Har Mar Superstar Announces New LP, Featuring Guest Spots from Andrew WK, Boom Bip, Adam Green
By E. Nagurney on 08-05-2009
The long wait is over! Har Mar Superstar is finally releasing a new record! The seemingly endless drought of Casio-driven sex jams sung by an overweight, balding man with a nasally voice has finally ended!
Okay, so I don’t know who out there has actually been fiending for a new Har Mar Superstar record, but their day in the sun is here. Actually, their real day in the sun is coming October 13, when Har Mar (a.k.a. Minneapolis’s Sean Tillman) drops his fourth record, Dark Touch, on Dilettante Records. This thing ought to be weird, too. First, check the list of collaborators: Andrew WK producer John Fields, Clark Baechle and Jacob Thiele of The Faint, ex-Moldy Peach Adam Green, Rhymesayers rapper P.O.S., Boom Bip of Neon Neon, some band called Flowers of Doom, and The O.C. actress Samaire Armstrong. Second, there is a song (“Tall Boy”) originally written for Britney Spears, along with another (“Girls Night”) written for The Cheetah Girls.
You know, I’ve really got nothing particularly against ol’ Har Mar Superstar, but really? He's the last person I expected to make a comeback. Apparently, Tillman’s been pretty busy since 2004’s The Handler. Along with Dark Touch, the guy’s appearing alongside Ellen Page and Arrested Development’s Alia Shawkat in the Drew Barrymore-directed Whip It and working on some movie scripts and sitcom pilots. Here’s hoping Tillman finds some time to tour, just so people can have this experience.
Phoenix Announce More U.S. Shows, Still Refuse to Play Phoenix, Arizona
By Annapocalypse on 08-05-2009
The other day, my boyfriend and I were having a discussion about how awesome Phoenix’s upcoming show in Chicago is going to be. During our conversation, he posed a question to me: have Phoenix ever actually played a show in Phoenix, Arizona? Determined to find out the answer, I consulted Google... to no avail. Next, I turned to Last.fm’s event page to much success. The answer is no, my friends, Phoenix (to my internet research knowledge) have never played a show in Arizona. And if my 10-minute long comprehensive search is somehow wrong, at the very least, they haven’t played Arizona in years. So what does this all mean? I think someone (*cough* Phoenix the band *cough*) is afraid of a little competition (cough Phoenix the city cough). Don’t worry guys, there’s enough room in The Grand Canyon state for you to play a show there every once in awhile.
Check out the Frenchmen on the road this fall in the following cities:
09.13.09 - Denver, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre (Monolith Festival)
09.16.09 - Los Angeles, CA - The Greek Theater &
09.17.09 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield
09.21.09 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown
09.22.09 - Minneapolis, MN - First Ave
09.23.09 - Chicago, IL - The Riviera Theatre
09.24.09 - Madison, WI - UW Madison Memorial Terrace
09.25.09 - New York, NY - Central Park Summerstage $
09.26.09 - New York, NY - Central Park Summerstage $
09.27.09 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
09.28.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
09.30.09 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
10.01.09 - New Orleans, LA - Tipitina’s
10.02.09 - Austin, TX - Zilker Park (Austin City Limits)
& Metric
$ Passion Pit
Jeffrey Lewis Tours with Akron/Family, Resists Adoption Attempts
By Heidi Vanderslice on 08-05-2009
A couple of months ago, I caught Jeffrey Lewis and the Junkyard opening for ultra-British talk-rockers Art Brut at the Mercury Lounge in New York, which struck me as unlikely, to say the least. This is a dude who sings in a nasal, simplistic, and subtly brilliant style to narrate his hand-drawn comic books, which he refers to as “low-budget Netflix.” It turns out Art Brut frontman Eddie Argos is quite the comic book enthusiast, so while this makes more sense, it also causes me to wonder what Jeffrey Lewis has in common with his other past tourmates. Do he and John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats both dig re-runs of Magnum, P.I.? Are he and Jarvis Cocker the only remaining fans of the Pet Rock? And now you’re telling me he’s touring with Akron/Family!? I need to know what brings these dudes together. It can’t just be mutual respect for each other’s music and record label agreements and booking companies... Oh, it can? Says you.
It’s a quick stint, but the bandana- and beard-wielding Akron/Family join Jeffrey Lewis and the Junkyard on the road in support of Lewis’ new album, Em Are I, his fifth full-length for Rough Trade. Perhaps he and Seth Olinsky will grow beards of solidarity together and solve my mystery.
Sorry, New York City:
09.10.09 - Baltimore, MD - Talking Head **
09.11.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's **
09.14.09 - Hudson, NY - Jason's Upstairs
09.15.09 - Williamsport, PA - Site: B
09.16.09 - Ithaca, NY - Castaways
09.17.09 - Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place
09.19.09 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
09.20.09 - Louisville, KY - 21C Museum Atrium Gallery
** Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard only
Men at Work Flute Refrain in Copyright Dispute
By Brom on 08-05-2009
This really is utterly ridiculous, but hilarious nonetheless!
Last year, Sydney-based Larrikin Music Publishing initiated compensation proceedings against the band Men at Work and their label EMI. Their claim is that the flute refrain from the Australian group’s 1980s hit "Down Under" was copied from the campfire anthem "Kookaburra." This particular song was originally written in the 1930s by Marion Sinclair, “a life-long supporter of the Girl Guide movement.” Larrikin argue that they represent "Kookaburra."
However, the defendants maintain that copyright resides with the Girl Guides Association of Victoria when Sinclair entered the song in a competition. Justice Peter Jacobson disagreed, nevertheless, when he told the court on July 30, "I do not consider that the words in the [contract Ms. Sinclair signed with the Girl Guides] are sufficient to disclose, on an objective consideration, an intention to effect an assignment of copyright." The outcome of the case will be decided at a later date in the Federal Court.
I guess the moral of the story is always keep a close tab on those silly piano lines, guitar riffs, and flute refrains you dreamt up at summer camp. You never know which illustrious bands are out there looking to plagiarize your work.
Radiohead Release New Song in Memory of Harry Patch, Entire Industry Reverts Back to Single Releases, Label Executives Scramble to Sign Harry Patch Tribute Bands
By Mr P on 08-05-2009
Can't pay what you want, but you can pay £1.00 for a brand new Radiohead song titled "Harry Patch (In Memory of)," a tribute to the former last living WWI veteran. Released today via the band's official website, the track was written by Thom E. Yorkshire after he heard a 2005 BBC Radio 4 interview with Patch. It was recorded coincidentally just a few weeks before Patch's death last month. Proceeds will go to the Royal British Legion. According to Yorke:
Recently the last remaining UK veteran of the 1st world war Harry Patch died at the age of 111.I had heard a very emotional interview with him a few years ago on the Today program on Radio4.
The way he talked about war had a profound effect on me.
It became the inspiration for a song that we happened to record a few weeks before his death.
It was done live in an abbey. The strings were arranged by Jonny.
I very much hope the song does justice to his memory as the last survivor.
It would be very easy for our generation to forget the true horror of war, without the likes of Harry to remind us.
I hope we do not forget.
As Harry himself said
"Irrespective of the uniforms we wore, we were all victims".
You can actually hear the entire track on BBC Today, including the original Patch interview that influenced Yorke to write the song. And check out the song's lyrics at Radiohead's official website.
[Photo: Jim Ross]
