Happy Halloween from the folks at Kingblind.com

Be An Extra in Ween Movie, Tour

"Sharpen your boot, and bludgeon your eye" because Ween are running off with their Blarney Stone to Ireland, as they have announced their European tour. T'would bring a tear to me eye except for this additional news. Having ignored the city of Chicago for awhile now, Ween has decided to add a third night in the windy city. Plus, according to Dean Ween "there is a very good chance that all three nights in Chicago will be professionally filmed and recorded for a DVD to be released on Sanctuary." Also in Chicago, Ween will make an in-store appearance on Nov. 8 at Tower Records on Clark Street. "We're trying to make up for the fact that we haven't been to Chicago in years by playing four shows in three days. We're bound to have at least one or two good ones," Deaner said. There are chances galore to see Ween back their new release Quebec (on Santuary Records) and perhaps be part of the first ever live Ween concert movie. Oh yeah, they request that "movie extras" not sing along with "Freedom of '76" unless they can hit all the high notes. Please don't ruin Ween's movie. Or my ears. And don't stand in front of me acting all tall. I hate that. Oh, sorry, you wanted tour dates:
11.07.03 - Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre
11.08.03 - Chicago, IL - Tower Records/Vic Theatre
11.09.03 - Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre
11.27.03 - Stockholm, Sweden - Kagelbanan
11.28.03 - Oslo, Norway - Rockefeller
11.30.03 - Hamburg, Germany - Grosse Freiheit 36
12.01.03 - Berlin, Germany - The Maria
12.02.03 - Prague, Czech Republic - Palace Akropolis
12.04.03 - Vienna, Austria - WUK
12.05.03 - Munich, Germany - Elserhalle
12.06.03 - Zurich, Switzerland - Volkhaus
12.07.03 - Darmstatd, Germany - Centralisation
12.09.03 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
12.10.03 - Ghent, Belgium- Handelsbeurs
12.11.03 - Koln, Germany - Live Music Hall
12.13.03 - Paris, France - Maroquineries
12.15.03 - London, England - Forum
12.16.03 - Dublin, Ireland - Ambassador

Beta band using Radiohead producer for new record

THE BETA BAND have revealed that RADIOHEAD producer NIGEL GODRICH will work on their new album. In a message posted on the band's website, singer Steve Mason explained that the band are happy with the results. "He's ( Godrich ) working at Mayfair Studios in London . Me and Rich (Greentree , bass) went down at the weekend to see what he's doing to our LP and its all good! "Looks like 12 tracks will go on the record out of the 17 we recorded," he explained. "Mixing will be done in two weeks and the LP will be out in February." "The making of the record, which started over a year ago, has been filmed for us by Pete Rankin who did the Old Jock Radio stuff for us," he said. "He's now loading it all for editing. This will come out as a DVD sometime next year." Mason ,Greentree , and Robin Jones (drums), are all currently working on solo projects. Mason 's personal project, King Biscuit 's new album, is reported to be 60% complete.

Saturday Looks Good To Me Plot East Coast Run

Polyvinyl Records' superb conglomerate Saturday Looks Good To Me have decided on a brief jaunt across the East. The band, the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist and all-around wonderful guy Fred Thomas, constantly changes line-ups based on Fred's moods and song-choice. Sometimes you'll get just Fred, sometimes you'll get some nice duets, or occasionally a full band hell-bent on grooving. SLGTM recently finished up massive touring with label comrades Mates of State as well as shows with Victory At Sea, Palomar, and Death Cab For Cutie. The band released the incredible All Your Summer Songs this past spring as their first record for Polyvinyl and also quietly put out a tour EP filled with songs that didn't make the final album cut. So do yourself a favor and go check Fred and the kids out, it's money well spent.
Tourdates:
11.08.03 - Sat Hamilton, NY - Donovan's Pub (Colgate University) w/ Rainer Maria
11.10.03 - Mon Buffalo, NY - Mohawk
11.12.03 - Wed Ithaca, NY - Castaways
11.13.03 - Thu Portland, ME - Space Gallery
11.14.03 - Fri Alfred, NY - Knight Club at Alfred University w. The Gifted Children. All Ages.
11.15.03 - Sat Brooklyn, NY - Northsix w/ Tara Jane O'Neil, The Billy Nayer Show
11.16.03 - Sun New Haven, CT - Sundazed at Bar w/ Roy Owens Jr., Adam Franklin (of Swervedriver) FREE
11.17.03 - Mon Trenton, NJ - Conduit
11.18.03 - Tue Baltimore, MD - Ottobar w/ Mates of State, Palomar

"U.K. Rock Legend Adam Franklin, Singer, Songwriter and Guitarist for Swervedriver is touring the east coast this November with his new FULL band. And the folks here at kingblind.com are proudly presenting the tour.

Here are the tour dates:
Nov 7th Atlanta, GA: The Echo Lounge BUY TICKETS
Nov 8th Athens, GA: Tasty World- LINK
Nov 9th Charlotte, N.C. The Room-- LINK
Nov 10th Raleigh, N.C. King's Barcade-- LINK
Nov 11th Philadelphia, PA: Khyber Pass-- LINK
Nov 12th Washington D.C.: The Velvet Lounge-- LINK
Nov 13th Baltimore, MD: The Ottobar BUY TICKETS
Nov 14th NYC, NY: The Knitting Factory BUY TICKETS
Nov 15th Boston, MA: The Plan @ Great Scott's-- LINK
Nov 16th New Haven, CT: BAR-- LINK
"The adam franklin of Swervedriver tour will be an ELECTRIC tour. Full band.. guitar, bass, drums and keys.. Supporting the tour is the Atlanta based supergroup The Roy Owens Jr. (mem. of Magnapop, The X-Impossibles and Crooked Fingers)
For Information on Swervedriver GO HERE
For Information on The Roy Owens Jr. GO HERE

Weller to Cover it

Wanting to take a break from songwriting for a while, Paul Weller said that his next album will be a covers set featuring songs by Tim Hardin and Sister Sledge. The disc, he says, will be dubbed "Forty Days and Forty Nights" after the Muddy Waters song. The former Jam/Style Council frontman has already recorded a few songs in Amsterdam; he is to continue working on the set through the fall and winter. Last night (Oct. 29), Weller wrapped his U.S. tour in support of his latest studio album, "Illumination," issued earlier this year by Yep Roc. He ended the acoustic trek, on which Oasis guitarist Gem Archer accompanied him, with a pair of gigs in New York. He's also supporting a pair of DVDs. Earlier this year, Yep Roc issued "Two Classic Performances," a DVD that pairs a recent full-band gig in London's Hyde Park with a solo acoustic gig featuring most of the songs from his 2001 live acoustic disc, "Days of Speed" (Epic). Last month, Sanctuary issued "Live at Braehead," a collection of 30 songs that, like the sets featured on the "Two Classic Performances," span his entire career. Clocking in at more than two hours, the DVD was culled from Weller's two shows at Scotland's Braehead Arena in October 2002

Chemical Brothers “The Golden Path” (Music Video)

Catch the Chemical Brothers in collaboration with the Flaming Lips. CLICK HERE TO VIEW Requires Quicktime

Remembering Jam Master Jay

A candlelight vigil will be held tomorrow (Oct. 30) at New York's Queens Central Public Library to mark the one-year anniversary of the murder of Run-D.M.C. DJ Jam Master Jay (real name: Jason Mizell). The event will provide his family and friends an opportunity to remember the artist, as well as update ardent fans on the progress of various projects -- including a biography, a feature film and a scholarship fund. Jay was shot dead at his recording studio in the Jamaica section of Queens, N.Y. No arrests have been made in the case.

The Distillers- Coral Fang (Album Review)

Fang's for the memories. The major-label debut by this group of punks sounds a lot like a breakup--like frontwoman Brody Armstrong's separation from hubby and Rancid dude Tim Armstrong, maybe? In any case, the Distillers like their music raw, so the imagery is soaked in blood, guts and all sorts of body parts that have been torn out and left for dead. Picking up the pieces, however, rarely sounded so good. Armstrong's fast and furious wail anchors tracks such as "Drain the Blood" and "The Hunger" with a combo of rebellion and catchiness that hasn't been snagged by a female-fronted band since Hole's heyday. So what if the clean-ish production elicits screams of "Sellout!" from longtime fans? This is good stuff. Somewhere, Courtney Love is wishing she made this album. But you know what.. She hasn't and she won't. Those days for Ms. Love are long gone. All hail Brody ! Long live the queen.

DJ Format Featuring Abdominal- Vicious Battle Raps (Music Video)

There is a LOT of crap hip hop and rap out there.. And in the giant sea of dull.. Sometimes you can find a pearl... Another winner from DJ Format.. Enjoy..
Click Here to view Requires Quicktime

The Dismemberment Plan- Time Bomb (Music Video)

Excellent video from the D.C. band. The Dismemberment Plan. CLICK HERE TO VIEW Requires Quicktime

Beck, Grandaddy, Bright Eyes Headline Sold-Out Elliott Smith Memorial Concert

In what must be the biggest here's-something-really-cool-you-unfortunately-can't-enjoy story of the month, Beck, Grandaddy, Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, Beth Orton, Rilo Kiley, Radar Bros and Future Pigeon have all signed on for a memorial concert to be held next Monday, November 3rd, at the Henry Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles. Each artist will perform at least one of Smith's songs, and the program will also include a screening of Steve Hanft's bizarro short Strange Parallel , which features the late singer obsessed with an infomercial where he can purchase a robotic hand that will make him the world's greatest guitar player (I know, you just have to see it). All proceeds will benefit the Elliott Smith Foundation for Abused Children, a charity fund that Smith had set up before his untimely death. Unfortunately, you can't go: the event completely sold out within a few hours of being announced late yesterday. However, the foundation has set up an address where fans can send donations in Smith's memory: The Elliott Smith Foundation, 2658 Griffith Park Blvd #195, Los Angeles, CA 90039.

Aesop Rock Expands Fall Tour

In September, Definitive Jux MC Aesop Rock left New York like a bat outta hell-- or like a bat into hell, if we're talking about some kind of crazy hell-bat that loves hell-- to tour in support of his smokin' new platter of politically conscious hip-hop, Bazooka Tooth . Accompanied by fellow Def Juxers El-P, DJ Wiz, Mr. Lif, MURS, and DJ Fakts One, Aesop has extended his tour through December and picked up a few more road warriors to augment his "fabled" (sorry) live sets, including S.A. Smash, C-Rayz Walz and Akrobatik. It's tough to get that many rappers together at once-- how many times have you gone to see a show by the Wu-Tang Clan, only for Cappadonna to show up alone with a broken turntable and a head cold? Def Jux is more reliable (umm, at least where Cannibal Ox isn't involved). The new dates include a stop at the First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia, where, unless it's a very misleadingly named club, Aesop and company will rock the cipher with snake handlers, thinly-veiled atheists and people who worship fire hydrants. The last leg of the gargantuan tour also seems to include a series of stops at some franchised venue called TBA; I wonder if we'll get one here in the south soon? Marvel at the amazing, expanding tour schedule, as per the official Definitive Jux webjoint (all dates with Mr. Lif and DJ Fakts One):
10-28 Baltimore, MD - Ottobar *
10-29 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church *
10-31 Purchase, NY - SUNY Purchase *
11-01 Worcester, MA - The Grind *
11-02 Boston, MA - Middle East *
11-13 Atlanta, GA - Echo Lounge #
11-14 Athens, GA - 40 Watt #
11-15 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle #
11-17 Orlando, FL - Social #
11-18 Miami, FL - I/O #
11-19 Tampa, FL - State Theater #
11-20 Gainesville, FL - Common Ground #
11-21 New Orleans, LA - Tulane University #
11-22 Houston, TX - Rhythm Room #
11-23 Austin, TX - Emo's #
11-24 Dallas, TX - Gypsy Tea Room #
12-04 Ft. Collins, CO - Aggie Theater $
12-05 Boulder, CO - Fox Theater $
12-06 Salt Lake City, UT - TBA $
12-08 Seattle, WA - TBA $
12-09 Vancouver, British Columbia - Richards on Richards $
12-10 Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater $
12-12 San Francisco, CA - Slim's $
12-13 Los Angeles, CA - TBA $
12-14 San Diego, CA - TBA $
12-15 Las Vegas, NV - TBA $
12-16 Phoenix, AZ - Bash on Ash $
12-17 Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater $
* with MURS, S.A. Smash
# with C-Rayz Walz
$ with Akrobatik

Guided By Voices-- Drinker's Peace (Legal MP3 Download)

(full band version) Live in Carboro, NC 10/26/02 CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

SONIC YOUTH- TOUCH ME I'M SICK (Legal MP3 Download)

Sonic Youth covering classic Mudhoney.. Makes me so happy I wanna cry. And to return the favor Mudhoney did the same.. But that's for another day.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Pedro The Lion Cover Low On Christmas Single

Continuing the limited but growing tradition of independent artists getting in the holiday spirit, Suicide Squeeze will be releasing the second in a series of Pedro The Lion Christmas singles this November. Last years seven-inch offering featured somberizations of the standards "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" and "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." This time around, Pedro's David Bazan continues the traditionwith "The First Noel" on the a-side, and a cover of Low's Christmas original "Long Way Around the Sea" on the flip. I know that last song is a Christmas song, see, 'cause it was originally found on Low's 1999 holiday album, entitled Christmas . The single will be a limited release of 3000 copies pressed on Christmasy snow-white vinyl-- not that coal-black shit all the bad kids have to listen to.

A Foo to Jackson

Foo Fighter Chris Shiflett has a new band and the name is Jackson. The new three piece band also features Chris' brother Scott on bass and Pete Parada on drums. Chris is guitarist and lead singer. Both Scott and Pete are both members of the band Face To Face. While Chris gets out and plays with the new band, Foo Fighters stays very much intact as does his cover act Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. Shock Records has picked up the self titled E.P. and already the track 'All The Way' has found itself added to radio playlists around Australia. A Jackson album is expected early 2004.

THE THRILLS- "Santa Cruz" (Music Video)

Dublin, Ireland has produced a fair number of bands that make music with a universal appeal to many far beyond the banks of the Emerald Isle. The Thrills join that roster with this debut album "So much for the city". Their sound though may be a bit surprising to the uninitiated as it is unabashedly rooted in the California sounds of Brian Wilson mixed with a fair amount of The Beatles and 70's pop bands as well. But does this album work ?...YES.. and quite well, thank you very much. EMI are so proud of these guys that they were ushered into Abbey Road to record the album on much of the same equipment as many of their heroes. You can now hear the results on this sparkling initial bow to the world.. CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THEIR NEW VIDEO Requires Real Player.

M. Ward “Vincent O'Brien” (Legal MP3 Download)

M. Ward is a Portland, Oregon based songwriter whose music seems to occupy a place that is uniquely "out of time". A place that bridges the gaps between the roots of various American musical traditions folk, country, blues and rock. Armed with a guitar, harmonica, sparse percussion and a tin-pan alley-esque piano, Ward spins timeless classics that seem to flow effortlessly; simple yet eloquent talesalive with metaphor and imagery, told in a raspy, sepia-toned croon."
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD MP3

Electric Six- "Dance Commander" (Music Video)

Electric Six release their third single from Fire this week, and in their honour, we are pleased to present the video for "Dance Commander" which has been giving us nightmares... View the Video Requires Quicktime

Fate Of Unreleased Elliott Smith Album To Be Decided By Family

The unreleased album that Elliott Smith had been preparing for an early 2004 release might see release on a label other than Dreamworks, according to comments on an hour-long tribute broadcast last weekend on the syndicated radio program New Ground . Host Chris Douridas assembled the tribute from interviews with Kill Rock Stars' Slim Moon, Smith's friend and one-time manager Margaret Mittleman, producers Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf, Dreamworks head Lenny Waronker, and Smith's A&R rep, Luke Wood. Of the unreleased album, known by its working title From A Basement On The Hill , Wood said that Smith probably had more than 30 songs tracked for the record. "I think there's definitely enough of that record that his family will be able to finish it up," Wood told New Ground . "They're gonna decide where it comes out, because that record was his record-- Dreamworks gave it back to him, and it was gonna come out on an independent label of his choosing, and now that'll be the family's choice. So, you know, hopefully next year we'll all get to hear it." In the interview, Wood also expressed his surprise at Smith's apparent suicide last Tuesday: "As someone who's spent time with Elliott in the last few months, who saw him... he was really clean, and focused... I really thought that the worst days were behind him, and I felt like his drive to get this record out, you know, was what was keeping him looking forward to the next day." Wood confirmed on the program that Smith's work-in-progress was meant to be a double album that reconciles the hushed intimacy of his earlier home-recorded albums with the ambitious, layered production that characterized XO and Figure 8 . Wood called the album, as Smith envisioned it, a "true summary of all of his records" that veered from the "intimate, brutally honest two-track guitar/vocal-- you know, that certainly signified the earlier records-- to these bizarre, lush, beautiful, hectic, you know, really pushing-the-envelope sort of stereo, spectral, soundscape, multi-track drum songs... [like] something you'd hear off of Pet Sounds , but in the most, you know, creative, pushing-the-envelope moments of Pet Sounds ."Producers Rob Schnapf and Tom Rothrock remembered Smith's creative drive and an often jovial atmosphere in the studio. "People've been asking me, like, well, was, you know... was [Smith] just a miserable person?" Schnapf said. "And, uh, no... we had a lot of fun making these records. For example, XO , a lot of it was made in a wig... you know, we were wearing wigs... we weren't all depressed, we weren't shoegazing the whole time... it was fun, it was really rewarding." Rothrock fondly shared stories of recording with Smith at Abbey Road, and shared an unreleased instrumental from the Figure 8 sessions, the Beatlesque "Tiny Time Machine," on the program. The tribute is archived by NPR affiliate KCRW on their website linked below. Elliott Smith: http://www.sweetadeline.net ---- New Ground :KCRW

KINGBLIND RECOMMENDS

Here's what's on the Kingblind stereo this week:
(Teenage Fanclub: Howdy)--(The Roy Owens Jr.: This is an Illusion)--(Kid Koala: Some of my best friends are Dj's)--(The White Stripes: Elephant)--(Iron Maiden: Piece of Mind)

Shellac To Play Hawaii This Weekend

Further proof that some bands just don't wanna tour anymore is brought to you this week by your good pals at Shellac. It seems the highly-competent, amazingly agressive, technically-perfect trio of Steve Albini, Todd Trainer, and Bob Weston are playing two very special shows this weekend -- in Hawaii. Now you may ask yourself, "who in their right mind is gonna go see Shellac in Hawaii?" They've got Don Ho and shit! But apparently the band has decided to spend the weekend at the Galaxy Room of the Club Pauhai in sunny Honolulu. Now this isn't a completely unprecedented move. Albini and Weston are both known to be a little nuts, and Trainer is currently doing some amazingly odd shit as Brick Layer Cake. Shellac hardly tours (I think the last was a series of shows in Chicago with The Ex and Fugazi last spring, damned good nonetheless), but when they do, the shows are usually few and far between. So this seems odd. But upon reflection, if there wasn't the whole thing about flying to Hawaii, I'd be there in a heartbeat. Damn you, Hawaii. You can go join Texas on my list of states I wish I lived near so I could go see good bands play a handful of shows, only to have them then disappear into a studio for months immediately afterward. Damn you.

The Strokes- Room on Fire (Album Review)

OK. First, the good news. The first ten seconds of this, the most anticipated Difficult Second Album since '(What's The Story) Morning Glory?', are absolutely ace. In fact, they sound like an unholy fusion of 'Eye Of The Tiger' and 'Independent Women', and if the rest of 'Room On Fire' could sound that much as if the most exciting thing you ever heard was about to happen then we'd be dancing naked round the office and flinging fragrant flowers from the rooftops. Instead, though, as you might've guessed, we're sat here, hardly au naturel, and typing with a heavy heart. They had the world, they changed everything more than anyone else has this millennium yet, and now, with a 33-minute suicide note, The Strokes have thrown it all away. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Really, boys, where did it all go wrong? We've really tried, for your sakes. And yes, we have heard worse records in our time and this is undeniably a grower. But, honestly, if it wasn't for their legacy we doubt we'd've given it much of a chance. '12:51' was a worry, for starters; nobody needs a flimsy retread of 'Hard To Explain' when the original was so great, especially when it's augmented by the year's most unattractive cheap keyboard - Kylie's excellent 'Slow' sounds like expensive decadence itself by comparison - and some vocals that Kevin Shields would object to the production on, which does at least make it one of those rare instances when the radio keeps broadcasting the f-word without realising. Still, we thought, never mind, they've had the best part of three years to write a few more of those classic tunes we went more than slightly stupid over, so there must be better on the album. Hmm. 'Meet Me In The Bathroom''s something of a glance at previous form, but then again it is the first one they wrote after taking off, so that's to be expected. 'Reptilia''s got a touch of life about it, and should make for a decent second single, and 'The Way It Is' even shows signs of moving forward. Oh, alright then, it seems to be using a drum machine (pah! like they can afford to lose Fab!). That's as good as it gets, mind. Which leaves seven tracks we're, at best, indifferent to, and some of which, like 'Under Control' or its closely-cousined closing 'I Can't Win' are downright leadenly dreadful. There's little of the pop sparkle that shone through the likes of 'The Modern Age' and 'Last Nite' even when - as with 'You Talk Way Too Much' - they're rewriting old material, and Julian's vocals are, to be blunt, awful, sounding uncomfortable to record and rather complacently nasal, which doesn't exactly equal drop-dead cool by anyone's reckoning. And how grumpy are those lyrics? "I'm not your friend, I never was" ('Automatic Stop'). "I don't want to do it your way" ('Under Control'). "You don't make me sorry - now I know that you never listened" ('Between Love & Hate'). Ow! Who rattled your cage, Casaablancas? Desperation. Indulgence. No damn tunes. Hell, they even look rubbish on the inner sleeve. All we really wanted from The Strokes was for them to release an album that'd carry on their good works and consolidate their position as the most important, influential force we've seen in years. But you know what? This isn't it.

Boss offers to help save Bottom Line Nightclub

Springsteen pledges big money to keep Greenwich Village club open.. The sides told a New York court Thursday they had failed to reach a settlement during a 30-day recess to the eviction action granted last month by Judge Donna Recant. The judge is now expected to issue a ruling on eviction within 30 days. Springsteen, who rocked the nightspot with a memorable week of shows in 1975, earlier this week posted some comments on savethebottomline.com, saluting the club as “a central part of New York City culture.”

Stereolab's Margerine Eclipse Due In January

Stereolab have released the tracklist for their upcoming album, Margerine Eclipse . This will be Stereolab's first full-length album since the accidental death of guitarist Mary Hansen last year. It is set for a release date of January 27th, 2004 in these United States via Elektra (plus a double vinyl release on Duophonic UHF Disks). The news comes right on the heels of the release of Instant 0 in the Universe EP, Stereolab's most recent offering. The tracklist:
01 Vonal Declosion [accent on the 'e']
02 Need to Be
03 "...sudden stars"
04 Cosmic Country Noir
05 La Demeure
06 Margerine Rock
07 The Man with 100 Cells
08 Margerine Melodie
09 Hillbilly Motobike
10 Feel and Triple
11 Bop Scotch
12 Dear Marge
There will be a bonus track, "La Spirale," on the Japanese release. Stereolab is already in preparation to begin touring in support of the new album: the official Stereolab website mentions that "live dates are [currently] being discussed." We'll keep you posted.

Radiohead Looking To The Future

Already notorious for reinventing its sound with each of its six albums, Radiohead is preparing for yet another metamorphosis. Whatever comes next "needs to be more conducive to moving on musically because that's kind of what we've always done," singer and frontman Thom Yorke says. "We feel that after [recent album] 'Hail to the Thief' we want to definitely disappear into a black hole of the unknown rather than carrying on where we left off." Yorke says he's delighted the band has just fulfilled its contract with Parlophone, a division of EMI Records. "It's always been album, album, album," he says, adding that he believes the music business will be forced to change because the way people listen to music is changing. "Things like iTunes and people splitting up tracks," he says. "I kind of think that's good. I listen to music on random all the time." With the freedom to do anything, Yorke says he's unsure what the band will try next although it's unlikely to pound out another album. EPs are more likely. Having just wrapped a North American tour in support of Hail to the Thief," the group is now is taking a break before resuming activity Nov. 10 in Oberhausen, Germany. A commercial single for "2+2=5" is due Nov. 10 internationally in CD, DVD and 12-inch vinyl forms, augmented by remixes, a video for "Sit Down. Stand Up" and a demo for "There There." Radiohead has also begun confirming dates for Australia and Japan in April

Mark Kozelek tours solo

Red House Painters/Sun Kil Moon frontman Mark Kozelek will embark on a short solo acoustic tour this winter. The trek begins Dec. 5 in Chicago and thus far includes six dates through Jan. 22 in Kozelek's San Francisco homebase. Sun Kil Moon's Jetset debut, "Ghosts of the Great Highway," will be released Nov. 4, with a full band tour to follow next spring. Kozelek said he is looking forward to touring with a different group of musicians than his longtime Red House Painters mates. "It's going to be interesting," he continues, "because I've been playing with the same guys for close to 15 years. It's going to be a different experience."

Unwound--LIVE (Legal MP3 Download)

live in toulouse, france - at the dollar pub -june 1st, 1999--CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

MORE JOE STRUMMER MATERIAL ON THE WAY?

JOE STRUMMER could be the subject of numerous posthumous releases, it has emerged. This week, ‘Streetcore’ , an album made from the deceased Clash hero’s last recordings with The Mescaleroes , was released. But according to bandmate Martin Slattery , that is by no means the bottom of the Strummer vault. He said: "There’s loads of reels that haven’t been listened to properly yet, all these tapes that he kind of doodled around on. We’ve listened to bits of it and found some kind of stuff that relates to what The Mescaleroes were doing, but nothing totally new. But I’m not sure whether they’ve all been completely listened to." However, there are no plans as yet for any of the material and much of it is believed to pre-date the formation of The Mescaleroes . Strummer died in December last year of a heart attack.

WHOLE LOTTA ROCK!

THE DATSUNS have confirmed LED ZEPPELIN’s JOHN PAUL JONES will produce their second album. The band have been writing new material after finishing their massive world tour this summer. The band will now start recording the follow up to their 2002 eponymous debut with the star in the coming months. Speaking previously, Dolf said: "It's going really well considering that we've been on the road for two years and had no time to write or rehearse. "We've got eight songs written. It's a pretty much a rock and roll record but there's going to be songs on the new record that are actually older than the ones on the first album. We're ready to try out some of the old songs that we maybe didn't think worked live so we'll try and work on those in the studio."

The David Lynch plan for peace

David Lynch, the director behind Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, and most recently, Mulholland Drive, is attempting to raise $1 billion to build a network of ‘peace palaces' across the globe. The enigmatic Lynch has been a devoted follower of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Transcendental Meditation for thirty years, and is promoting the guru's wish for the establishment of meditation sanctuaries in three thousand of the world's largest cities. The 57-year-old explained the necessity of the retreats to the New York Post, “This group is a peace-creating group. It saturates the atmosphere. This is all about establishing peace. Right now, we gotta get peace back in the world. Peace is a real thing.” Interesting words from a man whose one movie had the tag line, ‘In heaven, everything is fine.' It seems that Lynch, also the creator of the disturbing TV series, Twin Peaks has recruited some stars to the peace cause, with both Laura Dern and Heather Graham pledging their support for a $4 million center in Los Angeles. With Lynch's fascination with the macabre and the downright freaky, it comes as some surprise that this acclaimed director is spearheading a drive for greater spirituality. Even so, the havens will hold daily group sessions involving, among other things, ‘yogic flying,' a practice that supposedly reduces stress and crime by projecting positive vibrations. Allegedly there are also classes that help explain Lynch's movies; rumor has it they have already been filled.

"U.K. Rock Legend Adam Franklin, Singer, Songwriter and Guitarist for Swervedriver is touring the east coast this November with his new FULL band. And the folks here at kingblind.com are proudly presenting the tour.

Here our the tour dates:
Nov 7th Atlanta, GA: The Echo Lounge BUY TICKETS
Nov 8th Athens, GA: Tasty World
Nov 9th Charlotte, N.C. Fat City Deli
Nov 10th Raleigh, N.C. King's Barcade
Nov 11th Philadelphia, PA: Khyber Pass
Nov 12th Washington D.C.: The Velvet Lounge
Nov 13th Baltimore, MD: The Ottobar BUY TICKETS
Nov 14th NYC, NY: The Knitting Factory BUY TICKETS
Nov 15th Boston, MA: The Plan @ Great Scott's
Nov 16th New Haven, CT: BAR
"The adam franklin of Swervedriver tour will be an ELECTRIC tour. Full band.. guitar, bass, drums and keys.. Supporting the tour is the Atlanta based supergroup The Roy Owens Jr. (mem. of Magnapop, The X-Impossibles and Crooked Fingers)

Teenbeat's Mark Robinson Releasing Two Different Versions Of Latest Album ?!?

When last we left him in 2001, Mark Robinson (Unrest, Air Miami) was touring Canada's green highways, and although with many artists two years might not seem that long, anyone acquainted with Robinson's usual release schedule might be a little surprised at the dearth of new product. Well, worry no more, cause he's on a mission to tie up your record buying budget for the foreseeable future. If, well, you're really poor. Hyperbole, people-- get on board! First up is a new proper solo album to follow-up 2000's Tiger Banana , and 2001's Canada's Green Highways (and yes, sort of 1996's Olympic Death Squad , but this could get confusing pretty quick, so settle down-- we know the man's catalog). So that makes Origami and Urbanism , due November 10th on Teenbeat, Robinson's third (or fourth) solo LP since the demise of Air Miami. We spoke to Robinson via the magic of e-mail, and he dished a bit on the sound of the new record: " Origami and Urbanism is close in sound to the two previous albums, but implements a big organ with a Leslie speaker." The album was produced by K Records founder/Halo Bender/deer avoider Calvin Johnson, and features onetime K Records staple Lois Maffeo on guest vocals (where ya been?). The tracklist, mon ami:
01 Origami
02 Bye-Bye Bunny Smith Sq.
03 Almond Dainties
04 Rewind, Welcome Back
05 Hospital Bruiser
06 Hair Messer-Upper
07 Telephone Diary Talker
08 Whippany Parsippany
09 Spoo-Kay
10 F.U.S.A.
11 Sashimi Sashay
12 Urbanism
Now, that tracklist came from the man himself. However, the official site of Tomlab Records, which is handling the European and Japanese release of Origami , as well as the vinyl, has an almost completely different tracklist-- not to mention that it's out already. We're confused too, but if you order the album from Tomlab, here's the tracklist:
01 Lake District
02 Spray On The Fixative
03 Blinking Lights
04 Sashimi Sashay
05 Goodbye Bunny Smith Square
06 The Whippany Elks
07 Perks and Presents
08 Welcome Back, Eject
09 Shut My Mouth
10 She Was Precise
11 New York License Plate
So, what's better than two Mark Robinson solo albums? Why, three Mark Robinson solo albums. That's right, he's already writing songs for the next outing, to be produced by Trevor Holland (who also helmed Canada's Green Highways ). Before that, though, Robinson will be putting out a seven-inch single on Tomlab Records, and releasing the long-delayed second release in his experimental series of EP's. Proposal features guest spots by Juliet Swango (Rondelles), Jeff Gramm (Aden), and Melissa Farris (Tuscadero). No official release date for that one, but we'll keep you posted. Finally, Robinson's other project, Flin Flon, is still alive and kicking, and more specifically, writing songs for their next album, which Robinson says they hope to have out next year. Isn't that enough?

Foos Go "Everywhere" on DVD

The Foo Fighters will release their first DVD, Everywhere But Home in late November. Everywhere But Home contains more than three hours of music, including footage from four shows on the band's One by One tour, ranging from an acoustic club performance to the Foos' August 23rd gig at Ireland's Slane Castle in front of 90,000 fans. The DVD will also feature behind-the-scenes and backstage footage in addition to tour and studio photo galleries. Among the twenty-plus tracks on the DVD are "All My Life," "Everlong" (full-band and acoustic), "Times Like These," "Monkey Wrench," "Breakout," "Stacked Actors," "Aurora," "Hey Johnny Park!," "The One," "For All the Cows," "All My Life," "Learn to Fly," "My Hero" and "Low." Also on the DVD is an audio-only recording of the full August 26th set from the Foo Fighters' first show in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Rachel's-- Systems/Layers (Album Review)

Spliced with field recordings, answering machine messages and the sounds of a Japanese musical garbage truck, Rachel's sixth album, System/Layers , is a stunning concept-piece about modern urban life. The neo-classical compositions like "Water From the Same Source" and "Unclear Channel" embody restraint and intellect. Beautifully crafted sonic portraits (created primarily with bass, cello, viola and piano) pull fragmented images from the recesses of the brain, as recordings of airport boarding calls sit alongside chirping birds. Where bands like Sigur Ros wrap the ambient and ethereal into blankets of warming detachment, Rachel's are not afraid to assault the listener with cacophonous clamoring of our noisy world reveling in the spectrum of their sound and jolting those who think it's possible to passively engage their music. As they wander through contemporary society with an acute ear, Rachel's translate the commonplace and overlooked music of existence into subtle, minimalist art that is unclassifiable and enigmatic.

Kraftwerk LIVE

KRAFTWERK will be making their first and only TV appearance anywhere in the world at this year's MTV EUROPE MUSIC AWARDS which take place on November 6 in EDINBURGH The legendary electronic music pioneers be following the success of their reworking of 'Tour de France' as a soundtrack album. The band also plan to embark on a world tour in 2004. The Flaming Lips and The Chemical Brothers will also play a live outside broadcast at 'MTV in The Gardens' which will be beamed live from Edinburgh 's Princes Street Gardens into the awards ceremony.

ELLIOTT SMITH 1969-2003

Singer-songwriter ELLIOTT SMITH has died - with suicide the suspected cause. Fan websites and various radio stations claim that the singer passed away yesterday (October 21) at the age of 34. MTV news reports that his body was discovered by a friend in his Los Angeles apartment. He had a single knife wound to the body. Smith was then taken to Los Angeles County University of Southern California Medical Center at approximately 12.18pm yesterday (October 21), where he was pronounced dead an hour later. Born in 1969, Smith loved music from an early age. He released five albums, the most critically acclaimed in the mid-90s, titled ’Either/Or’ and ’XO’. His most mainstream success however came when his song ’Miss Misery’ from the film Good Will Hunting’ was nominated for an Academy Award in 1997. At the time of his death Smith was working on a new album, which had a working title of ’From A Basement On The Hill’ , which was set for completion later this year. This is a very sad day.. Here is a sweet little song, A free and legal MP3 of an Elliott Smith Demo CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Joe Strummer: "Get Down Moses" (Legal MP3 Download)

Streetcore: In Joe's words, "A distillation thru the mind bending coil..."
In November of 2002 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros had been on an extensive UK tour and were blending new songs into their set, which were recorded in December before Joe passed away and now appear on Streetcore. Streetcore is a collection of new material, which reflected the Mescaleros' life on the road together, combined with distilling their collective vast knowledge of musical genres. His final gig with his newfound cohorts was a controversial benefit for the British Fire Brigades Union.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Grandpaboy: "MPLS" (Legal MP3 Download)

Dead Man Shake is Grandpaboy's (aka Paul Westerberg of The Replacements) blues-laden follow-up to "Mono," which came out in 2001. A collection of new blues-rock-country tunes with a smattering of well chosen covers scattered in including songs by John Prine and Hank Williams Sr., Dead Man Shake is a pick me up and a put down rolled into one, like a well mixed cocktail. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Jack and Renee Split?

A White Stripes insider said that Jack White's relationship with actress Renee Zellweger is "definitely over", though a source close to Zellweger insists that the couple are "totally fine." Zellweger is currently in London filming 'Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason' while Jack is on tour in Australia. Well, I guess only time will tell.

Beck added to L.A. radio beneit

Beck has been added to Los Angeles public radio station KCRW's "A Sounds Eclectic Evening" benefit show, to be held Nov. 22 at L.A.'s Universal Amphitheater. The artist will perform a solo acoustic set, joining previously announced performers Damien Rice, the Polyphonic Spree, Jurassic 5, Jem and Gary Jules. Cut Chemist and Felix Da Housecat will perform at an after party for KCRW subscribers. KCRW music director Nic Harcourt built the lineup from artists who have released critically acclaimed albums or EPs during the past year. Tickets are on sale to the public via Ticketmaster ; for more information, visit KCRW's official Web site. In related news, MTV2 will on Friday (Oct. 24) broadcast an hour-long special from the recent Shortlist Music Prize ceremony, won by Rice for his Vector Records album, "O."

kid koala - skanky panky (legal Mp3 download)

taken from his second full-length album this track tries to give you a short impression of kid koala's new turntablised soundtrack called 'some of my best friends are djs' on ninja-tune records... download or listen to this track/ 3.1mb / for free

Radiohead hit the far east and more

Radiohead has announced its first dates for 2004. The group will play April 14-15 at INTEX in Osaka, Japan, and April 17-18 at Tokyo's Makuhari Messe. Tickets go on sale Dec. 20 in Japan; members of the group's W.A.S.T.E. fan organization will also be able to purchase tickets around that date. Having just wrapped a North American tour in support of this summer's "Hail to the Thief" (Capitol), Radiohead is taking a break before resuming activity Nov. 10 in Oberhausen, Germany. A commercial single for "2+2=5" is due Nov. 10 internationally in CD, DVD and 12-inch vinyl forms, augmented by remixes, a video for "Sit Down. Stand Up" and a demo for "There There."

LOW- Live on the John Peel show- November 2000 (legal mp3 download)

CLICK HERE TO VIEW DOWNLOADS

PULL A TOUR!

THE KILLS have postponed their UK tour due to exhaustion. The duo were set to hit the road at the end of October. However, after returning from their third US tour this year, the schedule took its toll on the band and the decision was made to postpone the dates until the New Year. Original tickets will remain valid. The band will, however, appear at London Astoria tomorrow (October 21) as part of their label Domino ’s tenth anniversary celebrations. A new single, ‘Pull A U’ was released today on seven-inch vinyl only. The really funny thing is this about 3rd time we have heard this excuse in the states.. What exactly are they exhausted from? My guess is it’s NOT just the touring.

FISCHERSPOONER 'EMERGE' AGAIN

FISCHERSPOONER have almost finished their second album and their comeback single is likely to be titled ’NEVER YOUNG’. The New York electroclash group have almost finished recording their second album, with the band putting down up to 25 different ideas for songs. Warren Fischer told Rolling Stone that song titles include ’Never Young’ ‘Reverb Funk’ ,’Squirm’ ,‘Los Angeles’ ,'SS Stone' and ’Downup’ He said: "We don't want an album that goes pop song to pop song. This will be an album with themes that flow from one to another. Pink Floyd is a reference, but it's not as down and introspective, though it takes you on a journey. It's the record I always wanted to make as a kid, something that feels substantial."

Ludacris- "STAND UP"- (Music Video)

Watch the new video from Ludacris.. From his latest record, Chicken and Beer CLICK HERE TO VIEW Requires Quicktime.

The Dirtbombs- Dangerous Magical Noise (Album Review)

So you say you're sick of garage. You've had enough of fuzzy, sloppy, three-chord songs. You want more from lyrics than girls and cars and beer. How about a little subtlety, you say -- a little finesse? Well, fuck you -- what you are is sick of rock and roll. You don't deserve The Dirtbombs. Go ahead. Moan along to Radiohead and Broken Social Scene. It suits you. Me, I'm gonna put on my boots and jeans and belly-button tee-shirt and get shit-faced to Dangerous Magical Noise , the party album of the year. Don't bother to wait up. The Dirtbombs are maybe THE Detroit band, putting punk aggression behind Motown riffs, taunting every band that's ever experienced line-up problems with two basses and two drummers. They are led by Mick Collins, DIY guitarist and soul singer extraordinaire, and Jim Diamond, who has produced every "The" band you can think of. They have a deep knowledge of musical history -- see the band's excellent, eccentric choice of soul covers on 2001's Ultraglide in Black -- but there's nothing museum quality about their sound. For all you kids who think garage started with The Strokes and is now irrevocably over, The Dirtbombs bring back the living ghosts of MC5, Motown and The Stooges, give them a case of beer and get them dancing again. Dangerous Magical Noise falls somewhere in between The Dirtbombs' two previous albums; it's neither as punk sloppy as Horndog Fest , nor as Motown smooth as Ultraglide in Black . Not that there aren't examples of both. On the punk side, "Start the Party" nearly drives the CD over the embankment right from the start. The drums push, the guitars lag, and the "live" applause at the end sounds improbably like the Beatles at Shea. It's a mess, but a wonderful mess, saved by the same driving energy that nearly tears it apart. At the other end of the spectrum, "Sun Is Shining" is a slow Stax lament, Collins doing Otis and the band taking on Booker T. From there, it churns into an explosive chorus with that fuzzy, staticky Dirtbombs guitar on top. It is followed by the excellent "Earthquake Heart", which melds Bo Diddley guitar licks with Nuggets -era boy band singing. "Thunder in the Sky" shows why it's good to have two drummers, its tom-tom beat exploding like a ruptured heart. Same goes for "Motor City Baby", the bluesy boogie that lays high vocals against the deep, deep pound of drums. It's an album highlight, a track that will have you running back for your MC5 records. Following it, "Stuck in Thee Garage" rants against genre classification, references Dirtbombs compatriot Billy Childish and rocks as hard as it can go. "One more," somebody says at the end, and hell yes, here it comes, "Stuck in thee garage." The album's three best songs come next. First there's the drum-fueled fury of "I'm Through with White Girls" (which also appeared on Sympathetic Sounds of Detroit in 2001). I love the percolating bass line; try to play it on the piano and you'll find that it can't be done. The second note falls between B and C, and if you play them together, it almost sounds right. Still, this is clearly not a keyboard song. It's all muscular bass and driving percussion and shouted "heys". There's a great moment early on where the band stops dead, Collins breathes into the mike, then the band kicks in again. It's an almost perfect instance of expectation, wait, payoff, except that the band comes in in a splat, not quite together after. Sloppy, yes, but that's part of the deal and part of what you have to love about The Dirtbombs. "Stop" (which appears to have been switched with "21st Century Fox" too late in the game to change the track listing) reveals the band's punk roots, putting a Pixies bassline under a very fluid vocal. Then it's on to the rocking "21st Century Fox", with its heavy, Stonesy riff, extended guitar solo and shouted lustful lyrics. The album closes with "F.I.D.O.", its most sweeping and graceful track, which takes you off into the sunset in a glorious, hazy chorus. The Dirtbombs are a great band at the top of their game. Dangerous Magical Noise is rock and roll at its pure, shaggy best. If you're tired of that, you're tired of life. (JK)

Kingblind news that you can use:

Jack Bruce, Cream's lead singer and bassist, underwent a liver transplant last month and developed a severe infection. But he reportedly has turned a corner and is doing better.--Pete Townshed recently went back into the studio to remaster the Tommy tapes. A deluxe 2 CD will be out on October 28th. The first CD will feature the original album, while the second will feature alternated takes, demos, and outtakes.--Ray Davies of The Kinks is working on a solo CD. A Kinks box set is also in the works.

Long story short.

After putting out Nevermind and making their label a bunker full of cash, Kurt Cobain tells management he wants to earn back his indie cred - make his own Surfer Rosa . Label laughs at him, but tells the band to do whatever they want. Deciding that the best way to record your own Surfer Rosa is to get the guy who actually recorded the disc in the first place, Cobain gets in touch with Steve Albini. Albini and management eventually strike a deal where he gets a $100k to record the album, but any major changes are to go through him. Nirvana records the disc. Shows it to the label. Label freaks out. Hates it. With very little resistance from Nirvana, they hire Scot Litt (R.E.M., Indigo Girls) to remix the disc and make it radio cuddly. The original Steve Albini mix disappears. Albini and Cobain never speak again. On April 5th, 1994 Courtney drops Kurt off at Baskin and Shotguns, then steals all of his royalty checks. Years later, this UK label gets their hands on the original In Utero Albini mix. They release the full album as some microscopically small vinyl run. One would think that obtaining a copy of this album would be near impossible, but thanks to the miracle of the internet and suckers who don't know shit about how much rare vinyl is worth. Here it is.. Or a little sample of it anyways. Listen to the original, abrasive, Albini-ified mix of "All Apologies". (slatch)

Kingblind Recommends

Here's what's on the Kingblind stereo this week:
(Death Cab for Cutie: Transatlanticism)--(White Stripes: Elephant)--(The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds)--(Peaches: Fatherf*cker)--(Outkast: The Love Below/Speakerboxxx)

Calvin Johnson in car crash

The members of veteran independent rock act Dub Narcotic Sound System were involved in a car accident Wednesday (Oct. 15), forcing the hospitalization of frontman Calvin Johnson and bassist Chris Sutton. "It is already anticipated that there will be some major hospital bills to pay," says a post on the official Web site for the Johnson-run K Records. The label is planning a series of benefit shows to help cover the expense; fans can make donations via the K Web site. Dub Narcotic will halt its in-progress North American tour, which was set to wrap next week in New York. The group's next studio album, "Degenerate Introduction," is due Jan. 20. Two 12-inch singles ("Blood Flow"/"Blood Flow pt. 2" and "You F*** Me Up"/"Cowboy Coffee") will be released Tuesday (Oct. 21) and Nov. 4, respectively.

Death Cab for Cutie: "The New Year" (LEGAL MP3 DOWNLOAD)

Like Noam Chomsky and Ted Williams before them, the bashful boys of Bellingham, WA powerhouse Death Cab for Cutie are stepping forward as their generation's renaissance men.” Their fourth studio album blends subtle songwriting, amazing production, boundless creativity, and thoughtful rock. Highly recommended. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

The Polyphonic Spree Re-Record Hit Song, Get Remixed By Stereolab

It's not exactly a well-kept secret that shilling for the big boys can give you a big break-- although The Polyphonic Spree seem to be receiving a lot more attention than Low or Red House Painters ever saw from those Gap commercials. I guess in marketing hierarchy, cars (or was it iPods?) rate higher than painter jeans. In any case, a twenty-three-member symphonic pop group performing in choir robes must have seemed, in retrospect, a bit unlikely to languish in obscurity, commercial placement or no. But now that the cat's out of the bag, the Spree is apparently set on making sure we remember them. They've just released a limited edition EP, have almost finished their second album and are reportedly in negotiations with a new UK label, and they're touring this fine country of ours in their fleet of vans (hey, you try jamming twenty-three people and all those robes into a Volkswagen). Their U.S. label, Hollywood Records, which recently re-issued The Beginning Stages Of... , has just released a limited-edition EP, Light & Day . Being that the titular song is the track featured in the Volkswagen/Apple commercial, the EP seems an odd attempt to cash in on its popularity while establishing an indie cred of sorts, as it's only available in select independent record stores and on the road. The Light & Day EP features a re-recorded version of the title track, a non-LP track, and a Stereolab remix of the album track "Soldier Girl." Tracklist:
01 Light & Day [new single version]
02 The March
03 Soldier Girl [Stereolab remix]
Tim DeLaughter (can that seriously be his real name?) recently spoke to New Musical Express about the new album: "I want people to know that we're not a novelty act. We've got some great new stuff-- the album's almost finished being mixed. Shoot, man! I love the whole record! I'm really proud of it. It's the best thing I_ve ever been part of." You go ahead and make fun of a man that exuberantly happy-- I'm just not up to it. The band is currently mixing the as-yet-untitled album with producer/engineer Rich Costey (Fiona Apple, Audioslave), and aiming at an early 2004 release date. Following mixing, the Spree is headed back out on the road for a series of November dates, which you can find in our previous story linked below. On October 22nd, they'll join Jurassic 5 and Shortlist Award winner Damien Rice for the Sounds Eclectic Evening benefiting Los Angeles-area station KCRW, and dropping in on Late Night With Conan O'Brien November 5th to make up for a gig postponed due to the NYC blackout. In December, they'll be headlining the fourth annual Holiday Extravaganza at the Lakewood Theater in Dallas, where you can pretty much walk the city streets in white robes without anyone paying too much mind (don't try in South Dallas).

Matador, Kill Rock Stars, SpinART Bring Indie Rock To iTunes

Matador Records (As already reported), Kill Rock Stars, and SpinART all announced partnerships with Apple's iTunes Music Store this week, suddenly inundating indie-rock fans with hundreds upon hundreds of legally available downloads, with thousands more songs on the way. Apple had been courting indie labels since June, according to one label source: "Apple wasn't taking on any indies earlier because they weren't set up to handle lots of small deals-- they just wanted to launch with the big five [BMG, EMI, Sony, Universal, and Warner Bros.], whom they also assumed (wrongly) would all be better set up to deliver them metadata and content." The timing is also fortuitous as Apple just launched its long-awaited Windows version of iTunes yesterday-- the first Apple-authored application for the Windows operating system. Early reports indicate that the Windows version of iTunes works pretty much exactly as it would on a Mac, even slavishly imitating the Mac OS X graphics and overall feel. Users must download and run the application in order to access the iTunes Music Store service, which uses the app's interface as a combination of library manager, digital file player, CD mixer, and browser. Apple has also adjusted their pricing policy, allowing users to download either individual tracks for 99 cents, or entire albums for $9.99-- thus avoiding the snafu of charging, say, $28 for Alien Lanes. Some of Matador's early offerings include recent releases from Interpol, Cat Power, Yo La Tengo, Stephen Malkmus, Mogwai, Guided By Voices, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Pavement, Pizzicato Five, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Belle and Sebastian, Cornelius, Arab Strap, Matmos, Bardo Pond, Mark Eitzel, Richard Hell, Tommy Keene, Arsonists, and Preston School Of Industry. "In the months ahead, we hope to make exclusive materials available via the iTunes Music Store such as previews from forthcoming studio albums, outtakes, live tracks [and] demo versions," Matador posted in an announcement on the label's website. Kill Rock Stars also jumped onto the iTunes train this week, with additions from Sleater-Kinney, Cadallaca, and Ronnie Spector among the early offerings. "Very soon the most of the KRS and 5RC catalog will be available this way," Kill Rock Stars enthused on their website. "If you are already an iTunes addict (like all of us here are) you know how psyched we are to be up there." Our search for "Decemberists" came back, "Did you mean 'Remembering'?" but hopefully more will be available soon. SpinART already has albums from Frank Black, The Pixies, Apples In Stereo, Clem Snide, Echo and the Bunnymen, Richard Thompson, Kaito UK, and Bis on the iTunes service, with more releases being added in the coming weeks. Indies' rush to align with iTunes coincides with a massive fee shakeup at the popular eMusic service, which has provided indie-rock fans with their MP3 fix for a $10 monthly fee for several years. Last week, subscribers were told that future downloading will be restricted to 40 files, unless users step up to a premium service which would afford 300 monthly downloads for $50. Though the price hike has many eMusic users crying foul, indie labels are expected to continue offering downloads through eMusic and any other popular service that offers a legal alternative to peer-to-peer networks like Gnutella and Kazaa. "This is [a] good opportunity to reach people who may have heard of the bands on Matador and Beggars but haven't had a chance to actually hear them, or prefer to shop for music online [rather] than in stores," Matador spokesman Ben Goldberg said. "As with any label, we want to be as available as possible-- so any chance we have to have our releases more accessible, we'll take."

PRODIGY'S SEVEN YEAR ITCH OVER!

PRODIGY’s long awaited new album will be released next spring, according to LIAM HOWLETT. Following the release of the single 'Baby's Got A Temper' in early 2002, Prodigy have been attempting to finish the long-awaited follow-up to 1997's 'The Fat Of The Land'. The record, which has a working title of ‘Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned’, will now be released next year according to main man Liam Howlett. a statement issued to the US press, Liam said: "Recording of the album started about four months ago. Intentions are to deliver the new album shortly after the New Year. Single release will precede a spring/summer album release date."

Virgin Preps Boatload Of Bowie Reissues

Virgin Records will this winter reissue a number of David Bowie releases, including "Black Tie White Noise," the 1989 box set "Sound + Vision" and remastered versions of "Scary Monsters," "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" and "Let's Dance." Additionally, the label will re-release last year's "Best of Bowie" with a bonus DVD. A DVD will also be added to the repackaged "Black Tie White Noise.""Black Tie White Noise," which marked a return to Bowie's solo career after having a go with ill-fated rock combo Tin Machine, was originally released in 1993. Due Jan. 13, the reissue will come with an added CD and DVD. The 12-track CD will contain remixes by Jack Dangers and Leftfield, as well as the B-side "Lucy Can't Dance." The DVD will feature all of the album's videos and selected live performances. The DVD packaged with the "Best of Bowie" reissue, due Dec. 2, will contain videos for "Let's Dance," "Heroes" and "Black Tie White Noise." The rest of the DVD will be filled out with six audio tracks, all of them remixes of Bowie hits. The "Sound + Vision" four-CD set was released in 1989 and collects Bowie's early singles, as well as his career through 1993. Due Dec. 2, the set will feature an additional 23 tracks of singles, B-sides and rarities. The added cuts are taken from the recording sessions for Bowie's two releases with Tin Machine, and his solo albums "Let's Dance," "Tonight," "Black Tie White Noise" and "Buddha of Suburbia." Finally, Virgin is re-releasing "Scary Monsters," "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" and "Let's Dance" in the super-audio CD (SACD) format. The three will be in stores Tuesday (Oct. 21), and will be playable on regular CDs as well as SACD-specific players. As previously reported , Bowie will launch a North American tour in early December. The outing is in support of his recent ISO/Columbia album "Reality," which debuted at No. 29 on The Billboard 200.

What a wild week !!

Well it's been the week of shows at the Echo Lounge in Atlanta..My god their schedule is just nuts.. Monday kicked things off with Peaches.. Totally crazy show.. most excellent. Then on to Tuesday with John Doe from X (Check out the great photos from Matteblack) Thursday was banging again with Calexico and The Frames and tonight.. My god.. It's Jesco the Dancing Outlaw. Who is Jesco you ask? well click here and find out for yourself. My god my liver is killing me. A good portion of the weekend is the 2nd annual IG Fest in the East Atlanta Village. It's kind of like the DIY version of SXSW.. It's been fun. Click here for more info

Country Feedback

EVAN DANDO, ED HARCOURT and JIM LAUDERDALE are to headline 'STANDING IN THE SHADOW OF THE GRIEVOUS ANGEL' on November 15 in a tribute concert to country-rock legend GRAM PARSONS. Taking place at London's Islington Union Chapel as part of the Barbican's 'Way Beyond Nashville' season, the intimate gig will mark the 30th anniversary of Parsons’ death - aged just 26 - which fell on September 19. The line-up will also include Grand Drive, The Coal Porters, Adam Masterson and Gram Parson's only child Polly Parsons. The Sin City All Stars , featuring BJ Cole, will be the house band for the event. Parsons found fame through The International Submarine Band, The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers as well as through his solo work, though tragically died on September 19, 1973 when he overdosed on morphine and tequila at The Joshua Tree Inn in the Californian desert. His death also took a bizarre twist when road manager Phil Kaufman stole Gram's body, took it back to the desert, doused it in petrol and burned it. For event information visit: www.barbican.org.uk/beyondnashville

John Lennon Musical Heads To Broadway

Imagine a Broadway musical based on songs by John Lennon -- Yoko Ono has, and today (Oct. 16), producers announced she has given the go-ahead for a show using her late husband's work. Tentatively titled "The Lennon Project," the stage musical will explore the turbulent times of the 1960s and 1970s with some 30 songs drawn from more than 200 Lennon wrote after the Beatles break-up. The legendary band released their last album, "Let It Be," in 1970 but had already dissolved as a act. "Over the past two decades, I have been experiencing the feedback from the world to John's life, statements and music," Ono said in a statement. "I realized what John had meant to the world. He was a catalyst who brought down the hypocrisy and the old world establishments by saying 'Gimme Some Truth.'" "What we present on stage should again give people insight, encouragement, inspiration and fun, so they can go on with their lives with some assurance and hope," she continued. The show, which is planned for the 2004-2005 season, will be produced b