The Handsome Family Joins Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy to Play Boulder Theater’s Sold Out 75th Anniversary Shows January 7th And 8th

Those lucky enough to score tickets to the sold out Jeff Tweedy shows at the Boulder Theater must have four leaf clover collections. The Handsome Family will be joining Wilco’s front-man for the January 7th and 8th shows which celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Boulder Theater.

The Handsome Family will begin a tour of the west coast January 19th in support of the self-released Scattered: A Further Collection of Lost Demos, Orphaned Songs and Odd Covers. The band has revisited their past for this album and gathered up treasures; a smattering of covers, alternate takes, unreleased songs and bits of their history. The CD is only available at tour dates and on their website, http://www.handsomefamily.com.The tour, which begins in Vancouver will take them down the west coast to Santa Monica.

The Handsome Family are known for Rennie’s evocative, descriptive lyrics, Brett’s deadpan baritone and their sparse, traditional bluegrass instrumentation. Their work has garnered praise from Pitchfork, Billboard, Spin, The BBC, Mojo and more. Their songs have been covered by many artists, most notably: Andrew Bird, Christy Moore, Cerys Matthews, The Sadies and Sally Timms. Honey Moon, the Sparks’ eighth studio album was released in 2009 to celebrate their 20th year of marriage.

Since starting Wilco in 1994 Jeff Tweedy has written original songs for seven Wilco albums, sold millions of records worldwide, won two Grammy Awards, and earned rave reviews from critics and fans alike. Wilco’s latest studio album, 2009’s Grammy-nominated Wilco (The Album) landed on many critics’ lists as one of the year’s best albums and Rolling Stone magazine cited Wilco’s 2002 album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot as the 3rd best album of the decade. Tweedy has also toured frequently as a solo artist, playing intimate unscripted acoustic sets that draw from his 400-plus song repertoire. A departure from Wilco’s carefully orchestrated, sonically complex performances, the solo concerts showcase Tweedy’s prolific output as a songwriter, his proficiency as a guitarist and his wry sense of humor.

From opera to movies to disco to rock - the historic Boulder Theater has a diverse and colorful past that is being continued with a thriving present and is primed for an exciting future. The building as it stands today was designed by Robert Boller of Kansas City and had its Opening Night on January 9, 1936 with a screening of the Paramount Pictures film, "A Bride Comes Home". Click Here to Read More..

The Handsome Family Take the Show on the Road this January

When you’ve recorded eight studio albums over fifteen years, there’s bound to be songs that have been forgotten. The Handsome Family has revisited their past and gathered up these treasures; a smattering of covers, alternate takes, unreleased songs and bits of their history and put them together on the self-released Scattered: A Further Collection of Lost Demos, Orphaned Songs and Odd Covers which the band will support with a tour beginning in early January.

Fans of Rennie and Brett Sparks’ haunting and hauntingly beautiful stories in song will be delighted to know that they’re in for a double treat: The Handsome Family will be touring the west coast and they’ll have copies of Scattered with them. The CD is only available at tour dates and on their website, http://www.handsomefamily.com. The tour, which begins in Vancouver January 19th, will take them down the west coast to Santa Monica.

Scattered collects moments from The Handsome Family’s history and pre-history. A four-track demo of “One Way Up,” which appears on the album, was recorded in the Sparks’ tiny Chicago living room twenty years ago. Alternate takes, rehearsal tapes and orphaned songs keep company with covers the band has recorded for compilations over the years. “Little Buddy,” which Rennie describes as “one of our earliest attempts at songwriting,” was rescued from obscurity to be included. A cover of Bob Dylan’s “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues,” was which was originally recorded for the Uncut Magazine compilation, Highway 61 Revisited Revisited as well as The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby,” recorded for Mojo’s Revolver Reloaded, are both included on the album. Covers of Leonard Cohen, Leon Payne and Harlan Howard also appear. There’s also traditional songs, like “The Lost Soul” of which Rennie says, “Hard to imagine, but they sang this terrifying song in church.”

The Handsome Family have toured extensively throughout the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, their live performances sometimes consist of up to a six-piece band and other times just Brett and Rennie. Despite the dark mood often created by their music, A Handsome Family show is fun, with Rennie bantering and telling more stories between songs, and Brett collapsing the illusion of tradition by sometimes using a laptop for drums.

The Handsome Family are known for Rennie’s evocative, descriptive lyrics, Brett’s deadpan baritone and their sparse, traditional bluegrass instrumentation. Their work has garnered praise from Pitchfork, Billboard, Spin, The BBC, Mojo and more. Their songs have been covered by many artists, most notably: Andrew Bird, Christy Moore, Cerys Matthews, The Sadies and Sally Timms. Honey Moon, the Sparks’ eighth studio album was released in 2009 to celebrate their 20th year of marriage.

The Handsome Family Tour Dates

1/19 Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver, BC
1/20 Tractor Tavern, Seattle, WA
1/21 Doug Fir, Portland, OR
1/22 Sam Bond’s Garage, Eugene, OR
1/25 Freight and Salvage, Berkeley, CA
1/26 Café DuNord, - San Francisco, CA
1/28 Bootleg Theater, Los Angeles, CA
1/29 McCabe's Guitar Shop, Santa Monica, CA Click Here to Read More..

The Other Side with The Red Alert's Adam McKibbin

It was May of 2005 when journalist Adam McKibbin, unveiled his interview with Shearwater's Jonathan Meiburg as the first post on the “indie-centric” music blog, The Red Alert. Over the years, the website has evolved to incorporate interviews with indie A-listers such as Weezer, Band of Horses, Dr. Dog, The Album Leaf, The Black Keys, Iron & Wine, Passion Pit, and The Thermals, as well as filmmaker turned recording artist turned “experimenter,” David Lynch. The Red Alert, which hails as a “Music, Politics and Progression” forum, has more recently expanded to include album reviews and Mp3 posts to highlight the independent artists they love, while helping the “casual music fan” sift through the overwhelming amount of music available at the click of a mouse.

We managed to track down The Red Alert’s Adam McKibbin in between his own interview sessions to find out what it’s like to be on the other side:

Green Light Go: What makes The Red Alert different from other websites?
Adam McKibbin: We're really DIY, so it took a few years to find professional web design. We update The Red Alert weekly and since there's no pretense to cover everything, that frees us up to cover anything we want, whether it's Arcade Fire, a weirdo electronic album, a comedy DVD, or a book about the war in Burma.

GLG: Do you think The Red Alert has a specific musical niche?
AM: Not really, although we generally (but not exclusively) huddle under the broad umbrella of "indie."

GLG: What contemporary albums are you looking forward to coming out?
AM: We're in the odd time of the year where we're besieged by gift box sets and holiday albums and, of course, a lot of hip-hop and R&B. Like everyone with an internet connection, I'll check out the new Kanye West and Cee-Lo, but I'm also a fan of Ne-Yo, and I have a soft spot for Rihanna. I'll definitely get Apparat's installment of DJ-Kicks, as well as the EPs by Liars and The Tallest Man on Earth. On the box set front, the Orange Juice box should be pretty cool.

GLG: How does The Red Alert support independent music and what is important about doing so?
AM: We seriously consider music from all corners. The elephant in the room in regards to "indie music," though, is that a lot of [indie rock] is really bad. I think the utility of mp3 blogs and indie-centric sites like ours is to be a bit of a curator for the casual music fan - because otherwise, it can be pretty overwhelming for someone who doesn't obsess over music 24/7.

GLG: Do you think online publications are taking precedence over print magazines? What kind of effect do you think that has on bands?
AM: That's certainly the direction we're headed, although I would imagine most bands hoping to make the A-list would still rather be on the cover of Rolling Stone than the homepage of Pitchfork. The variety of outlets is a very good thing, certainly, and allows communities to easily form around the most obscure of sub-sub-genres. In terms of reaching an audience and forging relationships, it's a great time to be in a band. In terms of spending a million dollars on a video shoot, however...[that’s another story].

GLG: What blogs/publications do you read other than your own?
AM: Daytrotter is a must-visit for me. Some of my other favorites, musically speaking, are Said the Gramophone, Large-Hearted Boy, The Fader, RCRD, Rollo & Grady, Muzzle of Bees, and I Am Fuel, You Are Friends. I also check Pitchfork, Stereogum and PopMatters.

GLG: If you could interview any musician or band (dead or alive), who would it be?
AM: Well, it would be hard to turn down an interview with any of the dead icons, from Elvis to Beethoven to Cobain to Coltrane to Lennon. Sam Cooke is a personal favorite. I'd love to interview Bob Dylan, but I would probably be better off with Leonard Cohen. On a more plausible level, I've always wanted to interview Okkervil River's Will Sheff, but haven't had the opportunity yet, as well as Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, Tom Waits, Thom Yorke, Beyonce, and Eddie Vedder.

GLG: If you could be in any band (of all time), who would you rock with?
AM: I'd transport my 6th grade self into the middle of Metallica.

Click Here to Read More..

Brian Huber Talks Snuggies and Wookies with Absolute Punk

Brian Huber recently answered a couple of pop culture questions for Absolute Punk. The verdict is that he is very down with Snuggies, Wookies and Candyland. And beer and poker aren't so bad either.

Below are just a few of our favorites, you can read the full interview here. And an absolutely free mp3 download of "Snuggies" can be found here.

4. If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
I think it'd be pretty awesome to tour with Eric Clapton. I'd love to just hang out, jam, pick his brain and maybe write music with him. In college, I watched videos of his concert and studied his playing incessantly. In hindsight, it was kind of creepy but it kept me out of trouble.

5. If you were a furry, what animal would you be? Why that animal?
I would be a wookie. You can be intimidating, strong, and cuddly, all at the same time!

7. If you were chosen to be in Guitar Hero/Rock Band, what song would you want in the game? How hard do you think it would be to five-star on expert?
I think the version of Pachabel's Canon in D that went viral on YouTube would be pretty awesome to play in Guitar Hero. I think it'd be quite hard to get 5 stars and I wouldn't even pretend to try and nail that!

11. What does AP.net mean to you?
Associated Press? Oh Absolute Punk! I do thoroughly enjoy the reviews. It's pretty cool how the album's components are broken down. It beats the hell out of Pitchfork.

12. What is your favorite song to play?
My favorite song of mine to play is "Snuggies". I enjoy the weird smirks on people's faces because they can't decide how to react to it.

20. What kind of hidden talents do you have?
I can gleek, crack numerous bones in my body and I can hold my own in trivial pursuit. I will also destroy you in a game of Candyland. Click Here to Read More..

Bridges & Powerlines Join CMJ for Showcase at Pete's Candy Store

It’s become an annual tradition. CMJ and Bridges and Powerlines. This year, Bridges and Powerlines will play an Official CMJ Showcase at Pete’s Candy Store on October 22nd as part of CMJ’s Music Marathon and Film Festival which takes over New York from October 19th through October 23rd. This year’s festival features hundreds of musical acts including: Phoenix, Surfer Blood, Two Door Cinema Club, School of Seven Bells, Justin Townes Earle, Black Label Society, Four Tet, The Drums, and many more.

This stop at CMJ is part of Bridges and Powerlines fall tour with dates in New York, Philadelphia, and North Carolina. The tour will preface the release of their second full-length album, Eve, which comes out January 18, 2011. The album examines life before September 11, 2001, a significant date to most Americans, but especially for the members of Bridges and Powerlines. Andrew Wood (keys/vocals), David Boyd (guitar/vocals), Keith Sigel (bass/vocals), and Mason Ingram, of Connecticut, Kentucky, North Carolina and Texas respectively, they were all drawn to the city out of the nostalgic goodwill that developed as the nation recovered. The city they soon called home was beginning a indie pop boom, and the four of them, with their shared love of intricately arranged three-minute pop songs became a part of it.

Bridges and Powerlines has received much praise from the likes of Pitchfork, “now that's power,” Paste, and The Washington Post and their first album Ghost Types, which was produced by Chris Zane (Les Savy Fav, White Rabbits, Asobi Seksu), enjoyed a seven-week run in the CMJ Top 200. Gothamist said they are “worth standing in a crowded club to see,” which audiences all over the east coast may just have to do.

Celebrating its 30th year, CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival is headquartered this year at New York University’s Greenwich Village campus and dozens of downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn venues. CMJ, New York City’s largest music festival, brings together more than 120,000 music fans, music business professionals, college radio tastemakers, press, artists, filmmakers, and industry icons. Artists from more than 30 international territories are expected to partake in CMJ Music Marathon 2010, from Australia to Japan and everywhere in between.

CMJ Official Showcase
Bridges & Powerlines
October 22nd
Pete’s Candy Store
709 Lorimer Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Show Time: 11:00 PM
21+


Bridges & Powerlines Tour Dates

10/5 Spike Hill, New York, NY
10/22 CMJ Pete’s Candy Store, Brooklyn, NY
10/22 The Beast of The Northeast, Arlene’s Grocery, New York, NY
11/03 -Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA
11/05 Cakeshop - New York, NY
11/12 Ronnie’s Bar, Chicago, IL
11/13 Cicero’s, St. Louis, MO
11/16 Al’s Bar, Lexington, KY
11/17 Caledonia Lounge, Athens, GA
11/18 The 529, Atlanta, GA
11/19 Evening Muse, Charlotte, NC
11/20 The Cave, Chapel Hill, NC
11/21 The Pourhouse, Raleigh, NC
Click Here to Read More..

Music Monday - Medleyville.us Talks Spoon, The Gaslight Anthem, Arcade Fire and More

With the endless amount of music websites and blogs popping up, it’s hard to keep on top of them all. Medleyville.us might not currently be on your radar, but we hope to change that. Chris M. Junior, founder and editor of Medleyville, is not just a blogger, critic and editor; he is a massive music fan. Yes, we all are, but after talking with Chris, it was nice to hear that while he’s up to date on indie and underground bands, he’s also got a firm familiarity in music from past eras. He can use those music roots to connect artists he loves like Tom Petty, Sam Cooke and Carole King to My Morning Jacket and Neko Case, etc. He gets extra points for pulling out Buck Owens and Sam Phillips. Chris not only has a lot to say about the state of music criticism, he has a lot to say in general. We dig that; we’re talkers.

Music Monday Q&A with Medleyville

1. How long has Medleyville been operating?
Medleyville.us was launched March 1, 2004. I came up with the idea for the site a few months prior and had a friend handle the technical side of things. I decided to launch my own site in order to keep myself busy between full-time journalism gigs. I also thought it would be a productive way to keep my name out there as I tried to hustle up some paying freelance writing opportunities.

From the start, I’ve had a handful of music-savvy friends with writing backgrounds contribute to the site as well. I never wanted Medleyville to be a one-man show, and it’s safe to say the site wouldn’t exist without their input.



2. What makes Medleyville different from other websites?
…It focuses on both emerging and established artists from various genres and eras. It’s more like an online version of a general-interest music magazine, hence the motto “music coverage for eclectic tastes.”

Another thing that’s a little different about my site is I prefer to run interviews and features. These days, anybody can write a CD review and post it online, but not everyone can conduct a good interview with an artist or write an interesting narrative feature.

Something else that’s a little unconventional about the site is the way we do CD reviews. There are three formats: a traditional review that’s a few hundred words, a collection of one-paragraph reviews known as Quick Spins and a multi-author, conversational-style review of a single release called Disc Discussion. No matter what, we try to be fair in our criticism and commentary and not resort to pontificating or taking cheap shots.

3. Do you think Medleyville has a specific musical niche?
Not really, and I think that’s what makes the site different from most others. Rock tends to dominate Medleyville, but I don’t discriminate against any style. My personal musical collection runs the gamut, and I see nothing wrong with a website covering a wide musical range. I know the tendency these days is to serve a niche audience, but writing about one musical style all the time would bore the crap out of me.

4. What contemporary albums are you looking forward to coming out?
A lot of the albums I was looking forward to this year have already been released. They include the new ones by Spoon, Vampire Weekend, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Gaslight Anthem and Justin Currie. As for what’s on the horizon, I’m looking forward to Tin Can Trust, the new Los Lobos. I’ve been a fan of the band for more than 25 years. I recently heard a cool new song by The Arcade Fire that now has me interested in the rest of The Suburbs.

5. How does Medleyville support independent music and what is important about doing so?
The term “independent music” means different things to different people. To me, it has nothing to do with a specific sound. Indie music means any act – new or veteran, regardless of genre – that’s not with one of the remaining major record labels/music corporations and has a strong DIY ethic. That said Medleyville.us does support indie music. But one important qualifier for all artists looking for coverage on my site – and exceptions are very rare -- is that they must be touring acts. Anybody can sit at home, record a song, post it on MySpace or wherever and claim to be a musician or an artist, thinking an online presence is a way around playing gigs. I hear from people like that from time to time.

6. Do you think online publications are taking precedence over print magazine? What kind of effect do you think that has on bands?
Yes, I think there are a few online publications that are very much on par with print magazines. Pitchfork, for one, is probably as important today as Rolling Stone or Spin in terms of having its finger on the pulse of what’s new, good, different and important. There’s no doubt that the impact of online publications on bands has been tremendous. On the positive side, bands have plenty of outlets they can pitch for coverage.

7. What blogs/publications do you read other than your own?
I read the online and print versions of Billboard, Rolling Stone, Spin and Time Out New York on a regular basis. I’ll pick up Paste, Magnet and Alternative Press now and then.

As for blogs, I check out Pitchfork, BrooklynVegan and Time Out New York’s The Volume. Also, I often listen to the online streams of radio stations from around the country, such as Austin’s KGSR, San Francisco’s KFOG and Philadelphia’s WXPN, and their respective sites have good, useful news and information. I also read Jim DeRogatis’ Pop N’ Stuff blog. Jim is one of the best music writers today, and he also is a co-host of the radio show “Sound Opinions” with fellow Chicago music journalist Greg Kot.

8. What has been your most definitive moment since you started Medleyville?
There have been a few. Recently, John Mellencamp’s website posted my short review of his box set On the Rural Route 7609 on his news page. For a little site like mine to get a mention on a major artist’s site, that was a surprise and a thrill. Generally speaking, the past year or so has been important and satisfying for Medleyville. In that time, I’ve had more artists, publicists and labels contact me about being featured on the site. That tells me we must be doing something right. We’ve come a long way…

9. If there is any musician/band you could interview (dead or alive) who would it be?
Of artists who are still alive, I’d have to say Keith Richards, Paul Westerberg, Tom Petty, Elton John and Elvis Costello. I’ve never read an interview where any one of them just phoned it in. After those guys, the list would include Carole King, Steve Cropper, Neko Case, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Allen Toussaint, Steve Earle, Todd Rundgren, Stevie Wonder and George Jones.

As for deceased artists, at the top would be Buddy Holly, followed by Sam Cooke, Rick Nelson, Marvin Gaye, Buck Owens and producer Sam Phillips.

10. If you could be in any band (of all time), who would you rock with?
I’d say Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Booker T. and the MG’s and The Byrds. Those three epitomize what I value most in bands: great chops, instincts, restraint and taste – and, of course, great songs. And in the end, it always comes down to great songs.

Like Medleyville on Facebook Click Here to Read More..

Music Monday - FensePost

Welcome the first edition of Music Monday. Each Monday we will feature a Q&A with the bloggers, critics, writers and taste-makers behind music websites, blogs, magazines and other publications that keep us all in touch with the latest in new music. First up...

Music Monday with FensePost - The Indie Music Blog

"Based in the fertile lands between Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC," FensePost.com is truly about supporting independent music. With live concert reviews, music news, CD reviews, videos and so much more, FensePost is more of a fan blog that has turned into a site worth checking out daily to learn about new bands. We were fortunate to get FensePost's very busy Andrew Fenstermaker to take a second from checking his other 982 unread messages in his inbox to tell us about how it his love of undiscovered music and fondness of Swedish bands that keeps him going every day. The staff may be small at FensePost, but they are mighty and mighty busy. Fenstermaker is the main writer for the site, but is a champion of new music writers, giving unknown critics a chance to be published. He also makes a point on how being a blogger can be a daily stress, trying to fit enough into the blog while maintaining a life outside of the Internet.

Music Monday Q&A


1. How long has FensePost been operating?

FensePost launched in June of 2006 after I finished my MBA. I started it to keep up with my passion in music as I left my college radio station, KZUU. We started with two to three posts per week and have grown to two posts per weekday on average. It's primarily just me, but I have a few loyal writers to toss stuff my way on a fairly frequent basis. I probably write about 2/3 of the posts under the guise "Fense" which was my DJ name in college (a rendition of my last name, Fenstermaker).

2. What makes FensePost different from other websites?

We don't really follow the trends or hype. Sure, we'll cover the hot bands on occasion, but we like to place a great emphasis on covering truly unknown bands that we think are great. Of course, I recently posted a live review of a James Taylor / Carole King concert I went to with my parents, but that's a rarity. Most music is independent. I also write about a lot of Swedish bands.

Another thing that's different about FensePost is that anyone can write for the site. Part of the reason I started it was to give young music fans an outlet from which to write if they so desired without the need to create an entire site on their own.



3. Do you feel FensePost has a specific musical niche?

Not really, outside of independent music. As writers, we each have our preferences. I love indie pop and have had a huge thing for garage since The Legends' Up Against The Legends (Labrador Records, 2004). Ron, who is my most consistent contributor likes pop, rock, folk and even covers an occasional hip hop artist. Cyndi, a new contributor from Oregon, has passed along a lot of great folk. I even cover jazz on occasion (I have a fairly extensive classic jazz LP collection).

4. What contemporary albums are you looking forward to coming out?

I wrote a piece recently listing a few reasons why Sub Pop could very well dominate my 2010 best of list. They've passed along some really great albums this year so far, and I think they've got some amazing stuff lined up. I'm SUPER excited that Hardly Art will be reissuing the old Carissa's Wierd [sic] albums, although that's not really contemporary. I'm also looking forward to seeing what Slumberland (Records) has in store for us in the second half of 2010. And I'm pretty excited to hear new stuff on Woodsist (Records), which dominated my "10 Bands I Should Have Checked Out in 2009" list from a month or two ago.

5. How does FensePost support independent music and what is important about doing so?

I think it's important as a blogger to not only support bands that you (the writer) feel are good and worthy of promoting, but that you also do your part to support the artists you love. I receive a lot of albums in the mail and digitally for free by bands and labels and promotion companies that want me to write about their band. If the group has a single or released an album on vinyl and I really like it, I'll do my part and pick it up on vinyl. It supports the band, and I have the means to do so (from time to time). In today's digital world, I don't think a lot of young people who grew up with readily available free music (albeit not necessarily legal) understand the importance of what that type of support means.

I try my best to only post songs that have been cleared by a band to be posted, and I do my best to link to labels and band websites where readers can order an album directly from the artist or label. I think both of those elements are an important part of supporting independent music.


6. Do you think online publications are taking precedence over print magazines? What kind of effect do you think that has on bands?

I'm kind of immersed in the social media world, so I would have to say yes. But I don't think print magazines will go away. They just need to change in a way that makes sense. People will always buy magazines, but these publications will need to find new ways to reach their audience. I think there's a great opportunity for them using devices like the Kindle and iPad.

As for the second half of the question, there's a big shift that's occurring. It doesn't matter if you're in a band, own a small business, or are part of a large organization, you have to think of this stuff differently these days. What's put out there today is public in a way that's completely different than yesterday. If I told my friends of a great band in the 90s, it only went so far. It mattered, but it was different. That type of "word of mouth" still exists, but due to the dominance of blogs and social networking, it's now global.

7. What blogs/publications do you read other than your own?

As much as people hate Pitchfork, I like to visit the site once every few weeks and check out their Forkcast. I think it's really relevant and they cover some really great bands. I'm also a huge fan of Daytrotter and have been since their seventh session (Drakkarsauna). Locally in the Pacific Northwest, we have a few really great blogs. There's IndiePages, which is occasionally updated with some very super underground pop from around the world (Chris Mac recently opened a record shop and mail order in Seattle; you all should go buy stuff from jigsaw-records.com). My favorite these days is Finest Kiss.

8. What has been your most definitive moment since you started FensePost?

I think a good definitive moment came about two months ago. I was getting a bit overwhelmed with everything... work, personal life, home ownership, turning 30 (soon), and I had an epiphany: the world won't end if FensePost isn't updated. As a blogger, we set strict regimens for ourselves that are sometimes unrealistic. I would love to post three times a day, but I also want to keep my house clean, have a nice looking yard, and watch Arrested Development for the 67th time. You can't do everything. You can't listen to every band that sends something your way. It sucks, but that's just a part of life. What you can do is this: do what you can, and have fun doing it. It's kind of a recurring definitive moment... I have the same epiphany about once every six to nine months.


9. If there is any musician/band you could interview (dead or alive) who would it be?

I'm not much of an interviewer, but I'm trying to get into it a bit more. I'm pretty stoked -- I'm just about to send off a few questions to the band that released my favorite album of 2009, Venice is Sinking. I think it would be great to pick the brain of a master like (Brian) Eno or (David) Bowie or even Tom Verlaine (guitarist for Television). Maybe even Morrissey, although he'd probably just get pissed at me 'cause I'm a huge Smiths fan and I'd want to know all about what his beef is with his former band mates and why they won't get back together.


10. If you could be in any band (of all time), who would you rock with?

The Smiths or Television. Maybe Sweden's best pop band, Acid House Kings. I have a huge thing for Swedish pop. Click Here to Read More..

WOXY Suspends Live Broadcasts (Again)

Ok, enough is enough already. WOXY truly is one of the best stations in the country and I for one do not want to see them go away. If President Obama can win an election with $5 donations surely we can all band together to invest in the future of rock and roll.

Pitchfork posted this about the impending closure:

"According to a statement on their homepage, beloved indie-leaning web radio station WOXY has been 'forced to suspend our live broadcasts as of March 23rd' due to 'current economic realities and the lack of ongoing funding for WOXY's operations.'
This isn't the first time WOXY has found itself in financial straits. In May 2004, the station shut down operations, only to be saved at the last minute by anonymous investors, according to their website.
'We're continuing to explore options to keep The Future of Rock and Roll alive,' reads the WOXY site.
UPDATE: Pop Candy has a quote about the shutdown from WOXY music director Matt Shiv: 'WOXY.com is being shut down today by our owners at Future Sounds. The WOXY staff continued working last week during SXSW under good faith because a deal was 'in motion' to continue funding for our operation. We were informed yesterday that that the deal fell through and now it is time for us all to walk away.'" Click Here to Read More..

Pitchfork states Speck Mountain "aims towards the sky"

This subtle ascension seems to come from an injection of soul. As Some Sweet Relief progresses, song structures lean toward the realm of spirituals and blues, and Balabanian's supine purr begins to feel more classic. You won't mistake Speck Mountain for a gospel group, but it's fair to say that, at least during the album's second half, they sound more like Spiritualized than Mazzy Star. Take the phasey organ of the aching "Backslider", which seems ghostwritten by Sonic Boom, or the slow croon of its partner track "Backsliding", whose staircase-climb has a distinct Jason Pierce tint circa "Shine a Light". It all leads to another sharp peak, "Twinlines", whose simple chorus-- "Oh, how long," delivered in a pretty Balabanian moan-- belongs distinctly to this band...there's no law that says mellowness can't reach as high as energy-- especially when, as with Speck Mountain, it's permanently aimed towards the sky.--Marc Masters, Pitchfork Click Here to Read More..