RATM's Zach De La Rocha announces new band, same politics

Zach De La Rocha, politically outspoken frontman of recently reunited Rage Against the Machine, has just announced the formation of a new band called One Day As A Lion. The two-piece features Zach on vocals and keyboards, with former Mars Volta member Jon Theodore on drums. Their self-titled debut EP will be released in hurried fashion as soon as July 21.

In what can only be described as class De La Rocha rhetoric, he describes the band as follows:

...a defiant affirmation of the possibilities that exist in the space between kick and snare. It's a sonic reflection of the visceral tension between a picturesque fabricated cultural landscape, and the brutal socioeconomic realities it attempts to mask.

The name [is] taken from the infamous 1970 black and white, captured by legendary Chicano photographer George Rodriguez featuring a center framed tag on a white wall in an unspecified section of Boyle Heights.

It reads: 'It's better to live one day as a lion, than a thousand years as a lamb.' This record is a stripped down attempt to realize this sentiment in sound.

Gotta love it. Cynicism aside, it's still good to know that at least someone out there in music biz is politically outspoken. And playing a Barack Obama benefit concert isn't what I mean.

In other RATM-related news, Tom Morello (aka Nightwatchman) is set to release his second solo LP titled The Fabled City on September 30.

CMG presents their 2008 Listravaganza

Worth a look but if bone dry irony and obscure musical references piss you off, best to avoid it. As an amateur music writer myself, I particularly appreciated this one...

7 Words You Can't Say in Music Reviews

7. Angular

6. Glacial

5. Seminal

4. Dylanesque

3. Whiteboy-Soul

2. Radiohead

1. Scrappy!

Recommended shows: June 29-July 5

Monday, June 30
- Lucinda Williams at Minnesota Zoo
- RZA at First Avenue

Tuesday, July 1
- Merle Haggard at Mystic Lake Casino

Wednesday, July 2
- Drive-by Truckers at First Avenue

New Releases: Tuesday, July 1

Absolutely nothing of interest. A slow week. Maybe it'll be a good week for leaked albums instead.

Entertainment Weekly's 'The New Classics' - Top 100 Albums since 1983

Entertainment Weekly's most recent issue featured the EW 1000, composed of lists and more lists ranking the best cultural artifacts from the last 25 years. Below is the 'new classic' music list in particular.

I can't help but mention a few of my observations. First, it's clear that the cultural influence or impact of the album (or perhaps purely sales alone) is often weighted more than the actual music itself. And they're trying to represent a broad spectrum of genres. So just take that as a given before scanning down the page. That's the only way to explain the inclusion of Kelly Clarkson at #29, right? Or Mariah Carey, Shania Twain, Coldplay, Christina Aguilera, etc. I'm a big Cat Power fan, but my god, #13? Thrilled to see Prince on top...lovin' In Rainbows at #10, but can't believe it outranks the much more influential and groudbreaking (in musical terms at least) Ok Computer which sits at #62. U2, Madonna and Beyonce (wtf?) are the only others to show up twice. Cheers for Tom Waits at #16. As will always be the case, the choices are occasionally obvious, often questionable but fun nonetheless. Enjoy.

1. Purple Rain Prince and the Revolution (1984)
2. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Lauryn Hill (1998)
3. Achtung Baby U2 (1991)
4. The College Dropout Kanye West (2004)
5. Madonna Madonna (1983)
6. American Idiot Green Day (2004)
7. The Blueprint Jay-Z (2001)
8. Graceland Paul Simon (1986)
9. Back to Black Amy Winehouse (2007)
10. In Rainbows Radiohead (2007)
11. MTV Unplugged in New York Nirvana (1994)
12. Stankonia OutKast (2000)
13. You Are Free Cat Power (2003)
14. Disintegration The Cure (1989)
15. The Marshall Mathers LP Eminem (2000)
16. Rain Dogs Tom Waits (1985)
17. Odelay Beck (1996)
18. People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm A Tribe Called Quest (1990)
19. Dangerously in Love Beyoncé (2003)
20. Tidal Fiona Apple (1996)
21. The Emancipation of Mimi Mariah Carey (2005)
22. 3 Feet High and Rising De La Soul (1989)
23. The Soft Bulletin The Flaming Lips (1999)
24. Come On Over Shania Twain (1997)
25. Turn On the Bright Lights Interpol (2002)
26. Time Out of Mind Bob Dylan (1997)
27. Funeral Arcade Fire (2004)
28. Illmatic Nas (1994)
29. Breakaway Kelly Clarkson (2004)
30. Appetite for Destruction Guns N' Roses (1987)
31. FutureSex/LoveSounds Justin Timberlake (2006)
32. Life's Rich Pageant R.E.M. (1985)
33. As I Am Alicia Keys (2007)
34. Is This It The Strokes (2001)
35. Jagged Little Pill Alanis Morissette (1995)
36. CrazySexyCool TLC (1994)
37. The Moon & Antarctica Modest Mouse (2000)
38. Raising Hell Run-DMC (1986)
39. Sheryl Crow Sheryl Crow (1996)
40. Ready to Die The Notorious B.I.G. (1994)
41. Legend Bob Marley and the Wailers (1984)
42. Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) Wu-Tang Clan (1993)
43. Paul's Boutique Beastie Boys (1989)
44. Car Wheels on a Gravel Road Lucinda Williams (1998)
45. If You're Feeling Sinister Belle and Sebastian (1996)
46. Homogenic Björk (1997)
47. Exile in Guyville Liz Phair (1993)
48. American IV: The Man Comes Around Johnny Cash (2002)
49. A Rush of Blood to the Head Coldplay (2002)
50. Sounds of Silver LCD Soundsystem (2007)
51. The Score Fugees (1996)
52. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Spoon (2007)
53. King of America Elvis Costello (1986)
54. Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 Janet Jackson (1989)
55. It Takes a Nation of Millions... Public Enemy (1988)
56. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Wilco (2002)
57. Harvest Moon Neil Young (1992)
58. Surfer Rosa The Pixies (1988)
59. Ray of Light Madonna (1998)
60. Crooked Rain Crooked Rain Pavement (1994)
61. Paid in Full Eric B. & Rakim (1987)
62. OK Computer Radiohead (1997)
63. The Joshua Tree U2 (1987)
64. Mama's Gun Erykah Badu (2000)
65. Elephant The White Stripes (2003)
66. The Chronic Dr. Dre (1992)
67. Metallica Metallica (1991)
68. Wrecking Ball Emmylou Harris (1995)
69. Give Up The Postal Service (2003)
70. My Life Mary J. Blige (1994)
71. Rock Steady No Doubt (2001)
72. 1984 Van Halen (1984)
73. The Queen is Dead Smiths (1986)
74. Play Moby (1999)
75. Born in the U.S.A. Bruce Springsteen (1984)
76. Heartbreaker Ryan Adams (2000)
77. Dummy Portishead (1994)
78. Vs. Pearl Jam (1991)
79. Let It Be The Replacements (1984)
80. Back to Basics Christina Aguilera (2006)
81. The Downward Spiral Nine Inch Nails (1994)
82. Grace Jeff Buckley (1994)
83. Learning to Crawl The Pretenders (1984)
84. Low-Life New Order (1985)
85. Home Dixie Chicks (2002)
86. Loveless My Bloody Valentine (1991)
87. All Eyez on Me 2Pac (1996)
88. So Peter Gabriel (1986)
89. Bachelor No. 2 Aimee Mann (2000)
90. Toxicity System of a Down (2001)
91. Siamese Dream Smashing Pumpkins (1993)
92. The Writing's on the Wall Destiny’s Child (1999)
93. Either/Or Elliott Smith (1997)
94. Synchronicity The Police (1983)
95. Trap Muzik T.I. (2003)
96. Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea PJ Harvey (2000)
97. Britney Britney Spears (2001)
98. Transatlanticism Death Cab for Cutie (2003)
99. Live Through This Hole (1994)
100. Faith George Michael (1987)

I had no idea that Amazon sells vinyl records!

Hadn't a clue! So a heads up to you vinyl-lovers out there that Amazon has an impressive vinyl record store, including new releases, reissues, used, etc. As the CD continues to fade in use and popularity, we'll be left with MP3s and vinyl and I'm more than happy with that.

Capsule Review - Microcastle

Deerhunter - Microcastle

JTM Grade: 90%

Bradford Cox is twistedly charismatic, talented, ridulously prolific and a superior blogger. Over the last year or so he's spit out the Pitchfork-adored Deerhunter LP Cryptograms and the even better EP Fluorescent Grey. Then there's Atlas Sound, his solo project, which released their debut full-length earlier in the year. And that's not even mentioning the enormous amount of random solo material via said blog. The mad man is constantly on tour somewhere in the world, having recently finished a European stint with Animal Collective. Spencer Krug has some serious competition as indie rock's top workaholic.

Now comes the highly-anticipated Microcastle. Oddly, there is still no release date but it's sure to see the legal light of day some time in '08. This here is some good tunes, people. Much more focused than Cryptograms' deliberate pacing, or Atlas Sound's noodling tendencies. It's a long lost rock album from the late 60's...and not England, but think New York City...Andy Warhol's NYC by way of Atlanta, GA. This has Velvet Underground vibes all over it. Add in some Yo La Tengo and Sonic Youth for good measure and you have yourself a mighty fine cocktail. Not derivative mind you. Microcastle is unmistakably the psych-heavy work of Deerhunter and Bradford Cox, but the emphasis is directly on the 'micro.' Whereas Cryptograms had extended, droning interludes between more proper songs, this set has the immediacy that Fluorescent Grey promised. No beating around the bush, only minimal meandering. Shorter and sweeter, and yet not sweet at all. We have yet another contender for AOTY in what is quickly becoming an impressively complicated race.

I know...when am I going to review some bad music, right? It's a constant and justifiable complaint about amateur music bloggers. They just endlessly rant and rave about all they love and adore, criticism be damned. Truly, I'm a discerning and critical dude and don't like everything I hear by a long shot. To prove it to you, I'm off to find some bad or boring music to tell you about next week. Doesn't sound too fun, does it?

Sigur rós guide to pronunciation

Some guy
"Didn't Sigur Rós come out with a new album recently?"

Me
Yeah, it's fantastic! It's called, ummm...med something...it's in another language, Icelandic maybe or else it's made-up completely, I don't know how to say it...it's the album with some naked guys on the front."

If you find yourself in this dilemma, Sigur Rós can sympathize. They've now published a handy Sigur Rós reference guide to pronunciation, complete with MP3 audio samples so you can even hear the words pronounced. How nice.

Kanye West vents about Bonnaroo controversy on his blog

This thing has been quoted just about everywhere today, so why not one more. It's a fun read, even if it demonstrates an shamefully excessive use of CAPS lock.

I am sick of negative people who just sit around trying 2 plot my downfall... Why???? I understand if people don't like me because I like me or if people think tight clothes look gay or people say I run my mouth to much, But this Bonnaroo thing is the worst insult I've ever had in my life. This is the most offended I've ever been... this is the maddest I ever will be. I'm typing so fucking hard I might break my fucking Mac book Air!!!!!!!! Call me any name you want.... arrogant, conceited, narcissistic, racist, metro, fag whatever you can think of.... BUT NEVER SAY I DIDN'T GIVE MY ALL! NEVER SAY I DIDN'T GIVE MY ALL! THIS SHOWS NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY TO BE GOOD AT SOMETHING THERE WILL BE PEOPLE THERE TO LIE ABOUT YOU AND BRING YOU DOWN! LIKE WAYNE SAYS PLEASE DON'T SHOOT ME DOWN CAUSE I'M FLYING! I'M FUCKING HURT BY THIS ONE. ALL I CARE ABOUT ARE THE FANS. JUST SAY THIS OUT LOUD IN A ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE, "KANYE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT GIVING A GOOD PERFORMANCE." CAN ANYONE HONESTLY SAY THAT ????????? HAS ANYONE EVEN TAKEN THE TIME TO AT LEAST DO THE MATH??? BONNAROO SHOULD HAVE RELEASED A STATEMENT IN MY DEFENSE BUT SINCE THEY HAVEN'T LET'S BREAK DOWN THE WALLS ON THIS TRUMAN SHOW AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT REALLY OCCURRED!!! FOR OVER A MONTH WE WENT BACK AND FORTH ON WETHER OR NOT WE COULD EVEN FIT MY STAGE AT THE FESTIVAL. ONE DAY THEY WOULD SAY YES... WE'D SEND THEM OUR SPECS THEN THEY THEY'D SAY OK... THEN THEY WOULD SEND SPECS BACK THAT DIDN'T FIT THE STAGE. WE WERE OBVIOUSLY DEALING WITH FUCKING IDIOTS WHO DIDN'T REALLY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO REALLY PUT ON THIS SHOW PROPERLY. THEY TRIED 2 GIVE ME A TIME SLOT WERE IT WAS STILL LIGHT OUTSIDE ... I HAVE A FUCKING LIGHT SHOW DUMB ASS, IT'S NOT CALLED GLOW IN THE DARK FOR NO REASON SQUID BRAINS! MY PEOPLE WORKED OUT A COMPROMISED STAGE PLOT AND A 3AM TIME SLOT AND I AGREED. FAST FOWARD TO THE DAY OF THE SHOW. MY PRODUCTION MANAGER TRIED TO LOAD IN FOR 24 HOURS BEFORE I WENT ON STAGE BUT THE FESTIVAL WOULDN'T ALLOW US TO DO ANYTHING UNTILL PEARL JAM LEFT THE STAGE. PEARL JAM ENDED ONE HOUR
LATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AT THAT POINT WE'RE RACING AGAINST THE SUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AT 4:20AM DON COMES BACK 2 THE BUS AND TELLS ME, " IT WOULD TAKE 45 MORE MINUTES TO PUT ALL YOUR PYRO IN!" I SAY I HAVE TO GET OUT THERE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE . I HIT THE STAGE AND PEOPLE HAD BEEN THROWING SHIT ON THE STAGE AND HAD ACTUALLY HIT THE JANE SCREEN WITH, I GUESS BOTTLES OR SOMETHING AND HAD BROKEN MY FUCKING SCREEN. REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE A SHORTY AND WATER WOULD HIT THE TV?????? WHEN I GOT 2 "THROUGH THE WIRE" I STEPPED ON THE FRONT PART OF MY STAGE AND THERE WAS SO MUCH LIQUID ON THE STAGE I COULDN'T MOVE WITHOUT SLIPPING. I HAD TO ADJUST MY WHOLE PERFORMANCE STYLE BECAUSE OF IT. A FEW MORE SONGS IN AND THE SONG WAS ON IT'S WAY UP.. I CUT A FEW SONGS FROM THE SET BECAUSE I WANTED PEOPLE 2 EXPERIENCE STRONGER WHILE THERE WAS STILL SOME DARKNESS TO PERFORM IT IN. I'VE STRUGGLED WITH STRONGER FROM IT'S CONCEPTION. REMEMBER LAST SUMMER WHEN I CANCELED SOME TV APPEARANCES. IT WAS BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO PERFORM STRONGER IN THE DAYTIME. ANYONE WHO CAME TO THE GLOW TOUR CAN UNDERSTAND WHY I WANTED PEOPLE TO SEE IT PROPERLY. IT BROKE MY HEART THAT I COULDN'T GIVE THESE FANS STRONGER IN IT'S GREATEST FORM... BY THE TIME I GOT TO STRONGER IT WAS DAYTIME AND IT BROKE MY HEART. I'M SORRY TO EVERYONE THAT I DIDN'T HAVE THE ABILITY 2 GIVE THE PERFORMANCE I WANTED TO. I'M SORRY... SOMETIMES I GO 2, 3 DAYS W/O SLEEP WORKING ON MY PERFORMANCE... I HAVE TO ICE MY KNEES AFTER EVERY SHOW AND THEY HURT WHEN I WALK THROUGH THE AIRPORT... HAVING AN EXPENSIVE STAGE CUTS MY PAYDAY IN HALF... CALL ME WHAT YOU WANT BUT NEVER SAY I DIDN'T GIVE MY ALL!!!

Another concert announcement - Silver Jews at Triple Rock on Oct 8

These concert announcements come in bunches. After mentioning just the other day that the Silver Jews hadn't yet come to Minneapolis in their short history of touring, they are now coming to Minneapolis. The can't-miss show will be on Oct 8th at The Triple Rock, an excellent choice of venue.

Neko Case coming to town Sept 18!!

Dear Diary: JACKPOT!

Although not in time for the New Pornos show this past weekend, the broken ankle must be healing nicely. Neko Case will be coming back to Minneapolis for a show at First Avenue on Thursday, Sept 18. Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10am. About a week later, we'll get to see her yet again when she plays at ACL fest in Austin. I think that will put us at about 9 times that we will have seen her live, the most of anyone. She's a touring machine, that girl.

NPR Poll - Best Album of 2008 (so far)

A fun little poll at NPR's All Things Considered blog. Here are the results so far...

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

Beck lets loose two more tracks from Modern Guilt

Over on iLike, Beck has released two more full-length tracks from the upcoming Modern Guilt. The two tracks, Orphans and Gamma Ray, are excellent little nuggets, too. This is important because of that pesky game of expectations. The caliber of the three tracks released thus far (the other one being Chemtrails) is hinting at a Beck rejuvenation. I haven't been the biggest fan of his most recent works (e.g. The Information, Guero)...passable but not especially memorable; however, my expectations are climbing by the minute as I await Modern Guilt's leak. Interestingly, although the album isn't out officially until July 8, you can hear it on a jukebox across the country starting July 1st. I know I don't exactly frequent bars anymore, but who knew jukeboxes were still a source of amusement? Silly me.

NIN rehearse '1,000,000' for upcoming tour and it kinda kicks ass

Recommended shows: June 22-28

Wednesday, June 25
- Shearwater at The Entry

Thursday, June 26
- Frog Eyes at The Triple Rock

Friday, June 27
- Dosh at First Avenue

Saturday, June 28
- Kid Dakota, The Alarmists, Aviette (CD Release show) at The Triple Rock

New Releases : Tuesday, June 24

- Hercules & Love Affair, S/T
- Liz Phair, Exile in Guyville (Reissue)
- Paul Weller, 22 Dreams
- Saul Williams, The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust
- Sigur Rós, með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
- The Wombats, A Guide To Love, Loss and Desperation

Rock the Pavement

Just back from Rock the Garden. We ended up having a great time, but honestly, folks, the event was a mixed bag. The music was good all around but the setup and space configuration was dreadful. Upon arrival, we waited in line for 30 minutes, missing half of Bon Iver's set. Not a good start. I heard him play an especially rousing version of 'Skinny Love' but never saw it. Once through the pointless bottleneck of an entrance, you see the problem immediately. The single stage is setup on a two-lane city street running east-west and there's no shoulder to speak of, so it's narrow. The vendors are packed in on each side, further increasing congestion. The food and beverage lines were absurdly long and criss-crossed back and forth, essentially taking up half of the viewing area for the stage! Remember, we're on a street so it's all on blacktop. You can forget about any 'garden.' Actually, if anything, the sculpture garden and mini-golf course did nothing but awkwardly obstruct the space. To top things off, thanks to some brilliant foresight, when you're facing the stage you're also staring directly into the sun.

There is this alluring grassy knoll off to the side that acts as a natural amphitheater, if only the stage were facing that direction! Instead, once you are able to make your way along a circuitous path up to the hill (it was not easy), you find yourself far off to the side and even behind the stage. The sound from that perspective was muddy and echoed off of the Walker building. Still, it was comfortable and open so we headed up there for Cloud Cult's set. Could have been great, sounded like it had potential, but like I said, the sound from that vantage was iffy at best. This picture from my phone is the best I can do to illustrate the situation.

Next up was The New Pornographers. We ditched the hillside in frustration and made our way back down to the pavement. Now, I'll stop the complaining. From here on out, we started to coast. We ran into some friends, relaxed and took in some great music. Neko and Dan were absent, but AC Newman and company ran through a riveting set nonetheless, moving the crowd to dance as the sun lowered in the sky. The New Pornos saved the night for us. It was only then that it began to feel like a true rock festival. They closed the lively set with an all too fitting cover of E.L.O's 'Don't Bring Me Down.'

Up until that point, the weather had been picture perfect all afternoon, not a cloud in the sky; however, when Andrew Bird began his headlining set, a few ominous clouds rolled in, threatening enough for Bird to halt for 15 minutes mid-set and wait out a passing shower. After just a few cooling sprinkles, he soon came back to triumphantly finish up the night. We left just before the end of his set and strolled through Loring Park listening to his violin plucks, impeccable whistling and adoring words for Minneapolis. Loring Park, you say? Now doesn't that sound like a promising location for a rock festival. Nah, that'd be silly. Sarcasm aside, it turned into a perfect night despite my initial misgivings. Let's just hope they work out the logistical bugs before next time.

Rock The Garden this Saturday

The Minneapolis mini-festival Rock The Garden is finally here. We have our babysitter lined up, the weather is gonna be perfect, Summit will be served and the bands are top notch, albeit a tad on the mellow side. Let's hope the energy is high. This thing has been sold out for months but I haven't a clue what size of crowd to expect. The sculpture garden isn't all that big. We'll have to see. I'll be sure to take some pics and post 'em later this weekend. Hmm...The Current site says no photography, but that can't be true, can it?

In the meantime, here's a quick sampling of the line-up for those of you who may not be familiar with the bands.

Sigur Ros coming to Mpls, but I won't be in town!!!

Damn. Without fail, every single time I head down to Austin, I miss out on a fantastic live act that comes through Minneapolis. It's true that when I'm down in Austin, I'm usually there to see scores of live bands and should be mighty thankful for that. I know this. But still...the inevitability of this pattern drives me nuts! Even more annoying is that the band I miss is typically one I'd sell a kidney to see live. And so, while I'm down in Austin for ACL, Sigur Ros, recently acclaimed by your's truly, has a stop in Minneapolis on Sept 25th for a performance at the Orpheum. Damn.

Dates below, and thanks to Stereogum for rubbing it in my face.
09/17 - New York, NY @ The United Palace
09/18 - New York, NY @ The United Palace
09/19 - Boston, MA @ Bank Of America Pavilion
09/20 - Montreal @ Quai Jacques Cartier
09/22 - Toronto, Massey Hall
09/23 - Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
09/24 - Chicago, IL @ The Chicago Theatre
09/25 - Minneapolis, MN @ Orpheum Theatre
09/27 - Denver, CO @ Morrison Red Rocks Amphitheatre
09/28 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Saltair
09/30 - Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee
10/01 - San Diego, CA @ Copley Symphony Hall
10/02 - Los Angeles, CA The Greek Theatre
10/03 - Berkeley, CA @ The Greek Theatre
10/05 - Seattle, WA @ Benaroya Hall
10/06 - Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Theatre
10/07 - Vancouver, The Chan Centre

Kid Rock PSA : 'Steal Everything'

Girl Talk's new LP now available FOR FREE

If you hadn't heard yet, Girl Talk's new album Feed the Animals is now available online for free* as originally promised by the mash-up maestros. Enjoy.

*pay or don't pay, Radiohead-style

GNR's Chinese Democracy leaks!?

Guns 'N Roses' Chinese Democracy is the modern era's most delayed, mocked and infamous record that never was. Every year it's on the release calendar, and every year it's postponed until the next year. This has been going on since around 1994, people!! At this point, it's nothing more than an Axl Rose solo album and I'd begun to think it was only a fable spread amongst geeky music fans. But no! Apparently, the legend is real and furthermore, as of yesterday, a large portion of Chinese Democracy leaked. It has already been removed from the guilty and now instantly-famous site, but I'm sure it won't take more than a Google search or two to locate an active torrent. I haven't tried to find it yet. You see, I'm torn. It's sad really. One of the great and longstanding jokes of rock is about to die. It's like we're finally seeing Bigfoot, live and in person, guest-hosting on Regis and Kelly. The mystery is gone.

Another Radiohead contest : Vote for best animated video

First came the DJ-friendly contest in which anyone could purchase components (aka 'stems') of the In Rainbows track 'Nude' and upload their very own remix on this site. Over 2200 remixes were submitted, people voted and the top vote-getters were supposedly listened to by the band themselves.

Now comes a contest requiring even more creativity and technical expertise. Some months ago, animators were asked to submit an original animated video set to any track from In Rainbows. Over 1,000 were submitted and 13 finalists chosen. Now we're all asked to watch and vote for the very best on Radiohead's MySpace page. Or for your convenience, I've embedded it right here:

PopMatters interviews David Berman (of Silver Jews)

The new Silver Jews record Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea quietly came out this week, in what is a busy week of new releases. Check out the fantastic cover art! The album showcases yet another great set of songs from wordsmith David Berman. Vibe is more country this go around, and features more vocal partnering with his wife Cassie. As I've found to be typical of the Silver Jews, the songs sneak up on you both yrically and melodically. It's what they call 'a grower.' The lead Jew himself recently talked with PopMatters. Until just the last year or two, the guy never had toured before, but now he's become much more comfortable with it. Still no Twin Cities appearances yet, however.

Gnarls Barkley, Black Crowes, Black Keys among Minnesota State Fair acts

A couple of years ago, the Minnesota State Fair was the unlikely venue for the fantastic pairing of The Flaming Lips and Sonic Youth. Whoever booked that show, should be promoted. Last year, nothing interesting showed up so I figured it was a one-time fluke but now comes news that this year's "Great Minnesota Get-Together" will feature a Gnarls Barkley concert (Aug 27) as well as a Black Crowes/Black Keys line-up (Aug 30). If you're curious, here's the full schedule of varied performers this year at the Grandstand. Beware, tickets look pricey.

Aug 21 - 3 Doors Down, Staind & Hinder (Wow!)
Aug 22 - Brad Paisley w/ Jewel
Aug 23 - The Backstreet Boys (wtf?)
Aug 24 - Buddy Guy w/ local hero Jonny Lang plus Big Head Todd & The Monsters (personal aside: Buddy Guy was my very first concert, and I once worked with Jonny Lang's sister!)

Aug 25 - Dierks Bentley & Miranda Lambert (Who are they?)
Aug 26 - Paramore & Phantom Planet
Aug 27 - Gnarls Barkley
Aug 28 - Mark Schultz (ditto, who is this guy?)
Aug 29 - A Prairie Home Companion w/ Garrison Keillor
Aug 30 - The Black Crowes & The Black Keys
Sept 1 - Ford Motors spokesman and American Patriot Toby Keith

Lollapalooza schedule released, official aftershows announced!

At long last, go here for the Lollapalooza schedule. There's some decisions to be made, but the only true scheduling disaster is Saturday night's Wilco vs. Rage. You'd think the two would have different audiences, but for me, that's a big conflict.

Also exciting is the announcement of aftershows at local Chicago venues during the fest. Tickets for all official aftershows go on sale on June 21. I don't know if I'll have the energy or finances to attend, but if I do, I'm game for Broken Social Scene w/ Yeasayer on Saturday night.

Capsule Review - með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust

Sigur Rós - með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
(trans: with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly)

JTM Grade: 97%

Remember the first time you heard Sigur Rós? I do. That otherworldly voice, singing an invented language (Hopelandic), was an instrument unto itself. It somehow captured the ineffable nature of music. I remember seeing Sigur Rós in concert and falling under a semi-hypnosis state during the performance. It was the musical equivalent to a spiritual experience. Sounds ridiculous, I know.

Ágætis Byrjun (1999) was their second full-length album, but the first that gained universal acclaim and notoriety for the Icelanders. It's a flat-out masterpiece. We can agree on that. Since that time, Sigur Rós have released two fine LPs and a couple other recordings but sadly, I began to take them for granted. They lost their allure. The majesty and beauty was still there but the power was not. I grew impatient with their songs, waiting around for the inevitable climax after 7 minutes of gradual build-up. Yes, it was all very pretty but it wasn’t often that I went back and listened to a Sigur Rós album deliberately.

All that changes with með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust. What was old is new again. How best to describe this triumph of an album? In my mind, this is what spring in Iceland must be like, or maybe global warming has settled in and it ain't so bad after all. Whatever freeze/thaw metaphor you choose, the headline here is that Sigur Rós have lifted up the veil. The beautiful dirges remain (and better than ever) but what’s refreshing is a newfound jubilance. I’ll even throw out that terrible word, whimsy. The new and improved Sigur Rós sound downright whimsical. And to think that you could even consider dancing to a Sigur Rós song is nothing short of absurd, but that’s exactly my impulse when I hear the opening track, 'Gobbledigook.' As an added bonus, a majority of the songs clock in at less than 5 minutes, and astonishingly, the final song 'All Alright' is sung in English. I prefer the sacred characteristic of the made-up language, so hopefully that's a one-off stunt. That being said, it speaks volumes about their intentions. Sigur Rós are consciously branching out into new territory here. In fact, they're leaping forward.

I could go on and on, but I think the cover art speaks for itself. The image encapsulates the beauty, the mood and the emotion this music instills. And what music it is.

Bon Iver Take-Away Show; Spoon Daytrotter session

It's a good day for exclusive live performances on the interweb:

First head on over to the excellent Take-Away Shows site for some Bon Iver. Gets me excited for his set as part of the Rock The Garden festival this weekend. The early forecast is looking like mid-80s and sunny!

Next, I recommend you visit Daytrotter for their just-released Spoon session which includes a Paul Simon cover. This just reaffirms Daytrotter's status as one of the best music sites around.

New Releases : Tuesday, June 17

- Coldplay, Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
- Mogwai, Young Team (Deluxe Edition/Reissue)
- My Brightest Diamond, A Thousand Shark's Teeth
- Notwist, The Devil, You + Me
- Silver Jews, Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
- Wolf Parade, At Mount Zoomer

Recommended shows: June 15-21

Monday, June 16
- Constantines at The Entry

Wednesday, June 18
- The Black Angels at Turf Club

Saturday, June 21
- 'Rock the Garden' at Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
featuring Andrew Bird, The New Pornographers, Cloud Cult & Bon Iver

- Mark Mallman at The Entry

Watching Metallica

They're playing exclusively old classics so far. Harvester of Sorrow! No Remorse! And Justice for All! I can't help but be nostalgic. Some of you know this already, but for those who don't, I'll just confess: I used to be a metalhead in my former life. Now I just want Megadeth to come on stage next.

Bonnaroo weekend

The massive 4-day (& night) festival is probably hitting its stride on this Friday evening. Metallica plays tonight in what you might call a 'comeback' performance, and likely will feature a taste of their widely discussed new material. Not sure if the band is relevant anymore, but maybe I'm underestimating the fellas. Still, this festival is an odd forum. Are hippies and indie kids Metallica's target audience? See for yourself as AT&T Blue Room broadcasts live from Bonnaroo. Metallica is just now going on stage actually.

I know one thing that is certain. Afterwards hippies and hipsters will come together in harmony to see Bonnaroo legends My Morning Jacket finish out the night from midnight to 3am. Let's hope they DO NOT play 'Highly Suspicious.' What other festival routinely ends around 5am each night?! Fantastic. I've never made the trip to Tennessee for this thing but one of these years, I'll have to give it a shot.

The Current's representin' down there this year. Jill Riley is posting on The Current Blog throughout the weekend.

Brother on board

It's official. My brother is now fully committed after buying his ticket to Chicago. I wasn't gonna hold my breath until I saw the receipt, and now I have. No backing out now, bud. He'll be coming up all the way from Austin to meet me in Chicago for some Perry Farrell-endorsed mania at this year's Lollapalooza. I'm thrilled to have a roommate and enthusiastic concert-goer along for the trip. Plus, I can't remember the last time, if ever, that my brother and I went on a trip together. Lookin' forward to it. Oh, and I'm also looking forward to that band Radiohead. Rumor is that they're a decent live act.

Spiritualized and Mogwai coming to town in September

In local concert news, it's been announced that Spiritualized is coming to First Avenue on September 10th. Excellent. The new album Songs in A&E is their best in years, and I've always wanted to see the Spaceman live. I'll also be catching their tour later in the month at ACL.

Bad timing, but while I'm in Austin, Mogwai will be back up here playing First Avenue on the 27th of September. If you want hearing damage, that's the gig for you.

Suggestions from Craig : 5 Bad Ass Songs You Probably Haven't Heard

A friend of mine in Austin sent this e-mail to me this morning. I found it entertaining and musically relevant so why not just post it here? I'm not familiar with any of the songs listed, so if you are, let me know if they are truly 'bad ass.'

Here is an email that started to send about 4 years ago. Occasionally I have run across it and thought that I should go ahead and send it. Other times I have thought it was a silly email and should be discarded as a relic from the past. Also, it was never finished. But still, over the years, I keep thinking about this email for some reason. I keep regretting that I never sent it.

So here it is folks. The legendary (in Craig's mind) email that time almost forgot. Actually, let me qualify this, it isn't really an email. It is just a list, I never got around to writing the surround fluff text, as I have done so nicely in this email. It's called "5 Bad Ass Songs You Probably Haven't Heard"


-------
1. Montrose - Rock Candy
2. Run DMC - Here We Go 2001
3. Extreme - It's a Monster
4. Tommy Lee - Fame 2002
-------

You will note that I never came up with a fifth item. I would also like to point out in case of the unlikely event that any of you actually listen to any of these songs, I'm not claiming that they are great songs, I am claiming that they are "bad ass."

I am resisting the urge once again to not send this nonsensical email. I hope that the burden of having sent this will be less than that of having not. Now you all must share my curse.

Capsule Review - Viva La Vida

Coldplay - Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends

JTM Grade: 65%

The band all us indie kids love to hate is back with what will surely be the best selling rock album of the 2008. Hatred for this band is well documented in music blogs so I'll try not to dwell on my personal biases concerning Chris Martin and his insufferable band Coldplay. I have an open mind. That's my mantra. I'll also go ahead and admit that I never listened to a second of X&Y and have only heard the best singles from Rush of Blood to the Head. So for me, Viva La Vida is a sophomore album, following a good debut, Parachutes and the dynamic duo of singles 'The Scientist' & 'Clocks.' Has it really been eight years since Parachutes?! Sure took 'em a while for a follow-up. What has that goofy guy been up to?

In case you hadn't heard, Brian Eno produced and his influence is all over these new songs. For the most part, this is a good thing. You could easily mistake several songs as U2. Try 'Cemeteries of London' on for size, Bono. Easy to say that's the Eno effect, but we all know Martin brazenly wears his influences on his sleeve, too. Imitations...err...I mean influences aside, Coldplay is at their anthemic best here as demonstrated on the excellent title track 'Viva La Vida,' which you may have seen in a psychedelic Apple ad. Other highlights include 'Violet Hill' and the Radiohead-lite '42.' And so, as a collection of marvelous stand-alone singles, the album is a surprising success. I can't help but like it. Just about any song you choose could be a hit. Unfortunately, there's more going on here than just a bunch of songs. This thing is beggin' for some artistic cred. Chris Martin is a very passionate, sincere dude and some asshole has turned his self-importance knob up to 11. Honestly, I can do nothing but groan at the idea of a Coldplay concept album so I just prefer not to think of it that way. Did my bias come through?

P.tv talks to David Bryne about his latest building project

You could argue that turning an entire building in NYC into an instrument that you play on an organ pump is completely absurd. But it's also very cool. I'd sure as hell be waiting in line if I had the chance. Everyone knows how I feel about David Byrne. He's pretty much a genius. That being said, the guy must have lots of time on his hands.

New Releases : Tuesday, June 10

- Black Lips, S/T (LP reissue on clear vinyl)
- Joan as Police Woman, To Survive
- My Morning Jacket, Evil Urges
- N.E.R.D., Seething Sounds
- Supergrass, Diamond Hoo Ha
- Twilight Sad, Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did

Recommended shows: June 8-14

Wednesday, June 11
- Iron & Wine at First Avenue

Thursday, June 12
- Aimee Mann at Minnesota Zoo
- Gogol Bordello at The Cabooze

Saturday, June 14
- Lightspeed Champion at The Entry

Thom and Jonny informally cover Portishead's 'The Rip'

Radiohead has been soundchecking a version of 'The Rip' during their current summer tour but haven't yet included it on an actual set list. Maybe at Lolla. This also happens to be my favorite track off Portishead's Third album.


Find more videos like this on w.a.s.t.e. central

posting

i'm trying to post from my cell since i'm out of town. John and I saw Retribution Gospel Choir and Mark Kozelek last night @ Varsity. Retribution was fantastic...they played just about every track from their album. Eric Pollard was especially impressive on drums. Kozelek followed by washing us in acoustic sounds and his haunting voice, but alas, it was just too mellow after gettin' revved up by Retribution...he sounded good and all but we couldn't stick it out and left before his set was up. Poor form, I know.

Slew of new albums announced this week, and Coldplay leaks

Just as the release calendar was beginning to look sparse after a strong first half, out comes several announcements from across the indie universe. Keep an eye out on those torrents for...

The Walkmen - You & Me (Aug 19)
Calexico - Carried to Dust (Sept 9)
Mogwai - The Hawk is Howling (Sept 23)
Deerhoof - Offend Maggie (Oct 7)

The high profile leak of the week goes to Coldplay's Viva la Vida. It could be coincidence but only a day later and Coldplay is now streaming the entire new album on iheartmusic.com. Never heard of the site, but cheers to them.

If you fall in the 'I don't give a shit about Coldplay' camp, go find Deerhunter's highly anticipated Microcastle which also leaked earlier in the week. I highly recommend it.

Portishead interview

PopMatters has posted a nice little feature article and interview with Portishead, who returned triumphantly to the music scene this year with their Third LP. And since you asked, yes, the album is incredible. If you're gonna tell me that trip-hop is SO last decade, don't bother. This isn't trip-hop. It's still Portishead (i.e. Beth Gibbons' voice, cinematic, dark as hell), but there's little in the way of hip-hop beats to be found this go-round. I haven't mentioned it before, but Third is easily my pick for AOTY so far, even surpassing the like of Wolf Parade, Nick Cave, Shearwater, etc. To come back after a ten year hiatus and put out material like this is nothing short of amazing.

ACL Fest Schedule released

The schedule for this year's Austin City Limits Music Festival was released this morning. The schedule, not the line-up, is typically the make or break of a festival. Luckily, not too many conflicts for ACL, except for on Saturday evening. First we have The Black Keys vs Iron & Wine. Then the headliner face-off is Robert Plant/Alison Krauss vs Beck. I've been especially excited to see Robert Plant live but it'd be hard to not go for Beck in a festival atmosphere. The rest of the entire schedule works out fine for our preferences. Gettin' excited! How come no Lollapalooza schedule yet?!

Yeasayer plays '2080' on Brooklyn rooftop

It's been exactly a year since I first saw Yeasayer live and first heard the fantastic song that is '2080.' I honestly can't remember the last time a tune stuck with me for this long. Seeing as I can't get enough of it, here's a groovy version recorded by Pitchfork.tv this past winter on a cold Brooklyn rooftop.

Bo Diddley is dead at age 79

Bo Diddley, guitar hero, blues legend and innovator of one of the most recognizable and imitated guitar styles in the history of rock (i.e. the 'Bo Diddley beat'), died today at age 79. The list of his those he influenced would be enormous, but I'll namecheck The Rolling Stones and The Who for starters. In fact, I took this History of Rock 'n Roll class in college and the instructor had us listen to Bo Diddley back-to-back with The Who's 'Magic Bus' and it was astonishing how similar they sounded.

Cobain's ashes MIA

Kurt Cobain's remaining ashes were reportedly stolen from Courtney Love's house in Los Angeles! This is disheartening news. Bizarre and just plain wrong. Can there be a market for this sort of thing? However, I couldn't help but laugh at one insightful NME reader's response to the news: "Does anyone know where Keith Richards was the night of the robbery?"

Capsule Review - Stay Positive

The Hold Steady - Stay Positive

JTM Grade: 85%
Stay Positive, the fourth full-length from The Hold Steady, doesn't reinvent the wheel so much as showcase a band in its prime, hitting us in full stride with perfectly crafted rock 'n roll. The Hold Steady aren't a rock band, they are a "rock 'n roll" band and willfully embrace every connotation that suggests. They revel in their bar-band aesthetic and low-brow approach. Yet, who are we kidding? They're hipsters and their fans are, too. But I do believe that Craig Finn is sincerely interested in having fun, with a few ballads for good measure.

And there is much fun to be had on the new album. Hold Steady records have an irresitable charm and energy, despite subject matter that tends towards the drug-ridden and fatalistic. Stay Postive is no different, and even refinces Craig Finn's knack for blending irony with sincerity without batting an eye. This time out, some new instruments are added into the mix (e.g. harpsichord, mandolin, etc.) and I'm especially tickled to hear the unapologetic 80's guitar solos. Interestingly, there is a marked decline in Minnesota-centric references but Finn continues to drop mundane details by the dozen. In a search for criticism, I admit they're becoming a tad formulaic, crafting rock 'n roll songs like widgets. Even the song structures are molded perfectly, consistently featuring the best bridges of any rock songs in recent memory. It's hard to criticize them for being too deliberate about this. They do this better than just about anyone else, so why complain? It's working and for me, this is just the rock 'n roll my summer needed.
Favorite track so far: 'Joke About Jamaica.'

Stay Positive comes out on July 15th and you can catch 'em live at First Avenue a week later.

Sunset Rubdown's Black Cab Session

Can't get enough of Spencer Krug? Me neither. Check out Spencer and co. in Sunset Rubdown mode for the most recent Black Cab Session. And while you're at it, there's a helluva good catalogue of prior sessions to discover as well. Jovial participants include DCFC, Spoon, Okkervil River, The National, New Pornos and even Daniel Johnston!

She & Him announce tour, including Minneapolis date

She's Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward is Him. Together as She & Him they'll be in Minneapolis on Aug. 7th at First Avenue. She & Him's debut album Volume One came out in March and is a great little piece of nostalgic pop, proving that Zooey has the goods, unlike Scarlett who tries oh so hard. 'Course anyone who saw Elf already knew Zooey had a purdy voice. The word at SXSW was that Zooey had a case of visible nerves when performing live but always in an endearing way, and never to the detriment of the songs. She must be getting over the stage freight.


She & Him tour dates:
July 23, Toronto, ONT (Opera House)
July 24, Northampton, MA (Academy of Music)
July 25, Philadelphia, PA (Trocadero)
July 26, New York, NY (Terminal 5)
July 28, Carrboro, NC (Cats Cradle)
July 29, Atlanta, GA (Varsity Playhouse)
July 30, Nashville, TN (Mercy Lounge)
July 31, Asheville, NC (Orange Peel)
Aug. 2, Newport, RI (Newport Folk Festival)
Aug. 5, Chicago, IL (Park West)
Aug. 7, Minneapolis, MN (First Avenue)
Aug. 8, Madison, WI (Barrymore)
Aug. 10, Washington, DC (Virgin Mobile Fest)

My favorite Dylan songs

In honor of Bob Dylan's 67th b-day, here are my Top 15 songs from his enormous catalogue. No big surprises I'm afraid...

15. I'm Not There (from I'm Not There OST)
14. Hurricane (from Desire)
13. All Along the Watchtower (from John Wesley Harding)
12. A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall (from The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan)
11. Knockin' On Heaven's Door (from Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid OST)
10. Mr. Tambourine Man (from Bringing It All Back Home)
9. Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands (from Blonde on Blonde)
8. Desolation Row (from Highway 61 Revisited)
7. I Want You (from Blonde on Blonde)
6. Idiot Wind (from Blood on the Tracks)
5. Ballad of a Thin Man (from Highway 61 Revisited)
4. Subterranean Homesick Blues (from Bringing It All Back Home)
3. Tangled Up In Blue (from Blood on the Tracks)
2. Visions of Johanna (from Blonde on Blonde)
1. Like a Rolling Stone (from Highway 61 Revisited)

What's your favorite Dylan song?

Okkervil River announce new album

Surprising but welcome news from the Austin band Okkervil River. Pitchfork has reported that they're already set to release the follow-up to last year's awesome Stage Names album. Titled The Stand Ins, it's due on September 9th from Jagjaguwar. This is what I like to see from bands. An album a year. Okkervil is on tour but no Twin Cities date. However, I will be able to catch 'em for the first time at Lollapalooza and then later at ACL. Looking forward to it.

I should also mention that Shearwater, fronted by former Okkervil keyboardist Jonathan Meiburg, has their own highly anticipated album due out June 3rd, titled Rook. Not sure if I'll review it properly or not, but I've had it for a while and can tell you that it ranks up there in the Top 5 albums so far this year. Shearwater was recently in town on May 13 at the Entry, oddly paired with Clinic. Haven't seen the surgical-masked Clinic, but I did catch Shearwater at SXSW and they were a definite highlight.

Champions League prediction - Man Utd wins!

Everyone's fav, Manchester United will defeat rival Chelsea 2-1 in today's UEFA Champions League final held in Moscow Watch. You'll see. I know what I'm talking about.

Tom Waits is The Devil.

Literally. Tom Waits has revealed that he's been cast to play the role of The Devil himself in the upcoming Terry Gilliam-directed The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. The film currently still in production recently gained notoriety for featuring Heath Ledger's final role. News of Devil Tom was released in yet another meta-publicity announcement, this one in the form of an interview with himself posted on the Anti- Records website. He's a character, that Tom. If you've already forgotten or just never took the time, I urge you to go here to view his equally oddball press conference from earlier this month. He's sure mastered the publicity thing. Say it with me now: PPEHDTSCKJMBA.

Found this on Free Yr Radio site re: Mpls Yeasayer show

The Current to host Free Yr Radio concert w/ Yeasayer!!

A detail-oriented friend of mine happened across a random Minneapolis concert date posted on Yeasayer's MySpace page and after a bit more research, I discovered that indeed it is true. The Current and Free Yr Radio are co-sponsoring a Yeasayer gig on July 30 here in Minneapolis. No word on the venue yet or any other details. In fact, so far I haven't heard any news of this from The Current and they usually promote the hell out of these things. I'm sure a formal announcement will come soon, if it's already on the Yeasayer and Free Yr Radio calendars. I e-mailed an inquiry over to their blog, so hopefully they'll just come out with the info. sooner rather than later. As for Yeasayer, looks like those wacky dudes are stopping here for a one-off show right before heading on to Lollapalooza in Chi-town. Fantastic news!

Capsule Review - Arm's Way

Islands - Arm's Way

JTM Grade: 75%

Nick Thorburn and The Unicorns' Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? is a perfect album. Too perfect as it turns out. Those damn expectations will forever be looming in the background for me. I desperately want Nick's Islands to repeat that same magic, and I'm always let down. Not fair at all, I know. Islands is a natural extension of The Unicorns. Nick is progressing and definitely going somewhere...he has no reason to look back. Plus, Islands is a very good band, and their debut release, 2005's Return to the Sea, was also very good. But it ain't The Unicorns, and I guess I'll always hold that against them. Fair or not. Just like if Neutral Milk Hotel ever tried to top In The Aeroplane...they just couldn't. Unfortunately, Jeff Mangum knows this and won't even give it a shot. So at the very least, Nick is still working hard and doing it well.

Arm's Way is a testimony to that hard work and it is no small undertaking for the listener either. Eight tracks clock in at over 5 minutes, three of those are 7+. Within a single song, you'll find two or three songs mini-suites within, each with distinctive structures and melodies. More often than not, the compositions are packed full of wondrous pop nuggets, but the schizophrenia can also throw things off track and at times, induce a sort of numbing effect. Can you have too many hooks? For example, there's this wonderful segment from 'In The Rushes' and I keep wishing Nick would just stick with this one melody and chorus, but no, he just teases us with it for maybe a minute before moving on to another thought. You can't just pull out this amazing hook, and leave us hanging there, drooling for more! Well, he does and he can. He does it repeatedly, in fact. And so it's impressive, even if it isn't always satisfying. I'm one of those nostalgic guys, longing for the short, rusty pop songs of The Unicorns. A bit of that will always be there with Islands as Nick continues to play the same game of genre-bending, catchy pop. Only now he's amping up the orchestra, and aiming for something much more grand (and long). Good luck with that.

Good things, when short, are twice as good.
~Baltasar Gracian, The Art of Worldly Wisdom

Here's a pic I took of Nick in full whiteface during a SXSW Islands performance earlier this year. They will be in town to play a show at First Avenue on June 3rd. And lastly, head over to Daytrotter for the Islands session let loose earlier today.

Online Music Pioneer, Peter Gabriel?

It was only a month or so ago that I mentioned Peter Gabriel's backing of new online media discovery service, The Filter. Now, the guy has gone and introduced a new and creative model of producing and distributing music online for unsigned, new musical talent. Dubbed 'Music Club,' Gabriel and co-sponsor, British speaker manufacturer Bowers & Wilkins, will offer up free studio time for artists to record an album, in Peter's own space no less. Music Club will retain the exclusive distribution rights via a subscription MP3 service for a month or two, before returning full rights of the recordings back to the artists themselves. Not too shabby. Not sure if I'd want to pay for said subscription, but from an artist standpoint, this appears to be an unbelievable opportunity. Haven't read any fine print yet, but keep up the good work, Peter.

New musical set to Bowie hits has songwriter's approval

NME is reporting David Bowie's approval for the use of his songs in the musical production and remake of Bowie's own 1976 cult film The Man Who Fell to Earth (see creepy still from film above). Things are still in preliminary stages, but director Peter Schaufuss of Denmark plans to debut the musical this fall in his native country. I'll take it a step further and predict the sci-fi Bowie musical will be a sensation. It will then move up the ranks to London, and then Broadway by late 2009. It will be adapted into another feature film, this one starring Jude Law in the Bowie role, to be released in 2011. And at long last, The Man Who Fell to Earth will take home the Oscar! Abba can suck it!

File this news bit under WTF

This is my attempt at tabloid news. Britain's two favourite drug fiend rock stars, Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty, have posted a couple of YouTube videos of themselves playing with a litter of mice. Yes, you read that correctly. Winehouse, Doherty and rodents. It was just a matter of time before those three got together. The one brief video I watched was severely dull and I don't feel like posting it here. So if you really want to see it, you're on your own.

California affirms right to same-sex marriage

Not music related, but sorry folks, this is big news. Two states down (Massachusetts being the other), 48 to go. I can only hope that by the time my son is an adult that gay rights will be a complete non-issue, that he'll look back and wonder how this country could have ever been so backwards as to not allow for same-sex marriage. Similar to how our generation thinks about women not having the right to vote, or more recently, Jim Crow laws. Anyway, a step in the right direction.

Hold Steady announce tour, Stay Positive

As reported by CMJ, road warriors and Minneapolis-nostalgic rock band The Hold Steady have announced a 20+ date tour in support of July 15th's release Stay Positive. Mark down July 22nd for their show at First Avenue. Damn, that's a Tuesday!

Tour Dates For The Hold Steady:
06/08 - Chula Vista, CA - 94/9 Independence Jam
06/27 - Baltimore, MD - Ram's Head Live!
06/28 - Philadelphia, PA - Festival Pier (The Paul Green School Of Rock Festival)*
06/29 - Brooklyn, NY - McCarren Pool
07/17 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
07/18 - Pontiac, MI - Crofoot Ballroom
07/19 - Chicago, IL - Union Park (Pitchfork Festival)
07/21 - Madison, WI - Majestic Theatre
07/22 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
07/23 - Fargo, ND - Fargo Theatre
07/26 - Seattle, WA - Capitol Hill Block Party
07/27 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
07/29 - San Francisco, CA - Mezzanine
07/30 - Los Angeles, CA - Avalon
08/02 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
08/03 - El Paso, TX - Club 101
08/05 - Dallas, TX - Palladium Ballroom
08/06 - Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa
08/08 - Oxford, MS - Proud Larry's
08/09 - Athens, GA - 40 Watt
08/10 - Charleston, SC - The Pourhouse
08/12 - Carrborro, NC - Cat's Cradle
08/13 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva
* with Devo

PTV broadcasts full version of Radiohead's 'Scotch Mist'

This is an impressive offering for the new Pitchfork.TV to present Radiohead's incredible New Year's Eve 'Scotch Mist' broadcast for our unlimited viewing pleasures. You can also get it for free from iTunes, and surely elsewhere, but now Radiohead-geeks like myself can embed and stream it in full from our very own geeky blogs, too! Thanks, PTV.

Here's my personal favorite, 'Videotape':

Flight on the Conchords video - 'Ladies of the World'

Check out Jermaine's new hair and 'stache. Man, I miss this show, but their recent full-length album is a mighty fine substitute in the meantime.

Pitchfork Live - Bon Iver's 'The Wolves (Act I and II)'

As if The Current didn't remind us often enough, Bon Iver is playing the sold out Rock the Garden in Minneapolis on June 21st.

Uncut wants your vote - Best Bowie Song

My musical lord and savior David Bowie has too many good songs for this sort of thing. I couldn't even choose a favorite Bowie persona, much less a single song. It stresses me out even to narrow it down to a Top 20. But if you're a bit more decisive or just love 'Fame' like no other, go rock the vote at Uncut's request.

PopMatters posts feature on Neko Case

Go here for PopMatters' feature article titled "Animals in Time: Neko Case and the Contemporary Country." But be warned that this is not a typical blog or fluff piece; it's more of a long-form academic analysis into Neko and music. You don't run across articles like this too often. Anyway, I don't recommend it for the casual reader, but it's very interesting if you have the time or just LOVE everything that is Neko Case.

Robert Smith tours, preps for Dark Knight release

Sorry, I love the guy as much as anyone and the Cure rank up there as an all-time favorite from my youth, but Robert Smith is lookin' a bit old and ragged. Too old to be taken seriously in make-up. Is it just the green lighting or is he a dead ringer for Heath Ledger's Joker, only about 20 years his senior. All the same, I'm curious to hear the new Cure material leading up to the Sept 13 release of their new album. As for touring, The Cure haven't scheduled a date here in the Twin Cities.

Capsule Review - Evil Urges

My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges

JTM Grade: 60%

Jim James describes the new My Morning Jacket album to Mojo Magazine:

When a record's done, in my mind it looks like a picture. Until we added one final song, it was like looking at a painting that had a bunch of greens, purples and whites, and it just had to have a streak of red through it somewhere. Now I'm seeing the things I need to see.

He never clarifies what he means, but after the very first listen through Evil Urges, it all becomes clear. The dumbfounding third track 'Highly Suspicious' is Jim's streak of red and damn, if it ain't blinding. Imagine a black hole, its gravity destroying everything in its path with psuedo-Prince stylings and distorted, paranoid cartoon chants. Sounds scary, doesn't it? It is. If I heard the song in another context with wittier lyrics, who knows, it could have made a great addition to Flight of the Conchords' repertoire. But not here. It doesn't just not fit, it sticks out like a, well, like a streak of blood red in an otherwise perfectly gorgeous painting. Just like James describes. You gotta hand it to him. He is obviously well aware of the song's effect and it's what he intended. So way to go, man. It worked and it's a shame.

The rest of the album has some stellar songs, albeit with a slight trend towards '70s MOR stylings, almost Jackson Browne or Eagles-like. I hate the Eagles, so I guess it's not the best comparison, but trust me, the rest of the album is quite good. Stand out songs include the Prince-influenced, but in a good way, title track and the easy listening masterpiece 'Librarian.' Much like 2005's Z, Urges continues to show MMJ venturing away from their southern rock jam band tag. Tracks 1-2, and 4-13 are good to near great at times. But to hell with that stubborn red blot that is 'Highly Suspicious' for fuckin' it all up. Luckily for me, I can just go into iTunes, highlight track 3 of 14, hit delete, click "Yes, I'm sure I want to remove this song from my library" and hocus pocus, it's gone. Perfect.

Last.fm to release original video series

According to cnet, up and coming and musically-inclined social networking site Last.fm (owned by not so up and coming, huge conglomerate CBS) has announced an original video series titled "Last.fm Presents." The programming will initially feature interviews with musicians and concert footage. Moby and Spoon are two early participants.

I think it's safe (and obvious) to say that original web programming is a rising trend in the music industry. I'm talking about professional material, not of the user-uploaded variety. There has been an abundance of music video sites for quite some time, with companies like Viacom (MTV), News Corp. (MySpace), Google, AOL, Yahoo, etc. in the mix, but it's that original programming that interests me. There seems to be another announcement and debut every other week in 2008. Which one will take over and dominate the medium, a la MTV? MTV Networks themselves even? Or will the content remain too niche-oriented for some web-MTV to come along and destroy the competition? The internet in its nature is highly nichy, except for the Googles of the world, so my bet and hope is for the latter. I'm probably wrong. If anyone knows of any good music video sites with original, exclusive series, let me know. I'd love to check 'em out.

'Age of the Understatement' video

An Evening with My Morning Jacket

I'll post my take on their interesting new album Evil Urges in the next few days, but in the meantime, My Morning Jacket have announced a substantial US tour. They come through Minneapolis on October 2nd for an "evening" at the Orpheum. I prefer MMJ in festival-mode myself, but unfortunately, they're not to be found at ACL or Lollapalooza. Regardless of the venue, they're one of those bands you never want to miss an opportunity to see live, so good news all around. I'll be there. But October?! My god, that seems like a long way out. Looking forward to the show means looking forward to winter's dreadful return. I think I'll keep it out of my mind for now.

Mark Kozelek

Mark Kozelek's Sun Kil Moon is my most recent and beloved musical discovery. Haven't even had the chance to dig into his more well known prior band Red House Painters, but they're high on my list. Definitely check him out. In the meantime, read the PopMatters interview with Mark in which he opens up about his new album, April. Also, mark down June 6th, when Kozelek joins Retribution Gospel Choir at the Varsity.

JTM's Favorite Albums, Jan - Apr 2008

I wasn't blogging much for the first part of the year, so I thought I'd play catch-up and quickly reflect back on the first four months to carve out the cream of the crop. No particular order, no commentary (other than the category labels), just a list of hits and misses between January - April 2008. But wow, that's a surprisingly long list. How did I ever find time to listen to all of that? Anyway, like any good bell curve, the majority falls into the middle. At the least, go get those essential picks and avoid the bottom tier.
Happy listening...

Essential:
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Destroyer - Trouble in Dreams
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
Portishead - Third
Gutter Twins - Saturnalia
Hercules & Love Affair - Hercules & Love Affair
The Black Keys - Attack & Release
Nick Lowe - Jesus Of Cool (reissue)

Recommended:
Man Man - Rabbit Habits
DeVotchKa - A Mad and Faithful Telling
She & Him - Volume One
Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Real Emotional Trash
Retribution Gospel Choir - Retribution Gospel Choir
Flight on the Conchords - Flight of the Conchords
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride
Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant (EP)
The Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust
Autechre - Quarstice
The Dodos - Visiter
Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing
Sun Kil Moon - April
The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
M83 - Saturdays = Youth
Atlas Sound - Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
These New Puritans - Beat Pyramid
The Breeders - Mountain Battles
Atmosphere - When Life Gives You Lemons You Paint That Shit Gold

Pleasant but ultimately forgettable:
Times New Viking - Rip It Off
Hot Chip - Made in the Dark
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
Beach House - Devotion
Guillemots - Red
Clinic - Do It!
R.E.M. - Accelerate
Tapes 'n Tapes - Walk It Off
Foals - Antidotes
Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple
Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
Black Mountain - Into The Future
Sons and Daughters - This Gift
The Big Sleep - Sleep Forever
Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
The Ruby Suns - Sea Lion
Kid Dakota - A Winners Shadow
Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight
Cloud Cult - Feel Good Ghosts

Unpleasant:
Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
The Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead

Loathed but memorable:
Murder By Death - Red Of Tooth & Claw
Xiu Xiu - Women as Lovers
Peter Moren - The Last Tycoon

'My Body is a Cage,' Leone-style

I know, I know...this dates back to last year, prehistoric in blog terms, but I happened across it again today and I'm still amazed. A year later and these powerful images from Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West are still the only thing I can think of upon hearing the Arcade Fire song. I wasn't even keen on the track but this brilliant mashup changed its context entirely and now I consider it one of the better songs from Neon Bible. Well done, some guy with lots of time on his hands who posted this. Well done.

Recommended New Release - The Last Shadow Puppets

Not an official review per se but I wanted to give a quick word of recommendation for The Last Shadow Puppets - Age of the Understatement which was released today by Domino Records. This came out of nowhere for me. Honestly, who knew Alex Turner (of the Arctic Monkeys) was actually so damn talented? Well, who other than the British press that is? I didn't. Blissful, perfect symphonic pop.

Beck follows suit

As reported by Rolling Stone:

Is Beck on the verge of pulling a Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails and Raconteurs? According to MTV News, the singer is set to release his new, Danger Mouse-produced album in a matter of weeks. While his publicist and label would not confirm the report, sources close to the Beck camp insist that the album could be out as soon as four to six weeks.

Gotta admit, I like this growing trend of full-length album insta-releases without the typical 4-5 month hype and marketing build-up. There's something more pure and equalizing about everyone receiving and hearing a new album at the same time. No advance press to sway or adjust your expectations...just a clean slate for everyone. No outside interference or influence to alter your experience. Plus, I love the idea of a kid hearing a new album from their favorite band at the same time as a record executive or Pitchfork. The privilege of access evaporates if only for a moment. Can't imagine that record labels or the press appreciate it as much, so who knows how commonplace this will ever become. But try to at least appreciate the ideal.

Trent Reznor releases yet another album online

Two months after the release of the 36 song, entirely instrumental and downright boring Ghosts I-IV, Trent and NIN have announced the immediate digital release of a more conventional full-length album. Titled The Slip, it is available for download via theslip.nin.com, and sure enough, it's for free. Trent thanks us all for our continued support.

The only remaining question is whether Trent and Thom Yorke will pull out the fisticuffs at Lollapalooza to settle once and for all which one shall be named Musical Lord of the Internet. I love Thom but you gotta believe he'd lose in a fight...of any kind...with anyone.

Tom Waits' personally announces U.S. tour

After seeing Prince in concert last year, Tom Waits was officially bumped up into the Top 3 of living musicians I HAVE to see before I die, or more likely, before they die. With the recent news that Tom was setting up a summer tour, I was praying for a Twin Cities date, but it's not meant to be. Instead, he's chosen the armpit of Texas (i.e. El Paso) among other Southern locales for his self-proclaimed "Glitter and Doom Tour."

Bitterness aside, check out Tom's amusing YouTube press conference with the details and logic behind his tour schedule.

'Violet Hill'

It pains me to say it, but I like Coldplay's new song 'Violet Hill.' I had every intention of listening to it once, dismissing it as garbage before moving on to the next disposable mp3, but dammit, it ain't half bad. Admittedly, Coldplay's singles are occasionally good and almost always comfortable, even pleasant. That's the perfect word for Coldplay: Pleasant. They could never be offensive to the ears, but I think it's because they are so damn unoffensive...this is what gets under my skin. Then there's that painfully sincere, self-righteous thing goin' on, almost of the U2 variety. Ick. I don't know. It's easy to hate a band like Coldplay, even trendy. I like scores of bands who write "pretty" songs, so I don't know why these guys bug me so much. I'm sure a part of it is that natural inclination of mine to stubbornly resist what the masses embrace. It's an annoying trait of mine, just ask my wife. Anyway...for now I'll give Chris Martin and co. the benefit of the doubt based on this latest single and I'll even give the entire Eno-produced album, obnoxiously titled Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, a fleeting moment of attention.

Bjork - 'Wanderlust'

Capsule Review - At Mount Zoomer

Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer


JTM Grade: 95%

At Mount Zoomer, awkward title aside, is officially a home run for Spencer, Dan and the gang. It may not pack the immediate punch to the gut as its predecessor, but the new material marks a substantial step forward in songwriting chops. I'm hard pressed to pick my favorite track so far. For now, I'll choose the hilariously titled "Fine Young Cannibals." In perfect symmetry, Dan takes the lead on four songs, Spencer has four and they both sing on the epic 10 minute+ finale, "Kissing the Beehive." All of the trademarks from their debut LP remain (i.e. Dan's swagger, Spencer's lyrical puzzles and snaky melodies), but they have slowed things down just a bit and given the production some breathing room. It's safe to say the whole thing is simply more grand in scope. Is it better than Queen Mary? I'm not willing to go that far quite yet, but maybe...

So I've been trying to figure out what distinguishes Wolf Parade from its members' various side projects, but primarily from Spencer Krug's Sunset Rubdown. You can't deny that Spencer's voice, songwriting and keyboards will always demand attention in any band he happens across. There's just no avoiding that influence. Even Apologies to the Queen Mary's best song 'I'll Believe In Anything' was itself a reworked version of a Sunset Rubdown track. So it should come as no surprise that most of Spencer's WP contributions on Mt. Zoomer are decidedly Rubdowny.

Then what is it that makes Wolf Parade so much damn better than the other projects? It isn't Dan Boeckner, and I don't intend that as a slight. The guy is fantastic on both albums and brings a punkish rock 'n roll presence to the fold. But that's not it. Nope, I think it's that 'gang' I mentioned earlier. Those other dudes behind Dan and Spencer on stage. The drum and bass. The rhythm. They're the actual parade. Their driving bass and propulsive, powerful drumming is what makes Wolf Parade a step above Sunset, Handsome Furs, Frog Eyes, Swan Lake, you name it. Compare the two versions of 'I'll Believe In Anything' and it'll be clear as day why Wolf Parade's is so much more affecting. I'd never even heard of their names before looking it up just now on Wikipedia. So I'm taking this occasion to recognize the two formerly anonymous members of Wolf Parade, Arlen Thompson and Dante DeCaro on drums and percussion. Hopefully, a forum with a tad more readership will give 'em some credit.

New Hold Steady album in July

After releasing one brilliant album per year from 2004-2006, The Hold Steady were disappointingly absent from the 2007 slate. But on July 14, 2008 the middle-aged but insanely energetic sextet will release their fourth album titled Stay Positive. No big tour announcements yet, only some sporadic festival appearances, but I'm sure they'll be hitting the road this fall. Hopefully it'll include a couple of massive nights scheduled here in Craig Finn's hometown. Fittingly, the last time I ended up truly intoxicated at a concert was at a Hold Steady gig. I'll have to take it easy next time.