Los Campesinos! tour, announce album name
Los Campesinos! had a great summer. First, the band members all graduated from Cardiff University in Wales, then they released their fantastic EP Sticking Fingers Into Sockets, then they were featured as a Band of the Week on this very website, then they played Lollapolooza and embarked on a world tour. Whew… So perhaps the band is offering itself a friendly reminder with it’s newly announced debut-album name: Hold On There Youngster…. Sage advice. The Kevin Drew-produced album is due some time in February. Until then, there are a still a handful of U.S. tour dates coming up where you... read more
Thrill Jockey organizes anniversary concert
Record companies: what are they good for? A lot, actually. Especially if they are independent record labels from Chicago called Thrill Jockey. Question: what does Thrill Jockey have to offer you, the consumer who does not pick his or her music based on its record label? Answer: an amazing, epic concert and a mix CD. Yes, Thrill Jockey is celebrating its 15th anniversary, and it’s bringing the party to you with a celebration at Chicago’s Logan Square auditorium on Dec. 14 and 15. Guests will receive a free copy of the Super Epic Thrill Jockey Mega Massive Mix by Trey... read more
the everybodyfields: Nothing Is Okay
This Johnson City, Tenn., duo has finally grazed upon some of its own old bones, rummaging through the dark closet of the South... read more
Antonio Monda
Italian cultural critic Antonio Monda is an unapologetic believer... read more
G. Willow Wilson with art by M.K. Perker
The first graphic novel by journalist G. Willow Wilson, Cairo is an irreverent... read more
Ha Jin
Jin Xuefei—Ha Jin to readers of his seven previous works of fiction... read more
Ted Leo gets rough in “Colleen” video
It’s hard to watch the latest video from Ted Leo & the Pharmacists without entertaining the fact that ol' Tedder might just have something to prove. And who could blame him? The undeniable (though often less than desirable) hardcore-ness of his punk genre cohorts—what with their gigantic necks and murder charges and all—is enough to give any aspiring badass an inferiority complex. Plus, if you’ve ever actually Googled the phrase “ted leo + badass,” you might have noticed that very few of the top results actually reference Leo himself, but instead heap the superlative upon things like Jedi warriors, cheese... read more
Wendy's offers Rhapsody downloads with combo meals
Nowadays, with obesity spreading over America like a fat fungus, everyone's looking to cut down on calories. Sometimes, it helps to start small. So, the next time you're chowing down on a Baconator combo meal at Wendy's, it might help to snag a free Rhapsody download on the side. Eventually, you can build up enough songs to make an excellent workout playlist, and those bacony pounds will just melt away. As Digital Music News reports, this giveaway is for real: starting this week, buy a medium or large-sized combo meal and receive a redeemable code for a Rhapsody download. The... read more
Beasties, R.E.M., The Roots headline Langerado Festival
Back when the Langerado Music Festival announced that it would be conscientiously partying down on a Seminole Indian reservation, we were a bit skeptical. Now, having witnessed the bizarre, Dust Bowl-esque experience of the "environmentally friendly" Echo Project on our home turf, we're really starting to worry about how the Florida Everglades will tolerate a show of Langerado's magnitude. However, this is the sixth year of Langerado, so hopefully the organizers will be on their game to keep the litterbugs and chemical spillers in check. One thing that's not in doubt about Langerado '08, though: this lineup is ridiculously deep.... read more
Jennifer's Body re-combines Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody
[Above: Juno] Although Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody's first collaboration, Juno, has yet to been released, it's already safe to consider the film a success, if only critically. Apparently the pair agrees as well, since one of Cody's many upcoming projects will bring her and Reitman back together on Jennifer's Body, a comedy/horror movie. "We're here because Diablo's voice and our voice align," said Reitman's producing partner Dan Dubecki to The Hollywood Reporter. Jennifer's Body is about a possessed cheerleader who starts feeding on boys in her rural Minnesota town. Her best friend sets out to kill her and stop... read more
Low frontman's side project goes Cross Country
My dad picked up cross country skiing while he was at college in New Hampshire. One winter, he bought a pair of skis to take up the sport again... in suburban St. Louis. I remember watching him as he mushed through the thin layer of snow that coated our front lawn, as I wondered just what the hell had possessed the man. I concluded that cross country skiing was the pastime of lunatics. Maybe Low's Alan Sparhawk and his buddies in Black-Eyed Snakes are crazy. I'm not here to judge, just to report the news. As Pitchfork tells it, there's... read more
Weezer to release new album in April 2008
There have been rumors. Mysterious whispers seeping from mouths under thick-rimmed glasses and pouring from windows of secluded graffiti-covered coffee shops. Let's put the mystery to rest. The members of Weezer have confirmed that they will be releasing their next studio album April 22, 2008. At the moment, the band's new baby is sans name and only being referred to as “Album Six,” but don’t let this lack of a title fool you. The band is confident in the new project, stating on its official website that “Weezer fans [will] truly have something to look forward to.” That’s saying a... read more
Band of the Week: Sunset Rubdown
Unbridled blog-hype conflicts itself when it eagerly likens the prolific young indie icon Spencer Krug to elders of productivity Robert Pollard and David Byrne while simultaneously applying the diminishing “side project” label amidst the varied band involvement that made the yawping singer’s work ethic noteworthy in the first place... read more
Travis Morrison and his Hellfighters tour East Coast
Travis Morrison has an uncanny knack for affiliating himself with cool-sounding things. Okay, we admit Travistan was a misstep, but "Dismemberment Plan" and "Hellfighters?" Awesome. More than that, though: the man delivers the goods live. Morrison and his ragtag band of Hellfighters are hitting the road for a fall trek, so East Coast residents will have a chance to catch the Travisty of Morrison's live show. This just in: "Travisty" does not sound cool. Dates: November 15 - New York, N.Y. @ Knitting Factory 16 - Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Union Hall 17 - Cambridge, Mass. @ Middle East Upstairs 18... read more
The Wire concludes with series soundtrack
Since its 2002 inception, HBO’s Baltimore-centric drama The Wire has often received critical praise for its gritty realism, filming on-location in the city and featuring guest spots from locals such as ex-drug Kingpin Melvin Williams. As the show reaches its fifth and final season, Nonesuch Records will continue the trend of authenticity by including numerous Baltimore artists on The Wire “… and all the pieces matter”, a comprehensive series soundtrack that drops Jan. 8 (two days after the final season begins). From a September article in the New York Times by John Caramanica: “The Wire” has already invigorated the city’s... read more
North Mississippi Allstars announce new record
Hot on the heels of their tour, which ends next week, the North Mississippi Allstars have announced they're releasing their fifth studio album, Hernando, on their own label, South of the South Records, in January. The Dickinson brothers - Luther and Cody - and bassist Chris Chew promise to veer away from hill country blues and a dive into a more traditional blues rock this time out. Hernando - named after the town they grew up in - was produced by the brothers' father and legendary producer, Jim Dickinson, and recorded in his studio. And with a pad affectionately known... read more
TMBG, Rosebuds, Mogwai, OK Go pay tribute to Pixies
Well, it appears that any talk of a post-reunion album of original Pixies material was premature. Bassist Kim Deal doesn't want in, apparently, and that's her right. Wait a minute... wasn't this the same tug-of-war that broke up the Pixies in the first place? Ah, whatever. Even if these guys do split again, they'll get back together within a couple of years and be hailed as conquering heroes once more. But, okay... if we can't have a new Pixies album, how about an eclectic collection of rock artists covering the band's old material? Sounds original. Here it comes, though: Dig... read more
Ladytron hooks up to Nettwerk for new album
Amidst its various remix projects, Ladytron somehow found the time to focus on its own material. The electro-house-disco-rock group has signed aboard Nettwerk to release its next studio album, which arrives in May 2008. "We are in an unusual situation because we're an established band, but we didn't want to work with a traditional major label," member Daniel Hunt told Billboard.com. "We wanted to work with people who really understood where we were. The best thing about the Nettwerk deal is that the band and the management will have the ability to be really hands-on with the marketing and planning.... read more
The Futureheads preview new song
As previously reported, Sunderland, England's favorite sons The Futureheads wrapped up work on their third album this summer. Now we're starting to see the delicious fruit of their labors. In fact, NME.com just alerted us to some fresh Futureheads content hitting the web. Below is the video for "Broke Up The Time," which is slated to appear on the forthcoming record: Sounds like a throwback to the group's rowdy, self-titled debut, and a bit of a step away from the well-mannered pop of last year's News and Tributes. The track's also up for download on the group's website. We're still... read more
Prince, fans in funky feud
Here's one for the "he said," "she said," "they said" file: a consortium of Prince fan websites dubbed "Prince Fans United" has accused the singer and his team of lawyers of trying to shut them down over the use of Prince related-images. That includes just unauthorized photos of the guy, but even "fan’s own photographs of their Prince inspired tattoos and their vehicles displaying Prince inspired license plates," according to a statement released by PFU. Hmm... sounds pretty fishy. Prince's U.K. promoter AEG promptly returned the volley: "Prince is not suing his fans, is not looking to penalise fans and... read more
The 20 Best Gadgets of the Decade…
The 17 Best Romantic Comedies This Decade
The 50 Best Albums of the Decade…
The 25 Best Movie Performances of the…
Blind Pilot - The Story I Heard
Kim Taylor - Days Like this
Gregory Alan Isakov - The Moon Song
Punch Brothers - Punch Brothers at CMJ
Anya Marina - Whatever You Like
David Bazan - Hard To Be
