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Wednesday, August 29, 2007

girl you know it's new.
Apples in Stereo --"Same Old Drag"

on tour through September!
underworld.
next record Oblivion with Bells, out October 16.

Septmeber - 7 San Francisco, CA The Warfield
September - 8 San Francisco, CA The Warfield
September - 9 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl
September - 11 Denver, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre
September - 14 New York, NY Central Park Summer Stage
September - 15 Boston, MA Bank of America Pavilion













underworld: going the way of massive attack and the prodigy by losing a member

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Mink: Mink (Spitfire)
release: August 28, 2007
style: power pop rock 'n roll
rating: *** Mink's home cooking new york city rock n roll features a singer that was a finalist on Rock Star: INXS (ugh! hated that whole show and concept). He got eliminated from the show early, but i think that opening for Kiss is more respectable than trying to fill the place of Michael Hutchence. Mink has already written tons of songs, enough for 5 records. Aren't you jealous? Here's a few. "Madame Chung" has some hooky hook, "Talk to Me" has a Strokes-like rhythm with the vocal and guitar strength of Cheap Trick. "Pressure Pressure" is almost too straightforward and conventional, but that happens few enough times to give this a thumbs up. "Will not Let You Down" is pure end-of-set rock ballad and one of a few songs that are cleaner and more harmonizing than say, comparable bands the Strokes or Mooney Suzuki. I bet this is a huge record for their label and publicist. -Kenyon Hopkin

Friday, August 24, 2007

LAME. the solution is to stop making records! der. xoxoxox.

North American Fall 2007 Cure shows re-scheduled for Spring

8/24/2007 5:58:28 AM - by CURE:ROBERT

With all apologies for any inconvenience or disappointment it may cause, we have made a decision to move the September/October 2007 North American Cure shows to April/May 2008. The schedule as it stands only gives us a couple of weeks to finish our new double album before we hit the road again, and we know this just isn’t enough time to complete the project to our total satisfaction. Although this last month’s tour of Australasia showed that a great Cure show is not dependent on a new Cure album, it has to be remembered that we hadn’t played Australia for 7 years, New Zealand for 15 years, Japan for 23 years(!), and Singapore or Hong Kong ever before – so the absence of ‘new’ songs in the set was not really much of an issue.
However, we want to remodel/rework the live show for North America, change things around, incorporate new songs… and we need time and focus to do this. So although we can agree it is a great shame to move these dates – believe us we have been looking forward to them more than anyone! – and know there will be a lot of disappointed people out there, we honestly feel that in the bigger picture we are making the right decision. All tickets held for all 2007 North American Cure shows will be valid for the re-scheduled 2008 shows, and of course anyone who seeks a refund will be able to get one.All validity/refund/rescheduling details will be announced as soon as we have them.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007


Donnas get Bitchin'; kick off tour mid-September
four new songs on myspacey, record officially drops September 18, 2007
kenyon attempts to write typical headline and sub-headline

the donnas are like the Sloan of girl hard rock. it's like, they just *had a record out. so prolific, how can you not be jealous. this party hard rockin hard rock phase of theirs isn't even funny. look at that album cover for Bitchin'. i mean COME ON. motley crue and dokken all the way. this is the first time, however, that the members are not pictured on the cover. that's cool cause otherwise it can get absurdly self-significant. the guitar riffs on the four songs up are extra metal thick and the members look the part. you have to admire their ability to plow through all these styles of rock n roll even if they've all been done before to death. they've parted ways with that major label Atlantic and started their own label. werd, major labels. who needs them!? yea. them and plastic bags and most of the current sitcoms on television.
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The Chemical Brothers. block rockin beats baby.

Sept 21 New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom
Sept 22 Brooklyn, NY McCarren Pool
Sept 24 Chicago, IL Riviera
Sept 26 Denver, CO The Fillmore
Sept 28 San Francisco, CA The Concourse
Sept 29 Los Angeles, CA Nocturnal
Longwave. at the Crazy Donkey, Farmingdale, Long Island. September 12. with Dearly Departed. $10 advance, all ages.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Rilo Kiley . entire new record is on their myspacey. i've got nothing to say about them otherwise.

stellastarr. two new unreleased demos at their myspacey this week only. "warchild" is hot hot hot. playing new york this thursday at highline ballroom.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

classic vintage video. Menudo- "Hold Me" (1984?) an instant extremely guilty pleasure, regardless of ricky martin.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

the VERVE

Friday 2nd Nov: Glasgow Academy (SOLD OUT)
Saturday 3rd Nov: Glasgow Academy (SOLD OUT)
Monday 5th Nov: Blackpool Empress Ballroom (SOLD OUT)
Tuesday 6th Nov: Blackpool Empress Ballroom (SOLD OUT)
Thursday 8th Nov: London Roundhouse (SOLD OUT)
Friday 9th Nov: London Roundhouse (SOLD OUT)
The Newspapers. portland, OR. their t-shirt makes no sense. they're called newspapers and yet on the t-shirt is a motorcycle. gentle fragile sometimes, rocking out other times, always loaded with harmonies. sorta weird looking dudes. sweet name for a band. a bunch of stars or something for the rating. yea i'd play on radio show.
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v/a: SXSW Live 2007 DVD
(Shout Factory)
release: August 21, 2007
interviews and live clips from The Bravery, Polyphonic Spree, etc! check it and see what you missed and be jealous. examples---!
The Bravery - Peter Bjorn & John - Ozomatli - Polyphonic Spree
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i hate the fray but i love clicking on the wires under the table
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The Last Town Chorus. brooklyn. opening for Camera Obscura. lap steel meets Cat Power. splendid. melting cover of "Modern Love" doesn't hurt.
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girl you know it's new VID-E-O via linkies.
Ben Jelen- "Pulse". fabulous epic anthemic song with a video raising awareness + raising hell. warning: scenes of graphic environmental disaster. that's what happens, man. that's what happens.

Quicktime-
http://interface.audiovideoweb.com/lnk/va92quick35089/pulse_final_DVNTSC_high.mov/play.qtl (high)

http://interface.audiovideoweb.com/lnk/va92quick35089/pulse_final_DVNTSC_med.mov/play.qtl (medium)
Windows Media-
http://interface.audiovideoweb.com/lnk/il83win10117/pulse_final_Sorenson_768K_Stream.wmv/p lay.asx (high)
http://interface.audiovideoweb.com/lnk/il83win10117/pulse_final_Sorenson_512K_Stream.wmv/p lay.asx
(medium)

Friday, August 10, 2007


Oreskaband: Oreskaband (Terry Dollar)
release: August 7, 2007
style: bursting with joy ska-rock
similar: Aquabats, Reel Big Fish, Mighty Mighty Bosstones
rating: ***1/2
They're playing Warped tour, signed to Sony Music Japan and if you didn't already figure out by the band name, this young six-piece all-girl band is mother-f-ing-SKA-pumped high energy rock. I don't know what the deal is with ska in Japan right now but if you try real hard to forget that ska hasn't been popular in the states for like 10 years now, Oreskaband is hella fun. On the record you can hear they are having outrageous fun so one can only imagine what they are like live. I'm going to youtube now to find out. -Kenyon

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Benzos: Branches (Stinky)
release: August 7, 2007
style: serious rock with some programming, synth
similar: Muse, Deas Vail
rating: ***
Branches is a perplexing record. (yes! i always wanted to say a record was perplexing! YES! that was better than Hank Aaron's words of congratulations to Barry Bonds). The debut from Benzos (short for benzodiazepines, a class of anti-anxiety medications) was more or less a spawn of Radiohead and Travis due to the lilting vocals, etc. This album, for a while at least, seems to be headed in the same, emotional semi-epic rock direction. Until the midway point. The second half is more interesting and consuming. Aside from the last track, this is apparently where the band is now channeling their early influences from rave culture, hip hop and drum n bass. Nonetheless, on both halves the band's heart is in these songs. Dude, i told you this sh*t was perplexing. What they gotta do is bring it to the next level. So bring it! -Kenyon

Thursday, August 02, 2007

wowzer, lollapaschmooza has come a long way. it's loaded up the gazoo with like every hip band of the moment. and pearl jam. oh snap! no i didn't! i'm just joking with you, pearl jam is still cool. seriously though look at the schedule, it's off the hook. of course interpol, my morning jacket and yeah yeah yeahs are playing. of course!
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and who could forget this spectacular show/fiasco in 2003 that went down the tubes. we long islanders shall never forget.>>>>