Dashboard Confessional Solo Tour

Dashboard Confessional solo again? You bet:



09/14 - Rochester, MI - O'Rena Athletic Complex

09/28 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live!

09/29 - Nofolk, VA - Norva

09/30 - Raleigh, NC - Meymanid Concert Hall

10/02 - Atlanta, GA - Center Stage

10/03 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium

10/05 - Orlando, FL - House Of Blues

10/08 - Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa

10/09 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live

10/10 - Dallas, TX - Palladium

10/12 - Las Vegas, NV - House Of Blues

10/13 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre

10/14 - San Diego, CA - SOMA

10/16 - Los Angeles, CA - Orpheum Theatre

10/17 - Los Angeles, CA - Orpheum Theatre

10/19 - San Francisco, CA _ Warfiled

10/20 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom

10/25 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre

10/16 - Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theater

10/29 - Chicago, IL - House Of Blues

10/30 - Chicago, IL - House Of Blues

11/01 - Toronto, ON - Kool Haus

11/02 - Pontiac, MI - Clutch Cargo's

11/03 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall

11/05 - New York, NY - Webster Hall

11/06 - New York, NY - Highline Ballroom

11/08 - Worcester, MA - Palladium

11/09 - Worcester, MA - Palladium

11/10 - Atlantic City, NJ - House Of Blues

11/12 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory

11/13 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory

11/14 - New York, NY - Blender Theater At Gramercy

I tried to buy tickets for Ram's Head Live!, but it says they are not available, nor is the show listed on the RHL site. Tickets abound for the Electric Factory shows.

Other shows to see at Ram's Head Live! in the future:

Feist - September 11

Kings of Leon w/ Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - October 3

New Album From She Wants Revenge This October

She Wants Revenge will release its sophomore LP, This is Forever Oct. 9 from Geffen Records (actually a Geffen imprint ran by Fred Durst).



This is Forever track listing:

Love, First

Written in Blood

Walking Away

True Romance

What I Want

Just Begun

She Will Always Be A Broken Girl

This is the End

Checking Out

Pretend the World Has Ended

Replacement

All Those Moments

Rachael

Instrumental Analysis 1st Birthday Party/Show!

A big congrats to my esteemed colleague Joe over at Instrumental Analysis for the first birthday of IA, and the totally awesome show he's got lined up to celebrate at Rock and Roll Hotel in DC on August 10.

In attendance to rock your indie socks will be Le Loup, Bellman Barker, Lejeune, and Jette Kelly. Tickets are ten bucks. Show starts at 9:30.

Well done, IA (whose birthday is actually August 1, but I don't want to forget!). Here's to another year!

Leaked Shots From Video Shoot For The White Stripes' "You Don't Know What Love Is, You Just Do What You're Told"

The White Stripes recently wrapped up a video shoot for "You Don't Know What Love Is, You Just Do What You're Told", from their recent album, Icky Thump(read a review of Icky Thump here). Here they are, the day before the video premieres:

Two Gallants At Sonar and Rock and Roll Hotel; MP3 Download - "Seems Like Home To Me"

One of my current bands getting much play is San Francisco's Two Gallants, part of the Saddle Creek stable. Two Gallants' latest is an EP called The Scenery of Farewell, which came out in late June.

Adding to the Two Gallants news, their third album has been announced. The title is Two Gallants, and it is a Saddle Creek release. Aptly named, no? A full tour schedule has also been announced, with guest Against Me!

Two Gallants Tracklist:

01. The Deader
02. Miss Meri
03. The Hand That Held Me Down
04. Trembling Of The Rose
05. Reflections Of The Marionette
06. Ribbons Round My Tongue
07. Despite What You've Been Told
08. Cool Fly Low Carrion Crow
09. My Baby's Gone

Full list of tour dates:

08/05 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown*
08/07 - Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom*
08/08 - Ft. Worth, TX - Ridglea Theater*
08/09 - Corpus Christi, TX - House Of Rock*
08/10 - Houston, TX - Meridian*
08/11 - New Orleans, LA - House Of Blues*
08/14 - Nashville, TN - Rocketown*
08/15 - Charlotte, NC - Amos' Southend*
08/16 - Charleston, SC - Music Farm*
08/17 - St. Petersburg, FL - Jannus Landing*
08/18 - Jacksonville Beach, FL - Freebird Live*
08/19 - Gainesville, FL - Common Grounds*
08/21 - Vitoria-Gateiz, Spain - Azkana Rock Festival
09/01 - Inveraray, Scotland - Connect Music Festival
09/02 - Stradbally, Ireland - Electric Picnic Festival
09/16 - San Francisco, CA - Treasure Island Festival
09/17 - Portland, OR - Berabti's Pan
09/18 - Vancouver, BC - Media Club
09/19 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile
09/20 - Boise, ID - Neurolux
09/21 - Salt Lake City, CO - Kilby Court
09/22 - Denver, CO - Hi-Dive
09/23 - Rapid City, SD - The Imperial Inn
09/24 - Fargo, ND - Aquarium
09/26 - Minneapolis, MN - Turf Club
09/27 - Iowa City, IA - The Picador
09/29 - Chicago, IL - Schubas
09/30 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
10/02 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre
10/04 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian
10/05 - Boston, MA - Middle East Downstairs
10/06 - Baltimore, MD - Sonar
10/07 - Washington, D.C. - Rock And Roll Hotel (with Blitzen Trapper)
10/08 - Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
10/09 - Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn
10/12 - Baumont, TX - Votex
10/13 - Austin, TX - Mohawk
10/15 - Tuscon, AZ - Solar Culture
10/17 - San Diego, CA - The Casbah
10/18 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey
* with Against Me!

Download "Seems Like Home To Me" from The Scenery of Farewell EP

Rilo Kiley To Release Under The Black Light August 27, Tour Dates

Those of us who adore Rilo Kiley will be happy to know there is a new album coming out on August (Under the Blacklight), and a slew of tour dates (2 nights at 9:30 Club included, $25 apiece):

Thu-Sep-06 San Francisco, CA @ Warfield
Fri-Sep-07 Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom - MFNW 2007
Sat-Sep-08 Seattle, WA @ Showbox
Mon-Sep-10 Salt Lake City, UT @ McKay Events Center, w/Modest Mouse
Tue-Sep-11 Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
Wed-Sep-12 Columbia, MO @ University of Missouri - Jesse Auditorium
Thu-Sep-13 Omaha, NE @ Sokol Auditorium
Fri-Sep-14 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Sat-Sep-15 Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
Mon-Sep-17 Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
Tue-Sep-18 Toronto, ONT @ Phoenix Theatre
Wed-Sep-19 Montreal, QUE @ La Tulipe
Fri-Sep-21 Boston, MA @Avalon
Sat-Sep-22 New York, NY @ Webster Hall
Sun-Sep-23 New York, NY @ Webster Hall
Tue-Sep-25 Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
Wed-Sep-26 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Thu-Sep-27 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Fri-Sep-28 Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
Sat-Sep-29 Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
Mon-Oct-01 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Revolution
Tue-Oct-02 Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
Thu-Oct-04 New Orleans, LA @ Republic
Fri-Oct-05 Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
Sat-Oct-06 Dallas, TX @ Palladium
Sun-Oct-07 Austin, TX @ Stubb's BBQ
Tue-Oct-09 Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
Wed-Oct-10 Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
Fri-Oct-12 San Diego, CA @ SOMA
Sat-Oct-13 Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint
Mon-Oct-15 Los Angeles, CA @ Santa Monica Civic

Tickets are currently still available for both 9:30 Club shows, which is encouraging since I missed out on Neko Case tickets.

Wilco Announce Millenium Park Benefit Concert

While news of my Chicago vacation fades into oblivion, let's hit this one tidbit: Wilco have just announced that they will headline a September 12 show at Millennium Park's Frank Gehry-designed Pritzker Pavilion.

Kristen and I floated past the Marina Towers (architect Bertrand Goldberg. We're architecture dorks in my house) from the cover of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot several times on the L, but never got close enough to the buildings to get a fantastic photo like the above. Those buildings were like the phantom of Chicago when we were there. . .always fading in and out of view! And all the time we spent on State Street, we never made it to that part of State Street.

Presale is happening today for the show. Proceeds benefit Chicago Coalition For The Homeless.

New Thrushes Tour Dates, Including Lo-Fi Social Club Grand Re-Opening

Lovers of Baltimore shoegaze titans Thrushes rejoice, as the band has announced some upcoming tour dates for August, including a kickin' grand opening show for the Lo-Fi Social Club in its new digs (which I got to see the groundwork for this week, and it looks very promising):


8/9/07 @ The Manhattan Room w/ Music For Headphones, Stellarscope, The Clamor
15 W Girard Ave, Philadelphia PA

8/10/07 @ All Asia w/ Sanguine Drone
334 Massachusets Ave, Cambridge MA

8/11/07 Loveless Music Group show
location TBA w/ Brief Candles, Dead Leaf Echo
Brooklyn NY

8/22/07 @ The Ottobar w/Stereo Total (Berlin) & The Octopus Project
2549 N. Howard St, Baltimore MD

9/7/07 Lo-Fi Social Club w/ Squaaks, Heroin UK, more tba
Grand Opening!
1827 N. Charles St, Baltimore MD

9/22/07 @ Walls of Soundfest, Central Station
Fredericksburg VA

10/13/07 @ Automatic Dance Party , Ottobar
2549 N. Howard St, Baltimore MD

Check Out Soul Cannon; Free MP3 - "What's Real"

With a live show often compared to The Roots (though there are a lot of live instrumental hip hop acts out there, if you stop sleeping!), Soul Cannon is analog indie hip hop that you can get down with no matter your scene. Check out "What's Real" and tell me you disagree. If your spirit isn't lifted by this song, go back to your emo records and keep sleeping.

Soul Cannon is playing a Brooklyn show at the end of the month, and if you're in that area, check it out! Baltimore, don't worry, you can catch the band at a couple upcoming August dates. . .see below. (The backyard bash might be a private show. I take no responsibility for party crashers.)

Free MP3: Soul Cannon - "What's Real"


Upcoming shows for Soul Cannon:

July 29 2007 9:30P Luna Lounge Brooklyn, New York
Aug 3 2007 8:00P Backyard Happening Hyattsville, Maryland
Aug 11 2007 1:00P Rally Baltimore Baltimore, Maryland
Oct 12 2007 8:00P Cafe Bourbon Street Columbus, Ohio
Oct 13 2007 8:00P Antioch College Yellow Springs, Ohio
Oct 19 2007 8:00P The Spazzatorium Galleria! Greenville, North Carolina

New Releases for Tuesday, July 24, 2007: Garbage, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Doors, Tegan and Sara, The Red Chord

Out today, for better or worse:



Garbage - Absolute Garbage - Truth in advertising! The absolute "best" of Garbage!



The Doors - Live In Boston: "This is the end, my only friend, the end." I wish you were right, Jim. Looks like your surviving counterparts keep milking the cow.



Tegan and Sara - The Con: No negative comments. I've heard good things.



The Red Chord - Prey for Eyes: Metal selection for this week.



Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Is Is: EP EP for for six bucks six bucks. And the songs are awesome awesome.

Click the album art to purchase these selections.

Meet The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart; Download Free MP3

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart are from NYC and are about to release an EP on August 7. Newly formed this year, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart introduce themselves to the world with a song called "This Love Is Fucking Right", a boldly phrased track for twee poppers like these. Ensconced in jangly guitar hooks, this 3-minute ode to The Cure is smiley, catchy, and full-on indie pop. Listen if you love Teenage Fanclub.

The band has much promise. The early songs show the growing pains of a new band, but by the time they finish an LP, The Pains should be full of love and bubble gum songs for you to enjoy. Early-to-mid-90s high school grads will wax nostalgic, younger kids will learn a lesson in pre-grunge indie sound.

The band:
Alex Naidus - Bass // Kip Berman - Guitar + Vocals //Peggy Wang - Keyboard + Vocals


Free MP3: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - "This Love Is Fucking Right"

If you like what you hear, the self-titled EP can be bought at InSound when it comes out August 7.

This Weekend in Review: Jazz at the BMA, J Roddy Walston and The Business at Artscape

This weekend, Kristen and I had a fun (and music)-filled time. Saturday night was jazz in the sculpture garden at the Baltimore Museum of Art. We hadn't been to the BMA since a jazz performance from last year (maybe the year before) that was rained out, so with the wonderful weekend weather, we were able to hang out in the garden and listen to Dave Valentin along with Bill O'Connell and their Latin-flavored jazz project. Kristen's opinion of jazz is far lower than mine, as I love to listen to live jazz. A good performance (what I caught of it, as it was a more casual, conversational affair), with virtuosic flute performance and a smokin' show that would have had people dancing if they weren't so stuffy at the BMA. Not being well-versed in the language of jazz (I know what I like when I hear it, that's about it) I can only say that there was a flute solo that I swear came right out of "Locomotive Breath" by Jethro Tull. It came in following a Coltrane cover, so if anyone else heard that, please tell me so I know I'm not crazy. I'd love to check out the Lafayette Gilchrist performance on August 11.

More in line with my vocabulary, and my ear, was Artscape on Saturday afternoon. We missed Salim's set with The Music Lovers and Wendel Patrick, just catching Team Salim (hey, Salim, there's the name for your street team. . .you heard it here first!) as they were packing up shop and heading out. Maybe I'll have better luck and catch the set this Friday when the group opens up for Talib Kweli at Sonar.

A big highlight of Artscape for me was meeting up with my old friend Nicole (from high school!) and hanging out for the afternoon. I even got a 2-for-1 bonus when another friend, Jaime, called and I got to chat with her for a few minutes. These old friends go back to the halcyon days of Rehoboth as a teenager, and it really is special to catch up. I can only say that I wish (1) I had stayed better in touch, and (2) circumstances hadn't led me to make certain judgment calls that caused me to alienate myself from those friends. Friends of your childhood are the first, and sometimes only, 'real' friends you will ever have. Hopefully it won't be another five years before we all talk again!

So, after the all-important re-introductions, we traipsed around Mount Royal Avenue, finding ourselves in Langsdale Auditorium for a set by Kate Porter & Russel Kotcher, performing "classically tuned improvisations". Pretty interesting, very challenging, but just as I was thinking how awesome the violin (Kotcher) is, Nicole pointed out that she wants to learn to play, which is awesome. I forgot to mention Murder By Death to her, and their awesome electric cellist.

The key part of the afternoon for Kristen and I was the J-Roddy Walston and The Business (read a review of their latest, Hail Mega Boys) set, which kicked off at 5 (just in time for us to catch before the BMA). As scandalous as it is, we hadn't seen the boys live yet, though we've been rocking the album for a while now. Zach's stage presence is absolute insanity. This dude shreds the bass and is more intense in his flailing, headbanging, and singing than any bassist I have ever laid eyes upon. And I go to a lot of metal shows. It was a scene of awe and splendor, really. And no, that doesn't mean I have a crush. He just looked so freakin' cool on stage. In fact, that's what I loved most about the band. Rod, Billy, Steve, Zach, these cats are rock and roll, for real. It is rare that I see someone else who loves original Budweiser as much as I do, and can still rock so hard after what looked like at least six of 'em (and that's just during the set). This late afternoon/early evening crowd was kind of a downer, no dance party in effect, and a modest audience, but the set was on fire. Apparently no one got the joke about "Nineteen Ought Four" being Rod's "love song to Baltimore". Seriously, guys, let's get a podcast together. That set rocked my socks!

Kristen and I left after J-Roddy's set, but Nicole stayed for Lupe Fiasco . . . maybe she'll leave a comment and let us all know how that set was!

And now is a good time to reiterate how awesome Kristen is, and how much I appreciate her support of what I'm doing here on AGT and over at SEN Baltimore. Tonight, I was out doing an interview until about 10, and I'll be doing another interview tomorrow, and it's just so wonderful that she's so supportive in not getting angry when I put so much time into this stuff. She understands and appreciates my love for music, and it's just proof positive that she is the best thing that's ever happened to me! Thanks, Kristen!

Pelican at Bowery Ballroom Tuesday Night

Post-metal band Pelican will be performing Tuesday night at Bowery Ballroom in NYC with Earth and Priestbird. Sure, it's not Baltimore, but Pelican is from Chicago and I was just in Chicago. And they are awesome. If you're in NYC, go.

Tickets are $15 advance at Ticketweb.com.

Album Review: The Seldon Plan - The Collective Now; Free MP3

Their initial EP (now out of print) The Living Room was intended as a demo but made some waves in the music world, getting reviewed on All Music Guide and grabbing some radio play. Their latest, The Collective Now, comes as the follow up to 2005's Making Circles. Listening to Collective Now draws an instant comparison to former labelmates Private Eleanor (read a review of their latest, Sweethearting, here) stone of Barsuk Records' formula. You'll still get the Death Cab For Cutie feel from singer Michael Nestor's vocals, but like a honkin' big hunk of blue cheese, the chemistry is at work on this album bringing forth the nuances that make this band unique.

The layered guitars on "Colored Lenses" are the foundation of an up-tempo rocker of a song (for a pop record), and "Poem For The Middle Class" is a shoegaze-y number followed up by the dream pop "Seraphim". Genre-typing aside, the second half of The Collective Now is strong, as "Seraphim" gives way to the even dreamier "Brandywine Situation". Closing out the album is an alt-country instrumental track southwest Baltimore County residents (Catonsville, mostly) and the neighboring residents of Ellicott City will smile at a track called "Oella". I'm going to jump out on a limb and say somebody in The Seldon Plan is/was a Dinosaur Jr. fan, and if not, at least I can safely suggest that fans of Dinosaur Jr. looking for something more clean and poppy pick up The Collective Now.

Listening to this record is like riding westbound on Frederick Road from Baltimore to Ellicott City. The trip starts out smooth and scenic before hitting the rolling hills and finally coming back to the flats (try the manic shift from the bouncy "Dance, Despite The Obvious" to the slow and serene "All The Real Girls"). Try it, from East Baltimore to Howard County, by the time "Oella" comes through your speakers, you should be nodding your head in agreement and wearing out the suspension on your compact car. Just as The Seldon Plan is at home in a small Baltimore venue, this album could be the perfect soundtrack for a westside suburbanite's ride home.

Free MP3: The Seldon Plan - "Colored Lenses"

Live Chat with 311 RIGHT NOW

There is a live chat with 311 going on RIGHT NOW. Click that link to check it out and win free tickets, not to mention talk with Nick Hexum and P-Nut from the band!

Are They, Or Are They Not, Breaking Up? New Order:

Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris claim that New Order can continue without Peter Hook. Hooky recently stated that the band has broken up, but Sumner and Morris just issued a statement stating:

"After 30 years in a band together we are very disappointed that Hooky has decided to go to the press and announce unilaterally that New Order have split up. We would have hoped that he could have approached us personally first. He does not speak for all the band, therefore we can only assume he no longer wants to be a part of New Order."

Yeah, and Smashing Pumpkins are just as great without James Iha and D'Arcy/Auf der Maur.

Hollywood Records Introduces New Compact Disc Technology To Amp Up Album Sales

I just learned about this new format the other day when I received my advance copy of the new album by Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, This Is Somewhere. So far, the album is something else. Really good stuff, and I love Ms. Potter's pipes! More rocking out on here than the last record, too.

Moving along, Hollywood Records, the label releasing the album, is a Disney imprint. Hollywood is introducing a new CD format called CDVU+ (CD View Plus), effective this past Wednesday. Complete with digital extras like magazines, photos and lyrics, the format will also use recyclable packaging and dispose of the classic jewel cases we know and love (and should feel guilty for using).

According to Hollywood, Grace Potter will not be the first official release to use the new technology, but instead teen "punk" band The Jonas Brothers are first in line when their record streets on August 7. No word yet on whether this new tech will increase floundering album sales, or whether Hannah Montana's next album will be CDVU+ capable.

Wendel Patrick Review Now Live at SEN Baltimore

My recent review of Wendel Patrick's Sound: is now live at SEN Baltimore! Check it out!

And keep your eyes and ears peeled for interview with Wendel Patrick (and if the audio came out well at our meeting, podcast) soon!

Slint Playing Spiderland Over And Over. . .

I love Slint's Spiderland. It's a great record. But I'm now convinced this band is a one-trick pony. After playing Spiderland live in its entirety earlier this year in Spain and now at Pitchfork last weekend and the other night at Webster Hall in NYC (thanks, Brooklyn Vegan), I am tired of hearing about the band and their live regurgitation of a seventeen-year old album. It must be wicked cool to see the band play the album live, but aren't they just setting themselves up as a one-trick pony by touring the world and playing one album in its entirety over and over and over? And now that someone has posted news that their (maybe) new material is junk, my suspicions are confirmed. Thanks for a great album, Slint, but maybe you should stop while you're ahead.

Looking for Part-Time Work

Because I apparently don't know how to stop moving and just enjoy living, I am interested in part-time work at a record store. I'm gainfully employed during the day, so I'm looking for a part-time gig (nights and weekends). I have prior retail experience, including handling cash and being a keyholder. If anyone owns or works at a record store or can pass the info along, it would be much appreciated. I can provide a resume and references. And I'm pretty sure I have the passion for music part down, don't I? Thanks!

Metallica and Philosophy: New Book by William Irwin

Have you heard about this book? It's called Metallica and Philosophy: A Crash Course in Brain Surgery (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series) and while the title almost sounds like it is an instruction manual for neurosurgery, it's by an author who connects philosophical topics to popular culture. William Irwin has also written Seinfeld, The Simpsons, The Matrix, and plenty other versions of this book. By linking classic Metallica tracks to philosophers such as Nietzsche ("The God That Failed"), Descartes ("One") as well as different schools of philosophy (existentialism, metaphysics, ethics, not to mention aesthetics), "Metallica and Philosophy" can prove that metal is not idiotic, but a cathartic experience as well as a platform for social discourse.

Sample the book and then go buy it. Philosophy is the most fascinating, mind's eye-opening discipline there is, and this book along with Dr. Irwin's others should be proof positive that it is intertwined in the social fabric. Philosophy exists in everything we experience, from our most comedic and tragic experiences down to the molecules of the chair you are sitting in while you read this. In the most fundamental sense, philosophy is the study of existence, of being. Forget anatomy and physiology, this is the study of what the more "real" sciences cannot, by definition, analyze. As a philosopher, you will search whether quantifiable science can really "know" what it claims to be natural law. And music is the perfect vehicle for philosophy. Through music, artists can expound on abstract notions of justice, morality, love, and dozens of other key concepts and human values that defy definition. And it can be done in an aesthetically pleasing way (which is philosophical in itself)!

Free Show Tonight: The Country Devils at Austin Grill in Canton

Tonight the Country Devils are playing a free show @ Austin Grill in Baltimore (2400 Boston Street) w/ friends & special guests Little Country Giants from Rome, GA. The Little Country Giants' latest album is called Sing Pretty For The People and features John Neff from Drive By Truckers on lap steel. Music runs from 9-12. Get in on it, Baltimore!

Neil Diamond and Christina Aguilera??

Following up on my recent re-introduction to Neil Diamond's Hot August Night (not to be confused with Hot August Night II, which I fear lacks the same appeal), Stereogum has posted a SNL clip of Neil and Christina Aguilera (actually Will Ferrell and Kate Hudson). As a major Neil fan, I'm almost offended by the cheap imitation. I also admit some respect for Christina Aguilera's voice, and even more now that she's revamped her image. Cruddy impression by the celebrity hostess. But all the same, it's fitting for me to repost.

Salim at Sonar with Talib Kweli Next Friday, July 27

I have to give huge love to Salim (read a review of Hip Hop Revisited here) because he just got booked to open for Talib Kweli at Sonar here in B-more on July 27. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door.

Be sure to check out Episode 3 of the Any Given Tuesday podcast which features Salim, too.

PJ Harvey White Chalk Tracklisting

As you should know by now, PJ Harvey's new album, White Chalk, is on the way in September. Here's the tracklisting:

1. The Devil
2. Dear Darkness
3. Grow Grow Grow
4. When Under Ether
5. White Chalk
6. Broken Harp
7. Silence
8. To Talk To You
9. The Piano
10. Before Departure
11. The Mountain

Dan Deacon Played Pitchfork Festival in Chicago This Weekend, Failed To Have AGT Lovefest

It is worth noting that my Chicago vacation coincided with the Pitchfork Music Festival, which I did not attend. Why? One reason is that Pitchfork is an online zine that you love or hate, and I generally hate it. I just can't get down with their whole hipster agenda. Sure, I would have loved to have seen Slint, Cat Power (still listening to The Greatest, Chan. . .brilliant record!), etc., but I don't think I could take 3 hours (not to mention 3 days) with a bunch of white belts and pencil jeans. And hearing a bunch of suburbans and middle-class urbanites getting live with Clipse and drug violence . . . I'm getting ill.

Brooklyn Vegan, however, has an interesting article about the Fire Marshal shutting down Dan Deacon and Girl Talk because their sets drew massive crowds. Cool pictures of the Deac on BV, looking a bit rotund and without his usual uber-geek glasses (see above and at BV's site. . .how about that gingerly redhead looking enamored with Dan Deacon?). It's alright, Danners, I'm four-eyed and kind of round myself. But there I was, in the Chi, and another person was there reppin' Balto, and you left me hanging, Dan. You left me hanging and didn't get in touch so we could hold hands and walk through Millenium Park together. See if I come to your set at Whartscape this weekend!

Album Review: Wendel Patrick - Sound:

Bridging the divide between hip hop, electronic, and jazz is Wendel Patrick's Sound:. The circuit-bending beginning of "Mazinger" stands in stark contrast to the ethereal piano that follows, a trick also well employed on "Man Vs.", where the piano reverses into a traveling beat of drums and tablas, complete with old-school hip hop hi-hat/tympani break before the crescendo.

Sound: is a challenging trip through experimentation with multiple genres and sounds, many of which you will have a hard time identifying but have a great time trying. The funk bass on "Bass Trip" is a slam dunk compared to the near-digeridoo hook of "Mass Media", which loops over an amalgam of voice clips culled from the mass media. And whether the listener comes looking for the electronica sound in "Thirteen Years", the jazz band in a box on "Planet Planetarium" or the hip hop tempo of the intro to "Stonezthrow", tastes will be challenged and genres bended as heads nod and bodies move to all of the above.

On "Rest Move", Wendel introduces the guitar underneath a rap track courtesy of Napoleon Solo. The contribution of Napoleon Solo bleeds into the next track, "....", scratching its way through a symphony sound piece. This collaboration is the first indication that Wendel Patrick is not satisfied with simply tracking beats on drum machines and sampling obvious 80s hits. The boom-bap of the drum machine comes through (along with the shakers) on "My CD Has A Scratch", with an epileptic blip that, when Salim comes in on "My CD Has A Scratch II", presents a challenge for the Baltimore MC (read a review of Salim's album Hip Hop Revisited here). If you haven't already, you must hear the collabo between Wendel Patrick and Salim on "Mass Media II" where Salim delivers a two-minute anecdote on being ruined by the media.

Wendel Patrick's Sound: is great for hip hop heads, techno kids, and audiophiles of all sorts. Something for everyone with twists and turns that urge the listener to branch out.

Click the album art above to purchase.

And We're Back!

Kristen and I are back from Chicago! We had a great time (maybe I'll show some pictures when she uploads them all), but now it's back to the grind for both of us. A big thanks to Joe at Instrumental Analysis for holding things down while we were away, and to Ashleigh from The DC Scene for her guest post as well. I hope all of my readers aren't leaving for their sites now, ditching my pithy commentary for the real deal!
Some of you might know that last week was my birthday, and Kristen bought me a record player, which I have been wanting to get for years (my old one, rest its spirit, is long gone). It's a totally awesome gift, and as I sit here listening to Neil Diamond's Hot August Night, I am trying to convert my neighborhood to the warm, more authentic sound of vinyl. If you're in the market for a decent record player with a preamp, check it: Audio-Technica AT-LP2DA LP-to-Digital Recording System. It works fine with your component stereo system.

Album Review: The Cat Empire - Two Shoes

The Cat Empire are from Melbourne, Australia where they have gone double platinum on two occasions. Their latest, Two Shoes, is their bid to take the United States by storm. If you are a fan of late-night television, you may have already heard the band.

Released in 2005 in AU (and certified double platinum), the album hit the States this year. Two Shoes was recorded in Havana, Cuba in the same studio as the Buena Vista Social Club album. Apparently the Buena Vista spirit found its way onto the album, as this record exhibits a Latin influence unseen on prior releases, courtesy of session musicians billed as the Empire Horns. The band's standard-issue jazz, hip hop, funk, ska, and rock hodgepodge remains true, so early adopters of The Cat Empire need not worry about the band losing their crown.

On the title track, reggae vocals give way to salsa horns and a gypsy chorus. The joyous conviviality of "Two Shoes" gives way to the military metaphor of "The Chariot", which in turn is flanked on its opposite side by "Sol y Sombra". By its name, this song is The Cat Empire's homage to their host country while recording Two Shoes.

"Sly" is a romping track that blends the Blues Brothers with callback vocals and handclaps over lyrics about a girl's dancing skills (incidentally, a girl who became one of the band member's girlfriends). A band that got to support James Brown on tour before his death, The Cat Empire have enjoyed much success in their home land, ironically dismissed on "The Car Song", where Harry Angus runs into an old high school mate who is enjoying much success of his own. Whether The Cat Empire will break into the American scene remains to be determined. Their very eclectic sound can be viewed as either uniquely blending a broad base of influences or wildly mixing sounds into a scatterbrained pile. Either way, The Cat Empire are not afraid to mix and match different sounds from the world as they embark on a US tour. Rumor has it that the band should really be revered for their live set, which Any Given Tuesday will get to see on July 27 at Ram's Head Live!. Stay tuned for that!

Guest Blogger on Ingrid Michaelson and William Fitzimmons at Ram's Head Tavern in Annapolis

Now for a guest post from a fellow music lover, Ashleigh Hill:

I spend most of my blogging hours on NBC4.com (www.thedcscene.com) and Anchored Cubicle but AGT has been nice enough to let me mention a few things during their much needed vacation. Well, by “a few things”, I mean two people, playing together this Saturday night, July 15th, 8 pm, at Annapolis’ Rams Head Tavern.

A dream-sequence of a musician, William Fitzsimmons, opens for a clean cut Ingrid Michaelson; two songwriters possessing the ability to close listeners’ eyes and still keep them completely alert and absorbent of two sets of generous lyrics. Michaelson, owning the voice of a kinder, smoother, Bjork, tours both coasts through August sharing the stage with Fitzsimmons, Jenny Owen Youngs, The Magic Numbers, and Cary Brothers.

Check both acts out at www.ingridmichaelson.com and www.myspace.com/williamfitzimmons.

Whartscape 2007: Most of Wham City (including Dan Deacon), Spankrock

WildfireWildfire's Whartscape 2007 (watch out for the City of Baltimore, they might come after you for bogarting Artscape) takes place July 20-22 (and it's on the same weekend as Artscape? Scandalous!). The big national names will be at Artscape along with some other Baltimore winners, including J. Roddy Walston and The Business (read a review of Hail Mega Boys from the band), but the local yokel party is most definitely at Whartscape.

Pretty much overrun by the Wham City! Collective, Whartscape features Dan Deacon, OCDJ, Santa Dads, Butt Stomach, Lizz King, WZT Hearts, and more from the group. Also playing: Spankrock, The Death Set, Beach House, and more.

Tickets are $10 per day, or $15 for Friday (at Floristree) and Saturday (at both Floristree and Load of Fun). Sunday (at The Depot) is $5, at the door only.

Wednesday News

This is Joe from IA here on this hot and humid Wednesday. After carefully checking every dark corner of the Internet, here is today's news...

- DC tickets for The Cure go on presale tomorrow. I already got mine for the Philly date and now you can get yours too. Here is the information...

THE CURE
w/ 65daysofstatic
September 19
@ G.M.U. Patriot Center • Fairfax, VA

Presale is Thursday, July 12 from 10am-10pm
Password is 5TS4U9X
There is a 4 ticket limit.

Public On Sale is Saturday, July 14 at 10am

click here for the presale

- Apparently The Police are still fighting. Stewart Copeland admits that him and Sting are at each other's throats every couple of days. I don't think this comes as a shock to anyone. This thing has been a ticking time bomb since they reunited. It's obvious that they are only tolerating each other for the paycheck. I think it's just a matter of time before this thing blows and they have it out on stage. Personally, I think that getting to witness that is the one thing that would justify their ridiculous ticket prices.

Alright,that seriously is the only "news" that I can find today. Since you really do not want to see me make shit up, I'll leave you with a video. Baltimore's Thrushes had this recorded at a show earlier in the year. Enjoy!

Thrushes - Heartbeats

Nike To Donate To Local Baltimore Charities