Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept it: To Hightail Your Caboose to Iowa City’s Mission Creek Festival to See The Mountain Goats, GZA, No Age, and Beach House. This Faceless Headline Writer Will Self-Destruct in Five Seconds.
By David Nadelle on Mar 5 2009
April Fool’s Day: a time for merry pranksters to wreak havoc on unsuspecting targets using such simpleton tricks like placing plastic wrap under a toilet seat or black paint on a telephone’s earpiece and proving that the main requirement to executing a flawless April Fool’s joke is having hands. Hell, even we pulled a fast one a couple of years ago, much to the delight of all who read it then angrily wrote about it on their blahgs like a bunch of suckhole babies when it was revealed a prank. Yes, good fun can be had on April 1, but the day can be a cruel mistress -- one minute you could be laughing uncontrollably at a friend chewing on dirt flavored gum, the next it could be you who is the April Fool, lying naked in a pool of asbestos fiber with your buttocks duct-taped together.
Why not avoid this possibility and load up your IROC-Z with cases of Rockstar, change your road music (I suggest “Easy Lover” by Phil Collins and Phillip Bailey... that CD, even when dangling from your rearview mirror as an ornament, just eats up the open road!) and head to a little place people refer to as “the nation’s neckfold” on April 1 for a music festival! Years from now, when you are warming your hands over a flaming oil drum beside your cardboard shantytown under a concrete overpass, you don’t want to admit that you passed on the opportunity to see The Mountain Goats, Beach House, No Age, and The Wu-Tang Clan’s resident Genius, GZA, all of whom will be playing the Mission Creek Festival in Iowa City!
Yes, Iowa City (never once referred to as “the nation’s neckfold”) knows how good it’s got it, and from April 1-4 it will host and boast during a celebration of its cultural prowess with an impressive lineup of musical and literary acts. I pity the fool who dismisses this latest confirmed Mission Creek music lineup, which unlike clock radio speakers, is anything but weak:
GZA/Genius (performing Liquid Swords), The Mountain Goats, Beach House, No Age, John Vanderslice, Fruit Bats, Headlights, Bowerbirds, The Tallest Man on Earth, Simon Joyner, Diplomats of Solid Sound, El Paso Hot Button, These United States, Caleb Engstrom, Porno Galactica, Fulton Lights, Golden Birds, Anavan, Cartright, Pieta Brown, The Hood Internet, The Western Front, Escape the Floodwater Jug Band, Roommate, The Brown Note, Birth Rites, Mannix!, School of Flyentology, Joe Pug, Ill Ease, The Pack A.D., David Zollo and The Body Electric, The Gglitch, Shame Train, Dead Larry, and Petit Mal.
Writers are just like musicians, except without music or personalities. Hey, I’m talking about myself only here! My deficiencies aside, nothing should not dissuade you from catching some REAL lit heroes at Mission Creek, who are all wonderful and charismatic and talented: Edmund White, Charlie D’Ambrosio, Steven Kuusisto, Andrew Milward, Mark Leidner, Steve Hanson, and folks representing Forklift: Ohio, whose publication subtitle is “A Journal of Poetry, Cooking & Light Industrial Safety.” See? I told you there are going to be good times had by all!
The Boy Least Likely To Release New Album, Tour UK
By Burke on Mar 5 2009
English indie pop duo The Boy Least Likely To released their latest album, The Law of the Playground this week on iTunes, with physical versions expected in the UK March 9 and in U.S. April 14. If you act quickly and pre-order the album from the Rough Trade Shop, you’ll receive a bonus disc, in which the band joins the illustrious tradition of Limp Bizkit and cover George Michael’s “Faith.” And hell, they’ll also throw in a collection of B-sides and rarities.
The band launches a Tour of The Playground across the UK this month in support of their album.
Tourdates:
03.16.09 - Leeds, UK - The Cockpit
03.17.09 -Manchester, UK - Night and Day Cafe
03.18.09 - Glasgow, UK - King Tuts
03.19.09 - Newcastle, UK - The Cluny
03.20.09 - Nottingham, UK - The Bodega Social Club
03.23.09 - Brighton, UK - Audio
03.24.09 - Bristol, UK - Louisiana
03.25.09 - Southampton, UK - The Joiners
03.26.09 - London, UK - Cargo
The Law of the Playground tracklisting:
1. Saddle Up
2. Balloon on a Broken String
3. When Life Gives Me Lemons I Make Lemonade
4. I Box Up All the Butterflies
5. The Boy With Two Hearts
6. Stringing Up Conkers
7. The Boy Least Likely To Is a Machine
8. Whiskers
9. Every Goliath Has Its David
10. The Nature of the Boy Least Likely To
11. I Keep Myself to Myself
12. The Worm Forgives the Plough
13. A Fairytale Ending
By Brom on Mar 5 2009
Here’s a question for you: why did the Chinese government ban Oasis’ dates in Shanghai and Beijing in April?
A. Because Noel Gallagher played at a “Free Tibet” concert in the United States in 1997.B. The Chinese President, Hu Jintao, thinks Noel is a douche.
C. The Chinese promoter ran out of money.
D. At a high-level meeting of the Chinese Communist Party, it was decided that they couldn’t possibly allow a band to play in their country, whose most recent album only received a 4.9 from Pitchfork.
If you answered A and/or C, then you are correct (although B would be perfectly understandable and D merely proof of Pitchfork’s diabolical plan for global domination over, err, music critique).
The reasons for the cancellation of Oasis’ gigs are mysterious to say the least. At first, it appeared the Chinese government was pissed off at Noel’s appearance at a “Free Tibet” event on Randall’s Island in New York in 1997. This led to an equally pissed off Oasis, who argued in a statement that “the licensing and immigration process for the two shows had been fully and successfully complied with well before the shows went on sale.”
The next day, however, a promoter from Beijing All Culture Communication Co Ltd telephoned Reuters to say the gigs were cancelled because of the “tough economic situation.” This was backed up by the Chinese Foreign Ministry -- although spokesman Qin Gang said the government was still investigating.
Nevertheless, it seems quite clear the Chinese government is up to its old tricks again. Oasis claim their promoter is Ticketmaster China and “the shows had each already sold in excess of 3,500 tickets and were on course to sell out.” Which doesn’t correspond with the Beijing All Culture Communication Co Ltd promoter’s version of events (apparently, this event company usually “promotes more ballet and traditional Chinese concerts than rock concerts”…).
Despite the Chinese spin and fairly pathetic attempts to save face, I can’t help but think the government has done its citizens a massive favor here. Oasis haven’t been good in over 10 years; the last thing the Chinese need are a bunch of obnoxious, loud-mouthed Brits playing crappy music on their home soil. Now we just need Obama to follow this excellent example and ban Coldplay’s U.S. tour in July!
03.18.09 - Nagoya, Japan - Nihon Gaishi Hall
03.20.09 - Tokyo, Japan - Makuhari Messe Hall 8
03.22.09 - Sapporo, Japan - Makomanai Ice Arena
03.24.09 - Osaka, Japan - Intex Osaka
03.25.09 - Osaka, Japan - Intex Osaka
03.28.09 - Tokyo, Japan - Makhuari Messe Hall 9
03.29.09 - Tokyo, Japan - Makuhari Messe Hall 9
04.01.09 - Seoul, South Korea - Olympic Gym 1
04.03.09 - Beijing, China - Beijing Capital Arena
04.05.09 - Shanghai, China - Shanghai Grand Stage
04.07.09 - Hong Kong, China - AsiaWorld Arena
04.10.09 - Johannesburg, South Africa - Newmarket Racecourse
04.13.09 - Cape Town, South Africa - Cape Town Ostrich Farm
06.04.09 - Manchester, England - Heaton Park
06.06.09 - Manchester, England - Heaton Park
06.07.09 - Manchester, England - Heaton Park
06.10.09 - Sunderland, England - Stadium of Light
06.12.09 - Cardiff, Wales - Millennium Stadium
06.17.09 - Edinburgh, Scotland - Murrayfield
06.20.09 - Slane, Ireland - Slane Castle
07.02.09 - Werchter, Belgium - Rock Werchter Festival
07.03.09 - Roskilde, Denmark - Roskilde Festival
07.09.09 - London, England - Wembley Stadium
07.11.09 - London, England - Wembley Stadium
07.12.09 - London, England - Wembley Stadium
07.14.09 - Cornwall, England - Eden Project
07.16.09 - Castellón, Spain - Benicàssim Festival
07.19.09 - Gräfenhainichen, Germany - Melt Festival
08.22.09 - Staffordshire, England - V Festival
08.23.09 - Chelmsford, England - V Festival
Grizzly Bear Announce New LP Date and Tour, No Longer Mysterious
By Kasia Galaxy on Mar 4 2009
Grizzly Bear were still a bit of an enigma when Yellow House (TMT Review) was released. And then I saw Edward Droste's Twitter. It was enthralling to get album updates -- a children's choir! mastering! title announcing! -- until I saw a photo of guitarist Daniel Rossen sitting at a kitchen table like a normal person. This reminded me that artists are also people, and the mystery quickly vanished.
The new album, titled a not-so-pronounceable Veckatimest, was named after a Massachusetts "pretty speck of island" that was occupied by the band during the recording process. Chris Taylor produced, and guests include Nico Muhly and Victoria LeGrand of Beach House fame. Warp Records will drop it May 26.
Artistic distance = restored.
Veckatimest tracklist:
1. Southern Point
2. Two Weeks
3. All We Ask
4. Fine for Now
5. Cheerleader
6. Dory
7. Ready, Able
8. About Face
9. Hold Still
10. While You Wait for the Others
11. I Live With You
12. Foreground
And the tourdates:
05.24.09 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theatre
05.25.09 - George, WA - Sasquatch Festival
05.26.09 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore
05.28.09 - New York City, NY - Town Hall
05.29.09 - New York City - Town Hall
06.01.09 - Washington DC - 930 Club
06.02.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero
06.03.09 - Boston, MA - Berkley Performance Center
06.04.09 - Montreal, QUE - Le National
06.05.09 - Toronto ON - Phoenix
06.07.09 - Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center
06.08.09 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theatre
06.09.09 - Bloomington, IN - Buskirk-Chumley
06.11.09 - Carrboro, NC - Cats Cradle
06.12.09 - Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo
06.13.09 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle *
06.15.09 - Dallas, TX - Grenada
06.16.09 - Austin, TX - The Parish
06.19.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern
06.21.09 - San Francisco, CA - Fillmore
* TV On The Radio
Shellac Tour – Whatever You Think That “Means” to You, Albini Wants You to Know That You’re WRONG
By Nobodaddy on Mar 4 2009
According to the Touch and Go website, “there is no specific coordination between Shellac's record releases and touring schedules.” The somewhat churlish “band bio” section for the famed Chicago noise-rock trio goes on to explain that “you can expect the band to tour at its usual sporadic and relaxed pace.” Man, when it comes to Steve Albini, Bob Weston, and Todd Trainer, “touch and go” is right.
But regardless, apparently the stars are all aligned or whatever, because the band is back in all of its glorious full-force-nonchalance for a -- you guessed it -- “sporadic” and “relaxed” bout of U.S. and European Spring tourdates. Man, Shellac, if only I could pull this kind of assumptive noncomitance with the girls I meet!
Oh, and guess what? Yeah, they’re not supporting a new release! Or are they? No, they’re not... right?? Hmm. Either way, I’d better not think about it for too much longer, because that might make me a “corporate rock whore” or something. It’s bad enough that this whole article is fucking DIGITAL.
Shellac Spring dates:
05.13.09 - Groningen, Netherlands - Vera
05.14.09 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
05.16.09 - Minehead, United Kingdom - Butlins Holiday Center (ATP Festival)
05.17.09 - Minehead, United Kingdom - Butlins Holiday Center (ATP Festival)
05.29.09 - Barcelona, Spain - Primavera Sound Festival
06.11.09 - Seattle, WA - Vera Project
06.13.09 - Portland, OR - Berbati's Pan
06.14.09 - Portland, OR - Berbati's Pan
06.15.09 - Eugene, OR - W.O.W Hall
06.17.09 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
06.18.09 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
06.20.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex
06.21.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex
06.25.09 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
