Icky Thump

Okay, no shit - Icky Thump is on my top 10 of 2007, and except for some magical happenings in the second half of 07, it's bound to remain there. I was out of town (seeing Fujiya & Miyagi at Lumi in London) when the Stripes played my town. But I jammed this thing throughout my European trip, while taking time to reconnect with my other WS favorites, Elephant, De Stijl and White Blood Cells. I think I might have even screamed out "The Hardest Button to Button" on the train from Venice to Padua. Luckily, nobody there speaks English.

The Hardest Button to Button
300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues

Buy Icky Thump.

Digging Picastro

Those of you who give a shit about anything I say on this blog might want to check out my latest addiction, Toronto post-rockers Picastro. Someone from their label sent me their new album, Whore Luck, and I'm loving it. You would too if you are into the mid-tempo vortex of sounds accentuated by stringed instruments of the violin family. The album comes out Sept 11th and is Picastro's third album. It features contributions by Owen Pallett (Final Fantasy), who used to play in the band, as well as Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu. If you need more convincing, check out the tracks below.

Ghosts
Albonis

Anyone seen Wilco Live Lately?

Wilco is playing my town in August. Saw them last year, and they pretty much blew my mind. However, I didn't much like Sky Blue Sky, and can't decide if it would be worth hearing live. Has anyone seen them on the Sky tour? Worth seeing?