RIAA Cuts Employees, Internet Dies Laughing Smugly

By Mike McHugh on

Remember in Robert Zemeckis’ 1988 classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit? when Bob Hoskins performs such a sidesplitting slapstick routine that it leads to the deaths of five animated weasels? You do? Awesome! Now, as long as your imagination has got that scene queued up, replace Bob Hoskins with roughly 30 (possibly 100+) soon-to-be jobless RIAA employees, and swap the weasels’ hysterical laughter with a holier-than-thou yet distinctively insecure cackle and turn their zoot suits into “Chocolate Rain” t-shirts. Congratulations! You now have a reasonably accurate visual representation of the internet’s capacity for sensitivity and compassion, except in this scenario the weasels don’t die, they just keep laughing and laughing and £4µ9h1n9 forevermore.

Now I could be wrong, but I suspect that not every RIAA staffer has a curly mustache, a few yards of rope, and easy access to railroad tracks. Even though these layoffs will cut a swath through some anti-piracy units, I imagine most of the jerkoffs who make all the jerkoff decisions will stay put in their high positions. There have yet to be any specifics about what types of jobs are being cut, but maybe, just maybe, the RIAA’s heart grew three sizes bigger and they’re downsizing every key member of their anti-piracy staff. But back here in reality, it’s more likely they’re ditching secretaries and bean counters who don’t have much say in the organization’s policy.

So, quit laughing when people lose their livelihood, internet, because once this economy kicks you in the beanbag, I doubt that Karma is gonna reward you with that job in Doritos’ quality assurance department you’ve always dreamed of.

Jai Ho! Dirty Projectors’ Bitte Orca Set for Release in June, Which May or May Not Be A Concept Album About a Mermaid Triumphing in the Face of Adversity

By Mango Starr on 02-27-2009

On June 9, Domino (in conjunction with Domino the rapper) will release Bitte Orca, Dirty Projectors' fifth LP and follow-up to 2007's life-altering-because -- really -- everything-alters-your-life-whether-you-know-it-or-not Rise Above (TMT Review). The album will be preceeded by a single, "Stillness Is the Move," which will include B-sides and a Lucky Dragons remix.

Meanwhile, Dirty Projectors have added two new touring members, bassist Nat Baldwin (TMT Review) and vocalist Haley Dekle, according to P4K. They'll play some scattered U.S. dates starting today that will take them to SXSW and then ultimately to England. While they're in London, Bang on a Can will debut a work by head DP member Dave Longstreth at New York's Kaufman Center.

Meanwhile, another album is already in the bag, according to Billboard. We expect details shortly. Jai ho, indeed!

Bitte Orca tracklist:

1. Cannibal Resource
2. Temecula Sunrise
3. The Bride
4. Stillness Is the Move
5. Two Doves
6. Useful Chamber
7. No Intention
8. Remade Horizon
9. Fluorescent Half Dome
02.27.09 - Bennington, VT - Bennington College Student Center *
02.28.09 - Haverford, PA - Lunt Basement
03.06.09 - Minneapolis, MN - Walker Art Center
03.07.09 - Grinnell, IA - Grinnell College Gardner Lounge
03.19.09 - Austin, TX - The Parish - SXSW NPR
03.19.09 - Austin, TX - Emo's Annex - SXSW Windish showcase
03.20.09 - Austin, TX - Emo's Jr. - SXSW Pitchfork/Windish bash
03.21.09 - Austin, TX - SXSW
03.24.09 - Nottingham, England - Rescue Rooms @
03.25.09 - Cardiff, Wales - Clwb Ifor Bach @
03.27.09 - Belfast, Ireland - Black Box @
03.28.09 - Dublin, Ireland - Crawdaddy @
03.29.09 - Glasgow, Scotland - ABC2 @
03.31.09 - Brighton, England - Komedia @
04.01.09 - Manchester, England - Mint Lounge @
04.02.09 - London, England - Scala @
04.03.09 - Bristol, England - Arnolfini @
04.04.09 - Coventry, England - Taylor Johns House @

* Icy Demons

@ Lucky Dragons, Polar Bear

Latest Jagjaguwar Signing Dinosaur Jr. Embark on Spring Tour, Give You Free Stuff

By Liz Louche on 02-27-2009

I saw Dinosaur Jr. once a few years back. It was very exciting, because I got to leave work early to see one of my favorite bands. Plus, while it was a really hot day, the club had some serious air-conditioning, which I didn't have at my apartment. But then drinks were like $6, and I was like, "noooo waaay," so I just shared a glass of water with my date for the show, who I'm sure was duly impressed by my, um, frugality. And now, with this extensive new Dinosaur Jr. tour schedule, a similarly fascinating and remarkable experience could be yours! Really, I mean it! Every bit as interesting!

The band recently signed on to Jagjaguwar, and a new album is in the works. Hence, this tour. Everyone who buys a ticket gets either a limited 7-inch or a digital download of a new track called "I Don't Want To Go There" (B-side: a reworked version of You're Living All Over Me's "Tarpit"), recorded during a Pitchfork.tv feature. No release dates on that promised album yet, but attendees at any of the following shows should get a healthy dose of new material

03.20.09 - Austin, TX - Cedar St. Courtyard
04.01.09 - Milford, CT - Daniel Street
04.02.09 - Providence, RI - Club Hell
04.03.09 - Portland, ME - The Station
04.04.09 - South Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
04.06.09 - Buffalo, NY - The Town Ballroom
04.07.09 - State College, PA- Lulu's
04.08.09 - Akron, OH - Musica
04.09.09 - East Lansing, MI - The Small Planet
04.10.09 - Bloomington, IN - Bluebird Nightclub
04.11.09 - Dekalb, IL - Otto's Nightclub
04.13.09 - Chattanooga, TN - Rhythm and Brews
04.14.09 - Memphis, TN - Minglewood Hall
04.15.09 - Baton Rouge, LA - The Varsity Theatre
04.16.09 - Little Rock, AR - Revolution Music Room
04.17.09 - Fayetteville, AR - George's Majestic Lounge
04.18.09 - Oxford, MS - Proud Larry's
04.20.09 - Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club
04.21.09 - Sky City - Augusta, GA
04.22.09 - Gainesville, FL - Common Grounds
04.23.09 - Tallahassee, FL - The Moon
04.24.09 - Jacksonville Beach, FL - Freebird Live
04.25.09 - Charleston, SC - The Music Farm
04.26.09 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
04.27.09 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
04.29.09 - Charlotte, NC - Neighborhood Theatre
04.30.09 - Richmond, VA - Toad's Place Richmond
05.01.09 - Lancaster, PA - Chameleon Club
05.02.09 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar

Mexican Summer Release Schedule: Valet, Kurt Vile, Little Girls, Wooden Shjips, and Bobby BeauSoleil

By Kat Gardiner on 02-26-2009

The sparkling fresh, sixth-month-old record label Mexican Summer has announced its spring release schedule. Valet will release False Face Society; Kurt Vile of The War On Drugs has gone all solo with God Is Saying This To You; Little Girls are giving you Thrills; Wooden Shjips are releasing one called Contact; and Bobby BeauSoleil & The Orkustra will release a definitive compilation of almost all of their recordings. Five albums in the span of a few months from a brand spankin' new label? All I can say is whoa!

Okay, so Mexican Summer is loosely, ambiguously, kind of covertly connected to Kemado Records, but get this: all the releases are printed in limited editions of high-quality LPs (all the spring releases are in batches of 500) -- some colored, some pictured -- and are later sold as MP3s exclusively online through their site. They even offer subscriptions for those of you who don't want to chance it.

The label's short discography is already riddled with gems, including releases by Dungen, Tallest Man on Earth, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffitti, and Black Moth Super Rainbow. Killer business model, no? I so wish I did it first.

So, you get me? Get what I'm saying here? If not, here it is: Hot Damn! Mexican Summer's got it right!

The Entrance Band Sign to Ecstatic Peace!; Thurston Moore Says They Are the “Soundtrack for the New Groove”

By Jon Lorenz on 02-26-2009

Ever since Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace! inked a deal with Universal, it's experienced some major changes. Seems like now it is signing either ultra-hippie bands like MV & EE that maybe my dad would like or cute, young "punky" bands like Be Your Own Pet that maybe my younger sister would like. Meanwhile, the noisier jams are kept in the background. Ecstatic Peace! still releases limited-edition cassettes and LPs of some of the more wild sounds being made, but most of this isn't exactly part of the label's roster.

Ecstatic Peace's latest signing is The Entrance Band. Comprised of singer/guitarist Guy Blakeslee, drummer Derek James, and bassist Paz Lenchantin (Zwan, A Perfect Circle), The Entrance Band are currently at Infrasonic Sound Recording (Los Angeles) working on their Ecstatic debut album, the follow-up to 2006’s Prayer of Death.

According to Infrasonic’s Jeff Ehrenberg: “Tracking the band altogether in the live room, just as they would perform on stage, is really capturing their overall energy very well. Guy, Derek and Paz are locking together and playing off each other way tight.” Meanwhile, 50-year-old Thurston Moore says, "The Entrance Band's new music is the most alluring and, yes, entrancing vibe I've yet to experience in this new age. A soundtrack for the new groove."

The record is due later this year, with live dates expected before its release.

No Age Keep Adding Dates. Really, The Boys Just Want An Excuse To Go On A Road Trip.

By Scott Lauer on 02-26-2009

Okay, there isn't a whole lot of news here, so those of you who don’t like to read thick slabs of text, time to get excited! No Age begin a tour this Saturday that'll take them through SXSW, with April dates slowly trickling in too. Dates have been added here and there over the past couple weeks, so keep an eye on their MySpace for more dates. Meanwhile, if for some reason you still haven’t heard Nouns (TMT Review), do yourself a favor and amend this error. Just remember there are no small stories, only small music writers -- or something like that.
02.28.09 - Santa Barbara, CA - Velvet Jones
03.01.09 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
03.06.09 - Mexico City - Lunario
03.07.09 - Guadalajara, JAL - Teatro Estudio Cavaret
03.10.09 - Phoenix, AZ - Modified
03.12.09 - Flagstaff, AZ - Tacos Locos
03.14.09 - Albuquerque, NM - 1Kind Studios
03.16.09 - Lubbock, TX - Bash Riprocks
03.19.09 - Austin, TX - Radio Room
04.02.09 - Wellesley, MA - TBA
04.03.09 - Saratoga Spring, NY - TBA
04.04.09 - Iowa City, IA - The Picador
04.17.09 - Indio, CA - Coachella
05.15.09 - Portland, OR - Worksound
05.16.09 - Eugene, OR - TBA

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