‘Lion in a Coma’
July 23, 2008
New Animal Collective song debuts at Pitchfork Fest
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July 22, 2008
New Devendra Banhart video featuring girlfriend Natalie Portman
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Devendra Banhart proves it’s never too late to promote your album, especially when you have the likes of Luke Skywalker’s mum at your disposal. A full 10 months after its release date, out comes a brand new video for ‘Carmensita,’ a track from last year’s bloated Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon. The video debuted at AOL’s music blog Spinner.com and features a starring role for Portman along side darling Devendra in a Bollywood tribute that is pure camp. Natalie’s involvement will surely raise Devendra’s profile beyond the usual indie rock fans.
July 22, 2008
The 2008 Nationwide (UK not US) Mercury Prize shortlist was announced this morning. Each year 12 UK albums are nominated leading up to a live award show, sort of a Brit indie-flavored Grammy’s.
Radiohead’s In Rainbows must have qualified since the physical release came out in 2008? Easy to say they’re the favorite but don’t count out Robert Plant/Alison Krauss or The Last Shadow Puppets. But actually, last year the prize went to The Klaxons, out of a shortlist that included Amy Winehouse, Arctic Monkeys, Dizzee Rascal and Bat for Lashes. So, it’s safe to say my prediction could be WAY off.
Here’s the shortlist:
Adele – ’19′
British Sea Power – ‘Do You Like Rock Music?’
Burial – ‘Untrue’
Elbow – ‘The Seldom Seen Kid’
Estelle – ‘Shine’
The Last Shadow Puppets – ‘The Age Of The Understatement’
Laura Marling – ‘Alas I Cannot Swim’
Neon Neon – ‘Stainless Style’
Portico Quartet – ‘Knee-Deep In The North Sea’
Robert Plant And Alison Krauss – ‘Raising Sand’
Radiohead – ‘In Rainbows’
Rachel Unthank And The Winterset – ‘The Bairns’
The winners will be announced at the ceremony in London on September 9.
July 21, 2008
No contest…this is the best news of the day in what has been a dreadfully long Monday. As reported by P4K, TV on the Radio have announced the title and release date of their new album!! The highly-anticipated follow-up to Return to Cookie Mountain (i.e. my personal choice as album of the year in 2006) is titled Dear Science, and is due out September 23rd. Sooner than I would have expected. This just makes my day. The TVOTR boys have lined up some live dates for September as well, but it’s a small little thing and the Twin Cities aren’t on tap. I’m not worried. With a new album, I’m confident they’ll embark on a much larger tour in the months to come.
July 21, 2008
Monday, July 21
- No Age w/ Abe Vigoda at Triple Rock (early show)
- Jay Reatard at Triple Rock (late show)
- Titus Andronicus at The Entry
Tuesday, July 22
- The Hold Steady at First Avenue
- Apples in Stereo at Turf Club
Wednesday, July 23
- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers at Target Center
Thursday, July 24 – Saturday, July 26
- 10,000 Lakes Festival in Detroit Lakes, MN
Hippy-dippy extravaganza featuring Phil Lesh & Friends, Michael Franti, George Clinton, The Flaming Lips, White Iron Band, God Johnson, Medeski/Martin/Wood, The Bad Plus, WookieFoot, Slightly Stoopid and many more
July 21, 2008
Finally a busy week for new releases…
- Beck, Modern Guilt
- Black Kids, Partie Traumatic
- Bodies of Water, A Certain Feelings
- Broken Social Scene Presents…Brendan Canning, Something For All Of Us
- CSS, Donkey
- Dr. Dog, Fate
- High Places, 03/07 – 09/07
- One Day As A Lion, S/T
July 18, 2008
I’d love to make it one of these years. It’s in Chicago, so relatively nearby and it’s ridiculously cheap. Each year the line-up has been fantastic and 2008 may be the best yet, including Mission of Burma, Animal Collective, Hold Steady, Spoon, Dinosaur Jr., Fleet Foxes, Les Savy Fav, Spiritualized, Bon Iver, No Age and many more ‘Best New Music’ honorees.
Now experts in the online video business, P4K will be streaming live sets from the fest all weekend right here
But in the meantime, here’s a sampling from Deerhunter’s 2007 PFK Fest appearance. Bradford Cox looks just darling in that dress, doesn’t he?
July 17, 2008
Son of a…Eno is NOT joining David Byrne on tour after all
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Too good to be true, I suppose. And another example of how the instantaneous ‘news’ coverage of the internet is more interested in hits than facts. What can I say? I’m truly disappointed. Oh well, at least Byrne will still be focusing on his Eno-era music at ACL.
July 17, 2008
My God! Brian Eno to join David Byrne on tour this fall, including ACL!!
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According to this Billboard.com story, what was once wishful thinking, then a tease of a rumor, has now become truth and fact. Instantly going down as one my all time dream concert pairings, it is now official that David Byrne will be joined by Brian Eno on his tour this fall, including Byrne’s already announced show at this year’s Austin City Limits Music Festival!! That’s right, folks. I’ll be there. I’ll see David Byrne and Brian Eno together on stage performing what is billed as “The Songs of Talking Heads’ David Byrne and Roxy Music founder Brian Eno.” Despite the title, word is that Eno will also be adding some vintage Roxy Music and solo material to the sets. This is too good to be true. I’m totally geekin’ out. That is all.
July 16, 2008
Have you heard it’s an election year? The campaigning has been pretty low key. Minnesota is especially swamped in political muck this go-round. For you non-locals out there who may not know, the Republican National Convention is being held at the Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul, ‘coincidentally’ the same venue at which Obama proclaimed his historical Democratic nomination victory. We also have a governor who is rumored (at least by our local press) to be a serious option for McCain’s VP. And let’s not forget the Senate race in which surly Norm Coleman faces off with former celebrity Al Franken. I’m just relieved in the midst of all this, that Jesse Ventura decided to not be involved, while still somehow being involved.
At any rate, the RNC is set for Sept 1-4. I had previously believed the only tangential benefit to the inglorious event to be bars open extra late and maybe some cool arrest stories from friends. Now I hear the big guns are coming out: rock stars. We all know how effective musicians can be at instigating political thought and change in this day ‘n age. I’m weighing in heavy on the sarcasm scale today.
First off, we have the radical liberals coming together in the form of acclaimed songwriter (and actor on final season of The Wire) Steve Earle pairing up with Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine. Apparently, some other “friends” are set to appear as well, though who and what that means is not yet known. They play at Harriet Island on Sept 1 (Labor Day).
With a more local flare, The Turf Club is hosting an Aug 27th Obama benefit called “Eight Is Enough: The Concert to End Our Long, National Nightmare.” Despite the fiery name, the performers here have decidedly less radical bent. They include Low, members of Tapes ‘n Tapes, Dosh, not to mention STNNNG, P.O.S. and surely some surprise special guests and friends. Then at Midway Stadium (home of the Saints), the Honeydogs and Semisonic will lead yet another protest-themed event on Sept 2.
And finally, in all fairness, some pro-RNC musicians are performing as well. So if you’re game for some Sammy Hagar (wow!) or maybe you’re more of a LeAnn Rimes kinda guy, some conveniently private events are scheduled locally to coincide with the convention.
Let the hoopla begin.
