QOTSA, The Bulby Video

www.qotsa.com

Yeah, Yeah.

Here's a little something I put together for the weekend...

Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah (28:10)

• Matt & Kim - "Yeah Yeah" (Flosstradamus Remix)
• LCD Soundsystem - "Yeah" (Crass Version)
• Three 6 Mafia - "Yeah, They Done Fucked Up"
• The Rapture - "Whoo! Alright-Yeah...Uh Huh"
• Greyhounds - "Yeah Yeah Yeah"
• The Rapiers - "That Old Yeah-Yeah Feeling"
• The Flaming Lips - "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song"
• The Beatles - "The End"

Shows 'n Shows

Local up-and-comers The Laughing opened the show for Harlem Shakes and Tapes 'n Tapes last weekend, and as I meandered through the large crowd a few times to grab beers from the bar I overheard people saying "hey, these guys are pretty good." I was in agreeance with those sentiments, as I finally had a chance to hear what people have been talking about. I had never heard of Harlem Shakes before, but they won the crowd over quickly with their indie pop tunes.

Tapes 'n Tapes came out and gave an even more impressive performance than their previous visit to Austin (@ Stubb's w/Cold War Kids,) and they played a few tracks that will be on their next album that were fantastic. Well, let's just say I think they would have been fantastic if the sound at Emo's wasn't nearly unbearable, as it too often is. I know you guys are making a little bit of money with that thing, why the hell can't you improve the sound output to a point where the music is even slightly audible? I realize that's a novel concept, but give it some thought.

The Laughing - "Tiger Cry" | .com
Harlem Shakes - "Sickos" | .com
Tapes 'n Tapes - "Cowbell" (The Black Eyes Remix) | .com

Last night Hot Chip rolled through town on their mini tour, playing for over an hour to an extremely receptive crowd at Antone's. They're hitting up Dallas tonight as they make their way west to play for about 100,000 people at Coachella. Hot Chip caused quite a scene down at Antone's, with dozens of people crowding around the front of the club, desperately scavenging for a ticket to the sold out show.

Toward the end of the set they brought out members of the opening act (Tussle) to lay down some extra percussion (and jumping jacks) on their "huge in 2006" single "Over and Over." Those five minutes alone were worth at least twice what you had to pay to get in the door. Women were weeping, men were spitting up blood, and I think I might have torn a ligament. It was a good show. I was able to chat with Joe Goddard (co-vocalist/songwriter/synthesizer) for a minute afterword and I asked him when we could expect to get a new Hot Chip album, and he said they have one in the can that could be released as early as September, assuming that their labels can pull the weight. Pull Astralwerks, pull.

Tussle - "I'm An Indian Too" | .com
Hot Chip - Live at Antone's (The Warning/Over and Over)

-----

Road shows I'll probably be attending soon:

• Tomorrow at Stubb's with the Riverboat Gamblers

Burden Brothers - "Rise and Fall" | .com

• Tomorrow at Emo's with Evangelicals

Sunset Rubdown - "They Took A Vote And Said No" | .com

• Saturday at Stubb's with Elvis Perkins

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - "Satan Said Dance" | .com

• Next Wednesday at Stubb's with Annuals

Blonde Redhead - "23" | .com

• Next Thursday at Antone's

Stephen & Damian Marley - click

• Wednesday 5/09 at Stubb's with Snowden

Kings of Leon - "Wicker Chair" | .com

The FADER, Issue 45 Podcast

The FADER helped put together one of the best events during SXSW, featuring Redman, Amy Winehouse, the Fratellis, and a bunch of other good acts on each day of the festival. Their newest issue features Bill Callahan, Austinite of about three years now, as they discuss his new album Woke On A Whaleheart and the shedding of his stage name of many years, Smog. FADER has a nice podcast to go along with the new issue (which you download as a PDF here,) featuring a few bands I've discussed here previously like Panda Bear, Black Lips and the Presets.

The FADER - Issue 45 Podcast (40:03)

Here's the tracklist + linkage:

• Black Lips, "Hippie, Hippie, Hoorah (Live in Tijuana)"
• Rich Boy (produced by Polow Da Don), "Boy Looka Here"
• Prodigy, "Return of the Mac"
• Hi-Tek f Dion, Q-Tip and Kurupt, "Keep It Moving"
• Bill Callahan, "Diamond Dancer"
• Dandi Wind, "Slumlord"
• Turf Talk, "I Got Chips"
• Bunji Garlin, "Brrrt"
• Munga, "Flipping Rhymes"
• The Presets, "Are You The One (Van She Tech NYC Rush Mix)"
• Panda Bear, "Bros (edit)"
• David Vandervelde, "Can't See Your Face No More"
• Gyptian, "Serious Times"
• DG Yola, "Ain't Gon Let Up"

On the covers:

Bill Callahan
"I don't think I write in character as much as Randy Newman does, but it's probably closer to being in character [than being me]. I always think I'm telling universal stories."

Polow Da Don
"I've become the main guy, that means producers are following me. What that means is real music comes back, because what I do is real music. When that happens, then I did my job."

Between the pages:

Noah Lennox
"I feel like when I listen to an Animal Collective album, I can be like, 'This part of the song, there's a lot of me in that part.' But with Person Pitch it's just like flooding with me--me-ness."

Gyptian
"I'm not the artist to separate from music. Wherever I hear music, ears dem cock up. Like Shabba say: Deejay ears cock up when they hear boom riddim."

The Black Lips
"We ended up singing Lynyrd Skynyrd with the cops and stuff, joking around. They had to take us to jail because the mushrooms were a felony. But we made them laugh--we played Rock, Paper, Scissors to see who was gonna take the charge."

Prodigy
"We were like, 'We gotta bring back that feeling.' Not bring back the old music, because we never go backwards with that, but if we could capture the old vibe..."

New York, NY: The FADER magazine, the definitive voice of emerging music, releases its 45th issue, putting Smog genius Bill Callahan on the cover after 20 years of heartbreak evolved into his current album, Woke on a Whaleheart. It's the first album under his real name instead of the "Smog" moniker, and The FADER finds out the full story. Also gracing the cover is producer Polow Da Don: a not-so-secret weapon who has crafted cutting-edge sounds for everyone from Fergie, Ludacris, R Kelly and the Pussycat Dolls. You may have also heard his current monster smash "Throw Some D's" by Rich Boy. Polow is radio's next super producer. Also knocking socks off this issue are Noah Lennox, better known as Panda Bear from Animal Collective, and his new album flooding with "me-me-ness," Gyptian and his regal aura of roots reggae, the fantastic damage of Atlanta's snottiest punks known as Black Lips, the demented mindgarden of Mobb Deep's legendary Prodigy and intimate portraits from Kabul by photographer Stephen Dupont. As always, F45 will also be available via iTunes in its entirety, with corresponding audio podcasts, and as a free download at www.thefader.com.

Videohippos, Unbeast The Leash

Videohippos is a musical duo from Baltimore, consisting of Jim Triplett (guitar/vocals/keys) and Kevin O’Meara (drums/vocals/keys.) Self decribed as a "two-man audio-visual monster," the musicians have been playing music together since 1997 in various groups, and they are now signed to Monitor Records with a debut album on the way this summer. Unbeast The Leash, due June 19th, contains thirteen tracks of electric (and toy) guitar, addictive beats via electronic toy keyboards and the right-on-time drumming of Kevin O’Meara, and it's all overlapped by the infectiously odd-sounding pop melodies of Jim Triplett.

The first indication that I am really enjoying what I'm listening to is when I find myself repeatedly reaching for the volume to turn it up. I was only a few songs into Unbeast The Leash by the time I had the volume turned up as far as it would go. These are the kinds of songs that should make people famous, instead of what usually does the trick, like yet another (new) new wave band tredding back upon something that's already been done or some emo songwriter lamenting on his numerous failed relationships. I don't want to hear that shit. I want to hear something new. Music filled with originality and emotion, and songs that don't wear off after only a couple of listens.

All of that might sound like a bunch of hyperbole, but I really do feel like Unbeast The Leash is one of the coolest things I've heard so far this year. "Sick Dolphin" sounds like the offspring of a drug-induced three-way at the amusement park between The Ocopus Project, Holy Fuck and Dan Deacon. Listen to the whole last 1:17 of "Rider" with a pair of headphones and the volume turned high, tell me it doesn't rock. Here's two more tracks from the album, brought to you directly from Monitor.

Videohippos - "Koolshades"

Videohippos - "The List"

In a live setting, Videohippos provide a show that just might cause you to have a mild seizure. They perform their two-piece attack backed by a giant screen featuring film clips from cartoons, movies, commercials, and other propaganda that add an additional element to their already explosive songs. Videohippos will be in Austin on June 12, one week before Unbeast The Leash drops, performing in support of Dan Deacon at the Emo's lounge. It's going to be a big party, one that I recommend you check out.

Dan Deacon - "Woody Woodpecker"

That's the opening track on Dan Deacon's new album Spiderman of the Rings, due to hit the shelves on May 8th thanks to Carpark Records. I mentioned it previously, as has Party Ends, Muzak For Cybernetics, Underwire and Golden Fiddle, who reports that Dan has a masters degree in electro-acoustic composition.

Videohippos + Dan Deacon tour dates:

05/25 : Two Art Chicks, Greensboro, NC
05/26 : Local 506, Chapel Hill, NC
05/27 : Harvest Records, Asheville, NC
05/28 : Pilot Light, Knoxville, TN
05/29 : Bottletree, Birmingham, AL
05/30 : Drunken Unicorn, Atlanta, GA
05/31 : The Jinx, Savannah, GA
06/01 : TSI, Jacksonville, FL
06/02 : Back Booth, Orlando, FL
06/03 : TBA, Miami, FL
06/04 : New World Brewery, Tampa, FL
06/05 : Common Grounds, Gainesville, FL
06/06 : The Beta Bar, Tallahassee, FL
06/07 : Thirsty Hippo, Hattiesburg, MS
06/08 : The Green Space, New Orleans, LA
06/09 : Spanish Moon, Baton Rouge, LA
06/10 : Mink, Houston, TX
06/12 : Emos Lounge, Austin, TX
06/13 : The Cavern, Dallas, TX
06/14 : Warehouse 21's Luna Space, Santa FE, NM
06/16 : ExPlx, Los Angeles, CA
06/17 : Che Cafe, San Diego, CA
06/18 : Pehrspace, Los Angeles, CA
06/19 : Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA
06/20 : 21 Grand, Oakland, CA
06/21 : Fools Foundation, Sacramento, CA
06/22 : Holocene, Portland, OR
06/23 : TBA, Seattle, WA
06/24 : TBA, Missoula, MT
06/25 : Grouse Mountain Lodge, Whitefish, MT
06/26 : Neurolux, Boise, ID
06/27 : Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT
06/28 : Hi Dive, Denver, CO
06/29 : The Jackpot Saloon, Lawrence, KS
06/30 : Waiting Room, Omaha, NE
07/02 : Triple Rock Club, Minneapolis, MN
07/03 : Cactus Club, Milwaukee, WI
07/05 : The House Cafe, Dekalb, IL
07/06 : TBA, Kalamazoo, MI
07/07 : Scrummage University, Detroit, MI
07/08 : TBA, Hamilton, ON
07/09 : Sneaky Dees, Toronto, ON
07/10 : Zaphod Beeblebrox, Ottawa, ON
07/11 : La Sala Rossa, Montreal, PQ
07/12 : Middle East Upstairs, Cambridge, MA

Like i said, Unbeast The Leash isn't out until June 18th, but you can hear a few tracks at their myspace page and hear some of the demos at the official site.

It came from the UK

Here's another one for you, ten more from artists across the pond.
If you like what you hear, please follow the links to support these artists.

*For some odd reason the play-tagger is acting up in this entry, still playing some of the songs at a much faster pace than it should be. The only reasonable explaination for this is an alien spacecraft disturbance or something, because I've checked everything and still found no answer. If a song sounds like an Alvin & The Chipmunks cover, just open the mp3 in a new window to hear how it should sound. If any of you have experienced this problem before and know a solution, please fill me in...

The first track I chose is from the Bees, (known as A Band of Bees in the U.S.,) and "Who Cares What The Question Is?" is the opening track on their new album Octopus that I mentioned back in February. The Bees have given us three albums in this decade, most noteably their 2002 debut Sunshine Hit Me, which was nominated for the Mercury Prize alongside the likes of Doves and David Bowie. I love the guitar work on this one...

The Bees - "Who Cares What The Question Is?"

From the MySpace: "The Moths (a West London trio) are an electro-punk sensation waiting to happen. Already over the past few months the handful of live shows played by The Moths have had hearts a'fluttering across the capital. Eschewing the dull-eared bravado of the nascent Lad Rock scene The Moths proffer love, arrogance, poetry, some cracking drum machine rhythms and a frontman who has been drawing creditable comparisons to everyone from Pete Shelley to Marc Almond via Brett Anderson. Crucially they also provide corking tunes – three of which have made it onto this, their debut single – and the sort of heartfelt paeans to emotional pain which could make Moths cheerleaders of us all."

The Moths - "Wild Birds"

From the Official Site: "THE BISHOPS are a rock and roll band emanating from London. They are fronted by twins Mike Bishop (vocals, guitar) and Pete Bishop (vocals, bass) and completed by Scotsman Chris McConville (drums). From the dark damp cellars of their youth hostel abode, the band worked tirelessly towards creating their sound, studiously developing their gift for classic song craft. The result of these sessions was a collection of songs that are refreshingly striking and different.

The bands musical influences stem from a range of genres: but to list them isn't what it's about. Their sound does features an amalgamation of ideas but it's their reinterpretation of this sound that makes THE BISHOPS so thoroughly relevant, drawing upon a range of classic influences whilst still creating something new, original and exciting."

The Bishops - "Heart Full Of Pain"

From the Official Site: "In a music scene splintered into so many subgenres that it's barely recognisable from its original blueprint, a band with the courage to stand up for rock'n'roll's fundamentals is a breath of fresh air. Meet Bobby Anderson, rock'n'soul savant and pint-sized powerhouse singer and guitarist in Fortune Drive. He feels strongly about this sort of thing.

"That's a problem at the moment," he seethes. "There aren't any rock'n'roll bands. It's all post-punk, art-rock electro, new rave whatever. We just like rock'n'roll bands and that's what we're trying to aspire to be." Four years ago, Bobby reunited scattered schoolfriends Alan Akehurst (guitar), Andy Lowe (bass), Ingo Nyakairu (keyboards) and Mark Bent (drums) back to Bristol. And it's been the dark-hearted classics -The Doors, The Who, Oasis - that have given Fortune Drive their reason for being."

Fortune Drive - "Red Hands On"

From Rough Trade: "Jack Penate seems destined for big things this year - his pop sensibilities and remarkable song craft have already got him noticed - his energetic gigs are always rammed, his myspace page is among the most visited on there and, most recently, he's cropped up in virtually everybody's ones to watch in 2007 poll." If you've been keeping a close eye on this page you'll recall that I said a few good things about Jack Penate after catching his showcase at SXSW. Jack's first single "Second, Minute or Hour" was released late-last year and sold out in one morning, and he performed that one last week on Zane Lowe's BBC 1 radio show...

Jack Penate - "Second, Minute Or Hour" (Live)

From Monsters and Critics: "Favourite Worst Nightmare' is described as everything you hoped Arctic Monkeys would do next. Not so much a sequel as an upgrade, a breakneck techni-color journey through screwball punk and guitar-fuelled dance floor heroics. The album is also described as very, very fast and very, very loud. A “brilliant” racket that proves there's infinitely more to Arctic Monkeys than writing pretty little ditties. Yet at the same time boasting some of the strongest songs they've ever written." Songs from the new Arctic Monkeys album Favourite Worst Nightmare have been clogging up the Hype Machine since the moment it first leaked. So here's one you might not have heard, a "very, very fast and very, very loud" single that is featured on the Japanese import of the album.

Arctic Monkeys - "Da Frame 2R"

Amy Winehouse is from North London. The Rumble Strips are a sax and trumpet wielding rock quartet from Devon, way down in the south west corner of England. They recently teamed up to put out a split 7'', with the Rumble Strips laying down their own version of "Back To Black" on one side, and on the opposite side a remix of the same song. The remix is basically the Rumble Strips' cover version from Side A, added in with Amy Winehouse's soulful singing. The result is a good one, with the horns really pushing this song forward.

Amy Winehouse - "Back To Black" (Rumble Strips Remix)

We might as well continue on with the soul theme from the first song, this time with another British female soul singer. Her name is Alice Russell and she's been on the scene since releasing a debut solo album titled Under The Munka Moon in 2004. Below Alice Russell brings her "signature sound of funk and fun to the lush 70's-esque orchestration of "High Up on the Hook," from the recent release of A New Groove, another album in the long list of releases from the Putumayo World Music record label.

Alice Russell - "High Up On The Hook"

Switches are an indie rock band who released their debut EP just last year and put themselves on the map with their single "Lay Down the Law." After playing two Carling Festival dates the band put out another single, got signed to Atlantic, and released their debut album today (4/23). You won't find the song below on the new album though, "Cut My Hair" was a B-side on one of their earlier 7'' releases.

Switches - "Cut My Hair"

The Strange Death Of Liberal England is the name of a book published in 1935 that "attempted to explain the decline of the British Liberal Party in the years 1910 to 1914." Wow, that sounds fun. The Strange Death Of Liberal England (TSDOLE) is also a five-piece band from Portsmouth who have just released their debut single on the London based independent label Fantastic Plastic Records. The band got off to a quick start in 2006 by winning the Drowned in Sound's readers' choice award, and someone out there was impressed enough by their sound to book TSDOLE on a handful of dates supporting of Montreal next month.

The Strange Death Of Liberal England - "A Day Another Day"

Peter and the Wolf does Daytrotter

The Tuesday of SXSW week I had the pleasure of loitering around the Daytrotter recording to watch a few local acts. One of those was Peter and the Wolf (Red Hunter,) who provided one of the finest recordings that I heard in 2006 with his album Lightness. The follow-up effort to that album is titled Sun Chasers, which I believe will be slated for a summer release. Red gave us a preview of the new album at the Daytrotter recording, performing a stripped-down version of "Where Summer Goes." You can hear that one below, and by heading over to Daytrotter.com you can download the rest of the recording and learn more about Peter and the Wolf.

Peter and the Wolf - "Where Summer Goes"

On the current Peter and the Wolf tour you can get your hands on a new EP titled Fireflies, which holds ten lo-fi tracks including "Race Around The Earth," which you can hear (and place an order for) at Peter and the Wolf on MySpace. Below is an mp3 from an earlier self-titled release that contains twelve original demos, which you can pick up at Insound.


Peter and the Wolf - "The Fall"

Tour dates:

Apr 23 2007: Cloak and Dagger House - Riverview, Michigan
Apr 24 2007: First Capital Dispensing Company - York, Pennsylvania
Apr 25 2007: TBA - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Apr 26 2007: Wesleyan University - Middletown, Connecticut
Apr 28 2007: TBA - New York, New York
Apr 30 2007: Rodrigue's at Fordham U - New York, New York
May 1 2007: Union Hall - Brooklyn, New York
May 2 2007: A/V Space - Rochester, New York
May 3 2007: The Spill - Peterborough, Ontario
May 4 2007: Over the Top fest - Toronto, Ontario
May 5 2007: Casa Burrito - Murfreesboro, Tennessee
May 6 2007: Knoxville/Atlanta TBA
May 7 2007: Birmingham or Nashville TBA
May 8 2007: The Bottletree - Birmingham, Alabama
May 9 2007: Memphis or Little Rock TBA
May 10 2007: Pontiac - Springdale, Arkansas
May 11 2007: Jackrabbit Lounge - Shreveport, Louisiana
May 12 2007: The Cavern - Dallas, Texas
May 13 2007: Hailey's - Denton, Texas

We All Have Hooks For Hands

How many band members does it take to have a good band? Sometimes only two, sometimes four, and sometimes a lot more. We All Have Hooks For Hands has nine. Dueling drummers, a violinist, three guitars, two horn/keyboard players, and a bassist. I'd say they sound a bit like a handful of bands I'm familiar with. Tap Tap and Canadian indie rock bands like Wolf Parade & other Spencer Krug projects are in there. Lots of percussion and shouting like Rock Plaza Central or Arcade Fire, horns that make me make me think Beirut, and a sound somewhere in the ballpark of early Apples in Stereo and a folkier Neutral Milk Hotel.

One thing I can't pinpoint about We All Have Hooks For Hands on The Pretender (their new album) is the addition of the keyboards. I can't think of a band that has a folkish indie rock sound with horns, keys, and a bit of experimentation. That's one of the first things that caught my attention about this band. We All Have Hooks For Hands is Eli Show, Isaac Show, Brent Hardie, Tim Evenson, Tony Helland, David Left, Logan Borchardt, Micheal Graber and Tory Stollen. They're yet another quality act on Afternoon Records up in Minneapolis.

Afternoon Records says: "Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the 167th largest city in the nation, is the commuting center for the nine members that make up We All Have Hooks For Hands. Originally starting in a downtown Sioux Falls apartment as a simple project to create happy pop tunes, "Hold On, C'mon" was recorded first with minimal members without a name for the project. A six piece first set off for a short west coast tour screaming through the mountains in a green tin lizzy.

After growing from the experience, a full-length album was put into production. A self-built/self-taught recording studio resulted in the addition of multiple amiable pals hailing from as far as Freeman, S.D., home of the Mennonites. The result is a full band with a radiant sound, which includes dueling drummers, a violinist, three guitars, two horn/keyboard players, and a lonely bass. The size of band and collective feel is a means to experiment with sound and dynamics. The influences that shaped the upcoming album are as colorful as they were plentiful. The party lifestyle in a rural city fuels the music."

Listen:

We All Have Hooks For Hands - The Pretender (April 17th, 2007)

1. Music Which Feeds The Guests
2. Jumpin' Jean-Luc
3. Oh I'd Expect
4. Hold On, C'mon
5. The Man Trying To Outfox Us All
6. Elvis "MF" Christ
7. On & On
8. Ghosts and Strangers
9. The Teeth That Feed The Lions
10. untitled

They've got a few dates booked with Mouthful of Bees, who I wrote about previously:

• April 21 Varsity Theatre - Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Jul 15 Velvet Lounge - Washington dc, Washington DC
• Jul 18 The Knitting Factory - New York City, New York
• Jul 20 Cassa Burrito - Murfreesbro, Tennessee
• Jul 22 Saddle-Creek bar - Omaha, Nebraska
• Jul 24 7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, Minnesota

You can pick up a copy of The Pretender at Afternoon Records, and hear more We All Have Hooks For Hands at MySpace.

Austinist interviews Hot Chip

Just in time to build some extra steam for the Hot Chip gig in Austin next week, the Austinist speaks with Hot Chip co-vocalist, songwriter, and synthesizer player Joe Goddard about everything from a new album to SXSW and the awesomeness of Whole Foods.

"Saturday evenings at SXSW are usually a disappointment. Everyone is tired, bands are weary, and lines seem to be at a peak. Last year, our Saturday was completely transformed when we attended Hot Chip's showcase at The Parish. Despite some equipment troubles, the band's mix of electronics, enthusiasm, and tough-guy lyrics had the crowd dancing and roaring approval to the point that the floor quaked. Since then, the group have won NME's single of the year for "Over And Over," been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize for their brilliant album The Warning, and come in at #3 on Austinist's Top Albums of 2006 poll."

Click here to visit Austinist.com and check out the Hot Chip interview

Beck b-sides & etc.

Had the iPod on shuffle earlier and some Beck songs popped up that I'd almost forgotten about, thought someone out there wouldn't mind hearing 'em. Included are two Hank Williams covers, two tracks off of a limited 7'' pressing from 1993 called God Is My Wetsuit, and one from the 1994 independent Stereopathic album comprised of mostly home demos, live performances, and abstract noise experiments.

Links to the albums are included, and for more Beck head to the official site.

Listen:

• Beck - "MTV Makes Me Want To Smoke Crack" | (God Is My Wetsuit)
• Beck - "To See That Woman Of Mine" | (God Is My Wetsuit)
• Beck - "Satan Gave Me a Taco" | (Stereopathetic Soulmanure)
• Beck - "(I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle" (KCRW: Sounds Eclectic)
• Beck - "Your Cheatin' Heart" (Timeless: Hank Williams Tribute)

You can also purchase Beck releases at Amazon/eMusic/Insound/iTunes

Clap! Clap! CD Release

Over the past couple of years Austin's own group of hand-percussion aficionados Clap! Clap! have been steadily building a reputation as one of the most entertaining live acts in town, bringing their very own brand of dance-punk to stages around town to perform in front of appreciative crowds eager to free their bodily movements of any restraint. After a year of work including many hours spent determening the very best method of transferring their high energy dance rhythms onto disc, Clap! Clap! are now prepared to offer up their first proper recording. The album titled You Love This! will be available starting next week at CD release shows at Emo's in Austin and Lucy's in San Marcos, at Waterloo and Sundance Records locally, and if you're not local you can also grab a copy through the official site and MySpace page.

You Love This! has keyboard and synth-driven sounds along with occasional guitar freak-outs on songs like "Relation Control" that instantly bring to mind the electronic-dance-rock style popularized by the Rapture, while other moments on the album such as the opener "Pressure of Your Pressure" recall the new wave tendencies present on the Faint's debut album. Another track on the album that begs repeated listening is "Space Dance," a downtempo dance track that occupies a full six minutes of last half of the album and sounds as if Bowie himself lent a hand in the production. You Love This! is filled with 10 tracks and clocks in at just under an hour in length, including a re-recording of the live favorite "Talk Shop" that features a guest spot from Chief of the local (San Marcos) hip-hop outfit The Word Association.

Party Ends said: "With the popularity of LCD and the Rapture singing about dancing and the crowds going nuts- the world now have a new entrant into the talented dance post-punk game: Clap! Clap!. The recording quality and full sound of this album is unlike anything else locally being produced and is a fantastic representation of what locals have known for years- that Clap! Clap! live shows are out of control."

Austin Sound said: "Already working from a reputation as one of the best live bands in Austin (and San Marcos), Clap! Clap!’s full-length debut You Love This has been building anticipation for almost a year. Onstage the group is a dynamic octagonal whirlwind of synths, guitar, electro-beats and unrestrained movement that lives up to their moniker and explodes infectiously into the crowd. It’s the Rapture brought home and the Faint resuscitated, all with a playful enthusiasm that takes the pretentiousness out of IDM."

Clap! Clap! said: In 2004, Clap! Clap! was born with a mission: to bring energy back to live shows and to make the energy infectious amongst the audience. Armed with 8 members, the band hopes to continue its quest to bring back audience participation and energy to live shows. With influences such as The Faint and The Rapture, dance and electronic rock is the band’s forte. The band utilizes five keyboards and two guitars to generate layered, accomplished songs. In 2005, MTVU recognized Clap! Clap! in a nationwide contest, “The Best Band on Campus,” and listed the band amongst the top 10 in the nation. Although the band did not win the contest, the campus newspaper honored the group as the top band in the city of San Marcos. The following year, the band relocated to Austin only to be the Austin Chronicle’s recommended choice for best new artist in 2006.

Listen:

Clap! Clap! - You Love This!

1. Pressure of Your Pressure
2. Talk Shop
3. Troubles with Doubles
4. Dr. Doctor!
5. Relation Control
6. Props to the DJ
7. You Love This!
8. Space Dance
9. We Lurk for Love
10. Coach

www.clap-clap.com

Mind Control North America Tour

New York, NY February, 26, 2007 - Stephen Marley, GRAMMY winning artist and producer, has announced that he is launching a much anticipated tour this spring. Kicking off on March 30th, the tour is happening in association with the Ghetto Youths International Foundation and will feature special guest "Jr. Gong." The tour will run through May, hitting more than 40 cities with acclaimed artist K'naan also in tow.

Billed as the Mind Control North American tour, Ghetto Youths International will contribute one dollar from every ticket sold to the Marley's homegrown charity, The Ghetto Youth Foundation, which provides aid and programs to children struggling in impoverished and war-ravaged conditions around the globe. Highlights of the 3-month tour of Canada and the US will also include performances at the World Ski and Snowboard Championships in Whistler, British Columbia on April 15th, Coachella Music Festival in Indio, CA on April 27th, and JazzFest in New Orleans on May 5th.

The tour will hit Austin on May 3rd at Antone's. This is good news my friends. When Damian Marley (Bob Marley's youngest son) last came through Austin he was putting on one of the most memorable performances of the Austin City Limits Festival. Now he'll be back supporting his older brother and bringing some friends along. Make sure grab some tickets before it sells out.

Mind Control North America Tour:

4/20 San Luis Obispo, CA @ The Graduate
4/21Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst
4/22 San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
4/24 Ventura, CA @ Ventura Theatre
4/25 San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
4/26 Los Angeles, CA @ House of Blues
4/28 Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
4/29 Kyotsmovi Village, AZ @ Hopi Veterans Memorial
4/30 Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theatre
5/02 Fort Worth, TX @ Ridglea Theatre
5/03 Austin, TX @ Antone’s Nightclub
5/04 Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
5/06 New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
5/08 Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
5/09 Boston, MA @ Avalon Ballroom
5/11 New York, NY @ Nokiaa Theatre Times Square
5/12 Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of the Living Arts
5/13 Baltimore, MD @ Ram’s Head Live
5/15 Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
5/17 Windsor, ON @ Chrysler Theater
5/18 Atlanta, GA @ The Roxy
5/19 Saint Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Landing
5/20 Orlando, FL @ House of Blues

Check out the tracks below to hear a couple of good songs to shout for when you hit up the tour. For more K’naan, check out the e-card for a live recording & etc.

Stephen Marley - "The Traffic Jam" | (Mind Control)
Damian Marley - "Move" | (Welcome To Jamrock)
K'naan - "Soobax" | (The Dusty Foot Philosopher)

I'll also throw in these two classics to help get ready for the Austin Reggae Festival this weekend. It used to be called the Bob Marley Festival, but you know, copyrights happen. It should be a pretty good time, and it looks like there's only a 10% chance of rain on Saturday. Score.

Augustus Pablo - "Thunder Clap" | (Original Rockers)
The Maytals - "Pressure Drop" | (Very Best Of)

Trey Told 'Em

Earlier this week Gregg Gillis (Girl Talk) posted this quick message via the MySpace:

"I just started a new band for production, beat making, and remixes with a sick dude named Frank Musarra. Our band is called Trey Told 'Em, and we have our first remix available for download on myspace now.... myspace.com/treytoldem."

Their first remix is of Tokyo Police Club's first single "Cheer It On" done up with some spastic sampling and a dance-ready hook. You should probably be well familiar with Girl Talk by now, and Frank Musarra has been producing music under the name Hearts of Darknesses, putting out an album in 2004 titled Music For Drunk Driving that received a 4/5 from Tiny Mix Tapes. He has been described as one part composer, five parts spaz, and a dope emcee to boot. He once became so entangled in his mic cord during a performance that he fell and broke his collarbone.

I don't know if I'm really sold on their first output. I mean, I'm not really into Tokyo Police Club, and I've already heard Girl Talk use a couple of these samples before. But, I think this remix is starting to get under my skin...

Tokyo Police Club - "Cheer It On" (Trey Told' Em Remix)

Since we're on the subject of Girl Talk and a lot of you folks seemed to enjoy his live set from Seattle that I posted previously, here's a five minute clip of that show to get down on.

Girl Talk - Live in Seattle (5:08)

Linkage:

http://myspace.com/treytoldem
http://www.myspace.com/girltalkmusic
http://www.myspace.com/heartsofdarknesses
http://www.illegalart.net

Car Stereo (Wars)

I first mentioned local DJ crew Car Stereo (Wars) back in February, and earlier this month a new mash-up was posted over at CarStereoWars.net that combines Chamillionare's track "Not a Criminal" with Ratatat's first hit, "Seventeen Years." The result is fairly sick.

Last year CSW put a track out there combining "Midnight Voyage" from Ghostland Observatory's sophomore album, along with Ghostface Killah's "Be Easy." Both of these tracks bump just fine by themselves, but when they're mixed together it's like the two were made for each other. Have a listen to both of them below...

Car Stereo (Wars) - "Been a Criminal About Seventeen Years"

Car Stereo (Wars) - "Ghostface Observatory"

You can hear more Car Stereo (Wars) at CarStereoWars.net, as well as visit myspace.com/CarStereoWars to find out more.

Can't stop spinning..

What I can't stop spinning at the moment is the Hieroglyphics album that came out last month called Over Time. I don't listen to as much hip-hop as I used to, so I'm always happy when I find some new stuff that I can get into. Thanks to the Gorillaz for introducing me to Del on their self-titled album...

Hieroglyphics - "You Never Knew" (Domino Remix)

Hieroglyphics - "Phoney Phranchise" (Domino Remix)

This is real hip hop not no phony phranchise
Winnin' by a landslide and you know you can't hide
This is D-E-L not no phony phranchise
Winnin' by a landslide and you know you can't hide
This is Hieroglyphics not no phony phranchise
Winnin' by a landslide and you know you can't hide

[Cut:]
Rag Del, impetuous, tempestuous,
My power's activated, have to make it, funky

Del deep, scuba diver wet suit
Who survived to get loose
Brewin' in the test tubes
To the rescue, extradiction process
To get you all stressed
Step onto my office
That's what you call fresh
It's more like some soft breasts
If i stopped cess, i probably would cough less
Test it, just to see if ya'll rested
I'm blessin' the beat just like if i was the best man
Yo, you miss it in ya' public school distict
Get a book and do the physics
Yo' i got a cool image
Like Hendrix, my kindred,
Y'all fuck up to my index
Bench press rappers doing sets with my Syntax
Ain't nothin' new motherfucker man i been black
Impact, remember Malcom X wore a pimp hat
You paper chasin' when you make it then you spit that
That your whole life shoulda never even been rap
Wannabe gangster fool around and get your friend capped
Talkin' hella shit my brother trying to buy a ten sack
Man, just call me amphibious
Submerging so deep yanking curtains on these idiots
Walking 'round oblivious more than annoying
Everywhere I turn a black life is destroyed and
Times is getting tough gotta sign for unemployment
Walkin' round the town all 'noid and bent
Out of posture from sixteen blunts, a pint of vodka
Intoxicated some of y'all call it faded
With my headphones slammin' playin Iron Maiden
Sleepin' in the lobby of the Days Inn

[Hook]

[Cut:]
Never outdated
When my power's activated, have to make it, funky

I'm barn storming, alluring, curing
Your ailments with lyrical talismans
Here it is, for the scrutiny of every record reviewer
Your tool to reduce your little rhymes are non-existent
Meticulous methods I use to modify
The style you all should try
Posh poetics, cost effective
Neck and neck with sun beams
Transcends the fabric of time
Yah, it's one thing
Named Hiero, habitual funk, fiends and freakerz
Techniques from the major leaguers leaves you meager
Style malfunctional i'm punchin' in early
Right on schedule gold medalist rebellious (who?)
Del is, got you cornered like a cougar
Comin' up with new words like you must be a lummox
Wanna infiltrate my crew when you know you'll go nuts
Lactose intolerant your bowels'll blow up
Catostrophic so deep can't locate with metal detectors
Listen more then once you'll need several inspections
I'm sicker than a beef recall
Reiterate the fact with flows that free fall
Reintroduction the classic material
That last with imperial
Props and Pop Will Eat Itself
Hotter than coals tread and your feet'll melt
Like plastic i castrate contenders
With a crew that got more power than the Westcoast Avengers
Sit and let your ears swim in the splendor

[Hook:]
It's just that real hip hop not no phony phranchise
Winnin' by a landslide and you know you can't hide
This is D-E-L not no phony phranchise
Winnin' by a landslide and you know you can't hide
This is Hieroglyphics not no phony phranchise
Winnin' by a landslide and you know you can't hide

[Verse 3:]

Mouth watering musical madness
More bomb than Bombay in glad bags, get mesmerized
Spellbound Del found profound
Hip hop essentials mandatory for the mental
I used to be dazed and confused
Now I'm amazed and amused
At life and its clever ruse
I have compassion while other brothers askin' for trouble
Brain damage got 'em befuddle
Yo, while I'm on stage pumpin' fear
Your over there in the corner drinking non-alcoholic beer
Dominating, commentating moving on to great things
Embracing the lunacy, lacing the community
With one, two, and three for all clueless emcees
They need guidance, tutorials from the Overlord of skill
Magnifying music with my magnificent mind
That blinds with such shine it's embarrassing
Hop in the caravan with Hiero and hit the road to take care of fans
You know what, I'm claimin' dozens
It's Sudden Impact Crib Death
It's big threat major counter-act like tazers
Trailblazers, we clown the name sayers
I crave flavorings with custom tailorings
I can comunicate with aliens, it's a daily routine
It's never failing you fiends to get cream
By the continuity the rhymes move in unity perfectly with the tunes
I hope it hits you soon

[Hook]

When my power's activated, have to make it funny

Learn more about Hieroglyphics at Wiki, get the album at Amazon/eMusic, & find out what's happening and get other releases at the Hieroglyphics Official.

Random Remixes

Check out a few different remixes that have caught my ear.

• First, a quite funky remix for the funkiest MC on the west coast, off of the new album Over Time by the underground hip hop collective that Del founded in the early 90's called Hieroglyphics.

Del The Funky Homosapien - "If You Must" (Dan The Automator Remix)

• An atavistic beat makes for a head-bobbing remix of Public Enemy's "Bring That Beat Back," originally from their 2005 album New Whirl Odor.

Public Enemy - "Bring That Beat Back" (Back to the Breakbeats Mixx)

• Electronics-heavy remix of Lil' Flip's "Game Over" done by Portland's own keytar wielding elecro-house pop craftmaster Copy, who I'll be discussing again very soon. For good measure I threw in his remix of Family Affair by Mary J. Blige.

Lil' Flip - "Game Over" (Copy Remix)
Mary J. Blige - "Family Affair" (Copy Remix)

• Not sure how I've overlooked this Hot Chip remix of Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" for this long, but here we have it nonetheless. Tickets are still available for their April 25th gig in Austin at Antone's, get them for $15 at the link.

Amy Winehouse - "Rehab" (Hot Chip Remix)

• The penultimate, a hilarious (and fun!) remix of Snoop's 2004 hit "Drop It Like It's Hot," done disco-chipmunk style by Copyfokking Ungdomsnizzle, whoever that is. Thanks to Palms Out Sounds.

Drop It Like It's Hot (Copyfokking Ungdomsnizzle Remix)

• To close it out (even though it doesn't fit the theme of these other tracks whatsoever,) an ambient take on Midlake's "Roscoe," produced by London-based electro DJs Erol Alkan and Richard Norris under the name Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve.

Midlake "Roscoe" (Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve Remix)

SUPER!ALRIGHT! vs Tacks, The Boy Disaster

A few days ago I mentioned the Daytrotter Session by a great local band Tacks, The Boy Disaster and added in "Forgetmenot" from their 2006 EP. Today the local media collective SUPER!ALRIGHT! released a music video for that very same song, with different collective members lending their talents to 15-30 second sections of the production.

SUPER!ALRIGHT! is a growing collective of freelance visual media artists. It was founded on the desire to extend creative possibilities beyond the realm of any one individual. Although its members currently specialize in visual media such as commercial and music video, web design, graphic design, and photography, the collective's ongoing goal is to create an ever-broadening base of creatives working in all forms of media. We are a network of artists gathered under the belief that our greatest strength is the dynamism offered by the variety of creative capabilities we hold as group.

Check out the video below, and don't forget to visit SUPER!ALRIGHT! and Tacks, The Boy Disaster.

Wanna go to Iceland...for free?

The Republic of Iceland has birthed international successes in the musical realm with such acts as Sigur Rós, Múm, Björk, Amiina; and most recently Bang Gang. It is time to brush up on your Icelandic for, “Where is the bathroom?” or “Please fluff my pillow” because you can enter to win a trip for two to Iceland courtesy of Iceland Sir, Bang Gang & From Nowhere Records.

Bang Gang is looking for the best fan remix of their song “It’s Alright” from the new Bang Gang album Something Wrong. To create your remix and enter the contest, visit the links below to hear the original song and download isolated multi-tracks of “It’s Alright.” Then use them and whatever else you have up your sleeve (just no illegal samples), to create a kick-ass remix! The entries will be judged by Bardi Johannsson of Bang Gang himself!

LINKS: “It's Alright” original album track | “It's Alright” remix tools

As an example (and for fun), check out:

Bang Gang - “Find What You Get” (Shout Out Out Out remix)

THE PRIZE:

• WIN! - Two plane tickets from one of Iceland Air's US gateways (NYC, Boston, Orlando and Baltimore)
• WIN! - Two nights stay from a hotel in the capital city, Reykjavík
  
• WIN! - Transportation to Keflavik airport to the hotel and back
• WIN! – A Bunch of Exposure

THE RULES:

• Contestants must submit an MP3 of your remix, your full name and e-mail address to banggang@fanaticpromotion.com by Friday, May 11.
• Anyone can participate, and contestants can submit as many remixes as they wish.
• The winner will be notified on Monday, May 21.

THE FINE PRINT:

• Contest winner is responsible for their own transportation to and from one of Iceland Air's US gateways (NYC, Boston, Orlando and Baltimore).
• The prize can be used within one year of the issue date, except June, July, August and Christmas holiday period.
• By submitting your e-mail, you agree to receive information on low fares to Europe from IcelandAir.
• All contest entrants understand and agree that under no situation will Fanatic Promotion, Inc. be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, incidental, special or exemplary damages resulting from your participation in this offer.
• By sending your mp3, you confirm that: All rights in and to the recordings remixed versions of the recordings are owned by FROM NOWHERE RECORDS and to the extent necessary you assign all rights in the remixed recordings to FROM NOWHERE RECORDS.

Bang Gang full stream of their Something Wrong album

Bang Gang @ MySpace

Heard of Blog Fresh Radio?

Blog Fresh Radio is a new cutting-edge radio program hosted by a lovely young lady named Alex who travels the blogosphere to uncover the best new music and talk to music bloggers in order to find out what they're listening to right now.

Each week there is a new hour-long radio show and podcast available for download at BlogFreshRadio.com that features interviews with different bloggers from around the globe, and each one chooses a track to highlight from artists that they have recently written about at their respective sites. Also available is the handy Blog Fresh Chart, which tracks the most talked-about artists on music blogs each week and informs you of where to get the freshest mp3s.

Covert Curiosity was featured on the April 2nd edition of the program, and you can hear that broadcast along with the other weekly editions that have been completed thus far by visiting Blog Fresh Radio.

The Detroit Cobras are back

Next Tuesday, April 24th, The Detroit Cobras will release their new album Tied & True via Bloodshot Records. This is the first new Cobras release since Baby in 2005, and it once again features the sultry vocalist Rachel Nagy and her guitar-wielding cohort Mary Ramirez. On Tied & True they continue down their path of garage rock revivalism, this time around creating a true soul album full of engrossing recreations of forgotten songs from the past.

Selections from Tied & True include original versions of "It's My Delight" from the late 60's Jamaican rastafari group The Melodians and "Nothing But A Heartache," originally done in 1968 by the female pop trio The Flirtations. Another great moment on the album comes from the unforgettable lyric "Bitch I'm gonna have to hit you on the top of your head," from the song "Leave My Kitten Alone" which was originally done in the 1950's by R&B singer Little Willie John.

From the press release: "When we come into this world, some of us get tapped on the head by God, the Grand Poobah, Mother Nature or who/whatever and are granted extraordinary gifts; there is no question that Detroit Cobras’ singer Rachel Nagy rolled snake eyes at the Grand Casino in the Sky. With Tied And True, their first new record in three years, the Cobras practically done created a new genre all for themselves, delivering the sonic goods to back up some seriously supernatural soulful vocal gifts.

Untrained and undisciplined (and how!), Rachel started out by belting revved-up rock yowlers and has grown into the gen-u-ine gutsy, vulnerable, delicate and commanding soul-on-the-edge singer. She effortlessly glides from R&B sass, to girl group pathos to kitten-with-a-whip toughness with a snap of her chipped fingernails. Longtime musical partner in crime, guitarist Mary Ramirez keeps the DE-troit Motor City in the Cobras with her body shop wallop, greasy rock ‘n soul rhythms and a bold grasp of old school, big room arrangements.

Stretching out in the studio like never before, and including contributions from top line players like Greg Cartwright (Reigning Sound) the Cobras have created a versatile and formidable wall of Spector sound (is that timpani you’re hearing here and there? Yer goddam right it is). Be it eerie or orchestral, or pure rock and roll rough up, Tied and True puts the Cobras on a whole new level—of many sources but a genus all its own. Soul lives below the belt, and whether you’re looking to be grinding it slow or shaking it up good, the Cobras bring it tough and tender, savage and sweet. Tied and true."

Tied & True - April 24, 2007 on Bloodshot Records

1. As Long As I Have You
2. Nothing But A Heartache
3. (If You Don't Think) You Better Change
4. Leave My Kitten Alone
5. (I Wanna Know) What's Going On
6. Try Love
7. You'll Never Change
8. Puppet On A String
9. Only To Other People
10. The Hurt's All Gone
11. It's My Delight
12. On A Monday
13. Green Light
    

You can hear the opening track, preorder Tied & True plus get a free poster and more at Bloodshot Records. You'll have an opportunity to catch the Detroit Cobras on their headlining CD Release Tour this Spring, with dates soon to be listed at their MySpace page. Also visit DetroitCobras.org to get the word direct from Mary and Rachel, and DetroitCobraCovers to read an in-depth study of the songs the Detroit Cobras have chosen to cover.

*Update: DETROIT COBRAS TIED AND TRUE CD RELEASE TOUR DATES

Fri May 11 - Baltimore, MD @ Pier Six Concert Pavilion
Sat May 12 - Brooklyn, NY @ Southpaw
Thu June 28 - Springfield, MA @ City Block Summer Music Festival
Wed July 11 - Covington, KY @ The Mad Hatter
Thu July 12 - Columbus, OH @ Little Brother's
Fri Jul 13 - Millvale, PA @ Mr. Small's Theatre
Sat Jul 14 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
Sun July 15 - Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place
Wed July 25 - Knoxville, TN @ Blue Cats
Fri July 27 - Atlanta, GA @ Earl
Sat July 28 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
Thu Aug 9 - Houston, TX @ Rudyard's Beer Bar
Fri Aug 10 - Dallas, TX @ The Palladium
Sat Aug 11 - Austin, TX @ Emo's
Mon Aug 13 - Tuscon, AZ @ Plush
Tue Aug 14 - Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse
Wed Aug 15 - San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
Thu Aug 16 - West Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour
Thu Aug 17 - San Francisco, CA @ Slim's
Sat Aug 18 - San Jose, CA @ Blank Club
Mon Aug 20 - Portland, OR @ The Doug Fir
Tue Aug 21 - Seattle, WA @ Neumo's
Wed Aug 22 - Boise, ID @ Neurolux
Thu Aug 23 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
Fri Aug 24 - Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre
Sat Aug 25 - Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar
Mon Aug 27 - St. Louis, MO @ Creepy Crawl
Tue Aug 28 - Iowa City, IA @ Picador
Wed Aug 29 - Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock
Thu Aug 30 - Milwaukee, WI @ Mad Planet
Fri Aug 31 - Chicago, IL @ Double Door
Sat Sep 1 - Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
-----

In related news, have a listen to the Flirtations' original recording of Nothing But A Heartache (that I also mentioned in Feb.,) along with the Beatles' cover of Leave My Kitten Alone. If you want to hear the Cobras' take on Heartache then make sure to pick up Tied & True on April 24th, it is worth every penny.

The Flirtations - "Nothing But A Heartache"

The Beatles - "Leave My Kitten Alone" (from Anthology)

Villa Muse

In today's edition of the Dallas Morning News there is a piece written by Karen Brooks about a new development in Austin called Villa Muse, a planned $1.5 billion recording/film studio combined with a 70,000-seat outdoor amphitheater and the largest soundstage in North America.

"Developers intend to unveil the plans for the community today, and they envision a unique place where 8,500 residents will "live, work and be inspired." The entire development, known as Villa Muse, has a target date of completion in 2012. The studio's founder and chief executive officer Jay Aaron Podolnick – who founded Texas' first 24-track recording facility in the '70s in Austin – says Villa Muse Studios, combined with the amphitheater, will let huge acts record, set up for tours, mix, produce and then throw a big concert to pay for it all – in one place."

This place is going to be amazing.

Click here to visit DallasNews.com and read the full article.

-----

On another, completely unrelated note, the Italian psychedelic rock band Jennifer Gentle (that I first discovered last October while compiling this,) have a few tracks up at MySpace from their new album on Sub Pop Records titled A New Astronomy. The output is markedly different from their 2005 album Valende, from which the retro-pop single below is taken.

Jennifer Gentle - "I Do Dream You"

If you were curious, Jennifer Gentle take their name from the track "Lucifer Sam" on Pink Floyd's 1967 debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. The song was written by a pre-completely-bonkers Syd Barrett and carries a reference to his then-girlfriend, Jenny Spires, referred to in the song as "Jennifer Gentle."

Pink Floyd - "Lucifer Sam"

From Here We Go Sublime

I've never been under enough influences to enjoy trance music, and techo might as well not even exist as far as my tastes are concerned. But those two notions have recently been squashed somewhat, as I find myself going back again and again to listen to From Here We Go Sublime, the debut album from Axel Willner's most recent alias The Field, released April 3rd on Kompakt. Filed below are a handful of press snippets that I feel provide great descriptions of what this album is about...

"Muted euphoria." - Cyclic Defrost

"You don’t need to be on the shiniest new candy out of a backstreet East-Berlin illicit narcotics factory and on a sunlit dancefloor in a post-industrial decrepit techno hell-hole/heaven near Ostbahnhof at 10a.m. on a Sunday morning to be struck by it (although I’m guessing that’s gonna work preeety good too)." - In Fact Ah

"Mixing gauzy shoegaze, slippery ambient loops, and two-cheeks-on-the-floor bass drum bounce, the Field offers an idyllic work of startling novelty, and perhaps ‘techno’’s most widely appreciable offering in years." - Stylus Mag

"The debut release from Sweden's Axel Willner, it drifts somewhere between minimal dance music and repetitive ambience, with beats that clomp along fast enough to fuel movement, but with enough ethereal qualities that you could simply put it on and trip out on the couch with it easily enough as well." - Almost Cool

"That's at the heart of this album - dance music written with Indie kids in mind, a feel-good session that's forever looking for the next crescendo." - Boomkat

Also there is a decent review of From Here We Go Sublime at Pitchfork. Listen to a couple of samples below and follow the links for more.

The Field - "The Little Heart Beats So Fast"

The Field - "A Paw In My Face"

garmonbozia.se/thefield
myspace.com/thefieldsthlm
Kompakt

Buy @ Insound
Buy @ Amazon