World Inferno Friendship Society
April 15, 2009 at Crazy Donkey, Long Island

clicky on photos to make bigger.


even though i never listen to them, i have to say they are
one of the best live bands around.

Pet Shop Boys. new album April 21. new video for "Love, Etc".

I know, i know. The Pet Shop Boys haven't been relevant since like 1991. Post the latest Metric video and move onto the next Presets concert. Some of you were only little babies/not born yet when "West End Girls" came out, and you probably know that one song from them. But when you see and hear that video medley of all the Pet Shop Boys singles/hits, you realize they actually had a very impressive career with like 20 great singles while paving the way for accessible disco-pop. The first single from their tenth album, simply titled Yes, sounds very 1993 for them and retains their signature style, which is okay. No harm, no foul. Album releases by Astralwerks on April 21, 2009. -Kenyon

Phil Spector found guilty of murder

from CNN- After about 30 hours of deliberation, a jury on Monday convicted music producer Phil Spector of second-degree murder in the death of actress Lana Clarkson more than six years ago.

but here is the part i love- "Wearing a black suit with a red tie and pocket square, Spector showed no reaction as the verdict was announced. Now 69, he faces a sentence of 18 years to life in prison when he is sentenced May 29." That is such great reporting. Describing his outfit. It makes it seem so REAL!

Wrestlemania 25.
April 5, 2009 via Pay-Per-View at DJ Ravage's house.

a little Irish guy jumping from a huge black guy. that's entertainment!

oh the carnage!

CM Punk wins Money in Bank match second year in row!

yea that's where you belong matt, in a TRASH CAN! you suck!

jeff, don't do this!


619! crazy mask!



HBK after his gospel pre-entrance entrance.



wake up, dead man.



you think WWE is fake?! does this look FAKE to you?!



stone cold 3:16. wowzer, looks like i was actually THERE, right?




whew, what an intense moment! *_*

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

best match- Shawn Michaels vs Undertaker
second best match- money in bank ladder
Jeff Hardy, you don't have to do this moment- Jeff jumping from ladder
Shelton Benjamin, what are you thinking moment- Shelton jumping from ladder
Big waste of time- Kid Rock and women's battle royal
Most predictable- Mickey Rourke punching Chris Jericho in face
Holy crap- John Cena lifting both Big Show AND Edge
Kinda a let down as the last, headlining match- Randy Orton vs Triple H

Reigns
The House on the Causeway
(Monotreme)
release: March 17, 2009
style: post rock/experimental
[rating: ***1/2] One of the more unusual recordings this year, this mysterious outfit from the UK has members under the names Operatives A and B. Look at their friends on myspace and it will explain a few things. They're inspired less by music and more by original great fringe thinkers like Edward Gorey, Harry Houdini and H.P Lovecraft. Awesome. A worthy additional to Monotreme's growing roster, House needs to be heard as a full album to appreciate the threads of piano, half-sung half-spoken lyrics and gothy atmosphere melding with late 70s/early 80s experimental artists. Think of Liars without the noisy bells and whistles and clanks. i am actually surprised i can tolerate this. -Kenyon

www.myspace.com/reignsofwessex

Green Pajamas
Poison in the Russian Room
(Hidden Agenda)
release: April 28, 2009
style: sikey delik indie rock
[rating: ***1/2] The Pajamas have had so many releases just within the last seven years, it's been a non-existent trip to hold steady on the Seattle band's silky post-hippy psychness. Finally, i found i owed it to the band that i listen to a whole damn record of theirs and well before the release date to boot. Poison, a concept album divided into two parts, is a work that can rise above any notion that the band has only been re-issuing old recordings. Yes, Green Pajamas is a very silly name for a band. Even so, describing the band as a flowerchild birthday by early Pink Floyd and the Warlocks is a high compliment. "Any Way the Wind Blows" is especially delightful. -Kenyon


www.parasol.com/labels/hiddenagenda/aha093.asp
www.myspace.com/greenpajamas

Jeniferever: Spring Tides
(Monotreme)
release: April 14, 2009
style: chill indie rock, post rock
similar: Appleseed Cast, Death Cab
[rating: ****] Spring Tides feels real. This Swedish band, who's been under the radar for a decade, delivers emotion-splitting orchestral-like works with a purpose. The atmospheric guitaring (hey, Jeniferever, i can make up words too) melt with lilting vocals that get carried away by whichever space-filling keyboard tone they're using. Something deep is going on. "Sparrow Hills," with its fragile bells/chimes, is the pinnacle of an already consuming album. Can i get a heart? Cool, here's a heart...[heart]. --Kenyon

www.myspace.com/jeniferever

Mazes: s/t (Parasol)
release: March 3, 2009
style: indie pop
similar: Great Lakes, Camera Obscura, Ivy League
[rating: ****] Up till now, Mazes--who owe a great deal to Scottish indie pop bands--was a secret band from a couple of the members of 1900s. Joined by a friend, the trio is only a few shades of green away from 1900s in the indie pop psychedelia spectrum. This project is more fragile musical and lyrically ("you give your love up/give it all up/when i lay in the darkness I doubt"). The self-titled debut is actually not so dark. The bright harmonies are fluent as they decorate the emotions of "Manual Systems" and "Things I Threw in the Well." -Kenyon

www.myspace.com/chicagomazes
http://www.parasol.com/

Frantic Clam: Anatomica EP (Exemplary)
release: February 2009
style: off the road rock
[rating: **1/2] For a band called Frantic Clam, i was expecting a lot worse. While the shrill vocals aren't gonna appeal to everyone, the Austin band does have a modest charm. The band itself actually says "we sound like tinnitus," but i wouldn't go that far, even for "Indiana," which has a melody very similar to the verses of Bowie's "Heroes." Give two of the members credit for serving time in Iraq and half a credit for this EP. -Kenyon

www.myspace.com/franticclam

Weird Owl
Ever the Silver Cord Be Loosed
(Tee Pee)
release: February 17, 2009
style: slowride psychedelia
similar: Dead Meadow, Black Mountain
[rating: ***] Tee Pee has been cranking out the mystical psychedelia, and Weird Owl is no exception. The particular style of this Brooklyn group has more of a 1970s deep classic rock influence than some of the other bands on the roster, though they do get spooky with their turtle-paced sorcery. Ever the Silver Cord is ripe with lyrical charms involving mythology and new age-type things. Whoa, i think he just said "fire breathing lions in skies." -Kenyon

Depeche Mode announce 2009 North American tour dates. Next studio album, Sounds of the Universe, out April 21, 2009.



Friday, July 24th Toronto
Saturday, July 25th Montreal
Tuesday, July 28th Washington, DC
Friday, July 31st Boston
Saturday, August 1st Atlantic City
Monday, August 3rd New York
Monday, August 10th Seattle
Wednesday, August 12th San Francisco
Friday, August 14th San Diego
Sunday, August 16th Los Angeles
Monday, August 17th Los Angeles
Thursday, August 20th Santa Barbara
Saturday, August 22nd Las Vegas
Sunday, August 23rd Phoenix
Tuesday, August 25th Salt Lake City
Thursday, August 27th Denver
Saturday, August 29th Dallas
Sunday, August 30th Houston
Tuesday, Sept 1st Atlanta
Friday, Sept 4th Tampa
Saturday, Sept 5th Ft. Lauderdale

Wild Moccasins (Houston, Texas)

i can't say that Wild Moccasins are one of my favoritest indie pop bands of the year, but i can confidently say that they are a perfect 10 for funtime indie pop band press photos. In this one they look like they just stepped out of the J Geils Band video for "Freeze Frame," which came out before any of these kids were born. The Moccasins' album Microscopic Metronomes is out there now. -Kenyon

www.myspace.com/thewildmoccasins

"My Favorites Die" - [mp3]

into>>the>>future. Papercuts

"Future Primitive" [mp3]
from You Can Have What You Want, out April 14, 2009. Leader Jason Quever flosses his teeth with organic spacious pop dripping with 1960s/70s soft psychedelia. The matured songwriting for "Future Primitive" is nearly up there with the new Animal Collective. -Kenyon

kenyon in southeast florida. werrrd.

boynton beach

dada in delray beach

we're in a place called vertigo.
U2 - Get On Your Boots

so far, after a couple of listens, i hate the new U2 song. How to Dismantle had better songs than the first single "Vertigo," so i'm gonna assume/hope that the rest of No Line on the Horizon has something more legit to offer. -Kenyon

Starsailor >> new song >>
"Boy in Waiting" (live at Hard Rock Cafe, London) [mp3]
All The Plans releases March 9, 2009 in the UK.

The first Starsailor album was super melancholy and slow-paced before the band got some Leonard Cohen in them for the vibrant songs on the partially Phil Spector-produced Silence is Easy. "Boy in Waiting" (at least live) is less showy, as All the Plans is "closer in spirit to the first album."

artist to watch or something in 2009 >>> The Whip

Thanks to this Manchester, UK band's debut, music in 2009 is here. Not to mention the Whip's technologically efficient videos. X Marks Destination is destined to be within the top 10 albums of the year, lead by the dance-rock single "Trash." But i'm sure all you hipsters who never heard of Primal Scream know that already, since the whole thing was released in the UK last spring. So it doesn't matter. None of this matters. Destination is scheduled for release March 3, the same day as the new U2 album. That's like going up against Lord of the Rings. The Whip's got usb wristbands. When i put those songs in my itunes, what follows? White lion. Yea that's right. And before the Whip? Wham! Now get off your cell phones and start living. -Kenyon

new audio + video
Apoptygma Berzerk - "Apollo (Live on Your TV)"
from Rocket Science, released January 23, 2009

For the past decade, Apoptygma has driven more and more towards cleaner synth and vocals and now with "Apollo" it makes a wider transition to pop and rock. "Apollo" has echoes of the previous album's "In This Together," while you'll also recognize a sample that was also used on Welcome to Earth (2000). It sorta ties things together. The video, which shows how easy it is to fake a landing on the moon, is perfect. European tour starts next week. -Kenyon

movie left for dead

Brick (2006) [rating: no stars] Here's the quote from Rolling Stone on the DVD cover: "a spellbinder. It pins you to your seat." So wrong. i wanted to get off the seat and turn this crap off. Also on the cover: "a detective movie by Rian Jonhson." So misleading. Why would i want to follow the main, unlikeable character (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who walks around in the same drab clothes every day in a depressing (in a bad way), wannabe film noir that has its own pretentious Shakespearean-like language that's impossible to comprehend. An absurd plot revolves around a supposed high-school kid tracking down the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend. Cast includes Lukas Haas as a druglord. i think "Brick" refers to a brick of cocaine. In a movie as excruciating as this, who knows and who really cares. Won the Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. Holy crap. -Kenyon

zombies make top story on news! wooo!

into>>the>>future
Like Bells

similar: Dirty Three, Do Make Say Think, Japancakes
This instrumental trio is the latest addition to the Exit Stencil label. Instrumental aside from the Sigur Ros-like calling at the end of "Yeti." And you know what a Yeti is, right? Unlike Sigur Ros or Explosions in the Sky, these two samplings are of a shorter length. The violin acts as the subtle counterpart to the intricating guitar. Album out May 19, 2009. Very future.

Atlas: http://exitstencil.org/MP3/LikeBells/01_Atlas.mp3
Yeti: http://exitstencil.org/MP3/LikeBells/02_Yeti.mp3

Longwave to tour with Bloc Party and OK Go. whoaa that's huge. i'm jealous.

MARCH 6 PHILADELPHIA, PA TLA*
MARCH 7 BALTIMORE, MD RECHER THEATRE*
MARCH 8 BROOKLYN, NY MUSIC HALL of WILLIAMSBURG*
MARCH 10 NEW HAVEN, CT TOAD'S PLACE*
MARCH 11 NORTHAMPTON, MA PEARL STREET*
MARCH 13 PORTLAND, ME PORT CITY MUSIC HALL*
MARCH 19 BOSTON, MA HOUSE OF BLUES#
MARCH 22 WASHINGTON, DC 9:30 CLUB#
MARCH 24 NEW YORK, NY TERMINAL 5#
MARCH 25 NEW YORK, NY TERMINAL 5#
MARCH 28 CHICAGO, IL RIVIERA THEATER#
MARCH 30 MINNEAPOLIS, MN FIRST AVENUE#
MARCH 31 ST. LOUIS, MO THE PAGEANT#

* supporting OK Go
# supporting Bloc Party

The Von Bondies: Love, Hate and Then There's You
(Majordomo/Shout! Factory)
release: February 3, 2009
style: indie rock n' roll
similar: The Subways, Stellastarr*
[rating: ****] The third outing from the band that in 2004 produced the ultra catchy two-minute "C'mon C'mon" (later exploited by TV show Rescue Me) excedes expectations. They may not replicate that song in terms of an instant hit, though they sure as hell demonstrate matured songwriting skills for their streamlined garage-rock on Love, Hate. Keeping the female backing vocals following line-up changes, vocalist/guitarist Jason Stollsteimer leads a solid high-energy dance rock album from beginning to end. -Kenyon

www.myspace.com/vonbondies

El Goodo: Coyote (Grease)
release: January 12, 2009
style: garage psych-pop
similar: Zombies, Love, Abunai, Brian Jonestown
[rating: ****] One of the first releases of 2009 is one of the goodest. El Goodo already lucked out by getting tight with Super Furry Animals. The second album shows why SFA love them so much. "All is just a dream/I'll show you what I mean" this Welsh band asserts in one of many swirling segments. The most stunning characteristic of El Goodo, of course, is its authentic 1960s sound that is at the top of its class. "Feel So Fine" and "Be My Girl" will cause many to double check the release date. Oh and wait for the hidden track. Left the CD going, scared the hell out of me. -Kenyon

just announced!

the things i miss.
Secret Shine
interview by Kenyon Hopkin
------------------

Secret Shine (current line-up of Jamie Gingell, Scott Purnell, Dean Purnell and Kathryn Smith) saw its inception at the height of the dreampop/shoegaze era in the UK, when bands like Slowdive and Ride were the latest thing and My Bloody Valentine was about to release Loveless. The Shine released an album on trailblazing indie label Sarah records before going on an extended hiatus. In 2008 they finally released All of the Stars through Clairecords.
-----
Advance Copy: How is life in the UK?
Jamie: Grey and wet, very expensive and celebrity obsessed.

AC: So you originally formed in 1990, when all the dreampop/shoegaze bands were blossoming. Was it an exciting time? Or did it just seem that way to everyone else?
JG: It was exciting in the sense that we liked the music that was being made at the time, although on the whole, things are never as exciting as we like to remember them.

AC: Are you impressed with yourselves that you're again existing as a band, given the break-up of so many other similar bands? Why did you originally break-up? What took so long? Why now the reformation?
JG: We never broke up. We're too lazy to do anything that organized. We creatively ground to halt and stayed that way in stasis for a decade. We all still saw each other regularly and started the idea of writing again a few years into the hiatus, but that conversation lasted about six years. We like to take our time.

AC: It's been over a decade since the last album. Given the climate in the music industry and trends between then and now, how have things been different for you as a band?
JC: We were never that aware of what the differences were really, because Matt and Claire at Sarah kind of took all that away and dealt with it for us. We didn’t have the kind of self-financed funding back then that we do now though, so we mostly gigged in the UK. I guess the internet in the intervening years has enabled much better social networking in the music scene and meant we get to play the States and mainland Europe a lot more than we used to. Bands don’t make as much money as they used to from record sales because everyone seems to want something for nothing on the internet these days, but the kind of fans who have the integrity to buy what you create and come to your gigs make up the difference.

old school Secret Shine

AC: You're already working on the next record, even though you had some recent hold-ups. What is providing the acceleration?
JC: I wouldn’t say were accelerating. We're planning another album, but in reality, we started writing for it about a year ago and I don’t think it will be ready until next year. Unlike our second album, we don’t have a tour-based commitment for this release, so it will be ready when it’s ready.

AC: i know you posted about it, but since it was such an unbelievable gig, what was it like for you seeing my bloody valentine for their recent reunion?
JC: It was loud beyond imagining, in your face, and uncompromising. Some songs were played to perfection and others were barely intelligible. If we wanted perfection, we’d all stay at home and listen to the CD I guess. There’s nobody else like them, mainly because no one else could pull it off.

www.myspace.com/secretshine

artist to watch or something in 2009.


second album, the law of the playground, is scheduled for release on March 3, 2009 via +1 Records in the U.S.

http://www.theboyleastlikelyto.co.uk/
www.myspace.com/theboyleastlikelytouk

Guitar: Honeysky / Saltykisses
(Clairecords)
release: November 11, 2008
(originally issued 2004/2005)
style: shoegaze, dream pop, ambient pop
sim: Swallow, Flowchart, His Name is Alive, M83
[rating: ****] German Michael Lueckner (guitar/programming) and Japanesian Ayako Akashiba (vocals) follow the blueprints of My Bloody Valentine's "Soon" for a large portion of these two albums. This isn't a surprise for an artist like this. What is unexpected is that they put a world-influenced spin on Honeysky and Saltykisses, which were not released in the USA until now. Lueckner surrounds himself with sound effects in achieving quintessential, vibrant dreampop that is an out of guitar experience. Guitar explores the other side of the coin with acoustic/organic pieces that belong together on a separate collection. Next album due February 2009. Yay. -Kenyon

http://www.myspace.com/guitarsunkissed
http://www.sunkiss.de/

Someone gets shot for talking during movie. it's about time.

The Raveonettes 2009 Tour Dates
1.15.09 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
1.16.09 New York, NY Webster Hall
1.17.09 Washington, DC Black Cat
1.23.09 San Francisco, CA Bimbo's 365 Club
1.24.09 Los Angeles, CA Henry Fonda Theater

The 1900s: Medium High EP (Parasol)
release: January 20, 2009
style: indie pop
[rating: ***1/2] This 7-track collection of previous, mostly early unreleased songs from the Chicago group can be sorted next to Belle and Sebastian, not only for a close resemblance of vocals but also for an underlying somberness. The psych indie pop has touches of 1970s soft pop in "When I Say Cohen", "Making Love in Summertime" and more. A timeless afternoon delight. The album cover is sorta bad though. -Kenyon
--------

Averkiou: Throwing Sparks (Clairecords)
release: November 11, 2008
style: dream pop
[rating: **1/2] Life is too short to be spending 2.5 years on a record. My Bloody Valentine is the exception, of course. Work on the debut eight-song record by Florida-based Averkiou caused hundreds of re-takes and a member threatening "to smash his guitar into the wall." So dramatic. Life is too short for perfectionism. Averkiou's multi-layer vocals and waves of dense guitar crash somewhere between early MBV and M83. The only problem is the lack of a catchy melody to push Throwing Sparks beyond average shoegaze/dream pop. -Kenyon
-------

The Secret History: Desolation Town EP (Le Grand Magistery)
release: November 11, 2008
style: indie rock
[rating: ***] Featuring ex-members of indie pop band My Favorite as well as daughter of David Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson, Secret History is deep in tragic literary poetry. Like the latter day My Fav EPs, i'm sure there is a theme on Desolation Town relating to historical figures, though there are also some religious references. Secret History is musically rootsier than My Fav, though still maintains the urgent pop, like in the Stars-esque "The Ballad of Haunted Hearts." -Kenyon

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

Lowfish: frozen&broken
(Noise Factory)
release: October 14, 2008
style: minimal electro
similar: Kraftwerk, Luke Slater, Solvent
[rating: ***1/2] Producer Gregory De Rocher is Lowfish, which proves there is still life to be given to minimal electro. De Rocher's brand of electronics is done with analaog synths and IDM blips. There are no vocals, not even use of vocoder for this guy who has toured with Adult. There are some steady tempos on frozen&broken, though it's more for the headphones than the dancefloor. -Kenyon

U2 > No Line On The Horizon > March 2, 2009

2008 is so last year. Obligatory top albums of 2008 and other year-end acknowledgements without looking at other top lists so i would not be influenced.




1. Glasvegas: Glasvegas (Columbia)
2. M83: Saturdays = Youth (Mute)
3. Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop)
4. Lykke Li: Youth Novels (LL)
5. Ting Tings: We Started Nothing (Columbia)
6. Ladytron: Velocifero (Nettwerk)
7. Crystal Castles: Crystal Castles (Last Gang)
8. Bloc Party: Intimacy (Vice)
9. Ruby Suns: Sea Lion (Sub Pop)
10.Futureheads: This is Not the World (nul)

others of note:
Tapes 'N Tapes: Walk it Off (XL)
Walter Meego: Voyager (Almost Gold)
Pack A.D: Funeral Mixtape (Mint)
Does it Offend You, Yeah?: You Have No Idea... (Almost Gold)
Forward Russia: Life Processes (Mute)
Magnetic Fields: Distortion (Nonesuch)
Passion Pit: Chunk of Change EP (Frenchkiss)
============================

top 5 songs


1. Ting Tings- "Great DJ"
2. Kings of Leon- "Sex is on Fire"
3. Uh Huh Her- "Not a Love Song"
4. The Verve- "Love is Noise"
5. Ladytron- "Ghosts"

==================



Wierdest album- Brian Jonestown Massacre: My Bloody Underground
Artists i was sick of hearing about in 2008- She and Him, Vampire Weekend, Black Kids
Best concert - My Bloody Valentine. duh!
Best non-local band performance at local venue- Shiny Toy Guns
Biggest let down on film- X-files: I Want to Believe
Best live WWE wrestling event- Royal Rumble
Most awesome wrestler - CM punk
Saddest non-music story of year - Polar bears resorting to cannibalism
Dumbest local news story- Montauk monster
My own most-spoken quote- "Obama's in the HOUSE!" and "The ice caps are melting, we're all going to die soon and Obama can't save us."

Best humorous video to sum up 2008--- McCain gets Barack rolled.


thanks for reading. and now i go look at other best of 2008 lists.

update: aha! fleet foxes tops on pitchfork. hercules and love affair #1 song? they are out of their f-ing minds. that song is sh*t.

Autodrone: Strike a Match (Clairecords)
release: November 11, 2008
style: noise pop rock, dream pop
similar: A Place to Bury Strangers, Experimental Aircraft, Swoon 23
[rating: **1/2] Crashing into the noisier, darker side of the dream pop spectrum is Autodrone, who finally gets proper release of its first full-length. The female vocals, which aren't buried in the mix like one might think, are balanced against the brooding guitar tricks of Jeremy Alisauskas, who has credit with Projekt artist Unto Ashes. The band sets the sun on fire with effects and white noise while also embracing its passive side, even bordering on a melodic jangle. Through most of the album, however, Strike a Match can feel like noise for noise's sake. -Kenyon

www.myspace.com/autodrone

Bloc Party >> "One Month Off" >> new video.

Because one band isn't enough.
Perhapst >> audio

John Moen of the Decemberists and previously and currently of a ton of other bands and peoples fronts Perhapst. His self-titled debut stays close to the home of his primary band. Although Moen plays most of the instruments for Perhapst, guests include Stephen Malkmus. Did i mention Moen is also the drummer for Robert Pollard's Boston Spaceships? god dammit! you know, some of us have ZERO BANDS.

[mp3] - "Quote"
[mp3] - "Incense Cone"
[mp3] - "Aren't You Glowing"

Peter Bjorn and John >> new audio + video.

new audio>>>the Faunts

"Feel.Love.Thinking.Of." [mp3]
from album out February 17, 2009

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

new audio>>>The Raveonettes - "Come On Santa" [mp3]
do the Raveonettes really need a photo right now? come on, you should KNOW they look cool!

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

new audio>>>Frank Hoier

"Jesus Don't Give Tax Breaks to the Rich" (mp3)
This folk porched Hoier is hitting the road with The Weber Brothers. "Jesus Don't" is from his Lovers & Dollars, issued November 11, 2008.

Combichrist. new audio + video - "Sent to Destroy"

The Tractor Kings: Homesick
(Spur/Parasol)
release: October 28, 2008
style: country indie rock
similar: Follow the Train, My Morning Jacket
[rating: ***] The one consistent member Jake Fleischli is missing home and some other things on a lonesome western rock road. Obvious titles are "See You Again" and "Black Hole in My Heart" to name a few. His thoughts are a common subject for song and his sleepy vocals may be hitting some flat notes, but Homesick is heartfelt, especially in opener "Bright Lights and Headlights," which, because of the pedal steel, is like a guy fronting Mazzy Star. Once again produced with Matt Talbott of Hum, the Tractor Kings walk a line of ringing guitars and shuffling drums that fade into the dusk. -Kenyon

Dirty on Purpose (who have been interviewed by me) will be playing a "farewell show" with A Place To Bury Strangers (who have yet to answer my interview questions) on New Year's Eve at Mercury Lounge, NYC.

From the DOP camp: "We got back from tour about a month ago and sat down to talk about recording another record, and realized we didn't really want to record another record. Not now anyway. So we're going our separate ways. We're still playing music and we hope you'll come support our other projects: Joe and Doug harmonize sweetly in Neckbeard Telecaster; George shreds the bass in Coin Under Tongue; Joe helms Joe and the Flying Spoons; and Doug plays with Purse Snatchers and Black Acid. We reserve the right to change our minds and get back together in six months if we feel like it."

Margot Blanche [New York] - Her name fits into the first half of the 20th century, just as her music does. But Blanche updates it, using big band/jazz backgrounds ala the Real Tuesday Weld, complete with back-up singers. Comparisons to Amy Winehouse are futile. Margot Blanche's sultry voice helps keep her true to the roots and with exceptional composure to boot. It's quite a surprise she hasn't had more exposure in the mainstream. You know, like stupid Entertainment Tonight or something. -Kenyon

www.margotblanche.com
----------
Moosejaww [Brooklyn] - Thank goodness they're not Moosejaw (one w). That band is HORRIFIC. This Moosejaww band with extra W needs to be careful not to be confused with them. Which should not be difficult. The band harnesses 90s pop-rock with a smooth vocal style somewhere between Sebadoh and Coldplay, especially for "Rollercoaster" and ballad "It Takes Two to Know One." -Kenyon

www.moosejaww.com
------
Wounded Buffalo Theory [Brooklyn] - WBT is progressive not so much for the music itself, but rather because they don't limit themselves. They're influenced by Pink Floyd, Eno and Sigur Ros as much as heavier bands like Tool. "Didn't Go Outside" even has in there some Husker Du (one of their influences). It's a connundrum how and why they stretch across the rock spectrum like that. They like to play really long sets, so that helps. The cosmic jam "Revolution Mine," which better damn be an original, is a direction the band should persue. -Kenyon
www.myspace.com/wbt

Longwave- new audio + video. "Shining Hours"

latest record, Secrets Are Sinister, out now.

tour dates:
DEC. 9 SAN DIEGO, CA THE CASBAH
DEC. 10 LOS ANGELES, CA THE TROUBADOUR
DEC. 11 SAN FRANCISCO, CA RICKSHAW SHOP
DEC. 12 PETALUMA, CA THE PHOENIX
DEC. 13 PORTLAND, OR DANTE’S
DEC. 14 SEATTLE, WA CHOP SUEY
DEC. 16 MINNEAPOLIS, MN 7TH ST. ENTRY
DEC. 17 CHICAGO, IL DOUBLE DOOR
DEC. 18 PONTIAC, MI THE PIKE ROOM (@CROFOOT)
DEC. 10 BUFFALO, NY MOHAWK PLACE
DEC. 20 NEW YORK, NY BOWERY BALLROOM

Unbunny
Sensory Underload (1996-2008)
(Hidden Agenda)
release: October 28, 2008
style: indie pop
similar: Jeff Hanson, Darren Hanlon
[rating: ***] Lead by Jarid del Deo, Unbunny was around just when this new thing called the internet was picking up steam. So? Unbunny better get on Wikipedia! There is a myspace, thank goodness. Sensory Underload is a collection of EPs, singles, rarities and unreleased tracks which include the out-of-print Typist EP released by Important Records in 2005. "Dental Hygenist" is a cute story of romance and a peach among the quiet calm indie pop. As long as it stays that way, Unbunny is cool. The louder songs (only a couple) encourage del Deo to raise his voice and unfortunately that strains the vocal cords. Keep it cute and soft like the bunny! -Kenyon

Hotel Hotel: The Sad Sea (Silber)
release: November 4, 2008
style: experimental ambient
[rating: ***] If true, it is indeed a fantastic story. A fantastic voyage, even. The Sad Sea was derived from Hotel Hotel's expedition with a sailor/sea captain searching for a ghost ship. i am so high right now. i'm doing an interpretive dance to this. -Kenyon
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Electric Bird Noise: le vestibule - vestibule transitoire (No More Stars)
release: November 4, 2008
style: ambient experimental
[rating: ****] The latest from EBN (interesting enough, the same initials for Emergency Broadcast Network) is two tracks of about 25 minutes each. Because of this, instead of informing us of "key" or "recommended" tracks, the label gives us "recommended transition points." I think this is a first. Brian Lea McKenzie's experimental drones --produced mainly by guitar---are stunningly unearthly. If there are indeed cosmic soundwaves eminating from the depths of the galaxy, the Bird Noise is eerily close to its representation. -Kenyon
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Champagne Riot: Paris and I (Shelflife)
release: November 12, 2008
style: Euro indie pop
[rating: **] CR's melancholy soft ultra indie is from one guy of Denmark who keeps it in the studio, focusing on creating "simple and melodic music and getting the most out of primitive equipment." Wow i never thought of THAT! Using groovebox beats and guitars, Riot wants to keep the music scene at a distance. i'm not sure if that's pretentious or righteous. -Kenyon

Crystal Castles (not the band)

The Pretenders
North America tour dates.
Current line-up of Chrissie Hynde, Martin Chambers, James Walbourne, Eric Heywood, and Nick Wilkinson is supporting Break Up The Concrete, released in October 2008. New songs at their myspace. Hynde is too thin.

January
29 Albany, NY The Palace Theatre
30 New York, NY Roseland
31 Atlantic City, NJ Borgata-Music Box
February
2 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
4 Boston, MA Orpheum Theatre
5 Jim Thorpe, PA Penn's Peak
6 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
7 Ledyard, CT Fox Theatre
9 Ann Arbor, MI Michigan Theater
10 Cleveland, OH House Of Blues
11 Indianapolis, IN Murat Theatre
13 Cincinnati, OH Taft Theatre
14 Akron, OH Akron Civic Ctr Theatre
15 Chicago, IL Riviera Theater
17 Milwaukee, WI Northern Lights Theatre
18 Milwaukee, WI Northern Lights Theatre
20 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
21 Kansas City, MO Ameristar Casino
22 Tulsa, OK Brady Theater
24 Denver, CO Paramount Theatre
25 Aspen, CO Belly Up Aspen
27 Dallas, TX House Of Blues
28 Houston, TX House Of Blues
March 1 Austin, TX Stubbs
March 4 Phoenix, AZ The Dodge Theater
March 5 San Diego, CA House Of Blues
March 6 Pala, CA Pala Casino-Cabaret Room
March 7 Las Vegas, NV House Of Blues
March 8 Anaheim, CA The Grove
March 10 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
March 13 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
March 14 Reno, NV Silver Legacy Casino

M83 TO TOUR WITH THE KILLERS in early 2009. THIS IS IT!
Well sh*t on ME. i bet the main guy from M83 is sh*tting a brick right now and will be sh*tting an entire building of bricks when this tour gets underway. M83 opening for the gosh darn Killers. Who would have thought. Oh, oh and that's not all. It's been a BANNER year for the M83. The latest record hit the top of the CMJ chart and is the #1 record of 2008 at Urban Outfitters. Blah? In December, M83 is opening for the Kings of Leon in the UK. Get mad jealous.

with the The Killers--

January
17 Denver, CO Magness Arena - Ritchie Center
19 Minneapolis, MN Northrop Auditorium
20 Chicago, IL UIC Pavilion
22 Detroit, MI EMU Convocation Center
23 Toronto, ONT Air Canada Centre
25 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
26 Boston, MA Agganis Arena
28 Washington, DC George Mason University Patriot Center
29 Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues
30 Atlanta, GA Atlanta Civic Center
31 Nashville, TN Grand Ole Opry House
February
2 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater
3 Austin, TX Frank Erwin Center
4 Dallas, TX Nokia Theatre

Doomsday industrial-electro artist COMBICHRIST will release TODAY WE ARE ALL DEMONS on January 20, 2009 through Metropolis. Samples of each track at the myspace. Huge extensive U.S and Euro tour through winter. www.myspace.com/combichrist
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Say Hi (formerly Say Hi to Your Mom) signs on with Barsuk. Oohs & Aahs out March 3, 2009.