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Thursday, June 25

New Release: Joe Pernice: It Feels So Good When I Stop

New Release: Joe Pernice: It Feels So Good When I Stop

Artist: Joe Pernice
Album: It Feels So Good When I Stop
Release Date: August 4
Label: Ashmont

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Listen: Wale + Peter Bjorn and John

Listen: Wale + Peter Bjorn and John

Wale is the latest rapper to utilize a bouncy Peter Bjorn and John back beat for a mixtape track, after Kanye West rolled over "Young Folks" on his 2007 tape Can't Tell Me Nothing and up-and-comer Drake swiped "Let's Call It Off" for a cut on his excellent recent So Far Gone release.

Taken from his new Back to the Feature primer, the DC hip-hop hopeful takes on "Nothing to Worry About" from PBJ's Living Thing LP. Note to indie-baiting rappers: When it comes to pimping Swedish sorta-funk, how about moving on to Jens Lekman? Dude's got beats for days.

Download Wale's version of "Nothing to Worry About" here.

Posted by Ryan Dombal on June 25, 2009 at 1:30 p.m.

Tags: Audio, Collaboration, Peter Bjorn and John, Wale

 

Thom Yorke, Michael Stipe on Mark Mulcahy Tribute Album

The National, Dinosaur Jr., Frank Black also cover Mulcahy songs Thom Yorke, Michael Stipe on Mark Mulcahy Tribute Album

Musical visionary types take care of their own. Mark Mulcahy was the frontman for the 1980s Connecticut-based alt-rock band Miracle Legion, who released a few hard-to-find albums of R.E.M.-esque college rock jangle before breaking up in the mid-90s. He also led Polaris, the band who did the music for the beloved Nickelodeon kids' show "The Adventures of Pete & Pete". Since then, he's released three solo albums.

Late last year, Mulcahy's wife Melissa died unexpectedly, leaving him to take care of his three-year-old twin daughters. If Mulcahy is going to keep making music, he'll need help. And fortunately, he's getting it.

On September 29, Shout! Factory will release Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy, a tribute album to Mulcahy that will also serve as a benefit for him. An amazingly stacked lineup of indie rock greats have contributed their versions of Mulcahy songs. Thom Yorke takes on "All for the Best", Michael Stipe turns in his version of "Everything's Coming Undone", and the National handle "Ashamed of the Story I Told". Dinosaur Jr., Mercury Rev, and Frank Black also contribute songs.

Tracklist below.

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Video: Wilco: "You Never Know" (Live on "Conan")

Video: Wilco: "You Never Know" (Live on "Conan")

Wilco (the band) stopped by Conan (the late-night show host)'s desk last night to perform a track from the upcoming Wilco (The Album): the rootsy, Summerteeth-y "You Never Know".

And if that's not enough for your Wilco fix, the band will be webcasting this Saturday night's sold-out show at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California, via http://wilcoworld.net and Wilco (the iPhone app). Tune in Saturday at 10 p.m. CDT.

Posted by Tyler Grisham on June 25, 2009 at noon

Tags: video, Wilco

 

R.I.P. Seeds Frontman Sky Saxon

R.I.P. Seeds Frontman Sky Saxon

Austin360.com reports that Sky Saxon, frontman for the L.A. garage-rock legends the Seeds, died this morning in an Austin, Texas hospital.

After falling ill from an undiagnosed condition last week, the man born Richard Marsh performed a set at the Austin club Antone's on Saturday night but then was rushed to St. David's Hospital early Monday morning, according to a press release. Doctors believe an infection of the internal organs may be to blame. It is unclear what Saxon's age was.

Saxon's wife Sabrina posted the news of the death on Facebook, according to Austin360: "Sky has passed over and YaHoWha is waiting for him at the gate. He will soon be home with his Father. I'm so sorry I couldn't keep him here with us. More later. I'm sorry."

In the mid-60s, the Seeds were responsible for scrappy, gnarled proto-punk anthems like "Pushin' Too Hard" and "Can't Seem to Make You Mine". The former song appeared on the legendary original 1972 Nuggets compilation.

Posted by Tom Breihan on June 25, 2009 at 11:50 a.m.

Tags: Sky Saxon, The Seeds

 

News in Brief: Musicfest NW, Jaguar Love, Lord Cut-Glass, Chad VanGaalen

News in Brief: Musicfest NW, Jaguar Love, Lord Cut-Glass, Chad VanGaalen

-- Musicfest NW welcomes bands including the reformed Sunny Day Real Estate, Explosions in the Sky, Beach House, Girl Talk, Bad Brains, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Frightened Rabbit, the Twilight Sad, and others to venues around Portland when it touches down September 16-19.

-- After releasing their last album on Matador, jittery rockers Jaguar Love are now recording their sophomore LP for Fat Possum. They're also on tour with Patrick Wolf right about now. Jaguar Love is also now a two-piece consisting of ex-Blood Brothers Cody Votolato and Johnny Whitney.

-- Former Delgados singer-guitarist Alun Woodward is now going by the name of Lord Cut-Glass. The Lord's self-titled debut album-- featuring drumming from fellow ex-Delgado Paul Savage and a slew of Glasgow classical musicians-- is out now via Chemikal Underground.

-- Black Mold-- singer-songwriter Chad VanGaalen's electro-freak moniker-- is readying its debut LP, Snow Blindness Is Crystal Antz, for an August 11 release via Flemish Eye. Here's hoping it's an album-length tribute to the movie Antz.

Posted by Ryan Dombal on June 25, 2009 at 11:20 a.m.

Tags: Album, Black Mold, Chad VanGaalen, Festival, Jaguar Love, lord cut-glass, Musicfest NW, Signing, The Delgados

 

R.I.P. Rock Scribe Steven Wells

R.I.P. Rock Scribe Steven Wells

Photo via Philadelphia Weekly

Steven Wells-- the famously vitriolic NME scribe who brashly pissed off bands and incited fans for decades-- died of lymphatic cancer yesterday, June 24, according to the Philadelphia Weekly.

Known for his outrageous style and anti-blowhard stance, the writer commonly referred to as Swells was the guy you didn't necessarily agree with but respected nonetheless. A loving Guardian tribute says Wells "was obsessed with class war, masturbation, dogs, cancer, Jello Biafra and the multiple use of the exclamation mark."

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Buy Elliott Smith's Car

Smith's 1999 Passat, yours for $4000 Buy Elliott Smith's Car

If you're in the Austin, Texas area and in need of a used car, you can find a pretty good deal right here: a slightly dinged-up 1999 Volkswagen Passat that needs a few repairs but still runs well, going for the exceedingly fair price of $4,000.

The car's owner promises to donate the entire $4,000 to the SIMS Foundation, an Austin nonprofit that provides local musicians with mental health and addiction recovery services.

And you'll be able to tell everyone that you own Elliott Smith's car.

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Battles' John Stanier Talks New Album

"It's going to be way more radio-friendly." [Laughs] Battles' John Stanier Talks New Album

It's been more than two years since Battles dropped Mirrored, one of the most satisfyingly inscrutable and flat-out ballsy records in recent memory. Since then, the band has toured all over the world-- China, New York, Australia-- putting the "rock" in post-rock and spreading little-green-men-esque vocals to the masses. And now they're starting work on the follow-up.

Last week, we spoke with drummer John Stanier, whose sky-high crash cymbal theatrics and snare-thrashing intensity often make him the star of Battles' live assault. On the phone from his home in Cologne, Germany, he talked about what we can expect from the new Battles LP and why he sweats so damn much onstage.

Side note: Battles singer/guitarist/keyboardist Tyondai Braxton will release a solo album, Central Market, September 15 (September 14 in the UK) on Warp.

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Beck Covers Sonic Youth's EVOL on Cassette for Sonic Youth Box Set

Also, collaborative album with Charlotte Gainsbourg on the way Beck Covers Sonic Youth's <i>EVOL</i> on Cassette for Sonic Youth Box Set

Earlier this year, Beck and Sonic Youth released a split 7" for Record Store Day. SY covered Beck's "Beercan" "Pay No Mind" and Beck had his way with Sonic Youth's "Green Light". It turns out this isn't going to be the last Sonic Youth cover we'll hear from Beck.

In a recent Pitchfork interview, Beck revealed that the "Green Light" cover will appear on a forthcoming and mysterious Sonic Youth box set, which will include Beck covering SY's entire classic 1986 album EVOL. On cassette. Yes, cassette.

Beck's been making a habit of covering entire albums lately. As part of his Record Club project, he's currently in the process of releasing his version of The Velvet Underground and Nico on his website, one song at a time. He wouldn't let slip any of the other albums he'd covered, but he did say that he and MGMT came pretty close to doing Ace of Base's Happy Nation, which would've been incredible.

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