Polly Scattergood: s/t (Mute)
style: tragic indie songwriter pop
similar: Portishead, Dot Allison, Bright Eyes
[rating: ****] Scattergood was intent on having her vocals upfront in the mix for her debut album, so it's unavoidable to notice her tragic revealings of low self-esteem and heartbreakings. The young, British Scattergood therefore commands our attention. Some examples come with "Other Too Endless" and "Unforgiving Arms," both of which demonstrate serious potential. Though her voice gets a little peculiar in parts of "Poem Song," Scattergood's otherwise girlish whispery words stand strong among the piano, percussive electro beats and pillowy synth. Joy. -Kenyon

sent to destroy.
Combichrist at Crazy Donkey June 29, 2009
with Julien-K (ex-Orgy)


selections included: (not in order) - sent to destroy, electrohead, this is my rifle, this sh*t will f*ck you up, f*ck that sh*t, today i woke to the rain of blood, all pain is gone, what the f*ck is wrong with you?, shut up and swallow.


clicky on images to make bigger.

julien k

julien k

dear mike tramp, please get the REAL band back together and THEN play at the crazy donkey.

The Dodos
upcoming album + tour dates

The Dodos, who can quote me as saying they make "some of the most intriguing low-key post-Elephant 6 music this side of the equator," announced details for the next album and tour dates. See the interview with them on this blog from January 2008, when they were promoting the stellar Visiter album. Their third work, Time To Die, is due mid-September through Frenchkiss. The duo added a third member to play vibraphone, while allowing production skills from Phil Ek (Built to Spill, Fleet Foxes, The Shins). The Dodos will tour with the kaleidoscopic Ruby Suns. -Kenyon

Dodos live 2009.

9/26 - Henry Miller Library - Big Sur, CA
9/27 - El Rey Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
9/28 - Casbah - San Diego, CA
9/29 - Club Congress - Tucson, AZ
9/30 - Modified - Phoenix, AZ
10/2 - House of Blues, Pontiac Garage - Dallas, TX
10/3 - The Orange Show - Houston, TX
10/4 - Austin City Limits Festival - Austin, TX
10/6 - Club Downunder - Tallahassee, FL
10/7 - The Earl - Atlanta, GA
10/8 - Grey Eagle - Asheville, NC
10/9 - Rock and Roll Hotel - Washington DC
10/10 - Talking Head - Baltimore, MD
10/12 - First Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, PA
10/13 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY
10/14 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY
10/15 - Middle East Downstairs - Cambridge, MA
10/16 - La Sala Rossa - Montreal, QC
10/17 - Lee's Palace - Toronto, ON
10/19 - Bottom Lounge - Chicago, IL
10/20 - Turf Club - St. Paul, MN
10/22 - Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO
10/24 - Neurolux - Boise, ID
10/25 - Aladdin Theatre - Portland, OR
10/26 - The Biltmore Cabaret - Vancouver, BC

Annie and the Beekeepers
Squid Hell Sessions EP
release: May 12, 2009
style: country folk with no drums
similar: Gillian Welch, Tori Amos, Neko Case
[rating: ***1/2] The tragedy of disappearing bees inspired the name for this talented group, and hopefully they can tie in some awareness to a potential environmental danger. The Berklee College-bred group sings in pretty pastel colors while playing upright bass, cello, accordion and mandolin. The strangely titled EP--named after the studio where they recorded--includes the touching "Nobody" and the lilting "Pirate's Life." Lyrically, the songs address the confronting of suffering and getting through the pain. Everyone has problems, don't forget it. But if all those bees go away, we are all going to have serious problems up the ying-yang. -Kenyon

www.myspace.com/annielynch

Jeff Buckley
Grace Around the World DVD/CD
(Legacy/Columbia/Sony)
release: June 2, 2009
Blossoming into the limelight a couple years after Nirvana broken big, Jeff Buckley tragically disappeared from this world before most of us had email. The latter fact suggests one of the reasons as to why, according to the liner notes, it wasn't easy to collect a live recording of every song from the Grace album, as technology has changed. Buckley had an unmistakable, haunting vocal and guitar style that few, if any, have replicated. His songs never seemed to follow the conventional verse-chorus-verse, and when/if they did, his extended, spiritual cooing could throw you for a loop anyway. 15 years later after its initial release, given the example of Around the World, the compositions off Grace are naturally timeless, and there is no reason for them to ever become dated. Performances--let's not forget about his band, as it may as well been called the Jeff Buckley Band--were recorded in London, Frankfurt, Japan, New Orleans and New York. The DVD is interspersed with short interviews original aired on MuchMusic, in which he says he looks like crap all the time and offers deep philosophical insight on life and music. At the end of the extra features, however, he does make defensive remarks aimed at some French journalists. Included is every song from Grace except "Corpus Christi Carol," with the additions of an instrumental titled "Vancouver" and "What Will You Say." In whatever manner he was expressing himself, Buckley always appeared to be true to himself and his fans. In 1994 he said, "I only go out and play solo to make money to pay the phone bill and the rent." You could sorta tell that by his limited wardrobe, which only points to the fact that he cared more about substance than the latest fashion trends. -Kenyon

The Gossip: Music for Men (Music with a Twist/Columbia)
release: June 23, 2009 (digital)
style: rock 'n roll, post post-punk, dance-rock
similar: Peaches, Le Tigre, Erase Errata, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
[rating: ****] We don't need to get into a heated discussion about Beth Ditto's unabashed characteristics right now (i'm pro-Beth Ditto, in case you didn't figure that out). That's a debate we can check at the door. This is about Music for Men, where the Gossip has had its rough edges smoothed by producer Rick Rubin and its recording supporting by Sony Columbia, who probably saw dollar signs flashing when Ditto was on the cover of a popular celebrity tabloid. Regardless of that type of publicity, the Gossip was ready to take it to the next level and has done so by focusing more on adept songwriting and less on rawness. In fact, Ditto's vocals are a welcome improvement without compromising her attitude and sincerity. Although first single "Heavy Cross" could be a polished re-doing of "Standing in the Way of Control," there is much to like on this mostly dance-ready album which uses synth sparingly yet effectively. This includes "Love and Let Love" and "Four Letter Word," where Ditto offers the line "love is a four letter word that should never be heard." "Love Long Distance" features the drama of a long distance relationship carried by electric piano. Music is love-heavy, though don't count out the peppy punk of "Spare Me from the Mold" and "Pop Goes the World" (not the song by Men Without Hats), the latter of which calls for social action while still having fun. Listen up! -Kenyon