mp3: Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band -- "Leaving Trails" & more

mp3: Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band -- "Leaving Trails"

Seems deeper, maybe more fuzzed, maybe less playful than the previous release, though no big changes. Still a good song. Their s/t was one of my faves in 2009, this time around I hope they get the recognition they deserve. Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band's new album, Where The Messengers Meet, is out in August.

mp3: Sunglasses -- "Whiplash"
Really like this band from GA. Get another mp3 "Stand Fast" here.

mp3: Woodsman -- "When The Morning Comes"

mp3: The New Loud -- "Wrapped in Plastic"
mp3: CAW! CAW! -- “Sons of Sons of Saviors”
mp3: Banquets -- "Eleanor, I Need A Garden!"
mp3: Bellflur -- "Insect Politics"







More after the jump...

WE Fest Preview -- Eskimo Kiss Records Showcase & Goodbye Throwdown

The Eskimo Kiss Records showcase at the Soapbox in Wilmington is Sunday night, May 30 at 9pm. See our WE Fest preview here & the fest site here.

mp3: The Good Graces -- "Working Title"

My first experience of Eskimo Kiss Records was a sticker on a fire hydrant in Decatur, GA. Later when I moved to Wilmington, NC and wrote a story about Eskimo Kiss, I found out that Eskimo Kiss was started in Wilmington and that founder Kim Ware had moved to Atlanta.

What a weird, wired, small world.

Anyway, Kim is closing up Eskimo Kiss after 10 years and is returning to WE Fest in Wilmington for a shutdown celebration or something. She's bringing along Chapel Hill's North Elementary, which is one of the bands I totally enjoy--and I found out about them thanks to Kim.

Eskimo Kiss has one last release, called "Let's Do Art and Be Best Friends" which is a ten year recap and will be released in June.

The label has a crazy beginning story, so I'll let Kim tell it and talk about "Let's Do Art" after the jump...

I started eskimo kiss records on a cold winter’s day in early 2000. It was snowing, which was somewhat atypical for the southeastern tip of North Carolina. Not a fan of cold weather, I felt sort of trapped, I think both due to the snow and also the confines of our tiny coastal town. Perhaps I was bored.

A few months prior to that snowstorm, which became known as the “Blizzard of 2000,” my then-husband had randomly won an all-expenses paid vacation to Las Vegas. While we were there I hit the jackpot on a slot machine. I came home with $4,000, not a huge sum by most people’s standards, but still, you can do a lot with $4,000. It just so happened that our band was sitting on a record we had just finished recording, wondering what to do with it. Suddenly, we had the money to put it out. And so on that snowy day, we decided it made sense to start a record label.

But since then, eskimo kiss has released 21 records. And me, I’ve divorced, moved
(several times), and fallen in love again. I’ve made lots of new friends, many through this label. I’ve lost some people really close to me. I’ve changed careers. And I’ve written songs about all of the above. Through it all, the only real day-to-day constant has been my label, the songs, and my cat. (I wrote a song about him too.) So as I began putting together this collection of songs, to serve as the final release for eskimo kiss, I realized it’s basically a documentation of the past 10 years of my life. As I listened to all the releases, trying to decide which songs to include, I couldn’t help but think of the moves, the new friends, the old ones … the heartbreak and the happiness that I felt along the way.

More after the jump...

WE Fest Preview -- Wilmington, NC

WE Fest is a funny little bird. It's a Wilmington, NC staple--kind of the definition of the underground. Starting as a zine-exchange festival, each day is only $1 (or $3 for underage) and bands come not expecting to get a cent.

The fest's heyday feels past, not that I knew that heyday, but hey (ha!) I've been here three years and every year WE Fest catches me by surprise.

I always forget about it. I'm an innocent bystander. I don't know what the machinations of the fest are. I think I spoke to the famed Kenyatta once. I don't see his band on the schedule this year. Don't know what's going on. I always feel that it could be bigger, better than it is, that its ideals are kind of holding it back, or that it's no longer holding up its ideals (a lot of local bands...) or that the industry has passed it by (bands no longer wanting to take a chance in a small town by the beach anymore).

But that's WE Fest by design. You're not supposed to know the bands. You're supposed to discover bands. You're supposed to take a chance and stumble in somewhere That's how I found this band who unfortunately isn't playing this year.

I'll go ahead and compare it to Rad Fest. Sure, the music was more closely aligned, but there was punk, hardcore, math-rock, folk stuff. You got the sense the bands really wanted to be near one another. But it costs $25. Not $1.

Maybe $1 worked 14 years ago, but gas money is a lot, and food is a lot and people only buy their albums from large fruit companies they can access on their desktop.

So (by design? by ignorance? by laziness?) I don't know most of the bands playing (the full schedule is here), but here are the few that I can recommend. You should check them out even if you aren't finding your way to WE Fest this year.



All bands are at the Soapbox:

Thursday, May 27th:
8pm- Coup De Grace
12am-Today The Moon, Tomorrow The Sun

Friday, May 28th:
Bootleg Mag showcase

9pm -Dylan Gilbert

10pm -Gray Young
11pm- I, Crime

12pm-I Was Totally Destroying It

Saturday, May 29th

7pm -The Paperjets

8pm -Unholy Tongues

12am-Zach Broocke

Sunday, May 30th
2pm-Marionette
5pm-Ponchos

Showcase: -

Eskimo Kiss Records

9pm -The Good Graces

9:30pm -Actual Persons Living or Dead

10:15pm -North Elementary

11pm -Citified

11:45pm -Jay Manley & Jane Francis (of Velvet)

12:30am -Goner

(The fest is on Monday as well, but I don't know any of those bands...I'll be at the beach, I guess.)

More after the jump...

mp3: Sunglasses -- "Stand Fast"

mp3: Sunglasses: "Stand Fast"

Happy go lucky, maybe? Sunglasses are Savannah, GA inspired dance-pop. Yes, Samuel Cooper and Brady Keehn met at art school. No, that doesn't mean it sucks. Yes, they made an art film together. No, that doesn't mean you shouldn't like the band.

Their S/T EP comes out June 15 from Lefse. More after the jump...

mp3: Mouse Fire -- "True I May Have Lost It" & tour dates

mp3: Mouse Fire -- "True I May Have Lost It"

Florida band Mouse Fire is out of the gates on tour in promotion of their new album, Big Emotion, out June 8 from Lujo Records. Their new single, "True I May Have Lost It" is above.

Loose alt-rock, it really reminds me of this fav band. I love Mouse Fire, I love Big Emotion. You will love them too. I think Louisiana people love this band--2 dates in Shreveport!?!?

More Mouse Fire on Deckfight.

Dates below...



5/21 Gainesville, FL @ The Atlantic
5/22 Pensacola, FL @ A House
5/24 Lafayette, LA @ Artmosphere
5/25 Shreveport, LA @ Dalzell House
5/26 Hot Springs, AR @ Maxine's
5/27 Little Rock, AR @ Vino's
5/28 Oklahoma City, OK @ Sauced
5/29 Austin, TX @ The Ghost Room
5/30 San Antonio, TX @ The Ten Eleven
6/2 El Paso, TX @ Percolator
6/3 Las Cruces, NM @ The Equinox
6/4 Tucson, AZ @ The Hut
6/5 Scottsdale, AZ @ Rogue
6/9 San Diego, CA @ Beauty Bar
6/10 Santa Monica, CA @ Trip Lounge
6/11 Mountain View, CA @ Red Rock
6/14 San Francisco, CA @ Kimo's
6/16 Salt Lake City, UT @ Bar Deluxe
6/17 Denver, CO @ Lion's Lair
6/18 Wichita, KS @ Kirby's
6/23 Denton, TX @ Hailey's
6/24 Shreveport, LA @ The Collective 6/27 New Orleans, LA @ The Circle Bar 6/30 Pensacola, FL @ Handlebar 7/2 Marietta, GA @ The Local 7/3 Atlanta, GA @ The Drunken Unicorn

More after the jump...

review: Band of Horses -- Infinite Arms

Band of Horses

Infinite Arms

Columbia Records, May 18, 2010

mp3: Band of Horses -- "Factory"

Review by Jason Frye

Call it a knife in the wound, call it a restless night waiting for her to call, Infinite Arms embodies that last beautiful gasp of unrequited love and forces you to relive it. But don’t worry, you come out the other side better for the journey.

Here’s our song-by-song breakdown of the new album from South Carolina's Band of Horses...

“Factory” is like seeing a movie alone; like hearing a voice in an empty house.

“Compliments” is a failed escape attempt.

“Laredo” is the lovesick moment when you know you’re not over her.

“Blue Beard” and “On My Way Back Home” are the Beach Boys on Xanax; the continuation of the story from Pet Sounds’ “Sloop John B” with our hero finally home but finding himself filled with longing for the sea.

“Infinite Arms” is a codeine dream you don’t want to wake from.

“Dilly” is a sad summertime pop song.

“Evening Kitchen” plays like a gritty, slow motion film of a boy and girl on swings intercut with their last date, flowers forgotten on the table.

“Older” is the revelation that leaving was the best thing to do.

“For Annabelle” is an empty field stretching an impossible distance to the horizon.

“NW Apartment” is the excitement of something new, the promise of a closed door.

“Neighbor” is the relief of seeing the porch light left on for your return.

More after the jump...

mp3: This Piano Plays Itself -- "Who We Were"

mp3: This Piano Plays Itself -- "Who We Were"

Atlanta's This Piano Plays Itself is busting out an album release party tomorrow night for their new release, As The House.

It's at The Drunken Unicorn with Nomen Novum and Untied States. Still taking this one in, but other people are saying stuff like "Mogwai" and "Explosions in The Sky" and "Slint."

Not sure what I'm going to say yet. The full track list for "As The House" is after the jump...



1. As The House...
2. Who We Were
3. Where We Lived
4. What Happened
5. How We Left
6. When We Got There
7. Why We Stayed
8. ...It Fills With Light

More after the jump...

video: Caddywhompus -- "Guilt"

Caddywhompus "GUILT" from Neko Neko Films on Vimeo.

NOLA's Caddywhompus releases this vid for "Guilt."

Look for the crazy-catchy breakdown around the 50 second mark.

Caddywhompus is also going on tour. Full dates after the jump...



5/19 Los Angeles, CA -- Kaos Network
5/20 Cathedral City, CA -- 31235 Whispering Palms Trail (house show)
5/22 Santa Barbara, CA -- Biko Co-op Garage Performance Space
5/26 Corvallis, OR -- Cloud 9
5/27 Portland, OR -- Ella Street Social Club
5/28 Portland, OR -- In Other Words (early show)
5/28 Portland, OR -- 110 N Falling St. (house show)
6/02 Boulder, CO -- Astroland
6/04 Austin, TX -- Mohawk
6/05 Houston, TX -- Free Press Summer Fest
6/19 Lafayette, LA -- Artmosphere
6/22 Hattiesburg, MS -- Thirsty Hippo
6/23 Birmingham, AL -- Magic City Wholesale
6/24 Nashville,TN -- Little Hamilton
6/25 Carbondale, IL -- The Swamp
6/26 St. Louis, MO -- The Floating Laboratories
6/30 Madison, WI -- The Project Lodge
7/01 Chicago, IL -- Ronny's
7/4 Philadelphia, PA -- Mouse Trap
7/5 Pittsburgh, PA -- House show w/Jean-Eric
7/11 New York, NY -- Piano's
7/12 New York, NY -- Bruar Falls
7/23 Atlanta, GA -- The Wonder Root



More after the jump...

The Totally RT-able Day-and-a-half of Radfest recap

Radfest was this past weekend in Wilmington, NC. I saw some bands.

Not every band I saw is mentioned below, and unfortunately I had to leave early Saturday before most of the headliners.

Instead of trying to describe every show, here's the Totally RT-able day-and-a-half of Radfest recap.

Every entry in 140 characters or less. Oh yeah, follow me on Twitter: @deckfight.

Friday

Greenland is Melting: Punx do bluegrass right. If they changed their name to "Fickle Meek" they would blow up Americana.

Blacklist Royals: Never knew you, but I wanted to. Had to walk my dog. Will keep Night Owl apparel in mind though.


PJ Bond

PJ Bond: "I think it's okay to call off work on a sunny day." Me too.

The Measure (SA): Packed venue & not a bad set to boot.

White Tiger and The Bed of Roses: More long hair in the crowd than anywhere else.


One Win Choice

One Win Choice: Energetic is an understatement.

Captain We're Sinking: Punchy and wall-to-wall nonstop. Most impressive performance from a band I didn't know.

Red City Radio: A standout. Sucker for gang vox. Best (and only?) rendition of "You've lost that loving feeling" at Radfest.

Spanish Gamble: Good to see the wolfpack reunited.

Fin Fang Foom: NC faves. Sometimes punk doesn't sound like punk.

Saturday


Red Collar

Red Collar: The light in the tunnel speech, pumped fists, and sing-a-longs by Mike. They give everything, every time. Best 4pm show ever.

Lemuria: I'm now a fan, but little bit of a letdown after Red Collar madness.


O Pioneers!!!

O Pioneers!!!: Thought they were the same as Junior Battles. They're not. They're better. Oh, yeah "shirts off, dudes on!" & on & on & on.


Cheap Girls

Cheap Girls: The band all the other bands came to see. Crowd built from a few into a mass, complete with Chason crowd surf.

RVIVR: Actually punk in music and lyrics. Thought this no longer existed.

(>>>And that's it...I had to leave early<<<) More after the jump...

review: Caddywhompus -- Remainder

Caddywhompus
Remainder
Community Records, 2010
(download the record free here...)

mp3: Caddywhompus - "Let The Water Hit The Floor"

This album was dangerously close to being in that zone--the zone of "I listened to long to this album, haven't I reviewed it already?" But the flip side of an album being in that zone is that I've lived it, inhabited it, taken it in and made it my own.



New Orleans' Caddywhompus has carved that place into my life with their latest, Remainder. This is a clash of garage and electro, like if The Black Lips covered Dan Deacon songs. It's amazing. And it's amazing that Community Records is giving this thing away for free. Yes, free.

"Guilt" is my favorite song--their ups and downs, and this amazing groove beat in the middle of it while the cymbals clash all around. This might be math rock for all I know, because Caddywhompus' equations run all over the place. Following it is very difficult, where they go next I'm not sure, but it's all kept together, somehow in some way, and it's this mystery that I've lived, inhabited, taken in and made my own.

Other standouts--"Congo Half-Mask" and "Let The Water Hit The Floor."



More after the jump...

Swing South: Annabel

mp3: Annabel -- "Sleeping Lions"

From Kent, Ohio, Annabel is pop-punk with an edge. Been enjoying their stuff for a few months & they kick of their summer tour in the south land including RadFest!!!

Their album, Everyone and Everywhere was released last year by Count Your Lucky Stars.

Here's a vid and the tour dates are after the jump...

Annabel - People & Places from Michael Ormiston on Vimeo.

MAY 13 - Charlotte, NC @ The Milestone ( Beartrap Fest! )
MAY 14 - Wilmington, NC @ Rad Fest
MAY 15 - Wilmington, NC @ Rad Fest
MAY 16 - Atlanta, GA @ Wonderroot
MAY 18 - Fort Worth, TX @ 1919 Hemphill
MAY 19 - Austin, TX @ Red 7
MAY 20 - Las Cruces, NM @ Equinox Music Venue
MAY 21 - Tucson, AZ @ Skrappy’s
MAY 22 - San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
MAY 23 - Los Angeles, CA @ Dig In
MAY 24 - Los Angeles, CA @ Eastside Cafe
MAY 25 - Stockton, CA @ Plea for Peace Venue
MAY 26 - Eugene, OR @ The Muse Lounge
MAY 27 - Seattle, WA @ The Comet Tavern
MAY 28 - Tacoma, WA @ The Den
MAY 29 - Portland, OR @ Laughing Horse Books
MAY 30 - Boise, ID @ Terrapin Station
JUN 01 - Denver, CO @ Astroland
JUN 02 - Kansas City, MO @ TBA
JUN 03 - St Louis, MO @ Cicero’s
JUN 04 - Columbus, OH @ TBA






More after the jump...

RadFest Preview Wilmington, NC May 14-15

Wow, this is amazing. I live in this silly little coastal town--it took one Chason Huggins to put this sucker together.

Really, it's kind of beyond words that a lot of the punk community will be in Wilmington, NC for a weekend of Rad Fest radness.

The breakdown is: 2-day passes this wknd May 14-15 only $25 over 5 venues. Tix available here. Snazzy.

Whole thing is highlighted by a New Mexican Disaster Squad reunion show on Saturday night.

Bands I want to see:

Friday:
Greenland is Melting--3:40pm @ Charley Brownz
Beard of Antlers------5:40pm @ The Whiskey (I've never heard this band, but that's a cool name)
Coffee Project--------6:10 pm @ Charley Brownz
Blacklist Royals------6:20 pm @ 16 Taps
PJ Bond---------------7:00 pm @ Charley Brownz
We Are The Union------7:20 pm @ The Soapbox Lounge
White Tiger &
The Bed of Roses------8:10pm @ The Whiskey
One Win Choice--------9:00pm @ The Soapbox Lounge
Colossus--------------10:40pm @ The Whiskey
Landmines-------------12:10pm @ 16 Taps
Fin Fang Foom---------12:20pm @ The Whiskey

Saturday:
Junior Battles--------3:30pm @ 16 Taps
Red Collar-------------4:00pm @ The Soapbox Upstairs
Lemuria---------------5:00pm @ The Soapbox Upstairs
O Pioneers-------------5:20pm @ 16 Taps
Cheap Girls------------6:20pm @ 16 Taps
Annabel---------------7:50pm @ Charley Brownz
Cloak/Dagger----------8:00pm @ The Soapbox Lounge
Museum Mouth-------8:40pm @ Charley Brownz
New Mexican
Disaster Squad--------9:00pm @ The Soapbox Upstairs
Monikers--------------10:30pm @ The Soapbox Lounge


The Full Schedule after the jump....



Friday

THE SOAPBOX-UPSTAIRS
None More Black 12:00 ‐ 1:00
The Sainte Catherines 10:40 ‐ 11:40
Toys That Kill 9:35 ‐ 10:20
Rehasher 8:30 ‐ 9:15
The Measure (SA) 7:30 ‐ 8:10
Nothington 6:30 ‐ 7:10
$20 (for both floors) or FREE w/ RAD FEST PASS! ALL AGES!
Doors: 6pm

THE SOAPBOX-LOUNGE
The Emotron 1:10 ‐ 1:40
Dirty Tactics 12:20 ‐ 12:50
The Shaking Hands 11:30 ‐ 12:00
Virgins 10:40 ‐ 11:10
After The Fall 9:50 ‐ 10:20
One Win Choice 9:00 ‐ 9:30
Mose Giganticus 8:10 ‐ 8:40
We Are The Union 7:20 ‐ 7:50
How Dare You 6:30 ‐ 7:00
Gatorface 5:40 ‐ 6:10
The Anchor 4:50 ‐ 5:20
$20 (for both floors) or FREE w/ RAD FEST PASS! ALL AGES!
Doors: 4:20pm

16 taps
The Riot Before 1:00 ‐ 1:40
Landmines 12: 10 ‐ 12:40
Spanish Gamble 11: 20 ‐ 11:50
Red City Radio 10:30 ‐ 11:00
Captain, We’re Sinking! 9:40 ‐ 10:10
The Snips 8:50 ‐ 9:20
Criminal Culture 8:00 ‐ 8:30
Freeman 7:10 ‐ 7:40
Blacklist Royals 6:20 ‐ 6:50
GDP 5:30 ‐ 6:00
Assassinate The Scientist 4:40 ‐ 5:10
The Holy Mess 3:50 ‐ 4:20
$10 or FREE w/ RAD FEST PASS! 18+
Doors: 3:20pm

The Whiskey
The Future Now 1:10 ‐ 1:40
Fin Fang Foom 12:20 ‐ 12:50
Worn In Red 11:30 ‐ 12:00
Colossus 10:40 ‐ 11:10
Lighten Up 9:50 ‐ 10:20
Mouthbreather 9:00 ‐ 9:30
White Tiger &
The Bed Of Roses 8:10 ‐ 8:40
Liquid Limbs 7:20 ‐ 7:50
Constrictor 6:30 ‐ 7:00
Beard of Antlers 5:40 ‐ 6:10
Vegan Coke 4:50 ‐ 5:20
Battle! 4:00 ‐ 4:30
FREE w/ RAD FEST PASS! 21+
Doors: 3:30pm

Charley Brownz
The Takers 10:20 ‐ 11:00
Rob Huddleston 9:30 ‐ 10:00
Red Clay River 8:40 ‐ 9:10
Todd Congelliere 7:50 ‐ 8:20
PJ Bond 7:00 ‐ 7:30
Coffee Project 6:10 ‐ 6:40
Jon Gaunt 5:20 ‐ 5:50
Mourning Is For Suckers 4:30 ‐ 5:00
Greenland Is Melting 3:40 ‐ 4:10
Fossil Arm 2:50 ‐ 3:20
$10 or FREE w/ RAD FEST PASS! 18+
Doors: 2:20pm


Saturday

THE SOAPBOX-UPSTAIRS
Leatherface 11:40 ‐ 1:00
Ann Beretta 10:20 ‐ 11:20
New Mexican
Disaster Squad 9:00 ‐ 10:00
Young Livers 8:00 ‐ 8:40
RVIVR 7:00 ‐ 7:40
New Bruises 6:00 ‐ 6:40
Lemuria 5:00 ‐ 5:40
Red Collar 4:00 ‐ 4:40
$20 (for both floors) or FREE w/ RAD FEST PASS! ALL AGES!
Doors: 3:30pm

THE SOAPBOX-LOUNGE
Ninja Gun 1:00 ‐ 1:40
Panthro UK United 13 12:10 ‐ 12:40
The Cardinal Health 11:20 ‐ 11:50
Monikers 10:30 ‐ 11:00
Sharks Come Cruisin 9:40 ‐ 10:10
Underground Railroad
To Candyland 8:50 ‐ 9:20
Cloak/Dagger 8:00 ‐ 8:30
Protagonist 7:10 ‐ 7:40
NoMore 6:20 ‐ 6:50
Barnaby Jones 5:30 ‐ 6:00
Photoclub 4:50 ‐ 5:10
Anchor Arms 4:00 ‐ 4:30
$20 (for both floors) or FREE w/ RAD FEST PASS! ALL AGES!
Doors: 3:30pm

16 taps
Army of Ponch 7:20 ‐ 8:00
Cheap Girls 6:20 ‐ 7:00
O Pioneers!!! 5:20 ‐ 6:00
Grabass Charlestons 4:20 ‐ 5:00
Junior Battles 3:30 ‐ 4:00
The Slow Death 2:40 ‐ 3:10
Senders 1:50 ‐ 2:20
Reverse The Curse 1:00 ‐ 1:30
$10 or FREE w/ RAD FEST PASS! 18+
Doors: 12:30pm

The whiskey
Madison Bloodbath 1:00 ‐ 1:40
Nothing In The Dark 12:10 ‐ 12:40
The Dopamines 11:20 ‐ 11:50
Something Fierce 10:30 ‐ 11:00
Mockingbird Wish Me Luck 9:40 ‐ 10:10
American Armada 8:50 ‐ 9:20
Black Wine 8:00 ‐ 8:30
Dude Jams 7:10 ‐ 7:40
Homemade Handgrenade 6:20 ‐ 6:50
Prevenge 5:30 ‐ 6:00
Too Many Daves 4:40 ‐ 5:10
Night Birds 3:50 ‐ 4:20
10‐4 Eleanor 3:00 ‐ 3:30
FREE w/ RAD FEST PASS! 21+
Doors: 2:30pm

Charley Brownz
P.S. Eliot 10:20 ‐ 10:50
Tin Armor 9:30 ‐ 10:00
Museum Mouth 8:40 ‐ 9:10
Annabel 7:50 ‐ 8:20
Sleepies 7:00 ‐ 7:30
Little League 6:10 ‐ 6:40
Imadethismistake 5:20 ‐ 5:50
Polygon 4:30 ‐ 5:00
Two Hand Fools 3:40 ‐ 4:10
Very Magic 2:50 ‐ 3:20
Over Stars and Gutters 2:00 ‐ 2:30
$10 or FREE w/ RAD



More after the jump...

The Year of Reading Faulker: As I Lay Dying

This book sucked. I'm done with it. Darl, Cash, Tull, don't care what happens to your mom or where you bury her.

I was supposed to be done with it a long time ago. Onward to Light in August (I think).



More after the jump...

Rebuild This City on Rock and Roll

Been trying to figure out what to write or post or what about this Nashville flood business.

Just decided to post up the vid from Nashville Scene about the benefit show held the other night at the Mercy Lounge in Nashville. Think they roped in $11,000. That's not Taylor Swift or Ke$ha money, but still it's pretty good.

Check here for places to donate or buy this good WE ARE NASHVILLE shirt. I'm ordering one.
More after the jump...

video: Saredren Wells - "To Live In Dreams and Memories"

Saredren Wells: "To Live in Dreams and Memories"

Wells is from Louisville. Kentucky, that is. His album Memory is Hunting Horns is out next week from Louisville is For Lovers.


More after the jump...

review: Discover America - Future Paths

Discover America
Future Paths
Lujo Records, 2010

mp3: Discover America: "Force of Proper Wind"

A few years ago Iron and Wine was on the tip of all the tongues, now it's chillwave or whatever. So it goes for trends, for singer songwriters and singer songwriters from Seattle maybe as well.

Definitely want to lump Discover America (nee Chris Staples) into the Damian Jurado / David Bazan camp. Too many things are in common. There's that Seattle thing. There's that complicated relationship with Christian faith. There's that understated yet visceral acoustic-type output.

Staples seems more folk than both of those guys, though the opener "Force of Proper Wind" has the piano meandering on the edge of the more honest parts of say, Twothirtyeight's Regulate the Chemicals, a release from Staples' previous band. He reins it end in the following track--"1979"--a weary ballad of indie rock honesty if there ever was one.

Actually, the album begins to separate into two distinct parts--like oil and water. The salt-of-the-earth side is represented by songs like "1979," "Sawdust in My Clothes," the verses of "A Lock of Samson's Hair" and "Time Is A Bird."

The other songs have another edge, utilizing more mechanical means--drum machines, more delay--rock songs almost but more melodic than anything by Twothirtyeight. "Devil In The Woods" is my favorite of these, followed almost immediately by "When You Were Young" and "Out of the Valley" falls somewhere in between the two structures. Sometimes Staples has the jam band Death Cab for Cutie nailed, other times he is doing his best Florida to Seattle impression of the lonesome Southern road less traveled.

It's maddening--give me the programmed drum beats anyday--I want this enforced mechanical isolation to box Staples in--those times he is the most honest, the most complete songwriter and at his best. Forget any of the slightly alt-folk jingles and stick to the bitter, the inhumane, the computational. Sounds awful, I know, but it's Staples at his best.


More after the jump...

Swing South: American Aquarium cd release and dates

Takes something special for me to post on the weekend. Weekends are for rest and not remembering anything.

But that something special is the release of American Aquarium's new album, Small Town Hymns on Last Chance Records.




CD release party is tonight at The Pour House in Raleigh.

Maybe alt-country, maybe bar rock, maybe your new favorite band. Usually I don't get into stuff like this, but their live set totally wins me over every time.

If you're wondering what Lucero was like before they were LUCERO, then listen to American Aquarium.

All southeast dates after the jump (and there are a bunch of them....)


May 1 2010 10:00P CD RELEASE PARTY @ THE POUR HOUSE Raleigh, North Caro, US
May 2 2010 9:00P New Brookland Tavern w/ Sons of Bill Columbia, South Caro, US
May 3 2010 10:00P The Jinx Savannah, Georgia, US
May 4 2010 9:00P Skippers w/ Sons of Bill Tampa, Florida, US
May 5 2010 9:00P Jack Rabbits w/ Sons of Bill Jacksonville, Florida, US
May 6 2010 9:00P Peachtree Tavern w/ Sons of Bill Atlanta, Georgia, US
May 7 2010 7:00P The Windjammer w/ Sons of Bill Charleston, South Caro, US
May 8 2010 12:15P Beaufort Music Festival Beaufort, North Caro, US
May 8 2010 9:00P Evening Muse w/ Sons of Bill Charlotte, North Caro, US
May 13 2010 9:00P The 8X10 w/ Sons of Bill Baltimore, Maryland, US
May 14 2010 9:00P The Studio at Webster Hall w/ Sons of Bill New York, New York, US
May 15 2010 9:00P The State Theatre w/ Sons of Bill Falls Church, Virginia, US
May 16 2010 10:00P The Triple Richmond, Virginia, US
May 17 2010 9:00P Clementine Cafe Harrisonburg, Virginia, US
May 18 2010 10:00P Rhythm & Brews Chattanooga, Tennessee , US
May 19 2010 9:00P Zydeco w/ Sons of Bill Birmingham, Alabama, US
May 29 2010 7:00P Private Event Elkin, North Caro, US
Jun 1 2010 9:00P The Garage Winston Salem, North Caro, US
Jun 2 2010 9:00P The Blind Tiger Greensboro, North Caro, US
Jun 3 2010 9:00P LOCAL 506 CHAPEL HILL, North Caro, US
Jun 4 2010 9:00P The Soapbox Laundro-Lounge Wilmington, North Caro, US
Jun 5 2010 9:00P Hot Summer Nights Myrtle Beach, South Caro, US
Jun 10 2010 9:00P Sky City Augusta, Georgia , US
Jun 11 2010 9:00P The Hummingbird Macon, Georgia , US
Jun 12 2010 9:00P Rafters St. Simons, Georgia, US
Jun 14 2010 9:00P The Engine Room Tallahassee, Florida, US
Jun 16 2010 9:00P Chelsea’s Baton Rouge, Louisiana, US
Jun 18 2010 9:00P The Boiler Room w/ Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers Denton, Texas,
Jun 19 2010 9:00P LaGrange Dallas, Texas, US
Jun 21 2010 9:00P Woody’s Tupelo, Mississipp, US
Jun 22 2010 9:00P The Blind Pig Oxford, Mississipp, US
Jun 23 2010 9:00P Hi Tone Memphis, Tennessee , US
Jun 24 2010 9:00P White Water Tavern Little Rock, Arkansas , US
Jun 25 2010 9:00P Landry’s Fort Smith, Arkansas , US
Jun 26 2010 9:00P George’s Majestic Fayetteville, Arkansas , US
Jun 27 2010 9:00P Fat Jacks Texarkana, Arkansas , US


More after the jump...