(photo by Amy V. Cooper)

Chances are you’re either tired of hearing about SXSW, or you’re too drunk to be reading this. What I have here, though, is worth pushing through your SXSW fatigue and putting down that margarita (it’s 9 in the morning, for chrissake). The fine folks at Radio K made the trip to SXSW again this year, and as in years past they have an illustrious list of bands recording sessions for them. One of those bands is our own Shearwater, whose session will be airing today at noon Central time. Minneapolitans can tune in to Radio K at 104.5 FM (Minneapolis-St. Paul), 100.7 FM (St. Paul), 106.5 FM (Minneapolis) & 770 AM (Metro area), while the rest of us can listen online.

Shearwater’s amazing new album, The Golden Archipelago, can be purchased in all the usual formats by going right here.

(photo by Pooneh Ghana)

It may not be possible for readers of this blog not to be aware of the annual Bobby Soxx Memorial Festival that’s taking place in Austin this week (known to insiders as SOXXXSW), and it is likely just as impossible that you’re unaware of the many shows that Austin’s Harlem will be playing during said festival. On the off chance that you missed it, a complete list of Harlem’s shows (along with the shows of Matador labelmates Fucked Up, The Cave Singers & Shearwater) can be found right here.

Prior to all that, though, you can get warmed up by tuning in to Austin’s friendly neighborhood public radio station, KUT, and checking out an instudio from Harlem tonight at 9:00PM Central. Those of you who live within driving distance of Emo’s can find KUT at 90.5 on your FM dial, while the rest of the Internet-enabled universe can listen at kut.org.

Should you feel compelled to bring the Harlem magic home with you, please note that our online store has quite the deal on their upcoming album, Hippies: 15% off, free poster, and you get the mp3s instantly.

photo by Steve Gullick

If you’ve been paying attention, you know that WFMU, the world’s most freewheeling freeform radio station, is currently in fundraising mode, and like swallows returning to Capistrano or murderers returning to the scene of the crime, Yo La Tengo will once again be taking to the airwaves and playing your cover requests in exchange for cold, hard cash to keep WFMU running for another year. If you’re frustrated that Georgia, Ira and James always ignore your requests for “Heartbeat, It’s A Love Beat”, this is your chance to have your revenge and contribute to a great cause. Call in at 800.989.9368 to give hosts Pseu Braun & Gaylord Fields your money and requests tonight from 8:00PM to 11:00PM, and of course tune in at 91.1FM, or 90.1FM in the Hudson Valley, or at wfmu.org.

The planet’s best radio station, WFMU, is the middle of their annual fund-raising marathon. If you’re a regular listener to WFMU’s ridiculously diverse free-form lineup, you already know the station is 100% dependent on listener contributions to continue bringing you the most provocative music/humor/edutainment, and with their newly revised iPhone application, you have access to acres of WFMU archives in the palm of your paw. One of our favorite WFMU fixtures, Tom Scharpling, will be joined tonight by Ted Leo and longtime The Best Show On WFMU conspirator, former Seven Mary Three drummer Jon Wurster. Tom’s pitch can be found below :

The show is going to feature TED LEO and JON WURSTER in the studio. Ted is going to play songs and I know he has some crazy surprises up his sleeve. And the Wurster stuff is going to be hilarious.

The premium is called the BEST SHOW 2010 CHUMP STEAMROLLER FUN PACK. You can only get it by pledging DURING MY SHOW.

A pledge of 75 or more automatically gets it. In the Fun Pack:

The first ever BEST SHOW ON WFMU DVD! It’s a full-length DVD called FANTASIA IN BEST SHOW MINOR, and it’s going to be amazing. It features stuff you’re never going to believe. Here are some of the people who are going to be involved in the DVD:

PATTON OSWALT
TED LEO
PAUL F. TOMPKINS
ZACH GALIFIANAKIS
FUCKED UP
TIM AND ERIC
JOHN HODGMAN
AIMEE MANN
SCHARPLING AND WURSTER
YO LA TENGO
KURT VILE
MATT FRACTION
TODD BARRY
JASON WOLINER

And SO MANY MORE. There’s going to be puppets. Animation. Scharpling and Wurster stuff like you’ve never seen before. Travelogues from callers like Fredericks from New Port Richie, Julie from Cincinnati, AP Mike and more! Seriously – there are so many people working so hard on this thing. It’s gonna be legendary. And when the marathon is over, this thing is COMPLETELY UNAVAILABLE.

The second part of the Chump Steamroller Fun Pack is a set of BEST SHOW TRADING CARDS depicting your favorite callers and characters from the show. They are being designed by Chris Moses and Joe Allen – two guys who have done amazing jobs with previous Best Show projects – and they are outdoing themselves on this! We’re lining up artists – for starters Michael Kupperman and Brian Musikoff are on board – and they gonna be jaw droppingly great. And again, these cards will be GONE FOREVER if you don’t pledge DURING MY MARATHON SHOWS!

Last but not least, the first ever BEST SHOW BUMPER STICKER. Also awesome and also available ONLY BY PLEDGING DURING MY MARATHON SHOWS. Once the marathon is over, THEY ARE GONE FOREVER.

And as an added bonus, anyone who pledges $1000 gets something special just from me. It’s a secret. Seriously – I am not trying to be vague here but trust me on this one. I’ve got something JUST FOR YOU. I’ll make you happy with it – I PROMISE.

IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO CALL OR PLEDGE ONLINE DURING MY SHOW, I will gladly write the pledge up myself. You can email me your information – name, address and pledge amount – and I will fill it out myself. All addresses and information is completely confidential and is not sold or distributed in any way shape or form, so don’t worry about your privacy. Write me at toms@wfmu.org and I’ll take care of it.

THE FACTS:
Tuesday March 2nd between 8-11 PM EST
CALL 1-800-989-9368 or PLEDGE ONLINE at www.wfmu.org on TUESDAY MARCH 2nd between 8-11 PM EST and be counted!

The flyer above pretty much says it all, but if your browser’s not displaying images or you have trouble with military time (and are also unaware of how the subject line of a blog post relates to the content of said post), here are the pertinent details: Fucked Up of Toronto, ON and Kurt Vile of Philadelphia, PA are paying visits to the latter city’s own WKDU before tonight’s show at the Barbary, and each will be treating your ears to a live session at 91.7FM or wkdu.org. Fucked Up plays at around 2:30PM EST (it’s college radio, we thrive on uncertainty in this biz), and Kurt follows at 5:30PM EST (or thereabout).

In addition to the opportunity to see the FU & KV show tonight in Philly, there are a few more chances to see this dynamic duo in action:

Wed-Feb-17 Philadelphia, PA Barbary
Thu-Feb-18 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell’s
Fri-Feb-19 Brooklyn, NY Europa
Sat-Feb-20 Boston, MA Middle East Downstairs

Those of you looking for a more permanent way to spend time with the aforementioned artists (though when you get right down to it, is anything really permanent) should click on over to the Matastore to purchase the latest Fucked Up and Kurt Vile jams, both of which come highly recommended by the discriminating music fans of Philadelphia and the world.

Undaunted by the Great Blizzard of 2010, unafraid of New York’s exploding Radio Shacks, and dressed for Fashion Week success (as seen above), Austin’s own Harlem have made their way to our fair city to play a couple of shows for the townies. If you’re not lucky enough to have caught them last night at the Mercury Lounge, and you can’t make it out to either of their shows this weekend, you can get a feel for the Harlem live experience by tuning in to the New Afternoon Show on WNYU today for a live session with Jose, Curtis & Coomers. The fun starts at 6:00PM Eastern, and you can tune in at 89.1FM (in New York) or at wnyu.org (in places that have the Internet).

If you’d like to see Harlem play live this weekend (and you should), here are the details:

Fri, 2/12 – Monster Island (with Frankie + The Outs, The Siberians)
Sat, 2/13 – Union Pool (with Jemina Pearl)

Those looking for a way to pre-order their excellent Matador debut, Hippies, we have you covered as well.

Photo by Rob Scheuerman

In a mere 30 minutes, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists shall rock the house together at Philadelphia’s World Cafe Live for a Free At Noon extravaganza. If you weren’t lucky enough to get tickets ahead of time (you may still be able to weasel your way in, but I can’t promise anything), you can listen live on XPN.org, or 88.5 terrestrially, as well as on a host of stations all around the country. Check npr.org to find stations in your varied ‘hoods (as well as KUT in Austin, WBFO in Buffalo, and Vermont Public Radio) so you can tune in and rock out to jams from the new album, The Brutalist Bricks.

Philly/New York City tagteam agitsynthers (say that five times fast) Cold Cave paid a visit recently to the hallowed halls of the WXPN studios and recorded a session for Y-Rock on XPN. Luckily for you, that session is due to air tonight at 9PM EST. In the greater 215, tune in at 88.5FM and for the rest of you darkwave fanatics, feel free to listen online.

(photo by Jayme Thornton)

The gentlemen and lady of Cold Cave just capped off a great run of West Coast tour dates with two shows in Los Angeles. They’ll be back in more frigid northeastern climes soon, but before that they’ll be making an appearance on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15AM PST / 2:15 EST. Angelenos should listen at 89.9FM; Non-gelenos can join the party at kcrw.com.

Cold Cave just released the limited edition Death Comes Close 12″ EP. Both it and their full-length debut, Love Comes Close, are available at our webstore.

Photo used without permission, taken from Christoph!’s photostream on Flickr

There’s a whole host of Yo La action to update you with this week. Tonight, the band will be speaking to Gideon Coe live on BBC 6 Music, show starting at 9pm.  You can listen live via DAB digital radio, or log onto Gideon’s 6Music page here for a live stream.  The band will be discussing Popular Songs, their career and playing some of their favourite tracks from their most loved artists.

And tomorrow, at 7pm, Yo La Tengo will be playing a rare instore show, Freewheeling style, at London’s Rough Trade East store.  It’s a free show, but you’ll only get in with a wristband.  WRISTBAND COLLECTION 1 HOUR PRIOR TO STAGE TIME, STRICTLY ONE PER PERSON.  So get down to the store early to guarantee entry.

Rough Trade East can be found :

‘Dray Walk’
Old Truman Brewery
91 Brick Lane
London
E1 6QL

The band will also be playing this weekend’s All Tomorrow’s Parties Nightmare Before Christmas festival at Butlins, Minehead.

Yo La Tengo : Friday 4th December, 8.30pm-9.45pm

As well as YLT, you can also catch Sonic Youth and Fucked Up down at ATP.  Check the ATP listings for everyone else playing.

Sonic Youth : Saturday 5th December, 8.45pm-10pm

Fucked Up : Saturday 5th December, 2.15am-3.15am

(photo by WOXY’s Loren Kilpatrick)

A couple of weeks ago, Mission Of Burma entertained several thousand rain-drenched Austin folk as part of the annual Fun Fun Fun Festival in Waterloo Park. The afternoon prior, the band visited WOXY’s new South Austin studios (located just a stone’s throw from my house — please, that’s just an expression. DON’T BE THROWING ANYTHING) and the resulting session is available for download here, save for Burma’s cover of the Yardbirds’ “”Happenings Ten Years Time Ago”.

Just a reminder that following a recent run on the West Coast, a few tickets still remain for the following dates :

1/15 – Paradise, Boston
1/16 – Paradise, Boston

1/29 – Bowery Ballroom, NYC
1/30 – Bowery Ballroom, NYC

(The Sound, The Speed, The Light, LP/CD and digital album, available from The Matador Store)

(“Innermost” b/w “Here It Comes” MP3/FLAC single, also available from The Matador Store)

Remember yesterday when Julian Plenti got his groove on for KEXP? Today it’s Girls’ turn. Tune in at 12Noon PST (3PM EST for those of you who are hard of understanding) at 90.3 FM in the Seattle area to hear the sonic loveliness of the San Francisco minstrels. Or, if you’re not lucky enough to be in Seattle, or are in Seattle and don’t have a radio (who ARE you, exactly?), you can always keep up on the station’s website.

Tell a friend. Or 12.

Girls stopped by the beautiful KCMP studios in St. Paul, Minnesota this last weekend and dropped three beautiful, melancholy jams for a still and crisp aired Midwestern afternoon. Their versions of “Ghostmouth” and “Lauren Marie” sound extra gauzy and lush in the room ordinarily used for recording classical music, a performance of non-album track “Heartbreaker” takes the whole thing over the top. Thanks to The Current for being such great hosts and making these songs sound so good!

Stream it HERE

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The man, the myth, the legend, Julian Plenti, brings his live show extravaganza to the Seattle airwaves today with a performance for KEXP. You can catch the set live at 3PM PST (6PM EST) on the dial at 90.3FM and online at KEXP.org.

Plenti and his bandmates then will thrill and amaze at Chop Suey later this evening, before continuing their tour in Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, New York and Philadelphia through the rest of November.

(photo by Peter Ellenby)

Tune in to KUSF this afternoon for a special solo live performance by the one and only Spiral Stairs at 4 PM Pacific/7 PM Eastern. San Franciscans can listen at 90.3 FM, while those in the wider world web can point their internet machine to kusf.org.

Following a busy weekend in Northern California, with a show in Santa Cruz on Saturday night, a brunch style in-store at Aquarius in San Francisco on Sunday, and a festival appearance at the Treasure Island Music Festival, Yo La Tengo are continuing to bring their music and insight to the people of Northern California and beyond by appearing live on KQED.

Go online at 10am PST (1pm EST) today to stream their appearance live.  Available at KQED’s live streaming LINK!

As seen in the above clip, Times New Viking always bring their best to the good people of the Twin Cities, and just because it’s a Sunday doesn’t mean they plan on resting. Today they play not just their show at the 7th St. Entry but a live session at the esteemed Radio K at 5 PM Eastern, 4 PM Central.

Radio K can be found on the dial at a veritable plethora of locations: 104.5 FM (Minneapolis-St. Paul), 100.7 FM (St. Paul), 106.5 FM (Minneapolis) & 770 AM (Metro area). If none of those locations coincides with your own, or if all that was just too confusing, you can always listen online.

Times New Viking’s stunning new album, Born Again Revisited, can be had for your very own right here.

Yep, in just over 90 short minutes, Spiral Stairs will be performing live on the illustrious KEXP in Seattle. Scott Kannberg and band will be sure to highlight jams from the new album, The Real Feel, out next week. Also, if you’re in the 206, and you missed their in-store last night at Sonic Boom Ballard, you can still catch them tonight at Neumo’s playing with the lovely Bob Mould. And, as always, KEXP is heard locally at 90.3FM and online at KEXP.org.

(photograph by Jesper Eklow)

Citizens of the Twin Cities and environs are blessed with not one but two opportunities for live Yo La Tengo today. In addition to going to their show tonight at First Avenue (which you surely already planned on doing), you can catch an interview and live performance by Ira, Georgia & James on 89.3 The Current. Those of you not in the area only get the one live experience, and it can be had by clicking here to listen online. The fun starts at 6 PM EDT/5 PM CDT.

photo by Shawn Brackbill

It’s a good week to be a Kurt Vile fan. Fresh from the weekend’s pair of Philly shows, Mr. Vile will be playing a solo acoustic set on WNYU’s New Afternoon Show starting at 4:30 PM Eastern. Tune in at 89.1 FM in New York, or online at wnyu.org.

The Kurt Vile excitement train continues with tomorrow’s release of his Matador debut, Childish Prodigy (which you can still stream here), and two live NYC performances on Wednesday, October 7: a solo performance for WFMU’s 7 Second Delay Live at the UCB Theater, and a headlining show (with The Violators) at Mercury Lounge. Full tour, and world domination, to follow.

October 4 is right around the corner, which means we’re just days away from Mission Of Burma sure-to-be-monumental show at MIT’s East Campus Courtyard. Yesterday we announced the winner of the Battle For Burma, New Haven, CT’s Eula, but there were still a few things left unsaid, and we’re going to say them now.

The lineup for the show is:

Mission Of Burma

Big Bear

Eula

Other important details:

- This is a free, all ages show.

- The show is on the East Campus Courtyard, 3 Ames Street. Click here to see a Google Map of the location.

- Please note that there is NO on-site parking. If you have to drive there, you’re on your own parking the car. Obviously, we strongly encourage the use of mass transit.

- Show is rain or shine.

- Eula starts the show at 2:30.

- There is NO ALCOHOL ALLOWED at this show.

- Backpacks and coolers are likewise NOT ALLOWED so please don’t bring them.

- The fine folks at Newbury Comics will be at the show to sell the new Mission Of Burma album, The Sound The Speed The Light, two days before you can buy it in stores. You can also pre-order the record here if that’s more your style.

If you’re in the area, this is a can’t-miss show. See you there.

We are very, very happy to announce the winner of the Battle For Burma. The winner, who will be opening for Mission Of Burma at their free show at MIT on Sunday, October 4, is New Haven, CT’s own Eula.

Congratulations to Eula, and thanks to everyone who entered the Battle For Burma. Stay tuned for further info.

You may have noticed that we’ve been going on a bit about tonight’s epic Yo La Tengo show at Roseland in New York City, and well, what can I say? We’re excited. Other excited parties, and human beings in general, should tune in to WFMU at 3:00 this afternoon, when Yo La Tengo’s always entertaining bassist James McNew will chat by phone with David Suisman on his Inner Ear Detour show. Also, I do believe David will be playing some music from the new album Popular Songs, which as I’m sure you can imagine is a favorite around these parts.

You can engage with WFMU on the radio dial at 91.1 FM (NYC/East Central NJ) and on WMFU, 90.1 FM (Hudson Valley, Lower Catskills, Western NJ). If those parenthetical locations don’t work for you, there’s always online listening at wfmu.org.

poster by Brian Kelly

I’d like to think that by now you’re all aware that Mission Of Burma’s new album, The Sound The Speed The Light, is coming out on October 6th (and is available for pre-order here). What I can tell you now is that the trio of Clint Conley, Roger Miller & Peter Prescott will be playing a free, all-ages outdoor show on the East Campus Courtyard of MIT just two days earlier, at 2pm on Sunday, October 4th.

Not only is this an unprecedented celebration of Mission Of Burma in their hometown, it’s also an opportunity for YOU (or maybe one of your friends if you’re not musically-inclined) to open for one of the greatest bands of all time. That’s right, it’s the Battle For Burma, an online battle of the bands where your band can vie for an opening slot at this very special show. To submit your band, click on this image below and upload a video of yourselves performing:

The deadline for submissions is Friday, September 25, and the winner will be hand-picked by Mission Of Burma. Contest is open to ANY band, as long as you’re cool with playing for free.

More details to come, but for now, mark your calendars, because October 4th is going to be an unusually great day at MIT.

photo by Dave Lichterman

It may have taken place a few weeks ago, but we wanted to let the dust settle before unleashing some pretty stellar footage on the unsuspecting public. Local lads The Cave Singers performed a special set for KEXP listeners at the Bumbershoot Music Festival and a few songs are available for your listening and viewing pleasure. Feel free to enjoy “Summer Light” and “At The Cut” from their new album, Welcome Joy, as well as “Dancing On Our Graves” from 2007’s Invitation Songs, at KEXP.org.