WWE Royal Rumble at Madison Square Garden January 27, 2008.
surprise appearances: John Cena, Mick Foley, Roddy Piper, Jimmy Snuka.

clicky on photos to see bigger.


fireworks.


"nature boy" Ric Flair still not retiring.


Chris Jericho getting revenge on JBL.


Edge about to retain his championship against Rey Mysterio.


Jeff Hardy down after getting RKO'd by Orton.


Undertaker and HBK starting the rumble match.


John Cena, last man to enter the Rumble, shocking Batista, Triple H and everyone else.


John Schmena wins the royal rumble match.

The Shapes [New York, New York] - Jagged garage pop akin to Be Your Own Pet and Art Brut, the Shapes' tight 3 to 4-minute blasts of fresh rock n' roll have earned the band opening spots with the Bravery and Jill from Lucious Jackson at NY venues such as Mercury Lounge, Knitting Factory and Southpaw. "I wanna watch you like a television" is one of several smarty lines from "Dreaming of an M16," which is one of many examples of the Shapes' dueling guy/girl vocals. The spot-on continous harmonies, monster bass lines and high energy keep this dance-rock party going. [rating: ***1/2]

www.myspace.com/theshapesband
--------------------------------------------------

The Metapuffs- [Chicago] - "Hey there you girl/why don't you do more to please your man. you know it girl/i wanted to quit ya/but i can't..no i can't." You can't make this stuff up. These Metapuffs are not convincing. In fact it's irritating. Like an extremely horrible version of Sonic Youth. i do believe the Metapuffs are stuck in a low-budget 1980s movie. Don't try so hard people, this doesn't sound natural. "Either blessed or cursed with the inability to not write songs" they say in the bio (choose your own response). Did you see/hear Stewie in Family Guy singing "Lost in Your Eyes" by Debbie Gibson? That's what this is like. But worse. "Retro-futro" my Native American ass. i'm 1/4 native american, you have no idea what my people have been through. [rating: *] -Kenyon

classic vintage video.
Simply Red- "Holding Back the Years" (1985)

Say Hi: The Wishes and the Glitch (Euphobia)
release: February 5, 2008
style: indie rock, indie electronic
[rating: ***1/2] The fifth record from Eric Elbogen's Say Hi (previously Say Hi to Your Mom) is the most serious and reflective rock he's made. I'm not just saying that to be cliche. The Wishes was a result of a relocation from Brooklyn to Seattle and that's obvious with opener "Northwestern Girls." THe Wishes is mad serious and heartfelt and dare i say dark. Overall a maturing in Elbogen's songwriting and recording while widening the scope of Say Hi's ability. -Kenyon

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

The Billie Burke Estate: Let Your Heart Break (self-release)
release: January 15, 2008
style: singer-songwriter disguised as band
[rating: **1/2] Andy Liotta, who is responsible for everything but drums on Let Your Heart Break, has history from back in the day playing in unknown bands that opened for very well known bands: Green Day (!), Primus (!) and Counting Crows (eh). His second album under the BBE name is story-telling ("99 liberty lane"), positive with the misleading titled "Everybody's gonna die" and corny "perky muscle girl." A comparison to Ben Folds no doubt is in play due to Liotta's vocals and piano. you know what though? with all the multi-tracking and few instrumental breaks, i am convinced that he loves to hear his own voice. -Kenyon

Family Lumber [Long Island/Brooklyn] - main person Mike Tietjen's recordings include a contribution from Mark Pirro of the Polyphonic Spree. Now i'm mad jealous. i HEART the P-Spree. the unplugged indie rock of lumber resides in layers of acoustic guitar that can trace its footsteps from hayden to folk implosion to kevin devine. -Kenyon

into the future->>>

Colour Revolt [Mississippi] - Scruffy Southern noise-rock, offset only by the gentle and deep-thinking "Mattresses Underwater." "Blood in Your Mouth" features the best use of harmonica in a rock song so far this year. A big shock that they've been under the radar, considering they've toured with Dinosaur Jr., Brand New (!?), Black Lips and Explosions In the Sky. Plunder, Beg and Curse out April 1, 2008 on Fat Possum.
--------------------------------

Dirty on Purpose [Brooklyn] - video for new song "Audience in the Room" HERE. From the Like Bees EP out January 15 on North Street records.
-------------------------------------------------

Foxy Shazam [Cincinnati, Ohio] - A unique band with unique facial hair, their over-the-top masquerading rock is like Faith no More going fast forward. Video for "A Dangerous Man" HERE. From "Introducing" out January 22 on New Weathermen/Ferret. -Kenyon

Graveyard: s/t (Tee Pee)
release: February 19, 2008
style: psychedelic stoner blues rock
[rating: ****] Not since the '70s has '70s psychedelic stoner rock been this real. Forming not even a couple years ago, the Swedish Graveyard already has perfected its formula via monster riffage reminiscent of Black Sabbath, gruffy vocals and appropriate titles such as "Submarine Blues" and "Evil Ways" (not to be confused with any other "Evil Ways.") They got long hair too. "Blue Soul" is a 6-minute self-examining narative driven by overcast lines including "you ain't worth much when your blood is cold." Later on in the band's debut is the statement "living and dying is easy as time fades away/The people of tomorrow are the children of today/It can't be denied." Damn, these guys are cool. -Kenyon

classic vintage video.
Material Issue- "Valerie Loves Me" (1991)

loops, OMD and African drumming.
this is the way of the Dodos.

by Kenyon Hopkin

Following a tour in 2007 with labelmates Les Savy Fav, San Francisco duo the Dodos--named for the poor extinct flightless bird--are getting ready to support their second record, "Visiter" [sic], out March 18, 2008 through Frenchkiss. Originally a solo venture for Meric Long (who went under the name Dodobird) the Dodos harbor some of the most intriguing low-key post-Elephant 6 music this side of the equator. Long added Logan Kroeber for percussion so he wouldn't get lonely on tour and not have to play all the instruments. Dodos forever. [Kenyon knows how to write a feature story but doesn't have that kind of time. So the ever-popular Q & A it is.]

AC: OMD? Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark? You only have OMD listed as an influence on your profile? why? If that is true, that rules. You love them?
Meric: They're kinda my favorite band of all time, though I wouldn't say they were the only influence, just the first and longest. Seemed easier to uh.....streamline, ya know?

AC: You're into West African Ewe drumming. Tell me about that please! And then country blues. You've sewn it together so well. How are you doing that?
Meric: In school I had this grandiose idea to try and write a paper on the history of popular music, starting with its origins in West African drumming. So I went and began studying with this Ewe drum master from Cal Arts in Ventura. It was easily the most difficult music I'd ever played or tried to understand and it totally restructured the way my brain heard rhythm. At the same time I was playing in a Balinese Gamelan ensemble and I was getting turned on to country blues fingerpicking through a friend from Charlottesville, Virginia. The paper ended up sucking, but I had my mind blown by all of the similarities and influences between these various types of music I was getting into.

AC: So you were solo for a while. When and why did you decide to add another guy?
Meric: Well the other guy's name is Logan, and we started playing together in February of 2006. I always wanted to have another bandmate being that it's not much fun touring by yourself. I never intended to do the solo thing, but I wasn't really motivated to go try and find the right people to put together a band so I figured if I played out enough maybe the right person will come to me.

AC: Why the name Dodos? Was that the only animal not taken yet?
Meric: ha. yes, that is why.

AC: How'd you hook up with Frenchkiss?
Meric: Syd Butler babynapped us at the Mercury Lounge in New York and made an offer.

AC: How do you guys make a full sound live with two people? You have other people on stage or you use loops?
Meric: I loop my vocals sometimes, use a lot of open chords, make sure the drums are boomin.

AC: You recorded the drums and guitar live at the same time and it sounds great. How are you doing that?
Meric: We wanted the record to sound live, so we recorded the drums and guitar at the same time but in two seperate rooms so we could still isolate the sound of each instrument and capture as much naturally as we possible could. There were small windows in each room so we could still see each other. I had this triangular line sight between me, Logan and John our engineer so that I could communicate to both of them in separate rooms, but only if I kept my head in one position and opened my eyes real wide. Type Foundry in Portland where we recorded has these amazing rooms that sound alive and really verby. There's no carpet so the sound just bounces away and there's a lot space to fill, which I think helps each instrument sound big and full.

AC: You have sweet gigs lined up- Union Pool in Brooklyn, Noise Pop, SXSW and Coachella-- are you f-ing psyched?!
Meric: We are f-ing psyched. I'm really excited for SXSW, it was our first time last year and I feel like I'll be better prepared this time to navigate through the craziness. For Coachella we're becoming a subsidiary of Akron/Family, so it's not a Dodos show. But it'll be super fun.

further reading:
http://www.dodosmusic.net/
www.myspace.com/mericlong
http://www.frenchkissrecords.com/

short reviews

Olympic Lifts [Ireland] - Oh man i miss this carefree spirit. Thank you Olympic Lifts for doing the Pop Will Eat Itself/Carter USM/Stereo MCs early '90s thing. I count on the Lifts to be a good time live. Check the line-up: Bigshow (electric guitar/keys), Boma (MC/percussion), Pylon (MC), Icerink (bass) and Rock Suitcase (beats). Werd.
-------------------------------------------------

Westside Daredevils - [Tennessee] - The colorful "Darling Currency" has the jangle of the Lemonheads and Teenage Fanclub and sure enough the Fanclub is one of this band's influences. Goody! Westside was formed "with the ambition of postponing adulthood indefinitely." THANK YOU, stay young.
http://www.westsidedaredevils.com
-------------------------------------
Lawrence Blatt [San Francisco] - Once in a while it's nice to hear acoustic guitar picking rooted in classical theory. Blatt's guitars are custom made with specific materials and taking months to finish. To the classically trained ear it's a unique tone. To ears that listen to guitar-drenched feedback it's a completely different way of life.
http://www.lawrenceblatt.com
--------------------
Daphne Darling [Toronto] - polished teen-pop ala Kelly Clarkson. Darling loves "Tenderness" by General Public and so do i. Potential guilty pleasure here. bop.
http://www.myspace.com/daphnedarling
-------------------
This Door to Remain Closed During Work Hours [Alaska] - instrumental post-rock not intense enough to be compared to, say, explosions in the sky. the metal riffs come in unneccesarily without warning and then a brief vocal stream comes in which negates the buildup and intensity. the fact that it's from alaska saves door to remain from being called too self-involved. alaska is cool, please stop the ice from melting. http://www.thesedoors.com

Robyn [Sweden] - not to be confused with any other artist named Robyn, as there are a bunch. this Robyn traverses pop, teenie-pop, hip-hop, electronic dance. look at her haircut, so my style back in the day. if i was 18 i would have such a crush on this girl. EP out January 29, 2008. at Highline Ballroom in New York February 5. -Kenyon

-----

Christopher Barnes [Boston] - The delicate, enchanting vocals of Barnes is what makes these pieces gold coins. Using only low-key piano and hushed vocals, you better not be talking or playing with your cell phone at his shows. There will be hell to pay. Possible blood shed. Although mainly piano, "Closing" has a very light synthetic percussion, while vocals (enhanced by female back-up) will stand the test of time. Too lilting for its own good. -Kenyon

----
the five-day Tomorrow Never Knows is going down in Chicago January 16-January 20 and includes John Vanderslice, Bobby Conn, The Walkmen, White Rabbits. tickets at Schubas.com.

classic vintage video.
Roger Daltrey- "Free Me" (1980)

glogster

glogster's tag line is "poster yourself". one part blog, one part friendster, one part photoshop. a social network site for kids to make a screen with images, videos, etc. very easy to use. i'm not sure what to do with this aside from using it as a background on myspace. here's a quick one i made. they're giving away ipods for the people with the most "points". i guess i get points for this post?

into >> the >> future.
Moby's next record due in March 2008. Sample tracks at his official website.

Moby's thoughts: "it's a lot more dance oriented and electronic than my last few albums, probably as a result of all of the dj'ing i've been doing lately........Last Night is basically a love letter to dance music in New York City. What i love about the New York approach to dance music is the eclecticism and the open minded-ness on the part of the musicians, the dj's, and the people in the bars and clubs. In making Last Night i essentially tried to take a long 8 hour night out in New York City and condense it into a 65 minute long album."

The Vandelles: s/t EP (Safranin Sound)
release: October 16, 2007
style: "Kill Surf City"
similar: Jesus and Mary Chain, Raveonettes, A Place to Bury Strangers, Singapore Sling
[rating: **1/2] Not to be confused with the Vandals, the Vandelles are two girls and two boys from NYC. While the girl vocals are underused, the boy vocals seem forcefully low and whispery in the mix, very calculated along with everything else, which is a complete rip from Jesus and Mary Chain's Beach Boys surf meets distortion drenched feedback rock n roll. But as it turns out, Vandelles, you're lucky, cause i'm a sucker for this sh*t and you'll get air time on my radio show. Still, it's quite mild as far as noise-rock goes, lacking stand-out melody and harmony of the Raveonttes and dangerousness of JAMC. Maybe the Vandelles will take it to the next level like the Raveonettes did with Chain Gang of Love. The hidden squal at the end is a killer backwards track that twists noise-pop like a tornado. -Kenyon
---------------------------------------------------

Condor Moments: ...And Though We're Told We've Got it All, the All We've Got is Freezing Cold... (What Delicate recordings)
release: October 2, 2007
style: confusion
rating: **
Condor Moments are a lounge version of Frank Zappa. In this version the band goes from [insert genre] to [insert genre] within an individual song. A few segments take a baby step towards serious symphonic songwriting until Condor Moments move on to something else. And about that song title "Liquorice Fish Dish." You're killing me, guys. -Kenyon

thanks for the add. now i will go clutter your comments. suckerrrr.

Michael Marton- [Canada] - In his press bio, Marton says he got a letter from Island records in response to his demo asking for more music. Listen, you don't need them. Just look at Radiohead! This Canadian is sporadically a pop-rock version of Johnny Cash, notably when his voice goes baritone. The gruff vocals for "I Won't Go" aren't working and don't even sound like the same person. Stop, you're killing me. Stick with the Johnny Cash, okay? There's a quote on his bio: "once you put it in your CD player, it'll be hard to take it out." Kenyon ain't gonna be played for a fool by cliche reviews. I took it out. -Kenyon

ATOMICTOM [brooklyn] - Atomic Tom is ready to take it to the next level. The list of influences don't add up to their streamlined rock (stuff like BRMC, Cardigans, Goldfrapp, M83, tatu, Pinback), but it's clearly professional and confident enough to open for Editors or Under the Influence of Giants. -Kenyon

Matt Gangi [brooklyn/LA] - On his myspace page, it reads he's from Los Angeles, in his EPK it reads Brooklyn. Don't screw with me Gangi. Gangi is "often associated with the New Weird America movement." Okay...this is news to *me. I'll tell you what this is for real: psych-folk possessing non-annoying falsetto vocals and delicate instrumentation. "Subject Positions" is number one, almost too good to be an original and practically re-inventing early Bob Dylan and Rolling Stones. Wow that was a bold quote for you to use, Matt Gangi. You're welcome. -Kenyon

classic vintage video
Night Ranger- "When You Close Your Eyes" (1983)
that chimp represents something.

The Classic Brown: Down with Fun
(self-release)
release: fall 2007
style: indie rock, indie pop
similar: Juliana Hatfield, Spinanes, Feist, Frente
[rating: ***] Me like the band name. Band name is good. Record title is a favorite too. Canadian Stacey Brown leads this band currently consisting of people from New Jersey band Up Up Down Down Left Right... Me wonder how that works, i will ask Brownie. People are going to compare Brown's voice to other current indie rock "darlings" like Rilo Kiley or Stars or Feist. That works, and so does a comparison to mid-90s indie rock band on major label. Following a mix of mature indie rock and inviting indie pop, me especially like the timid closing song "Americana." -Kenyon

The Motion Sick
The Truth Will Catch You, Just Wait... (Naked Ear)
unusual release date of January 1, 2008
style: rock, pop/rock
rating: [**1/2] Boston-living, Kurt Vonnegut-inspired The Motion Sick cover "Love Will Tear Us Apart." Whoa hold up. If you're gonna do Joy Division, it better be good. The Motion Sick is not a band you'd expect to be doing this either. They do an okay job. At least they aren't trying to replicate it (i'm hardcore Joy Division, you know it). As for the originals, the band is pretty much rock light. There are exceptions though: 1950s-style innocence rock and the potato-tossing "Walk on Water" with the awesome line "i can walk on water as long as it's frozen." "The Owls are not What They Seem" contains their rock edge side, which has an example of a Weezer-like chorus. The final track is an enjoyable dance mix out of leftfield which puts the Motion Sick in a whole other place. -Kenyon

rock n rolllll [guitar riff] never looked so beautiful.
Semi Precious Weapons last night at Galapagos Brooklyn [main room] plus k3nyon DJing!

autodrone was originally the only band on the bill i cared to see, based alone on songs posted on webby. ironically enough, autodrone was unavailable and Brooklyn's Semi Precious Weapons ended up setting the night on fire with late '70s punk rock n roll breaking the law with Diamond Nights, a glammed-up Ima Robot and a hard rocking Placebo. photos are mine from last nite but my camera battery power was lost (mainly on me stupidly taking photos of myself with flash), so the video is from another SPW gig (recorded by user wwwhatsup at youtube). the band was f-ing great, the only thing is that it's unclear whether the singer is completely serious or putting on an act. maybe a little of both? you decide. either way i'd be surprised if they aren't headlining venues the size of Bowery Ballroom or bigger within the year. -k3nyon

and because they're my favorite new band of the week-

classic vintage video.
Eddie Murphy with Rick James- "Party All the Time" (1985)


if i was there i would be high 5ing all those dudes. the comments on youtube are some of the funniest ever. on wikipedia it's categorized as "synthpop." wow.

clairecord reviews

Ifwhen: We Will Gently Destroy You (Clairecords)
release: November 6, 2007
style: experimental post-shoegaze
similar: Glifted, all natural lemon and lime flavors, Melt Banana
[rating: ****] In his previous band, All Natural Lemon and Lime Flavors, vocalist + guitarist + programmer Merc helped assemble some of the best hypnotic noise since Loveless. Ifwhen, which also includes bassist Kentaro and keyboardist Mary MacDowell, now has the ball in their court. While there are definite reminders of All Natural Lemon's sound effects and androgynous vocals, Ifwhen is even more adventurous and mind-bending. "Escape Method," for example, features warped soundage and extra airy vocals. As a matter of fact, all the other tracks are like that too. Trippy. -Kenyon
-----------------------------------------------------------

The Brother Kite: Moonlit Race EP (Clairecords)
release: November 6, 2007
style: indie rock, indie pop, dreamy pop
similar: the Delays, Band of Horses, Pet Sounds
[rating: ***] Another solid, harmony and reverb-rich Christmas present from one of Clairecords' top artists. The end. -Kenyon
---------------------------------------------------------
Electro Group: Good Technology (Clairecords)
release: September 2007
style: jangle dream pop
similar: Pale Saints, other bands on Clairecords
[rating: ***] Arriving an astonishing 6 years after the first LP (seven-inches and other things were in between), Electro Group's Good Technology can confidently air on a hip, new music college radio show and no matter what track is selected there's no worries. This is very non-confrontational, child-like swirling dream pop in basic form. The vocals are extra low and soft in the mix while the guitars have hints of Swervedriver. Using candy to rate, this is a peanut butter twix bar. Twix is pretty high up cause it's got cookie. -Kenyon

k3nyon DJing at galapagos art space in brooklyn this saturday december 8!

thank you god for youtube.

this is how a piano can save the day.

Notorious MSG, Baby Elephant

The Notorious MSG: Lunch Money EP (Cordless)
release: October 9, 2007
style: comedy gangster hip-hop
[rating: **1/2] Three "original Chinatown Bad Boys," the Notorious MSG has got more rhymes that poke fun at Chinatown, hip-hop and street life than Picasso's got paint. I could give you a couple of lyrical examples from this unique act, but this is something you have to hear for yourself to believe. Especially a corny love song called "Dim Sum Girl." -Kenyon

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

Baby Elephant: Turn My Teeth Up! (Godforsaken)
release: September 11, 2007
style: a mess of hip-hoppy funk
[rating: *] Prince Paul (Handsome Boy Modeling School, etc) teams with P-funk veteran keyboardist/moogist Bernie Worrell and a variety of guest vocalists for what should have been a genius record. Instead this is scraps from what it should have been. It was good to hear Shock G of Digital Underground, though he can't do much with the little he is given. Yellowman does little more than make a reggae verision of Baby Elephant. Of course George Clinton makes an obligatory appearance, but it was irritating enough to turn it off and bury it forever. The cut with Nona Hendryx is a chill r&b/soul joint. yea....JOINT! Other than that there's nothing worth recommending. And how David Byrne got mixed up in this is another conundrum altogether. -Kenyon

Kevin DuBrow of Quiet Riot found dead.


Quiet Riot circa 1983. if you know which one is DuBrow, you rock.

Le Concorde: Suite EP
(Le Grand Magistery/Fourchette)
release: November 6, 2007
style: beepy bop indie pop
similar: The Go Find, My Favorite
rating: ****
OMG, lol, i heart Le Concorde. I need to text message all my friends now. The Suite EP is a lollipop of Daft Punk, Jackson 5 and the Postal Service (oddly enough, main guy Stephen Becker, Ph.D (!) was in a band called Post Office). Smart philosophical doctor lyrics such as "I don't want to break you like a promise" sweeten songs that followed Becker's divorce and addiction to literature. A dreamy pin-up artist for the indie pop generation. Heart. -Kenyon
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Tiger! Tiger! : The Kind of Goodnight (Chicken Ranch)
release: October 2, 2007
style: dark indie garage rock
similar: the Animals' "House of the Rising Sun" but with a girl singing
rating: *1/2 Fronted by raspy vocaled-Buffi Aguero (also drummer of the Subsonics), Atlanta's Tiger! Tiger! rubs the face of indie pop in garage rock that has an attitude. The Western guitar style runs through Kind of Goodnight like a rat that Aguero is trying to kill. I can say something like that because the lyrical matter is comprised of torn relationship experiences. The band is more comfortable when they let loose (the song with the guy singing) and relax with down to earth indie pop (the short "Sometimes"). The remainder of Kind of Goodnight is killing my rock 'n roll with dull knives and whiny vocals. -Kenyon
--------------------------------------------------------------------

White Shoes & the Couples Company: s/t (Minty Fresh)
release: October 2007
style: orchestral Asian pop for vintage French films
rating: *** So much of the nicest indie pop is coming from other countries/continents these days. Germany, France and..Indonesia! yea! go go White Shoes & Co.! The six-piece group achieves sophisticated tweeness on its debut. Tender violins and guitar jangles meet with quiet boy-girl vocals for non-alcoholic mixed drinks. The vocals could be made prettier and stronger though. I dare you to not want to make sweet love to this band. Double dare! -Kenyon

1000 Corpses: lame. 1000 Muppets: Genius.

new Raveonettes

new noise from the Raveonettes, suckerrrrrrrs. "Aly Walk With Me". album Lust Lust Lust releasing on Vice in U.S.A, February 19, 2008. out now in the UK. uh oh, spaghetti o.

The Satelliters: Where Do We Go? (Dionysus)
release: September 11, 2007
style: old school psych-garage rock
rating: **** Funny, they don't *sound* German. More like American or British, specifically bringing to mind The Byrds baking a cake with the Kinks. And the cake has some sweet fillings. And sprinkles! This is genuine garage rock that you won't believe wasn't recorded 40 years ago. These Satelliters are defying all logic. -Kenyon

Hell on Heels: Dogs, Records & Wine
(Dionysus) release: October 23, 2007
style: '60s garage jumping on the couch with bratty girl pop-punk
rating: **1/2
Awesome name for an all-girl band with a Hammond organ. There may already be enough girl rock bands singing about the same things, but not enough with the organ. The quartet makes sure they fit the part of rebellious youth from the late 50s/early 60s with perfect red lipstick, scarves around the neck and styled haircuts. The girls practice some tough love--"Through With You" and "Pretty Mess" for example. For "Can't Buy Cool" they toss in another obligatory inspiration, early girl vocal groups. The cover of "I'll Come Runnin'" has a country-honky tonk-punk walk, but you know what, Hell on Wheels needs to get REALLY angry about stuff. They need to get infuriated with the world and bleed passion. Otherwise the Donnas and Runaways are gonna kick their ass. -Kenyon
----------------------------------

this week advance copy is featured at BreakTruRadio!

enough said.

and now the opposite of mbv. surf dudes with attitudes...

Lycia: Cold (re-issue Silber)
release: September 25, 2007
style: ultra ambient slow goth
similar: Black Tape for a Blue Girl, Mira
rating: ***1/2 Longtime pioneers of ethereal goth/darkwave and a favorite of Silber since before the label even started, the remastered Cold is essential, solitude headphone listening for the corresponding climate. "Bare," "Colder," and "December" and every other track have well-placed electronic drums, gothy male/female vocals that float around and guitars out of the darkest Cocteau Twins songs. As far as this type of music goes, it's as fresh and moody as it was when first released a decade ago. -Kenyon

Electric Bird Noise
fragile hearts...fragile minds (no more stars/Silber)
release: somewhere in 2007
style: experimentalness
rating: *** Comprised of eerie, haunting minimalism, this is one of the most original, non-conforming releases of the year. Electric Bird Noise, begun by Brian McKenzie a decade ago, reaches into the most distant forms of sound made by guitar, piano and percussion. The second half of fragile hearts is a 26-minute extremely ambient reverbed piece that the History or Discovery Channel should use for documentaries about the bottom of the ocean or the origin of the solar system. -Kenyon
-----------------------------------------------

Angie Heaton & the Gentle Tamers
The Rumor Mill (Spur/Parasol)
release: October 2, 2007
style: indie country rock
similar: Neko Case, Jenny Watson, Johnny Cash
rating: ** The sleepy calm voice on Angie Heaton's fourth album--this one with the Gentle Tamers--is too sleepy for me and i can't handle it. Does not compute. The pedal steel and those other country instrument staples are upstaging her. The more uptempo songs work hella better, such as "Train," which is livelier and chugga chugga choo choo. -Kenyon

kenyon is on radio today. 2:30-5pm EST. listen online.

thanks for the add. now i go clutter your comments.

Filewile [Switzerland] - this sh*t is bananas like Justin Timberlake chillin with the Streets. my spoon isn't big enough for this. -Kenyon

The Meddling Kids [upstate New York] - This power-pop-punk band, which must have took their name from Scooby Doo, kicks out the jams with equal pleasures of Green Day, Weezer and 80s pop metal. Their cover of Rick Springfield's overlooked "I've Done Everything For You" (which is on a Springfield tribute album comp, no less) won me over. -Kenyon

Michael Greenberg [Boston] "Michael first picked up the guitar at the age of three and hasn't stopped strumming since. As a boy, he could be found standing on the coffee table or on the beach, mastering every possible classic song......" blah blah, blah! The line-up is listed as Greenberg on acoustic guitar and another guy on drums. But make no mistake about it, this is NOT the White Stripes. The best song heard from Greenberg is the lilting, lovely "Sailing." It's not on his myspace page, so go figure. But there is a song on there that uses the sound of chewing crackers for rhythm. -Kenyon

classic vintage video.
Midnight Oil- "Dreamworld" (1988) people heard Midnight Oil, but not enough listened.

thanks for the add. now i will go clutter your comments.

The Whiles - Joe and Matt Peppercorn lead this Columbio, Ohio band. i seriously doubt that Peppercorn is their real last name. i mean come on. Peppercorn? It's so obvious they made it up just for the band. They should have just called the band the Peppercorns. For serious now, the Whiles are pleasant heartaching folk-country-rock. Here's a press quote for you Whiles: These guys should be opening for Wilco. You like that? Good. -Kenyon

Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele- this guy from Mississippi said he was in vein to the smiths and magnetic fields, et al. i said, "i'll be the judge of that." it's not like those two artists but i can hear a little of them--the ukulele and the sorta romantic baritone vocals--in Dent May's sophisticated low-key first half of the 20th century cultured folky pop. -Kenyon

The Hectors- Nah this doesn't have an infusion of shoegaze like another critic said. Do not mess with me when discussing shoegazing. Only when the Hectors get the vocals buried and airy and add more effects to the guitar will they have any "infusion" of that at all. The female fronted band has more in common with mid-90s bands Jale and Sleeper. But where are the hooks? I can't find them. Help! ok i go sleep now. -Kenyon

Control
directed by Anton Corbijn
limited U.S release October 2007.
seen at Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington.

How Joy Division was able to function as a band at all is a miracle. Filmed in an appropriate black and white by ultra-known photographer/music video director Anton Corbijn, Control tells the ill-fated story of short-lived, troubled vocalist Ian Curtis. Luckily, Corbijn had been familiar with the band since they existed. In lesser hands, Control wouldn't have given the story a respectable treatment, for Joy Division--who was just about to go on a brief U.S tour before Curtis' death--made music that many hold close to the heart. If the focus for you is the band and its music more than Curtis himself, you may feel slighted. In fact, the post-punk band and its music is almost incidental and isn't looked at in a bigger picture to show the significance and innovation at the time, nor do we see the band discussing their songwriting or how the first song came together. Some of that is intuitive, and putting the music into perspective was only realized the following 25 years after Joy Division's demise. Control is an examination of Curtis, beginning in 1973 when we see him listening to David Bowie, smoking cigarettes and meeting his future wife (whose memoirs provides much of the details of the film). Getting married is usually a turning point in an artist's career later in life--they settle down and lose the angst. Like Nirvana, this was not the case. We can speculate about what "might have been" had Curtis not took his life so early, but it's evident from what we know about his existence that his troubles resulted in brilliant music. The songs in Control--by the actual actors as well as Joy Division themselves (plus the Killers covering a song during the end credits..um why?)--are dispersed appropriately, with some coinciding with the tragic plot (the live versions are abridged..awkward!). In a different time and place with different people, the story would have unfolded differently--Curtis' epilepsy, for example, could have been under better care in 2007 by doctors, his bandmates, manager, wife and mistress. Whether it's fate or freewill, a piece of music history is already written. -Kenyon

Little Wings: Soft Pow'r (RAD/Marriage)
release: September 18, 2007
style: singer/songwriter indie folk
rating: ***1/2
A regular on K records, this seventh album from frontperson Kyle Field and friends includes help from the boy from YACHT, among others. The whispery soft vocals bring to mind many other folk, indie rock and country songwriters. I'm sure you can think of a few. Think about THIS >> 7 tracks of lonesome, organic wholesomeness. -Kenyon

thanks for the add. now i will go clutter your comments.

Lights Out Asia- indie electronic ethereal shoegaze. the sound of glaciers melting from global warming...but then reforming on their own! ha! take that, humans!

Out of the Miasma- normal mbv influence. the intentionally buried vocals need to be dug up and injected with fullness.

TheAyeDeeDees- boring genericness. except for that one sexy seducing breakdown in the middle of the song! go with that! ADD? ooo i get it.

Richard Hawley: Lady's Bridge (Mute)
release: October 2, 2007
style: solid full lite rock ballads
similar: Kid Silver, Divine Comedy, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett
rating: ****
Solo record after solo record, Pulp guitarist Richard Hawley has been phenomenal. Lady's Bridge is another triumphant work, especially when his full, deep vocal joins an orchestra. Hawley's song are for people that love great, timeless music without needing to remember the melody. He writes ballads that Richard Ashcroft dreams of putting in his own solo material. When he's not singing ballads, Hawley adapts to a Smiths "Vicar in a Tutu"-like rockabilly swing. Get jealous. -Kenyon

this is seriously wack on many levels. i mean, they should be smoking *camel lites*!

Brad Laner: Neighbor Singing (Hometapes)
release: November 6, 2007
style: lo-fi noise-pop psychedelia
similar: Sean Lennon, Medicine, Super Furry Animals
rating: ****
Brad Laner is the man. Don't ever say anything bad about Brad Laner. Except you can say something about when i interviewed him and asked him what he does when not working on music. He said, "well...i have a DOG". Seriously, Brad Laner is the man though. The first record with his band Medicine [look it up] was brilliant. Later he did some experimetal noise as Electric Company, Amnesia and whatever else. He's been involved in so many bands and projects it's mindboggling. Neighbor Singing, the first record under his own name, is completely unexpected. There are elements of Medicine here--processed guitars, multi-layered vocals and swirlyness--but also acoustic guitars, piano and thick Byrds-like harmonies under a lo-fi home-recording umbrella. Neighbor Singing is a defining, songwriter record that Laner always needed to make. And it's a keeper. Ah yea! Quote me! -Kenyon

classic vintage video
Jane Wiedlin-"Rush Hour" (1988). Jane Wiedlin riding dolphins. the best Go-Go ever.

dm photo

Liars: Liars (Mute)
release: August 28, 2007
style: eccentric abstract rock
rating: ***
Liars played at Madison Square Garden with Interpol (and Cat Power, but that's a whole other story). Bad idea. They blew away Sonic Youth in 2002 in support of the debut album, which was relatively accessible wacked out dance rock. But MSG with Interpol in support of THIS? Whatever! The fourth album--which has, for a change, much shorter track titles--is an easier listen than the previous two outings, as they hold back on the self-indulgent, annoying random dabbling. Not that Liars is an easy record to get into, especially for the crowd at MSG waiting for Interpol. But you have to give the trio credit for always thinking outside the box. "Cycle time" puts a Black Sabbath-like riff against falsettos. "Freak Out" sounds like an ode to the Jesus and Mary Chain. Closing track "Protection" shows a possible new direction, as it's weepy and subdued and shockingly soothing on the ears. Keeping with previous work from the Liars, the album is deep in dischordant guitars and disembodied, unintelligable vocals. "Leather Prowler" and "What Would They Know" is noise-rock that's been smashed to smithereens and cancels out any hopes for a complete re-tooling. By now we should expect an unpredictable record from Liars. An unpredictable record that is more focused and memorable would do wonders. -Kenyon

U2: PopMart Live From Mexico City DVD
(Island/Interscope)
filmed: December 3, 1997
release: September 18, 2007
Having already a decade for reflecting upon, U2's PopMart--a step up stage-wise from Zoo TV--was indeed overly over-the-top and ambitious. Despite the criticism the tour and record received (U2 has "lost its way," the tour wasn't quite ready to go yet), Pop and Popmart were an experiment and something different. There was nothing that compared to an enormous LED screen and a huge glittering lemon in which the band is revealed to be inside. You had to see it to believe it. Offering a light statement about consumerism, PopMart was F-U-N and free of political meandering. In Mexico City in particular (this recording has previously been issued on VHS), a good portion of the crowd could barely see, if at all, the actual U2. The place is gigantic. Even so, they seemed to appreciate every last song (unlike the poseurs in New York, who weren't familiar with "Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me"). The setlist in Mexico (count how many times Bono says "Mexico," it's a lot) is a satisfying assortment, with the bulk coming from The Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby and Pop. There are some surprises, both good and bad--the Edge singing "Sunday Bloody Sunday" solo, Bono forgetting lyrics to "Desire." The rest is brilliant and colorful, making the more "intimate" and "sincere" subsequent tour for All That You Can't Leave Behind look plain. [there is also a two-disc version with unreleased live audio and video, documentaries, a PopMart tour visuals montage, and more].-Kenyon

She Wants Revenge: This is Forever (Geffen)
release: October 9, 2007
style: broken promises and broken hearts electro dance goth-rock
similar: Fischerspooner, Joy Division, Interpol, The Faint, Bauhaus
rating: ****
With song titles that fit the dark, anti-love mood of the debut ("Written in Blood," "This is the End"), This is Forever was already destined to vary little from the debut, which regenerated a composite of the best dark electro, goth and post-punk. It's an unpretty world that She Wants Revenge isn't shy to expose, opening with the ominous "First Love" (not far from Depeched Mode's "Pimpf") and "Written in Blood," which is something about a wedding and being dressed in black. While several tracks are remarkably similar to those on the debut-- "She Will Always be a Broken Girl" for example nearly replicates "These Things"--it's effortless to get lost in the melodramatic subject matter and dance club-ready hooks. Simply put, if you bled your heart on the dancefloor for the first album, This is Forever should have the same effect. -Kenyon

Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails don't need record labels.

girl you know it's NEW on magic marker records.

Tullycraft- "The Punks are Writing Love Songs" (Magic Marker) record out October 23, 2007. when Tullycraft had that song out called "F*** Me i'm Twee" i was like, dude, that is NOT twee. i think i missed something. someone please explain if i am. Their next record includes this song which has punk and love in the title, which is twee enough i guess. it begins with a Ramones-like "hey, hey, hey" and guitar riff. oh yea.

The Owls- "Peppermint Patty" (Magic Marker) record out October 23, 2007. not to be confused with Owls (no "the"). This is like sugary raindrops. The kind of raindrops that are pure and clean which you can drink, not like the dirty ones that fall around here in New York.

advance copy is in this week's Long Island Press. check out how i linked my own website. pretty crazy right?

Small Arms Dealer
Patron Saint of Disappointment (Deep Elm)
Release: August 2007
style: punk
similar: Latterman, Kid Dynamite, Black Flag
rating: **** It's not too often you'll see punk bands covered here or on most blogs in general, so count your blessings sucker! One of the few exceptions will be this local Long Island band, whose line-up consists of members from several previous local groups. Patron Saint is another medolic punk-rock rock record with random, inside-story titles ("Harry Houdini Says No and Proves It," "Venkman, Burn in Hell"). The back-up vocals perfectly complement the lead, urging us to learn the lyrics asap to sing along. Despite the titles and the "F you's," the statements about religion, war, drugs, death, et al are necessary reality checks for this F'd up planet. -Kenyon

girl you know it's NEW.
Sally Shapiro: "He Keeps Me Alive" from Disco Romance, out October 16 on Paper Bag records. oooooooooooooooooooooooo. a little piece of heavenly sweetness. similar: Ladytron, Goldfrapp, "Images of Heaven" by Peter Godwin.

Polyphonic Spree and Rooney with the Redwalls. tour dates. fun times.

Oct 12 - Fairburn, GA - - The Echo Project *(poly spree only)
Oct 14 - Pontiac, MI - Crofoot Ballroom
Oct 15 - Cincinnati, OH - Bogart's
Oct 17 - Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre
Oct 18 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
Oct 19 - Minneapolis, MN - Pantages Theatre
Oct 20 - Lawrence, KS - Granada Theatre
Oct 22 - Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre
Oct 24 - Boise, ID - Big Easy Concert House
Oct 25 - Seattle, WA - Showbox At The Market
Oct 26 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theatre
Oct 27 - Eugene, OR - McDonald Theater
Oct 30 - Anaheim, CA - Grove Of Anaheim
Oct 31 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
Nov 1 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern
Nov 2 - Los Angeles, CA - Music Box @ Henry Fonda Theatre
Nov 3 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
Nov 6 - Dallas, TX - House Of Blues
Nov 7 - Austin, TX - Emo's
Nov 8 - Houston, TX - Verizon Wireless Theater
Nov 10 - Jacksonville, FL - Talleyrand Music & Arts Festival
Nov 11 - St. Petersburg, FL - State Theatre
Nov 13 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
Nov 14 - Philadelphia, PA - The Trocadero
Nov 15 - Pittsburgh, PA - Rex Theater
Nov 16 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
Nov 17 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live

classic vintage video.
Glenn Frey: "Smuggler's Blues" (1984) A mini movie with lyrics that correspond with the scenes. This is what happens when you get involved in smuggling, man.

SNMNMNM: Crawl Inside Your Head (Unschooled)
release: September 18, 2007
style: smarty geek happy indie rock
similar: They Might Be Giants, Apples in Stereo
rating: *** i got a fever and there's only one prescription: more tuba. That's what the obviously unusually named SNMNMNM has got, though i bet that they get people in the crowd shouting "more tuba" all the time. Tuba solos will be expected here but the amplified Yamaha tuba acts as the bass and if you weren't listening closely it's undetectable. The brass is prominent in "For All I Know" and a few others, when the quartet adds trumpets and sax. "Back to School" is like a late 1950s slow ballad played through Weezer. Any unconventional instrumentation that can pull that off scores a big A. -Kenyon

Recoil: subHuman (Mute)
release: August 14, 2007
style: mixed
similar: Moby's Play, UNKLE, B.B. King
rating: *1/2
Boo hoo, Alan Wilder left Depeche Mode, it's not the same without him. Boo hoo. i'm not making fun, i'm serious. Wilder has been doing Recoil years before he left DM. This of course is nothing like DM. That's what happens with these projects, they get all experimental on us. The last Recoil album was 5 years ago, so Wilder forgot how to use some of the equipment. Whoops. He doesn't sing on subHuman, instead employing two singers-a bluesman and a girl comparable to Kate Bush or Sarah McLachlan. We need more girl on this. Aside from the songs being very long, it's laborious to listen to the guy's vocals being belted out over either electronics or live instruments, all with very little melody. Therefore I am not feeling the blues. It's always great to hear disparate styles being combined. This experiment doesn't gel. subHuman is subPar. -Kenyon

VHS or Beta in the hoouussee! tour dates.

10/1 CONAN O’BRIEN
10/5 Covington, KY Mad Hatter Club
10/6 Athens, OH U. Of Ohio
10/7 Pittsburgh, PA Carnegie Mellon U.
10/18 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
10/19 Detroit, MI Magic Stick
10/20 Bloomington, IN Buskirk Chumley Theatre
10/26 Mexico City, MEX Foro Scotiabank
With Moving Units
11/12 Washington, DC Black Cat
11/13 Baltimore, MD Ottobar
11/14 Grantham, GA Messiah College
11/15 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church
11/16 New York, NY Blender Theater
11/17 Atlantic City, NJ HOB Harlem Club
11/19 Boston, MA Paradise
11/20 Montreal, PQ Club Soda
11/21 Toronto, ON Lee's
11/23 Chicago, IL Abbey
11/24 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry
11/27 Seattle, WA Chop Suey
11/28 Vancouver, BC Richard's
11/30 Sacramento,CA Harlow's
With Foreign Born
12/1 San Francisco, CA Slim's
12/2 Los Angeles, CA El Rey
12/3 San Diego, CA Casbah
12/4 Tucson, AZ Plush
Solo
12/6 Denver, CO Bluebird
12/7 Kansas City, MO Record Bar
12/8 St. Louis, MO Gargoyle, Wash Univ.

The Green Pajamas
Box of Secrets- Northern Gothic 2 (Hidden Agenda)
release: September 18, 2007
style: gentle psychedelic pop rock
similar: the Posies, "Dont Fear the Reaper," other psych pop artists on HA!
rating: ** Oh man i feel terrible to have been neglecting this veteran Seattle band. i just cut myself. Box of Secrets is just as much psych pop as it is classic country rock on this mythological concept record. It is ripe with Neil Young, Velvet Underground and obsure classic psych rock channeling. They have gotta have better albums than this, cause Box of Secrets is snoozy, most of it on the same note (dare i say, like the acting in the film The Village?). There is some good stuff here if you dig around. "i Just Want to be Your Friend" and "Wild Pony" are enjoyable, the latter with layered harmonies and chugging (there, i said "chugging," i'm such a journalist) guitar. P.S i heart Hidden Agenda. Okay i feel better now. -Kenyon

Longwave. last night at Crazy Donkey, farmingdale.

girl you know it's NEW. aka shite you never heard of yo.

Sylvie Lewis: "Star song" (from Translations on Cheap Lullaby) don't confuse with Jenny Lewis yo. this pretty, crystal clear voice works perfect. currently in Italy. Free at the Living Room, NYC Wed, Sept 19

Spiritual Mansions: "What did I Tell You?" (Afternoon records) what the poly spree sounds like when the record is playing at 33 instead of 45.

Junius: "at the age of decay" record out October 9, 2007 on Radar recordings . yo this shite sounds british. atmospheric killer rock from the get-go. i'm sold. these guys are all wearing black hoodies in the press photo. i pretend to not notice that. this must be very awkward for them when they go out somewhere together.

A Brief Smile- Now We All Have Horns on Wrecking Ball, October 2, 2007. some critics mentioned Spiritualized when reviewing this. these guys are *nothing* like Spiritualized. so just stop that. this is self-indulgent spacey rock. my patience is being lost here. the press photos are original though. too mysterious for their own good.

the Cure show at MSG rescheduled for late June 2008. i kid you not. f-ing JUNE, ok. JUNE f-ing 2008. who knows what life will be like then, it's so far away. but you know, god forbid we disrupt the delicate recording of the Cure's new double album.

no camera for Stephen Morris. blah.

The Real Tuesday Weld
The London Book of the Dead (Six Degrees)
release: August 28, 2007
style: "antique beat"
similar: Pulp, Us3's "Cantaloop," classic big bands
rating: *** Originally on the late great Kindercore records (that first album had a release date of 9/11/01), the Real Tuesday Weld's song about loving the rain has been more recently heard in a Coke commercial. Main guy Stephen Coates' fourth album is another intriguing curiousity. One of the most unique artists you'll ever hear, Coates puts to use a variety of music culled from the 1920s-1940s, adding his Jarvis Cocker-like voice and tinny percussion. Some of this music is so old it's public domain now. It's romantically surreal, which can be expected when his initial inspiration came from a dream with actress Tuesday Weld. The London book of the Dead certainly has a sadness. Brief instrumental "Waltz for One" and "Last Words" for example, are both solemn. "I Believe" and at least a few other tracks are sunny. Coates knows you gotta take the bad with the good in this life. -Kenyon

mwvm: rotations (Silber)
release: September 25, 2007
style: shadowy minimal ambient
similar: other silber artists, NPR's Hearts of Space, 2001: a Space Odyssey
rating: **** If you haven't yet experienced what a guitar can do outside the conventional thinking box, rotations is a place to begin. UK artist mwvm plays with guitars that produce otherworldly ambient textures that you could swear are computer electronics and synth. The UK artist has worked with guitar effects since the mid-90s and finally releases this debut. Goody, there is much to explore here. The coolest thing about rotations is that the tracks blend together seamlessly. Mind expanding for sure. -Kenyon

Bobby Blue last nite at Galapagos Art Space (back room) along with What What Where, Low Lustre and Kenyon DJing. Before seeing him, i assumed those really high range, Diana Ross-reaching vocals by Bobby Blue were from guest female singers. Boy was i wrong. Never assume, my friend! Although it's an influence, this isn't like His Name is Alive. The happy-go-lucky BB brings only a guitar and percussionist. It makes some people dance. Moo.

Blue States: First Steps Into...
(Memphis Industries)
release: September 4, 2007
style: ambient magic
similar: Junkie XL, Air, Sugar Plant
rating: ****
Already a decade as Blue States with or without other members, Andy Dragazis truly impresses with the opening cut on First Steps Into... . The vocals are lush and buried, letting it cross over to latter day ethereal dream pop bands. The guitars rush over synthetic percussion on "Holding Ground" and the piano and strings are uplifting on "The Electric Compliment". The trippy "Gaining Time" and "100's and 1000's" is space-age travelling music for people that don't like space. A triumph! -Kenyon

Klaxons win 2007 Mercury Prize award for best album. yeah see, i told you that record was stellar. how you like me now?! i heard the Mercury Prize is pretty big in England. Dates with the nite:

9/23 Boston MA - Paradise Rock Club*
9/24 New York NY - Madison Square Garden (with Bjork. WHOAAAA! get jealous)
9/26 Los Angeles CA - Henry Fonda Theatre*
9/28 San Francisco CA - The Fillmore*
9/30 Seattle WA - The Showbox*
10/01 Vancouver BC - Commodore Ballroom*
10/04 Boulder CO - Fox Theatre
10/05 Lawrence KS - The Bottleneck
10/06 Chicago IL - Vic Theatre**
10/08 Washington DC - 9.30 Club**
10/09 Philadelphia PA - The Fillmore @ Theatre of Living Arts**
10/10 Toronto ON - Opera House Concert Venue**
*with Mystery Jets
**with Sh*t Disco

excitement. nyc.

the B-52's with the Rapture at Roseland. halloween! october 31.
Morrissey at Hammerstein. october 22, 23, 26, 27, 28. makes hella more sense than playing MSG.

girl you know it's new.
Saturday Looks Good to Me- "Make a Plan"
from the next album out October 23, 2007 on K records. uh oh, that's near birthday time for me. SLGTM playing dates through Oct/Nov with the Blow and other people. go see!