Out March 21

Cocteau Twins: Lullabies To Violaine--Singles and Extended Plays 1982-1996 (Box Set / Dbl CD digipak)

Line-up announced for Coachella Music and Arts Festival April 29-30, 2006 in Indio, California includes: Depeche Mode (Headliner April 29), Tool (Headliner April 30), Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Franz Ferdinand, Scissor Sisters, Coheed and Cambria, Bloc Party, Ladytron, Mogwai, Sigur Rós, stellastarr*, Cat Power, My Morning Jacket, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Devendra Banhart, The Walkmen, Deerhoof, TV on the Radio, Sleater-Kinney, Go! Team.

New Radiant Storm King: The Steady Hand (Darla)
release: February 14, 2006
rating: ***1/2

The album cover for the Steady Hand--some guy's brooding head with butterflies swarming around-- wasn't the most enticing way to get me interested in the latest from New Radiant Storm King. (Those albums covers are important yo!). But the fact that this release is a) on Darla and b) compared to a mix of Swervedriver, Teenage Fanclub and Wire, it's pretty much a no-brainer that I will have to listen to this, and most likely make a fresh discovery. The comparisons, which are usually not accurate, are right on this time. Oh, there is hella Swervedriver here, with the chugging noise-pop guitar riffs and the gliding vocals. In fact, the first track hints of this being an all-out shoegaze affair, with its MBV-style guitar-bending. After this Northampton, MA outfit is done with the noisey stuff on the first five tracks, they settle in for some indie rock that's anchored by acoustic guitar and friendly vocals. Later they rock out on "From A Roof" and "Hands and Eyes," the latter of which is especially ethereal. By then, I came up with a more contemporary and specific comparison: the songwriting skills of Deathcab for Cutie meets the sound-blasting of Amusement Parks on Fire. -Kenyon

advanced news: Tonite, January 27, The Hooters ("And We Danced," "Day by Day") join others in tribute to Cyndi Lauper on VH1 Classic's Decades Rock Live. Yes! the Hooters!...Stereolab will tour for like the 20th time in March, includes two dates in New York at Town Hall...Britt Daniel, front guy of Spoon, will be on UPN's Veronica Mars, Wednesday, February 1 performing karaoke. See Spoon's video for "Sister Jack," both the song and video have got a killer 90s indie rock vibe.

The Witnesses: Black Eyes and White Lies (Howler)
release: February 7, 2006
rating: ***

I haven't heard the latest Strokes record and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs next one isn't due for weeks. So here's a placeholder. The Witnesses are from Brooklyn. And they recorded in rural upstate New York in a barn. Sounds familiar. But hey, it's still rock 'n' roll to me. Plus, they toured with Mick Jones of the Clash. Werd. Black Eyes is street-smart, nitty gritty garage rock with almost an MC5 type of approach. And it's good enough that I can forgive them for spouting the line "I got rocks in my socks." -Kenyon

advanced news: Alice in Chains (without Layne Staley, which is lame) will be joining some other artists for a tribute to Heart on "Decades Rock Live" on VH1 Classic on March 10. Heart, who began in the 70s but had some rockin songs in the 80s like "These Dreams" and "Alone," had a large vocalist who still to this day wears black all the time because she's obviously insecure about her body as a result of our culture. You might remember that video where you can only see her head. Dave Navarro will also be there, because helping to further destroy INXS is not enough.

advanced news: Canadian band A Northern Chorus, whose 2005 release Bitter Hands Resign is in Kenyon's best of the year is playing March 10 at the Knitting Factory in NYC and playing some other dates with the totally atmospheric Sianspheric...Kenyon finally won Neon Maniacs on DVD via eBay....

Yeah Yeah Yeahs to release second record in March, dates in New York end of February.

it's just like surgery. notes from 2005.
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band i thought i wouldn't like but ended up liking: Royksopp, Outhud

records i wanted to spend more time with even though there was a lot of blog buzz: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Go! Team, Deathcab For Cutie, LCD soundsystem, Decemberists

records with blog buzz that i didn't care about: Antony and the Johnsons, M.I.A.

best singles: find your own.

best singles i heard from albums out in 2006: Cat Power, Goldfrapp

worst/biggest let downs of 2005
Adam Green: Gemstones (rough trade)
Daft Punk: Human After All (virgin)
VNV Nation: Matter Form (metropolis)
New Order: Waiting for the Sirens' Call (wb)
Raveonettes: Pretty in Black (Columbia)
Devendra Banhart: Cripple Crow (XL)

artist that few gave a shit about in 2005 but had a record out: the Darkness, t.a.t.u, Garbage, Billy Idol, Moby

worst choice of outfit on record cover and in video: Madonna

worst single: bon jovi: "have a nice day"

best band name: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

best concert moment: U2 using Arcade Fire "wake up" for intro music, and, after the show, actually finding people to sing "40" with me.

worst: people drinking beer and using cell phones during U2

band i most wanted to see live but didn't: Fischerspooner

most sick of and wish they would go away: Green Day

dumbest idea: attempting to replace michael hutchence on rock star: INXS.

best idea: ?

album from 2004 that i listened to the most in 2005: Killers

record i didn't "get"- Sufjan Stevens: illinoise

single that i made fun of the most- U2: "Sometimes You can't make it on your own"

scroll down for top records.