SUPERCHUNK- "HYPER ENOUGH" (Legal MP3 Download)

From Chapel Hill's finest.. Here is some classic Superchunk.. Enjoy CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Trouble in Mouse Land

Roy Disney has resigned from the Disney Board of Directors, and has sent a scathing email to Michael Eisner explaining, in exorciating detail, exactly why he's leaving the company his uncle founded.
1. The failure to bring back ABC Prime Time from the ratings abyss it has been in for years and your inability to program successfully the ABC Family Channel. Both of these failures have had, and I believe will continue to have, significant adverse impact on shareholder value.

2. Your consistent micro-management of everyone around you with the resulting loss of morale throughout the Company.

3. The timidity of your investments in our theme park business. At Disney's California Adventure, Paris and now in Hong Kong, you have tried to build parks "on the cheap" and they show it and the attendance figures reflect it. Link to letter
**
from boing boing

The Mummies- "Death By Unga Bunga!!" (Album Review)

The deadest garage band around couldn't fit into today's trendy garage-rock scene if they wanted to. Self-proclaimed kings of budget rock The Mummies rose straight from the tombs of '50s rock and '60s garage, bringing along dirty, vintage instruments, muffled recording, and stripped-down, snarling energy. The Mummies, who came to life in 1988, may be dead (they returned to their graves in '92, but were briefly resurrected in '93 and again in '94 for European tours), but they left a priceless treasure behind, and it's a gloriously fucked-up one at that. The Mummies, a quartet comprising lead singer/organist Trent Ruane (formerly of Untamed Youth and the Phantom Surfers), drummer Russel Quan (who played with the Phantom Surfers, Count Backwards and The Bobbyteens), guitarist Larry Winther and bassist Maz Kattuah (current Phantom Surfers drummer), first rose from the dead in 1988 with an affinity for mocking '60s fashion-driven garage and a diehard drive for catching the dirtiest, most lo-fi sound around. Their debut LP, Never Been Caught , was released on vinyl by Telstar Records in 1992; Telstar released it on CD for the first time in 2002. The re-release included that album's original 17 tracks plus an additional five, including a cover of The Beatles' "I'm Down." Shocking the underworld for a second time, the band opted again to put out a — gasp — CD this year, making many of their hard-to-find or out-of-print singles available on one handy CD. The new CD, called Death by Unga Bunga!! , acts as a sort of Mummies best-of collection, drawing from a variety of '45s and EPs, including their entire Planet of the Apes EP, the B-side, "Your Lover," to the 1992 single Stronger Than Dirt, and "Uncle Willie" from the 1994 Norton Records compilation Turban Renewal: A Tribute to Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs , bringing the reissue to a total of 22 raw, sloppy boom-shake-boom songs. Death is so thoroughly inspired by early '60s garage (with small doses of surf and rockabilly), it'd be easy to mistake the record for a gem from the past (and I'm talking long before '92). The infectious, upbeat "Food, Sickles & Girls" is what they want, what they want, yeah, yeah, yeah, while "Your Love" is what they need "to kiss you and hold you tight." The latter tips its hat to Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band with its driving, pared-down rhythm. The thrashing, threatening "I'm Gonna Kill My Baby Tonight" reveals a rebellious punk influence, while the raw (well, they're all raw) "(I Should Better Be Lookin' for) Dangerman," exhibits a blues one. Led by ultra distorted vocals, "That's Mighty Childish" swaggers and thrusts, the dark, fuzz-drenched "(You Must Fight to Live) On the Planet of the Apes" pokes fun with a straight face, and "Babba Diddy Baby" features Chuck Berry-like licks, pained screams and the beat, the beat, the beat. The Mummies kill it, kill it dead, and it's glorious.

Kingblind’s top fifteen albums of 2003

1) Happy Songs for Happy People
Mogwai
Adventurous Scot rockers Mogwai may never shake reputation for creating brutal music, but Happy Songs for Happy People demonstrates that they can do more than render the aural equivalent of being sucked out a spaceship airlock. Until now, Stuart Braithwaite had taken on the role of Mogwai's bandleader by proxy, his tumultuous guitar playing serving as the outfit's hallmark. Now, however, multi-instrumentalist Barry Burns has stepped to the fore--albeit, with much more restraint--crooning effects-heavy vocals on "Hunted By a Freak" and teasing out a meditative piano line on the ghostly "I Know You Are But What Am I?" Indeed, more than any other Mogwai work, this album aims to create sheer bliss. Even the amp-busting crescendo of "Ratts of the Capital" matches its dark-metal pomp with chiming orchestra bells and starburst lead-guitar lines. No sudden banjo interludes or guest vocals jar with the album's slow passage toward its conclusion. Mogwai sound is lush and powerful. And our pick for the top of the list.

2) These Are Good Times
The High Strung
This one came out of left field folks.. A total late arrival to Kingblind, But my god what a record. Originally from Brooklyn NY now transplanted to the motor city their sound is that of nervous agitated melodies that make you stomp your feet and shake your fist in the air this the kind of record that makes people form bands and play music in the first place. Truly brilliant rock.

3) Electric Version
The New Pornographers
The New Pornographers' debut album was the stuff of legend, a near-perfect collection of catchy songs filled with lush sonics, anthemic sing-alongs, and retro pop hooks. Seemingly out of nowhere, the band--featuring Zumpano's Carl Newman, Destroyer's Dan Bejar, and alt-country goddess Neko Case --forged a power pop masterpiece. Electric Version is, thankfully, not all that different. For its 45 minutes, the album never eases up on its great influences; you're treated to a baker's dozen of memorable tunes that harken to prog-rock, New Wave, and the British Invasion. The lyrics are goofy, the production fills your stereo (like the best, most upbeat tracks by Wilco or the Flaming Lips ), and the alternating vocalists keep things fresh. The songs only get better as the album progresses; "Chump Change," "Ballad of a Comeback Kid,"and "July Jones" are three that standout. Somehow this indie supergroup is making classic rock ... today

4) Dangerous Magical Noise
The Dirtbombs
I had my worries that the Dirtbombs couldn't possibley follow up their classic "Ultraglide In Black" album, but my fears were washed away upon my first spin of "Dangerous Magical Noise". Where the last album was all covers of old soul songs this baby is originals, yet all the soul and passion is still in place. At times this album rocks harder than the last and has more of a Detroit rock style bombast (i.e. Stooges, MC5 style) and at times it recalls 70's glam rock ("Motor City Baby" is a real nod to T.Rex). Mick Collins proves once again that he has one of the most golden throats in all of rock music yet again too...I could listen to this guy sing the phone book. I love this band and I love this album

5) Elephant
The White Stripes
Jokingly referred to as the White Stripes' British album, Elephant is scattered with cultural references that give away the fact it was recorded far from home. Just listen to the lyrics on "Seven Nation Army" ("From the Queen of England to the hounds of Hell") or the album outro, in which someone chips in, "Jolly good, cup of tea?" But while there are new twists here, from Meg White discovering her voice to a tongue-in-cheek threesome with Holly Golightly, Elephant is no great departure for Jack and Meg White. They still push their creativity (and the boundaries of their eight-track) to new heights. Check out the startling, Queen -inspired "There's No Home for You Here," while the deep bass line on "Seven Nation Army" makes it a classic indie dance track. But while some songs fly off into new realms, there's plenty of their trademark straight-up bluesy rock, notably the overtly sexual "Ball and Biscuit." And there's Jack's plaintive, resolutely modest and yet theatrical voice. Just great stuff

6) All Your Summer Songs
Saturday Looks Good To Me
The new album "All Your Summer Songs" is a venture even deeper into Saturday Looks Good To Me's unique and mysterious sound. Thirteen songs blend deft songwriting and remarkable production, exploding in bouncy fits of reverb and sunshine reminiscent of the happiest Motown singles or Beach Boys moments, and perfectly paced with heartbreakingly sad songs that shake and shimmer like miniature symphonies playing somewhere in the distance. A huge cast of friends and musicians lent their talents to the making of this album, including guest vocalists like Ted Leo, Tara Jane O'Neil, Jessica Bailiff, members of Ida, Secret Stars, His Name Is Alive and others. The end result is a classic pop record. The rare type of music that inspires immediate intrigue and spontaneous dance parties, staying on repeat and stuck in your head for months at a time.

7) Fever To Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Well before the release of this solid but slender debut, the Brooklyn-based Yeah Yeah Yeahs were the subject of so much international press hype that the White Stripes were probably taking quick, nervous peeks over their shoulders. Fever to Tell captures a lot of what’s good about the trio--mostly the caterwauling energy of their club shows and the suitably raw trash-can thump of the band. Great stuff and sooo much fun.

8) Youth & Young Manhood
Kings of Leon
Already tagged with the unfortunate critical label of "southern-fried Strokes ," the full-length debut by the brothers Followill (Nathan, Jared, Caleb) and cousin (Matthew Followill) may well have its roots in their itinerant evangelist father Leon blasting his sons with relentless doses of ‘70s rock as they traveled the South from one preaching gig to the next. But the way the Kings channel sources as disparate as Led Zeppelin 's "That's the Way" into "Joe's Head" or the Who 's "Circles" into their ""Molly's Chambers" seems almost subconscious; after a decade of bands trying to reinvent the rock wheel, it's refreshing to hear one content to gleefully pry it loose and send it spinning in their own peculiar directions. The Strokes wish they could make an album this good.

9) Chutes Too Narrow
The Shins
The Shins' sophomore album is a joy from start to finish, though it's rather different from their 2001 leftfield pop genius stunner Oh, Inverted World . That album was like a warm embrace from a long-lost pal. True to its title, all of the songs were of a piece, seeming to inhabit one landscape, with an invitingly similar sound throughout. Chutes is more far-reaching and decidedly eclectic. Each song is essentially its own genre exercise. There's singer-songwriter James Mercer's surprisingly Perry Farrell -ish wail on the almost indie-metal opener, "Kissing the Lipless"; the lovely pedal steel lilt to "Gone for Good"; the moody folktronica of "Those to Come"; and the Cars -gone-rockabilly riffing on "Turn a Square." The strongest song, the acoustic "Young Pilgrims," is stripped-down and brilliant. On every tune, Mercer packs more hooks and melodic invention than most bands do on one album. As a whole, it's an even better record than Inverted World .

10) It Still Moves
My Morning Jacket
I heard so much buzz about MMJ that I had to listen to this. Usually, I don't trudge into the record shop and listen free to the CD with headphones, but on this one I did and within seconds I was sucked into the wonderful sound of this band. There are comparisons to everyone under the sun, but MMJ reminds me of vintage Allman Brothers circa 1970/71, hitch-hiking on desolate country roads with a backpack. This album is real Americana roots and is wonderful to hear again. It isn't as commerical as Lynyrd Skynyrd in their heyday, but it is something more deep, dreamy and creamy. Relish the 74 minutes of bliss!

11) Sea & The Rhythm
Iron & Wine
This twenty-minute EP is a five-song companion piece to Sam Beam aka Iron & Wine’s exceptional 2002 debut, The Creek Drank the Cradle . Culled from sessions in Sam’s Florida house between 1999 and 2002, everything that made that left-field album of often beautiful and sometimes strange folk music is here. There’s Beam’s deft banjo and slide guitar playing, his hushed and lovely but somehow very intense vocals, and those wonderful cryptic Southern Gothic lyrics. The words are sung clearly and they’re worth chewing over; infused with religious overtones and muted irony, they’re never corny and invite multiple interpretations. A highlight is the audience favorite "Jesus the Mexican Boy," one of his most beautiful and touching songs to date. PS: Your copy did not get water-damaged; like the intentionally lo-fidelity recording sound, it’s supposed to look like that!

12) Decline of British Sea Power
British Sea Power
British Sea Power have the talent and vision to be a truly inspirational new guitar band. Whether they hone their craft well enough to make a significant enough leap in their future endeavors remains to be seen, but as of right now they have injected the British indie scene with real vigor and purpose. This record is super cool stuff, with nods to Bowie, The Pixies and The Birthday Party throughout

13) De-Loused in the Comatorium
Mars Volta
De-loused in the Comatorium was inspired by the life of Julio Venegas, a childhood friend of some of the members in the band. Venegas, an artist in the El Paso region, slipped into a coma for a week after a drug overdose, and experienced a series of dreams, and battles between the good and bad aspects of the human conscience. He emerged from the coma in the end, but ultimately decided to take his own life. De-loused in the Comatorium narrates the internal struggle of Venegas, his addiction, his fearlessness and his thoughts while comatose until his life came to self-inflicted end. Yet the lyrics are very abstract, which probably represent the psychological and subconscious battle. Yet abstractions have been constant with Cedric Bixler ever since his days fronting At The Drive-In. Musically, however, Comatorium is eclectic, bizarre, bewildering, and mesmerizing. Comparisons to art rock legends Rush are frequent, yet this is a lot more intense and complex than anything ever put out by Rush. Yes, Bixler's vocals are high-pitched, like Rush frontman/bassist Geddy Lee's, yet they are a lot more hostile and urgent. The guitars aren't also as carefully composed as those of Rush, and the drumming isn't nearly as multifaceted or virtuosic. However, the songs on Comatorium are long, sprawling and interesting, usually going through several phases before its conclusion. This is a throwback to progressive rock. It is indulgent, ambitious and bombastic, much like prog-rock bands that have come and gone in the past, but yet The Mars Volta always keeps the music exciting. They also have a sense of direction on where the music needs to go, something a band like Rush was very good, at as opposed to past albums by Yes or Dream Theater, which insisted on the band members aimlessly noodling or overexploiting their musical talents. The band members started out playing in bands where raw emotion was the fundamental constituent of the songs they created, and did not rely on classically trained instrumentation. In fact, most of this album sounds like ATDI with longer songs with elements of old Santana, Pink Floyd's Meddle and Miles Davis circa 1969. De-loused in a Comatorium is not an album; it's an encounter. It reflects a tragedy so musically and so abrasively. It is not mainstream in the slightest, so don't expect a 12-minute jamfest like "Cicatriz ESP," or even a short 4 minute song like "Inertiatic ESP" to come on the radio anytime soon. It's full of enigmas, questions, emotions and reflections. Whether the Mars Volta is your style of music or not, De-loused in the Comatorium is probably the most interesting and uncompromising album released this year.

14) New Romance
Pretty Girls Make Graves
The New Romance is immediately impressive and gratifying, each subsequent listen unearthing an increasing number of underlying subtleties. Each of Pretty Girls Make Graves' members have contributed 110% here, and their ambitious zeal, coupled with their remarkable technical depth, has made for a utterly breathtaking full-length. One could almost analyze The New Romance's many layers to the death, if the desire to air-guitar wasn't so damn distracting.

15) So Much for the City
The Thrills
Dublin 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. 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. Derivative? Maybe...but It Really Works...and Works 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.

AIR returns with new album and tour.

French duo Air has begun confirming dates for 2004, beginning with a nine-show run in the U.K. The trek kicks off Feb. 9 in Brighton and will wrap Feb. 19 in Southampton. Air's long-awaited new album, "Talkie Walkie," will be released Jan. 26 internationally and the following day in North America via Source/Astralwerks. A single, "Cherry Blossom Girl," arrives Jan. 12.
Here are Air's tour dates:
Feb. 9: Brighton, England (Brighton Dome)
Feb. 10: Birmingham, England (Academy)
Feb. 11: Nottingham, England (Rock City)
Feb. 13: Manchester, England (Apollo)
Feb. 14: Glasgow (Academy)
Feb. 15: Dublin (Olympia)
Feb. 17: Cambridge, England (Corn Exchange)
Feb. 18: London (Brixton Academy)
Feb. 19: Southampton, England (Guildhall)

The Buzzcocks Tour North America

Veteran U.K. rock act the Buzzcocks will kick off a North American club tour Friday (Nov. 28) in Chicago. The eight-date trek wraps Dec. 6 in Philadelphia, and is the group's first run of shows in the region since its stint opening for Pearl Jam this summer. Afterward, the Buzzcocks return to the U.K. for 11 more dates through Dec. 21 in Norwich. The group is touring in support of its self-titled Merge Records album, released in March. A new single, "Sick City Sometimes," is due Monday (Dec. 1) via Damaged Goods and at the shows, backed by the previously unreleased "Never Believe It" and a live version of "Paradise."

NYC Corner To Bear Ramone's Name

Joey Ramone's name will grace a street corner near the East Village club that the trailblazing Ramones helped turn into a punk rock destination. The corner of Second Street and Bowery near the legendary CBGBs will be christened "Joey Ramone Place" for the band's lead singer, who died of cancer in 2001 at 49. The Ramones, whose four members grew up in Queens, recorded their first album in 1976 and were known for songs including "I Wanna Be Sedated" and "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker." The ceremony to name the corner for Ramone, who was born Jeffrey Hyman, is scheduled for Sunday (Nov. 30)

The Worst Album Covers Of All Time

Too funny.. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THEM

Album Lennon signed for killer for sale

The album John Lennon autographed for his assassin just five hours before the former Beatle was killed went up for sale on Friday for $525,000. The copy of Lennon and wife Yoko Ono's "Double Fantasy," which sold for $460,000 four years ago, is being sold in part due to the recent frenzy of interest in Beatles memorabilia, according to the owner of the Web site selling the album. "Beatles memorabilia is at an all-time peak," said Gary Zimet, owner of http:/www.momentsintime.com. "For years, their material was grossly undervalued." Last week, Lennon's handwritten lyrics to the song "Nowhere Man" were sold at Christie's for $455,000 -- more than four times the expected price. According to the site, the album's cover and dust jacket contain the "forensically enhanced" fingerprints of Lennon's killer, Mark David Chapman. Chapman shot the pop star outside the Dakota apartment building, Lennon's Manhattan home, on December 8, 1980. The album was later found in a flower planter near the building and was used as evidence against Chapman.

The Ultimate Gadget

Would you like the same cell phone as Madonna or your favorite Hollywood star. Well Vertu is your company. They range from 5,500 to 20,000 dollars, And come with you own personal concierge service, Gold or platinum finishes and much more. CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE

TRS-80- "Time Leverage" (Legal MP3 Download)

TRS-80 are a Chicago-based trio who mix up live drums, samples, and an array of vintage analog circuitry to create pulsing hypnotic sound collages. Their unique sound explores the boundaries of today's electronic underground, while delivering head-bobbing grooves that keep the listener entranced.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Dead Meadow - "Shivering King and Others" (Legal MP3 Download)

Washington DC's Dead Meadow makes some of the heaviest rock you'll find, but they mix the brutality with an enchanted beauty the likes of which you've never heard before.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Olivelawn- "HATE" (Legal MP3 Download)

From the skate parks and suburban malls of early '90s San Diego, this ferocious foursome comes screaming with a window-shattering blend of sarcastic, grungy punk rock.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

The Quadrajets- "All My Rowdy Friends are Dead" (Legal MP3 Download)

These Southern trash rockers deliver the goods with a vicious guitar-driven attack laced with Old Crow and Louisiana hot sauce. They'll get you twisted in knots trying to keep up, and once they're done you'll be quivering for more.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Joe Strummer- "Redemption song" (Music Video)

New video from the late Joe Strummer.. Enjoy.. CLICK HERE TO VIEW IT Requires REAL

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

FROM YOUR PALS AT KINGBLIND.COM
HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE !!!!

The British are coming !

When I was on tour and we played Boston.. You won’t believe what I saw.. A London black cab. Well.. It was painted yellow. But hell.. They are in the states.. TOO COOL. CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT

DRIVING BY THE UK!

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS will be heading out on a tour of the UK at the end of this month, kicking off at the MANCHESTER ACADEMY 3 on November 30. The country rockers, who released their latest album 'Decoration Day' last month (October 6) will be appearing at a handful of dates across the country including two nights at London's Borderline on December 3-4. The band first hit the road in 1998 and played over 400 shows in two and a half years while recording and releasing three independent albums. Their gruelling touring schedule didn't let up either after releasing their fourth album 'Southern Rock Opera' in 2001, as the band then played over 250 shows in 14 months.
Drive-By Truckers will be playing at:
Manchester Academy 3 (November 30)
Glasgow King Tuts Wah Wah Hut (December 2)
London The Borderline (3-4)
Sheffield The Fez Club (5)

Lost Roky Sessions Released: New collection sheds light on rocker's bizarre legacy

Roky Erickson's reputation as a mad musical genius is both well documented and well deserved. Beginning with his stint fronting psychedelic pioneers the 13th Floor Elevators in the late Sixties, all the way through his post-mental institution, sci-fi-themed solo albums of the Eighties, Erickson created a body of work that's as inscrutable as it is brilliant. But a new collection of previously unreleased rehearsal recordings, Don't Knock the Rok! , helps shed light on the troubled Texan's bizarre career. The demos were made in 1978 while Erickson and his band the Aliens were preparing to record The Evil One with Credence Clearwater bassist Stu Cook. The new twenty-three-song set, culled from the archives of Roky's one-time manager and producer Craig Luckin, features a spate of early rock and doo-wop covers from the 1950s -- from Bobby Vee and Dion and the Belmonts to Buddy Holly and Elvis -- as well as a smattering of tuneful-but-twisted originals in the same vein as the material Erickson eventually laid down on The Evil One The demos were made by Luckin, who always had tape rolling while Roky and the band -- guitarist Duane Aslaksen, electric autoharpist Billy Miller, bassist Steven Morgan Burgess (now deceased) and drummer John "Fuzzy Furioso" Oxendine -- rehearsed at Cosmo's Factory in Berkley, California. Never intended for release, the recordings were originally made to help in the development of new material. And the oldies covers were simply something the band did at the beginning of practices to set the tone for the rest of the session. "It was Roky's idea to use the oldies as a warm-up thing," explains Luckin. "They didn't do it every day -- it tended to be once a week he wanted to do oldies as a way to get everybody warmed up and in a good mood." Judging by the performances, Erickson was generally the only one who really knew the songs, leading the stumbling Aliens through a host of tunes that were clearly dear to him. His bluesy howl is frequently all that's in the proper key, faltering only when he struggles to remember a lyric or work out a chord progression. Behind him, the rest of the band just muddles through. "These were one-time-only performances of songs we never played before," explains Miller, the former Alien who today goes by the name Billy Angel and plays in the Roky-influenced Blood Drained Cows with former Angry Samoans vocalist/guitarist Gregg Turner. "These were done for recreation with no intention of ever playing them again, much less recording them for release." The seven original tracks included on Don't Knock the Rok! are also quite rough, but some, in more polished form, have previously been issued on other releases, most of which are currently out of print. "You Drive Me Crazy" and "Can't Bring Me Down" appeared on the group's second album, Don't Slander Me (1986). According to Luckin, that set will soon be re-released by Ryko. Of the originals, only "Heartstrings" and "Untitled," which are more like ideas for songs than actual songs, have not been issued elsewhere. The process of assembling Don't Knock the Rok! began three years ago when Luckin and producer Karl Derfler patched together a five-song demo to send around to labels, and a copy found its way to Norton Records' Billy Miller (no relation to the Aliens' autoharpist of the same name). A huge fan of the oldies that Erickson was covering on the tape, Miller agreed release a selection of the rehearsal tracks if enough could be put together for a full-length album. Miller, along with his mastering engineer, Howard Rappaport, even ended up doing some of the editing and patching together of different tapes. "His vision was what made this come to be," says Luckin of Miller. "It wasn't something that I ever marketed." Luckin has more material in his archives that he hopes will soon see the light of day. He's recently been discussing with Roky and his brother (and legal guardian) Sumner Erickson the possibility of releasing acoustic material Roky recorded with onetime Sir Douglas Quintet guitarist John Reed in the Seventies. Luckin also says that a best-of collection by Roky Erickson and the Explosives (Roky's Austin-based post-Aliens group) will be out sometime in 2004. More information about Roky Erickson is available at rokyerickson.net. The Don't Knock the Rok! track listing:
A Teenager in Love
Angel Baby
You Drive Me Crazy
Stand By Me
Heartstrings
Untitled
What to Do
You're the One
Bashful Bob
One Last Kiss
Take Good Care of My Baby
Things That Go Bump in the Night
Wake Up to Rock and Roll
Can't Be Brought Down
Money Honey
You're the One
Love Is Strange
True Love Ways
You're the One
Our First Kiss
Heartbreak Hotel
Bumble Bee Zombie
Hushabye

Azure Ray- "Hold On Love" (Legal MP3 Download)

If you waited all night for the sunrise only to be thwarted with a sweet and warm summer rain at dawn, your simultaneous sense of serenity and despair would be much like listening to this graceful female duet. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

SEND THEM BACK!!

We knew stealing that music was wrong . Stealing is never OK. But, it was just too easy. So we told ourselves we were just "sharing" the music, because everyone knows that sharing is a good thing. But then we learned what we were really doing. We heard our favorite recording artists telling us that our "sharing" is really shoplifting and piracy. We were stealing from the musicians and singers we love! That was when we looked at each other and said: "No more! It's time to make it right by giving back what we stole!" And that's just what we did! We sent back all the MP3's we'd illegally downloaded. Everyone one of them! Won't you join us in sending them back? Send them back! Right back to the Recording Industry of America Association, the industry association that helps our favorite artists keep on making the music we love. Send them back! We did...and we feel great! It's Easy! Here's How!! CLICK HERE.. You'll feel much better

IBM Glass Engine -

Enables deep navigation of the music of Philip Glass. Personal interests, associations, and impulses guide the listener through an expanding selection of over sixty Glass works. CLICK HERE TO BEGIN

JACK OF ALL TRADES

JACK WHITE is to contribute five tracks to the ’COLD MOUNTAIN’ film soundtrack, including two new songs ’NEVER FAR AWAY’ and ’CHRISTMAS TIME WILL SOON BE OVER’ .The White Stripes guitarist will also play the traditional ‘Wayfaring Stranger’, ‘Great High Mountain’ and a cover of legendary bluesman Howlin’ Wolf’s ‘Sittin’ On Top Of The World’ on the compilation. As well as appearing on the soundtrack, White has a small role in the film as an itinerant singer and musician. ‘Cold Mountain’ – a Civil War -era drama and adaptation of Charles Frazier ’s book - is set to open on December 25 in the US and stars Jude Law, Nicole Kidman and Renee Zellweger As reported the album, released in North America on December 16, will also feature songs from bluegrass artist Alison Krauss and pianist Gabriel Yared.
The tracklisting for ‘Cold Mountain’ is:
Jack White ‘Wayfaring Stranger’
Reeltime Travelers ’Like a Songbird That Has Fallen’
Tim Eriksen, Riley Baugus & Tim O'Brien ’I Wish My Baby Was Born’
Alison Krauss ’The Scarlet Tide’
Tim Eriksen & Riley Baugus ’The Cuckoo’
Jack White ’Sittin' on Top of the World’
Tim Eriksen ’Am I Born To Die?’
Alison Krauss ’You Will Be My Ain True Love’
Sacred Harp Singers at Liberty Church ’I'm Going Home’
Jack White ’Never Far Away’
Jack White ’Christmas Time Will Soon Be Over’
Stuart Duncan & Dirk Powell ’Ruby With the Eyes That Sparkle’
Cassie Franklin ’Lady Margaret’
Jack White ’Great High Mountain’
Gabriel Yared ’Anthem’
Gabriel Yared ‘Ada Plays’
Gabriel Yared ’Ada and Inman’
Gabriel Yared ’Love Theme’
Sacred Harp Singers at Liberty Church ’Idumea’

Low "Misfits Show" (Legal MP3 Download)

31 October 1998, Spaceland, Los Angeles, Ca.. Low performed "Words", "Turn", and "Over the Ocean" in the style of the Misfits. This file is 5.1 M (5:30) and includes all three songs (128kbps, 48kHz). CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

KINDERCORE RECORDS FOUNDERS FILE SUIT AGAINST THE TELEGRAPH COMPANY, I.D.E.A. INC.

Kindercore Records founders Daniel Geller and Ryan Lewis today filed a lawsuit against I.D.E.A. (International Development of Entertainment Alliances), also known as The Telegraph Company, Kindercore General Manager Jerod Gunsberg and I.D.E.A. CEO Stanley Hartman for breach of contract, slander, libel, and a host of other infractions. A strategic partnership formed in 2001 between the Kindercore label and Telegraph was intended to strengthen the label's administration and further the aesthetic and ideals that Geller and Lewis had established. The partnership quickly devolved over the 18 months that the relationship existed, culminating in the recent announcement that Kindercore was folding.Geller states, We were as surprised as anyone on November 12th to learn that Kindercore would be closing. We were also surprised on November 14th to find out the label was not closed and would now be run by Stan Hartman who had previously stated to us that he wanted nothing to do with the creative side of running a record label. In the beginning, Geller and Lewis expected that their partnership with Telegraph would allow them to continue guiding the artistic direction of Kindercore while also allowing more time for them to work on their own music. Geller and Lewis perform in bands on the Kindercore label - I Am The World Trade Center and The Agenda respectively. Lewis says, We're artists at heart and have always been about the music. We saw this partnership as a chance to keep the label going in the same artistic direction that we had established and to also uphold our commitments to our artists. Instead, after the agreements were signed, Geller and Lewis began to see their roles at the label rapidly diminish, a situation that came to a head when Kindercore signed two bands that Geller and Lewis had passed on (in one case) and had never even heard (in the other). Compounding this lack of control over their own company, Geller and Lewis‚ own bands were then dropped from the label, a curious move considering that I Am The World Trade Center is the second biggest selling act on Kindercore. Since being in bands on the roster was essentially the last real connection we had with the label we started, we had no other choice but to await further news on the future of Kindercore, Geller says. At this point, we're very concerned for the bands that are still associated with Kindercore. Lewis elaborates, stating that he and Geller are doing everything we can to bring a quick resolution to this situation. Bringing this legal action was the last thing we wanted to do, but we felt it was the only thing we could do to help the friends and artists who had faith in us when we entered into this arrangement with Telegraph. Quinn Heraty, of the law firm Heraty Hall, is representing the plaintiffs. A legal fund has been established to help offset the tremendous costs associated with furthering this action. Please click here to contribute: Legal inquiries can be directed to kindercore@heratyhall.com or by phone to 212-979-3728. Press inquiries can be directed to Joshua Bloom at Fanatic Promotion, LLC. 212-616-5556 | josh@fanaticpromotion.com | www.fanaticpromotion.com Thanks for visiting and taking the time to learn more about our situation. As you know, pursuing a lawsuit is a costly proposition and we can use any and all help that fans of Kindercore and music in general can provide. Please know that we intend to use any positive outcome from this case to help benefit the artists and friends of Kindercore. We started this label with the goal of putting out great music and helping our friends get heard. It has been a long journey and until control recently fell out of our hands, Kindercore always operated with this goal in mind. Certain events in the last 18 months have led to a rapid change in the artistic and business direction of Kindercore records. Our alliance with Telegraph/I.D.E.A. started with good intentions, but as the relationship progressed we realized that our vision for the label was being compromised. Our involvement in the label slowly diminished as our new partners took control of the creative direction of the label after already assuming control of business operations. Kindercore as it exists today no longer has anything to do with the ideals we started with in 1996. We feel our guidance and care and the contributions of our friends and colleagues gave the label a heart and soul that provided something really special in a business driven by sales and marketing. We hope our fight reopens the door that was recently closed and allows us to continue to work with artists we love in bringing our unique contribution to the indie world. Our lawsuit against The Telegraph Company and I.D.E.A. Inc. is a very expensive endeavor. In order to keep the fight going, we will need all the help we can get. We will be organizing benefits in the near future. Anyone interested in helping with a benefit in their town or bands that would like to help out by playing a benefit can contact us at kindercore@heratyhall.com. Any donations, no matter how small, are extremely appreciated.

The Album covers that never were.

Imagine thumbing through CDs at your local music store and not recognizing anything you see. The titles are identifiable, but the familiar album covers have been replaced with completely different artwork. That's the unique idea behind this project conceived by music archivist Michael Ochs and graphic designer Craig Butler, who hope to take "album cover art to a whole new level." Ochs and Butler approached 100 established graphic and fine artists and asked them to create "the definitive album cover of their favorite recording artist." The inspired offerings will no doubt rock your world. The creativity flows with James Brown hangin' ten, Elvis Presley in Russia, and Johnny Cash the subject of a shrine. Many of the works in this exhibition can currently be seen at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, but keep an eye out for the nationwide traveling exhibit starting next year. CLICK HERE TO VIEW SITE

KRAFTWERK TOURS

German electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk have confirmed a rare tour of the U.K. and Ireland, beginning March 15 at the Dublin Olympia Theatre. The five-date visit will conclude at the Brixton Academy in London on March 20. These shows will be the group's first in the region since 1997, and its first tour overall since 1991. The first tour date will coincide with the release of new single "Aero Dynamik," through EMI. The label says the single will be a different version than the one that appears on Kraftwerk's latest album, "Tour de France Soundtracks," and will be accompanied by a selection of remixes.

RHCP guitarist coming out with new sold album

Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante will release a new solo album, "Shadows Collide With People," Feb. 25 via Warner Bros. The set features guest appearances from bandmates Flea and Chad Smith, as well as the Bicycle Thief's Josh Klinghoffer. It will be the follow-up to 2001's "To Record Only Water for Ten Days," Frusciante also contributed five songs to the soundtrack for Vincent Gallo's controversial film "The Brown Bunny." The album will be released only in Japan this week.

Senators go after P2P

Six U.S. senators have written to executives of peer-to-peer networks, calling on them to protect copyrights and cease their role in the distribution of pornography, The letter -- sent Friday to executives of Grokster, Bearshare, eDonkey2000, Blubster, LimeWire and Streamcast Networks -- says the companies "have a legal and moral obligation to conform to copyright laws and to end the pornographic trade over these networks." It calls for sites to incorporate "effective copyright and pornography filters" and post clear warnings to consumers about the legal risks of using P2P software. It also asks P2P companies to change the "sharing" default setting of their software. "The only way to avoid being a forced distributor, and thereby avoid being subject to a copyright-infringement lawsuit for 'sharing,' is to change the default settings," the missive states. The letter is signed by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.); Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.); Gordon Smith (R-Ore.); Dick Durbin (D-Ill.); Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.); and John Cornyn (R-Texas).

SPREE OF GOODWILL

THE POLYPHONIC SPREE capped off an evening of thank you’s to LA’s independent radio station KCRW with a triumphant gig on Saturday night (November 22). The Texas ensemble headlined the listener supported National Public Radio station’s fund raising event, ‘A Sounds Eclectic’ evening, at LA's Universal Amphitheatre, atop a bill that included Damien Rice, Beck, Liz Phair and Jurassic 5 The Polyphonic Spree ’s frontman Tim DeLaughter told KINGBLIND.COM his band came to perform tracks off their album ’The Beginning Stages Of...’ due to KCRW’s longtime supporting their music. "This radio station was responsible for exposing our band. It was the very first station in America to play the The Polyphonic Spree ," he said. "It’s been a big huge help for us trying to get started over here. This is our way of saying thank you very much." Damien Rice, during his performance (which received a standing ovation) also praised the station, which he too credited for debuting his music to an American audience. In between renditions of ’Cannonball’ ’, ’The Blower’s Daughter’ and ’Cold Water’ he gave praise to the listeners. "Thank you to everyone that supports KCRW. It’s a fucking amazing station and we wouldn’t be here touring the States if it wasn’t for them." Earlier in the evening Beck played a short acoustic set which included ’Nobody’s Fault But My Own’ and a ’Where It’s At’ meets Nelly’s ‘Hot in Herre’ mix. He also paid a brief tribute to tragic troubadour Elliott Smith, who committed suicide last month. The evening closed with an aftershow party featuring Cut Chemist of Jurassic 5 and Felix Da Housecat.

Won't you be my friendster.

Attention.. Friendster is like crack.. God I can't stop.. Thanks Ashley and Michael..

When he's not playing with Portastatic, Matt McCaughan (Mac's little brother) drums in a Michael Jackson tribute band.

"Who's Bad seeks to recreate the sound and energy that is Michael Jackson's music. By merging the traditional rock rhythm section of bass, drums, and guitar with keyboard, horns, and vocals, Who's Bad performs hits from the beginnings of Michael Jackson's stardom to the present, while preserving the integrity of his music. Because our repertoire spans all decades of Michael Jackson's music, Who's Bad is the perfect musical solution to any of your partying needs."
WEBSITE

Sonic Youth-"Silver Rocket" (Legal MP3 Download)

How about some nice rare Sonic Youth.. Here is a demo of SILVER ROCKET.. Enjoy
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

KINGBLIND RECOMMENDS:

Here is what's on Kingblind's stereo this week:
The High Strung: These are good times-- The Shins: Chutes too Narrow-- British Sea Power: The Decline of BSP-- The Thrills: So Much for the city-- My Morning Jacket: It Still Moves

Harrison’s 1st guitar gets $469,200

George Harrison’s first guitar — “a real cheapo” his parents gave him — has sold at auction for more than $469,200. THE GUITAR WAS part of an annual Beatles sale by music memorabilia firm Cooper Owen, conducted Thursday at the Hard Rock Cafe in London. Bids were taken at the cafe, by phone and on the Internet. Harrison’s father spent about $5.95 for the Dutch-made Egmond guitar. In The Beatles Anthology book, Harrison described it as “a real cheapo, horrible little guitar but it was OK at the time.” Another guitar, which Harrison gave to his late friend Spike Milligan of The Goons, sold for about $25,500. Auction items also included autographed photos, a contract to play a club show and a corduroy coat that John Lennon once wore.

The Shins- "So I say" (Music Video)

New video from The Shins. From their excellent new record "Chutes too Narrow" CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO Requires Quicktime

PINBACK- "Lyon" (Legal MP3 Download)

While a rotating cast of instrumentalists find loose assembly under the Pinback name, the partnership of Armistead Burwell Smith IV and Rob Crow is at the heart of the some of the most complex, postmodern indie pop happening on the West Coast. In the first few days of 1998, Armistead Burwell Smith IV (of San Diego-based 3 Mile Pilot ) and Robert Crow (of Thingy and Heavy Vegetable ) formed a part-time recording project under the name Pinback. The simple plan grew more involved while 3 Mile Pilot took an indefinite hiatus and Crow put a number of his musical projects on hold. Recording on Smith 's home computer, the duo enlisted 3 Mile Pilot drummer Tom Zinsor , and by the following August, Pinback had finished recording 14 songs of delicate, canonic pop that was tentatively slated for release on San Diego's Vinyl Communications. However, when interest in the band skyrocketed after a Tim/Ker label showcase at the North by Northwest Music Festival, the record got tied up in a bidding war that caused a slew of contractual problems and held the record in limbo for almost a full year. When they were eventually cleared from all former obligations, Pinback finally signed with New Jersey's Ace Fu Records, who released their eponymous debut in early 1999, almost a full year after it was recorded. With their long histories in West Coast indie circles and the marriage of the players' diverse musical backgrounds, Pinback scored immediate critical success. The Some Voices EP that followed the next year on Tree Records displayed a slightly more low-fi and elemental side of the band while building on the intelligently constructed songcraft of their eponymous debut. Blue Screen Life , the band's second studio effort, exuded something more musically pure from Pinback. Gone was the frilly rock nonesense. Instead, Pinback went for more of a melodic nature with classic indie flair. Absolutely Kosher released Offcell in June of 2003. Pinback continues to slowly push themselves a bit further with complex song structure, while maintaining their indie pop sensibilities. Look for a new full length in 2004 on Touch and Go. Here is a MP3 from their first full length. Enjoy.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD MP3

KINSKI "Newport" (Legal MP3 Download)

Building, pulsing rhythmic guitar clean psych rock. For fans of Mogwai, Tristeza, and Roy Montgomery alike. about: "While debating the merits of analog vs. digital recording in a Seattle pub, guitarist Chris Martin and bassist Lucy Atkinson were interrupted by the bartender, drummer Dave Weeks. He said, definitively, that analog was superior; thus Kinski came into being. This same spontaneity would come to define their multi-layered noise-rock, reminiscent of Sonic Youth at their most experimental. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD MP3

STARS HONOUR STRUMMER

The video for JOE STRUMMER’s second single from the posthumous ’STREETCORE’ was recorded on Sunday (November 16) in NEW YORK. The promo for ’Redemption Song’ focuses on the making of a mural of the late Clash singer. The spray-painted mural is on the wall of the East Village Bar, Niagara. The video features appearances from Rancid, actor Matt Dillon, Jesse Malin, and many more of Strummer’s New York friends. Archive footage of The Clash’s 1982 Shea Stadium shows, and footage of Strummer's last band The Mescaleros at London’s Brixton Academy, will also be used in the video. The double A-side single ’Redemption Song’ /’Arms Aloft ‘ is released on December 15.

Warp Records To Provide Entire Catalog For Download Via Bleep.com

Warp Records, the London-based left-field electronic record label and film company, will take music into uncharted territory as they become the first label to provide the world with their entire discography (old and new) as pay-per-track MP3 downloads. Now this seems like a step in the right direction (whatever that direction may be). The amusingly named Bleep.com, set to launch next month, will provide listeners with high quality MP3's and opts to be the quickest and most reliable source for Warp's occasionally hard-to-find releases. This idea borders on the same notion some parents have of letting their kids drink and smoke pot-- as long as they do it at home where they can be supervised. Of course, those parents don't sell their kids the booze and weed for 99 cents a crack either, so forget that analogy for a second. The site's truly revolutionary aspect remains the idea that the entire catalog will remain available, in part or in whole, indefinitely. This caters directly to the hearts and minds of file-sharing users who frequently seek rarities, out-of-print recordings, singles and b-sides through peer-to-peer trading networks. A service like Bleep.com eliminates the need for users to host rare files or spend hours scouring for the few rare songs they can't find or are only available in poor-quality or corrupted files. !!!, Anti-Pop Consortium, Aphex Twin, Autechre, Boards of Canada, Broadcast, Plaid, Prefuse 73, and Squarepusher are among the label mainstays whose entire Warp output will be available through the service, which is being designed by the estimable Designers Republic and Kleber (the same madmen responsible for the Warp site's distinct look and feel).

!!! reveal album details

California funk-punk err...yeah, !!! have revealed details about their forthcoming album. Following on the tails of the glass-ceiling smashing single Me and Giuliani Down By the School Yard (A True Story) and “self-titled” album, !!! are hoping to have a new album out by spring at the latest, and the tentative title Looking Down on Heaven has sprung from lips across the pond. While no further details have been announced, the band may be previewing new material when they have a brief... err, one night visit to London when the Mean Fiddler plays graceful host on the 3rd of December before they head off to France for their last live date of the year. The band have linked to some live video footage of themselves and the equally marvelous Out Hud on their site, but we can give it to you straight. cha cha. CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT A !!! MUSIC VIDEO

Kindercore Records says goodbye

Almost immediately after our reporting the impending demise of the Kindercore and Telegraph Company labels last week, the press was forwarded some very interesting correspondence indicating some kind of power struggle (and at the same time some kind of a meltdown) taking place at whatever remains of the Kindercore empire. Evidently some Kindercore bands were taken somewhat by surprise that their label might no longer be operational: indeed, one Kindercore band informed us that the first they heard of their label's extinction was when they read about it in this very organ. Others felt unable to comment on the situation due to their pending search for a new label, and still others had absolutely no clue what was going on. Whom you believe might depend to some extent on where your loyalties lie (or whether you actually care, which is not something we're taking for granted here): Our original story, linked below, was based on a statement regarding the labels' closure issued by Jerod Gunsburg, the New York-based label manager and spokesperson, and a correspondence with the press confirming the circumstances surrounding the closure. But on Friday, the press was forwarded a bizarre press release from one Stanley Hartman, the Kansas-based CEO of IDEA, which owns Kindercore and The Telegraph Company and handles their distribution. The somewhat comical rant presented a scenario in which Kindercore's phone bank was literally jammed with calls from well-wishers and distributors frantic to secure copies of Dressy Bessy and Maserati/Mercury Program discs. Uh-huh. Compounding the already shaky credibility of this document (a Word attachment titled "Press releasae.doc"), Hartman went on to claim that Kindercore is in fact "shipping record numbers" and that a Kindercore artist was recently booked on The Daily Show , which doesn't in fact book musical acts (we'll assume he meant the Carson Daly show, where Dressy Bessy was a recent guest). He then contradicted just about every point of Gunsburg's press release from the previous day: "[We] are expanding our distribution, and have some amazingly good new music in the works. We are also working all current releases... The last thing we were expecting was a press release conveying that we were ceasing operations completely." Curiously, several posts discussing the labels' closure on the official Kindercore forum-- including Gunsburg's eulogy for the label and best wishes for the now-homeless bands-- were deleted by forum moderators on Friday. This week, moderators deleted the entire Kindercore general discussion topic, which had been overrun with anonymous posters second-guessing the status of the label and bands and re-posting censored topics. Gunsburg had the following to say about this: "Any information that [IDEA] is now releasing about Kindercore still operating is in direct contradiction to what they informed the label staff... It saddens me that the artists are being dragged into this. This sort of palace intrigue is what you would expect from a major media conglomerate, not from an indie rock label that placed a premium on artist development." Finally, Hartman himself weighed in on the matter with us: "The label is active and running. We are not defunct." It seems that of all the bands that were on the Kindercore roster before this whole thing blew up, maybe three remain in Kindercore's good graces-- those being Japancakes, Paper Lions and Maserati, the latter two of whom are merely "talking about another release." Everybody else is toast, which is to say that Of Montreal, Dressy Bessy, Mercury Program, Jet By Day and Agenda are, in Hartman's verbiage, "not currently under contract for another record." Gersey, Palomar and I Am The World Trade Center, whose forthcoming albums formed the bulk of Kindercore's projected 2004 release schedule, are "not releasing their records [on Kindercore] and are finding other homes," Hartman told us. Hartman also mentioned the possiblity of three further signings in 2004, adding that the new Kindercore "will only be working with four active artists on the label at one time." Something seems slightly amiss with Stanley's math here, but that's not the main point to take away from this, unless you consider math skills an important part of running a successful business operation with some level of financial acumen. In response to this, Gunsberg remarked that "if the Kindercore and Telegraph labels do continue, which is highly suspect in and of itself, they will bear no resemblance to what they have been and were growing into." So, the bottom line, if such can be gleaned from this sorry saga, is that at the very best Kindercore seems to be seriously downsizing. At the worst, well, we don't really want to think about the worst case scenario, but it sure does look like a lot of bands don't have a label anymore, and so far as we can tell, there's really only one band that is definitely and unequivocally still on board. So, ladies and gentlemen, we give you Japancakes-- the only survivor from the bloody Kindercore massacre of November 2003. With the entire weight of the Kindercore publicity operation behind them, the mind boggles at the giddy heights Japancakes will be able to attain in 2004 and beyond. We were going to end this with some kind of pithy and witty punchline, but you know what? Sometimes a story just speaks for itself.

“The Encyclopedia Of Heavy Metal” by Daniel Bukszpan (Book Review)

Stop reading this, get off the damned Internet, go to the nearest Barnes & Noble, find Daniel Bukszpan’s “The Encyclopedia Of Heavy Metal,” plop down twenty bucks and buy it. I don’t care if you don’t listen to loud, heavy music. I don’t care if you can’t appreciate lots of color photos of garishly dressed, longhaired white folks in really silly poses, grimacing. It’s a safe bet you know somebody who does, and the holidays – as they say – are “right around the corner.” This is quite simply the greatest bathroom book since “The Book of Lists 2.” Why? Gather around and I’ll tell ya… Throughout my adolescent fascination with hard rock music, I sought out and read every cheap bio, slick gossip rag and “authoritative” reference book I could find on the subject. My collection of Circus magazines could (and often did) completely cover the floor of my room. The common thread connecting virtually all of this literature was the piss-poor “journalism” involved in producing the even worse “writing” of these pieces. Inconsistencies, contradictions, unsubstantiated hearsay and downright stupidity all seemed to be necessary evils to get a book about heavy metal published. This must have bothered Daniel Bukszpan in his youth as well, because he’s just churned out 300 pages of the funniest, most intelligent rock writing this side of Justin Vela: “When it comes to German power metal bands who dress like pirates, there can be little disagreement that Running Wild is hands down the finest example. Anyone who would attempt to dispute this truism doubtless has their own German power-metal band in which the members dress like pirates, and is seeking, truculently, to defame their betters in the hopes of advancing their own career.” There are lots of fun facts, too: “In a somewhat unorthodox quest to find closure, (Mayhem’s spectacularly deceased lead singer’s) band mates used the many available shards of his skull to make necklaces.” And the photos! Hundreds of ‘em! You’ll even find an outtake from Soundgarden’s infamous “lily pad” photo shoot for Charles Peterson’s October 1988 cover of The Rocket newspaper. Handwritten lyrics, backstage passes, jacket patches and other memorabilia round out the book’s overall design, and the effect is impressive. Doom metal, black metal, death metal, prog, thrash, shred, NWOBHM, glam, stoner rock… it’s all represented here, from Uriah Heep to Sleep. There’s even a foreword by Ronnie James Dio, wherein he confesses his unholy love for Paul Rodgers from Bad Company! The book is not without a few missteps. Bukszpan fails to explain why an entry for the power pop group Cheap Trick is included in a book named “The Encyclopedia Of Heavy Metal”, and a few of the band photos are reversed (making correct identification of the members impossible). But when one of the photos in question is a great 1979 shot of Judas Priest roller-skating merrily through Central Park, these sins are forgivable. Whether you can’t remember what year Pantera’s Metal Magic album came out (1983) or you just want to finally read an honest assessment of Living Colour’s career (one without the common but erroneous label of “funk metal” applied to a band who were similar to the true metallic funkateers Fishbone in pigment alone), or hell, even if you merely like making fun of really bad hairstyles, this is the book to buy. Just make sure you have a shelf in your bathroom big enough to hold it.

The Beatles- Let it Be naked (Album Review)

Though it is still faithful to much of the feel of Let It Be, the presentation of Naked, including the slight bits of modern-day editing, reveals that it is revisionist history, not the final word. Which doesn't hurt it as a record -- these are great songs, after all -- but it is a bit disappointing that this long-awaited project wasn't executed with a little more care and respect for the historical record.

The Darkness hit the road

The Darkness, England's very own late-'70s hard-rock indie metal minimalist power rock band, of course. Enjoying minor success in their native land with the release of their EP I Believe In A Thing Called Love , The Darkness struck real acclaim with their recent album. And now with a brief U.S. tour on the itinerary before flying off to Japan and their homeland, their Metal-gone-wrong (very wrong) sound can be evaluated in person. Maybe. The dates:
11-19 Chicago, IL - Double Door
11-21 San Francisco, CA - Slim's
11-22 Seattle, WA - Studio Seven
11-25 Osaka, Japan - Club Quattro
11-26 Tokyo, Japan - Zepp
11-27 Nagoya, Japan - Club Quattro
12-03 Plymouth, England - Plymouth Pavilions
12-04 Bournemouth, England - International Centre
12-05 London, England - Brixton Academy
12-06 London, England - Brixton Academy
12-08 Birmingham, England - TBA
12-09 Edinburgh, Scotland - Corn Exchange
12-10 Manchester, England - Carling Apollo Manchester

Lennon’s lyrics sell for $455,000

John Lennon’s handwritten lyrics to the song “Nowhere Man” were sold for $455,000 — more than four times the expected price — at an entertainment memorabilia sale at Christie’s Tuesday. THE LYRICS to the Beatles song were expected to fetch between $80,000 and $100,000 at the New York auction, according to Christie’s spokeswoman Margaret Barrett. The sale’s other premier item, the Oscar for best director won by Michael Curtiz for “Casablanca,” sold to famed magician David Copperfield for $231,500. It had been projected to sell for between $200,000 and $300,000.

Goodbye Turntables: The New DJ Revolution: mp3j's (and iPods)

You are a DJ but you don't have any bulky gear. You don't need to drive to a gig, the subway / underground will do just fine. You also don't need an assistant to carry milk crates of heavy vinyl. Everything you need is in your pockets and the size of a cigarette pack. You only have 2 iPods, but together they hold enough music to play for several months straight, 24-7, without a single repeat. You are a mp3j. Somewhere in East London the turntables are motionless. The only thing spinning is a chorus of iPod hard drives, or the ceiling (if you're friends with the bartender). Sounds pretty cool huh.. Well CLICK HERE to read the whole story.

Wilco Gets Busy On New Album

Wilco is in a New York studio recording the follow-up to its acclaimed 2002 album "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot," Kingblind.com has learned. As with that set, which was released by Nonesuch after Wilco parted ways with Warner Bros., the band is working on the sessions with producer multi instrumentalist Jim O'Rourke. Chris Shaw, best known for his work on Bob Dylan's "Love and Theft," is engineering. The album, tentatively titled "W*lco Happens," will most likely not be released until late spring. Tracks include "We are Finished Waiting for You Now" and "Hell Is Chrome." Last month, the band made its maiden appearance at Neil Young's annual Bridge School Benefit, but currently has no live shows on its schedule. However, bassist John Stirratt will play tonight (Nov. 18) in New York with his side project, the Autumn Defense, which also features multi instrumentalist Pat Sansone. The group will then appear Thursday in Hoboken, N.J., Dec. 5 at the Apple Store in Chicago and the following night at Schuba's in the Windy City. The Autumn Defense's sophomore album, "Circles," was released in October by Arena Rock and features a guest appearance by Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy. Wilco, which also includes multi-instrumentalist Leroy Bach and drummer Glen Kotche, will soon be heard on "Monsoon," the upcoming album from former Pavement principal Scott Kannberg's Preston School Of Industry. The group contributed to the cut "Get Your Crayons Out" for the set, due Feb. 17 via Matador.

Townshend, Daltrey To Salute Albert Hall

The Who principals Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey have signed on to perform at a March 29 concert celebrating the 150th anniversary of London's Royal Albert Hall. However, a spokesperson for the venue denied any knowledge of the planned event. It's also unclear if Townshend and Daltrey will perform on their own or backed by a band."Roger and I are facing our 'new' Everly Brothers format with excitement and trepidation," Townshend wrote on his official Web site. "I sense great chaotic madness ahead." Townshend reports that he and Daltrey recently recorded a new song, "Real Good Looking Boy," with help from touring Who drummer Zak Starkey, keyboardist John "Rabbit" Bundrick and Townshend's brother Simon. "[They] played brilliantly and Roger and I were bloody useless," Townshend said. "But what do you expect of two such creaky old tossers?" Emerson, Lake and Palmer's Greg Lake filled in for touring bassist Pino Palladino, who is on the road with Simon & Garfunkel. And while that session appears to mark the first steps toward the first new Who album in more than 20 years, Townshend's latest post is vague on the details. "I am back in my own studio again preparing songs and visual material for some kind of future project, which I hope will provide a pathway of some kind for Roger and me in the future," he said.

Kingblind Tour: The Overview

Adam Franklin (Swervedriver) and The Roy Owens Jr. Tour
Best Club(s): The Khyber: Philly, PA-- The Room: Charlotte, NC-- Knitting Factory, NYC
Best Backstage/ Hospitality: BAR: New Haven, CT
Best Beer: Brooklyn Lager (NYC)
Best Band(s): Opening Band (The Information "From Boston" & Saturday Looks Good to Me "Detroit, MI")
Best Monitors: Washington D.C., Velvet Lounge
Best Overall Sound: Echo Lounge-- Atlanta, GA
Worst Load in: Washington D.C., Velvet Lounge
Best Load in: Echo Lounge: Atlanta, GA-- Khyber: Philly, Pa
Best Crowd: The Room, Knitting Factory (TIE)
Overall Winner of best host: Ashley and Michael ..(BOSTON)-(YOU ROCK)
Most Drunk Night: NYC
Least Drunk Night: Athens, GA
Nicest Soundman: Raleigh, NC
Thanks to everyone who came out to all the shows. What a blast.. Touring again in JAN.. Stay Tuned.

The (International) Noise Conspiracy Sign With American Recordings

Scandinavian garage punks The (International) Noise Conspiracy have made the somewhat shocking move of signing to Rick Rubin's American Recordings (itself a part of the Island/Def Jam conglomeration). The move is a bit of a surprise given the bands staunchly anarchic political stance, but they justify it as merely a way to get their message to a larger fan base. And who says anarchy doesn't sell? It might be worth pointing out that frontman Dennis Lyxzén was also in Refused, who were not only included on Priority's Rebirth of the Loud disc back in 2000 alongside such indie flag wavers as Incubus, Snot, and Ice Cube, but also have a track in the new Tony Hawk's Underground video game. Not that we at Kingblind care about such things. With the recent success of bands such as the Strokes, the White Stripes, and especially the Hives, it's not too surprising that Rubin would be interested in the band: "I think they're a great live band-- they have incredible stage presence. And we're helping making an album that conveys as much as they have onstage on record. Which I don't think has been done before." In other words, "Sure, their records suck, but they rock my beard off live!" Expect the new disc in 2004.

LIBERTINES CALL FOR THE BUTLER!

THE LIBERTINES' eagerly awaited second album is to be produced by former SUEDE star BERNARD BUTLER , according to the guitarist himself. Butler has already worked with the band previously on their 2002 debut single 'What A Waster' and their last single 'Don't Look Back Into The Sun'. Posting on his official website, bernardbutler dot com, Butler revealed: "I am waiting for Carl (Barat) to recover to start work on the new Libertines album, hopefully in December." He added: "In the meantime I am recording the McAlmont & Butler record and it will include 'Muddy Waters' , as well as 'Speed' and 'Freaks' which we have been working on this week at Rak studios." As previously reported, Libertines star Carl is struggling to regain 20/20 vision after a booze-fuelled accident that’s led to two operations. Carl and reunited bandmate Pete Doherty had been together in Wales, catching up and working on songs for their second album, which should be released next year. While relaxing after a day working on the new songs, Carl took a bottle of whiskey and retired for a long hot bath. He got out, slipped and cracked his head on the sink, seriously damaging his left cheek. Later he was rushed to hospital then later to a specialised Eye Hospital in nearby Hereford where he was diagnosed with a fractured cheekbone and a damaged tearduct. An emergency operation was undertaken in attempt to fix the problem.

Kingblind is back.. and Iggy Pop

Kingblind is back from tour. And man what good times.. The entire eastern seaboard and over 3000 miles driving! Whew. How about a nice music video as a welcome back.. HERE'S IGGY POP ON LETTERMAN REQUIRES REAL PLAYER

I'm blogging this

Finally a t-shirt that really explains it. CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT

Touring... A Statement
Wake up.. Drive- Get to club.. Load-In.. Get Drunk.. Play.. Repeat.. Too fun.. off the New Haven.. NYC was so killa and boston too. Will be back later this week.. Full on updates coming soon. In case you are curious.. NYC and Philly are the leaders for the best show right now.

UPDATES FROM THE TOUR

Well.. The shows are going just great.. Atlanta, Charlotte, Philly & DC have been the best shows. Rockin Baltimore tonight and then off to NYC
too much fun..

Atlanta was last night.. AMAZING show.. My highlight was when Adam and the boys played "DUEL"from the classic album MEZCAL HEAD.. Needless to say people went nuts.. off to Athens!!! More updates coming soon.

Kingblind.com hits the road.. See you at the shows !! Keep checking back for updates from the tour.
"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

The Shins Expand 'Narrow' Focus

Second albums can be strange animals. They merit special attention when following up a first effort that establishes the artist as a talent to be reckoned with, as the Shins' Sub Pop debut "Oh, Inverted World" did in 2001. The set garnered wide critical acclaim and afforded the group the modest "indie community" celebrity previously enjoyed by the likes of Built To Spill, Modest Mouse and Guided By Voices. The Shins are praised for forging their own "sound," a distinction that is lost on a number of today's most commercially successful bands. Though the band's influences course freely through the veins of its music, one could hear a small snippet and not have a tough time recognizing the song as the Shins' work, not that of the Zombies, the Kinks or the Beach Boys. Singer/songwriter James Mercer's voice, which paints evocative mental pictures with his unique lyrics, is a crucial factor in the Shins' sound, but the group's trademark also includes the singular way the other instruments tend to dance around and decorate his vocals. So with the band's second Sub Pop set, "Chutes Too Narrow" (released Oct. 21), the quartet -- Mercer, keyboardist Marty Crandall, drummer Jesse Sandoval and new bassist Dave Hernandez -- turned out 10 strong songs that aim to retroactively justify a lot of the accolades heaped upon the group. Those who flocked to the band's debut with open arms will bring their expectations to bear on the new album, and its public appeal could in theory, "make or break" the band. But in real life, this sort of thing would never cross Mercer's mind. He just sits down and writes his songs, and tries to convey beauty and truth and tiny revelations about life through his chosen art. "I don't know how much my surroundings affect my writing," he muses. "I lived in Alberquerque when I wrote the first record and I lived in Portland [Ore.] when I wrote the second. But I think the process is so internal that I don't think the environment has much of an effect." "I try to concentrate on what I'm expressing with the sound of the melody and what sort of emotion does it evoke," he explains of his writing style. "Usually it brings up something that's going on in my life or some sort of thought process I've been going through." "Chutes Too Narrow" would seem to insinuate, then, that Mercer has been thinking a lot about how boys and girls sometimes don't play nice with each other. A number of the album's tracks deal with relationships in various states of dissolution, from relatively raucous opener "Kissing the Lipless," whose chorus admits that "secretly, I want to bury in the yard / the grey remains of a friendship scarred," to the gentle, country-inspired penultimate track "Gone for Good," in which the narrator "found a fatal flaw in the logic of love" and walks out on his girl to "get on with my lonely life." One of Mercer's strongest talents is his ability to inject his songs with vivid, sometimes arresting imagery. The desolate "Pink Bullets" compares two people's relationship to a pair of kites above a field: "When the kite lines first crossed / you tied them into knots / to finally fly above / we had to cut them off." As the song draws to a close, so does the couple's source of happiness: "the years have seemed short, but the days went slowly by / two loose kites falling from the sky / drawn to the ground and an end to flight." Then again, not everything on "Chutes Too Narrow" contemplates misery. The harmonica-infused "Fighting in a Sack" is a rollicking pop song, and the feverish "Turn a Square" rocks as hard as anything the band has ever done. The intricately structured "Saint Simon" uses its lilting melody to ponder the contrast between humanity's scientific understanding of mortality and its yearning for spiritual fulfillment. The Shins initially came into existence as a side project of Flake Music, featuring Mercer and Sandoval (Crandall and former Shins bassist Neal Langford were also in Flake). "A year later Flake broke up," Mercer explains, "and about that time, the Shins started to take off." Crandall and Langford jumped aboard around the time that a friend invited Sub Pop's Jonathan Poneman to a show, and the group soon had a record deal. As the Shins, the band now has only released 23 studio recordings -- including B-sides -- in four years. That's been enough to cement the group's status as "a band to watch," but Mercer is not content to rest on "Chutes Too Narrow": he is already contemplating the future with an eye toward increasing his artistic output. "During the past two years I've just been moving around -- we toured so much," he says, "but I've got a place now that will be my permanent residence, and what I want to do is just be constantly recording, always working on something.

Kingblind.com hits the road.. See you at the shows !!
"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

Radiohead Music Videos.

KARMA POLICE
KNIFES OUT
PARANOID ANDROID
MPEG VIDEOS

Sinapore Sling- Overdriver (Legal MP3 Download)

Singapore Sling was formed in Reykjavik, Iceland in 2000. The band's first album, The Curse of the Singapore Sling , was originally released in Iceland two years later by the local label Hitt Records . After receiving considerable buzz and critical acclaim the album got a U.S. release and distribution on Stinky Records in 2003. Think of it as the bastard child of Brian Wilson, Sonic Youth and The Jesus and Mary Chain CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Nelly's announces his own line of women's apparel

Nelly's has his very own line of women's apparel called Apple Bottoms . For the girlies with the booty. Nelly is personally involved in every design. Too Funny.
CLICK HERE FOR WEBSITE

BMG, Sony To Merge Music Divisions

Bertelsmann AG and Sony Corp. said this morning that they have inked a non-binding letter of intent to merge their respective recorded music divisions in a 50-50 joint venture. Oh great.. Now a GIANT dumb baby huey..

Johnny Cash wins 3 CMA awards

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Johnny Cash won the Country Music Association's album of the year, single of the year and video of the year awards Wednesday -- capturing his first CMA awards since 1969 and tying Alan Jackson for most wins during the night. Cash, who died September 12 at age 71 of complications from diabetes, was nominated for four awards and won all but one: vocal event of the year. "It's amazing my father had such a life that he could expose himself and still never lose his dignity and his charm," said Cash's son John Carter Cash, who accepted the awards with Cash's daughter, Kathy Cash. The announcements drew a standing ovation at the CMA's 37th Annual Country Music Awards. CMA voters -- about 5,000 industry insiders who belong to the association -- nominated him before his death for best single and video for "Hurt," a song about drug addiction written by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. Cash also was nominated for best album ("American IV: The Man Comes Around") and vocal event of the year for "Tears in the Holston River" with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. The "Hurt" video underscored Cash's frailty by contrasting images of a young, robust Cash from concerts and movies with new footage of the weathered and gray singer crooning, "You can have it all, my empire of dirt." Cash has now won nine CMA awards, the last coming in 1969 when he won a then-record five awards. Since then that record has been tied by Vince Gill and Jackson. "I don't believe it's a token recognition," John Carter Cash said. "This is about a great impact in the history of music." The Cash family has suffered a tragic year. June Carter Cash, Cash's wife and John Carter Cash's mother, died in May after complications from heart surgery. Cash died in September. And last month, Rosey Nix Adams, June Carter Cash's daughter and Cash's stepdaughter, was found dead in a camper bus from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. "It's been a pretty tough year, pretty intense," John Carter Cash said. "But coming here tonight is almost like a beginning for my father in a lot of ways."

Pavement- Greenlander (Legal MP3 Download)

Stockton, CA's Pavement may well have been the second most influential rock band of the early '90s (after Nirvana), ushering in a new era of convoluted musical structures and rock and roll irony. Here is a great song from their classic album: Slanted & Enchanted
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

TURBONEGRO have announced details of a new single and UK tour.

‘Sell Your Body (To The Night)’ is the third single to be lifted from the camp metallers’ hit comeback album ‘Scandinavian Leather’ , and is released on December 15 through Burning Heart .It comes backed across the formats with new track 'The Death Of Me’ as well as live versions of ‘Back To Dungaree High’ and ‘Just Flesh’ , which originally featured on the band’s ‘Ass Cobra’ album. The CD also features videos for the title track and ‘Fuck The World’ .
The band’s UK tour runs as follows:
London Mean Fiddler (December 8)
Newport TJs (9)
Aberdeen Lemon Tree (10)
Glasgow Garage (11)
Manchester Academy 3 (12)
Nottingham Rescue Rooms (13)
Dublin Music Centre (14)
Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms (15)

LOADED WITH ANECDOTES!

PRIMAL SCREAM are the subjects of a new warts-and-all biography. ‘The Scream: The Music, Myths and Misdemeanours Of Primal Scream’ was written by journalist Kris Needs and coincides with the release of their Best Of compilation ‘Dirty Hits’ Needs has toured the world with Primal Scream throughout their career, and the book promises to tell the real inside story through interviews with band members and collaborators, as well as never-before-seen personal photographs. The book is published on November 30 by Plexus

New Danielson Famile, Bro. Danielson Albums, Documentary Due in 2004

According to Secretly Canadian's Jonathan Cargill, Danielson Famile principal Daniel Smith is set to release an album entitled Brother Is To Son under his Bro. Danielson moniker in March of 2004. A new full-length by the Danielson Famile, as well as a twelve-inch release on Burnt Toast Vinyl, are expected to follow. Meanwhile, Brooklyn-based film studio Creative Arson has been hard at work on a Danielson Famile documentary, and we recently had a chance to talk to director/studio founder JL Aronson, who was more than willing to comment at length about the movie and the band. When performing as a collective, the Famile (generally composed of Smith and his six siblings, ranging in age from their early teens to their 20's) dress up as an assorted cast of doctors and nurses, perhaps as an allusion to the predominant theme of healing featured in their Christian beliefs. In addition to the buoyant and bizarre parade of sound which has become the band's comprehensive calling card, the group also delivers a notoriously wacky live performance. When playing solo as Bro. Danielson, Smith favors the homemade guise of a friendly tree, which bears assorted fruit of an assuredly delicious nature. Aronson commented on the evolution of the outlandish and whimsical group, which began as Smith's senior thesis at Rutgers: "Though many aspects are collaborative, the artistic expression of Danielson goes back to Daniel. The first official Bro. Danielson release is monumental in that, after five albums, it draws a clear line between the different incarnations that have come before, and the solitary expression that is Daniel on his own. I guess it is rather complex at first: Dan sees the three incarnations of Danielson as representing the three stations (my words, not his) of his artifice: the relationship between the individual and the holy; the relationship between the family unit as a holy structure (the famile) and the relationship between friends which may or may not include family (Danielsonship)." Obviously he's put a lot of thought into this. "It was an odd feeling. I didn't intend to be anyone's biggest fan, I just thought they'd be a good subject for a movie," Aronson said. "The dichotomy between spiritual firmament and secular enthusiasm seemed rife with contradictions and, hence, potential drama. But somewhere along this road I saw that Danielson was worth lots more than all the hype could add up to." "The Danielson Famile Movie, when it is accomplished (after I find a way to get all my equipment and footage back from the pawnshop), will be unlike any band movie ever seen before because it will be as much about a family as about an artist," Aronson promises. "And despite the above comments, it's not a love letter, either. It is a collage of actions and reactions, intimacy and priorities, passages and reminders, rock and roll." According to Aronson, to whom we are grateful for providing such an extensive account, the film should be released around the same time as the next Danielson Famile record in mid-2004. Finally, should you live in Chicago or Los Angeles, you'll be able to get a quick fix of the Famile at one of two dates scheduled this month:
11-06 Chicago, IL - Intuit Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art
11-08 Long Beach, CA - The Queen Mary (All Tomorrow's Parties)

The Distillers- Drain the blood (Music Video)

New Video from The Distillers CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD Requires Quicktime

Guided by Voices: The Best of Guided by Voices: Human Amusements at Hourly Rates (Album Review)

Potent distillation of indie rockers' huge discography few bands are as desperately in need of a greatest-hits as Guided by Voices, whose megaprolific leader, Robert Pollard, is legendary for his apparent inability to tell the difference between his two-minute guitar-pop masterpieces and his feeble practice tapes. Human Amusements skims thirty-two songs' worth of cream from GBV's mammoth catalog, mixing up sloppy marvels from the one-take/no-tuning early years, strutting mid-career singles such as "Bulldog Skin" and slicker, punchier tracks as recent as this August's Earthquake Glue . It's haphazardly organized, but the fun of digging through chaos is part of what you're paying for with a GBV record. The bigger part, though, is Pollard's songwriting gifts: His best lyrics ("Teenage FBI," "Echos Myron") are evocatively surreal, and his best melodies are so unshakable you could swear you've been hearing them on classic-rock radio all your life

Iggy Pop: Skull Ring (Album Review)

Iggy Pop may have taken up golf in Miami, but when properly motivated, he's still plenty capable of sounding like the original dead-end kid wriggling out of a straitjacket. On Skull Ring , motivation arrives in the form of Ron and Scott Asheton, the two surviving members of Pop's pioneering protopunk band the Stooges, who reunite with the world's forgotten boy on four tracks. After thirty years apart, they still sound like the blue-collar skull-crashers they once were, minus a killer track as good as "I Wanna Be Your Dog" or "Loose." "Little Electric Chair" comes close, with the three Stooges turning the notion of burning flesh into a party for the perverse, complete with syncopated hand claps and war-whoop vocals. Ron Asheton's strafe-and-destroy guitar is a thing of sheer malice, and it's thrilling to hear it rip while Pop performs an autopsy on "Dead Rock Star." But the singer's production emphasizes sonics rather than songs, as the tossed-off melodies collapse in a riot of guitars and drums. For hooks, Pop turns to a couple of bands that owe him big, influence-wise: Sum 41 dish the album's most developed melody, on "Little Know It All," and Green Day bring a pogo-friendly spunk to "Super-market." Far more adventurous is Pop's duet with anti-diva Peaches on the seething electroclash rant "Rock Show." The acoustic "Till Wrong Feels Right," which takes its melody from an old Mississippi Fred McDowell song, finds Pop at his feistiest, a music-biz outcast pouring vinegar on old wounds. Unfortunately, Pop puts the head-banging on autopilot with his longtime touring band, the Trolls, to fill out this overlong seventeen-track album. The Trolls, like most of Pop's later accomplices, never measure up to the Stooges' mastery of the hip-shaking, earth-shifting groove. With the Ashetons back on his radar, the Ig's next move should be obvious.

FLAMING HELL! IT'S CHRIS MARTIN!

COLDPLAY star CHRIS MARTIN was amongst the crowd to see THE FLAMING LIPS biggest ever UK headline show l (November 3). From the stage at the London Hammersmith Apollo Lips frontman Wayne Coyne repeatedly told the audience that the show was the biggest headline date they’d ever played. Chris Martin watched from the balcony as the band belted through the highlights of their album ’Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots’ and a cover of The White Stripes '’Seven Nation Army’ , even getting in the spirit by playing with the giant balloons that were being bounced around the crowd. Fortunately there was no repeat of the scenes at the their Birmingham Academy show on Friday night (October 31) when a dancing panda collapsed onstage. The girl in the suit passed out during 'Lightning Strikes The Postman' .The band are currently winding up their UK tour, appearing at the London Hammersmith Apollo again tonight (November 4), before visiting Glasgow Academy (8) and Edinburgh 's Usher Hall (9)

QOTSA frontman goes metal

As tipped here in September, the Eagles of Death Metal -- the rock duo featuring Queens Of The Stone Age's Josh Homme on drums and Jessie "The Devil" Hughes on guitar/vocals -- will embark on their first tour beginning Nov. 20 in Vancouver. The band will be supporting U.K. rock act Placebo through Dec. 6 in New Orleans. During that time, QOTSA bassist Nick Oliveri will be on the road with his own side band, Mondo Generator. The North American portion of that trek begins Nov. 6 in San Diego and closes Dec. 10 in Los Angeles, then heads to Europe beginning Dec. 12 in London. The debut album from the Eagles of Death Metal, "Peace, Love and Death Metal," was originally due out last month via Ipecac but will now be released in January. "It's certainly a different hat, just playing drums," Homme said. "I'm looking forward to it. It's like a dance band, almost."
Here are the Eagles of Death Metal's tour dates:
Nov. 20: Vancouver (Commodore Ballroom)
Nov. 21: Seattle (Graceland)
Nov. 22: Portland, Ore. (Crystal Ballroom)
Nov. 24: San Francisco (Slim's)
Nov. 25: Las Vegas (the Joint)
Nov. 26: Los Angeles (Wiltern Theatre)
Dec. 1: Anaheim, Calif. (House of Blues)
Dec. 2: Tempe, Ariz. (Marquee Theatre)
Dec. 4: Dallas (Trees)
Dec. 5: Austin, Texas (La Zona Rosa)
Dec. 6: New Orleans (House of Blues)

The Roy Owens Jr. - “Tuff Stuff” (Legal MP3 Downoad)

Southern super group featuring members of Magapop and Crooked Fingers. Touring as part of the Kingblind sponsored fall tour that is Adam Franklin of Swervedriver and The Roy Owens Jr.. Another homerun for International Hits Records. ALSO this track is from the limited edition tour only single. This is the ONLY place to get the song unless you catch the tour.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD MP3

Guided By Voices- “It Is Divine” (Legal MP3 Download)

Something must be in the water in Ohio. Don’t you think? How does this state keep pumping out so many damn good bands!! From ‘Hardcore UFOs ’ 5CD+DVD Box Set, on the NYC powerhouse Matador Records. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Iron and Wine -The Sea and the Rhythm (Album Review)

Five tracks, only twenty-one minutes long – more artists should take a leaf out of Iron and Wine’s book. Albums – even the greatest ones ever made – are just too long. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that any ten/twelve song release is going to contain at least one filler track - or even just a boring passage that I’ll want to skip. Some albums can seem intimidating to approach - even if they are stuffed full of quality music - because it feels like a chore sifting the good from the bad. The best approach for an artist is to release their material in more digestible, bite-size chunks. Songwriters seem to lose the desire to include pointless “curio” tracks when they’re releasing a mini-album or an EP – possibly because it does more damage to the good/not-so-good ratio than on a longer album. Sugar and Beachwood Sparks reached new creative peaks with mini-albums Beaster and Make the Robot Cowboys Cry respectively) – now Florida’s Iron and Wine (aka Samuel Beam) has delivered his own fat-free gem. This record’s closest recent contemporary is Bonnie Prince Billy’s Master and Everyone LP. Both are steadfastly lo-fi – acoustic guitar, whispered vocals, no smoothing down of rough edges. There is some slide guitar and banjo chucked in for good measure too, but the arrangements are similarly simple and uncluttered – with no evidence of any ‘production’ to speak of. Rough bedroom recordings like this can be an endurance test. It’s not uncommon to crave some crisp beats and hooks and shiny production after a small-but-unwelcome dose of “raw and authentic” singer-songwriter mulch. It takes something special to grab attention when making music in that sort of gimmick-free environment, but The Sea and the Rhythm certainly succeeds in winning you over. Five gorgeous melodies, beautifully sung – it’s a simple but winning formula. Beam’s voice is delicious – a Drake-esque melancholy whisper that wraps itself nicely around his hushed, gentle songs. Every track here is strong, but the opening duo (“Beneath the Balcony” and the title track respectively) stand out marginally from the rest. Bleakly beautiful and dripping with sadness, they also exhibit Beam’s flair for a powerful, mysterious lyric (Beneath the Balcony includes the haunting line “And how she prays to find a man to blame / …for every gun she frowned upon / but still some fucker made.”) Any album as precious -sounding as The Sea and the Rhythm is going to be a mood-reliant listen. It charms at low rather than high volume; it’s so shy and delicate that it feels cruel to air it in a room full of people. But as a soundtrack to a solitary, hungover Sunday morning, this is peerless stuff.

Dizzee Rascal Signs To Matador Records

American fans of British undaground hip-hop (all twelve of you), rejoice! Matador recently signed Dizzee Rascal, famed 18-year old British rapper and winner of the Mercury Music Prize. Matador is teaming up with Rascal's UK label XL Recordings to release Rascal's debut album, Boy In Da Corner , on American soil. The CD will drop some time in January, so in short: don't bother paying $30 for the import! What this all boils down to, basically, is that for all of you connoisseurs of indie hip-hop out there who are tiring of Definitive Jux and MF Doom, prepare to be fulfilled. Matador seemed psyched about the possibility of signing the fresh young star. Let's hear it from them: "18 years of age and hailing from East London, Dizzee's unique hybrid of hip-hop, drum & bass and UK garage coupled with his explosive real-life tales of street crime, poverty, sex and guns, are a combination unlike any MC we've heard-- underground or over." Yeah, dog.

A Fir-Ju Well- “Out of my head” (Legal MP3 Download)

Another Atlanta great.. This band’s sound has a road rash of influences from everyone to Ween, The Flaming Lips and Captain Beefheart.. From the fantastic International Hits Records. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

The Young Antiques- “Radio Kill Radio” (Legal MP3 Download)

Atlanta’s answer to The Replacements? Not to worry, these boys totally have their own thing going on here.. This is no one trick pony and it’s a damn good thing. From Two Sheds Music. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

A People’s History of the Dismemberment Plan (Album Review)

After ten years of guileless lyrics and some of the best live shows in rock and roll, the hardest-working band in emo business has finally called it quits. In January of this year, the Dismemberment Plan (bassist Eric Axelson, guitarist Jason Caddell, drummer Joe Easley and lead singer Travis Morrison) announced on their website that while the thrill was not yet gone, its bags were definitely packed and it was time to disband. A brief farewell tour was thrown together, which quickly mushroomed into an interminably long goodbye that had the band on the road all summer, criss-crossing the nation, playing in Japan, and finally wrapping on Labor Day in a fabulous, celebratory blow-out in their hometown of Washington DC. But after nearly nine months of last farewells, it should come as no surprise that the Plan had one more love letter to deliver: A People’s History of the Dismemberment Plan , a 12-track remix compilation, created entirely by the band’s fans. A bit of back-story, for those with better things to do than compulsively track a rock band’s every move: in September of 2002, the band announced on its website that its next disc would be comprised entirely of fan-generated remixes of some of their best-loved songs. They then posted a slew of downloadable MP3s and links to remixing software, thus allowing anyone with a modem and a dream the chance to engage in a little musical re-vision-ism. The end result is a hodge-podge of sounds that’s by turns thrilling, gratifying, and hideous. It’s fascinating to hear the band’s best songs filtered through the ears and knobs of their fans. However, unless you’re a mindless whore for all things Plan, you’re probably not going to run around your office or dorm screaming about this record, mostly because you wouldn’t know what to say. What do you say about a disc that is, like the Plan’s entire catalogue, so all over the map? “Compelling,” “disparate,” “kind of poopy sometimes” are all true, but not entirely accurate. A People’s History is fundamentally democratic – or rather, meritocratic, in that only the best mixes made the cut. If you’re new to the Dismemberment Plan, A People’s History isn’t the disc for you; instead, go check out any of the band’s four studio discs ( !,The Dismemberment Plan is Terrified ,Emergency & I and Change ) and learn what all the fuss was about. If you’re a long-time fan, then by all means get this disc. As much the band’s valediction to their fans as the fans’ swan song to their own community, A People’s History is a wonderfully eclectic goodbye – and thus, a little Dismemberment Plan all its own.

Relaxed Muscle "B-Real"- (Legal MP3 Download)

I heart Jarvis Cocker as Darren Spooner. It was seriously difficult to pick a single song to post here, almost all of the new Relaxed Muscle record is fun and ridiculously catchy. And just flat-out ridiculous, too. There's a song called "Beastmaster" on this album, and it's really, really good. I'm not kidding, that song totally rules, and so does "Sexualized" and "Tuff It Out" and the one where he says that he rules his woman with a "Rod Of Iron." I know that a lot of people may be freaked out by Jarvis Cocker fully embracing his goofy, extremely ironic sense of humor, but I think this album was exactly the right thing for him to do after Pulp. Basically, he's deflating lofty expectations and having a silly good time. That's pretty joycore to me.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

THE DARKNESS- "I believe in a thing called love" (Music Video)

Check the new video from The Darkness
High Quality (Broadband) [Real Media]
Low Quality (Dial-Up) [Real Media]

"Rock critics love Van Halen and hate me because rock critics look like me but want to party with David Lee Roth."
- Elvis Costello, 1979

The Beatles Naked.

Infinity Broadcasting has teamed with Apple Corps to present a premiere airing of "Let It Be...Naked," the new version of the Beatles' swan song. The album will be aired in its entirety Nov. 13 at 10 p.m. ET on Infinity stations in 35 major U.S. markets. TV journalist Pat O'Brien will host the broadcast, which will be followed by a live roundtable discussion with musicians and other guests discussing the album and the Beatles' legacy. In the 10 days leading up to the premiere, 72 Infinity stations across the U.S. will broadcast teaser "vignettes" of rare or unreleased excerpts from the original "Let It Be" recording sessions. As previously reported , "Let It Be...Naked" will be released Nov. 18 on EMI. The album has been thoroughly remixed to remove the post-recording orchestral overdubs added by producer Phil Spector in the absence of the band, which was mired in interpersonal tumult at the time. In other Beatles news, rare photographs of the group are compiled in Robert Freeman's book "The Beatles: A Private View," due in November via Big Tent Entertainment Freeman shot the album cover for "With the Beatles" and was the group's official photographer in its early years. A limited edition of the volume includes a signed and numbered print of a prospective photo submitted as a cover possibility for the Beatles' "Revolver" album.

Brian Wilson Presents Pet Sounds - Live In London (DVD)

Pet Sounds was recorded and released in 1966 and was met with revelry from critics and fans alike. The transition from the surfer boy image and sound was an immense one and showed the diversity and extreme talent of the band. At the helm of this was Brian Wilson and on this DVD/VHS we can see the master re-create the classic album in the live arena. To reproduce the classic sound, the classic harmonies and wonderful orchestrations were never going to be easy. But Wilson has assembled a band of such aplomb that it is hard to believe that it is not the original musicians. Their abilities to handle all the rich and interwoven harmonies and at the same time perform the classic orchestrations are nothing short of genius. Brian Wilson still sings with the verve of a man very much younger than himself and although it is not always absolutely perfect it is a pleasure to watch and listen to. With all the turmoil and troubles that Wilson has been through in his life and in particular his later life it is hard to believe it is the same man who had became a virtual recluse, that is on the stage in front of you. Every moment is a joy to him, the pleasure written across his face in the biggest type that you can find. He takes the front of the stage sometimes seated at a piano, which he barely touches but always conducts each and every note and harmony. He smiles in excitement and speaks with fervor, enjoyment and anticipation. The songs sound as fresh and as the day they were written and just show how some music can stand the test of time. The concert is 57 minutes long and is made up from recordings of six nights at the Royal Festival Hall. Brian Wilson is getting older and ten years ago we would never ever have imagined that he would be back on stage with a nine-piece band performing these classic tracks. Well he is and this is an historical account of the album’s live 2003 performance. The concert film is expertly recorded and is available in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, DTS 5.1 Surround Sound, and Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo on the DVD. Perhaps the only comment in a negative opinion is the filming and editing. It is perhaps unfortunate and at times annoying that hand held digital footage of the audience is mixed in with concert footage. It is quirky but uncomfortable as is the general editing of the concert. Brian Wilson is at most times full screen with odd edits without establishing shots and wider shots to help the film breathe. We do get a good view of Brian and also the musicians as they play but all in all the video production quality does not meet the immeasurable quality and enjoyment of the music itself.
Wouldn't It Be Nice
You Still Believe In Me
That's Not Me
Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)
I'm Waiting For The Day
Let's Go Away for A While
Sloop John B
God Only Knows
I Know There's An Answer
Here Today
I Just Wasn't Made for These Times
Pet Sounds
Caroline No
Band Intros
Good Vibrations

Pinback Touring In December; Rob Crow Starts A Few More Bands

Seeing as how Rob Crow and Armistead Burwell Smith IV, together known as Pinback, are collectively responsible for roughly 352 different bands, there's pretty much a steady stream of news to impart about their respective projects-- it's all a matter of choosing when to report it. And now is one of those times, so let's get started. First, and perhaps foremost, there is a new Pinback album on the horizon. It doesn't have a title, and we don't have a tracklist, but the pair is hard and work on completing it in time for an early 2004 on Touch & Go. In the meantime, Pinback is heading out for a brief tour in December, so let's make with the dates, shall we? Here ya go:
12-10 Tempe, AZ - Nita's Hideaway
12-11 Pomona, CA - Glass House
12-15 Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater
12-18 San Francisco, CA - Slim's
12-19 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey
2004 will also see the release of Pinback's long-awaited b-sides collection on Ace Fu, as well as a Zach Smith solo album. The label is also re-releasing Pinback's sophomore album, 2001's Blue Screen Life , in a limited pressing on colored vinyl just in time for Christmas. In the extensive side-project news category, Absolutely Kosher have a few Crow-related projects in the pipeline for 2004. Label spokesman Cory Brown says the next Thingy album may or may not be finished this year, but Optiganally Yours-- Crow's collaboration with Pea Hicks-- will release their third full-length in 2004, entitled OY in Hi-Fi . Crow's freshly minted metal band, the mellifluously monikered Goblin Cock, will also make their triumphant debut on Absolutely Kosher in 2004. Finally, after releasing his third-ish solo album, My Room is a Mess , this year, Crow apparently decided that using his own name for his solo material was far too straightforward, so he's gathered some notable cohorts and reformed under the circuitously named My Band Is A Mess. Joining him in this band is Brent Asbury (Thingy), Kenseth Thibideau (let's pick one, how about Howard Hello), and fellow former Heavy Vegetable Travis Nelson. According to Absolutely Kosher's Brown, "The group just played our CMJ showcase in NY and sounded fantastic." I, unfortunately, was not in attendance, but I believe him. And so should you.

WELLER STOPS JAM RUMOURS SPREADING!

PAUL WELLER has officially denied rumours THE JAM are to reform. While Weller toured the US, speculation was flying about a possible Jam reunion, and series of gigs at Knebworth. However, returning from his US tour yesterday morning (October 31), Paul issued a statement, which reads: "Following continued speculation about the reformation of The Jam culminating in five nights at Knebworth next summer.. Paul Weller would like to take this opportunity to stamp out these rumors and dismiss them as 'Bollocks'."

Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) November 1st and 2nd

The attitude towards death evidenced in the quintessentially Mexican holiday of Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) might be puzzling for some. It isn't difficult for foreigners to interpret dancing skeletons, candy skulls and general drunken revelry as disrespect for the dead and grief at human loss. Nothing could be further from the truth. For those accustomed to hushed voices, formal clothing, a solemn priest and an absence of children as fitting for the graveside, this festival flies in the face of propriety. Bright flowers, loud music, colorful decorations and seasonal sweets are characteristic of a popular cemetery in Mexico City on the first two days of November. For information and pictures of this beautiful tradition CLICK HERE **AND HERE