Here's a track from a record I'm growing quite fond of, from Canada's P.S. I Love You. P.S., happy belated Thanksgiving, Canada! Check out the P.S. page HERE. They will be playing tonight at The Central in Santa Monica. Don't like that part of town? Me either! P.S. I Love you will be wrapping up L.A. at The Mint tomorrow night. Check out "Little Spoon" below.
Here's a track from the "I'm Here" soundtrack, a short film from Spike Jonze, which debuted earlier this year at Sundance. The film is described as a Sci-Fi Romance, with two robots in Los Angeles, who find love in one another.
The Lost Trees are a fictitious robot band in the film. The band is actually Nick Zinner, Kevin Barnes of Of Montreal, and members of The Moonrats. Sounds complicated enough? Check out the site for the short film HERE. Check out "The Past is a Grotesque Animal", which is originally an Of Montreal song, below.
"The Past is a Grotesque Animal" by The Lost Trees
Also for your video pleasure, check out a video from the Matador 21 party in Las Vegas a few weekends ago. Ted Leo joins Liz Phair onstage for a rendition of 'Fuck & Run'. I can't help but speculate, but did Liz and Ted get down and dirty in a Vegas hotel room last weekend? Even a small chance?! If only there were an Indie Rock TMZ.
Liz Phair & Ted Leo at Matador 21 Anniversary in Las Vegas
CLICK HERE for front page and full list of track postings.
In support of "The Suburbs", the Arcade Fire sprung into their first of a two night stay at the Shrine Auditorium, in L.A. The first part of their set covered much from the new album, while the band incorporated a healthy mix of songs from "Neon Bible" and "Funeral".
The band overcame some early technical difficulties, which set the tone for Win to be pretty loose most of the night. He even took a light-hearted jab at our own L.A. Lakers, but prompted the band to start 'Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)' before any audible response or disapproval from the audience could permeate the crowd.
Overall, the band was as entertaining and provoking as the previous times I've seen them. While I'm about to sound like an enormous dick for taking offense to people having a good time, to the people who were dancing as if they were in one of the terrible clubs on the Sunset Strip, don't act surprised when you get made fun of when you're showing off those moves in a context that doesn't match to the tune of songs like 'Intervention'.
The band was great, but the venue was a pain in the ass to get to, and the mainstream appeal of a band like the Arcade Fire cannot prevent people who drive large trucks with Dave Matthews Band stickers plastered on them, from clogging the very same streets the USC kids and concert goers needed to access to get to the show. 'A' for effort, 'A' for performance, 'C' to the Shrine for being the Shrine.
Check out 'Earthquake' from the new Deerhunter album, "Halcyon Digest" below. Available now from the always wonderful 4AD Records. That's song 2 of 30 for my promise.
Growing up can be hard (on your records). In the last year, I've gotten married, bought a house for the first time, thrown around the idea of making babies, and stood pat at my crappy day job.
The stream of good music has been consistent, but writing with frequency has not. That's why I'm challenging myself to write for the next 30 days, with 30 songs in tow. Any lapse in days will be made up in the next day I write...I will do my best to avoid 29 songs in one post, 29 days from now.
ARCADE FIRE at The Shrine Auditorium
Tonight, the Arcade Fire will open a two night stay at L.A.'s historic Shrine Auditorium. I sure hate big shows, with droves of people, but I just can't stay away from seeing them tonight. I've seen them play at least once, for every album they've put out. Can't say enough about their live experience.
Check out one of my favorite's from 'Neon Bible', 'Ocean of Noise' below. A word about the show at The Shrine tomorrow...
The Fall is officially here, and so is new television. Last night, FOX unveiled their return to smart comedy, by premiering two new shows, Raising Hope and Running Wilde.
Running Wilde comes from the creator of Arrested Development, and stars Will Arnett, aka GOB Bluth, also aka Mr. Amy Poehler, and that chick from Felicity and the Noxema commercials. The premise involves Arnett as a grown up, rich kid who can buy everything he wants, except that lost teenage love...enter Felicty's Keri Russell. It's like an American 'Arthur'. David Cross made a cameo last night, and I look forward to seeing more of the far fetched hilarity, to see what this series has to offer. Visit their official site here. Running Wilde is on Fox, Tuesday nights at 9:30pm.
In the preceding 9:00pm slot, Fox also premiered Raising Hope. The premise involves the main character, Jimmy Chance, raising a wedlock baby he made with a female crime spree murderer, who gets the electric chair, leaving Jimmy to raise 'Hope' on his own, with the help of his kooky family, played by Keanu Reeve's girlfriend in Parenthood, Martha Plimpton, Cloris Leachman as his senile great grandmother, and his father is played by this scoundrel, in The Road, Garet Dillahunt.
This unconventional comedy involved projectile vomiting onto baby 'Hope', antiquated baby car seats violently rolling around a back seat, and raver pacifier gags...what else can you ask for? Raising Hope airs Tuesday nights on FOX, at 9pm.
Enjoy these two shows while you can...we all know what the execs at FOX did to Arrested Development, after all.
And for my best music news of the Fall, Superchunk have released "Majesty Shredding", on MERGE. Mac and company can do no wrong in my book. Check out "Fractures in Plaster" below. Also check out a great video of comedian Todd Barry covering 'Horror Business' by the Misfits, with Superchunk.
Here's two brand new tracks I'm really enjoying lately. The first is a track from the forthcoming Film School album, titled "Fission". The album will be released on August 31st, courtesy of Hi-Speed Soul Records. Check out the steady, melodic drones on "Still Might". Film School will make an L.A. stop on their tour on October 21st, at The Echo. Visit their MySpace page, at the top of their page is an offer to pre-order their album, in which the band will send you a signed, physical copy.
The second track will make all the kids with a hankering for Passion Pit, Phoenix, and Vampire Weekend quite happy, a track called "Boy" from Ra Ra Riot. The album will be released on August 24th, by Death Cab friendly Barsuk Records. Ra Ra Riot brings their act to the Music Box in L.A. on October 20th.
