Keys To Me

Pixies in Manchester

2006-10-23T17:51:00.000-04:00

Most important American rock band of the last 20 years, anyone?
(via Halfass)

Cat Power Matinee @ The EARL 10/22

2006-10-23T13:53:00.000-04:00

Sorry, I am a poor and inconsiderate blogger.

I was going to include a song, but ezarchive appears to be having growing pains at the moment.

Thanks to Seth for the pictures. Todd got to smoke the rest of one of Chan's cigarettes. He said it tasted "good."

Luigi - "Single Cell" Video

2006-09-11T22:50:00.000-04:00

Can anyone say "New Rock Crush"?

Good. I knew you could.

Luigi

Singles Only: Blue Mountain - "Black Dog"

2006-09-10T11:14:00.001-04:00

What do you do when one of your favorite alt-country bands releases what is, in essence, a novelty song?

You eat it up, naturally.

ruff!

MP3: Blue Mountain ~ Black Dog
[From 1997's Homegrown (out of print)]

Singles Only: Tracey Ullman - "They Don't Know"

2006-09-09T14:28:00.000-04:00

I've found that getting older is really just about shedding inhabitions, tearing down the fences one has built around himself, etc.

That said, I might have lied earlier when I called that Reivers song my favorite evs.

Long before Tracey Ullman unleashed The Simpsons on your ass, she had a very respectable career as a musician. I was maybe 10 or 11 when this song came out--just discovering girls. All of the sudden, everything seemed to make perfect sense.

"They Don't Know" is a song in a perpetual state of suspended animation. Written by Kirsty MacCol l (who was taken from us much too soon), it pays its respects to the golden age of Motown girl groups but somehow establishes a character all its own. Tracey may have covered it as a goof, but that makes no difference to me.

I guess it qualifies as a guilty pleasure. If it's wrong to love this song, being right is for suckers.

baaaaa-by

MP3: Tracey Ullman ~ They Don't Know
[From 1992's You Broke My Heart In 17 Places: The Best Of Tracey Ullman (originally released as a Stiff Records single in 1983]
Buy: [eMusic] [Amazon]

Bonus MP3: Kirsty MacColl ~ They Don't Know
[From 2005's The Stiff Years, originally a 1979 Stiff single]
Buy: [eMusic]

Singles Only: Palace (Will Oldham) - "Gulf Shores"

2006-09-09T00:47:00.000-04:00

There are a lot of songs that try to capture the essence of a place and fail. This song succeeds despite and because of itself.

Leave it to Will to cram insinuations of both incestual and homoerotic flirtation into just one verse. Can't a beach just be a beach?

if I whisper nothings in your ear
will you pass them on to him?

MP3: Palace ~ Gulf Shores
[From 1995's Mountain EP]
Bonus MP3: Palace ~ West Palm Beach
[From the same EP]

The Royal Stable
Palace Records
Bonnie Prince Billy

Concerns Have Been Registered...

2006-09-08T10:41:00.000-04:00

...regarding the plan discussed below. So I'm going to try to stay on top of current things here, too. From now on, older tracks I post from my collection will have a Singles Only designation in the title. Everything else won't.

MP3: Jack Logan ~ Teach Me The Rules
[From 1996's Mood Elevator (out of print)]

you got a set of eyes, you've got a set of ideas

allmusic: Logan bio
Jack Logan's Web
MySpace: Jack Logan
Aquarium Drunkard's post on Logan's Bulk

The Reivers - "Bidin' Time"

2006-09-07T22:47:00.000-04:00

I thought it only appropriate to get this "singles" ball rolling with the song I consider to be my favorite of all time. Or, at least, that's what I tell people when they happen to ask.

The Reivers, for the uninitiated, were a fabulous band from Austin, Texas, extant from the mid 80s to the early 90s. This track found its way to me by way of a compilation put out in 1990 (it was originally scheduled for a 1984 release) by the legendary DB Records. Look for more cuts from the comp in this space in the future. You might glean from the tracklist that there are some real gems.

So: "Bidin' Time." Originally recorded for the group's Saturday LP, the song didn't make the album. This is something I scratch my head over. Maybe the band sensed it would pale all of the other tracks in comparison.

Jangly guitars, possibly the most disciplined use of the pedal steel ever commited to tape, and the ambivalent-yet-determined vocals of Kim Longacre are a few of the things that make this song so endearing to me. Here's another:

if harvests are bare and dust clouds disposition
gods and authors are in vain
but if you know the seed will grow
a lot depends on other things

MP3: The Reivers ~ Bidin' Time
[From 1990's Squares Blot Out The Sun compilation on DB Records (out of print)]

The Reivers (unofficial site)

Summer Hymns - "Mr. Brewer (Cackle, Cackle)"

2006-09-06T21:12:00.000-04:00

The Aquarium Drunkard's recent post on the new Summer Hymns record got me thinking about my favorite track of theirs, the ostensible subject of this entry and available below. The fact that I so strongly associate the band with a particular song got me thinking about something else.

I've always divided people who listen to music into two groups: "album people" and "singles people." To me, the former group always seemed to be the more evolved of the two, so naturally it was the one I associated myself with. The advent of the MP3 era (and, more specifically, MP3 blogging) has changed everything. I find myself with a music library full of individual tracks by bands I may never hear a long-player from. Some in the music industry would point to this and say "see, told you so, MP3s are evil." But the fact is, I'm buying more music today than I have at any other point in my life (much of this is attributable to the convenience and immediate gratification eMusic provides.)

So it just so happens that I'm also in the early stages of organizing my CD/record collection. I am notoriously messy, so it's going to take awhile. In putting my fingers and eyes on these albums I haven't listened to in years, I'm finding that I am not so much nostalgic for the experience of revisiting the album in toto as I am scanning the track list for those songs that really meant something to me, the ones I associate with very specific people, places, times and feelings. And I'm realizing that maybe I never really was an "album person" at all.

I've been passively looking for a focus for this little blog, so I'm going to try an experiment. For the foreseeable future, I'm going to focus on the songs that have really 'taken' with me over the last 10 or 15 years. Hopefully it will a) help me get my shit organized is a shorter period of time and b) provide some sort of public service, introducing folks to stuff they might have missed for whatever reason or (as in the case of Justin's Summer Hymns post) remind someone of something that's Very Good but has been unconsidered for awhile.

My goal is to post at least a song a day. I plan on writing something about what each song means to me. I might mix in some other random stuff. Maybe it won't suck.

(No commentary on this one; too many words already, and I think it speaks for itself.)

MP3: Summer Hymns ~ Mr. Brewer (Cackle, Cackle)
[from 2000's Voice Brother And Sister LP]
Buy: [eMusic] [Amazon]

I'm Outta' Here

2006-09-01T11:26:00.000-04:00

I hope all of your Labor Day Weekend dreams come true. Be safe and be happy. Hope to see you next week.

MP3: Buffalo Tom ~ Anchors Aweigh
[from 2002's Besides: A Collection of B-sides and Rarities]
Buy: [emusic] [Amazon]

The Preakness - Demos

2006-08-28T12:54:00.000-04:00

I noticed a few people got here by searching elbo.ws et al for The Preakness. Here's their demo (posted with the band's permission and their qualifier that this was recorded "in the basement.")

If you dug what was coming out of Boston in 1989, D.C. in '93, or Madison in '97, this is for you.

My new Rock Crush (because I know you're interested) is Preakness bassist Kelly Clark, who now pulls double-duty in Silent Kids.

MP3: The Preakness ~ What They're Saying
MP3: The Preakness ~ Air Traffic
MP3: The Preakness ~ This Drive
MP3: The Preakness ~ I Thought I Was In Control
[Demos]

Rainbows And Unicorns

2006-08-28T11:36:00.000-04:00

[Image via Where is the hotel?, highly recommended as a place to spend some of your disposable time.]

MP3: Centro-Matic ~ Love Has Found Me Somehow
[from the 2000 Centro-Matic/Tripping Daisy split single]

Lucero - "San Francisco"

2006-08-27T23:23:00.000-04:00

[Photo by Adam Smith]

Four Things I Heard On Saturday That Made Me Smile, In The Order Reverse Of Which They Actually Happened:

1. "Don't worry, you're at the Yacht Club now, everything is going to be okay." (About 15 minutes later, a guy got coldcocked right behind me).
2. A cab driver, who I'm pretty sure was Nigerian, singing "In Bloom" at the top of his lungs, windows open, along with K.C.
3. "Hi, we're Magnapop."
4. This song:

MP3: Lucero ~ San Francisco
[From their forthcoming Rebels, Rogues & Sworn Bothers LP]

Bonus MP3: Lucero ~ That Much Further West (Instrumental Demo)

[both tracks via Macktronic, who appears to be getting his jollies in Europe at the moment]

Cat Power - "The Greatest" Live On Jools Holland

2006-08-26T18:04:00.000-04:00

Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.

Quoth Sasha Frere-Jones:
How many people have turned around their performing game like this, a full 180? To those who bet on Chan early—good look.

Daniel Hutchens - "The Last Living Member Of The Last Rock & Roll Band"

2006-08-26T12:00:00.003-04:00

As many of you know, Justin over at Aquarium Drunkard is making his American dream reality by starting a record label, called Autumn Tone. The label's first release was a re-issue of Daniel Hutchens' album Lesser. Its second release will be Hutchens' new album Lovesongs For Losers, recorded in Athens with David Barbe earlier this summer and due out in October. This tune didn't make the cut for the album; if that speaks to the quality of the songs that did, then holy shit.

MP3: Daniel Hutchens ~ The Last Living Member Of The Last Rock & Roll Band

Seely: I Missed Out, Apparently

2006-08-26T01:11:00.000-04:00

Yeah, so "it's funny how things work out" and "it really is a small world." The day after I post about Magnapop, I head to an intimate gathering at my new next-door neighbor's place. It's a nice collection of well variegated folks, and it just so happens that one of them is the kick-ass bass player/vocalist for Atlanta's Seely (she's in the foreground above, and she has a family now so don't get any ideas). I'm pretty sure I saw Seely live exactly one time, and that was an opening gig for Magnapop.

Anyway, I'm ashamed at myself for not giving this band more attention at the time. But, hey, I was just a kid. The fact that they were the first American band ever signed to the Too Pure label should give some of you reason to pause. I'm off to try to correct some of my youthful indiscretions; here are a few tracks to help you out with yours (make sure you get "Planes Circle Do"--you can thank me later):

MP3: Seely ~ Meteor Shower
MP3: Seely ~ Exploring The Planets
[From the 1996/1998 (re-release) Julie Only LP]

MP3: Seely ~ Planes Circle Do
[From the 2000 Winter Birds LP]

Buy Seely: [eMusic]

Magnapop: Rare-ish Tracks

2006-08-24T23:13:00.000-04:00

If you happen to be in Atlanta this weekend, Grant Park should be calling your name. I've never been to the Summershade Festival, but it looks like they've arranged for a pretty impressive roster of music acts this year, especially on Saturday, when The Preakness, Silent Kids, and The Jupiter Watts play back-to back-to back on the Rock Stage.

Headlining the day's festivities is Magnapop, a band near-and-dear to my heart. I'm pretty certain I saw them live more times in the '90s than I did any other band, often making the drive from school in North Carolina to catch a gig in Athens. Calling Watkinsville, GA (a town that neighbors Athens) their home, Magnapop is one of those bands that just got away (from the American public, at least--they enjoyed something approaching superstardom in Northern Europe). They had it all: a charismatic frontwoman with vocals that dripped sex and danger (Linda Hopper), a smoking hot (in all senses of the phrase) lead guitarist (Ruthie Morris) and a rhythm section that was tighter than Dick's hat band. And, oh yeah, both Michael Stipe and Bob Mould were fans who ended up producing songs for them.

What went wrong? Hell if I know. In 1993 I famously predicted that they would be the next Nirvana. The band had a song featured on the soundtrack to the 1995 movie Mad Love (anyone remember that one?) and enjoyed a modicum of radio success with "Open The Door" (later covered by Eels) off 1996's Rubbing Doesn't Help, but never truly broke through.

I'm not sure why I'm talking about them in the past tense. The rhythm section has changed, but Linda and Ruthie are back in the game. With a solid 2005 release, Mouthfeel, and a new album apparently on the way, the book on Magnapop is still being written. By all means find copies of their excellent first two albums, Magnapop (songs produced by Stipe and Mould) and Hot Boxing (produced by Mould). In the meantime, you might spend some quality time with these OOP non-album cuts:

MP3: Magnapop ~ Texas
MP3: Magnapop ~ Nowhere
[From the 1993 Kiss My Mouth EP]

MP3: Magnapop ~ Here It Comes (Niceley Version)
MP3: Magnapop ~ Song #1 (Fugazi Cover)
MP3: Magnapop ~ Puff
[From the 1994 Slowly, Slowly EP]

MP3: Magnapop ~ Voice Without A Sound
[From the 1996 Fire All Your Guns At Once EP]

Bonus MP3: Fugazi ~ Song #1
[From the 1990 Repeater + 3 Songs LP]

Cold War Kids - The Daytrotter Session

2006-08-22T22:40:00.000-04:00

The Aquarium Drunk kindly dropped me a note today to point out that Daytrotter has posted a Cold War Kids set, including two unreleased songs. If you're not yet familiar with Daytrotter, here's the skinny straight from the horse's mouth:

We’re giving you exclusive, re-worked, alternate versions of old songs and unreleased tracks by some of your favorite bands and by a lot of your next favorite bands...These fine people – as they’re traveling through America’s heartland – take two hours out of their travels between shows to stop in for a Daytrotter Session at Futureappletree Studio One in downtown Rock Island, Ill. The name of the city is not ironic. They use borrowed instruments, play with their touring mates, utilize a often unkempt toilet, eat some food and then cram back into their vans for the last half of the drive. What they leave behind is a pile of ashes, sometimes a forgotten stocking hat and four absolutely collectible songs that often impart on whomever listens to them the true intensity that these musicians put into their art, sometimes with more clarity than they do when they have months to tinker with overdubs and experiments. These songs are them as they are on that particular day, on that particular tour – dirty and alive. We want you to make this your new home as it is ours. We promise that you will love it here.

Um, have I mentioned how much I love these guys?

Snowden - Anti-Anti

2006-08-22T21:45:00.000-04:00

(That's David Payne on the right. Some of you know him.)

Big ups to Atlanta's own Snowden for their overwhelmingly positive review and 7.2 rating in Pitchfork <spit> today. Great songs; if you like The Walkmen or any of the British rock bands from the last 20-or-so years that actually have balls, you should love these guys. I'll be picking up the album tomorrow.

MP3: Snowden ~ Anti-Anti [from the new album]
MP3: Snowden ~ Victim Card [from the Snowden EP]
MP3: Snowden ~ Time Of The Season (Zombies cover) [unreleased]

Snowden - Anti-Anti: [Buy from Jade Tree] [Buy from eMusic] [Buy from Amazon]

Jimmie Dale Gilmore w/ Mudhoney - "Buckskin Stallion Blues" (Townes Van Zandt Cover)

2006-08-17T23:02:00.000-04:00

I'm going to Ohio for a few days and they don't have the Internet there yet so I probably won't be posting again until Tuesday. I guess I've got buckeyes on my mind, 'cause this song's been stuck in my head all day. Buckskins, buckeyes...close enough for this addled brain. Anyway, it's a nice, breezy interpretation of a fine Townes song by an unlikely pairing of talents. Enjoy.

MP3: Jimmie Dale Gilmore w/ Mudhoney ~ Buckskin Stallion Blues (Townes Van Zandt cover)

[From the 1994 Mudhoney/Jimmie Dale Gilmore split EP on Sub Pop]
Buy: [Amazon]

The Wrens - "She Sends Kisses" Video

2006-08-16T23:06:00.000-04:00

This one was done by a (very talented) fan as a labor of love, with the band's blessing. Gorgeous and heartbreaking, just like the song.

MP3: The Wrens ~ She Sends Kisses [from their 2003 release The Meadowlands]
Bonus MP3: The Wrens ~ They'll Need A Crane [from the recently released Hello Radio - The Songs of They Might Be Giants]

Site: The Wrens

The Doleful Lions - "Motel Swim"

2006-08-16T01:13:00.000-04:00

I just realized that I haven't posted anything musical in a while (I'm putting Rufus Harley in the 'cultural' column, since, sadly, I can't claim to have been a fan). I think maybe I should start a separate MP3 blog. Or maybe this should be that and the other should be the 'random' outlet. I guess I'm thinking the mix of music and other pop culture detritus may be a little disconcerting. If anyone has a strong opinion, I'd welcome it.

In any case, here's an older song that certainly deserves a wider audience:

MP3: The Doleful Lions ~ Motel Swim
[From their 1998 release of the same name, produced by Mitch Easter]

Yeah, it kind of sounds like Yo La Tengo at that band's more tender moments. There's not a whole lot to it, but therein lies the beauty. Namechecks Sam Phillips. Mixtape gold.
Buy: [eMusic]

Bonus MP3: The Doleful Lions ~ The Sound of Cologne
[also off Motel Swim]

Proof that it is possible to write a really good song about being a music geek. Wait. Recursion--what?

Great Moments In TV Journalism History: "If You Absolutely Had To?"

2006-08-16T00:33:00.000-04:00

[via Thighs Wide Shut]

Science News You Can't Use: Who Would Win In A Fight Between A Penguin And A Lemur

2006-08-15T23:22:00.000-04:00

V.

This guy got an A+ on his research project. I probably would have just gone ahead and given him tenure.

In case you have any doubts about the outcome, a quote:

Dave Houston, an Antarctic researcher who was once attacked by a penguin, says that “the closest thing to being beaten up by a penguin is being grabbed with a pair of needle-nosed pliers and beaten with sandals!”

R.I.P. Rufus Harley, Jazz Bagpiper

2006-08-14T22:12:00.000-04:00

I'm ashamed to admit that I don't think I'd heard of Mr. Harley before today, when I ran across his obituary. From Harley's Wikipedia entry:

Harley became inspired to learn the bagpipe after seeing the Black Watch perform in John F. Kennedy's funeral procession in November 1963. Then a maintenance worker for the Philadelphia's housing authority, Harley began searching the city for a set of bagpipes. Failing to find one, he traveled to New York City where he found a set in a Jewish-operated pawn shop. He purchased the instrument for US$120, quickly adapting it to the idioms of jazz, blues, and funk. On several occasions, when a neighbor called the police to complain about Harley's practicing in his apartment, he would quickly put away his bagpipes and feign ignorance, asking the officers, "Do I look like I'm Irish or Scottish to you?"

MP3: Sonny Rollins (feat. Rufus Harley) ~ Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (from Rollins' 1974 release The Cutting Edge)

Amazon: Rufus Harley--Re-Creation of the Gods

Say Hello To My Little Friend

2006-08-13T16:20:00.000-04:00

With the revelation that he has a midget named 'Farney' living in his head, Ryan Freel has become one of my new favorite baseball players (scroll down to "Hearing voices").

[via Pete Van Wieren on the radio]

How To Eat Fried Worms: The Movie

2006-08-10T15:25:00.000-04:00

Holy crap, why did no one tell me about this sooner?

You can register for a free advance screening here.

Amazon: How To Eat Fried Worms

[via Thighs Wide Shut]

My Turn To Bitch About Pitchfork

2006-08-09T22:06:00.000-04:00

(Cold War Kids live at the Fillmore 8/7/06 -- Photo by LZ)

Cold War Kids
“Hospital Beds”
[2006]

Pitchfork (somehow?) missed the boat on Cold War Kids, denying them (Pitchfork) the chance to play tastemaker as the band unleashed itself on an unsuspecting--yet grateful--nation. In a play for revenge/to get the backlash underway, the site assigned its one contributing writer whose entire CD collection consists of selections from the BMG Music Club to review a CWK single for its "Track Reviews" section. As I'm sure the band is far too classy to sink to the level of rebutting this tripe, I'll do it for them:

Pitchfork reviewer Adam Moerder's words are in italics.
Mine are in, um, untalics.

Like so many Facebook profiles, this Californian four-piece probably likes just about anything but country.

Your next sentence contradicts this [the Dylan influence e.g.].

Recently signed to Downtown Records,

Jealous much?

they cite an exhausting list of influences-- everything from Bob Dylan, the Beatles, and U2, to, several paragraphs later, Belle and Sebastian and Nirvana.

So liking all of these artists--let alone simply citing them as influences--implies some inherent problem with the band? Any artist who submits a list of influences that is anything less than exhaustive is being less than truthful.

In particular, frontman Nathan Willett needs to realize he can't be every singer he idolizes at once, because no matter how good the rest of the band sounds, his pompous delivery makes every song sound like a Jeff Buckley cover band playing a wedding while drunk.

Now I'm lost. He's trying to sound like every singer he idolizes at once? You didn't say he's mimicing anyone in particular (and clearly he's not, since your ultimate assessment is that he sounds like a "drunk" Jeff Buckley). Given the "exhaustive" list of influences, shouldn't this result in something awesome, much as a spun color wheel miraculously renders whiteness? And, man, I know you're not going to be happy with me after this, but is there *any* way I can get an invitation to that wedding?

Here, what could've been a nice mixtape number snuggled in between humble Voxtrot and Antony and the Johnsons ballads blows a gasket, at times stretching for soulful Black Crowes heights à la "She Talks to Angels".

Ok, admittedly I own a total of zero records by the three bands you namecheck in this sentence. But I've heard Antony songs and, sorry, no, that would just be poor sequencing. So I'm guessing you had to buy the Voxtrot disc and I Am A Bird Now to get Shake Your Money Maker for a penny? Dude, I'm trying to give you the benefit of the doubt here. But you might want to check the PF styleguide for the definition of 'ballad.'

I suppose hidden somewhere in between Dylan and Cobain there was a Crowes shout-out, but they could at least have paid homage to their heroes by writing a damn chorus.

"Put out the fire, boys."

Pitchfork seems so be everyone's whipping boy lately, and I've done my share of defending them. This, however, is just silly. I'm done.

MP3: Cold War Kids ~ Hospital Beds
Site: Cold War Kids

Update: Here's a site handicapping future Pitchfork reviews. Brilliant!
[via Tim O'Thompson]

Krog Street

2006-08-07T00:43:00.000-04:00

My friend Ginger got a really nice shot of what surely is one of the finest pro bono pieces of public art ever. (Here's another, earlier view.) More about Atlanta graffiti artists here and here.

She's Fantastic, Made Of Plastic, Microchips Here And There

2006-08-06T22:59:00.000-04:00

I hung out with my family today and, as it is wont to do, the conversation degenerated. We ended up talking about "Small Wonder," which my soon-to-be-60-year-old father proclaimed to be "a great show." I'm sure you're just as curious about whatever happened to Tiffany Brissette (she played Vicky/V.I.C.I) as we were, so I've already done the work for you.

Tiffany:

"...rates horseback riding as her #1 favorite pastime."

is "a real seafood addict and puts away a bucket of shrimp, oysters and scallops at one shot -- and it doesn't show one gram on her fabulous frame" and is "interested in science and...visits the Boston Computer Museum whenever she's in town."

has competed in "several marathons."

Now figure out how to get that stupid song out of your head.

Page France

2006-08-05T23:39:00.000-04:00

Between the occasional shout-outs to God and the relatively limited lyrical content ("love," "stars, "sky" and, oh yeah, "God") there's not a whole lot for me to love about Page France-- except the really great songs.

MP3: No One Likes A Bleeder (from the accidental Sister Pinecone EP)
MP3: Spine (from their 1995 release Come, I'm A Lion)

Page France

In Other Mind-Boggling News...

2006-08-05T23:06:00.000-04:00

Johnny Marr to be a full-on Modest Mouser. Will the circle be unbroken?

Science News You Can Actually Use: The Beer Cozy Experiments

2006-07-31T23:31:00.000-04:00

This is the kind of important research I think we can all get behind.

[via Thighs Wide Shut]

Bonus MP3: Slim Cessna's Auto Club ~ This Is How We Do Things In The Country

Theme Song

2006-07-31T00:34:00.000-04:00

Well, it's KTM's 50th post. Who'da thunk it? I'm pretty sure the over/under was 3 1/2 posts (I took the under). KTM would like to take this opportunity to thank Drivin N Cryin for giving the blog its name, and also for just being a kickass band to grow up listening to (until Fly Me Courageous).

MP3: Drivin N Cryin ~ Keys To Me

(From their 1986 debut Scarred But Smarter)

The Bottle Rockets - Zoysia

2006-07-31T00:11:00.000-04:00

America needs more Brian Hennemans:

If your neighbor gets the zoysia grass / buddy you get zoysia too / and maybe if you hurt yourself / he'll mow your lawn for you

MP3: The Bottle Rockets ~ Zoysia

The Bottle Rockets

Buy Zoysia: eMusic || Amazon

Sunday Funnies: Colbert's Eulogy For Ralph Reed's Political Career

2006-07-30T18:49:00.000-04:00

Perhaps schadenfreude isn't the healthiest of human emotions, but in this case I think it's wholly justified.

Bonnie Prince Billy - 'Cursed Sleep' Video

2006-07-30T18:32:00.000-04:00

I don't care what your position on Mr. Oldham is, you must see this.

[Thanks to the tip from Mr. Aquarium Drunkard]

Wake Up, You've Got A Lot Of Things To Do

2006-07-30T01:03:00.000-04:00

[Photo by Karin Partin]

Margot & The Nuclear So and So's - The Dust Of Retreat
Drifting in and out of consciousness on a trip to Vegas and back last weekend, this became my band of the moment. I had downloaded four albums from eMusic specifically for the journey, but somehow never made it past this one. If someone, no matter how eloquent, were to try to describe to me what they sound like, I'd probably take a pass. It's more about the mood, really, and this album puts me somewhere between The Dismemberment Plan's Emergency & I and The Weakerthans' Left and Leaving, though stylistically it's not all that similar to either. When it can't be justified, it's true love, right?

Margot & The Nuclear So and So's
Band Bio

MP3: Margot & The Nuclear So & So's ~ Quiet As A Mouse
MP3: Margot & The Nuclear So & So's ~ Dress Me Like A Clown

Buy: eMusic || Amazon

Zoe's Radio Show

2006-07-29T12:37:00.000-04:00

Um, where were the girls like this when I was 15?

Update: Here's a NYT piece on Zoe. [reg. req.]

Zoe got her start last year when her father, Ian, a former Beastie Boys Webmaster who has extensive music-business connections, posted a mix she had made to his personal Web site. A friend who has an Internet radio station saw it and suggested that Zoe have a show, an idea she took to immediately: "I got to talk about whatever the hell I wanted to talk about...

Slacker, 15 Years Later

2006-07-28T23:26:00.000-04:00

Easily one of my all-time favorite movies; I can't believe it's been 15 years. Salon has a nice retrospective, involving many of the key and not-so-key players. If you've ever seen the movie, it's worth a read (and even the rigamarole Salon puts you through to read it if you're not a subscriber). I particularly like Richard Linklater's quote at the end:

"...paranoia plus a generation equals pretty much the world we're living in today."

Spoon: Small Stakes Video

2006-07-28T18:26:00.000-04:00

Yes, I realize the song is ancient (in indie rock years, at least) but it's still one of my favorites and I hadn't seen this video before today.

[via Tim O Thompson, who also points out the very brief Har Mar Superstar 'cameo']

When Galaxies Collide

2006-07-27T23:35:00.000-04:00

The Star Wars theme on the banjo.

(And, no, I'm not positive that isn't Sloane Doggett.)

[via Metafilter]

Introducing "El Picante"

2006-07-27T22:35:00.000-04:00

(AP Photo/Morry Gash)

In a move sure to add fuel to the fire of the already heated immigration debate, the Milwaukee Brewers are adding a fifth contestant to their famous sausage races.

Chorizo said through an interpreter his dream has come true.

"I am very humbled to be in the presence of so many world-class wieners, but hopefully I can bring a little something new to the table, and Brewers fans will welcome me into their hearts and grills," Chorizo said in a statement that was read in both English and Spanish.

The Fear That Has No Name?

2006-07-27T20:59:00.000-04:00

I've checked The Phobia List, and fear of balloons is definitely not there.

Sunday Funnies, Four Days Late: Still On The Canada Tip

2006-07-27T16:43:00.000-04:00

How to score free beer, courtesy of Bob & Doug McKenzie:

Sorry for the downtime. Vegas weekend = Sick KTM.

[via Advanced Theory Blog]

The Battle Of Atlanta

2006-07-21T23:20:00.000-04:00

Turns out, this weekend is the 142nd anniversary of the Civil War battle for the South's crown jewel. Some people are celebrating.

[link via Metroblogging Atlanta]

Few people recognize that Atlanta is the only major American city ever to be destroyed by war. Even fewer, apparently, realize that if you move here from 'up north' only to complain about what the city is lacking compared to where you came from, you just need to go the fuck home.

Bonus MP3: ~~The Fall ~ Peter And The Wolf~~

Going To See Live Music On A School Night So You Don't Have To

2006-07-21T02:42:00.000-04:00

Scorecard:

The Preakness: Solid B
I never get to see local bands. If this is any indcation of what's out there, I need to get out more often. Think Blake Babies suckling on Rainer Maria's bosom.

Cold War Kids: A
Lest this become a CWK fanblog, I won't say anything else. The Great White Hope.

Sound Team: I
I left early, so it would be unfair of me to pass a grade.

Thanks to Rich from Cable and Tweed for the tip about The Preakness.

The Big Lebowski -- Short @$#&*!^ Version

2006-07-20T19:28:00.000-04:00

[Link via Drunken Stepfather]

Today must be Lebowski day--this is the third time I've run across a reference in a couple of hours of ambling. Somehow, in the wake of our esteemed leader dropping the S-BOMB the other day, the video above seems appropriate.

Many have pointed out the irony in the fact that any network airing video of the president's comments unedited would be subject to hefty fines by the FCC. The way I see it, he's given us all license to speak without inhibition! I mean, shit, Congress voted to allow certain types of stem cell research and he was like 'Fuck all that, I'm the Goddamn Presidentiary and if I don't vitro this thing the Christian Right'll think I'm a big fuckin' pussy.'

So cuss away, friends. In fact, make it a point to cuss in the coming days. Anything less from you would be Unfuckingamerican.

Sunday Funnies: Canada Abandons The Monarchy (Kids In The Hall)

2006-07-16T21:18:00.000-04:00

Yeah, so I guess I'm kind of obsessed with our neighbors to the north. I've never been; perhaps a roadtrip is in order.

And, look, here's a KITH fansite.

If You Try To Steal The Beat, The Beat Will Steal You

2006-07-16T00:37:00.000-04:00

Broken Social Scene: Great band, fabulous videos.

Talking points:

1. Making mixes was a lot more fun when you had to commit to tape.

2. Show anyone under, say, 21 an audio cassette and you might as well be showing him/her whatever is in Marcellus Wallace's briefcase.

3. I wouldn't kick Leslie Feist out of bed. Then again, if ever I were to find Leslie Feist in my bed it would most likely be because she had been hit by a car on the street outside of my apartment, in which case I would call an ambulance immediately.

The Ambassador Of Mirth

2006-07-15T01:53:00.000-04:00

Someone's made a short documentary on Baton Bob:

[photo via The Brother Love]

If you live in Atlanta, you probably already know Baton Bob. If you live elsewhere, hopefully you have someone like him around.

Thanks for the mirth, Bob. We owe you.

(Watch the video at least to the middle, the audience participation is the best.)

There's An Advantage To Having A Plan

2006-07-13T00:45:00.000-04:00

Before there was Bottle Rocket the movie, there was Bottle Rocket the short film. Consider setting aside 13 1/2 minutes of your time to see how great ideas germinate. Everyone's got to start somewhere.

Snow Scenes Level Lonely Bastards

2006-07-12T23:09:00.000-04:00

To us older folk (and by that I mean those of us on the wrong side of our twenties) The Wrens are truly an inspiration. Watch the video and you'll see what I mean. If you (and by that I mean all of you of any age who enjoy fine music) haven't happened upon a copy of their last (2003) album--The Meadowlands--by now, you're really depriving yourself of one of the great records of the last ten years.

Marvin, He Was A Friend Of Mine

2006-07-12T01:35:00.000-04:00

The video may be a bit heavy-handed, but close your eyes and listen. Twenty-or-so years on we still can't be sure how to account for what we lost, or what it's meant for all of us.

Hang Me Up To Dry

2006-07-12T00:09:00.000-04:00

Because you really can't have too much Cold War Kids in your life at this point, can you?

The Way That He Sings

2006-07-11T23:34:00.000-04:00

A dozen-plus instruments onstage, and Jim James' voice is still the sweetest sound coming through these speakers.

Bonus MP3: My Morning Jacket -- The Way That He Sings (Live @ Bonnaroo 2004)

Flip Ya' For It

2006-07-11T21:56:00.000-04:00

The Baseball Card Blog is new to me, and is making me oh-so-nostalgic right about now.

[via Thighs Wide Shut]

Mammatus

2006-07-10T22:01:00.000-04:00

Gorgeous shots of a sky over Spain.

I like clouds. Do you?

She's Got Tasmania In The Back Of Her Head

2006-07-10T00:49:00.000-04:00

A mix for LZ (she of Loud Latin Laughing, a must-visit if you read actual books) because she did something illegal for me. The title comes from a Go-Betweens tune. These songs are a little more Talladega than Tasmania--sorry, LZ.

01. Livin' In The Sunlight, Laughin' In The Moonlight -- Tiny Tim
02. Burn The Honeysuckle -- The Gourds
03. Janine -- Birdmonster
04. Please Come Back -- Catfish Haven
05. NY Pie -- Brakes
06. Gravity's Gone -- Drive-By Truckers
07. An Old Familiar Scene -- Elf Power
08. Are Friends Electric? -- Chris Whitley & The Bastard Club
09. Lion Tamer -- Damien Jurado
10. House Fire -- Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
11. Wonderful Scar -- Now It's Overhead
12. The Fall -- Peter And The Wolf
13. Trailer Trash -- Iron Horse
14. Corazon -- Bishop Allen
15. Wilderness -- Shapes And Sizes
16. No One Likes A Bleeder -- Page France
17. There Is No Boon For Which We Do Not Render Service -- Drakkar Sauna
18. Steady As She Goes -- L'il Cap'n Travis
19. Bodies And Minds -- Great Lake Swimmers
20. Until I Slept -- The Strugglers
21. Going Back Song -- The Baptist Generals

Update: Links removed 7/29/06. Email me if you would like a copy.

Sunday Funnies: Tim, Gareth, And The Superchicken

2006-07-09T22:39:00.000-04:00

Happy B-Day, America

2006-07-04T00:30:00.000-04:00

MP3: ~~Marah ~ Firecracker~~
[Buy Marah]

Electronica at 30

2006-07-03T01:47:00.000-04:00

I'm showing my age here, but I remember my older cousin Joe playing this music for me as a toddler and being completely mesmerized. Perhaps that's why I still have a soft spot for groups like Yaz, Pet Shop Boys, New Order, etc.

I was amused by this passage from Kraftwerk's wikipedia entry:

The band is notoriously reclusive, so much so that it is rumoured that their own record company does not have their phone numbers. Another notable example of their eccentric behaviour was reported to Johnny Marr of The Smiths by Karl Bartos, who explained that anyone trying to contact the band for collaboration would be told that their studio telephone did not have a ringer, as during recording the band did not like to hear any kind of noise pollution. Instead, they were instructed to phone the studio at a certain time on the dot, whereupon the phone would be answered by Ralf Hütter, despite himself never hearing the phone ring. Hütter: "The telephone is an antiquity — you never know who is calling, there is no image, it is an outmoded product which constantly disrupts work." (interviewed in Liberation, 1991)

Sunday Funnies, With 15 Minutes Left: Star Wars Screen Tests (SNL)

2006-07-02T23:48:00.000-04:00

[via Advanced Theory Blog]

Are You A Sports Racer?

2006-07-02T00:52:00.000-04:00

I think I'm a little late to this game but, damn, zefrank brings the noise (check out past shows on the right).

I Like To Listen

2006-07-01T23:01:00.000-04:00

There are three kinds of music for three kinds of listener.

First the music which reorganizes already established music elements into new patterns. This is music for the listener who enjoys the status quo, to be looked at from different angles.
Second there is the music which enlivens old patterns with new musical elements. This is music for the connoisseurs, the listeners who enjoy looking at themselves from different angles.
And last, but not least, there is the music in which new musical elements create their new patterns. This is music for listeners who are still conscious of the fact that, after all, they can hear what they never had heard before.

[via Tim Thompson]

Do You Speaka My Language?

2006-06-28T20:24:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's a commercial. Yes, it's brilliant.

[via goldenfiddle]

Adventures In Aviation

2006-06-27T00:02:00.000-04:00

"[F]ar from being cruel to the flies, you'll be teaching them a new and valuable thing..."

Looks Like Someone Forgot To Take His Paxil

2006-06-26T20:08:00.000-04:00

Asheville Tourists manager Joe Mikulik (say it three times fast, it's fun) goes temporarily batshit.

It's A Sad And Beautiful World

2006-06-25T20:56:00.000-04:00

sometimes I get so sad
sometimes you just make me mad

it's a sad and beautiful world
it's a sad and beautiful world

sometimes I just won't go
sometimes I can't say 'no'

it's a sad and beautiful world
it's a sad and beautiful world

sometimes days go speeding past
sometimes this one seems like the last

it's a sad and beautiful world
it's a sad and beautiful world

Words by Mark Linkous, photos from:
NYC Taxi Shots
NYC Taxi Shots Camera Phone Photos

Music To My Ears

2006-06-25T19:16:00.000-04:00

The excellent So Much Silence (new Hero!) has radio shows up from Cold War Kids and Birdmonster, amongst other awesomeness.

British Army Demotes Mascot Goat, Billy

2006-06-25T19:04:00.000-04:00

A British army regiment's ceremonial pet goat was demoted in disgrace after it marched out of line before a host of dignitaries during a parade to mark Queen Elizabeth II's birthday, a military spokesman said Saturday.

The military mascot, a 6-year-old male goat called Billy, was downgraded from the rank of lance corporal to fusilier — the same status as a private — after army chiefs ruled his poor display had ruined the ceremony earlier this month at a British army base in Episkopi, western Cyprus.

Sunday Funnies: Girl Drink Drunk

2006-06-25T10:42:00.000-04:00

Canadians are funny.

Heroes Tribute #1

2006-06-24T23:23:00.000-04:00

If you care at all about sports (or even soccer, for that matter) you could do much worse than visiting Can't Stop The Bleeding, a site tended to by Gerard Cosloy--the man who fed you indie rock when you were a kid.

Gerard Cosloy is not pictured above but another Cosloy is and, please, let us have a moment of silence for the Dead Milkmen's Dave Blood. Seriously.

GC is provacative, to be sure, but if you want to tango with him make sure to bring your A-Game.

America's Dirty Little Secret

2006-06-24T20:48:00.000-04:00

You're addicted to this game, too, right?

Blogging Is Hard

2006-06-24T20:41:00.000-04:00

Let's go shopping!

Is It Dinnertime Yet?

2006-06-24T20:27:00.000-04:00

I'm buying.

Related: Ninja Burger

Once Upon A Time...

2006-06-24T20:23:00.000-04:00

The internet was a happy place, where people could just be themselves. Or whoever other people wanted them to be.

The Best Music Video You've (Probably) Never Seen

2006-06-24T18:18:00.000-04:00

Keep in mind, this is *after* they jumped the shark.

Not An Onion Article, Unfortunately

2006-06-24T17:12:00.000-04:00

Congressional Hopeful Blames Troubles On The Devil

While We're On Music

2006-06-24T15:46:00.000-04:00

You have heard the Cold War Kids, right?

Quite Possibly The World's Greatest Band

2006-06-24T15:04:00.000-04:00

Augie March, submitted for your approval.

Dallas Austin In The Pokey

2006-06-24T14:21:00.000-04:00

Doesn't anyone care that legendary producer Dallas Austin is living a nightmare in the Middle East as I type this?

Anyone?

ANYONE??? (I'm looking at you AJC.)

It's just me?
Really???

Update: The good people over at Atlanta Metblogs don't seem too sympathetic.

Update #2: AJC is on the case (finally).

The Unironically Titled First Post

2006-06-24T13:28:00.000-04:00

10 REM HELLO.BAS
20 POKE 764,255
30 PRINT "Hello World"
40 IF PEEK(764)=255 THEN GOTO 30