Future Islands - Long Flight

Just discovered Future Islands, a band that hails from my beloved Baltimore, MD. This song takes me all over the place - something about it evokes some of the Empty Bottle/Thrill Jockey corner of mid/late 90's indie rock (and lo and behold, guess what label two of their last two long-players were on?) and something else evokes Euro synthoids Stereolab. Either way, I love this and aim to hear more. You can check out some stuff on Friends Records bandcamp or just go to the band's website.

Lebanon Hanover

I was just introduced to Lebanon Hanover yesterday via Part Time Punks radio show on Los Angeles' KXLU. Very good, very dark and atmospheric. Their bandcamp is loaded with music that is just perfect for the encroaching season of Autumn.

Take Action Day - Make a Sequel To Dredd!!!

image courtesy of collider.com

Yes, this is a real thing. This coming Wednesday, September 18th is take action for a Dredd sequel day. I explain all about it in the new Thee Comic Column on Joup this week, which you can read right here.

Disappears Cover U2 For AV Club

Disappears cover U2

I really dig Disappears. And I've always really liked New Years Day. This then, is a great combination in my book.

The band really nails it. Notice how they say they don't so much turn it into one of their own as get traditional with it, but as traditional as it is, I would argue that they add some of that smoky, mysterious flavor that makes Disappears' music so unique and compelling.

The Pixies @ Echo: 2 New Songs

Friday morning the following email arrived while I was at work. It was about an hour until I saw it, and as such I missed what probably sold out in .0003 seconds. Sender was PIXIES, subject heading LA TONIGHT;

Hello We are playing a special warm up show TONIGHT in LA. Friday, Sept 6 @ ECHO Doors at 7pm / Pixies on stage 7:45pm 18+ $10.00 ticket Tickets are available right now: http://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/368905?utm_medium=bks Access code: BAGBOY La La love you PIXIES

FUUUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKKKKKK!!!



Doubly so after last week's early surprise with the last minute drop of EP1 (so last minute the press release didn't go out until until the small hours the day of.

Thanks to Gigwise for posting this footage. Still wish I as there - the Echo is SO small. 300 people tops I think.

Soundgarden - Halfway There

I've been meaning to post this for days, but it's been hard to find time to do anything other than work on my writing, which is something I am definitely not complaining about. I've already talked in these pages about how unexpectedly pleased I was with King Animal after expecting it to suck based on that awful audio-slave-ish song Soundgarden had in the Avengers. Halfway There's definitely not my favorite song on the record, but it's good and it's very reminiscent of the tone the singles on Down on the Upside - which I love - had.

My Three Favorite Songs by The Rolling Stones

Yeah, that's a bold statement and a damn hard pick, but I'm having a Stones Sunday, well have been having a Stones week really, and these are the three I ALWAYS hold in the highest regard.



I bought Sticky Fingers at Rolling Stone records (no connection) on Irving Park Road in Chicago back when I was a Junior in High School. Or a Senior, I forget. I was a metal head and on the same trip I bought another all-time favorite, Type O Negative's Bloody Kisses (the superior, digi-pak version). I probably also bought more metal. And my girlfriend at the time probably bought all metal. I say this to illustrate what a departure this was for me. By this time I knew and loved a lot of Stones songs from the radio, liked some and disliked some. I had a pretty thorough knowledge of classic rock in general thanks to WCKG and I had already been a Zeppelin fanatic for years thanks to my Aunt Dottie generously gave me the Zeppelin box set for what was probably my fifteenth or sixteenth birthday. But Zeppelin has, somewhat enigmatically with hindsight, always been more of an analogue to metal. While I liked the Stones it was a limb I went out on spending some of the little money I made at the time on a CD I was unsure of.

I was instantly justified upon hearing Sticky Finger, esp. Sway.



The 70's. Funk. Disco. Espionage. Coke. Fingerprint File. Who's Listening? Who indeed. For my money this is the funkiest, dirtiest the Stones ever got.



Henry Hill. 'Nuff said.