Don't try to Google this band's name, because you will most likely fail. Lights is a psych-folk foursome from Brooklyn led by the three-girl harmonizing of Sophia Knapp (guitar/vox), Linnea Vedder (drums/vox) and Wizard Smoke (light show/vox.) That's right, Wizard Smoke. They released their self-titled debut album this year on the indie label Language of Stone, who are well known for their taste in psychedelic folk rock records.

I had this one spinning in the background yesterday and it sunk in almost immediately. It's complete siren-esque psychedelia, with soft vocal harmonies, fuzzy electric guitar leads, and slow-jam ballads that take some inspiration from the Velvet Underground. Lights toured with Bright Black Morning Light last year, which should give you an idea of what to expect. One review I came across labeled it as dark, ghost-like witch rock. Another one called it psychedelicious. I prefer the latter.

Via Boomkat: "Mitchell's bass holds together structure on "At Midnight" while the girls' voices waft mellifluously through the song. It's a boldly skeletal opener, but the more atmospheric "Break, Run Fly" soon provide an injection of energy, with squawking lead guitar and tape loops of sea birds echoing around the mix. The first real standout, "Branches Low", has a classic seventies feel, not entirely unlike an early Yes record, minus the flashy muso tendencies."

"This sets the tone for more great ballad type pieces, namely "Rise Up" and "Here We Go", which manage to sound evocatively psychedelic without having to resort to excessive vintage effects pedals or production tricks. The best is saved for last however: after a four minute drift of instrumental weirdness the closing track "Sing It O-O-O" arrives like a breath of fresh air, rocking out in a slightly shambolic fashion while Knapp and Shults lay down a memorable, harmonised melody."

• Lights - "Break, Run, Fly"
• Lights - "Sing It O-O-O (Part Two)"
• myspace.com/lightsmakemusic

Here's a quick hit list of things to see and do in Austin this week. I hope you're taking some vitamins, because every single night is action-packed. Stuff like this is why I really, really love this town.

Wednesday, 5/28:

• Do512 and 101X Present: Homegrown Live at Whiskey Bar w/ {{{Sunset}}}, Masonic, and The Bubbles. $2 entry with an RSVP at the link.

• Subtle, Lady Pterodactyl, and Vehicular are throwing down at Mohawk.

Thursday, 5/29:

• Shearwater is pulling out all the stops for a performance at the Parish.

• PartyEnds.com is partying big at Beauty Bar with Transmography, Death is not a Joyride, Southern Drama and more.

• Snowden, Living Better Electrically, and Colour Revolt entertain at Stubb's indoors.

Friday, 5/30:

• The Black Angels celebrate their CD Release at Emo's.

• Navdo Presents Future Clouds and Radar, Built By Snow and more at the Parish.

• Ume melts faces with Bad Flirt at Beauty Bar.

Saturday, 5/31:

• The Strange Boys take their good-time show to Beerland, with lots of friends.

• Car Stereo (Wars) has glow in the dark party punch at Beauty Bar...mmmm.

• Those Peabodys have a CD Release Party with Ume and El Paso Hot Button at Mohawk.

• Li'l Cap'n Travis get it on with Brothers and Sisters at Continental Club.

• Centro-Matic come back to Austin with South San Gabriel and Sarah Jaffe at the Parish.

Sunday, 6/01:

• Local H, Lions, and Blind Pets will rock the doors right off the hinges at Emo's.

Woah...this album has really taken me by surprise. Love To Make Music To has got to be the most impressive electronic release that I have heard all year. It's all over the place, and in a good way. There's great touches of hip-hop, sexy beats for the dance floor, intense moments of multi-layered ambience, and a whole bag of tricks that make this Daedelus’ best and most playfully accessible album yet. I have listened to it three times already, and that's just today. Try on a couple of tracks...

• Daedelus - "Twist The Kids"
• Daedelus - "Touchtone"

This is his first record worked solely in collaboration with Ninja Tune, who will release Love To Make Music To on July 15 (June 9 in the UK), and album guests include the Grammy-Award winning rapper Paperboy. Pitchfork has a few more details here, and Ninja Tune has your pre-order ready to go at the link. Unfamiliar with this young producer out of L.A. known as Daedelus? Find out more at myspace, the official site, allmusic, wiki, and L.A. Record.

Here are some fresh goods from my favorite group of experimental Pennsylvanians, otherwise known as Black Moth Super Rainbow. The psychedelic-synth-pop craftsmen (and women) have just released the Zodiac Girls 7'' via Suicide Squeeze, and it features two brand new tracks.

Side A's "Zodiac Girls" has charging bass line/kick drum under layers of keyboard, while Side B's "The Fields Are Breathing" has to be one of the most breezy, easy going tracks ever constructed by Black Moth Super Rainbow. This one is limited to 2,000 copies on cool clear vinyl and you can get it for just $5, complete with a free digital download. Pick it up here, and get lots more BMSR at the link.

• Black Moth Super Rainbow - "Zodiac Girls"
• Black Moth Super Rainbow - "The Fields Are Breathing"
• myspace.com/blackmothsuperrainbow

Celebration is the perfect name for this debut full-length from Thomas Function. Basically, it is forty minutes of nothing but pure rock & roll fun. The Huntsville, Alabama group write fast-paced songs that feature catchy vocal hooks and shouted choruses that will have your head bopping in no time. There's a good reason that just about every review you'll find will contain the word 'infectious', the melodies seem to have no end, the production is crisp and clean, and many tracks build into a stomping climax that is hard to resist.

There are plenty of good press quotes on Thomas Function at the label site, but I think this is one of the best:

"Many of the songs here fit rather neatly into genres, like the C&W "2012 Blues," the bluegrass hoedown of "Relentless Machines," the psych styling of "Filthy Flowers" and "Can't Say No," the driving R&B of "A Long Walk" or the "Earthworms"'s blues. However, even these numbers aren't quite as straight-forward as they initially seem, for each is tinged with a touch of other sounds and styles. "Snake in the Grass," for example, is a musical homage to The Buzzcocks, but swishes psychedelic organ into the mix.

"Conspiracy of Praise" is reminiscent of the Violent Femmes or even The White Stripes, but also boasts a psychedelic organ break, a western flavor, and a guitar solo beholden to the Rolling Stones. By the time listeners get to "Swimming through a Sea of Broken Glass," most will have given up even trying to identify all the elements within -- in "Sea"'s case, punky C&W, mixed with bluegrass, as alternately played by Simple Minds and the Velvet Underground. And its here that TF reach their greatest heights, punching through a pile of musical envelopes and into a dizzying sound all their own."

Check out a couple of tracks below, and head to Alive Records to make it your own.

• Thomas Function - "Can't Say No"
• Thomas Function - "Conspiracy Of Praise"
• myspace.com/thomasfunction

...Green Day gets tired of working on the same routine, combines forces with three other like-minded fellows, goes completely 60's, assumes the name Foxboro Hot Tubs, and releases the album Stop Drop and Roll!!!. They played it cool and booked a gig at Emo's indoor last week, one that had people waiting in line at 2 a.m. to be part of an intimate crowd of 300. At least one reviewer made it into the show and had this to say:

"A lot’s been made of the Hot Tubs’ ’60s revival sound on record, but in a live setting minus all echoes and production effects the hook-filled, upbeat songs like “Mother Mary” and “Ruby Room” sounded just like any of Green Day’s other material. The only exception to this was the haunting “Dark Side of Night,” complete with flute solos, that was a total departure in style.

In the midst of it all was a guitar-less Armstrong and company relishing the intimacy of a club their full-time band bid farewell to more than a decade ago. The close environment let Armstrong crowd surf while singing and introduce his friend One-Eyed Jack — a taxidermied alligator head on a pole — before launching into the staccato rocker “Alligator."

For anyone curious to know what this side project sounds like, here ya go.

• Foxboro Hot Tubs - "Sally"
• Foxboro Hot Tubs - "Alligator"
• foxborohottubs.com

Dead Confederate is a band that you need to see live. I saw 50-something acts at SXSW and the show that Dead Confederate put on at Trophy's blew most of them away. I've seen them three or four times already and I'm always looking forward to the next show. They spent January and February here in Austin recording their debut full-length with Mike McCarthy (Spoon, And They Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead), which I'm told sounds incredible. They have an EP that you can get, but it’s a little small compared to their live sound. Thankfully I hear that the LP is WAY closer to their live show.

The Athens-based group are on the road playing a bunch of dates this summer, including a performance at Bonnaroo. The tour dates are below, the band is on the web right here, and they're in living color here. They stopped by the KEXP studio in Seattle on Friday to perform a few songs, which you can hear below. There's also video of DC performing "The Rat" in studio. You can always listen live at KEXP.org.

• Dead Confederate - Live on KEXP

Tour dates:

• 5/28 Washington D.C. DC9
• 5/29 New York, NY Piano's
• 5/30 Asbury Park, NJ The Saint
• 5/31 Philadelphia, PA The Khyber
• 6/1 Boston, MA TT the Bears
• 6/4 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506
• 6/5 Asheville, NC The Rocket Club
• 6/6 Knoxville, TN Barley's
• 6/7 Atlanta, GA The Earl
• 6/14 Manchester, TN Bonnaroo
• 6/17 Santa Fe, NM Santa Fe Brewing Company
• 6/18 Flagstaff, AZ Orpheum Theatre Flagstaff
• 6/19 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre
• 6/20 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern
• 6/24 Sacramento, CA Empire Room
• 6/25 Bend, OR Midtown Ballroom
• 6/26 Spokane, WA Big Easy - Spokane
• 7/5 Rothbury, MI Rothbury Festival

Here are a couple more from Immuzikation, who I told you about not long ago. Dude is really starting to make a name for himself across the musical blogosphere with these mashups, blends, edits, whatever you want to call them. Cut number one combines Digable Planets and The Who, number two pairs Santogold (who was great at SXSW) with the Justice track that spawned a million remixes, and number three has Shirley Ellis clapping alongside Biz Markie. That picture above isn't relevant to any of this, but it sure is cool.

• Immuzikation - Cool Front (Immuzikation YoStopFrontinBlend)
• Immuzikation - L.E.S.D.A.N.C.E. (Santogold vs. Justice)
• Immuzikation - Just a Friend With the Clap
• myspace.com/immuzikation

I got my first listen to Ratatat's third album last night, and boy is it groovy. Tracks like Bruleé and Shempi follow the summer theme of Mahalo, while the clear-cut single Mirando gets sonically blippity-bloopity with some nice touches of percussion. They've offered that song up for free, so soak it in and be ready for LP3 in July. Ever wish you could make an action film dance? Ratatat did, and they made a music video out of it.

• Ratatat - "Mirando"
• ratatatmusic.com

Pre-order info: "Tucked away in a private studio named Old Soul, in Catskill, NY the two musical forces behind Ratatat, Evan and Mike, have collaborated yet again to redefine the current state of instrumental music. This time, the album is called LP3 and though it doesn't use much in the way of hi-tech recording equipment it's still laced with a unique balance of penetrating beats and ethereal riffs. However they broaden their palette of sounds this time around by relying more on keyboard instruments than guitars. Don't worry, Mike's characteristic guitar style is still present on this record but there are also an abundance of new textures emanating from the likes of a harpsichord, a wurlitzer, a mellotron and even a grand piano." More...

My dog seems to be a pretty big fan of electro. Anytime I play stuff like this she'll come lay right in front of me under the desk. I think she likes to feel the beat from the speakers right above her, or at least chill out to the constant rhythym. If I'm listening to punk, indie, reggae, or anything else, she usually just hangs out in the other room.

I think we both enjoyed this live set from Hot Chip, which was recorded only a couple of months ago. From what I can tell by looking at that picture above people were enjoying themselves at the show. Hot Chip will make a return trip to Austin in September for the festival, so get your tickets already.

• Hot Chip - Live at Paradiso, Amsterdam

For something a bit slower, here's one from their limited edition 50 copies-only second EP, which was self-released, and saw them in disco folk mode.

• Hot Chip - "I Do"
• hotchip.co.uk
  

This song came up on shuffle today and I wouldn't be a very nice person if I didn't pay it forward. So here, you're more than welcome to kick it. This one was on A Tribe Called Quest's debut album People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, which arrived in April 1990. They are still out there doing their thing, including the big Rock The Bells tour. Find out what exactly that means at the official site.

• A Tribe Called Quest - "Can I Kick It?"
• atribecalledquest.com

One more time...

• Immuzikation - Imagine Kickin It on the Wild Side (Immuzikation DootDoDootBlend)

Experimental Aircraft are yet another band from Austin that rocks. I've been making my way through a good amount of local music lately and it is a nice change of pace. If you don't stop and look around every once in a while you will miss out on a lot of stuff that is right in front of you. It's totally awesome that Austin attracts a plethora of the best touring acts on the planet, but it ain't like we're lacking in quality homegrown talent.

Experimental Aircraft have been creating music together for over ten years, playing spaced-out rock that is probably best described as psychedelic shoegaze. Their newest effort, aptly titled Third Transmission: Meet Me On Echo Terrace, was released in February via Graveface Records (Octopus Project, Black Moth Super Rainbow). The track "Agent 23" comes from that one, while "Seasick" is heard on 2002's Love For The Last Time.

• Experimental Aircraft - "Seasick"
• Experimental Aircraft - "Agent 23"
• experimentalaircraft.com

If you're not busy tomorrow night and find yourself in the area, Experimental Aircraft are playing 101x's Homegrown Live at Mohawk with The Calm Blue Sea and Monuments. You can get into that show for just $2 with an RSVP at the link. You can buy me a shot with the money you save, if you want.

The Black Angels are on the cover of this month's Austin Chronicle, and the article that goes along with it is a great read. You can check it out digitally at the link. Their second album, Directions To See A Ghost, is a full-on jam record, much less directly to the point than Passover as they have expanded their psychedelic range, and pretty much everything is bigger. If you listen closely to the track "Never/Ever" you'll hear some electric jug, which is a fine tip of the hat to The 13th Floor Elevators, who lit the spark for this whole psychedelic thing to begin with.

Directions is eleven songs, seventy minutes, and it is great accomplishment from a hard working band. They're finishing off a brief stint in the UK as we speak, and the CD Release show is next Friday (5/30) at Emo's. Tickets for that one are $10 at the link. Directions To See A Ghost is in stores now, and of course available digitally. Check out this review at Prefix Mag, I think they dig it. I know I do.

• The Black Angels - "Mission District"
• theblackangels.com
  

Here's some high quality stuff from Cloudland Canyon, which is one part Memphis-stoner-rock and one part German-multi-instrumentalism. Droning keyboard, wah-ed out guitar, fuzzy atmosphere, trance-like loops, swirling lo-fi vocals, and general trippyness. Reviewed at XLR8R, Pop Matters, Almost Cool, among others. Light some fire, pass it around, push play.

• Cloudland Canyon - "You & I"
  

Says Aquarius Records: "Rich clouds of metallic shimmer surround looped guitars, creepy chanted vocals are submerged in demented spacey FX, dense deconstructed pop songs emerge from the chaos, rife with swirling vocals, and layer after layer of drone and processed harmonies, fuzzy shopping mall synth warbles beneath straining lo-fi vocals, the whole thing run through some intense stereo panning. Suddenly the band burst into some stomping propulsive psych rock jangle before the whole thing splinters into a gorgeous expanse of tranquil ambience, beneath delicately finger picked guitars, everything always within a cloud of mysterious sonic events."

• cloudland-canyon.com

Like many things, Shearwater pays heavy rewards to the patient, attentative listener. I'm sitting here trying to write this post while the new album Rook bleeds its heart out of my speakers, and it is almost too difficult to focus on typing a string of words while doing so. Not only is it quickly establishing itself as one of the finest album's I have heard this year, I that artwork is fascinating.

Founded in 1999 by Jonathan Meiburg and Will Sheff of Okkervil River, Shearwater was initially designed to merely be an outlet to share quieter songs that the two were working on. But after putting together five full-length albums, including 2006's critically acclaimed Palo Santo and the brilliant follow-up Rook, the time has come for Jonathan Meiburg to step down from Okkervil and fully dedicate himself to Shearwater. From the release:

"Jonathan Meiburg, frontman for Shearwater, has announced that he is leaving Okkervil River to focus exclusively on Shearwater. Meiburg says the split is "completely amicable," and that Shearwater has grown to the point that it excludes his further participation in Okkervil. "This is just a logical extension of the way things have been going since Palo Santo," Meiburg adds. "Shearwater's increasingly demanding schedule has meant that I've performed with Okkervil less and less over the past two years, and with Rook coming out in June, we all felt that it would be best if I completely disengaged from Okkervil rather than stretch myself too thin."

Rook will be released by Matador on June 3, though emusic is already offering it up digitally. The quartet are taking their show on the road throughout the summer, including a stop on their home turf at the Parish next Thursday (May 29), where they will be playing Rook in its entirety, backed by a string quartet, woodwinds, a harpist, and visual projections by the team behind Rook's cover art.

If you would like to witness this special event I am giving away a spot on the guest list, and to be considered just send an e-mail including your full name to covertcuriosity@gmail.com with Shearwater in the subject line. Austin Sound Check and Do512 are also offering free tickets, so check them out.

Below have a listen to a new track from Rook, one from Palo Santo, and one from the Thieves EP, where my Shearwater fandom first began. You can complete your Shearwater calalogue at emusic, Misra, Matador, et al.

• Shearwater - "Century Eyes"

• Shearwater - "Red Sea, Black Sea"

• Shearwater - "I Can't Wait"

• shearwatermusic.com

I just finished off writing a review for AM+E on the new album from My Education, a local instrumental band whose fourth full-length album will be released by Strange Attractors Audio House on June 10. In a town filled to the brim with instrumental bands, My Education have still been able to carve out their own niche. Each lengthy track on Bad Vibrations blends into the next in a format that would be well suited for film, with viola, vibraphone and piano playing a roles to compliment swelling layers of guitar. With these cinematic undertones having a distinct presence in the music that My Education creates, it is no surprise that they were chosen to compose an original score for the 1927 Academy Award-winning silent film Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, which was featured at the Alamo Drafthouse in 2007.

Since forming in 1999 the band has played over 300 shows across United States, while also getting remixed by several artists including Dalek, who I told you about. The new album was recorded at the Austin landmark Bubble Studios by the Grammy-nominated producer Chris "Frenchie" Smith, who has worked with an extensive list of quality talent over the years. My Education got the nod from Rolling Stone for their 2005 album Italian, and will surely grab some attention with Bad Vibrations. My favorite moment is the calming title track/album closer, where a simple guitar strum rolls along with soft touches of viola and lap-steel.

• My Education - "Bad Vibrations"
• myspace.com/myeducation
  

The War Against Sleep are a band from right here in ATX who happen to be good friends of mine. In 2006 they made The Onion's list of the 10 worst band names in Austin, and in 2008 they got a nod from the Wall Street Journal for having one of the best band names at SXSW. While I'm as big a fan of The Onion as the next guy, I've got to go with the WSJ on this one. They have a new song called "OK Human" that you might hear on an upcoming episode of 101X's Chillville, and based on the list of artists that they have in rotation it looks like my cup of tea. Have a listen...

• The War Against Sleep - "OK Human"

Ratatat is back with a new logo (sweet), two new tracks from a 7'' single, and a new album simply titled LP3 that will drop on July 8th. From the vibes of the two tracks on this single it sounds like it might be a "summer album," but with only the opening-credits-like "Shiller" it is too early to tell. I absolutely cannot wait for these guys to start touring again, their live shows are always a helluva good time. Get your own copy of the "Shiller" single for $3 right here.

• Ratatat - "Shiller"
• Ratatat - "Mahalo"

LP3 Track List:

1. Shiller
2. Falcon Jab
3. Mi Viejo
4. Mirando
5. Flynn
6. Bird Priest
7. Shempi
8. Imperials
9. Dura
10. Bruleé
11. Mumtaz Khan
12. Gipsy Threat
13. Black Heroes

• Visit ratatatmusic.com

Here is a high-fueled party track from the Italian duo known as Crookers, consisting of DJ PHRA and Bot. These guys have been making a name for themselves over the past few months, namely by remixing songs from a long list of artists and working as many club nights as they can physically survive.

The Mad Kidz EP, from whence this dancefloor shaker originates, will be out soon via Southern Fried Records. They've got a short North American tour planned for June so if this type of thing gets you going check the dates on their myspace page. For fans of DJ culture, Justice, MSTRKRFT, Mad Decent, shaking what their mama gave them, etc.

• Crookers - "Lollypop"

Feeling quite nostalgic lately, I have been doing a lot of listening to this great album from the way-too-short-lived Unicorns. A friend of mine burned this one for me on a long road trip across Texas back in 2003, and at the time I thought it was the weirdest, coolest little album I had ever heard to come out of Canada. After a brief run of relative success, a fanatical following on the indie-rock circuit, sold-out crowds in the U.S. and abroad, the Unicorns called it quits just one year after Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? was released.

Two of the members (Nicholas Thorburn and Jamie Thompson) went on to form Islands, releasing Return To The Sea in 2006. A month later Thompson gave it up, while Thorburn moved forward with the band and will release the new Islands album Arm's Way next week. It's a solid album, with good production, songwriting, and musicianship, and while Islands has been steadily growing on me I don't know that they will never top this Unicorns album, at least not in my eyes. It might not be a terribly objective viewpoint, but at least it's honest.

Here's two from the Unicorns album, which you should own if you don't already, plus one from the new Islands, which you can get more of rightchea.

• The Unicorns - "Tuff Ghost"
• The Unicorns - "Les OS"

• Islands - "Creeper"

The four gents of Liverpool's Clinic are touring the states throughout May, playing shows in a handful of select cities. Neumo's in Seattle, the Bowery in NYC, the Black Cat in D.C., Cat's Cradle in North Carolina, Troubador in L.A., and of course right here in Austin at Emo's. There's a good reason that Clinic is performing at the hot spots in these towns, these guys know how to rock. They play funky, demented, fast-paced psych rock that is complimented by lots of keyboard and the signature medical garb they wear on stage.

They've been a prolific band since forming in 1997, releasing five albums, countless singles, EPs, and two compilations. They were picked up by Domino Records in 1999, going on to tour with the likes of Radiohead and Arcade Fire, even getting the nod from John Peel for their debut EP. Their debut album got a 9.3 from Pitchfork, their second album was nominated for a Grammy, and each subsequent release has been met with a good amount of critical acclaim. I first heard about them a couple of years ago and have gone through and listened to the majority of their recorded output, though I haven't had a chance to see them live until now.

Clinic doesn't seem to make it over to the states very often, so if you have an interest in catching a live show you should take advantage while they're here. They're playing Emo's outdoor next Friday with Mark Sultan of the King Khan & BBQ Show, which should be a pretty good combo. I told you about it way back in February. I'm giving away a spot on the guestlist, so if you want to check this one out send your full name to covertcuriosity@gmail.com with Clinic in the subject line. Do512 is giving away tickets also, so get on it, this is gonna be a cool show.

• Clinic - "The Bridge"

The Avalanches are a gang of DJs out of Melbourne, Australia. They made a big splash back in 2000 with their debut album Since I Left You, which was assembled from approximately 3,500 samples from old records, films, and TV shows. It's a nearly perfect party album that is impressive front to back, while the track "Frontier Psychiatrist" was released as a single and has become their most well-known song to date. The Avalanches took home all kinds of Australian music awards for the album, and it was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

• The Avalanches - "Frontier Psychiatrist"

I've had this album for at least a couple of years now, and for some reason I have been listening to it a lot over the past couple of weeks. Curious to know what these guys are up to these days, I did a quick search and found this:

Details of The Avalanches' second album are sparse. Seltmann said in 2005 that after starting out as "ambient world music", the record was returning to more of a "party" sound. In 2006, Modular issued a press release stating "it's sounding like everything we dared not hope for, and so much more. They've made the record of their lives basically". This was in response to a joke email which had reached the music press, in which Modular claimed it had rejected The Avalanches' new album. In January 2007, the band stated via its website that roughly 40 tracks were being considered: "It's so fuckin' party you will die, much more hip-hop than you might expect, and while there is still no accurate estimated time of arrival, we're sure you're gonna love it when it arrives ... It's ended up sounding like the next logical step to "Since", we just had to go around in a big circle to get back to where we belong. And one day when you least expect it you'll wake up and the sample fairy will have left it under your pillow."

So, it looks like there will be some new Avalanches material coming out sometime soon. While snooping around I also came across the "GIMIX", which was a promotional mixtape that blended previews of Since I Left You with some of the band's favorite songs. A couple of parts will catch you off guard, but overall it is a great listen, and a nice accompaniment to the album. Apparently it was released on cassette in Australia to give people a taste of the album while they waited for approval of some of the samples. Check it out..

• The Avalanches - GIMIX

Samples:

• The Avalanches - Since I Left You
• Madonna - Holiday
• Bob Dylan - Like A Rolling Stone
• The Avalanches - Stay Another Season
• The Avalanches - Two Hearts In 3/4 Time
• De La Soul - A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"
• Blowfly - Rapp Dirty
• Old Dirty Bastard - Baby Got Ya Money
• Roy Ayres - Running Away
• Kid Creole And The Coconuts - Stool Pigeon
• The Avalanches - Close To You
• Jimi Hendrix - Crosstown Traffic
• Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
• The Smiths - The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
• Thomas Bangalter - Turbo
• Madcatt Courtship - The Kitty Lounge
• Men At Work - Down Under
• The Avalanches - Electricity
• De La Soul - Ring Ring Ring
• A Tribe Called Quest - Electric Relaxation
• Daft Punk - Oh Yeah
• Detroit Grand Pubas - Sandwiches
• Hall And Oates - I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)
• Fatboy Slim - Fucking In Heaven
• The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
• Jurassic 5 - Jayou
• Dee-Lite - Groove Is In The Heart
• West Street Mob - Break Dance Electric Boogie (Jon Carter Mix)
• Gonzalez - Real Motherfuckin' Music
• The Avalanches - Little Journey
• The Avalanches - Diners Only
• The Avalanches - A Different Feeling
• The Avalanches - Pablo's Cruise
• Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
• Paperclip People - The Climax
• Fela Ransome Kuti with Ginger Baker - Ye Ye De Smell
• Instant Funk - Got My Mind Made Up (12" remix)
• Electric Light Orchestra - Livin' Thing
• Mickey Mouse Club - Mickey Mouse Club Theme
• Michael Wycoff - Looking Up To You
• Fern Kinney - Together We Are Beautiful
• The Avalanches - Tonight May Have To Last Me All My Life
• Fleetwood Mac - Dreams

If the action at Emo's on Thursday night doesn't float your boat, head up Red River a few blocks for something completely different. Be Your Own Pet, who were more than a little exciting when I caught them at SXSW, will be part of a bill at Stubb's that also includes Joaquin Phoenix's favorite darkwave band She Wants Revenge, one of Alternative Press's "100 Bands You Need to Know" (The Virgins), and UK powerpop via Switches.

Pitchfork gave the newest BYOP album high marks, saying "with the band members' ages now clustered somewhere around 20, that glam is still the fascinating thing about this act-- they're from what might be the first generation to see American hardcore punk not as a venue for intense, frustrated guys to scowl at the world, but for good-time kids to bounce around."

Interested in checking this one out? Hit me up at covertcuriosity@gmail.com with Stubb's in the subject line and I'll pick one lucky winner. For more info, tix & etc., check out the event listing.

(ps - Stubb's was named one of the top five music venues in the country by Rolling Stone. How 'bout them apples?)

The Link

This Thursday Emo's will be kicking off the 3-day mini-festival de rock that they like to call Chaos in Texas. Roky Erickson and The Explosives will headline the outdoor show on Thursday night, which is somehing I have personally been waiting to see for quite a while now. Check out this post from September '07, for instance.

During SXSW Roky was presented with an award for Musician of The Year at the 2008 Austin Music Awards, a moment made even a little bit cooler thanks to Billy Gibbons and Okkervil River. He's also set to give an encore performance at ACL Fest this year, where he hasn't played since 2005. The Strange Boys, who will open up for Roky & The Explosives at Emo's on Thursday, will also soon add their name to the list of ACL veterans.

The indoor stage will feature some good punk/hardcore from Sweden/UK/Canada, and it goes on pretty much all weekend on both stages. On Saturday they'll have punk music all the way from Spain and Japan, so there should be more than enough interesting activity going on. Do512 is giving away tickets for all of the Chaos, so go over there if you want to check out any of this stuff for free.

Continuing where the previous post left off, here's a few mash-ups from the prolific producer/remixer/DJ known as Go Home Productions. GHP is the alter ego of Mark Vidler, who has produced well over 200 mash-ups since May 2002, many of which have been played on both national and independent radio stations around the world.

His latest effort is "Spliced Krispies", a bootleg album that combines everything from The Sex Pistols to The Supremes, and to accompany the songs there are 11 videos that have been created and edited for each separate track. Check out that and more at the link.

To get an idea of what this guy gets into, check out a handful of the better ones that he has put together below. If you want more, a couple of them come from this compilation.

• Go Home Productions - "Rapture Riders"
• Go Home Productions - "Physical Graffiti"
• Go Home Productions - "The Weather Episode"
• Go Home Productions - "Velvet Sugar"
• Go Home Productions - "Abba & The Bunnymen"
  
• Go Home Productions - "Main Bloom"

Very quickly, here's a couple of nuggets from the inbox that I meant to put up before I zoned out for the weekend.

More than ten years after the original nucleus split, the Pharcyde are finally set to perform together on this summer’s Rock the Bells tour. Fader was happy to spread the good news. Here's a couple of Pharcyde numbers to jog your memory in case you might have forgotten. Circa 1995.

• Jay Dee - "Drop" (feat. The Pharcyde)
• Jay Dee - "Y?" (Remix) (feat. The Pharcyde)

And these two come from a fellow called Immuzikation who has been mashing up a storm lately. The first one blends Weezer, Madonna, Timbaland & more, and number two pairs up Daft Punk with a little MGMT. Not too shabby. You can get more info about this guy at the link.

• Immuzikation - Nu Virgin Du Pork
• Immuzikation - O.M.T.t.P.

Yesterday I got an e-mail that linked to a news article which discussed the rumor that Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are set to reunite on stage for an historic performance. Today I went over to my favorite sandwich stand and there was a copy of Blender sitting on the table, and as I was waiting I flipped through it. The first story I hit was an interview with Ringo Starr, and I can only guess that it must be some sort of serendipity.

Apparently the two remaining Beatles are big on giving back to the Fab Four's hometown of Liverpool, and when Paul McCartney takes the stage at Liverpool’s first Sound City music festival, people believe that Ringo Starr will join him. Taking place over four days later this month (May 27-30), the festival will host names like The Field, Hercules And Love Affair, Crystal Castles, Santogold and many more. Details on all that jazz are at the link.

No one knows for certain that Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will take the stage together, but just the mention of it has been enough to put Beatles fans on high alert. On that note...anyone have a place to crash in Liverpool?

• The Beatles - "We Can Work It Out"
• The Beatles - "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away"
• The Beatles - "Goodbye" (Original Demo)
• The Beatles - "Across The Universe"

I don't know a whole lot about this band called The M's, but I can't seem to get this song of theirs out of my head. It is the title track to their 2006 album Future Women on Polyvinyl, which you can read more about right here.

Always ahead of the curve, Daytrotter had them in the studio back in June of 2006. The Chicago-based quartet has a new album coming this year, which you can preview/pre-order at the link. Check out the mp3 below, and if it strikes you just hit up the myspace for more.

• The M's - "Future Women"