Romney on Osama Bin Laden: "It's not worth moving heaven and earth spending billions of dollars just trying to catch one person."
From the mouth of a Fascist (also known as "America's Mayor"): “America will be safer with a Republican president."

Is McCain's former 2000 self coming back from the grave? Andrew Sullivan is wondering the same thing...


I may have gone through my Alanis Morissette stage when I was 13, but now that she's taken on the Black Eyed Peas, I'm willing to relapse.


Bonus: The Go Find - Monday Morning

Labels: alanis morissette, black eyed peas, Giuliani, McCain, music video, Romney, the go find

The old Conor Oberst...



























New Conor Oberst.....I'm not sure I like the white suit either.
See?

Bright Eyes - I Believe In Symmetry

Labels: Bright Eyes

Coming off of SXSW, the Little Ones were generous enough to run over to Daytrotter to record some live versions of songs from their Sing Song EP, as well as an unreleased song...
Exciting, no?

The Little Ones - Gregory's Chant
Get the rest here.

Buy the Little Ones' Sing Song EP. I know I did, and it was worth it!

Meanwhile, Bob Dylan is DJing again and touring, and Interpol's given us some info about their upcoming album, Our Love To Admire.

Bonus: Feist - Past In Present

Labels: Bob Dylan, Interpol, The Little Ones

I haven't done one of these in a while, so I'm spicing things up.

The Marlboro Chorus - Love is in love
The Marlboro Chorus - Who's the Liar
The Marlboro Chorus, from all appearances, has been recording together for four years now, but have received very little blog attention considering the quality of their four recordings - think thoughtful instrumentally-driven indie rock with solid harmonies and, of course, the catchy factor.
(Website/Buy Records)

Azeda Booth - Dead Girls
So, here's the story: a guy and a girl being recording ambient electronic music together in someone's basement, the experiment turns into a 6-person band...and they release those tapes from the basement as an EP. Get it? Plus the voice you're going to think is female is a guy's...
(Website/Myspace)

Envelopes - Isabelle and Leonard
I got Demon via the radio station, and have been enjoying the album in bits and pieces. Indie power pop is hard to find, but this is IT. Also, it's incredibly cute.
(Website/Myspace)

Repost: About a year ago I became obsessed with "Dr." David Thorpe's column "Your Band Sucks" on SomethingAwful. Now, going to a hipster college, I see some of his advice on "how to fake it" being used on a regular basis, and can categorize many people I know (in jest) according to his "Field Guide to North American Hipsters" (parts 1 & 2). Read it all for a good laugh. (the old post)

Labels: azeba booth, band dump, Electronic, envelopes, marlboro chorus, pop, rock, your band sucks

I've recently been listening to Boxer (to be released on May 22) somewhat obsessively, and thought I'd step out of my late slump to make the effort to post on it.
My first encounter with the National was a quiet one, the kind you leave behind until something truly great puts it in an entirely different context. I was a sophomore in high school with the biggest crush on a guy four years older than me. He had returned from college on break, and gave me a mix CD, which I proceeded to listen to obsessively, looking for some small speckle of hope in my general lack thereof. Somewhere in there was a song called "Murder Me Rachael" - a flicker of light in the distance, if a dim one. I remembered the cd, but forgot about the band - until recently.

Now, listening to Boxer, I'd like to think I'm a bit older and wiser, but some things about The National haven't changed: the self-deprecating lyrics, the quiet joy hidden beneath Matt Berninger's deep, sad voice.

The National - Apartment Story
The National - Murder Me Rachael

Pre-order Boxer
Buy Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers
The National's Website

The National, in their great knowledge of the important cities to visit when they tour, will be coming to DC on May 4 and June 20; Cincinnati, OH on June 15; Columbus, OH on June 16; and Cleveland, OH on June 18. For the rest of their tour dates, look here.

Labels: DC, folk, Ohio, review, rock, the national, tour

...talking about hilarious

Labels: Arctic Monkeys

Joe Trippi has joined Edwards' campaign as a media consultant. Seeing how he was at Oberlin last weekend giving a talk about how none of the Democratic presidential candidates had yet to harness the "populist" movement in the Democratic party (What populist movement?), he was unsure of which Democrat to support. As least he won't be managing money working for Edwards.
Something I didn't mention before: Having just spoken about Hillary vs Obama vs Edwards, Trippi made a vague comment about someone being unwilling to admit they were wrong, then asked if there was a reporter in the room with some concern. I wonder what he was talking about?

Meanwhile, Jerry Springer came to Oberlin last night...

Labels: Edwards, Jerry Springer, Joe Trippi

And the dates are.....
4-22 Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theatre
4-23 Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre
4-24 Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre
4-25 Minneapolis, MN - State Theatre
4-26 Omaha, NE - Holland Performing Arts Center
4-28 Denver, CO - Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre
4-29 Salt Lake City, UT - Kingsbury Hall
5-01 Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre
5-02 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
5-04 Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre
5-05 Santa Barbara, CA - Arlington Theatre
5-06 Los Angeles, CA - Walt Disney Concert Hall
5-08 San Diego, CA - SOMA
5-09 Mesa, AZ - Mesa Amphitheatre
5-11 Dallas, TX - Palladium Ballroom
5-12 Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom
5-13 Austin, TX - Bass Concert Hall
5-14 New Orleans, LA - Republic
5-16 Tampa, FL - Carol Morsani Hall at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center
5-17 Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live
5-18 Atlanta, GA - Fox Theatre
5-19 Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
5-20 Columbus, OH - Wexner Center for the Arts
5-21 Detroit, MI - Royal Oak Music Theatre
5-22 Toronto, Ontario - Massey Hall
5-24 Boston, MA - Wang Center for the Performing Arts
5-25 New York, NY - Town Hall $
5-26 New York, NY - Town Hall $
5-28 New York, NY - Town Hall $
5-29 New York, NY - Town Hall $
5-30 New York, NY - Town Hall $
5-31 New York, NY - Town Hall $
6-01 New York, NY - Town Hall $
6-11 Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Melkweg
7-03 London, England - Shepherds Bush Empire
7-04 London, England - Shepherds Bush Empire
7-06 Birmingham, England - Academy
7-10 Eindhoven, The Netherlands - Effenaar
8-11 Osaka, Japan - Summer Sonic Festival
8-12 Tokyo, Japan - Summer Sonic Festival

Note the serious lack of a DC/VA/MD date. Boo!

Meanwhile, The Gossip & Art Brut have announced some upcoming album-type information.

Oh yes, happy 4-20!

Bonus: Phish - Marijuana

Labels: Art Brut, Bright Eyes, The Gossip, tour

Lately I've been enjoying Saturna's upcoming album, Some Delicious Enemy, which feels like ambient rock's soundtrack to a cross-country road trip - though in a convertible with the top off, and with some pit stops for some drama-centric clubbing and heartbreak.

Saturna - Pop Rocks
Saturna - Roll Down

Saturna's Website / MySpace

Meanwhile, I'm featured on the lastest contrast podcast, "Kings and Queens."
Andrew Sullivan's blog has one very interesting thing to say about the VA Tech Massacre.

Labels: artist profile, rock, saturna

The Link Dump:

• On the Attorney firing scandal: Bush directly ordered Iglesias' firing with some encouragement from Karl Rove (Talking Points Memo, which has been following the story with a microscopic level of scrutiny, notes some sketchy source-usage)...and Alberto Gonzales is going to testify today...two-thirds of Americans see the Attorney firings as politically motivated...
  
• Hillary Clinton: Are the polls inflating her likely primary numbers? + Do the Clintons have Israel-Palestinian policy all wrong?
• John McCain: David Brooks and I seem to see him the same way right now
• John Edwards...is podcasting!
  
• the Imus "scandal": Hillary embraces identity politics while Barack Obama runs far, far away
• More Presidential fun: The New York Observer profiles the candidates' Iraq strategies based on their advisers, Obama vs Hillary vs Edwards on the policy front (The Economist), George Bush almost exploded himself....
  

Labels: Alberto Gonzales, Bush, Edwards, Hillary, Imus, Karl Rove, McCain, Obama

Family Tree, set to be released on June 19, will include the following unreleased tracks:
(covers and additional family members included on the tracks are indicated in parenthesis)

'Come In To The Garden'
'They're Leaving Me Behind'
'Time Piece'
'Poor Mum' (Molly Drake)
'Winter Is Gone'
'All My Trials' (Nick and Gabrielle Drake)
'Kegelstatt Trio for Clarinet, Viola and Piano' (Mozart)
'Strolling Down the Highway' (Bert Jansch)
'Paddling In Rushmere'
'Cocaine Blues'
'Blossom'
'Been Smokin' Too Long' (Robin Frederick)
'Black Mountain Blues' (Traditional)
'Tomorrow Is A Long Time' (Bob Dylan)
'If You Leave Me' (Dave Van Ronk)
'Here Come The Blues' (Jackson C. Frank)
'Sketch 1'
'Blues Run The Game' (Jackson C. Frank)
'My Baby So Sweet'
'Milk And Honey' (Jackson C. Frank)
'Kimbie'
'Bird Flew By'
'Rain'
'Strange Meeting II'
'Day Is Done'
'Come Into The Garden'
'Way To Blue'
'Do You Ever Remember?' (Molly Drake)
(Source)

Nick Drake - Milk and Honey

Labels: Nick Drake

Recently, Lady Sovereign has canceled her UK tour, while Lily Allen canceled a large number of her North American tour dates today. What's going on with these two, who previously feuded a bit in the press?

Meanwhile, the Pitchfork Music Festival has added a bunch of bands to its line-up.

As for me, I got to hear Joe Trippi (Howard Dean's campaign manager) speak today, and I'm going to see Man Man tonight!

Labels: festival, Joe Trippi, Lady Sovereign, Lily Allen

"An ambition, I've found, can lead only to failure.
I do not read the reviews.
No, I am not singing for you.”

The Conor Oberst who resides in my mind is a 20, maybe 22-year-old guy with messy brown hair and puppy eyes and a knack for writing emotional and often angry lyrics. The release of Digital Ash in a Digital Urn and I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning in 2005 was something of a shock to most Bright Eyes fans – their prophet had turned around his act to become something beyond a singer-songwriter; his work was now that of a veritable musician. As it has recently become clear, this transformation was partly stirred by the addition of permanent non-Conor Oberst members to Bright Eyes. “At the Bottom of Everything,” my favorite track off I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning, is particularly revealing in this regard. After a minute-long spoken introduction of sorts, Oberst counts “1, 2, 1-2-3-4” and the response is a flowering of instrumentation into song. Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott appear to be responsible for the shift – Mogis acting as producer while Walcott is responsible for new, more complex string arrangements.

But a great deal of the change in Bright Eyes’ music in Cassadaga appears to have stemmed from Oberst himself, who has matured in his song-writing beyond all expectations. It serves as Bright Eyes' first "concept album", its storytelling based around a spiritualist camp in Florida for psychics. Cassadaga’s brightest spots come with deliberate restraint, as in “Four Winds” and “I Must Belong Somewhere” which seem to exude a new acceptance and cautious optimism lacking in all previous Bright Eyes works. Despite this, the slower tracks on Cassadaga are generally its weakest moments (“Lime Tree” and “Cleanse Song,” for example), with the notable exception being “If The Brakeman Goes My Way” about the purging of drugs and chemicals Oberst underwent in 2006. “Make A Plan To Love Me” is just plain sappy in the worst way possible. Some other highlights are “Hot Knives”, “Classic Cars”, and “Soul Singer in a Session Band.” The instrumentation in Cassadaga, likewise, hits its strongest moments when it relies on country and folk music for inspiration. Fans looking for blunt social commentary and brash frustration in Cassadaga will only be disappointed, but may find that somewhere in the calm, there is a new peace.

Bright Eyes' Myspace
Saddle Creek Records
Buy Cassadaga at Amazon.com

Bright Eyes - If The Brakeman Turns My Way
Bright Eyes - Classic Cars
Bright Eyes - I Must Belong Somewhere (live from NPR)

The Smudge of Ashen Fluff has Bright Eyes' KCRW set available for download, though you can also listen to it here.

Labels: Bright Eyes, review

I haven't posted about a number of new releases that I really like, so in compensation, here are some tracks:
(I wonder which one I'm going to be asked to take down within the hour? hmm...)

Arctic Monkeys - The Bad Thing
See the title of this post.
Pre-order Favourite Worst Nightmare (to be released on April 24)

Andrew Bird - Cataracts
I'm completely in love with Andrew Bird's new album, in case you were wondering.
Buy Armchair Apocrypha

Bloc Party - Cain Said to Abel
Buy A Weekend in the City

Menomena - The Pelican
Buy Friend and Foe

So why haven't I posted on say...Arcade Fire, The Shins, or Modest Mouse? Simply put, Arcade Fire really isn't my kind of music and the new Modest Mouse album was a major letdown. Wincing the Night Away is still growing on me, as is Pocket Symphony.

Labels: Andrew Bird, Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Menomena

The White Stripes have finally gotten around to announcing the release date for Icky Thump, and it's (drum roll) June 19 in North America, Southeast Asia, and Japan and June 18 in the UK and Europe. Somehow I feel like us North Americans just got put down. (Source)
I think the cover art is funny-looking, like a Sgt. Pepper wannabe?

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah tour, skip some really important cities (the band's website). I didn't post on this earlier, so I'm trying to get away with it while I still can.

4-10 Providence, RI - Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
4-11 Northampton, MA - Pearl Street Night Club
4-12 Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
4-13 Montreal, Quebec - Metropolis
4-14 Toronto, Ontario - Kool Haus
4-15 Buffalo, NY - The Town Ballroom
4-17 Nashville, TN - Cannery Ballroom
4-18 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
4-19 Athens, GA - 40 Watt
4-20 Jacksonville, FL - Freebird
4-21 Orlando, FL - The Club at Firestone
4-22 Fort Lauderdale, FL - Revolution
4-24 New Orleans, LA - Republic
4-26 Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
4-27 Dallas, TX - Granada Theatre
4-28 Austin, TX - Stubb's BBQ
4-30 Kansas City, MO - VooDoo Lounge
5-01 Columbia, MO - The Blue Note
5-02 St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
5-03 Indianapolis, IN - Vogue Theater
5-21 Melbourne, Australia - Hi Fi Bar
5-22 Melbourne, Australia - Hi Fi Bar
5-23 Sidney, Australia - Enmore
5-24 Brisbane, Australia - The Zoo
5-25 Brisbane, Australia - The Zoo
7-04 Lisbon, Portugal - Superbock Super Rock
7-06 Cluses, France - Festival Musique En Stock
7-07 Evereux, France - Festival L Rock Dan Tous Ses Etats
7-08 Zurich, Switzerland - Rote Fabrik
7-10 Dusseldorf, Germany - Zakk
7-11 Copenhagen, Denmark - Copenhagen Jazz Festival
7-13 Dour, Belgium - Dour Festival
7-14 Southwold, England - Latitude Festival
7-15 Glasgow, Scotland - Indian Summer Festival
7-17 Munich, Germany - Muffahalle
7-18 Florence, Italy - Arrezo Wave Festival
7-20 Carhaix, France - Carhaix Festival Les Vieilles Charrues
7-21 Angoulême, France - Angoulême Festival Garden Nef Party
7-22 Benicássim, Spain - Benicássim Festival
7-25 Nyon, Switzerland - Paleo Festival
7-29 Mt. Fuji, Japan - Fuji Rock Festival
9-02 Stradbally, Ireland - Electric Picnic

Yeah, yeah...there's a new Rufus Wainwright album, Release the Stars, coming out on May 15, so he's announced some tour dates which display blatant NYC & London favoritism. (Source)

On politics...

• McCain: "Unless we fight to prevent it, our withdrawal will be coupled with a genocide in which we are complicit" ....In one sentence, all my hopes for a McCain turnaround on Iraq have dissipated. Plus, he praised Obama on Iraq and got bitch-slapped in return.
  
• The situation (McCain winning the GOP primary) grows more hopeless on other fronts: Fred Thompson revealed to Fox News that he has cancer in remission. Which probably means he's running. Damn.
• Meanwhile, **a little-noted story in the Washington Post yesterday** made me smile for miles and miles. And miles.
  

Labels: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, McCain, Obama, Rufus Wainwright, Thompson, White Stripes

I recently realized that, having gotten some sample tracks from their new album, I've been listening to Walker Kong obsessively.
Deliver Us From People was released on March 27th with a surprisingly low amount of blog coverage (see what I mean). Without giving off an air of pretentiousness, Walker Kong pulls off a quirky mix of folk verging on twee pop and cheerful indie rock. "Andy Warhol and the Honey Bees" begins with a marching band's drum beat, on which a quiet acoustic guitar and an understated tenor (somehow reminding me of Skeleton Jar Youth Group) come to float on top of, carrying the song into the realms of perfect pop-dom.

Walker Kong - Andy Warhol & the Honey Bees

Visit Walker Kong's Website / Myspace
Buy Deliver Us From People @ Amazon.com

Labels: artist profile, pop, walker kong

This is one of those things that's been sitting in my inbox, but I keep forgetting to post about. No longer.

Tago-Mago is responsible for some great mash-ups and Girl Talk-style DJ tracks, usually with a hip-hop focus. Most recently, the new release includes artists ranging from Squarepusher to Zap Mama to Outkast to Supergrass.

Missy Eliot vs Supergrass - Work It

Donate to Tago-Mago

Labels: Hip-Hop, mash-up

DC rocks my socks
April 13 - Junior Boys + Youth Group @ the Black Cat
April 15 - Man Man @ the Rock & Roll Hotel
April 15 - The Postmarks + Smoosh @ the Black Cat
April 16 - Aqualung @ 9:30 Club
April 17 - The Books & Ratatat @ 9:30 Club (two separate shows)
April 18 & 19 - TV on the Radio @ 9:30 Club SOLD OUT
April 19 - Thao Nguyen @ Iota
April 21 - Hot Chip @ 9:30 Club
April 23 - Josh Rouse @ the Birchmere
April 25 - Wolfmother @ 9:30 Club SOLD OUT
April 26 - The Frames + Margot & the Nuclear So and So's @ 9:30 Club
April 30 - Peter Bjorn & John + Fujiya & Miyagi @ 9:30 Club
May 2 - Sunset Rubdown @ the Rock & Roll Hotel
May 4 - Arcade Fire @ D.A.R. Constitution Hall
May 9 - Air @ 9:30 Club
May 11 - The Album Leaf @ the Rock & Roll Hotel
May 13 - LCD Soundsystem @ 9:30 Club
May 14 - !!! @ 9:30 Club
May 16 - Arctic Monkeys @ 9:30 Club SOLD OUT
May 20 - Pretty Girls Make Graves @ the Black Cat
May 25 - Damien Rice @ D.A.R. Constitution Hall
May 25 - Middle Distance Runner @ the Black Cat
June 3 - Bloc Party @ D.A.R. Constitutional Hall
June 9 - The Sea & Cake + Loney, Dear @ the Black Cat
June 13 - Voxtrot @ the Black Cat

As always, this is in no way an exhaustive list of upcoming concerts, but more an indication of what I'd see if I were in DC / had unlimited time and money

Ohio (Cleveland-area unless otherwise noted)
April 11 - Low + Loney, Dear @ Grog Shop
April 14 - Man Man @ the Sco (Oberlin)
April 17 - Yo La Tengo @ Beachland Ballroom
May 4 - El-P @ Beachland Ballroom
May 11 - Electric 6 @ Grog Shop
May 13 - The Hold Steady @ Beachland Ballroom
May 13 - Pretty Girls Make Graves @ Grog Shop
May 21 - !!! @ Grog Shop
May 22 - Tapes 'n Tapes @ Grog Shop
May 25 - Kristin Hersh @ Beachland Ballroom
May 25 - The Bravery @ Agora Theater
June 4 - Lily Allen @ The House of Blues
June 11 - Voxtrot + Favourite Sons @ Beachland Ballroom
June 12 - Son Volt @ Beachland Ballroom
June 18 - The National @ Beachland Ballroom
July 12 - Fujiya & Miyagi @ Grog Shop

Labels: concert, DC, Ohio, tour

I finally have the entirety of Cassadaga and am listening to it non-stop. Expect a review sometime later.

For a good laugh - Pelosi: "The time for second-guessing our every move is now."

Labels: Pelosi

Last night was drag ball in Oberlin, and I made a pretty sketchy man. I may post a photo or two later.

Johnny Cash - Boy named Sue

Meanwhile, some other linking thoughts...

• What happens when you place a Grammy-winning classical violinist at L'Enfant Plaza (in DC) during rush hour? The results.
• More Giuliani stories compiled: He pushed for Bernard B. Kerik as the next secretary of Homeland Security and despite Kerik's bad financial, ethics, and corruption record, the White House went ahead (needless to say, Kerik wasn't confirmed). Plus, he doesn't seem to know the difference between Sunnis and Shi'ites (do you really want this guy making foreign policy in the middle east?) and he's still firmly for legal abortions (and the right is really going to go for this???)
• A great Obama moment in Iowa + Has Hillary lost her mojo?
  
• Oh, McCain and Iraq. Will that story ever end...?

Labels: Giuliani, Hillary, McCain, Obama

I love everything about this track: the purposeful slowness of the song, the synthesizer hanging around in the background, the harmonies, the oriental feel of the melody, the twee pop-ness that both lurks in the corner and screams in your face. Maybe you will too?

Jape - Floating
Buy The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Me

I'm also adding a track in protest of the snow here from a man who knows all about Oberlin weather.
"I'd rather be the one who loves than to be loved and never even know."

Josh Ritter - Snow Is Gone

And beyond...

• Klaxons' tour dates
• Regina Spektor photos from her performance on 'Good Morning America'
  

Labels: jape, song piece, twee pop

See the Robert Frost Poem

"Inside myself is a place where I live all alone and that's where you renew your springs that never dry up."
- Pearl Buck

Jamie Cullum - All At Sea
Wilco - Alone
Andrew Bird - Lull
The Mountain Goats - Woke Up New

Labels: mixtape

I had a strange day. But so, apparently, did the rest of the world.

For the love of Politics
So Nancy Pelosi goes to Syria, the trip may or may not be really all about Israel, the Bush Administration attacks Pelosi for going when in fact a group of GOP Congresspersons are also there, and Mitt Romney has let it slip that the entire thing is really about Iraq? I lack words to describe how fucked up this whole thing is. May I take this opportunity to express my deep love for Talking Points Memo?

and then there's Music
Pitchfork's got new Architecture in Helsinki tour dates plus a stream of a remix of a new song (because they don't want to give us the actual song).
You Ain't No Picasso posted a Destroyer (Dan Bejar) song that's supposed to be on the new New Pornographers album.

Labels: Bush, Iraq, Pelosi, Romney

The news of an upcoming New Pornographers album happened while I was on blog leave, but today Pitchfork released an interview with A.C. (or Carl) Newman in which he revealed some more details about the album. It's to be called Challengers, and will be released in August.

As for the tracklisting, some Dan Bejar songs to appear on the album are "Myriad Harbor," "Entering White Cecilia," and "The Spirit of Giving," and some of the other tracks are "All These Things That Go to Make Heaven and Earth", "Go Places", "Challengers", and "All the Old Showstoppers." Newman also mentioned that the album is quieter and includes a 6-and-a-half minute song, something unusual for the NP's. From the interview, it also sounds like Neko Case will be touring with NP's in the fall, though Dan Bejar is unlikely to (if you've ever been to a New Pornographers' concert, it's pretty freaking obvious that he HATES playing live). Read the full interview here.

Upcoming Tour Dates
April 28 - Indio, CA at Coachella
June 18 - London UK at Bar Academy SOLD OUT
June 19 - London UK at Borderline SOLD OUT
June 20 - London UK at 93 Ft East
June 22 - Pilton UK at Glastonbury Festival
July 4 - New York, NY at Battery Park w/ Midlake
July 15 - Chicago, IL - Union Park at Pitchfork Music Festival

The New Pornographers - Star Bodies
Buy Twin Cinema
The Band's Website / MySpace

Meanwhile, Iron & Wine will be releasing a new single on July 10 to promote the upcoming album, The Shepherd's Dog; Wilco has added new tour dates; and Kaiser Chiefs has announced some.

P.S. - Obama raised about as much money in the first quarter as Hillary, but with more donors.

Labels: Hillary, Iron and Wine, New Pornographers, Obama

Only I didn't get one, I just got myself a new template and had some fun playing around with the coding. I think it looks pretty, do you?

Need more convincing that Giuliani would make an awful president? Here's the latest evidence. It involves Ferrets.

Meanwhile, can McCain see straight in regards to Iraq? Although I've been rooting for him for years and believe he would make a great president, the best out of the Republican lot, two things about him concern me greatly: Israel and Iraq. The recent reports about McCain's trip to Iraq, after which he claimed that he could stroll the streets of Baghdad, show that McCain and other Senators were intensely sheltered and guarded. I fear McCain is projecting his feelings about Vietnam onto Iraq, something that could become incredibly dangerous were he to become president.

Meanwhile, I hope Hillary is sweating campaign contributions, because Obama's going to catch up...

Here's a greatly hilarious video on the "devastating human cost of foreign immigration"...(from the Onion)
Immigration: The Human Cost

Labels: Giuliani, Hillary, Iraq, McCain, Obama

Here's my funny story: 2 weeks ago, in my weekly downloading spree, I downloaded some tracks by a guy named Baraka Noel and began listening to them only to discover that this rapper I'd never heard of was essentially the long-lost brother of Immortal Technique. The lyrics alone, provocative, angry, and thoughtful, were worthy of the comparison. Meanwhile, this unknown rap artist had somewhat sophisticated instrumental backing - a lilting violin in one track and a bright brass section in another. Who was this guy?
I ran a google search (the solution to all my problems) only to discover that this amazing rapper was virtually unknown and... an Oberlin student. I swell with school pride.

Baraka Noel - Europe's Not A Continent

Buy The Mixtape Philosophies of Mushroom Black
Baraka Noel's Website (lots of downloadable free tracks)
His Myspace (four tracks available for download)

P.S. - Happy Passover everyone!

Labels: artist profile, baraka noel, Hip-Hop, Oberlin, Rap

Timbaland, Timbaland presents Shock Value (April 3)
The producer for Missy Elliott, Nelly Furtado, and now Justin Timberlake hasn't released an album entirely of his own since 1998, making Shock Value seriously worth looking forward to, especially considering the tracks that have been floating around lately...

Timbaland - Way I Are (link expired)

Pre-order Shock Value on Amazon

Bright Eyes, Cassadaga (see earlier post) April 10
I am not among the many bloggers who pre-ordered this album from Saddle Creek and therefore probably won't being hearing the album in its full until its actual release date. However, based on the tracks I've heard, it sounds like the album may be more along the lines of Fevers & Mirrors than I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning or Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, though I'm sure it will have something of the crisper sound of the two more recent recordings.

Bright Eyes - Hot Knives

Pre-order Cassadaga on Amazon

Wilco, Sky Blue Sky (May 15)
I'm not entirely sure what to think of the tracks that I've heard so far - none of them have effected me the way A Ghost is Born or Yankee Hotel Foxtrot did, but both albums took awhile to grow on me.

Wilco - Walken

Pre-order Sky Blue Sky on Amazon

Arctic Monkeys, Favourite Worst Nightmare (April 23)
I've only heard two tracks from the album so far, but so far what I've heard is of the same caliber as Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not - catchy and energetic.

Pre-order Favourite Worst Nightmare on Amazon

Hot Hot Heat, Happiness Ltd. (release date unknown)
Though very little information about this album has been released yet, we do know it's supposed to be coming out sometime early this summer. Hot Hot Heat actually had an entire album completed last summer, but began writing new songs and ended up entirely re-doing the album. (Source)
Imagine the b-sides.....

Tegan and Sara, The Con (July 24)
Chris Walla (Death Cab For Cutie) is producing, though I haven't heard any leaks yet. (Source)

The White Stripes, Icky Thump (release date unknown)
In all honesty, the main reason a new White Stripes album is exciting for me is because it means that a Raconteur by the name of Brendan Benson has had / will have plenty of time to record and release his own new album....(source)

Labels: Arctic Monkeys, Bright Eyes, Hot Hot Heat, Tegan and Sara, Timbaland, White Stripes, Wilco

Pitchfork finally got around to announcing the beginning of its line-up, and since it's the only festival I'm probably going to be able to attend, this post had to wait until now.
Think of this as the consumer reports-style summary of which festival to attend this spring/summer...
(*'s indicate bands and artists that are playing more than one festival)
P.S. - the Decemberists = the festival sluts of the year

Coachella: April 27-29 Indio, CA
A condensed list of the bands playing: Interpol, Arctic Monkeys*, Sonic Youth*, DJ Shadow*, Brazilian Girls*, Rufus Wainwright, Nickel Creek, El-P*, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Arcade Fire, The Decemberists**, The Rapture, LCD Soundsystem, The New Pornographers*, Regina Spektor*, The Black Keys, !!!, Hot Chip*, Air, The Roots*, Kaiser Chiefs, Damien Rice*, Lily Allen*
See the Full Line-up

Bonnaroo: June 14-17 Tennessee
A condensed list of the bands playing: The Police, The White Stripes, Ben Harper, Wilco, the Flaming Lips*, Franz Ferdinand, The Decemberists**, Damien Rice*, Wolfmother, Regina Spektor*, The Black Keys, The Roots*, DJ Shadow*, Spoon, Lily Allen*, Hot Chip*, Feist, El-P*, The Hold Steady, Aesop Rock, Cold War Kids, Brazilian Girls*, Girl Talk, Annuals, The National, The Little Ones
See The Full Line-Up

Sasquatch: May 26-28 Washington (the state)
A condensed list of the bands playing: Nine Inch Nails, Bahaus, HIM, TV on the Radio, Wolfmother, The Flaming Lips*, The Shins, Neko Case, Ben Harper, Iron and Wine*, Sufjan Stevens, Gomez, Rogue Wave, Architecture in Helsinki, Stephen Malkmus, Band of Horses, Matt Costa, Brett Dennen, Death Cab For Cutie, Beck, The Decemberists**, Arctic Monkeys*, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Nada Surf, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, We Are Scientists
See the Full Line-up

Pitchfork: July 13-15 Chicago
Very few of the artists/bands playing have been announced so far, but here are a few highlights: Cat Power, Iron and Wine*, Girl Talk*, New Pornographers*, Stephen Malkmus*, Of Montreal, Sonic Youth
See the line-up so far...

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Meanwhile, in the blogosphere...(and beyond)

• Dodge of My Old Kentucky Blog and Justin of An Aquarium Drunkard interviewed Justin Rice (of Bishop Allen) during South By Southwest. Download the interview here.
• Culture Bully is THE place to go for LCD Soundsystem's new album and all things related
• NPR & Rolling Stone seem to have decided that they like artist playists/DJs? This time it's Conor Oberst and Lily Allen.
• Talkin' bout an amazing Bob Dylan Parody. Link stolen from Cable & Tweed.
• Download the Ted Leo & the Pharmacists' concert at the 9:30 club on March 29th here. Also, you can download the NPR interview with Ted Leo himself here.

BONUS MP3: Birdmonster - 'Cause You Can

Labels: festival, tour