Why do birds suddenly appear, every time Swervedriver and Interpol are near?
By Liz Louche on Jul 21 2008
Romance, she is a beautiful thing. The catch in your throat, the scent of fresh-cut flowers, the sigh in the air when that special person brushes past you in a crowded room. They say penguins mate for life. According to a website I found, so do termites, barn owls, and gibbons. All these creatures, although at varying stages on the adorable-to-gross scale, embody the delight and wonder of loving partnership. But do any of them make kick-ass rock jams? Probably not. And for that we must turn to one of America's most recent creative alliances, that between members of Interpol and Swervedriver.
Divided, they are Interpol's Sam Fogarino, Adam Franklin of Swervedriver, and Toshack Highway. Together they are -- Magnetic Morning. Introduced by a mutual music journalist pal, the two plan on heading to Athens, GA to record a full-length debut this August. Earlier this spring, Magnetic Morning released a self-titled EP of five dream-pop tracks on DH Records. This project marks a change in Interpol drummer Fogarino's musical trajectory. He describes how he doesn't "contribute all that much to the melodic side of Interpol, only in the ways it's colored, treated, and effected. But in Magnetic Morning, I'm usually the one to bring forth a chord progression, or a melody that Adam will add to, musically, lyrically, and vocally."
The intrepid duo will be hitting the road this autumn, with more dates in the works.
Fall Festival Fans: Mark Your Calendars for Fun Fun Fun Fest in November!
By Andy H3ss on Jul 21 2008
Fun Fun Fun Fest, presumably the funnest fest in Texas, has begun announcing its initial lineup, with a few artists starting with D (I really hope they're not doing this alphabetically). While it's the fourth letter in the alphabet, these artists are decidedly first-rate: Dan "Spiderman of The Rings" Deacon, Deerhoof, and punk legends The Dead Milkmen.
A few rumored acts are also starting to show up on blogs around the web. Pollstar has Interpol drummer Sam Fogarino and Swervedriver's Adam Franklin making an appearance as Magnetic Morning, and Trail of Dead's Jason Reece has said a few words about the festival. Keep an eye on FFFFest's official website and MySpace for more confirmations.
FFFFest will make its third appearance November 8-9 in downtown Austin's Waterloo Park. And if last year's lineup has shown us anything, it's that one of the best spots in town is not in Zilker Park. Sure beats paying $150+. See you in November.
Chris Schlarb to Perform Twilight and Ghost Stories in Its Entirety in San Francisco and Austin
By Mr P on Jul 18 2008
Chris Schlarb is one active guy. Not only is he the head of Sounds Are Active and executive producer of the recent 40 Bands 80 Minutes! DVD, but he's also released music under the name Xn, plays guitar/drums in I Heart Lung, and is a founding member of Create (!), a free-jazz outfit from Long Beach, CA.
Late last year, Asthmatic Kitty also released Schlarb's first album under his own name, titled Twilight and Ghost Stories (TMT Review). Our own P Funk ended his review with what seems to succinctly capture the feeling one might get after hearing the album: "In a world that allows the paranoid, antisocial, and self-obsessed to abuse art as a forum for vapid 'self-expression,' Twilight and Ghost Stories is not a Statement, but a gift." Needless to say, I was sold. Twilight and Ghost Stories is a tremendous album and certainly one of the more notable Eureka! releases of recent memory.
This weekend, Schlarb will be performing the entire album with a vast array of artists, including Subtle's Alex Cort and Ellul's Joel Brown-Tarman, at the Hemlock Tavern in San Francisco, CA. Schlarb will then head to Austin, TX later this month for two more Twilight and Ghost Stories events with a new batch of collaborators, including members of The Weird Weeds (TMT Review) and
* free rehearsal, open to the public
Best Buy To Sell Albums by Local and Unsigned Artists; The Laughter of a Child Still The “Best Buy” Of All
By Mike McHugh on Jul 18 2008
Having just announced its experimental foray into selling vinyl again (TMT News), electronics retail giant and owner of the largest private geek army in the world Best Buy has announced plans to stock CDs by local and unsigned bands. Playing a nice foil to Wal-Mart’s strategy of not carrying any album without an American flag or Steve Perry on the cover, Best Buy has partnered with RegionalCD.net to inject local flavor into select franchises.
According to CMJ, bands are judged on their Internet exposure via MySpace and Facebook, as well as their local followings and live performances. Artists will be paid a cut for each CD they sell, starting off with “light orders at select stores — instead of costly overstocking — and let demand dictate the proper inventory levels for each location,” says Best Buy.
Whether Best Buy’s intention is to find the next Vampire Weekend, move in on the independent record stores, or simply to please the local bar band crowd with heaps of CDs from the winner of Senor Frog’s Summer Band Battle Bone-anza remains to be seen. Either way, it’s always interesting and frightening when the big boys dip their toes in the indie pool.
Take the plunge here, if you dream of being shelf-mates with Carrie Underwood.
