MP3 of Les Savy Fav covering Superchunk from SCORE! 20 Years of Merge Records: THE COVERS!

SCORE! 20 Years of Merge Records: THE COVERS! will be in stores on April 7. All proceeds benefit charities handpicked by the SCORE! curators.

MP3: Les Savy Fav - Precision Auto (Superchunk cover) Download



Tracklist:
01 Quasi: "Beautiful Things" (3Ds cover)
02 Les Savy Fav: "Precision Auto" (Superchunk cover)
03 The Shins: "Plenty Is Never Enough" (Tenement Halls cover)
04 St. Vincent and the National: "Sleep All Summer" (Crooked Fingers cover)
05 Broken Social Scene: "Complications" (The Clean cover)
06 Ryan Adams: "Like a Fool" (Superchunk cover)
07 Bright Eyes: "Papa Was a Rodeo" (The Magnetic Fields cover)
08 Lavender Diamond: "New Ways of Living" (Destroyer cover)
09 The Apples in stereo: "King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 3" (Neutral Milk Hotel cover)
10 Laura Cantrell: "Cowboy on the Moon" (Lambchop cover)
11 Bill Callahan: "Santa Maria" (Versus cover)
12 Barbara Manning: "Through With People" (Portastatic cover)
13 The Mountain Goats: "Drug Life" (East River Pipe cover)
14 The New Pornographers: "Don't Destroy This Night" (The Rock*A*Teens cover)
15 Tracey Thorn and Jens Lekman: "Yeah! Oh, Yeah!" (The Magnetic Fields cover)
16 The Hive Dwellers: "My Noise" (Superchunk cover)
17 Ted Leo & the Pharmacists: "The Numbered Head" (Robert Pollard cover)
18 Okkervil River: "All You Little Suckers" (East River Pipe cover)
19 Death Cab for Cutie: "Kicked In" (Superchunk cover)
20 Times New Viking: "Neighborhood #1" (Arcade Fire cover)

Department of Eagles video No One Does It Like

Department of Eagles' "No One Does It Like You," produced by the Directors Bureau, directed by Patrick Daughters and Marcel Dzama, and featuring costumes and sets designed by Dzama.

Gorillaz Movie "BANANAZ" at Apple Soho tonight

If you're in NYC you should come out to the Soho Apple Store TONIGHT 6:30 PM, to see the film and a Q+A session with director Ceri Levy!

NIN & Jane's Addiction = NINJA Tour & Free MP3s

The NIN/JA 2009 tour site is now live at ninja2009.com and features a FREE download with exclusive, previously-unreleased music from Nine Inch Nails, Jane's Addiction, and Street Sweeper. You can also browse tour dates, photos, videos, and listen to streaming music. ninja2009.com.

Additionally, starting today you'll have the option to remix two Jane's Addiction tracks and one Street Sweeper track on remix.nin.com.

The NIN/JA 2009 tour with Nine Inch Nails, Jane's Addiction, and Street Sweeper begins May 8th in West Palm Beach, FL, and continues through North America this summer. NIN will then continue on with a series of dates across Europe and Asia during July and August. Watch the NIN tour page for updated on-sale information: http://tour.nin.com

Neil Young Johnny Magic Videos

Mr. Young filmed himself for the song ”Johnny Magic”. Our favorite is the Magic Sun version 2, which features his dog. Both were shot in his 1959 Lincoln Continental which he has converted to use alternative energy. His new album entitled Fork In The Road will be released on April 6, 2009.

ONE STEP BEYOND at American Museum of Natural History

From the outside, the museum appeared to be its usual self as I walked up to the entrance on a chilly Friday night amongst others in search of a good time. At this hour there were no tourists, there were no families, just young adults following the steady vibrations coming from around the corner and down below in the belly of the museum. Once past the horde of security checking IDs and directing people around, three large dinosaur skeletons are towering above me and this gives a bit of a jolt, because this was maybe the last thing I thought I’d see on a Friday night and I find myself digging for my camera and searching for my cell phone as I walk with my eyes up towards the ceiling at Dino’s head some fifty feet above me. Unfortunately it’s at this time that I realize the wine from back home was starting to fade.

After having my press credentials put in order the museum staff was good to direct me to where the thumping vibrations were coming from. Down a long sterile hall, with other scattered souls on the same path, we lumbered down this spiral path that lead further and further into Hades with this soundtrack of the techno beat getting louder and louder. All the while various scientific facts about our solar system are scattered about on the handrails and walls. With a peek over the side I half expected to see a dark void, but instead it was where all the party seekers from the entrance have been going. A few dozen people where all wondering around these scientific exhibit pieces, some dancing, while on the makeshift stage the DJs spun the records.

Having a gas at what I’m looking at, the clash of house music with a house of history, I make my way to the bar to find that the selection is pretty minimal and that there was in fact a separate line for drink tickets. So now I’m on line at a museum for drink tickets. I felt like calling my sister, a schoolteacher, for a few laughs, and yet there were lots of us one after the other walking up for the pricey orange tickets.

The beat the DJs played seemed like it went on forever with the typical one song that gets played again and again and with a crate full of different records somehow. How do these people do this? (I thought to myself). However the sound at one point seemed like it evolved from the standard techno/house fare into something like synthpop laced with a house kick. In other words the night was looking grim and so I had to find a way to entertain myself…and quickly.

From a look around the crowd in front of me it was a clientele of the well dressed, the chic, to the ‘girl, are you serious?’ people. I opted to walk around and get a feel for the room and nurse this tiny cup of merlot.

On the floor it was like any club you’ve ever been to in your life, but with the fear of a tour guide coming through with a group of sixth graders still seemed very real. My own fear and the overwhelming desire to escape to another part of the museum began to swell. Though the ever-present security staff seemed to pose a threat to this notion and so that plan was quickly aborted.

It was somewhere around this time where it felt like I turned around and all of a sudden Mapie had hit the stage. The duo played a loud aggressive set of hybrid hipster hip-hop that appeared to please the small crowd of female fans that congested the foot of the stage as they grooved to the tunes and waved their hands in the air. Still it wasn’t too difficult to work my way in for a better photo op as I carefully tried not to spill my second cup of merlot. The female MC had their full attention and kept people going with her competent rhymes laid over compositions maybe better suited to the underground than the masses.

The rest of the night was totally downhill.

Up next on the bill was Jon Hopkins, a British musician, with not one iota of originality in his sound. Quickly it’s not a matter of who he sounds like in the electronic genre, but really who doesn’t he sound like. It made for a very uninteresting time and I spent most of the set off to the side texting friends and revisiting the bar after another wait on the drink ticket line which just got longer and longer, but that was ok, because that meant there was less show to sit through.

Four Tet, would prove to be not much of an improvement. Although a bit more lively, it was still a guessing game of which Aphex Twin, Autechre or Squarepusher album this fellow British act had on when they were recording their own work. It wasn’t very long until I had my fill and simultaneously ran out of cash. So it was time to leave and I wasn’t the only one as I made my way back up the spiral path to street level to walk past a vision of the Jurassic period for the last time and then escape to the chill of a mid-march New York City night hoping for a reprieve in the fun department before dawn.


Jon Prusik

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart 3/13/09 Bell House Brooklyn

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
Friday at the Bell House in Brooklyn was an amazing night. From beginning to end the sold out crowd enjoyed three solid acts.

Opening duo Knight School jammed through a quick set of garage driven pop tunes. Although there weren't too many people at the show those that were there were quickly won over.

Moments later the second act -UK's Lets Wrestle played to a crowd that grew with each song. The band sounded purposely clumsy, this matched with their quirkiness made them a great act to watch-literally and figuratively (keep an eye on them in '09). Lyric lines like "drink till we vomit" are convincing rather than forced and the songs are perfect pop yet dirty. There is undoubtedly something enjoyable about this band's jangle punk sound and they have a chance of getting it in front of more ears at SXSW later this week. Watch the video below or click on the above link for examples.

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart seem to be on the verge of exploding. Their sound merges numerous 80's legends like Jesus and Mary Chain, Psychedelic Furs, Morrisey and Lush and their live show was like watching a band begin an upward trajectory. We were lucky to be there! If you get a chance you should check out all of these acts at one time or another.

Nick Greto

Let's Wrestle


Knight School

EELS Return with First New Album In 4 Years

EELS will release their first new album since 2005’s acclaimed double BLINKING LIGHTS AND OTHER REVELATIONS. The new album, HOMBRE LOBO, set for June 2nd, 2009 on Vagrant Records, features 12 new songs recorded in EELS leader Mark Oliver Everett, aka E’s studio in Los Angeles.

Track Listing:
01. Prizefighter
02. That Look You Give That Guy
03. Lilac Breeze
04. In My Dreams
05. Tremendous Dynamite
06. The Longing
07. Fresh Blood
08. What’s a Fella Gotta Do
09. My Timing Is Off
10. All The Beautiful Things
11. Beginner’s Luck
12. Ordinary Man

Win Free Tickets to the Museum to see Four Tet this Friday!

Visit here then enter "Four Tet" in the subject field to enter with your full name. You will be notified by the days end if you won. If you win you and a guest will be on the list this Friday.

Elvis Perkins Video

M83 Interview with Anthony Gonzales

Anthony Gonzales formed the French electronic band M83, named for a distant galaxy, in 2001 along with Nicolas Fromageau (who has since left) and early on were compared to shoegaze bands like the Cocteau Twins. Since their first album in 2001, they have released four more, and their sound has continued to progress from spoken words with music to full-out singing and greater popular and dance sensibilities. Their most recent album, 2008’s Saturdays=Youth, mixed its 1980s film soundtrack quality with a blend of old and new. I had a chance to speak to Anthony Gonzales in New York during M83’s latest tour.

Read the interview here.

Four Tet Tour info

Four Tet (aka Kieran Hebden) returns to North America with his first set of live shows in over 2 years including a very special show at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, March 13th. These dates follow the release of last year's critically acclaimed mini album Ringer and Kieran's latest collaborative album with Jazz drummer Steve Reid titled NYC (both Domino 2008).

Appearing with Four Tet on a handful of dates is Domino Record's latest signing, Jon Hopkins, a 28 year-old electronic musician & composer from London, England. His new album, Insides (Out May 5), showcases an intriguing musical aesthetic to brilliant effect. Insides is about juxtaposition: natural, arcane textures welded to pulsing, hypnotic rhythms, beautiful acoustic melodies set against jarring bass. The music is reminiscent of the beautiful melodies and harsh dirty beats of other British artists like Four Tet, Squarepusher, Burial, and Aphex Twin.

FOUR TET TOUR DATES
03/13/2009 American Museum of Natural History, New York *
03/20/2009 Echo, Los Angeles *
03/21/2009 Mezzanine, San Francisco *
03/26/2009 Holocene, Portland
04/17/2009 Sonotheque, Chicago
04/23/2009 Wrongbar, Toronto
* with Jon Hopkins

SXSW 4AD Free Mp3's St. Vincent New Song

4AD is giving away some sampler to download, in celebration of the
upcoming 4AD showcase at SXSW. Camera Obscura, Department of Eagles, M Ward, Anni Rossi and an incredible
new song from St. Vincent. Visit here

St. Vincent - The Strangers.Mp3

The Mentalists cover MGMT on iPhone

The Mentalists play Kids by MGMT on their iPhones and iPod Touches, using only apps downloaded from the Apple App Store. Apps used Ocarina, Retro Synth, miniSynth, DigiDrummer Lite. Thanks for the tip BUXjr!

Marissa Nadler Joe's Pub NYC 3/4/09

Marissa Nadler ripped it up with her new band she's readying for a US tour. They played "Mistress," "River of Dirt," "Little Hells" to name a few off her new LP entitled Little Hells as well as some classics from her last LP including "Silvia," and "Diamond Heart." Nadler seemed much more confident live on this tour and even seemed a bit (dare I say) happy, as she joked with the audience. She ended the evenings intimate show with cover of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On FIre" (see video below) and played a tune "Dead Wives Club" on her banjo.

Jane's Addiction & NIN Tour Announced

Jane's Addiction finally got back legendary bassist Eric Avery. This is the first time in 17 years the original Jane's line up have had a reunion tour. After the split back in 1991 Eric and Dave did the band Deconstruction and Perry and Steven did Porno For Pyros. Well now there back for real this time. Here are their tour dates with Nine Inch Nails.

Fri-May-08 West Palm Beach, FL [Cruzan Amphitheatre]
Sat-May-09 Tampa, FL [Ford Amphitheatre]
Sun-May-10 Atlanta, GA [Lakewood Amphitheatre]
Thu-May-14 Albuquerque, NM [Journal Pavilion]
Fri-May-15 Phoenix, AZ [Cricket Wireless Pavilion]
Sat-May-16 Chula Vista, CA [Cricket Wireless Amphitheater]
Mon-May-18 Las Vegas, NV [The Pearl]
Wed-May-20 Irvine, CA [Verizon Wireless Amphitheater – Irvine Meadows]
Fri-May-22 Mountain View, CA [Shoreline Amphitheatre]
Tue-May-26 Englewood, CO [Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre]
Wed-May-27 Kansas City, MO [Starlight Theatre]
*** Fri-May-29 Chicago, IL [Charter One Pavilion] NINE INCH NAILS Only
Sat-May-30 Noblesville, IN [Verizon Wireless Music Center]
Sun-May-31 Clarkston, MI [DTE Energy Music Theatre]
Tue-Jun-02 Toronto, ON [Molson Amphitheatre]
Wed-Jun-03 Darien Lake, NY [Darien Lake Amphitheatre]
Fri-Jun-05 Camden, NJ [Tweeter Center At The Waterfront]
Sat-Jun-06 Holmdel, NJ [PNC Bank Arts Center]
Sun-Jun-07 Wantagh, NY [Nikon at Jones Beach Music Theater]
Tue-Jun-09 Columbia, MD [Merriweather Post Pavilion]
Wed-Jun-10 Burgettstown, PA [Post-Gazette Pavilion]
Fri-Jun-12 Charlotte, NC [Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre]

Grizzly Bear at BAM w/Brooklyn Philharmonic

The Grizzly Bearzos previewed a ton of new tunes from their upcoming album Veckatimest, " Ready, Able," "Dory," "Foreground," and the magnificent "While You Wait for the Others" and "Two Weeks." They reworked some old ones which were played live for the first time like "Campfire" with the Brooklyn Philharmonic and some more obscure ones from Yellow House "Central and Remote" and "Reprise." The band ended the night with their covers of "Deep Blue Sea" and "He Hit Me." Final Fantasy's Owen Pallett opened the show.

Grizzly Bear selist
1. Easier
2. Central and Remote
3. Ready, Able
4. Two Weeks
5. Plans
6. Colorado
7. Reprise
8. Little Brother
9. Campfire
10. Dory
11. While you wait for the Others
12. Foreground
Encore:
13. Deep Blue Sea
14. He Hit Me