No Age on an Etch-a-sketch

At least they have good taste in music? I think this same dude tried to hit on my friends with an Etch-a-sketch once at a bar...

Another New Pornos Track - Myriad Harbor

The New Pornographers have released another song from their upcoming release Challengers. The song is called "Myriad Harbor" and is written by the other songwriter in the band, Dan Bejar. It's unlike anything else I've heard from the band and I really like it. Three part vocals, subtle string arrangements, and retro jangly guitar tones make for a sweet mix - plus a woodblock(?) The record comes out August 21st.

Good Stuff: The New Pornographers - Myriad Harbor

July Mix - 1. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit

There's a lot of pressure in selecting the opening track to an Opening Track themed mix tape. So I went the safe route and chose the most obvious song for the spot. For anyone in my generation "Smells Like Teen Spirit" should be a little special. Even if you don't like the song - you still have to respect what it did for pop music. Now I know the sounds of Teen Spirit had been heard before this song came out, but never by such a wide audience. Having heard a couple people in the music industry recount their stories of exactly where they were when they first heard this song on the radio makes it even more seminal to me. Anyways, you've heard it all before - so here's the music video:

July Mix Tape - Album Openers

Every great record has to have a great opening track. It's the first sounds a listener hears when first turning on a new album. Record labels pore over every minute detail when coming up with a tracklist, and it is no accident as to which song will end up in the #1 slot. I think this will be a fun theme because it'll give us a chance to explore some classic albums and explore the reasoning behind sequence selection. Also - opening tracks usually lend themselves to some upbeat and attention getting jams. E-mail, facebook, or comment on here with any suggestions you may have for July. June mixes will be available to download tonight, so stay tuned for a link.

Bright Eyes and the State of the Nation: MTV Video

On MTV.com right now, they are running an MTV News special on Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes. The video is actually pretty cool, with John Norris interviewing Oberst about politics, songwriting, and the future. Well worth the five minutes to watch it. You can check it out here. It even features some vintage video and sound clips (albeit very short) of the pre-'MTV gives a shit' days of Bright Eyes.

Motherfuckin' Deathset!

The DeathSet this Friday with Ponytail at The Smell! Only 5 bucks... Check out the song "Intermission" from their new 7'' out on Modular UK:

Tape Deck, Select
Burning Wreck, Broken Neck,
Dirty Speck, Bitches Wet,
Motherfucking DeathSet!
In your eye, weapons fly,
Don't even try to feel our size,
Wonder why the people cry
The Motherfuckin' DeathSet!

The DeathSet - Intermission

Download mp3

Coming Attractions: Ponytail

Another awesome Baltimore noise-punk outfit, Ponytail is scheduled to play Friday at The Smell with The Deathset. These guys play a spastic blend of free flowing jazz and rock with inane screechings by vocalist Molly Siegal - and somehow it all seems to work. Bursting with energy, the foursome rip through each song like their lives depend on it. Pitchfork gave their debut an impressive 8.1 and in the article reviewer Jess Harvel makes a good stab at someone who takes their music too seriously:

"When the music blog Idolator recently posted one of the band's songs, a grouch beefed in the comments box that they didn't have, like, a point. To which I'd say: if p-p-p-pure energy isn't reason enough for a rock band to exist, check your pulse and/or your stated reasons for liking music (or being alive) in the first place."

Check out their song "Lion Down" from the Monitor Records release, Kamehameha:

New Rilo Kiley Video - The Moneymaker

I know everyone else is reporting on this video this morning, but I couldn't resist putting in my own two cents. Everything about this story is really slick, except for maybe the actual song. Warner Bros. Records' concept behind the whole marketing scheme is pretty cool. The idea of creating a faux porn site to "release" the new video, making the viewer sift through almost 10 minutes of porn-star interviews and then the actual video are all kind of a neat, um, package - but it still doesn't make the song any better. I have to commend Rilo Kiley for trying out something different - their last three or so albums have all been made up of the same aural palette. I just wish that this "different sound" was good, because I really like this band. I guess the fact that I keep waiting for Jenny to bust into the BeeGees' "Stayin Alive" at every chorus might have something to do with it. Check it out for youself by clicking here... you can actually skip through the interviews by sliding the little green thing about 5/7's of the way through.

June Mix - 15. UB40 - Red, Red Wine

The finale to our summer mix is UB40's classic "Red Red Wine." If this doesn't remind you of family vacations from back in the day, I don't know what will. Interestingly, I just found out that this song was originally written by Neil Diamond and was covered by both Tony Tribe and UB40 (thanks wiki!) I guess this song sort of makes for the lack of any kind of reggae on the summer mix, but not really. It was a toss up between this song or "Don't Worry Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin, but this song was a specific request (and it's also a tapemix friendly three and a half minutes.) Mixes will be available for download sometime tonight and available upon request on tape or CD. Here's the music video for the last song:

June Mix - 14. The Go! Team - Panther Dash

I'm playing a little catchup on the June mix by bleeding into the beginning of July. The second to last song for the summer mix comes by way of London's The Go! Team. "Panther Dash" is the opening track to their debut record and it's a peppy jam with an extremely catchy harmonica melody. This whole album goes really well with being outside in the warm weather, and I thought that this song was a good showcase of all the elements that make The Go! Team awesome. Next time they come through town, I'll be sure to check them out.