New Yo La Tengo 'Freewheeling' US Dates In January
(pic from Brad Searles' Flickr page)
There wasn't a tour nearly as daring, funny or stimulating in 2007 as The Freewheeling Yo La Tengo. And I should know. I've seen EVERY TOURING ACT THIS YEAR. Including the reunited Channel 3 (who really shouldn't have bothered). Lucky for you, Yo La Tengo's love for this great nation extends to the following cities as The Freewheeling tour continues into 2008 :
1/9 - Charlottesville VA at the Satellite Ballroom
1/10 - Carrboro NC at Carrboro Arts Center
1/11 - Charlotte NC at the Visulite
1/12 - Atlanta GA at the Variety
1/14 - Athens GA at Melting Point (first show in Athens since early 2003, pre-Summer Sun)
1/15 - Birmingham AL at the Workplay
1/16 - Louisville KY at the 930 Listening Room
1/17 - Nashville TN at the Belcourt
1/18 - Memphis TN at Gibson Lounge
1/19 - Springfield, MO at the Randy Bacon Gallery
Kurt Wagner supports on all dates
Dead Meadow - 'Old Growth' NYC Gig + Early CD Scheme Unveiled
The band formerly and well currently known as Dead Meadow may not have a fancy symbol. One that can be disturbingly transformed into a guitar and used with a simple silhouette effect to make people cringe nationwide. Well, we'd listen to arguments that an Orange Amp perfectly symbolizes Dead Meadow. Ahhh, such a robust, and psychedelic sound. What that has to do with the Super Bowl or Prince admittedly isn't clear to even us. So with all due respect to the man from Minneapolis and football fans far and wide, we'll get to the point. Think of this as a sort of touchdown + two point conversion, within a rock context of course.
Dead Meadow will be playing a special show at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City on Wed, Jan 16th, 2008 to celebrate the release of their new album 'Old Growth' (out 2/5/08). So excited to get it out, the band is willing to give anyone who attends the opportunity to pick it up a whole 3 weeks early. For $25 anyone looking to get their hands on Old Growth can purchase a ticket to Dead Meadow's Jan 16th show + their new CD. One great price, 2 great Dead Meadow experiences. Sorry, those searching for vinyl you'll have to wait for the proper street date --- this offer applies to CDs only. Now you can purchase this package deal through Matador's online store, the Bowery Ballroom or in person at Other Music (15 East 4th Street between Broadway and Lafayette, NYC). However, you'll not receive the album at the time of purchase but instead, the night of the gig (1/16/08). You'll just need to swing by the merch table at the Bowery, present your receipt to our sales person and they'll hand over your Dead Meadow goods. Very important, no receipt, no CD, no exceptions.
Here's a further selection from what we're pretty confident will be one of 2008's most exciting releases :
"What Needs Must Be" - from 'Old Growth' (mp3)
Good News For All Touring Musicians : Wyclef's Got Your Porn Stash
Producer/musician/songwriter extraordinaire Wyclef Jean was quizzed by New York Magazine's Sara Cardace this week about his influences (thanks to Ira for the link). Let's just say he demonstrated greater candor than the majority of the Matador roster would've under similar circumstances.
Do you have a favorite movie?
My favorite movie is Black Orpheus. Do me a favor, okay? Please go see that. It’s very cinematic and raw. I think what makes a great movie is when you can feel the culture and the sun and the people and the vibe inside the lens. Another movie I love is Once Upon a Time in America. I fell in love with that movie because of the score. You can imagine—I’m a kid supposed to be watching the movie, and instead I’m listening to the score.
And guilty pleasures?
I’m a great porn collector. The best porn ever is Sweetest Taboo. You ever seen it? That’s a good one. I probably have over 5,000 pornos.
Really?! Where do you keep them all?
In my basement. I collected them through the years. I don’t lie about anything; I think if someone has a porn collection, they have a porn collection. I know people who say they don’t have a porn collection, but when they get up in hotels they run them bills wild! They might want to call me and I could rent them a few.
Whether or not Wyclef can be considered an heir to Ralph Whittington's former throne as "King Of Porn" remains to be seen. But the next time a prominent musician is asked about a guilty pleasure and feels compelled to answer "Project Runway", rest assured, the ante has been raised.
Times New Viking - Academy Annex
Just a friendly Reminder...this is happening tomorrow!
Free Times New Viking Show!
Friday, November 30th at 8:00 pm
Academy Annex
96 N. 6th St. - Williamsburg
Were This Gig Not A One-Off, They Could Call It The "Too Much Of A Good Thing Tour '07"
(
You can file this one under "good seats still available" :
Dec. 15 at the Beaumont Civic Center in Beaumont, TX. Bret Michaels Band with special guests Vince Neil.
Tickets go on sale this Friday, Nov. 30, 11:00am at the Beaumont Civic Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com and charge by phone at (409) 833-7747.
KQXY will be doing a Win it Before you can Buy it promotion this week starting tomorrow morning. You can listen online at www.KQXY.com
Also, KIOC will be doing Concert Ticket touchtones beginning 12/1. You can also listen to them online at www.BigDog106.com
The only thing stopping this from being the Beaumount event of the season is the fact Michaels and Neil will not be playing simultaneously.
Earles & Jensen Sign To Matador : Spawling Double CD Of Telephone Terrorism Coming In February
The world needs more comedy recordings like Chuck Scarborough needs another hole in the head. But the world needs more rock'n'roll records like Chuck needs two more holes in the head, so let's leave the genre prejudice aside for a moment, shall we? I can honestly say the original release of Andrew Earles & Jeffrey Jensen's 'Just Farr A Laugh' is the single most played compact disc in my household, automobile, yacht, etc. over the past 3 years. The rich, fully formed universe they've created with their mind-blowing phone calls (ok, billed as "pranks" but oh, so much more) has to this listener's ears, transcended the mere comedy / spoken schtick bin and puts the duo in much more rarified territory. Rowan & Martin. Martin & Lewis. Oswald & Ruby. Peterson & Kekich. That's the kind of company I'm talking about.
We'll be releasing Earles & Jensen Present : Just Farr A Laugh Vol. 1 and 2 on the popular compact disc format February 19, 2008. Since my hands are so very tired, Andrew and Jeff have kindly composed a far more appropriate screed on this subject.
If you are a fan of Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk, Yes’ Tales from Topographic Oceans, the Hampton Grease Band’s Music To Eat, The Mothers of Invention’s Freak Out, Husker Du’s Zen Arcade, the Minutemen’s Double Nickels on the Dime, TFUL 282’s Mother of All Saints, and wish there was a prank call/comedy version of these wonderfully indulgent, macro masterpieces, well, it looks like February 19th is going to be your lucky day. That last sentence is a thinly-veiled way to say that unless you are promotionally serviced by Matador Records or rank amongst the contributors, don’t expect a burn or freebie.
The double CD set constitutes the world’s greatest collection of prank phone calls. Included in the package will be a book (not booklet) of drawings, photographs, and writing, all courtesy of multiple contributors. It’s a virtual who’s who that doesn’t make a lot of sense, but nonetheless creates a wonderful companion to the recorded works.
A short list of artists that contributed drawings: Mike Aho, Archer Prewitt, Devendra Banhart, Mark Henning, Ian Marshall, Gavin McInnes, Jake Oas, Aurel Schmidt, Matt Sweeney, and Megan Whitmarsh.
The entire list of writers that contributed forewords: Gregg Turkington (AKA Neil Hamburger, comedy genius, writer, Warm Voices Rearranged), Matador's Gerard Cosloy, David Dunlap Jr. (writer, Washington City Paper, Memphis Flyer, funny guy), and master humorist/writer Neil Pollack (books: Alternadad, The Neal Pollack Anthology of American Literature, Never Mind The Pollacks: A Rock and Roll Novel, editor/contributor: Akashic’s Chicago Noir).
Along with writer Ian Christe and artist Steve Keene, Jeffrey Jensen founded modern day Brooklyn NYC around 1992, during the Dinkins administration. He has written or directed the films The Low Down Dirty D.A.W.G.S. (1999), Street Boogie (2001, shelved), and Graceland Too: The Movie (still in production). An accomplished artist, Jeff is known for his puppet shows, intricate nightlight dioramas, and evenings of vast entertainment, as well as anything else you could possibly think of. With his incredibly magnetic personality, Mr. Jensen has left a lasting mental imprint on anyone lucky enough to have spent over an hour in his presence. Jeffrey has played in many bands, including The Closet Case, The Jewish, The Star Spangles, plus he was the bass player for Homestead Records recording artists Smack Dab. He drives a 1982 Chrysler Lebaron, contributes regularly to Vice Magazine, and was accidentally shot with a .22 rifle when he was 13-years-old.
Andrew Earles is a writer and loosely-defined humorist that lives in Memphis, TN. His words regularly appear in The Onion A/V Club, Spin, Harp, Magnet, Vice, Paste, Chunklet, and The Memphis Flyer…among others. He founded The Cimarron Weekend in 1997, co-publishing and co-editing said argument-starter with David Dunlap Jr. until 2001. Four or five people like to claim that it was a great zine. From 2001 until late 2006, Andrew was a regular contributor to Tom Scharpling’s The Best Show on WFMU. As far as books go, his essays have appeared in the now out-of-print Lost In The Grooves (Routledge) and remainder table favorite, The Overrated Book (Last Gasp). He is a core contributor to The Rock Bible, to be published by Quirk in 2008. Most of his attempts at live comedy have failed miserably. Andrew is a proud Southerner and amateur, wanna-be outdoorsman that loves to fish, act like he knows a lot about animals, and walk around in the woods. He sometimes has a smart mouth, yet against all logic, has yet to receive that long-overdue ass-whomping (not an invitation). This is his blog: www.failedpilot.com
Jeffrey Joe Jensen and Andrew Scott Earles are Leo’s, reliably carrying all of the negative and positive baggage of that particular sign. Amazingly, and unknown to the duo until several years ago, they share the exact same birthday of August 15th.
"Bedroom ETA: A Jermaine Stewart Cover Band" (mp3)
"My Friends Call Me Ditchweed. Don't Ask. OK, Go Ahead and Ask" (mp3)
WGA Strike Update : Scabbing On The DL
Filmoculous and New York Magazine both wanna know : if "The Office"'s writing staff are amongst the strikers, who, pray tell, is updating Creed's blog?
First person to say Scott Stapp is banned from the Matablog forever.
The Cave Singers' Daytrotter Session
(Pete and Derek at KEXP's Summer BBQ, pic swiped from Pema's Flickr page)
Newly recorded versions of "Cold Eye", "Helen", and "Seeds Of Night" from 'Invitation Songs', plus a new, as-yet untitled, unreleased recording, all available for your downloading pleasure from the smooth characters at Daytrotter.
upcoming dates :
11/30 Seattle WA — Crocodile Cafe
12/1 Eugene OR — Wow Hall
12/2 Sacramento CA — CoolCat Gallery
12/3 Visalia CA — The Cellar Door
12/4 Los Angeles CA — The Echo
12/5 San Luis Obispo — Tridosha Healing Center
12/6 San Francisco CA — Rickshaw Stop
12/8 Portland OR — Doug Fir Lounge
Satan 1, Centerton, Arkansas ZERO
"I don't know of any laws that I've broken."
Bigamy, fraud and and crap grooming come to mind.
The New Pornographers - Free Apple In-store
(Blaine and Todd, shown at Manchester Academy. This isn't product placement per se, but if there's any sort of heavy discount coming the band's way, they might not turn it down, either. Picture taken from Rick and Mindy's Flickr page)
The New Pornographers
Free In-store Performance
Tuesday, December 11th
8:00 pm
Apple Store SoHo
103 Prince St. - NYC
The Spirit Of Giving Single available exclusively on iTunes Nov 27th
Spirit of Giving Details provided in a previous (and uncopied) post by Gerard titled, “The New Pornographers - Christmas Single Coming Nov. 27 From The iTunes Music Store."
Times New Viking - Academy Annex
Free Times New Viking Show!
Friday, November 30th at 8:00 pm
Academy Annex
96 N. 6th St. - Williamsburg
Could there be any better methodology to generate crazed anticipation for Times New Viking’s upcoming 3rd (2nd 1/2?) long-player, ‘Rip It Off” (January 22, ‘08) than by a Free in-store and a chance to get your hands on one of the Ultra Limited Edition Times New Viking 7" 2 weeks before release date (December 12, '07)?
Also, I'm not trying to copy Gerard with the whole talking about Times New Viking thing, so don't think that I am. Look, a few posts down...see, we are talking about different stuff...
The New Pornographers - Christmas Single Coming <s>Nov. 27</s> Dec. 4 From The iTunes Music Store
It's the first Matador Xmas record since The Frogs' "Here Comes Santa's Pussy". And it more than lives up to that super high standard!
1) "The Spirit Of Giving" (from the CD/LP 'Challengers')
2) "Arms Of Mary" / "Looking At A Baby" (previously unreleased, the former by Iain Sutherland of The Sutherland Brothers, though the New Pornographers' version is a tribute to Chilliwack's rendition. "Looking At A Baby" is a Collectors cover)
3) "Joseph" (previously unreleased, A.C. Newman original)
Here's the direct link to the EP on the iTunes Store.
Mission Of Burma - Live In Williamsburg, January 19
(they wrote this one in the van on the way to the gig)
Mission Of Burma will be playing Brooklyn's Music Hall Of Williamsburg on January 19.
For an early crack at tickets, here's the place.
Times New Viking - Upcoming Live Activity
(pic culled from J Van's flickr page)
Could there be any better methodology to generate crazed anticipation for Times New Viking's upcoming 3rd (2nd 1/2?) long-player, 'Rip It Off" (January 22, '08) than by a pair of East Coast gigs with one of the greatest bands of all (curse word) time? Perhaps a free gig at a beloved Brooklyn purveyor of sound recordings?
Fri, Nov 30th - Brooklyn - Academy Annex Record Shoppe
Sat, Dec 1st - NYC, NY - Cake Shop (with The Clean)
Sun, Dec 2nd - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's (with The Clean)
Time To Give Thanks For The Continued Career Of Uncle Floyd
Thought the eagle-eye of Chris Lombardi notes Floyd's tuesday evening residency at Colucci's in Haledon, NJ (take that, Feelies), be advised the great man will be appearing November 25 at Uncle Vinnie's in Point Pleasant for what is being billed as "AN ADULTS ONLY SHOW".
Little Steven, Savior Of Musical Integreation
"It’s considered inappropriate or even immoral for white musicians to appropriate African-American styles."
Here's a headline you might not see on the front of tomorrow's NY Times Arts & Leisure section :
"Timberlake Dropped : Appropriation of African-American Styles Said To Be Wildly Unpopular".
A Single Of Year Candidate? Maybe. Sleeve Of The Year? Mos Def
The Danny Bejar-tastic "Myriad Harbour" b/w the previously unreleaed A.C. Newman composition, "Fugue State" on our favorite format, 7" vinyl. Available now from the Matador Store for a mere $3.
Brother, Can You Spare $2500?
(the youthful SSD, doing their best to clean up Boston's Combat Zone)
from eBay (link courtesy Patrick) :
Yo La Tengo To Appear On "Saturday Night Live" Episode...That Will Not Be Televised
All things considered, a version of "SNL" that isn't on TV is still likely to have just as many viewers as any edition of "MSG, NY" that is actually broadcast. From the Hollywood Reporter :Two New York-based shows, "30 Rock" and "Saturday Night Live," will get one-time-only performances this weekend in Manhattan.
The casts of both shows will perform at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater on West 26th Street, with "Saturday Night Live" performing a show at 11:30 p.m. Saturday and "30 Rock" going on at 8 p.m. Monday. "Superbad" and "Arrested Development" star Michael Cera will be the guest host of "SNL," and the musical guest is Hoboken, N.J., alternative rockers Yo La Tengo.
"SNL" cast member Amy Poehler (above) said in a statement late Thursday that the theater is a "second home" to many of the performers and writers.
"We are doing this to raise spirits, raise awareness and raise money for our hardworking production crews who will be having a hard holiday season if this strike continues," Poehler said.