Stop Okay Go

The Dead and The Innocent

++Happy Halloween Friday! There's a terrific excerpt from Andre Agassi's memoirs in the latest Sports Illustrated that I highly recommended kicking off the loafers to read. Not because of any of the dirt he dishes but because he, or maybe his ghostwriter, has a tremendous way with words. If indeed it was Agassi who wrote it all up, he's a Zenmaster (as Streisand once called him) of the pen, as well.

++There'll be a ton of Gaga's out tomorrow night but prolly not that many Dittos. Eh, either way you save money on pants. In this older interview, the Gossip frontwoman talks about the process of working with Rick Rubin, who apparently says "Duh" a lot.

++Sting: A little *too* up close and personal. (Ha ha, comment from Good Gravy: "Don't stand so close to me.")

Quickies

++Really all over this song by Atlas Sound/Bradford Cox (here again modeling more winter headwear via Done Waiting) off of Logos. It's upbeat and relaxing in the vein of Animal Collective and unlike the song by Sleeping States from the other day, it meanders but in a way that works. Atlas Sound is touring with Broadcast, whose new song might not be good to listen to if you're prone to hearing voices.

Atlas Sound Walkabout mp3

++Jarvis Cocker hints that there may be something that rhymes with Schmulp Freegoonian coming up in the near future. British artists sure do seem to have a special place in their hearts for Glastonbury.

++Amplified is killin' it, content-wise, lately. Dan Harris' new tagline is "What you'd get if Rolling Stone slept with Foreign Affairs." Good luck finding that dating category on Craigslist, buddy.

 

++Dang, 90s Dancehall jester Tiger's albums are going for $68 if not being completely discontinued altogether. Luckily the albums live on in digital form.

++Hmm.. a lot of Roxy Music shoutouts lately.

Mickey Mantra

There's something to be said for a song that ends decisively:

The Western States Motel Oh World mp3

The Western States Motel recently performed at CMJ and have a new single called 'The Cliff' coming soon.

In this older interview, lead singer Carl Jordan talks about his love for the desert, which most Californians develop after a while (we all think we're Stevie Nicks), and a line from the blues song Southwest Planez that has interestingly reappeared in some form or another in songs by Zeppelin, Johnny Cash and the Velvet Underground... in effect becoming rock public domain, I guess. Which is kind of weird because there's nothing particularly spectacular about the line:

One of these days and it won't be long you'll look for me baby and I'll be gone.

The Next Sinatra

++From the Inbox: Here's something to get your head bouncin'...General Electricks probably get the Sly and the Family Stone comparison all the time, especially with the funky like Dam-Funk song above and on 'Lil Lady.'  General Electriks' new album Good City For Dreamers  comes out November 10^th. Something tells me this is going to be used in a commercial if it hasn't already been.

General Electriks Take Back The Instant mp3

++How do you take your Fleetwood Mac documentary? There's one for everyone.

++ It had to happen eventually: an expose' on Expose'.

++ New (Ted) Leo. Old (man) Leo.

Who Has Been Rocking My Dreamboat?

I was at the market the other day and saw this bottle of Relax Riesling with the word Relax lolling about in a dark sea of blue (naked, obviously), annoyingly instructing me to Relax. How condescending.

It's therefore with some chagrin that I suggest the video above be watched as a relaxational experience. Unlike a lot of other songs that wander aimlessly.. pointless navel gazing experiments, this has got enough substance to keep it interesting and a lazy drumbeat that reminds me of a house band at a bar at the end of a night out with friends.

"In stock."

The Musty Mantle of Folk Music

 

There's an interesting article on Paste about some up and coming acts that are taking up the "(rather) musty mantle of folk music", including Alela Diane (left) who looks and sound-wise is often compared to Karen Dalton (right). Not sure I see it. Alela Diane has since cut and colored her hair and now looks nothing like Dalton; Karen O maybe.There's also footage of Fleet Foxes' Robin Pecknold performing the Karen Dalton song Katie Cruel under the White Antelope moniker.

White Antelope it aint me babe mp3

karen dalton something on your mind mp3

Brother Sister Mother

++ "All of us are listening to Jas Patrick": I have nothing to say about the mostly pleasant video above, except...3 coolers? Another frequent mention, Bobby Long, who apparently contributed to the Twilight soundtrack.

++ A podcast with director Harmony Korine featuring, per his request, an intro and outro by Al Jolson. The songs: "Just One of Those Things" and "If I Only Had a Match."

Quickies

++Extra Extra, More Nick Hornby news: The Fever Pitch author will be writing lyrics for the unfailingly polite Ben Folds, who recently apologized to the people of Buffalo for a short show. Careful Ben, those fans can quickly get outta hand.

++Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost has quite the assortment of blurbers. And none of them are Vince Vaughn, so it must be legit.

++Juliana Hatfield is back with a new album that comes out February of next year called Peace and Love.
It is the ultimate DIY experiment with Ms. Hatfield recording, engineering and playing all the instruments all by her lonesome self.

++Police artist's rendering of Built To Spill.

Bug In Mouth Syndrome

Australia's answer to Bjork, Pikelet, "plays everything on a 4 button loop pedal." The results are enchanting. Here she sings about a colony of bugs forming in her mouth that she eventually swallows. Seems like a job for Listerine?

Pikelet Bug in Mouth mp3

Undone Deal

New This Is Not A Show Trailer by Bill Berg-Hillinger

R.E.M. | MySpace Video

More News: Attention R.E.M. fans, the band will be presenting "This Is Not A Theatrical Release" at 8:00 p.m. at the Downtown Independent on 10/27/09. It's a one night only event, the preview of the unconcert documentary This Is Not A Show: Live at the Olympia in Dublin. In other words it is not the preview of a non-theatrical non-documentary release. If two negatives equal a positive then this all adds up to pi(-Signed, Bad at Math.)

Unmasked

++Deathcore/Metalcore Band Bring Me The Horizon got their name from a line shouted by Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Carribean : "Now..bring me that horizon!" The band of bad boys' tour throughout the UK is selling out and have a remix album out called Suicide Season, that features a contribution from the oldest member of Slipknot, Clown Kong, whose latest mask is Buzz Lightyear. Vogue totally called it.

The Deeds She Did

 

++The remaining members of Sublime are re-forming at California's Smokeout Festival at the San Manuel Amphitheater on October 24th. Their new lead singer Rome, can be seen and heard performing above.

++Andrew Rieger of Elf Power is responsible for rediscovering and bringing back 60's pop star Elyse. Her self-titled debut has been rereleased and includes one song, Houses, that features guitarwork by someone named Neil Young. (Elf Power also have a new album coming out on the 28th.)

Elyse Anybody Out There mp3

Witchay

"I pray that the human inside you, might someday come back to life."

Also from the inbox: Here's a cute song for ye Olde Halloween playlist. Brooklyn's Peter Squires will be performing at Radio Bean WITCH! in Burlington, Vermont on November the 15th. WITCH!

Another song on his Myspace page, Woe Is Me, has a Mountain Goats twang to it and is also worth a listen. WITCH!

Peter Squires Witch mp3

"And Wet!"

Inbox time: When a song starts out initially kind of spacy there's a second or two where you're waiting to see which turn it's gonna take, just like those brief seconds when we all waited with baited breath to see what would happen to Soulja Boy's career after his initial heady success, if he would be prudent with his wealth, and then of course it went this way, as expected.

Toronto's Ken Farell AKA Gravity Wave has also had an interesting career trajectory. Gravity Wave started in 2006 as a Playstation produced playlist thus going from commercial to artistic, which is kind of a switch.

Anyway, back to the song. It starts off kind of artrock spacy and then, unexpectedly goes country...into Eddie Rabbitt's I Love A Rainy Night territory and I'm feelin' it.

(P.S. How great is are the thunder sound fx at :18 seconds??! I briefly feared for Mr. Rabbitt's life!)

Gravity Wave: The Great One.mp3

Time of Day

 

I didn't know Halle Berry's babydaddy, model and restauranteur Gabriel Aubry is also a guitarist who co-wrote three songs ('Mezcal', 'Suave', '9 St-Marks') on the flamenco flavored album Cafe Fuego last year.

Well who cares he is... And this is reason enough to post a picture.

Thunder$troke

++The 1921a (listen here) consists of a group of friends who met while working together at McCabe's Guitar Shop. They make music out of toy pianos and modified steering wheels, and share custody of a library of music that includes the work of 11 blind guys.

++Awww. Look at all the newborn mp3s. Here's my pick:

Beaten Awake Coming Home mp3

Beaten Awake also sound grunge to me. Is this the start of a trend? Also, by the looks of this picture, the lead singer of the band, or their "Cappy" may or may not be Gabe Videogum. Very simple yet intricate almost chamber music sound, in parts.

++Oh Hoobastank, all the years of entertainment you've provided us.

Fire Away

Oh man, I love the coloring and Audrina Patridge style meaningful/meaningless side-glances in this video by "Toronto's fey pop hero," Gentleman Reg. He'll soon be performing with Generationals..see the LA Concert Watch sidebar. His album Jet Black is out now.  Fabness:

Gentleman Reg: How We Exit.mp3

Edgar Allan Poetry

Heard this on the radio this morning, it's Greg Laswell doing a cover of a song by Kristin Hersh from 1994 called "Your Ghost." There are certain lyrics that are memorable because they don't quite sit right, and kind of hit your eardrum all funny-like. Laswell's voice has just a hint of Johnny Cash-like darkness that lends itself nicely to this kind of song. It's from a new album of covers Laswell has done that I'm too lazy to look up right now...

According to the always trustworthy You Tube comments the song (like the Brandi Carlisle song I posted a week or so back) has also been featured on Grey's Anatomy.

Greg Laswell Your Ghost mp3

This Place Is For You

++I always wonder what it is that happens when a once highly creative entity stops producing and the narration ends. It's like that joke on 30 Rock that Alec Baldwin makes to Isabella Rosselini over an Arby's property they are fighting over, and she says something along the lines of, she won't close the Arby's but open the doors and windows let nature take over and take it back. Only on the Internet, it's not nature that takes things back, it's spam.

++Roxette's Room Service Remastered: Isn't that the EXTREME name of the latest Bruce Willis movie?

++You're no one til you're banned from somewhere, I guess.

Quickies

++Former Missouri skater boyz, now Brooklynese musicmakers White Rabbits have gotten some help from Spoon's Britt Daniels on their latest album It's Frightening, out now. They will be appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live Exclamation Point on November the 3rd.

White Rabbits: Percussion Gun mp3

++Tequila and trivia with Har Mar Superstar sounds like either a great time or this one nightmare I once had.

++A review of Nick Hornby's Juliet, Naked.