New Song: White Denim - "Mirrored and Reverse"

White Denim - "Mirrored and Reverse"

White Denim have unveiled their newest single from their upcoming LP Fits, which will be released June 22, 2009 on Full Time Hobby. Thanks to this NME article, we get our first taste of "Mirrored and Reverse" - a psychedelic romp featuring a juicy baseline and banjo-like guitar effects. Check it out.

Also, WD will be making a few appearances across the pond, starting next month.

White Denim tour dates:

May 14 2009 12:00P	Azkena Rock Festival	Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
May 16 2009 8:00P	The Great Escape Festival	Brighton, UK
May 20 2009 8:00P	Academy 2	Liverpool, UK
May 21 2009 8:00P	Hoxton Bar & Kitchen	London, UK
May 22 2009 8:00P	Woodhouse Liberal Club	Leeds, UK
May 23 2009 8:00P	Glasgow School of Art	Glasgow, Scotland

MP3: White Denim - "Mirrored and Reverse"
(From the soon-to-be released Fits)

Capitol Hill Block Party 2009 - Lineup Announced

Cap Hill Block Party - July 25-26, 2009

The Capitol Hill Block Party lineup for 2009 was announced today. It looks as if the two day event will be headlined by Sonic Youth and The Jesus Lizard, with stage support from acts including The Blakes, Deerhunter, The Thermals, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Moondoggies, and many more (with more bands to be announced as well). Tickets can be purchased here on May 1 at 10:00am.

"EARLY BIRD" tickets - May 1 - May 15:
2 day passes - $40 / single day tickets - $22

New Spoon Songs (Live) @ Warehouse - Houston,TX (4-22-09)

Check out these videos of Spoon's Houston show this past week. Lots of new songs! Not too impressed, yet, but Spoon always has a way of tweaking songs by the time they reach the album, making them fantastic. I hated "Don't Make Me A Target" the four times I heard it live, but now I think it's a pretty sweet song.

Enjoy:

Spoon - 3 Shows at Stubbs

Spoon announces 3 new dates in Austin, TX

Spoon will be playing three nights in a row at Stubbs in Austin, TX. The dates will be from July 9-11, and the shows will host some really great opening acts, which include And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Low, Dale Watson, Atlas Sound, and The Strange Boys.

Use this password before tomorrow to access first dibs on these tickets. Presale ends tomorrow (April 25) at 5:00 pm.

Thu, July 9:

w/ Trail of Dead and Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears

Fri, July 10:
w/ Low and Dale Watson

Sat, July 11:
w/ Atlas Sound

Not Everyone Is A Wavves Fan: See Juavves

Wavves - Love 'em or Hate 'em

Someone with a great sense of humor has created a Mexican spoof on Nathan Williams's lo-fi surfer punk outfit Wavves. The band calls themselves Juavves, and you can listen to their cover of "So Bored" at their MySpace page, entitled "Muy Aburrido." Classic... Also, Juavves takes many jabs at the California sensation:

About Juavves
I like hip hop, weed, surfing, weed, goths, weed, weed, skateboards(even though I don't know how to skate), weed, punk rock, weed, garage band, weed, weed, 420, weed, goths, burritos, california, weed, and weed

Sounds Like
if you were to like smoke weed then go surf and like while you're on top of a sick wavve you were to take a sick bong rip and smoke more weed.

Speaking of Wavves, they'll be playing on campus at the University of Washington this Friday (April 24 at 7:00pm). The show will be held in the North Huskey Den in the Husky Union Building (HUB) - a map can be accessed here. Wavves will be accompanied by Brooklyn's Crystal Stilts, as well as local acts Idle Times and AFCGT.

The University of Washington's Campus Radio station RainyDawg Radio is celebrating its sixth birthday, and will be hosting this show.

Tickets are $6 will a valid UW student ID available in the HUB ticket Office. General Admission tickets are available via Tickets West for $10.

Gorillaz: Bananaz Documentary Out Today

Bananaz released today

For those of you who love the Gorillaz, you'll especially need to check out this documentary that's fittingly entitled Bananaz. Directed by Ceri Levy, Bananaz is a great 90 minute movie that follows the Gorillaz's creators Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett (aka J-Weasel) from 2000 to 2006. You'll get a rare behind-the-scenes look at the band's conception, both from the animation side of the project and the recording process. Also, you'll finally get to see the faces behind the voices of the "band members" Murdoc, 2D, Noodle, and Russel Hobbs.

What I found most interesting was the excitment from Albarn and Hewlett over the band's novel concept. At the start, it wasn't clear how the public would accept a cartoon band. Bananaz really portrays the hardships and adversities of delving into experimental projects - let's face it, the idea was pretty wacky to begin with: cartoon characters in a band, each with very strange and unique orgins and backgrounds.

Check it out (here). A DVD of Bananaz will be released June 1, 2009.

Also set to drop hopefully some time this year is the Gorillaz third LP...

Sunset Rubdown - Live versions of Dragonslayer

A first listen (almost) to Dragonslayer

So far, these are the live versions of the songs appearing on the upcoming Sunset Rubdown album, Dragonslayer. While I don't have all the tracks, 6 out of 8 isn't bad 7 out of 8 is pretty good. BIG thanks to Earl of Slander for posting these recordings of Sunset Rubdown's show at the The Middle East Club (9-15-2008) in Cambridge, MA, where nearly all of these bootlegs come from. The studio album comes out June 23, 2009.

UPDATE: I also want to thank Earl of Slander for pointing out that "Paper Lace" was also in that bootleg (and is now included below). For those of you who have Swan Lake's Enemy Mine, you should already be well-versed with this song.

Track listing:

1. Silver Moons
2. Idiot Heart
3. Apollo and the Buffalo and Anna Anna Anna Oh!
4. Black Swan
5. Paper Lace (Swan Lake cover)
   
6. You Go On Ahead (Trumpet Trumpet II)
7. Nightingale / December Song
8. Dragon's Lair

Twilight Exit (Ver. 3.0)

Twilight Exit moves to 25th and Cherry

For those of you who thought the Twilight Exit had seen its end of days, think again. When I indulged myself with a delicious peanut butter bacon burger there in early January, I thought for sure it'd be my last. Little did I know that the plans were already in motion for a relocation into the heart of the Central District. Nestled quite cozily on Cherry St. near 25th Ave, the Twilight Exit lives yet again. For those of you keeping track, this is the bar's second move due to condo development.

This time around, the old Twilight is getting leveled to make room for yet another ugly, non-unique behemoth of a building. What really pisses me off is that when the Twilight was denied "historic preservation" for its musical significance in Seattle's "secret Jazz scene," the compromise was for the condos to include a "system of red accent panels that are meant to allude to the intersection's historical home to jazz nightclubs." What does that even mean?

Anyway, I'm sure the move is going to cause a small loss in some bar patronage due to the slightly longer hike, but I'm also confident that the citizens of CD will welcome a new locally owned business with open arms. One thing's for sure, compared to sharing a street with Deano's/Chocolate City, 25th and Cherry should feel quite safe. The new location also appears to be similarly sized to the first Twilight Exit, and it still has the usual: cheap drink, great menu, fantastic jukebox, eclectic mix of decor, free WiFi, and an amazing Sunday night karaoke. Check it out if you're in the area.

Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer & "Idiot Heart"

"Idiot Heart" - First Listen

Thanks to Pitchfork, we now have our first taste of Sunset Rubdown's newest album, Dragonslayer. First debuted on the band's second Daytrotter Session, "Idiot Heart" has finally made it through the studio recording process, and it sounds even better. As reported in this Stereogum article, when recording Dragonslayer Krug said he avoided the "second guessing" he thinks had a negative effect on Random Spirit Lover:

Krug and the rest of Sunset Rubdown recorded all the instruments live "on the floor." "I like these kinds of recordings because they're very honest and it's hard to pretend that you sound any different from whatever it is,"

Dragonslayer will be released through Jagjaguwar on June 23, 2009. After that, as reported before, Krug plans on releasing some experimental recordings that he's been working on for the last two years - an EP of marimba and drum songs! I'm guessing it'll be in line with Fifths of Seven, but then again, who knows?

MP3: Sunset Rubdown - "Idiot Heart"
(From Dragonslayer)

Review: Dr. Dog / Cave Singers / Golden Boots @ The Crocodile (4-14-2009)

[Dr. Dog :: Cave Singers :: Golden Boots]
[Crocodile :: 4-14-2009]

Last night Seattle was treated with three great musical acts, all under the same roof. Kicking the night off at the newly re-opened Crocodile was Tucson, AZ's very own Golden Boots, who self-describe themselves as "alt-alt country." Playing heavily off their newest long player Winter Of Our Discotheque, the band walked a fine line between experimental folk/rock and fuzzed-out psychedelia/classic rock. Highlights of the set included the funky riffs of "Heatwave", the infectiously contagious sing-alongs of "Love Is In The Air", as well as the anthematic choruses of "Easy Lie." Also of note, the band's two drummers shared the same kick drum!

Second up on the night was Seattle's very own The Cave Singers. With a new album set to drop in August, the band showcased six new songs out of their ten-song set. The set list was as follows (new songs denoted with *).

Set list - The Cave Singers (4-14-2009)
F Guitar*
New Drum*
In Jam*
Helen
New Monuments
I Don't Mind*
Seeds
Beach House*
New Harmonica*
Dancing On Our Grave

What I find funny about these song titles is that in many cases, the songs don't even have proper names yet ("F Guitar", "New Drum", etc.). I even asked the dude behind the sound board if the album has a title yet, and he seemed to think the answer was "no." In any case, from all the new songs I've heard so far, I think the Cave Singers' sophomore attempt is going to be a very respectable follow-up to Invitation Songs.

Capping the night with the third solid performance of the night, Dr. Dog really laid the jams on thick. Opening with a kick-ass version of "The Ark" off the band's last album Fate, we quickly found that they we were in for a real treat. The highlights of the night were the wonderful performances of "Way The Lazy Do", "My Old Ways", and "The Breeze." Going off memory, the rest of the set included the songs listed below (sorry, I know I'm forgetting some):

Set list (incomplete) - Dr. Dog (4-14-2009)
The Ark
My Old Ways
Oh No
The Pretender
Way the Lazy Do
The Breeze
From
The Beach
The Rabbit, The Bat, And The Reindeer
My Friends
Girl
Alaska
Weekend
Aint It Strange

And just to put icing on the top of the night, I ran into an old Twilight Exit employee, and he informed me that the bar lives on! I'm not sure how I missed the memo, but apparently it's moved yet again - this time to 25th and Cherry. I'll definitely have to swing by and pick up a PBBB (peanut butter bacon burger) and a can of Oly's some time very soon. At the end of the night, I went home with a big smile... what a fantastic Tuesday night show... and the Crocodile sounds just as good as it ever did.

UPDATE: Head over to Sound on the Sound to see some pictures from the night.

Reminder: Dr. Dog + Cave Singers + Golden Boots @ The Crocodile (4-14-2009)

Dr. Dog, Cave Singers, Golden Boots - The Croc

This is just a friendly reminder to the Puget Sounders - Dr. Dog and The Cave Singers w/ support from Golden Boots will be performing this Tuesday (April 14) at the Crocodile. Recently receiving a major cosmetic upgrade, the Crocodile has re-opened its doors to the music community of Seattle.

Doors open at 8:30 pm, but make sure you get there for Tucson, AZ openers, Golden Boots. You will definitely miss out if you come late. Check out the songs they have on their MySpace page if you don't believe me.

- Tue.Apr.14.09 - Dr. Dog @ The Crocodile
Dr. Dog, The Cave Singers, Golden Boots :: $15 adv :: tickets

Plants and Animals - Speeding Ticket = New Fan

Plants and Animals gain fan in the least likely scenario

So I was just surfing around Plants and Animals's MySpace page and stumbled upon this blog entry the band posted. While I realize how late I am at posting this, I think it's still worth mentioning. It appears that about a week after P&A played Seattle's Nectar Lounge, the band received an $89 speeding ticket while driving through Jasper, Alberta. The female RCMP officer who issued the ticket was not swayed when the band informed her who they were. However, after she returned to her office, she did some research and sent the band this email:

Subject: New Fan
Hello Band,

Hey I'm the RCMP officer who gave you a speeding ticket today. Just thought I'd let you know...when I returned to the office I googled your band and listened to your music online. You may have gotten a ticket today but on the bright side you definitely got some exposure. I emailed my music savvy friends and family to tell them to check out your music!

Best of luck with the Junos!

Unfortunately for the band, it wasn't enough luck... they did not win the two categories that they were nominated for in the Juno Awards, getting edged out by The Stills (seriously?) for New Group of the Year and Alternative Album of the Year (Parc Avenue). Oh well, we all know how the award results should have gone...

Anywho, enjoy the opening track off the unbelievably awesome Parc Avenue (see below). Also, if you still don't own a copy of their amazing debut long player, go here.

Peter Bjorn and John - Black Cab Session

Peter Bjorn and John

Head over to the Black Cab Sessions and listen to one of their newest additions, Peter Bjorn and John (sans Bjorn) performing their title track off their latest album Living Things. This little acoustic number is a sweeter, lighter version of the electronically driven track that appears on the LP.

From Black Cab Sessions:

We encountered Peter and John, laden with suitcases, on Curtain Road in Hoxton, and, as we wondered where Bjorn was, they quickly squeezed themselves into our cab. We were immediately given a quirky rendition of Living Thing, the title track from their new album. John then explained that Bjorn was in his suitcase, we laughed nervously...

Peter Bjorn and John tour dates

Apr 19 2009 8:00P	Coachella Festival	Indio, California
Apr 21 2009 8:00P	Fine Line Music Cafe	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Apr 22 2009 8:00P	Pabst Theatre	Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Apr 23 2009 8:00P	Metro	Chicago, Illinois
Apr 24 2009 8:00P	Southgate House	Newport, Kentucky
Apr 25 2009 8:00P	Pheonix Theatre	Toronto, Ontario
Apr 26 2009 8:00P	Capital Music Hall	Ottawa, Ontario
Apr 27 2009 8:00P	Le National	Montreal, Quebec
Apr 28 2009 8:00P	Paradise	Boston, Massachusetts
Apr 29 2009 8:00P	Webster Hall	New York, New York
Apr 30 2009 8:00P	Music Hall of Williamsburg	Brooklyn, New York
May 1 2009 8:00P	World Cafe	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 2 2009 8:00P	9:30 Club	Washington D.C., Virginia

Review: White Denim @ The Tractor Tavern (4-5-2009)

White Denim delivered yet another solid performance

I imagine that the Tractor Tavern is going to require a new paint job after Sunday night's ass-kicking show by Austin's buzz-worthy favorite sons, White Denim. Literally rocking the very foundations of the establishment on seismic proportions, the band delivered a non-stop thrill ride of rock & roll that ceased to lose steam throughout the course of the night. I'm surprised the walls didn't just come tumbling down under all the stress. From the moment the loop-heavy opener "Don't Look That Way At It" kicked the night off, it was clear that the band was here to impress us with their complex and power-packed live act that has garnered the attention it so rightfully deserves. Luckily the fans in the audience were wearing their shoes, for their socks were surely to have been knocked off.

For those of you who have not yet had the pleasure of witnessing a White Denim show, here's how things usually go: the band plays big-ass blocks of solid rock, lumping multiple songs together into one mega-jam session. There's hardly any stops for in-between-song chatter, except for the occasional "thanks" for being a great crowd. The first six songs of Sunday night's performance blended seamlessly into each other, climaxing with the infectiously groovy "Shake Shake Shake" from the band's latest LP Exposion. Also showcased during their set were a handful of new tunes - all slated to appear on the band's next album Fits (go here for more details). All of the new songs sounded amazing live, especially the crowd favorite / Daytrotter Sessioned "Hard Attack" (listen below).

I had a chance to chat with soul-man James Petralli (WD guitarist/singer) that night - one hell of guy - and I asked for some more info about their new LP Fits. Interestingly, I was informed to expect a few numbers that might sound reminiscent of Steely Dan. Very interesting indeed...

All in all, the concert was fantastic. Local openers The Curious Mystery and Thee Emergency got the crowd moving before we were treated with the solid White Denim performance. Hopefully Seattle becomes a permanent tour destination for this Austin trio. To hear more White Denim, check out the two songs below, and visit their official website and iTunes to pick up digital copies of their music. You won't regret it!

MP3: White Denim - "Hard Attack" (demo)
(From their Daytrotter Session)

MP3: White Denim - "I Can Tell You"
(buy Workout Holiday LP)

The Cave Singers: Info on New Album

The Cave Singers' New Album Release Date

The Cave Singers release news on their sophomore album, still-to-be titled. According to this MySpace blog post, the album is finished and should reach shelves on August 18, 2009. For the actual post, read below:

Friends; we have finished our new record and it is currently kiting toward the pressing mill. We hope you are well, and finding life filled with a bit of love. Album should be coming out on August 18th, yeah, I know, BBQ Time! Let's light it up and cut it up and steal our own cars of the future. Love is love.

Keep on keeping on. Cave Bros.

Can't wait!

Spoon - New Bonus Track "30 Gallon Tank"

Spoon's latest installment of bonus tracks: "30 Gallon Tank"

Head over to Spoon's website and nab this month's bonus track, "30 Gallon Tank", which was performed live in 2005 at a Sydney, Australia show. What I would give to hear this song live...

MP3: Spoon - "30 Gallon Tank" (Sydney, 2005) April '09

Phoenix on SNL - "Lisztomania" and "1901"

As mentioned before, there were two great Saturday Night Live music performances by Phoenix last night, and they're provided for you viewing pleasure below (until NBC yanks them down from YouTube). Both songs, "Lisztomania" and "1901", sound awesome live, and both can be found on their newest album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, which drops on May 25, 2009. Enjoy!

White Denim - New Album Fits and Seattle Show Tonight

White Denim always Fits nicely

Two bits of useful info: tonight is the night to see White Denim perform (with local acts Thee Emergency and The Curious Mystery ) at the Tractor Tavern here in Seattle. Tickets are still available, and only 10 bucks.

Also, some very exciting news has just been released: White Denim's next Full Time Hobby release will be entitled Fits, and it will drop in European stores June 22, 2009. A track listing is posted below. Hopefully the band samples a few of these new jams tonight. So far, the only one of these songs I'm familiar with is "Hard Attack" (demo performed as "Heart Attack"), which can be heard on their Daytrotter Session (and on the link below).

MP3: White Denim - "Hard Attack" (demo)
(From their Daytrotter Session)

Track listing:

1. Radio Milk How Can You Stand It
2. All Consolation
3. Say What You Want
4. Hard Attack
5. I Start To Run
6. Sex Prayer
7. Mirrored And Reversed
8. Paint Yourself
9. I’d Have It Just The Way We Were
10. Everybody Somebody
11. Regina Holding Hands
12. Sync'n

- Sun.Apr.05.09 - White Denim @ The Tractor Tavern
White Denim :: $10 adv :: tickets

White Denim - Tractor Tavern, Seattle (4-5-09)

Sunday, Sunday, Sundaaay...

As stated before, White Denim will be playing the Tractor Tavern on Apirl 5th with the help of local acts Thee Emergency and The Curious Mystery. Don't miss it. Tickets are still available, which can be purchased here. To further entice you to this show, check out this great oldie "Let's Get Together" off of the Workout Holiday EP (video by Birds on Fire Films).



White Denim tour dates

Apr 4 2009 8:00P	Holoscene	Portland, Oregon
Apr 5 2009 8:00P	Tractor Tavern	Seattle, Washington
Apr 6 2009 8:00P	Media Club	Vancouver, British Columbia
Apr 8 2009 8:00P	Urban Lounge	Salt Lake City, Utah
Apr 10 2009 8:00P	Larimer Lounge	Denver, Colorado

- Sun.Apr.05.09 - White Denim @ The Tractor Tavern
White Denim :: $10 adv :: tickets

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, SNL Appearance

Phoenix ready their forth studio album by appearing on SNL

French electro-pop rockers Phoenix will release their newest album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix on May 25, 2009. Before that date, we'll get to see some of the new tunes showcased on April 4th's episode of Saturday Night Live (with host Seth Rogen). According to the band's blog, we'll get to hear the first two tracks off the new LP, "Lisztomania" and "1901".

If you can't wait until Saturday, you can go to the band's official website to hear/download "1901". You can also follow the link at the end of this post. To hear "Lisztomania", watch the very cool video at the end of the post featuring snippets from The Breakfast Club, Footloose, and other great '80s classics. As for the rest of the album, all I can say is that it's so worth buying - the whole album is quite amazing. Enjoy! (and don't forget to watch SNL this week)

Phoenix tour dates

Apr 23 2009 9:00P	HOXTON BAR & KITCHEN - SOLD OUT	London, London and South East
May 20 2009 8:00P	BERGHAIN (SPEX FESTIVAL)	Berlin
May 23 2009 8:00P	E-WERK (ELECTRONIC BEATS)	Cologne
May 28 2009 8:00P	PRIMAVERA SOUND FESTIVAL - SPAIN	Barcelona, Barcelona
May 30 2009 8:00P	SIESTA FESTIVAL - SWEDEN	Hasselholm
Jun 1 2009 9:00P	KOKO LONDON - SOLD OUT	London, London and South East
Jun 6 2009 8:00P	ROCK AM RING FESTIVAL - GERMANY	Nurburg
Jun 7 2009 8:00P	ROCK IM PARK FESTIVAL - GERMANY	Nurnberg
Jul 24 2009 8:00P	CAMP BESTIVAL - UK	Lulworth Castle, Dorset, Southwest

MP3: Phoenix - "1901"
(pre-order Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix)