006-031 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

The fabled Austin music festival kicks off March 17, 2010, and already the showcasing bands number in the millions! From Argentina to New Zealand, from Aa to Zona Tango, Advance Cassette will sniff out every gumsmacking, bootlicking badass and newborn band on the planet and report back here. Or not.

Wow, what a mess I've gotten myself into. Nevertheless, I'm going to do this. As we near the end of the "A"s you will notice that "stuffs" is coming fast and furious. I've tried to strike a usable format, but be forewarned: "stuffs" may shift without my knowledge. There is no more time; SXSW 2010 kicks off in less than two months, and there are still 250 bands, minimum, to go! I might misspell stuffs, mangle a fact, or say shit I don't mean. Anything could happen.

Am I unfair or over-generous in these jello-shot reviews? You bet your ass. However, I have listened to a sizable chunk of each artist, so gag if you can't take a joke.

Whoopti-freakin-do, here we go!

06 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: Akina Adderley & The Vintage Playboys

COO: United States, Austin

REVUED: Akina Adderley & The Vintage Playboys (Get Level Records – 2009) Wah-wah, porn guitar, Blood, Sweat, & Tears horns, and boogie-blues vocals make for a run of the mill soul jam throw down.

SHOULD YOU: Naaah.









07 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: AkashA

COO: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

REVUED: Into … AkashA (AkashA – 2009) Seven-piece “world” outfit tries every musical style under the sun, and sometimes it works. For example, “Ants In My Turban” is basically “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” with a reoccurring sitar break. Their hand drum epic “Kunna Kool” is crazy cool.

SHOULD YOU: Why not, especially if you’re into sitar -- lots and lots of sitar.

08 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: Alberta Cross

COO: USA, Brooklyn

REVUED: Broken Side Of Time (ATO/Red -- 2009) Primitive guitar anthems with a pointed nod toward J Mascis. Lead vocals rummage around in the Wayne Coyne toolbox before coming out half Kevin Kinney. MMJ might sound like this if they suddenly grew a pair of giant, angry balls.

SHOULD YOU: Yes. DO NOT MISS.

09 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: Allo Darlin

COO: London, United Kingdom

REVUED: The Polaroid Song (Fortuna Pop Records – 2009) Bouncy, whimsical, sunshiney all the time! Even when there’s no accordion, everything somehow sounds like a bright sunshiney accordion. Can’t imagine a melancholy moment even if they play for days on end. The lo-fi approach does help to temper the whimsy a bit

SHOULD YOU: Yep!

10 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: Alvarez Kings

COO: United Kingdom, South Yorkshire

REVUED: You Me Them Us (Unsigned) Franz Ferdinand is soo double naught… Yet guitar dance-pop will never die. It’s not that these guys suck; I simply question the authenticity of their sneer.

SHOULD YOU: Doesn’t matter; some one will force you. And you will like it.

11 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez

COO: United States, Baltimore

REVUED: Why Is Bear Billowing? (Carpark Records – 2008) While it’s true that Jack Johnson single-handedly wrecked the “guitar on the beach” genre, Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez is doing his part to put it right again. This Havana-born troubadour goes cerebral with a quiet confidence, sunset poetry, and gorgeous acoustic guitar.

SHOULD YOU: Yes, if you want him to sail away with your girlfriend.

12 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

---Playlist Pending, Please Check Back---

WHO: An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump

COO: United Kingdom, London

REVUED: These Sins EP (Trouble Records – 2008) Uni-dimensional, punk trio dripping with militant feminism. If you’re not a fan already, chances are you never will be.

SHOULD YOU: Strictly as an experiment.

13 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: An Horse

COO: Australia, Brisbane

REVUED: Rearrange Beds (Mom And Pop/Valve – 2009) Bang-and-jangle duo not afraid of a little 20th Century retread. In an era of indie rock smoke-and-mirrors, it’s refreshing to hear something direct: snarling guitar, thundering drums, and vocals with presence. Get this record and learn all the words so you can wig out properly when the time comes.

SHOULD YOU: YES!



14 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: The Anix

COO: United States, Los Angeles

REVUED: Demolition City (Chamberlain Records – 2008) Stunningly awful, alternative radio schlock. The kind of stuff that begins with a lengthy discussion about a “target audience.”

SHOULD YOU: Nope.



15 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: Anti Pop Consortium

COO: United States, New York

REVUED: Florescent Black (Big Dada – 2009) A. Hip-Hop has failed to live up to its potential. B. Less Jay-Z, more Anti Pop Consortium. With Mr. Roboto backing tracks and lyrics that shun brand specific consumer goods, hope springs eternal. These guys manage 18 tracks with nary a “yeeah” or “uh-hu.” I had a hard time picking just one.

SHOULD YOU: Yeeeah, boy. Expand your horizons.




16 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: Apoptygma Berzerk

COO: Norway, Fredrikstad

REVUED: Rocket Science (Harddrive – 2009) IDM! Okay! I can listen, admire the effort, and never feel less than complete if I never hear a single note of it again. What does that say about IDM? What does that say about me?

SHOULD YOU: Sorry, no. You go ahead. It’s just that I’ve been drinking Bloody Marys since sun-up and the pot isn’t helping-- Oh, wait, I like this one. Is this “Green Queen?”




17 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: Apostle Of Hustle

COO: Canada, Toronto

REVUED: Eats Darkness (Arts & Crafts – 2009) Yawn. Pointless guitar pop with pointless amphetamine rhythms. Note: pointless noise drops and found sounds will not enhance a wide stance.

SHOULD YOU: Nuh-uh.

18 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: Arborea

COO: United States, Maine

REVUED: House Of Sticks (Borne Recordings – 2009) Hill-people instrumentation and slithering vocal takes make for a newish compendium of folk dalliances. A bit too self-concerned for yours truly, but I can see other folks liking it.

SHOULD YOU: If you should happen by along your journey to the Renaissance fair, sure!

19 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: Bomani Armah

COO: United States, Washington DC

REVUED: The Hustle/Shake It Off (Park Triangle – 2006) The only thing worse than Christian Rock is Jesus-Hop: a horrible genre, begging Streetcred AND Hitmaker simultaneously. WS Burroughs once said, “If you are doing business with a religious son-of-a-bitch, get it in writing. His word isn’t worth shit; not with The Good Lord telling him how to fuck you on the deal.”

SHOULD YOU: Yes, if you like preachy, disingenuous, bullshit with your beats. Actually, I’m so put off by Bomani that I’ve decided to sub out his Advance Cassette spot with The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy, Featuring William S. Burroughs. The cut is “Words Of Advice For Young People,” and it features the above quoted gem, among others.



20 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: Olof Arnalds

COO: Iceland

REVUED: Vid Og Vid (One Little Indian – 2010) Seriously? I don’t get the buzz on this one. Sigur Ros? Is that it? Some one in that band had something to do with Arnalds’ record? That’s it? Don’t get me wrong; I love her acoustic finger picking, but that Julie Andrews cum Judy Collins vocal is like a blowtorch up a cat’s ass.

SHOULD YOU: Enjoy your scenester party. You can wipe the blood from your ears with a page or two from Paste. (Is that still a print deal, or did they go all digital?)

21 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: Art vs. Science

COO: Australia, New South Wales

REVUED: Friend In The Field (MySpace – 2010) Chunky synths with a dance beat. Vaguely fun and completely forgettable.

SHOULD YOU: Nope.

22 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: ASG

COO: United States, Wilmington

REVUED: Win Us Over (Volcom Entertainment – 2007) Heavy metal nonsense… Wait, is that redundant. If you said no, then ASG might be the band for you. Nicely executed, then again, I don’t get out much.

SHOULD YOU: I wouldn’t, but you, well you… you headbanger, you.

23 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: A Shorline Dream

COO: United States, Denver

REVUED: Recollections Of Memory (Latenight Weeknight Records – 2009) Terrible, washed out, cascading crap. “Hey, look! If I keep doing the same thing, then it repeats… Like…like, uhm… like recollections of memory.”

SHOULD YOU: Under no circumstances.

24 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: Astra

COO: United States, San Diego

REVUED: The Weirding (Rise Above Records – 2009) These D&D masters deliver The Epic 70s in magical increments of 8 minutes, 10, 11, 15, and a whopping 17 plus – all on a single album. Lest you doubt their sincerity, consider the fact that every last note was penned in charcoal, on sheepskin, in a cave lit exclusively by candles rendered from the fat of wooly mammoths. Also, there was a wizard.

SHOULD YOU: Go ahead; check out a song or two. Chances are that’ll be the whole fairy-shagging set.

25 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: A Sunny Day In Glasgow

COO: United States, Philadelphia

REVUED: Ashes Grammar (Mis Ojos Discos – 2009) No context, no intrigue, and no taste. Ladies and gentlemen, the Self Esteem Movement has taken the stage! Please give this sextet a trophy for full frontal drooling, a blue ribbon for showing up, and your warmest applause for their vulgar self-indulgence.

SHOULD YOU: No.

26 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: Atash

COO: United States, Austin

REVUED: Global Harmony (Live) (World Harmony – 2007) The sitar (along with its unnamed cousins) is relegated to the far reaches of the orchestra pit in this international ensemble. The guitar brings a warmer tone to the traditional Middle Eastern melody, and a classical western arrangement melds with Persian themes to create a full and less grating listening session in the often-ambivalent genre of so-called World Music.

SHOULD YOU: Yes. This is good food for the head as well as the soul.

27 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: Athena

COO: United States, Unknown

REVUED: As far as I know, there are: one white Athena, two black Athenas, and one or two Hispanic Athenas. The white Athena sings gospel music. One of the Hispanic Athenas sings gospel as well. While another dresses in a Wonder Woman costume and sings sex music.

SHOULD YOU: I don’t know! (You got me requisitioned, Blondie.)

28 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: Nicole Atkins And The Black Sea

COO: United States, Neptune City

REVUED: Neptune City (Columbia – 2009) Wriggling somewhere betwixt Queen and Abba, the Jersey girl manages the major label well with her Broadway pipes, yet something is lacking. Perhaps she’s working on that right now, getting ready to spring it on unassuming patrons at the Austin Music Festival.

SHOULD YOU: Why not? Especially if you are interested in a possible, new something.

29 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: Attack Attack!

COO: United States, Westerville

REVUED: Someday Came Suddenly (Rise Records/Victory – 2009) Screamcore trash. No, no, no, no, no, no, nononononono noooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Ahhhhrrrgh! Do they let eleven-year-olds in the South X West?

SHOULD YOU: Jesus Christ.

30 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: Attack! Attack!

COO: United Kingdom, Caerphilly

REVUED: Attack! Attack! UK (Rock Ridge Music – 2008) I know (!) it’s like a nightmare on a loop, only British! See, one has two exclamation points, and the other only takes one. At least these guys are fit for twelve-year-olds.

SHOULD YOU: Shit. Really?

31 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

WHO: At Versaris

COO: Spain, Barcelona

REVUED: A Cada Passa (Propaganda pel Fet! – 2009) Tough-ass, rapin’, man-bitches with a hatred for…get ready…wait for it…here it comes… FASCISM! And? And? And what else? CAPITALISM! Now that’s some cutting edge shit, rite der, booy, yup. Truth is, some of they beats is fly, but I’m a mother fucking capitalist, yo. Word.

SHOULD YOU: I would, ‘cause I ain’t a-scared-a no commie.

Groove Evolution: Spoon's Transference

Spoon
Transference
(January 18, 2010 – Merge)

Somewhere in the Bible, God said He’d rather we be hot or cold. The lukewarm, He cautioned, would meet the indignant fate of being “spewed” from His mouth. Bad visual, but luckily we’re no longer in “Bible Times.”

Spoon’s new album Transference is an object lesson in the benefits of being lukewarm. In the tepid ground between hot funk and cool rock lies the groove. And it’s the groove that Spoon reinvents on these eleven tracks. The downside is that you won’t get “yr cherry bomb” or “camera on” this time around. But the upside is a masterful balancing act.

Gilding the groove are attractive tonal textures, including (but not limited to) chalky lead vocals, flush harmonies, reversed instrumental tracks, strings, and wowee-zowee space-organ. Jarring edits occasionally cut off the vocals mid-note. And at least once, the entire tail end of a song gets docked. Little tricks to keep us alert, lest a groove coma -- a yummy groove coma -- ensues.

“Before Destruction” opens the album with a spare rhythm concocted of hi hat, floor tom, and acoustic guitar strapped together with organ and swirling vocals. A perfect example of not burying the lead, and a great argument for why you shouldn’t.

The most blatant groove comes three songs later with “Who Makes Your Money?” It leans trippy with delayed organ hits, volume pedal guitar swells, falsetto, and an excellent opening lyric guaranteed to be misheard by the millions. (For the record, I’m pretty sure that Britt Daniel is singing, “Jack Benny’s drawn his slight face first…” or is it “his sly face-fur?”)

“Trouble Comes Running” makes a play for the obvious pure pop hit. But it also makes production waves, as the ultra-low-fi treatment is applied, obliterating any hope of pure pop acceptance. I mean, virtually the entire trap kit is panned left! I love it when bands pull this shit!

Whether accidental or by design, Transference subtly melds funk and rock (two elements that ordinarily should be kept far, far apart) into a sturdy new brand of groove music (a genre that typically smacks of laziness). In fact you may feel quite lazy, yourself, after your first listen. But keep at it, because just like studying the Bible, you discover something new every time.

JH

Soundtrack To Wednesday

Spoon | Transference

005 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

The fabled Austin music festival kicks off March 17, 2010, and already the showcasing bands number in the millions! From Argentina to New Zealand, from Aa to Zona Tango, Advance Cassette will sniff out every gumsmacking, bootlicking badass and newborn band on the planet and report back here. Or not.

WHO: And So I Watch You From Afar

COO: Ireland, Belfast

REVUED: And So I Watch You From Afar (Smalltown America – 2009): Ham-fisted, prog instru-metalists who aren’t afraid to flip the bagpipe switch on the guitar box, or go all ping-pongy like U2's the Edge. Just sayin.

SHOULD YOU: Yes, but we’ll have to go soon, cuz we ain’t genre fans and we’re afraid we might get bored. “Keep a rockin’, y’all!”

005 Advance Cassette | And So I Watch You From Afar

Ain't It Funky Now: Back To The Boutique

Beastie Boys

Paul's Boutique 20th Anniversary Edition

(2009 - Capitol)

It's hard to believe that Paul’s Boutique was a commercial failure upon its initial release. Even now, looking at this twenty years on, who would have thought a bunch of snotty Brooklyn Jewish kids (who formed originally as a hardcore band) could realistically cash in on the latest bad boy street rap trend and become trendsetters?

Now, like then, Paul's Boutique is a hard-core love letter to 70s funk. Its boogie is on the dance floor (or possibly the dirt floor, according to the 15 second banjo romp “5 Piece Chicken Dinner”), and it also doesn't shy away from heavy-hitter samples from the likes of Mountain, The Ramones, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Elvis Costello, and Johnny Cash. The sound is a mish-mash of rhymes, scratches, and bass beats courtesy of the West Coast’s Dust Brothers and Mario Caldato Jr. who seemingly toss in whatever might have popped out of their heads at the moment while still keeping that consistent and constant groove throughout. The 40-minute album also maintains its beat and lyrical muster by dropping funky guitar and bass riffs into the mix before snatching them back, simultaneously contemplating the serious and the snotty and sometimes even the ridiculous:

Fear and loathing across the country listening to my 8 Track…

Bust a Travis Bickle when I feel I’m getting pushed…

Droppin’ science like Galileo dropped the orange….

The standout tracks are easy to remember: "Hey Ladies," "High Plains Drifter," and "Johnny Ryall" to name the obvious few, but then again, there's nary a stinker in this bunch o’funk. Songs such as "Shake Your Rump," "Egg Man," and "Car Thief" act as perfect companions to the above-mentioned rap-a-long singles and keep the overall momentum flowing, sometimes even eclipsing the individual standouts themselves.

The down note in an otherwise triumphant re-release this year is Beastie member Adam “MCA” Yauch's recent cancer diagnosis. Fortunately, it was found early enough for successful treatment, but not soon enough to avoid postponing the release of the Boys' 2009 album, Hot Sauce Committee Part One, and canceling their upcoming tour. So, raise a glass of Brass Monkey in toast to The Beasties’ new album and to MCA’s health, and to this truly one of a kind dance platter that is as necessary to your ears as gravity is to your own sweet moves.

-Blake Rainey

Ed: Blake Rainey is a singer/songwriter based in Atlanta. He has two excellent solo record albums available for your musical pleasure, as well as several brutish punk recordings with his famed bandmates in the Young Antiques. Check out all them groovy dudes HERE! And HERE!

Soundtrack To Wednesday

004 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

The fabled Austin music festival kicks off March 17, 2010, and already the showcasing bands number in the millions! From Argentina to New Zealand, from Aa to Zona Tango, Advance Cassette will sniff out every bootlicking badass and newborn band on the planet and report back here. Or not.

WHO: Amaral

COO: Spain, Madrid

REVUED: Pajaros en la Cabeza (EMI - 2005): This pop duo keeps it light and strictly in the middle of the road. If you dig lots of saucy Latin percussion, then you'll have to keep digging elsewhere. Lyrics notwithstanding, Amaral skews more Amy Grant than Rodrigo y Gabriela.

SHOULD YOU: Maybe. If you just HAVE to chill.

004 Advance Cassette | Amaral

Free All Music: A Tale Of Two Henrys

This was supposed to be about Henry Flynt. And I swear I’ll get back to Henry Flynt in due time. But just before I settled down to tell you about this fascinating fiddler from North Carolina who in 1961 made his musical debut in Yoko Ono’s famed New York loft, then proceeded to blow the ass-end out of the Greenwich Village avant-guard scene, I got a little email from Free All Music.

I signed up for their emails a month or so back. And it’s been radio silence ever since. Then suddenly, GAME ON! Free All Music says that I’m one of 250 beta tasters (sic), and hell fire, ain’t I flattered? Hell yes, I am. Wouldn’t you? Be?

Free All Music aims to change the way we acquire music online. Heretofore your options lay in theft (Bit torrent) or rental (Rhapsody streaming audio) or some hacked up, quasi-legal concoction of the two. FAM basically said, “Let’s make it so stupid, it’s simple!”

The result is a twist on the old terrestrial radio model where listeners hear some songs for free, then enjoy “a few words from our sponsor.” FAM flips the model, requiring you to first watch a thirty-second commercial before you download a song. The upside is that once you’ve fulfilled your obligation to watch (users can choose their commercial) the downloaded song is yours to keep forever. No copy protection, no embedded advertisements, no strings attached…anywhere.

To be perfectly clear, I think this idea is Tha Shit! Advertisers cover the costs; artists GET PAID! And you get a quality, virus-free, spy ware-free, LEGAL copy of your favorite song! That’s free enterprise, baby. But, as my man Axel Rose said, “every rose has its thorn(s).”

Right now, users are limited to 5 downloads per week. At that rate, snagging Pink Floyd’s The Wall will take nearly a month. Look for a more liberal weekly tab in the future.

I haven’t confirmed the bit rate on FAM’s downloads, but a song-to-song, headphone comparison between Rhapsody’s streaming audio and FAM’s downloads left me with the clear impression that you get what you pay for. Through five songs, Rhapsody consistently delivered a richer, more “real” sound, while FAM was slightly – and I do mean slightly – hyped on the high end. Not enough to quibble about, especially considering the cost. Rhapsody is about twelve bucks per month. Free All Music is…uh, free.

And with Free comes the Tale of Two Henrys. The issue is catalog, and I shall know thy catalog by searching it. My search for Henry Flynt rendered a list of twenty (standard for FAM) discombobulated hopefuls. Henry Flynt, being as obscure as an iceberg off the coast of Cuba, didn’t show at all. In fact, nineteen of the Henrys on the page meant nothing to me. But there was one Henry that rang a bell: Henry’s Dream, the 1992 album from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. That’s a damn good record. I’ve mashed up its front cuts with a few from our original subject, Henry Flynt. Flynt’s Back Porch Hillbilly Blues Vols. 1 & 2 are simply not to be missed.

Sorry I didn’t really make a case for either Henry. Each is well deserved.

Here’s hoping the mashup plays well, late at night, on a Christmas Eve, 2009.

Merry Christmas.

JH

Soundtrack To Wednesday

Henry Flynt & Nick Cave

003 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

The fabled Austin music festival kicks off March 17, 2010, and already the showcasing bands number in the millions! From Argentina to New Zealand, from Aa to Zona Tango, Advance Cassette will sniff out every gumsmacking, bootlicking badass and newborn band on the planet and report back here. Or not.

WHO: Alpha Rev

COO: United States, Austin

REVUED: Alpha Rev (Surefire – 2006) Oxymoron Alert! Radiohead meets Coldplay. Told ya. Cliché Alert! Beatlesesque.

SHOULD YOU: Maybe. Maybe not.

JH

003 Advance Cassette | Alpha Rev

002 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

The fabled Austin music festival kicks off March 17, 2010, and already the showcasing bands number in the millions! From Argentina to New Zealand, from Aa to Zona Tango, Advance Cassette will sniff out every gumsmacking, bootlicking badass and newborn band on the planet and report back here. Or not.

WHO: Acid Mothers Temple

COO: Japan, Osaka

REVUED: Are We Experimental? (Prophase Music – 2009): A Source who is knowledgeable of the situation claims that Acid Mothers are “astonishing live,” but I just listened to 2:44 of electric whoopi cushion and flute, after which I’m content to take A Source’s word for it. Billed as heavy-psyche, the band –or collective – has more than 100 releases since 1995. That means plenty of enjoyable song titles, like “Wired Stinky Pussy Lover,” “Starless And Bible Black Sabbath,” and “I Wanna Be Your Bicycle Saddle,” not to mention indefatigable noodling… WITH GUITAR!

SHOULD YOU: No. Not even if you’re following a stranger whom you hope to “date.”

JH

002 Advance Cassette | Acid Mothers Temple

The Musical Concern

Arms
Kids Aflame (Bonus Version)
(October 27, 2009 – Gigantic Music)

Welcome to the “Shitty Little Disco” and Morrissey karaoke! That might come off as a putdown. But wait, there’s more! How about fleeting vocal imitations of Grant-Lee Phillips and Gordon Downie? Let’s throw in some lyrically adroit John Vanderslice. What’s an unabashed crooner to do?

Todd Goldstein, a.k.a. Arms, has been patiently cultivating his musical life outside Harlem Shakes, the band in which he plays guitar, since 2004. The result is a debut LP that keeps growing longer legs. Originally released in the UK in 2008, Kids Aflame has recently been re-released in the US with three bonus tracks.

Skip the bonus tracks. If they were indicative of the original release, then this would be a one-spin record -- the kind of stuff you nod at, shelve, and eventually forget. It’s the other thirteen that make Kids one of the best of 2009.

Ukulele and finger snapping on the title track highlight Goldstein’s commitment to dynamics; whether between songs or within them, there’s never a lull. Moving from quirky, acoustic musings on biology (“Eyeball”) to the Glassvegas-meets-Walkmen, guitar blizzardry of “Jon The Escalator,” Kids plays through seamlessly. And yes, that includes chorus-perfect mimicry of the Tragically Hip on “Pocket.”

The brilliant little trick is that when you listen you’ll come up with your own list of sounds-likes, and it won’t matter in the least. Arms has scraped together a unique collection that won’t crumble under the weight of the repeat button.

Good for us.

The Shitty Little Disco is open all winter.

JH

Soundtrack To Wednesday
Arms | Kids Aflame | 2009

The Gulf Coast Dispatch

MySpace Shafts Imeem Users

Just like that, Imeem was gone. I hit refresh a few times and waited for the playlists to pop up (here on The Wednesday Review). Nothing doing. Then it struck me, MySpace was buying Imeem. But that couldn’t be it, could it? I just uploaded a featured list, checked it, cleaned up some stray tunes… They wouldn’t just…

They would, and they did.

News Corp., parent company of MySpace, literally shut down Imeem while I was working on a review! My suspicions were confirmed only after I “Googled it.”

I landed on this post from All Things Digital, and blew my stack.

News Corp. had time to better handle this. If not in the days leading up to the acquisition, then certainly for some reasonable period thereafter. An explanatory email with a time window for transition should have been sent to Imeem account holders. Baring that, the site should have been supported until MySpace had some inkling of what to do with it.

Right now, my Imeem bookmark lands on a page that reads like a ransom note: “We have your playlists. No harm will come to them if you join our old, bloated, irrelevant cult. Resistance is futile. Wait for further instructions.”

Well guess what, News Corp. You oughta kiss folks before you fuck 'em. It's just good business.

My lists are gone, and I’m moving on. I have an old MySpace account, and I’m deleting it today. I encourage anyone who possibly can to jump ship. Drop MySpace, especially if you haven’t built your life or your band around it.

JH

001 Advance Cassette: SXSW 2010

The fabled Austin music festival kicks off March 17, 2010, and already the showcasing bands number in the millions! From Argentina to New Zealand, from Aa to Zona Tango, Advance Cassette will sniff out every gumsmacking, bootlicking badass and newborn band on the planet and report back here. Or not.

WHO: Aa (Big A little a)

COO: United States, Brooklyn

REVUE: gAme (Gigantic Music– 2007): Ever suddenly found yourself trapped with a gaggle of pasty-white potheads who know all about “primal African rhythms” and really love to rub their djembes? Yep, you’ve accidentally joined a drum circle. Well, Aa ain’t your uncle Steve’s drum circle. Sure, they have three drummers, but they use STICKS on KITS. Also, there’s a guy hovering around a keyboard who screams a lot.

SHOULD YOU: Yes. On a good mixture...LIVE, at a FESTIVAL. At home? Ehh, not so much.

JH

001 Advance Cassette | Aa

Digging Up Bones

Spoon

A Series Of Sneaks

(May 1998 - Elektra Records)

Since it’s now legally required by the FCC that every network television series include a Spoon song, I thought it might be fun to look back at the record that got them shit-canned from Elektra in 1998.

A Series of Sneaks is a breathless run of slobberknocker, guitar pop, opening with “Utilitarian” (think the bones of Muddy Waters fronting the Clash) and coming up for air six songs later in the stripped down, do-it-yourselfer, “Metal Detektor.” While the first half of the album is plenty peppy, it’s the diversity – especially production-wise – of the second half that makes Sneaks more than just a major label debut.

In “June’s Foreign Spell” the guitar is held back in the mix, presumably to be let loose later. But the expected never really happens. The drums and vocals command to the end. A nice touch. “Staring At The Board” sounds like a boombox demo and clocks in at a crisp 54 seconds. Excellent.

The only real hint of Spoon’s funky punk future (Kill The Moonlight, Gimme Fiction, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga) comes twelve songs in with “No You’re Not.” And the album finishes strong with the medium tempo benediction “Advance Cassette.”

The whole thing – all 14 cuts – clocks in at a punkish 33 minutes, making it perfect for driving around looking at stuff, sitting, or scraping something off of a surface.

Sneaks sold poorly, and Elektra wasted no time is dumping the band. Now, a decade later, with marquee acts dumping their labels and cd sales on life support, Spoon, after charting top ten with 2007’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, is looking more and more like “the one that got away.”

Their new album Transference comes out in January.

JH

Soundtrack To Wednesday

Spoon | A Series Of Sneaks | 1998