Consider the following mush the requisite/obligatory, by-the-numbers, opening paragraph concerning the level of recent Robert Pollard ouput: A gnbhjn ghm kskeh a hgjj hfgrgs. Mg ghjed xffjj hknk wfjhbasd kedkcn kckjnz kjnd kjbkjsdc qcdbuha nhjn sc ibjk? A fe kqwlkxd yrn aiebjc kbjsdc. Eneuhc kjb oijba yrun kjbds. bjedcoijb. A hberc, ibsdc hbowbv dje qyrbj jsdcb ohrt ashreidh kjb ntrugh! Nufgh kecsd. Prolific.
Alright, now that that is out of the way let's talk about become a member or log in.
(Diversions, a recurring feature on Aquarium Drunkard, catches up with our favorite artists as they wax on subjects other than recording and performing.)
Being that Galaxie 500 were (for me) a key gateway band into a number of underground artists, I was especially interested in this weeks Diversions entry: Dean Wareham on 10 albums that inspired Galaxie 500. Not unlike the Velvet Underground before them, Galaxie 500's own influence has gone on to inspire countless artists since their split in 1991. Listening to their records now, two decades after the height of their career, the group were practically their own genre at the time. Hushed, crystalline, vaguely psychedelic post-punk that gave up next to nothing upon the first listen, only slowly unveiling itself to the patient.
March 30th sees the release of the deluxe reissues of Galaxie 500's Today, On Fire, and This is Our Music, which have been bundled with Uncollected, their legendary Peel Sessions, and their lone live record, Copenhagen. For Galaxie 500 fans this is a long time coming. Now how about the early LUNA catalog.
1. Rockin' and Romance by Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers.
2. Easter Everywhere by the 13th Floor Elevators
3. Music to Strip By - by Half Japanese. I loved Kramer's production on this Half-Jap album, surely one of the reasons we sought him out as a producer for Galaxie 500.
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Swedes The Radio Dept. return after four long years with Clinging to a Scheme. Like their previous two albums and countless EPs of textural electronic-guitar pop, Scheme focuses on layers, atmosphere, minor chord moodiness and subtle rhythmic shifts. If you have yet to be exposed to the group -- they're not the most celebrated batch from the region . . .
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As the Drive-By Truckers release their eighth album, it's interesting to see them, lyrically and somewhat musically, creating an album that echoes their earliest records. The Big To-Do is the most distinctly southern album they've recorded since become a member or log in.
It's here, Los Angeles. This Saturday, March 27th Aquarium Drunkard, in conjunction with the Echo, is holding its inaugural all ages festival here in L.A. in Echo Park. Dubbed WAVED OUT, after my favorite Robert Pollard solo album, this is the first of what will be a recurring event featuring emerging national, local and international artists. For this, the kickoff, we are beginning in the afternoon at both clubs (the Echo and Echoplex) and going until two a.m. All ages + 12 bucks. Food trucks, t-shirts, ice cream (!) and more.... Sixteen bands, two stages - Beginning at 3 p.m. I'm giving away 10 pairs of tickets. Leave you name and email below - winners drawn at random.
Hosts/comedic stylings: The MATTs -- Matt Dwyer and Matt Braunger.
Confirmed: Surfer Blood, Best Coast, Turbo Fruits, The Sandwitches, Dirt Dress, The Coathangers, Active Child, PoPo, Moon Duo, Gamble House, Family Portrait, Tape Deck Mountain, Apes of Wrath, Pizza!, Giant Cloud, Superhumanoids. Grab your tickets early as we're very much expecting a full house post-SXSW.
Purchase Tickets: WAVED OUT :: Los Angeles, March 27th @ The Echo/Echoplex
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When a piano silhouette sparkles through the first moments of "Demons," you might think you'd reached for the wrong CD. The uptempo percussion sequence that immediately follows would only embolden this belief--that is, until John Gleason's familiar rasp comes brimming into focus. And, as with its opener, so it goes throughout much of the Roadside Graves EP You Won't Be Happy With Me
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Just heard the news that, as of today, we have lost yet another independent voice in music. The recently relocated WOXY (from Cincinnati, OH to Austin, TX) announced they are ceasing operations until further notice. After leaving its terrestrial FM roots in 2004 WOXY reemerged as the preeminent leader in online independent radio. The combination of the station's programming, knowledgeable DJs and original sessions will be sorely missed. This news serves as another reminder to appreciate the independently run radio stations, blogs, magazines, music venues, etc still existing outside an increasingly . . .
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Amongst the revelry in Austin last week during SXSW, Alex Chilton's sudden passing, and his enduring influence, cast a large shadow throughout the week's festivities. At every turn one could overhear friends and acquaintances sharing stories of fandom celebrating Chilton's legacy. Below, American Princes and Jason Isbell pay tribute the artist via their respective covers of . . .
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SATURDAY, March 27th, Aquarium Drunkard, in conjunction with the Echo, is holding its inaugural all ages festival here in L.A. in Echo Park----WAVED OUT. For this, the kickoff, we are beginning in the afternoon at both clubs (the Echo and Echoplex) and going until closing. All ages + 12 bucks. 14 after six pm! Food trucks, t-shirts, ice cream (!) and more.... Sixteen bands, two stages - Beginning at 3 p.m. Also, don't miss the Origami Vinyl auxiliary stage going on in the afternoon just a few doors down. Schedules below.
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Our weekly two hour show on SIRIUS/XMU, channel 26 (SIRIUS), and channel 43 (XM), can now be heard twice, every Friday - Noon EST with an encore broadcast at Midnight EST.
SXSW edition. The first hour of today's show will be the new Mondo Boys mixtape: A Continuous Monument. Download it here.
SIRIUS 133: Jean Michel Bernard - Generique Stephane ++ Black Flag - Fix . . .
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One of indie-rock's most important pioneers and songwriters died today. Alex Chilton, founding member of Big Star, died at the age of 59. It is especially sad given that Big Star was only two days away from a major performance at the South by Southwest music festival, but would be sorrowful regardless.
It's kind of hard to know what to say about the death of Alex Chilton. It's sudden and it's unexpected and tragic. Without him, it's hard to see how the 'college . . .
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It's SXSW time. While I always make a point to keep it pretty loose schedule-wise, one of the East coast outfits I'm looking forward to catching this week is NYC's Twin Sister. This is based entirely on the strength of their (free) Vampires With Dreaming Kids EP. In other Twin Sister news, the Greenpoint, Brooklyn based Chocolate Bobka has pegged the five-piece, along with Alex Bleeker and Run DMT, as one of the three bands to kick off his newly minted cassette series The Curatorial Club.
Twin Sister's Alternates (TCC 001) is a 30 minute collection of demos from their Vampires with Dreaming Kids EP. The B-sides harvests the work that's gone into their soon-to-be-released EP Color Your Life on Infinite Best.
MP3: Side A: Twin Sister :: The Curatorial Club (Vampires with Dreaming Kids demos)
Full tracklisting after the jump....
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Our weekly two hour show on SIRIUS/XMU, channel 26 (SIRIUS), and channel 43 (XM), can now be heard twice, every Friday - Noon EST with an encore broadcast at Midnight EST.
SIRIUS 132: Jean Michel Bernard - Generique Stephane ++ Guided By Voices - Captain's Dead ++ Abe Vigoda - Dead City/Waste Wilderness ++ Lotus Plaza - Red Oak Way ++ Animal Collective - The Purple Bottle ++ Ganglians - Blood On The Sand ++ Women - Shaking Hand ++ Beach Fossils - Vacation ++ Surfer Blood - Catholic Pagans ++ Beach House - Wedding . . .
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Named after the Faron Young classic, the 1991 Hi-Tone Poppa compilation plays out like your favorite hillbilly deluxe jukebox at your local dive bar. Through the magic of digital distro, the comp is again available. Listening to this with fresh ears, I'd love to see a contemporary take on these . . .
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Buried somewhere in the hour-long rubble of buzzed guitars, martial drums, shredded vocal cords, unsuspected string sections, skronking sax solos, and, uh, bagpipes that form NJ suburbanites Titus Andronicus’ second full-length record is a smart, smart album that’s sorta about how being smart doesn’t really count for shit. The Monitor, ostensibly named . . .
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