RIP: Snooks Eaglin, R&B guitarist

By Shane Mack on

From NPR:

Soul, blues and R&B guitarist Snooks Eaglin died of a heart attack Wednesday in his hometown of New Orleans. He was 72.

In the 1950s, Eaglin was a one-man band on the streets of New Orleans. That's where folklorist Harry Oster saw him and asked him to record the album of acoustic blues that would become New Orleans Street Singer. But it wouldn't be long before Eaglin had a band to make the music he really loved: electric R&B.

Blind from birth, Eaglin learned how to play by listening to the radio. He created mesmerizing rhythm and lead tracks from a unique playing style that utilized his thumbnail.

- Snooks Eaglin Wikipedia entry

The Life Of Dee Dee Ramone Documented in Lech Kowalski’s History On My Arms DVD

By Shelley Su on 02-23-2009

Subsequent to Dee Dee Ramone's death in 2002, filmster Lech Kowalski released Hey Is Dee Dee Home, a documentary about the Ramones bassist, one of the founding fathers of punk rock. On March 10, History On My Arms will be released as a two-disc set, and it includes the lengthier Hey Is Dee Dee Home feature as well as additional short films, History On My Arms (the release's namesake) and Vom In Paris.

Much of the footage for Hey Is Dee Dee Home was taken in 1992 when Dee Dee contributed to Kowalski's Johnny Thunders film, Born To Lose: The Last Rock And Roll Movie. Dee Dee's contribution: candid interviews chronicling moments in rock ‘n’ roll history, all about the ’70s punk rock scene, past girlfriends, Johnny Thunders, tattoos, drugs, irreverence and mischief. From what I gather, Vom In Paris and History On My Arms offer more stories and more mischief.

Finally, the DVD comes bundled with Dee Dee Blues, a CD of remastered guitar recordings. A special treat, indeed!

The Handsome Family Is Releasing a New Album and Will Be Touring. Honestly? That’s Fantastic! Paul McCartney’s New Firemen Album Is Called Electric Arguments. Seriously? That’s Terrible.

By David Nadelle on 02-23-2009

For 15 years now, The Handsome Family's Brett and Rennie Sparks have perfected the functional family dynamic model, making music side-by-side in commingled bliss. They’re the ideal, what the rest of us strive to achieve with our actual bloodline families, or with our music website news families, but ultimately fail to emulate. It is not always easy to stand up to your dad when he grills you about homework, where you left the car, where you lefts your pants, etc. Likewise, it is never easy to put up with “Dad the TMT Editor” when he constantly assigns you endless Interpol news stories, even after you have insisted how much you can’t stand the sight of those talent-less dinkuses -- and, I mean, c’mon, why am I still getting snookered with these hand-me-down scraps of stories when I not only cleaned and polished your beloved 1989 Dodge Shadow last week (inside and out!), but also offered to spiff up your own undercarriage too. You didn’t have to meet my offer with a blank stare and barely-restrained rage! Okay, okay, I won’t explode when I can quietly seethe, bottle up my emotions, and work out some demons as I write a curt complaint via the dysfunctional family letter generator. I won’t waste space here with my results, but let’s just say that the phrases “beastly dark matter,” “pooh-pooh head,” and “bravely dislodged the toothpaste cap from the toilet bowl” were peppered throughout!

Ah, feels good to get that out. Who knows, maybe The Handsome Family have these types of unwarranted venting shitstorms from time to time too, although I doubt it. I’m guessing they are too mature to let little things like imaginary tiffs about covering wildly overrated NYC acts on TMT or about who ate the last Rolo get to them. Besides, who has time to argue when there are new musical ventures to seek out and new people for whom to play. First up, on April 14 we will see the release of the new Handsome Family album, entitled Honey Moon. Released by Carrot Top, Honey Moon is a change of record for the family Sparks in that it is an unabashed album about love, sans the usual dark detours the duo tend to explore. Also, the album decidedly takes in a greater variety of styles than we are used to: “tin-pan alley songs, country songs, r&b songs, a bluegrass song, pop songs, jazz songs, and even rock ballads,” states Brett. So, basically everything but grime polka, and two-step thrash then? Behold... titles!

1. Linger, Let Me Linger
2. Little Sparrows
3. My Friend
4. When You Whispered
5. The Loneliness of Magnets
6. Junebugs
7. A Thousand Diamond Rings
8. Love Is Like
9. The Petrified Forest
10. Wild Wood
11. Darling, My Darling
12. The Winding Corn Maze

Rennie and Brett will pump out the Honey jams on the road too, when they play a number of North American shows before jetting off to the UK for some more. Additionally, like every red-blooded musical act in the world, The Handsomes will certainly be in Austin for the annual SXSW festivities in March, but the date is yet to be confirmed. These, however, are:
04.16.09 - Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar
04.17.09 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
04.18.09 - Chicago, IL - Schubas
04.19.09 - Chicago, IL - Schubas
04.21.09 - Toronto, Ontario - El Mocambo
04.22.09 - Wakefield, Quebec - Black Sheep Inn
04.24.09 - Cambridge, MA - Lizard Lounge
04.25.09 - New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
04.26.09 - Arlington, VA - Iota
05.14.09 - Brighton, England - The Great Escape, Mojo Night
05.15.09 - Leeds, England - Brudenell Club
05.16.09 - Farndale, England - The Band Room
05.17.09 - Glasgow, Scotland - The Tron Theatre, Americana Festival
05.18.09 - Sheffield, England - Memorial Hall
05.19.09 - Manchester, England - The Ruby Lounge
05.20.09 - Gateshead, England - The Sage
05.21.09 - London, England - Islington Academy
05.23.09 - Bedford, England - The Ent Shed
05.25.09 - Birmingham, England - The Glee Club
05.26.09 - Cardiff, Wales - St. Davids
05.27.09 - Swansea, England - The Garage
05.28.09 - Bath, England - Spiegel Tent
05.29.09 - Bexhill, England - De La Warr Pavilion
05.30.09 - Reading, England - South Street
05.31.09 - Exeter, England - Arts Centre

Mario Speedwagon’s Under The Radar News Roundup: MF Doom Pulls A Diddy, Mono Release Fifth Studio Album, Nada Surf Reissue LPs On Vinyl, Vetiver Tour For New LP

By Mario Speedwagon on 02-20-2009

Happy Friday, everyone! So, I got tagged in one of those Facebook “Notes” where you make some sort of list or fuck with your iTunes and then tag another 25 people, etc. Anyway, this one was kinda hilarious. It was a three-step process involving Wikipedia, Quotations Page, and Flickr to find your band name, album name, and album cover. Mine was…

Dude, I love SHARK WEEK! Anyway, on to the roundup...

- So, MF Doom is now just DOOM. Whatever. His album BORN LIKE THIS (previously titled Born Into This) comes out March 24. Look for it on Lex Records.

- Mono are dropping their fifth album, Hymn To The Immortal Wind, March 24 via Temporary Residence Limited. You can catch them May 8 at The Society For Ethical Culture in New York performing with the Wordless Music Orchestra. Far out.

- On April 14, Nada Surf are reissuing three of their studio albums -- The Proximity Effect, Let Go, and The Weight Is A Gift -- on vinyl. These albums have been individually out of print for a while now, but were available in the fall as a box set (which is now sold-out) with High/Low and their latest, Lucky. It was a pretty heavy box set. Oh, and if you happen to live in New York, you can catch them at the Bell House on April 15.

- Vetiver are hitting the road in support of their first full-length album, Tight Knit (TMT Review). They're currently in Europe, but by the beginning of March, they’ll kick things off in Philadelphia with Sian Alice. Their tour continues until mid-April and includes dates with Larkin Grimm and Richard Swift.

L8R.

King Khan and The Shrines Tour the Warm States; Originally EU-Only Album Reissued by Vice Records

By Liz Louche on 02-20-2009

Finally! King Khan and the Shrines, the garage rock band everyone can agree on -- from your kid sister to that co-worker who you think might be cool, but can't really tell -- is getting the ol' reissue treatment for their (presumably) bitchin' 2007 album What Is?!. Originally released on the German label Hazlewood and previously unavailable in the United States, our friends at Vice have given the album a "do" and will be releasing the new domestic version April 21.

But that's not all! King Khan and the Shrines will also be the honorary guest judges at Pollywog, Alabama's annual All-You-Can-Eat pie contest! Winners get their names inscribed on the town's bronze tadpole statue and get a $500 gift certificate to Baker's Square, where legions of old ladies drinking coffee after church will idolize them and pinch their cheeks. DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT AT ALL TRUE I MADE IT UP TO ADD MORE CONTENT TO THIS STORY. What is true is that King Khan and his crew of merry garage rockers will be touring throughout the southern states, with a final stop at the Vice Records SXSW showcase.

What Is?! tracklisting

1. (How Can I Keep You) Outta Harms Way
2. I Wanna Be A Girl
3. Welfare Bread
4. Land of the Freak
5. I See Lights
6. 69 Faces of Love
7. No Regrets
8. Cosmic Serenade
9. Le Fils Du Jaques Dutronc
10. Let Me Holler
11. In Your Grave
12. Take A Little Bit
13. Fear & Love
14. The Ballad Of Lady Godiva
03.06.09 - Elkton, FL - Harvest of Hope
03.07.09 - Miami, FL - The Vagabond
03.10.09 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
03.12.09 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
03.13.09 - Nashville, TN - Exit In
03.14.09 - Memphis, TN - Hi-Tone Cafe
03.15.09 - New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks
03.16.09 - Dallas, TX - Palladium Loft
03.17.09 - San Antonio, TX - The Warhol
03.20.09 - Austin, TX - Emo's Vice Records SXSW Showcase to Shame all Other Showcases

Superchunk Blowin’ Some Chunks for the First Time in Eight Years, EP Due in April

By Couscous on 02-20-2009

Here's to slacking, motherfuckers. Legendary indie rock band Superchunk, who we last heard from in the studio in 2001 with Here's to Shutting Up!, have announced plans to release a new EP entitled Leaves in the Gutter to coincide with their upcoming performance at Coachella. The release is a way to "clear the decks" of nearly a decade of gestating material in order to prep an upcoming full-length album, says singer Mac McCaughan.

"A couple of (the songs) I really like, but they already feel like they're from another era and wouldn't fit on a new album anyway," he says, "and the newer ones are from the new era but we've recorded them and they sound good so here they are."

Wow, eight years. Really guys? Nothing doing for the entire Bush Administration? Not a single obligatory post-9/11 song or anti-war ballad? Okay, okay -- we'll take what we can get. Leaves in the Gutter comes out April 7; Superchunk play Coachella April 18.

Leaves in the Gutter tracklisting:

1. Learned to Surf
2. Misfits & Mistakes
3. Screw It Up
4. Knock Knock Knock
5. Learned to Surf (acoustic demo)

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