Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, Live at the Crystal Ballroom, Portland, Oregon, 12-30-05; rbally Quits

rbally just announced his retirement from this blogging business. According to a reassuring post on his superdope blog, "rbally is ending. I just have too much going on to post on a regular basis."

Well, I relate. It's also tough for me to find time to blog while meeting the demands of my very cool academic job and my endless quest for perfection. I mean, only last night, I multitasked through a paper on the shortcomings of the sequestration thesis, another on the concept of dignity in political rhetoric, the best way to cut an apple for a late night peanut butter and granny smith apple snack, and a post on Sebadoh. And all the time wondering if anyone actually read my bloody blog. But I digress...

Anyway, this post's for you. I know you were just getting into Pavement and SM's work, so here is a December 05 show at the Crystal Ballroom. This is your exit music, so put on your feather skirt, grab your maracas and jiggle your waist.

Intro
Water and a Seat
Pencil Rot
Phantasies
Baby C'mon
Witch Mountain Bridge
No More Shoes
For You
Post-Paint Boy
Church on White
It Kills
Eagle Rock

Paging the Hype Machine: The High Violets

Okay, let's get the hype going and keep it going for the High Violets. Aside from cool band member names (Clint Sargent, Kaitlyn ni Donovan, Luke Strahota & Aaron Overstreet), their pop meets shoegaze meets tight female vocals schtick is working for me right now. Know them now, or you may well have regrets when you hit 40. To Where You Are, their latest, is available at the market.

Sebadoh III - The Next Reissue Sure To Knock Your Socks Off

Finally, a reissue from another of my lo-fi favs to rival Pavement's massive reissues of Slanted and Enchanted & Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. On April 3, 2006, Domino will unleash Sebadoh's third album gone classic III on the world, along with (as Pitchfork informs) an 18-track bonus CD and new liner notes. For now, for re-acquaintance purposes, here are a few tracks from the original that are surely present on the reissue.

No different
Truly Great Thing
God Told Me
Scars, Four Eyes
As The World Dies, The Eyes of God Grow Bigger
The Freed Pig
Kath
Violet Execution

The Fiery Furnaces: Return to Trad, I Think

Folks, Bitter Tea, the new cut from the FFs will be ours on April 18, 2006. This one will surely be a keeper as I already hear jangles in the mode of Blueberry Boat.

Preorder Bitter Tea here and get all of the FFs stuff at amazon or anywhere you shop (except for Rehearsing My Choir). Trust me, they are that good.

Post of Yore: The Return of the FriedBergers

Band Of Horses: Live At Neumos, Seattle, WA March 4, 2006

I react to hype. I listen to what other people say about other people. I guess I am a people person. So when the word went out on Everything All The Time, the very solid debut by Seattle, Washington's Band of Horses, I had to check them out. I have to tell you this, I am suitably impressed with this guys. And for those of you who like comparisms (I don't), everyone says vocalist Ben Bridwell sounds like JJ of My Morning Jacket, but I think he sounds like Ben Bridwell. I hate hype about names.
Now to the music. Here's a solid sounding live show at Neumos. Don't forget to get yourself a copy of EATT.
Intro
Monsters
Snow Song
The Great Salt Lake
No One
(Biding Time Is A) Boat Row
Wicked Gil
Our Swords
Part One
The Funeral (Cut Short)
Chained And Bound
Encore Break
St. Augustine
The Funeral

Wolf Parade: CBC Studio 2 Session

You already know this by now and if you don't, Wolf Parade are Montrealers Dan Boeckner, Spencer Krug, Hadji Bakara and Arlen Thompson. Before they blew our collective minds off with Apologies To The Queen Mary, they stopped by in Vancouver for a Spencer-Dan shout down at the CBC. Sing along kids.

Lousy Pictures
I'll Believe In Anything
Same Ghost Every Night
Father's Son
Shine A Light

Now head over to the market to pick up Apologies.

KNK Moving House To EZArchive

Finally succumbing to my big spender lifestyle, I have decided to take up storage with EZArchive and save myself the hassle of hustling space for expression. So my friends, you should be grateful 'cos this means more solid content on this 'ere blog. In a matter of hours, KNK would be expanding, consolidating, buying out the small guys, hostile takeovers etc.

To help support this shindig which is for your reading pleasure in the first place, all you need do is click through my page to the emusic free mp3 offers. Now I don't see how anyone who has not tried this out can lose from this deal, which makes me wonder why I haven't got any dough yet from my affilateship (is this a word?) clickthroughs. Here's how it works.

Click on the emusic banner on the top of this page.
This takes you to the emusic page where you sign up for 50 free mp3s, no stress, no hassle, no hidden commitments.
Cancel anytime during the trial offer, you get to keep your mp3s and nobody messes with your money card.
I get some money for the referral. I buy a bottle of shandy to celebrate and blog harder.

Bob's not your uncle and everybody wins.

Centro-matic - Fort Recovery

Buzz generated by the Aquarium Drunkard got me onto these guys. Listening right now to their new album, via a full sampler offered by their label. Listen along here.

New Billy Bragg Song

From the other political Brit, comes a new song with a very obvious title. Check it out.

Bush War Blues

From the release note on his official site:
"He recorded the song at a radio interview in Ann Arbor, Michigan, during his US tour at the suggestion of his new American record label, ANTI, who really liked it when he played it at the South By South West hootenanny. 'Bush War Blues' was recorded at Big Sky Recording in Ann Arbor by Geoff Michael, Gregg Leonard and Chris Duross on 22 March 2006.
Download it, share it. Go do that voodoo that you do so well."

Okay then, mate.

Shakespeare's Playlist

Ok lads, let's kick this blog thing up a notch and get really interactive here. So we all know the wise bard of Stratford-upon-Avon, Mr. Bill Shakespeare of yore. While chatting with my friend, Miss Havisham earlier today about tender chopsticks and lethargic comrades, the topic of Shakespeare's itunes somehow crept into the convo. So naturally, I thought I should send out a call to all you folks and see what you think. To get us stimulated, here's my hypotheory-this guy would have had the Sex Pistols on heavy rotation.

Jam along with Bill Shakes' to God Save the Queen. And remember, your thoughts on this subject counts, never mind the bollocks.

Next post: Screw You Moz (contributed by Oh Canada, the Angry Canadian Boy).

The Beatles: EP Collection #1

Back in that era when EPs came in vinyl and men were men and women were loved by those to whom they entrusted their fragile hearts, the Beatles released 12 EPs in mono which we shall now proceed to revisit, one by one.

All My Loving EP

All My Loving
Ask Me Why
Money
P.S. I Love You

Tom Waits: Live and Bootlegs

Having my Tom Waits moment this week. Special time for me, as I reflect on this and that over my somewhat extensive collection of his stuff. Hell, I even wrote a poem:

sweat to soil
she tills to fill
the beaming uptaker
mother dearest

Skills, my friends. Plus I found a truckload of live stuff and bootlegs here. Grab before the bandwith Nazis and lawyers descend on Xanadu.