Happy Halloween!

It’s Halloween, the day that men, women, and children all over the world reluctantly put on half-hearted costumes and wander through the night seeking some combination of candy, alcohol, and those orange sugar cookies. This time last year I was preparing to take in an excellent Menomena Halloween show, but sadly I find myself without plans of any sort this year.

Luckily I have lots to keep me busy/laughing/interested:

The Boss gives away a brand-new Halloween song – for free!
Stereogum’s Top 10 Trendy Pop Star Costumes
A “Very Preppy guy” seeks hipster advice for costume on meta
Death Cab as Devo (Halloween 2006)
The Playlist’s Superb Halloween Playlist

[mp3] Ryan Adams – Halloweenhead
[mp3] Chris Garneau – Halloween

Harvard Law : RIAA’s Lawsuits Are Unconstitutional

Some interesting news for those of us who care about the scary, behind-the-curtain dealings of the sinking ships that are the major labels. Harvard Law, a notable and esteemed college as I’m sure you know, which has produced many a great mind, has said that the RIAA’s recent file-sharing lawsuits are unconstitutional.

I must say those smarty-pants ivy leaguer’s make some very good points, and it’s pretty funny to not that the RIAA has never bothered to sue a Harvard student, as the university, it’s professors, and it’s law school specifically have pledged to make them pay should they chose to attempt to do so.

That’s punk rock.
Read…

[mp3] Gillian Welch – Lawman’s Gonna Kill My Honey Dead (Live)
[mp3] Oxford Collapse – Lover Lawyers

Ben Gibbard Got Bit by a Scorpion

In one of the more bizarre/amazing stories I’ve heard in recent memory, Death Cab bassist Nick Harmer explains how Ben Gibbard fell victim to a freaking scorpion just before the band went on in San Diego. That’s right, kids, a scorpion! So punk rock it’s not even funny.

Via DCFC-Blog:
So tonight in San Diego, Ben got stung by a SCORPION. Twice. I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried, file this under “things that really happen on rock tours.” Ben’s okay, if not a little shaken, but we were worried for awhile because the scorpion was a little guy and when it comes to the wonderful world of scorpions, the smaller the deadlier. Here’s how it went down: As were were getting ready to go onstage to play our set, Ben changed into his show pants that were hanging in our wardrobe case. He put his pants on, and felt something stick him twice in his thigh and when he pulled them off, this guy came running out:

We all screamed. A scorpion was honestly the last thing we could imagine that would come scurrying out of his pants. Ben said that it felt like a wasp stung him and it didn’t hurt so bad, but it sure rattled all of us. We called the EMTs and they checked him out and thankfully he was fine and able to play the show, he said he had scorpion power in his veins. I’m still not convinced that he is 100% fine because nobody eliminated the possibility that it was a radioactive scorpion and that Ben will now develop super powers, so I’m keeping a close eye on him just in case.

Maybe he just wanted to hear a request and was having trouble getting his attention, or maybe the little fella thought he’d be welcome at a rock-show. Either way, the important lesson here is obvious and clear: Ben Gibbard’s pants = the most dangerous pants in rock and roll, and I have a feeling they’ll be getting a robust shakedown before being placed on his legs from now on.

[mp3] Ben Gibbard – Casino Blues
[mp3] Ben Gibbard – Thriller (Live)

Seattle Looks to Furhter Extend it’s Indie Rock Monopoly

As if Nirvana, Sub Pop, Barsuk, and having more great venues than several other major cities combined wasn’t enough, as if being home to an astonishingly large myriad of artists adored around the world wasn’t quite what it needed to quench it’s insatiable appetite, the city of Seattle has gone and done something that is really gonna piss all those other cool cities off. Just as Portland thought it was getting it’s fair shake, they’ve announced the Seattle: City of Music initiative, a plan to make Seattle into the “music capital of America.”

Several partners, everyone from Microsoft and Amazon to Sub Pop, have come together to create a 12-year vision-program which will establish music ed. programs in schools, improve the standard of living for musicians via expanded professional opportunities and by providing access to affordable health care, aiding in the upkeep of concert venues and festivals, offering incentives for music-related businesses to thrive, as well as creating new jobs, and making efforts to strengthen the music community as a whole. Sub Pop, for instance, will contribute a 13,000 dollar grant to some bright young mind who has a good idea for a music business.

So, who wants to move to Seattle with me?

[mp3] Pedro the Lion – Of Up & Coming Monarchs (Live)
[mp3] The Long Winters – Teaspoon
[mp3] Damien Jurado – Hoquiam
[mp3] Death Cab for Cutie – Little Fury Bugs

The Silver Jews Are So Underground!

Har, har, har, har, har! No, really though, that was pretty hilarious. See, the Bermans and their musical cohorts, all of whom put together make The Silver Jews, will be playing a show for a very famous radio station from right here in Nashville called WSM (home to the Grand Old Opry) – but wait, there’s a catch. The show will be played in a place called Cumberland Caverns, a place lots of us in the Tennessee area visited on field trips as children, and a place which happens to be a freaking cave.

Yes, the Jews will be playing Aloyisius, Bluegrass Drummer, among a bunch of bats and stuff. This is trippy, I know, but it gets better: it’s open to the public and free. The date is January 31st (bring a jacket, January+cave=cold) and the time is at 3pm. It’s a Saturday so you’ve no right to complain about the 3pm start time, well actually you have no right to complain about anything being inconvenient about a free Silver Jews show in a natural wonder.

[mp3] Silver Jews – Aloyisius, Bluegrass Drummer

David Bazan Announces iTunes single/7”

Pedro the Lion frontdude David Bazan has announced a political-in-tone itunes single to be released, when else, but election day! (Next Tuesday, November 4th, 2008.) According to Barsuk’s website, the single will also be released as a 7” sometime in the near future in limited quantities, and the b-side to both the digital and physical copies shall be a demo recording of a new Bazan song entitled Please Baby Please, which can be seen as well as heard on the recently released Bazan : Alone at the Microphone DVD.

Luckily, you can stream the a-side, American Flags right now, thanks to the miracle of the internets, at Myspace. The track was mixed and mastered by former Pedro the Lion rhythm section-er and current mastering whiz TW Walsh, and it sounds fantastic. Between this, the dvd, and that Holiday single, it’s shaping up to be a very Bazan Christmas, indeed….though seven inch records won’t fit very well in an average stocking.

All this news, but no word yet on the ETA of Bazan’s first full-length solo effort you guys keep asking about in emails, comments, and smoke signals. Keep yr ear to the ground. Additionally, Bazan will play a few one-offs on the west coast, as well as a very abbreviated set of solo shows in the sleepy and likely snow-laden midwest before year’s end. Those dates can be found below:

David Bazan 2008 Tour Dates

Friday, November 7
UC Berkeley / Lower Sproul Plaza

Berkeley, CA 94720
All Ages / FREE SHOW
Bazan plays at 12:00 noon

Saturday, November 8
Travis Auditorium at Fuller Seminary
180 N Oakland, Ave
Pasadena, CA 91101
All Ages / Tickets: $10 advance / $14 day of show
BUY TICKETS
Bazan plays at 8:00pm

Thursday, December 4
Schuba’s (EARLY SHOW!)
3159 N Southport (Corner of Belmont)
Chicago, IL 60657
Doors open at 6pm
Bazan starts at 6:30pm

Friday, December 5
The Billiken Club
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO 63109
All Ages / FREE SHOW
w/ Via Audio

Saturday, December 6
Courtyard Cafe / Illini Union
University of Illinois
Urbana, IL 61801
Ages: 18+
Tickets: Student $3 / Public $5
w/ Starflyer 59

Sunday, December 7
The House Cafe
263 E Lincoln Hwy
Dekalb, IL
Ages: 18+
Tickets: $10 – Buy Here
Local opener at 7:00pm
Bazan at 8:00pm

[mp3] David Bazan – Selling Advertising
[mp3] Pedro the Lion – Forgone Conclusion (Live)

Asthamtic Kitty Announces Massive Charity Album

Asthmatic Kitty founders Lowell Brams, and yr friend Sufjan have teamed together to make a sprawling two-disc charity comp. to benefit Habitat for Humanity, and a bunch of there friends are coming along for the ride too. As you already probably know, Habitat for Humanity builds houses for people who don’t have them, and that my friends is a very important line of work to be in.

Maybe you’ve been outside recently and felt how cold it’s getting and though “gee, it’s a good thing I have a house to be warm in.” You haven’t thought that? Then go outside today and imagine you don’t have a house, come back inside, and buy this album. Oh, and by the way, “Tidal River” = Sufjan Stevens, Lowell Brams, and the National’s Bryce Dessner!

Habitat:

Disc 1:

01 Tidal River: “A Cross Section of Clown Mountain”
02 Aspects of Physics: “Utiliterranean”
03 Jim Guthrie: “Little Furnace”
04 Kristin Miltner: “The Barns Flock”
05 Instruments of Science & Technology: “INST.stem.INST”
06 Nick Hennies: “The Living Piano”
07 Ero Gray: “Staircase and Water Pipes, 42 Broadway”
08 Cepia: “Algiers”
09 Ben Owen: “5 for 14”
10 Alias: “In Hope of Witchless Attics”
11 Alfred Brown: “SphericalType GasHolder”
12 Cheryl E. Leonard: “Uncle Iroh’s Teahouse”
13 Blevin Blectum: “Vast Angles”
14 Son Lux: “Speak”

Disc 2:

01 Actuel: “QRS/TUV”
02 Sole with William Ryan Fritch: “all tomorrow’s sewers”
03 i am robot and proud: “Jeanne Mance”
04 900X: “BGM”
05 Yuko Nexus6: “wsagg-chorus for spaces”
06 KILN: “marigold bunker”
07 therefore: “piznanano”
08 Six-Fing Thing: “Sandpiper on the Warehouse Floor”
09 Stars Like Fleas: “Call Me Trimtab”
10 ting ting jahe: “d3p574”
11 Moth!Fight!: “A Long Way From Home”
12 Jon Galaxy: “Shelter?”
13 Kadet: “Horizon”
14 Wayne Feldman: “Calling on You”
15 DM Stith: “Your god is a Lion recently fed, drowsy”

[mp3] Sufjan Stevens – Woman at the Well
[mp3] Sufjan Stevens – I Can’t Even Lift My head

Annuals – "Such Fun" Analysis

I made a decision a few months ago when I started receiving promos watermarked with my name and website in case I should try to share a song with a friend to suggest the cd, that I’d not be reviewing such records. It’s not because I’m a spiteful long-time file-sharer who gets joy out of giving people albums for free, quite the opposite actually.

I think most people who know me would tell you I’m a strong advocate for actually buying music, preferably the physical product too. I buy merch from bands who I go see for free because I write a blog, I buy the vinyl versions of albums I get digital advances of and really love. Why am I telling you this? To let you know that I happen to really like music and would like those who make it to be able to financially find it viable to continue doing so. Nevertheless, I had made up my mind: watermarked cd’s weren’t getting any facetime on my blog. I just didn’t like the feeling of it, the unspoken exchange of, “Will you give my client some press but be willing to face jail time should you share your favorite song if it’s not the authorized sample track and then encourage people to buy the album with a link directing them right to the purchase page?”

Nevertheless, here I am a few months after recieving Annuals second LP, Such Fun, telling you how fantastic it is. It’s so fantastic that I literally couldn’t get past the first track (“Confessor“) this morning during a 20 minute car ride, I just kept starting it over, listening to it’s beautiful block harmonies, intricate 90’s alt-rock guitar lines, and harmonic strings over and over and over again. I plan on getting past this track on the way home, though. There are lots of gems on this album, see, from the country-stomp Hair Don’t Grow to the delicate and pleasant piano and string ballad The Tape, a song which will make just about anyone want to score a film.

Front-man Adam Baker and backing vocal extraordinare/guitarist/Sunfold ringleader Kenny Florence obviously have a terrible case of musical ADD, but I’ve never found myself wishing they didn’t. Being able to pair country clap-alongs, Jon Brion-esque, semi-worless piano ballads, Jazz guitar sensabilities, Indie neuroticism, and an obvious, slightly-veiled love for 90’s alt-rock in a way that is musically pleasing is a downright accomplishment, and for that the band of Raleigh-Chapel Hill’ians should be proud – as should you.

EDIT: Apparently, the band will be on Conan tonight.

[mp3] Annuals – Confessor

Buy Such Fun here.

Atlas Sound Celebrates Halloween

I make no qualms about not being able to get into Deerhunter. I just don’t get what’s appealing about them to be honest, but for some reason Bradford Cox’s (Deerhunter frontman) solo side-project Atlas Sound totally appeals to me. Bradford has released some free of charge mp3’s for you in time for Halloween, and they’re spectacular.

Think more Danny Elfman or eve Jon Brion does Halloween then say, Cradle of Filth, but I like that. They’re what I think can best be described as circus music; samples of heavily reverbed laughter waft in and out of the stereo image, while glockenspiels tinker playfully, yet sinisterly in the foreground. It’s the kind of thing I’d imagine sounds even better when one is under the influence of narcotics, but since I choose not to engage in such activities you’ll have to decide for yourself.

[mp3] Atlas Sound – Danse Macabre
[mp3] Atlas Sound – Danse Infernale

A Mix for the week of Halloween

Last evening I saw a “Scary movie” with a large group of people, the only way such films should be viewed in my opinion. This is not because these films, or this one in particular, are so scary they shouldn’t be viewed alone, this is just to say that they’re a lot more fun to watch when there are 7 or 8 people sitting with their knees up, clinging to their cupholder, waiting for the next infected zombie to rear it’s ugly head around any corner.

This was evidenced by the other people in the theater, all three of them, leaving less than 45 minutes in…or maybe it was because they thought the movie sucked, or maybe they just got sick of listening to us yell every time something happened. At any rate, here are some really good songs. Happy early Halloween. I won’t be celebrating such a boring holiday with another post on the appropriate day, so enjoy.

[mp3] The Long Winters – Scared Straight
[mp3] Minus the Bear – Ice Monster
[mp3] Daniel Johnston – I Killed the Monster
[mp3] Kevin Drew – Frightening Lives
[mp3] Ryan Adams – Afraid not Scared