Happy New Year!

Thanks again to all the readers, bloggers, media, and especially the artists, for supporting the return and regular posting of Surfing on Steam. I'd also like to extend a big 'cheers' to the local artists who have sent me free music over the years, you know who you are. And finally, a big high-five to My Bloody Valentine for reminding me why I fell in love with music and making 2008 a very special year. See you in 2009!

Hugs,
Scott

Chromatics: 'Hands in the Dark' Video

This Sébastien Rippon-directed clip for "Hands in the Dark" was posted on the Chromatics MySpace page a while back, but I'm still not 100% if this an 'official video'. Regardless, "Hands in the Dark" is my favorite jam from 2007's sultry Night Drive. It reminds me of some space-disco anthem that was accidentally left off the soundtrack to Moonraker.

Crystal Stilts: 'Crystal Stilts' MP3

The grower. Crystal Stilts are one of a handful of acts re-energizing the legendary pop label Slumberland Records. Their debut album Alight of Night mixes fuzzy, vintage reverb jingles with simple propulsive drumming and aloof, deadpan vocals.

I managed to check them out last month at a Part Time Punks event with label mates Cause Co-Motion! and was generally pleased. I know that's not the greatest compliment, but there you have it. Now that I've been spinning this record for the past few weeks I wish I wouldn't have gone into that show cold. Alight of Night is no longer a 'grower' because I just can't stop listening to it.

|||Crystal Stilts: "Crystal Stilts" MP3|||

Here's the recent video for the ultra-psychedelic "Prismatic Room" - Directed by Army of Kids:

Earl Greyhound coming to El Cid, "Oye Vaya" download

A few years back I downloaded an MP3 via P4K called "S.O.S." from New York rock trio Earl Greyhound. The band's sound immediately recalls blistering, riff-heavy rock similar to Led Zeppelin and even the Black Crowes, only more melodic at times. Their debut, Soft Targets, was anything but soft. The limitations of a three-piece revealed a loose interplay between guitar, bass, and drums without a landslide of over-soloing that tends to clutter. If any of you have parents that were raised on classic rock then you're sure to find common ground with this disc.

Turns out the band played the Hotel Cafe last week and will return to El Cid (the Fold) on Thursday, Jan 1. Word on the street is that EG are debuting new tunes, including the My Old Kentucky Blog - featured "Oye Vaya". I'm guessing the band are in town recording new tracks, mastering, or getting courted by labels -- hopefully all of the above. Shooter Jennings is also on the bill so it's going to be really crowded.

In related news, MOKB Dodge was featured in the Wall Street Journal yesterday. Congrats dude!

"S.O.S." - Directed by Darren Ankenman:

Amateur Chemist: The hardest working blogger in the country

- Photo by Amateur Chemist (obviously)

Andrew Youseff, who runs an excellent blog called Amateur Chemist, unveiled his 2008 'lab report' last week. It details the amount of music coverage, photos taken, time spent going to concerts, and other mathematical statistics that I find very impressive. And while AC is primarily a live review/photo site, there are numerous interviews and posts -- some created for the OC Weekly.

Youseff also listed his favorites of 2008 -- obviously he's got hundreds to choose from. Check out the stats below, then head over to his blog and read more.

"2008 has been insane. Thanks to all my readers. Will 2009 have as many good touring acts?

Here are some notes from the lab:

Total number of concerts and reviews for 2008: 199.

Average of seeing a show every 1.8 days.

Total number of reviews for OC Weekly: 29

Assuming a concert lasts roughly 3.5 hours, I listened to live music for approximately 29 days of the year.

Assuming it takes 3 hours to process photos and write each review, this approximates to 24 days of the year."

Wedding bells for Ben Gibbard and Zooey Deschanel, sorry guys

- Photo by Jeff Panis


According to Rawkblog, heart-stopper Zooey Deschanel said "yes" to Death Cab For Cutie front man Ben Gibbard just before Christmas.

More details here.


"I Will Possess Your Heart" - Directed by Aaron Stewart-Ahn and Shawn Kim:

Other inner-nets

The Henry Clay People will headline Spaceland's New Year's Eve bash.


It was only a matter of time. American Apparel is now showcasing nude banner ads (Nads?) on the hilarious pre-post-music-fashion-pseudo-hipster-homeless-teen-branded blog Hipster Runoff.

You Set the Scene has a great rundown of New Years Eve options.

More acts have been confirmed to play SXSW, 2009 at Donewaiting, including Primal Scream.

Stereogum has a new Morrissey stream, "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris", from his forthcoming Years of Refusal full-length. I thought it would sound better.

Brooklyn Vegan has live pics and additional tour info for The Pains of Being Pure at Heart.

According to Inflight at Night, Blake Schwarzenbach (Jawbreaker, Jets To Brazil) and his newish band Thorns of Life will rock the Center for Arts in Eagle Rock on January 23rd!

The Movies, Everest and Adam Ficek (one of the dudes who was in Babyshambles) play Spaceland tonight. Guys, it's going to be crowded. Some people are actually Afraid of Everest.

Updated:

Future Sounds 'Best of 2008'

10 albums I'm looking forward to in 2009

Doves. Some Cities was my #1 album in 2005. It's also my opinion this trio is the best rock band in the U.K., bar none. I can't wait.

Broadcast. It will be interesting to see what Trish and James pull out of their bag of tricks. They never make dull albums, and this is their second outing as a duo.

Sonic Youth. There are three bands that I consider mandatory listening for younger generations, and Sonic Youth are one of them. I love everything they do.

Autolux. It's no secret how I feel about this group. Their latest single, "Audience #2", picks up right where 2004's Future Perfect left off. The song hints at a heavier and more immediate take on Sonic Youth.

Grizzly Bear. After Arcade Fire this is next most influential band influencing indie rock right now. Yellow House was my #1 album in 2007.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. A relatively new band from Brooklyn, NY who will release their debut album through Slumberland Records in February. They remind me of Ecstasy and Wine-era MBV. Great stuff.

Midlake. A great band with dynamite songs. They are one of the few 'newer' groups that make melancholy pop sound edgy.

Snowden. Very few bands have taken Britpop and Shoegaze influences and then turned them into something refreshing and vibrant.

Silversun Pickups. This is a group I've watched grow from a sloppy, drunk trio playing in a wherehouse to an intense and endearing melodic rock band. Many critics hated on Carnavas, primarily because of the quartet's steady rise in popularity and the fact that they're from Silver Lake, but those people are idiots.

My Bloody Valentine. I put this one last because I don't believe they'll ever put out another record -- hopefully I'm wrong. On that note, here's a cover from the London quartet -- Kevin Shields obviously took this song to heart:

|||My Bloody Valentine: "We Have All the Time in the World" MP3|||


Also: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, ...Trail of Dead, Animal Collective, The Clientele, Blur, Mew, Great Northern, The Brother Kite, Black Lips, Belong...

Know of any more?

The Ronettes: 'Frosty the Snowman' MP3

Last year I downloaded this whole gem of a Christmas album via Aquarium Drunkard. The record is called A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector and features amazing covers by Darlene Love, Bobb B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans, The Crystals and of course the unmistakable Ronettes (pictured above).

We all know how much Spector loves reverb, and the mark it has made on countless classics, as well as music history. So when you listen to these jingles they sound larger than life and more jubilant than any rendition you'll hear over the holidays. I highly recommend picking up this disc -- or giving to someone as a last-minute gift. As for Spector, that dude needs some serious holiday legal cheer.

|||The Ronettes: "Frosty the Snowman" MP3|||

|||Buy it from Amazon|||

Katie the Pest: 'Baton Rouge' Stream, Other inner-nets

Apparently, all this nonsense about Katie the Pest breaking up for good was just them taking a break. The Long Beach noise-pop trio, which is basically Talia and two gentlemen friends, are playing a show next week with local neighbors Soon at The Prospector.

This new track titled "Baton Rouge" is probably the best music these kids have cranked out. Horns come in and out during the bridge -- complementing the sugary guitars and vocals perfectly. It's also the first time I can actually hear a solid mix of percussion driving the song instead of Talia's distorted, choppy guitar -- which, by the way, has excellent tone. If only this track was available as a download.

|||Katie the Pest: "Baton Rouge" MySpace|||


Other inner-nets:

Stereogum Brandon, Sinking Radio's Sylvia, Todd and Matt, and Passion of the Weiss unveil their lists of albums/songs you should get your hands on.

Hipster Runoff thinks TV on the Radio's latest album is "2008's biggest sham". That's quite a stretch.

MFR features an MP3 from a band that took the fugliest press photo I've seen all year.

Morgan Kibby, aka the girl who makes M83 better, continues her travelogue over at Buzz Bands.

Prefix took some great shots of this dynamite X-mas lineup. Too bad I was feeling too sick to be there.

Longwave: 'Sideways Sideways Rain' Stream

Longwave's almost silent release of the infectious Secrets are Sinister finally came across my desk last week. After missing their recent heralded gig at the Troubadour I was interested in this disc, yet still puzzled about the length between albums, their label situation and why this record didn't stir up any hype in the press. Many of us had no clue that the band were even still around, but now that I'm all caught up I need to pimp this record on as many people as possible.

Coincidentally, the band sent out some news about a bonus track featured on their Japan-only release. The track is called "Sideways Sideways Rain", fitting for today's sludgy drive into downtown.

|||Longwave: "Sideways Sideways Rain" MySpace|||


New tour dates:

1/16: Atlanta, GA - The Earl Restaurant and Bar
1/17: Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
1/18: Washington, DC - DC9 Nightclub
1/22: Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
1/23: Baltimore, MD - The Ottobar
1/24: Allston, MA - Great Scott
3/8: Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
3/10: New Haven, CT - Toad's Place
3/11: Northampton, MA - Pearl Street
3/13: Portland, ME - Port City Music Hall

Darker My Love, The Moon Upstairs, VOICEsVOICEs...Other inner-nets

I'll be at Darker My Love tonight. It's sort of a homecoming for the quintet so I'm anticipating a super-tight set. As previously stated, they released my favorite L.A. album this year.

Other strong local acts playing out and about are timeless rockers The Moon Upstairs at Spaceland and my new favorite darlings VOICEsVOICEs bring their experimental head-trips to The Smell. Go get 'em ladies!

Other inner-nets:

Aquarium Drunkard, YSTS and Pitchfork have one thing in common today.

Kudos to Buzz Bands and Passion of the Weiss for including Mezzanine Owls in their respective lists.

Stereogum has a new stripped-down music series called 'Decomposed'. Check out recent performances from Friendly Fires and School of Seven Bells!

Australia's Modular Records, who have a strong corral of artists, is being sued by one of its own, Muscles.

Live Review: Imaad Wasif and Two Part Beast at the El Rey Theatre

- Phtoto courtesy of Dan Monick


I know it seems kind of weak to leave out Mercury Rev in this review, their set was absolutely perfect, but trust me when I say there's already an accurate depiction over at Buzz Bands. My Morning Jacket get the most props for being 'the best live band in America' these days, but Mercury Rev have to be a close #2. They are that good.

Imaad Wasif looks gentle, almost fragile, as he took the stage with his band Two Part Beast for an opening set Tuesday night. But after about a few seconds the intensity you get from these L.A. veterans is anything but normal.

Wasif's passion is uncontrollable as he strangles riff after riff from his guitar. He simultaneously hops around the stage like he's walking on hot coals -- I don't know how he manages to steer clear of knocking over everything in sight. Drummer Adam Garcia (ex-Timonium) follows suit as he wails on his kit, looking as furious as Animal from the Muppet Show. And finally, there's Bob Bruno on bass -- the glue that binds Garcia and Wasif together. These three musicians were destined for each other.

The performance sounded subdued from the back, an atypical note seeing as the trio's past performances are usually louder, but inviting, and definitely more crowded. I walked right up to the front and felt the tight hooks of "Unveiled" hitting me, along with excellent performances of new songs. I can't remember the names, but if you're familiar with the group's recent release Strange Hexes then you'll have no trouble curling up with the new material.

Imaad seems more and more possessed as the set moves forward. He switches back and forth from acoustic and electric guitars. Notes bend and pop through overdriven amps that sound vintage and pristine. It's been almost a year since the release of Strange Hexes, but I hope these guys get crackin' on a new one, or at least keep playing out with the level of intensity they did this night.

VOICEsVOICEs: 'Tape Noon' MP3

It would be an understatement to say that L.A. needs more bands that excel at producing atmosphere and imaginative tunes without the necessity of pharmaceuticals, but I think I found what I've been looking for. After a visit over at Rock Insider yesterday I discovered the first in what I hope will be one of 2009's great hopes, VOICEsVOICEs. The female duo of Nico Turner and Jenean Farris know there way around rhythm, vocal ambience and floaty arrangements without hiding behind a myriad of effect pedals. It's honest, powerful and never feels lost amidst a haze of droney fuzz.

On "Tape Noon" the guitars glide and repeat while drums thump with a style reminiscent of Jon Bonham -- creating a heavy environment for the layers to slowly unveil themselves. UK greats Amp and Toronto, Canada shoegaze vets Sianspheric immediately come to mind, but the songs are less ethereal -- firmly rooted in space rock aesthetics that take you on a soothing journey. We're a couple of weeks away from new year's eve, but I'm already toasting to a more experimental 2009 for all the music lovers in this city.

|||VOICEsVOICEs: "Tape Noon" MP3|||

Guillermo Sexo, Other inner-nets

If you're a fan of Yo La Tengo, Oneida and Blonde Redhead (see "Magic Lanterns" and "Under Stars") then I highly recommend checking out Guillermo Sexo. I'll writing more about them soon.

According to YSTS, Primal Scream is finally playing a Los Angeles gig that isn't Coachella: 3/16 @ Club Nokia. I'm not missing this.

I wanted to attend the Pablove benefit show but couldn't make it work. LA Record has some great photos of the event.

More lists:

Pitchfork's 'Best Albums of 2008 (50-26)'
Buzz Bands reveals its favorite L.A. Albums
You Set the Scene's 'Top 20 Live Shows of 2008'
Passion of the Weiss' '25 Best Non Hip-Hop Songs (A-L)'
Classical Geek Theatre: A montage of categories and favorites
Pretty Much Amazing's '212 Best Songs'
Tiny Mixtape's 'Favorite Albums of 2008'

Fuck Buttons: 'Sweet Love For Planet Earth (Andrew Weatherall remix)'

One of this year's discs that barely missed my 'favorite albums of 2008' is Fuck Buttons' Street Horrrsing. It's basically all about noise, build-ups, explosions and an overwhelming sense of desperation. When I first heard the promo I couldn't help but think of helicopters descending upon Iraqi villages, calling in air strikes, and just blowing the fuck out of that country. It's depressing and manages to stir up images that I don't like to confront -- mostly because American citizens are ultimately responsible for their government and normal people like you and me were duped into a bullshit war which has destroyed so much. It's fucked up.

A lot of this war-related imagery comes from the distorted vocals that get filtered through the band's Fisher-Price telephone/mic set-up, which sounds awesome by the way. And as much as I love to hear music that revels in saturated noise, or at least attempts to fuse it with pop in an interesting way, I always wondered what this duo could do with a live drummer -- or remixed in a more conventional way. This Andrew Weatherall mix of "Sweet Love For Planet Earth" definitely takes the harsh out of Fuck Buttons. The original is still way better, but it's worth comparing.

|||Fuck Buttons: "Sweet Love For Planet Earth (Andrew Weatherall remix)" MP3|||

Amazing Baby: 'Head Dress' Video

For years I've been searching for a band that fuses elements of Def Leppard and Lush while enlisting the cast of Dazed and Confused. Today's my lucky day thanks to Brooklyn's Amazing Baby.

This video for the Lenny Tso-directed "Head Dress" is hilarious, but to be honest the more I listen the more I like it. Guess I'm just a sucker for octave soloing. The quartet are playing Bordello tomorrow night with Warpaint -- good luck getting into that one.

Enjoy:

Seeland

Birmingham, England's space-pop heroes Broadcast lost two key members shortly after their first two albums. One of them, guitarist Tim Felton who bailed after 2003's amazing Ha Ha Sound, went on to form the budding Seeland with Tim Bainbridge (ex-Plone). I ordered their first two singles a while back from Duophonic and wasn't really moved either way. Then I ran into some news on the Broadcast forum stating that Seeland had a new single out ("Library") and a debut full-length scheduled for March, 2009.

The new stuff is very cool; heavily influenced by their previous outfits yet different enough to merit leaving two of Warp's electronic/pop staples. "Turnaround" sounds like Kraftwerk covering OMD, "Captured' is bouncy and uplifting a la Belle & Sebastian/Stereolab, and the infectious synths on "Goodbye" is like a re-imagined Magnetic Fields. If I had an indie label of my own I'd jump at the opportunity to release this in America. You can stream tracks from Tomorrow Today at the Loaf label site.




1. Burning Pages
2. Hang On Lucifer
3. Colour Dream
4. Turnaround
5. Captured
6. Library
7. Goodbye
8. Static Object
9. Station Sky
10. Call The Incredible
11. 5 A.M.
12. Pretty Bird

Here's the video for the melancholy "Wander", taken from their debut 7" single:

Other inner-nets

More lists from blogs I like to read:
Buzz Bands
Passion of the Weiss
You Set the Scene

Check out my new favorite blog, it's about calling out animals...and that's funny.

Pitchfork is beginning to unleash their best of the year lists. Today's marathon of hype features their proposed 100 best tracks 2008. Kidding aside, I actually agree with most of these.

Who would have guessed that ex-Pipette Rose Elinor Dougall has amazing taste in music; she name-checks MBV, Caribou and Broadcast. Check out her sweet new tunes on MySpace.

In case you forgot...
Darker My Love, whose sophomore album is pretty darn good, are playing the Echoplex this Friday with the band formerly known as the Slims who used to be called The Muslims, The Soft Pack. Regardless of the name change I really like these guys.

Which group will make Pitchfork's album of the year? My guess is that it will be one of these acts:

a) No Age
b) Hercules and Love Affair
c) M83
d) Cut Copy
e) Fleet Foxes
f) Deerhunter

I'm placing my bet on Deerhunter.

Imaad Wasif with Two Part Beast opens for Mercury Rev tonight

It's no secret that Mercury Rev are an epic live band, complete with dynamic crescendos, swirling effects and Jonathan Donahue's surreal, over-the-top posturing. They come off like space-age rock stars, veterans who've provided us with countless anthems and some amazing records. Catching them live in Los Angeles has been a rare event so tonight's trek to the El Rey theatre is an easy call -- and a band that everyone should see live.

What Angelenos might not yet know is how awesome Imaad Wasif with Two Part Beast (Bob Bruno and Adam Garcia) really are. All three of these guys have made the rounds in many other solid local bands throughout the years, and Imaad has even toured as second guitarist for Yeah Yeah Yeahs (new album soon?). The band also made one hell of an album with this year's Strange Hexes. Fans of Wilco and Sebadoh will really dig it. If you find your jaw dropping after listening to Wasif's incredible guitar solos don't fret, you're normal.

Here's the video for "Wanderlusting" - Directed by Alex Lorge:

Snowden: 'Licorice' EP, more Switchburn live videos

Snowden has released its already familiar X-mas EP Licorice via their drummer Dave's blog NOPAYNE. Even sweeter is the addition of five additional live video clips taken from the quartet's performance at Stubb's earlier this year -- via the awesome video site Switchburn.

Licorice EP:

1. White Christmas
2. Happy Christmas (War Is Over)
3. Christmas Time Is Here
4. China Light


"Filler is Wasted" - Live at Stubb's, 5/29/08

Surfing on Steam's Favorite Albums of 2008

A year ago I wrestled with my number one pick. Blonde Redhead released their strongest album in years and a relatively unknown band from Montreal, Canada fused the best elements of Spiritualized and My Morning Jacket -- without actually sounding like either of them. In theory that sounds like an impossible task, but the Besnard Lakes are just so fucking good. This year was completely different. It's the first time where picking my favorite record was effortless and without hesitation.

For me, choosing Portishead was a no-brainer. The group reappears after several years of hibernation and provides fans with something powerful, mysterious and experimental. The trio's past albums are classics in every since, but I for one never expected Third to be so damn good.

Thanks to everyone who reads this blog, and all the peeps who've been following my erratic hops, skips and jumps since the Autopia Music days. I'll be posting more regular features in the new year (album reviews, news updates, MP3s, etc.), and I can promise you that this blog will be active for a very long time.

Top 20 Faves of 2008:


1. Portishead: Third



2. The Raveonettes: Lust, Lust, Lust



3. Cut Copy: In Ghost Colours



4. School of Seven Bells: Alpinisms



5. No Age: Nouns



6. Dungen: 4



7. M83: Saturdays=Youth



8. The Notwist: The Devil, You + Me



9. Beach House: Devotion



10. Marnie Stern: This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That



11. Black Mountain: In the Future



12. Imaad Wasif with Two Part Beast: Strange Hexes



13. The Magnetic Fields: Distortion



14. Fennesz: Black Sea



15. Spiritualized: Songs in A & E



16. The Sea & Cake: Car Alarm



17. Everest: Ghost Notes



18. The Helio Sequence: Keep Your Eyes Ahead



19. Deerhunter: Microcastle / Weird Era Cont.



20. Frightened Rabbit: The Midnight Organ Fight


More lists:

Aquarium Drunkard
Chromewaves
Gorilla vs. Bear
Pitchfork readers poll
Jason Bentley
Culture Bully
Buzz Bands

Spaceland tonight: 18th Dye + Devon Williams + The Meeting Places

Other inner-nets

This is why people have very little respect for magazines like SPIN and Rolling Stone. Unless I'm stuck in the airport, and there's no bar, I'm not readin' it.

I'm sure everyone has already seen this, right? Poor Seymour.

....Trail of Dead unveil their forthcoming album release date and track list at P4K.

Los Anjealous has some great pics of Friendly Fires at Spaceland on Sunday. Did anyone go? How was it?

The Flaming Lips to curate All Tomorrow's Parties, NY 2009

I love The Flaming Lips and all, but I was hoping for a Pavement reunion/curation kick-off. I'm just not amped for this festival, not enough to secure a room, flight or tickets. The most exciting thing about ATP, NY 2009 is the David Cross comedy stage.

Favorite Videos of 2008

This is the first time I've ever decided to make a list of videos. I think the two that really egged me into doing so are Stars' "Bitches in Tokyo", which is hilarious and full of great dialogue, and The Teenagers montage to 1980s action movie posters in "Make it Happen". Kudos to local photo/video guy Simon Cardoza for "When I Was in Nam" from The Movies.

Stay tuned tomorrow for our top 20 albums of 2008. Quite a few L.A. bands made the cut this year.


1. Stars: "Bitches in Tokyo" - Directed by Experimental Parachute Moment (Kevin Drew/George Vale)




2. Portishead: "The Rip" - Directed by Chad Pugh




3. Clinic: "Tomorrow" - Directed by W.I.Z.




4. The Teenagers: "Make It Happen" - Directed by One in Three




5. Radiohead: "House of Cards" - Directed by James Frost




6. Bjork: "Wanderlust" - Directed by Encyclopedia Pictura




7. Justice: "Stress" - Directed by Romain Gavras




8. Marnie Stern: "Ruler" - Directed by Matt Marlin




9. The Besnard Lakes: "Devastation" - Directed by Kara Blake




10. The Movies: "When I Was in Nam" - Directed by Simon Cardoza

Swirlies, other inner-nets

Critical darlings of early 1990s American noisepop, Swirlies have announced three dates in early 2009. Catbirdseat has the details.

Brandon Stosuy's 'Quit Your Day Job' feature at Stereogum focuses on the infectious pop of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, a band I expect great things from in 2009.

LAist finally allows a band I care about to unveil a 'best of' list.

Favorite Songs of 2008

If I were single and you were a sexy female then this is the 2008 mix I would send you -- after a few successful dates of course. Before we start a regular dating routine you need to know that I'm already in a serious long-term relationship with music, and you'd better be down with these bands:

|||Download the 2008 Mix (Zip-File)|||

Autolux: "Audience #2"
Beach House: "Wedding Bell"
Belong: "Late Night"
The Black Angels: "Doves"
Cut Copy: "So Haunted"
Darker My Love: "Blue Day"
Deerhunter: "Never Stops"
Dungen: "Det Tar Tid"
Girls: "Morning Light"
The Helio Sequence: "Keep Your Eyes Ahead"
The Henry Clay People: "Working Part Time"
Imaad Wasif with Two Part Beast: "Oceanic"
King Khan & the Shrines: "Welfare Bread"
Ladytron: "Ghosts"
M83: "Graveyard Girl"
Magnetic Fields: "California Girls"
Marnie Stern: "Shea Stadium"
Mux Mool: "Night Court"
No Age: "Teen Creeps"
Pnau: "Embrace (feat. Ladyhawke)"
Portishead: "We Carry On"
The Sea & Cake: "Weekend"
School of Seven Bells: "Wired For Light"
Tweak Bird: "Whorses"
Women: "Black Rice"

Blur confirm 2009 reunion, young American indie gals already fainting

Hey ladies! Get ready to swoon, faint, cry and pogo to the original lineup of Blur. Damon, Graham, Alex and James have confirmed a gig at London's Hyde Park on July 3, 2009. This will be their first full-lineup event since 2000! (via P4K).

Let the phony Coachella lineups begin!

Favorite Live Performances of 2008

- Phtoto by Bill Ross


I don't think many people would dispute that the return of My Bloody Valentine was the live event of the year, unless you're a full-on Radiohead snob. It also has sentimental value because they were the first band I got see live when I was much younger. They reminded me of how terrible they sounded back then because they were significantly better this time around.

1. My Bloody Valentine @ All Tomorrow's Parties, New York
2. Portishead @ The Mayan
3. Swervedriver @ The Henry Fonda Theatre
4. Frightened Rabbit @ The Roxy
5. The Raveonettes @ The El Rey Theatre
6. Fuck Buttons @ All Tomorrow's Parties, New York
7. Imaad Wasif with Two Part Beast @ Spaceland
8. Boris @ Echoplex
9. Cut Copy @ The Echo
10. Midnight Juggernauts @ Coachella

You won't find a better MBV live clip on the internet than the slow-burning "To Here Knows When" from Fuji Rock Festival:

The Besnard Lakes: 'Thomasina' MP3

It's always interesting to discover a band's back catalog after falling in love with their current material. While The Besnard Lakes debut album Volume 1 is no where as epic as 2006's The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse, the album's stomper "Thomasina" has got to be the stepping stone to the group's 'newer' progressive sound. Hints of Built to Spill and radio-filtered vocals chug along as the song's backbone. Missing are the band's signature vocal harmonies plus Jace Lasek's falsetto and epic soaring My Morning Jacket-inspired leads, but the bass sounds like it's got more room to breath. I'd be pretty stoked if these guys knocked out a few more tracks exactly like this one.

|||The Besnard Lakes: "Thomasina" MP3|||

Favorite L.A. Album Releases of 2008

Time to start unveiling our favorite music of 2008. Next week we'll drop some more lists that feature our top live shows, songs, videos, and albums.




1. Darker My Love: 2
2. The Broken West: Now or Heaven
3. Earlimart: Him & Her
4. The Little Ones: Morning Tide
5. The Henry Clay People: For Cheap or For Free
6. Le Switch: And Now... Le Switch
7. Tweak Bird: Reservations
8. Radar Bros.: Auditorium
9. The Movies: Based on a True Story
10. Paperplanes: Rhinestone Republic

New Giant Drag tunes on Stereogum, MySpace

Stereogum got its hands on some new Giant Drag. "Swan Song" premiered today and is one of four songs featured on Annie Hardy's forthcoming EP of the same name. The real treat though is "White Baby" with it's pretty lullaby vocal melody and driving guitar. I need that as a ringtone, like right now.

Annie also reveals some new photo work and the possibility of touring in 2009. And about that sophomore album...the follow-up to Hearts & Unicorns is in the works thanks to some dude from Maroon 5 and a few other friends.

|||Listen to "White Baby" at MySpace|||

Doves finish album #4, tour dates coming soon!

Doves are finally wrapping things up for their fourth full-length, the follow-up to 2005's near perfect Some Cities. According to the band (via Billboard) the untitled new album, coming out through Astralwerks in April, is almost finished. The first single is titled "Kingdom of Rust," which frontman Jimi Goodwin describes as "a country-ish shuffle beat. It's really expansive with a wistful melody. It's quite emotional."

Also on the disc are the Kraftwerk-inspired "Jetstream," a "nod to our electronic past," "The Outsiders," which has a "piledriver bass line and a Can-like backbeat", and "Winter Hill," a "vaguely country rock-esque tune." "Everyone talks about f*cking departures, but this album is hopefully just Doves doing what they do really well, which is nicely crafted songs," said Goodwin.

Goodwin goes on to confirm that the group will tour the UK in Spring and hit the festival circuit. No news on U.S. dates, unfortunately, but they're hoping for a summer jaunt in these parts.

Get reaquainted with this awesome clip of "Black and White Town" from Later with Jools Holland:

The Sea & Cake

- Old school band pic courtesy of The Sea & Cake

The Sea & Cake are one of those bands that I'll never grow tired of. From my first dose via The Fawn to the quartet's latest album Car Alarm, their material always holds up. As expected, the group's latest release doesn't stray too far from the bouncy, linear jazz-pop that they're known for, but this record is probably the best thing they've done in the past decade. And if there ever was a chance to use the words 'rock' and 'Sea & Cake' in the same conversation then this is it.

The band finish their Hollywood jaunt tonight at The Troubadour along with UK critical darlings Field Music. They'll also be at the Glass House in Pomona tomorrow night. Whoopsies: The Uglysuit is opening up tonight, not Field Music.

Here's the sweet Tim Suton-directed video for "Weekend", taken from Car Alarm:

Other inner-nets

- That pic above belongs to Paul and his crew from the Minor Canon. They play this week with Le Switch at Que Sera's new series "Sucka Free Sundays". Party.

Reason #2,156 why Long Beach is the most progressive city in Los Angeles County.

You Set the Scene is giving away tickets to see Friendly Fires on Sunday, who will probably be larger than life in 2009.

Vice pokes fun at list-making, blogs, journalists, everyone.

Wired has a story on Mozilla's new open source music downloading platform: Songbird!

Oh boy. As we suspected, San Diego rockers The Muslims went ahead and changed their name to the Slims, then quickly changed it again to...The Soft Pack. Here's an answer, of some sort, that doesn't actually explain anything:

"WE HAVE CHANGED THE NAME OF OUR GROUP TO "THE SOFT PACK". Working on new material and firing on all four cylinders, we feel strongly about this one. It's a new chapter in our lives and hopefully yours. Stay tuned to The Soft Pack page (www.myspace.com/thesoftpack), as we will be posting new videos, music, and junk in the coming weeks. We are pumped. Have a great Thanksgiving and keep it loose. Your buddies, The Soft Pack"

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart: 'Everything With You' Video + MP3

Finally, a video from noise-pop enthusiasts The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, or as my buddy calls them 'Velocity Girl 2.0'. We first caught wind of the Brooklyn quartet a few years back with their single "This Love is Fucking Right". Now the band has some touring cred, CMJ buzz behind them and a forthcoming album in February.

POBPAT will embark on a mini-tour of the U.S. early next year with fellow Slumberland revivalists Cause Co-Motion! and Crystal Stilts. I heard through the grape vine that West Coast dates are being worked out around SXSW.

Schedule:

2/7 - New York City - Mercury Lounge *#
2/8 - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie *
2/9 - Washington, DC - Black Cat Backstage *
2/11 - Chicago, IL - Schubas *
2/12 - Toronto, ON - Neutral *
2/15 - Boston, MA - Middle East *

* = w/ The Depreciation Guild
# = w/ Cause Co-Motion!


|||POBPAT: "Everything With You" MP3|||

"Everything With You" - Directed by Art Boonpan:

7 albums that won't be on my 'best of the year' list

I've already got my mind set on a top 20-25 records of the year, but it still feels too soon to post. Here are some of the albums that I tried to get into but ultimately failed my sense of right and wrong.



1. The Verve: Forth

In my opinion Forth is the biggest disappointment of 2008. What's even more depressing is the lack of musical muscle that could point to any future spell-binding guitar work, or re-imagining of sounds created on their brilliant albums A Storm on Heaven and A Northern Soul.



2. Black Kids: Partie Traumatic

So much hype, so little payoff -- it's becoming a common tale these days. Bands are being catapulted to heights unimaginable for some of the most prolific indie-rock bands of the past twenty years, only to fall even harder. The problem is not that these kids can't play, they're just too regular-sounding for me to get invested in.



3. MGMT: Oracular Spectacular

Is MGMT the Wang Chung of this generation? I think so. Now they just need to pen the soundtrack to the next Mel Gibson-Michelle Pfeiffer-Kurt Russell drug bust/action drama set in 1980's Manhattan Beach. Side-out bra!



4. Vampire Weekend: S/T

I gave this record many listens, too many listens. In the beginning of the year someone told me these guys sounded like Paul Simon. I thought to myself, "that's interesting," then eventually, "is that a compliment?" My deltoids and trapezius are still sore from months of shrugging.



5. Weezer: (Red album)

Guys, it's time to wrap it up. I mean jesus...look at that awful cover.



6. Does it Offend You, Yeah?: You have No Idea What You're getting Yourself Into

Take all the annoying car alarm sounds ever invented, use gimmicks in place of melody (terrible robotic voice/vocoder, over played cowbells, etc.), add a generic beat to it and you've got this.



7. Times New Viking: Rip it Off

I found this record to be unlistenable. Not because it's too loud or abrasive, but because there just doesn't seem to be an entry point.


Any others I left out? Spark-up the comment section!


Other inner-nets:

Gorilla vs. Bear unveils its top 20 albums of the year. Some nice picks in there (Beach House, Grouper, No Age...)!

If you caught M83/SVIIB at the Henry Fonda on Saturday then you probably waited at least 45 minutes to get in, but then again you also witnessed a certain local musician making M83 a much better band. The French dream-poppers would be foolish not to involve keyboardist/vocalist Morgan Kibby in all of their future endeavors, seriously.

UPDATE: School of Seven Bells are returning to Low-End Theory at The Airliner this Wednesday, Dec. 3rd for $10.
The Airliner
2419 N. Broadway
Los Angeles, CA
90031

Ryan Catbird and a host of other solid bloggers created MBV. And no, it's not a tribute page to My Bloody Valentine.

Spaceland is hosting The Movies all month long every Monday for free.