This Is The Last…

Today the Cure announced the 2008 dates of their postponed North American tour. According to their official site…

EIGHTEEN OF THE NINETEEN PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED SHOWS HAVE BEEN RE-SCHEDULED IN THE ORIGINAL VENUES, AND ALL 2007 TICKETS WILL BE HONOURED FOR THESE NEW 2008 CONCERTS.

ANYONE WHO WANTS A REFUND ON THEIR 2007 TICKET WILL BE ABLE TO GET ONE IN FULL FROM HIS OR HER POINT OF PURCHASE UNTIL 1ST NOVEMBER 2007.

MAY 2008
09 WASHINGTON DC Patriot Center

10 PHILADELPHIA Wachovia Spectrum

12 BOSTON Agganis Arena

14 MONTREAL Bell Centre

15 TORONTO Air Canada Centre

17 CHICAGO Allstate Arena

19 KANSAS CITY Starlight Theatre – ADDED SHOW

21 DENVER Red Rocks Amphitheatre

23 SALT LAKE CITY E Center

25 GEORGE WA The Gorge Sasquatch! Festival (in place of Seattle - headlining from 9:30 to midnight)

26 VANCOUVER General Motors Place

29 SANTA BARBARA Santa Barbara Bowl

31 LOS ANGELES Hollywood Bowl

JUNE
03 SAN DIEGO Cox Arena

04 PHOENIX Dodge Theatre – ADDED SHOW

06 DALLAS American Airlines Center

08 AUSTIN Austin Music Hall – ADDED SHOW

09 HOUSTON Toyota Center

11 TAMPA St Pete Times Forum

13 FT LAUDERDALE Bank Atlantic Center – ADDED SHOW

15 ATLANTA Gwinnett Center

16 CHARLOTTE Charlotte Bobcats Arena

18 CLEVELAND (Venue TBD) – ADDED SHOW

20 NEW YORK CITY Madison Square Garden

Athlete’s new album “Beyond the Neighbourhood” is set to be released September 25th.

Athlete is an indie band from England. Think Radiohead “The Bends” era. Their sophomore effort “Tourist” was in heavy rotation in my iPod for months, although it was definitely mellow.

This new album is a bit more upbeat. Check out 2 of their new songs ‘Hurricane‘ and ‘In Between 2 States‘.

My favorite song off their last album was ‘Wires’. Here’s the video for it…

I don’t have kids. Quite frankly, I don’t know how parents deal with having to watch the same corny kids shows over and over.

It seems like there’s been a recent trend of indie bands making music for kids, that’s decent enough for parents. I really liked the Rockabye Baby’s lullaby renditions of Radiohead and Bjork. Belle and Sebastian and the Flaming Lips contributed to a kid’s album entitled “Colours Are Brighter“. My friend and hip mom Tracy told me about a kid’s show on Nick Jr. called Yo! Gabba Gabba. Biz Markie was on the show giving beat box lessons.

Its a bit like Pee Wee’s Playhouse. It does an absurd, manic, frenzied approach to bringing wholesome messages to the kids. The Flaming Lips have described their performances as a birthday party on acid, and you could say the same for this show. I mean that in the best way possible. A song called “Party in My Tummy” is about eating your vegetables. They have musical guests every week, too.

Here’s the Aggrolites singing about bananas…

Ok so I’ve been roomming under that rock with Jill (this means I don’t know what’s going on; thank me later). That woud be the reason I’ve never heard of Jamie Lidell, potentially the most amazing blue-eyed soul singer this side of Van Morrison?

Phillip (actual roommate) turned me onto Lidell’s music describing him as Amy Winehouse’s male counterpart. Strip Amy of breast, tattoo’s and cocaine, take her down an octave and you’ve got yourself one of the many homeless transvestites that haunt my neighborhood. However, if you keep going and take away the Aquanet and add beatbox skill you thought only existed on Harlem street corners you’ve got British soul hero in the making Jamie Lidell.

Ex-member of the electronic band Super_Collider, Lidell’s solo work sounds more like 60’s soul crafted on one of Saturn’s rings. His most recent work Multiply released in 2005 on Warp Records is a true masterpiece. This album will make your ears sweat, so whether you think your ears are fat and could use a workout (this would make you crazy) or want to listen to something brilliant run out to get it.

Unlike his live critically acclaimed performances which consist of mad genius sampling, vocal looping and beatboxing the album is much more conventional, with most of the music played on real instruments. Jamie uses the versatility of his voice to recall everyone from Otis Redding to Little Richard without getting his own voice lost in the comparisons. Think of what they could’ve done then if they knew what we know now, that’s what Jamie Lidell does.

For any of you who are way ahead of me on this one please save your jive sucka comments for some other time, not knowing was punishment enough.

According to April Skies, a Jesus & Mary Chain fan site, the band has confirmed a return to the studio to record a brand new album. Although brothers Jim and William have worked on projects separately since the break-up (Sister Vanilla, Freeheat, Lazycame) this will be the first time in nine years they record together as The JAMC.

The band has also announced a handful of shows in the States:

10/20 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
10/22 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
10/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern Theatre #
10/26 – San Francisco, CA @ the Fillmore #
10/27 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore #

After catching their pre-Coachella gig at the Glass House back in April I couldn’t be happier about the tour. Although the JAMC can do no wrong by me I must admit that since that show I’ve been harboring the feeling you get when you order your favorite drink at a new bar, it goes down but only because you paid seven bucks for it and it’s alcohol. Something was missing that night; I expected to be subjected to the usual insulting aloofness of someone who’s made up of nothing but skin and cool but instead it felt as though Jim’s memory was split between remembering lyrics and whether or not he’d paid the gas bill.

It could’ve been a number of things; lack of habit, new line-up, the edge has simply dried up, maybe it’s just the fact that all reunions suck (Quinton’s words not mine) or maybe I’m just crazy. I for one am chalking it up to being out of practice, particularly because my brother saw them the very next night at Coachella and said they were phenomenal. Hopefully this time around the rust is out of their hinges and I’ll get to truly experience The Jesus & Mary Chain in all of their brooding glory.

On a positive note they did play a new song that night at the Glass House and if you’re a fan of Automatic go ahead and wet yourself.

Despite it all I’ll claim anything they do is genius but please no more Scarlet non-sense. I’d hate to have to eat my words; they’re too thick to chew.

I was lucky enough to catch Polyphonic Spree when they were in town back in July. I was happy to see that they’re doing a second round of tour dates. They were SO good and they put on such a good show, that I want to see them when they come back.

Here are the tour dates…

Oct 12 2007 8:00P The Echo Project Atlanta, Georgia
Oct 14 2007 8:00P Crofoot Detroit, Michigan
Oct 15 2007 8:00P Bogarts Cincinnati, Ohio
Oct 17 2007 8:00P Vic Chicago, Illinois
Oct 18 2007 8:00P Pabst Theatre Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Oct 19 2007 8:00P Pantages Minneapolis, Minnesota
Oct 20 2007 8:00P The Granada Lawrence, Kansas
Oct 22 2007 8:00P The Gothic Theatre Denver, Colorado
Oct 24 2007 8:00P The Big Easy Boise, Idaho
Oct 25 2007 8:00P Showbox Seattle, Washington
Oct 26 2007 8:00P Roseland Portland, Oregon
Oct 27 2007 8:00P McDonald Theatre Eugene, Oregon
Oct 30 2007 8:00P Grove Anaheim, California
Oct 31 2007 8:00P The Fillmore San Francisco, California
Nov 1 2007 8:00P Belly Up San Diego, California
Nov 2 2007 8:00P Fonda Los Angeles, California
Nov 3 2007 8:00P Rialto Theatre Tucson, Arizona
Nov 6 2007 8:00P House of Blues Dallas, Texas
Nov 7 2007 8:00P Emos Austin, Texas
Nov 8 2007 8:00P Verizon Theatre Houston, Texas
Nov 10 2007 8:00P The Telleyran Music Festival Jacksonville, Florida

The strange thing is they’re touring with Rooney. It seems like an odd pairing, but you can always just show up right before they come on.

I just finished listening to their concert from the end of June on the NPR Live Concert Series here. Definitely worth checking out.

How much do you dread hearing, “you should check out my friend’s band”? Who the hell wants to hear your girfriends brother in-law and his band of delusional balding plumbers and insurance salesmen covering Coldplay? NO ONE THAT’S WHO! That being said everyone living or visiting in the bay area come check out my friends band.

Trust me I know what you’re thinking, anytime anyone says that to me my brain goes into a type of automatic voicemail template; I have to work late, I have dinner plans, I rather eat my fingers… Who can blame me? Ever single time I’ve given in and said yes 6 months drop of my lifespan. I always leave feeling bitter, defeated and with even less hope for today’s standard of musician than I started off with.

Lucky for you I’m willing to wear the crown of king hypocrite. Made up of twin brothers Jared Mattson on guitar, piano and bass; Jonathan Mattson on drums; skateboarding pioneer Ray Barbee on guitar, this band is the future of jazz. With influences ranging from Chet Baker to the Cocteau Twins Ray Barbee Meet the Mattson 2 use their music chops and pop sensiblity to craft brilliant complex songs that aren’t meant to go over our heads but rather linger in them. Jonathan Mattson has ruined all other drummers for me as he’s become the girlfriend I hopelessly compare the rest to. While Jared and Ray create a sound so intoxicating even they get drunk. Ray Barbee Meet the Mattson 2 seem out of place in a time where music is oversaturated with scenester slime with more dedication to fitting into size 26 jeans or resembling a memember of CCR rather than mastering their instruments and sound.

The band is currently championed and managed by Filmmaker/artist Thomas Campbell and has had the privilege of working with Tortoise/The Sea and Cake’s John McEntire on a recording that is to be released within the next year on Galaxia Records.

In September of 2006 Mattson 2 collaborated with Ray Barbee at The Hangar studios in Sacramento, CA. The album was released in Japan on March 7 2007 titled: Ray Barbee Meets Mattson 2 on Galaxia Records. The American version is to be released on Galaxia Records in the near future. In April 2006 a promotional tour for their new release was made possible for Ray Barbee Meets Mattson 2 by Japanese record production company RUSH! Productions. The Japanese tour was a success and received great support from audiences at Ageha in Tokyo, Club Duo in Shibuya, and California Surf Shop in Fujisawa.

Mattson 2 continues to perform with Ray Barbee around California, and continue to collaborate with Thomas Campbell on Galaxia records. They will be playing the upcoming Galaxia Sampler at the Victoria Theater on September 15th. Show starts at 8 tickets are $10. Also on the bill are Tommy Guerrero, Gojogo, The Mumlers and The Photographic.

Rilo Kiley performed last week on Jimmy Kimmel. Here’s that video…

Apparently, there’s been some drama because Jenny Lewis’ solo project got more love than Blake Sennett’s solo project ‘The Elected‘, and both albums came out around the same time. Like Fleetwood Mac. Rumours? No, its all true.

I kind of like Sennett’s solo stuff.

Elected - “Not Going Home”

Sorry for no posts last week. I still love you, I was just camping at the beach.

In honor of my annual getaway, I give you 3 ocean songs…

Sunny Day Real Estate - The Ocean

Norah Jones - Ocean of Noise (Arcade Fire cover)

Bjork - Oceania