[news] Spoon Got Nuffin EP on Vinyl (7" and 12")

Got Suffin!

Posted today at Spoon's official website, expect the US vinyl version in stores on August 18 (12").

Dear list,
Last week while Spoon was working on their next album in Brooklyn, long-time Spoon sound engineer Hot Pockets was in Austin mixing recordings of each of the three Stubb's shows from a couple of weeks ago. I would like you each to know that each show was recorded in multi-track HD and that each night is now available as an MP3 or FLAC download at the Spoon store. Earlier versions of the downloads had incorrect song titles but I've fixed that. There are also some Rob Jones-designed posters for the shows left in same store.

Dear fans of vinyl,
In Europe, the Got Nuffin 7" single is in shops now and available online through the Rough Trade store. The US vinyl version (on 12"!) will be in stores on August 18. If you've pre-ordered the US vinyl through the Spoon store (or if you order it now) it will arrive sooner than that.

Bumbershoot 2009 :: Music Lineup Guide

Three Colours' Music Guide to Bumbershoot 2009

While there's plenty of fantastic shows this year in Bumbershoot's lineup (too many to catch), here's a guide that should hopefully steer attendees to the best musical acts of the festival. I think this is probably the strongest lineup in years, and there's bound to be some bands that I'm neglecting to put in there, but that's the magic of Bumbershoot - the most memorable acts are the ones you happen to stumble upon while wander the Seattle Center. My biggest complaint this year, however, is the overlapping shows of Telekinsis and Elvis Perkins in Dearland. Oh well, if I hustle I can probably catch most of both shows.

Info on the show:
Where? Seattle Center
When? September 5-7, 2009
How? Tickets (here) $35/$50 single day pass; $80/$120 3-day pass
[advance tickets (before Aug 21)/standard tickets (Aug 22 and after)]

Saturday - September 5
12:45 Everest (Broad St Stage)
3:30 Past Lives (EMP / SFM's Sky Church)
4:15 Low vs. Diamond (Broad St Stage)
6:00 Mat & Kim (Broad St Stage)
8:00 Telekinesis (EMP/SFM's Sky Church)
8:30 Elvis Perkins in Dearland (Northwest Court Stage)

Sunday - September 6
1:00 Cold War Kids (Samsung Mobile Mainstage)
2:30 Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Samsung Mobile Mainstage)
2:30 Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band (Broad St Stage)
4:15 U.S.E. (Broad St Stage)
6:00 Vivian Girls (Broad St Stage)
6:45 No Age (Rockstar Energy Drink Stage)
7:45 Holy Fuck (Broad St Stage)

Monday - September 7
2:30 Say Hi (Broad St Stage)
3:15 Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears (Starbucks Stage)
5:00 The Devil Makes Three (Starbucks Stage)
6:00 Akron / Family (Broad St Stage)
6:45 The Cave Singers (Starbucks Stage)
7:45 Franz Ferdinand (Samsung Mobile Mainstage)
9:15 Head Like A Kite (EMP / SFM's Sky Church)

[news] King Biscuit Time Back In The Studio

Finally some more KBT

While this is an extremely late post (I'm not sure how this one slipped by me), it still is fantastic news. Posted back in January at Steve Mason's MySpace page, King Biscuit Time has entered the studio with a some "amazing songs." According to the post, Mason is working with producer Richard X in London and will hope to get a tour together after the record formulates. This is great news for those who had tickets to the Black Gold tour (which Mason abruptly canceled merely days before the first show). A new album would be incredible... more news to come (hopefully).

UP TO THE MINUTE
So, my manager told me to write something here and let everyone know whats going on. This is whats going on--

I'm still in the studio. Working on about 12-15 new tracks. Though i am still writing new songs. I have been down to London and spent a few days with Richard X at his studio. We worked on a couple of my demo's and the results are promising. A little hard to describe here, but he is trying to drag me from obscureness into the light. It might work, i have some amazing songs, its just a matter of staying the right side of the dark side. I;m going back in the studio with Richard in Febuary.
I WILL be playing this year, as KBT. No more cancel's. Its on. Trying to put the KBT touring band back together, Pete Rankin ( OJR ) is back on board but C-Swing is on about giving up music. I will do my best to persuade him not too. What a waste that would be. I have a new bass player who i am sure most of you will have heard of, so the bottom end is locked down tight.

I will be posting more studio bits on YouTube as and when i feel like it. A new one soon though.
I think thats all she wrote.
la la later

steve

Spoon X3 - Live at Stubbs July 9-11 Package

New Live Music from Spoon

Spoon is now selling digital copies of an abbreviated recording from their three-night stint in Austin. The concerts, dubbed Spoon x3, were held at Stubbs on July 9, 10, and 11 with Low, Atlas Sound, and many other awesome bands. If you were unable to make the trip down to Texas, you can now purchase copies of each night at the Spoon store. These high quality, multi-track soundboard recordings were handled by long-time Spoon soundguy Hot Pockets, recording the songs from behind the board for the show. The recordings were later mixed at Public Hi-Fi. Track listings for each night are below, but you'll notice that all of the new songs have been omitted. Makes buying these albums less desirable. Oh well, they're only $7 each, or $15 for all three nights.

July 9
1. My Little Japanese Cigarette Case
2. Don’t You Evah
3. Got Nuffin
4. Stay Don’t Go
5. Rhthm And Soul
6. Chicago At Night
7. The Ghost Of You Lingers
8. Mountain To Sound
9. Car Radio
10. The Beast And Dragon, Adored
11. Small Stakes
12. They Never Got You
13. I Summon You
14. You Got Yr Cherry Bomb
15. The Underdog
16. Black Like Me
--Encore--
17. My Mathematical Mind
18. Don’t Make Me A Target
19. Me and the Bean
20. The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine
21. Jonathan Fisk

July 10
1. Don’t You Evah
2. Stay Don’t Go
3. You Got Yr Cherry Bomb
4. The Delicate Place
5. Got Nuffin
6. The Way We Get By
7. The Ghost Of You Lingers
8. Finer Feelings
9. Utilitarian
10. Black Like Me
11. I Summon You
12. I Turn My Camera On
13. Rhthm And Soul
14. The Underdog
15. Everything Hits at Once
--Encore--
16. I Could See The Dude
17. The Beast And Dragon, Adored
18. Rocks Off

July 11
1. Got Nuffin
2. Me And The Bean
3. Don’t Make Me A Target
4. Finer Feelings
5. Car Radio
6. Rhthm And Soul
7. Don’t You Evah
8. Small Stakes
9. The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine
10. The Underdog
11. The Beast And Dragon, Adored
--Encore--
12. Black Like Me
13. The Ghost of You Lingers
14. Eddie’s Ragga
15. Jonathan Fisk
16. I Turned My Camera On
17. Rocks Off

UPDATE: The track listings have now been corrected.

[news] The Blakes New LP Souvenir Out October 13

The Blakes ready their next LP, make a couple of Seattle appearances

The long-awaited follow-up to the Streets EP and The Blakes LP finally has a release date: October 13. The Blakes recently announced (via their blog) that the album will be entitled Souvenir. To hear the first track off the album, head over to the band's MySpace page to sample "Basket." For those of you who own a digital copy of the Cereal Box Sessions, you'll recognize this song right away.

To hear this song live, and you happen to live in the Northwest, there's two upcoming dates to mark on your calendar.

The Blakes tour dates:

• July 24 @ Neumos [6:15 pm] - Capitol Hill Block Party (Tickets)
• August 3 @ The Crocodile w/ U.S.E. & Battle Hymns (Tickets)

White Denim Signs to Downtown Records

Downtown: New US Label for White Denim

I have to give a lot of respect to White Denim for trying a truly unique and adventurous way of self-releasing all their previous work here in the States. While it didn't necessarily work out in the end, it was a valiant effort to fight the machine that is the music industry standard. As a comparison to the success the band has experienced overseas with the help of label Full Time Hobby, it's no surprise that White Denim has finally signed to an independent label here in the States. And I'm sure the band couldn't be happier with the selection of Downtown Records, which also happens to be home to the Cold War Kids, Eagles of Death Metal, Mos Def, Major Lazer, Santigold, Art Brut, and many more.

Up next on the band's to-do list is to formally release the amazingly awesome Fits to the US, which will officially hit shelves on October 20, 2009.

Can't wait until October?
Buy :: Fits (Full Time Hobby)

The Raggedy Anns in Studio on 90.3 KEXP

Raggedy Anns on KEXP

The Raggedy Anns will be playing some tunes to promote their self-titled debut album live in KEXP's studio on Sunday July 19th (today). The jams start at 1:00 pm West Coast time (that's 9:00 pm for you limeys out there). If listening from abroad go to KEXP.org and you can stream it live in the "listen now" section (top left).

Don't forget to set your alarm.

Pitchfork Music Festival 2009: Live Feed

Steaming live for your listening pleasure

Pitchfork Music Festival 2009 kicked off last night with some amazing performances. Today was even stronger with the performances by Plants and Animals, Yeasayer, Pains of Being Pure and Heart, and Beirut (so far). If you were unable to make it to Chicago personally, head over to Pitchfork right now and stream the main stage acts. Currently, Beirut is playing a beautiful set with the Windy City's sunset as a stage backdrop. View the whole show here.

Still to play tonight: Saturday, July 18

8:40 (A) The National
8:30 (B) The Black Lips
7:30 (B) Matt and Kim
7:25 (C) Beirut

Playing tomorrow: Sunday, July 19

8:40 (A) The Flaming Lips
8:30 (B) The Very Best
7:30 (B) Mew
7:25 (C) Grizzly Bear
6:30 (B) Vivian Girls
6:15 (A) M83
5:30 (B) Japandroids
5:15 (C) The Walkmen
4:30 (B) DJ/Rupture
4:15 (A) The Thermals
3:35 (B) Women
3:20 (C) Pharoahe Monch
2:40 (B) Killer Whales
2:30 (A) Blitzen Trapper
1:45 (C) Frightened Rabbit
1:45 (B) Dianogah
1:00 (A) The Mae Shi
1:00 (B) Michael Columbia

Spoon's Bonus Tracks (thus far)

Yet Another List of Spoon Bonus Tracks

Some people have been asking, so I've compiled together a complete list (with links) to all of the last year or so of "bonus tracks" made available to Spoon fans through the band's official website.

While I may be a song or two short, hopefully this serves as a supplemental sampler for the ones that you've been unfortunate to miss. If you see any errors, feel free to drop me a line and I'll try to correct it as soon as possible. Enjoy!

2008
"Paper Tiger" (live Sydney '05) February
"Eddie's Ragga" (demo) March
"Cherry Bomb" (country version) April #1
"I Turn My Camera On" (first version) April #2
"Don't Let It Get You Down" (demo) May
"Was It You" (demo) June
"Merchants of Soul" (demo) July
"You Gotta Feel It" (rehearsal) August
"My Mathematical Mind" (demo) September
"In The Right Place The Right Time" (demo) October
"Ghost" (Ga ga ga ga ga ga ga demo) November
"The Beast and Dragon" (live Sydney '05) December

2009
"Black Like Me" (demo) February
"30 Gallon Tank" (Sydney, 2005) April
"Japanese Cigarette Case" (demo) June
"You Got Yr Cherry Bomb" (from scratch demo) July

New Music: Spoon - "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb Scratch Demo" (July Bonus Track)

You Got Yrs?

Spoon has just released their latest installment of bonus tracks at their official website. For the month of July, it looks like we'll be treated with another demo version of Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga's "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb," however this time it's apparently labeled the "Scratch Demo." Unfortunately the link is dead, so hopefully that gets fixed in the next few days.

Also, if you haven't purchased a copy of Got Nuffin, get to it! Go here for the album sale details.

MP3: Spoon - "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb (from scratch demo)"
(July Bonus Track)

This Week In Seattle (July 12-19)

What's Going On This Week

Sadly, I'll be gone during this week. A conference in Newport, RI has beckoned by attention, and my presence. However, had I been in Seattle, these are the events / shows that I would have attended. Hopefully someone will read this and fill the gap that I've created, though I'm a bit a a loss on recommending good shows this week... Also, on a side note, Bite of Seattle will be taking place this coming weekend. LOTS of great food to sample!

Wednesday, July 15
Hey Marseilles, Born Anchors, Final Spins @ Neumos

Friday, July 17
Sweet Dreams Prom 2009 : We Wrote the Book on Connectors, M. Bison, Tennis Pro @ The Crocodile
The Decemberists, Andrew Bird, Blind Pilot @ Marymoor Amphitheater
Social Distortion, Civet and The Strangers @ Showbox SoDo
Bite of Seattle: 11am-9pm @ Seattle Center

Saturday, July 18
Death Cab For Cutie, Ra Ra Riot @ Marymoor Amphitheater
Bite of Seattle: 11am-9pm @ Seattle Center

Gone to Rhode Island

Talking Heads-Once in a Lifetime


Be back in a week.

Video: Blitzen Trapper: "Black River Killer"

Blitzen Trapper's "Black River Killer"

One of the best jams off Blitzen Trapper's LP Furr has been made into a music video. It's simply amazing. Check it out.

Buy :: Furr

News: Plants and Animals Add More Shows / Talk About New Album

Happy Birthday to Warren C. Spicer

Posted over at Plants and Animals' website, apparently added a few more shows to their summer line-up. And news on the new album!

Plants and Animals kicked off their summer festival schedule on July 4th in Warren and Woody’s native land on Citadel Hill in Halifax for V Fest. They have a handful more Canadian ones and a stop at the Pitchfork Festival in Chicago in ten days. Otherwise they’ve been putting more and more hours in the studio working on the follow-up to Parc Avenue, which should be wrapped up by the time the snow falls, and ready for release in early 2010. And it’s Warren’s birthday today!

Plants and Animals tour dates:

July 10 - ST. JOHN, NB - Salty Jam

July 15 - QUEBEC CITY, QC - Festival D’éte

July 18 - CHICAGO, IL - Pitchfork Festival

July 25 - VANCOUVER, BC - V-Fest

August 7 - REGINA, SK - Regina Folk Festival

This Week In Seattle (July 5-11)

What's Going On This Week

Lots to talk about this week in Seattle. Of note, A Drink For The Kids kicks off tonight at the Cha Cha. The Raggedy Anns will be throwing a CD release party at Neumos on Thursday. And Robin Pecknold will cap ADFTK off at Neumos on Saturday. Here's the rest:

Sunday, July 5
A Drink For The Kids @ The Cha Cha

Monday, July 6
A Drink For The Kids @ The Hazelwood
The Rural Alberta Advantage, Invisible Giants, The Coyotes @ The Sunset Tavern

Tuesday, July 7
A Drink For The Kids @ West 5
The Curious Mystery, Born Anchors, Cataldo @ Nectar Lounge

Wednesday, July 8
A Drink For The Kids @ Twilight Exit
Mad Rad, Thee Satisfaction @ Funhouse

Thursday, July 9
A Drink For The Kids @ Linda’s
AGTSK, The Raggedy Anns (CD Release!), Doctor Doctor @ Neumos

Friday, July 10
A Drink For The Kids @ Solo & Funhouse
Thee Emergency, TBA @ Sunset Tavern
Schoolyard Heroes, The Pharmacy, Whore Moans, Black Houses, Keg @ Vera Project

Saturday, July 11
A Drink For The Kids @ Neumos
The Hands, The Beats, Man, The Ironclads @ Mars Bar
No Depression Festival @ Marymoor Park
A Drink for the Kids Benefit Show: Robin Pecknold, Throw Me The Statue @ Neumos

Review: Spoon - Got Nuffin

Spoon showcases new tunes

For those of you who've been lucky enough to catch a Spoon show in the recent months, you may have witnessed the live performance of the title track off Spoon's latest EP (see above). While I might argue that this three-song release is more of a single than an EP, it stands as another great addition to Spoon's ever-growing / never-failing catalog.

The opening / title track "Got Nuffin" is a great fast-paced rocker that flirst with a Joy Division groove (the metronomically drum driven beats, the constant and very apparent bass line, the new-wave synth/guitar bridges). The second track, "Tweakers," sounds like it could have belonged on Get Nice. It's nearly 4 minutes of drum and feedback. I feel like they could have done a little more with this number; however, it does provide a very long interlude into the last track (my personal favorite) "Stoke Their Brains." This song sounds like Girls Can Tell-era Spoon. It's upbeat, very minimal, full of emotion, and infectiously catchy. All together, Got Nuffin was an incredible surprise and a nicely proportioned sample to tide us over until Me And Matty Pickles. My only complaint is that the shipping costs nearly twice as much as the EP!

So prime yourself by picking up a copy of Got Nuffin in preparation of Spoon X3 if you happen to be the lucky ones living in Austin. I'm sure these songs will end up on the set list, as well as the other new jams Britt Daniel & Co. have been working on for Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga's follow-up.

Buy :: Got Nuffin
Tickets :: Spoon X3 (July 9, 10, 11 @ Stubbs)

Three Colours Midterm Report (Best of 2009)

Best of 2009 at the Midterm

Well, 2009 has officially reached its mid-way point, and what a year it has been! If the last half even comes close to equaling the front half, this may be the best year of music in the last decade. So for this Fourth of July weekend, Three Colours presents the 2009 Midterm Report. Currently these are the albums and EPs that have found endless rotation. Through incessant overplaying, these releases have ceased to lose their charm. Also included are the best concerts I've been fortunate enough to attend this year. And finally, as a little bonus, a list of the albums I'm obsessively impatient toward their future release.

Top 13 Albums 0f 2009 (thus far)

1. Handsome Furs - Face Control
2. White Denim - Fits
3. Telekinesis - Telekinesis!
4. White Rabbits - It's Frightening
5. Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer / Moonface
6. We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls
7. Elvis Perkins in Dearland - S/T LP
   
8. Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - Tell 'Em What Your Name Is
9. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
10. Franz Ferdinand - Tonight
11. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
12. Black Math Horseman - Wyllt
13. The Whitest Boy Alive - Rules

Top 5 EPs of 2009 (thus far)

1. Beirut - March of the Zapotec EP
2. Spoon - Got Nuffin EP
3. Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - S/T EP
4. Bon Iver - Blood Bank EP
5. The Blakes - Lights On EP

Best Shows I've Seen (I missed some really good ones this year)

1. White Denim @ The Tractor (4-5-09)
2. White Rabbits @ The Crocodile (6-22-09)
3. Department of Eagles / The Cave Singers @ Neumos (1-28-09)
4. Plants and Animals @ Nectar (3-17-09)
5. Telekinesis / The Cave Singers @ Lawnapalooza (5-14-09)
6. Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears @ The Tractor (5-22-09)
7. Dr. Dog / The Cave Singers / Golden Boots @ The Crocodile (4-14-09)

Most Anticipated Albums

1. Spoon - Me and Matty Pickles
2. The Cave Singers - Welcome Joy
3. Plants and Animals - TBA
4. Spencer Krug - Marimba and Drums EP
   
5. Fleet Foxes - TBA

New Music: Halcyonaire - Dread Hymn

San Francisco-based indie folksters Halcyonaire

While there's no longer a "sound" that dominates the West Coast, out of the genres that are thriving right now, indie folk has to be one of the strongest contenders. If one were to postulate which direction the West Coast is going musically, I think it's a safe bet that the genre of indie folk will pave the way. Bands like Fleet Foxes, Blitzen Trapper, and The Cave Singers (to name a few) have captured the essence of the Northwest, and represent a much larger sound that West Coast bands are embracing.

I've recently been introduced to a band that has a very interesting interpretation on this sound - a band by the name of Halcyonaire. The San Francisco quartet has just finished recording their newest LP Dread Hymn. Currently unsigned, Halcyonaire will be fishing for labels (no pun intended) while they finalize the arduous mixing process. I recently had a chance to sample various excerpts from the album, and I'd have to say I was rather hooked.

To give a brief history of Halcyonaire, you must first start with lead singer Christopher Damien, a lone bird who used to make music under the moniker Kingfisher. For those of you keen on your ornithology, the kingfisher is a type of fish-hunting bird, but I digress... When Damien began playing with fellow musicians Brandt Burgess, Nick Cowman, and Erik Bartz, he was no longer a solo act, but more a family of band members. Hence the name change from Kingfisher to Halcyonaire, which is the family name of the tree kingfisher (genus halcyon). So Halcyonaire is the 'family/band' version of Kingfisher... though there have been a lot of variations on the name (for example, their last release was under 'Kingfisher & The Halcyonaires'). As for now, be on the look out for Halcyonaire and their newest LP Dread Hymn, which hopefully will find its way to record stores in the near future.

To describe their sound, I think they sum it up better than I could: Halcyonaire is stomp-your-feet, clap-your-hands, California folk-rock. The band has just finished nine tracks at San Francisco's Tiny Telephone Studio with Ian Pellicci (engineer: Deerhoof, Wooden Wand), filling out the to-be-released album Dread Hymn. To sample a track from this upcoming release, below is the song "Sing It Softly In A Sigh." Enjoy.

MP3: Halcyonaire - "Sing It Softly In A Sigh"
(off the their upcoming album Dread Hymn)

Video: Elvis Perkins in Dearland - "Chains, Chains, Chains"

Sean Pecknold's latest brain child

Check out Elvis Perkins in Dearland's newest music video of "Chains, Chains, Chains," one of the many timeless classics heard on the band's eponymously named LP. The creator and director behind this great work is video wizard Sean Pecknold, whose resume includes videos created for his brother's band, Fleet Foxes ("Mykonos," "He Doesn't Know Why," and "White Winter Hymnal"). Yet another insanely unique and incredibly enjoyable work of art from Sean's creative mind.

Buy :: Elvis Perkins in Dearland LP

CD Release Show: The Raggedy Anns @ Neumos (7-9-2009)

The Raggedy Anns + A Gun That Shoots Knives + Doctor Doctor

The Raggedy Anns have finished their debut album, and from the sounds of it off their MySpace samplings, it's going to be one sweet record. To celebrate this crowning achievement, the boys will be playing Neumos on July 9 along with A Gun That Shoots Knives and Doctor Doctor. It's bound to be one hell of a time. Doors open at 8pm, and tickets are only $6 at the door. For more info, go here.