Death From Above 1979’s Jeese Keeler scores Mortal Kombat video game. Hey, now it’s only the game’s plot that’s unoriginal!
By Nobodaddy on Mar 30 2011
Before I move forward with the facts of this story, let me just give you a minute or two to get over the whole nostalgic, hipstery, “oh, I remember playing Mortal Kombat on Genesis when I was 10, and there was that guy who’d say ‘toasty’ sometimes, and remembering that funny techno theme-song is making me LOL, and that dragon logo thing is super kitschy to me now when I look at it through my patented Fractured Lense Blackberry app!” thing that you’re undoubtedly going through right now. It’s okay, man. Not judging. I had to take that trip too… Okay, better? Okay. Moving on.
Now, first things first. Yes, they’re still cranking out this blood orgy of a game. And now that it’s all 2011 and shit, even the most time-honored of one-on-one fighting games now have legit soundtracks to accompany their still-no-substitute-for-fucking action. Accordingly, as Clash Music reported earlier this week, Death From Above 1979’s drum-singer Jeese Keeler has both produced and contributed to a score for the forthcoming version of the game, which is due out on April 18.
Titled Mortal Kombat: Songs Inspired by the Warriors, the soundtrack will feature Keeler-produced songs from acts that are signed to his own Teenage Riot Records imprint, as well as a track by Keeler himself, submitted under his MSTRKRFT alias (dude’s no fool; he called the Scorpion track for himself). Teenage Riot Records is releasing the soundtrack standalone-style on April 4, and you can psych yourself up for it by checking out the game’s trailer right here. No, I’m not going to wrap this all up by linking you to any 1995 live-action movie bullshit for cheap laughs. Jeez, get a life!
Mortal Kombat: Songs Inspired by the Warriors tracklisting:
01. JFK of MSTRKRFT – “Deathstalker (Scorpion’s Theme)”
02. Tokimonsta – “Mileena’s Theme”
03. Harvard Bass – “Helado (Sub-Zero’s Theme)”
04. Congorock – “Liu Kang’s Theme”
04. Bird Peterson – “Goro’s Theme”
05. Skrillex – “Reptile’s Theme”
06. 9th Wonder – “Raiden’s Theme”
07. LA Riots – “Johnny Cage’s Theme”
08. Run DMT – “Baraka’s Theme”
09. Felix Cartal – “Kung Lao’s Theme”
10. Them Jeans – “Kano’s Theme”
11. Sound of Stereo – “Shao Kahn’s Theme”
• Mortal Kombat: http://www.themortalkombat.com
• MSTRKRFT: http://mstrkrft.com
• Death From Above 1979: http://www.myspace.com/deathfromabove1979
• Teenage Riot: http://teenageriotrecords.com
Screaming Females tour Europe, YOU IDIOT (sorry)
By E. Nagurney on Mar 30 2011
Screaming Females are back! They also never left, so I guess they’re not so much back as much as they’re just here. You were like, “Hey New Jersey punk rock trio Screaming Females, where’d you come from?” and Screaming Females were like, “Uh, dude, we’ve been the whole time” and you’re like, “Whuh, really? ‘Cause I haven’t seen you all night” and they’re like, “No, we’ve definitely been here” and then you’re all awkward and like, “Yeah, well, um, I guess I just, uhhh, you know, cool party, right?” Then Screaming Females just give you this blank stare and walk to the other side of the room and you feel like an idiot.
If you had actually taken a second to note your surroundings, you might have found that Screaming Females are going on a European tour this spring. You might have also discovered that the group, who released Castle Talk last year on Don Giovanni, has plans to share the stage with the likes of tUnE-yArDs and Papas Fritas during the tour. You might have found these things out, but you didn’t. You idiot.
Screaming Females dates:
05.24.11 - Utrecht, Netherlands - DB’s
05.25.11 - Paris, France - La Maroquinerie *
05.26.11 - Leffinge, Belgium - Cafe de Zwerver
05.27.11 - Karlsruhe, Germany - Carambolage
05.28.11 - Duedingen, Switzerland - Kilbi Festival
05.29.11 - Muenchen, Germany - Kafe Kult
05.30.11 - Graz, Austria - Forum Stadtpark
05.31.11 - Vienna, Austria - Arena
06.01.11 - Krakow, Poland - Rozrywki Trzy
06.02.11 - Berlin, Germany - Westgermany
06.03.11 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachtof
06.04.11 - Brussels, Belgium - Soundbits @ Beursschouwburg
06.07.11 - London, UK - White Heat @ Madame Jojo’s
06.08.11 - London, UK - Scala &
06.09.11 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club
06.10.11 - Manchester, UK - Islington Mill
06.11.11 - Norwich, UK - Norwich Arts Centre
* Papas Fritas
& Tune-Yards
• Screaming Females: http://www.myspace.com/screamingfemales
• Don Giovanni: http://www.dongiovannirecords.com
Pink Reason release sophomore LP on Siltbreeze, tour Europe, show off their assets
By Squeo on Mar 30 2011
Kevin “Epic” Failure and his Lazy Susan of musician-friends have been easing down the road since the release of 2007’s Cleaning the Mirror (TMT Review), dropping a few tunes via 7-inch and cassette every now and then — mostly archival or live recordings, though there is new material on the recent Desperate Living EP on Almost Ready — and no one’s quite sure why. Was it due to anxiety from all those critics hailing Cleaning the Mirror as a masterpiece of sloppy/isolated catharsis/swagger? Was it because we placed the album one spot ahead of Clipse on our “Favorite Albums of 2000-2009” list and Kevin had to lay low for a while? Or was it because some joker on the Electrical Audio message board posted this comment on a Pink Reason thread: “man, all the people i know are all into this ear/jerk/wave stuff, it’s so unoriginal.” We can track your IP address, Albini. Let it go, man.
Whatever the case, all those years are now in the past, and today we stand at the precipice of Pink Reason’s reintroduction to society with a second LP (for Siltbreeze and for the world), lovingly titled Shit in the Garden. Recorded in Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, and New York over the course of six years (2004-2010) in collaboration with Shaun Failure, Dave Razor, Michael Bray, Dead Luke, and TV Ghost’s Tim Gick, Shit has a street date of May 17, according to Revolver/Midheaven Mailorder, who’ll be handling distribution. As for the sound of the album, who needs descriptions when you can just go to the Chocolate Grinder and listen to “Sixteen Years” off the album right now!? Sounds pretty different, no? Don’t worry though, old fans: Shit is said to end with an “elliptical banjo instrumental,” sorta like how Mirror did! Always a good choice.
Pink Reason also have a European tour with Circuit des Yeux planned for this summer, but we’re going to pass on posting those dates for now, as not even a single one has a venue attached. Go here if you’re curious. There are literally two dozen dates that just say ‘Russia.’ For a few US shows scheduled next month before they take the long journey East, see below.
Shit in the Garden tracklisting:
01. Holding On
02. I Just Leave
03. Sixteen Years
04. Cranes Are Flying
05. Here on In
06. You Can’t Win
Dates:
04.21.11 - Minneapolis, MN - The Hexagon
04.22.11 - Minneapolis, MN - The Rathole
04.30.11 - Oberlin, OH - TBA
• Pink Reason: http://pinkreason.com
• Siltbreeze: http://www.siltbreeze.com
Soundset Festival lineup announced for May: Big Boi, De La Soul, Atmosphere, Curren$y, and DJ Passion Play (this last one I made up)
By Squeo on Mar 29 2011
Here’s a little story that must be told/
‘Bout a Midwest party with jams ice-cold/
In its fourth year running, the hype is loud/
With a stacked cast rapping to make Slug proud/
Got some head-knockin’ rhythms at the end of May/
Hand the mic to Kris Kross, watch ‘em take it away/
Wiggidy-wiggidy-wiggidy-WACK/
Wiggidy-wiggidy-wiggidy-WACK/
Wiggidy-wiggidy-wiggidy-WACK/
Wiggidy-wiggidy-wiggidy-WACK
Phew! It’s lucky Mack Daddy and Daddy Mack stepped in just then, because I was pretty much out of material. You try rapping about “Shakopee, Minnesota.” See what happens to your natural flow.
Soundset Festival 2011 is upon us, or will be on May 29, when a lineup of over 40 hip-hop artists — chosen by Rhymesayers Entertainment and Rose Presents — do their thing on two stages for nine straight hours in Canterbury Park, idyllic weather or not. Last year, over 18,000 people showed up for Soundset, and this year is predicted to be even bigger, considering the lineup. And how about that lineup! Big Boi, De La Soul, Edan, Atmosphere, Curren$y, Slaughterhouse, Blueprint, Doomtree — I’d say there’s likely to be 18,001 attendees this time around, and that’s just a lowball figure!
Now, if you’re one of those folks that goes to festivals but has no interest in paying attention to even a single act (hello everyone I’ve ever stood next to at a festival), Soundset has a bunch of other activities to wet your whistle/whet your appetite/wilt your spinach leaves. MC battle tents, custom car show, live painting exhibit, skateboard demo area… the only thing missing, really, is that ride where they spin you around in a room and the floor drops under your feet and you feel sick. Check the full lineup below, and keep your mouse hovered over this link until 11:00 AM on April 1, when tickets go on sale like magic. General admission is $38 (including parking), and VIP admission is $90, which will make you extremely important in the eyes of all the performers.
Full lineup:
Atmosphere, Big Boi, De La Soul, Slaughterhouse (Joell Ortiz, Joe Budden, Royce da 5’9”, Crooked I), Brother Ali, Doomtree (P.O.S, Dessa, Sims, Cecil Otter, Mike Mictlan, Lazerbeak, Papertiger), Evidence x Rakaa-Iriscience x DJ Babu, Mac Miller, Curren$y, Blueprint, Grieves & Budo, Zion I & The Grouch, Sab The Artist, DJ Abilities, Face Candy, Edan with special guest Paten Locke, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Looptroop Rockers, Rubberoom, Soulcrate Music, 2Mex, Mr. Gene Poole, Qwazaar, Longshot, Mally, Desdamona, Duenday, Midwest Konnect, Rocky Diamonds, Stage One, Shortkut, Noam The Drummer, Exile, Maseo, Skeme Richards, Kid Cut Up and Espada. Hosted by Toki Wright, Carnage and Kevin Beacham.
• Soundset: http://www.soundsetfestival.com
• Rhymesayers: http://www.rhymesayers.com
Grass Widow announce US tour everywhere! Everywhere but the Midwest, that is
By Erika H on Mar 29 2011
To hell with the spring equinox, daffodils, and Lent; the real sign that spring is here is SXSW, when bands nationwide re-emerge after wintry retreats into the studio, starting up full-fledged tours like baby bunnies venturing out from under the bushes. Grass Widow recently canceled a few of their late March dates following SXSW, but not to worry — more dates are on the way for April! If it was too cold for you to get out and hear these girls by the time you discovered their sophomore album Past Time (TMT Review) last fall, first of all: for shame. Second, now’s your chance go to shows and pretend that you knew about them before they signed to Kill Rock Stars (2009’s self-titled on Make a Mess was pretty sweet). The sun will be beaming, warm days are ahead, and the lineups are lookin’ just fine. (A note: given Grass Widow’s adamant stance on their sort-of-but-more-than-a-girl-group status, I feel sort of like a traitor for even casually highlighting their gender. Ah well. It’s not my fault they draw such easy comparisons to the female post-punk scene embodied by Kleenex/LiLiPUT.)
Tourdates:
04.02.11 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill * ^
04.08.11 - Los Angeles, CA - Echo ^
04.09.11 - Claremont, CA - SCC Lawn (Pomona College)
04.21.11 - Northampton, MA - Flywheel
04.22.11 - Boston, MA - O’Brien’s %
04.23.11 - New York City, NY - Glasslands Gallery * ^ #
04.24.11 - Brooklyn, NY - Death By Audio @ !
04.25.11 - Philadelphia, PA - The Ox @
04.26.11 - New Brunswick, NJ - The Loft
04.26.11 - New Haven, CT - BAR @
04.28.11 - Providence, RI - Building 16 @
04.29.11 - Portland, ME - Aphoadion @
04.30.11 - Belfast, ME - Free Range Music Festival
* Shannon and the Clams
^ Hunx and His Punx
% Doomstar
# K-Holes
@ Broken Water
! Tara Jean O’Neil
• Grass Widow: http://wizardmountain.org/grasswidow
• Kill Rock Stars: http://www.killrockstars.com
