Wed Feb 27 Brooklyn, NY Union Hall Thu Feb 28 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's Fri Feb 29 New York, NY Mercury Lounge Thu Mar 6 Toronto ON CMW 2008 Sat Mar 8 Chicago IL Shuba's Tue Mar 11 Denton TX Dan's SilverLeaf Wed Mar 12 Austin, TX South By Southwest Music Conference Thu Mar 20 Guelph ON E-bar Sat Mar 29 Wakefield, QC Black Sheep Inn Sun Mar 30 Wakefield, QC Black Sheep Inn (all ages afternoon show) Fri Jul 11 Winnipeg, MB Winnipeg Folk Festival Sat Jul 12 Winnipeg, MB Winnipeg Folk Festival
When I received Oraculat Spectacular by Brooklyn’s MGMT in the mail about a week ago, I sat down and listened to it with two friends. By the time track seven came on, we noticed that the album felt quite unstructured. In the end, we concluded that it lacks a level of cohesiveness: it could be the ordering of the songs; and it could also be that the band’s directions/styles seem scattered. I have listened to Oraculat Spectacular a few more times since then and I still feel that it is rather disjointed. Although I cannot recommend the album as a whole, I have to say that there are at least a handful of good songs from MGMT’s debut. The surreal and dream-like sensations of “Of Moons, Birds & Monsters” “The Handshake” and “Future Reflections” are pretty entertaining while the electro-anthem sounding “Time To Pretend” and “Kids” are both excellent! Maybe I need to give Oraculat Spectacular a bit more time, but for now, I can only recommend 65-70% of the record.
Time To Pretend[wicked-cool song] Kids[wicked-cool song] The Handshake ***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit
Watch the very amazing video for "Time To Pretend" below!
Oraculat Spectacular comes out tomorrow, you can buy it here
Patrick Wolf wrote about a television special, DVD, and new album in his latest MySpace blog entry:
Dearest dearest...
So today on this cold january afternoon I spend the last of a good few weeks of hard listening mixing and producing all the audio from the shepherds bush empire finale from last month for a television special to be premiered on virgin television special very soon and then an extended version to be turned into my first DVD later in the year. The film has been lovingly shot and directed by the photographer brantley gutierrez who I worked with alot last year on my USA tour. I opened him up to my early morning ramblings in my messy christmas flat, playing the piano and getting ready for the final last two shows of the epic magic position tour of 2007.
I have also been secretly working away, crafting away on the new album too in the sleepy black and amber of these long coid winter nights. loading up my old laptops, generating beats and writing, typing nonstop at the piano keys and computer keys, trying to communicate some of the journeys, misadventures and experiences from the last couple of years since The Magic Position was completed. Slowly recovering and returning to a more regular private rhythm of life. Trying to remember how to live outside of hotels and six different airports each week is alot more confusing and tricky than I expected but life is showing me marvels and slowly vitality, inspiration and productivity is returning to my days and nights.
I send love, life and all the best from London to you wherever or however on this planet you may be. Thanks for all being out there, for your support as I get all my new work and vision together for you.
from The Daytrotter Session, 2007 New Song Be Good[wicked-cool song] La Ferrassie Graves ***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit
A wonderful individual from the Patrick Wolf LJ Community uploaded Patrick’s very humorous performance from Arvikafestivale in Arvika, Sweden back in July.
In other Wolf news, there are speculations coming from the Patrick Wolf messageboard that a new b-side and rarities album entitled Teratology is due out on February 18th. Rumoured tracks include "Beastiality" and "Volcano Radio"... again, nothing is confirmed yet. Hopefully, we will hear an official statement soon.
I was sorting and cleaning up my music folders on my laptop today and I came across a Basia Bulat EP folder that I have forgotten about. The out-of-print EP contains six tracks: an early version of "Why Can't It Be Mine" and a gorgeous strip-down version of "Snakes and Ladders", plus four songs that are not on Oh, My Darling.
It also looks like Basia Bulat will be touring North America this Winter/Spring:
Feb 7 - Chicago IL, Schubas Feb 8 - Madison WI, High Noon Saloon w/Pale Young Gentlemen Feb 9 - Minneapolis MN, 7th Street Entry Feb 13 - Seattle WA, Triple Door Feb 14 - Portland OR, Doug Fir Lounge Feb 15 - Eugene OR, Sam Bond’s Garage Feb 16 - San Francisco CA, Bottom of the Hill Feb 19 - Los Angeles CA, Hotel Cafe Feb 22 - Denver CO, The Walnut Room Feb 23 - Omaha NE, The Waiting Room Feb 27 - Vienna VA, Jammin’ Java Feb 28 - Philadelphia PA, Tin Angel Feb 29 - New York NY, Bowery Ballroom w/St Vincent
Mar 1 - Cambridge MA, Middle East Underground w/St. Vincent Mar 27 - Ottawa ON, Zaphod's Mar 28 - Kingston ON, The Grad Club Mar 29 - Toronto ON, Lee's Palace
April 3 - Hamilton ON, The Casbah April 4 - London ON, Call the Office April 5 - Guelph ON, Salsateria April 12 - Montreal QC, Sala Rossa
visit Basia Bulat's MySpace page here buy Oh, My Darlinghere
Like all of Xiu Xiu previous releases, Women as Lovers is yet another record filled with ambitious experimentation in rhythm, structure, and noise. Xiu Xiu’s sixth full-length is not very different from any other Xiu Xiu albums; I guess there is no need for dramatic changes since the band’s sound is already so original and the music is always so engaging. It is interesting though to hear saxophone on their cover of "Under Pressure" as I don’t ever recall hearing the saxophone on any Xiu Xiu songs – the saxophone addition sounds like something out of the Lost Highway Soundtrack. The bottom-line is, if you are a longtime Xiu Xiu fan, you will enjoy Women as Lovers; however, if you were never a fan of Xiu Xiu’s music, you are probably not going to be crazy about this release.
[UPDATED on January 22, 2008]
I Do What I Want When I Want [wicked-cool song] ***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit
Go to Be Your Own Pet’s MySpace page to hear five brand new tracks from their sophomore full-length, Get Awkard. The album comes out on March 17 in Europe and 18th in North America.
I saw Persepolis last night. The film is as great as the graphic novel! The clip above is the funniest and most memorable scene of the film, it totally caught me by surprise!
I am not sure when this told place, but Vampire Weekend did an interview and performed "Mansard Roof", "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa", "A-Punk", and "The Kids Don't Stand A Chanceon" on KEXP. Don't forget, their amazing debut comes out on January 29th!
These New Puritans’ debut full-length sounds like a cross between Bromheads Jacket and Art Brut. Beat Pyramid is a rather entertaining record: mostly because of its question-everything and rebellious punk-like attitudes. There are electronic/experimental instrumental interludes throughout the record, which I honestly believe that it can do without. Nevertheless, These New Puritans have successfully created a terrific debut full of memorable Bloc Party-like anthems!
Bradford Cox recently posted a few non-album Atlas Sound songs up as well as a list of tour date up on his blog. Don’t forget, Atlas Sound’s debut album, Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel, will be out on February 19!
Feb 19: ATLANTA, GA - Drunken Unicorn Feb 20: CHAPEL HILL, NC - Local 506 Feb 21: WASHINGTON DC - Black Cat Feb 22: PHILADELPHIA, PA - Johnny Brendas Feb 23: NEW YORK, NY - Mercury Lounge Feb 24: BROOKLYN, NY - Music Hall Feb 26: BOSTON, MA - Middle East Feb 27: MONTREAL, QC - Casa del Popolo Feb 28: TORONTO, ON - Horseshoe Tavern Feb 29: DETROIT, MI - Magic Stick Mar 1: CHICAGO, IL - Empty Bottle Mar 2: MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Triple Rock Mar 5: VANCOUVER, BC - Pat's Pub Mar 6: SEATTLE, WA - Crocodile Mar 7: PORTLAND, OR - Holocene Mar 8: SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Bottom of the Hill Mar 11: LOS ANGELES, CA - Echo
Here’s a video of Final Fantasy’s cover of Céline Dion's "Power of Love" at Gladstone Hotel a couple of nights ago. You can download the mp3 version from the previous post.
Final Fantasy covered Céline Dion's "Power of Love" at Gladstone Hotel in Toronto, Ontario last night. Owen’s performance was part of a celebration for Carl Wilson’s latest in the 33 1/3 Series entitled Let's Talk About Love: A Journey To The End of Taste, a book about "Wilson’s brave and unprecedented year-long quest to find his inner Céline Dion fan, and explores how we define ourselves in the light of what we call good and bad, what we love and what we hate."
The first 2008 release I can’t stop listening to is the self-title debut full-length by Vampire Weekend. I knew virtually nothing about this band aside from the fact that I am currently in love with their upcoming record. So, I decided to do a little research about them, and the majority of articles I read described Vampire Weekend as Afro-pop or they are influenced by Afrobeat. To be honest, I have absolutely NO idea what they meant, but I do hear a heavy dose of ska elements on Vampire Weekend. Their combination of ska and indie pop (think The Shins + ska) makes the band’s debut an utterly catchy and amusing record! A few highlights include "Oxford Comma", which sort of reminds me of something from Z by My Morning Jacket while "Bryn" sounds wonderfully like of something by Zombies; "M79" and "Walcott" both feature some fantastic violin sections; and finally, the honest and very witty lyrics of "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" brilliantly describe a seemingly awkward relationship between the singer and a materialist girl. Vampire Weekend is a marvelous debut and 2008 should be a huge year for this very talented band!
Oxford Comma[wicked-cool song] M79[wicked-cool song] Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa[wicked-cool song] Walcott[wicked-cool song] ***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit
Vampire Weekend comes out on January 28th, you can pre-order it here
Radiohead released a film entitled Scotch Mist on New Year’s Eve. It features performance on every track from In Rainbows. You can download the songs individually below and make sure to watch Scotch Mist at YouTube.
April 10, 08 Philadelphia Starlight Ballroom April 11, 08 Washington 9:30 Club April 12, 08 New York Terminal 5 April 14, 08 Boston Paradise April 15, 08 Montreal Metropolis April 16, 08 Toronto Phoenix Apr 17, 08 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre Apr 18, 08 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue April 21, 08 Vancouver Commodore Ballroom Apr 22, 08 Seattle Showbox Apr 23, 08 Portland Crystal Ballroom Apr 24, 08 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
If you live in/near the Toronto area, Nada Surf will be doing a free in-store at Sonic Boom this Wednesday (January 9) at 7:15 p.m.
Personally, I believe that Nada Surf is one of the most underrated bands in music today. “Blonde On Blonde” from Let Go is one of the best songs ever and The Weight Is A Gift is an indie pop masterpiece! Their fifth full-length, Lucky, is another fantastic pop record. Like all of the band’s previous releases, Matthew Caws once again delivers sweet and comforting vocals on this new record. I would normally pop in a Nada Surf record whenever I am in distress because Caws’ voice provides such a peaceful and relaxing sensation. Although not quite up to par with The Weight Is A Gift, Lucky is still a very enjoyable record and undoubtedly, it should satisfy most long-time Nada Surf fans.
Last weekend, 14 very lucky cities got a taste of P.T. Anderson’s critically acclaimed and highly anticipated film, There Will Be Blood. In case you have not heard of or seen the trailer for it, here’s the IMDB description of the film: There Will Be Blood is “A story about family, greed, religion, and oil, centered around a turn-of-the-century Texas prospector (Daniel Day-Lewis) in the early days of the business.”
It was clear that everyone in the theatre was beyond ecstatic to watch Anderson’s first feature film in five years as it played in front of a very enthusiastic jam packed Toronto audience on Saturday night. So, was it worth all the hype and excitement? Yes, absolutely! There Will Be Blood became my favourite film of 2007 that evening and Daniel Day-Lewis gave one of the most exceptional acting performances that I have seen in recent years. The style of Anderson’s latest is very different from his pervious films such as Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and Punch-Drunk Love; (as the people whom I viewed the film with suggested) it felt somewhat like a Kubrick film, especially the opening and closing scenes.
Along with the flawless plot, direction, and acting, the original score by Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead’s guitarist) significantly enhanced the overall quality of There Will Be Blood. The suspenseful and haunting string sections fit perfectly with the tone and atmosphere of the film. I thought the score felt a bit Hitchcock-ish. Nonetheless, Jonny Greenwood’s original score works magnificently with the film and as an album separate from the film as well. The bottom line is, I highly recommend seeing Anderson’s masterpiece, and the accompanying soundtrack by Jonny Greenwood is outstanding as well!
No Age posted a non Weirdo Rippers track up on their MySpace page. "You Is My Hot Rabbit" originally appeared on the now out-of-print Dead Plane 12" EP, enjoy.
thankyou for an amazing year to the friends of the roads i have travellled with and the people ive met and parts of the world I long to see again. I have seen so much and sung my heart out to more people than I could have dreamt of. It makes me so happy to know and rememeber moments from tokyo to san francisco to toronto to london to los angeles and seattle brisbane melbourne sydney detroit philadelphia boston washington exeter middlesboruough glasgow brighton bristol cardiff northampton cambridge colchester portsmouth birmingham nottingham manchester liverpool leeds newcastle sheffield stoke southend dublin brixton New York rotterdam Malaga lisbon Braga Berlin Cologne Hamburg Munich Chicago Philadalphia Vancouver california shepherds bush shit... isle of white glastonbury readng leeds arvika benicassim.. everywhere, i just start remembering.. dont want to miss any of you out but the champagne is flowing..... the whole show! everyone thankyou from the bottom of my heart for a great year.
lets make 2008 a better wonderful stronger magik triumphant inspirational year as the great bjork says declare indipedance! dance ! dance DANZing!!!!!!!!! see you all very soon beautiful creatures! ....
The Acorn has added some upcoming dates:
[review]
Oraculat Spectacular
Vampire Weekend comes out on January 28th, you can pre-order it 
Lucky comes out on February 5th, pre-order it 
buy There Will Be Blood OST 