Boomslang 2012 promises to slang more booms than ever before, with help from Jeff Magnum, 0PN, Deerhoof
By Ryan A. Detwiler on Aug 3 2012
Naming an indie rock music festival that takes place in Lexington, Kentucky after a sub-Saharan Africa-dwelling tree snake may seem like an odd thing to do, but the good people at Boomslang know what they’re up to, so stop trying to figure it out and just enjoy this year’s stellar lineup.
Headliners for the 2012 festival, known to festival goers as “Boom Slangers,” are The Jesus and Mary Chain and Jeff Magnum, with Das Racist, Saint Vitus (Saint Vincent’s weird cousin), Baroness, Deerhoof, and Cloud Nothings rounding out the top billings. I know I could slang a boom to that roster of acts all on their own, but there’s so much more! The festival’s full lineup includes a whole nest of other bands and artists worth checking out (including TMT favorites Oneohtrix Point Never and The Music Tapes), and with art, film, literature, and queer-themed events scheduled as part of the larger cultural digest of Lexington, a $70 festival pass is quite a steal.
The festival is presented by WRFL 88.1 FM, and will take place September 20-23 across a host of venues in the horse capital of the world, so watch your step.
• Boomslang 2012: http://boomslangfest.com
Stephen Colbert announces “StePhest Colbchella ‘012: RocktAugustFest,” which is either another music fest that he’s hosting or one of the less-memorable passages from Finnegans Wake
By Nobodaddy on Aug 3 2012
Take heed, Comedy Central-watching hippies! In the ultimate demonstration of his staunch political conservatism, Stephen Colbert has decided to hunt down some of the most liberal minds in independent rock and (possibly) blow them up with a bunch of missiles. As Billboard reports, the pundit recently took some time out from eating another bald eagle egg omelet to announce "StePhest Colbchella '012: RocktAugustFest," a fiendish plan (disguised as a hipper than hip concert event) that he plans to execute on August 10 aboard New York's Intrepid Sea Air and Space Museum. Viewers may recall that, last year, this madman went on a similar murderous conquest with "StePhest Colbchella `011: Rock You Like a Thirst-Icane." All of the artists corralled into that one must have ended up dead, because I can't remember (and can't be bothered to look up) a single one of them; but I do know that this year’s list is pretty top of the mark: Flaming Lips, Santigold, Grandmaster Flash, Grizzly Bear, and fun. I’d like to see even Wayne Coyne charm his way out of this one!
The performances/bloodbaths and Colbert’s interviews with/interrogations of each act will subsequently air on The Report during the week of August 13, sadistically subjecting any jobless losers haplessly watching Comedy Central at the time to the shock-and-awe execution of some possible musical heroes. And while there’s certainly nothing we can do to stop him from carrying out his nefarious plan at this point, we at TMT want to suggest that you pop in some ALF DVDs or something next week instead, just to spare yourself the pain.
• The Colbert Report: http://www.colbertnation.com
Amazon makes strides in matching Apple’s services in cloud-based storage… Wars, coming to TLC this fall
By Ryan A. Detwiler on Aug 2 2012
How do you store your music in this, the digital age? Jewel cases and cardboard sleeves still seem like the best way to go, but if you’re into newfangled technology, you may be considering putting all of your precious auditory assets into ‘the cloud.’ Also known as virtual locker services, big-name tech companies like Google, Apple, and Amazon offer these off-site storage spaces with varying features and price points.
As of Tuesday, the NY Times Media Decoder reports that Amazon’s Cloud Player just got a little more accessible, as they’ve finally brokered deals with all of the major labels. What this does is allow users to ‘match’ their music to Amazon’s library, removing the manual process of uploading individual tracks, a big breakthrough in usability. Apple’s similar iTunes Match has been in place since they started offering their iCloud service, so this new feature finally puts Amazon’s service on a level playing field, at least from a features standpoint.
If you’re thinking of making the switch from Apple to Amazon, though, beware that any of your iTunes purchases that pre-date 2009 will probably not be accepted, due to the DRM copy protection that Apple included on all of its music sales back in the day. Even though Amazon’s Cloud Player allows you to match songs at 256 kbps, even when your files aren’t that fancy, and though the price point of $24.99 for 250,000 songs (free for accounts under 250 songs) is overall a better deal compared to iTunes’ limit of 25,000 songs outside of what you’ve purchased from iTunes for the same price, the no-DRM file issue will be a big barrier for many to jump ship. Though, how many people in 2012 who are into Apple are really considering abandoning their favorite corporate entity?
If you enjoy spending hours changing out individual discs to digitize your collection followed by waiting for files to upload one at a time, then Google Play’s lack of matching, due to their ongoing playground fight with the labels over what they see as Google’s lack of proper policing of online file sharing, is the cloud service for you. The only big-name locker service that is not beholden to the major labels, you’ll actually be uploading and storing your own files, and not ‘matched’ copies of them, with Play.
Whichever cloud you decide to hop on, you’re bound to find yourself frustrated with some aspect of the process, whether it’s the interminable delays of uploading, or the realization that you really aren’t free to do with your music what you choose. Happy storing!
• Amazon Cloud: http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=2658409011
• Apple iCloud: http://www.apple.com/icloud
• Google Play: https://play.google.com
Silversun Pickups announce fall tour, break downand admit that they’ve really been bigger Afghan Whigs fans this whole time
By E. Nagurney on Aug 2 2012
Oh mighty Corgan, take our sacrifice. Today’s offering is from your acolytes Silversun Pickups. In this cup is a tear from each of the band’s members, as well as intertwined strands of hair preserved from their teenage years. Please accept this offering, our lord Corgan.
Oh no, this is not good. I am getting a message from our master. He senses dishonesty in your offering. He says… that you prefer The Afghan Whigs to The Smashing Pumpkins? Is this true? Look into my eyes, Silversun Pickups! Oh, Silversun Pickups. Why are you even here? You have enraged our lord.
Be gone! Take your recent album Neck of the Woods with ye! While you’re at it, go on tour this fall! Go on tour in the West Coast, go to tour in the Midwest, even go on tour to New Orleans to play at The Voodoo Music Festival. Also, go play a show with 3OH!3 and make people reading the popular musical news site Tiny Mix Tapes read that name for the first time. Really, 3OH!3?
Silversun Pickups dates:
08.08.12 - Kansas City, MO - Berkley Riverfront Park
09.01.12 - Calgary, AB - Xfest
09.02.12 - Edmonton, AB - Sonic Boom
09.04.12 - Vancouver, BC - Malkin Bowl %
09.06.12 - Redmond, WA - Marymoor Amphitheater %
09.07.12 - Eugene, OR - Cuthbert Amphitheater %
09.09.12 - Portland, OR - Pioneer Courthouse Square
09.10.12 - Davis, CA - Mondavi Center %
09.12.12 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater %
09.13.12 - Santa Monica, CA - Santa Monica Civic Auditorium %
09.16.12 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheater ^
09.17.12 - Papilion, NE - Sumtur Amphitheatre %
09.18.12 - Des Moines, IA - Hoyt Sherman Place %
09.20.12 - Minneapolis, MN - State Theatre %
09.21.12 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom %
10.26-28.12 - New Orleans, LA - Voodoo Music Experience
% School of Seven Bells, Atlas Genius
^ 3OH!3, The Hives, The Wombats
• Silversun Pickups: http://silversunpickups.com
• Dangerbird: http://dangerbirdrecords.com
[Photo: Eric Uhlir]
Björk and David Attenborough team up for world’s most exciting music documentary (narration)
By Liz Louche on Aug 2 2012
King of natural history documentaries David Attenborough has teamed up with alien high priestess Björk to create a totally unoriginal boring ol’ music documentary. Just kidding! Obviously I am just kidding. This thing is gonna have more pixie dust, magic, and heart-string-plucking ethereal strains than a powdered sugar donut made by coke-addled Keebler elves at an all night rave inside an elephant-shaped topiary bush at Disneyland. JUST IMAGINE. And the best thing is that UK residents can just catch Attenborough and Björk: The Nature of Music on broadcaster Channel 4 like it’s just some ordinary old episode of Gossip Girl. (Although no air dates have been announced just yet.)
The Nature of Music features Björk and Attenborough getting into the Big Questions, like why and how music evolved. The dynamic duo delve into humankind’s relationship to hot jams, and how technology could play into our future enjoyment of music. Integral to the documentary is Björk’s recent release, Biophilia (TMT Review), which celebrates the intersection of music/technology/nature. (Fun fact: Attenborough provided the narration on Biophilia’s multimedia apps.) So viewers will get to bask in the thrilling strains of Björk tunes whilst the Icelandic legend and Mr. Attenborough break it down for y’all over footage of reed warblers, lyre birds, and blue whales. It’s like attending a really awesome college, sans the binge drinking, plus a bunch of birds and a couple of legends.
• Björk: http://bjork.com
• David Attenborough: http://www.davidattenborough.co.uk
• Channel 4: http://www.channel4.com
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