Music on TV - Week of 08.29.11: Stephen Malkmus

Picks for the week
Monday, August 29
ABC: The View: Alison Krauss & Union Station (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: St. Vincent
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: William Shatner
COMEDY CENTRAL: The Colbert Report: The Cars (REPEAT)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Charles Bradley
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Cake
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Neon Indian
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Soundtrack of Our Lives (REPEAT)
PBS: Tavis Smiley: Herbie Hancock
SYNDICATION: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Sugarland (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: The Head and the Heart (REPEAT)
Tuesday, August 30
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Incubus (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Lenny Kravitz
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Shwayze and Cisco
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Airborne Toxic Event (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: Steve Martin (REPEAT)
Wednesday, August 31
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Josh Ritter (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Thurston Moore
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Kyuss Lives! (Kyuss minus Josh Homme)
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: OK Go
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Foster the People (REPEAT)
PBS: Tavis Smiley: Dave Stewart
Thursday, September 1
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: The Vaccines (REPEAT)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Tapes n' Tapes
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Fitz and the Tantrums
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Goldheart Assembly (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: Raphael Saadiq (REPEAT)
Friday, September 2
ABC: Good Morning America: Mary J Blige
ABC: The View: "Weird Al" Yankovic (REPEAT)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Thrice
NBC: The Today Show: Lenny Kravitz
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Andy Grammer
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Mona (REPEAT)
PBS: Tavis Smiley: Lindsey Buckingham
SYNDICATION: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: One eskimO (REPEAT)
Saturday, September 3
PBS: Austin City Limits: Roy Orbison (REPEAT)

Live Video Countdown to Male Bonding's Endless Now: "Bones"

In anticipation for Male Bonding's latest, Endless Now (out Monday, August 29), Sub Pop is releasing daily videos from a recent performance where they played the album in entirety at Buffalo Bar's 10th anniversary party in London.

The second song in the countdown is the epic (by Male Bonding short-but-sweet standards) "Bones." In this setting, with the vocals occasionally off, it can seem a bit repetitive, but it's still another solid MB joint. (See previous video in countdown, "Tame the Sun.")



Download: "Bones" [mp3]

Live Video Countdown to Male Bonding's latest, Endless Now

In anticipation for Male Bonding's latest, Endless Now (out Monday, August 29), Sub Pop is releasing daily videos from a recent performance where they played the album in entirety at Buffalo Bar's 10th anniversary party in London.

Aside from the expansion to a quartet, this live vid feels as intimate as last September's set at The Sunset, which inexplicably had under 50 people -- and a third were Sub Pop employees.

Here's the lead track, "Tame the Sun.":



Download: "Tame the Sun" [mp3]

Doe Bay Fest 2011: Two (or More) for One

Leo tries to merge the two festivals during Fort Union's Sunday set.

I've really enjoyed reading all the posts that other photographers and writers have written about this year's Doe Bay Fest (the Full Moon Festival, as the subtitle goes). But it strikes me, as it did last year, that there's really a couple festivals going on that overlap. Much of it has to do with being a parent, as with only a few exceptions, parents with their kids missed out on a good 75% of the "magic" that others gush about in piece after piece (after piece, after piece -- all finely written, I might add).

Kids put on some shadow puppet theatre before Champagne Champagne's set.

This being my fourth year, you'd think I'd consider myself a veteran, but in many respects, this was almost a kind of first year. It was the first year that the kids were old enough to leave in the tent after they fell asleep (running back consistently to check on them, surrounded by other families in tents as well -- don't go calling CPS on us). As such, once the kids passed out around 11PM, the wife and I were able to venture out in short spurts to friends' cabins, (outside) the yoga studio, the campfire, to the unscheduled midnight by torchlight performance by John Vanderslice and Damien Jurado, and even make it as far as Scott & Jenny's Two Bar at the beach at Otter Cove.

And yet, much of the fun of Doe Bay that others gush about still eludes us. Sure, we had fun hanging out and drinking in front of our tent while the kids played on the playground and did arts & crafts at the table set up nearby, but it it still feels that part of the festival is still out of our reach. It's still a vacation with my family, though, so I'm perfectly fine with it -- that's just part of the trade off. Find me another festival where a family with small children can find something for everyone to enjoy for as much time as we did. Sunday went a long way in that regard, with us making it to the Slip n' Slide this year.

Because I was with the family, I considered myself off the clock as far as the camera goes, but I still had it with me for use, and use it I did.

Now Downloading: New Releases 08.23.11

Summer is nearly over, so that means we're quickly approaching a time when we'll be showered with great new releases. Hinting at that, but never quite reaching the plateau, is the fifth post-Pavement release from Stephen Malkmus. Elsewhere, there's the latest from Active Child, CSS, Ganglians, I Break Horses, Anna Egge, Zee Avi, a compilation of rarities from Magnetic Fields' Stephen Merritt, a collection of Muppet songs performed by indie rock artists and the soundtrack debut from Fruit Bats' frontman Eric Johnson.

Playlist: New Releases 08.23.11

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Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - Mirror Traffic
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

When hopes were dashed of there being new Pavement material, there was at least some consolation that Stephen Malkmus' fifth solo release, Mirror Traffic, was on its way, and would have to suffice. Now that it's here, it does the suffice, but only in the reality that we'll likely never have another Pavement joint. Since Malkmus' stellar debut, the slack king frontman has veered back and forth so much between Pavement pop romps and unfocused prog noodling, that it's often hard to get through a release. There's always been just enough brilliant moments within to carry one through, and Mirror Traffic is no different in that regard. Where it's an improvement over it's three predecessors is in it's better focus, and we may owe much of that to the new producer king of alt dinosaurs, Beck Hansen. Earlier this year, Beck coaxed some of the best solo work from Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, and while he doesn't eclipse Malkmus' solo debut, there's a lot to love here. "Tigers" opens the album strong and the country-tinged follow up, "No One Is (As I Are Be)" is "Range Life" all grown up. We could do without the trite 'blow job' of "Senator," but give SM a leash as long as his storied career.

Free Download: "Tigers" [mp3]
Free Download: "Senator" [mp3]

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More on the radar (and in the mp3 player) this week:
Active Child - You Are All I See / Free AOL Album Stream
CSS - La Liberacion / Free AOL Album Stream
Stephin Merritt - Obscurities / Free AOL Album Stream / "Forever and a Day" [mp3]
Ganglians - Still Living / "Sleep" [mp3] / "Drop the Act" [mp3] / "Jungle" [mp3]
I Break Horses - Hearts / "Hearts" [mp3]
Ana Egge - Bad Blood / Free AOL Album Stream
Zee Avi - Ghostbird / Free AOL Album Stream / "Swell Window" [mp3]
We Are Augustines - Rise Ye Sunken Ships / Free AOL Album Stream
Sonic Youth - Hits are for Squares
Patti Smith - Outside Society> / Free AOL Album Stream
Our Idiot Brother
Muppets: The Green Album

REISSUE
Rockpile - Live at Montreux 1980

tags: music, album review, stephen malkmus, active child, indie rock, new releases

Music on TV - Week of 08.22.11: MTV VMA Awards

Lady Gaga in a promo for the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards

After wearing a dress made out of meat at last year's MTV VMAs, one has to wonder just how Lady Gaga will top herself this year. It won't take too long to find out, as the exhibitionist leads off the broadcast. There will probably be another two or three tweetable events during the broadcast, but given the boredom that has infected the broadcast in the past few years, Lady Gs opening will make it easy to move on to more rewarding things early enough in the evening.

Elsewhere, Glen Campbell makes his first appearance since revealing he's been diagnosed with Alzheimers, sitting down for an interview with ABC's Terry Moran scheduled* for Tuesday night (an interview to be featured on World News with Diane Sawyer, Nightline and then Good Morning America the following morning). Out in support of his final release, Ghost on the Canvas -- out August 30, Campbell will be performing next month on both The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (September 12) and Jimmy Kimmell Live (September 27).

Picks for the week
Monday, August 22
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Viva Brother (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Tony Royster, Jr (Drum Solo Week II)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Redlight King
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Rickey Minor with Sharon Jones, Grace Potter, Charles Bradley & the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: tUnE-yArDs (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Kills (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: Soundgarden (REPEAT)
SYNDICATION: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: One eskimO (REPEAT)
Tuesday, August 23
ABC: World News with Diane Sawyer and Nightline: Glen Campbell
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: The Features (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Gavin Harrison (Drum Solo Week II)
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Amos Lee
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Wallpaper
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: The Antlers (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Grouplove (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: The 88 (REPEAT)
SYNDICATION: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Rascal Flatts (REPEAT)
Wednesday, August 24
ABC: Good Morning America: Glen Campbell
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Bush (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Stewart Copeland (Drum Solo Week II)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Fool's Gold
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Matt Kearney (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Tony Bennett, Big Audio Dynamite (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Interpol, Girl Talk (REPEAT)
SYNDICATION: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Alison Krauss & Union Station (REPEAT)
Thursday, August 25
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Jake Shimabukuro (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Dennis Chambers (Drum Solo Week II)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: GZA
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Dolly Parton (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Fountains of Wayne (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Black Angels (REPEAT)
Friday, August 26
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: The Lonely Forest (REPEAT)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Mutemath
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Raphael Saadiq featuring Robert Randolph (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Emmylou Harris (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Knux (REPEAT)
Saturday, August 27
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Paul McCartney (REPEAT)
PBS: Austin City Limits: Cheap Trick (REPEAT)
Sunday, August 28
MTV: 2011 MTV Video Music Awards: Lady Gaga, Lil Wayne, Adele, Pit Bull with Ne-Yo, Young the Giant

Music on TV - Week of 08.15.11: The Vaccines

The Vaccines make their network TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live Tuesday night.

Hey, I'm out of town at Doe Bay Fest, so this (somewhat) abbreviated schedule will have to suffice. Not that it matters much, with most the talkies on vacation as well. Kimmel's new this week, at least, so look to him for highlights with Josh Ritter (Monday) and The Vaccines (Tuesday).

Also, there's scant time left to appreciate Lopez Tonight now that its been cancelled. On second thought, just let it go...

Picks for the week
Monday, August 15
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Josh Ritter
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Porcelain Black (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Wye Oak (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: Trombone Shorty
Tuesday, August 16
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: The Vaccines
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs (REPEAT)
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Ziggy Marley
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Black Angels, Nicole Atkins and the Black Sea (REPEAT)
Wednesday, August 17
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: The Band Perry
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Raphael Saadiq featuring Robert Randolph
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Big Sean (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Raphael Saadiq\ (REPEAT)
Thursday, August 18
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Amos Perry
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Gomez (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Joseph Arthur (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Freddie Gibs, Death (REPEAT)
TBS: Lopez Tonight: Old 97s
Friday, August 19
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Tim Robbins & the Rogues Gallery Band (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Beyoncé (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Greenhornes (REPEAT)
Saturday, August 20
PBS: Austin City Limits: Them Crooked Vultures (REPEAT)

Off to Doe Bay Fest 2011!

Zane enjoys himself some late night Fruit Bats at last year's Doe Bay Fest.

It's about time to catch a ferry for the little festival that couldwould. Doe Bay Fest has a soft launch tonight with a special open mic night which will several artists who will be appearing later on in the festival. Of the scheduled performances, I'm most looking forward to John Vanderslice, Pickwick, The Builders and the Buthers, Damien Jurado, Lemolo, Tea Cozies, Bryan John Appleby, Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside, Campfire OK and the Mash Hall / Don't Talk to the Cops mashup. Sunday promises to have some unlisted (surprise!) performances as well, so don't hop on that ferry too soon...

Thursday, August 11th
Conor Byrne Open Mic at Doe Bay
Hosted by Tony Kevin, Jr
5:30pm - Sign Up
6:00pm - Late - Performances

Friday, August 12th
Otter Cove Stage
12:00 - 12:45 - Sean Flinn
1:00 - 1:45 - GoldfinchTony Kevin, Jr. (get well soon, Aaron!)
2:00 - 3:00 - Damien Jurado

Main Stage
3:15 - 4:00 - Bryan John Appleby
4:15 - 5:00 - Shelby Earl
5:15 - 6:00 - OK Sweetheart
6:20 - 7:05 - The Maldives
7:35 - 8:20 - Ravenna Woods
8:40 - 9:30 - Champagne Champagne

Yoga Studio
10:00 - 10:45 - Lemolo
11:00pm - 11:45 - Tea Cozies

Cafe
10:15 - 11:00 - Frank Fairfield

Saturday, August 13th
Main Stage
12:00 - 12:45 - Frank Fairfield
1:05 - 1:50 - Cobirds Unite
2:10 - 2:55 - Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside
3:05 - 3:50 - John Vanderslice
4:00 - 4:45 - Kelli Schaefer
5:05 - 5:50 - Campfire OK
6:10 - 6:55 - The Builders and the Butchers
7:15 - 8:00 - Pickwick
8:30 - 9:30 - Head & the Heart

Otter Cove
10:45 - 11:45 - Sera Cahoone
12:15 - 1:00 - Elk & Boar
2:15 - 3:00 - Hannalee
3:15 - 4:00 - String Trio
4:15 - 5:00 - Dust Bunnies

Cafe
10:15 - 11pm - Matt & Mike Gervais (Curtains for You)
11:15 - 12midnight - Matt Bishop (Hey Marsellies)

Yoga Studio
10:00 - 10:45pm - Fly Moon Royalty
11:00 - 11:45pm - Mash Hall / Don't Talk to the Cops

Sunday, August 14
SURPRISE!!

Now Downloading: New Releases 08.09.11

Ahh... the dog days of summer. The weather is great... the releases, not as much. Making the most noise is Jay-Z + Kanye West interpreting Game of Thrones (ok, not really -- but someone else was thinking the same), but we're most interested in the sophomore release from Pepper Rabbit and a second EP from Worcester's Dom. Also releasing new albums this week are Army Navy, The Irrepressibles, The New Mastersounds, Ursula 1000, The Birthday Massacre, Royce da 5'9" and comedy albums from The State's Michael Ian Black and WTF podcast's Marc Maron.

Playlist: New Releases 08.09.11

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Pepper Rabbit - Red Velvet Snow Ball
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

The Los Angeles (via New Orleans) duo Pepper Rabbit barely made a splash with their workman like pop debut Beauregard, and one could hardly be blamed for forgetting that it existed if not for the rapid turnaround for their sophomore release this week. Red Velvet Snow Ball presents an impressive leap for multi-instrumentalists Xander Singh and Luc Laurent, pulling back on the rock and introducing more experimentation with the instruments used. Singh, for one, took it upon himself to learn a host of new instruments, often relying upon YouTube videos for instruction. If done haphazardly, that could make for a claustrophobic affair, but each song was allowed to grow organically, calling for each instrument's use and the end result is very lush. The psychedelic-tinged pop of "Rose Mary Stretch" is the obvious highlight (free download via Amazon), but there's a lot more here to love, including the synth-drunk "In Search of Simon Burch."

Free AOL Album Stream
Free Download: "Rose Mary Stretch" [mp3]

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More on the radar (and in the mp3 player) this week:
Dom - Family Love / Free AOL Album Stream
Army Navy- The Last Place
The Irrepressibles - Mirror Mirror / Free AOL Album Stream / "Forget the Past" [mp3]
Jay-Z and Kanye West - Watch the Throne
The New Mastersounds - Breaks From the Border / Free AOL Album Stream
Ursula 1000 - Mondo Beyondo / Free AOL Album Stream / "Repetez Le Repetoire" [mp3]
The Birthday Massacre - Imaginary Monsters / Free AOL Album Stream
Royce da 5'9" - Success is Certain / Free AOL Album Stream
The Horrors - Skying / "Moving Further Away" [mp3]
Kites with Lights - Cosmonauts / "Cosmonauts" [mp3]
Michael Ian Black - Very Famous
Marc Maron - This Has to be Funny
Widowspeak - Widowspeak
Sleeping Bag - Sleeping Bag / "Slime" [mp3]
Dan Andriano in the Emergency Room - Hurricane Season
Scattered Trees - Sympathy / Free AOL Album Stream
Glee Cast - Glee the 3D Movie (Motion Picture Soundtrack) / Free AOL Album Stream

REISSUE
Against Me! - White Crosses/Black Crosses

tags: music, album review, pepper rabbit, dom, indie rock, new releases

Music on TV - Week of 08.08.11: The Cars

A reunited The Cars appear on The Colbert Report on Tuesday.

Picks for the week
Monday, August 8
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Drive-By Truckers (REPEAT)
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Panic! at the Disco
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: My Chemical Romance
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Frank Turner (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: Imelda May
Tuesday, August 9
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Eddie Vedder (REPEAT)
COMEDY CENTRAL: The Colbert Report: The Cars
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Cage the Elephant
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: The Kills
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Alberta Cross, Diplo (REPEAT)
TBS: Lopez Tonight: Rival Sons
Wednesday, August 10
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Incubus
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Dawes (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Goldberg Sisters (REPEAT)
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Ximena Sarinana
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Tig Notario
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Biffy Clyro (REPEAT)
TBS: Lopez Tonight: Ellie Goulding
TBS: Conan: Keb Mo
Thursday, August 11
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Manchester Orchestra (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: OK Go (REPEAT)
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: The Game
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Kings of Leon
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Lissie, Clare Burson (REPEAT)
Friday, August 12
NBC: The Today Show: Zac Brown Band
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Mana
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Tame Impala
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Mona (REPEAT)
Saturday, August 13
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Nicki Minaj (REPEAT)
PBS: Austin City Limits: Gnarls Barkley, Thievery Corporation (REPEAT)
Sunday, August 14
HDNET: Ted Nugent Live: I Still Believe!: Ted Nugent
VH1: Behind the Music: Ricky Martin

Now Downloading: New Releases 08.02.11

The dog days of summer are upon us, which means new releases are kind of dried up for a bit. But there's still some quality stuff to sift through. The 5th (and, it turns out, final) release from Robert Pollard's Boston Spaceships, a great reissue of Archers of Loaf's cult classic debut, plus new albums from Fruit Bats, Spencer Krug's Moonface, Fountains of Wayne, Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter, Collections of Colonies of Bees, Buffalo Killers, Mariachi El Bronx, John Hiatt, The Ettes, the last recordings of Screaming Trees, a Drive-By Truckers greatest hits along with a deluxe edition of Arcade Fire's The Suburbs.

Playlist: New Releases 08.02.11

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Boston Spaceships - Let it Beard
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

Since the "breakup" of Guided By Voices in 2005, Robert Pollard has had a spotty record with the multitudes of releases thrust upon his cult-like following. The one reliable project during this period has been the Portland-based satellite Boston Spaceships, with drummer John Moen (The Decemberists, Dharma Bums) and Chris Slusarenko (late-era Guided By Voices, Sprinkler) providing the other two-thirds of the band. Like Guided By Voices in past years, Pollard has been using Spaceships as his more pop-oriented outlet, and the four albums (and one live release) have all been fairly focused affairs with nary a need for editing. But with The Who still very present in Pollard's DNA, a double album seemed likely, and so with Let it Beard we have what seems to be Pollard's most ambitious project since 1990's Same Place the Fly Got Smashed. The extended format lets Slusarenko & Moen work magic with some Pollard weirdness, throwing plenty at the wall to see what sticks. There's a lot to like here, and, as with any lengthy Pollard release, there's a couple that will likely leave some scratching there heads. If there's one criticism of Let it Beard, it's that the best of the song are sequestered on Side 2 (Side B?), with only the Big Star-ish "Make a Record for Lo-Life" hinting at the wonders ahead. And the second side is full of them... "Chevy Marigold," "Toppings Take the Cake" and "Tabby and Lucy" all are Pollard at his best. Since it's a double album, there's plenty of room for guest guitarists, with Pollard pulling in the likes of Colin Newman (Wire), J. Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.), Steve Wynn (The Dream Syndicate), Mick Collins (Dirtbombs) and even GBV classic's Mitch Mitchell. All of them lend meat to their songs, but it's J. Mascis who is most noticeable, saving the going-nowhere track "Tourist UFO" with a signature blistering-guitar solo that threatens to blow any speaker in playback.

(Since I started writing this, Pollard has announced that this is the last release for Boston Spaceships, so I guess we can expect a big reunion tour in another six years or so?)

Download: "Christmas Girl"
Download: "Tabby & Lucy"

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Archers of Loaf - Icky Mettle (Deluxe Remaster)
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

"And there's a chance that things'll get weird... yeah, that's a possibility," sings Eric Bachman on the opening track from 1993's cult classic, Icky Mettle, predicting both the songs that would follow and much of their ensuing career. The noise-pop outfit had an interesting five years, unfairly living in the shadow of Pavement, before drummer Mark Price developed severe carpal tunnel and the band called it quits. Now they're reunited, touring the country some 13 years later, and Merge Records has given their cult classic debut a long awaited reissue, complete with Bob Weston remastering the songs. The second disc includes the great EP* Vs The Greatest of All Time along with a collection of singles that previously were collected on Speed of Cattle. So for those new to Archers of Loaf, this is the ultimate introduction. But even for those, like myself, who already had all of these recordings in some form or another, having it all together, remastered in one attractive package, makes this a must have for any Loaf head out there.

*My second favorite EP of the 90s behind (ahem) Pavement's Watery, Domestic. (There's that pesky Pavement leaving shadows again.)

Download: "What Did You Expect" [mp3]

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More on the radar (and in the mp3 player) this week:
Fruit Bats - Tripper / Free AOL Album Stream / "Tangie and Ray" [mp3]
Moonface - Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I'd Hoped / Free AOL Album Stream / "Fast Peter" [mp3]
Richard Buckner - Our Blood / Free AOL Album Stream / "Fast Peter" [mp3]
Fountains of Wayne - Sky Full of Holes / Free AOL Album Stream
Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter - Marble Son / Free AOL Album Stream
Okkervil River - Your Past Life as a Blast b/w Gold Faces
Mariachi El Bronx - Mariachi El Bronx (II) / Free AOL Album Stream
Collections of Colonies of Bees - Giving / Free AOL Album Stream / "Lawn" [mp3]
Buffalo Killers - 3 / "Circle Day" [mp3]
John Hiatt - Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns
The Ettes - Wicked Will / Free AOL Album Stream
Screaming Trees - Last Words: The Final Recordings
Keb Mo - The Reflection / Free AOL Album Stream
Chaperone - Raised By Wolves (7" single)
Drive-By Truckers - Greatest Hits 1998-2009
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (Deluxe)

tags: music, album review, boston spaceships, archers of loaf, fruit bats, indie rock, new releases

Eardrums Bleeding: Soundgarden / Queens of the Stone Age / Mastodon at the Gorge

It's been over a year since Soundgarden reunited to play a not-so-secret show at The Showbox, and the local heroes haven't been back since, so there was plenty of excitement over the announcement of them coming back to play The Gorge this summer. Toss in Queens of the Stone Age, Mastodon and Meat Puppets and you have an EVENT. With four bands of that caliber, there were a lot of expectations to be met, and they were met... plowed over, more like.

Meat Puppets got an early start to the night, so early that there wasn't anyone one in place to get press in through the gate, so there was no photos and we really only heard the sounds of "Lake of Fire" and the like echoing through the canyons to enthusiastic applause.

Mastodon followed, and their unrelenting metal attack pulverized listeners into submission. Bassist and main vocalist Troy Sanders ping-ponged between the dueling guitars of Brent Hindes and Bill Kelliher for their onslaught.

The Atlanta metal gods have their fifth album due in stores September 27 (my birthday, hint hint...) and, needless to say, it just moved a few notches up my list of albums I'm looking forward to. Says Hinds of The Hunter, "Our new album will inspire drunkenness and public nudity." We didn't see any of that this night, but I don't doubt their power to inspire trouble.

That left

Next up was Queens of the Stone Age, who ran through a quick set that hit most their high notes, complete with smooth banter from frontman Josh Homme. Flirtations came in the form of "Go With the Flow", "No One Knows" and "First It Giveth" then they sealed the deal with "Make it Wit Chu." Then the sledgehammer was dropped with "Mexicola." A final goodbye from Homme was had before they laid final waste with "A Song for the Dead." Not a bad lesson in how to warm up a Soundgarden set.

Soundgarden came on to a well warmed up and appreciative audience, prompting Chris Cornell to say "We finally came back around and got home, and you were here when we got here." This being their final stop on the year-long reunion tour, the band was set to play for as long as time would allow, which amounted to 22 songs in around two hours. From that, the large bulk came from Superunknown (8 songs) and Badmoterfinger (7 songs) -- the band knows where their bread was buttered. Chris Cornell, Kim Thayil, Ben Shepherd and Matt Cameron sounded a lot more in sync than the looser set they played a year prior, and hooked us in quick with the trio of "Searching with my Good Eye Closed" and "Spoonman" before reaching back some for Loud Love's "Gun." As if to head off any questions about the news that the band is recording new material, Cornell remarked "We'd like to play some new songs for you in the future, but we're here to play the old stuff."

The band ended their proper set with the under-appreciated "4th of July" before coming back for a feedback-driven encore consisting of "Room a Thousand Years Wide," "Beyond the Wheel" and the pounding "Slaves & Bulldozers." A few shattered eardrums later, and the crowd was left with dazed smiles on their faces, wandering into the night to find their car / camping space. Setlist below, with more photos to follow that.

Playlist: Soundgarden Setlist (The Gorge - July 30, 2011)
Searching With My Good Eye Closed
Spoonman
Gun
Jesus Christ Pose
Blow Up the Outside World
The Day I Tried to Live
My Wave
Burden in My Hand
Ugly Truth
Fell on Black Days
Hunted Down
Drawing Flies
Black Hole Sun
Outshined
Rusty Cage
Head Down
Pretty Noose
Superunknown
4th of July
Encore:
Room a Thousand Years Wide
Beyond the Wheel
Slaves & Bulldozers

Music on TV - Week of 08.01.11: tUnE-yArDs

tUnE-yArDs play Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Monday.

It's been quite a year so far for tUne-yArDs' Merrill Garbus. Since releasing her second album W H O K I L L back in April, Garbus has been touring nearly non-stop, most recently wowing audiences at Pitchfork Music Festival.

Her live sets are all the talk thanks to her complex building of each song, with drums, ukylele, guitar, and especially her voice -- all looped and housed in an Afro-pop rhythmic base. Garbus unique voice will move between a sweet R&B croon to a raspy whelp in a heartbeat, like a woman possessed, with her music partner and bassist Nate Brenner helping keep the train on the tracks. Before she plays Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Monday night, you just know there'll have to be a tweet of amazement from ?uestLove.

Picks for the week
Monday, August 1
ABC: The View: Lady Gaga
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Jake Shimabukuro
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Sheryl Crow, Matt Nathanson
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: tUnE-yArDs
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Charles Bradley (REPEAT)
TBS: Lopez Tonight: Colbie Caillat
TBS: Conan: Pitbull
Tuesday, August 2
ABC: The View: Debbie Gibson, Tiffany
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Explosions in the Sky
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Mat Kearney
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Sergio Mendes
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Mini Mansions (REPEAT)
TBS: Lopez Tonight: 2cellos
TBS: Conan: Seether
Wednesday, August 3
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Blink 182
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Big Audio Dynamite
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Yelawolf (REPEAT)
Thursday, August 4
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Typhoon
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Lykke Li
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Fountains of Wayne, Bruce Hornsby
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Matt & Kim, Screaming Females (REPEAT)
Friday, August 5
ABC: Good Morning America: Nicki Minaj
ABC: The View: Allison Krauss
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Rye Rye with Robyn
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Voca People
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Fitz & the Tantrums (REPEAT)
Saturday, August 6
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Paul Simon (REPEAT)
PBS: Austin City Limits: Ben Harper & Relentless7 (REPEAT)