DOWNLOAD: Spiral Stairs - Maltese Terrier (MP3)

Scott "Spiral Stairs" Kannberg of Preston School of Industry and Pavement (who are reuniting) is set to release his first album as Spiral Stairs on October 20th. That record, The Real Feel, will be released by Matador in the US and Domino in the UK. The first MP3, "Maltese Terrier" (or "Maltese T" as its listed below in the tracklist), is posted above. There'll also be a single for the song "Stolen Pills," out a week before on October 12th.

The whole album is produced by Jon Auer (of the Posies and Big Star, the latter of which has a show in NYC on Nov. 18th) and guests include Preston School of Industry/Posies guys Matt Harris and Darius Minwall and BSS' Kevin Drew (though he's not listed as a contributor below).

Spiral Stairs will be playing shows in the coming months. Currently, there's the Treasure Island Festival in San Francisco on October 18th, and a handful of West Coast shows around that, where they'll be opening for Bob Mould (who hits NYC in early October with Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson opening). No NYC date yet.

Album art and credits for the new disc, and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Spiral Stairs (mem. Pavement) - new album soon, MP3, shows"

Headliners Paul McCartney, The Killers and The Cure are among the 130-plus acts set for the tenth COACHELLA VALLEY MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL (APRIL 17, 18 AND 19) at the beautiful Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA, the same grounds where the COACHELLA VALLEY MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL debuted in 1999. Other artists confirmed for America's most critically acclaimed music festival include Morrissey, Amy Winehouse, Franz Ferdinand, My Bloody Valentine, Leonard Cohen, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Thievery Corporation, Yeah Yeah Yeahs (the complete line-up is listed below).

This marks the first ever U.S. festival appearance for McCartney who is currently supporting his latest release ELECTRIC ARGUMENTS.

"I have heard that Coachella is one of the greatest festivals in the world. I'm really excited to get out there and rock!" McCartney says.

Tickets for COACHELLA go on sale Friday, January 30 at 9:00 AM (PT) at all Ticketmaster locations.

Throbbing Gristle and the rest of the full (real) line-up (as of 1/30) is below:

Continue reading "Coachella 2009 - OFFICIAL lineup announced (My Bloody Valentine, Leonard Cohen, Paul McCartney, Morrissey, The Cure, Antony, Amy Winehouse...) - tix on sale"

Coachella 2008 (more by Ryan Muir)

"It is the start of a new year and that means we're slouching towards Southern California's biggest music festivals, starting with Coachella in the middle of April. And the internet is simply ablaze with line-up rumors. But this year, much like last, crazed fans have taken things a step further on the festival's message board, going as far as to contact bands directly for confirmation.

At the forefront of this year's rumor mill are scores of potential summer blockbuster acts, including Animal Collective, Basement Jaxx, the Black Keys, Blur, Britney Spears, Four Tet, Glasvegas, José González, Keane, Morrissey, N.A.S.A, Neil Young, Outkast, the Pretenders, the Prodigy, the Replacements, the Smiths, the Thermals and the White Stripes. And among the purportedly confirmed artists, who have been reached through Myspace or other means, are some pretty sizable LA locals like No Age, Peanut Butter Wolf, the Airborne Toxic Event and Flying Lotus." [LAIST]

Speaking of the Airborne Toxic Event, they sold out their Bowery Ballroom show and added another one on March 8th (three days earlier). They also just so happen to be the band playing David Letterman tonight (1/12).

Fleet Foxes are another one of those listed as confirmed. They're also confirmed to play SNL next week.

Also confirmed are Los Campesinos! who are playing a show at Sound Fix Records this week.

All confirmed and rumored Coachella artists (according to LAist) below...

Continue reading "Coachella 2009 rumored & confirmed artists (Fleet Foxes, Hold Steady, No Age, Girl Talk, the Bug...)"

DOWNLOAD: Steinski - The Payoff Mix (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Steinski - Lesson Two (James Brown Mix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Steinski - Lesson Three (History of Hip Hop) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bon Iver - Skinny Love (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Shearwater - Leviathan Bound (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal (Dj Doc Rok Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fucked Up - No Epiphany (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fucked Up - Twice Born (MP3)

Plush's Fed & The Dodos' Visiter

It's the time of year when people start talking which album was the best this year. That usually means I start cramming and trying to figure out what I still haven't heard and look forward to what others have to say to make my selection process slightly easier. Part of what I'm saying is, I'm not ready to answer that yet. According to the aggregated critics at MetaCritic, this is what was best this year...

1 London Zoo by The Bug
2 Fed by Plush
3 For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver
4 Dear Science, by TV On The Radio
5 Exit by Shugo Tokumaru
6 Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes
7 Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! by Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds
8 Robyn by Robyn
9 Hercules And Love Affair by Hercules And Love Affair
10 What Does It All Mean? 1983-2006 Retrospective by Steinski

Does when an album actually came out matter?. Bon Iver's album actually came out in 2007, but was reissued in 2008. Shugo's album came out in 2007 in Japan. Plush's album actually came out in 2002 in Japan (I still haven't heard it). Robyn's album came out in Sweden in 2005. Steinski came out in 2008, but as the title suggests, is actually a compilation of tracks that were released between 1983-2006.

Other bands currently ranking in Metacritic's Top 30: The Dodos, The Music Tapes, Shearwater, Portishead, Harvey Milk, Torche, The Hold Steady, Drive By Truckers, and Fucked Up.

Also put out albums this year: Sigur Ros, Jamie Lidell, Laura Marling, Lykke Li, Marnie Stern, Jenny Lewis, She & Him, Conor Oberst, My Morning Jacket, MGMT, The Black Keys, Calexico, Crystal Stilts, Crystal Castles, Crystal Antlers, Grails, Al Green, Anathallo, Flight of the Conchords, Frightened Rabbit, Wolf Parade, Vampire Weekend, Vivian Girls, The Walkmen, Santogold, Parts & Labor, Cut Copy, Hot Chip, David Byrne, Death Cab For Cutie, Beck, Beach House, Elbow, REM, M83, NIN, No Age, Of Montreal, Destroyer, Department of Eagles, Deerhoof, Deerhunter, The Dears, and Deer Tick (though Deer tick was out in 2007 and reissued in 2008) (and I guess Radiohead is qualified too) (and Metallica, AC/DC and Guns N' Roses) (and JACK JOHNSON) (and a million others).

Who else? What are your favorites this year? Who will Pitchfork pick as #1?

The Bug is going on tour with Nine Inch Nails. Those dates are below...

Continue reading "What is the best album of 2008? (when did it come out?)"

Kevin Martin is a London-based musician, record producer, and journalist. He has been active for over a decade, in the genres of dub, jazzcore, industrial hip-hop, and dubstep. His main projects include God, Techno Animal, Ice, Curse of the Golden Vampire, The Bug, and Pressure. He has collaborated with such figures as John Zorn, Justin Broadrick, Experimental Audio Research, El-P, Blixa Bargeld, Alec Empire, Dälek, Vast Aire, Anti-Pop Consortium, DJ Vadim, Cutty Ranks, Flow Dan, Mark Stewart and Keith Levene. [Wikipedia]

The Bug's album London Zoo was released on August 12, 2008 and is currently ranking #3 on Metacritic's list of best albums of 2008. The Bug will be joined by Warrior Queen tonight (10/3) at Sub Swara at Love in NYC. All dates and some videos below...

Continue reading "The Bug is playing NYC tonight... and other tour dates "