Three party centric MCs…Hesta Prynn, Spero, and Sprout (aka Northern State)…pop the champagne cork on their long awaited new album Can I Keep This Pen? (Ipecac Recordings) for a spirited gathering at Brooklyn’s Luna Lounge. Hosted by the very show biz savvy Mr. Murray Hill, Northern State set their cerebral blend of hip hop beats, live rock riffs, and tight as a hipster’s belt buckle lyric delivery to a Wild West, show down at the OK coral theme. Yee haw ladies…Though we didn’t show in chaps as promised, we did remember to bring our cameras. - David Pitz

* * * * * * * * * * * *
VIDEO: Northern State:: “Live at Luna Lounge” – Brooklyn, NY
Photos: Northern State:: “Live at Luna Lounge” – Brooklyn, NY

Now for an announcement that will really send your heart a racing. Street jivin' Australians Architecture in Helsinki have put the finishing touches on their upcoming tour schedule in support of Places Like This (Polyvinyl)…and they’re toting quite a cast of supporting acts along with them. Kicking off in brotherly fashion, the tour will get started in Philly, with Panthers, Lo Fi Fnk, and Glass Candy providing the welcome warm ups. - David Pitz

Architecture in Helsinki On Tour
10-10 Philadelphia, PA - Starlight Ballroom %*
10-11 New York, NY - The Gramercy Theatre %*
10-12 Brooklyn, NY - Studio B %*
10-13 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club %*
10-14 Buffalo, NY - Tralf Music Hall %*
10-16 Chicago, IL - Metro %*
10-18 Toronto, Ontario - Lee’s Palace %*
10-19 Montreal, Quebec - La Tulipe %*
10-20 Tempe, AZ - Soco Music Experience ^
10-22 Ann Arbor, MI - Bling Pig #*
10-23 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon #*
10-24 Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar #*
10-26 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre #*
10-27 Salt Lake City, UT - In the Venue *
10-29 Seattle, WA - The Showbox #*
10-30 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom #*
10-31 Eugene, OR - W.O.W. Hall
11-01 San Francisco, CA - Fillmore #*
11-02 San Diego, CA - House of Blues #*
11-05 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour #*
11-06 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour #*
11-07 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour #*
11-09 Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre #*
11-12 Norman, OK - Opolis #*
11-13 Denton, TX - Hailey’s #*
11-14 Austin, TX - Emo’s #*
11-15 New Orleans, LA - The Republic #*
11-16 Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder


% = w/ Lo-Fi Fnk
# = w/ Glass Candy
* = w/ Panther
^ = w/ Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Girl Talk and Cold War Kids

* * * * * * * * * * * *
MP3: Architecture in Helsinki:: “Heart It Races” – from Places Like This
Architecture in Helsinki on MySpace

Somewhere, in an unpronounceable (many umlauts, few vowels) neighborhood in Stockholm, Sweden, there must be a master class in contemporary American indie rock being taught, and we’re just getting the pioneers of the first graduating class. That, to me, seems the only explanation for the new rash of Swede-rock that has been waging a mellow invasion on our shores. Our Ill Wills (Merge), the sophomore album from Shout Out Louds, is another soldier for the cause. And—big surprise—the album was produced by “secret sixth member” Bjorn Yttling, from fellow Stockholm Rock U. alum Peter, Bjorn, and John. I’m telling you, this has “conspiracy” written all over it. Keep Reading - Eric Silver

* * * * * * * * * * * *
VIDEO: Shout Out Louds:: “Live at Spiegeltent” – NYC, NY
MP3: Shout Out Louds:: “Tonight I Have to Leave It” – Our Ill Wills
Shout Out Louds @ MySpace

While Markland Starkie’s solo release, There the Open Spaces (Misra), never sounds as if the English born musician desires to reach out to any such place, preferring instead to meander in classic, bedroom form, Starkie’s project, Sleeping States, will be getting a very public treatment this fall, as he and his band embark on a debut trek of the US. Sharing the stage with the likes of Voxtrot, Maps, Little Ones, and Helio Sequence along the way, fans of the hushed and unsettling nature of his music will be able to catch Starkie in many a major market in the coming weeks. – David Pitz

Sleeping States On Tour
9/27 Los Angeles, CA @ Bordello
10/01 Denver, CO @ Larmier Lounge
10/03 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club
10/04 Chicago, IL @ Metro
10/05 Chicago, IL @ The Chapel
10/06 Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern
10/07 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's
10/08 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
10/09 Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Downstairs
10/10 Washington, DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel
10/12 Norfolk VA @ The Boot
10/15 Atlanta GA @ Earl
10/17 Austin TX @ Mohawk
10/19 Fort Worth TX @ The Modern
10/20 Lubbock TX @ Jake's Sports Café

* * * * * * * * * * * *
MP3: Sleeping States:: “Rivers” – There the Open Spaces
Sleeping States @ MySpace

Hard to believe, but it has been damn near a decade of rock and roll romance for husband and wife duo Viva Voce. Formed in the way back when 90’s, the Alabama, by way of Portland, band is set to honor their own well-aged existence by tearing the wrapper off the last copies of their first two records, and re-releasing them on their own Amore!Phonics label on Nov. 13. Titled Lovers, Lead The Way! and The Heat Can Melt Your Brain, the albums will be packaged as a two CD set, along with bits of bonus live performances, remixes, unreleased tracks, and a few original demos. Track Details and MP3s Below: - David Pitz

LOVERS, LEAD THE WAY! TRACK LIST:
1.Fashionably Lonely
2.One In Every Crowd
3.Red D-Lish
4.Wrecking Ball
5.That’s Right,…Watch Out!
6.Birds On The Wing
7.N Luv W/ U
8.Brightest Part Of Everyone
9.Yr Epic Heart
10.Best Thing Ever (Maybe Not)
11.The Tiger & How We Tamed It
12.Perpetual No
13.Salsalito
14.Someplace Worth Being
15.Let's Bend Light

THE HEAT CAN MELT YOUR BRAIN / BONUS MATERIAL TRACK LIST:
1.Alive With Pleasure
2.Lesson No.1
3.Business Casual
4.The Lucky Ones
5.High Highs
6.Daylight
7.The Center Of The Universe
8.Free Nude Celebs
9.Mixtape = Love
10.They Never Really Wake Up

Bonus Tracks:
Paper Doll (unreleased)
Wrecking Ball (Tunng Remix)
Lesson No.1 (original demo)
Red D-Lish (live)
Fashionably Lonely (live)
Wrecking Ball (live)
Doo-Wap Death Trap (unreleased)
Tonight You Belong To Me (live)

The Band is also currently on tour.

Tour Dates:
10/27 Myrtle Beach, NC House of Blues
10/28 Raleigh, NC Disco Rodeo
10/29 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
11/06 New Brunswick, NJ State Theater NJ
11/09 New York, NY Terminal 5
11/15 Chicago, IL Riviera Theater
11/16 Champaign, IL Assembly Hall @ Univ. of Illinois
11/17 Omaha, NE Kiewit Fitness Center

* * * * * * * * * * * *
MP3: Viva Voce:: "Fashionably Lonely" – Lovers, Lead The Way
MP3: Viva Voce:: "Free Nude Celebs" – The Heat Can Melt Your Brain
MP3: Viva Voce:: "Wrecking Ball" – Tunng Remix - as bonus track on 2xCD
Viva Voce @ MySpace

What holds up the waste line of America’s heartland? Springfield Missouri’s Ha Ha Tonka would probably argue irony. Where hick nation prides itself on rigorous religious beliefs and red, white, and blue patriotism, Ha Ha Tonka strip the realities of meth use, highway strip joints, socio economic hardships, and backwoods prejudice out of the cozy, faux-fairytale the breadbasket has told to itself, and the rest of the country, and sets them to a sound that sweats and swaggers like the best boozy bar band in the county. Blistering, Saturday night ready riffs, sanctified four part harmonies, and a rhythm section that rattles the cars in the parking lot…one listen to these Wild, Midwestern natives and their recently released Buckle in the Bible Belt (Bloodshot), and you can almost begin to feel the glow of neon beer signs on the back of your neck. – David Pitz

Check out the band’s video for”St. Nick on the Fourth in a Ferver”



The band is currently in the middle of one hell of a tour. Details below.

SEPT 26 - UW-Parkside - Kenosha, Wisconsin
SEPT 27 - The Basement - Columbus, Ohio
OCT 03 - KEXP In-Studio - Chicago, Illinois
OCT 04 - N. Dakota State College of Science - Wahpeton, North Dakota
OCT 05 - Minnesota State University - Mankato, Minnesota
OCT 06 - St. Olaf College w/Ben Kweller - Northfield, Minnesota
OCT 08 - Ripon College Ripon, Wisconsin
OCT 08 - Lawrence University - Appleton, Wisconsin
OCT 09 - Saint Mary's University - Winona, Minnesota
OCT 11 - Coe College - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
OCT 12 - Carthage College - Kenosha, Wisconsin
OCT 13 - Easy Street Records - eattle, Washington
OCT 14 - Music Millennium - Portland, Oregon
OCT 14 - Dante's - Portland, Oregon
OCT 15 - Hi-Dive - Seattle, Washington
OCT 19 - Cake Shop - New York City, New York
OCT 20 - Union Pool - New York City, New York
OCT 23 - University of Dubuque - Dubuque, Iowa
OCT 26 - Remington’s Downtown - Springfield, Missouri
OCT 27 - Avenue Theatre - West Plains, Missouri
NOV 1 - Sticky Fingerz - Little Rock, Arkansas
NOV 2 - Hi-Tone Cafe - Memphis, Tennessee
NOV 3 - Blueberry Hill - Saint Louis, Missouri
NOV 5 - Birdy’s - Indianapolis, Indiana
NOV 6 - Blind Pig - Ann Arbor, Michigan
NOV 7 - Double Door - Chicago, Illinois
NOV 8 - Double Door - Chicago, Illinois
NOV 9 - High Noon Saloon - Madison, Wisconsin
NOV 10 - Varsity Theater - Minneapolis, Minnesota
NOV 11 - The Waiting Room - Omaha, Nebraska
NOV 12 - The Bottleneck - Lawrence, Kansas
NOV 14 - The Blue Note - Columbia, Missouri
NOV 15 - Cain’s - Tulsa, Oklahoma

* * * * * * * * * * * *
Ha Ha Tonka @ MySpace

Credit his intimately crafted rock a bye folk music for this, but Sam Beam is a musician his beard stroking fans think they know very well. When The Creek Drank the Cradle first dazzled in 2002, the album was the kind of solitary effort that coaxed the listener to imagine the grizzled Beam strumming his days away somewhere utterly perfect. A southern cabin, a Midwestern farm, perhaps even a nice and neat West Village loft; where ever his hay bailed guitar and voice was set to crackled analog tape could only have been ideal. Add the fact that 04’s Our Endless Numbered Days, while coated in more of a turtle wax shine, continued on in the same vintage vein, and Beam earned himself a sturdy as aged oak kind of legacy for years to come. Keep Reading – David Pitz

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MP3: Iron and Wine:: “Boy With The Coin” – The Shepherd's Dog
Iron and Wine @ MySpace

Released but a few short weeks back, the latest batch of intricate and experimentally woven “polyphono-orchestro” (got that?) fare from San Diego fair haired favorites Pinback is a perfected piece of studio performance, carefully crafted down to the punctuating needle prick and brimming with all the interlocking vocals, brainy bass lines, and chiming, Police-esque guitar work fans have come to expect from Armistead Burwell Smith IV and Rob Crow. Though Autumn of the Seraphs (Touch and Go) is as good as any that has slid through the mail slot this year, the album makes a pounding on the desk-top kind of argument for witnessing what they do in the fleshy present. Fortunately, the band is currently pouncing ‘round the country on a long and lanky tour…which means what are you doing here? Go check them out! - David Pitz

Tour Details:
09/25/07 - Numbers, Houston, TX
09/26/07 - House Of Blues, New Orleans, LA
09/27/07 - Club Downunder, Tallahassee, FL
09/28/07 - The Social, Orlando, FL
09/29/07 - Common Grounds, Gainesville, FL
10/01/07 - Roxy Theatre, Atlanta, GA
10/02/07 - The Orange Peel, Asheville, NC
10/03/07 - Cat's Cradle, Carrboro, NC
10/04/07 - Satellite Ballroom, Charlottesville, VA
10/05/07 - Theatre Of The Living Art, Philadelphia, PA
10/06/07 - Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ
10/07/07 - 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
10/09/07 - Nokia Theatre, Times Sq, New York, NY
10/10/07 - The Roxy, Boston, MA
10/11/07 - The Tralf, Buffalo, NY
10/12/07 - Opera House, Toronto, Canada
10/13/07 - The Crofoot, Pontiac, MI
10/14/07 - Metro, Chicago, IL
10/16/07 - Pabst Theater, Milwaukee, WI
10/17/07 - Fine Line Music Cafe, Minneapolis, MN
10/18/07 - Slowdown, Omaha, NE
10/19/07 - Gothic Theater, Englewood, CO
10/20/07 - The Depot, Salt Lake City, UT
10/22/07 - Showbox, Seattle, WA
10/23/07 - Viking Union, Bellingham, WA
10/24/07 - Roseland Theatre, Portland, OR
10/25/07 - Bimbo's, San Francisco, CA
10/26/07 - Bimbo's, San Francisco, CA
10/27/07 - Belly Up, Solana Beach, CA
10/28/07 - Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles, CA

For those still mucking about, Pinback also put together a video for snappy first single “From Nothing to Nowhere”. View it below…



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MP3: Pinback:: “From Nothing to Nowhere” – from From Nothing to Nowhere
Pinback @ MySpace

Summer has passed… sometime around 5am yesterday morning, I believe. All this would certainly be tragic kind of news, except it is hard to deny the fact that some music just sounds supremely fit for when the first bits of cool air start to blow in. And while their sixth (!) studio album is certainly blasted over with its’ fair share of sunshine, Club 8’s The Boy Who Couldn’t Stop Dreaming (Labrador Records) also has the perfect kind of grasp on nostalgic melancholy to set free falling leaves from skeleton trees, sweater, caps, and scarves, and the first icy breaths caught in the air to. Think of this Swedish duo as fall ‘07’s version of Beach House. - David Pitz

The Boy Who Couldn’t Stop Dreaming is set for release on September 26th in Sweden, and November 13th here in the US.

* * * * * * * * * * * *
MP3: Club 8:: “Jesus, Walk With Me” – The Boy Who Couldn’t Stop Dreaming
MP3: Club 8:: “Heaven” – The Boy Who Couldn’t Stop Dreaming
Club 8 @ MySpace

How fitting that this week, the first week of autumn, sees the release of In Our Nature (Mute) the solo album from Swedish-born singer-songwriter Jose Gonzalez. In Our Nature is the sound of leaves changing and temperatures falling. It’s the sound of the sun hitting you in the face as you wake up on a Sunday morning. Featuring Erik Bodin on percussion, Yukimi Nagamo on backing vocals and Hakan Wirenstrand on keyboards, Gonzalez’s sophomore album doesn’t veer too far of course sonically from his debut album Veneer, but it’s very noticeable how he’s improved as a craftsman of songs. Keep Reading - Stephon Johnson

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MP3: Jose Gonzalez:: “Down the Line” – In Our Nature
Jose Gonzalez @ MySpace

Grizzly Bear’s critically endeared sophomore album, Yellow House, was an unbelievably fine documentation of twenty something, bedroom folk being lifted to stratospheric levels by professional, psychedelic production. Such coherent pieces of work are never just the coming together of a handful of songs, but rather the result of fine tuning, not to mention picking and choosing. In other words, there must be a few tough choices that were left off the album. Now, a year later, it seems Grizzly Bear will be releasing some of those unfortunate casualties, as well as a handful of alternate takes and remixes on November 6th. Entitled the Friend EP (Warp), the 10 song collection will feature collaborative work with such acts as Beirut, The Dirty Projectors, CSS, and Band of Horses. - David Pitz

Friend Tracklisting:
1 Alligator (Choir Version, feat. Beirut/Dirty Projectors)
2 He Hit Me
3 Little Brother (Electric)
4 Shift (Alternative Version)
5 Plans (Terrible vs. Nonhorse: Sounds Edit)
6 Granny Diner
7 Knife (covered by CSS)
8 Plans (covered by Band of Horses)
9 Knife (covered by Atlas Sound)
10 Deep Blue Sea (Daniel Rossen home recording)

In addition, the band will continue its’ relentless tour schedule, this time hitting the road with Beach House.

Tour Dates
Sep 21, 2007 - London, ON - Lola Festival
Sep 22, 2007 - Ottawa, ON - Carleton Univ. Alumni Theater*
Sep 23, 2007 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground*
Oct 05, 2007 - Montreal, QC - Pop Montreal*
Oct 08, 200 - Grand Rapids, MI - Ladies Literary Club*
Oct 09, 2007 - MIlwaukee, WI - Pabst Theatre*
Oct 10, 2007 - Chicago, IL - Park West*
Oct 11, 2007 - Columbus, OH - Wexner Center at Ohio State*
Oct 12, 2007 - Pittsburgh, PA - Andy Warhol Museum*
Oct 13, 2007 - Baltimore, MD - 2640 Space at St. John's Church*
Oct 14, 2007 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church Sanctuary*
Nov 03, 2007 - New York, NY - Wordless Music Series at New York Society for Ethical Culture

* * * * * * * * * * * *
MP3: Grizzly Bear:: “On A Neck, On A Spit” – from Yellow House
Grizzly Bear: Yellow House – Album Stream
Grizzly Bear @ MySpace

Sam Gender and Mike Lindsay deserve this. After all, the two co-founders of London based folktronic act Tunng have come a long way from their squeezy, soft core porn composing roots (no joke…the two first hooked up penning sexy and sultry music for skin-a-max type flicks). But fast forward to the present and the experimental duo has ballooned to a full-on six piece band…that’s damn near collective status. Their third album, Good Arrows, marked the first collaborative effort Tunng has embarked on as a group, and it appears to be paying off handsomely. The album will be getting the domestic touch this Fall, courtesy of Thrill Jockey, and the band will be loading their dulcimers, harps, and home made field recordings on to a plane headed for the US. Get the deets below… - David Pitz

Tour Dates
10/23 - Brooklyn, NY - Union Hall
10/24 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
10/25 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East Upstairs
10/27 - Montreal, QC - Main Hall
10/28 - Toronto, ON - Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
10/29 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
10/30 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
11/2 - Seattle, WA - Nectar Lounge
11/3 - Portland, OR - Someday Lounge
11/5 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
11/6 - Los Angeles, CA - Echo

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MP3: Tunng:: Woodcat” – Comments of the Inner Chorus
Tung on MySpace

Though they call Reykjavik home, don’t expect to hear any kind of dramatic Icelandic lavishness coming from relatively unknown act Seabear. Unlike well-known fellow countrymen and women Sigur Ros and Bjork, this young septet, fronted by 24-year old Sindri Mar Sigfusson, favor a completely unobtrusive approach to song craft; the kind of audio delicacies Belle and Sebastian and Sufjan Stevens have been a-baking all these years. These are strong touchstones, to be sure. But before accusing any of these words as a meaningless façade of lofty comparisons to cover up mediocre work, take a moment and listen to this band, and their recently released album The Ghost That Carried Us Away (Morr Music).

Tackling “Nature, Mortality, and Love”, heart charmers like “Cat Piano”, “I Sing I Swim” and “Hands Remember” prove that the itty bitty approach can trigger not so itty bitty emotional quakes that launch a sea of goose bumps on the arms and legs, stretch a severe case of permi-grin across the face, and surrender the mind to a hopelessly chipper disposition. Dabbling in precious piano lines, swinging drum kit beats, voluptuous violins, backwoods banjos, and of course a glockenspiel (you just have to have a glockenspiel), these pocket practitioners churn out melodious melancholy, that ironically, thaws the heart, mind, and body after the briefest of moments. The only bad news? It appears Seabear are sequestered on tour on the other side of the Atlantic for awhile. Though if this record does what it should do, that won’t last very long. - David Pitz

Seabear's video for "Hands Remember"


* * * * * * * * * * * *
MP3: Seabear:: “I Sing I Swim” – The Ghost That Carried Us Away
Seabear on MySpace

I’ve always found it easier to write about what’s gone wrong on an album than try to pinpoint what’s gone right. So, imagine my chagrin when Joe Henry, the idiosyncratic musician perhaps best known for his work with the Jayhawks, delivers his latest offering, on which (oh horror of horrors!) I like every single track.

You read that right.

I enjoyed Civilians from beginning to end, from the moody swing of the opening title track (“life is short, but by the grace of god, the night is long”) to the echo-drenched loveliness of the last, “God Only Knows.” Needless to say, this doesn’t happen often. Keep Reading - Claire Orpeza

When Caleb Boddicker comes hissing across dusty cables on his proper, full-length debut Big Lionhearted and the Gallant Man (Banter), the lo-fi flight he whisks his listeners away on will certainly recall a handful of artists who busted down the bedroom recording doors and fled for the national spotlight. Conor Oberst, Sam Beam, and Jeff Mangum…their effect on the twenty year old songwriter under the covers of songs like “Traveling” and “Interstate 55” sounds immeasurable. But Boddicker is wise to a wide range of musical luminaries, and you can hear it on Big Lionhearted. Louder and clumsier than most, Boddicker wonders what Tom Waits the pimple-faced teen might have sounded like on “Samuel Clemens’ Grandpa”…for all of forty six seconds. Boddicker echoes both Wolf Parade’s Dan Boeckner and Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock on “Pretty Baby” and “That Which I or Albright’s Door”. And “The Greatest Thing” sounds like the most stripped down Built to Spill song you have ever heard. Pulling the whole collection together is Brian Deck – producer extraordinaire for many of the aforementioned acts. – David Pitz

* * * * * * * * * * * *
MP3: Boddicker:: “Pretty Baby (Part 1)” – Big Lionhearted And The Gallant Man
MP3: Boddicker:: “Interstate 55” – Big Lionhearted And The Gallant Man
Boddicker on MySpace

From the moment the first hi hat hits that oh so overused up beat, it might seem all too tempting to cast The Wombats latest EP (Kids) off into dance punk purgatory; a sort of place where Brandon Flowers’ ego pathetically wilts away in a cage, Radio 4 must listen to the horror their post-Gotham! releases have inflicted, and Bloc Party have that all-of-the-sudden-seriousness eternally tickled out of them with a feather. Except a funny thing happens on The Wombats way to hell…that ridiculously recognizable beat gets set to deliciously boppy and hilariously confessional three-minute pop songs worth taking a second take of. Keep Reading - David Pitz

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STREAM: The Wombats:: “Kill the Director” – The Wombats EP
The Wombats on MySpace

Jose Gonzalez just can’t seem to pass on New York City. Having only recently set the the carnivalistic romp house on the East River, the Spiegeltent, afire with the percussive pulse of his spellbinding approach to guitar dramatics, the lone singer/songwriter has once again tapped New York City to play host to the first three shows of his upcoming North American Tour, as well as make an appearance on Late Night With Conan O’Brien on 9/28/07. Supporting his new album In Our Nature (Mute) Gonzalez will then move on to stops in Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, and Chicago...all before jettisoning off to the West Coast. Look for Gonzalez on Jimmy Kimmel Live on 10/11 as well. Full Details Below: - David Pitz

Tour Dates:
9/27 – New York, NY @ The Gramercy Theater
9/28 – New York, NY @ The Gramercy Theater
9/29 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
9/30 – Boston, MA @ Paradise
10/01 – Philadelphia, PA @ World Café
10/02 – Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club
10/04 – Chicago, IL @ Park West
10/05 – Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater
10/07 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox
10/08 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
10/09 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
10/10 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
10/12 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre
10/13 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Café
11/24 – Vancouver, BC @ Richards On Richards
11/26 – Solana Beach, CA (San Deigo, CA) @ Belly Up Tavern *
11/29 – Austin, TX @ The Parish *
11/30 – Columbus, OH @ The Wexner Center+
12/01 – Louisville, KY @ 930 Listening Room *
12/02 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge *
12/03 – Bloomington, IN @ Buskirk-Chumley Theater *
12/04 – Cleveland Heights, OH @ Grog Shop *
12/06 – Ottawa, ON @ Zaphod Beeblebrox *
12/07 – Toronto, ON @ The Mod Club *
12/08 – Montreal, QC @ Le National announce now*

* Cass McCombs supports
+ Neva Geoffrey supports

Gonzalez has also filmed a fasinating video for In Our Nature's "Down the Line".




* * * * * * * * * * * *
MP3: Jose Gonzalez:: “Down the Line” – In Our Nature
Jose Gonzalez @ MySpace

Even though we should technically consider the album Spirit If…, from Broken Social Scene co-founder Kevin Drew, as a solo output, it’s hard not to see this as another BSS record. The usual suspects stop by as contributors (Feist, Emily Haines Joules Scott-Key and Jimmy Shaw of Metric, Stars’ Amy Millian and Evan Cranley), along with a couple of indie rock big names (J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. and Scott Kanneberg aka Spiral Stairs of Pavement). The album consists of tunes penned by Drew that were recorded irregularly over the past couple of years. All in all, like the majority of BSS efforts, the collective provided a lot of input. Keep Reading - Stephon Johnson

* * * * * * * * * * * *
MP3: Kevin Drew:: “TBTF” – Spirit If
Kevin Drew @ MySpace

While it might be slightly misleading, I don’t think the aptly titled Blonde Redhead had devious intentions in mind. Having built a sturdy, longtime foundation on the artful bedrock of noisy, resonant guitar drones, and off kilter tunings, Blonde Redhead earned a reputation as a kind of Sonic Youth lite over the years. But on their latest album, 23 (4ad, the band favored dream pop, a la Zero 7 or Air. In this sun baked show at the McCarren Park Pool, the band leans hard on the hyper hypnotic, and for good reason. August heat waves have a tendency to release a wash of sweat tickling down the forehead and send one into a hazy headed half euphoria. This lounge ready performance for a bulging, half naked Brooklyn crowd is just the kind of intense, dramatic, and squinty eyed moment worth standing in the middle of an empty, concrete bowl on a Sunday afternoon in August for. - David Pitz

* * * * * * * * * * * *
VIDEO: Blonde Redhead:: “Live at McCarren Park Pool” – NYC, NY

Those musically meandering sci-fi kids in Portland’s Blitzen Trapper hit it big with Wild Mountain Nation (Lidkercow Ltd), and also scored themselves a deal with Sub Pop along the way. However, before blazing that black and white logo over any future releases, the band has decided to self-release Cool Love #1; an EP featuring three out-takes from Wild Mountain Nation, and a live version of “Jericho”. Get the details below…

COOL LOVE #1 EP Tracklist:

1. Cool Love #1
2. Boss King
3. Jericho - Live
4. Jesus on the Mainline

The band is also preparing to hit the road with the likes of Two Gallants and John Vanderslice this fall.

BLITZEN TRAPPER Tour Dates:

FRI 9/14 Walla Walla WA @ Whitman College#
SAT 9/15 Pendleton OR @ Pendleton Arts Center#
MON 9/17 Portland OR @ Berbati's Pan*
TUE 9/18 Vancouver BC @ Media Club*
WED 9/19 Seattle WA @ The Crocodile*
THU 9/20 Boise ID @ Neurolux*
FRI 9/21 Salt Lake City @ Kilby Court*
SAT 9/22 Denver CO @ Hi-Dive*
SUN 9/23 Rapid City SD @ The Imperial Inn*
MON 9/24 Fargo ND @ Aquarium*
WED 9/26 Minneapolis MN @ Turf Club*
THU 9/27 Iowa City IA @ The Picador*
SAT 9/28 Omaha NE @ The Slowdown*
SAT 9/29 Chicago IL @ Schubas*
SUN 9/30 Cleveland OH @ Grog Shop*
MON 10/1 Toronto ON @ El Mocambo^
TUE 10/2 New York NY @ Gramercy Theatre*
THU 10/4 Philadelphia PA @ First Unitarian*
FRI 10/5 Boston MA @ Middle East Downstairs*
SAT 10/6 Baltimore MD @ Sonar*
SUN 10/7 Washington DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel*
MON 10/8 Chapel Hill NC @ Local 506*
TUE 10/9 Atlanta GA @ Drunken Unicorn*
WED 10/10 New Orleans LA @ The Parish*
THU 10/11 Hattiesburg MS @ Thirsty Hippo*
FRI 10/12 Beaumont TX @ Votex*
SAT 10/13 Austin TX @ Mohawk*
MON 10/15 Tucson AZ @ Plush*
WED 10/17/ San Diego CA @ The Casbah*
THU 10/18 Los Angeles CA @ El Rey*


* w/ Two Gallants, Songs for Moms
^ w/ John Vanderslice, Two Gallants
# w/ At Dusk

Finally, The band will also be releasing Wild Mountain Nation on vinyl for the first time on November 6th. I think it is safe to call these exciting times for Blitzen Trapper. - David Pitz

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VIDEO: Blitzen Trapper:: “Live at Mercury Lounge” – NYC, NY
MP3: Blitzen Trapper:: “Sci-Fi Kid" (40 Thieves Remix)

“Ultimately, we try to record catchy, melodic, powerful, strong pop-rock songs. We’re very conscious of what flow this has. Every song we try to do is a single. We want everything to be an A-side. You don’t shoot for a B-side.”

Antony Ellis, lead singer of Five O’Clock Heroes, pretty much nails every adjective you could lob at his band. Drawing on classic British pop influences like The Jam and Elvis Costello (“Skin Deep” would’ve fit in nicely on the former’s In the City.) Growing up in the “small, industrial town” of Northampton, England (The same city where Bauhaus formed), Ellis moved to New York as a teenager and spent the early part of this decade gorging on live music before forming his band and naming it after a 1982 The Jam track. Ellis recently spoke to Baeble about DIY tactics and the art of haggling. KEEP READING - Jason Newman

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Five O’Clock Heroes @ MySpace

It’s quite a feat when an artist manages to become a genre unto themselves. Yet over the course of 16 years, and an even more impressive 19 albums, punky folkateer Ani Difranco has managed to do just that…all while successfully casting a Molotov cocktail in the general direction of the corporate music industry. For her savvy business approach, restless tour schedule, and oh yeah…that instantly recognizable confessional song craft…Difranco has enjoyed a career inspiring the masses who religiously flock to see her.

And yet, it’s hard to believe she has gone all these years without a career spanning, retrospective collection of tunes. While 1996’s live Living in Clip came close, it’s been 11 years since the release. So after having her first child back in January, Ani went to work hand-picking songs, and even re-recording 5 classics, to represent the enormous body of work she has accumulated over the years. The result of that work is Canon (Rightous Babe); a 2 CD set featuring three dozen songs that allow new fans to "dip their toes in this vast pool, while giving loyal fans a new way to revisit". - David Pitz

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MP3: Ani Difranco:: “Both Hands” – Canon
Video: Ani Difranco:: “Both Hands” – Canon
Album Stream: Ani Difranco:: Canon

From the Battles Camp…
The current kings of the math rock have put themselves together another stylish new video; this time for 2nd single “Tonto”. While it is certainly a fine piece of film, I can’t help but thinking we pretty much saw the same premise for “Atlas”. Instead of glass cube, the band is playing along in a sea of luminescent lights; instead of space, now they arrive in the desert (or perhaps they have made it to the moon...or another planet). Let’s just call it a theme…





Along with the video, the band will be releasing the Tonto EP via Warp on 10/22 in the UK and Europe, and 11/5 in the US. It will feature remixes by Four Tet, DJ EMZ, and The Field, along with two live tracks. Both the CD and 12” will come with bonus DVD featuring both the “Tonto” and “Atlas” videos, along with a short documentary on the making of “Tonto”. - David Pitz

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Battles @ MySpace

Few souls burn as intensely as The Veils’ Finn Andrews. When the gothic laced mad hatter took the Bowery Ballroom’s stage on Monday, he quickly assumed the agonized face that his theatrical, unrestrained, and discontent music so rightfully demands. The Smiths, Stone Roses, Nick Cave, The Cure, and The Clash…the New Zealander and son of former XTC keyboardist Barry Andrews took welcome live musical cues from a host of acts who knew music was no game, but rather a deeply personal and spiritual phenomenon. While most of the set was pulled from the band’s masterful piece of work, Nux Vomica (Rough Trade), ironically, it was a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “State Trooper” that really personified the barely bottled madness the band threatened , and often did, unleash on the wild room. In other words, The Veils are serious business…though appearing for the encore in star studded, red white and blue pants, while telling a story about how “these colors don’t run” was a welcome let up for a moment. - David Pitz

Stay tuned to Baeble Music for exclusive, live footage from the Veils show at the Bowery Ballroom.

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Photos: The Veils:: “Live at Bowery Ballroom” – New York, NY
The Veils @ MySpace



- Photography by Maureen Pitz

While New York hosted its’ fair share of memorable musical moments this summer, one single event is probably etched in the collective memories of those lucky enough to stake out a place above all others. Held July 7th at Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park in Brooklyn’s DUMBO section, the Boredoms’ 77 drummer experiment was probably one of the more uniquely powerful musical event one could ever attend.

If you are like me, and are killing yourself for not going, Viva Radio is rubbing a little more salt in your emotion wounds. Starting today the site is offering an exclusive online companion piece to the Boredoms 77 Boadrum legacy drum event. Check out the clip below. - David Pitz




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The Boredoms @ MySpace

Though she once found herself perched atop the pop charts with jokey one-hit wonders Fannypack, one can only imagine Cat Hartwell’s need to fix herself, so to speak, after a series of unsuccessful follow-up singles to the group’s mega-hit “Cameltoe”. Hopping the dance rock revival a few years later, the beautiful banshee formed Holy Hail from scratch in ‘05. Built around catchy as can be disco dance beats, and furiously fuzzy bass grooves, Holy Hail lay the perfect live backdrop for a fire breathing fashionista well versed in rap and hip hop. Now, two years later, this hometown performance at Brooklyn’s Luna Lounge makes you wonder just how far she’ll eclipse her previous success. - David Pitz

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VIDEO: Holy Hail:: “Live at Luna Lounge” – NYC, NY

You got to hand it to Baeble favorites Art Brut. They could probably venture anywhere in the world in support of their 2nd album It’s a Bit Complicated (Downtown Records). But Eddie Argos and Co always manages to string together a good amount of dates in the good ole USA. This time around, the band is teaming up with the best bar band turned stadium sell out around, The Hold Steady. It’s like a rockers dream come true, and it gets started in October. If you can’t wait until then, they have a few preliminary dates, starting tonight at the Key Club in Los Angeles. Get the details below: - David Pitz

Art Brut Tour Dates
09/11 - Key Club - Los Angeles, CA
09/13 - Beauty Bar - Las Vegas, NV
09/14 - The Mohawk - Austin, TX
09/15 - Monolith Festival - Red Rocks, CO
10/21 - Lupo's - Providence, RI *
10/22 - The Roxy - Boston, MA *
10/23 - Electric Factory - Philadelphia, PA *
10/24 - Disco Rodeo - Raleigh, NC *
10/25 - 40 Watts - Athens, GA *
10/26 - Bijou Theatre - Knoxville, TN *
10/27 - Newport Music Hall - Columbus, OH *
10/29 - Crofoot Ballroom - Pontiac, MI
10/30 - Metro - Chicago, IL *
10/31 - Metro - Chicago, IL *
11/04 - Hub Ballroom - Seattle, WA *
11/05 - Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR *
11/06 - Warfiled - San Francisco, CA *
11/07 - Wiltern - Los Angeles, CA *
11/12 - Ogden Theatre - Denver, CO *
11/13 - Grandada - Lawrence, KS *
11/14 - Palladium - Dallas, TX *
11/15 - La Zona Rosa - Austin, TX *
11/17 - Bottle Tree Annex - Birmingham, AL *
11/18 - Variety Playhouse - Atlanta, GA *
11/19 - Toads Place Richmond, VA *
11/21 - Terminal 5 - New York, NY *

*w/ The Hold Steady

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VIDEO: Art Brut:: “Live at the Bowery Ballroom” – New York, NY
VIDEO: The Hold Steady:: “Live at Castle Clinton” – New York, NY

You’ve probably noticed we kind of love Ferraby Lionheart (Scroll Down). Still haven’t heard of him? We think you should. That’s why Baeble has teamed up with our friends over at Nettwerk to give away a pretty stellar kind of prize pack. Simply send a quick EMAIL with your name, address and “Ferraby Contest” in the subject line . We’ll draw a lucky winner’s name one week from today. If selected, you can look forward to receiving an autographed poster, a copy of Catch the Brass Ring, and his self-titled, debut EP. Good luck!

Sorting through the liner notes of Nina Nastasia’s latest album, You Follow Me (FatCat), one could be forgiven for any underwhelming expectations that crop up before giving the album a listen. There will obviously be Nina’s smoke gorgeous voice, and her brittle and cracked like clay acoustic guitar. But she backs herself by Jim White; a lone drummer who hits the skins for Cat Power, Will Oldham, Nick Cave, and the eerie agriculturalist trio, the Dirty Three. This kind of skimpy collaboration has spelled pay dirt for bands that draw a little more juice through their chords. But perhaps this effort might be a little too stripped down to the creaky old skeleton. Rest assured, however. Nastasia and White provide ample reason to question any pretenses that might exist the moment the album begins. Keep Reading - David Pitz

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Nina Nastasia @ MySpace

“We fiddled ourselves a gig in a place called Hannah’s Bar in Liverpool,“ Matthew ‘Murph’ Murphy recalls, “and we didn’t really have a name and me and Dan (Haggis) went through a period of calling each other Wombo.”

Dan: “Basically Wombo the Wombat was a fictional kind of character in our daily talk.”

Murph: “We used to call each other ‘stupid wombats’ as well, and then we needed a name for this first gig so Dan was like ‘just call us The Wombats.”

Dan: “And the guy just laughed and went ‘yeah, that’s funny, that’ll do for now.”

Looks like “for now” is a rather indefinite thing, especially given the success these post-punkateering gents have experienced so far. Like the adoption of their namesake, everything seems to come easy to The Wombats. Incredibly, the band found themselves playing distant festivals in Beijing, Canada, and Norway shortly after graduating from Paul McCartney’s Institute of Performing Arts in ’03. Fast forward several years, and seven self financed EPs later to winter of last year…that is when the band rallied ‘round Europe supporting the Kaiser Chiefs, not to mention Babyshambles in the UK. That’s the kind of ticket that will garner a ton of buzz. It did overseas. Now it’s time for them to conquer America. And though The Wombats might have graduated from a school blazed w/ an ex-Beatle’s name across the front entrance, don’t expect “Hey Jude” or “Band on the Run” out of these lads from Liverpool. This is high energetic fare in the vein of fellow countrymen (and equally adorably named) The Artic Monkeys. - David Pitz

The band is currently set to digitally release a self titled EP, complete with remix by CSS, September 18th on the Kids imprint.



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The Wombats on MySpace

On first listen to “The Plot”, the first single off of White Rabbits’ debut album Fort Nightly (Say Hey Records), you might think you’ve found another group to follow in the well-trod footsteps of The Strokes and Franz Ferdinand. The guitar riffs, aggressive drums, and even the vocals, down to the “whoa”s have that rock feel that swept through indie rock only a few years ago, but just like Lewis Carroll’s character, there’s a lot more than initially meets the eye with White Rabbits. Keep Reading - Eric Silver




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MP3: White Rabbits:: “The Plot” – Fort Nightly
MP3: White Rabbits:: “Kid On My Shoulders” – Fort Nightly
White Rabbits @ MySpace

With his silky, caramel covered vocals and tipsy, bleary-eyed song craft, it is easy to hear why Ferraby Lionheart’s recently released Catch the Brass Ring (Nettwerk) draws appropriate critical comparisons to the work of Rufus Wainwright, Elliott Smith, Jon Brion, and even the Beatles. But for those lucky (or smart?) enough to line the edge of The Mercury Lounge’s stage last Thursday for his criminally early 9PM set, Lionheart revealed that, while that narrow lining is certainly select company, those looking for accurate touchstones to the Silver Lake CA songwriter’s catalogue might want to consider broadening their search.

Stripped of the outstanding studio finery heard on his album, Lionheart’s performance disclosed his sneaky versatility as a songwriter. Though light and understated, he still yields plenty of control over the time and place in which he leads listeners to. Taking the stage alone with his guitar, his frail framed stature came as a bit of a surprise...especially given the brawny voice lying just underneath his red velvet jacket. Playing the part of the wounded songwriter, “Put Me In Your Play” provided a pin drop, keep the conversations to yourself moment that those who witnessed may very well be talking about down the road if he maintains his current career trajectory. After two songs, he was joined on stage by a twinkle eyed bass player eagerly laying down the brick, a scrappy, bearded faced drummer comfortably locked in to the ones and twos, and a trombone balladeer, patiently waiting for his moments to dress it all up in slightly more exotic skin. If his solo work was Elvis Perkins, then this was music for the high on life hippie set...think a live Devendra Banhart outing. Playing songs like “A Bell and Tumble” and “Before We’re Dead”, the band coded bohemian ballroom blues and speakeasy romps with Lionheart’s absolute vocal elegance. And after rolling through a few numbers and thanking his band (“That worked out pretty well”), the singer chameleoned for the final time, this time assuming the role of the lonely lounge lizard. Crooning, “Give yourself a break and laugh awhile” (“The Octopus and the Amblulance”) over tearstained piano, Lionheart has obviously spent obsessive time with Mr. Billy Joel. But as beautiful as it was, the ease with which he previously worked his way through previous songs seemed to diminish, replaced by a final, emotive and quasi-painful wrap up to the set. Giraffing his neck to reveal a collage of tendons and rolling his eyes to the back of his head, Lionheart dug deep for these true love, final selections. Sedate, yet utterly gorgeous, the final bit left the kind of favorable lasting impression that lingered on in my consciousness well past the house lights faded back on. - David Pitz

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MP3: Ferraby Lionheart:: “Small Planet” – from Catch the Brass Ring
Ferraby Lionheart on MySpace

Dear Art in Manila,

I had every reason to expect the best from your debut album, Set the Woods on Fire. With former members of Azure Ray, Son, Ambulance, Mayday, and The Anniversary, your pedigree is enviable. So, when I popped the promo CD into my laptop, it was to my great surprise (and disappointment) that I found myself … distinctly unimpressed. Keep Reading - Claire Orpeza



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MP3: Art in Manila:: “Set the Woods on Fire” – Set the Woods on Fire
MP3: Art in Manila:: “The Abomination” – Set the Woods on Fire
Art in Manila @ MySpace

With its’ driving psychedelic swagger, light headed melodies, balmy bits of carefully calculated vintage throwback, and esoteric electronics, Andorra (Merge), the latest release from Caribou, demands more than a few musical variables for the band’s curator, Dan Snaith, to balance. Fortunately, the Canadian artist and certified numbers nerd comes well equipped to compose order out of the kaleidoscopic compositions that make up the album…turns out he is a Ph D in mathematics. And like the elaborate equations he no doubt conquered daily during his studies, Andorra’s erratic tendencies slowly ease over the course of several listens, revealing a still wandering, yet ultimately catchy as can be collection of summertime songs that toyfully teeter on an unexpected precipice. Keep Reading - David Pitz

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MP3: Caribou:: “Melody Day” – from Andorra
Caribou @ MySpace

For only their second US show to date, much ballyhooed Swedish band I’m From Barcelona brought 20 members plus to McCarren Park for a ruckus Sunday afternoon pool party. And while some might find it easy to argue that the massive band thing is getting a tad overdone, it is hard to deny the fact that every one of Barcelona’s members chip in to help furnish their nifty cheerleading sound, not to mention contribute to the wildly dynamic performance. Just try and keep up with these kids. While they rollick through “We’re From Barcelona”, “Oversleeping”, “Treehouse”, and “The Painter”, you’ll get lost in a sea of balloons, confetti, bear costumes…hey wait, is that Steve Zissou?...oh, and crowd surfing. Might I suggest watching this one over and over to really appreciate it. - David Pitz

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VIDEO: I'm From Barcelona:: “Live at McCarren Park Pool” – NYC, NY