentine show at Roseland Ballroom in New York. I gotta tell ya... I've been to hundreds of concerts, and this was, quite simply, the LOUDEST show I have ever been to in my life. Especially the last 10 minutes or so, when the band turned everything up even louder and just pummeled us with noise. I was about 15 feet back from the stage, and the pressure coming from through the air literally made it hard to breathe. Just astounding.

As for the music itself, the band sounded fantastic. As I mentioned to my friend Matt after the show -- if they can still play this well, and with this much passion, why the hell did it take them 16 years to tour again? I don't even really care if we ever get new music. When you can put on this type of show, it's almost a crime not to be playing more often.

My pics are just terrible, unfortunately. A mixture of my crappy camera, poor lighting (for photography), and my general poor photography skills. But that Roseland sign photo sure did come out well.

Random Thoughts... About Glasvegas

Ah, another 12+ hour day on the campaign trail... fun stuff. (Seriously. I'll have to post some pics and stories eventually. And all of you in the DC area should come out and volunteer for a few hours in the Old Town Alexandria office at 1307 King Street. Odds are I'll be there.)

Anyway, I spent some time today listening to this new Glasvegas album that's been getting all kinds of buzz. And, honestly, I just don't get it. The album sounds like a Scottish guy fronting The Stills. It's not bad, but I have yet to be really impressed by anything on the album other than the single, "Daddy's Gone", which is admittedly a cool throw-back tune.

Of course, it took me a while to "get" The Shout Out Louds' Our Ill Wills last year, but I'm not convinced I'm ever gonna "get" this one.

I Shall Not Partake In Talk Like A Pirate Day

It's today, by the way.

But I just won't do it.

DC Show Update

Post will be updated throughout the week in italics. My picks in bold.

9:30 Club
Fri., 10/31: The Pietasters, The Toasters, Deal's Gone Bad
Sat., 11/1: Rhys Darby
Sun., 11/2: Hercules and Love Affair
Tue., 11/4: Flobots, Blue Scholars
Tue., 12/2: Vampire Weekend (2nd show added - on sale now)
Fri., 1/2: Gogol Bordello
Sat., 1/3: Gogol Bordello

Unless otherwise noted, all 9:30 Club shows go on sale on Thursday (9/18) at 10am Eastern via Tickets.com.

Black Cat
Mon., 10/20: Benjy Ferree, The Griefs (backstage)
Sun., 11/9: Ben Kenney (of Incubus) (?!?!) (mainstage)
Fri., 11/21: French Kicks (mainstage)

Unless otherwise noted, all Black Cat shows go on sale on Friday (9/19) at 5pm Eastern via Ticketmaster.

DC9
Sun., 11/9: The Shaky Hands

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

Rock and Roll Hotel
Sat., 10/18: US Royalty, Bear Hands, Blonde Acid Cult, Fever
Mon., 11/3: Illinois
Sun., 11/9: Stellastarr
Fri., 11/14: Chopteeth
Sat., 11/15: The Dance Party
Tue., 12/2: Illinois
Thu., 12/11: My Brightest Diamond, Clare & The Reasons

Unless otherwise noted, all RnR Hotel shows go on sale on Friday (9/19) at 10am Eastern via Ticket Alternative.

A Very Good Ad

I've found a bunch of Obama's ads to be a little too unfocused. This one, however, packs a bunch of good info into a very direct, clear 30-second spot. I like it a lot.

I also like Obama's new intro. It sounds more serious, and a tad more urgent.

They're Back!

In case you'd forgotten, those crazy kids from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia are back with Season 4 on FX starting TOMORROW NIGHT at 10pm.

A reminder of why you absolutely must watch this show:

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Miracle Fortress & Title Tracks @ Black Cat, DC [9/16/08]

Quick pics before I head to bed. Discussion tomorrow, probably.

Miracle Fortress



Title Tracks

Julie Ocean Playing With From The Jam Next Week!

Figured this post went well with my wrapup of the Weller show...

Think I mentioned this in one of my earlier DC Show Update posts, but From The Jam - the band featuring 2/3 of The Jam that doesn't include Paul Weller (i.e., Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler) - is playing at the State Theatre in Falls Church next Wednesday night, 9/24.

I haven't seen these guys yet, but I've heard that they're fantastic. And you don't have to sit through jammy versions of new Paul Weller songs. You can listen for yourself over at the band's MySpace page.

Oh, and if that's not enough for you, DC's own Julie Ocean is opening the show. So you really have no excuse for not going (unless you're going to the Broken West show like me).

Buy tickets via the State Theatre's home page.

Paul Weller @ 9:30 Club, DC [9/13/08]

Meant to post some thoughts about this show on Sunday, but got caught up with some other things.

This was my first time seeing Paul, and the show was pretty much exactly what I expected - professional, tight, and not particularly exciting. To be fair, the band played with a lot of energy, and the first half of the show was excellent despite that not much of the audience (myself included) was familiar with the material, which came primarily from Paul's latest album, 22 Dreams. (Which I'm told is very good, BTW.)

Unfortunately, at about the 50-minute mark of the set, the band veered off in a jammy direction, and the last few songs of the main set (as well as part of the first encore) were unnecessarily drawn-out. At one point I thought they were actually doing their own version of Drums/Space.



Thankfully, things picked up again, and the band surprised absolutely no one by ending the night with a rollicking, crowd-interactive version of "Town Called Malice". Even my friend Matt, who I don't think I've ever seen clap along with a crowd before in a decade of going to shows, clapped along. That's how good this song is.



A couple of so-so picks from halfway back on the floor.

"Choke" Trailer - Probably Gonna Suck

I've read about half of Chuck Palahniuk's books, and I'm still trying to find one that comes close to being half as good as the movie version of Fight Club.

The closest I've come is 2001's Choke, the touching story of a sex addict who pretends to choke on food in various fancy restaurants in order to get money to pay for his mother's nursing home care. While far from perfect, it's easily the funniest of the Palahniuk books that I've read, and the only one that didn't come across as trying too hard to be quirky and/or "dangerous".

The movie adaptation of Choke comes out on September 26th, and it's got a great cast, including the great Sam Rockwell, Anjeica Huston, and the amazingly-underappreciated Kelly Macdonald (who is, sadly, still married to one of the hacks from Travis). Despite a great cast, though, I can't say that the trailer, or any of the 30-second ads on TV, give me a whole lot of confidence in this movie.

Oh, and a memo to the movie industry -- using the worst song of the decade (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's "Satan Said Dance") to advertise your movie makes people associate your movie with dogshit.

New Ted Leo EP, "Rapid Response"

My apologies if this has already been covered in depth on the other blogs... I've been spending a good deal of time at the local Obama HQ and haven't been as attentive to the world of music as I ought have.

Anyway, the news of the day is that Ted Leo and the Pharmacists have a brand new 4-song digital-only EP called "Rapid Response". You can download it NOW at Touch and Go/Quarterstick Records for $4.

Here's the description of the EP from Touch and Go/Quarterstick:

Inspired by the events surrounding the police action on civil protests at the recent Republican National Convention, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists channeled their own corresponding anger and frustration into a more creative message – that of potent song. The band quickly wrote a new track in direct response and, along with another new song and two equally relevant cover tunes, recorded four raw emotional interpretations of the current political climate. The intent of the recordings is to raise awareness and funds for specially selected organizations Minneapolis Food Not Bombs and Democracy Now! to help out those arrested during the protests.

For the next two weeks, the four-song EP will be sold exclusively as a digital bundle at the Touch & Go/Quarterstick webstore for $4. 100% of the proceeds will be split evenly between Minneapolis Food Not Bombs and Democracy Now! organizations, and greater donation quantities will be available for those who wish to contribute more. Take your own stand; support the music supporting the cause.

Wow, SNL Was Funny

I'm gonna give the credit to Tina for this one.

RIP - David Foster Wallace

Goddammit.

Writer David Foster Wallace found dead; The "Infinite Jest" author, 46, hanged himself at home

David Foster Wallace, the author best known for his 1996 novel "Infinite Jest," was found dead in his home, according to police. He was 46.

Obama Fundraising: $200 and Counting!

UPDATE: We're up to $280 as of 5:20pm on Saturday, 9/13!

Just a quick update. I mentioned a week or two ago that I'd set up a fundraising page for the Obama/Biden campaign. My goal for the campaign was $1,000, and I'm happy to say that, as of today, we're up to $200.

Thanks to everyone who's contributed so far! And if you're interested in contributing - even $5 or $10 helps - please do so!

Oh, and in case you're wondering, I don't get any benefit from this, other than knowing we're helping to fund the most important presidential campaign in my lifetime.

Edited to add: If you're not registered to vote, you can register here!

FUCK JOHN MCCAIN

Ah, so this is the "change" and "reform" that McCain says he stands for -- dirty tricks to disenfranchise voters.

According to this story in the Cincinnati Enquirer (an extremely Republican-leaning paper, BTW), John McCain's campaign sent out one million forms to the public on which a voter could request an absentee ballot.

However, the form included an unnecessary box asking if the voter was eligible to vote. And amazingly, under Ohio law, if the voter didn't notice the box and didn't check it, that voter is deemed to be admitting that he or she is not eligible to vote, and the application has to be rejected by law. More than 750 absentee ballot requests have already been invalidated as a result.

This is, of course, just another example of the tricks that Republicans have played in Ohio in the past. In 2004, a still-unidentified group sent out a large robo-call telling voters -- "Don't forget! Republicans vote on Tuesday, and Democrats vote on Wednesday."

Also, in 2004, then-Secretary of State Ken Blackwell (Republican) changed the state's rules as to voter identification and provisional ballots just weeks before the election. Those rule changes had the effect of confusing and disenfranchising a large number of poorer, and largely minority, voters in Ohio.

And, of course, who can forget how many Democratic-leaning areas in Ohio (particularly college towns) were given far too few ballot machines in 2004, causing lines that went on for hours and hours -- and causing many people to have to choose between voting and missing work (and often choosing to keep their jobs instead of voting).

Wake up, America. You may not agree with everything the Democratic Party stands for, but you can't possibly agree with the anti-democratic tactics of the Republican Party. You all like to talk about how America is the "greatest country in the world". Well, is this something that the greatest country in the world would do?

Finally

I've been wanting to see him do his own ad for months now. I want more of these.

New Bloc Party Video, "Talons"

I'm reposting this because I accidentally had the wrong video embed code. It's fixed now.

I haven't talked much about Bloc Party's new album, Intimacy. Truth be told, I've only had a chance to listen to it a few times, so I don't feel comfortable saying too much about it yet. But I can say that, on whole, it's a much, much stronger album than A Weekend In The City.

Magic Christian @ Iota [9/11/08]

Some discussion tomorrow. A couple of cruddy iPhone pics now.

In case I forget, though, if you're in NYC, do yourself a favor and catch these guys tomorrow night at Union Hall. They put on a fantastic rock show.

DC Show Update

Post will be updated throughout the week. Updates in italics, my picks in bold.

9:30 Club
Wed., 11/5: Sisters of Mercy (on sale 9/13)
Thu., 11/13: Calexico (on sale 9/12)
Thu., 11/20: Jack's Mannequin (on sale 9/13)
Fri., 11/28: They Might Be Giants
Mon., 12/1: Vampire Weekend (on sale 9/12)
Fri., 12/5: Nada Surf (on sale TBA - via 9:30 Club board)

All 9:30 Club shows go on sale via Tickets.com on the dates noted above.

Black Cat
Sun., 9/28: Raphael Saadiq (mainstage)
Tue., 10/7: Musee Macanique (backstage)
Wed., 10/15: Paramount Styles (ex-Girls Against Boys), Solar Powered Sun Destroyer (backstage)
Thu., 10/23: The Rosebuds (mainstage)
Fri., 10/24: World/Inferno Friendship Society (mainstage)
Sun., 10/26: Little Brother (mainstage)
Thu., 12/4: O'Death, Wye Oak

Unless otherwise noted, all Black Cat shows go on sale on Friday (9/12) at 5pm Eastern via Ticketmaster.

Iota
Sun., 9/21: Benju Ferree, Le Loup
Fri., 10/10: Middle Distance Runner
Tue., 11/4: Jolie Holland, Herman Dune
Thu., 11/6: Holly Golightly and the Broke-Offs, Delany Davidson

Tickets for all Iota shows are sold at the door only.

Rock and Roll Hotel
Sat., 10/25: Z-Trip
Wed., 11/19: Centro-matic
Thu., 12/11: My Brightest Diamond, Clare & The Reasons

Unless otherwise noted, all Rock and Roll Hotel shows go on sale on Friday (9/12) at 10am Eastern via Ticket Alternative.

DC9
Sun., 10/19: The Little Ones, Via Audio

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

Birchmere
Sun., 11/9: Alejandro Escovedo, Amy Cook
Tue., 11/18: Robin Hitchcock
Mon., 12/15: Aimee Mann's 3rd Annual Christmas Show w/ special guests
Tue., 12/16: Aimee Mann's 3rd Annual Christmas Show w/ special guests
Wed., 12/17: Todd Rundgren

Unless otherwise noted, all Birchmere shows are already on sale via Ticketmaster.

New Dead Confederate Video, "The Rat"

I've been a huge fan of these guys since seeing them open for Dinosaur Jr. at the Black Cat last year. Their debut LP, Wrecking Ball, is out next Tuesday, September 16th via TAO Records.

I may be wrong, but this seems like a re-recording rather than the same version that appeared on the band's self-titled EP. Honestly, I liked the old version better. This one seems rushed at times (it's 30 seconds shorter than the EP version), and the vocals aren't as raw, which is one of the things that really makes the band stand out.

Register to Vote at Headcount

Do you still need to register to vote in this November's election? Do you like free music?

If you answered yes to either of those questions, then you should head over to Headcount.org, where you can both register to vote and, if you also "pledge" to vote, you'll get free music and get registered for a drawing for two FREE tickets to next year's Bonnaroo festival.

According to its site:

We are a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization devoted to voter registration and participation in democracy. We were created in 2004 by a group of artists, music industry professionals and fans, all determined to make sure the live music community is well-represented at the polls.
***
The majority of our funding comes from performing artists and charitable foundations. No single donor accounts for more than 10 percent of our funding. Some of our most notable supporters include The Bama Works Foundation (Dave Matthews Band), individual members of The Grateful Dead and their affiliated charity, The Rex Foundation, Relix Magazine's "Wear Your Music" program, and major charitable foundations such as The Rockefeller Family Fund, The HHK Foundation, and the Cedar Tree Foundation. We also have staged benefit concerts, sold created a limited edition poster series, and have corporate sponsors such as Magic Hat Brewing Co. and iClips.net.

So if you aren't registered yet, you've got no excuse for not doing it now. Time is running out, FAST.

Barack Roll

Via Adam.

Show Alert - Magic Christian

For those of you looking to fill your DC or NYC-area concert calendars this week, be sure to catch Magic Christian.

If you don't know them yet, Magic Christian is a supergroup from San Francisco made up of Cyril Jordan of The Flamin' Groovies, Clem Burke of Blondie (and many others), Eddie Munoz of The Plimsouls, and vocalist Paul Kopf of nothing other than a true love for rock and roll.

Some friends turned me on to the band at SXSW this year and I loved them. I'm thrilled to see them coming East.

Head over to their MySpace page to get a taste, and then catch them at one of their remaining East Coast dates with Parallax Project:

Wed., 9/10: Rehoboth, DE (Dogfish Head)
Thu., 9/11: Arlington, VA (Iota)
Fri., 9/12: Brooklyn, NY (Union Hall)
Sat., 9/13: Rosemont, PA (Gullifty's)

Jeff Tweedy and Friends Support Obama

Liam Finn and The Veils @ Rock And Roll Hotel, DC [9/6/08]

I'll try to add some notes about the show tomorrow. I got 2 photos of The Veils and nothing of Liam Finn, as I moved to the back between sets because it was waaaay too crowded up front.

For now, I'll refer you to the review over at DC Rock Club.

How To Make The Beatles Unlistenable

Holy crap, this post over at Popdose is spectacular.

If you ever wanted to hear the absolutely worst Beatles covers of all time... well, meet Wing.

I'm loving this version of "In My Life".

Awesome

Sarah Palin Stumbles On Freddie/Fannie

Ah... now I see why the McCain campaign is keeping Sarah Palin away from the media. She doesn't have a freaking clue.

During a speech to voters in Colorado today, the Hockey Mom herself said that mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had "gotten too big and too expensive to the taxpayers." [Source]

Umm, slight problem with that statement - until this weekend's federal takeover, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were private companies and were not taxpayer-funded. So her statement reflects a complete misunderstanding of what Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are, and likely of the entire mortgage crisis in which our country is currently embroiled.

So, John McCain already admitted he didn't know much about the economy, and now it's clear that his VP pick knows even less.

Why are people seriously considering voting for these hacks?

John McCain Is Not Change

This Could Be Huge...

First the National Enquirer reported that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin had had an affair with her husband's former business partner.

Then Andrew Sullivan reported that her husband's business partner, who is in the midst of a divorce, had made a motion to SEAL the documents related to the case.

And apparently, now, the Alaskan court has denied the motion.

So hopefully we'll be finding out soon exactly what it was they didn't want us to see.

And hopefully the media, and, more importantly, the electorate, will start calling bullshit on the supposed "reformer" Sarah Palin, who instead of being a "reformer" seems hell-bent on stalling legitimate investigations and avoiding hard questions.

America, this woman is a sham.

New Boston Spaceships Video, "Winston's Atomic Bird"

How'd I miss this last week? A new video from Bob Pollard's (Guided By Voices) current project, Boston Spaceships.

I actually just got the album this afternoon and have heard about half of it. So far, I like it a lot.

Edited to add: Holy crap, "Psych Threat" may be one of the coolest songs Bob has written in years.

The Stew Endorses Joad Cressbeckler

I'm starting to question my earlier backing of Obama now that Joad Cresbeckler is running.

Donations To Wars Are Not Tax Deductible

Rock Stars Have Kidnapped My Son

Thank god that HBO channel 48 (the Quatro Ocho!) is showing Almost Famous tonight.

It's allowing me to avoid watching John McCain speak.

I just can't do it.

Georgia Republican Representative Calls Obama "Uppity"

This is absolutely amazing.

Forget for a moment that we live in the 21st century. Forget for a moment that we live in a country built on immigration, and being a "melting pot" of cultures, ethnicities, and religions. Forget for a moment that the civil rights movement happened forty years ago. Forget for a moment that no one has any business using this word - or, more specifically, the word that it accidentally/intentionally leaves out - in any context.

Setting all that aside - what type of absolute moron says something like this during his own party's convention, just 60 days prior to an election?

You, sir, are a disgrace.

DC Show Update

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

9:30 Club
Thu., 10/16: Secret Machines
Fri., 10/17: The Bridge
Sun., 10/19: Sara Watkins (of Nickel Creek)
Tue., 11/4: Bad Brains
Mon., 11/10: Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band (maybe on sale 9/6?)

Unless otherwise noted, all 9:30 Club shows go on sale tomorrow (Thu., 9/4) at 10am Eastern via Tickets.com.

Black Cat
Sun., 9/21: Birdlips, Person Parcel, E. Joseph & The Phantom Heart (backstage)
Sun., 9/28: MN8's 7th Anniversary Show ft. Raphael Saddiq (mainstage)
Tue., 10/7: Musee Mecanique (backstage)
Wed., 10/15: Paramount Styles (ex Girls Against Boys), Solar Powered Sun Destroyer (backstage) (on sale 9/12)
Thu., 10/23: The Rosebuds (mainstage) (on sale 9/12)
Fri., 10/24: World/Inferno Friendship Society (mainstage) (on sale 9/12)
Sun., 10/26: Little Brother (mainstage) (on sale 9/12)
Thu., 10/30: Plysics, Jaguar Love (backstage)
Wed., 11/5: Pelican, Kayo Dot, Stephen Brodsky (mainstage)
Mon., 11/10: Exit Clov, Cloud Cult, Mason Proper (mainstage)

Unless otherwise noted, all Black Cat shows go on sale on Friday, 9/5 at 5pm Eastern via Ticketmaster.

So can I assume that Cave-In is completely done?

DC9
Wed., 9/24: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Wild Light
Tue., 10/14: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Mon., 11/10: Asobi Seksu (on sale now)

Tickets for the above-listed DC9 shows are available on eTix. Asobi Seksu is on sale now, and CYHSY tickets go on sale on Friday (9/5) at noon Eastern.

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

New La Rocca, "Roadway Hymn"

My second favorite Irish band (to The Frames, mind you, not these clowns), La Rocca, is releasing its second album, OK Okay, on September 30th via Dangerbird Records. You can pre-order the album via Insound.

The first track from the album, "Roadway Hymn", is now streaming via iMeem. Check it out:

New Two Cow Garage, "Your Humble Narrator"

Columbus, Ohio's Two Cow Garage is set to release its 4th album, entitled Speaking In Cursive, via Suburban Home Records. You can pre-order it here.

I've been a pretty big fan of the band ever since randomly catching their documentary, The Long Way Around: One Badass Year With Two Cow Garage, on cable late one night.

Their promo language is pretty spot on - if you like Lucero and Drive-By Truckers, you're probably gonna like these guys. I know I do.

Two Cow Garage, "Your Humble Narrator"

Edited to add -- Tour dates!

9/5: Bowling Green, OH (Howard's Club)
9/8: Columbus, OH (Micah Solo @ Rumba)
9/11: Manhattan, KS (Auntie Mae's)
9/12: Denver, CO (Suburban Home Anniversary @ Three Kings)
9/13: Colorado Springs, CO (Triple Nickle)
9/14: Fort Collins, CO (Surfside Seven)
10/4: Albany, NY (Valentine's)
10/10: Jackson, MI (Bone Island)
10/11: Chicago (Bottom Lounge)
10/25: Providence, RI (Jake's)
10/31: Orlando, FL (Willis Pub)
11/1: St. Petersburg, FL (Cafe Bohemia)
11/2: Gainesville, FL (The Fest @ Common Grounds)
11/8: St. Louis, MO (Off Broadway)

Contribute to the Obama/Biden Campaign!

OK, so despite my earlier efforts to keep this blog relatively politics-free, I've gotten pretty clearly political in the last few weeks.

If you read this blog for the music/pop-culture stuff alone, I apologize, though I can't promise any changes between now and November. Like many others across the country, I see this election as being of vital importance to our country, and I want to do everything I can to elect Barack Obama. I certainly welcome dissenting points in the comments, but I do plan to continue some political content here and there.

So to that end, I'm adding a link in the right-hand column of the blog (right below my MySpace/Facebook links) linking directly to my personal Obama/Biden fundraising page. I've set a goal of $1,000. So if you agree that we can't afford another four years of Republican leadership, please click over and give what you can.

Oh, and here's the link.

Thanks!

Thursday Listening

If you're looking for something to listen to at work (or home, or elsewhere) today, be sure to head over to Bradley's Almanac.

Brad's got audio of The National's June 13th set opening for R.E.M. at Great Woods, and it sounds great (though it's hard to hide the fact that it's a huge venue).

You can also stream the entire set in a separate window if you head over to the Hype Machine.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Playing DC9 Twice

This is pretty odd, I must say... this was the biggest band in all of indie-dom just a year or two ago.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!
Washington, DC
DC9
Two nights -- Wed. 9/24 and Tue. 10/14

Both shows go on sale tomorrow (9/5) at noon via eTix.

Unfortunately, both shows also are conflicts for me. The Broken West and Throw Me The Statue are at RnR Hotel on 9/24, and The Antlers are at Velvet Lounge on 10/14. I'll probably buy a 10/14 ticket, though, and see if I can hit both shows.

Rage Against The Machine Rage Against Minnesota Cops

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

I've been hoping that this movie wouldn't suck, and if this promo is any gauge, I'm thinking it won't.

And, really, how happy am I that Kevin put Jay, Jeff and Traci Lords in this movie?

If You Needed Any More Reason To Vote Obama

... He's using The National's "Fake Empire" in a new 2+ minute web commercial. (Via Product Shop.)

Eugene Learns About Sarah Palin

Possibly my favorite Eugene video from the conventions so far...

Asobi Seksu Hitting DC9 on 11/10

Completely f*cking awesome. One of the loudest bands I've ever seen, playing one of the smallest clubs around. Ears will bleed.

Asobi Seksu
Washington, DC
DC9
Mon. 11/10 @ 9:30pm

Right now it looks like door sales only for tickets, but I'll update if I find anything new.

The 90210 Live Blog

Well, not really... but some thoughts after the first few minutes.

(1) Who in the hell is Lori Laughlin sleeping with? How is she still acting? She seems to be in a new TV show every year, and they all suck. Not a good sign.

(2) Sadly, Jessica Walter (i.e., the actress formerly known as Lucille Bluth) is in this. I love her dearly, but I don't get good vibes here.

(3) Even worse, Tristan Wilds (i.e., the actor formerly known as Michael Lee on The Wire), is in this too. He was fantastic in The Wire, but I smell cheese already.

(4) Every white person on this show looks exactly the same.

(5) Joe E. Tata, seriously? Give me a break.

(6) This show is complete and utter garbage. I'd rather watch the RNC.

More New Paul Westerberg!

Paul Westerberg has more music available for download over at Tunecore.

Instead of a 44-minute long audio track, this time he's got two tracks - one called "3oclockreep", which is 20 minutes and 8 seconds, and a second one called "Finally Here Once", which is a short 3:27.