Expect Sweat, Crack, and Maybe a Boner: Har Mar Superstar Announces Tour
Ever since I was a little boy, I've had the same dream. And yet, at my current age, I can still only recall bits and pieces of this recurring vision. The single image that stands out, fully visualized, is of course the most mystifying: I’m in a dark bar, neon lights glowing brightly, the sound of laughter and the clink of glasses filling my ears. Lights suddenly illuminate a small stage, and the audible pop of a microphone being inserted into an amp shocks me into awareness. My eyes remain fixated on the stage.
A man enters the spotlight; his skin is covered in thick, sweaty hair, barely covered by clothes. He gazes voluptuously and eagerly into the crowd, giving us all a quick glance. The music starts, slow and populated by bass notes, smooth like silk and as bracingly refreshing as an ice-cold shower in the middle of a Minnesota winter. His hips begin to gyrate and he slides across the stage, brushing my cheek with his index finger. Whatever clothes remain quickly find their place on the stage floor, and right before his engorged member is removed from the too-tight and bright purple undies... I wake up.
Now, I know that you could find a bounty of subliminal thoughts and desires attempting to make themselves known, but all I know for certain is that my dreams want me to go see Har Mar Superstar. Which is convenient, because he actually just announced a fall tour! Hot on the heels of the announcement of a new album, Har Mar has just now supplied us with details on the whereabouts and times for a bevy of shows.
Hey, don’t leave yet! The deluge of HMS news doesn’t stop there. Mr. Superstar also has a video for “Tall Boy” (a song that Har Mar wrote for Britney Spears) coming out soon that is directed by and featuring Eric Wareheim (of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!). Wareheim provided a little insight into the project: “Every night I was falling asleep I would pray to Zeus, ‘Please let me be slimed by Har Mar. Please let his tasty blue jizzism engulf my face.’ As you can see, my fantasy became a reality on this shoot.” Looking forward to it.
Here be dates (more TBA for October and November):
09.26.09 - Pioneertown, CA - Pappy & Harriets Palace
10.06.09 - San Diego, CA - Casbah
10.08.09 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo (record release show)
10.09.09 - Santa Barbara, CA - Sand Bar (New Noise Santa Barbara Festival)
10.10.09 - Oakland, CA - The Uptown
10.12.09 - Salt Lake City, UT - Club Vegas
10.13.09 - Denver, CO - Hi-Dive
10.14.09 - Albuquerque, NM - Launch Pad
10.15.09 - Austin, TX - Emo's (inside show)
10.16.09 - Dallas, TX - Lounge on Elm Street
10.17.09 - Houston, TX - Super Happy Fun Land
10.21.09 - Atlanta, GA - The Drunken Unicorn
Never Mind The Beatles, Here’s Neon Indian! And They Even Have a New Record and a Tour, Technically Giving Them a Slight Relevancy Edge, Don’t You Think?
So who the heck are Neon Indian? Well, as a music writer -- excuse me, I mean, a Music Writer -- it’s my job to inform you. So... let's seeeee heeeeereee... Brooklynites? Maybe, sure. Racists? Possibly, controversy’s always good. An “elusive new project from composer Alan Palomo [that] delivers equal parts synthetic nostalgia, dreampop lullabies, and grinding guitar noise to create something eerier than the sound of its parts?" Definitely.
Well, whoever the heck they are, they’ve finished a debut full-length, sort-of hilariously titled Psychic Chasms, slated for release on October 13 via the good ol' Lefse label. You may remember Lefse from such classic records as... well, whatever. Press is press, right everyone? What do you say I just cherry-pick some more qualitative such-n-suchs from the press release and go get some lunch? Okay. Deal.
So yeah, written largely in one sitting in Texas, this bag o’ tracks resulted from “field recordings, record samples, and a collection of bizarre synth sounds.” Hinging on themes of drug-induced heartbreak, weary afternoons, and lost chances, these tunes “provide a lush soundtrack to the deadbeat exploits of teenage ennui.” But just in case all of this is sounding a little bit too much like The Postal Service or something, peep the fact that Neon Indian are hitting the road alongside some visual high-wire acts from video artist (and band member) Alicia Scardetta, transforming this first tour into a briskly alliterative, uh, “multimedia maelstrom.” Actually, did The Postal Service ever do that? They never toured at all, did they? I mean, I don’t listen to much music, I just write about it from a holier-than-thou perspective for a living. Oh. Whoops. I mean. Who wants to see some nice, neat tourdates?? Yeah.
Psychic Chasms tracklisting:
1. (AM)
2. Deadbeat Summer
3. Laughing Gas
4. Terminally Chill
5. (If I Knew, I'd Tell You)
6. 6669 (I Don't Know If You Know)
7. Should Have Taken Acid with You
8. Mind, Drips
9. Psychic Chasms
10. Local Joke
11. Ephemeral Artery
12. 7000 (reprise)
Neon Indian Tour:
10.02.09 - Austin, TX - Emo's (Austin City Limits afterparty)
10.16.09 - Tallahassee, FL - Club Down Under
10.17.09 - Jacksonville, FL - TSI
10.18.09 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl
10.17.09 - Washington, DC - Rock 'n' Roll Hotel
10.20.09 - Philadelphia, PA - The Barbery
10.24.09 - New York, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
10.25.09 - Hartford, CT - La Paloma Sabanera
10.27.09 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
10.28.09 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
10.29.09 - Bloomington, IN - The Bishop
10.30.09 - Madison, WI - University of Wisconsin (Der Rathskeller)
10.31.09 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater
11.07.09 - Austin, TX - Fun Fun Fun Festival
11.08.09 - Lubbock, TX - Bash Riprock's
11.11.09 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
11.12.09 - Boise, ID - Neurolux
11.13.09 - Guadalajara, Mexico - Lemon Beat
11.14.09 - Mexico City, Mexico - Pasaje América
11.15.09 - Seattle, WA - Nectar Lounge
11.16.09 - Vancouver, BC - Shine Nightclub
11.19.09 - San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop
11.20.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex
11.21.09 - Tuscon, AZ - Club Congress
Awkwardly Bounce with Me Now: Max Tundra Announces U.S. Tour
Y’all ready to get your stilted groove on? Well, y’all best be, because electronic pop perfectionist Max Tundra is hitting up the U.S. this November. Mr. Tundra (a.k.a. Ben Jacobs) is touring behind last year’s Parallax Error Beheads You (TMT Review), a record that inspires only the highest-quality awkward dance moves. I’ve got this one move where I frantically raise and lower my arms, while desperately attempting to keep a solid rhythm. I’m telling you, this move is sick.
Hanging out with Tundra in November will be Detroit's Deastro (a.k.a. Randy Chabot), whose brand of electro-pop is a little less frantic and awkward. His newest record Moondagger (TMT Review) apparently concerns a dream he had about a magical kingdom and the search for a “moondagger.” Basically, pretty good company for Max Tundra
11.05.09 - Chicago, IL - Schubas *
11.07.09 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick *
11.08.09 - Toronto, ON - The Drake *
11.09.09 - Montreal, QC - Lambi *
11.10.09 - Boston, MA - Great Scott *
11.11.09 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge *
11.12.09 - Washington, DC - DC9 *
11.13.09 - Baltimore, MD - Metro Gallery *
11.14.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie *
11.16.09 - Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn *
11.18.09 - Austin, TX - Mohawk *
11.19.09 - Dallas, TX - The Cavern *
11.20.09 - Kansas City, MO - Czar Bar *
11.21.09 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge *
11.22.09 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge *
11.24.09 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo *
11.25.09 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill *
11.27.09 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir *
11.28.09 - Seattle, WA - Nectar *
11.29.09 - Vancouver, BC - Media Club *
* Deastro
Future of the Left Return to North America to Rock You Like a Hurricane or Possibly Something Even Louder and Scarier
As anyone who saw Future of the Left earlier this summer can tell you, these three young Welshmen are nothing if not bracing. The band features vocalist/guitarist Andy "Falco" Falkous and drummer Jack Egglestone, both of the notoriously witty/LOUD Cardiff group Mclusky, along with singer/bassist Kelson Mathias of Jarcrew. They’ve been tearing it up alongside Ted Leo and the Pharmacists and Japandroids, among others, and making waves at festivals like SXSW. These are the type of guys who you’d want to have your back in a bar fight; not only because they sound like they can swing a punch and crack a bottle over someone’s head in exactly the right place, but because it seems like they’d be pretty damn fun to hang out with afterwards. And perhaps you’ll get to experience that very thing, if you happen to a) attend an upcoming Future of the Left show in Canada or the U.S. and b) have a quick temper and some brass knuckles! Because the trio is returning once more to these fair shores, this time with ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead.
Future of the Left’s most recent release, Travels with Myself and Another (TMT Review), is out now on 4AD.
Dates:
10.08.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda *
10.09.09 - San Diego, CA - Casbah *
10.10.09 - Visalia, CA - Cellar Door *
10.11.09 - San Francisco, CA - Independent *
10.12.09 - Portland, OR - Dante's *
10.13.09 - Seattle, WA - Neumos *
10.14.09 - Vancouver, BC - Venue *
10.16.09 - Edmonton, ALB - Starlite *
10.17.09 - Calgary, ALB - Warehouse *
10.19.09 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge *
10.20.09 - Denver, CO - Bluebird *
10.23.09 - Oklahoma City, OK - Conservatory *
10.24.09 – Austin, TX - Beauty Bar
10.26.09 – Atlanta, GA - 529 Club
10.28.09 - Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
10.29.09 – Washington, DC - DC9
10.30.09 – Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
11.01.09 – Boston, MA - TT The Bears
11.02.09 – Montreal, PQ - Zoobizarre
11.03.09 – Toronto, ON - El Mocambo
11.05.09 – Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
11.06.09 – Minneapolis, MN - 7th St Entry
11.07.09 – Madison, WI - Annex
* ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead
Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Sitting on a Shelf at Best Buy: Spiritualized to Reissue 1997 LP
Spiritualized, who you might know as the band that Jason Pierce formed after the dissolution of Spacemen 3, have announced that they will be reissuing their classic, fondly remembered 97 album Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space on November 6 through Sony.
The new pressing will come in two slightly different formats: (1) a “Collector’s Edition,” utilizing 12 mini-CDs, and (2) a “Special Edition,” shaped roughly like a standard CD. Regardless of your preference for CD size, both versions will come with two bonus discs full of demos and alternate mixes and all sorts of other stuff that should keep you comfortably adrift in space for hours.
If you find yourself getting caught up in all this fervor and feel the need for something more, something real, don’t fret: the band will be performing Ladies and Gentlemen in full on October 12 and 13 during the All Tomorrow’s Parties shindig at the London Royal Festival Hall. If you can't make that, a few more performances of the album have now been added for December.
Bonus Disc 1:
1. Ladies and Gentlemen (A Cappella)
2. Ladies and Gentlemen (Demo)
3. Ladies and Gentlemen (Strings)
4. Ladies and Gentlemen (Kate Telephone Call)
5. Ladies and Gentlemen (Moles Studio Mix 7)
6. Ladies and Gentlemen (Original Oratone Ideas)
7. Ladies and Gentlemen (A Cappella w/ Lead Vocal)
8. Come Together (Instrumental Demo)
9. Come Together (Demo In Lower Key)
10. I Think I'm in Love (Original Demo Idea)
11. I Think I'm in Love (Demo)
12. I Think I'm in Love (Drums/Wah)
13. I Think I'm in Love (A Cappella)
14. I Think I'm in Love (Vocal Demo Jan '96)
15. I Think I'm in Love (Gospel Choir Session)
16. All of My Thoughts (Demo)
17. All of My Thoughts (Strings)
18. Rocket Shaped Song
Bonus Disc 2:
1. Electricity (Demo)
2. Electricity (January '96)
3. Electricity (June '96)
4. Home of the Brave (Demo)
5. Home of the Brave (Panned Vocal)
6. Beautiful Happiness
7. Broken Heart (Demo)
8. Broken Heart (Strings)
9. Broken Heart (Vocal Harmony/Angel Corpus Christi)
10. Broken Heart (Early Vocal)
11. No God Only Religion (Demo)
12. No God Only Religion (Horns)
13. Cool Waves (Demo)
14. Cool Waves (String Session Mix)
15. Cop Shoot Cop (Demo)
16. Cop Shoot Cop (Dr. John 'The National Anthem')
17. Cop Shoot Cop (String Session Mix)
Dates:
10.12.09 - London, England - Royal Festival Hall
10.13.09 - London, England - Royal Festival Hall
12.14.09 - Manchester, England - Apollo
12.16.09 - London, England - Barbican
12.17.09 - London, England - Barbican
12.19.09 - Gateshead, England - Sage Centre
Islands Open for The Psychedelic Furs; Nick Thorburn Is Secretly Thrilled Because “Pretty in Pink” Is His Favorite Karaoke Song
Did you know that five and a half months after The Psychedelic Furs released their second album, Talk Talk Talk, in 1981 (with the song “Pretty In Pink” on it), Nick Thorburn of Islands was born? I suppose if you had tried to tell little Thorburn at the time that the song he kept hearing on the radio while he was busy getting his diaper changed would soon be performed live in his presence, he probably would’ve said “Ga ga ga goo blurrrgh” and then spit up on your face.
Hopefully he can keep himself together this fall when Islands join The Psychedelic Furs and The Happy Mondays on the road.
As previously reported, Islands will release their new album, Vapours, on Anti- come September 22.
Islands of Fur:
09.22.09 - Asbury Park, NJ - Asbury Lanes
09.23.09 - Richmond, VA - Plaza Bowl
09.24.09 - Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
09.25.09 - Athens, GA - Caledonia
09.26.09 - Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder
09.27.09 - Jacksonville, FL - Jack Rabbits
09.28.09 - Tampa, FL - Ritz Ybor *
09.29.09 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Revolution *
09.30.09 - Orlando, FL - House of Blues *
10.02.09 - Atlanta, Georgia - Masquerade *
10.03.09 - Charlotte, NC - Amos' Southend *
10.04.09 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva *
10.06.09 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club *
10.07.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero *
10.09.09 - New York, NY - Roseland Ballroom *
10.10.09 - Cambridge, MA - House of Blues *
10.12.09 - Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall *
10.13.09 - Pontiac, MI - Clutch Cargo's *
10.15.09 - Chicago, IL - Subterranean
10.18.09 - Missoula, MT - The Palace
10.19.09 - Seattle, WA - Chop Suey
10.20.09 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre
10.21.09 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre
10.22.09 - Davis, CA - UC Davis (Oddfellows Lodge)
10.23.09 - Berkley, CA - UC Berkley (Lower Sproul Plaza)
10.23.09 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
10.24.09 - Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour
10.25.09 - Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room
10.27.09 - Austin, TX - Mohawk
10.28.09 - Denton, TX - Rubber Gloves
10.29.09 - Memphis, TN - Hi Tone Cafe
10.30.09 - Birmingham, AL - Bottletree Cafe
10.31.09 - Atlanta, GA - Lenny's Bar
11.01.09 - Durham, NC - Duke Coffee House
11.02.09 - Baltimore, MD - G-Spot
11.03.09 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
11.04.09 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East (Downstairs)
11.05.09 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
11.06.09 - Montreal, QC - Theatre Plaza
11.07.09 - Toronto, ON - The Mod Club
* Psychedelic Furs, The Happy Mondays
RIP: DJ Roc Raida of the X-Ecutioners
From MTV:
In another terrible loss for the hip-hop community, Grand Master Roc Raida (real name: Anthony Williams) of the X-Ecutioners passed away on Saturday due to complications from a mixed-martial-arts accident, according to a statement released by his family. Raida had a two-decade career which skyrocketed in 1995 when he won the DMC World DJ Championship. He released seven solo albums along with several LPs with his famed crew, the X-Ecutioners. Over the last few years, Raida had been Busta Rhymes' live DJ, where his showmanship skills were a perfect marriage for Busta and Spliff Starr's energetic stage antics.A statement released by Raida's family released over the weekend reads: "Anthony Williams p/k to the world as the Legendary Grand Master Roc Raida has passed away unexpectedly today, September 19, 2009. He is survived by his wife, three lovely daughters, mother and friends. Raida was recently in a mixed-martial-arts accident, something that he has been practicing for several years. Although he had undergone two surgeries with great success, was released to an inpatient physical therapy facility and was in great spirits the past few days, this morning he started to have complications and passed. The family asks for privacy at this time."
Madvillain Ascends from the Murky Depths to Make Rare Live Appearance at We The People Festival
Does Madvillain still exist? Sure hasn’t seemed like it lately. Ever since putting out 2004’s classic Madvillainy (TMT Review), the duo of DOOM and Madlib have kept pretty quiet. There’s been little word on a sophomore album; Madlib’s full-length remix of the debut came and went without notice; and both sides of the duo have been busy with other projects. If Madvillain simply disappeared forever, it wouldn’t be that surprising.
Yet out of nowhere, the duo has announced a show in Los Angeles at the We The People Festival on November 21. Details for the show itself are scarce, so it is unknown whether both DOOM and Madlib will be there. And considering that DOOM is known to use impersonators behind his mask in his live performances, there’s a lot of ambiguity around what the performance will actually be like. Still, the prospect of hearing all the classic Madvillainy jams is pretty exciting. “Accordion!" “America’s Most Blunted!" Yep, all your favorites!
[Photo: Eric Coleman]
Leonard Cohen Collapses On Stage, Expected to be Right as Rain in No Time
Leonard Cohen, everyone’s favorite heartbreakingly depressing Canadian singer/songwriter, collapsed while performing Friday in Spain. Near the end of his song “Bird on a Wire,” the 74-year-old Cohen collapsed on stage at the Valencia Luis Puig Velodromo, with his bandmates rushing to help him. That’s the bad news. The good(ish) news is this: according to the BBC, the likely cause of Cohen’s troubles was food poisoning, which—you know—while pretty awful, isn’t usually insurmountable.
A spokesperson told the media that Cohen had been taken to the hospital afterwards, just to make sure everything was alright. He had been suffering from stomach cramps earlier in the evening.
Here's some footage of the incident:
Cohen’s next scheduled show, at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona on Monday, is still expected to go forward. Yay, Leonard! Get well soon and enjoy beautiful Spain!
The Decemberists to Unveil Animated Film at Upcoming LA Show! (Yaaaaay!) But It’s a Hazards of Love Thing! (Booooo!) But It's Also a Benefit for High School Music Programs! (Yaaaaay!)
Damn those wiley Decemberists! Colin Meloy and his cronies just keep finding ways, against all odds, to extend the shelf-life of their, umm, ambitious song-cycle The Hazards of Love (TMT Review). This time, the big idea is to squeeze a little extra drama out of the tangled and vaguely literary web of lovers and fawns and rakes and forest queens and rivers and ghosts and whatever else, by performing the album live in its entirety in sync with an original animated film. Actually, now that I think about it, we all knew this announcement was coming, didn’t we?
Anyway, all of this will go down on October 19 at UCLA’s Royce Hall in Los Angeles, which is not coincidentally the band’s last U.S. performance on their never-ending “A Short Fazed Hovel” Tour. Here Come The Waves: The Hazards of Love Visualized, as the project is called, will feature the work of four filmmakers -- Guilherme Marcondes, Julia Pott, Peter Sluszka, and Santa Maria -- each of whom have created their own animation to accompany a portion of the band’s proggy, windchime-stroking, pysch-folk jams. The Decemberists will perform the entire record synchronized with the animation, as well as (yes!) an additional second set of older and newer material (come ooooooon, “Mariner’s Revenge Song!”). Presented in association with global film/art/event hub Flux, the whole shebang is also, commendably, a benefit for The Grammy Foundation’s Grammy in the Schools music education programs for high school students. That’s nothing to get your hovel out of faze at!
Tickets will go on sale for this "happening" tomorrow, and the band will also kick off the final leg of their “A Short Fazed Hovel” tour... tomorrow. I have a feeling that this might be the last gasp for all of their Hazards of Love touring, so now’s probably your last chance to catch this spectacle and use it as a “performance credit” for your college Musical Theater courses.
“A Short Fazed Hovel” tour keeps chugging:
09.18.09 - Orono, ME - University of Maine
09.19.09 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
09.20.09 - Burlington, VT - Flynn Theater
09.21.09 - Montclair, NJ - Wellmont Theater
09.23.09 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva
09.24.09 - Charlottesville, VA - Charlottesville Pavilion
09.25.09 - Asheville, NC - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
09.26.09 - Athens, GA - The Classic Center
09.27.09 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
09.29.09 - St. Augustine, FL - St. Augustine Amphitheater
09.30.09 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live
10.02.09 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
10.03.09 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Music Festival
10.04.09 - Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom
10.06.09 - Lexington, KY - University of Kentucky, Lexington
10.07.09 - Columbia, MO - Ninth St. Fall Fest
10.08.09 - Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre
10.09.09 - Minneapolis, MN - State Theatre
10.18.09 - San Francisco, CA - Treasure Island Music Festival
10.19.09 - Los Angeles, CA - UCLA Royce Hall
11.18.09 - London, UK - Forum
11.19.09 - London, UK - Coronet
11.21.09 - The Hague, Netherlands - Crossing Border Festival
RRRecords Finds 1000 Ways to Endlessly Annoy Your Neighbors: A Noise LP Including 1000 Locked Grooves by Prurient, C. Spencer Yeh, Aaron Dilloway, Kevin Drumm, Incapacitants, and More!
RRRecords has always been one of the most daring record labels. Label owner Ron Lessard (a.k.a. Emil Beaulieau) has pushed the idea of what a record can be to the extreme and is one of the most important supporters of noise music ever since he started the label in the early 80s. His newest release does not disappoint.
RRR-1000 Lock Groove LP, RRRecords' newest compilation, features some of the biggest names in today's noise world submitting 50 short tracks with each one ending in a locked groove, making them endlessly loop for all time. Participating artists are AMK, Aaron Dilloway, Thomas Dimuzio, Kevin Drumm, Carlos Giffoni, Incapacitants, GX Jupitter-Larsen, Jason Lescalleet, Francisco López, Lasse Marhaug, The New Blockaders, Jerome Noetigner, Prurient, RLW, Damion Romero, Runzelstirn & Gurgelstock, Sudden Infant, Keith Fullerton Whitman, C. Spencer Yeh, and Otomo Yoshide.
In proper RRRecords fashion, each LP comes with its own handmade record cover, done by Ron Lessard. To see a short video of the record covers and to hear samples of Keith Fullerton Whitman's submissions, go here. You can also check samples of C. Spencer Yeh's submissions. If you'd like to be able to endlessly annoy your neighbors or cover up the sound of your roommate getting it on at 4 AM, this may just be your record.
