Fun fact about Calexico: you can buy really awesome Dia de los Muertos paper flags on their website! Fact #2: John (of the band) recently composed a film score for Taiwanese filmmaker Peter Chang’s Man with a Movie Camera-esque video portrait of Tokyo, Toyko Is Dreaming, which premiered about a month ago at a film festival in England. Whoa, what’s this? Another fact? YES. Here goes: Calexico is touring very, very soon. For the majority of the dates, the group is being billed simply as founding members Joey and John of Calexico. Life on the road wraps up with a performance as part of seminal LA punk band X’s 2nd Annual Merry X-mas show.

Dates:

11.08.09 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
11.10.09 - Boston, MA - Wilbur Theatre *
11.11.09 - Tarrytown, NY - The Tarrytown Music Hall *
11.12.09 - Portsmouth, NH - The Music Hall *
11.13.09 - Northampton, MA - Calvin Theatre *
11.14.09 - Providence, RI - Lupo’s *
11.15.09 - Montclair, NJ - Wellmont Theatre *
11.16.09 - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre *
12.19.09 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern **

* performing as Joey and John of Calexico
** X

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Here at Tiny Mix Tapes, we got a little thing called influence. You know, that special clout. We’re tastemakers, that’s what we are. Not to brag or nothing, but the world of independent music spins on our collective little finger. Deerhunter would be nothing without us. Evangelista wouldn’t be on their rocket ship ride to the top. And doesn’t Magik Markers have a record on the Billboard Top 40? Pretty sure they do. That’s what they call the TMT bump.

The newest recipient of the TMT bump? Brooklyn’s Grooms, that’s who. Ever since the big Mix Tapes gave their debut record Rejoicer (TMT Review) four orbs filled with dreams and magic, they’ve been on the top of the world. And they’re psyched about it, too! So psyched, in fact, that they’re going on a month-and-a-half-long tour to celebrate. A bit of advice, by the way: get your tickets now. Considering the power of the TMT bump, these shows will all almost certainly sell out.

11.05.09 - Danbury, CT - Larry’s
11.08.09 - Providence, RI - AS220
11.15.09 - Cincinnati, OH - Contemporary Space 13
11.16.09 - Bloomington, IN - Bishop Bar
11.17.09 - Kansas City, KS - Record Bar
11.24.09 - Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews
11.25.09 - Chicago, IL - Ronny’s
11.28.09 - Madison, WI - Project Lodge
11.29.09 - Cleveland, OH - Tower 2012
12.03.09 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Conservatory
12.04.09 - Witchita, KS - Blue Lounge
12.05.09 - Dallas, TX - Handsome Kitten
12.06.09 - Austin, TX - The Mohawk
12.09.09 - Tucson, AZ - TBA
12.10.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Silverlake Lounge
12.11.09 - San Diego, CA - Che Cafe
12.15.09 - San Francisco, CA - Hemlock

[Photo: Julian Gilbert]

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One of the best things about Chicago, in addition to the endless hot dog joints, is that you can find so many entertaining and free ways to listen to music. There’s a ton of $0.00 block parties during the summer that ALWAYS have bands worth watching. Then, of course, there are the free concerts at Millennium Park, and let’s not forget Jazz Fest, Blues Fest, Downtown Sound, Music Without Borders, SummerDance, etc.

But Chicago is in a little financial crisis, just like everyplace in this great, empty-pocketed country of ours. And how does America usually solve its financial problems? By cutting arts and music. However, there is something you can do besides just heading to City Hall and yelling at the endless stream of business-suited government officials. Friends of Chicago Music have set up an online petition that you can sign, with a message to all those government fat cats. Please ensure that my (and, to a lesser extent, your) free-music summer will be entertaining and sign the petition.

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If you haven’t already noticed, DOOM has made a big-time return this year. He dropped BORN LIKE THIS. (TMT Review) earlier this year and is set to release a compilation LP Unexpected Guests on November 10. Meanwhile, Madvillain (his collabo with Madlib) is scheduled to drop its long-awaited follow-up LP soonish and are even performing at the We The People festival (TMT News).

Now word is out that DOOM has a new EP set for release in December, titled Gazillion Ear (named after a track off BORN LIKE THIS.). Not only that, but the EP, according to a press release, features production by J Dilla, Dave Sitek (TV on the Radio), and Thom Edward Yorke! Read for yourself:

Masked maverick DOOM (previously known as MF Doom) is set to release his new GAZZILLION EAR EP this December. The record includes production by Radiohead frontman and longtime DOOM fan Thom Yorke, the much-missed J Dilla, psychedelic hip-hop artist Jneiro Jarel and TV On The Radio lynchpin Dave Sitek. The EP follows DOOM’s earlier BORN LIKE THIS album opus - one of the hip-hop highlights of 2009.

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If royal folk-like Duchesses and Dukes need to work hard at one thing, it’s drilling home the fact that they are better than you in every conceivable way. As we reported earlier, Jesse Lortz, Kimberly Morrison, and their crew of noblemen have already released a new record called Sunset/Sunrise on Hardly Art earlier this fall and are currently playing the requisite amount of West Coast supporting dates. And sure, they were GONNA stop there... but then they realized that that’s just plain quitter-populist-talk!

Thus, in a deliberately shock-and-awe-style display of their wealth, superiority, fortitude, and dispassionate nonchalance, The Dutchess and The Duke have stopped clucking their tongues and stroking their beards long enough to issue the following edict:

Citizens:

Whereas we have no reason to toil endlessly in day jobs as the likes of thee; and whereas our seal is recougnized, validated, respected, and feared throughout all fifty kingdoums of these United States, allowing us to pass through bourders as effortlessly as the honeyed mead which we drink through our porous royal tongues; and whereas our teeth are straighter, smiles brighter, faces gentler and more kind of continence, legs more agile, buttocks more slender, breasts fuller and higher, penises larger and longer, and so on and so forth than any mere common mourtal’s; thus also is our fall/winter tour fuller, brighter, larger, and longer than any other band’s in the land. We will, therefore, hencefourth, fourthwith commence touring these United States INDEFINTELY, so that our afourementioned kind and gentle continences may be duly and dutifully beheld by as many myriads of your humble cities’ wretched denizens as possible (women, children, and minourities exluded, of course).

Your Superiors,
The Dutchess and the Duke
(dictated but not read)

Man... what a bunch of assholes.

11.07.09 - Sacramento, CA - Luigi’s Fun Garden %
11.08.09 - Oakland, CA - 1-2-3-4 Go! in-store, 3pm #
11.08.09 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill *
11.10.09 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Crepe Place *
11.11.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland *
11.13.09 - Irvine, CA - UC Irvine / Acrobatics Everyday *
11.14.09 - San Diego, CA - Casbah *
11.15.09 - Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room *
11.17.09 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad *
11.18.09 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge *
11.19.09 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court (early - all ages) *
11.19.09 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge (late)
11.20.09 - Jackson, WY - Lyndsay McCandless *
11.21.09 - Boise, ID - Neurolux *
11.22.09 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir *
11.25.09 - Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern *
12.04.09 - Grinnell, IA - Gardner Lounge @ Grinnell College *
12.05.09 - Chicago, IL - Reckless Records Wicker Park in-store#
12.05.09 - Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle *
12.06.09 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St. Entry *
12.07.09 - Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room *
12.08.09 - Lawrence, KS - Replay Lounge *
12.09.09 - Columbia, MO - Mojo’s *
12.10.09 - Little Rock, AR - Sticky Fingerz Chicken Shack *
12.11.09 - Denton, TX - Rubber Gloves *
12.12.09 - Austin, TX - The Mohawk *
12.13.09 - Houston, TX - Walter’s on Washington *
12.14.09 - New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks *
12.15.09 - Birmingham, AL - The Bottletree *
12.16.09 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl *
12.17.09 - Indianapolis, IN - Locals Only *
12.19.09 - Milwaukee, WI - Club Garibaldi *
01.06.10 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s ^
01.07.10 - Brooklyn, NY - Union Hall ^
01.08.10 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge ^
01.09.10 - Northampton, MA - Iron Horse Music Hall ^
01.10.10 - Cambridge, MA - TT the Bear’s ^
01.11.10 - Montreal, QC - Il Motore ^
01.12.10 - Toronto, ON - Sneaky Dee’s ^
01.13.10 - Detroit, MI - Majestic Cafe ^
01.14.10 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Ladies Literary Club ^
01.15.10 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop ^
01.16.10 - Columbus, OH - Wexner Center ^
01.17.09 - Baltimore, MD - Metro Gallery ^

# all-ages and free!
% Blues Control
* Greg Ashley
^ Medication

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