The National Announce New Tour, Offer Sneak Preview Of Their New Album

By Annapocalypse on

It’s been awhile since we’ve heard anything from The National. In order to drum up interest for their yet-to-be-released new album, the band decided to send TMT a rough copy of the album and has allowed us to describe several of the songs for our readers:

- Track 1: Slow, churning guitars start this song, followed by singer Matt Berninger’s signature baritone, singing something about being tired and saying goodbye to a lover.
- Track 6: Slow, wistful guitars start this song, followed by Berninger’s baritone, lamenting the loss of a lover.
- Track 10: Slow, brooding guitars start this track, as Berninger's pines for an ex-girlfriend.

I think you get my point.

New tourdates:
05.03.09 – New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall &
05.21.09 – Toronto, ON – Kool Haus
05.22.09 – Montreal, QB – Metropolis
05.23.09 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
05.24.09 – Washington, D.C. – 9:30 Club
05.25.09 – Washington, D.C. – 9:30 Club
05.27.09 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
05.28.09 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theater
05.29.09 – Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory
07.18.09 – Chicago, IL – Pitchfork Music Festival

& Dark Was The Night Live with Dirty Projectors, Feist, My Brightest Diamond, Sharon Jones, Dave Sitek

Meet Billy Corgan’s Ego, Up Close and Personal: Audition to Be the New Smashing Pumpkins Drummer

By Annapocalypse on Mar 31 2009

You know how your mom always said that all those hours you spent drumming along to Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness in the garage wouldn’t get you anywhere? Well, fuck you, Mom, because I’m going to LA to audition for The Smashing Pumpkins!

...Okay, that’s a lie, I never played drums. But if you do and you want to experience Billy Corgan’s ego firsthand, feel free to email your background info, photos, and performance web links to pumpkinsdrummer@gmail.com. Auditions will be held Friday, April 10 in Los Angeles.

As you may know (TMT News), the auditions are to replace Jimmy Chamberlin, who announced last week that he was quitting the band, stating “I can no longer commit all of my energy into something that I don't fully possess. I won't pretend I'm into something I'm not.” With Chamberlin gone, Corgan is now the last original member in The Smashing Pumpkins. How shocking!

Destroyer Destroy the Past, Create New Future-Past With Reissue of 2nd and 3rd LPs! Confused?? Hey, Don’t Be! Read on! Outta Sight, My Man!

By Nobodaddy on Mar 30 2009

Dan Bejar is Matador’s best friend. Destroyer, Swan Lake, New Pornographers... dude’s got that record label covered in the hits department, recessions be damned. So it was probably high-time that they did him a solid and reissued those second and third Destroyer albums, right? Right.

Bejar-boosters may know that Destroyer has released four albums and an EP on Merge Records since 2002, with a new album slated for release later this year. Here to whet that good appetite of yours is the original City of Daughters (1998) and Thief (2000) LPs, which are back on vinyl where they belong and have been updated in all sorts of hyperbolic ways! For instance, vinyl-obsessed, condo-owning Destroyer fans may well-recall that the original City of Daughters suffered from some frequency-related glitches that caused it to skip on many turntables, thus ruining their indie-fondue parties.

And the original Thief mix? Well, that was never satisfying, was it? And besides, the LP/CD was shoddily mastered into mono. What a drag! But don’t worry. Thief has now been remixed by the original team of Daniel Bejar, David Carswell, and John Collins at JC/DC Studios and is available in the intended stereo mix for the first time ever.

What’s more, both albums have been remastered by Roger Seibel at SAE Mastering and have never sounded better. Additionally, the two covers have been reworked by original artist Lester Smolenksi and printed by Stoughton as an "old style," tip-on, gatefold jacket. Sweet. And all you have to do is spend your money on them all over again! Check it out at Nominal Records.

Family Counseling Group Schedules Online Protest of David Lynch’s Transcendental Meditation Benefit Concert with McCartney and Ringo

By Mike McHugh on Mar 30 2009

Kat Gardiner recently reported that on April 4 David Lynch will throw a star-studded shindig at Radio City Music Hall to benefit his foundation for "Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace." With acts ranging from Paul and Ringo to Donovan and Eddie Vedder (picture that lovechild, if you will!), who wouldn’t be pumped about such an exciting affair?

Apparently Knapp Family Counseling in Malone, NY, that’s who! On April 2, Knapp will hold an online protest to teach participants “a side of the Transcendental Meditation story they won't tell you.” (I have no idea who “they” is referring to in that quote.) The site also warns of the “secret agendas” of TM leaders and equates Lynch’s commitment to TM with Tom Cruise’s devotion to the Church of Scientology. Damn son, that’s some straight up dubious claims right there! For as much crazy may be floating around in Knapp and company’s allegations, their assertion that teaching TM in schools violates separation of church and state laws is up for debate.

Still, I think it’s unfair to compare TM to any kind of religious praise. TM isn’t about forging a connection with God or some other divine force. A person meditates to connect with the deepest parts of one’s mind to reach a state of transcendental being. I suppose, though, the facet of TM that challenges people the most is the role of the yogi, which could be construed as a pervasive influence to an organization like Knapp’s (the center appears to specialize in cult recovery).

Anyway, it seems like this event could turn out to be kind of interesting, as long as these folks don’t get too out there with their accusations. The panel Knapp has assembled seems pretty interesting, and, hey, maybe David Lynch will toss his hat in the ring and defend his passion. Stranger things have happened.

The Cool Kids Sue “Teenage Cool Kids” Over Name; Speculation Abounds as to Whether Carl’s Jr.®’s Cool Kids Combos are Next to Go (This Writer Really Hopes Not)

By Papaya on Mar 30 2009

Legal representatives of Chicago rap duo The Cool Kids have filed a cease and desist order against Texas indie bros Teenage Cool Kids for infringing on “federally registered trademark rights and dilut[ing] the products and services associated with The Cool Kids mark.” Apparently oblivious to the fact that there were groups named Cool Kids of Death, Cooler Kids and Cool Kidd, formed in 2001, 2002, and 2003, respectively, The Cool Kids have chosen to take the stance that they were the first to combine the words “cool” and “kids” in 2005 and will fight in a court of law to maintain exclusive rights to it.

The order also requests that Teen CK shut down their MySpace, and, more difficultly, “recall all... infringing products and materials relating to [their] goods and services.” So if you’ve ever bought merch from this band, you can just go ahead and mail it back to them. Hope you enjoyed it while it lasted.

Regarding the issue, Teenage Cool Kids member Daniel Ziegler states: “I’m not worried. It’s not the same name. I was also under the impression that musical expression didn’t need a copyright.” Assuming they make it out of this with name intact, they will have a new LP released on Protagonist in the next month and will be touring the U.S. with Fergus and Geronimo in late August.

Brooklyn Moves McCarren Park Pool Venue to Waterfront, Wistful Small Town Residents Gaze Through Rainy Windows

By Kasia Galaxy on Mar 30 2009

It's a given that New York City has more shows in a night than, say, the state of Arkansas has had in its existence. One of its most recent summer hot spots McCarren Park Pool -- situated on the border between Greenpoint and Williamsburg -- is being renovated to go back to its pool roots this summer.

The New York Times reports the outdoor venue will move to the Williamsburg waterfront this summer, with space for 6,000. For non-New York residents, that means they'll have a nice view of the skyline. For New York residents who know what the latter half of this sentence means, the new concert area will be on a strip along the East River between North Eighth and North Ninth Streets.

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