Stuck on Repeat Volume I - Tinariwen

Do you ever have a song that gets stuck in repeat n your head?  Well I have an entire album firmly entrenched there.  Tinariwen, the 'guitar-poets' from Southern Sahara have created something highly original and extraordinarily beautiful.  Quite possibly unlike anything you will have heard today.

Careful when you listen though, it might just lodge itself firmly in your soul too.


TINARIWEN in series: Live At Other Music from Dig For Fire on Vimeo.

Ted Leo Gets Brutal

Matador Records announced in September that Brooklyn rocker Ted Leo and his band the Pharmacists had signed to the label and a new release would be forthcoming. News today, that the new record from Leo will be released early in the new year. The LP is titled The Brutalist Bricks and will be out on March 9th. It was recorded in Brooklyn's Seaside Lounge, and is the band's first full length release since 2007's Living with the Living ,and their sixth overall.


From the Matador Website:

‘Bricks’ could be the most confident, kinetic and varied work in Ted’s canon, and considering his body of work until now, that’s no easy claim to make.”

You can hear and download a sampling of the record now here, in the form of lead single "Even Heroes Have to Die".  If you’re a fan of Leo you won’t be disappointed with this one.

In addition to the new album, Ted Leo has announced a handful of tour dates, with and without the Pharmacists.

Tour Dates:

Ted Leo & the Pharmacists

Wed, Dec 2nd – Philadelphia PA – First Unitarian Church
Thu, Dec 3rd – Washington DC – The Black Cat
Sat, Dec 5th – Cambridge MA – Middle East
Sun, Dec 6th – New York NY – Bowery Ballroom (sold out)
Thurs, December 10 – Spain – Madrid – Primavera Club ‘09
Friday, December 11 – Spain – Barcelona – Primavera Club ‘09
Saturday, December 12 – Spain – Barcelona – Primavera Club ‘09

Ted Leo (solo)

Mon., December 14 – UK – Brighton – Engine Room (with Dillinger Four + Hard Skin)
Tues., December 15 – UK – Canterbury – Bramleys
Wed, December 16 – UK – London – Brixton Windmill
Thurs., December 17 – UK – Kingston – New Slang
Fri., December 18 – UK – London – Grosvenor (with Wat Tyler)

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Beat the Devil’s Tattoo

It’s been over a year since we’ve heard any new album release news for LA-based Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (B.R.M.C.) According to a recent update on the band’s website, the trio is set to release Beat the Devil’s Tattoo, on March 8th in the UK and Europe, and March 9th in North America. As well, the band is embarking on an extensive tour through North America and Europe beginning February 26th, 2010.

The tour will start in Sacramento and finish at New York City’s Webster Hall on April 8th. Pre-sale for all shows will start Wednesday, December 2nd including a show at Slim’s in their original hometown of San Francisco, CA on the day their album in released.

Tour dates as follows:  (Pencil in the 6th of March Allison!)

February 26 Sacramento, CA Harlow’s
February 27 Reno, NV Knitting Factory
February 28 Las Vegas, NV Wasted Space @ Hard Rock Hotel
March 2 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
March 4 Boise, ID Knitting Factory
March 5 Seattle, WA Showbox Market
March 6 Vancouver, B.C. Commodore
March 7 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
March 9 San Francisco, CA Slim’s
March 13 San Diego, CA House of Blues
March 14 Los Angeles, CA Echoplex
March 18 Dallas, TX House of Blues
March 20 Houston, TX House of Blues
March 21 Tulsa, OK Cain’s Ballroom
March 23 St. Louis, MO Pageant
March 24 Madison, WA High Noon
March 25 Chicago, IL Metro
March 26 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall Ballroom
March 27 Minneapolis, MN First Ave.
March 30 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
March 31 Cleveland, OH House Of Blues
April 1 Toronto, ONT Phoenix
April 2 Montreal, QC La Tulipe
April 3 Boston, MA House of Blues
April 5 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
April 7 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts
April 8 New York, NY Webster Hall

"We Make a Living by What We Get, but We Make a Life by What We Give"

I don't think Winston Churchill was thinking of pop musicians when he made the aformentioned declaration.  I'll bet he would be impressed with this guy though-  Between his duties in the on again, off again Blur and several other projects (like last years spectacular Monkey); the terminally busy Damon Albarn is also hard at work on the next Gorillaz album. Dubbed Plastic Beach, the LP is set to feature Mos Def, Lou Reed, and several others. The Syrian National Orchestra and The Horrors have also recorded parts for Albarn. They will appear on what Albarn called "the most pop record I've ever made," according to an interview with the Guardian. Considering his stellar output over the past few years it will certainly be curious to hear exactly where he plans on taking this album. Plastic Beach is scheduled for release later in 2010.

Gorillaz is the creation of Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett. Their last album Demon Days was produced by Danger Mouse  and had guest spots from Roots Manuva, De La Soul and Shaun Ryder.

The new year will be a busy one for the prolific musician. January 2010 will also see the release of the Blur documentary, No Distance Left to Run. Albarn has also expressed interest in producing another the Good, the Bad, and the Queen album. And lastly, a collaborative "opera" with graphic novelist Alan Moore is in the works as well.

And you thought your schedule of late was chaotic...

The Winter of Mixed Drinks On the Way

As if the first part of the 2010 new release calendar wasn’t all ready filled with high profile new music releases, Scotland’s Frightened Rabbit has returned, following 2008’s superb The Midnight Organ Fight, with plans to release its third full length record. Titled The Winter of Mixed Drinks early previews are indicating another knockout effort from these talented Scots.
From the Guardian Weekly Podcast

We’ve broadened our horizons sonically and it feels like a natural move forward,” explains lead singer Scott Hutchison. “Most importantly, it’s better than the last one. That’s all I wanted, really.” Again, as if that was even possible!”

The Winter of Mixed Drinks was produced by Peter Katis, at Tarquin Studios in Connecticut, and engineered by Stuart Hamilton at Castlesound Studios in Scotland. It also features a guest appearance from labelmate Hauschka, who provided the album’s string arrangements.The album is scheduled for release on March 1st in the U.K. (via FatCat Records).  A North American release date is still forthcoming. Until then, have a look (and listen) to the first single, “Swim Until You Can’t See Land”.

Zooey Neews

This past summer She & Him’s M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel were busy working on the follow up to their terrific album Volume One, and in a recent interview with MTV, Deschanel has revealed that the album is in the completed and set for release in 2010.

“I have a new She & Him record coming out in the spring. It’s official. It’s done and being released in the spring. And we’re going to go on tour.”

Good music news to warm the heart a little on a cold and wet November night.

Your Weekly Download Lowdown

While many people know Brian Borcherdt for his work in the Polaris Prize nominated group Holy Fuck, he also has an entirely different artistic side that is equally stunning. Introspective and so very beautiful, his solo work is stuff to be treasured.

Lucky for us, Borcherdt has recently made available a number of solo recordings and at-home demos, entitled Torches (The Ward Colorado Demos). These intimate recordings have recently been released by Borcherdt and are available via the Hand Drawn Dracula label as a free digital download.

Brian Borcherdt - Torches (the Ward Colorado demos) (HDD004)
(Digital Release Date: November 17th 2009)

Side 2004/05

01. Crime Scenes
02. Worn Thin
03. Further
04. Connected/Disconnected
05. Follows
06. Vanishing Act
07. Lowhills
08. Tides
09. Torches

Side 2006

01. Preserver
02. Cold Wind Blowin'
03. Furnaces
04. Oh Oh Oh
05. Working For The Weakened
06. Steady Hands
07. Detention
08. Guide Home

Recorded in Toronto, coastal Yarmouth of Nova Scotia, and in the mountains near Ward, Colorado, Torches includes home demos and unfinished album attempts from 2004-2006. Personal and compelling material these recordings are very much worth your listening time. Highly recommended

Newcomers and fans can download the 17 tunes, written and recorded between 2004 and 2006, for free from handdrawndracula.com. Get them here.


Brian Borcherdt - While I Was Asleep from Hand Drawn Dracula on Vimeo.

SXSW Showcasing Acts Announced

SXSW '10 has announced its first extensive list of showcasing acts. Some of the highlights on the list include: Apostle of Hustle, Deer Tick, Harlem, Hot Panda, Japandroids, the Mantles, Mountain Man, Timber Timbre, Warpaint, and over a hundred more. Check the preliminary list* below.

*Information may be subject to change*

Aa (Brooklyn NY)
Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso UFO (Osaka JAPAN)
A Classic Education (Bologna ITALY)
Alpha Rev (Austin TX)
Amaral (Madrid SPAIN)
And So I Watch You From Afar (Belfast IRELAND)
Apostle of Hustle (Toronto ON)
Arms (Brooklyn NY)
Ólöf Arnalds (Reykjavik ICELAND)
Art vs Science (Surry Hills NSW)
A Shoreline Dream (Denver CO)
Nicole Atkins and The Black Sea (Asbury Park NJ)

Autumn Owls (Dublin IRELAND)
Bare Wires (Oakland CA)
Julian Berntzen (Bergen NORWAY)
Best Fwends (Austin TX)
The Black (Austin TX)
The Black Atlantic (Groningen THE NETHERLANDS)
Dan Black (Paris FRANCE)
Black Tide (Miami FL)
Bliss N Eso (Albert Park VIC)
Boom Boom Satellites (JAPAN)
The Boxer Rebellion (London UK-ENGLAND)
Break of Reality (New York NY)
B-Real of Cypress Hill (Los Angeles CA)
Broadway Calls (Rainer OR)
Broken Records (Edinburgh UK-SCOTLAND)
VV BROWN (London UK-ENGLAND)
The Brunettes (Auckland NEW ZEALAND)
Buckshot (Brooklyn NY)
Canja Rave (Porto Alegre BRAZIL)
Capsula (Bilbao SPAIN)
Carsick Cars (Beijing CHINA)
Caucus (Tokyo JAPAN)
The Chevelles (Melville WA)
Chew Lips (London UK-ENGLAND)
Suzanna Choffel (Austin TX)
Chris T-T (Brighton UK-ENGLAND)
C-Mon & Kypski (THE NETHERLANDS)
The Coathangers (Atlanta GA)
Simon Collins (Victoria BC)
The Constellations (Atlanta GA)
Contra Coup (Austin TX)
Cotton Jones (Cumberland MD)
The Crystal Method (Los Angeles CA)
David Dallas (Auckland NEW ZEALAND)
Dappled Cities (Sydney NSW)
Daveman (Berlin GERMANY)
The Daylights (Los Angeles CA)
The dB's (Chapel Hill NC)
Dead Sexy Inc (Paris FRANCE)
The Deaf (The Hague THE NETHERLANDS)
Deer Tick (Providence RI)
Delhi 2 Dublin (Vancouver BC)
Paul Dempsey (from "Something for Kate") (Melbourne NSW)
Diplomats of Solid Sound (Iowa City IA)
DJ Car Stereo (Wars) (Austin TX)
DJ Evil Dee (Brooklyn NY)
DJ Revolution (Los Angeles CA)
Daniel Francis Doyle (Austin TX)
Adiam Dymott (Goteborg SWEDEN)
The 88 (Los Angeles CA)
Electric Electric (Strasbourg FRANCE)
Val Emmich (Jersey City NJ)
Eternia (Toronto ON)
Everything Everything (Manchester UK-WALES)
Fanfarlo (London UK-ENGLAND)
Michael Feinberg (New York NY)
Fergus & Geronimo (Westway TX)
Fighting With Wire (Derry IRELAND)
FINALE (Detroit MI)
Floating Action (Asheville NC)
Francis (Borlange SWEDEN)
Robert Francis (Los Angeles CA)
Frightened Rabbit (Selkirk UK-SCOTLAND)
The Funeral Pyre (Los Angeles CA)
The Ganjas (Santiago CHILE)
Geeks (Tokyo JAPAN)
Gerald G (Austin TX)
Colin Gilmore (Austin TX)
Giulia y los Tellarini (Barcelona SPAIN)
Rosi Golan (New York NY)
Gong Myoung (Seoul KOREA)
Goober and the Peas (Detroit MI)
Good Shoes (London UK-ENGLAND)
Guitar Shorty (Harlingen TX)
Ha Ha Tonka (Springfield MO)
Halves (Dublin IRELAND)
Darren Hanlon (Sydney NSW)
Harlem (Austin TX)
Headdress (Austin TX)
Hey Colossus (London UK-ENGLAND)
Robyn Hitchcock (London CA)
Hot Panda (Edmonton AB)
The Hounds Below (Detroit MI)
I Fight Dragons (Chicago IL)
The Intelligence (Seattle WA)
Ivan & Alyosha (Seattle WA)
Japandroids (Vancouver BC)
Jazz One (Austin TX)
Stephen Jerzak (La Crosse WI)
John Dear Mowing Club (Den Haag THE NETHERLANDS)
The Jim Jones Revue (London UK-ENGLAND)
Jookabox (Indianapolis IN)
Julia Says (Sao Paulo BRAZIL)
Karnivool (Perth WA)
Kartick & Gotam (Chennai INDIA)
Kidz In Space (Auckland NEW ZEALAND)
Kidz In The Hall (Chicago IL)
Kingston (Auckland NEW ZEALAND)
Maurice Kirya (Kampala ZIMBABWE)
The Kissaway Trail (Odense DENMARK)
L.A.B. (Novo Hamburgo BRAZIL)
The Law (Dundee UK-SCOTLAND)
Vander Lee (Belo Horizonte BRAZIL)
Unni Lovlid (Oslo NORWAY)
Lowood (Stockholm SWEDEN)
Audra Mae (Los Angeles CA)
Malente (Essen GERMANY)
Natalia Mallo (Sao Paulo BRAZIL)
Mantles (San Francisco CA)
Julia Marcell (Berlin GERMANY)
Marco Polo & Torae (Brooklyn NY)
Mariachi El Bronx (Los Angeles CA)
Carolyn Mark (Victoria BC)
Maruosa (Tokyo JAPAN)
MegaRex (Sao Paulo BRAZIL)
The Middle East (Townsville QLD)
Middle Finger Salute (Blackburn UK-ENGLAND)
Miniature Tigers (Phoenix AZ)
Mixtapes & Cellmates (Stockholm SWEDEN)
Monarchs (Austin TX)
Michael Monroe (Helsinki FINLAND)
PJ Morton (Conyers GA)
Mountain Man (Bennington VT)
Movits! (Lulea SWEDEN)
Moxine (Sao Paulo BRAZIL)
Mr Sicc (Auckland NEW ZEALAND)
Mumiy Troll (Los Angeles CA)
My Dad is Dead (Chapel Hill NC)
Nailpin (Boom BELGIUM)
Nakia & His Southern Cousins (Austin TX)
NiCad (Den Haag THE NETHERLANDS)
9th Wonder (Raleigh-Durham NC)
The Novas (Dallas TX)
Jackie Oates (Exeter UK-ENGLAND)
One Night Only (Helmsley UK-ENGLAND)
1001 Nights Orchestra (Austin TX)
The Pack A.D. (Vancouver BC)
Paleo (Brooklyn NY)
Parlovr (Montreal QC)
Past Lives (Seattle WA)
The Peelies (Montreal QC)
Julie Peel (Montreal QC)
Mandi Perkins (Los Angeles CA)
Peter Wolf Crier (Minneapolis MN)
Pink Nasty (Austin TX)
Pivot (UK) (UK-ENGLAND)
P.K. 14 (Beijing CHINA)
Plants and Animals (Montreal QC)
Please The Trees (Prague CZECH REPUBLIC)
Steve Poltz (San Diego CA)
Andy Pratt (Amesbury MA)
Sean Price (Brooklyn NY)
Princeton (Eagle Rock CA)
Profetas (COLOMBIA)
Psalm One (Chicago IL)
Quantic and his Combo Barbaro (Cali COLOMBIA)
Random Axe (Brooklyn NY)
Rebelle (Den Haag THE NETHERLANDS)
Red Mass (Montreal QC)
Tommy Reilly (Glasgow UK-SCOTLAND)
Riverboat Gamblers (Austin TX)
The River Raid (Recife BRAZIL)
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson (Brooklyn NY)
Brisa Roche (Paris FRANCE)
Rock of Heltah Skeltah (Brooklyn NY)
Rogues (London UK-ENGLAND)
Ruste Juxx (Brooklyn NY)
San Saba County (Austin TX)
Scanners (London UK-ENGLAND)
Kate Schutt (Guelph ON)
Serious Sam Barrett (Leeds UK-ENGLAND)
Shit And Shine (London UK-ENGLAND)
Sixteen Deluxe (Austin TX)
Skyzoo (Brooklyn NY)
Small Black (Brooklyn NY)
Smif N Wessun (Brooklyn NY)
Smoosh (Seattle WA)
So Cow (Tuam IRELAND)
Solid Gold (Minneapolis MN)
Soulico (Tel Aviv ISRAEL)
So What (The Hague THE NETHERLANDS)
The Spring Standards (New York NY)
Sabrina Starke (Amsterdam THE NETHERLANDS)
Steel Train (Teaneck NJ)
StereoHeroes (Les Gorguettes FRANCE)
Surrounded (Malmo SWEDEN)
Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter (Seattle WA)
M. Takara 3 (Guarulhos BRAZIL)
Team Facelift (New York NY)
Thunder Power (Omaha NE)
Timber Timbre (Toronto ON)
Todd (London UK-ENGLAND)
Marques Toliver (London UK-ENGLAND)
Toolshed (London ON)
Trembling Bells (Glasgow UK-SCOTLAND)
Trespassers William (Seattle WA)
Twin Atlantic (Glasgow UK-SCOTLAND)
Two Star Symphony (Houston TX)
Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights (Dallas TX)
The Uglysuit (Oklahoma City OK)
Uncle Lucius (Austin TX)
The View (Dundee UK-SCOTLAND)
Volovan (Monterrey MEXICO)
Waco Brothers (Chicago IL)
Miho Wada (Auckland NEW ZEALAND)
Warpaint (Los Angeles CA)
Wave Machines (Liverpool UK-ENGLAND)
The Wave Pictures (London UK-ENGLAND)
We Are Scientists (New York NY)
We Are Wolves (Montreal QC)
Withered (Atlanta GA)
Wolf Gang (London UK-ENGLAND)
Woot (The Haque THE NETHERLANDS)
XV (Wichita KS)
The Yellow Dogs (Tehran IRAN)
YellowFever (Austin TX)
Zlam Dunk (San Marcos TX)
Zona Tango (Buenos Aires ARGENTINA)


*Information subject to change*

The Golden Archipelego

Texas five-piece Shearwater have announced they will return next year with a new album The Golden Archipelego on Matador Records February 23rd, 2010.

The new record is the third part of a trio of acclaimed records that includes 2006’s enigmatic Palo Santo and 2008’s stellar Rook.

Here’s a trailer for the upcoming 2010 release.


Shearwater - The Golden Archipelago from KMS on Vimeo.

To coincide with the release of The Golden Archipelago, Shearwater will embark on a European tour in 2010.

Shearwater European tour (UK dates in bold):

February:

17th – Melkweg, Amsterdam
18th – Botanique, Brussels
19th – Le Nouveau Casino, Paris
20th – La Route du Rock winter edition @ L’Omnibus, Saint-Malo
21st – The Freebutt, Brighton
22nd – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
23rd – Captain’s Rest, Glasgow
25th – Scala, London
26th – 4AD, Diksmuide
27th – Knust, Hamburg
28th – Magnet, Berlin

March:

2nd – Rote Sonne, Munich
3rd – L’Usine (PTR), Geneva
4th – Nouveau Monde, Fribourg
5th – La Casa 139, Milan
7th – La (2) de Apolo, Barcelona
8th – Moby Dick, Madrid

The Most Amazing Thing I’ve Heard Today

Borrowing heavily from the Smokey Robinson penned classic, “My Guy”, this atmospheric number by L.A.’s Warpaint has been stuck in my head this weekend.

Now I’m not really sure what this song has to do with the “Lady in Satin” but I certainly like what I hear and I’m pretty sure you will too. Psublime and pslightly psychedelic this is 'The Most Amazing Thing I’ve Heard Today'.

Warpaint is: Jenny Lee Lindberg- bass, vocals  Theresa Wayman – vocals, guitar, keys Emily Kokal - vocals, guitar.  Rough Trade Records will oversee the band’s first full-length album, which is set for a 2010 release.

Here Come the Waves

One of my favourite releases of 2009 was The Decemberists richly textured fifth album, The Hazards of Love. News today that the band have commissioned a full-length animated version of that album; Entitled Here Come the Waves: The Hazards of Love Visualized the piece will be available for download from iTunes as of December 1st.

Interested in seeing what this project will look like. Have a look at the trailer below.

Basia Bulat Announces Winter Canadian Tour

With her sophomore album on the way in January and a new US Subaru advertisement featuring one of her songs. Basia Bulat’s star is definitely ascending. It follows naturally then that the talented singer songwriter (and my secret rock n’ roll girlfriend) has now revealed that she’s set to embark on a cross-country Canadian tour starting in February. With a few dates preceding it in Montreal and Toronto, this one is definitely going to be a hot ticket.

As previously reported, Bulat’s upcoming second release, Heart of My Own will be released via Secretly Canadian on January 26th.

An exciting performer to witness, this is one show you should not miss.

Tour dates:

12-16 Montreal, QC - Metropolis Theatre
1-16 Toronto, ON - Trinity St.Paul's United Church
2-2 Kingston, ON - Sydenham Street United Church
2-4 London, On - The Aeolian Hall
2-5 Orillia, ON - Highwayman Inn and Conference
2-6 Guelph, ON - Hillside Inside at the Sleeman Centre
2-7 Hamilton, ON - The Casbah
2-10 Halifax, NS - St. Matthews United Church
2-12 Montreal, QC - L'Astral
2-13 Ottawa, ON - First Baptish Church
2-25 Winnipeg, MB - West End Cultural Centre
2- 27 Saskatoon, SK - Amigo's
3-2 Calgary, AB - Central United Church
3-3 Edmonton, AB - Starlite Room
3-5 Vancouver, BC - St. James Hall