Fancamp on Bandcamp

bandcamp.com/MangoNebula

When Bandcamp first hit the scene, what seemed to make it stand out was that it wasn't a membership service that offered profiles and follows which marginalized actually paying for music. Now they've released a "collection" portion of the site that solves the latter problem by actually motivating followers to show off their purchases. Thus the useless fun of the facebook age that is clicking like and scrolling through streams of nonsense combines with what should have been it's proper function: exposing artists to a wider audience and giving them a better platform to sell their music. Bravo Bandcamp. Let's hope it works.

Hi Five for Lo Fi is a great website that has an excellent in depth post about the change. They said:

"What Bandcamp has done is make buying music mean more for the people buying the music. That is what the game changer is."

Read the post here: "Thank You Bandcamp. And Damn You."

And kids...buy music.

Mango Nebula has begun its own collection here. Follow it suckas.

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Simon Joyner:: Ghosts double album out August 14th

Simon Joyner is set to release his first album since 2009, a double album called Ghosts on Joyner's Sing, Eunuchs! label. It should be an incredible record as it seems like a lot of effort went into making it and it's 17 songs boast to celebrate 20 years of toiling in the underground. What's also impressive is that the whole thing was recorded, mixed, and mastered completely analog, with no digital elements used at all.

Pre-order and stream two tracks from the record here.

Read my interview with Joyner from 2010 here.

simonjoyner.net
twitter.com/#!/simonjoyner1
facebook.com/simonjoyneromaha

You can also catch Simon Joyner on tour with the Renderers this summer. Tour dates are below:

SCRAPES OF WRATH West Coast/North America Tour 2012

Friday July 6th: Quixotes - Denver, CO

Tickets: https://holdmyticket.com/checkout/event/118111

Saturday July 7th:  Neurolux - Boise, ID

Sunday July 8th: Holocene - Portland, OR (with The Renderers)

Tickets: http://www.strangertickets.com/events/4935065/simon-joyner-the-renderers-holocene

Monday July 9th: Sunset Tavern - Seattle, WA (with The Renderers)

Tickets: http://www.strangertickets.com/events/4891765/simon-joyner-with-mike-dumovich

Tuesday July 10th:  The Biltmore - Vancouver, B.C. Canada (with The Renderers)

Tickets: http://www.ticketweb.ca/snl/VenueListings.action?venueId=24957

Wednesday July 11th: Luckys Club Cigar Store - Eugene, OR (with The Renderers)

Thursday July 12th: The Hemlock - San Francisco, CA (with The Renderers)

Sunday July 15th: The Bootleg Bar - LA, CA (with The Renderers and Refrigerator/Woods/Franklin Bruno side project)

Tickets: http://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/122473?__utma=1.419106201.1340902438.1340902438.1340902438.1&__utmb=1.1.10.1340902438&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1340902438.1.1.utmcsr=bootlegtheater.org|utmccn=(referral)|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/header.html&__utmv=-&__utmk=66724526

Monday July 16th:  Trunkspace - Phoenix, AZ   (with Michael Krassner's Blues Oblique)

Tuesday July 17th: TBD -  Albuquerque, NM   

Wednesday July 18th: The Crown and the Harp - Dallas, TX

Thursday July 19th: RecordBAR - Kansas City, MO

Tickets: http://holdmyticket.com/event/115369

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Ticketmaster Legally Forced to Return Money Stolen from Customers Since 1999

http://pitchfork.com/news/44802-ticketmaster-forced-to-give-back-some-of-the-money-they-stole-from-you/

Ticketmaster was brought into a class action lawsuit for charging those pesky and sketchy $1.50 fees since 1999. Also, you'll get money back if they charged you for shipping. You don't even have to do anything, they'll be sending emails out to people that it applies to. Of course, you will recieve only "ticketmaster credits." So yeah...not much of a payout, but a small victory against the evil oppressive monopolistic corporation that is clear channel. They will have to pay a minimum of $11.25 million.

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Playbutton :: Inventive New Music Format

Just when you thought that all tangible music forms were in their final throes, here is a new one. A New York based company called Playbutton is producing MP3 players with safety pins and the façade of an average button so that you can wear your favorite music like badges of honor. The idea has a similar aesthetic appeal to vinyl as does the quality, because every player contains high quality ogg files. The idea is intriguing because in giving the listener a reason to buy the album (so it can be worn), it's singularity becomes a good treatment for the attention deficit disorder of modern music culture.

The company already has releases by Mount Eerie, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The XX, and Belle and Sebastian. There's even the opportunity for independent musicians to contact the company and press some buttons. I found out about them through the music collective Boston Hassle who is using the format for their new compilation.

Read about it here.

playbutton.com

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VIDEO: Neon Indian's New Synth Infomercial :: Pal 198X

Neon Indian's Era Extraña comes out on 9/13 an with one of their limited edition deluxe packages, you can be the owner of a fine synth that they invented themselves. Watch the infomercial below and Enter to win one at stereogum.



Take a gander at what this little device can do::

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VIDEO: The Mountain Goats :: Wisconsin Rally Songs

Below the jump, a video of The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle covering a Billy Bragg song called "Power in a Union" in support of the labor unions in Wisconsin. By attempting to limit bargaining rights, the state's politican's aren't just trying to reduce salaries and pensions, but eliminate the union's ability to ever get them back again. Read more here.

A message from Darnielle:

"Everybody knows I don't generally do the acoustic guitar guy rocking political jams deal but as a former member of SEIU 660 & the California Association of Psychiatric Technicians & a kid who benefitted from great teachers I wanted to spend tonight saying WE ARE ON YOUR SIDE xo jd"

More videos at John Darnielle's Vimeo here.

If states are trying to reduce the deficit, maybe there's a better solution. Here's a  a quick list of multi-million dollar corporations who don't pay taxes (courtesy of http://commoditydemocracy.blogspot.com)::

...in 2009 Bank of America didn't pay a single penny in federal income taxes while it paid its top executives $6 million to $30 million.

...between 2008-2010 Boeing didn't pay a single cent of U.S. federal corporate income taxes despite receiving billions of dollars in taxpayer funded subsidies.

...in 2009 Exxon-Mobil paid $15 billion in taxes but not a single cent went to the American Treasury due to offshore subsidiary tax loopholes. Later that year Exxon-Mobil paid its CEO $30 million.

...in 2009 General Electric (the world's largest corporation, by the way) paid nothing to the U.S. government. CEO earned $9 million...

...in 2009 Wells Fargo didn't pay a single cent in federal taxes.

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Bright Eyes Interview : Performer Magazine

In the last issue of Performer Magazine, there was an interview with Bright Eyes that was unique because it was mostly focused on the recording technique of the band. The article is an interesting look at the creative process of the Conor Oberst, Nate Walcott, and Mike Mogis team. Read the interview below or at Performer.com: here.

The Reinvention of Bright Eyes By: Daniel Kohn
In the nearly four years since the last Bright Eyes LP, Conor Oberst has been very busy. Between his work with Monsters of Folk and the Mystic Valley Band, the singer/songwriter hasn't had a dull moment. While working with Monsters of Folk, Oberst learned what made his colleagues, M. Ward and Jim James of My Morning Jacket tick. "It was great, it was like taking a look behind the curtain and seeing how things worked," Oberst remarks. "I learned a lot from watching those guys work." And it shows on the latest Bright Eyes album, The People's Key. Like each of the band's previous records, there are a slew of appearances by many in the group's far-reaching network of friends. Performer caught up with Oberst to talk about the band's new studio, the direction of the group's sound and his songwriting process. Catch Bright Eyes in April when they perform at Coachella, and read our full review of The People's Key in our February issue. What made writing The People's Key different than the last few side projects you've worked on? Every record is sort of a different experience. To be back with Mike [Mogis, producer and multi-instrumentalist] and Nate [Walcott, trumpet and piano] was nice. We were making a whole record from start to finish in our studio, which we built a couple of years ago and haven't had a chance to use yet. We knew what we didn't want it to be, I guess, more than what we wanted it to be. We were burned out on the Americana, rootsy kind of thing, so we wanted to step away from that. Since this was the first time you've recorded in your new studio as Bright Eyes, what was it like working in the space from start to finish? Do you guys use Pro Tools or tape? We recorded this on tape. Mike has a hybrid approach. We record onto to tape then do dubs and overdubs on the computer. Working out of there was nice; it's basically attached to his house, so essentially it's like recording at home. It was really comfortable; it's a completely hi-fi setup so you have the best of both worlds. Was this your first time recording on tape? We've tried it a bunch of different ways. Actually, my last couple of solo albums I wanted to use pure tape the whole time, which we did and that was fun. Mike's general approach, which I've found to be the best sounding, is to do the additional tracking on tape for the louder instruments. How many tracks does the console have? We have a Neve console, which I think is 48 tracks. And we have a CPI console that's a little smaller - there are two studios in there. We actually worked in both of the studios a lot. Sometimes we'd start a song and me and Andy [LeMaster of Now It's Overhead] or me and Andy and Nate would be in one room while Mike would be working on another song. We were multitasking, you could say. How many rooms are there in the studio? Is there a live room and several other smaller ones? There are two full studios, and two big live rooms. The A studio is bigger in both the control room and live room, and obviously the B studio is a smaller version. And actually there's a C room that's in the middle that has a Pro Tools setup. It's very luxurious. Was this the first time as Bright Eyes that you guys have recorded an album from beginning to end in the same setting? We did it before at Mike's old studio in Lincoln, Nebraska. We made some records there. It's nice to record closer to home this time. Mike's got a wife and a couple of kids, so it's nice for him to go inside and eat lunch with his kids and come back out to work on some more joints. Did you go into the sessions with the songs prewritten or did you guys collaborate while in the studio? About half and half. Some of them we had already written and those became the template for the record. Time wise, it was about a year of recording with lots and lots of breaks so there was stuff written over the course of that time. Not so much in the studio, but after we were on a break for a month, I'd come back with a couple of more songs and we'd keep going. There are a lot of different types of songs on the album, ranging from indie-pop to some darker songs. Was this intentional? Yes. We're trying to make the songs as good as they could be individually, but once the record was on its way, like when we had four or five songs down, then the theme started to emerge. Then there was more of a deliberate effort to make it one piece. "Machine Spiritual (In The People's Key)" is one of my favorite songs on the album. What was the writing process for that one? That one I specifically remember writing. It was one of the earlier ones and I wrote it while I was in Mexico in this town called Tulum, which is a beautiful town on the coast. I was staying in a house with some friends. I wrote that one on the beach there... Did you bring what you had to the rest of the guys and just go from there? The song usually starts with a chord progression, either on piano or guitar then we'll add vocals or melodies. I'll just demo it real fast and bring it to the band, then we decide how to approach it. Sometimes we'll try several different versions and we'll talk about what the drums and bass should do. We're not a live band at all. We're a band because what you hear in the end is sort of a composite of all our ideas, but we're not a live band in the sense that it's very much a studio project. We've been doing this for a while so it's always good to mix things up and not get too set in your ways. This was an interesting record because we had unlimited time and space. We didn't feel the pressure in the sense that we were taking breaks between sessions. A lot of times the guys think about songs by living with earlier versions of them and saying "I like this" or "this isn't working" and we'll go back and try it another way. That was a good thing for us because with other records we were under the gun. No one was watching the clock or anything and I think the songs are better for it. What was it like having Bob Ludwig master the album? He puts magic on it; what he does enhances the record. He doesn't blow it out or compress the shit out of it. Mike said something really interesting, "When we showed up here with our mixes, there were little things in every song that I wish I would have done differently but they're too small to remix." They were little things that he heard in the songs and after the mastering, those little things were gone, which is a testament to just how good Bob is. It's been nearly four years since Bright Eyes released its last album. Why was there was such a long layoff and what made the group decide that the time was right to record? We all have pretty separate lives and we're very rarely in the same city. Mike is a full-time producer and he makes a lot of records. A lot of times Nate gets hired for strings or horn arrangements and last year he was on the road with Broken Bells. So we were working amongst all of our schedules and that's why it took so long. After the last record, it felt like we needed to have a break - I made records on my own and everyone did their thing. But I felt it was good to be back together. Between the last two records, there wasn't really much of a break and we toured the whole time. I think the last three years were a good way to cleanse the pallet and come back and feel new again. We wanted to turn the page and make something that was interesting to us, 2011-style.

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Weekly Dig Article :: Boston Counter Cultural Compass

The Weekly Dig just did a nice article written by Jen Choi about the Boston Counter Cultural Compass and one of its creators, Sam Potrykus. Link to the article here or read below. Check out the BCCC at: bostoncccompass.com

PHANTASMA: SAM POTRYKUS

Posted on February 28, 2011 by JENNIFER CHOI Email

Christians and Lions was just the beginning.

Sam Potrykus, a member numerous bands including the former Christians and Lions and currently The Needy Visions, is one of Boston’s ultimate champions for the counter culture and the local DIY community.

As a member of Whitehaus and Bodies of Water, Potrykus and co-promoter, Dan Shea, created the Boston Counter Cultural Compass in March 2010 as a means of letting the community know about local happenings in an easier, all encompassing outlet.

“There are a lot of really cool kids out there and it seems sad to me that it was so hard for them to find something cool that was going on,” said Potrykus.

Inspired by Greg Shaw’s 1966 rock’n’roll newsletter, Mojo Navigator, Potrykus and Shea set off contacting their friends in the coolest local bands they could think of.

Nearly, a year later, the Cultural Compass is the place members of Boston DIY go to find the most note-worthy shows of the month.

Through various media including the traditional coffee shop and local venue flyer, to digital promotion via Facebook and its blog, the Compass has become more than just a place to get news but a place to find shelter from mainstream cultural pollution and a totem symbolizing the rich and ever-evolving Boston counter culture.

“It’s something that people in the DIY community can rally behind and have in common. It’s about meeting other people and making relationships.”

In the sea of Boston fanzine-dom, the Counter Cultural Compass works in three ways: first, to bridge gaps between various scenes in the city secondly, to champion DIY and finally, to crush and completely reject the mainstream.

“The mainstream strangles enthusiasm out of the youth,” says Potrykus. “The Compass can be something people can gather around. I mean, I’m not bringing the Compass to Starbucks or shitty places, I am taking it to cool places where the so-called ‘counter culture’ can unite.”

In our fair city’s largely transient community, the counter-culture’s resiliency is astounding and impressive on its own. In the Compass, Potrykus nods to every sect and scene as one and the same.

“In Boston, there are between 60 to 100 righteous bands that range from experimental noise to acoustic blues. Here, the counter culture is extremely diverse and vast.”

Among the various groups there have always been the largely self sufficient and established punk scene, the emerging rock scene and many others gathering in rowdy basements and DIY venues all over Jamaica Plain, Allston and other neighborhoods.

Through organization and communication, these sects of bands become less alien to each other—promoting a really proactive, open and welcoming environment.

“There are a bunch of houses that are really welcoming. Where there are a lot of thoughtful, creative artists who genuinely want people to unite under a cause.”

Being as respectful of these venues as possible. Potrykus leaves out address when appropriate and invites those who are new to Boston’s counter culture to make that extra leap to get involved.

“There are a lot of bands that are trying to make it big out of Boston but I’m not really into that. I’m into people who are about preserving the underground.”

Whether it is submitting tips for the next Compass or contacting Potrykus with questions about venues and bands, the Compass stands as a shining gateway to the Boston that’s self-made, creative and beyond the mainstream influence.

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Boston Counter Cultural Compass No.14 March 2011

More at: bostoncccompass.com

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Boston Counter Cultural Compass No. 13 :: February 2011

The Boston Counter Cultural Compass is a mysterious guide to DIY happenings in the Greater Boston area. They're found strewn about the city and in the pockets of passers by, so you never know where you may see this brightly colored leaflets. Sponsored by Bodies of Water Arts and Crafts and The Whitehaus Family Record, it is THE place to look for information about the month's best shows and also other non-music related events.
Check it all out at bostoncccompass.com
Here's February's issue ::

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Hands and Knees :: Wholesome

Hands and Knees :: Wholesome ~ Self Released ~ Boston, MA ~ January 18th, 2011 Available in 12" vinyl and limited screen print 12" vinyl

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Hands and Knees :: "Sitting at the Piano Disappearing"

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The classical guitar on the cover may be a bit misleading. Hands and Knees' new album Wholesome is a catchy, dance-friendly onslaught of garage-pop that also has depth and inventiveness both lyrically and musically. It's a style that inspires multiple listens. The addictive toe tapping tunes get you jumping around quickly and later you're struck with evocative and loaded images. On Wholesome it materializes in a few titles, such as "Throw Me from the Bridge of Flowers" and "Sitting at the Piano Disappearing," two standout tracks. Such surprises are strewn throughout and its refreshing to see a garage rock band give a damn about poetics.
2009's Et Tu, Fluffy? saw the band introducing a more forceful and ear-grabbing sound than their melodic self-titled debut, and it was rewarding. Wholesome maintains this strength, while at the same time exploring uncharted territory. Singer Joe O'Brien expressed his interest in making each song it's own adventure. In an interview with the Boston Globe he said, "I went through a year as a kid where I listened to Jimi Hendrix’s Are You Experienced every night before bed — not just that I loved blazing guitar solos, but I loved how every song was its own thing. The White Album is a great example of that." While every song on the record falls into the territory of rock and roll, each one find space to meander.

Boston bands like Hands and Knees have been playing so many noisy, low production basement shows with songs like "Dancing on Your Tears" that they have a right to change the term garage rock to basement rock. Other songs blend styles, borrowing furious blues riffs for the dark and feverous "99," a little do-wop swagger for "Close Your Eyes," and punk rock fury with "The Ballad of Cottonball Johnny." The acoustic makes unconventional appearances throughout (like the aforementioned "Cottonball Johnny"), but it does get a chance to hold its own for the bouncing folk "The Moonlight is Wicked" from a working man "whistling like a foolish old man." One could even consider the playful "Fieldtrip!" to be a foray into children's music.

The song "Feather Fly" is an acapella, snapping solo for the group's female vocalist, Carina Kelly. In a live session with Bands in Boston back in 2009, the group did a hilarious bluesy rendition of a Missy Elliott song. They incorporated this interest very tactfully on the new album, without it being tacky. Kelly's vocal presence is another thing that makes the group stand out. Each of O'Brien's growls and shrieks are punctuated by the melodic croons of Kelly. She even takes the helm to solo quite a bit on Wholesome. 

If nothing else, simply how fun the band is makes it worth listening. Wholesome is available in two different limited editions of vinyl on the group's bandcamp. Their album release show is January 27th at Great Scott in Allston, MA with  Doomstar, the Needy Visions and Fedavees. Every band on this bill is a favorite and it promises to be a riotous time.
handsandknees.net
handsandknees.bandcamp.com
facebook.com/handsandknees
twitter.com/handsknees

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New Monthly Concert Series @ Great Scott :: Quilt, Total Slacker, Windowspeak, No Way Jose ~ 1/23

This month marks the beginning of a monthy concert series at the Great Scott put on by the Pelly Twins. It kicks off with two favorites, Quilt and Total Slacker, on January 23rd. I don't know Windowspeak or No Way Jose, but if it's more of the same it should be amazing. 

More info at:: pellytwins.blogspot.com


Total Slacker :: "Crystal Necklace"






Quilt ~ quiltmusic.bandcamp.com
Total Slacker ~ myspace.com/totalslackerband
Windowspeak ~ windowspeakband.tumblr.com
No Way Jose ~ Vimeo

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Bright Eyes Interview with Billboard

***UPDATE :: Another interview with interview magazine

Bright Eyes Interview with Billboard here.

Bummed that I narrowly missed doing an interview with Conor Oberst (literally by seconds, via e-mail), I found some of my questions answered on Billboard no less. It's weird to see Bright Eyes working with big music corporations like Billboard and Live Nation, after he was so vehemently against it in earlier days. Maybe he's obligated to.

Some key information in this very brief interview is that The People's Key ::

• It uses sound collage from Danny Brewer of Refried Ice Cream, a Texan psychadelic grampa group on Conor's label Team Love.
• There will be no acoustic instruments. Looks like possibly a return to more Digital Ash days. Conor says, "We're over the Americana, rootsy, whatever that sound is. People say country, but I never thought were very country at all. But whatever that element is or that aesthetic is, I guess it's worn a little thin for me these days." One of the minor criticisms I've always had was that the band tends to segregate their sound instead of fusing their interests (only minor, because every one of the aforementioned albums has been great). It'd be cool to see this rock and roll digi album that they're making with a few of their favorite Americana touches, like lap steel battling keyboards.
• Seems like the album is more socially than politically conscious. Conor breaks out this gem, which is a very weird thing, "There's this future that's coming that's really trying to, I think, divide us more and in a lot of ways strip us of our human nature in the sense that now when you walk into a room it's like 20 people all staring down at this little screen in their hands, typing away, not looking at each other." A strange occurrence which I think a lot of us have seen. 'I feel awkward, don't know who to talk to, I'll just whip out my phone.'

Interview

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Flyers are Illegal in Boston

Dear Boston,

I thought you were cool. Graffiti and posters nowadays are mostly art. Sure, if someone is going around spray painting penises on buildings, by all means give them a fine (read notice from The Middle East below). But real graffiti actually improves the atmosphere, culture and arguably value of a city. Not only are posters art, but are vital (although not quite viral) to the promotion and well-being of artists. I say, no taxation without representation. For a city populated by high numbers of students and artists, there sure are a lot of laws that make it hard on said demographics (see also: bans on 18- in venues). WORST of all, you are now depriving me of my favorite means of decorating my apartment. FOR SHAME. They should just go ahead and ban fun, merriment and tomfoolery while they're at it. I thought you were cool (shakes head in defeat and cries one single tear).

Sincerely,

Mango Nebula

P.S. ::

Another interesting implication of this is our constantly digitizing world and its effect on the music industry and promotions. It's a theme that keeps popping up as I've recently seen many friends go on tirades about things like ebooks. The music industry is really good fodder for observing the effect of the digital world, as they were it's first victims. I can't even fathom a time when the only means of promotion was concert flyers. Or the only was to find out about a show was through said rectangles. The Middle East says they offer a "digital workflow" now, which isn't really anything new. But, imagine a world where no one makes posters any more, except $50 screen prints to sell at Newbury Comics. I do like their grass roots suggestion of handing out quarter pages with the info. It's something that I've seen at the Whitehaus a lot and have used myself to promote shows. It's classy.

Angry letter in response to this from the Middle East and friends ::

December 16, 2010

All Bands

Playing The Middle East & ZuZu

in the Near Future

Any Town, MA 02139

Dear Bands,

As of today, until further review, The Middle East Nightclub’s official stance on posting flyers is this: We do not in any way endorse or encourage the posting of bills anywhere in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  Any posting of bills with “Middle East Upstairs, Middle East Downstairs, ZuZu, Middle East Nightclub, Middle East Club” or any variation thereof are not sanctioned, nor deemed necessary, by the Middle East Nightclub.

The Middle East Nightclub promotion has moved to a digital set up. Online marketing and social media outlets (twitter.com/mideastclub, fb.me/mideastclub, ticket links on ticketweb.com & many more) are to be the focus of promotion for your shows.

Why are we making such move? Fines. Hefty fines. Fines that we accept no responsibility for. Fines that will be charged to any band or promoter cited by law enforcement. Fines that will keep your band from being booked at the Middle East. Fines that could pay for your space rental for a month. Fines that could buy a nice guitar. Fines that could pay rent at your apartment.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts deems your show flyers as graffiti. That stinks. There’s some beautiful art being created on your flyers! Cambridge has it’s own strict subset of these laws. Your community does, too (We’re looking at you, Allston!). Recent citations are not less than $300 per violation. If you put up two of the same flyer in the same neighborhood, that equals $600. Law enforcement must stop there, right? No. Fines are per instance. Imagine having to pay $1500 for 5 flyers! That, sadly, could be you.

What can you do? Reach out to me, I’ll give you a digital workflow to promote your show. It works. Send me a .jpg of that flyer, I’ll get it on our web properties. Get us 4-6 nice 11x17 flyers to hang up on our walls, they are pretty! Color or black and white. No reason to print 1000 of these. Just a couple for us and one for your practice space wall. Make a hundred or so 1/4 page flyers. I can help you set that up and you’ll know how for life! Spark a conversation, shake a hand, get a phone number and hand them one of these little guys. Making friends is awesome. Making enemies of city officials and venues is not quite as awesome (not awesome at all).

Sincerely yours,

Clay Fernald

Middle East Nightclub and ZuZu Publicity
mideastclub.com
@mideastclub
@zuzubar
fb.me/mideastclub
fb.me/zuzubar

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Music Tapes Caroling in Allston 2009

Merry Christmas!

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She and Him Video :: Singing with Conan O'Brien

Below the jump, a video of She & Him playing tunes with Conan O'Brien.

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Bright Eyes Final Album :: The People's Key

"FUCKING GLOWING IN THE DARK"

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band :: "Synasthete Song"

Marking the end of...something important. Maybe not an era, not some kind of social revolution, but something more subtle, something more internal and existential for a generation of emotional misfits. Those are some weak words anyway for that impending excitement and bummer.

Bright Eyes will release their seventh and quoted "final" album on February 15th, 2011. Yet again, like the repeated theme of I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, a death, of Bright Eyes, coincides with a birth, Conor Oberst's birthday. The album is called The People's Key. An album Bright Eyes and Rilo Kiley drummer Jason Boesel called, "The greatest sci-fi emo album of the last 20 years." Hinting that the album may sound something like the alien abduction odyssey that is "Synesthete Song" which was released on the Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band EP Gentleman's Pact.

From Saddle Creek ::

"Since 2006 the once revolving cast of Bright Eyes players has settled around permanent members Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis and Nathaniel Walcott, with additional musicians joining them in the studio and on tour. Fully realized and bursting with charisma, The People’s Key is an assured and accomplished album, artfully arranged and filled with the engaging and mesmeric songwriting for which Oberst is renowned. Recorded in Omaha, Nebraska, at the band’s own ARC Studios, The People’s Key was produced by Mike Mogis and engineered by Mogis and Andy LeMaster."

Guest contributors also include Andy LeMaster, (Now It’s Overhead), Matt Maginn (Cursive), Carla Azar (Autolux), Clark Baechle (The Faint), Shane Aspegren (The Berg Sans Nipple), Laura Burhenn (The Mynabirds) and Denny Brewer (Refried Ice Cream).

Full track list for The People’s Key:

1 Firewall

2 Shell Games

3 Jejune Stars

4 Approximate Sunlight

5 Haile Selassie

6 A Machine Spiritual (In The People’s Key)

7 Triple Spiral

8 Beginner’s Mind

9 Ladder Song

10 One For You, One For Me

When talking about it being the last Bright Eyes album, Conor said something to the effect that he felt boxed in by some of the "Bright Eyes rules." Also, that he could only write so many songs about being lost. That always seemed like it was the first part of the story, just the exposition. Maybe with this album, he's get a little closer to finding some shoes and making his way out of the woods.

Website: conoroberst.com
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Bright-Eyes
Twitter: twitter.com/brighteyesband
MySpace: myspace.com/brighteyes

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pRIMEORDIAL sOUNDS Presents :: 12/1 Hands and Knees with Magic Magic @ Middlesex

Boston garage rocksters Doomstar have taken over The Middlesex Lounge in Cambridge on the first magical Wednesday of every month. The first show they'll be having is a favorite, Hands and Knees, with Magic Magic. Noah and Spenser from Doomstar will also be spinning 60's garage and psych records in between sets. As if that wasn't awesome enough, the show is FREE. It starts at 10PM. Really hope this catches on, so I can go when I get back from Spain. So go in my stead, and tell me about it. I will give you a present.

While you're at it, check out the blog attached to aforementioned events, primordialsounds.blogspot.com

handsandknees.bandcamp.com

myspace.com/magicmagicband

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Sufjan Stevens Video :: Too Much

Below is the first video from The Age of Adz holds up to the outsider art aesthetic with stop-go animation freak dancing and animal masks. Directed by Deborah Johnson.Read about the album here: http://mangonebula.blogspot.com/2010/08/more-new-sufjan-stevens-age-of-adz-1012.html

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Best Coast and Wavves do an Xmas Diddy...for target?

Best Coast and Wavves :: "Got Something For You"

The image is courtesy of μ sique. Your favorite indie darlings, Best Wavves, have done a Christmas song for a Target compilation. This reminds me of the plethora of Chrismas music I have and need to make a playlist out of. But, that'll be saved until December.

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