Dancing About Architecture

The Calgary Sun interviews the Bellrays: BellRays are the soul of rock 'n' roll

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Toronto Life magazine talks to hot indie music producer, Dave Newfeld, about Broken Social Scene and the mysterious art of producing.

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Indie music's current 'It' boy, Sufjan Stevens, talks to The Guardian.

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Canoe reports that Samsung Electronics Co. plans to enter online music business.

RELEASED: Nov. 1

The first section of this post on new releases, is once again provided by insound.

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11/01 ALTAMONT - the monkee's uncle (antacidaudio)
11/01 ARMOR FOR SLEEP - a comprehensive guide to touring (dvd) (equal vision)
11/01 BJORK - medulla videos (atg)
11/01 BLEEDING THROUGH - wolves among sheep ()
11/01 BLINK 182 - greatest hits (interscope/geffen)
11/01 BOY SETS FIRE - before the eulogy (equal vision)
11/01 BRIGHT - bells break their towers (strange attractors audio house)
11/01 GILLES PETERSON - presents bbc live sessions (ether records)
11/01 GOLDFRAPP - no. 1 ep (mute)
11/01 GUITAR WOLF - golden black (greatest hits) (narnack)
11/01 IN FLAMES - clayman (nuclear blast)
11/01 KIND OF LIKE SPITTING - in the red (hush)
11/01 KITES - peace trials (load records)
11/01 LAG WAGON - resolve (fat wreck chords)
11/01 LANDING - brocade (strange attractors audio house)
11/01 NIRVANA - sliver: the best of the box (geffen)
11/01 P:ANO - ghost pirates without heads (mint records)
11/01 REDNECK MANIFESTO - i am brazil (austrailian cattle god)
11/01 SABOTEUR - saboteur (end records)
11/01 SENSES FAIL - let it enfold you (vagrant)
11/01 SICBAY - suspicious icons (5440 or fight!)
11/01 SOUL-JUNK - 1937 (sounds are active)
11/01 SUN KIL MOON - tiny cities (caldo verde)
11/01 TOOTHFAIRY - formative (hush)
11/01 TRALALA - falala-la-la (audika)
11/01 ULRICH SCHNAUSS - far away trains passing by (domino)
11/01 WESTERN ADDICTION - cognicide (fat wreck chords)
11/01 WILCO - kicking television: live in chicago (nonesuch)

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ALSO on NOV 1st...

Akron/Family & Angels Of Light - Akron/Family & Angels Of Light Split LP
Audio Bullys Generation
Fatlip Theloneliest Punk
Guided By Voices Suitcase 2: American Superdream Wow [4xCD]
Santana All That I Am
Sun Kil Moon Tiny Cities [all Modest Mouse covers]

AND MORE

All That I Am [Content/Copy-Protected CD] Santana
Christmas Songs Diana Krall, Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra
The Long Road Home: Ultimate John Fogerty Creedence Collection John Fogerty
Speak For Yourself Imogen Heap, Imogen Heap
Now, Vol. 20 Various Artists
Rosenrot [Import] Rammstein
Life Goes On Terri Clark
Rapture of the Deep Deep Purple
Tiny Cities Sun Kil Moon
Jersey Boys [Cast Recording] Original Broadway Cast
Hung Up [CD-single] [Import] Madonna
Wherever You Are Third Day
Greatest Hits [Explicit Lyrics] blink-182
Live from Austin, TX [Live] [Original recording remastered] Eric Johnson
Live from Austin, TX [Live] [Original recording remastered] Dwight Yoakam
9.0: Live [Explicit Lyrics] [Live] Slipknot
? Neal Morse
At This Time Burt Bacharach
Brokeback Mountain [Soundtrack] Original Soundtrack
Your Man Josh Turner

NEW MUSIC 'ZINE: Palebear

This may be a fairly new site, but it looks like it's been around awhile. I mean that in a good way, it has a very nice clean design, blog-style I guess you could call it. Palebear is the name, take a look at the 'Indie Music Reviews and Resources' at Palebear.

Dancing About Architecture

The Toronto Sun interview Carlos Santana: Santana stays high on life

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The San Francisco Chronicle talks with Londoner, Imogen Heap.

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Upcoming Montreal indie band, We Are Wolves, is cross examined by Straight.

Spoon's 'LOVE WAYS' Single at eMusic

Perhaps I missed this one. A few days ago I told you about eMusic's great additions to their indie music library, namely Spoon's albums, Killing The Moonlight, Girls Can Tell, and A Series of Sneaks. Now I see that 2000's Merge Records single, Love Ways, is also available. It offers the tracks "Change My Life", "I Didn't Come Here to Die", "Jealousy", "The Figures of Art" and "Chips and Dip".



Even if you aren't an eMusic subscriber you can get these tracks at no cost, by giving their Free Trial of 50 MP3 downloads a shot... no obligation on your part.

Dancing About Architecture

Slate deleves into the return of 'Freak Folk's' Godmother, Vashti Bunyan: Vashti's Children - How a fringe 1960s singer sparked a folk revival.

*eMusic has Bunyan's only previous release before this year's, Lookaftering, which is 1970's Another Diamond Day.
Try out eMusic through their free trial offer of 50 MP3 Downloads, no strings.... check into it.

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The Guardian talks to Kate Bush about her return to music.

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John Vanderslice has a chat with the San Francisco Chronicle.

*On the interview page you can download a few free and legal MP3s off of JV's latest, Pixel Revolt... "Continuation", "Plymouth Rock", and "Exodus Damage".

Flophouse Jr.

Here is a pleasant discovery, for me at least, another Canadian indie act who caught my ear with familiar alt country leanings and (the always welcomed) reedy organ. The organ notes rising like hope behind the voice and guitars of Flophouse Jr's song, "Don't Need To Pretend".

The name, Flophouse Jr, may sound familiar to faithful readers of the British music mag, Mojo. The respected publication named FJ's debut album, Woodland, the 'Americana Album of The Month' back in 2000. But that was five years ago and the band 's sound has evolved to take in more than just the alt country genre. A fact evident on the latest album, Houseboat.

For the most part Flophouse Jr is Vancouver's Jon Wood, who began playing under the name back in 1998. Setting out as a trio the band has since been whittled to a duo with Wood and Susan Young making up the band.

From the debut CD, Woodland
+ don't need to pretend

from 2005's Houseboat
+ easily found

from Hour Glass House
+ field of corn
+ lonely at the top
+ funny town

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Buy Flophouse Jr at zunior.com

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HOUSEBOAT release date: August 9, 2005

Little Wonder 5:27
No Surprise 5:21
Colour Wheel 4:20
Open Invitation 4:50
Petty Crimes 4:49
Easily Found 5:49
Conversa Phone 5:09
Wiping Tears 2:56
When Everything 5:41

Dancing About Architecture

The new addition to Canadian indie label Arts & Crafts, The American Analog Set, talk with the Chicago Tribune.

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The San Francisco Chronicle looks at the growing trend of magazines offering free CDs along with the pictures and articles.

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At eMusic Magazine, Ann Powers examines 'drama clubbers' and... uhh... oh, yeah.... Richard Swift.

SPOON Album Downloads at eMusic!

Wow, if you are just getting into the great Merge Records band, Spoon, you are in luck. Digital download site, eMusic has just got their hands on Spoon's entire (merege records albums)catalog! Well, all their output save for Telephono. This is some fantastic music you really should hear. Even if you're aren't a subscriber yet, you can take advantage of eMusic's trial offer of 50 Free Downloads, no strings attached... Just go here and sign up.

Also found this interesting tribute album with a few big indie names doing their take on Beatles songs, This Bird Has Flown: A 40th Anniversary to The Beatles' Rubber Soul. It's got Ted Leo, Ben Kweller, Nellie McKAy, Rhett Miller, Fiery Furnaces, Sufjan Stevens and more.

Speaking of Sufjan Stevens, you will also find at eMusic, all four of Stevens solo works.

Ted Leo is also well represented on the site.

Have fun.

Metric & Siversun Pickups: Videos + Tour Dates

Two new videos for you.
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Metric - "Monster Hospital"
Watch...
Windows Media [high]
QuickTime

Metric Tour Dates:
November 1: Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Caf�
November 2: Portland, OR @ Doug Fir
November 3: San Francisco, CA @ Slims
November 4: Los Angeles, CA @ The El Rey
November 5: San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
November 7: Tempe, AZ @ Big Fish Pub
November 8: Tucson, AZ @ Plush
November 10: Dallas, TX @ Gypsy Tea Room
November 11: Austin, TX @ The Parish
November 12: Houston, TX @ The Meridian
November 13: New Orleans, LA @ The Parish
November 15: Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum
November 16: Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room

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Silversun Pickups - "Kissing Families"
Watch...
WM Hi - http://www.silversunpickups.com/audio/kissing300.wmv
WM Lo - http://www.silversunpickups.com/audio/kissing56.wmv

Real Hi - http://www.silversunpickups.com/audio/kissing300.rm
Real Lo - http://www.silversunpickups.com/audio/kissing56.rm


Dates with Brendan Benson
11/8 Seattle - Crocodile Rock
11/9 Portland - The Alladin
11/11 San Francisco - Slim's
11/12 Los Angeles - Spaceland
11/14 San Diego - Casbah

Listing Ship

The Los Angeles-based band, Listing Ship, may call themselves, or categorize themselves, as indie/progressive folk on their myspace page, but I'm not sure if folk is very accurate. Indie and progressive the band most definitely is... the thumping rhythms on tracks like "Chinese Song" and "Baise Ca" remind me of Animal Collective, although not much else in these songs does. Violin is very prominent in the bands music and it's presense and the vocals are the ties (minor ties at that) to folk music. The very experimental nature of Listing Ship comes to the fore on "Eda no Mel", a track, which to me sounds nearly entirely backwards.

At the heart of Listing Ship are Lyman Chaffee (guitar, banjo, vocal) and Heather Lockie (vocal, viola). And continuing a decade old collaboration the two are joined by fellow musicians Shawn Lockie (vocals), Julie Carpenter (violin), Michael Whitmore, (vibraphone, guitar, banjo, mandolin), Laura Steenberger (upright bass), and Kyle C. Kyle (drums).

Here are two songs from Time To Dream which can be found on insound.com, amazon.com, and iTunes, but the CD won't be in stores until January 2006.

+ ichabod crane
+ chinese song

*the tracks "Baise Ca" and "Eda no Mel", can be streamed on the band's myspace page.

Time To Dream Track Listing
1. American Song
2. The Temptation of Miss Piggy
3. Ichabod Crane
4. Chinese Song
5. Baise Ca
6. Sleep of the Beloved
7. Dans la Cuisine
8. Black Eyes of the Sea
9. Crooked Teeth
10. Eda no Mel
11. Destroying France
12. Death
13. Sarah
14. Laura Lee Drives South in Spring

Released: Oct 25th

Release list courtesy of insound...

10/25 ANNIE - dj-kicks (k7 records)
10/25 ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS - you are my sister e.p. (secretly canadian)
10/25 BLACK TIME - blackout (in the red)
10/25 CALVIN JOHNSON - before the dream faded� (k records)
10/25 CAROLINE - where's my love cd-ep (temporary residence limited)
10/25 DAVID DONDERO - south of the south (team love)
10/25 DEAD KENNEDYS - fresh fruit for rotting vegetables - special 25th anniversary edition (mfo, manifesto records)
10/25 DIRTY FACES - super american (jagjaguwar)
10/25 DRIFT - noumena (temporary residence limited)
10/25 EARLIES - these were the earlies (secretly canadian)
10/25 FISCHERSPOONER - the other side of new york (breakbeat science)
10/25 FOO FIGHTERS - more maxium foo fighters (usd)
10/25 GIRLS IN HAWAII - from here to there (titan/pyramid)
10/25 GOBLIN COCK - bagged and board (absolutely kosher)
10/25 HOT CROSS/HOLY SHROUD - split 7' (level plane)
10/25 I AM GHOST - we are always searching (epitaph)
10/25 IDAHO - lone gunman (idaho)
10/25 JANA HUNTER - blank unstaring heirs of doom (gnomonsong)
10/25 JENS LEKMAN - oh you're so silent, jens (secretly canadian)
10/25 KINGS OF LEON - aha shake heartbreak (roadrunner)
10/25 LASALLE - expedition songs (thick)
10/25 MILEMARKER - ominosity (eyeball)
10/25 NORTHEN SONG DYNASTY - s/t (all is number)
10/25 NURSE WITH WOUND - livin' fear of james (castle)
10/25 PINETOP SEVEN - the night's bloom (empyrean records)
10/25 QUINTRON & MISS PUSSYCAT - swamp tech (tigerbeat)
10/25 ROGUE WAVE - descended like vultures (sub pop)
10/25 SEABEAR/GRIXXLY BEAR - alphabet series i (tomlab)
10/25 SILVER SUNSHINE - a small pocket of pure spirit (empyrean records)
10/25 SKYGREEN LEOPARDS - jehovah surrender ep (jagjaguwar)
10/25 SOLEA - s/t (textbook music)
10/25 TALL DWARFS - fork songs (cloud recordings)
10/25 TALL DWARFS - weeville (cloud recordings)
10/25 TOM VEK - we have sound (startime)
10/25 TOMMY GUERRERO - year of the monkey (galaxia)
10/25 TRISTEZA - bromas 12" (better looking records)
10/25 VARIOUS ARTIST - bloodshot records 10th anniversary: for a decade of sin (bloodshot)
10/25 VASHTI BUNYAN - lookaftering (dicristina)
10/25 WINDSOR FOR THE DERBY - empathy for people uknown (remix) gunboats 12" (secretly canadian)

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Here is another list of more upcomiing releases for Oct. 25th

ABERDEEN CITY The Freezing Atlantic Dovecote
AEROSMITH Rockin' The Joint: Live At The Hard Rock Hotel Las Columbia
ARSIS A Diamond For Disease Willowtip
BELOW THE SEA Blame It On The Past
BEN MONDER Oceana Sunny Side
BERLIN 4Play Majestic
BETTE MIDLER Bette Midler Sings The Peggy Lee Songbook Columbia
BOB BROZMAN Songs Of The Volcano Riverboat
BREAKESTRA Hit The Floor Ubiquity
CALVIN JOHNSON Before The Dream Faded... K
CHILDREN OF BODOM Are You Dead Yet? Spinefarm
CHRIS BROKAW Incredible Love
CHROME Straight To The Pros Hypnotized Minds
COBRA KILLER AND KAPAJKOS Das Mandolinenorchester Monika
DEMON HUNTER The Triptych Solid State
DESTINY'S CHILD #1's Columbia
FAT LIP Thelonliest Punk Delicious Vinyl-The Lab
FLOYD THE LOCSMIF Divine Dezignz #1.2: Re-Discovered In The Loop
GOBLIN COCK Bagged And Boarded Absolutely Kosher
HOT ROD TRIO Live Golly Gee
Inquisition Revolution... I Think It's Called Inspiration A-F Records
JETTIE Heading For Mornings Astro Magnetics
JOE NICHOLS III Universal
KATE BUSH "King of the Mountain" [Single] EMI
KUDU Death Of The Party Nublu
MERLE HAGGARD Chicago Wind Capitol
MURCOF Remembranza Leaf
PINETOP SEVEN The Night's Bloom Barbary Coast
PRINCE FAR I Silver And Gold 1973-1979 RYKO
REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITIES Report Suspicious Activities Alternative Tentacles
ROGUE WAVE Descended Like Vultures Sub Pop
ROUGH GUIDE TO LATIN MUSIC FOR CHILDREN Various Artists World Music Network
SAILBOATS ARE WHITE Turbo!
SELF SCIENTIFIC Change Angeles Records
SINCE BY MAN Pictures From The Hotel Apocalypse Revelation
SKYGREEN LEOPARDS Jehovah Surrender Jagjaguwar
THIS BIRD HAS FLOWN Various Artists Razor And Tie
TOM VEK We Have Sound StarTime International
TRUE LOVE Wings
TWILIGHT TRANSMISSION The Dance Of Destruction Revelation
VALENCIA This Could Be A Possibility I Surrender
VAUX Beyond Virtue, Beyond Vice Lava-Atlantic
WATCHMAKER Erased From The Memory Of Man Willowtip

John Cale: 'black Acetate': Watch & Listen

Legendary John Cale released his latest album, black Acetate, last week. You can give it a listen on his home page, or you can watch a video for "Perfect" (below), the eighth track on the new disc. If you've dismissed Cale as that old guy who used to be in the Velvet Underground... don't(he is also acclaimed as a producer of artists such as Patti Smith, Stooges, Squeeze, the Modern Lovers and many more). He may be 63, but his artistic fire is a dangerous as ever. Cale is as vital and disturbing an artist as Tom Waits and will have an impressive back catatlog to choose from when he comes to your town with the black Acetate tour.

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Wed, 26 Oct 2005 Los Angeles CA
Thu, 27 Oct 2005 Los Angeles CA
Sun, 30 Oct 2005 Denver CO
Tue, 01 Nov 2005 Dallas TX
Wed, 02 Nov 2005 Austin TX
Thu, 03 Nov 2005 Oklahoma City OK
Fri, 04 Nov 2005 Conway AR
Thu, 10 Nov 2005 Chicago Il
Sat, 12 Nov 2005 New York NY
Sun, 13 Nov 2005 Toronto ONT
Mon, 14 Nov 2005 Toronto ONT
Tue, 15 Nov 2005 Toronto ONT
Wed, 16 Nov 2005 Hamilton ONT
Thu, 17 Nov 2005 Waterloo ONT
Sun, 20 Nov 2005 Montreal QC
Tue, 22 Nov 2005 Cambridge MA
Fri, 25 Nov 2005 San Francisco CA
Sat, 26 Nov 2005 San Francisco CA

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black Acetate track list
1 OuttaTheBag
2 ForARide
3 Brotherman
4 Satisfied
5 InAFlood
6 Hush
7 GravelDrive
8 Perfect
9 Sold-Motel
10 Woman
11 Wasteland
12 TurnTheLightsOn
13 Mailman (TheLyingSong)

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Watch the video for "Perfect"
Windows - low / high
Real - low / high

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John Cale albums can be found at eMusic, including a favourite of mine, a collaboration with Brian Eno, Wrong Way Up. These are available to subscriber/members, or to anyone trying eMusic's no strings trial of 50 Free Downloads. Check into it here.

EVERYBODY LOVES IRENE

This Indonesian band called Everybody Loves Irene has an 'ace in the hole' in the band's namesake, Irene Yohanna. Her cool, sugary vocals are perfectly suited for the laidback spacy vibe of the band's music. Yudhi Arfani (guitar), Dimas Anindityo (bass), Mulyadi Triharsono (drums), Aulia Naratama (synthetizer), Nurendro Siwiaji (keyboard), and of course the aforementioned, Irene Yohanna, create the sparse trip hop stylings of Everybody Loves Irene.

Standout tracks are "Memento Mori" and "Gravity Always Wins".

+ Memento Mori
+ Gravity Always Win
+ Try Try Try
+ The Lullaby Show
(*these are all demos the band is shopping around in hopes of getting a foreign label deal. )

Another mp3, a cover of the Misfits, "Hybrid Moments", can be downloaded off this page.
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Here's a few more...
+ fade in
+ hate sunday
+ uncertainty & anxiety

ARCTIC MONKEYS WILL BE HUGE

photo by Andrew Kendall

The next big, or HUGE, thing to come out of Britain after... uhh, well there have been so many recently (franz ferdinand - kasabian - the futureheads - bloc party - etc.), bands that have made a splash on the charts and the covers of NME and Q. But the next BIG thing will be Sheffield, England's, Arctic Monkeys. The band, singer-guitarist, Alex Turner, guitarist Jamie Cook, bassist Andy Nicholson, and drummer Matt Helders, will release their debut album January 2006, but already released a single in the UK via Bang Bang Recordings on May 30. The single, Five Minutes With Arctic Monkeys, featured two tracks, ‘Fake Tales Of San Francisco’ and ‘From The Ritz To The Rubble’(Both were available on iTunes beginning May 23rd). They have also just released the single for 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor' on October 17th. Available on CD as well as vinyl, the vinyl single will be a double A-side and will feature 'Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts'. The CD release will also include a third track called 'Chun Li's Spinning Bird Kick'

These four young men, still in their teens I think, come at you with a touch of The Libertines, as so many have noted already, but they have some funk in their bones, at times a little like Supergrass with the funk turned up a couple of notchs. They surely sound fresh and young, not yet jaded by flashing cameras and mics that smell like beer. They also could very well be the next band that everyone loves to hate... hey, it's the yin and yang of rock 'n roll. And quite often, thanks to the media, the yin and yang are one and the same--thank you British music journalists!

A good sized chunk of mp3 demos were wisely made available (by the band's management, I believe) months ago, but were eventually pulled offline. More than likely because it was obvious the band had stirred up enough excitement. You will find their upcoming album on the British arm of Domino Records, not one of my favourite labels, and yet they have made some of those demo mp3s available once again.

Oh, yeah... the music is very good, as are the lyrics.

(THESE LINKS ARE WORKING, THEY ARE FROM DOMINO RECORDS. RIGHT CLICK AND SAVE TARGET AS...)

+ Fake Tales Of San Francisco
+ From The Ritz To The Rubble
+ I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor
+ Mardy Bum
+ Scummy
+ Dancing Shoes

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Watch the video for 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor'

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CHECK OUT THIS *SIXEYES POST FOR ARCTIC MONKEYS LYRICS

Dancing About Architecture

Doves guitarist Jez Williams talks to JAM! Music.

* * * * * * * * *

The Ottawa Sun catches up with Broken Social Scene's, Kevin Drew.

"If you listen to this record song by song I think you'll love it," Drew helpfully suggests. "If you put it on all at once it's very difficult to find something to get into. It's not an instant coffee."



* * * * * * * * *


The Toronto Sun reviews Feist's second of two sold-out shows in her 'home town'.


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Clap Your Hands Say Yeah has a laid back chat with Austinist.


* * * * * * * * *

Drowned in Sound interrogates Marc Bianchi of Her Space Holiday.

Stream: DEERHOOF 'The Runners Four'

Deerhoof's, The Runners Four, in all it's sprawling glory, can be streamed here.

Dancing About Architecture

Harp magazine interviews My Morning Jacket.

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The LA Times interviews Micah Calabrese and Annie Hardy of the duo, Giant Drag.

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Brit music mag, Uncut, has a talk with Frank Black.

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CMJ has a sit down with Silver Jews, David Berman.

Released: October 18th

The new releases this week courtesy of insound.



animal collective's feels

10/18 ANIMAL COLLECTIVE - feels (paw tracks)
10/18 AMANDINE - this is where our hearts collide (fatcat records)
10/18 BEAUTIFUL NEW BORN CHILDREN - hey people (domino)
10/18 BLACK DICE - smiling off (dfa)
10/18 BOARDS OF CANADA - the campfire headphase (warp)
10/18 BOOKS ON TAPE - dinsaur dinosaur (alien8)
10/18 BOX SOCIAL - blown to bits (no karma records)
10/18 CAURAL - suicide/krylon 7' (consumerresearchanddevelopment)
10/18 ESPERS - the weed tree (locust)
10/18 GO! TEAM - thunder, lightning, strike (lp) (columbia)
10/18 GRANDADDY - excerpts from the diary (lp) (devilinthewood)
10/18 GRAVENHURST - fires in distant buildings (warp)
10/18 GREG DAVIS & SEBASTIEN ROUX - paquet surprise (carpark records)
10/18 HESTON RIFLE - what to do at time of accident (ernest jenning)
10/18 J+J+J - they hump while we go nuts (johann's face)
10/18 JOHN CALE - black acetate (astralwerks)
10/18 JUAN MACLEAN - give me every little thing (dfa)
10/18 LEEROY STAGGER - beautiful house (boompa)
10/18 LIGHTNING BOLT - hypermagic mountain (load)
10/18 LOVETONES - meditations (tee pee records)
10/18 MICK HARVEY - one man's treasure (mute)
10/18 NADJA - truth becomes (alien8)
10/18 NINJA HIGH SCHOOL - young adults against suicide (tomlab)
10/18 PAPERFACE - the legend of harley knowles (takeover records)
10/18 POISON IDEA - pajama party (reissue) (abstract)
10/18 POISON IDEA - the early years (reissue) (abstract)
10/18 POISON IDEA - war all the time (reissue) (abstract)
10/18 PROPAGANDHI - potemkin city limits (fat wreck chords)
10/18 ROBERT POLLARD - bubble (recordhead)
10/18 RUTS - babylon's burning: reconstructed dub drenched soundscapes (collision)
10/18 SABOTEUR - saboteur (end records)
10/18 SILVER JEWS - tanglewood numbers (drag city)
10/18 STRUGGLERS - you win (acuarela)
10/18 TANGIERS - family myth (frenchkiss)
10/18 THRICE - vheissu (island)
10/18 TWLIGHT SINGERS - blackberry belle (lp) (plain)
10/18 VARIOUS ARTIST - protect: a benefit for the national association to protect children (fat wreck chords)
10/18 VARIOUS ARTIST - thinking differently music: wu-tang meets the indie culture (babygrande records)
10/18 VARIOUS ARTIST - wildstyle o.s.t (mr. bongo records)
10/18 VOLTAGE - building the bass castle vol 1 (flameshovel)
10/18 WHO MADE WHO - who made who (gomma)

Dancing About Architecture

The Boston Globe reviews the live 'odd couple' pairing of Weezer and the Foo Fighters.

* * * * * * * * *

Pitchfork reviews the latest effort from Toronto's Deadly Snakes, Porcella.

* * * * * * * * *
Pitchfork interviews Sub Pop's Constantines.
* * * * * * * * *

Popmatters sits down with Jens Lekman.

* * * * * * * * *

The Toronto Sun has a chat with Calgary native, Leslie Feist, who will step onstage tonight for the first of two sold-out shows at Toronto's Danforth Music Hall.

Dancing About Architecture

This is a new feature on *sixeyes, inspired by Largehearted Boy's 'Shorties' which appear everyday. I hope to get a 'Dancing About Architecture' post up on *sixeyes everyday if I can. The links will be to music articles appearing online in newspapers, magazines, and websites. The title, by the way, is from a well-known quote by Elvis Costello, who said, "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture - it's a really stupid thing to want to do." - from an interview by Timothy White, titled "A Man out of Time Beats the Clock." Musician magazine No. 60 (October 1983)


Franz Ferdinand talks to the Winnipeg Sun.

* * * * * * * * *

The Boston Herald sits down with 'homeless' Devendra Banhart

* * * * * * * * *

Liz Phair's Boston concert reviewed by The Boston Herald

* * * * * * * * *

Colin Meloy, songwriter for The Decemberists, chats with the Associated Press.

Blood Relatives

The Pink Mountaintops

The Pink Mountaintops, Black Mountain, and Blood Meridian -- all three of these bands call the west coast of Canada home and it appears they come from a close knit community of musicians and artists...

Black Mountain is Matthew Camirand, Stephen McBean, Jeremy Schmidt, Amber Webber and Joshua Wells.

Blood Meridian is Kevin Grant, Dave Paterson, Jeff Lee, and Matthew Camirand.

The Pink Mountaintops boast a rotating cast which includes Stephen McBean, Amber Webber, Joshua Wells, Lyndsay Sung, Steve Balogh, Corey Ganges, Christoff Hofmeister, Keith Parry, Brad MacKinnon, and Matthew Camirand.

You can see the connections, now see if you can hear them...

black mountain [jagjaguwar]
druganaut
heart of snow

the pink mountaintops [jagjaguwar]
can you do that dance?
rock'n'roll fantasy

blood meridian [teenage usa recordings]
wrong turns - demo
i was wrong (sorry)
wise blood - demo

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blood meridian myspace page
pink mountaintops myspace page
black mountain myspace page

eMusic: DANGERDOOM

Danger Doom, The Mouse and the Mask, with guest appearances by Talib Kweli, Cee-Lo, and Ghostface is now available on eMusic's site. If you haven't checked out the site, or their no strings attached 50 Free Downloads offer, you oughta! You can get this new release, freely and legally with this offer.

Yes, eMusic has one helluva lotta music for the indie fans as you can see by the artists I stumbled across last night by jumping from link to link...

The Hold Steady
Ted Leo
Marah
Guided By Voices
Belle and Sebastian

And these are some of the new additions:

Ladytron Witching Hour
Art Brut Good Weekend

Go here to get your no strings attached 50 Free Downloads

JOHN DARNIELLE: Q&A

John Darnielle (right) and Peter Hughes

John Darnielle has been on the receiving end of lavish praise from many an esteemed source and he obviously knows about karma as he was, oh, so kind, about answering a few questions I sent his way.

----------

*Sixeyes: One of your biggest fans and producer, John Vanderslice, makes a point of stating that some of the lyrics of his latest, Pixel Revolt, have been "edited, expanded, and otherwise improved upon" by you. I was wondering what John has done for you and your music?

John Darnielle: Well, John's my producer - I like to use the possessive there, I feel like the way he works with my stuff is intimate enough that there's a sort of shared responsibility for the final result. We haven't talked a whole lot about the nature of what he's doing with my stuff - we sort of work behind Chinese walls, where I have a sense of what he's doing but I don't ask a lot of questions & he tells me what to do only insofar as it can further whatever he's up to over there in the control room.

*Six: Do you pen the lyrics before the music? And do you spend as much time re-writing as some would like to believe, or do the words just fall from your hand onto the paper?

JD: I do a lot of revision, yes - I wasn't aware that there was a contingent who like to think about whether I revise or not! But I believe strongly in rewriting, revision, rethinking - every so often there'll be a song that comes out as-is, but I generally don't trust that kind of writing - I like a well-sharpened knife better that a flaked arrowhead.

*Six: In "You or Your Memory" from The Sunset Tree you sing the line, 'St. Joseph's Baby Aspirin, Bartyles and James and you, or your memory'... I wonder if you think twice about using brand names like this in a song, do you engage in an internal debate?

JD: Didn't think about it for a second - I can't imagine either of those companies wanting to use the song, and either way, I'm not really thinking about anything else besides the lyric when I'm writing - it sort of happens in a vacuum.

*Six: Are there any rules or guidelines you follow when writing lyrics?

JD: Yes: no forcing syllables to bear undue stress, i.e., no changing the way a word is pronounced to make it fit the line! I hate that sort of thing: "lovER, anGEL, all that kind of thing. Lots of other technical rules that I can't imagine would be of interest to anybody - basic rules of scansion of rhyme that are covered well in Lewis Turco's introduction to The New Book of Forms.

*Six: What's been playing lately in your iPod or cd player?

JD: Lots of Thai pop cds, Alban Berg's violin concerto, Voivod's "Nothingface," Tanita Tikaram, that new Streisand/Gibb collaboration, Silkworm's "Blueblood."

*Six: What is the strangest thing that has happened to you while on tour?

JD: I was elected president-for-life of an independent republic located in the wilds of South Carolina!

(I spend most of my time on tour either reading books, trying to find a wireless spot, or watching Law & Order reruns, so I am really not a good source for it-happened-on-tour stories. Wherefore I like the answer I give above!)

*Six: And finally, is music your saviour or your saving grace?

JD: I don't know how to answer this! As I understand "saving grace," it's a quality something has that redeems it from being otherwise worthless - the saving grace of the compact disc is its versatility, the saving grace of meat loaf is its durability, etc. I have a hard time with the concept of a "savior." Music is my basso profundo.

----------
Official site
Fan Site
John Darnielle's blog

The Mountain Goats are currently on a short US/Canada tour.

The Mountain Goats - October Tour

The Mountain Goats - On Tour:

15 - Kraftbrau Brewery, Kalamazoo, MI 18+
17 - Lee's Palace, Toronto, ON 19 & Over
18 - The Buffalo Icon, Buffalo, NY All Ages
20 - Uptown Theatre, Washington, PA 21+
21 - The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, PA probably all-ages, not 100% sure
22 - Olde Club, Swarthmore, PA
23 - Haverford College, Haverford, PA also presumably all-ages
26 - The Iron Horse, Northampton, MA
27 - Remis Auditorium, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA All Ages
28 - Fuel Rocket Club, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH All Ages
29 - the Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY 21+
31 - The Knitting Factory, New York, New York
All shows with The Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers

MIKE O'NEILL: "Mr. Carvery"

If you were entranced by the solo pop gems which A.C. (Carl) Newman gave us on his CD, The Slow Wonder, then fellow Canadian Mike O'Neill may just be a perfect fit. A hands-on-type, as are many in Canada's indie music scene, O'Neill spent two years putting the songs found on his second solo work, The Owl, on tape. And what he has produced is sweet power pop bliss that never veers into syrupy, maudlin, or boring territory. Now a veteran songwriter and performer, O'Neill pens tightly constructed songs which are lightened by the arrangements and his vocals. At times his voice takes on an extremely pleasing George Harrison sheen and, well, he simply has a great voice and sense of harmony for pop music. One which he uses to display his fondness for '60's pop music giants: The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Zombies, Paul MacCartney, and slightly more current singer/songwriter, Randy Newman.

The fifth track off of The Owl [a great album which I highly recommend], "Mr. Carvery", chimes, shuffles, and clucks it's way into your head. All of O'Neill's songs hold pleasant surprises, unexpected sounds rise up and around the multi-tracked vocals, unexpected turns of 'sound' pop up so smoothly they grab your interest and they just may make you smile.

"Mr.Carvery" is a prime example...

This mp3 download was sanctioned by net label, Zunior, and the link will be deleted the weekend of October 15th... so get it while you can.
+ mr carvery [Rapidshare file mp3]

----
Mike O'Neill's The Owl was the first release on the Canadian net label, Zunior.com and can still be purchased there as an album or single tracks. Founded and run by O'Neill's former partner in music, Dave Ullrich, together they were Canadian indie music stars, if there is such a thing, as The Inbreds. And as anyone who listened to Canadian college radio in the nineties knows, the Inbreds song that got the most play was "Any Sense Of Time" [mp3].
----

Go here to stream short clips of The Owl.
*You will also find Mike O'Neill's debut solo work, What Happens Now?, at Zunior.

CAT POWER: New Album, New MP3

Here is Matador Records press release concerning Cat Power's upcoming album:



"On January 24, 2006, Matador will be releasing the long-awaited new studio album from Cat Power, The Greatest, on CD and LP in most major industrial countries. Recorded at Memphis, TN's Ardent Studios over the summer by Stuart Sikes, The Greatest, while the most confident and life-affirming work of Chan Marshall's career, is as intensely personal, haunting and provocative as any of its predecessors. The album's players are a bona fide All-Star team of Memphis musicians, including Al Green sideman Teenie Hodges on guitar, Leroy Hodges and
David Smith on bass, Rick Steff on keys, Jim Spake on sax and trumpteer Scott Thompson amongst others."

The album's track list is as follows:
The Greatest
Could We
Lived In Bars
Islands
After It All
The Moon
Living Proof
Empty Shell
Willie
Where Is My Love
Hate
Love & Communication


cat power + the greatest

----------
Here are some solo dates for Cat Power this fall...

10-13 Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
10-14 Charlottesville, VA - Satellite Ballroom
10-16 Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
10-17 Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge
10-18 Memphis, TN - Hi-Tone
10-20 Springfield, MO - Randy Bacon Gallery
10-21 Columbia, MO - Mojo's
10-22 Urbana, IL - Canopy Club
10-23 Chicago, IL - Park West
10-25 Columbus, OH - Wexner Center for the Arts
10-26 Louisville, KY - Bromhard Theater
11-04 Paris, France - La Cigale *
11-08 Istanbul, Turkey - Babylon
11-14 New York, NY - Tribeca Performing Arts Center

the happy bullets

I love this song, "The Vice and Virtue Ministry" (off the album of the same name), especially how the background vocal seems to swell up from a hollow stairwell over and over again. Not to mention the simple guitar riff that the song hangs on. I keep hearing The Shins when I listen to The Happy Bullets. I'm not saying they sound like The Shins, it's just something about the feel... and the reaching falsetto that presents the listener with one of a number of hooks in this tight little indie pop number.

Formed in Dallas back in 2003, the band now contains Jason Roberts - writer, vocals, keyboard, guitar; Tim Ruble - writer, vocals, keyboard, horns, guitar; Andrea Roberts - bassist, vocals; Josh McKibben - guitar, horns, vocals; Rhett Jones - drums; Kris Youmans - cello.

+ The Vice and Virtue Ministry
----------
+ Learning to Love the Factory
+ If You Were Mine

IF these mp3 links don't work, try going here.

LABEL: undeniable records
MySpace Page: http://myspace.com/thehappybullets

RAISED BY SWANS

Here is another quality Canadian indie band, Raised by Swans. From the meduim sized university city of London, Ontario, the members are Eric Howden (vocals and guitar), Chris Donais (guitar and vocals), and Brady Parr (drums), with renowned producer Andy Magoffin (House of Miracles studio) helping out on bass and vocals in concert.

The band's music shimmers and glistens, a moody black and blue pierced by Eric Howden's clear, climbing vocal work. His falsetto reaching up into a hopeful sky as the band wraps the music in a rainy blue with moody synths, downbeat guitars, and the fantastic production of Andy Magoffin. With more than a nod to the wistful, dreamy indie pop that has come out of Britain in the past 10 years, Raised by Swans are worthy of a much wider audience and your attention.

----------
+ relentless
+ violet light
+ capable of cruelty
----------

Codes and Secret Longing 2005
1 A Cipher in a Foreign Sky/Violet Night
2 There is No Escape
3 Capable of Cruelty
4 Sandcastles
5 Still Inside You
6 Phantom Limb/Divided by Night
7 Relentless
8 Imagined Life
9 The Moment That I’ll Miss
10 Scent
11 Drag the Morning
12 Unrequited/Stolen Lakes
----------
An independent release, the album can be purchased *here* through maple music.

*Raised by Swans on myspace

BEAT RADIO

BEAT RADIO: live at the mercury lounge nyc by andrea kelly

New York based band, Beat Radio, are led by singer/songwriter, Brian Sendrowitz (guitar), along with Phil Jimenez (guitar and keyboards), Mike McCabe (bass) and Jim Mansfield (drums). The quartet fit into the 'indie' groove quite nicely. The vocals and harmonies have that well worn, slightly offbeat/off kilter veneer that feels organic, and in fact it's Sendrowitz vocals and lyrics which outshine anything else in the songs. The songs are, for the most part, framed in the raggedy guitar sounds of the early nineties, but the band is quite capable of walking or running as the song dictates, despite playing their first live gig a scant four months ago.

Sendrowitz, vocally at least, recalls moody/cranky Canadian musician, Matthew Good, on some tracks.

+ treetops
from the upcoming release the ecstatic ep

+ television
+ elegy (early demo)

Spielerfrau: Affordable Luxury EP

Spielerfrau's Michael Idov has a voice that conjures a number of well-known and well-respected indie rock singers. And mixing those vocals, those of gray sheets of rain and long black coats, with the band's minor key sorrow gives us something like Tindersticks with it's heart blackened due to blood loss. While the music's color and the familiar echo of Idov's voice draw you in, it's the tiny, sharp, telling barbs that hook you between the ears. I want to kick someone in the face to see if it brings back better days..., from "November 3" and You said honesty keeps me hoisted on my own petard, well I like the view from her to you..., stands out in "Middlesex", both from the band's debut titled, Affordable Luxury.

Idov's lyrics demand your attention and are ample enough reward to seek out this album, a five track EP. Spielerfrau's songs are moody musings with literary flair.

Affordable Luxury
1. A Civilized Thing
2. My Intended
3. Middlesex
4. Dear Leader
5. November 3

---------------------------

This mp3 is a rough unmastered mix:

+ my intended

From the band's forthcoming full length The Sad Part (November 2005)

+ social call

*Visit spielerfrau.com to buy.

WEBNYMPH IS BACK :: Music, Audio, MP3 Blogs

Webnymph is back! After being missing in action for around a week, the 'nymph has returned to gaze up at you from her sandy bed. Huh? You don't know the 'nymph? GO HERE.

Music Download Discoveries at eMusic

Again I've been jumping around eMusic's ever expanding selection of digital downloads... here is what I've stumbled across today. Of course their trial offer of 50 FREE Downloads is still open to all.

Cat Power - You Are Free, The Covers Record, Moon Pix , Myra Lee, What Would The Community Think, and Dear Sir
Hayden - Elk-Lake Serenade, and Indiana Song
Tim Buckley - Dream Letter Live In London 1968
The Black Keys - Rubber Factory, thickfreakness, The Big Come Up, and The Moan
American Music Club - Love Songs For Patriots, A Toast To You: Live In Pittsburgh, Pa. 11/10/2004, and 1984 - 1995
PJ Harvey - Dry, Sheela-Na-Gig
Heatmiser (Elliott Smith , Neil Gust , Sam Coomes , Tony Lash) - Cop and Speeder, and Dead Air
Brian Eno - Another Day On Earth, The Drop, Nerve Net, and The Shutov Assembly
John Cale - Hobosapiens, Eat / Kiss : Music For The Films By Andy Warhol, and Artificial Intelligence
Big Star - #1 Record / Radio City, Third / Sister Lovers, and In Space

Sunday October 9: Free MP3s

the sharp things + homeless
the sharp things + the suicide bombers
unbunny + X
unbunny + pink lemonade
spielerfrua + peak position
the deadly snakes + gore veil
ted leo + bleeding powers
ted leo + criminal piece
ted leo + ghosts
ted leo + loyal to my sorrowful country
ted leo + me and mia
ted leo + squeaky fingers
thechanges + if i tried
the changes + when i sleep
lambchop + you masculine you

CYHSY's Alec Ounsworth: Free MP3s

Here are a number of solo demo-ish mp3s found on Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's singer, Alec Ounsworth's own website,

Cecil Stick With The Story
We Should Drop Like Flies
Telling The Truth And Going Away
Poor Humpty Dumpty
Details of the War (early)
Wings of Stone
Wide Awake
Underwater

Watch Arctic Monkeys: I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor video

You can watch the Arctic Monkeys performing, "I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor", easily one of their best songs up to now... but from their age and talent that should change if it hasn't already. Now signed to Domino the band will release their first single on October 10th as they set off on their biggest tour yet.

+ watch the video

----

Previous arctic monkeys posts
arctic monkeys
The Next Big Thing?

*Sixeyes: free mp3s

Tell me what you think of this Puffinboy song, I find it annoying.

puffinboy + the steam soldier march
her space holiday + a match made in texas
aberdeen city + sixty lives
aberdeen city + god is gonna get sick of me
marmoset + chinese checkers (an old favourite)
swearing at motorists + this flag signals goodbye (another old fave)
dirty three + doris
castanets + all that i know to have changed in you
ponies in the surf + little boy lost
ponies in the surf + ventricle

The Brian Jonestown Massacre

The Brian Jonestown Massacre's are offering a zip file of their Lollapalooza performance on their website music page. The set file includes the intro and the songs, 'Whoever You Are,' 'Let Me Stand Next To Your Flower,' 'Nailing Honey To The Bee,' 'Hide and Seek,' 'When Jokers Attack,' 'Sailing' and 'Swallowtail.'

Baudelaire Label

"The Baudelaire Label launches on October 4th with the release of Tangiers, The Family Myth. Baudelaire is distributed in Canada by Outside Music (Saddle Creek, Ninja Tune, Mint). We are currently accepting demos, should you wish to send one please email Baudelaire@rogers(dot)com"

The void left by losing Three Gut Records may just be filled by Baudelaire. Today marks the release of the very first Baudelaire album, Family Myth, by Toronto's own Tangiers.

Here is a taste of The Family Myth...

+ renewed love

*Oh yeah, I should add that I love Baudelaire's logo!

*SIXEYES: Free MP3s

sound team + Don't Turn Away
sound team + It's Obvious What's Happening Here
amestory + # 2
amestory + They're Telling You You've Been Alive
amestory + Constants
amestory + Seul Dans l'Air
amestory + Turn In
amestory + In The Back of a House
bellafea + seasons
bellafea + thorn bird
the rosebuds + back to boston

RELEASED: Oct. 4th

The Beta Band: Best of the Beta Band [cd]
The Deadly Snakes: Porcella [cd]
Deftones: B-Sides & Rarities [cd]
The Fall: Fall Heads Roll [cd]
Fiona Apple: Extraordinary Machine [cd]
Fiona Apple: Extraordinary Machine (dualdisc) [cd]
Franz Ferdinand: You Could Have It So Much Better... With Franz Ferdinand [cd]
Franz Ferdinand: You Could Have It So Much Better... With Franz Ferdinand (dualdisc) [cd]
Friends of Dean Martinez: Lost Horizon [cd]
The Go! Team: Thunder, Lightning, Strike [cd]
The International Noise Conspiracy: Armed Love [cd]
Jimmy Eat World: Stay on My Side Tonight [cd]
John Lennon: Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon [cd]
Ladytron: Witching Hour [cd]
Lesser Birds of Paradise: String of Bees [cd]
The Living Things: Ahead Of Lions [cd]
Liz Phair: Somebody's Miracle [cd]
Lucy Kaplansky: The Tide (remastered with bonus tracks) [cd]
Magic Numbers: Magic Numbers (US release) [cd]
Make Believe: Shock of Being [cd]
Mark Eitzel: Candy Ass [cd]
Metric: Live It Out [cd]
My Morning Jacket: Z [cd]

AND THE NEW RELEASES FROM INSOUND.COM

October 10/01 FLAMING LIPS - here it is (plain)
10/01 FLAMING LIPS - in a priest driven amb (plain)
10/01 FLAMING LIPS - oh my gawd (plain)
10/01 FLAMING LIPS - telepathic surgery (plain)
10/03 AMUSEMENT PARK ON FIRE - amusement park on fire (v2)
10/03 BLOC PARTY - two more years (wichita)
10/03 KISS ME DEADLY - misty medley (alien 8)
10/03 RINOCEROSE - schizophonia (v2)
10/03 ROGERS SISTER - emotion control/ the conversation 7" (too pure)
10/03 TIMEOUT DRAWER - nowanmai (consumers research & development)
10/04 2K6 - the tracks (decon)
10/04 ALBUM LEAF/ON!AIR!LIBRARY! - a lifetime or more (arena rock recordings)
10/04 ANDY BELL - electric blue (sanctuary)
10/04 ATMOSPHERE - you can't imagine how much fun we're having (rhymesayers)
10/04 BADGERLORE - stories for owls (free porcupine society)
10/04 BETA BAND - the best of the beta band 2xcd (astralwerks)
10/04 BLACK KEYS - live (fat possum)
10/04 BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE - tepid peppermint wonderland: a retrospective (vinyl) (tee pee records)
10/04 BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE - broken social scene (arts & crafts)
10/04 CABINESSENCE - comes back to you (roslyn)
10/04 CALLA - calla (reissue) (arena rock recordings)
10/04 CALLA - televise (reissue) (arena rock recordings)
10/04 CERBERUS SHOAL - cerberus shoal (nei)
10/04 CERBERUS SHOAL - the land we all belive in (nei)
10/04 CHAP - ham (lo recordings)
10/04 CHRIS BROKAW - red cities (kimchee records)
10/04 CHRIS BROKAW - viva las vegas ep (kimchee records)
10/04 CHUCK BETTIS - community of commotion (nei)
10/04 CREEPER LAGOON - remember the future (reissue) (arena rock recordings)
10/04 CRIPPLES - culture (dirtnap records)
10/04 DEADLY SNAKES - porcella (in the red)
10/04 DEATH VESSEL - stay close (nei)
10/04 DELIA GONZALEZ/GAVEN RUSSOM - the days of mars (astralwerks)
10/04 DUNGEN - stadsvandringar (astralwerks)
10/04 EL OSO - whichever chapter covers now (contraphonic)
10/04 ELF POWER - a dream in sound (reissue) (arena rock recordings)
10/04 ELF POWER - when the red king comes (reissue) (arena rock recordings)
10/04 ELLIOTT - photorecordings (revelation)
10/04 FIRE ENGINES - codex teenage premontion (domino)
10/04 FRANZ FERDINAND - you could have it so much better (cd) (epic)
10/04 FRANZ FERDINAND - you could have it so much better (double disc) (epic)
10/04 FRIENDS OF DEAN MARTINEZ - lost horizon (aero recordings)
10/04 GLORIA RECORD - start here (arena rock recordings)
10/04 HELMS - mccarthy (kimchee records)
10/04 HELMS - the swimmer (kimchee records)
10/04 HEM/AUTUMN DEFENSE - birds, beast, and flowers (arena rock recordings)
10/04 HIEROGLYPHICS - tbd (hieroglyphics)
10/04 HUMAN LEAGUE - crash (caroline records)
10/04 IFIHADAHIFI - no more music (contraphonic)
10/04 INTERNATIONAL NOISE CONSPIRACY - armed love (rep )
10/04 JAMES BLUNT - back to bedlam (atlantic)
10/04 JAMES YORKSTON - hoopoe (houston party)
10/04 JIMMY EAT WORLD - stay on my side tonight (ep) (dreamworks)
10/04 LARKIN GRIMM - harpoon (secreteye.org)
10/04 LESSER BIRDS OF PARADISE - string of bees (contraphonic)
10/04 LICHENS - the psychic nature of being (holy mountain)
10/04 LIZ PHAIR - somebody's miracle (capitol)
10/04 MADE IN MEXICO - zodiac zoo (skin graft)
10/04 MAGIC NUMBERS - the magic numbers (capitol)
10/04 MAKE BELIEVE - shock of being (flameshovel)
10/04 MANIKIN - still (super secret records)
10/04 MARS - the complete studio recordings nyc 1977-1978 (important)
10/04 MERZBOW - merzbuta (important)
10/04 MUGISON - mugimama, is this monkey music? (ipecac)
10/04 MUM - yesterday was dramatic, today is ok (reissue) (morr)
10/04 MY MORNING JACKET - z (ato/rca)
10/04 NEW RADIANT STORM KING - leftover blues 1991-2003 (contraphonic)
10/04 OCCASION - cannery hours (say hey records)
10/04 PAULA FRAZER - leave the sad things behind (birdman)
10/04 PULSEPROGRAMMING - tulsa for one second remix project vol.2 (aesthetics)
10/04 RESIDENTS - third reich' n' roll (mute)
10/04 SCREECHING WEASEL - weasel mania (fat wreck chords)
10/04 TALKING HEADS - fear of music (reissue) (rhino)
10/04 TALKING HEADS - little creatures (rhino)
10/04 TALKING HEADS - more songs about buildings and food (reissue) (rhino)
10/04 TALKING HEADS - naked (reissue) (rhino)
10/04 TALKING HEADS - remain in light (reissue) (rhino)
10/04 TALKING HEADS - speaking in tongues (reissue) (rhino)
10/04 TALKING HEADS - talking heads 77 (reissue) (rhino)
10/04 TALKING HEADS - true stories (reissue) (rhino)
10/04 TICONDEROGA - the heilig-levine (lp) (5440 or fight)
10/04 UNBUNNY - typist (important)
10/04 VARIOUS ARTIST - tribute to guitar wolf (narnak)
10/04 WITNESSES - hard up (howler records)
10/04 WRENS/FIVE MOD FOUR - split (contraphonic)
10/04 YESTERDAYS NEW QUINTET - sound directions (stones throw)

Minus Story: No Rest For Ghosts Review

Minus Story: No Rest For Ghosts
[Jagjaguwar - 2005]
*Sixeyes Score: 8.4 out of 10



You could use the tracklist of Minus Story's latest, No Rest For Ghosts, to start off a smart-ass review of the album... something like this:

"I Was Hit" while "Knocking On Your Head" and "Ringing In The Dark... so "Hold On" "Little Wet Head". "Waking Up" "Will I Be Fighting? Even when "There Is a Light" "To The Ones You Haunted " "In Our Hands". See?

No Rest For Ghosts is the Lawrence, Kansas band's fourth release following quickly on the heels of their 2005 EP, Heaven and Hell. It follows a familiar path for the band, intriguing sounds and elliptical lyrics married to strong swaying melodies. Can you remember when you first started reading on your own? How you enjoyed it, but there was so much you didn't understand? That's what listening to Minus Story can do to you. It can turn you into an eight year old sitting under a tree in the backyard with your older brother's Marvel Comics. Loving the stories, but not 'getting' all of it. Nothing wrong with that, it's good to know there are good, or great, things out there that you can't understand. Art isn't to be understood it is to be enjoyed. And there's much to enjoy on this new album, from the upbeat and strange story-book-for-adults-like "Little Wet Head"; to the beautiful blue ache of "Will I Be Fighting" with it's lovely pairing of Geiger's emotional falsetto and his own trumpet playing. Minus Story have not traded any of their ragged indie sound for a more accessible record, and this is laudable and telling, for the boys from Boonville, Missouri, are inching into Modest Mouse "Float On" territory with this release.

The wonderfully crafted sound is amazing when you realize they have never, ever, recorded an album in a recording studio. I can just imagine what they will unfurl onto tape if they venture into the welcoming confines of a studio such as Tiny Telephone in San Francisco. Mr. Vanderslice are you listening?

John Vanderslice Is On The Road

The man behind Barsuk's great release this past August, Pixel Revolt, is John Vanderslice, and the man and his band are now on tour. Following are the fall tour dates and the band members he has gathered behind him.

John Vanderslice and Photographs
Ian Bjornstad: Wurlitzer, Moog Source
Dave Douglas: Drums, Keyboards
David Broecker: Bass, Vocals, Keyboards
Dan Brennan: Live Sound

September 30 Portland, OR
Doug Fir Lounge w/ Crystal Skulls, Lackthereof 21+
October 1 Seattle, WA
Crocodile Cafe w/ The Double, Crystal Skulls 21+
October 3 Salt Lake City, UT
Kilby Court w/ The Double, Spanky Van Dyke all ages
October 4 Denver, CO
Hi-Dive w/ The Double all ages
October 6 Omaha, NE
Sokol Underground w/ The Double, McCarthy Trenching all ages
October 7 Minneapolis, MN
7th Street Entry, w/ The Double 21+
October 8 Chicago, IL
Schubas w/ The Double 21+
October 9 Kalamazoo, MI
Kraftbrau Brewery 18+
October 10 Toronto, ON
Horseshoe Tavern w/ Frontier Index
October 12 Philadelphia, PA
First Unitarian Church w/ Capitol Years all ages
October 14 New York, NY
Knitting Factory w/ Portastatic all ages
October 15 Brooklyn NY
Southpaw w/ Portastatic 21+
October 16 Cambridge MA
Middle East Downstairs w/ Portastatic 18+
October 17 Washington, DC
Black Cat w/ Portastatic and Brandon Butler all ages
October 18 Carrboro NC
Cat's Cradle w/ Portastatic all ages
October 19 Mt. Pleasant SC
The Village Tavern w/ Portastatic
October 20 Atlanta GA
The Earl w/ Portastatic 21+
October 21 St. Augustine FL
Cafe Eleven w/ Portastatic all ages
October 22 Tallahassee FL
Club Downunder / Florida State w/ Portastatic 18+ free for students
October 23 Orlando FL
The Social Anti Pop Music Fest w/ Portastatic 18+
October 24 Gainesville FL
Common Grounds w/ Portastatic all ages
October 26 Houston TX
Walter's on Washington w/ Portastatic and Spain Colored Orange all ages
October 27 Austin TX
The Parish w/ Portastatic and Sally Crewe and the Sudden Moves all ages
October 28 Denton TX
Hailey’s w/ The National and Bosque Brown all ages
October 29 Fayetteville AR
Dickson Theater w/ Fulton all ages
October 30 Norman OK
The Opolis w/ Ryan Lindsey all ages
October 31 Lubbock TX
Space 1110 all ages
November 2 Tucson, AZ
Club Congress w/ Nick Luca Trio 21+
November 3 Phoenix, AZ
Modified all ages
November 4 Los Angeles CA
Knitting Factory all ages
November 5 San Francisco CA
The Independent w/ The Most Serene Republic 21+

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Then John and Dave Douglas will sail, or maybe even fly, across the pond to play some dates in the old country (or is that countries?).

European Tour 2005 with Nada Surf

November 10 Manchester, UK
Hop and Grape w/ Nada Surf
November 11 Glasgow
King Tuts w/ Nada Surf
November 12 Nottingham, UK
Rescue Rooms w/ Nada Surf
November 13 Bristol, UK
Fleece and Firkin w/ Nada Surf
November 14 London, UK
Scala w/ Nada Surf
November 16 Toulouse, FR
Salle des Fetes du Ramonville w/ Nada Surf
November 17 Montpelier, FR
Le Rockstore w/ Nada Surf
November 18 Angouleme, FR
La Nef w/ Nada Surf
November 19 Bordeaux, FR
Theatre Barbey w/ Nada Surf
November 20 Paris, FR
Elysee Montmartre w/ Nada Surf
November 21 Strasbourg, FR
La Laiterie w/ Nada Surf
November 22 Frankfurt, GR
Batschkapp w/ Nada Surf
November 23 Hamburg, GR
Logo w/ Nada Surf
November 24 Berlin, GR
Kalkscheune w/ Nada Surf
November 25 Stuttgart, GR
Club Manufaktur w/ Nada Surf

*SIXEYES: Free MP3s

antony and the johnsons + you are my sister
the parkas + my life of crime
bearsuit + what, you've never seen snow before?
the city on film + pony's last trick
nixon + crippled clown
flophouse jr + pretend
ill ease + xfm malfunction
soltero + from the station
soltero + hands up