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

The Gossip * new video + audio * "Heavy Cross"

Damn, Beth is hot here. Album out June 22, 2009.

forever now.
Psychedelic Furs at Crazy Donkey June 7, 2009

so much better with the saxophone


set included (not in order)- goodbye, ghost in you, pretty in pink, heaven, heartbeat, i wanna sleep with you, mr. jones, dumb waiters. plus a bunch of songs i didn't know. did they play heartbreak beat? me don't remember.

didn't play- love my way, here comes cowboys, president gas, into you like a train, house, until she comes, sister europe.

tonite! + k3nyon DJing between bands, wooo!

-----------------------------------------

"Love My Way" vs "Ain't No Right"

The concert scheduling conflict for tonite is killing me softly. Psychedelic Furs at Crazy Donkey (with Tom C and Me DJing) vs Nine Inch Nails and Jane's Addiction at Jones Beach. Seems like a no-brainer on which for you to choose. But here i go to analyze. As we all know, shows always sound good in theory and on paper and on your computer screen. Especially the big festival ones. But that doesn't factor in the crowd, the weather (actually it's gonna be nice tonite) and if it's all really worth the money. Unfortunately when NIN played Jones Beach in 2006, the deadbeats in my section wanted to sit, including the guy behind me who had a shitfit cause i was standing. Even though like 90% of the entire crowd was standing. Psych Furs were on long island around 2001 and 2005. Both bands have recently played here, so that gets cancelled out.

The big draw is Jane's Addiction, who haven't toured in several years and are with original bassist Eric Avery, who i am pissed at cause he said he would never ever re-join (thanks a lot Trent Reznor for being the mediator). It's a sure thing there will be a large percentage of people at Jones Beach who are under, let's say 23, and there for NIN and who never ever listened to Jane's Addiction, or who only know one song (let's be safe and say it's "Jane Says"). This means trouble. Also, security at Jones Beach, last time i was there, doesn't allow regular point and shoot cameras AND guys must check any bags (in this case, my messenger bag). So F that. The price of tickets shouldn't be addressed. Obviously, the Jones Beach show is overpriced. But if you are the small percentage of people there who love both bands, then you can look at it as $30 (shitty mezzanine seat), $60, or $100 for two great bands.

Surely there are enough people who would rather see the Psych Furs who don't care that much about or are over NIN/Jane's Addiction. Anyone? We will see. Full report on Psych Furs tomorrow. Tonite i get to DJ with them, and given all the factors, it's where i'd much rather be. Choose your own adventure. -Kenyon

Pete Yorn.
New album + dates.

If i wanted to make fun of Pete Yorn, i would say, "Pete Yorn? More like Pete YAWN." But i am not making fun of him. I was down with Yorn when his first record was out in 2001, when he showed he was more interesting than John Mayer and a little less deep than Joseph Arthur. Now he's opening for Coldplay. Nothing is higher than that. Except for doing a collaborative album with Scarlett Johansson. That album was released digitally last week and physically in September. Now there is nothing left for him to do. Except headline his own tour! He'll be promoting his fourth album, the suggestively titled Back and Fourth, which comes out June 23. It includes "Don't Wanna Cry" and "Shotgun," both at his myspace. -Kenyon

July 09 San Diego CA - House of Blues
July 10 Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
July 11 Tucson, AZ -Rialto Theatre
July 13 Austin, TX -La Zona Rosa
July 14 Houston, TX - Meridian
July 16 Nashville, TN - Cannery Ballroom
July 17 Atlanta, GA - CW Center Stage
July 20 Washington, DC - 930 Club
July 21 Baltimore, MD - Ram's Head
July 25 Philadelphia, PA - XPN Radio Show - Wiggins Waterfront Park
July 26 Boston, MA - House of Blues
July 28 New York, NY - Webster Hall
July 29 New York, NY – Webster Hall
August 02 Pontiac, MI – Clutch Cargos
August 03 Chicago, IL - Park West
August 04 Chicago, IL - Park West
August 07 Kansas City, KS - Harrah's Voodoo Lounge
August 08 Council Bluffs, IA - Whiskey Roadhouse at Horseshoe Casino
August 09 St. Louis, MO - Pageant
August 12 Minneapolis MN Fine Line Music Cafe
August 13 Minneapolis MN Fine Line Music Cafe
August 15 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
August 16 Salt Lake City, UT - Murray Theater
August 21 Vancouver, BC - Venue
August 22 Portland. OR - Roseland Theater
August 24 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
August 27 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre
August 28 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre