Thursday, November 30, 2006

And So It Begins


I love the buzz before SXSW.
The Stooges are booking a full spring reunion tour including a March 17th date at SXSW. They will first master their new album, recorded with Steve Albini at the helm. Mike Watt is on bass, and Brendan Benson even did some vocals on "Free and Freaky." They're also playing All Tomorrow's Parties with Sonic Youth, Deerhoof, Dinosaur Jr, Sunburned Hand of the Man, Wolf Eyes, Melvins, Blood Stereo, Jackie-O Motherf*^%er and more. This is the December 8,9,10th installment of ATP. More Stooges details here.

Also scheduled/announced for SXSW 2007:
Rickie Lee Jones to speak
Booker T
CSS
Kristoffer Ragnstam

Iggy Pop and Francoise Hardy - I'll Be Seeing You (mp3)

Iggy Pop interview with Tom Snyder (c.1981) (mp3)

REM - The Passenger (Iggy Pop cover~live) (mp3)

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

A-B-B-A

Beloved Swedes, Abba, are going to be honored with a museum in Stockholm. Set to open in 2008, the band will do little more than contribute items. So sad that these buggers won't get back together.

Abba - Take a Chance on Me

Abba - Knowing Me Knowing You

Madonnna - Hung Up (sgl remix)

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

'Member that orchestral White Stripes limited cd I spoke of earlier? It's being used as material for a dance company in London and the Stripes themselves are looking to make an appearance at the last show. Here are a few mp3s.

White Stripes - Aluminium

White Stripes - I'm Bound to Pack It Up

White Stripes - The Hardest Button to Button

Also:



Nelly Furtado has announced tour dates for some of the US and her native Canada. She's hoping some guests will come along, namely Chris Martin or Justin Timberlake or Timbaland. There's a presale on her site for you lovely Canucks.

December 2 Indianapolis,IN Pepsi Coliseum
December 3 Anaheim,CA Honda Center
December 9 Sacramento,CA ARCO Arena
December 10 Tacoma,WA Tacoma Dome
December 13 Camden,NJ Tweeter Center at the Waterfront
December 15 New York,NY Madison Square Garden
December 16 Sunrise,FL BankAtlantic Center
March 21 Victoria,BC Save on Foods Memorial Centre
March 22 Vancouver,BC General Motors Place
March 23 Kleowna,BC Prospera Place
March 25 Grande Prairie,AB Crystal Centre
March 26 Edmonton,AB Shaw Conference Centre
March 27 Calgary,AB Pengrowth Saddledome
April 4 Toronto,ON Air Canada Centre
April 5 Montreal,QC Bell Centre
April 6 Ottawa,ON Scotiabank Place

Nelly Furtado - All Good Things (written w/Chris Martin)

Nelly Furtado - Promiscuous (w/Timbaland)

Nelly Furtado - Maneater

Monday, November 27, 2006

Muse-ack


Hope everyone had a good holiday. Busy momma and 4AD darling, Kristin Hersh will be releasing another solo album in the new year entitled Learn to Sing Like a Star (full track listing here). It will be her first solo album in 4 years. But don't let that fool you, in that time she's been busy with 4 boys, 50 Foot Wave, and still playing gigs with her stepsister Tanya Donnelly in Throwing Muses. She will also be featured in the upcoming documentary Rock'n Roll Mamas. Watch the trailer and buy a cd, where all proceeds go to the film, here.

Throwing Muses - Shimmer (live Aug '06)

50 Foot Wave - Sally is a Girl

Kristin Hersh - Your Dirty Answer

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

While you're out picking up the Sufjan Xmas cd, pick up the new double cd of Mirah songs that have been retooled by all of her K friends. With all of the talent lending their paws, I'm super excited for the result.

"Following three albums, Mirah offered her songs to old friends and new ones for remixing, including Khaela Maricich (The Blow), Phil Elverum (Mt. Eerie), Guy Sigsworth (remixed Madonna and Bjork), Cindy Wonderful (Scream Club), Jona Bechtolt (Yacht), and Melanie Valera (Tender Forever). These songs are hot, sweet, and teeming with rhythmic divinity. Turn it up and dance it off."

Totally in love with all that helped remix including Anna Oxygen and Emily Kingan of The Haggard.

Super cool fact: Mirah was on Double Dare as a kid. I'm so jealous.

If you live in Portland you can go to the record release party where Mirah and her friends will be djing and video djing. It's November 26 at the North Star Ballroom.

The Light (Hooliganship mix)

Monday, November 20, 2006

LCD Soundsystem will be releasing a sophomore album called Sound of Silver on March 19. It's going to be nine tracks and hopefully just as moving as the debut album. They will be touring Europe beginning March 7th.

Disco Make You Lose Control - LCD Soundsystem vs. Missy Elliott

Wolf Child Tribulations - LCD Soundsystem vs. Patrick Wolf


Also...




After 14 years, the Sugarcubes reunited in Iceleand for one night only Saturday. It was the celebration of the anniversary of their label Smekkleysa.

Friday, November 17, 2006

New Cave

Fresh off creating the music for the movie The Propsition, Nick Cave has revealed more details on his new side project Grinderman.

"As our dreams and desires are hung on the butcher's hook of rampant consumerism, and the mirage and the illusion and the Nike trainers are served up on the trembling quim of an impossibly nubile girl-thing, 'No Pussy Blues' tells it like it is.
"It is the child standing goggle-eyed at the cake shop window, as the shop-owner, in his plastic sleeves, barricades the door and turns the sign to 'CLOSED.' It is the howl in the dark of the Everyman."


Grinderman's album is set to release in March but you can here a track on their myspace page.

Nick Cave and Julie Christensen - Suzanne (Leonard Cohen cover)

Nick Cave - Disco 2000 (Pulp cover)


Thursday, November 16, 2006

TJO

Dear Tara Jane ONeil, Oh how I wish I had the funds to go see you in the OKC tonight! Tara Jane not only makes beautiful noise on her own, but has done as a part of Rodan and Retsin, not to mention lending her talents to friends like The King Cobra, Papa M, and The Naysayer. Her visual art is mindblowing and shouts at my soul. Go be her friend.

If by chance you are in Kansas City, Denver, or SLC, she'll be in your town within the week.

Tara Jane Oneil - Blue Light Room

Tara Jane ONeil - The Poisoned Mind

Tara Jane ONeil - Your Rats Are



To make up for all of my mistakes, I've uploaded the whole Nothin' But Girls compilation that my friend Matt made for me. Sorry there are no names or song titles, but he likes to keep me in the dark. So, if one of you figure any of it out, please give me a clue.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Cheap Cheap Cheap

Anybody who knows me knows that I am a bargain hunter, which is just a fancy way to say cheap. I don't believe in paying full price for most anything, if I can help it. You can find me many a Friday (or now Thursday) scouring the endcaps at Target for their clearance items. Most times I will wait until it gets down to 75% off. Well, I heard the Black Friday ads leaked, so I thought I'd share my cheapness. Check out this site.

Also, please stay tuned because I'm working on making up for yesterday.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

You Say Party

This weekend I co-hosted a party with my friend DJ Boom. Okay, really he did most of the work having it at his house and spinning, but I swear I helped. His true love is 60's music and to convert me to his ways he made me a mix of girl groups. So many of the songs made famous by the 60's artists have been re-made by people today. Anyways, here's a super small taste of this fabulous era.

The Ronettes - Be My Baby

The Crystals - Then He Kissed Me

Gloria Jones - Tainted Love

Friday, November 10, 2006

Funny Girl

Chelsea Handler has been one of my favs for a long time. She started out on a show called Girls Behaving Badly playing pranks on unsuspecting people. The girls on that show have umm...gumption, not the first word that comes to mind. One of my favorites was when they set up a sample table in the grocery store and told people the milk they just tasted was breast milk. GBB: Volume 1 comes out on dvd November 28th. Anyways, Chelsea has a new show on E! aptly called The Chelsea Handler Show. Check out the clips on YouTube or her myspace.

On The Internet

Flava Flav

p.s. hope the links work. anybody know a good hosting site?

Thursday, November 09, 2006

120 Days

Named after the 4 months spent rehearsing in a trailer in Norway, 120 days have impressed the socks off everyone. They've been signed to Vice and released a self-titled album last month. Their super sound is made with drum machines and synthesizers, blending together so well that it bends and stretches the limits of sound and mind. They've only got a few dates left here in the states, so tell me if their live show lives up to the recordings.

09 November Holocene Portland,OR
10 November Mezzanine San Francisco, CA (w/ Gil Mantera & Ricahrd Fearless)
11 November Echo Los Angeles, CA (w/ Tokyo Police Club & Feather Family)

120 Days - Get Away

120 Days - Come Out (Come Down, Fade Out, Be Gone)

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

A Brokedown Melody

Brushfire Records is releasing a soundtrack for the film A Brokedown Melody. It's a documentary chronically the exotic travels of professional surfers who're trying to pass on their trade. The soundtrack has a great lineup and includes 2 unreleased songs by Jack Johnson and a solo unreleased track by Eddie Vedder. Just listening to Eddie Vedder with that eukelele (i think?) makes me want to head for the water or at least an open road.

Here's the track listing:
Culver City Dub Collective - The Cave
Jack Johnson - Home
Kings Of Convenience - Know How
Doug Martsch (from Built to Spill) - Heart (Things Never Shared)
Eddie Vedder - Goodbye (listen to it here)
Johnny Osbourne - We Need Love
Jack Johnson w/ Matt Costa and Zach Gill - Let it Be Sung (listen to it here)
The Beta Band - Needles in My Eyes
M. Ward - Transfiguration #1
Matt Costa - The Road
Astor Piazzolla - Vuelvo Al Sur (Koop Remix)
Jack Johnson - Breakdown (film version)

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Super Tuesday

First thing's first, go out and vote today. Most of the races are sure bets here in Texas, but I don't think I can criticize the administration if I didn't try and change it. Your vote does count. Don't let anyone tell you different. Check out election reults in your area throughout the day.

Sharon Jones - This Land Is Your Land (mp3)

Some good new releases today

Isobel Campbell - Milk White Sheets
2nd album by former Belle & Sebastian member

CSS - Alala (12") (mp3)
you can't live without this-includes Princess Superstar remix

El Perro Del Mar self-titled (mp3)
folk-pop from Sweden with influences from 60's girl groups

Evens - The Evens Get Even (mp3)
Fugazi's Ian MacKaye and Warmer's Amy Farina's 2nd release

Benjy Ferree - Leaving The Nest
debut from new Domino artist, said to be americana/Iron&Wine-ish

PJ Harvey -
The Peel Sessions:1991-2004
Loved by John Peel and the rest of us, previously unreleased material

The Punks - Unanimous Bangers (mp3)
2nd release on 5RC (Slim Moon was a member before his new gig)

Shortbus Soundtrack
w/Yo La Tengo, Hidden Cameras, Animal Collective & more

Voxtrot - Your Biggest Fan (Ep)
Favorites everywhere they go, oh and they hate Mike

Various Artists - Plague Songs
w/Rufus Wainwright, Stephen Merritt & more

Monday, November 06, 2006

Artists with Hearts

The Yellow Bird Project of Montreal has a super smart idea. They've asked artists to design a shirt that they will print and sell, puting proceeds toward the charity of the artists' choice. My Brightest Diamond, Devendra Banhart, and Stars are just a few of those who've contributed. The cool thing is everyone wins. You get a shirt designed by one of your favs and charity gets dinero. Get one for the holidays.

The Gray Kid & My Brightest Diamond Mashup - Bang (YYYs/B52s/Nas)

Devendra Banhart - Doo Wop (That Thing) Lauryn Hill cover-Live in Paris

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Have You Got It


You practice in the garage. You've played your uncle's birthday party. You've yet to break your parents' hearts because they think music is something you'll grow out of. Here's a stepping stone across the treacherous waters of getting noticed in the music industry. The BBC World Service is looking for The Next Big Thing.

"Entrants have to be aged 18 or under, Unsigned with original music. Any style, any language. From anywhere in the world. Once the entrants have been shortlisted by global music industry experts we will be bringing together a panel of star judges. And they will choose The World's Best Young Band from 6 finalists recorded live at the world famous BBC Maida Vale studios. "

The brits are always good at giving the love to new artists and often "break" artists that, for one reason or another, haven't in their own country.

Upload your vitals and one original song and you're in! Get your entries into them by November 10th, and check out their Myspace page to keep up with the competition.

Stripe Contours


Appears that the White Stripes are working on a new album. Jack has said that he's not picking favorites between the Stripes and The Raconteurs but is happy that he has the luxury of options for songwriting between the 2 bands. He may be 50/50, but I'm not. Truth be told, I just haven't listened to the Raconteurs' album straight through.

Also, Jack has written some avant-garde orchestral pieces. XL put together an ensemble of classical musicians to perform and record them. They are pressing only 3,333 cds and 999 Lps. Each cd and Lp will include artwork by Rob Jones. Preorder it Monday, November 6th from Aluminum.

White Stripes - Good To Me (b-side)

White Stripes - Lord Send Me An Angel (Blind Willie McTell cover)

Damien Rice - Seven Nation Army

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Bueno Dia de Los Muertos

Most of you know that one of our favorite labels is Kill Rock Stars. The fabulous people at the KRS office have gone thru and compiled the videos of their artists on YouTube. It's great because sometimes when I go to YouTube, I'm overwhelmed and don't remember all of the people I'd like to look up. Now, watching the 48 Sleater-Kinney videos will lead to a little Anna Oxygen and Elliott Smith. If other labels are smart, they'll follow suit.

Check out a small portion of their fabulous roster on YouTube here.

Anna Oxygen - Baby Blue

Elliott Smith - Going Nowhere (rare, basement era)