Vivian Girls Announce "Nightmare of Sound" Tour

Attention everyone who hates the Vivian Girls, this post is for people who enjoy good garage pop. Attenion everyone who loves good garage pop, Vivian Girls are extending their constant tour even more. Now you have absolutly no reason not to see them. Plus they will be playing songs from their upcoming album Everything Goes Wrong. Which I got the promo of, listened to, and can say is just as good as their debut.

Tue-Aug-25 New York, NY Death By Audio +
Wed-Aug-26 Philadelphia, PA The Barbary +
Thu-Aug-27 Pittsburgh, PA Andy Warhol Museum +
Fri-Aug-28 Columbus, OH Summit +
Sat-Aug-29 Champaign, IL Cowboy Monkey +
Sun-Aug-30 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle +
Mon-Aug-31 Minneapolis, MN 7th St Entry +
Tue-Sep-01 Fargo, ND The Aquarium +
Fri-Sep-04 Missoula, MT Union Hall +
Sun-Sep-06 Seattle, WA Bumbershoot Festival
Mon-Sep-07 Portland, OR Berbati's Pan +
Wed-Sep-09 San Francisco, CA Rickshaw Stop - CD Release Show! +
Fri-Sep-11 Los Angeles, CA The Echo +
Fri-Oct-09 Honolulu, HI Loft Gallery and Lounge
Tue-Oct-13 Phoenix, AZ Modified Arts
Thu-Oct-15 Dallas, TX The Cavern
Fri-Oct-16 Austin, TX Red 7
Sat-Oct-17 Jackson, MS Hal and Mal's
Sun-Oct-18 Pensacola, FL Sluggo's
Mon-Oct-19 Tallahassee, FL Club Downunder
Tue-Oct-20 Tampa, FL Czar
Wed-Oct-21 Lake Worth, FL Propaganda
Tue-Oct-27 Asheville, NC The Milestone
Wed-Oct-28 Charlottesville, VA Outback Lodge
Thu-Oct-29 Washington, DC TBA
Fri-Oct-30 Storrs, CT University of Connecticut
Sat-Oct-31 Brooklyn, NY Ridgewood Masonic Temple

+=With the Beets

Vivian Girls' Myspace

The Beets' Myspace

How To Annoy Fans and Viewers of this Blog By Talking About the Same Band Again AKA More Los Campesinos! Record Box Videos!

I know this seems excessive, but part of blogging is being constant. And when I said I post these videos. I meant it! But trust me on this and see these videos. Some great stuff is going in this box and you don’t want to miss out.















And for the lazy bums who can't keep track, here is what's in the box so far:

•Xiu Xiu/High Places 7″ Split (includes David Horvitz polaroid)
•Lovvers Laughing Man 7″
•Casiotone For The Painfully Alone Town Topic EP
•BARR The Song Is The Single 7″
•Dan Deacon/Future Islands 7″ Split
•Cheap Time Woodland Drive 7″
•Telepathe/Effi Briest 7″ Split.
•Tokyo Police Club Tessellate 7″ (featuring Tom Campesinos! remix)
•Zola Jesus Poor Sons 7″
•No Age Eraser 7″ (SIGNED!!)
•HEALTH Die Slow 7″
•Times New Viking Stay Awake 7″ EP
•bis Sweet Shop Avengerz 7″
•Abe Vigoda Animal Ghosts 7″
•Deerhunter Nothing Ever Happened 7″
•Big Black He’s A Whore/The Model 7″
•Bikini Kill New Radio/Rebel Girl/Demi Rep 7″
•Art Brut Alcoholics Unanimous 7″
•Q And Not U Hot And Informed 7″
•The Smiths William, It Was Really Nothing/Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want 7″
•The Hot Puppies Somewhere 7″
•The Housemartins Five Get Over Excited 7″
•Fucked Up Year Of The Pig 7″
•Les Savy Fav Plagues And Snakes 7″ (Wake Up A Snake/Raging In The Plague Age)
•Electrelane In Berlin 7″
•The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart Young Adult Friction 7″
•Preston School Of Industry Falling Away 7″
•Dead Science Tomlab Alphabet Singles Series 7″
•The Mountain Goats Palmcoder Yajna 7″
•Miscellaneous Badges
•A couple of ‘Zines.

Two other things. I was able to do a interview with Los Campesinos! and photos were taken when they preformed at Emos on August 14. Both the horrible interview and horrible photos will be posted shortly (I hope). Also, if you can, please help with the Kris Jensen Memorial Fund. Details can be found at the Los Campesinos! blog here.

Album Review: Nesey Gallons-Eyes & Eyes & Eyes Ago

(Originally posted on Off Tempo)

First, throw away any mind set you had about Nesey Gallons. Despite currently playing in Circulatory System and helping them record Signal Morning, Gallons sounds nothing like the experimental psych-rock of Will Hart. Julian Koster covering Bob Dylan’s The Basement Tapes would be a better reference point, but the sound of Gallons is very much is own.

Rarely is more than one instrument used on a song, with percussion being almost completely cut from the album. This minimalism leads tracks like “William’s Revolver” to sound much more powerful than usually would (and that’s meant in the best way). But it’s the striped down tracks that really shine. What Gallons accomplishes on “Who” with nothing more than a pump organ and some well placed singing saws ( Provided by who else but Julian Koster) is fucking incredible. Or the heartbreak on “Abigail” with nothing but an acoustic guitar. Not to discount the other songs on the album. Tracks like “There Won’t Be Any Crows” or “Aurora Borealis” really show off the great folk-pop songs this guy could make. In fact, he could of filled the album with these songs and it would still have been great. But the fact that he choose the harder direction of balancing the album with his haunting, stripped down tracks is even more impressive. The fact he pulled it off so well, with each track meshing together perfectly with one another is mind blowing. The souls Gallons crafted and planted in each of these tracks will just flow right out of your speakers.

The mood for the album is just as important as the album itself. You can just see Gallons making his music. Tucked in his little house in Maine, during the winter, slowly breathing life into his songs about caves, lighthouses, childhood, and death. Much like how Bon Iver poured his soul on the songs of For Emma, Forever Ago, Nesey Gallons does the same, and the result is just as beautiful.

Nesey Gallons-Abigail

Nesey Gallons-Forest-Lit Dinner

Nesey Gallons' Myspace

Preorder Eye & Eyes & Eyes Ago from Cloud Recordings

New Music Tapes Video (For the Planet Pluto)! + Olivia Tremor Control demos

When I interviewed Julian Koster back in Febuary, he told me how loved he making music videos and we should expect more from him. As wonderful as that sounded at the time, due to the rate at which anything from the Music Tapes came out, I wasn't holding my breath. However, today, not only did the Music Tapes come out with a new video, but a new song as well! As you can tell by the title it is a loving tribute to the Pluto in the way only the Music Tapes can make. It also feature a guest apperance by 7 Foot Tall Metronome plus cameos by the Clapping Hands Machine and Kevin Barns. And to top it off he had a group of elementry students be in the video and sing on the song! Expect a mp3 of the song to come soon.



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Also in other E6 news, a poster on the Elephant 6 Message board bought from eBay a rare Olivia Tremor Conrtol cassette. On the one sided cassette were 6 demo tracks that I doubt more than a handful of people have ever heard. And he ripped it and post a link for it! Thank you doctorSchwindel.

The tracklist:
1."Athena"
2."The One"
3."Fireplace"
4."Making Time"
5. "Black Foliage

You can download them here.

Jay Reatard Adds More Dates, Offically Breaks My Heart

It’s things like this that can really ruin your day. There I was, going through my emails when this popped up. The all great Jay Reatard is once again extending his tour. And once again skiping my home base of Austin for who knows what reason. And to add the most insult to injury, he’s playing with Nobunny, Hunx & His Punx, as well as the Box Elders on almost every stop! Anyone who gets to see any of these dates better appreciate how lucky they are, and had better send me some pictures!

9/28 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle*?+!
9/29 Toronto, Canada -The Reverb*?+!
9/30 Montreal, Canada - La Sala Rossa*?+!
10/1 New York City, NY- Le Poisson Rouge*?+!
10/2 Boston, MA - Harpers Ferry*?+!
10/3 Baltimore, MD - Ottobar*?+!
10/15 Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe+
1019 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall*?+#
10/20 San Diego, CA - The Casbah*?+#
10/21 Los Angels, CA - El Ray Theater*?+#

*With Nobunny
?With Hunx & His Punx
+With Box Elders
!With Useless Eaters
#With Digital Leather

Jay Reatard's Website
Nobunny’s Myspace
Hunx & His Punx’s Myspace
Box Elders’ Myspace
Useless Eaters' Myspace
Digital Leather's Myspace

Singles Alert: Best Coast, Andrew Cedermark, and Love Of Diagrams

It would be easy to dismiss Best Coast as another lo-fi band from California. Sure, it’s a one-girl band (Bethany Cosentino of Pocahaunted), obsessed with making the most distorted surf/60's influenced music around. Yes, Gorilla vs. Bear (as does almost every blog on the web) loves her, she releases on cassettes, and there is a lot of weed involved. So go a head and ignore here, but you’ll be missing out on a band that does all of those things so right. I don’t think there are any words to describe how great the bedroom-pop of “Sun Was High (So Was I)” is. As every has told you, her cassette on Blackest Rainbow is sold out. What hasn’t been told is two singles are on the way. Her s/t 7" on Art Fag is due by the end of August (which will have “Sun Was High (So Was I)” as well as “So Gone and “That’s the Way Boys Are” on it) and as well as the first release ever for the label Group Tightener and that is due out by the end of summer. Start getting out your dark shades.

(mp3) Best Coast-Sun Was High (So Was I) (via Gorilla Vs. Bear)

Best Coast's Myspace
Art Fag Recordings

All though this wasn’t covered at all by anyone, both Ian O’Neil and Andrew Cedermark left Titus Andronicus. While I don’t know why this happened or how this will affect the band, I do know has lead to one good thing. Andrew Cedermark decision to concentrate on his solo work. While any one expecting a Titus clone will be disappointed, those expecting great shoegaze influenced rockish pop tunes won’t be. Appearing on a few compilations for Underwater Peoples and self releasing a two cassette EPs, he will be getting a proper release shortly...kind of. It will be split 7" on Underwater Peoples with Family Portrit which will have two tracks, has just been mastered, and is due out in a months time.

Andrew Cedermark's Myspace
Underwater Peoples Records

Finally, Love of Diagrams has a brand new single out right now. Who is Love of Diagrams you may ask? The most underrated band on Matador records! Though, if your on Matador, I think that’s an oxymoron. Still their dark, distorted, call and response music is hardly covered and that’s a shame. The single is out on Popfrenzy, is a split with another Australian band called Songs and can be bought on their myspace. Also for anyone who cares (apparently only me and the guy who runs The Unblinking Ear), their third album called Nowhere Forever is due out August 20th in Australia and they hope to bring it the rest of the world soon.

Love Of Diagrams' Website
Love Of Diagrams' Myspace

Watch the New Jay Reatard Documentary: Waiting for Something

This documentary should not surprise anyone. For those who have been ill informed, Jay Reatard has been cranking out some of the best punk rock for 10 years straight, so it’s about time he got something proper lick this. Enjoy the smorgasbord of early performances, Reatard being quiet, and people awkwardly trying to compare Reatard to Elvis just because they’re both from Memphis. But hey, people compare Titus Andronicus to Bruce Springsteen just because they’re both from New Jersey, so it’s not that odd.

Waiting For Something - a short documentary about Jay Reatard


Also enjoy this great video for Jay Reatard's It Ain't Going to Save Me

Jay Reatard - "It Ain't Gonna Save Me"


Jay Reatard's Website

Jay Reatard Tour Dates:
Fri Aug 14 - Oslo, Norway @ Oya Festival
Sat Aug 15 - Gothenburg, Sweden @ Way Out West Festival
Tue Aug 18 - Los Angeles @ Amoeba Records 6pm FREE
Wed Aug 19 - Long Beach @ Fingerprints Music 7pm FREE
Thu Aug 20 - San Diego @ M-Theory Music 7pm FREE
Fri Aug 21 - Santa Cruz @ Streetlight Records 7pm FREE
Sat Aug 22 - San Francisco @ Amoeba Records 6pm FREE
Sun Aug 23 - Berkeley @ Amoeba Records 6pm FREE
Tue Aug 25 - Portland @ Jackpot Records 6pm FREE
Wed Aug 26 - Seattle @ Easy Street Records 7pm FREE
Thu Aug 27 - Seattle @ Sonic Boom Records 7pm FREE
Fri Aug 28 - Vancouver @ Zulu Records 8pm FREE

Los Campesinos Paloza!

While recovering from my computer not working, I thought I would catch up and post all the Los Campesinos! videos I know your dying to see. Definitely some great singles are going into that box. However, the band still has not said a word on how to actually get it. All in due time I guess.









All the original blog posts can be seen here, and for anyone who has lost track of what's in the box, it contains:

•Xiu Xiu/High Places 7″ Split (includes David Horvitz polaroid)
•Lovvers Laughing Man 7″
•Casiotone For The Painfully Alone Town Topic EP
•BARR The Song Is The Single 7″
•Dan Deacon/Future Islands 7″ Split
•Cheap Time Woodland Drive 7″
•Telepathe/Effi Briest 7″ Split.
•Tokyo Police Club Tessellate 7″ (featuring Tom Campesinos! remix)
•Zola Jesus Poor Sons 7″
•Miscellaneous Badges
•A couple of ‘Zines

Also, Tom from The Great Pumpkin was able to get into the super small Brooklyn Vegan show of theirs and was able two produce to videos from the show, including a unreleased song! Isn't Tom great? (No sarcasm there)

Los Campesinos!-International Tweexcore Underground

Los Campesinos!-Who Fell Asleep (unreleased)

News: The Decemberists Have New Tunes, Micachu is Remixing, and Los Campesinos! collecting

People had problems with the last Decemberists album. And while I can’t understand this, those people can sleep easy because Decemberists still obey their folk-rock roots. Recently they deputed two brand new tunes at the Newport Folk Festive and yes, they sound like classic Decemberists songs. Thanks to You Ain’t No Picasso for getting them/uploading them.

(mp3) The Decemberists-Rox in the Box (via You Ain’t No Picasso)
(mp3) The Decemberists-Down by the Water (via You Ain’t No Picasso)





While less know and reported, Micachu is actually a great DJ. For proof, look at her recent remix of Fool's Gold's "Surprise Hotel". And yes it sounds just as odd and glichy as you think a Micachu remix to sound. In other Micachu remix news, Micachu has posted here second Mixtape. However, she join forces with friend Kwes to make the tape and the result is something very metallic and un-Micachu. You have been warned

(mp3) Fools Gold- Surprise Hotel (Micachu and the Shapes remix) (via Stereogum)

Kwesachu Mixtape Link

Finally I would like to post the second video for the Los Campesinos! singles record box project and yes I do plan to post every video. No info on how to get the box is in this video, but just the band adding a expensive single from seeing the No Deachunter show. Orginal blog post by them here.



Update: The band has posted another video for part of the project. No info yet, just more singles to the box. See original post here.

Bands to Care About: The Capstan Shafts

It’s incredible what it takes to be noticed in the indie rock world. 10 years into recording under the name The Capstan Shafts, Dean Wells has released 7 albums and 10 eps along with 4 records under various monikers. Yet despite all this insane productivity, chances are very high you’ve never heard of him. Why? Because he does nothing but record! He has only preformed three times, never stays signed to an label for more than a few releases, and hasn’t set up his own myspace page. Still, do what you can to track down his work because it is some of the best bedroom pop around. Recording everything on 4-track and playing every instrument, Wells is like a mad man, cranking out these lo-fi nuggets so delicious you fear you’ll get an uncurable sugar high just listening to one of his album. The Guided by Voices influence is hard to ignore, but with Wells better mastery of his instruments and trying to be more Tobin Sprout than Robert Pollard, it amounts to something much more. Plus he has a song called “Space Nut to Ape Length”. How can you not love it?

(mp3) The Capstan Shafts-Space Nut To Ape Length

(mp3) The Capstan Shafts-Middles of June
(mp3) The Capstan Shafts-Chandelier of Bad Ideas

The Capstan Shafts Unoffical Myspace

Rainbow Quartz (The Capstan Shafts most current label)

Circulatory System Announce Tour, Album News

The never-know-the-statice-of-it Elephant 6 band the Circulatory System are getting it together. Not only is their long awaited and 8 years in the making album Signal Morning finally going to be released on September 8th, but the band has launched the first news about their tour. It will take place in September and will be touring with other Olivia Tremor Control side project Pipes You See, Pipes You Don’t and Circulatory System band member/solo artist Nesey Gallons. Although only hitting the east coast and upper midwest, expect more tour dates in the coming weeks. Also in Circulatory System news, the band has started pre-sales of the vinyl of Signal Morning with the first 300 getting a bonus vinyl with demos/alternative takes similar to the Inside View CD-R.

08/15 Asheville, NC-Transfigurations
09/07 Chapel Hill, NC-Nightlight *
09/08 Philadelphia, PA-Kung Fu Necktie*
09/09 New York, NY-Le Poisson Rouge*
09/10 Worcester, MA-The Grind at Clark University*
09/11 Purchase, NY-The Student Center-SUNY Purchase*
09/12 Monticello, NY-All Tomorrow’s Parties NY
09/14 Boston , MA-YMCA Theatre*
09/15 Geneseo, N -Union Plaza at SUNY Geneseo*
09/16 Cleveland, OH-Grog Shop*
09/17 Pontiac, MI-Pike Room*
09/18 Chicago, IL-Chopin Theatre*
09/19Lexington, KY-Al’s Bar*
09/20Knoxville, TN-The Pilot Light*

*=dates with Pipes You See, Pipes You Don't and Nesey Gallons

(mp3)Circulatory System-Overjoyed

Cloud Recordings (Where to Get Signal Morning)
Circulatory System Myspace
Pipes You See, Pipes You Don't Myspace
Nesey Gallons Myspace

Everything I Missed: Dinsoaur Jr-Farm

There is nothing like listening to a Dinosaur Jr album to remind you how much your guitar playing sucks compared to J Mascis. If you don’t believe me just listen to their latest, Farm. It’s comforting to know that in the 17 total years they’ve been doing this, Dino still can make some the best riffs out there. Despite the trippy (but awesome) cover art, this album is less about drugs but forgiveness. Any possible awkwardness or anger that could have ben felt by the three on Beyond is wiped clean with Farm. With songs like “Over It” and “I Want You to Know” J Mascis really wears his heart on his sleeve, apologizing to his band mates from leaving them. Sonically the record is very tight even if there isn’t anything too terribly new here. But it’s not like people were expecting them to pull out the synthesizers for this album. Everything from the nearly nine minute epic “I Don’t Want to Go There” or Lou’s “Immigration Blind ”, this album is pure rock. And a rock album is something that is underappreciated and sorely lacking from current indie rock.

(mp3) Dinosaur Jr-I Want You To Know



Dinsoaur Jr Website