Tapes 'N Tapes:: Insistor (Live on Letterman)

Kingblind Downloads

Mastodon:: Crystal Skull (from the new album Blood Mountain)
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Mastodon:: Capillarian (from the new album Blood Mountain)
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New York Dolls “Lookin’ For A Kiss (The Henry Rollins Show)”
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New York Dolls “Dance Like A Monkey (The Henry Rollins Show)”
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The Sleepy Jackson::Personality (One Was A Spider, One Was A Bird)(Album Review)

Psych-pop practitioner, blue eyeliner fan, and reigning indie-pop weirdo Luke Steele counts George Harrison, Walt Disney, and Woody Guthrie, among others, as his influences. The scary part? You can actually hear these disparate inspirations skipping across the surface of The Sleepy Jackson's lysergic, widescreen sophomore effort Personality (One Was A Spider, One Was A Bird). Having bowed in 2003 with the acclaimed Lovers, Australian singer-songwriter Steele (The Sleepy Jackson is largely a revolving cast of collaborators) spent the next two years laboring over the follow-up album, a work every bit as off-kilter and rapturously gorgeous as its predecessor. If anything, Personality is a bigger, bolder, more vivid album; the burden of expectation seems to have lit a fire underneath Steele, whose striking pop songs leap from the speakers, cascading layered, hushed vocals and cotton candy instrumentation. Effortlessly beautiful and dazzling in its ambitious glory, the pretentiously titled album is nevertheless a dense, rewarding confection that often feels like Brian Wilson on Ecstasy—the highlights abound, dappled with sunshine and surrealism. "Work Alone" soars on a Steele falsetto, while "Devil Was In My Yard" plays around with Isaac Brock-worthy lyrical opacity. Personality pushes all the same buttons as The Flaming Lips or Grandaddy, delivering the thinking man's summer jam with "I Understand What You Want But I Just Don't Agree" (no, it doesn't have the titular brevity of fellow summer jam "Promiscuous"). The Sleepy Jackson are an oddball treat for those who want their pop music to color outside the lines. Steele has triumphed with this trippy, sprawling second record—should the masses unearth this quirky gem, rest assured that many more ears will be attuned to what comes next.
(Review by: Preston Jones)

Kingblind's Favorite Finds

The Back the Future Movie You'll Never See (Screenshots)
Back to the Future was actually filmed twice —once with Eric Stoltz in the role of Marty McFly, and once with Michael J. Fox. But despite Studio proclamations that only a few scenes were involved, the truth is that the majority of the film was shot with Eric Stoltz. The other actors confirmed it was flmed twice.

Scenes from Unfinished Terry Gilliam, Johnny Depp Film
Six minutes of footage from Terry Gilliam's unfinished fantasy epic based on Don Quixote. Taken from a documentary called Lost in La Mancha, which chronicles the making of this doomed, almost cursed project.

Sneak Peek At The Simpsons Movie
During the annual Comic-Con Simpsons panel, creator/exec producer Matt Groening and fellow exec producers James L. Brooks and Al Jean thrilled the crowd with some first glimpses at the eagerly awaited The Simpsons Movie.

"Lost" Lands New Star, Reveals Numbers

1986 Velvet Underground documentary, parts 1-6 Via Goldenfiddle!

Kingblind Downloads

Siouxsie And The Banshees - Live At The Wharfield San Fran (25-04-02)
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Beck Sessions at West 54th
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Neko Case: Live, Orange House, Munich, Germany, May 11, 2006.
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Raconteurs: 2006-07-23, San Francisco
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Babyshambles: "The Man Who Came to Stay"
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Tapes 'N Tapes:: The Loon (Album Review)

The Loon succeeds where other indie debuts stall, and it lays in Tapes ’n Tapes' acute awareness of how people will approach their music.

Due to the "huge splash" they’ve made on various reputable music blogs, a superficial listener cannot help but tag their sound with the perfunctory markers of bands only associated through online exposition and placement, rather than appreciate their individuality. There could be someone out there at this very instant with eleven times my capacity for caffeine, perusing various online forums and classifying Tapes ’n Tapes as " Rockus Alternativa Blackus Franciscus."
Maybe someone’s even writing a witty repartee of how they detest their music as much as The Wizard of Oz.

Don't misinterpret my words --- order is an absolute necessity for our comprehension of all things, but often the parameters can result in unwieldy confines for a band to explore. Hype doesn't simply shackle a group, it more often prepares listeners for a pretty killing. Even the best records, the ones whose pleasure is only enhanced with age, can be hamstrung by incessant Chinese whispers. In theory, one should experience an album objectively, but it’s difficult to remain recalcitrant to the inflammatory comments of experts who pretend to be great and powerful people and exploit their supposed superiority to play Pied Piper to a bunch of fox smart upstarts. Whether it’s buzz or backlash, it is designed to instigate a reactionary response that isn't founded in the songs, but merely undermines their importance in the matter of their own analysis.

Don't be fooled into believing that this is an argument for the old adage of letting the music do all the talking. Indeed, when it comes to spreading the wildfire, the aforementioned groups may be playing a crucial role in their own demise, whether it is the sorry story of the album not living up to a feverous first single, or, and far more pernicious, if a group manipulates the building blocks of the present age to fine-tune an omnipresent frequency that appeals to as many hearts as possible, whilst disregarding their own. And whilst one might comment that we’re all in the throes of change, and that even those transitions are in flux, the variations are occurring at such a minute level as to merely lead to equilibration around the centralised concepts that our beliefs and pleasure are founded on.

The Loon doesn't attempt a revolution, but wryly acknowledges our every-day process of diagnostic siltation --- assimilating rather than annihilating the well-worn codes, studying them to produce a sound that is only complementary to what we’ve come to learn on a cursory listen. The shapes might not have changed, but there are fundamental differences in its substance, whose insidious nature is revealed on further study.

So, one might give the most talked up song here, “Insistor,” a try and be pulled in by its magnetic and euphoric chorus. It’s not uncommon for groups to conjure up hallucinogenic highs to beguile our natural need for escapisms and entertainment. “Insistor” tackles the innate difficulties of the"Humming Betrayal" twofold: the chorus is neither overburdened with extraneous instrumentation nor is it dragged out for far too long, whilst the verses, given equal weighting, serve to contradict the impending rush in pace and musicianship. Tapes ’n Tapes, though, don't succumb into the dreary footfalls of tension and release, instead blurring the lines between the two, and thus toying with our own expectations of what this song, this genre, this exercise should yield. Both the verses and choruses are propelled by a boundless energy and enthusiasm that, across The Loon's eleven songs, never wavers.

The band isn't trying to disengage your interest, either. There are no 4 minute leaf-rustling solos; The Loon is nothing short of an incredibly focused song suite, minus all the extraneous frivolities that you’ve gotten too used to hearing from an "incredibly focused song suite." The weirdness lies more in the modulation of mutated details. “The Iliad” starts off all-twee before veering into a melange of neutered beats and keyboards masquerading as hooting owls. “Manitoba,” like much of the rest of the album, sports genuinely pretty guitar tinkles, the drums serenely waltzing across the floor, offering up a hand for the bass, and then, suddenly, a foot up into rockier terrains.

Perhaps most surprising is how genuinely affecting frontman Josh’s voicemanages to be, each word enunciated with a slight quiver, but nothing too flagrant as to solicit tunelessness. When, on the rollicking “Cowbell”, he intones that “I hate you from the heart,” it isn't a conflagration, but rather the conflation of a strained tone, seemingly more suited to stream of conscious, with his thoughts, tangential, yet coagulated into singular sentiments, leaving a boisterous, rowdy backing to fray the edges. It’s this disembodied nature that perseveres to make every song more interesting than the sum of its parts.

And while The Loon is doused in enough gleeful Puckishness as to warrant comments about ‘individuality’ and ‘originality,’ one cannot forget that, even if the boundaries are being skewered, we are still within the realms of a well-worn genre, and, unsurprisingly, vague echoes of other groups filter through. Perhaps, in the sense that they lure conventional rock forms and clichés to be mutilated into sly calling cards, Tapes ’n Tapes hearken back to the sound of early Spoon. “Jakov’s Suite” may fool one into believing, with its leapfrogging guitar solo, a traditional rock out to be in store, but, right in the heat of the moment, the pace is dropped, the distortion dishevelled, and a melancholy melody left to ruminate over the change (“I’ve been hanging round for years”).

Such is the "dirty look" proponent around peddlers of this nature, though, that, when I did listen to The Loon for the first time, I came to the conclusion that it was an accomplished record, only marginally ahead of the rest of its struggling pack. As a whole, the album didn't leap out of my speaker in a pink slip and start incanting to me the 40 reasons why I should plaster a beaming 84% on its flirtatious forehead.

Trust me, it just didn't happen.

It’s naïve to think in our oversaturated, media-savvy generation that anything could remain sacred, or be capable of surprising us anymore. Tapes ’n Tapes know this, and don't pretend to dress up their sound with zealous gimmickry. They retain a genuinely empathetic sincerity that deserves applause.
(Review by: Alan Baban)

Kingblind Downloads

Sleater-Kinney Unreleased Songs:
[mp3]I Don't Care (May 2004)
[mp3]Giraffe (Jul/Dec, 2003)
[mp3]September 2000 (Sep 2000)
[mp3]For Corin's Family (Nov 2000/Jan 2002)
[mp3]Factors Unknown (Oct 1999)
[mp3]Backlit (Oct 1999)
[mp3]Wipers (May - Jul 1999)
[mp3]Space Jam -10 minute jam song with Helium- (Mar 1998)
[mp3]Don't Ask Why a.k.a. Why Ask Why (Mar/Apr 1996)
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THE SYLVERS - THE SYLVERS II (Great Soul)
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Betty Davis: S/T (Betty was Miles Davis' wife) SUPER RAW FUNK
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SOUL HOLE! TONIGHT!! in Seattle

This Wednesday night. Starting at 9pm DJ Kingblind and DJ SABD will be spinning the best in old school Funk, Soul & R&B.

When: Wednesday July 26th 2006 (9pm till ??)
Where: Viceroy 2332 Second Ave : : Seattle WA 98121 PH - 206 - 956 - VICE
Cost: 100% FREE

Now here's a quote direct from "The Stranger" about our Wednesday nights: "if soul music's your thing, Wednesday nights at the Viceroy should make for a good, cozy late-night stop. DJ Self-administered Beat Down recently launched the debut of the Soul Hole, a weekly featuring obscure and old classics of the soul, funk, and R&B variety..."

VICEROY SEATTLE

Kingblind's Favorite Finds

Trailer: American Hardcore, featuring Black Flag, Bad Brains and Minor Threat

Arrested Development lands on MSN / HDNet

A Rate Your Music user lists the 100 worst guitar riffs, licks, and solos.

Dave Navarro's Flirting Edited From Reality Show

Band of Horses:: "The Funeral" Live on Letterman

Golden Smog:: Another Fine Day (Album Review)

They started out as a kind of jokey supergroup involving a bunch of Midwest rockers, but Golden Smog has now evolved into a genuine concern for its key players: the songwriting constellation of Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, the Jayhawks' Gary Louris and Soul Asylum's Dan Murphy. The group's fourth release is another treasure trove of Americana, veering from elegant rockers ("Think About Yourself") to stomping barroom workouts ("You Make It Easy"). Louris' old bandmate Marc Perlman also drops by to lend a hand, channeling the Burrito Brothers on "Corvette." For a bunch of jokesters, these guys deliver some seriously good music.

Kingblind's Favorite Finds

10 Things I Hate About Commandments

Tarantino Confirms More Kill Bill!

100 Greatest Rock Guitarists

Tina Fey Leaving 'Saturday Night Live' for Prime-Time Comedy Show

Kingblind news that you can use

Clear Channel's Live Nation buys House Of Blues for $350 million

LAS MANITAS SHUTTING DOWN; AUSTIN LOSES A LANDMARK

The Decemberists Reveal 'Crane Wife' Details

Beck Posts New Track on His Website

The Mars Volta Delay Album Release

Early R.E.M. material to be anthologized

New York Dolls:: One Day It Will Please Us to Remember This (Album Review)

"Evolution is so obsolete," growls David Johansen on Dance Like a Monkey - words from a man who obviously takes his lyrics to heart.

Having reformed two years ago at the behest of Morrissey, the lacquered (not to mention liquored) proto-punkers had gone 30 years since their last album release. Rather more seriously, they had also seen the deaths of four band members. It's to their credit that you'd be hard pushed to notice the rather large hurdles jumped in order for these 13 tracks to be released - although the beefed-up production and Johansen's more gravelly voice are a giveaway.

The band's interests are still very much the same as they were three decades ago, as Fishnets and Cigarettes camply points out. Plenty of Music, with its Ronettes-meets-drunken-Beach-Boys stomp, proves that the Dolls' capacity for romance and nostalgia has matured - even if they haven't.

Kingblind Downloads

John Doe KCRW 93-96
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Tapes 'N Tapes 2006.6.5 Cambridge MA
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Yo La Tengo:: Beanbag Chair (New Single)
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Primal Scream - Some velvet morning (feat. Kate Moss)
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Peaches - 'Impeach My Bush' (Album Review)

Exciting news: Peaches has gone political. Mind you, she's done so after her own unique fashion. "I'd rather f*ck who I want than kill who I'm told to," runs the opening, endlessly-repeated line of her third LP, and one really couldn't ask for a more successful fusing of geopolitical affairs and the inexhaustible sexual obsession of Canadian ex-schoolteacher Merrill Nisker.

Once "F*ck Or Kill" has sated Peaches' politico tendencies, a track called "Tent in My Pants" pops up, and we're plunged deep inside the pink-hued, sugar-walled monomania with which Peaches' name is synonymous. Make no mistake: on the subject of her rapacious equal-opportunities sexuality, Miss Nisker has a lot to say for herself, and, consequently, plenty of these tracks have titles that might get you in trouble if they showed up on your hotel bill ("Downtown", "Two Guys For Every Girl", "Slippery Dick"…all of them, pretty much). So assertive of her libido is Peaches that you almost wonder if she's trying to mask a deep-seated prudishness. Or maybe by writing that sentence your correspondent has revealed his own prudishness. It's all so confusing.

Sonically, the story is less confusing. "Impeach my Bush" - and how funny you find that title may indicate whether or not this record is for you - sounds very much like Peaches' first two records, and that's no bad thing. Cheap and nasty electronica sidles up to crunchy punk-rock guitars, and to the ensuing din Peaches adds vocals that flit between banshee-like screeching and monotone rapping. Those rock guitars may fall foul of those for whom the electroclash era carries fond memories, but it's worth remembering that many highlights of Peaches' brilliant live shows have found her wielding a Flying V.

Of course, by the time the album has climaxed with a closing quartet of "Get It", "Give 'Er", "Do Ya" and "Stick It", a big part of you is wondering if Peaches maybe needs to find some new hobbies. But there's method to her (sex-)madness: like that of Har Mar Superstar, Peaches' shtick is all about the democratisation of desire, about sex not being the sole preserve of the rich and beautiful; and in an era of rampant celebrity obsession, this probably needs saying.

What's certain is that "Impeach my Bush" is another riotously entertaining record from a woman who - like The Ramones and The Cramps before her - is riding a one-trick pony toward legend status.
(by Niall O'Keeffe)

Cut Chemist:: The Audience's Listening (Album Review)

"People get ready, the robots are coming!"
It's all about atmosphere, setting it, keeping it, etc. Lucas MacFadden, or The Cut Chemist, as he has chosen to call himself, does set the atmosphere and keep it as well. It's spacey, funky, and down right spooky at times. On his first full length solo record, The Audience's Listening, MacFadden takes the listener on a trip. A trip to the outer reaches of the galaxy, with stiff beats and tight production. Coming from a very diverse background, being a member of the latin funk band Ozomatli and an ex-member of Jurassic 5, he mixes an eclectic brand of turntable skills that makes the kids go crazy. Grab your glow sticks, hug the nearest candy kid and get ready to dance the night away.

Now, not being an expert on dj's, I actually found this record to be soothing. It's a nice late night listen. Splashes of jazz, electro funk, soul and world music make it a favorite for repeat listens as well. Personally, I really enjoyed "The Garden" which has a great bossa nova feel and sampled lyrics from Astrud Gilberto's "Berimbau."
But what should be the big hit, is the song, "What's The Altitude" featuring Hymnal. Hymnal spits a wild story about an encounter with some girl to a great beat that is very reminiscent of a slowed down "Bombs Over Baghdad" by Outkast. Man, I'm telling you, it is a hit. Another standout track,"Storm" featuring Edan and Mr. Lif, sounds like it could have been the b-side to Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight." It's very 80's sounding in the production and flow of the beats and rhyming. I'm starting to sound like some kind of professor, huh?

I found this album to be a mixed bag, meaning, there's a little something for everyone. With elements of pop, hip hop, soul, funk and many other genres, this is a good party record. Throw it on and let the music take over because there is no other choice, the robots are coming!
(Review by: Casey Schroeder)

Kingblind will be in the hot as hell state of Texas the remainder of the week.. So posting will be slim.

Kingblind Downloads

It Ain't Easy (David Bowie cover)-The Raconteurs (Live July 2006)
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Elf Power:: Queen Bitch LIVE
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Spoon:: Idiot Driver
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Spoon:: Mountain to Sound
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Golden Smog:: 5-22-02
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Kingblind.com news that you can use

TV On The Radio Album Gets North American Release

Air to Release Solo Album in September

Details on 8/22 Live Acoustic Pixies DVD

Sufjan, Jon Stewart, David Byrne to Play NYC School Benefit

Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood perform "Cymbal Rush" on Rollins Show

Kingblind Downloads

Mega Punk Rock Downloads
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Massive Downloads MISC
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New York Dolls, Live 3 April 2006
Part 1

Part 2

The String Quartet Tribute to the Mars Volta
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Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways (Album Review)

Johnny Cash's death in 2003, although it didn't have the shock impact of that of John Lennon or Kurt Cobain, was still met with an outpouring of genuine sorrow. One of music's true legends, his death was all the more poignant due to the fact that his career had been somewhat revitalized by his collaboration with Rick Rubin on the American series of recordings.

Now, with a whole new generation introduced to the Cash legend thanks to this year's Walk The Line biopic, comes the fifth instalment of American (but not the final apparently - Rubin's already preparing a sixth), recorded during the last few months of Cash's life. This is no barrel scrapping exercise or an unseemly attempt to profit on Cash's legacy - rather, it is put together with a huge degree of dignity and respect that makes it the perfect swansong for the Man In Black.

The 12 tracks here were recorded when Cash's health was at its worst, and he'd also suffered the blow of losing his beloved wife June (who died just three months before he did). That means it's impossible to listen to the album without an almost unbearable sense of poignancy, yet it always manages to steer clear of being depressing.

Previous Cash/Rubin collaborations saw him covering contemporary artists such as Nick Cave, Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails, but the emphasis is more on the traditional here. The most current artist covered is Bruce Springsteen (a masterfully stripped down version of The Rising's Further On Up The Road), while songs by Hank Williams and Gordon Lightfoot sit side by side with Cash's own compositions.

One of the most successful covers here is the traditional gospel song God's Gonna Cut You Down (popularised by Moby as Run On), performed here by Cash as a dark blues number steeped in menace. Like The 309, Cash's final composition, is in a similar blusey vein although it's impossible not to be affected by the opening line of "it should be a while before I see Doctor Death".

Although Cash's voice by this time was a frail instrument, much changed from the rich baritone of his prime years, he still sings these songs beautifully. Hank Williams' On The Evening Train is immensely powerful, concerning as it does a man burying his spouse, with Cash's own personal loss throwing an enormous shadow over the listener. Nothing quite matches the poignancy of the opening Help Me, a plea to God by a former unbeliever as he stares death in the face. It's a beautiful song, but damn hard to listen to.

Rubin's production, as ever, is superb, giving most songs a restrained, low-key setting and just letting Cash's extraordinarily emotive voice tell his stories. Although only two of the songs here were written by Cash, some may as well have been written for him, such as Rose Of My Heart which is impossible not to hear as a tribute to June Carter Cash. The final I'm Free From The Chain Gang Now is weary, stately and dignified, the perfect sign off from a true giant of music.

While American V is an undeniably emotional and melancholy listen, it's also an ultimately life-affirming one. Cash was wheelchair bound and nearly blind when he recorded these songs, yet the man's strength, inner calm and humour shine through. As an example of the redemptive power of music, this really can't be bettered.
(Review by: John Murphy)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs:: Cheated Hearts (Music Video)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs:: Turn Into (Music Video)

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Kingblind.com Giveaway (Guster)

Time for a new contest kids.. So here we go! Kingblind and our friends at Filter Magazine are giving away 2 sets of T-Shirts & the new Guster album "Ganging up on the sun" New Guster album, New Guster shirt.. hmmm that's pretty darn cool if ya ask me... Here is what you have to do... Send an email with "GUSTER" in the subject line and your name and address in the body of the message to: Kingblind (at) Gmail.com
Remember no subject line and name and address.. no winner.. We will be randomly picking the winner today. thanks and good luck!

About Guster's new album "Ganging up on the sun"
Ganging Up on the Sun’s sunny, driving-with-the-top-down melodies, vintage harmonies, and warm guitar jangle do recall artists you’d associate with the ’60s and ’70s—bands who also wrote during a time of war and societal mistrust of government—such as CSNY, Mamas and the Papas, Fleetwood Mac, the Band, the Rolling Stones, and Tom Petty. Are Guster wearing their influences a bit more on their sleeve this time around?

“The word ‘classic’ was used a lot throughout recording as a goal for the sound of this album,” singer-guitarist Adam Gardner says, “and it definitely has a more classic rock feel to it.” Adds Rosenworcel: “I think when we switched from the ‘just guitars and percussion’ shtick to using whatever was in front of us, we ended up sounding more like bands we were listening to.”

The shtick he’s referring to is Guster’s early years as a trio when, onstage, front men Miller and Gardner stuck to acoustic guitars and Rosenworcel played bongos with his bare hands. They’ve come a long way since then, and even added a member. Ganging Up on the Sun is Guster’s first album as a four-piece: Joe Pisapia, a Nashville-based multi-instrumentalist who played on Keep it Together and performs with them live, joined full-time when they began recording the new album.

“Joe is by far the best musician in the band,” says Miller. “He can play every instrument and has taken our level of musicianship up about seven notches. Brian, Adam, and I spent ten years together in rooms, buses, and vans—it means so much to have this new energy as part of our equation. It still feels very much like Guster, just a more confident, muscular, refined Guster.”

Not only did Pisapia add texture and oomph to the tracks by playing banjo, dulcimer, trumpet, and lap steel guitar, he also served as producer for half of the songs, which were recorded at Nashville’s Sound Emporium and completed at Pisapia’s home studio, Ivy League, from January to April 2005. The second batch were recorded later in the year at the secluded mountaintop studio Allaire in Shokan, New York, with Ron Aniello, who also worked on Keep it Together.

"I think in the back of my mind I knew we were writing our best material yet," says Rosenworcel. One of the highlights is the lead-off single “One Man Wrecking Machine,” which is about a guy who hates his life and wants to go back to “the good ole days” and hang out with his buddies, get high, and make out with the hottest girl in school, as Miller puts it. “I’ve had that fantasy my entire adult life,” he says, “Like, what if I had the confidence of a 30-year-old man as a high school sophomore?”
Another highlight on Ganging Up on the Sun is the seven-minute “Ruby Falls,” a celestial epic that features an uncharacteristic muted trumpet in the outro (“I listen to that solo and think ‘that’s on my record’?” says Rosenworcel). “Personally, I can’t wait to play ‘Ruby Falls’ live,” says Miller. “Not just because I love the song, but because I think there’s a power to it that may even be bigger than what we captured in the studio. Or I could be wrong and we’ll sound like the Carpenters.”
“I just love that our band feels unpredictable right now,” Rosenworcel says happily. “I love that no one knows what to expect from us.”

Guster Media:

"One Man Wrecking Machine" video
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Kingblind news that you can use

Are Weezer Calling It Quits?

Barry Bonds: Adios, Mother*ucker

Listen to a New Mars Volta Track Now!

Plaque Stolen from AC/DC Legend's Grave

Prince Shuts Down His NPG Music Club

The Rolling Stones cover The White Stripes!

Peaches:: Impeach My Bush (Album Review)

So, album of the year for that title alone; but just how relevant or revolutionary is Peaches in 2006? Aren't we all relaxed about sex and sexual politics these days? Well, maybe people are in places as gleefully filthy as Peaches' adopted Berlin. But, in Britain? No way. This is still uptight, immature, hypocrite-central; a country where 'gay' is a by-word for 'lame', where the tits-out tabloids work themselves into a frenzy of moral indignation over racey photos of Mrs McCartney-Mills and where John Prescott and Jordan are publicly vilified for having a sex life. Clearly, we need Peaches' message that sexuality is fluid and sex itself is ridiculous, hilarious fun more than ever.

It helps that this message is delivered over beats and bass that wow like a 12-inch cock. And, on her third album, Peaches has sharpened her raw, minimal sound; subsonic bass, snappy beats, electronic hiccups, Marshall-stacked AC/DC riffs, into a devastating hunting weapon. 'Downtown' and the hilarious 'Tent In Your Pants' are slick, mutant-R&B. 'Two Guys', meanwhile, is a classic Peaches hi-NRG electro strut. Like the wonderfully gratuitous fist-fucking, cock-sucking 'Slippery Dick', it is new-rave dancefloor gold. As are 'You Love It', with Joan Jett, and 'Give 'Er', which features Josh Homme on guitar, both pogo-powered, punk rock brat bombs - now with added live drumming.

'Impeach My Bush' is no great sonic leap forward, but it is a near-perfect distillation of Peaches' "thing". Which is as vital as ever, motherfucker.
(Review by: Tony Naylor UK)

Kingblind Downloads

SYD BARRETT - Peel Session (PASSWORD:zinhof)

Thom Yorke: 2006-07-11, KCRW

Sonic Youth: 2006, 07-11, Indie 103 (acoustic)

Pink Floyd Co-Founder Syd Barrett Dies At 60

Pink Floyd co-founder Roger "Syd" Barrett died Friday (July 7) at the age of 60, reportedly due to complications from diabetes. The artist, who left Pink Floyd in the late 1960s after his mental health began to decline, spent the better part of the past 30 years living in seclusion with his mother in Cambridge, where he was born on Jan. 6, 1946.

"The band are naturally very upset and sad to learn of Syd Barrett’s death," the surviving members of Pink Floyd said in a statement. "Syd was the guiding light of the early band lineup and leaves a legacy which continues to inspire."

Pink Floyd began life in 1965 as most unassuming U.K. bands of the era did: as a run-of-the-mill blue rock combo. Led by the enigmatic Barrett and staffed by bassist Roger Waters, keyboardist Rick Wright and drummer Nick Mason, Pink Floyd quickly began to push the boundaries of conventional rock, attracting underground acclaim for their trippy live shows.

Barrett proved himself a true genius, blending elements of pop and psychedelia on early singles such as "See Emily Play" with mysterious, almost light-hearted lyrics. Pink Floyd's 1967 debut album "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" still stands as one of the best psychedelic rock albums ever, driven by Barrett's oddball narratives and the band's skill with both long jams and perfect pop nuggets.

But as Barrett's intake of LSD increased, his behavior became increasingly peculiar (especially in a live setting, where he'd often lapse into a zombie-like state), so much so that the rest of Pink Floyd were no longer able to work with him.

Enter guitarist/vocalist David Gilmour, who allowed Pink Floyd to continue playing live while Barrett worked out his problems. The rest of the group hoped Barrett would at least still be able to write songs, but this too proved to be impossible, and eventually he was booted from Pink Floyd entirely.

Gilmour and members of Soft Machine helped the fragile singer through two solo albums, "The Madcap Laughs" and "Barrett," on which he teetered between lucidity and madness. But his off-kilter ingenuity shined through on tracks like "Wouldn't You Miss Me (Dark Globe)," "Octopus," "Gigolo Aunt," "Terrapin," "Effervescing Elephant" and "Baby Lemonade," which would influence generations of singer/songwriters and rock bands alike.

By 1973, Barrett was beset by a myriad of mental problems and retreated to Cambridge, rarely to be seen in public again except to run errands or chat briefly with the Pink Floyd devotees who would knock on his front door, hoping for a glimpse of their idol.

However, he remained an influence on his former bandmates, who dedicated the song "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" and the 1975 album "Wish You Were Here" to him. Barrett showed up unannounced during recording sessions for the album, but due to his weight gain and hairless appearance, was at first not even recognized by the rest of the group.

In later years, Barrett lived off royalties from the Pink Floyd albums on which he played, as well as compilations and concert albums featuring his compositions. At their reunion performance during last summer's Live 8 benefit, Gilmour, Waters, Wright and Mason performed "Wish You Were Here" in Barrett's honor. (via billboard)

Thom Yorke Live on Rollins Show Footage (airs 7/15)

CLICK TO VIEW VIDEO

Kingblind Downloads (Live Music Edition)

Mogwai Live at Tavastia (Helsinki, Finland) on 2006-07-06

Drive-By Truckers: 2006-06-27, Nashville (Grimey's in-store)

Neko Case 2006-03-30 Pabst Theatre, Milwaukee, WI

Sonic Youth: 2006-06-14, WXPN

Muse - 'Black Holes & Revelations' (Album Review)

Where do you go once you've gone over the top? After 2001's gloriously preposterous "Origin Of Symmetry", Muse answered this simple conundrum by going even more over the top with 2003's spectacularly preposterous "Absolution". Three years down the line, you'd think they'd answer the same question with the same answer - and in the case of their camp sci-fi disco single, "Supermassive Black Hole", they have - but generally this album proves a sad, unexpected truth. That once you go over the top twice, you hit a Perspex ceiling.

Blame it on bombast fatigue on the part of Muse or over-familiarity with the Muse shtick on the part of the listener, but this is the first Muse album to sound - brace yourself, outrageous melodrama fans - ordinary. Where once we gasped with awe and choked in disbelief as Matt Bellamy and company turned pirouette upon pirouette, cackling in fancy dress at the end of the world and the prospect of mortality, now it all seems smaller somehow, as if Armageddon has been reduced to a snowstorm and put on a shelf, priced at 99p.

Part of the problem is that never before have you witnessed Muse make a bold move forward and then change their mind and step back - this is the first Muse album to suggest that they're mere mortals rather than rampaging geniuses on a creative high. The album opens brilliantly, with "Take A Bow" adding the distant thud of house to Muse's usual Toccata & Fugue-style flow of electronics, and "Starlight" fusing Goldfrapp and Grandaddy before giving way to the hyper Prince falsetto and dirty synth of the single and the sleek Giorgio Moroder meets The Cure circa "A Forest" glide of "Map Of The Problematique".

But after that, instead of heading off even further into the realms of dance and proto-dance and keyboard geekery, they revert to type, only less so. "Invincible" and "Exo Politics" are almost Muse by numbers - or rather Muse with the grand space opera sweep and near-ridiculous, often-sublime guitar histrionics strangely absent. "City Of Delusion", meanwhile - and oh what an irony this is - sounds like Radiohead, something that Muse haven't done for quite some time now. With the manic riffing stripped right back, the focus is shifted to Bellamy's vocal - and as he spends most of the album railing against the government and claustrophobia of the modern age, the similarity is inescapable.

Which leaves Muse where? With half a blueprint and, hopefully, a notion to make a record that sounds like Prince cavorting with their old selves in some uncharted corner of the cosmos. As it is, this isn't so much as a grand leap forward, as a sudden attack of vertigo. (by Ian Watson)

Complete unedited Nirvana MTV Unplugged NYC Performance

CLICK TO VIEW COMPLETE VIDEO (1 Hour 8 Mins 34 Secs)

DOWNLOAD THE VIDEO HERE

Tom Waits announces tour

Tom Waits has announced a very rare mini tour. Catch him if you can, You won't be sorry.. Waits gave the following reasons for embarking on the tour: "We need to go to Tennessee to pick up some fireworks, and someone owes me money in Kentucky."

08-01 Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
08-02 Asheville, NC - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
08-04 Memphis, TN - Orpheum Theatre
08-05 Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
08-07 Louisville, KY - Palace Theatre
08-09 Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theatre
08-11 Detroit, MI - Opera House
08-13 Akron, OH - Akron Civic

TV on the Radio:: Return to Cookie Mountain (Album Review)

Brooklyn's TVOTR were courted by David Bowie after he heard their 2004 debut, Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes. He stuck with them: as well as advising them to release their own anti-Bush song online, he turns up here on the memorable 'Province', which sounds more like the galaxy expanding than a conventional pop song.

The band - ex-film student Tunde Adebimpe (who once worked as an illustrator on MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch), visual artist David Sitek (who has a trend-popping CV featuring production for Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the Liars) and electric-haired Kyp Malone - are natural Bowie allies: they're experimental and summon the spirit of Spiritualized, Lee Perry, the Beach Boys and Radiohead into a glorious, life-affirming entity. The latter reference is particularly relevant - if only to mention the knowing title of the group's debut EP, 'OK Calculator'.

Return to Cookie Mountain, which was recorded ad hoc at Sitek's New York studio over 12 months, is a warmer, more linear record than their debut, dissolving and expanding through occasionally irritating production (how wonderful could they sound with a producer who wasn't in the band?) into moments of fabulous surrender. And they're one of few groups who could toss a word like 'unconjoined' into their lyrics without sounding like tossers.

When the band decide to propel their songs forwards they even come close to the kind of indie-pop that has been fuelling dancefloors everywhere this decade. 'Wolf Like Me', which features Celebration's Katrina Ford, might slow down in the middle - this is TVOTR and there must be a twist - but it is after-midnight mayhem incarnate. Spellbinding, frustrating, wonderful. (Review by: Emma Warren, Guardian UK)

Kingblind Downloads (Friday Edition)

THE CURE:: FRIDAY I'M IN LOVE

The Flaming Lips Circus, Stockholm, Sweden May 2, 2006

Bloc Party Live @ Maison de la Radio, Paris, 07-02-05

The Smiths Live @ Electric Ballroom, London 21-05-1983

Van Halen Live @ London Invasion (23-06-1980)

Kingblind Loves (Touch & Go Records)

In our new series "Kingblind Loves" We feature a new record label that we love. We will be spanning the globe covering many labels both large and small, Some you have heard of... Some will be brand new to you. But that's the point isn't it !! Anyways, This series will help our readers find great new music and hopefully a better way to spend their hard earned cash... Enjoy the ride

(Touch & Go Records) Chicago, IL
Touch and Go Records came into existence (sort of) in late 1980, when the Ohio punk band Necros decided they wanted to put out a 7" record. Being in high school at the time (ie: broke), they were aided in this project by their friends Tesco Vee and Dave Stimson, who were the geniuses behind a fanzine called Touch and Go (and who were a little older and had real jobs). The 7"s by the Necros and the Fix (a Michigan punk band) were recorded in late 1980 and released in early 1981, and Touch and Go Records was officially born.

Corey Rusk was a member of the Necros, and for the first couple years of Touch and Go Records' life he ran the business part of it from his bedroom in his grandmother's house in Ohio, and Tesco Vee ran the promotional part of it from his apartment in Michigan. Then Tesco moved to Washington DC, leaving the label in Corey's hands.

Early releases for Touch and Go consisted mainly of 7" vinyl singles by many of the early '80s Michigan / Ohio hardcore bands, including the Necros, the Meatmen, and Negative Approach.

In 1983, Corey left the Necros, and together with his wife and partner in Touch and Go (Lisa Rusk), relocated the label to an apartment in Detroit, Michigan. Touch and Go began to move beyond the hardcore genre, while also increasing the frequency of its release schedule. Releases during this time period included albums from Die Kreuzen, Big Black, Butthole Surfers, Killdozer and many others.

At the same time Touch and Go was expanding, Corey and Lisa also started an all ages club in Detroit called the Graystone. The club was financed by Russ Gibb, a generous and supportive school teacher who ran the infamous Grande Ballroom in Detroit in the late '60s. In its heyday, the Grande had been the Detroit home to the likes of the MC5, the Stooges, the Who, Jimi Hendrix, etc... In the mid '80s the Graystone hosted such bands such as Black Flag, Minutemen, Misfits, Big Boys, Big Black, Scratch Acid, Necros, Negative Approach, et al.

After a few years in Detroit, Touch and Go moved to a house on the North side of Chicago, Illinois. Energized by its new environs, and by the increasing interest in the records they were releasing, Touch and Go entered a new and rewarding period in its existence, releasing albums by Slint, Scratch Acid, Rapeman, The Jesus Lizard, Didjits, Laughing Hyenas, Urge Overkill, and many others.

In 1990, Touch and Go began to provide manufacturing and distribution services for other independent labels who shared similar ideals. Over the past 15 years, Touch and Go is proud to have provided manufacturing and distribution services for such influential labels as All Natural, All Tomorrow's Parties, Atavistic, Cold Crush, Dim Mak, Drag City, Emperor Jones, Estrus, 5RC, Invisible, Konkurrent, Kill Rock Stars, Le Tigre, Merge, Overcoat, Skin Graft, Suicide Squeeze, Thrill Jockey, Trance, Truckstop, and Warm.

In keeping with 1990 being a pivotal year, Quarterstick Records, Touch and Go's "sister label," came into being, releasing albums by Henry Rollins, Pegboy, and Mekons. Since its inception, Quarterstick has developed its own individual, eclectic identity through the releases of groups such as the Bad Livers, Calexico, June Of 44, Mule, Rachel's, Rodan, Shannon Wright, Tara Jane O'Neil, The Shipping News, and others. Also around 1990, Corey and Lisa parted ways both personally and professionally.

Just before the dawn of the '90s, T&G moved into a run down warehouse on the North side of Chicago. Its new digs provided lots of room to grow; an opportunity that was not wasted. Throughout the 90's, Touch and Go expanded its staff and capacities in an effort to always be the best it could be for the bands and labels it felt so privileged to be associated with. All the hard work paid off, and during the '90s, T&G had the good fortune to be involved with albums by Shellac, Blonde Redhead, The Black Heart Procession, Girls Against Boys, Arcwelder, Dirty Three, Don Caballero, Brick Layer Cake, Seam, Man...Or Astroman?, The Delta 72, Brainiac, Storm and Stress, and many others.

Toward the end of the '90s, T&G had outgrown its space in the decrepit warehouse it had inhabited the prior 7 years. The staff had gotten soft and was demanding such outrageous luxuries as heat in the winter and bathrooms that worked. This revolt led to the move to a much better warehouse space a couple miles away. This move led to an even more organized and productive T&G. It was perfect timing, as the 2000s brought more great bands and labels to T&G. Bands such as CocoRosie, Enon, Nina Nastasia, Quasi, Pinback, Supersystem, The EX, The New Year, TV On The Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and !!!.

To find out more about Touch & Go Records AND their 25th Anniversary show CLICK HERE


Touch & Go Media::
"cruel" by calexico

"let me come back" by gvsb

"the greatest gift" by scratch acid

"watch song" by shellac

"boilermaker" by jesus lizard

"Kerosene" by big black

Big Acts:: What made them great
Jesus Lizard, Big Black, Scratch Acid, The Black Heart Procession, Girls Against Boys, Butt*ole Surfers and many more

New Blood: Why they are still great
Enon, Nina Nastasia, Quasi, Pinback, Supersystem, The EX, The New Year, TV On The Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and !!!.

Guns N’ Roses Live at Download Festival at Donnington Park U.K. (Sunday 11th June 2006)

When Guns N’ Roses played 5 consecutive nights in New York earlier this year, sceptics were shocked that the lynchpin of the band, Axl Rose’s voice, was thankfully on great form, and the entire band played tightly: miles away from the massively disappointing performance at the 2002 MTV VMA’s, where Axl seemed exhausted after running around the stage for about 2 minutes and his voice sounded out of breath and as tired as he looked. Cries of “out of tune” and “past their sell-by date” quickly spread around, as Axl seemingly struggled to get through the 10-minute 3-song medley. But his voice at these 2006 New York shows is on particularly fine form, sounding stronger and, in some ways, more fresh - and unique - than ever. After Sebastian Bach (former frontman of Skid Row, and no stranger to balls-to-the-wall screaming) appeared onstage to sing “My Michelle” with Axl, he commented in an interview with that, although many singers lose their vocal power as they got older, Axl Rose’s voice has got louder and, by default, better.

Guns N’ Roses have a lot to live up at Download tonight, after the positive reviews of the New York shows. To add to the pressure, Metallica were absolutely astounding last night. The fact that they not only played “The Unforgiven” (a live rarity), a new song (cleverly entitled “New Song”), the entire “Master Of Puppets” album (celebrating its 20th anniversary this year), as well as 2 amazing encores - the first featuring a quadruple whammy of metal masterpieces “Sad But True”, “Nothing Else Matters”, “One” and “Enter Sandman”, whilst the second saw a cover of The Misfits classic “Die Die My Darling” and “Seek And Destroy” from Metallica’s debut album - mean that the bar has been set very high. As the walk-on intro music for Guns N’ Roses dies down, and the orgasmic echo of the beginning of “Welcome To The Jungle” rings through the audience, people start to fucking lose it.

And then HE appears. Mutterings of “Holy shit, that’s Axl fucking Rose on the stage” and “Christ, I never thought he’d make it here” are followed by the Axl’s incensed shriek of “D’you know where the fuck you are?! You’re in the jungle Donnington!!”. “Welcome To The Jungle” epitomizes Gn’R. It’s not as radio-friendly as “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, and a world away from the stadium-led rock of “Paradise City”. “Welcome To The Jungle” always sounds like it should be played in a dirty, dark rock club at 4 in the morning, where there’s only Jack Daniels to drink. The song, like the band, radiates danger: Gn’R were famously dubbed the “World’s Most Dangerous Band” in the 90’s and, as Axl leers the line “I wanna watch you bleed”, we know that he’s probably half-serious. The 1-2 sucker-punch of “It’s So Easy” followed by “Mr Brownstone” keeps the audience on their toes, surprised at how good the band really are.

But then, suddenly, the momentum is inexplicably slowed down for a couple of routine (and slightly lackluster) covers - “Live And Let Die” and “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” - and, perhaps noticing the fall in the audiences exhilaration brought on by these slower songs, it starts going wrong. Robin Finck’s guitar solo is snooze-inducing and the awesome-ness of “Sweet Child O’ Mine” is undermined when Axl’s diva behaviour arrives on stage. Halfway through the song, Axl’s perfectionism is tested when he skids on a wet patch on the stage, narrowly saving himself from landing on his arse in front of over 50,000 people. Now wouldn’t THAT be embarrassing?! Axl doesn’t exactly slide head-first into a stack of amps or anything, but the incident certainly dampens his spirits and the band starts to badly flounder. Being such a perfectionist (new album “Chinese Democracy” has been in the making for over 12 years), Axl is really annoyed because he wants the show to go without a hitch.

Ironically, he has already mentioned the wet stage before and, as it’s not been remedied, “I told you so” doesn’t really seem to cut it, and he excuses himself, citing “technical difficulties”, and leaves the stage to give the backstage crew a serious shitstorm of a telling off. New guitarist Bumblefoot (taking over from Buckethead) is left alone, performing a solo instrumental version of “Don’t Cry”. Axl is still present at the side of the stage, visibly annoyed. When Axl returns, he hopes to (in his own words) at least “muddle through” the rest of the show. Some people start to turn their back and walk away from the stage, whilst others seem on edge, hoping that the gig won’t prematurely end. New song “Better” doesn’t seem to appease the obviously restless audience, who start to cheer “Bring back Slash”. It’s been at least a full decade since Gn’R played at Donnington at the Monsters of Rock Festival in 1988, where 2 fans died in the crowd due to overcrowding during the band’s appearance. So when Guns N’ Roses play at THIS location, the audience can make the gig go either way.

And then something just, miraculously, CLICKS. Axl sits down at the piano and starts to play “November Rain”, and from here on out the crowd are agog and the band are untouchable. As the gloriously epic guitar solo outro shimmies through the cigarette lighter-coloured horizon, everything seems to be a million miles away from the troubled first half of the show. As Axl tells us “Everybody needs somebody / You’re not the only one, you’re not the only one”, I know, deep in my heart, that the storm has (luckily) passed, and those who walked away earlier will regret it tomorrow. Axl looks happier now, grinning every so often, and it’s this newly found optimism that rubs off on the crowd who, in turn, seem VERY content. Axl even starts to joke around. No, really. New song “IRS” sounds great and then, as Sebastian Bach comes onstage to trade lines with Axl on a powerful 2-man rendition of “My Michelle”, you can see the glee in their faces as the attempt to shout each other down. The performance of this song has already gone down in the rock n roll history books.

And then a surprise: original rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin joins the band for rousing renditions of “I Used To Love Her” and a touching “Patience”. A 4-guitarist rock out on “Nightrain” is joyously dispensed and then the band leave the stage but the crowd ain’t fooled, and they’re certainly not going anywhere: the thunderous applause ushers the band back. As the opening chords of “Rocket Queen” smoothly reverberate around, Axl has a confession: “I don’t want to leave, I’m having fun now. And that’s different to how I felt an hour ago”. The refrain of “If you need a shoulder / Or if you need a friend / I'll be here standing / Until the bitter end” seems disarmingly honest in spite of the present circumstances. Another goddamn guitar solo threatens to give the whole bands performance an anti-climactic feel. Why must guitarists try to PROVE that they can play their guitar? We know they can, why would they be onstage otherwise?! Then a stupendous “Paradise City”, with fireworks and confetti, manages to avert a mild crisis.

Throughout the entire set, Axl has run around like a hellcat (and a 44 year old hellcat at that), without seeming out of breath or tired – not unlike that horrible 2002 MTV VMA’s performance. Negative comments about a “hollow shell of a washed up band” fall on deaf ears tonight, as a cheery Axl wishes us a “Good fucking night! And we do hope to see you again soon” and the dis-believers, if not entirely impressed, are at least keeping quiet for the time being. Guns N’ Roses, like any other huge band, are an easy target with numerous critics but, even when it looked like they could just walk off, thereby derailing their show and taking the easy way out, they deserve credit for totally turning the show around and rescuing the headline spot most admirably. In fact, if Metallica raised the bar last night with their performance, then Gn’R not only met that level, but are probably in said bar, rowdily drinking away the rest of their night.
By J. M. Ross.

Happy July 4th!!

Kingblind will return to our regular postings on July 5th. Until then enjoy our selection of 4th of July mp3's

The Clash:: Know your rights

Aimee Mann:: 4th Of July

Pete Seegar:: If I had a hammer

7 Seconds:: *uck Your Amerika

Galen - 4th Of July

About the 4th of July CLICK TO READ
In the United States, Independence Day, also called the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on 4 July 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Independence Day is commonly associated with parades, barbecues, picnics, baseball games, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the U.S. Fireworks have been associated with the Fourth of July since 1777.

Sonic Youth performs Incinerate from Rather Ripped on David Letterman