LCD’s final album is called This Is Happening
So James Murphy announced the name of his last album performing as LCD Soundsystem is This Is Happening. A single off the album (expected in May), Drunk Girls, is making the rounds on the InterWeb and we’ll get a chance to see the band’s final tour here in Chicago when it hits Pitchfork in July.
In LCD’s short lifespan, Murphy made two great albums. I’ll be looking forward to the new one and whatever he decides to do in the future.
On LCD’s MySpace page, Murphy writes: “I think we’re a good live band, but I’m pretty sure we’re about to be way better than we’ve ever been. I’m excited. I’m writing that down because it’s a total shock for me to hear it coming from my brain.”
We’ll enjoy while it lasts.
Dum Dum Girls release debut album
Dum Dum Girls, a band that owes a lot to the ’60s girl groups (much like the Vivian Girls), released its first full-length, I Will Be, today.
Robbie Fulks starts another residency at Hideout
Great news for Robbie Fulks fans. He’ll be doing another month-long residency at the Hideout in April, starting next Monday.
There will be a different theme each week. A Robbie show is highly recommended and very entertaining, whether he’s covering Michael Jackson or playing a little Georgia Hard. He’s one of the reasons to live in Chicago.
And even more good news: According to the Hideout’s Web site, Chicago rock legends Eleventh Dream Day will be doing a residency in May. More on that later.
New music roundup
New songs continue to trickle out as we wait for the next wave of album releases. The National is stirring a lot of interest in its upcoming album High Violet. Fans got a taste this past week with the release of the song Bloodbuzz Ohio.
Here are some other singles from Dosh, Holy Fuck and Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti. The electronic artist Dosh releases Tommy next month (Andrew Bird appears on the single Number 41). Holy Fuck releases Latin in May. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti is an interesting experimental synth-pop act that’s finishing a new album.
I previously posted new singles by MGMT, Neon Indian and Teenage Fanclub and here they are again. Fans of LCD Soundsystem can check out streams of the new song Drunk Girls here.
Teenage Fanclub releases song, plans album
If Bettie Serveert can try to make a comeback, why not Teenage Fanclub, another ’90s indie darling? The Alex Chilton-loving Scots just released Baby Lee in advance of the new album Shadows, due out May 31.
Internet radio station WOXY shuts down
WOXY.com, which bills itself as the future of rock and roll, suspended operations because of lack of funding.
“Due to current economic realities and the lack of ongoing funding for WOXY’s operations, we’ve been forced to suspend our live broadcasts as of March 23rd. We’re continuing to explore options to keep The Future of Rock and Roll alive,” the Internet station’s site reads.
This, of course, is very disheartening news. Let’s hope the Austin-based station can get up and running again.
The video below of Besnard Lakes performing And This is What We Call Progress was taken from a recent WOXY performance during South By Southwest.
The National gives away song ‘Bloodbuzz Ohio’
The National just released Bloodbuzz Ohio off the upcoming High Violet. The band has been performing the song live since last year and the studio version sounds great.
You can get an even higher-quality version of the song by going to the High Violet Web site and entering your e-mail.
Bettie Serveert makes comeback
My only complaint about this new Bettie Serveert album is that the band seems to try a little too hard to be current. Granted these guys made their debut in the early ’90s with the excellent Palomine, and every artist wants to sound contemporary.
Despite my nitpicking, it’s a good album and worth a listen.
Westerberg writes about mentor Alex Chilton
Paul Westerberg writes about his mentor Alex Chilton, who died last week, in the New York Times.
“Rock guitar players are all dead men walking,” he writes. “It’s only a matter of time, I tell myself as I finger my calluses. Those who fail to click with the world and society at large find safe haven in music — to sing, write songs, create, perform. Each an active art in itself that offers no promise of success, let alone happiness.”
Westerberg introduced me (and many others) to Alex Chilton, naming a song after the Big Star leader. Chilton actually enjoyed a surge of renewed popularity after that song and it became more apparent that bands like Westerberg’s Replacements and R.E.M. owed a lot to Chilton’s music. Jeff Tweedy of Wilco also acknowledges Chilton’s profound influence.
Julian Casablancas featured in Lonely Island’s ‘Boombox’
In case you missed this: The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas is featured in the song and the newly released video for the Lonely Island’s Boombox.
The Lonely Island is Andy Samberg and other SNL guys. The video is hilarious.
Big Star’s Alex Chilton leaves huge legacy
A fawning New York radio interviewer tells Alex Chilton that his band Big Star’s newly released Radio City (1974) is getting an awful lot of critical acclaim. “It’s really good,” he gushes. Alex responds, “Yeah, that’s nice. I hope it sells. We’ve had critical acclaim before.”
Alex Chilton never sold a lot of records but he made great music that holds up very well four decades later. Radio City and No. 1 Record are still two of my all-time favorite albums. Some would argue Big Star’s 3rd (basically Alex’s first solo album) was even more brilliant. His influence on indie pop music can be heard in dozens of bands past and present.
Alex started his rock ‘n’ roll career young. At 16, he was lead singer of the Box Tops and had pipes that sounded like a much older man. Dead at 59, he had a full life and will be greatly missed.
New music roundup: Woods, Club 8, Moon Duo
There’s plenty of new music that hasn’t made its way into posts but is worth a listen. Here’s the first in a occasional series of posts to round up stuff I meant to write about earlier.
Moon Duo (Sanae Yamada and Erik Johnson of Wooden Shjips) released the four-song album Escape last month. These guys sound a lot like Wooden Shjips (heavy psychedelic).
Sweden’s Club 8 is generating a lot of buzz with its electro-pop single Western Hospitality in advance of its album The People’s Record (out in May).
Of course there’s a lot of excitement about the new Caribou album, Swim, following the release of the single Odessa. The new album is expected next month.
Woods is promoting its new album At Echo Lake with the release of I Was Gone.
Finally, the ’60s-sounding Strange Boys released the album Be Brave last month.
Drive-By Truckers, White Stripes fill release void
With South by Southwest this week, there are only a small batch of new album releases Tuesday. But two biggies come out: Drive-By Truckers’ The Big To-Do and the Whites Stripes’ live album Under Great White Northern Lights.
Neon Indian releases new song
Sleep Paralysist is a new song from Neon Indian. Check it out here:
The National builds anticipation for new album
The National played Jimmy Fallon’s show this week, performing Terrible Love.
Thanks to The World Forgot and Music for Kids Who Can’t Read Good for posting the song, which will be on the album High Violet in May. Hardcore National fans (like myself) can’t wait for this one.
Phoenix reportedly tapped as Lolla headliner
Phoenix will be a headliner at Lollapalooza, TimeOut Chicago reports. The French popsters will join previously reported headliners Green Day, Lady Gaga, Soundgarden, Strokes and Arcade Fire, TimeOut reports. Adding Phoenix balances out the roster of top acts a bit and is a huge boost for Phoenix.
Separately, here’s an interesting cover of Lisztomania by the PS22 Chorus.
MGMT releases new song, Flash Delirium
With all the full-length releases today, you’d think this song would get lost. Then again, these guys have become pretty big. Flash Delirium is the first single off MGMT’s upcoming album Congratulations.
New releases: Liars, Broken Bells, Titus and more
After a thin release schedule last week, Tuesday is bursting with new albums. I suspect Gorillaz Plastic Beach and the self titled debut by Broken Bells (the collaboration between Danger Mouse and the Shins’ James Mercer) will get the most attention. And, of course, there’s the Pavement retrospective Quarantine the Past.
My picks of the week are the Liars’ Sisterworld and Besnard Lakes, The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night. Other notable releases: Titus Andronicus, The Monitor; Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, The Brutalist Bricks; Frightened Rabbit, The Winter of Mixed Drinks; Black Rebel Motorcyle Club, Beat the Devil’s Tattoo; jj, No. 3; the Morning Benders, Big Echo; and Alberta Cross, Broken Side of Time (vinyl).
A More Perfect Union – Titus Andronicus
Golden Triangle’s debut Double Jointer rocks
Brooklyn’s Golden Triangle doesn’t reinvent the girl rock band sound but it does make music that’s a lot of fun. The full-length debut Double Jointer was a bright spot in a pretty thin group of new releases this past week.
Panda Bear to play Pitchfork?
Panda Bear will play Pitchfork, according to a report by Time Out Chicago. Music editor Brent DiCrescenzo, a former Pitchfork contributor, writes:
One of the no-brainers for a P4K shindig is something involving Animal Collective. It’s like how you can’t have a true jam bill without some gray ponytail from the Dead.
Indeed, through industry sources, we’ve learned that Panda Bear, the one with the better voice in Animal Collective, will show up at Union Park this July to stoke brahs with tracks from his upcoming drooladelica opus Tomboy.
I have to admit that’s great news. Expectations for Pitchfork build a bit more each year. Panda Bear’s follow to Person Pitch is one of the more eagerly anticipated releases this year.
The other piece of news, according to DiCrescenzo, is that Jon Spencer Blues Explosion will play the fest in July. And, yes Brent, I’m that geek saying Pussy Galore would be much cooler.
New video: Headlights’ Secrets
Champaign’s Headlights have a new video out today for the song Secrets. Here tis:
Apple tries to quash Amazon’s Daily Deal
Amazon started enhancing its MP3 Daily Deal last year, reaching agreements with labels to put some new releases out a day early. Not only would Amazon get to sell an album on an exclusive early basis, it would even get some additional marketing support from the bands and their labels as the promotions would appear on MySpace pages and Web sites.
“When that happened,” an anonymous music executive tells Billboard, “iTunes said, ‘Enough of that shit.’ “
Now Apple’s iTunes folks are telling labels to steer clear of Amazon’s Daily Deal promotion or else, Billboard reports: “Sources say that iTunes representatives have been urging labels to rethink their participation in the Amazon promotion and that they have backed up those warnings by withdrawing marketing support for certain releases featured as Daily Deals.”
Man or Astro-Man? returns after decade hiatus
Wired just caught up with Man or Astro-Man?, an indie surf-rock, mostly instrumental band that called it quits in 2001 after eight years.
The interview is smart-ass, schtick but the reunion is good news — these guys always had a knack for making fun music. They play some gigs, starting in Georgia and (home state) Alabama before making an appearance at South By Southwest this month.
The band’s new song Junk Satellite has a rough, abrupt sound, almost like a Big Black track. And it has vocals.
