I'm A Cuckoo

Making history

2005-06-15T14:57:00.000-04:00

Norfolk, Virginia's 1888 have a new EP called Abble Goose Dam. I'd tell you where to get a copy, but dudes are totally not minding their website, so I have no clue. My best guess would be Relative Theory Records. Check out these two tracks:

Unconscious on the Telephone
In a Car

I really like what I've heard by 1888 so far ... lots of fun studio trickery, crackin' guitar solos, thick harmonies, and good, twisty melodies (In a Car's vocal melody sounds like it's being coaxed out by a snake charmer). I hear they put on a good live show too.

These guys should go over well with fans of Broken Social Scene (for the studio experimentation), My Morning Jacket (for the guitar heroics and occasional southern rockisms) and The Shins (for the melodic goodness).

I know I'm tardy

2005-06-02T16:14:00.000-04:00

But I can't resist chiming in on Bullette. Everyone else is already going bonkers over her. Hopefully this post will get out to the one person on the Internet who hasn't already heard the word.

What's really interesting to me about this whole Bullette thing is that in just over a week she's become hot shit -- like, majorly. I think it was totally wise and brainy of her to contact all these mp3 bloggers, and even more wise to make her album The Secrets available as a free download. Also, it helps that the record is really good. I'm with a lot of my fellow bloggers in pointing out Your Eyes Have It as a favorite track, but there's plenty of creativity and melodic goodness in every single song. I'm also very fond of Lemonade, Little Bird and Show Me. I hear echoes of The Kinks, Stereolab, Liz Phair, The Breeders ... the list goes on.

Assuming the attention keeps piling on, I can imagine a day when people will look back at Bullette's sudden success as a landmark in rock history. Time will tell.

The Shins Live (video)

2005-04-29T17:31:00.000-04:00

Someone on The Shins' messageboard posted a few video clips of The Shins performing last night at The NorVa. The sound quality's not great, but it's still cool to watch.

Last night's show was my second Shins show. I thought they looked a little tired and bored for a good chunk of the set, but picked up steam during the last quarter or so. All three songs they played during the encore -- "Girl on A Wing," "Kissing the Lipless" and "Caring Is Creepy" -- were punchy and energetic, which was nice. It was also cool to hear a healthy bunch of the 1,500-person crowd singing along with James on "Kissing the Lipless."

The Brunettes, who opened, were fantastic. I grinned and giggled through their whole set, and picked up a copy of their latest record, "Mars Loves Venus."

Turns out The Brunettes are coming back in June with Rilo Kiley. I'll be there.

New New Pornographers

2005-04-29T10:27:00.000-04:00

Matador throws us a bone:

Here's the title track from The New Pornographers' upcoming record Twin Cinema, which comes out Aug. 23.

I just don't get it

2005-04-28T17:08:00.000-04:00

Rilo Kiley, Ryan Adams and Iron & Wine ... all in the same month?

We have the Internet to thank for this.

Thank you, Internet.

Oh, and it's official: the Shins show tonight is sold out. Yes, you heard me right.

And my band The King & Caroline has a new drummer, Brian. He's good ... like, really good. We should be ready to play out soon. I'm not linking to our website because it's in for a major overhaul. Soon. I hope.

Sorry for the really pointless post. I'm just baffled -- all this good music in Hampton Roads! It's a wonderful, if slightly surreal, thing. And the band is back on track. So exciting.

In rotation: Belle & Sebastian "The Boy with the Arab Strap"
Feist "Let it Die"
The Kinks "Village Green Preservation Society"
Sufjan Stevens "Come On, Feel the Illinois" (courtesy of TTIKTDA)

Boo!

2005-04-12T15:48:00.000-04:00

The Old Haunts - Poison Control

This track makes me want to hop around and bump into people ... in a friendly way, of course.

From the Kill Rock Stars LP Fallow Field.

I was never young

2005-04-11T15:09:00.000-04:00

A couple of friends and I spent Saturday evening looking conspicuously old and out of place at the Of Montreal show, which took place at the College of William & Mary University Center. I got the distinct feeling that my friends and I were the only non-students there, but whatever -- we had a good time.

Of Montreal was fantastic. They took the stage in slow motion -- literally -- and proceeded to bounce through a set heavy on songs from The Sunlandic Twins and Satanic Panic in the Attic. Kevin Barnes was a hoot. He had a glammy, flamboyant stage persona and managed to create a rapport with the audience without saying much at all between songs. He was just fun to watch.

The musicianship was top-notch. I have no idea who the dude playing the bass was, but dear me, he was smokin'. There were lots of tight, high three-part harmonies, too. All said, I was impressed by how well Barnes' five-piece band recreates the complex, intricate tunes from his albums live, and also by how much my friends and I ended up shakin' our arses. Highlights included "Wraith Pinned to the Mist (And Other Games)," "Will You Come and Fetch Me" and, during the encore, a cover of the Supergrass gem "Alright."

What a treat!

I only wish more people had been there to see it, and that the mix had been a little more balanced.

Cloe Burn opened the show with a ambient instrumental set ... just looped feedback and simple drumming. It was, y'know, interesting. They played on the floor with everyone standing in a circle around them. I'm guessing they haven't been together long.

St. Thomas, pictured, played just before Of Montreal. St. Thomas is actually Thomas Hansen, a former mailman from Norway. He only brought himself, an acoustic guitar and an auxiallary percussionist/banjo player. Despite being plagued by sound problems, Hansen's easygoing, humorous stage banter and winning melodies were enough to keep a decent chunk of the small crowd interested. The St. Thomas website reports that Hansen is planning to record in Nashville, possibly with Lambchop's Mark Nevers producing.

Here are a few St. Thomas tracks:

Invitation
Cornerman
Heroes Making Dinner
An Artist with A Brilliant Disguise

And last but not least:

622 music videos (lots of cool stuff, mostly in Quicktime, via Metafilter).

Who are they?

2005-04-08T14:55:00.000-04:00

My cousin Johnathan's band has played shows with Model Citizen, pictured. He says they're good. And crazy. Based on my cousin's recommendation, the mp3 you see posted below and this review, I'm intrigued.

For fans of The Who and Hot Snakes:

Model Citizen "Protege"

Do You Love Them?

2005-03-22T15:55:00.000-05:00

Rilo Kiley is coming to The NorVa on June 1. This is sure to make at least one person very happy.

Let's pretend we don't exist

2005-03-18T12:02:00.000-05:00

More Of Montreal stuff:

Orbis Quintus gives Of Montreal's recent Baton Rouge show a glowing review, saying that they -- get this -- "grooved" (scroll down for the Of Montreal portion). Of Montreal performs April 9 at the Little Theatre at The College of William and Mary. I'm looking forward it.

Orbis Quintus also has Wraith Pinned to the Mist (and Other Games), another track from Of Montreal's soon-to-be-released "The Sunlandic Twins." He's right about the Brian Eno influence. Good call.

Their odyssey

2005-03-18T00:14:00.000-05:00

Of Montreal's new record "The Sunlandic Twins" comes out April 12. I've got a copy. It's every bit as good as their last one, "Satanic Panic in the Attic." But this time around, Kevin Barnes and company further explore the electronic textures they just teased us with on Panic's "Disconnect the Dots" and "Rapture Rapes the Muses." The new album's lead-off track "Requiem for o.m.m. 2" is a little misleading as it sounds like one of the straight ahead Kinks-inspired pop tunes off the last album. Things get all blippy and bleepy from there, though, with lots of programmed drums and crazy synth sounds rubbing elbows with Barnes' ebullient pop melodies.

This is an exciting shift in direction for Of Montreal. Here's one of "The Sunladic Twin's" several standout tracks:

So Begins Our Alabee

2005-02-22T16:49:00.000-05:00

Here's a new tune from Longwave's upcoming John Leckie-produced album There's A Fire:

River (Depot Song)

I love the bloopy, swooshy guitars at the beginning. And I like how the melody actually sort of takes a backseat to all the sonic goodness. This gets me really excited about the new record. Really excited.

Last year, at a show in at The New Belmont in Norfolk, Steve Schiltz told me There's A Fire would be a concept record about a sea monster. Of course, you could just pay a visit to the bio on the band's Web site and find out the same thing. So yeah, that's pretty much useless information.

A slew of interesting shows

2005-02-18T15:44:00.001-05:00

I won't be attending many of these, but there are a few noteworthy shows coming up at The NorVa (Matteo has already pointed out several of 'em):

Feb. 19: Robert Earl Keen and Shooter Jennings
Feb. 28: Social Distortion, Backyard Babies and Street Dogs
March 11: Jimmy Cliff
March 12: Hot Hot Heat and Louis XIV
March 18: Indigo Girls and The Great Unknowns
March 19: Toots & The Maytals
March 20: Queens of the Stone Age and Eagles of Death Metal
March 22: Interpol
April 2: Dogs Die In Hot Cars, Phoenix and Longview
April 7: Dresden Dolls
April 26: Elvis Costello and Sondre Lerche
May 23: Snow Patrol and Athlete

Last but not least, here's yet another track from the soon-to-be-huge Dr. Dog, pictured above:

Say Something (from the LP Easy Beat, which comes out soon on National Parking Records)

Sweet weekend tunes

2005-02-11T15:20:00.000-05:00

A few wistful tunes to get your through the weekend:

Nedelle (reminds me a little of Feist):
The Natural Night (This one gives me goosebumps)
Begin to Breathe
From the album From the Lion's Mouth.

Jeff Hanson (like Elliott Smith on a helium bender):
This Time it Will
Hiding Behind the Moon
Just Like Me
From the album Son.

Nedelle and Jeff Hanson are both on Kill Rock Stars.

I gots the hot news first

2005-02-07T16:35:00.000-05:00

Of Montreal, whose last record, "Satanic Panic in the Attic," was one of my big favorites of last year, is playing a show at The College of William & Mary on April 9. Yay.

The Big Ticket has a track from Of Montreal's upcoming album, "The Sunlandic Twins," which I think hits stores in early April.

Arresting

2005-01-31T13:51:00.000-05:00

Not a big fan myself, but it's certainly worth a mention:

Interpol plays The NorVa March 22. Tickets are $20 in advance, $22.50 at the door.

Another weak, boring post...

2005-01-27T16:23:00.000-05:00

Howdy.

Got one of these coming in the mail:

I'll finally be able to do more updating at home (Blogger don't like Windows 95). So yay for that. It'll be nice to have a real computer at home. Finally.

Been listening to these:

Blonde Redhead "Misery Is a Butterfly"

The Flamin' Groovies "Shake Some Action"

Trashcan Sinatras "Weightlifting"

Robbers On High Street "Tree City"

And this Luaka Bop Brazilian music comp that a friend sent me.

Reading:

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.

Just ok. Funny sometimes. A breeze to read.

Made me cold, but in a good way. Beautiful prose. A heartbreaking story.

Phillip Pullman's much lauded His Dark Materials trilogy. Just started the first book, "The Golden Compass." Promising start. Yes, I'm a dork.

And that's what I've been doing over my blogging break. Did I mention that I'm getting a Mac Mini? I was waaaaay overdue for a new computer. Now I'll be able to post songs from home and everything. So exciting. I should be blogging a lot more soon.

Borat does the rodeo

2005-01-12T10:14:00.000-05:00

Borat, from Da Ali G Show, visits a rodeo in Roanoke, Va., causes uproar, has to make a run for it.

(via The Morning News)

Balloon solos rock

2005-01-10T17:33:00.000-05:00

A song by Sub Pop's Jennifer Gentle, a rock duo from Italy:

I Do Dream You

Dig the deflating balloon solo. How cool is that? Great pop tune, too ... garage-y, but not in a Mooney Suzuki way.

Here's an early review of their album "Valende", which comes out Jan. 25.

Robbers On High Street

2005-01-10T17:15:00.000-05:00

Catbirdseat has a couple of tunes from the upcoming Robbers On High Street album, "Tree City". Tasty stuff. "Tree City" comes out Feb. 22. The Robbers On High Street's "Fine Lines" ep was one my favorite releases of '04.

Desktops and iPods

2005-01-04T17:49:00.000-05:00

I'm poor and in dire need of a new PC for the house (my girlfriend and I are still running Windows 95 ... pity us). I'm also jonesing for an iPod.

Here's my plea to get folks to go in on the free Desktop PC and free iPod deals with me. These offers are legit. The best thing to do is to sign up for one of the offers -- Real Rhapsody, Blockbuster online, etc. -- ride out the free or extrememly cheap trial period and cancel your account. You've gotta get people to sign up, too. It's all very pyramid scheme-ish and whatnot, I know, but if you play it right you get out without spending a cent.

It works. Here are a couple of articles about it, one from Wired and one from geek.com.

Sign up for the free Desktop PC deal here and the free iPod deal here.

Largeheartedboy has had some success with this stuff, too, and just got a free Playstation 2.

Anyone?

The best movies I saw in 2004

2005-01-04T17:27:00.000-05:00

Not necessarily the best movies of 2004, just the best ones I saw in 2004 (thank you, Netflix). In no particular order:

Remember when the world was young?

2005-01-03T16:10:00.000-05:00

Here's a rough mix of my band The King & Caroline covering Do You Remember Walter? from The Kinks' "Village Green Preservation Society".

I'm singing and playing guitar and drums on that one. That's the first ever recording of me playing drums.

Hello again, by the way. Happy new year.

Coolfer on Dr. Dog

2004-12-14T16:01:00.000-05:00

Coolfer caught the Dr. Dog story in The NY Times, too. Just remember, people, I was drooling over Dr. Dog way back in the day.

The dogs take New York

2004-12-14T10:54:00.000-05:00

Dr. Dog, the best band you've never heard, gets a few inches of newsprint in the New York Times.

Live, Dr. Dog is a force of nature. They blew my mind -- and caught me completely by surprise -- when they opened for My Morning Jacket in Richmond last January. Their recordings are on the lo-fi side, but the killer songwriting can't be repressed:

Adeline
Easy Beat

Faves of 2004

2004-12-09T16:06:00.000-05:00

I didn't get to hear as many new albums this year as in years past. I spent a lot of time, though, reacquainting myself with older LPs I hadn't listened to in ages, and scouring some of my favorite mp3 blogs for unheard gems. So thanks to all the awesome mp3 bloggers out there. You make my 9-to-5 grind bearable and turn me on to all sorts of new and exciting music.

Two of the records that made my list this year -- "Get Away from Me," "Retriever" -- probably wouldn't have made the cut in a year when I had more disposable income. They're good records and all, just not spectacular.

In no particular order:

Of Montreal "Satanic Panic in the Attic"
Listen:
"Lysergic Bliss"
"Disconnect the Dots"
Kevin Barnes welcomes us into his world of delicious pop hooks, percolating bass and psychedelic strangeness.

Robbers on High Street "Fine Lines" EP
Listen:
"A Night At Star Castle"
At first, the superficial similarity to Spoon rubbed me the wrong way. Then the songwriting tugged me in. Great guitar riffs. Tense melodies. For close to two months, I listened to these six songs every time I got in my car. Can't wait for the first LP.

Iron & Wine "Our Endless Numbered Days"
Listen:
"Naked As We Came"
Gorgeous Sunday-morning music. Sam Beam's voice brushes against my ears like a fleece blanket.

Nellie McKay "Get Away from Me"
An initial obsession with this record gave way to mixed feelings. McKay is incredibly talented, and will probably mature into a great songwriter, but some of her youthful quirks get frustrating ... fast. Songs like "Clonie" were funny and endearing ... the first 10 times I heard them. I had to distance myself from Ms. McKay. Haven't listened to this one since, oh, July.

Pedro the Lion "Achilles Heel"
Listen:
"Discretion"
Sturdy songwriting and warm, homespun production give lots of depth to "Achilles Heel." I come back to this one again and again, and hear new things every time.

Neko Case "The Tigers Have Spoken"
Listen:
"Train from Kansas City"
"If You Knew"
Case is as good live as she is in the studio. Her cover of The Shangri-Las' "Train from Kansas City" never gets old.

The Arcade Fire "Funeral"
This one grew on me. My initial indifference begat a serious love affair. "Crown of Love," the song that won me over, still puts a lump in my throat.

Brian Wilson "Smile"
I love getting lost in this record. A masterpiece.

A.C. Newman "The Slow Wonder"
Listen:
"Miracle Drug"
"Drink to Me Babe, Then"
Carl Newman can do no wrong: Zumpano, The New Pornographers and now this. Dude deserves some kind of award.

Ron Sexsmith "Retriever"
I gobbled this one up at first. Sexsmith is one of my favorite songwriters after all. Somewhere along the way, though, I stuck this album on the shelf and left it there. Haven't listened to it since June.

I get so turned on just thinking about them

2004-12-08T16:26:00.000-05:00

The Outer Loop, that is. It's been awhile since I've posted any Outer Loop music. Check out these songs from their recent EP:

Oh Yeah! Alright!
Hey Hey
Natural As Dessert
The Tree

And yes, those are electric guitars.

The price we pay

2004-12-08T15:46:00.000-05:00

Music from one Jonathan Price. Don't let the hardcore photo fool you. This stuff is straight-up pop:

New Clothes
Hey, Old Friend
Macaroni Art, For You

Huh? What?

2004-12-07T17:09:00.000-05:00

My left ear is feeling significantly better. I'll definitely wear plugs next time, though. Ouch.

I'm game

2004-12-07T14:30:00.000-05:00

Defective Yeti's Matthew Baldwin has a list of 2004's best gift games over at The Morning News. I'm not a huge gaming fan, but a few years ago some friends of mine turned me on to The Settlers of Catan, one the most obnoxiously addictive, fun board games I've ever played. I know it sounds dorky, but I've seen people who hate games get geeked out over it.

Anyway, I'm sort of ready to try a new game and a few of the games on Baldwin's list -- Ticket to Ride, Memoir '44, Hansa, San Juan -- look really fun.

Post presented by Total Waste of Your Time Productions.

Gigantic

2004-12-07T10:33:00.000-05:00

The Pixies were awesome last night. They've all gotten a bit crusty and plump, but lordy mercy did they bring a seismic shock to the Constant Convocation Center. I had no idea they would be so ferocious live. David Lovering and Kim Deal make for a monster rhythm section. Lovering's drumming was tight and powerful. I could feel Deal's bass rumbling in my marrow.

Kim Deal is totally hot, by the way.

Joey Santiago coaxed all sorts of scorching, abrasive goodness out of his guitar. And my man Frank Black still hollers like a furious, terrified pig. I was shocked at how well he sang, actually.

So yeah, it was a good show. Highlight of the night: "Bone Machine".

My only real complaint is that I woke up this morning feeling close to deaf in my left ear. I was maybe 20 feet from the PA speakers on the left of the stage. The music was outrageously loud, which was cool, but not for my poor little ear. I'm afraid there may be some permanent damage. Normally, following a loud show, I'll go to bed with a decent ringing in both ears, y'know? Last night, I went to bed with two distinct ringing sounds in my left ear, one a low-pitched hum, the other something akin to a whistling teapot.

There's only a mild ringing this morning, but my ear feels strangely numb, as if someone injected it with novocaine. Yikes.

Visit here for info about picking up an official limited-edition recording last night's show. Also, was I the only one who sensed a little tension between Frank and Kim during The Cigarette Incident? The whole exchange seemed to drag on a little too long. And it felt a little too, I don't know, awkward? Maybe it was just me, though.

Sunny afternoon

2004-11-23T15:38:00.000-05:00

A ton of mp3s today from Birmingham, Alabama's Sunny So Brite. Sunny So Brite's latest record The New American Century is one of the editor's picks at CD Baby.

Good stuff here. Lots of sweet pop hooks and clever arrangements. "Holiday" could've been on the latest Fountains of Wayne record.

From "The New American Century":

The Bigger Picture
Holiday

From "Filling the Seats in the Land of Make Believe":
Spent
Theory of My Car

From "Lost Forever":
Spoiled
Fine, Nevermind
I Owe My Own
Big Empty Space

There are plenty more mp3s on their site.

Enjoy.

Pretty indie pop

2004-11-15T14:53:00.000-05:00

...from Seattle's Fey Ray.

From I Wanna Be New & Perfect:
Brand New String
Draw the Curtain

From the "Nixon in China" EP:
You Are the World
Nixon in China

Very classy stuff here. Influences are all over the map. Very polished, but not without a few pleasantly rough edges.

Money, money, money

2004-11-15T14:37:00.000-05:00

Good stuff from Brooklyn, N.Y.'s The Economy:

Sun
Lonely Ones
You Always Say

Buy their self-titled EP here. For fans of Doves, Supergrass and Boards of Canada.

Some damn music...

2004-11-11T13:43:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of Racine, Wisconson's The Dammitheads. I hear shades of Spoon (especially in the vocals), Elvis Costello and The Stones.

These songs are from "Freeze Motherstickers":

Alright
Stop Engo
Stock Answer
Gimmie Blood

Back to the armadillo

2004-11-11T10:08:00.000-05:00

Here's a review of Guided By Voices' recent performance on the Austin City Limits stage. There's no air date yet for this episode, but I reckon it'll probably be sometime early next year. Can't wait!

Austin City Limits is going all indie-ish this season. Other episodes include The Pixies(Jan. 29); Spoon and Ben Kweller (Dec. 11); Wilco and Bright Eyes (Jan. 8); and The Flaming Lips and The Shins (Dec. 18).

Note to local readers: Austin City Limits airs a week behind the national schedule on WHRO.

Lunch

2004-11-11T01:48:00.000-05:00

Ryan, at My Escape from Entropy, recently posted about 9- to 5-ers eating at their desks.

According to Ryan, we eat at our desks because:

"...either you are really dedicated to job performance and in the drive towards total efficiency you eat at your desk to save time and multi-task (stuff your face with one hand and continue working with the other), or it could be that the company you work for does not have a break area and you have the options of eating outside or at your desk."

I just want to say, for the record, that I eat at my desk because it makes my work day shorter. Screw lunch hours. Screw flourescent lights. Those 30 minutes are precious, y'know? And what kind of break is that anyway? Thirty minutes is barely enough time to step foot out of the building, gaze at the sky and scarf down a sandwich. It's barely enough time to untie the half day's worth of knots in your head. Sandwiched between two long stretches of drudgery, 30 minutes is nothing. Added to your evening -- or morning -- though, those 30 minutes are icing on the cake.

Give me my 30 minutes or give me death!

Radical Face

2004-11-10T17:15:00.000-05:00

A cover of Tom Waits' "Time" by one Ben Cooper, aka Radical Face.

Explore Ben's site. You'll find tons of great music, killer artwork -- that's one of his paintings above -- and good writing.

Radical Face: "Chewing Bottles" and "Pockets Full of Ink"

And one of his many side projects...

Electric President: "Label My Mind: Blown" and "I'm Not the Lonely Son (I'm the Ghost)"

Ben Cooper should totally be signed to a label. Any label folks out there?

Not Proud of the USA

2004-11-10T15:57:00.000-05:00

The Mice: "Not Proud of the USA"

Not that I'm whining or anything, but it's sort of how I feel right now, y'know?

Another new friend

2004-11-10T15:28:00.000-05:00

Wow. I've got so much catching up to do.

I've found another new friend, not a French one this time, but certainly one with a ton of great mp3s.

Hello.

En Francais?

2004-11-10T15:14:00.000-05:00

I have a French friend. I can't read or speak a lick of French, but this makes me happy. International friends are good.

I was able to divine from my new French friend's blog that we do have some things in common. We both like Belle & Sebastian and Pulp. And we're both Haruki Murakami fans. Murakami's "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle" and "Hard-Boiled Wonderland and The End of the World" are two of my absolute favorite novels of all time.

Hi there

2004-11-09T13:13:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time. I feel like I should have something major to say. But I don't.

Yes, I was disappointed and miffed by the election, too. My feelings are pretty much in line with those of Defective Yeti's Matthew Baldwin, except that I'm not at all convinced that W won without "help". In fact, I'm sure he didn't. Hopefully, the mainstream media will follow the example of MSNBC's Keith Olberman and give this story some major play.

I've been listening to disc two of "Zombies Heaven":

Disc two features the classic "Odessey & Oracle" in its entirety, and includes the songs Rod Argent cobbled together for the never-realized LP, "R.I.P." "R.I.P." included some overdubbed recordings from The Zombies' early days and a few new tunes written and recorded with the band that would soon become Argent. Two of those songs -- "Smokey Day" and "She Loves the Way They Love Her" -- were re-recorded for...

Colin Blunstone "One Year"

The first solo album by Zombies singer Colin Blunstone. Blunstone was alternately backed by Argent -- the band -- and the gorgeous string arrangements of Chris Gunning. Don't the let the word Argent scare you, by the way. Argent made some awful records, but this stuff -- and the tracks recorded for "R.I.P." -- are all very much in the spirit of The Zombies. For fans of The Zombies, Scott Walker, Nico and Nick Drake.

And from this side of the pond, The Left Banke's "There's Gonna Be A Storm":

The Left Banke's catalogue ran much deeper than "Walk Away Renee" and "Pretty Ballerina". Check out "Goodbye Holly", "She May Call You Up Tonight" and "Desiree". The Left Banke were, in many respects, America's answer to The Zombies. Unfortunately, I think this compilation is out of print.

Post of the dead

2004-10-11T14:42:00.000-04:00

Hey, y'all, sorry for the recent dearth of posts. I'm lazy. And this is gonna be a lazy post, but I'd be a lame bastard if I didn't point out that Sixeyes has discovered a few folders full of tracks by The Zombies, including the entirety of 1968's "Odessey and Oracle".

"Odessey and Oracle" sits alongside The Beatles' "Revolver" and The Kinks' "Village Green Preservation Society" in my holy trinity of the best psychedelic pop records of the '60s.

*Only the first 12 tracks in that "Odessey and Oracle" folder are actually part of "Odessey and Oracle". A few of the other tracks were never officially released until they surfaced a few years back on the Zombies Heaven box set, and the rest appear to be pre-O&O tunes.

A mile wide

2004-10-01T13:27:00.000-04:00

A few words today about Brian Wilson's "Smile"...

Nevermind all the historical baggage. Nevermind Wilson's mental troubles. Nevermind that it's not The Beach Boys.

"Smile" is beautiful.

This is the record so many indie pop bands -- The High Llamas, Of Montreal, Olivia Tremor Control -- have, over the years, tried, and failed, to make. Not that the work of those bands is to be discredited. In fact, Of Montreal's "Satanic Panic in the Attic" is one of my favorites of the year.

Still, oh-so-many bands have attempted over and over again to capture a lost legend, to recreate something that could only come from one man. In many cases those attempts led to something good and interesting, and even amazing, but today we finally have proof that the real deal was in Wilson's head, and only Wilson's head, all along.

To be appreciated as the great work of art it is, "Smile" must be consumed in single sittings -- so much to listen to, so many sounds to absorb. This album's peaks and valleys, and its moments of silliness and gravity must rub shoulders. And, if you've heard them, Wilson's other solo works must be forgotten, packed away in boxes in the musty basements of our minds. "Smile" is something completely different.

The simple fact of the matter is this:

Had any other band or musician released this album this year, it would have been lauded as an incredible accomplishment, a masterpiece. Flawed but wonderful. The record of the year (except, maybe, for The Arcade Fire's "Funeral").

The goosebump factor is sky high. Those harmonies swell and the skin on my arms and neck goes crazy. There are mind-numbingly inspiring moments, moments that make the musician in me simultaneously want to give up and write the best thing I've ever written.

And so what if Wilson's voice isn't as boyishly pure as it used to be? It's deeper now, with a slight hint of gravel, and it gives the songs more weight.

Don't be afraid to buy this record. It's totally worth the price. And, as my friend and bandmate Odie so succinctly put it last night:

"It did make me smile."

The saga continues...

2004-09-29T15:52:00.000-04:00

The King & Caroline is without a drummer. Again. Shocking, isn't it?

Fortunately, we've already got a couple of leads.

Unfortunately, we were supposed to play a show in two weeks.

Not. Gonna. Happen.

I may go ahead and play it solo, though. Maybe. Or not.

When I say I like free stuff, I mean that I like free stuff

2004-09-27T11:27:00.000-04:00

My opinion of The Mooney Suzuki has cooled considerably in recent months. Their records, which are initially fun and rockin', wear thin fast. I hear great things about their live show, but I also hear reports of their gigs being too over the top and, like their records, short on substance.

Anyway, this post wasn't supposed to be about any Mooney Suzuki bashing. In fact, it was supposed to be about getting some free Mooney Suzuki loot. This tip comes from a post at the wonderful TapeOp messageboard:

you might want to give this a shot...

How To Get Your FREE Copy of The Mooney Suzuki's Debut EP:
1) Go to www.TheMooneySuzuki.com
2) Join the community by entering your email address and responding to the confirmation link you will be sent.
3) Once logged-in, find member "MooneyStuff" on the Community page.
4) In the window "Contact MooneyStuff" type "EP" in the "Subject" box, and put your CURRENT MAILING ADDRESS in the "Message" box. Hit SEND!!!

A brand new copy of The Mooney Suzuki's first EP will be delivered to you soon!!!

Thanks again for all the support and we hope to see you on the road soon!!!
Numba One!!!

-The Mooney Suzuki

Sounds like a good deal to me.

I got my copy of the Arcade Fire's "Funeral" today. I ordered it straight from Merge Records. They were swell enough to include a neat little Arcade Fire poster and, of course, a Merge Records sticker, which I'll probably slap on my amp.

One little bit of King & Caroline news ... we're working on getting three or four songs recorded so we'll have a little King & Caroline sampler to pass along at the Oct. 17 show with Dios and The Six Parts Seven.

And uh, that's it.

Anyone else hear a buzzing sound?

2004-09-22T17:32:00.000-04:00

The Hives are playing at The NorVa on Nov. 22. Tickets are $15.

And Ending East Eric is suggesting that an Arcade Fire show might be in our future. That would be schweet. My original feelings of skepticism towards The Arcade Fire are melting away. In fact, yesterday I went ahead and ordered Funeral from Merge Records.

If the entire album is as good as the five tracks I've heard, this will probably be my favorite disc of the year. Amazing stuff.

Rock you like the remnants of a hurricane

2004-09-17T17:15:00.000-04:00

Well, we've got another show booked ... let's hope this one actually happens.

The King & Caroline is playing with California's dios and Ohio's The Six Parts Seven at 8 p.m. on Oct. 17 at Relative Theory Records.

Not that it matters, but Pitchfork gave Dios' self-titled debut a solid 8.0. The mp3s I've heard have been good.

Dios (who are being forced to change their name to dios malos following threats of a lawsuit by Ronnie James Dio ... I kid you not):
You Make Me Feel
Everyday
Starting 5
The Uncertainty of How Things Are

The Six Parts Seven:
This One or That One?
Where Are the Timpani Heartbeats?

And just for the hell of it:
Iron & Wine's awesome cover of The Six Parts Seven's Sleeping Diagonally.

Later, amigos.

One more pick-me-up

2004-09-14T16:15:00.000-04:00

Here's a great live version of a song that never, ever fails to get me singing along ... even when I'm at work and it creates a scene:

Guided By Voices: My Valuable Hunting Knife

Hot damn!

2004-09-14T14:08:00.000-04:00

The Hot Snakes have a new record coming out Oct. 5. It's called Audit in Progress. I haven't listened to The Hot Snakes' debut, Automatic Midnight, in quite a while, but I used to listen to it to get charged up before my old band, Green Means Go, practiced. Suicide Invoice, the Hot Snakes' second record, was killer too. This riffilicious mp3 comes from Audit in Progress:

Hot Snakes: Hi-Lites

The Allmusic review of Automatic Midnight draws comparisons between Hot Snakes and Swervedriver, Sonic Youth and Black Flag ... for whatever that's worth.

Mmmkay?

Something for the ache

2004-09-14T13:07:00.000-04:00

I'm in serious need of some pick-me-up music today. Mood lifters courtesy of Better Propaganda and Epitonic:

Mates of State: Ha Ha
Deerhoof: Milking
Quasi: It's Raining
Guided By Voices: Quality of Armor
Ted Leo/Pharmacists: The High Party
Fruit Bats: A Bit of Wind
Of Montreal: Lysergic Bliss
The Capitol Years: Roller's Row
The Apples in Stereo: The Benefits of Lying with Your Friend
Spoon: The Way We Get By
Starlight Mints: Valerie Flames
The Clean: E Motel

Oh, joy.

The show that never was

2004-09-13T13:10:00.000-04:00

Hey, y'all. Saturday's Big Gig didn't happen. Goody, the owner of Goody's Deli & Pub, decided to cancel on us. Friday night he had a band, and a drunk and rowdy Bay Days crowd to deal with. Fights broke out. Someone started chucking beer bottles at the band ... or so we were led to believe.

So that's all good and well. I totally understand where the guy was coming from. I'd be concerned about having a repeat of the previous night's events too. No biggie, right?

Except for the fact that Goody waited till we'd already hauled all our equipment down to Hampton to tell us anything. Except for the fact that a bunch of friends and family had already planned to make an evening out of it. There was lots of last second scrambling on our part. Lots of last second calls. Odie, our big, bad bass player, payed $5 to park, which basically amounted to paying $5 to be told "hey, sorry, it's not happening." We had to turn right back around and drag all our various amps and guitars and drums and whatnot back home.

The guys from The Outer Loop were stationed out in front of Goody's all day, selling cds and t-shirts. Why didn't Goody just drop the bomb on them first thing? What the hell was he thinking?

Still. Feeling. Very. Annoyed.

Ugh.

Tell the boss off and make your move

2004-09-09T17:19:00.000-04:00

You wouldn't normally find me posting a collaboration between Glen Phillips (the dude from Toad the Wet Sprocket) and Nickel Creek. Seriously. You wouldn't. But Glen Phillips, Nickel Creek, Jon Brion (yes, THAT Jon Brion), John Paul Jones (yes, the dude from Led Zep) and Pete Thomas (yes, THAT Pete Thomas) covering an Elliott Smith song? Gotta do it:

Mutual Attraction Society: Son of Sam

Not too shabby, either, is it?

More here, including covers of songs by Gillian Welch, Jon Brion and Aimee Mann, Led Zep, and The Beatles.

Oh, how it makes me swoon

2004-09-09T15:13:00.000-04:00

Teaching the Indie Kids to Dance Again has an amazing track by The Arcade Fire. The song's called "Crown of Love."

I've been listening to "Crown of Love" on repeat all day. It's so pretty. So genuine. So free of irony. So well arranged. I'm getting the chills just thinking about it.

I'm skeptical of some of the other Arcade Fire songs I've heard so far, but wouldn't hesitate to recommend this one to all.

Correction

2004-09-07T23:14:00.000-04:00

Due to a scheduling mix up the Outer Loop/The King & Caroline show will be Saturday, not Friday. All other info is the same (see previous entry). Hope to see y'all there.

The return of The King & Caroline

2004-09-07T17:27:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note here to let my local pals know that this Saturday my band The King & Caroline is opening for The Outer Loop at Goody's Deli & Pub in downtown Hampton. We'll go on around 9 p.m.-ish. Friday is the first night of Bay Days, so Goody's, which is about the size of a linguine noodle, is gonna be hoppin'.

This will be our first gig with our new drummer, Joe. Feel free to drop by and heckle us.

(note: this show was originally scheduled for Friday. There a was a mix up. It's been moved to Saturday.)

I'm A Cuckoo is currently...

2004-09-05T13:19:00.000-04:00

...suffering from some sort of late-20s life crisis. Symptoms include resolute laziness, apathy and gobs of anxiety. Anyone out there wanna hook me up with a decent job?

...watching Da Ali G Show. Favorite exchange (not word-for-word):

Ali G: Will man ever walk on the sun?
Buzz Aldrin: No, the sun is too hot.
Ali G: What about in the winter, when the sun is cold?

...trying to justify going even deeper into debt for a new iMac G5. I mean theoretically, despite the financial strain, one of these bad boys could be beneficial to the welfare of me and my girlie, couldn't it? Couldn't it?

...excited about Norfolk, Va., indie rockers 1888. Their sound falls somewhere between that of Manitoba and The Notwist. It's electro-pop. Sort of. Maybe. You decide:

Mountain
Woke Up
The Clubs You'll Join

...listening to Guided By Voices final LP, Half Smiles of the Decomposed. My mind's not made up on this one yet. For the first five songs it's a great Guided By Voices record, no doubt, but things get a little shaky thereafter.

...nursing a nasty cut on the tip of my left pinkie. I diced it up last Sunday slicing an apple. My parents' expensive, super sharp German knife didn't stop till it hit bone. Blood gushed. I'm a wuss, too, so after about five minutes of seeing my own blood pour out into the kitchen sink I ended up having to lay on my mom and dad's dining room floor with my feet propped up on a case of bottled water. Apparently my wussiness is contagious, too, 'cause all that blood even made my girlie go all sheet white. Yeesh.

Anyway, band practice was rough this week. Chopped pinkie tips and guitar strings don't mingle well. I'm healing fast, though, and playing through the pain. I'll be fine by Tuesday.

Word.

I can't decimate the world without you

2004-08-23T14:42:00.000-04:00

My band The King & Caroline is just about ready to gig again after almost a year of crazy craziness. We lost a drummer, went into home recording mode, gained a second guitar player, gained a new drummer and then lost the guitar player (amicably, I might add). Things are finally shaping up. We're ready to play out now, but I think we're gonna hold off till late September or early October, just so we can have the rough edges polished up a bit and get a couple of brand spankin' new songs in the can.

In the meantime, I'm posting these remixes of our song Trigger of the Gun. A few months ago, we posted our original stripped-down mix at the TapeOp Messageboard and let some amateur and pro recordists run wild with it. The end results were great. It's cool to hear your own music filtered through someone else's ears.

These were three of the better mixes:

#1 (Todd's Mix): Todd went nuts with Trigger, completely stripping away a lot of the old tracks, and adding his own guitar and keyboard tracks. We were stunned by this mix. Todd did an amazing job.
#2 (Phil's Mix): Phil went nuts with Trigger, too, adding harmonies, crazy effects and some cool '60s-ish guitars.
#3 (Cowtrax's Mix): Cowtrax stayed true to our original recording, doing a wonderful job of beefing up and cleaning up the source material. Nice.

Just ignore that part in the bridge where my voice gives out and goes all wobbly, by the way. This wasn't exactly intended for a mass audience.

I say thank you alot

2004-08-23T13:18:00.000-04:00

My dear friends/partners in crime The Outer Loop (pictured, above) open for Two Gallants (pictured, below) tonight at Relative Theory Records. Show starts at 8 p.m. Look for me there. Between shouts of "Outer, Outer, Loop, Loop" I'll be furiously digging through the cd bins, hoping I can snag a copy of Guided By Voices' swansong "Half Smiles of the Decomposed" a day early. Basically I'll look like a crazy, impulsive, tic-prone, long-haired, bearded freak. In glasses.

Last Wednesday, Two Gallants opened for I'm A Cuckoo fave Built To Spill, and now The Outer Loop is opening for Two Gallants -- how cool is that? I know, right?

Mp3s:

The Outer Loop has a new EP coming out soon. I've heard it. You'll love it. The Loop has made the move from acoustic to electric. Those Violent Femmes comparisons are getting less and less accurate. These tracks are from their self-released debut, "Who's On the Ceiling?":
Say
Those Waves
Sick Dirty Man
Comfortably Uncomfortable

Two Gallants:
Nothing To You
Train that Stole My Man

Compare and contrast

2004-08-19T12:53:00.000-04:00

Which is better?

Sly & The Family Stone's original: Underdog

Or

The Dirtbombs' cover: Underdog

Personally, I much prefer the original. Sly and his family could kick out the jams, y'all. The Dirtbombs' version is fun, though, especially with those gritty vocals and the loose, garage-y feel.

Discuss.

I'm only leaving these up for a couple of days. Get 'em while they're hot.

The Coincidence Theorist's Guide to 9/11

2004-08-17T14:22:00.000-04:00

Nope, nothing to see here. Please, folks, go on about your business. No need for alarm.

Bite this

2004-08-16T14:22:00.000-04:00

Today I offer you a couple of tracks from Philadelphia's The Teeth. I tracked down this fine band through Dr. Dog's website. These songs are from The Teeth's The Christmas City EP. Both tunes bring to mind Television and The Kinks, two of my favorite bands:

Peter Goes to 43rd Street
The Man Without a Motive

Enjoy.

Beating a dead dog

2004-08-12T11:15:00.000-04:00

I've jibber jabbered about Dr. Dog here a couple of times before, so I'll keep this short.

The Philadelphia-based lo-fi psych rockers have a new record out. It's called "Easy Beat." You can order it through their website. Fans of Guided By Voices, Of Montreal, The Kinks, The Beatles and The Who should go bonkers over these guys. Their records are very much on the lo-fi side, complete with wobbly tape noise, tons of hiss and strange sounds slipping in and out of the mix -- think "Bee Thousand." Their live show, on the other hand, is a tightly coiled blast of rock and roll power, complete with huge, killer power chords and tight three-part harmonies. None of that would matter if Dr. Dog's songs sucked. They don't though. Dr. Dog's songs are so good they make me drool:

"Easy Beat" (from Easy Beat)
"Wake Up" (from Easy Beat)
"Adeline" (from Toothpaste)

Here's to hoping these guys make it down to Hampton Roads eventually. That would be awesome.

Hell, maybe I'll see if I can hook up a King & Caroline/Dr. Dog show...

I'm really freakin' happy

2004-08-11T10:05:00.000-04:00

The freakin' Muffs have a new record out.

The freakin' Muffs. Anyone remember The Muffs?

The Muffs -- Kim Shattuck (vocals, guitar) Ronnie Barnett (bass) and Roy McDonald (drums) -- were only like one of the best freakin' pop bands of the '90s. They briefly flirted with major label stardom when Warner Bros. signed them hoping to capitalize on the whole Green Day punk-pop thing. But The Muffs weren't really a punk-pop band. Or maybe they were. I've always thought of them more as a power-pop band, though.

You can preview tracks from their new record "Really Really Happy" on their website. Some older tracks are available too:

The Muffs: "Honeymoon"
"Where Only I Could Go"
"Wish That I Could Be You"
"Prettier Than Me"

Guess what? I am not dead

2004-08-10T17:31:00.000-04:00

It's true.

I should be posting more often here over the next few days.

One last thing

2004-08-02T16:47:00.000-04:00

If you've got a few minutes, drop by and visit Mog, the weekly mp3 blog I'm writing for my employers.

Mog is geared more towards folks who aren't familiar with the world of mp3 blogs, so you may not find anything new there. It could desperately use some hits, though, as I'd really like to keep churnin' it out.

We post a new Mog every Tuesday.

If you play music or you're in a band, feel free to email me at jatkinson@7cities.com and send me links to your mp3s and some info about yourselves. I'm not promising to post anything, but I'll at least give everything a spin.

Rubbing salt in the wound

2004-08-02T16:25:00.000-04:00

At Slate, Stephen Metcalf argues that Wilco = overhyped dullsville. My opinions are pretty much in lock step with Mr. Metcalf's.

Choice quote:

To a listener accustomed to Hootie and the Blowfish, Wilco sounds like the Minutemen—daring, allusive, funky, weird, and yet so right. To a listener accustomed to the Minutemen, Wilco sounds like Hootie and the Blowfish: classic rock for frat boys.

Enjoy!

Return of the living dead

2004-08-02T14:19:00.000-04:00

Howdy.

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. Life is busy. My employers have me running around in circles.

The Zombies tracks are back up. I'm taking them down tomorrow morning, though, so get 'em quick. Also, Pitchfork has a nice review of the new "Odessey & Oracle" reissue, which includes some tasty bonus tracks.

Funny, I get accused of being an indie rock hipster-type for proclaiming my love of The Shins and The Zombies, and the uber-hipsters at Pitchfork have to go and validate my accusers' claims.

Stupid Pitchfork ... making me look like a fool. Next thing you know, they'll be dishing out good reviews of Shins records.

Oh wait, they've already done that?

Bastards.

This week, Chromewaves has Wilco doing a nice cover of Big Star's "Thirteen." I've made my feelings about Wilco known here, and received much reproachment for them (see the comments section in that Wilco post), but, for what it's worth, I do dig the cover.

So there.

Also, be sure and check out my new favorite mp3 blog. Fun stuff.

Wilco at The NorVa

2004-07-28T14:35:00.000-04:00

I refuse to refer to their new record by its real name -- I much prefer "A Ghost Is Bored" -- and I thought "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" was overrated. And "Summerteeth." And "Being Here." And "A.M."

It's still worth noting that Wilco is playing The NorVa Sept. 27. Advance tickets are $22.50.

Oh boy. For me, that would be like paying $22.50 to take a nap.

--

I'm hoping my bandwidth issues will be resolved soon. I'd like to get those Zombies tracks back up.

Need ... more ... bandwidth

2004-07-27T15:42:00.000-04:00

Had to kill The Zombies tunes. Too many people hittin' 'em at once.

The living dead

2004-07-27T10:36:00.000-04:00

There's no question, folks: The Zombies were right up there with the best British bands of the '60s. Best known for their hit singles "She's Not There," "Tell Her No" and "Time of the Season," The Zombies also released one of the decade's great LPs, 1968's "Odessey and Oracle."

Featuring the delicious melodies of keyboardist Rod Argent and bassist Chris White, the breathy, cool vocals of Colin Blunstone, the innovative guitar playing of Paul Atkinson, and the uncluttered, jazzy drumming of Hugh Grundy, "Odessey and Oracle" is easily as good as the best records of the era -- "Revolver," "Village Green Preservation Society," "Pet Sounds," "Forever Changes," etc.

What set "Odessey and Oracle" apart was The Zombies' ability to infuse their pop songs with classical and jazz flourishes. The Zombies could play, my friends, and they weren't afraid to tip their hats to Beethoven or Miles Davis before careening off into a McCartney-esque chorus.

"Beachwood Park" and "I Want Her She Wants Me" are a couple of my favorite tracks from "Odessey and Oracle." "Beachwood Park" is a gorgeous synthesis of moody melody, rich harmony and tremolo-doused guitar. "I Want Her She Wants Me" is The Zombies in pure pop mode ... a sticky chorus, a perfect middle-eight and a bouncy, gleeful rhythm. Pay special attention to Chris White's agile bass playing.

The Zombies "Beachwood Park" and "I Want Her She Wants Me"

A light in the Darko

2004-07-26T10:39:00.000-04:00

I veer off the mp3 path today to direct you to this link:

Everything you were afraid to ask about "Donnie Darko"

I just saw Donnie Darko for the first time Saturday night, and while I basically reached a similar conclusion to the one in the above article, I reached my conclusion without the more insightful benefit of multiple viewings.

I will buy a copy of the DVD.

All shook up

2004-07-24T14:14:00.000-04:00

There was a bit of a shake up in the band Thursday night. It was due, in large part, to my own tendency to miscalculate situations and jump guns. I'm bad about that ... really bad. Ultimately, though, I think it's safe to say this was the best thing for everyone involved.

And while this sort of thing often leads to resentment and hard feelings, it appears that everyone is gonna pull through relatively unscathed, with good relations still intact, which is cool.

Plus, now you folks are gonna get twice the good music. Check out these fine tunes by Matt Cox:

"Been Swearin' Too Often"
"I Wish I Was a Woman"
"October Ride"

And here's some stuff from The King & Caroline:

"Easy Chair"
"Mortality Classes"
"Everything Falls Apart"

Drink up

2004-07-22T16:11:00.000-04:00

I'm sort of late pointing this out -- as usual -- but Stereogum has a tremendous, jazzy cover of Elliott Smith's "Between the Bars" by a Madeleine Peyroux.

It's all haunting and beautiful and whatnot.

Behind the wheel

2004-07-22T10:48:00.000-04:00

Listening to and writing about Some of None got me thinking about Swervedriver, who I haven't listened to in a while. Swervedriver's Mescal Head and Ejector Seat Reservation were two of my favorite records of the '90s.

Two full-length shows are available here.

Grasping at straws

2004-07-21T11:04:00.000-04:00

There's an interesting iPod vs. radio story in the NY Post.

Most unintentionally hilarious quote of the day: people are entertained by the radio ... that's why you have huge morning personalities.

Right. Ok. Whatever.

And what about the music?

The King of Mp3 Blogs, Part 6

2004-07-21T10:10:00.000-04:00

Largeheartedboy has a great find today: a whole boatload of live and unreleased Neutral Milk Hotel tracks.

I'm beating a dead horse here, but if you haven't heard Neutral Milk Hotel's "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea," you've missed out on one the best, catchiest, strangest records of the past 10 years (scroll down to number one on that last link).

Give 'em up

2004-07-20T10:22:00.000-04:00

Lots of mp3 goodness today!

My cousin Johnathan sings and plays bass in a band called Some of None. Some of None is, in a lot of ways, Birmingham, Alabama's answer to the British shoegazers of the early and mid-'90s -- think Swervedriver, Ride, My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive. Add to that a splash of My Morning Jacket's southern-fried goodness and a sprinkle of Built to Spill's pop smarts, and you're in the ballpark.

"As Long As the Light Remains," Some of None's second record, hasn't officially been released yet, but if you get in touch with the band they'll hook you up. I think they're charging $10, and trust you me, it's money well spent.

Some of None: "Nothing Against Henry" (that's Johnathan singing) and "Forty Two" (that's drummer Don Simms singing ... check out those gorgeous guitar harmonies)

I'm leaving you today with two tracks from Curtis Mayfield's debut solo record, "Curtis." A couple of years ago, a friend of mine bought me the soundtrack to "Superfly." It blew my mind, and I've been crazy about Curtis since. I picked up "Curtis" late last year. These are two of my favorite tracks from it.

Curtis Mayfield: "The Other Side of Town" and "Give It Up"

Jumping on the bandwagon before it gets full

2004-07-19T15:49:00.000-04:00

Last month, I saw San Francisco's Rogue Wave play a fine opening set for The Shins. Prior to the show, I hadn't even heard of Rogue Wave. I had no idea what to expect. My expectations were low and Rogue Wave exceeded them by a country mile. They had good, memorable songs. They were tight. And they pulled off a killer, barely recognizable, keyboard-heavy cover of Nirvana's "On a Plain."

Sub Pop recently released a remastered version of Rogue Wave's little-heard 2003 record, "Out of the Shadows." It's getting glowing reviews. Grab a copy before they follow in The Shins' footsteps.

Rogue Wave: "Endless Shovel"

Continuing with today's Shins theme, I've gotta include Of Montreal's fun cover of "Know Your Onion."

Building up

2004-07-15T14:35:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure yet what to make of Chicago's The Changes. I think I really like them. Yeah, I definitely think so. They sort of remind me of maybe The Zombies. Maybe. There's definitely a jazzy, breezy feel to their songs. And vocalist/guitarist Darren Spitzer sort of draws from the same well of cool detachment as Zombies vocalist Colin Blunstone. Sort of. Almost. Spitzer's vocals are definitely a little less refined.

Oh, I don't know. I'm very indecisive today. I wish "Her, You and I" would draw to a close about a minute before it actually does. But it does have a nice build up, doesn't it?

The Changes "Her, You and I"

New Beatles tracks?

2004-07-13T10:12:00.000-04:00

British man spends $50 at Australian flea market, ends up with a suitcase full of unheard Beatles tapes, pictures and memorabilia.

This isn't just some fan's collection, either. It probably belonged to Mal Evans, who worked as an assistant to The Beatles -- he played the alarm clock on "A Day in the Life."

How cool is that?

Crazies

2004-07-13T09:26:00.000-04:00

Today's entry comes from Tennessee's Andy Bodean and The Bottom Boys. "Autumn Lee" is a rocker, and sounds like it could've been committed to tape in the '60s. Actually, it sorta sounds like a nice group of young men with guitar, bass and drums decided to drop by their local mental institution and get the craziest nutcase there to sing their new song. And this crazy nutcase didn't even need a microphone, he just held up a slab of uncut vinyl and screamed directly at it. And the grooves he created with his voice were just wide enough to make room for the backing music, which those nice young boys played with admirable abandon.

Andy Bodean and The Bottom Boys "Autumn Lee"

Totally safe, but completely doomed

2004-07-12T16:13:00.000-04:00

Today marks the begining of my attempt at straight-up mp3 blogging.

My first stop is with my friends, Newport News, Va., rockers The Outer Loop. "Oh (Let 'Em Be)"* is off their self-released 2003 album, "Who's On the Ceiling?" The first time I heard The Outer Loop play "Oh (Let 'Em Be)," it confused me. I thought they had lost the plot. I didn't understand the relationship between Matt Thomas' droning bass part and Jason Helmintoller's searching, wandering guitar. I was disappointed.

But then the chorus kicked in and that melody pushed a button in me, and everything started falling into place. And by the time the bass and drums started passing the baton at the end of the first chorus, I was hooked.

"Oh (Let 'Em Be)" has since become one of my favorite Outer Loop songs.

--

I know little or nothing about Shiina Ringo. She's a Japanese pop star and I think she's relatively young. I have no idea what she's singing about in this song*, but the melody and arrangement are so compelling that I don't really care. I picked up this tune -- think it's called "Stem" -- off another mp3 blog a few weeks ago ... can't remember which one it was, though.

*Left click on link and download from briefcase.

A slow week

2004-07-09T11:25:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts this week, peoples. I've been busy at work and, honestly, nothing super-exciting has come across my radar. I think maybe it has something to do with the holiday?

Over the next couple of weeks I'm planning to turn this into more of a traditional mp3 blog. I'm gonna start posting stuff from my personal collection. One problem, though: I don't have a server to put this stuff on. I'm looking for something cheap or free. Any recommendations?

To begin with, I guess I'll just continue using my Yahoo briefcase.

Jam of the day, y'all

2004-07-08T12:46:00.000-04:00

My favorite Mountain Goats song of late:

No Children (left click and download from briefcase)

I'm so obsessed with this song right now. It originally appeared on "Tallahassee."

Killer

2004-07-06T13:20:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure why everyone's so excited about The Killers. I haven't been blown away by any of their songs. They're light and disposable, and not as catchy as I want them to be. So I'm sort of glad to see Pitchfork gently smacking The Killers around.

I mean, at what point do all these new wave revival type bands repeat history and sort of become the Silverchairs and Stone Temple Pilotses to The Strokes' Nirvana and Franz Ferdinand's Pearl Jam or whatever?

That was an awful, inept comparison, I know, but do you know what I mean?

Computers and kitty cats

2004-07-01T11:09:00.000-04:00

Rock 'n' Roll in the Real World has some mp3s from Inspector 13, a band that featured Odie (bass, The King & Caroline), Jason (guitar and vocals, The Outer Loop) and Sammy P (drums, the late, great The Can Utility).

Inspector 13 rocked.

Peel slowly and listen

2004-07-01T11:01:00.000-04:00

Copy, Right? has an awesome Peel Session of The Delgados covering ELO's Mr. Blue Sky. Do check it out, friends.

Keep it simple, keep it clean

2004-07-01T09:52:00.000-04:00

Gotta agree with Coolfer's assessment of The Fiery Furnaces' website.

Simple. Clean. Good.

More bands should follow their lead.

Oh my, it's a stampede...

2004-06-30T15:02:00.000-04:00

According to Ending East, New York City's Elefant are playing an in-store at Relative Theory Records on July 22. Show starts at 9 p.m.

Fellow NY'ers Sex Sells open.

Here's an mp3 of Make Up from Elefant's 2003 debut, Sunlight Makes Me Paranoid.

NOTE: the mp3 link seems to be broken.

There's a fine line

2004-06-30T09:33:00.000-04:00

Way back when, I gave the Robbers On High Street's Fine Lines EP a very cautious thumbs up.

Well, I've reconsidered.

Fine Lines is now officially one of my favorite discs of the year so far. I'm still hearing that Spoon influence, but I'm also realizing that these songs totally stand up on their own. The hooks and chops are top-notch. Frontman Ben Trokan has a great, slightly gravel-worn voice. The arrangements are clever. Yeah, you can hear some Spoon in there, but with songs this good and this full of excellent ideas ... well, who cares? I can't wait to hear the first full-length.

Hear "A Night at Star Castle," the second track on "Fine Lines," here.

Brrr

2004-06-24T17:36:00.000-04:00

Not a huge fan myself, but it's worth noting that Scotland's Snow Patrol is gonna be at The NorVa Sept. 9.

More indie-ish rock coming to town. That's always a good thing.

Primitives

2004-06-24T16:56:00.000-04:00

Rumour has it Ambulance Ltd. and Elefant might swing through town July 22.

That would be pretty darn cool. I've only heard the Ambulance Ltd. record once, but I really, really dug it. Good songs. Killer guitar tones. Primitive (The Way I Treat You) is one of my favorite singles of 2004.

My friend Matt isn't too enamored with Ambulance Ltd.'s live show. Here's his succinct assessment of their opening gig for Stellastarr* this past March at Richmond's Alley Katz:

Banished from our lofty perch, we suffered the horrible waste of time known as the Ambulance. They put on one horrible live show! Wretched, Vile! The local opener should not be ranked higher than you Ambulance! Maybe they had an off night, or maybe I was still bitter from being stricken to ground level, but Jaime, nor I enjoyed them.

Dang.

Bootlegs are creepy

2004-06-24T11:08:00.000-04:00

Got my hands on a bootleg of The Shins' excellent June 15 show right 'round the corner at Norfolk, VA's The NorVa.

Here are two tracks from that show, a new song I'm guessing they'll call "This Time" and a cover of House of Love's "Destroy the Heart" (left click on link and download from briefcase). "This Time" reminds me a little of "Saint Simon." Maybe it's just the clipped guitar part. The House of Love cover was a total surprise, and a pleasant one at that.

If anyone else wants to host these ... please do. My briefcase'll probably shut down after a few hits.

Last of the steam-powered bands

2004-06-23T14:51:00.000-04:00

I'm very much excited about this killer three-disc reissue of The Kinks' "Village Green Preservation Society," which comes out next Tuesday.

The third disc has some songs on it I've never heard.

I first heard "Village Green" last April. A friend bought me a used copy. It was like having someone drop $1,000,000 in my lap. I listened to it on the way home from an in-store performance my bandplayed at. I kept waiting to hear a song that didn't floor me. That didn't happen. "Village Green" immediately became one of my top-five favorite records of all time.

They're totally, like, Turbo!

2004-06-22T16:31:00.000-04:00

I've been scouring the 'net for a little info about Norfolk electropoppers Mon Chi Chi. All I've come up with so far is this story and this review, both from 100% Unnatural.

I can't really take credit for finding those, either, as my pal Matt over at Rock 'n' Roll in the Real World stumbled upon 100% Unnatural first.

Anywho, Mon Chi Chi played a fun opening set last Wednesday for Longwave.

Let me know if you come across anything Mon Chi Chi related.

The Kids Are Alright

2004-06-22T14:19:00.000-04:00

Here's a live mp3 of Belle & Sebastian doing a fun cover of The Who's The Kids Are Alright (left click on link, download from briefcase).

I nicked this mp3 from the lovely Chromewaves, who took it from Belle & Sebastian's excellent Fans Only DVD.

Enjoy.

Don't forget

2004-06-22T10:32:00.000-04:00

Wilco's A Ghost is Bored comes out today.

You have to buy it, or at least pretend you've listened to it.

You do wanna be cool, right?

Ha! Fooled ya!

2004-06-22T10:25:00.000-04:00

Morrissey, Sonic Youth, The Flaming Lips, PJ Harvey.

Man, this year's Lollapalooza looked too good to be true didn't it?

It was.

I'm speechless

2004-06-22T10:10:00.000-04:00

Is this a joke?

Bush wants to screen the entire population for mental illness?

Jesus, this guy'll do anything to make his corporate buddies a few million bucks.