indie don't dance

Wet Paint

2006-09-25T10:49:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I go download crazy and end up with unknown music on my iPod. This addiction provides for funny what-the...!? moments on the bus. These moments leave me wiggling with excitment in my seat as I dig through my bag because I must know the title of the song asap. My latest what-the...!? moment was on Friday. "Wet Paint?" Where did this track come from? I have no idea, but I know that I like it.

Aloha percussionist Cale Parks has a solo album titled Illuminated Manuscript coming out on September 26th. Count with me: that's one day away. This song is full of low hums, gentle taps, jingles and jangles, and sweet vocals. This one song has made me very excited to hear the entire album which I anticipate will be great for cold, rainy days.

Cale Parks: Wet Paint

More songs at his myspace.
Buy Illuminated Manuscript at AmpCamp.

One day I found a big book buried deep in the ground...

2006-09-24T12:23:00.000-04:00

"What is this?" You ask. Why, it's simply the best video ever made. Let's not argue about this.

I haven't seen a music video in ages, but I imagine that videos nowadays rarely reach the scale of cleverness as Michel Gondry's filmwork for Bjork's torch song "Bachelorette." It has an innocent Bjork in the starring role, a mustachioed vilanous lover, cardboard scenery, and a play within a play within a play. What could be better?

Right-click, save as for another one of my Bjork favorites...

Bjork: Who Is It? (Carry My Joy On the Left, My Pain On the Right)

Speaking of all things Icelandic, if you happen to have an extra $700 lying around, you should fly to Iceland this October for the two day Airwaves festival. Some of the featured bands include Wolf Parade, Tilly and the Wall, We Are Scientists, Cold War Kids, and The Go! Team. Plus an Icelandic band called Thugs on Parole. I'm sure they'll make the crowd say, "Uhh! Na-nah, na-nah!"

There's Something I've Been Meaning to Say to You

2006-09-22T12:08:00.000-04:00

No, this post doesn't have any brand spakin' new buzzy news about Brendan Benson. I think he's still busy being a Raconteur. I have, on the other hand, been trying to figure out a study schedule that allows me to read, analyze, and retain information. Hegel is a rough read and Foucault is no joke. Really. Have you read Foucault? Check him out debating Noam Chomsky on the idea of human nature.* Moving on...

The other day, one of my classmates commented, "Yeah, Brendan Benson? I tried to get into him, but... not my thing. I don't get him."

"What?" I relied in obvious shock. "Brendan Beson? The crafter of pop gems that ooh and aah with sweet perfection?"

"I guess," he shrugged.

I guess? The above conversation is the result of a diet too heavy in Focault and not enough Benson. If my Last.fmchart updated itself--which it hasn't in the last 2 months--it would confess my current addiction with all things Brendan Benson. More specifically, my repeated listening of the song "Metarie." I'm not much for the line: "I've run out of gas and stuck like glue," so I prefer the "UK Version" from the song titled EP. It's not as "rocky," and has a little extra melancholy to it.

Brendan Benson: Metarie (UK Version)
Brendan Benson: Video of Benson and Chris Plum performing an acoustic version of "Metarie." It's very pretty, and makes you want to give Mr. Down-and-Out a hug.

Purchase various versions of "Metarie" and other perfectly crafted pop songs at Insound.

*Everything is on on Youtube. Even French philosophers. Crazy.

I see you seeing me, and I like what we see

2006-09-20T12:47:00.000-04:00

Katie sent me Winter Miller's New York Times feature on Cat Power and her struggle with alcoholism and drug addiction. The article describes Chan Marshall's dark moments which she led to suicidal thoughts and the self-sabotaging of shows. However, Miller also acknowledges her slow climb into health, strong album sales, and live shows that leave audiences in awe. There seems to be this insistence that although Chan Marshall is dealing with her inner demons, she's not quite "better." Miller references her reliance on anti-depressents and her "kooky behavior... [and] awkward fidgeting" during shows. Maybe I'm reading too much into these references because I adored watching Chan Marshall on her current tour in support of The Greatest. Yet, there are still bad show reviews, which point to evidence of smaller battles yet to be fought. I should be more gracious because maybe Miller wants simply to underscore that the road toward recovery and self-love doesn't happen over night.

After selling over 100,000 copies of The Greatest, Matador has decided to re-release the album with brand spankin' new artwork and a lowered shelf price. I read Matador's press released and laughed out loud. Not so much at the record label, but at the obvious need to justify the new pressing to potentially outraged fans:

Anyhow, we know this is a sensitive subject for some of you. We're not intent on gouging Cat Power fans, but we are trying to be creative and competitive in a marketplace where it is becoming increasing hard to maintain the shelf life of a title for more than a couple of months. We really believe in Chan and are of the opinion that 'The Greatest' is one of those life affirming records that we have to get into the hands and heads of as many people as possible.

In other words: Go complain to someone else. Would people really be that up in arms? Are they? Even if The Greatest arrived on my doorstep in a brown paper bag, I wouldn't trade it for an "improved" model. I like pretty packaging as much as the next person, but it's the music that matters. At such great music it is.

Finian McKean @ Union Hall (NYC)

2006-09-14T02:08:00.000-04:00

Union Hall in Park Slope, Brooklyn opened up right before I left New York. I haven't been inside, but I did peek through the windows and was curious about the dimly lit, book-filled bar. Union Hall looked impressive from the outside, and it's been confirmed that the inside is twice as nice. Drinks, good food, comfy couches, and bocce (?). If you're in New York, check out the new space and listen to good music at the same time. Finian McKean + Wild Palms play there tonight at 8:00 pm.

And... Pitchfork has confirmed that Justin Timberlake has indeed brought sexy back. As if you doubted.

Annuals on Breakthru Radio

2006-09-14T01:26:00.000-04:00

Rachel interviewed Adam Baker of the much-blogged-about North Carolina band Annuals. There's interesting conversation around the music scene in North Carolina, finishing high school, and choir robes and cat heads. Here's an exerpt of my favorite part of the interview:

BTR: What can one expect from your live show that they may not see with other bands? I hear at one point you have three guys playing the drums?
AB: You can always expect an immense amount of energy from all of us. People have fainted and blacked out. We try and give it our all. We go to shows a lot and we see bands that are not energetic…you can listen to an album anytime. Every song we play sounds different. We switch around instruments all the time. We all sing and all that stuff. You can expect six people giving their all.

Fainted? Stop.

Read the rest of the interview.

If you're interested in possibly seeing a member of Annuals pass out on stage, make sure you catch their live show when they're in your neighborhood.

09/14: NYC @ Sin-e
09/15: Brooklyn, NY @ NorthSix
09/16: Boston, MA @ The Middle East
09/18: Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
09/19: Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
10/17: Raleigh, NC @ The Brewery (CD release party)
10/19: NYC @ Irving Plaza
10/20: Philadelphia, PA @ The Starlight Ballroom
10/22: Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree
10/24: Tallahasse, FL @ Club Down Under
10/25: Gainesville, FL @Common Grounds
10/26: Orlando, FL @ The Social
10/27: Augstine, FL @ - Cafe 11
10/28: Athens, GA @ Tasty World
10/29: Atlanda, GA @ The Loft
10/30: Chapel Hill, NC @ The Local
10/31: Washington, DC @ Black Cat

Strawberries

2006-09-13T23:45:00.000-04:00

Cassettes Won't Listen (or Jason Drake) has remixed yet another great song. This time he has placed his sights on Asobi Seksu's "Strawberries." You'll like the piano at the beginning of the song...

Asobi Seksu: Strawberries (Cassettes Won't Listen remix)

You can catch Cassettes Won't Listen on John in the Morning on KEXP on September 14th... which is today for all you Eastern Standard folks, but still tomorrow for me. So, set your dial or link your computer to KEXP at 11 am EST to catch the broadcast.

The Envy Corps is in the studio.

2006-09-10T09:21:00.000-04:00

The number of posts about The Envy Corps on this blog borders on stalker-esqe. But I adore them. Really.

So the boys of Iowa are back in the studio preparing their first full-length album. Here's the official update from the band's myspace page:

September Update

Coming up for air, thought we'd say hello.

The band has just started pre-production for our full-length record, which will feature some of the old and some of the new, as we see fit, of course. After years of waiting, we finally found a 'proper' practice space, and while cold and uninviting at this point, with time it will feel like home. Step 1: Comfy couch. Step 2: 60 inch plasma screen. Step 3: All the videogames ever.

A few new ones are:

Turquoise Circles
Young Doctors in Love
Thermopylae
99, 100
Collision Song
Send Me Over
Archipelago
I Was Destructive
The Mutator
Rhinemaidens II, Electric Boogaloo

We will spend October through the rest of the year recording at our secret studio location somewhere in Russia (hint: near the cold part). If we remember to bring a camera we'll post pictures.

Favourite things: 1 2 3 4   

All for now...

-TEC (aka Boys of Summer)

The Envy Corps will come up for air again in October to play two shows in Ames, Iowa. Iowa is not Wisconsin. I know that much. Until then, settle your excitment by clicking on the links to some of their favorite things.

Visit The Envy Corps at their Myspace page.
Fuel the making of their full-length by purchasing their EP.

Daytrotter & No Data

2006-09-09T14:35:00.000-04:00

I'm currently obsessed with Daytrotter. Have you visited lately? Not only does the site host fantastic album reviews and original artwork, but also weekly band features. These features are (hands down) the best thing happening musically on the Internet right now. Bands drop by the Daytrotter studio, record four live tracks, talk about their music and the daily nitty gritty of being recording artsits. The interviews are intimate and true and often funny. My favorite part is probably the commentaries that bands give for the songs they selected to play for the session. My favorite song description so far is SSLYBY's explanation for "Oregon Girl:" “[It's] supposed to sound like a chase scene through an airport. Think of the McCallisters barely catching their plane to France in ‘Home Alone.’"

Here are some of my Daytrotter Session favorites:

Cold War Kids: Hospital Beds
Frog Eyes: Bushels
SSLYBY: Oregon Girl
French Kicks: So Far We Are
Hockey Night: Who We Are
Conner: Silent Film Score/Cold Feelings
Maritime: Calm
Catfish Haven: You Can Have Me

Without divine intervention, WOXY goes silent on September 15th. In addition to countless other particulars, this means the end of the Lounge Acts series. For me, Lounge Acts were a way to experience music in a way that felt more personal and connected. Or at least I felt connected. Rather than stepping in as a stand in for Lounge Acts, the Daytrotter Sessions are poised to be a critical addition to the ever evolving discourse on and sharing of music. It's another way to feel connected.

Visit Daytrotter for more bands and complete sets from the above artists... including Bonnie Prince Billy!

And in unrelated news, I'm thinking of switching Indie Don't Dance over to either TypePad or WordPress. I've grown incredibly tired of the messages from Blogger that read " this document contains no data." It's frustrating to loose entire posts, which equal minutes if not hours, of work. If anyone has any opinions on the aforementioned weblog hosting sites, feel free to leave me a comment.

Interesting things...

2006-09-05T10:33:00.000-04:00

Check out IGIF Presents: Beat Therapy at I Guess I'm Floating. It's a pretty well rounded sampling of some great contemporary hip hop beats. Who doesn't love Outkast's "Happy Valentine's Day?"

Go ooh and awe over Rachael's new retooling of The Underrated Blog. It's yummy.

Head over to YANP and enter to win the Beach Boy's Pet Sounds on vinyl. You have until midnight on Friday...

Make your way over to Swoon to download a live performance of Mew in Nagoya, Japan.

Must be the colors and the kids

2006-09-05T00:01:00.000-04:00

Today is my first day of (graduate) school. Today is also the first day of (teaching) school for my former co-teacher-in-crime Ms. Katie. She's nervous, but I know she showed the kids who runs this classroom.

Cat Power: The Colors and the Kids

EDIT: The link to the Cat Power track has been fixed.

I'm guest blogging at The Rawking Refuses to Stop! while Dave is away. Check out my "Back to School" mix.

Link: This Summer I Did the Backstroke

March Into Flames

2006-08-30T23:11:00.000-04:00

In high school, I had a drawing of a militant Ramona Quimby. She was holding a school book in her left hand while her right hand was poised solidly over her head in a fist. Above her were the words: "Riot Equals Not Quiet." Naturally, the letter Q was drawn with the necessary cat whiskers and ears.

Finest Dearest is definitely not quiet. They are now the louder, more defiant Romona. Finest Dearest is still the girl in her neat plaid skirt, buttoned-up cardigan, but with dirty knees and untied shoes. She's been digging in the dirt and has emerged more confident, raw, and ready to go toe-to-toe with the best of them.

I don't know if these songs are in their "final production" phase (i.e., mastered and what-not). However, I like these tracks as is. I think the unfinished quality adds a rougher edge to these gems.

Finest Dearest: March Into Flames
Finest Dearest: We're Making a Sound 1

From the band's Pacemaker EP:
Finest Dearest: Sleep Until the Weekend

Buy the Pacemaker EP from InSound (only $4.80).

Befriend Finest Dearest and stay up to date when their 7" is released this fall and their full-length hits shelves next spring.

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Rachael was kind enough to feature me in her column "Meet the Bloggers" at Breakthru Radio. Check out what some of her favorite bloggers are listening to.

Madison Show Calendar

2006-08-30T19:19:00.000-04:00

Rachael asked me if I have discovered any good local bands in Madison yet. The answer to that question is no. Sadly, in the last 48 hours, I've spent more time running around the enormous UW campus trying to find where to get my ID photo taken than scouting new music. However, I have had time to poke around the internet and local newspapers to put together a not-so-shabby show calendar for myself.

09/15: Tally Hall @ The Annex
09/22: Mates of State @ Orpheum
10/15: Gomez, Matt Pond PA @ The Annex
10/16: Cold War Kids @ The Annex
10/17: Regina Spektor @ The Majestic

Considering my bedroom is the size of a cracker box, it looks like The Annex will become my second home.

What Goes Around... Comes Around

2006-08-30T13:49:00.000-04:00

Like everyone else, I'm awaiting Justin Timberlake's takeover of the world's ears on September 12. As much as "SexyBack" has been a guilty pleasure, I'm really digging "What Goes Around...Comes Around Interlude." Right now, I want you to mute your internal diatribe about the factory feel of pop music and the pointless nature of the media machine. This song? It's a keeper.

You can satisfy your FutureSex/LoveSounds needs with this amateur video of a live performance of "What Goes Around..." in Los Angeles.

Watch more of your favorite Justin Timberlake videos.

Mattresses Underwater

2006-08-29T13:10:00.000-04:00

I'm a big fan of cheesiness, so I want to point out three things about today: 1) I am waiting for my mattress to be delivered. 2) It's pouring. 3) I'm listening to the track "Mattresses Underwater." Funny coincidence? I think so.

I do not know much about the Oxford, Mississippi band Colour Revolt, but I do know that I'm hooked. Their self-titled EP is set to be re-released by Tiny Evil on September 12th; however, the making of the original EP is an interesting story:

"But it was outside any proper studio that the songs on the Colour Revolt EP took form. Scheduled to record in a friends basement in Jackson, Mississippi in late August 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the same weekend, pushing storm evacuees into the recording space. With nowhere to record in a city lacking electricity, the band set up shop with a ProTools rig in the living room of the owner of Esperanza Plantation, a small local record label, also home to the band. Forced into a DIY approach, the band used a pair of pantyhose as a windscreen and built a vocal booth out of spare cardboard boxes and leftover brooms."

-- From the band's myspace page

I'm sure the extreme conditions, both physical and emotional, play a role in the intensity exhibited by frontman Jesse Coppenbarger on the track "Mattresses Underwater." The vocals move from whispery to unstrung while guitars talk softly back and forth before ending into swirling reverb. It's pretty, loud, epic and will satisfy your need to rock out.

Colour Revolt: Mattresses Underwater

Buy the first release edition from Esperanza Plantation from our friends at Amp Camp.

Befriend these Southern boys, download more songs, and check out their tour dates.

* * * * *

Cassettes Won't Listen is in the studio working on the follow up to the Nobody's Moving EP. You can follow the production process at CWL's website. Their are already some posts up about the new track "Jukebox Crew."

On Tour: The Submarines

2006-08-29T10:31:00.000-04:00

The indie cuteness that are The Submarines will tour this fall with French new wavers Nouvelle Vague. Since the release of their album Declare a New State!, The Submarines (Blake Hazard and Jack Dragonetti) have been very busy. So far, they have recorded an iTunes sessions with CYHSY producer Adam Lassus, completed a remix project of their debut album, and produced a "The Life Aquatic-esque" music video for their song "Peace and Hate." The albums are slated for an autumn release, but the you can watch the video now.

When you're done watching "Peace and Hate," check out the tour dates below...

Get this video and more at MySpace.com

09/05  Plaza Club, Vancouver, BC
09/06 Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
09/07 The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
09/08  Music Box @ Fonda, Los Angeles, CA
09/11 Gothic Theatre, Englewood, CO
09/13 Metro/Smart Bar, Chicago, IL
09/15 Club Soda, Montreal, QB
09/16 Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
09/17 World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA
09/19 Webster Hall, New York, NY
09/21  Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA
09/22 TBA, Orlando, FL
09/23 Studio A, Miami, FL

Who We Are

2006-08-28T20:49:00.000-04:00

Greetings from Madison, Wisconsin.

Here's my first post of many from the lake-filled city in the North. New York is no longer home; however, Indie Don't Dance will continue.

Hopefully.

I'm setting up my new room in my new apartment. I didn't think it was possible to have a bedroom smaller than the closet-sized ones that are notorious in New York, but I've been proven wrong. However, a deck off of one's bedroom, a full-sized kitchen, and a livingroom with bay windows is nothing to sniff at.

Hockey Night is providing the soundtrack to my evening as I unpack my things. The folks at Daytrotter have three live tracks up, including "Who We Are." If you haven't heard this song yet, you must download it now. It's (hands down) Hockey Night's best song. Honest. Plus, if you've had the opportunity to hear this song live, it's a real treat. The boys played this song during their show at Mercury Lounge in May and proved that they are setting a more mature course for their musical future. Great things are in the works.

Hockey Night: Who We Are

Download more tracks from Hockey Night at Daytrotter.

Grrr...

2006-08-23T22:34:00.000-04:00

If my posts had tags, one of the most popular ones would be "Mac Problems." I bought a new MacBook and in the last 48 hours, I have had two appointments at the Genius Bar. I'm starting to lose faith in the old Apple. Following the advice of Cindy Hotpoint, I took The Boy Least Likely To's personality test. Life is looking a little brighter now that it's been confirmed that I'm a fierce little kitten. Grrr. I could have come up as a purple sludge, and that's is definitely a) not cute, and b) would not have brought any sunshine to my day.

To add to my day--that brightened considerably--this ditty from The Poems showed up in my inbox. I don't normally find songs about eventual heartbreak to be particularly inspiring; however, this Scottish band did something for me today. Maybe it's the strings or the soft vocals.

The Poems: So Soon

And the excitement from my yesterday was the release of full-length Anti-Anti from Snowden. Pitchfork 7.2-ed it, which is lower than I would score the album. But will let that rest. I do, however, agree that the title track teases you with its sexiness while mocking you the entire time. "We keep it simple but make it more complex/We are anti-movements/We are anti-anti/One time we believed, but now it's passe and cliche."

Snowden: Anti-Anti

"She'll say anything to make you move again..."

Little Sounds

2006-08-21T23:12:00.000-04:00

The worst thing about packing is that everything gets placed neatly into boxes. Those boxes are then sealed and stacked into a corner waiting for their time to be carried to the post office. Topping my list of "Saddest Things Ever" is packing up an air condition-less apartment in complete and total silence.
Fortunately, Flameshovel is streaming upcoming releases from some of their bands. The streams include the upcoming full-length Be Where I Be from my latest iPod favorites Judah Johnson. I had forgotten that I had tucked this CD in my bag, but found it this summer while I was shuffling around Queens. I like the clever lyrical play on the track "Little Sounds." The Spinners sang about a light at the end of the tunnel; however, Judah Johnson sings "Ooh, child, it won't get easier/it won't get brighter." The album is electronic, poppy, and atmospheric. And other adjectives that you are more than welcome to add to my list.

Judah Johnson: Little Sounds

Stream all of Be Where I Be.

Interview with The Envy Corps

2006-08-14T21:49:00.000-04:00

Oh, New York. The Envy Corps is here. And they have brought grand music along with them. Who are they? Well, sit down for this little tale.

This indie quartet created a small sensation in the Midwest even before the release of their debut EP I Will Write You Letters If You Tell Me To. As show attendance grew from a few on-lookers to sing-a-long crowds, The Envy Corps established themselves as a band to be known. At least in their neck of the woods. In an effort to expand upon their homegrown success, Iowa's finest found a working van and made their way to New York City. With them, the band has brought along a desire to make their mark outside of their home state, a witty way with lyrics and chords, and an insatiable appetite for glossy magazines and canolis.

Before the band's arrival in the city, I had the chance to conduct a phone interview the Luke and Brandon of The Envy Corps. They let me give alternative (i.e., faulty) interpretations of song lyrics, ask nonsensical questions, and pry into the daily life of musicians. Basically, they humored me. The following interview is between Luke, Brandon, and me. Since I'm an interivew novice, it was much too difficult to note who was responding to specific questions. So, consider Luke and Brandon to be an uber-entity. It works. Trust me.

You guys are making the big trip to New York. Have you been here before?
We were there a while ago, but that was only once. In some ways this is the first time, but in other ways it's not.

Are you nervous about playing for a New York audience. We can be a little tough. We stand and stare a lot.
(Laughs) I've heard about that. I guess maybe a little. I guess we're more nervous about how we'll be received. In New York, there's a lot to chose from, so people can be picky. Bands have to prove themselves. We're also not that glamorous. We don't have a "thing" that we do, you know? We're not, like, all decked out like The Strokes. Hopefully, New York will be fine with that.

Not all bands in New York wear catchy outfits. Some bands are pretty dirty.
Oh yeah, we're sure! (Laughs) We like The Strokes, and dirty bands, too! We just don't have a thing that we do, other than play really good music. Hopefully, people will realize how we are able to play different types of music. That not all of our songs sound the same. I think that's boring. When you listen to a band, but every song they play could potentially be the same song.

That's what I like about your EP. The songs change in tone, but it shows how versatile you are.
Yeah, we're versatile. People really like songs like "Rhinemaidens" or "Story Problem." But the songs that I'm most proud of are probably the songs that are not the dancey songs that most people like. We can do fun, poppy dance songs, but we can also do some other substantive stuff.

I've read some reviews of your EPs, and you get compared to British bands a lot. Bands like Coldplay and...
New Coldplay or old Coldplay? We like old Coldplay. New Coldplay is pretty awful. (Laughs)

True. Very true. But it's not so bad to be compared to old Coldplay, even if you don't really sound like them.
Yeah. We like Coldplay and other British bands, too. But I think we do our own thing, we don't sound like them. But that's what people do. They compare you to other bands so that people can get some sort of idea of what you sound like... Even if they are wrong! (Laughs) Did I mention that we like Coldplay?

You like Coldplay, and I read on your myspace page that you also like baked goods. What's that about?
(Laughs) I don't know! Yes, I do. People just started bringing them. I don't know...

What should the people of New York bring to your show?
Well, since we're in New York, we really should get some canolis. Like, real homemade canolis. Or carrot cake.

Would you like the carrot cake to have the fancy cream cheese frosting carrots on top?
They do that? Oh, yeah they do! That would be great. I like the cream cheese frosting.

Anything with cream cheese frosting?
No, definitely carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. And canolis. We usually end up sharing these baked goods with people after a while. You know what would be great? If one day we just started a big food fight at one of our shows. Then people would be like, "Hey, remember that Envy Corps show we went to and there was that big food fight? That was great..." (Laughs)

You don't need fancy costumes like The Strokes if you have food fights.
That's very true.

I'm not the only person who asks you strange questions, am I?
No, people ask us some funny stuff. (Laughs) People like to ask about the Chinese twins in the band. I'm like, Chinese twins? What Chinese twins? Oh, you mean Scott and David? They're not twins, and they're definitely not Chinese! Don't ask us about the Chinese twins. We don't have any.

They are not Chinese. They are not twins.
Exacutly. Discuss.

So, when you're not "being a band," what are you up to?
(Lots of laughter)

Am I allowed to ask that question?
Oh, yes. You're allowed to ask. Well, we do lots of things. One of us works at a video rental store. Like a Blockbuster. Another... well, I own a janitorial business. (Laughs) It's very glamourous.

Do you get to tour a lot since you have "day jobs?"
We definitely do not tour as much as we want to. Touring is what makes all of this very real to us. But it's hard because we all have jobs and you can't just take off for a few weeks to play some shows. Plus, we do everything by ourselves.

You record and distribute your EPs on your own?
Yeah. We're not signed to a label, so we have to do everything on our own. That takes a lot of time.

How did the recording of Love Letters come about?
It took a long time. We were recording whenver we had time. It would be, like, "Hey, you want to come over and lay down the guitar track?" There was no deadline, so we just kept reworking songs and doing things over and over. But then, more and more people started coming to our shows, and people really wanted an album from us. That was good because it really pushed us to finish the EP and get something out. After people starting asking for music, the EP came together pretty quickly.

Well, I'm glad the EP came out because, honestly, it's one of the best EPs I've heard. You really deserve any and all attention you receive.
Thanks. Thanks a lot.

* * * * *

If you're lucky enough to be around New York, take some time to check out The Envy Corps during one of their two remaining shows.

Tuesday, August 15: Cross-Pollination @ Pianos
Wednesday, August 16: Sin-e

The Envy Corps: Rhinemaidens

Visit the band's myspace page to stream more music and befriend them. You can become BFF without bribing them with baked goods.

Robot Motivation

2006-08-13T10:58:00.000-04:00

This track from The Polish Ambassador is really making my morning. I spilled coffee on my counter trying to dance and pour to this one. From the Ambassador's website:

It really sucks ass when your robot learns laziness and starts sleeping in
until like 11 A.M. You might be up and at ‘em, ready to go for a walk, but he or
she’s just laying there, mouth open, hand on battery pack. Like dangling a
carrot in front of a donkey, it’s important to keep your robot motivated for
optimum performance. Sure, the robot can still be your friend, but he must learn
his place in the pecking order. Insolent sleeping habits will not be tolerated.
Insert this mp3 into the robot’s sensory control panel and watch him
fly.

Download this mp3. Bop around your house to it. Wake up. I'll see you at the pool.

The Polish Ambassador: Robot Motivation

Pool Party @ McCarren Park

2006-08-12T21:28:00.000-04:00

Don't miss JELLYNYC's Pool Party at McCarren Park Pool. Deerhoof, Apollo Sunshine, Beirut, and Harlem Shakes will play. DJ Questlove will spin. Swimmers will frolick. Drinkers will guzzle. And I will dance. Plus, it's all free.

Doors open at 2 pm. Entry is first come-first served, so don't dawdle.

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Random, but...

Today I found out that I live in the same apartment building as the drummer from Puppetbox. Such a little big world.

Talk to La Bomb

2006-08-09T16:54:00.000-04:00

Here's a new track from the Brazilian Girls' upcoming album Talk to La Bomb. Entertainment Weekly praised the group's first album as "unceasingly irresistible,” and I think you'll say the same about the song "Jique." The ever stylish frontwoman Sabina Sciubba deftly moves between a multitude of languages on this one track. Sciubba muses about the new album:

the future of this planet as we know it, the human and animal kingdom, and the plants, depends solely on this record. You’re welcome.

It's like Alias set to a beat.

Brazilian Girls: Jique

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Here's your daily reminder that The Envy Corps is coming to New York City to play, not two, but three shows! The madness, I tell you.

August 14: Pianos @ 6:30 pm
August 15: Cross-Pollination (at Pianos) @ 7:30 pm
August 16: Sin-e @ 9:00 pm

Nikki's Back . . .

2006-08-09T01:28:00.000-04:00

. . . and this is the thanks I get?

But seriously. It was a pleasure to help out while you were away. As a parting gift, some music for you:

MP3: Middle Distance Runner - Sea Wolf
MP3: Waxing / Waning - Great Northern
MP3: Tonight Will Be Fine - Teddy Thompson
MP3: Tickets to Crickets - Ferraby Lionheart
MP3: Words - Kelly Stoltz
MP3: Clouds - The Long Winters
MP3: Music Maker - The Chosen Few

It's great to have Nikki back. Thanks for the memories.

Another painful reminder that I'm leaving NYC...

2006-08-08T23:24:00.000-04:00

Tickets go on sale on Friday at 11 am. [Link]

I'm sure The Decemberists play in Madison, right? Right.