dios: "Starting 5" (Legal MP3 Download)

dios (always lowercase) come from Hawthrone, CA. The neighborhood is pretty run down now but a long time ago Brian Wilson and the rest of the Beach Boys lived there...so did Greg Ginn and Black Flag. The city has changed a lot since then. Joel and Kevin Morales are the sons of a one time mariachi singer. The rest of the band, John Paul Caballero, James Cabez DeVaca, and Jackie Monzon, are friends from Hawthorne. They began recording their album about a year and a half ago in the basement of their bassist's (J.P. Cabellero) home. It is rumored that the funds for their self-titled album were raised by selling bootlegged copies of "SMiLE" on ebay That’s about all we know. That, and that their debut record is great. It comes out in Spring 2004.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Summer Hymns: "What They Really Do" (Legal MP3 Download)

Sometimes the best records were not meant to be records at all. There are more than a few folks out there who argue the best songs Pavement ever recorded appear on the "Watery Domestic EP" or that Chris Bell's "I Am the Cosmos" exceeds anything Big Star ever released. To wit: Summer Hymns' "Value Series Vol. 1: Fools Gold", a 10-song/30 minute mini-album made to pass the time between records, an accidental masterpiece that contains some of the most magical moments the Summer Hymns have ever put to tape. "Fools Gold" eschews the twangy bounce of "Clemency" in favor of more open-ended, chance-y arrangements. Rather than redo the imperfections, they tweak them until they sound purposeful. Imagine Bob Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde" stacked up against the less heralded, homespun "Planet Waves", then apply the analogy to the Summer Hymns' universe. That's near where "Fools Gold" will take you. With the off-the-cuff charm and free-spirited approach, "Fools Gold" is poised to be the best album they never made - a hidden classic in the Summer Hymns' ever-growing discography.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Jan & Dean's Berry dies aged 62

Jan Berry with his long-time musical partner Dan Torrence Singer Jan Berry, who made his name in the 1960s as one half of pop duo Jan & Dean, has died at the age of 62. Berry suffered a seizure at his Los Angeles home and had been suffering from ill health since a car crash left him paralyzed for a year in 1966. The pair scored seven US top ten hits with surf music songs - their 1963 chart topper Surf City was co-written by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. Their success was effectively ended by Berry's serious accident. The singer suffered extensive brain damage, but was able to walk again after extensive therapy. He reunited with Dean Torrence in 1972, but their comeback failed to make an impact. Six years later, the pair took the support slot on the Beach Boys' tour. Berry recorded his debut solo album in 1997, while Jan & Dean performed their last live concert together in March. During their 1960s recording heyday, Jan & Dean were good friends with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. The two groups regularly performed on each other's tracks without the knowledge of their rival record labels. Berry became a considerable songwriting influence on Wilson and was the creative force behind Jan & Dean, according to his biographer Mark Moore. According to his widow Gertie, Berry like his songs to be enjoyed on the road, and tested new tracks by asking his DJ friend Roger Christian to play them on the air while he drove in his car.

Meat Puppets LIVE at Safari Sams - Huntington Beach, CA - 3 October 1985

This one was contributed by Gil Fuhrer, former co-owner of Legendary Safari Sam's in Huntington Beach, CA. It's an amazing recording that really captures them at what some might argue was their creative peak. It's also notable for the wide array of covers, treated with puppet-psychedelia and the smell of wet creosote.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD (NOTE: Safari Sam's was a LEGENDARY O.C. California club.. It's where I saw The Minutemen, Sonic Youth, The Meat Puppets and many many more.. It's been closed for years... Very sad..)

Sufjan Stevens: "Sister" (Legal MP3 Download)

Follow-up to his critically acclaimed album, "Michigan." Stephens actually penned this material for "Michigan," but found he had too many songs for one record. Instead of shelving them, he recorded them with Daniel Smith (Danielson Famile frontman) and released them here. Even more intimate and personal than "Michigan," "Seven Swans" lyrically focuses on themes of love and religion and highlights Stevens' banjo playing. Word on the street: pretty freaking amazing.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Clash Guitarist Produces Libertines

Britain's Libertines have tapped classic punk talent to produce its next album. Mick Jones, formerly of The Clash, is producing the band's next album. No release date is set for the record, though the act has finished tracks "Can't Stand Me Now," "The Narcissist," "The Likely Lads" and "Road to Ruin."

Pixies guitarist to release new album

Pixies guitarist Joey Santiago will release Smitten, the second album by his side project the Martinis, on June 8. The band also features singer Linda Mallari, bassist Paul Delisle and drummer Josh Freese. Tracks include, "Flyer," "You Are the One" and "People of the World."

Beasties keepin' on and on

The Beastie Boys have poured cold water on rumours that their next album will be their last. Speaking on the band's official website, MCA (real name Adam Yauch) responded to the question by saying: "As they used to say at Brooklyn Friends, 'I doubt it, I doubt it, I doubt it...'" He also confirmed comments made by Mike D in a BBC interview, that the new record will be 100 percent hip-hop and that coming live shows will reflect that focus. "For now I think we are just going to do hip hop shows, turntables and mics," Yauch said. "It's kind of nice to keep it simple for a minute. But I am sure that we will get back into playing instruments again in the near future..." "I love playing hardcore, but it has been kind of nice to just focus on hip-hop for a minute. It's like a different mindset, and to stay in it for a stretch is kind of nice. Playing an instrument is like a different way of thinking." The album will be self-produced without the assistance of long-time collaborators Mario Caldato Jr. and Money Mark.

Lollapalineup

Lollapalooza will return in July with a two-day format and a more diverse musical lineup. Confirmed acts include MORRISSEY, FLAMING LIPS, SONIC YOUTH and STRING CHEESE INCIDENT. Other rumored acts are RED HOT CHILLI PEPPERS, A PERFECT CIRCLE, MARS VOLTA, INCUBUS, TAPROOT, SEVENDUST and BLINDSIDE

The Darkness lead man to sing with Queen

Justin Hawkins of THE DARKNESS plans to take the place of the late Freddie Mercury with QUEEN at a 30th anniversary gig this year. "QUEEN have been talking about a collaboration for a while and they finally got down to sorting it out a week ago," a source revealed. "The plan is to celebrate the 30th anniversary of QUEEN's first chart hit and to raise as much for charity as they can. No one will ever replace Freddie. But Justin will bring a new element to the comeback."

Win the new MUSE album 'Absolution' (CONTEST OVER)

Are you ready for our latest giveaway? First off let us tell you a little bit about our English friends in MUSE:
The English rock trio Muse consists of guitarist/vocalist Matthew Bellamy, bassist Chris Wolstenhome and drummer Dominic Howard. Bored by the sleepy life their hometown of Teignmouth, Devon provided, the three friends began playing music together. They started the first incarnation of their band when they were all 13, changing the name of the group from Gothic Plague to Fixed Penalty to Rocket Baby Dolls as time passed. By 1997 the band settled on the name Muse and released their self-titled debut EP on Dangerous Records, followed by the Muscle Museum EP in 1998. The group's emotive, Radiohead-like sound and live dates drew critical acclaim and industry buzz, and after a trip to New York's CMJ festival, Muse signed a deal with Maverick Records in 1998. The NME called the new Muse record “Absolution” The UK Rock record of the year..
SORRY CONTEST OVER
And here is the good news. You can be the first to get this amazing new record.. RIGHT HERE .. From Kingblind.com
Enter to win 2 "Absolution" CD's and 2 MUSE 7”s
Just send an email to contest (a) kingblind.com telling us when the 1 year anniversary party for kingblind is. It's just that simple. (Hint: scroll DOWN) Also please add MUSE in the email subject line. (Contest open is U.S. Residents only.)
Check out the album player to listen to new songs, watch videos and more
http://www.filtermmm.com/muse/
"Absolution" in stores now!
MUSE ON TOUR
Fri- 9-Apr Atlanta-Cotton Club
Mon-12-Apr Philadelphia-Khyber
Wed-14-Apr New York-The Bowery Ballroom
Thu-15-Apr Boston-Axis
Fri-16-Apr Providence-The Call
Sun-18-Apr Montreal-Cabaret
Thu-22-Apr Detroit-Shelter
Fri-23-Apr Chicago-Metro
Sat-24-Apr Cincinnati-Top Cats
Sun-2-May Indio-Coachella
Tue-4-May Sacramento-Harlows
Thu-6-May San Francisco-Popscene

( Stay tuned for our new contest next Tuesday where can win the new Sigur-Ros Album.)

The Kingblind Top 100 Essential Records of all time (Week 6 of 10)

Ok, Here are the rules... Kingblind get their writers and friends to pick 10 records that are essential to their collection. (Kingblind will post in blocks of 10 until 100 is reached)
1. If someone else has one of the records in their selection you CANNOT pick it. Find another gem for the list.. FIRST COME FIRST SERVED!
2. Here is what is NOT allowed in the Top 100 (We are assuming that our fine readers are smart enough to have these records in their collection already.) NO Beatles, Beach Boys, Stones, Clash, Ramones, Sex Pistols, Led Zeppelin, Hendrix, The Who, Stooges, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Sonic Youth, Dylan, Nirvana. Obviously the point of this is to turn you fine folks onto some great music that you might not have heard before. Every week (on Monday) we will add a new chunk from a new writer until 100 is reached. ENJOY!!

Please welcome our 6th week of selections (60 of 100) from Mr. David Lee (London, England)

Sebadoh – Bubble and Scrape
This album defines Indie music for me. Lou makes your heart move. Jason makes your feet move, and Eric makes your head spin. Something for everyone.

Germs – (GI)
More Punk than the Sex Pistols, more Hardcore than Bad Brains.
Releasing only one proper album in their short career, (GI) absolutely blew everything else away.

Talking Heads – The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads
One of the best live albums of all times, this album chronicles the development of the band from’77 to ’81. The first side features them as a quartet playing to a handful of people, the last side show the expanded line up (Adrian Belew, Bernie Worrell, Nona Hendryx, etc) and they are playing to a packed arena. Infinitely better than Stop Making Sense.

Spearhead – Home
Michael Franti’s first post-Disposable Heroes solo effort is an uplifting blend of Funk and Hip hop with conscious lyrics. From the thought provoking “Positive” to the unstoppable groove of “Piece of Peace” this album will make you feel and think.

dEUS – Worst Case Scenario
These Belgian Art-Rockers delivered a masterpiece with their debut album.
They weave together Rock and Jazz into a completely unique blend. Stand out tracks are “Suds and Soda” and “Hotellounge” – Brilliant.

Pavement – Slanted and Enchanted: Luxe and Reduxe
Classic Indie slacker rock in its original form, this reissue is made even more essential by the inclusion of 34 bonus tracks.

Funkadelic – One Nation under a Groove
This album opened doors for me that I didn’t even know existed. My mind was freed, now my ass was following. George and crew delivered this timeless classic in 1978, and it still stands to this day as the bench mark for Funky.

XTC - Skylarking
This album exudes beauty from almost every note. From the first cricket chirps, you know you’re in for something special. The production duties from Todd Rundgren are some of the best ever.

Elvis Costello and the Attractions – Get Happy
20 tracks of Elvis doing Soul like only Elvis can. Stand out tracks include “Love For Tender” “High Fidelity”, “New Amsterdam”, “I Can’t Stand Up (For Falling Down)”
etc. The songs are short and sharp and they keep coming.

Ween – Chocolate and Cheese
An exotic blend of Funk, Soul, Country, Rock and Pop all wrapped up in humour. Guaranteed to make you smile!

American by birth, David Lee relocated to London in 1990. He has been involved in the music business there for the past 15 years. An avid Smiths fan, David was raised on a diet of rock and roll, but has come to love Punk, Funk, Reggae, World Music, and Indie Rock.

Link to Week 1

Link to Week 2

Link to Week 3

Link to Week 4

Link to Week 5

Kingblind.com 1 year anniversary party (Update)

Kingblind.com is proud to announce that we are celebrating our 1 year
anniversary on Wednesday, May 12th 2004 at The Echo Lounge in Atlanta, GA
We are recreating the experience of Kingblind.com live and in person with the following features:

THE MC5 (A True Testimonial)
A full length documentary feature film of the life and times of one of the most influential rock bands of all time The MC5. This is an exclusive Georgia screening of this amazing film. It has been the official selection of the Tribeca Film Festival, London Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival and many many more. For more info: http://www.futurenowfilms.com

Rock and Roll Poster and Photo Show:
Posters by Methane Studios (You know those cool posters you see in the echo lounge? Well here is your chance to buy them!)
http://www.methanestudios.com

Photos by Frank Mullen aka Matteblack
From Black Flag to Coldplay Frank has really shot them all.. He will be
displaying and selling his photos as well.
http://www.matteblack.com

Posters by Jim Hayes
Brilliant poster art by former Flipside columnist Mr. Jim Hayes.
Controversial, Thought provoking and fun.. This is some great stuff.. True pop art.

And Music By:
The DJ's Of Rock N' Roll High School
An all star gala of the best in Rock, Punk, Pop and Mashed will be the
soundtrack for the evenings festivities...

Cost:
100% Free.. Yes that's right kids.. All this and more is TOTALLY FREE!

Lord O' Lord there is even more!!
Free Giveaways and DVD preorders for the film will also be going on that
night. ALSO.. Our pals at Criminal Records in Atlanta, GA http://www.criminal.com
will have a record/DVD stall in the Echo Lounge selling great music DVD's and quality
rock n' roll.

Look for giveaways from BMG, International Hits Records, Filter and much
much more!

Echo Lounge
551 Flat Shoals Ave
Atlanta, GA 30316
404-681-3600
http://www.echostatic.com
(This event is 18 and over only)

Wednesday, May 12th 2004
Doors at 8:00pm
Film Starts at 8:30pm
Photo / Poster show and music starts at 10:30pm till ???

Valli, Roth Join 'Sopranos' Mob

Frankie Valli is going from singing hits to carrying them out, while David Lee Roth is playing cards with the mob. Both artists will become part of the fabric of HBO's "The Sopranos" on Sunday (March 28). While Roth's appearance is a cameo, Valli will become a regular character beginning with this week's episode. The singer actually read for a part on the show four years ago, but it wasn't right for him. Valli says it appears his character will survive to the next season, but one never knows. He says if that happens, he can go back to singing, possibly recording a jazz album. Roth, meanwhile, will be seen in a playing poker with family boss Tony Soprano and his consigliere Silvio Dante, who is portrayed by another rocker, E Street Band guitarist "Little Steven" Van Zandt.

Sun Kil Moon Gets Orchestrated

Sun Kil Moon's current short run of North American tour dates will dovetail into a three-week European tour in May, frontman Mark Kozelek said The group features Matt Boyer and Kozelek's Red House Painters colleague Phil Carney on guitar, plus violin/viola players Alan Molina and Michi Aceret. Next up is a two-night stand beginning Tuesday (March 30) in Kozelek's San Francisco homebase. "We're halfway through it and I'm going to be a little bit bummed when it's over, because it's sounding great," Kozelek enthuses. "But we'll be going to Europe in mid-May for three weeks. We'll get to play some outdoor festivals there and some nice theaters." The trek comes in support of Sun Kil Moon's 2003 Jetset debut, "Ghosts of the Great Highway," which topped U.S. college radio charts earlier this year. Kozelek and company had only five rehearsals together before the tour, which is featuring everything from re-arranged "Ghosts" tracks and Red House Painters favorites to Kozelek solo cuts and a cast of covers (the Cars' "All Mixed Up," Modest Mouse's "Never Ending Math Equation," AC/DC's "Bad Boy Boogie"). "It's a really a matter of these guys being great musicians," Kozelek stresses. "The string players have been playing since they were three years old! They're such great players that we learned three or four songs each rehearsal, and that was it." Prior to visiting Europe, Kozelek has four solo acoustic shows on his schedule in mid-April as makeups for performances he was previously forced to postpone. Sun Kil Moon is also weighing an offer to perform at the Bonnaroo festival in June, which Kozelek says would likely be the group's last U.S. show for the year. "We're all having a lot of fun, so if something came up where we had four shows offered to us in Australia or Japan, I could see everyone taking a week off from their jobs to do it," he says. As for the status of Red House Painters, Kozelek says he won't rule out making another album with the group, but cautions that nothing concrete has been discussed. The quartet returned in 2001 with "Old Ramon" (Sub Pop) after a five-year absence, and drummer Anthony Koutsos and bassist Jerry Vessel both contributed to "Ghosts of the Great Highway." "We've never been a band that works really hard and tours year in and year out," Kozelek says. "Red House Painters tends to work on a record for a long time, take a break, go on tour for three weeks in Europe and the U.S., and then we're done for a year or two."
Here are Sun Kil Moon/Kozelek tour dates:
March 30-31: San Francisco (Great American Music Hall / Sun Kil Moon)
April 2: Los Angeles (El Rey Theatre / Sun Kil Moon)
April 17: Tallahassee, Fla. (Club Downunder / Kozelek solo)
April 19: St. Augustine, Fla. (Cafe Eleven / Kozelek solo)
April 22: Atlanta (Echo Lounge / Kozelek solo)
April 24: Denver (Larimer Lounge / Kozelek solo)

Calexico to Release EP, DVD

A Calexico DVD entitled World Drifts In is slated for release sometime this summer. The DVD features many highlights including footage from the band's November 29, 2002 performance at The Barbican Hall in London, England. Following the release of the DVD is the new 6-track EP Convict Pool on Quarterstick Records. Calexico was recently added to the Bonnaroo Music Festival lineup alongside Ween and Wilco, just to name a couple. The festival will be held June 11-13 on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, TN, 60 miles south of Nashville. In other Calexico news, their song "Pepita" off of the album Feast of Wire can be heard in the background of the "Impossible is Nothing" Adidas commercial featuring Muhammad Ali.
Tracklisting for Convict Pool:
1. Alone again or
2. Convict Pool
3. Si tu disais
4. Corona
5. Praskovia
6. Sirena
(via Filter)

Dando, Arm to Tour With MC5

The surviving three MC5 members -- guitarist Wayne Kramer, bassist Michael Davis and drummer Dennis "Machine Gun" Thompson -- are planning to tour as DKT/MC5 with guest vocalists including Evan Dando, Marshall Crenshaw, Mudhoney's Mark Arm, Radio Birdman's Deniz Tek and the Hellacopters' Nicke Royale. The tour comes amid a ripe period of discovery of the politically minded, legendary pre-punk band. The Motor City rockers -- singer Rob Tyner died in 1991 and guitarist Fred "Sonic" Smith passed in 1994 -- are at the heart of a pair of upcoming DVDs. First up is Sonic Revolution: A Celebration of the MC5, filmed at a London concert last year when the remaining MC5 members were joined on stage by Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmister, Ian Astbury, Royale, the Damned's Dave Vanian and others. Also included on the DVD, due July 6th, is a thirty-minute documentary that includes interviews with Jack White and members of Primal Scream and Death in Vegas, along with footage taken by the U.S. Department of Defense, which kept tabs on the band during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. A second DVD, the documentary MC5: A True Testimonial, was scheduled for release in May, but it was recently put on indefinite hold because of publishing clearance issues. Testimonial includes film and television footage of the band, as well as interviews and testimonials from the likes of Cheap Trick, Blue Oyster Cult, Primal Scream and Kilmister. The tour will kick off in June and make several North American stops (including a hometown gig in Detroit) before visiting Europe, Australia and Japan. (UPDATE) Here is the new MC5 website http://dkt-mc5.com

MAJOR DEVELOPMENT FOR PRINCE!

PRINCE has announced a new record deal with SONY, the first since his split from WARNER MUSIC in 1996. The star is expected to release a new album and single, both called 'Musicology' through Columbia, with the LP coming out on April 19. Details of the single's release date are yet to be confirmed. "I am really an artist and musician at heart, that's what I do," Prince said. "''Musicology' has no boundaries or formats. It is long overdue to return to the art and craft of music - that's what this album is about. School's in session." President of Sony Music US, Don Ienner, said: "Prince is a true genius. Over the course of his extraordinary career he's continually taken on new artistic challenges, and in the process he has repeatedly set new standards of excellence in popular music."He added: "The songs contained on ‘Musicology’ have tremendous depth, power, and range. Making the album an important addition to the Prince legend, and a must-have for his fans around the globe. I look forward to working closely with Prince as we bring 'Musicology' to audiences across the country and throughout the world." Prince is expected to launch the 'Musicology' tour following his triumphant performance at the 46th Grammy Awards earlier this year with Beyonce. The singer was also one of this year's inductees into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Franz Ferdinand Go Pop

With their distinctive brand of joyously sleazy art pop, the Glasgow-based Franz Ferdinand are quickly becoming the U.K.'s most intriguing export. Songs like the multi-tiered single "Take Me Out" are laden with jagged guitars and toe-tapping disco rhythms, as well as sharp wordplay that is rich with romantic yearning and complex sexual politics. Having just inked a major licensing deal -- said to be worth over $1 million -- that will see Epic Records teaming up with legendary U.K. indie Domino, Franz Ferdinand now have their sights set on the U.S. The band has already begun receiving rapturous responses in North America -- including a packed showcase at last week's South by Southwest music conference -- despite the fact that their debut has only just seen domestic release. "The audiences in America have been fantastic," says the band's loquacious frontman Alex Kapranos, "very enthusiastic. The most amazing show was in Montreal. We were singing 'Jacqueline,' and the introduction is quite quiet but people were singing along. It was an amazing sensation, sent a tingle down my spine, hearing all these people singing along with this song I wrote a year and a half ago sitting in the front room of my flat in Glasgow." Kapranos credits the band's rising popularity outside of its home country to the power of the Internet, which he views as a boon to music, as opposed to a profit-draining menace. "Downloading is a great way to find out about music," he says. "I'm not going to criticize somebody for loving music. People come up to me and say, 'I downloaded your album, and I can't wait to go out and buy it.'" It makes sense that an Internet-based community would appeal to Franz Ferdinand, who adopted a populist stance from the start by articulating their mission as creating "music for girls to dance to." And while many American bands would recoil at the idea of being viewed as a pop band, Franz Ferdinand are not only proud of the label, they're determined to change people's minds about the meaning of the term. Their rapid rise at home -- both "Take Me Out" and Franz Ferdinand crashed onto the upper reaches of the U.K. charts -- served to validate the band's vision of itself as a pop group in the tradition of such leftfield acts as the Smiths and New Order, bringing adventurous ideas and challenging concepts to a mainstream audience through the undeniable power of catchy tunes. "To me, pop music is music that moves you without engaging the brain," Kapranos explains, "and then allows you to engage the brain afterwards. You dance and you feel the passion, and then you can sort through the grander ideas which the music suggests. "A friend of mine said that he'd been playing our album and his three-year-old daughter was dancing around the room, singing along, making up her own words, jumping around and stuff. To me, that is fantastic. That's the best indication that we've done something right. A three-year-old doesn't intellectualize music, doesn't hear it within any social contexts, and has no idea what's cool and what's not cool. All a three-year-old knows is 'This is fun to dance around to' and 'I like the tune.' That's what music should be -- that's the essence."

Preston School of Industry:: Caught in the rain (Legal MP3 Download)

Single from the excellent new record from Preston School of Industry (Scott aka Spiral Stairs- ex-Pavement)
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Rare Cobain Guitar To Be Auctioned

The late Kurt Cobain's Mosrite Gospel Mark IV electric guitar will be offered for auction beginning April 17 in Texas. The auction, by Dallas-based Heritage Galleries and Auctioneers, will take place in association with the 27th Annual Dallas Guitar Show and Music Fest. The auction will mark the first time since Cobain's death on April 5, 1994, that one of his instruments will be available for sale to the public. The guitar is a right-handed model that was modified to be played by a left-handed guitarist. It is the only known example of a Mark IV-style Mosrite Gospel, which is a solid-body guitar instead of the Gospel's typical hollow body. Cobain purchased the instrument in San Francisco in 1990 and sold it in 1992. The original case bears the words "NIRVANA" and "F*** Elvis" in white paint. Though since painted over with the same white paint, the words are still visible. Other instruments at the auction will include Roger McGuinn's 1966 custom-built Rickenbacker 370/12 12-string guitar, late Motown sideman James Jamerson's upright bass and a piano owned by Elton John on which he and Bernie Taupin composed songs including "Your Song" and "Tiny Dancer." The piano is pictured on the American version of the album "Empty Sky." Heritage Galleries & Auctioneers announced the purchase of the assets of Odyssey Auctions on March 18. Those assets included the auction rights to the Dallas Guitar Show. Future auctions will be held under the Heritage-Odyssey name.

Enigk Scores With 'United States Of Leland'

The Fire Theft frontman Jeremy Enigk makes his first foray into film scoring via "The United States of Leland," a new drama starring Ryan Gosling, Kevin Spacey, Jena Malone, Chris Klein and Don Cheadle. The film opens April 2 in limited U.S. theatrical release. Writer/director Matthew Hoge tried to secure Enigk's services for months while working on a rough cut of the film, which made extensive use of the artist's 1996 Sub Pop solo album "Return of the Frog Queen" for background music. "He sought me out for three months, but I was so wrapped up with the Fire Theft that I didn't think I'd have time," Enigk said "Eventually after he persisted, I met with him and saw a rough cut and was totally blown away. It seemed like my music fit in it, so I said yeah." Enigk says he wound up writing music for around 30 scenes, including three complete songs: "Set It on Fire," "Ballroom Blitz" and "Don't Go Racing." The artist says, "I would have probably done it completely differently if [Hoge] would have allowed me, but I had to stick to the basic idea of gentle, acoustic songs with slight orchestration." The film tells the story of Gosling's Leland P. Fitzgerald, a teenager incarcerated in a juvenile detention center after committing a horrible crime. Enigk often found it difficult to sympathize with the character, which translated into the tough task of creating the accompanying music. "There's a certain point when I was writing a song for a scene where he seems twisted," he says. "I was trying to make the music twisted and strange, but it wasn't going to work, because I had to sympathize, not totally make him look like a psychotic." Sadly, there are no plans to commercially release a soundtrack from the film, which also sports music from Radiohead, the Pixies, Guided By Voices principal Robert Pollard, Frank Black and Ron Sexsmith, among others. But Enigk says the experience has made him excited to try scoring again in the future. "I would love to have more time," he says. "Fortunately, Matthew seemed really happy with everything, which I guess is the most important thing." The Fire Theft is currently supporting its self-titled Rykodisc debut on the road with Grandaddy and Saves The Day, through April 15 in Portland, Ore. The group is pondering an offer to join this summer's Lollapalooza tour plus appearances at the U.K.'s Reading and Leeds festivals. "We're really trying to push this record," Enigk says. "In December, we'll see if we need to continue touring or start thinking about recording the next one."

Sufjan Stevens: Seven Swans (Album Review)

After two relatively obscure, often obtuse records, this delicate-voiced singer/songwriter released Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lakes State, an ambitious, breathtaking song cycle about his home state. He has bold, somewhat absurd plans to record another album for each and every one of the United States. Appearing a mere eight months after Michigan, this set apparently comprises songs that didn't fit that project. However, don't expect to find many leftovers or also-rans; Seven Swans plays like a stripped-down, less thematic counterpart to its predecessor. It's also strong enough in its own right to keep fans arguing for months over which album is better. Although Seven Swans retains a few of Michigan's menagerie of woodwinds and organ-like keyboards, the primary instrument here is the banjo, but think of The Magnetic Fields rather than Bill Monroe. I'm tentative to call this a folk album (as I'm also hesitant to compare Stevens to someone like Elliott Smith or Badly Drawn Boy) because his music is so downright original. Even with somewhat scaled-down arrangements, he expertly builds his compositions layer by layer until they solidify with resonance and power. For example, both "All The Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands" and "In The Devil's Territory" kick off with a lone banjo that could've been lifted off an old English folk song. As Stevens's vocal, piano, percussion, female ba-da-das, and in the latter song, what sounds like a theremin (!) enter the picture one by one, the growing, ringing intensity hits you, albeit quietly. The unhurried "Sister", on the other hand, throws out the album's single electric guitar riff early on, only to have Stevens and members of the Danielson Famile wordlessly sing along to it for nearly four minutes until it becomes practically satirical (with a strong whiff of bubblegum). Then it smoothly shifts into an acoustic guitar-and-voice arrangement for its last two minutes. Another guitar-and-voice number, "To Be Alone With You", is a hushed, tender little gem with a wonderfully ambiguous lyric. Initially, it seems like a touching but standard love song, but on the second verse Stevens turns the sentiment around to the point were it's uncertain as to whether the song is about an adulterous affair, a friendship, or even spiritual concerns. Throughout, lyrics about witches and dragons occasionally give way to more spiritual, historical and eventually biblical references ("Abraham"), culminating in the epic title track's striking dramatic flourishes. The album concludes with Stevens's most explicitly religion-themed song, "The Transfiguration", which also happens to be one of his most jubilant and stirring (no matter what your feelings are toward religion), building toward a masterful, childlike round of oboes, clarinets and multilayered vocals. Recorded at producer Daniel Smith's home and rec room, Seven Swans is an intimate, beautiful work, whether it's rewriting a Flannery O'Connor short story from the murderer's point of view ("A Good Man Is Hard To Find") or examining the ever-shifting nature of any true friendship ("Size Too Small"). Stevens may never come close to completing his one-album-for-every-state undertaking, but he'll be fine if he keeps putting out exceptional albums like this one.
(Review by: Chris Kriofske)

Kingblind.com 1 year anniversary party

Kingblind.com is proud to announce that we are celebrating our 1 year
anniversary on Wednesday, May 12th 2004 at The Echo Lounge in Atlanta, GA
We are recreating the experience of Kingblind.com live and in person with the following features:

THE MC5 (A True Testimonial)
A full length documentary feature film of the life and times of one of the most influential rock bands of all time The MC5. This is an exclusive Georgia screening of this amazing film. It has been the official selection of the Tribeca Film Festival, London Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival and many many more. For more info: http://www.futurenowfilms.com

Rock and Roll Poster and Photo Show:
Posters by Methane Studios (You know those cool posters you see in the echo lounge? Well here is your chance to buy them!)
http://www.methanestudios.com

Photos by Frank Mullen aka Matteblack
From Black Flag to Coldplay Frank has really shot them all.. He will be
displaying and selling his photos as well.
http://www.matteblack.com

Posters by Jim Hayes
Brilliant poster art by former Flipside columnist Mr. Jim Hayes.
Controversial, Thought provoking and fun.. This is some great stuff.. True pop art.

And Music By:
The DJ's Of Rock N' Roll High School
An all star gala of the best in Rock, Punk, Pop and Mashed will be the
soundtrack for the evenings festivities...

Cost:
100% Free.. Yes that's right kids.. All this and more is TOTALLY FREE!

Lord O' Lord there is even more!!
Free Giveaways and DVD preorders for the film will also be going on that
night.

Look for giveaways from BMG, International Hits Records, Filter and much
much more!

Echo Lounge
551 Flat Shoals Ave
Atlanta, GA 30316
404-681-3600
http://www.echostatic.com
(This event is 18 and over only)

Wednesday, May 12th 2004
Doors at 8:00pm
Film Starts at 8:30pm
Photo / Poster show and music starts at 10:30pm till ???

Ween, Patti Smith Join Bonnaroo Lineup

Ween, Patti Smith, the Jazz Mandolin Project featuring Jamie Masefield and Phish's Jon Fishman, the Radiators, Guster, Hackensaw Boys, New Monsoon and Jo Jo and his Mojo Mardi Gras Band have joined the lineup for this year's Bonnaroo festival, to be held June 11-13 in Manchester, Tenn. They join such previously announced participants as Bob Dylan, the Dead, Dave Matthews and Friends, Wilco, Trey Anastasio, Willie Nelson, Ani DiFranco, Primus and David Byrne. Tickets are on sale via the event's official Web site. More artists are expected to be added. In addition, organizers are asking for fan input via the Web site to select films for the 2004 Cinema Tent on the festival grounds. Three respondents will be chosen at random to win copies of the "Live From Bonnaroo" DVDs from 2002 and 2003. http://www.bonnaroo.com

Weezer's Rivers Cuomo A Wellspring Of Songs, Rick Rubin Says

Rick Rubin, who will produce no less than a half dozen albums in 2004, has met a songwriter who works as hard as he does. "He writes more than anyone I've ever met," Rubin said of Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo. Coming from a producer who has worked with such songwriters as Trent Reznor, Sheryl Crow, Anthony Kiedis, Tom Petty and Johnny Cash, that's quite a statement. "There was a period where I would get a new CD from him every day with one or more songs, plus whatever revisions I would ask for on other songs," Rubin said. "He's just a writing machine [with] a great work ethic." Rubin has been overseeing Cuomo's writing sessions for the next Weezer album for almost a year, and the band is finally about to record the material. Cuomo, who has numbered his songs since 1999 and in May of 2002 was already at 378, has acquired a reputation as a prolific songwriter, but Rubin wants him to be known as much for quality as quantity. "One of the things we've been looking for is lyrical growth," Rubin said. "Maybe have more songs that are more personal and less ironic, but I wouldn't say that's a be-all-end-all rule, more of something to think about. [We're working on] writing the best songs, really caring about reconnecting with the musical muse and doing whatever it takes to write great songs." Weezer are eyeing a fall release for the as-yet-untitled album. The group released both The Blue Album: Deluxe Edition and the "Video Capture Device: Treasures From the Vault 1991-2002" DVD this week.

The Darkness move US gigs to larger venues

The Darkness are moving a number of their US gigs to larger venues because of the demand for tickets. Friday's opening show in Milwaukee has been moved from an 800-seat venue to a 3,500-seat venue. MTV says 13 of the 19 concerts on the tour have been changed to accommodate larger crowds, and all the shows are sold-out. The tour, in support of the band's Permission To Land album, is due to wrap up in Denver on April 19. The album is currently No.44 in the Billboard US chart.

Yoshimi Battles The Hip Hop Robots

First the Grey Album.. Now this.. The Flaming Lips meet Hip-Hop. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
(largehearted boy)

Night of the Living Dead for FREE

The copyright on Night of the Living Dead has lapsed, and now the whole danged blasted movie is available for free on archive.org. Man, Archive rules.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD MOVIE
(thanks B.B.)

OutKast leads Soul Train Award winners

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- OutKast's "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" won two awards, including R&B/soul or rap album of the year, to lead the winners at the 18th annual Soul Train Music Awards. The Atlanta duo, who won the Grammy last month for best album of the year, also scored the Michael Jackson Award for best R&B/soul or rap music video for "Hey Ya!" on Saturday. The awards, named after the long-running television show, honor recording artists in R&B, hip-hop, rap and gospel music. They were held at the International Cultural Center and televised live via syndication. OutKast was the lone multiple-winner at the ceremony hosted by Alicia Keys and producer songwriter Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. Soul crooner Luther Vandross was the night's sentimental choice, winning best R&B/soul single, male for his "Dance With My Father." Vandross, recovering from a debilitating stroke, continued a victory streak that saw him take home four Grammy Awards and four NAACP Image Awards at ceremonies in the past two months. The Soul Train Music Awards celebrates artists in R&B, hip-hop, rap and gospel music. The awards are chosen by a group of radio station professionals, talent managers and performers.

2xCD My Bloody Valentine Comp Due Next Month

My Bloody Valentine have announced the pending release of a new two-disc release compiling material from their long out-of-print EPs, as well as a handful of previously unreleased tracks, all in crystalline, lovingly remastered stereo. Apparently titled Remastered EPs, the first disc compiles every track from the four EPs issued between 1988-1990 (You Made Me Realise, Feed Me With Your Kiss, Glider and Tremolo), while the second disc contains eight unreleased songs. According to Mybloodyvalentine.net, the compilation is set to be released April 21st, though it's already currently available via Japanese import. Otherwise, it can be pre-ordered via sirendisc.com (who claim it's due to ship April 12th) or amazon.co.uk (who have it as a May 3rd release). Or you can just give into record company release-date tyranny and wait patiently. Tracklist:
Disc 1 - EPs
01 You Made Me Realise
02 Slow
03 Thorn
04 Cigarette In Your Bed
05 Drive It All Over Me
06 Feed Me With Your Kiss
07 I Believe
08 Emptiness Inside
09 I Need No Trust
10 Soon
11 Glider
12 Don't Ask Why
13 Off Your Face
14 To Here Knows When
15 Swallow
16 Honey Power
17 Moon Song
Disc 2 - Unreleased
01 Instrumental #2
02 Instrumental #1
03 Cowboy Song
04 Good For You
05 Sugar
06 Kevin Song
07 Belinda Song
08 Glider (Long)
There's no official word on exactly who has remastered the songs, but like the answer to all life's great mysteries, it's probably Kevin Shields. Who's buried in Grant's Tomb? Kevin Shields. When was the War of 1812? Kevin Shields. And speaking of the man who is to the flanger what J.D. Salinger is to the word "crumby," Shields recently gave an interview with The Guardian, which the publication claimed was his first interview in 12 years. If you like it, you can read the one he gave to Arthur Magazine last November. Oh snap! The interview is fairly lengthy, although much of the length is due to back-story rather than juicy, new Shields quotes. It comes off as a bit of a modern folk-tale of the reclusive genius, with entertaining tall tales like the one about Air drummer Brian Reitzell coaxing Shields back into the world, and the one wherein Shields' craziness is measured by the amount of chinchillas and barbed wire he used to keep in his house. How many chinchillas and how much barbed wire? Lots and plenty. They're like peanut butter and pianos: They definitely could go together, but we'll be fucked if we can tell you how.

SOUL LEGEND ARETHA FRANKLIN IN HOSPITAL

Soul legend ARETHA FRANKLIN has been taken to hospital with an undisclosed illness. The star, who lives in Detroit, is in a stable condition, reports BBC. Franklin's publicist Gwendolyn Quinn wouldn't say which hospital she was in, and had no further information about her client's illness. Franklin, who celebrates her 62nd birthday on Thursday (March 25), is best known for '60s hits such as 'Respect' and '(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman', but won a Grammy Award last month for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for 'Wonderful'.

WE'RE NOT TOURING OR RELEASING A SINGLE

Liars going on tour and bringing out a new single. The liars.. 23 Mar 2004 Liars have confirmed they will play the RE~TG event at Camber Sands on 16th May 2004 as well as touring the UK throughout the same month - and not only that - they'll be making three appearances at the Triptych festival at the end of April. Phwoooweeee! PLUS! They'll be bringing a single out on 24th May, rather charmingly titled 'We Fenced Other Gardens With The Bones Of Our Own', the second single from their bonkers second album "They Were Wrong, So We Drowned". The single comes backed with two new tracks, a cover of LA punk band the Germs' 'Sex Boy', and 'The Fountain And Its Monologue'. The CD version also includes videos for both B-Sides, directed by the band.
So here are the dates for y'all:
UK TOUR DATES:
4th May - Bristol, Thekla
5th May - Manchester, Roadhouse
6th May - Sheffield, Uni
7th May - Leeds, Cockpit
8th May - Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
10th May - London, Meanfiddler
11th May - Oxford, Zodiac
RE-TG:
16th May - RE-TG Festival, Camber Sands
TRIPTYCH FESTIVAL:
28th April - Edinburgh, The Venue
29th April - Aberdeen, The Lemon Tree
30th April - Glasgow, The Tramway

Live Radiohead (Legal MP3 Downloads)

Tons of live and rare Radiohead.. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

THE MAIN OFFENDERS

The Hives announced their 2004 return with a live set packed with new tracks at the South By Southwest Music festival in Austin, Texas on Friday (March 19). The Swedes unveiled seven new songs in an 11 song set during their afternoon outdoor show. In 85 degree heat, the garage rockers debuted their new uniforms (all black except white dinner jackets, spats and Colonel Sanders-style ties) along with material slated to appear on their next album, due for release in late summer. The band were on mighty form, with new songs like 'No Pun Intended' and 'Idiot Walk' displaying an Iggy Pop-style '70s US punk influence.
The set-list:
1. Abra Cadaver
2. Idiot Walk
3. Main Offender
4. No Pun Intended
5. Outsmarted
6. Die, All Right
7. Baby Your Alright
8. Antidote
9. Missing Link
10. Hate To Say I Told You So
11. Two Timings Touch And Broken Bones

Snow Patrol- CD, T-Shirts and Single Giveaway (New Kingblind.com Contest)

Are you ready for our latest giveaway? First off let us tell you a little bit about our Irish friends in Snow Patrol: The Northern Irish three-piece that started off as a duo. Lightbody and McClelland first got together in Dundee, Scotland, where they were studying, prior to the addition of Quinn, who completed the lineup. Signing to the U.K.'s Jeepster label in 1998, they released their debut album in August of that same year. Songs for Polar Bears turned out to be a huge success across the U.K., where they also discharged their music in several live concerts, gaining a large fan base. The British trio graduated soon after, and decided to move from Dundee to Glasgow in late 2000. When Its All Over We Still Have to Clear Up showed up as their second full-length in April 2001. Producer Chris Lord-Alge signed on for the release of Final Straw, which appeared stateside in April 2004. And here is the good news. You can be the first to get this amazing new record.. RIGHT HERE .. From Kingblind.com We have got 2 "Final Straw" cd's, 2 t-shirts, 2 "Spitting Games" 7's That’s 6 winners folks.. Here is what you have to do to win.. Send us an email to contest (a) kingblind.com with SNOW PATROL in the subject line telling us one of the bands on our top 15 records of 2003. Yes, That means you have to search our archives and find the list.. But when you do fire off an email.. WHAMMO!! the goodies are yours. It’s that easy.
AGAIN.. HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN WIN:
The first 2 winners get the CD’s.. The second 2 get the T-Shirts and the final 2 get the 7” singles.. COOL!.. Well what are you waiting for? Start hunting!!
More on Snow Patrol:
Official Website: www.snowpatrol.net
Snow Patrol album jukebox player
These items will go quick so email us as soon as possible. Thanks and enjoy Snow Patrol… Look for a new contest next Tuesday!! (Offer valid in North America only.)
Oh Yeah.. Did we mention that they're being hailed as the next Coldplay? And we mean that in a good way.

The Kingblind Top 100 Essential Records of all time (Week 5 of 10)

Ok, Here are the rules... Kingblind get their writers and friends to pick 10 records that are essential to their collection. (Kingblind will post in blocks of 10 until 100 is reached)
1. If someone else has one of the records in their selection you CANNOT pick it. Find another gem for the list.. FIRST COME FIRST SERVED!
2. Here is what is NOT allowed in the Top 100 (We are assuming that our fine readers are smart enough to have these records in their collection already.) NO Beatles, Beach Boys, Stones, Clash, Ramones, Sex Pistols, Led Zeppelin, Hendrix, The Who, Stooges, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Sonic Youth, Dylan, Nirvana. Obviously the point of this is to turn you fine folks onto some great music that you might not have heard before. Every week (on Monday) we will add a new chunk from a new writer until 100 is reached. ENJOY!!

Please welcome our 5th week of selections (50 of 100) from Mr. Shannon Mulvaney (Cabbagetown, Georgia)

The Replacements - Let it Be
When I stumbled on the 'Mats, it was their cover of Kiss's "Black Diamond" that caught my ear, I experienced a kind of Rock epiphany. Hear were a bunch of mid western drunks playing rock and roll the way I had been trying to do myself but where I failed they excelled. They had all the elements of Rawk that I loved. A great classic Stones and Faces white boy mangling of the blues. They were punk in a true "we don't give a fuck" way, minus all the silly fashion and rhetoric. They were not afraid to be honest and dare I say sensitive. All the cool rock girls loved Westerberg for his abilty to write songs of loss and pain and us guys loved the fact he did this with a wink and beer,and did it very loudly and sometimes out of tune and sometimes not at all, any one who saw their shows in the early to mid 80's can attest the chaotic sometimes frustrating performances. All these elements made them one of the best Rock bands on the planet. Let it Be is filled with Rawk, country,punk and attitude and sincerity. Go BUY it.

The Birthday Party - Prayers on fire
Nick Cave and his fucked up buddies,including Bad Seed Mick Harvey, make some of the most mangled,mean,hilarious,stupid and vital music of the 80's. Australia to my mind is alot like Texas when it comes to producing weird,scary music ( Kylie ,INXS,JET,Vines exempted) Prayers On Fire layed down the blueprint for Scratch Acid who begat Jesus Lizard who influnced countless noisy lean primal rhythmic scuzz. Witness bassist Tracey Pew's slithery, sleazy bass line on Zoo Music Girl mixed with blaring horns and scraping guitar and tom tom drums. Nick The Stripper is just plain funny.great music to fuck to after lots of drugs and alcohol. The Birthday Party took punks promise and ran with it and never looked back. They made same great records and burned out. Godamnit this record is great!

Mink Deville - Mink DeVille (or Cabretta)
So much has been written, filmed or photographed on the NY punk scene that it seems sort of a waste of energy to write more. That said I don't feel enough has been said about Mink DeVille's excellent 1977 album. Mixing Latin rhythm, early Springsteen, Velvets, soul and plain old rock n roll may sound like a real bad idea but it works beautifully on this record. The Jack Nitzsche production helps create the perfect summer afternoon record to drink beer by, especially on a stoop in Brooklyn.

Sweet - Desolation Blvd.
Ballroom Blitz was the first single I bought with my own money in grade school and it has forever shaped my perceptions of Rock and Roll. this has been both good and bad. I love the guitars the effemente Brit accents and retarded sexuality of the Destination Blvd in all it's glammy,hammy posing. It also started a life long obsession and true love of bubblegum music. Fucking shit "Fox on the Run" makes me PARTY! Next time your at a gathering of friends of the late 20's to late 30's age bracket put this record on and watch the hair and asses shake.

Pogues - Rum Sodomy and the Lash
I recently read somewhere that the Pogues are the hipster Jimmy Buffet. Pretty funny. Produced by Elvis Costello Rum,Sodomy and the Lash is The Pogues at their finest. With due respect to MC Wonda Bread this record ,not "If I Should Fall From Grace with God" is The Pogues at their loosest,drunken and most heart breakingly beautiful. A perfect melding of trad Irish reels and speed fueled punk. Not overproduced or sloppy but just right. Way more powerful on traditional acoustic intruments than a million DropKick Murphys.

Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden, Motorhead and AC/DC these bands were my pyramid of peace and strength in 9th grade. Some may scoff now at Maidens silly Spinal Tapisims but in 1980 when I got this record for Christmas my impressionable ears had never heard anything like it. Starting with the cover of the rotted corpse mascott Eddie to the band on the back of the album glowing in blue lights and half obscured by dry ice fog and the raised fists of the punters they are pummeling I was mesmerized. Hell ,singer Paul DiAnno had short spiked hair an looked like a London punk! What gives? In my opinion Maiden were the first metal-punk crossover. This record is barely produced, played at hyper speed, short on bombast and long on the brutal. There great hooks in the way of inventive riffs and actually catchy,memorable chorus'. This record as much as any Sabbath release influenced Seattle in the late '80's and the Cliff burton era Metallica. Now that metal is cool again due youself a favor and pick up the reissue of this genre defining LP.

Faces - A Nod is as Good as Wink
Say what you want about Rod Stewart now a days, and certainly he deserves all the crap he gets, but back in the Faces heyday the motherfucker could sing. Along with future Stone Ronnie Wood,always a great second banana, The Faces rolled out some of the best Brit rock laid to vinyl. Boozed up irreverent party Rock and Roll (see Replacements above) played with a lust for life in all hedonistic forms. Some of my favorite Faces songs happen when they slow down though, the late great Ronnie Lanes "Debris" is a beautiful song. It makes me sad and I like it. But back to the boozed up rock, "Stay With Me" their only real hit still has the power to floor a party. Enough. I want another beer.

Opal - Happy Nightmare Baby
Kendra Smith of Dream Syndicate teams with weirdo guitar guy David Roback and creates a swirling,gauzy, modern psychedelic classic. This record creates a mood so condusive to low lights, hallucenigens, wine and hookahs that I want to be in Marekesh in 1967. Even if you hate this kind of stuff I urge you to listen to this record. The songs are so well written so well played that you can't help but get sucked into their opium den. Incidently Roback went on to create Mazzy Star later on to greater commercial success.

Billy Childish - I am the Billy Childish
I don't generally recommend compilations or greatest hits packages as a place to start when learning about new music but this 2 cd set is an exception. Sub Pop released this cd in limited number and it's now out of print but I strongly suggest digging it up. Now let me tell you why. Billy Childish is a one man DIY rock machine. Releasing records under many names, Thee Milkshakes, Thee Headcoats, Pop Rivets and The Blackhands to name but a few Billy has been making Kinks/punk fuzz since the mid seventies. And he has done it all on his terms. Crypt, Sympathy for the Record Industry,Hangman and SubPop and many others have released his records and this comp runs the gamut. From the fairly straight up punk of the Pop Rivets to The fuzzy Link Wray inspired Headcoats to the big beat Beatle/Kinks hooks of Thee Milkshakes to Girl group cool of the Headcoatees,who boast a very young Holly Golightly in their ranks, Billy knows rock. If you like the whole Nuggets and Back from the Grave series do yourself a favor and pick up any of Billys stuff. You will like it.

The Wondermints - Mind if we Make Love To You
Since I can't pick any Beach Boys I have to include The Wondermints. Best Known as Brian Wilsons backing band on his Pet Sounds tour and the current Smile live extravaganza The Wondermints are the closest approximation I have found to '60's Cailfornia Sunshine Pop and man it makes my spine shivery to hear their harmonies blend with farfisas, strings, horns, fuzz guitar and melodies so sweet they make my teeth hurt. Summer is almost upon us and now is the time.

Shannon Mulvaney has done many things in the past that only he remembers and is currently working on many things that only cares about. If you want to purchase any of the records above come see him during the day. He will also clean up after your drunken mess with a smile. (Editors Note) Oh yeah.. Shannon also is the co-owner of International Hits Records (A fantasic record label) and toured the world as the bassist in Magnapop for about a decade.

Link to Kingblind’s Top 100 Essential Records of all time Week 1

Link to Week 2

Link to Week 3

Link to Week 4

KINGBLIND RECOMMENDS

Here is what's on the Kingblind stereo this week:
(British Sea Power: The decline of British Sea Power)--(GBV: Human Amusements and Hourly Rates)--(VA: Blue Notes- The Lost Grooves)--(fIREHOSE: Flyin' the flannel)--(TV on the Radio: Deparate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes)

MUSE: Time is running out (Music Video)

CLICK HERE to view the latest video from the MUSE. (Requires Quicktime)

Trail Of Dead Making New Album At Home

Rock quartet ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead has begun work on its fourth studio album at its own Mob House studio in its Austin, Texas, homebase. The group is tentatively eyeing a fall release for the set, which will be the follow-up to its 2002 Interscope debut, "Source Tags & Codes." The group has spent a month in the studio so far with longtime producer Mike McCarthy and is working on a track-by-track basis. One song previewed-- tentatively titled "Will You Smile Again?" -- is a seven-minute epic in 5/4 time, bookended by the kind of rapturous rock riffing for which Trail Of Dead has become well-known. "I think we're definitely trying to impress ourselves," group member Jason Reece said during a late-night break from recording. "It is a goal of ours to make something that will stand the test of time. 'Source Tags' is a good record, but we want to top ourselves." Whereas prior Trail Of Dead records featured songs that had been methodically rehearsed prior to being recorded, the as-yet-untitled new set finds the band working in new ways. "We didn't really rehearse the songs over and over again to get them prepared," group member Conrad Kelly says. "We wanted to do this a little more organically and come in and build them in the studio. Doing it this way, you don't get the red light syndrome where time is money. We can stretch out and be a little more creative and try out as many ideas as we want." Among the cuts currently in consideration are "Let It Dive," "The Five Penises in Dwarfland," "Mushroom Trip in Mexico" and "How the Best Will Fall." "I definitely want to expand the instrumentation," Kelly says. "I've been getting into lots of different types of classical and ethnic instruments. But I've also been getting into a lot of electronic recording. Those two blend together in a really strange way. To be able to bring the past up and to use exactly what is current really makes you contemporary." "We've previously utilized strings and percussion, even though they're minimally expressed," McCarthy adds. "This time, I think they will be part of the whole composition from the bottom up, instead of being the last thing we put on. All the parts and syncopation will be written around that. We bought some timpanis and other ethnic drums that will definitely be heard, and the band will be playing them themselves." The only live date on Trail Of Dead's schedule at present is a May 1 appearance at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. But group member Neil Busch says he and his bandmates are already itching to finish the record and return the road. "We're playing Coachella, so we'll play several of these songs we're doing here," he says. "Right now, this is the priority. We've been home for a year and it's time to do this and go back out."

Dead Milkmen:: Punk Rock Girl (MP3 Download)

In memory of Dave Blood.. The D.M. Bassist who committed suicide on March 10th.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Saurian Sinclair software, encoded on vinyl records

In the old days, you could get bonus software for your Sinclair Spectrum PC encoded as audio on vinyl record albums, That is albums by The Thompson Twins, The Strangers and many more. This exhaustive, loving report has links to the code and emulators for executing it. In the case of these programs on vinyl, the user would have to play back the proper portion of the record, record the resultant chatter to tape, and load the tape into the spectrum. Some users have mentioned playing certain games so much that they could recognize the loading sounds. CLICK HERE FOR WEBSITE
(boing boing)

Bigmouth Strikes Again

Monster, Claiming to Be Courtney Love, Goes on Rampage
(boing-boing)

Drive by Truckers:: Hey Ya’ (Legal MP3 Download)

Live recording of Drive by Truckers covering Outkast. Too Funny. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
(largehearted boy)

Matmos:: The Struggle Against Unreality (Legal MP3 Download)

John Fahey meets Aphex Twin? Autechre at a banjo contest? These are just two of the images that jump to mind upon hearing Matmos beautifully perverse digital reconstructions of acoustic music. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

JACK WHITE HAS 'BALL' WITH DYLAN!

JACK WHITE joined BOB DYLAN onstage on Wednesday (March 17) in DETROIT. The legendary star played the last of three nights at the Detroit State Theater as part of his latest North American tour. The White Stripes star came on stage during the final encore and ran through a version of ’Elephant’ track ’Ball And Biscuit’, playing guitar and providing vocals.
The setlist ran:
* 'The Wicked Messenger'
* 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue '
* 'Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum'
* 'Under The Red Sky'
* 'It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)'
* 'Down Along The Cove'
* 'Moonlight'
* 'High Water (For Charley Patton)'
* 'Girl Of The North Country' (acoustic)
* 'Highway 61 Revisited'
* 'Man In The Long Black Coat'
* 'Honest With Me'
* 'Every Grain Of Sand'
* 'Summer Days'
* 'Cat's In The Well'
* 'Like A Rolling Stone'
* 'All Along The Watchtower'
* 'Ball And Biscuit'

SXSW Hepped Up on Hip-Hop

Just how do you get BBQ sauce stains out of your bling-bling? Attendees of Austin's band-, beer- and BBQ-soaked South by Southwest Music Conference & Festival just might find out when it kicked off Wednesday. "We have the strongest festival across the board than we've ever had," says SXSW Creative Director Brent Grulke. "I am extremely excited about our hip-hop presence this year. It's absolutely outstanding. We also have many more international artists, especially those singing in Spanish. We have a huge spectrum." Grulke has the right to brag. Thousands of music fans and music-biz types--and more than 1,200 performing bands--will overwhelm Austin's clubs and bars during the five-day confab. There's also a trade show, plenty of informational panels and, this year, a keynote address by legendary piano pounder Little Richard. No wonder the event is often referred to as spring break for the record industry. The diverse showcase lineup includes the established (Los Lobos, Joan Jett, Dwight Yoakam), the buzzworthy (the Thrills, the Walkmen, British Sea Power), the strange (the Polyphonic Spree) and an array of singer-songwriters (Grant-Lee Phillips, Patty Griffin, Ron Sexsmith). R&B ing?nue Joss Stone is even playing at Starbucks. And those hip-hoppers? Streetwise Atmosphere, former Company Flow member El-P, Brit import Dizzee Rascal and Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo's R&B-styled band N.E.R.D. are performing, the latter to promote the upcoming release Fly or Die. The struggling major labels will have a scaled-back, cost-conscious presence, says Grulke. That leaves indie labels and unsigned artists to be the festival's backbone. "At the top end of the industry things are pretty grim," he says. "However, there are more avenues for artists to create a career for themselves than ever before. So we're seeing a lot of independent labels and self-directed artists who know how to use SXSW to help with realistic goals.? Like unsigned Los Angeles pop-rockers, the 88, who are driving to Texas to perform at two afternoon parties, one nighttime show and on a local news program during SXSW. "We're not going there to get discovered. I don't think that even exists anymore," says 88 frontman Keith Slettedahl. "Sure, there are a lot of opportunities to meet quote-end-quote important people, but we're just excited to get out of town and play in front of a new audience.? Others are in it for the good times. "One of our favorite things about Austin is that they don't only know how to make Flaming Dr. Peppers, but word is that they are the ones who invented the drink," says Scott Kirkland, one half of the techno band the Crystal Method, who is performing at the fest. The duo's live show promoting their latest, Legion of Boom, will no doubt be driven by said fiery mix of beer, Amaretto and rum. Grulke's only complaint: "I don't get to see any of the bands, because I'll be working to ensure that everybody else is having a good time.? Well, maybe there's time to sneak in one Flaming Dr. Pepper..

The Elected: "Go On" (Legal MP3 Download)

This is the new project from Blake Sennett, co-singer/songwriter of Rilo Kiley. "Me First" includes the help of Mike Mogis (Saddle Creek Records partner and producer extraordinaire), Jimmy Tamborello (Postal Service, Dntel), Jason Boesel (Rilo Kiley), Daniel Brummel (Ozma), Orinda Fink (Azure Ray), Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley, Postal Service), Schmed (Arlo), and many others. It incorporates everything from lap steel to melodic, glitchy electronics. A compelling, cinematic framework for Sennett's exemplary songwriting. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Ray Davies Dedicates Honor To Fans

Accorded a title yesterday (March 17) by Queen Elizabeth II, Ray Davies shared the honor with fans. The 59-year-old Kinks songwriter/guitarist/singer leaned on a walking stick and wore a dark suit and tortoise-shell sunglasses to receive the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) at Buckingham Palace in London. "This is for the people who supported my music over the years," Davies said. "I'm kind of reluctant to collect rewards. I usually back out of ceremonies. I'm kind of a shy person."This is for the fans of my music," he added. "It's theirs." Shot in the leg by a mugger two months ago in New Orleans, Davies said he hopes to be back onstage soon. "I will get better and I'll be back jumping around onstage," said Davies. But, he admitted, "There is a lot of doubt whether I can perform in the near future." A thief who snatched his girlfriend's bag shot Davies, who founded the Kinks with his brother Dave in the early 1960s. "I chased after him. I have been asking myself why. One never knows how to react," Davies said. "Other people have said they would do the same. That's all I want to say about it."

Gus Van Sant To Direct Grunge Period Piece

While it’s provided content for about a zillion VH1 specials, the Seattle grunge scene hasn’t provided a setting for many dramatic films. Sure, there was Cameron Crowe’s 1992 romantic comedy Singles — starring Matt Dillon as a dopey grunge rocker with much of Pearl Jam playing his band, Citizen Dick, and Soundgarden and Alice In Chains playing themselves — but few directors have gone for a ‘90s Pacific Northwest period piece. According to the Hollywood Reporter, director Gus Van Sant (My Own Private Idaho, Good Will Hunting) has written a script for a film that he will direct and produce called Last Days, which focuses on the mid-‘90s Seattle music scene. Van Sant has reportedly hatched out a deal with HBO films, who also backed his last movie, the high school shooting drama, Elephant. It’s not known if HBO will release the movie in theatres (as was the case with Elephant) or if they’ll run it on their American cable network. While the script is purely fictional, it apparently focuses on the rise of an indie rock band fronted by an intense leader uncomfortable with the band’s sudden rise to fame. While no one is calling the project a Nirvana biopic, the similarities between the fictional protagonist and the late Kurt Cobain are said to be fairly obvious. So who has the chops to play the fallen grunge angel? Van Sant chose his muse early in the game — he’s been developing the project with actor Michael Pitt for some years now. 22-year old Pitt (Cobain was 20 when he formed Nirvana in 1987) most recently starred in Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Dreamers, but is probably best known for his role in the film version of Hedwig And The Angry Inch. Pitt is also slated to star in the upcoming West Memphis Three film as Damien Echols.

Gimme Indie Rock (Legal MP3 Downloads)

Here are some free and legal mp3 downloads of songs that John Peel has featured on his BBC Radio 1 show recently. Featuring The Shins, Mogwai, The Fall, Catpower, The Gossip and many many more. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

MORRISSEY DROPS MELTDOWN HINTS

MORRISSEY has hinted at his plans for this year’s MELTDOWN festival. Speaking over the weekend the former Smiths star said that the surviving New York Dolls are reforming for their first show since the ‘70s, and other acts likely to appear include Franz Ferdinand, Sparks and Elton John. As Morrissey is curating the festival, he will also make a live appearance. Meltdown takes place annually and started life as a classical event. Each year a prominent or influential member the music world is approached to curate, and as time has progressed the festival has become more rock orientated. This year’s festival will take place between June 11-27 on the South Bank Centre in London. The star, who is to release his first album in seven years ‘You Are The Quarry’ on May 17, is the twelfth artist who has accepted the invitation organise Meltdown since 1993. Previous directors include Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, David Bowie and John Peel. Speaking about the event, the singer said: "For me, this is a privilege and I will rise to it. Curating Meltdown is a great opportunity for me to acknowledge some of the music and words that have excited me over the years. Some of you have i-Pods, I have Meltdown."

GBV to re-release “Bee-Thousand”

Scat Records is eyeing a July release for a 10th anniversary edition of Guided By Voices' legendary "Bee Thousand" album, this time in a triple-vinyl pressing. Titled "The Director's Cut," the new version will feature frontman Robert Pollard's original artwork, the original intended double-album sequence of the set, previously unreleased versions of songs and the full contents of the "The Grand Hour" and "I am a Scientist" EPs. While a number of the tracks have been previously released on the rarities compilations "King Sh*t & the Golden Boys" and "Suitcase," fans will revel in a four-track demo of "It's Like Soul Man," the unreleased "Crayola," an early version of "Shocker in Gloomtown" and what is described as the "Shernoff version" of "My Valuable Hunting Knife." The full track list can be found on Scat's Web site. As previously reported, GBV is eyeing a summer release for its next Matador album. The group is off the road until three late-April U.S. shows, beginning April 22 in Trenton, N.J.

Supergrass celebrates 10 years

U.K. rock act Supergrass will celebrate its 10th anniversary with the May release of a greatest-hits album and retrospective DVD. The group has also unveiled plans for a 20-date U.K. tour, beginning April 25 in Newcastle and wrapping May 21 in Folkestone. The as-yet-untitled greatest hits set will feature all of the group's singles plus a handful of newly recorded tracks. The DVD will include "most Supergrass videos and a documentary looking back over the last 10 years of Supergrass," according to the group's official Web site. Supergrass is also said to be at work on its fifth album, which will be the follow-up to 2002's "Life on Other Planets."

Cash, RZA Lead 'Kill Bill Vol. 2' Set

Tracks by Johnny Cash, RZA, Malcolm McLaren, Ennio Morricone and Shivaree have been chosen for the soundtrack to "Kill Bill Vol. 2." The set is due April 13 via Maverick, while the film opens three days later in U.S. theaters. Cast members Uma Thurman and David Carradine appear on several cuts from the soundtrack, including the duets "Truly and Utterly Bill" and "The Legend of Pai Mei." The first installment of the "Kill Bill" soundtrack was a major hit, reaching No. 20 on The Billboard 200 and No. 1 on Billboard's Top Soundtracks chart. It featured cuts by RZA, Isaac Hayes and Nancy Sinatra, among others.
Here is the track listing for "Kill Bill Vol. 2":
"A Few Words From the Bride," Uma Thurman
"Goodnight Moon," Shivaree
"Il Tramonto," Ennio Morricone
"Can't Hardly Stand It," Charlie Feathers
"Tu Mir," Lole Y Manuel
"Summertime Killer," Luis Bacalov
"The Chase," Alan Reeves, Phil Steele and Philip Brigham
"The Legend of Pai Mei," David Carradine and Uma Thurman
"L'arena," Ennio Morricone
"A Satisfied Mind," Johnny Cash
"A Silhouette of Doom," Ennio Morricone
"About Her," Malcolm McLaren
"Truly and Utterly Bill," David Carradine and Uma Thurman
"Malaguena Salerosa," Chingon
"Urami Bushi," Meiko Kaji

Sonic Youth 1988 Peel Sessions (MP3 Download)

Peel Sessions from 1988: 4 Fall cover songs from Sonic Youth. Enjoy! CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Grant-Lee Phillips:: "Virginia Creeper" (Album Review)

Throughout Grant Lee-Phillips latest solo album ‘Virginia Creeper’ the former Grant Lee Buffalo frontman has pushed his story telling skills to the foreground. His carefully constructed tales are accompanied by a warm intimacy, the folky-edge only reinforcing the emphasis on the stories. Atmospherically, it’s a perfect balance, but such a focus prevents a reversal to the bombast that would make the album more eclectic in a purely sonic sense. Such albums usually provide a sturdy challenge in terms of initial accessibility but ‘Virginia Creeper’ will richly reward those who are willing to persist. A pastoral slice of the most solid of songwriting traditions.

INDIE LABELS THREATEN TO BOYCOTT MTV

THE WHITE STRIPES, PRODIGY, CRAIG DAVID and BASEMENT JAXX are among a huge number of artists set to boycott MTV in Europe in an escalating row over how much money the music channel pays to broadcast videos. MTV Networks Europe has set a deadline of March 31 for independent record labels representing artists to agree to a new rights contract worth less than half of the previous deal, reports The Guardian. If agreement isn’t reached, the music channel could lose access to around 20 per cent of releases. And in a further twist for MTV, Sanctuary Records, the large-scale independent that represents reality TV star Ozzy Osbourne, is also set to join the protest. A group called Video Performance Limited has in the past negotiated with MTV on behalf of all the independent labels. A deal, which expired in 2002, was worth £1.9million annually for the labels. VPL rejected a much-reduced offer of £840,000 and MTV have now called on the labels to bypass VPL and deal with MTV themselves. The majority of independent record companies across the continent have agreed to reject MTV’s offer. "The independents are saying we think our music is worth more in value. We have supplied content that has helped MTV become a multi-million pound business," said Charlie Wale, director of business affairs at Telstar, home of Craig David and others. "The music industry is going through a period of change," he continued. "We labels are trying to maximise revenue from our product and distributors are trying to maximise content and there is a clash."

Erase Errata change Lineup, New !!! Album

Erase Errata guitarist Sara Jaffe is departing the band following a few upcoming shows. Jaffe is an original member of the San Francisco-based girl group which formed in late 1999. After touring with Melt Banana and Le Tigre in 2000 the group worked up a strong following and went on to record 2001's Other Animals and, in 2003, At Crystal Palace. The band will continue with frontwoman Jenny Hoyston taking over on guitar. Jaffe will play with Erase Errata in San Francisco on March 25 at Bottom of the Hill, and in a rather triumphant fashion conclude her EE role at the massive Coachella Music & Arts Festival. In somewhat related news, Sacramento based punk-disco band !!! have completed their second full length LP titled Louden Up Now to be released on June 8 through Touch And Go.

The Kingblind Top 100 Essential Records of all time (Week 4 of 10)

Ok, Here are the rules... Kingblind get their writers and friends to pick 10 records that are essential to their collection. (Kingblind will post in blocks of 10 until 100 is reached)
1. If someone else has one of the records in their selection you CANNOT pick it. Find another gem for the list.. FIRST COME FIRST SERVED!
2. Here is what is NOT allowed in the Top 100 (We are assuming that our fine readers are smart enough to have these records in their collection already.) NO Beatles, Beach Boys, Stones, Clash, Ramones, Sex Pistols, Led Zeppelin, Hendrix, The Who, Stooges, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Sonic Youth, Dylan, Nirvana. Obviously the point of this is to turn you fine folks onto some great music that you might not have heard before. Every week (on Monday) we will add a new chunk from a new writer until 100 is reached. ENJOY!!

Please welcome our 4th week of selections (40 of 100) from Ms. Theresa Kereakes (Brooklyn, New York)

1. Ultraglide in Black - The Dirtbombs
Everyone needs some soul and I can't think of a better collection of soul/r&b songs than the ones on this album. Featuring classics interpreted by the ethnic hodge-podge that is Detroit's Dirtbombs, Ultraglide in Black is the essential, postmodern soul record.

2. The Boatman Calls - Nick Cave
Before there was goth, before there was emo, there was Leonard Cohen. Then he stopped being Leonard Cohen and became a reclusive monk. Thankfully, there was Nick Cave ready to take the torch and light up even darker corners. This sparse yet rich collection of songs plumb the depths of emotion with the poetry of a scholarly madman who fell into the abyss so you don't have to.

3. Horses - Patti Smith
OK, OK, I'm all about poetry at this second. The seminal punk rock Chick album - poetry meets the Stooges on NYC streets.

4. Here Come the Warm Jets - Eno
Freshly out of Roxy Music when he recorded this masterpiece, Brian Eno Set the standard for weird pop music. I just plain like it - I like his very odd yet normal voice, the noises he coaxes from the instruments and the strange stories he tells.

5. Sybil - Troy Gregory
This album is an inadvertent Detroit band compilation, but it is the BEST Detroit band compilation album. Thirteen Motor City music groups back Troy Gregory on 13 of his own songs. In each, the bands stand out as fluid performers supporting not their usual singer and all the while, each performance sounds natural and fitting. It runs the gamut from boisterous (Bantam Rooster) to dreamy and Eno-esque (The Alphabet) to bubblegum with a psycho twist (Outrageous Cherry). What more could you want from one record?

6. Supernatural Equinox - Outrageous Cherry
If you took Brian Eno, The Velvet Underground, Kim Fowley, and Lemmy (Hawkwind period) and put them in a cocktail shaker, you might come up with something like Outrageous Cherry. Matt Smith - the singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer of this Detroit band - is quite possibly the greatest music maker alive today.

7. Muswell Hillbillies - The Kinks
I have a soft spot in my heart for this particular Kinks album. I'd Put their entire body of work here, but hmmmm.... this one is a sleeper and must-have. All the essential Ray Davies-isms are in full force: melodies, clever turns of phrase, vivid characters populating unique stories and rockin guitar.

8. Marquee Moon - Television
Blazing guitars, a snarling singer doing poetry with biting images such As "I fell into the arms of the Venus de Milo" - reminders of heady times when YOU KNEW things were changing and they would never be the same. Every Song is pretty damn long, and you still want more when they're over.

9. I've Got My Own Album to Do - Ronnie Wood
So I can't list the Stones, but I CAN list this! Mick's here and so is Keith --- but this record isn't a Stones or a Faces record. Its a Party where all the A-list 70s rock people were, and Ronnie Wood rolled a tape and a blunt, passed the bottle and got this. A little reggae tinged rock, a little blues and soul.... some off key and drunk singing, some excellent backing vocals by Woody's bosses (Rod Stewart and Mick Jagger). Its a good time and a not so guilty pleasure.

10. Appetite for Destruction - Guns N Roses
You need this. Really. You do. The 20th Century collection is not complete without this.

Theresa Kereakes was born in LA and now lives in NY. She says Detroit Is looking better every day. She was once an A&R guy, did a lot of tour publicity, made a few documentaries and now works on a very popular radio show

Link to Kingblind's Top 100 Essential Records of all time Week 1

Link to Week 2

Link to Week 3

Liars- "They Were Wrong So We Drowned" (Legal MP3 Download)

Download the complete new Liars album.. It’s Free AND Legal CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

'NEW' NICK DRAKE SONG FOUND

The last song NICK DRAKE reportedly ever committed to tape is to be made available for the first time later this year on a new compilation of the singer's work. 'Toe The Line' will feature on 'I Was Made To Love Magic', a 13-track album, which will mainly contain alternative versions of some of the cult singer's classic songs. The collection, seen as a complement to the 1994 anthology 'Way To Blue', is due out in the summer. According to Mojo magazine, 'Toe The Line' is similar in style to the tracks on Drake's notoriously sparse final LP, 1972's 'Pink Moon'. Just over two minutes in length, and contains the lyric: "If you call we will follow/if you show us we can toe the line". "I Was Made To Love Magic' also includes a solo 'River Man' and a five-minute rendition of 'Three Hours' among its gems. Drake made three albums for Island before his death in 1974 from an overdose of antidepressants aged just 26. Since then he has gained massive cult following.

Dead Milkmen's Dave Blood Dies

Dave Blood, bassist for beloved Philadelphia rock act the Dead Milkmen, committed suicide yesterday (March 10), according to a post by his sister Kathy on the band's official message board. In a subsequent post, Milkmen drummer Dean Clean confirmed the news. "This morning Dave Blood is no longer with us," his sister wrote. "David is my brother. Since the breakup of the band David has never really found his niche in life. My brother was a smart, clever and talented person. Inner peace has seemed to elude him for the last many years. Sometime last night David chose to end his life. He left a note that I don't know all of what it said, he was not elaborate -- but he said he just could not stand to go on any longer. "Posting as Kathy F., Blood's sister asked fans to pray for his soul and explained that their mother had passed away at the end of January and felt that "maybe David just had had enough." A memorial service will be held in the Delaware County area of southeastern Pennsylvania at some point in the near future, with details to be announced. "I'll miss Dave as a friend and a bandmate," Clean wrote. "He helped make lots of folks here very happy with the music we all made together. He will not be forgotten." "I want to say that one of the shiniest parts of David's life was being a Dead Milkman and having that claim to fame," Blood's sister concluded. "And the fans who appreciated the talent and time that went into making the band rise above the ordinary -- thank you all for making my brother feel and know that he was indeed somebody." The Dead Milkmen formed in 1983 and quickly rose to prominence in the college radio circuit. Their 1985 debut album, "Big Lizard in My Backyard" boasts the cult-classic single "Bitchin' Camaro," but was overshadowed in 1988 by "Punk Rock Girl," which was an MTV staple of the time. The band dissolved after releasing "Stoney's Extra Stout (Pig)" in 1995. In late 2003, Restless/Ryko released a retrospective of early and rare recordings, "Now We Are 20," and the "Philadelphia in Love" DVD, which compiled all of the band's videos. In recent years, Blood had stopped playing bass due to extreme tendonitis in his hands. In the mid-'90s, he enrolled at Indiana University to study Yugoslavian culture, and spent nearly a year in the country between August 1998 and April 1999. In an E-mail interview late last year with journalist Mark Prindle, he expressed interest in returning to the country in the near future. "I am now in the process of attempting to secure a situation where I can go back and continue living and working (and learning) there," he said. "It is not so much that I want to get OUT of the U.S. This is certainly a nice place to live, but I am really, really drawn TO Serbia for emotional and intellectual reasons. It is where I need to be to continue my life."

Le Tigre Inks With Strummer

Kingblind.com has learned that politically minded indie rock act Le Tigre has signed with Strummer, the Universal imprint run by former Capitol president Gary Gersh that is also home to the Mars Volta, the Rapture, Recover and Graham Colton Band. The Kathleen Hanna-led group has released two albums on Mr. Lady Records, the most recent of which, 2001's "Feminist Sweepstakes." A new album is expected to be released in late summer, according to the group's official Web site. Beforehand, Le Tigre will kick off a six-date European tour April 1 in Brighton, England. The group is also set to perform at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival on May 1-2 in Indio, Calif.
Here are Le Tigre's tour dates:
April 1: Brighton, England (Concorde 2)
April 3: Camber Sands, England (All Tomorrow's Parties Festival)
April 4: Bristol, England (Fiddler's)
April 5: London (Astoria)
April 7: Brussels (AB Club)
April 9: Berlin (Volksbuhne Theater)
May 2: Indio, Calif. (Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival)

Neko Case And The Sadies To Lay Down Live Album In Toronto

It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything from the lovely and talented Ms. Neko Case. The former Canadian resident was busy for much of last year promoting The New Pornographers’ second album, Electric Version, but when are we going to hear something new from her solo-wise? Neko will likely have a new recorded offering later this year, but if you’re in the Toronto area early next month, you can get an sneak-peak of Case’s new record. Neko and her beloved sometimes-sidemen The Sadies will do a pair of special shows at T.O.’s Lee’s Palace on April 3 and 4. Case will record the shows for use on a future live recording that will be released (hopefully) by the end of this year on Mint Records. Tickets for the shows are going for $15 and are available at the venue as well as all of the usual record store outlets. Jim, Jennie And The Pinetops will be opening and other special guests are expected to show up at the big event. The live album will be Case’s first solo release since her critical smash, Blacklisted, which came out in 2002. The Sadies, on the other hand, have been remarkably prolific of late— their last album, Stories Often Told, came out in 2002, but the band have been involved in other projects as well. Last year they backed up Waco Brothers/Mekons main man Jon Langford on his Mayor Of The Moon album. Earlier this year, all four Sadies joined Elevator’s Rick White and Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo to release an album as The Unintended.

DJ DANGERMOUSE:: THE GREY ALBUM (ALBUM REVIEW)

The Grey Album by DJ Dangermouse is one of the greatest albums of all time. It’s such a great album, it’s not even an album as commonly designated, it is a recording. It is greater than great for this action alone. It is a commercial for technology and found objects. It’s an advertisement demonstrating what one can achieve by utilizing pre-existing artistic conditions and transforming them into a new hyper-commodity. Like the fabled mythological Delta bluesman that made guitars out of cigar boxes and cat guts; DJ Dangermouse strings together two long playing records into a bloody drag trail. He traces elements of “found” music into the skidding silence of lawsuits, denunciations and the hum of CD’s being burned coast to coast. Mice being clicked, pages being pulled up and volumes being adjusted from cubicle to library to college dorm room.The music is what is important here, not CD covers, not disco dancing videos, not stunning live shows-but music. The music is what it appears to be, hearty raps by Jay-Z on top of riffs from the Beatles “White Album” all executed with taste and flare. I’m listening to it everyday. Now I’m waiting for Britney Spears and “Workingman’s Dead”. (Review by Jim Hayes)

The Singhsons

If our favorite show was from India and not the U.S.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW (Requires Flash)

ALL NIGHT RADIO: Spirit Stereo Frequency (Album Review)

The fabricated nostalgia sweeping over the breezy sonic stylings of new bands like the Thrills or Rooney feels like a sunkissed breath of fresh air after so many years of sludgy rock despondency. Still, the freshly-scrubbed bubblegum pop of the latter and even the bittersweet sentiments of the former feel overly optimistic in their lightness at times, selectively editing out negativity to sculpt a not-quite accurate representation of the halcyon past. All Night Radio, featuring Beachwood Sparks founders Dave Scher and Jimi Hey, adopts the same facade of innocence, with one major difference: "Spirit Stereo Frequency" unburies the dark side of this wistfulness by scrambling it with deep bouts of psychedelia and ghostly falsetto croons. The result is a debut that captures the vicissitudes of the past with greater authenticity and interesting sonic flair. Calmness abounds at first, however: "Daylight Till Dawn" unfolds like "White Album"-era Beatles, as strings and harpsichord battle with lush, fairy-tale harmonies. However, the genial good will starts to unravel about halfway through "Fall Down 7," when its psychedelic synth squirts and echoing vocals slowly become diffracted with staticky percussion, horns and spacey twinkles, as if the entire song was suddenly submerged underwater. From there, rumbles of delicious unease dart between the placid moments. Insistent drum cadences and watery guitar distortion on "Oh, When?" conjure post-punk rhumbas, while the waltz swing of "Sky Bicycle (You've Been Ringing)" devolves into skyscraper-towering falsetto vocals and a percussive free-for-all that conjure Blur's experimental side. Still, "Spirit" is by no means a downer of a disc. The final track, "All Night Radio," blends jungle chirps, moonbeaming keyboards, chiming guitar and crickets chirping over backmasked sound, recreating carefree summer nights with comforting surreality.

TV ON THE RADIO:: Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes (Album Review)

When it was released last summer, TV on the Radio’s Young Liars was an accomplished statement in its own right, certainly, but it also hinted at greater things to come. While the EP contained only five songs, they were all informed by the same vision: a liberal mix of post-punk, electronic, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul, and ambient, assembled in rich, textured songs and animated by Tunde Adebimpe’s elliptical lyrics. Some bands would turn this formula into an album-long series of mix-and-match, making the listener play a simple game of spot-the-genre. The members of TV on the Radio seemed to be too respectful of their influences, however, and too sure of their own abilities to just write genre pieces. Instead, they assembled collages of nearly fifty years worth of pop music, precisely layering electronic textures upon pulsating drum beats, mixing in feedback-laden guitars, and then Adembimpe’s laidback tenor. Naturally, however, the music was more than just the sum of these elements; and despite all the talk about their having developed a brand new kind of rock music, perhaps even having moved past rock music, Young Liars avoided the seemingly intractable problem that such praise always evokes – it was, most definitely, a lot of fun to listen to. Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes contains a single holdover from Young Liars – “Staring at the Sun” – but it fits right in with the new material, which is another way of saying that the album continues on the same course the EP blazed. But with the addition of Kyp Malone, who contributes vocals, guitar, and loops to the album, and the expanded canvas of a full-length, the music falls across a broader spectrum. Where Young Liars sounded like a band getting started – it was never clear what they might throw in next – there was only so much that could be revealed over the course of five tracks. With more time as a band, and more songs at their disposal, Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes gives us a more precise sense of how TV on the Radio has reworked rock music – and it gives us this sense by showing us just how many different things the band is capable of doing. The sound is remarkably consistent; the songs all have a grainy, buzzing texture, like music pumped through an archaic, low-fidelity speaker (and while this may be overreaching, I take the band’s name to hint toward an interest in the way music and words sound at the receiving end of a broadcast medium). The atmosphere of the album’s nine songs can vary wildly, though, ranging from the grounded romance of “Poppy,” the accumulating tension of the brooding “Dreams,” to the resolute, sorrowful “Don’t Love You.” The changes in atmosphere are usually accomplished by differences in instrumentation. “Poppy,” the most straightforward track on the album, relies on the sound of a single repetitive guitar riff, while at other times Malone, Adebimpe, and David Andrew Sitek might use drum programming and multiple tape loops. On “Dreams” they use a drum machine, guitar, and programmed noise during the chorus, before regressing to a slower beat and ambient noises – including an emergency siren – during the verses. While Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes could have become an exercise in studio-based formalistic noodling, Adebimpe and Malone’s vocals and lyrics give the songs structure and direction. Given the few instances when traditional instrumentation is employed in shaping a song’s melody, the burden falls almost entirely on the vocalists to keep the bottom from dropping out. For the vast majority of indie rock bands, that would spell certain doom (but who wants to write another complaint about musicians’ growing unwillingness to sing?), but Adebimpe, who usually croons but whose voice has astonishing range, and Malone, whose voice is a bit higher and a bit more rough around the edges, can certainly carry songs on their own. Indeed, the most direct song on the album, “Ambulance,” has nothing but vocals, and the vast array of harmonies make the song difficult to place either within a particular genre or emulating a particular period in music history. And the song unmistakably connects: unlike other saviors and innovators of rock music, TV on the Radio hasn’t let its music devolve into callow, dystopian fantasy. The lyrics have a decidedly sharper edge this time around – whereas previous lyrics were of seemingly indeterminate subject manner, nearly every song on Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes has the devastating inferential power of a song like “Blind” from Young Liars. The subjects range from trenchant and far-reaching social commentary – “The Wrong Way” alludes to both the thoughtless racism of Hollywood movies and the bloody international diamond trade, which receives ample support from the music industry, and “King Eternal” seems to be a discussion of the death penalty – to more typical rock and roll fare about the difficulty of relationships (“Wear You Out,” “Don’t Love You”) and the joys of finding the right girl (“Poppy”). While the topics may succumb to rock stereotypes, the metaphors are still new, like on the torch-carrying “Ambulance”: “I will be your accident if you will be my ambulance / and I will be your screech and crash if you will be my crutch and cast.” If occasionally the juxtaposition of topics rattles – and it is a bit jarring to hear the way the political gives way to the personal on the second half of the album – that’s a minor blemish. Indeed, it’s merely another indicator of the album’s variety. TV on the Radio now has 13 songs, two albums, and a style all its own. And once again, I can’t wait to see where things go from here.

Franz Ferdinand: S/T (Album Review)

Bands from Scotland have always had an image problem--that problem being that they're total wimps. Just look them: Simple Minds, and Belle & Sebastian. Fortunately, Franz Ferdinand has taken it upon itself to right centuries of bad PR. The Glasgow quartet's full-length debut rocks like a bastard and is full of stormy guitars and ominous lyrics on singles like "Take Me Out." The rest of the album blends equal spikiness with a cool post-punk sheen. In short, it's the album you wish the Strokes would've made and the best thing to happen for the Scottish Tourist Council since Braveheart.

THE SHINS ON CARSON DALY

The Shins are appearing on Carson Daly on 3/16/04. So, watch it.

Mike Watt, Minutemen, fIREHOSE, etc.: complete live shows, videos and more (mp3, flac)

A TON OF LIVE SHOWS
MANY GREAT VIDEOS
PHOTOS OF fIREHOSE AND SONIC YOUTH
We miss you D. Boon
(thanks: -l.h. boy, m.lyon-)

FRANZ'S EPIC DEAL!

FRANZ FERDINAND have signed a US licensing deal said to be worth £1.5 million. The group have recently been in the US playing gigs. While Stateside the band met with various record labels, and have decided to sign with Epic. A spokesperson for the band said: "The band signed a licensing deal with Epic last week for the US. Epic will work alongside (the American arm of the band’s UK label) Domino US." According to tabloid reports today, the deal is worth up to £1.5 million.

Faces Recalled On Rhino Box

The four-disc box set "Faces: Five Guys Walk Into a Bar..." will gather a wealth of material from the short-lived but influential U.K. rock act the Faces. Due May 25 from Rhino, the collection showcases the six-year career of a band known as much for its excess as it was for its music. "I don't remember too many gigs," singer Rod Stewart remembers in the set's liner notes. "Still, we were never so drunk we couldn't play. It was an air of merriment." When Small Faces singer Steve Marriott exited the band in 1969, organist/piano player Ian McLagan, drummer Kenney Jones and bassist Ronnie Lane decided to continue on. They recruited Stewart and guitarist Ron Wood from the Jeff Beck Group and changed their name to the Faces. "Five Guys Walk Into a Bar..." includes material from the band's four studio albums, recorded between 1969 and 1973, as well as plenty of rarities. Among the treats are previously unreleased covers of John Lennon's "Jealous Guy," Free's "The Stealer," Luther Ingram's "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right" and Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed," sourced from album recording sessions and BBC television and radio appearances. The collection also boasts alternate takes of many tracks and outtakes, as well as captured tomfoolery in the studio and hotel room recordings the band made while on the road. Liner notes written by Rolling Stone senior editor David Fricke include interviews with all of the band's surviving members. McLagan also contributes anecdotes from the band's heyday, as well as memories of Lane, who lost his fight with multiple sclerosis in 1997. "He was a rascal and charmer," McLagan writes. "And he always seemed to get away with it. And though he never rated himself highly, he was simply the most melodic and subtly inventive bass player I've ever heard... A lot of people don't know who he is anymore, but he shines throughout here." Lane exited the band following the recording of 1973's "Oh La La," opting for a solo career that remained active through the 1970s. The rest of the band threw in the towel after a tour the following year. Stewart continued in earnest with the solo career that began to take off in 1971, while Wood would go on to join the Rolling Stones. Jones served as the drummer in the early '80s incarnation of the Who, following the death of Keith Moon. McLagan played with everyone from the Stones and Buddy Guy to Bonnie Raitt and Billy Bragg. Last year, he appeared on Ryan Adams' "Love Is Hell" EPs (Lost Highway) and Robert Earl Keen's "Farm Fresh Onions" (Audium) and released the solo album "Rise and Shine"

White Pleads Guilty To Assault, Avoids Jail

White Stripes lead singer Jack White pleaded guilty to assault and battery yesterday (March 9) in Detroit stemming from a fight with Von Bondies lead singer Jason Stollsteimer. He was originally charged with misdemeanor aggravated assault and could have faced up to a year in jail, but will avoid jail time under the plea deal. White must pay a $500 fine, plus $250 in court fees, and Judge Paula G. Humphries ordered him to attend anger management classes. She also told him not to contact Stollsteimer. The Dec. 13 fight between White and Stollsteimer began shortly before midnight at the Majestic Theater Center, where both men were in the audience for another concert. Stollsteimer, of Detroit, told police that White punched him seven times in the face. Police said Stollsteimer's right eye was bruised and swollen, and he was bleeding from his nose. He was taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital, where he was treated and released. White, of Detroit, went to police after the fight and gave a statement saying he struck Stollsteimer in self-defense. In court today, White gave his account of what led to the fight. He said he hadn't seen Stollsteimer in a long time but had heard that he had made some allegations against him in the press and to mutual acquaintances. "I went up to ask him to say it to me face to face," White said. He said Stollsteimer ignored him so White spit at him and they started fighting. He said Stollsteimer landed on his hand, which he had recently injured in a car accident. White said he then punched Stollsteimer in the face a couple of times. Outside the courtroom, White told reporters he regretted the incident. The artist's lawyer, Walter Piszczatowski, said White had put the incident behind him. Prosecutors said earlier the two men had a long-standing disagreement over White's role in producing the Von Bondies' first album. The Von Bondies' newest release, "Pawn Shoppe Heart," arrived in stores today via Warner Bros.

Famed Post-Punk Guitarist John Mc Geoch Dies In Sleep (1955-2004)

Guitarist John McGeoch, who co-founded post-punk outfit Magazine in 1977 and went on to play in Siouxsie & the Banshees and Public Image Ltd. in the 1980s, died last Thursday. He was 48. Full details of his death have yet to surface. "I was shocked and saddened to hear that John passed away in his sleep last Thursday," wrote Banshees bassist Steve Severin on his official Web site. "Although we hadn't worked together for a long time and I hadn't seen him for a couple of years he was always in my heart and often in my thoughts. Without a doubt [he was] the most inventive guitarist of our generation and my favorite Banshee." In addition to his work on Magazine titles like 1978's "Real Life," and 1979's "Secondhand Daylight" and the Banshees' "Kaleidoscope" and "Juju," McGeoch played briefly with Generation X and Peter Murphy. From 1987 to 1992 he played alongside John Lydon for such PiL albums as "Happy?" and "9."

Modest Mouse- Float On (Music Video)

New video from Modest Mouse (requires REAL Player)
CLICK HERE TO VIEW

'Idol' Reject William Hung Inks With Koch

Booted "American Idol" hopeful William Hung has signed with Koch Records, which will on April 6 release his debut album, tentatively titled "The True Idol." After failing to make it past the audition stage on this season of the Fox reality show (during which he performed Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" and admitted he had no musical training), Hung has become an instant celebrity, particularly around the University of California at Berkeley, where he is an engineering student. As part of the deal, a video for "She Bangs" will appear exclusively on the Fuse Music Network. Hung will also sing the cut April 8 on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno." Besides that Martin track, "The True Idol" is tipped to include the Latin star's hit "Shake Your Bon Bon" and Elton John's "Rocket Man." The first pressing of the disc will feature a 40-minute DVD of studio footage, "a day in the life" of Hung and a question-and-answer session with fans. "Fuse is thrilled that the network's first exclusive music video will be for William Hung's 'She Bangs' single," Fuse president Marc Juris says in a statement. "He may not be the next American Idol, but he is definitely a star and inspiration to everyone who sings in the shower. Fuse sees itself in William -- except he dances better."

Lollapalooza Eyes Blend Of Success, Credibility

Lollapalooza organizers are aiming to "blend success and commerciality with credibility and meaning and risk taking" as they move forward with plans for the 2004 edition of the festival, William Morris Agency senior VP Marc Geiger said. Addressing his return to the booking process after not participating in last year's edition, Geiger says, "I can assure you, as long as I'm involved, it wouldn't be anything but very cutting edge." Geiger would not comment on specific bands rumored to be appearing on the Perry Farrell-reared event this summer, such as the Pixies, the Cure, Nine Inch Nails or Sonic Youth, the latter of whom is said to be very close to joining the bill. But he did weigh in on the merits of a potential lineup of veteran rock acts: "What I really want to tell you is that most of the artists that commercial alternative radio broke in the late '90s suck and are over," he offers. "If you want to program anything with substance, you're dealing with artists that have some kind of meaning and legacy, and ultimately, they're all going to be perceived as old, other than Jack White and a few others." "Is Bonnaroo old, with a lineup that has the Dead, [Bob] Dylan and David Byrne?," he asks rhetorically. "You can't go by time, because the coolest thing people want me to do is put Loretta Lynn together with Jack White, and she's almost 70! I have more respect for people who can manage their credibility over 10, 20, 30 years than any new band who is riding a new trendy wave." Lollapalooza is expected to hit the road in July and August. "There will be a bunch of good stuff," Geiger promises.

Pretty Girls Makes Graves Touring

Seattle-based indie rockers Pretty Girls Make Graves will be setting off on a 34-date tour across North America. The tour kicks off with a show in Portland, OR on March 10 and includes a performance at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival on May 2. They will also make an appearance at the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona, Spain on May 28. Since last fall, the quintet has been touring extensively in support of their latest album, The New Romance, which dropped in September of 2003 via Matador. Several groups are also lined up as opening acts for dates on the tour. Experimenal rockers Mahjongg will be supporting for most of the dates, with indie rock groups the Constantines, the Fuse and Red Light Sting rounding out the rest.
See Pretty Girls Make Graves on these dates:
3/10 - Portland, OR @ Meow Meow (w/ The Fuse, Mahjongg)
3/11 - San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill (w/ The Fuse, Mahjongg)
3/12 - Santa Cruz, CA @ Santa Cruz Vets Hall (w/ The Fuse, Mahjongg)
3/13 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre (w/ The Fuse, Mahjongg)
3/14 - Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction (w/ The Fuse, Mahjongg)
3/16 - El Paso, TX @ Club 101(w/ The Fuse, Mahjongg)
3/17 - Denton, TX @ Haileys (w/ The Fuse, Mahjongg)
3/18 - Austin, TX @ Matador Showcase
3/19 - Austin, TX @ Emos Cold Crush/Sound-Virus day party
3/20 - Houston, TX @ Fitzgeralds (w/ The Constantines, Mahjongg)
3/22 - Port Allen, LA @ 415 Music Hall
3/23 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
3/24 - Greenboro, NC @ Aces Basement
3/25 - Greeneville, NC @ East Carolina University
3/26 - Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero (w/ The Constantines)
3/27 - Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory (w/ The Constantines)
3/29 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East (w/ The Constantines)
3/30 - Montreal, QC @ Cabaret
3/31 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix (w/ The Constantines)
4/1 - Detroit, MI @ Shelter
4/2 - Chicago, IL @ Bottomlounge (w/ Red Light Sting, Mahjongg)
4/3 - Iowa City, IA @ Gabes (w/ Red Light Sting, Mahjongg)
4/5 - Columbia, MO @ Mojo?s (w/ Red Light Sting, Mahjongg)
4/6 - Denver, CO
4/7 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby
4/8 - Reno, NV @ Ark-Aik (w/ Red Light Sting, Mahjongg)
4/9 - Claremont, CA @ Pitzer College
4/23 - Terre Haute, IN @ Rose Hulman Institute of Technology
4/24 - Richmond, IN @ Earlham College
5/2 - Indio, CA @ Coachella
5/3 - Las Vegas, NV
5/5 - Orangevale, CA @ The Boardwalk
5/8 - Salisbury, MD @ Arthur Purdue Stadium (w/ Ben Folds)
5/28 - Barcelona, Spain @ Primavera Sound Festival

JACK WHITE IN COURT TO FACE ASSAULT CHARGE

JACK WHITE has appeared in a DETROIT court today (March 9) to defend himself against a charge of aggravated assault. The White Stripes star was due to face a charge relating to a fight in December last year when he got into a bar brawl with Von Bondies’ singer Jason Stollsteimer at the Detroit Magic Stick. According to local press Jack’s defence lawyer Walter Piszczatowski has been negotiating a plea deal with prosecutors, which is now nearing completion. The hearing has been delayed, but is expected to continue later today. White has pleaded innocent to the charge, but if found guilty at trial could face up to one year behind bar.

CocoRosie: Good Friday (Legal MP3 Download)

La Maison de Mon Rêve is deceptively innocent: enchanting and sweet yet eerie and twisted. An acoustic guitar paints melody through a haze of cryptic sounds and perversely angelic voices. A broken radio transmits a music box orchestra. Tiny field mice sing gospel. (The new CocoRosie is out now on Touch and Go Records)
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Lennon jukebox reveals Beatles' musical debts

Fab Four borrowed from host of Sixties artists: Their sound defined a decade and spawned a thousand imitations, but a long lost jukebox owned by John Lennon has revealed that, when it came to musical inspiration, even the Beatles got by with a little help from their friends. The 15 kg portable jukebox, owned by Lennon around 40 years ago, was bought by the late Bristol music promoter John Midwinter for just £2,500 at a Christie's sale of Beatles memorabilia in 1989. He then spent years restoring it to working order and researching its 41 discs. Listed in Lennon's handwriting, they are effectively the Desert Island Discs which helped shape his musical genius. Among the collection of rock and roll, rhythm and blues and soul, Midwinter traced an intriguing influence on the Beatles' output. Blues performer Bobby Parker's guitar lick was 'borrowed' by the Beatles for 'I Feel Fine'. Delbert McClinton's harmonica inspired Lennon's own on 'Love Me Do'. And the high-pitched scream on 'Twist and Shout' and other tracks was copied from the Isley Brothers. A team from The South Bank Show took the jukebox, which they dubbed 'the original iPod', across America to track down Lennon's musical heroes. Many were gratified and none accused the Beatles of plagiarism. But one said he felt his contribution deserved greater recognition. The two surviving Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, declined to take part, to the frustration of the programme's makers. Lennon is believed to have bought the Swiss-made KB Discomatic jukebox in 1965 but some of the records date from several years earlier. He is thought to have left it behind when he moved to America, possibly at the Abbey Road studios. It passed through private hands before reaching Midwinter, who played it each year on the anniversary of Lennon's death. Midwinter died of throat cancer at the age of 57, just two days before he could be told his ambition of a TV documentary about the jukebox would be realised. Artists featured on the jukebox include the Animals, Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Smokey Robinson and Gene Vincent. There are no Beatles records and only one sung by a woman, Fontella Bass's 'Rescue Me'. In Lennon's rough and ready scrawl, with gaps and crossings out, The Lovin' Spoonful become 'The Lovin's Spoonfuls' and Otis Redding is 'Ottis Redding'. John Sebastian of The Lovin' Spoonful, whose 'Daydream' is on the jukebox, says: 'A few years ago a friend of mine sent me this recorded tape of the Beatles rehearsing, and there is this fragment where John is working his way through "Daydream". There were a couple of problems, and if you listen carefully you can hear him say, 'Damn tunesmiths!' 'Sir Paul graciously said that "Daydream" played heavily in the creation of "Good Day Sunshine", so to have influenced those boys is a wonderful thing for a songwriter because of course they influenced me, they influenced all of us.' Folk musician Donovan tells the programme: 'In May 1965 amazing things were happening. The folk music world would soon infiltrate the pop culture, and it moves me because on the jukebox is my third single, "Turquoise". When we were in India, John said: "How do you do that?" I said, "What?" He said: "That stuff with your fingers." I said, "It's a pattern." Three days later he had learnt it and a whole new world opened up for his songwriting. "Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play..." Prudence was Mia Farrow's sister.' Another track is the Isley Brothers' 'Twist and Shout', which the Beatles covered. Lennon admitted: 'The "Oooooooh!" was taken from the Isley Brothers on "Twist and Shout", which we stuck in everything - "From Me to You", "She Loves You"... they all had that.' In radio interviews, some of which have not been heard for decades, Lennon admits: 'Especially in the early years I would often write a melody, a lyric in my head to some other song because I can't write music. So I would carry it around as somebody else's song and then change it when I got down to putting it on paper or tape - consciously change because I knew somebody's going to sue me or everybody's going to say "what a rip-off".' Melvyn Bragg, editor of The South Bank Show, said: 'The musicians are surprisingly amiable. If they'd been ripped off by somebody they thought was second rate, that would have been different. But they really admired the Beatles, so it's OK. On the film I saw no resentment, only a bit of ruefulness. But who wouldn't be?' Midwinter's widow and son have refused to cash in on the jukebox and plan to give it to Lennon's widow Yoko Ono for possible display at Lennon's childhood home in Liverpool. The family will also publish a posthumous book by Midwinter on the subject. A double CD, John Lennon's Jukebox, is released by Virgin/ EMI tomorrow.

Mars Volta Guitarist Goes Solo

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez of the much-hyped Mars Volta is working on a solo side project. The album, A Manual Dexterity - Soundtrack Volume 1 was written as a soundtrack for a film, also made by the afro-wearing rocker, of the same name. Gold Standard Laboratories is looking for a summer release of the record.

Grey Tuesday Group Says 100,000 Downloaded Jay-Z/Beatles Mix

On February 24, more than 100,000 people downloaded DJ Danger Mouse's Jay-Z/Beatles hybrid The Grey Album, (over 5gb of download’s went thru Kingblind alone in 24 hours) according to music activists Downhill Battle, who organized the Grey Tuesday online protest. Two weeks earlier, EMI, which owns the Beatles' catalog, had served Danger Mouse with a cease-and-desist order to halt production and distribution of The Grey Album. He complied and left the issue alone, but Downhill Battle picked up the fight. They conceived of Grey Tuesday as a way to fight what they call EMI's "corporate censorship" — denying the public the chance to hear a work they felt had great artistic merit. "We thought it was really important for our site to distribute this album," said 23-year-old Nicolas Reville of Downhill Battle, "because for the public to make decisions about whether the copyright law we have now is the one that's best, people need to hear it. If people can't hear it, nobody knows what they're missing." Reville and his Downhill Battle cohorts Holmes Wilson, 23, and Rebecca Laurie, 18, rallied Web sites to host free downloads of The Grey Album and to turn their pages grey as a symbolic demonstration. Close to 200 sites offered the files for download, and some 250 more went grey. It was an enormous success that shined a media spotlight on the little-known group, which was started in August with the goal of representing consumers in issues regarding music creation and distribution. Downhill Battle has taken an ideological — and some would say idealistic — stance against the business of music, going so far as to call on fellow activists to sticker retail CDs with labels decrying major-label lawsuits against file-sharers. (The stickers are available on the group's Web site, downhillbattle.org.) "We started Downhill Battle because we felt like the file-sharing issue and the debate about the music industry had become completely one-sided," Reville said. "Major-label record executives were trying to say that file-sharing was ruining music, when really it was our best chance to break the major-label monopoly." At the heart of The Grey Album fight, however, was not file-sharing but the way laws affecting sampling impact hip-hop and electronic music. Currently, a producer like Danger Mouse must get permission and pay a negotiated fee to sample copyrighted material. In this case, that would have meant clearing samples with both Jay-Z and the Beatles. The Beatles catalog is notoriously guarded and they do not allow their music to be sampled. "Protecting artistic works is an important part of what a music company does — just as it is an important part of any intellectual-property business to protect its content," an EMI spokesperson said in a statement given to MTV News. "When EMI became aware of this unauthorized use of [the Beatles'] The White Album, it asked the DJ to stop. When EMI became aware that others were illegally distributing this unauthorized work on the Internet, we asked them to stop. EMI authorizes remixes and samples all the time. There is a well-established market for licensing samples and remixes. In this case, the DJ did not ask us permission and never attempted to use established channels." But Downhill Battle argues that in reality, getting Beatles samples cleared is next to impossible and that the laws currently guiding copyright don't adhere to the post-modern notion of collage, or samples — one of the key ingredients of hip-hop and electronic music. It's a debate as old as the genres themselves. "In the visual arts you have people like Picasso or Rauschenberg who are creating artwork out of collage," Reville said. "For music, the rules are totally different and musicians that build a collage are treated like criminals. We need to find a way to change that to make sampling practical." For now, Downhill Battle are ready if and when EMI decides to pursue legal action over Grey Tuesday. They said they have several lawyers interested in their position who have offered pro-bono services. They also like to point out the difference between the way the issue has been handled by the two artists involved. Jay-Z encourages remixing of his farewell, The Black Album, and issued an a cappella version just for that purpose. "There's a huge amount of attention to him and his work now," said Reville. "It's gotten back to us that [Jay-Z] loves The Grey Album and that everyone at Roc-A-Fella loves the album. They haven't intervened legally. They've been much smarter than EMI and the Beatles because I think they understand the issues more."

The Kingblind Top 100 Essential Records of all time (Week 3 of 10)

Ok, Here are the rules... Kingblind get their writers and friends to pick 10 records that are essential to their collection. (Kingblind will post in blocks of 10 until 100 is reached)
1. If someone else has one of the records in their selection you CANNOT pick it. Find another gem for the list.. FIRST COME FIRST SERVED!
2. Here is what is NOT allowed in the Top 100 (We are assuming that our fine readers are smart enough to have these records in their collection already.)
NO Beatles, Beach Boys, Stones, Clash, Ramones, Sex Pistols, Led Zeppelin, Hendrix, The Who, Stooges, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Sonic Youth, Dylan, Nirvana.
Obviously the point of this is to turn you fine folks onto some great music that you might not have heard before. Every week (on Monday) we will add a new chunk from a new writer until 100 is reached. ENJOY!!

Please welcome our 3rd week of selections (30 of 100) from Chris Deal (Sydney, Australia)

Sebadoh - Bakesale
This was my introduction to the concept of Lo-Fi indie rock, and ten years later few albums in the genre have come close to topping it. I chanced upon it at an indie-pop club back in '94 called Underground Radio where all the keen beans who arrived at the start of the night were given free CDs. Having never even heard the name Sebadoh or how even to pronounce it, I took it home and thought it was the roughest, most haphazard, under produced thing I'd ever heard. And after ten years that's still what I love about it. Lou, Jase, Bob... gold.

A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
There was a magical period between the dying days of the eighties and the start of the Hammer pant wearing nineties when hip hop was just starting to emerge from being an underground novelty to a driving force. Brand Nubian, Gang Starr, Organized Konfusion; but at the top of the pile for me were A Tribe Called Quest. They'd cut their teeth on their debut "People's Instinctive Travels...", but "The Low End Theory" propelled them into the untouchable zone. It's wall to wall classic hip hop with not even an ounce of fat. Unless you spell fat with a "p" I spose.

Ken Stringfellow - Touched
I kind of missed The Posies in the early 90s Geffen fest, and it wasn't until 2001 that I fell in love with perhaps their best work "Frosting On The Beater". Though working as a Lennon/McCartney type double act, it was clear that the songwriting skills and vocal mastery of Ken Stringfellow was the real hook for me. His second solo album "Touched" is an amazing collection of both heart warming and hankie drenching songs that only get better the more you listen to them. I buy this for everyone I know and try to meet new people to buy it for.

Pedro The Lion - It's Hard To Find A Friend
David Bazan is a novelist trapped in the body of a musician. Every song he writes is a skillfully crafted story with great meaning, poetry, and often a very very black sense of humor. Currently working on his fourth studio LP, this his first effort is an under rated masterpiece. It pisses me off that not enough people know about this band. And also that I live in Australia and know he'll never come out here.

Darren Hanlon - Early Days
For Australians, probably the worst thing that can happen to you is when our media export an eccentric outback caricature like Crocodile Dundee or Steve "Crocodile Hunter" Irwin, and forever more you have to try and shake off the image that we all wear khaki shorts, catch lifts to work on kangaroos, and walk around all day saying G' day mate. Streuth it's hot. Crikey mate!? It's called cultural cringe and we HATE IT. But then someone comes along who still manages to capture the comedic ockerisms of Australian life, the quirks and the values and the subtle mannerisms, yet does it in a way that both takes the piss and upholds it as something to be proud of. This ladies and gentlemen, is the work of Darren Hanlon. "Early Days" is his first EP, a seven song mini-album that makes me weep with joy that someone could create something with perfect melody, brilliant chord progressions, fiercely intelligent lyrics, all under the banner of Oz. Russell Crowe, take your guitar and grunt it 30 odd foot up you know where.

NWA - Straight Outta Compton
I put this on the list as it represents a turning point in music for me and maybe a few others. It's all about context. Back in 88 or 89 or whenever this came out, I was a humble 13 year old kid largely unimpressed with all my mates who thought U2 and INXS were the be all and end all of music. Enter my slightly left of centre friend with a cassette walkman in his hands and the words "have a fucking listen to this" in his mouth. "Straight Outta Compton crazy motherfucker named Ice Cube, from a gang called Niggers With Attitudes...". Nothing was the same ever again. And damn it, the beats and rhymes still kick ass.

Fleetwood Mac - Rumors
I don't give a shit, I like middle of the road FM gold music. I'll listen to James Taylor or America any day and turn it UP when I stop at the lights. And it don't get no better than "Rumors". This is a greatest hits collection in one album. When you listen to this you get the sense that God himself was bankrolling this one. Second Hand News, Go Your Own Way, The Chain, Dreams; doesn't even matter if The Corrs go and bland-erdise it, it only serves to highlight the brilliance of the original. That said, Mick Fleetwood is a shit drummer.

Propagandhi - Less Talk, More Rock
Punk Music. Or to be more specific, modern punk music. Let's not mince words, it's pretty much all the same shit sung by the same people to the same people. Nothing to say, no words to say it with, but determined to fill in one and a half minutes with "you don't understand me why don't you just leave me alone blah blah expletive expletive". But one band who constantly fight the system that's fighting against the system is Canada's Propagandhi. They're vegans, anti-facist, anti-racist, gay-positive; they're extremely well read and manage to get their message across with the same comedic gusto that Michael Moore does with The Awful Truth. "Less Talk, More Rock" is their second album and is 25 mins 21 seconds of punk perfection. Inspiring in so many ways.

You Am I - Hi Fi Way
This album is widely considered to be one of the best Australian albums of all time. In the summer of 1994, You Am I's "Hi Fi Way" was on everyone's stereo down here. If you haven't heard it, it's pretty much a straight up rock record with a twist of indie-pop produced by Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo, and was predicted to be the big break for You Am I into the States. For some reason it was never really the juggernaut for them that everyone thought, but what remains should be enough to make songwriter Tim Rogers a proud man for the rest of his days.

Sparklehorse - Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot
I love it when you meet someone and when you mention that you haven't heard of X band their jaw drops and they thrust a tape into your hands and say "JUST TAKE THIS NOW!" This was how I came to know Sparklehorse. Even though it's probably one of the STUPIDEST album names ever (that Fiona Apple one "When the pawn blah blah whatever" takes the checkered flag on that one), it's out on a class of it's own when it comes to the beauty and diversity of songwriting. It's got pop, it's got country, it's got ballads, it's got everything. And your mum will like it too.

Chris Deal lives in the lower north shore of Sydney Australia, in a mud brick lean-to he shares with Yahoo Serious and Russell Crowe. Like most Australians he is on a first name basis with the Prime Minister, who he affectionately calls "Prime Minister", and travels to his job at a publishing company in the pouch of a kangaroo named Skippy. He has done time as guitarist in mildly successful Sydney band Faker, spends far too much time online playing with Poisoned and iTunes, has been published as a writer many times, but has never been more proud than he is right now to be writing for Kingblind.

Link to Kingblind’s Top 100 Essential Records of all time Week 1

Week 2

The Return of The Sopranos

The glorious return of The Sopranos. HURRAH.. Needless to say the staff of Kingblind is very pleased.

POLLY SET TO UNVEIL NEW STORIES

PJ HARVEY has finished her new album which will be out in the summer. The singer has been in and out of the studio for much of the year working on the follow-up to 2000’s ’Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea’. A statement has been issued on her official website, that reads: "The new PJ Harvey album can be expected this summer. The album was written, performed and produced by Polly with Head and Polly recording & mixing it. Rob Ellis, a long-time collaborator of Polly's, played drums & percussion on the record."Although no album title has been confirmed, songs on the record include ‘Who The Fuck?’, ‘Shame’, ‘The Life And Death of Mr. Badmouth’, ‘The Letter’ and ‘The Pocket Knife’. The star is strongly rumoured to be appearing at this year’s Glastonbury Festival, and already dates have been confirmed at the Barcelona Primavera Sound Festival (May 29) and Paris Zenith on June 2.

New Jay Farrar album available online

Uncle Tupelo/Son Volt principal Jay Farrar has begun selling the album "Live in Seattle" for download via his official Web site. The 15-track collection was taped July 24, 2003, at Seattle's Showbox club and is available in both MP3 and FLAC formats. Downloadable artwork is included in the purchase. Meanwhile, Farrar's Transmit Sound label will on June 8 release "Stone, Steel & Bright Lights," encompassing 19 live tracks from the artist's 2003 tour. The album will feature two new originals and covers of Neil Young's "Like a Hurricane" and the early Pink Floyd staple "Lucifer Sam." A bonus DVD will boast footage from a live show at Slim's in San Francisco. Farrar will begin a two-week European tour March 15 in Trondheim, Norway, to be followed by five May dates in Australia and New Zealand. He will be accompanied by the Blood Oranges' Mark Spencer at all shows.

'Blood On The Tracks' Musicians Reunite

In late 1974, a studio in south Minneapolis took center stage in Bob Dylan's musical life -- the re-recording of half of the songs on his "comeback" album, "Blood on the Tracks." It was, as those who were there like to quote the song, a simple twist of fate that brought them together to help energize one of Dylan's most critically acclaimed and biggest-selling releases. "This was a whole bunch of coincidences, beginning in New York ... that conspired to bring together a masterwork," says Kevin Odegard, who played guitar on the Minneapolis sessions. Nearly 30 years later, those musicians remain largely anonymous and still uncredited on the album sleeve. But that anonymity is about to end. A new book, "A Simple Twist of Fate: Bob Dylan and the Making of `Blood on the Tracks,'" by Odegard and British rock journalist Andy Gill, hit the shelves in February. The Minneapolis musicians will reunite to perform the album from start to finish March 3 at the Pantages Theatre in downtown Minneapolis. They'll be joined by Eric Weissberg, known for the 1973 hit "Dueling Banjos," who performed on the album's New York sessions. The following night, the musicians will play and discuss the recording at the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis. Don't expect Dylan to be there for the concert, though, as he's scheduled to perform that night in St. Louis. He did not respond to a request for an interview. "Blood on the Tracks" came at a crucial time for Dylan, who had returned to Columbia Records after a stint with Asylum. His marriage to Sara Lowndes was breaking up, and the songs on "Blood on the Tracks" are mainly about love and loss. "This is the meatiest piece of work he has ever done," Odegard says. "He was in a lot of personal anguish.""Tangled Up in Blue," Dylan's jangly reminiscence about a lover and the 1960s when there was "music in the cafes at night and revolution in the air," is among the songs from the Minneapolis sessions that made the album, and remains a Dylan concert staple. A lover of folk music, Odegard had recorded two albums in the 1970s when he got a call from his friend and manager -- David Zimmerman, Dylan's younger brother. Zimmerman was looking for a rare 1930s Martin guitar, the type favored by singer Joan Baez. "Right away my antenna went up," Odegard says. He contacted his friend Chris Weber, who owned a guitar store near the University of Minnesota. By coincidence, Weber had received a similar guitar on consignment. Odegard swore Weber to secrecy -- the guitar was for Dylan. They headed across the Mississippi River on Dec. 27, 1974, to Sound 80, a studio in a working-class neighborhood where guitarist Leo Kottke and singer Cat Stevens had recorded. In walked Dylan, quietly, "just like one of the guys," Odegard says."He wasn't ultra-strange and scary and standing in the corner and people walking on tiptoes," Weber remembers. The rock poet -- a "curly haired kid," 34 years old at the time -- stuck out his hand and said, "Hi, I'm Bob Dylan," Weber says. Weber says he showed Dylan the guitar in a cramped vocal booth, and -- at Dylan's invitation -- played a couple of his own songs for the songwriter of his generation. Dylan began teaching Weber "Idiot Wind." Weber thought he was just a "fifth wheel" at the session and was about to retreat when Dylan gave him a "funny look" and said, "I need you to play guitar." "So that's when my heart really jumped out of my chest," Weber says. Dylan had recorded "Idiot Wind" in New York City that September at sessions overseen by producer Phil Ramone. But Dylan sounds venomous as he denounces a former lover in the Minneapolis version of "Idiot Wind" that ended up on the album. Odegard credits the liveliness of the Minneapolis versions to the rhythm section of drummer Bill Berg and bassist Billy Peterson, known for their jazzy style. Peterson, who went on to tour with rocker Steve Miller, praises Dylan's spontaneity. After a few rehearsals with musicians who were hearing the songs for the first time, Dylan would quickly record them. "He was a genius, man," Peterson says. "He captured the creative process. He never belabored it.""I think we hit a mark because he was just full of feelings and emotions and lyrics were just streaming out of him," says Berg, who grew up in Dylan's hometown of Hibbing and later became a Disney animator. Dylan held another session with the Minneapolis crew three nights later. In early 1975, "Blood on the Tracks" was released and garnered reviews that hailed it as Dylan's best work in years. But the Minneapolis musicians weren't credited on the initial pressings of the album sleeve, and nobody has bothered to amend the credits since, said Gill, co-author of "A Simple Twist of Fate." "Hopefully our book will redress the situation ... and accord the musicians their due," he said in an e-mail. While he's disappointed he's not credited, guitarist Weber says he holds no grudges: "I was honored and pleased that a simple twist of fate came my way."

Lost in Translation....literally

The full translation of what the director is saying to Bill Murray in amazing film Lost in Translation..

DIRECTOR (in Japanese to the interpreter): The
translation is very
important, O.K.? The translation.

INTERPRETER: Yes, of course. I understand.

DIRECTOR: Mr. Bob-san. You are sitting quietly in your
study. And then there is a bottle of Suntory whiskey
on top of the table. You understand, right? With
wholehearted feeling, slowly, look at the camera,
tenderly, and as if you are meeting old friends, say
the words. As if you are Bogie in "Casablanca,"
saying, "Cheers to you guys," Suntory time!

INTERPRETER: He wants you to turn, look in camera.
O.K.?

BOB: That's all he said?

INTERPRETER: Yes, turn to camera.

BOB: Does he want me to, to turn from the right or
turn from the left?

INTERPRETER (in very formal Japanese to the director):
He has prepared and is ready. And he wants to know,
when the camera rolls, would you prefer that he turn
to the left, or would you prefer that he turn to
the right? And that is the kind of thing he would like
to know, if you don't mind.

DIRECTOR (very brusquely, and in much more colloquial
Japanese):
Either way is fine. That kind of thing doesn't matter.
We don't have time, Bob-san, O.K.? You need to hurry.
Raise the tension. Look at the camera. Slowly, with
passion. It's passion that we want. Do you understand?

INTERPRETER (In English, to Bob): Right side. And, uh,
with intensity.

BOB: Is that everything? It seemed like he said quite
a bit more than that.

DIRECTOR: What you are talking about is not just
whiskey, you know. Do you understand? It's like you
are meeting old friends. Softly, tenderly. Gently. Let
your feelings boil up. Tension is important!
Don't forget.

INTERPRETER (in English, to Bob): Like an old friend,
and into the camera.

BOB: O.K.

DIRECTOR: You understand? You love whiskey. It's
Suntory time! O.K.?

BOB: O.K.

DIRECTOR: O.K.? O.K., let's roll. Start.

BOB: For relaxing times, make it Suntory time.

DIRECTOR: Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut! (Then in a very
male form of Japanese, like a father speaking to a
wayward child) Don't try to fool me. Don't pretend you
don't understand. Do you even understand what we
are trying to do? Suntory is very exclusive. The sound
of the words is important. It's an expensive drink.
This is No. 1. Now do it again, and you have to feel
that this is exclusive. O.K.? This is not an everyday
whiskey you know.

INTERPRETER: Could you do it slower and ?

DIRECTOR: With more ecstatic emotion.

INTERPRETER: More intensity.

DIRECTOR (in English): Suntory time! Roll.

BOB: For relaxing times, make it Suntory time.

DIRECTOR: Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut! God, I'm begging
you.

Doug P Sanchez Live In San Diego (2 CD bootleg)(Album Review)

DOUG P SANCHEZ is/are from San Diego. Something about the sunshine, the ocean and the high rents give their music an undercurrent of shards of broken glass; like sailors on leave trampling dead soldiers; the labels keeping the remnants of the bottle together on the beach. I imagine a village wino picking up a shattered bottle looking for a light drop and scarring his hands, his blood mingling with the sand. DOUG P SANCHEZ are/is an ensemble composed of three bass guitars, guitar, and drums with occasional guests playing violin or keyboards. The rhythm goes on and the bass keeps up a throb, then a keyboard or guitar blurts out a call, or a wheeze of a deep breath that summons a thunderous cacophonous command. Free noise and improvisational anti-aesthetics, the under carriage where the spokes are carrying the tune, and the collection of these tunes have been in my car stereo for weeks. D O U G S A N C H E Z (Review by Jim Hayes)

Wilco Confirms New Lineup, Spring Shows

In the wake of multi-instrumentalist Leroy Bach's recent departure, Wilco has confirmed. Two new members to join the band on tour this spring. Filling in on keyboards and guitar will be Pat Sansone, who has released two albums with Wilco bassist John Stirratt as the Autumn Defense, while veteran axeman Nels Cline will join in on guitar. The new lineup will debut April 21 in Columbia, Mo. Beyond previously announced appearances at the Superfly During Jazzfest series and the Coachella and Bonnaroo festivals, Wilco will also play late April shows in Austin, Texas, Santa Fe, N.M., and Flagstaff and Tucson, Ariz., with support from Giant Sand's Howe Gelb. The lone international date at present will come May 28 at the Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona. Wilco is gearing up for the release of its next studio album, "A Ghost Is Born," due June 8 via Nonesuch.
Here are Wilco's tour dates:
April 21: Columbia, Mo. (Blue Note)
April 23: New Orleans (Orpheum)
April 24-25: Austin, Texas (Stubb's BBQ)
April 27: Santa Fe, N.M. (Lensic Theatre)
April 28: Flagstaff, Ariz. (Orpheum)
April 29: Tucson, Ariz. (Rialto Theatre)
May 1: Indio, Calif. (Empire Polo Field / Coachella Festival)
May 28: Barcelona (Primavera Sound Festival)
June 11: Manchester, Tenn. (Bonnaroo Festival)

'MATINEE' SHOWING!

FRANZ FERDINAND release their new single next month. All eyes will be on ‘Matinee’ to see whether it can match the chart success of 'Take Me Out’ when it’s released on April 19. Though the specific tracks have yet to be confirmed, the single will come backed with two acoustic versions of tracks from the band’s album. Many of the dates on the band’s forthcoming UK tour have been upgraded due to demand. The dates now run as follows:
• Glasgow QMU (April 12-13)
• Liverpool Academy (15)
• Sheffield Leadmill (17)
• Nottingham Rock City (18)
• Leeds Blank Canvas (20)
• Birmingham Academy 2 (21)
• Brighton Concorde (26)
• Norwich Waterfront (27)
• Edinburgh Liquid Rooms (29)
• Manchester Academy (30)
• Oxford Brookes University (May 1)
• Bristol University (2)
• Portsmouth Pyramids (4)
• London Astoria (5-6)
• London Coronet (7)

TV on the Radio Release Video, Tour Dates

In support of their much-hyped debut full-length Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes, New York rockers TV on the Radio released a video The high-octane album will hit streets on March 9, and the band will promptly take to the road for a massive tour, starting out in Brooklyn and ending in Los Angeles on April 29. Directed by Elliot Jokesdon, the video (for first single "Staring at the Sun") uses psychedelic images of the three-piece performing and dancing, highlighting the song's wavy undertones. Catch TV on the Radio at a theatre below:
Dates:
Tue Mar 9 Brooklyn NY, Southpaw w/ CocoRosie, The Double
Thu Mar 11 Greensboro NC, Ace's Basement w/ CocoRosie
Fri Mar 12 Atlanta GA, Echo Lounge w/ CocoRosie
Sat Mar 13 St. Augustine FL, Cafe Eleven w/ CocoRosie
Sun Mar 14 Tampa FL, Orpheum w/ CocoRosie, The Six Parts Seven
Mon Mar 15 Tallahassee FL , The Beta Bar w/ CocoRosie
Wed Mar 17 Houston TX, Proletariat w/ CocoRosie, Panthers
Thu Mar 18 Austin TX, Caucus w/ CocoRosie
Fri Mar 19 Austin TX, Exodus w/ The New Year, CocoRosie
Sun Mar 21 Denton TX, Hailey's w/ Panthers, The Wrens
Mon Mar 22 Lawrence KS, Bottleneck w/ Liars,
Tue Mar 23 Columbia MO, Mojo's w/ Panthers, TBA
Wed Mar 24 St. Louis MO, Rocket Bar w/ Panthers, TBA
Thu Mar 25 Milwaukee WI, Onopa Brewing Company w/ Panthers
Fri Mar 26 Chicago IL, Empty Bottle w/ Panthers
Sat Mar 27 Cleveland Heights OH, Grog Shop w/ Panthers, TBA
Sun Mar 28 Philadelphia PA, First Unitarian w/ Panthers
Mon Mar 29 Washington DC, Black Cat w/ Panthers
Wed Mar 31 Cambridge MA, Middle East Upstairs w/ Panthers, TBA
Fri Apr 9 New York NY, Mercury Lounge w/ Panthers
Tue Apr 13 Montreal QC, El Salon w/ TBA, TBA
Wed Apr 14 Toronto ON, Horseshoe Tavern w/ TBA, TBA
Thu Apr 15 Detroit MI, Magic Stick w/ TBA
Fri Apr 16 Chicago IL, Fireside Bowl w/ TBA
Sat Apr 17 Madison WI, Catacombs w/ TBA
Sun Apr 18 Minneapolis MN, Triple Rock w/ TBA
Tue Apr 20 Boulder CO, Club 156 w/ TBA, TBA
Fri Apr 23 Anacortes WA, Department of Safety w/ Hint Hint
Sat Apr 24 Vancouver BC, The Piccadilly Pub w/ TBA
Sun Apr 25 Seattle WA, Neumos w/ Hint Hint, TBA
Mon Apr 26 Portland OR, Berbati's Pan w/ Hint Hint, TBA
Wed Apr 28 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill
Thu Apr 29 Los Angeles CA, Echo w/ TBA, TBA

15 versions of Kraftwerk's "The Model" (MP3 Download)

By The Balanescu Quartet, Rammstein, Big Black, Ride and Belle & Sebastian and many more.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
(close yr eyes)

Franz Ferdinand "Take Me Out (Morgan Geist Reversion)" –(MP3 Download)

Perhaps a law should be passed to make it so that Franz Ferdinand never again releases a record without having it reworked by Morgan Geist. The original version of "Take Me Out" is fine enough, but a bit too timid about embracing its inner disco queen. Geist's version could still stand to be a bit dancier, but it's at least a more even hybrid of disco and rock, rather than being mostly rock with a bit of disco on the mother's side.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
(via fluxblog)

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF THE POLYPHONIC SPREE!

THE POLYPHONIC SPREE are to release a live DVD/CD next month. 'The Adventure Of Listening', out April 6, features video footage and an audio CD of five tracks taken from a show at Chicago Metro in October 2003. Tracks include the collective's cover of David Bowie's 'Five Years'. The package also features live performance footage from the UK, an interview with frontmanTim DeLaughter and the video for 'Light & Day', Billboard reports. The band will also sell the DVD/CD on their forthcoming tour with Bowie, which commences on March 29 in Philadelphia. The Polyphonic Spree's new album, 'Together We're Heavy', is recorded and ready for release. The band are expected to sign a new UK record deal shortly, after which the follow up to 2002's 'The Beginning Stages Of...' will be released. In other news, DeLaughter has been invited to score the upcoming film 'Thumbsucker' and may release the soundtrack on his own Good Records imprint.

Is Morrissey Heading For A Meltdown?

Oscar Wilde is dead. So is Billy Fury. Elvis, too. And Joey Ramone. So, which of Morrissey’s loves and inspirations is still alive? Well, Sandie Shaw for one, but one woman does not make a rock festival. So who’ll be on the bill when Morrissey takes over the stage of London’s South Bank Centre for Meltdown 2004? Every year a respected musician — or, as in the case of the BBC’s John Peel, DJ — is asked to act as Artistic Director for Meltdown, a music festival that began as a venue for classical music, but has evolved over the years to be more rock-focused. Past curators include Elvis Costello, Scott Walker, David Bowie and Nick Cave. This year’s festival takes place from June 11 to 27 and is sure to be a lot of fun, provided Moz can scrape up enough interest in living talent. Yeah, we’ve heard that Morrissey’s been seen at Libertines shows, so perhaps those guys’ll make the cut. But taking a look at Morrissey’s Under The Influence album of music that has inspired him over the years and it’s not exactly rife with potential Meltdowners: Nico, Klaus Nomi, Tyrannosaurus Rex — all dead. It’s enough to make you think that ol’ Mozzer’s obsessed with the past. And yes, we know what you’re thinking; this is the perfect opportunity for The Smiths to reform. And you’re right, it would. Anyway, even if Morrissey and Johnny Marr won’t make amends, I’m sure there are plenty of bands who’d jump at the opportunity of performing at a Moz-certified event. Oh look, there’s Gene!

OUTKAST - WE'LL MAKE MORE ALBUMS TOGETHER

OUTKAST's ANDRE 3000 has quelled speculation that he and bandmate BIG BOI are to part company by announcing they will make at least two more albums together. The star failed to appear alongside Big Boi at his London show at Camden Electric Ballroom this week, and there is speculation that Big Boi will play a set at this year's Glastonbury without his musical partner. But Andre insists recent developments do not mean the end of OutKast just yet - especially given their recent huge success with the double album 'Speakerboxx/The Love Below' and worldwide smash hit singles 'Hey Ya!' and 'The Way You Move'. He said: "There'll be two more OutKast albums, but I'm willing to accept that no matter what I do next, it may not be as big as 'Hey Ya!' or Outkast . But it's a growth thing. Paul McCartney and John Lennon never did anything as big as The Beatles but they still did some cool shit on their own."

The Stratocaster turns 50

Fender's world famous Stratocaster guitar turns 50... CLICK HERE FOR THE COMPLETE STORY

Magnetic Fields Return on Nonsuch

The Magnetic Fields will break a five-year drought this summer with a new contract with Nonesuch Records. The label will issue the band's album "I" May 4. It's the band's first effort since 1999's 69 Love Songs (Merge Records).

The Strokes' Pixie ambitions

The Strokes have told Radio 1 the reason they signed up for T in the Park is that nineties indie group The Pixies had already agreed to do it. The Pixies have reformed this year to tour and play some of the major festivals, including T in the Park. They are on the line-up alongside N*E*R*D, David Bowie, The Darkness, the Scissor Sisters and The Strokes. We caught up with Albert from The Strokes yesterday (Tuesday) who told us he's a big fan of the Pixies and he hinted there could even be a collaboration on the cards: "I don't know - I know that we're lucky enough to be playing with The Pixies, which is a dream come true really, and who knows, maybe something happens with the band, but you know it's more fun to be spontaneous with that, maybe it happens like a surprise and not anything that's said before, you know!" T in the Park takes place at Balado near Kinross in July. (via BBC UK)

Indies Stay in Tune With Sharing

More than 1,200 acts will play at this year's festival, which runs from March 17 to 21. About 600 musicians provided a free MP3 of their work to run on the South by Southwest website. The festival then took the extra step of making the whole catalog available through a shared playlist over a Wi-Fi network. "If someone launches iTunes, these 600 songs will pop up in their iTunes," said Scott Wilcox, chief technical adviser for SXSW. "Because we have their audio in-house, we're able to -- with the appropriate permission -- make these tracks available for free as part of the promotion for playing South by Southwest." The annual music festival has made its library available for free on its website for the past several years. However, this is the first year that the music-sharing application is available for free to anyone taking advantage of Austin's wireless hotspots.

SONIC HEROES RETURN

SONIC YOUTH have finished their new album in time for a summer release. ‘Nurse’ is the follow-up to 2002’s ‘Murray Street’ and is due for release on June 7. Meanwhile, the alt.rock veterans are appearing at this year’s All Tomorrow’s Parties festival on April 3, and will be co-curating the event. Additionally, they will appear at the South by Southwest convention in Austin, Texas later this month.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY !!

Kingblind turns ONE today.. Yes... That's right one whole year so far.. Thank you very much.. From one lone writer and his Macintosh to dozens of writers from New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Glasgow and now even Sydney Australia.. Wow things have changed quite a bit.. Thanks for all the help.. There are great things on the horizon.. STAY TUNED.

The Jay-Z Construction Set : Make your own Black Album remix !

CLICK HERE to make your very own version of the Black Album

Kingblind’s guide to the 10 best new bands in music today

Well folk’s here are the 10 best new bands on the planet today (In our humble opinion). The 10 bands worth your hard earned cash. We hope you like them as much as we do. Go out and see them next time they come to your town and tell them that Kingblind sent ya.

The High Strung (Detroit, MI USA)
Motor City boys Mark Owen, Chad Stocker, Josh Malerman, and Derek Berk comprise the exciting rock & roll of the High Strung. Formed in summer 2000, the modern-rock foursome has a legacy that stretches back to elementary school. Once in college, the members of the High Strung played in and around the Midwest and concentrated on getting enough material ready for a proper album. A series of EPs and the self-released full-length, As Is came and went, as did the High Strung's attachment to Detroit. They picked up and moved to Williamsburg, NY just as they were supposed to make an album for Tee Pee. In 2001, the High Strung joined producer Jim Diamond (Electric Six, the Mooney Suzuki, the White Stripes) for These Are Good Times. The foxy retro-garage album appeared in summer 2003. They have since returned to their native Detroit. Not that it really matters that much since the band tours almost non-stop. Truly one of the best live and recorded bands today.
http://www.thehighstrung.com

TV on the Radio (Brooklyn, NY USA)
The Brooklyn-based group TV on the Radio mixes post-punk, electronic and other atmoshperic elements in such a creative way that it only makes sense that its core duo, vocalist Tunde Adebimpe and multi-instrumentalist/producer David Andrew Sitek, are both visual artists as well as musicians. Adebimpe is a graduate of NYU's film school and specializes in stop-motion animation, which his Brothers Quay-like video for the Yeah Yeah Yeah's single Pin demonstrates amply. He is also a painter, as is Sitek, who also produced the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Machine EP and their full-length Fever to Tell. The duo met when Sitek moved into the building where Adebimpe had a loft; each of them had been recording music on their own, but realized their sounds would work well together. Sitek's brother Jason, began playing drums and other instruments with the pair during their recording sessions, which resulted in a self-titled, 24-track CD released by the Brooklyn Milk imprint. Jason Sitek left the band for a short time due to other musical commitments but returned to the band when they recorded their Touch & Go debut, the Young Liars EP. After the EP was completed, TV on the Radio added guitarist/vocalist Kyp Malone to their fold. Young Liars, which also features the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Brian Chase and Nick Zinner, was released in summer 2003 to critical acclaim, coinciding with their gigs opening for the Fall. The band spent the rest of the summer finishing their next full-length album, then toured that autumn. TVOTR has now returned to the road. Catch them while you can. Touring now. http://www.tvontheradio.com/

Prefuse 73 / Savath and Savalas (Atlanta, GA USA / Barcelona, Sp)
Prefuse 73 is the alias of Scott Herren, a hip-hop producer who, under the Prefuse name, has produced material in which many of the raps of MCs are buried in the production mix to become part of the sonic texture as opposed to a focal point. Herren began his career working in Atlanta commercial studios, but has since gone on to work on more experimental work. His first record under the Prefuse name, Vocal Studies and Uprock Narratives, not only buried but cut up and spliced raps as well as allowing some more straightforward vocals from several MCs. The 2003 follow up, One Word Extinguisher carried on within a similar vein. Also in 2003, Warp released Extinguished: Outtakes -- a fascinating EP of beats and samples that runs trough 23 tracks in about thirty-five minuets. [Herren has also worked under his own name and that of Savath & Savalas.] On tour now in North America. http://www.warprecords.com/prefuse73/

The Fiery Furnaces (Brooklyn, NY USA)
The Fiery Furnaces' sprawling mix of garage-rock, blues and indie-rock revolves around the group's core duo, Eleanor (vocalist / guitarist) and Matthew Friedberger (guitarist / multi-instrumentalist). The sister and brother were born and raised in Chicago but moved to Brooklyn, where they formed different incarnations of the Fiery Furnaces, ranging from three-piece to five-piece setups. The group played New York City for a couple of years, supporting bands including the Kills, French Kicks, Spoon and Sleater-Kinney before landing a deal with Rough Trade. The label released their debut single Crystal Clear in fall 2003 a few weeks before their full-length, Gallowsbird's Bark arrived. The Fiery Furnaces spent the rest of that year touring, appearing at CMJ, Rough Trade's 25th anniversary celebration and on Hot Hot Heat's UK tour. Look for their new record in the next couple of months. http://www.thefieryfurnaces.com/

British Sea Power (Brighton, England UK)
A rather conceptual indie band -- one that's been compared more than once to Joy Division -- British Sea Power is a quartet from Brighton, England, comprising members named Hamilton, Noble, Yan, and Wood. Formed in late 2000, their live shows began to receive notice early on, thanks in no small part to the large stuffed birds that perched on stage and the militaristic uniforms worn by the band members. Rough Trade's Geoff Travis was taken aback by one of the group's (literally) wild performances and signed them; by the end of 2001, they had two singles in the racks: Fear of Drowning on Golden Chariot and Remember Me on Rough Trade. After an amazing showcase at SXSW in 2003, British Sea Power prepped for the fall release of The Decline of British Sea Power. Their return to north American shore this month is highly anticipated.
http://www.britishseapower.co.uk/

The Dirtbombs (Detroit, MI USA)
One of Mick Collins' many post-Gories projects, for years the Dirtbombs seemed to exist more in concept than in reality. As if in reaction to the bass-less sound of the Gories, this band brought together two drummers, two bass players, and Collins on guitar. Other than consistently loud volumes and lots of noise, the Dirtbombs have a surprisingly diverse sound, composing across a broad spectrum of styles from garage rock, punk, and glam, to classic soul and R&B. The Dirtbombs began primarily as a 7" band, putting out five singles before Larry Hardy of In the Red convinced them to record their first full-length album. In the band's relatively short existence, it has been through at least ten lineups. Looking at the credits from one record to the next, it is evident that the Dirtbombs have had a revolving all-star cast of Detroit rockers: Ghetto Recorders engineer Jim Diamond (White Stripes, the Go, Red Aunts), Bantam Rooster's Tom Potter, Ben Blackwell. Their debut album, Horndog Fest, was released in late 1998. In the interim, they released several more 7"s and then followed up with their sophomore album, Ultraglide in Black and now their latest garage masterpiece "dangerous magical noise" is in stores now. And now it finally looks like that Mr. Collins may be making The Dirtbombs a reality … And a great one at that.
http://www.thedirtbombs.net/

The Forty-Fives (Atlanta, GA USA)
Atlanta's resident rock revivalists the Forty-Fives consist of guitarist/vocalist Bryan Malone, bassist Mark McMurtry, organist Trey Tidwell, and drummer Adam Renshaw. After spending most of 1999 on tour with like-minded artists such as Link Wray, Wayne Kramer, the Dickies, Pansy Division, and Marky Ramone, the group released their debut album, Get It Together, on Artemis Records in early 2000. Two years later, after a lengthy tour around the country, they stopped at Sun Studios in Memphis and put together their second album. Unfortunately, the band found themselves unhappy with the results, and they re-recorded a good portion of the record before its release. Finally, Fight Dirty was released in the fall of 2002. Relentless touring of North America and Europe followed. Even UK radio legend John Peel had some time to record the boys as well. The Forty-Fives are currently in Detroit with Jim Diamond ( Knob twister for The Dirtbombs, White Stripes etc) recording their much anticipated follow-up to Fight Dirty. Do yourself a favor catch them live.. They are one of the greatest live bands on the planet. http://thefortyfives.com/

IMA Robot (Los Angeles, CA USA)
Los Angeles-bred Ima Robot makes hooky, punky modern rock out of terribly fashionable musical byproducts. The band started in the early '90s, just willowy Alex Ebert and crazy Timmy Anderson making beats and trying to rap. The stardom-dreaming duo was eventually joined by electronics whiz Oligee, and the trio hit the L.A. music scene with a wiry, fiery mix of electronics, guitar, and sort-of singing. Buzz occurred, and soon crack session pros Justin Meldal-Johnsen and Joey Waronker had joined the fold on bass and drums, respectively. A deal with Virgin followed, and the Public Access EP soon appeared. Ima Robot dropped in September 2003; it showcases a more focused, radio/video-ready sound. Tours with likeminded types like Hot Hot Heat have helped get the word out. On the road now with The Sounds..
http://www.imarobot.com/

Kid606 (San Diego, CA USA)
Inspired by hardcore techno, indie-punk, noise-rock and a liberal dose of heavy metal, the recordings of Kid 606 are a highlight of the growing American indie-electronica scene. His lack of seriousness regarding "intelligent techno" (conspicuous in his attitude as well as his recordings) and fondness for breakbeat thrash places him in line with Digital Hardcore advocates Atari Teenage Riot and electronics deconstructivists such as Add N (To X). A native of Venezuela, the Kid moved to San Diego early in life. After becoming interested in samplers, he began recording and released some material with Spacewurm and Ariel, two acts associated with the Southern California label Vinyl Communications. After the demise of both, Kid 606 debuted on his own with a full-length for VC, 1998's Don't Sweat the Technics. A split-compact-disc with Lesser gained release later that year, as well as the VC EPs Unamerican Activity and Dubplatestyle. In mid-2000, Kid 606 released Down with the Scene, his first album for the experimental Ipecac label associated with Faith No More's Mike Patton. A few months later, the experimental-techno label Mille Plateaux issued the comparatively subdued P.S. I Love You, along with an accompanying remix album (P.S. You Love Me) the following year. Kid 606 veered back into hardcore with 2002's mashup-heavy The Action Packed Mentallist Brings You the Fucking Jams and 2003's Kill Sound Before Sound Kills You. He has also worked in the side-project DISC with Lesser and Matmos. Look for new goodness soon. http://www.brainwashed.com/kid606/home.html

Franz Ferdidand (Glascow, Scotland UK)
Glasgow's art-damaged rock quartet Franz Ferdinand -- named for the Austro-Hungarian Archduke whose murder sparked World War I -- features bassist Bob Hardy, guitarist Nick McCarthy, drummer Paul Thomson, and singer/guitarist Alex Kapranos. In late 2001, Kapranos and Hardy had begun working on music together when they met McCarthy, a classically trained pianist and double bass player who originally played drums for the group despite no prior experience as a drummer. The trio had been rehearsing at McCarthy's house for a while when they met and started playing with Thomson, a former drummer who felt like playing guitar instead. Eventually, McCarthy and Thomson switched to guitar and drums, and the band switched practice spaces, stumbling upon an abandoned warehouse that they named the Chateau. The Chateau became Franz Ferdinand's headquarters, where they rehearsed and held rave-like events incorporating music and art (Hardy graduated from the Glasgow School of Art, and Thomson also posed as a life model there). The bandmembers needed a new rehearsal space once their illicit art parties were discovered by the police, and they found one in a Victorian courthouse and jail. By summer 2002, they recorded an EP's worth of material that they intended to release themselves, but word of mouth about the band spread and Franz Ferdinand signed to Domino in the summer of 2003. The group's EP Darts of Pleasure, which led some to label Franz Ferdinand "the Scottish Interpol," was released that fall, and the band spent the rest of the year supporting groups such as Hot Hot Heat and Interpol itself. Franz Ferdinand's second single, Take Me Out, arrived in early 2004. http://www.franzferdinand.co.uk/

Lambchop: "Aw Come On" (Album Review)

Since their inception in the mid-90's, Lambchop have mutated musically yet always remained original. Frontman Kurt Wagner has been compared to everyone from Leonard Cohen to Bob Dylan, but I think we've all missed the obvious point of reference. You see, listening to Aw C'mon, the first of two new Lambchop albums, all I can hear is Cat Stevens. I know this is an arcane and completely uncool comparison for all you kids out there, but just listen. Close your eyes. Flashes of Harold and Maude. Dancing in cemeteries. Falling in love with the wrong person. Suicidal day dreams. This is not a bad thing. For me at least. I would hope Kurt could take it as the compliment it is intended as. These songs were born out of a live score the band wrote for the silent film "Sunrise". And that little bit of information makes these albums make all the sense in the world. They are soundscapes, dreamily, darkly meandering along. I guess Aw C'mon is the more subdued of the two albums. The shorter titled "Steve McQueen", "I Hate Candy", and "Action Figure" are the lyrical and musical high points. The longwinded Each Time I Bring It Up, It Seems To Bring You Down- is a monument to troubled relationships. And there are a few instrumentals just to let you catch your breath. This is a fine album. A fine, laying in bed, hungover, regretful, laughing through tears kind of an album. It does lull in spots, gets a little samey. But my God, just listen. It sure does grow on you. (Review by L.A.M.)

Love will Freak Us (Music Video)

Missy Elliott Vs. Joy Division mashed goodness via Dsico
CLICK HERE TO VIEW Requires Quicktime
(thanks to Largehearted Boy)

White Stripes/OutKast Mash-Up Planned?

Two of the most acclaimed groups of recent years may be hooking up. Speaking ahead of a rumoured appearance with Beyonce at next week's Brit Awards in London, OutKast's Andre 3000 has revealed plans for a future collaboration with the White Stripes, saying he recently spoke to Jack White about working together: "Jack White's really cool. I met him at the MTV Europe Awards and told him, 'Man, respect, we are most definitely going to have to sit down and do something.' He was like, 'Yeah, most definitely.'"I talked to his manager the other day," he added. "We're supposed to be hooking up on something."

Nick Cave Organizes Leonard Cohen Tribute

Nick Cave will lead a bill of rockers who will tip their hat to Leonard Cohen in May. Cave, Rufus Wainright and The Handsome Family will join forces to pay tribute to Cohen in the Came So Far for Beauty tribute show in Brighton. While the show will go on sometime in May, no firm venue or date details were made available for the Cave-organized event.

White Stripes Release New Single On 7"

The White Stripes have confirmed the release their new single 'There's No Home For You Here' will be available on strictly limited edition 7" vinyl only. Released on March 15th, 'There's No Home For You Here' will feature an exclusive b-side - a previously unavailable medley of 'I Fought Piranhas' from the band's debut album and 'Let's Build A Home' from 'De Stijl', recorded in front of a live audience at New York's famous Electric Lady Studios. Jack and Meg recently picked up two Grammy Awards and their first Brit Award (Best International Group) and will be returning to the UK for a headlining Reading festival appearance in August.

GREAT SCOTT!

SCOTT WALKER has signed a new record deal with cult indie label 4AD. The star, who first found fame in the 1960s with The Walker Brothers, has not released an album since 1995’s ‘Tilt’. He is best known for his quartet of 1960s albums, ‘Scott’ through to ’Scott 4’. 4AD have also enjoyed a long history, providing home to the US indie dynasty of the Pixies, The Breeders and Throwing Muses. Walker is expected to begin recording his first material for the label imminently.