Thursday, August 28th, 2008

The Daily Rind Podcast: Week of August 26

The latest installment in the Daily Rind’s weekly podcasts is

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.

Track 1: Mr. Lif  “Presidential Report Vol. 1” [Bloodbot Tactical Enterprises
Track 2: Immortal Technique “Harlem Renaissance” from The 3rd World [Viper Records]
Track 3: The Bloody Beetroots “Butter” from The Rombo EP [Dim Mak]
Track 4: The Spinto Band “Summer Grof” from Moonwink [Park The Van]
Track 5: Frances  “Brain” from All The While [Gigantic Music]
Bump music: Uusitalo  “Korpikansa” from Karhunainen [Huume Records]

Thursday, August 28th, 2008

Harmony Central: Carlon Coos and Crows On Ropeadope Debut

Meet Carlon, the secret treasure of New Jersey, recently scooped up by Ropeadope Digital, the lucky ducks who’ll get to issue the twangy indie quartet’s debut full-length, Johari Window , on September 30th. Why so lucky? Well, the long-anticipated following-up to the band’s self-released Suburban Heel EP overflows with folksy rock songs and meticulously-harmonized ballads that masterfully take cues from 60s rock, Americana, and sweet tea indie acts like Band of Horses. But, hey, you don’t have to take our word for it. In advance of the album’s release, Carlon has offered up one of Johari Window ’s many stand-outs, “Cantaloupe,” for free download. No stranger to reverb, this song borrows the grain silo massiveness of early My Morning Jacket records, while calling to mind the careful harmonies of Fleet Foxes. Gorgeous, right? Right.

MP3 :

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Thursday, August 28th, 2008

Backyard Tire Fire Bring Their Blazing Rock to The Places We Lived

Backyard Tire Fire have been burning up the web since the 2007 release of Vagabonds and Hooligans, an album that landed on many year-end “best of” lists and brought the Bloomington, IL trio into the tastemaker spotlight. This year finds the band on a new label, Hyena Records, and their fourth album The Places We Lived is winning over fans and fresh ears alike with its exciting brand of indie roots-rock and down to earth songwriting. Streaming right now on AOL Spinner and My Old Kentucky Blog (and available for purchase right here), The Places We Lived has been called “Midwestern Americana at it’s slice-of-hard-life best” by Berkeley Place, and CYSTSFTS calls it “lovelorn with yearning nostalgia but coupled with straight-up Southern-fried noise.” Stop Okay Go recently conducted an interview with frontman Ed Anderson right here, and PopMatters gave the album a great review as well.

Influenced by classic artists like The Band, Howlin’ Wolf and Neil Young, Backyard Tire Fire frontman and principle songwriter Anderson says, “my objective in the songwriting process is to be honest. I want folks to feel like the tune was written for them and identify with what the song is about.” This sincere approach is what has people comparing Anderson to great American storytellers like Hank Williams and Lowell George. He is joined by the rock solid rhythm section of his brother Matt on bass and Tim Kramp on drums. BTF has shared stages with the likes of Jason Isbell, Clutch and Cracker, and are starting a headlining tour with Ha Ha Tonka next week in Chicago, before embarking on a slew of December dates with the legendary Reverend Horton Heat.

Check out opening track “The Places We Lived” below. Full tour dates and tracklist after the jump.

MP3:

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Wednesday, August 27th, 2008

S.till S.peaking T.ruths

SST. Despite the accuracy of the above headline, it actually stands for Solid State Transmitters, which was originally a mail-order WWII surplus radio equipment company that Greg Ginn started when he was twelve. Now thirty years after Greg changed the dial from surplus to punk, we are celebrating one of the most pivotal and influential labels of our time. How we love thee SST, let us count the ways.

Perhaps you are simply a fan of a little band that Greg started called Black Flag . Yes, THAT Black Flag; the hardcore band responsible for launching the TRUE indie DIY model/mentality. Maybe you’re a warm blooded, die hard Minnesotan with a love for Hüsker Dü and a certain Mr. Bob Mould who would go on to influence everyone from The Pixies to Green Day .

For me, I was smitten once SST put out I Against I by Bad Brains . When the worlds of hardcore and reggae combine forces it only makes sense for the offspring to reside at SST. While this was the only Bad Brains album to come out on SST their explosive frontman H.R. would continue making records with Greg for some time to come.

Crossing lines and mixing flavors was nothing foreign to SST, however, as one of their most pivotal releases Double Nickels on the Dime featured 45 tracks with styles ranging from punk to jazz and funk to country. Touching upon important social issues such as the Vietnam War and racism, the album credits inspiration from such visionaries as Jack Brewer and one time Black Flag frontman Henry Rollins .

The Minutemen , Soundgarden , Sonic Youth , Dinosaur Jr. , The Descendants …the list goes on and on and on. You have undoubtedly rocked out to an SST release, bought a badass vintage t-shirt of one of their bands, tattooed the Black Flag logo on you forearm or sworn allegiance to a modern day band that would have never existed had Greg Ginn and SST not started putting out records.

For 30 years we have been following Greg Ginn’s lead by cranking up the dial, at least to 11, and personally i cant wait for the new bands 30 years from now to do the same, giving us, and a new generation of music fans a reason to rock, all while still having a home to trace it all back to.

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008

I Predict a Riot

Ra Ra Riot Album artwork

In what seemed like a fruitless quest to wean myself off The Dodos’ Visiter, (yes, I know it dropped forever ago) I finally found salvation with the long awaited full length from Ra Ra Riot, The Rhumb Line. Despite having just been released August 19th on Barsuk, I may have already listened to the album a billion times, only to find new things I like about it every time I push play.

Including new and improved versions of previously recorded tracks from their debut EP, the album fulfills what anyone would expect in a full length from the band. Songs that encompass death and the celebration of life show how the band has continued to evolve and thrive even after the death of drummer/songwriter/friend John Pike.

Produced by Ryan Hadlock (The Gossip, Islands, Blonde Redhead) at Bear Creek Studios, The Rhumb Line includes a revamped version of “Dying is Fine,” which includes lines from E.E. Cummings’ “Dying is fine) but Death”. The band also uses violin and cello players Alexandra Lawn and Rebecca Zeller to their full potential on songs like “Winter ’05” and “Oh La”, where the strings act as the songs’ melodic backbone rather than as accessories. (more…)

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008

Termanology Takes Us into the Studio with Premier, Pete Rock, Bun B. and More

Election season’s heating up, and Boston bred, New York based MC Termanology is spitting Politics as Usual – his debut album due September 30th on ST/Nature Sounds Records poised to take him from “Unsigned Hype” to hip hop heavyweight. “How We Rock” finds Term teaming up once again with DJ Premier – the producer who blessed him with the beat for 2006’s underground anthem, “Watch How It Go Down” – and MC-about-town, Bun B. for a new scorcher of a single. Hip Hop Game TV already took us backstage for the making of the video with cameos by not only Primo and Bun B, but M.O.P’s Lil Fame, Grafh, Consequence, and more. And now Term’s giving us an even further glimpse behind the scenes with a new digi-EPK taking us into the studio with Premier (“Watch How it Go Down,” “So Amazing,” “How We Rock”), Pete Rock (“We Killin’ Ourselves”), and rappers Bun B and Lil Fame to watch how it all came together.

Watch it here. Get “How We Rock” here

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008

They Got It For Cheap: Sam Champ On AmieStreet.com!

September 2nd! September 2nd! September 2nd!

By now you’ve probably read the release date for Sam Champion ’s sophomore bash, Heavenly Bender , a few hundred times. But the Brooklyn indie rockers threw us all a big curveball this morning. Effective immediately, the band’s North Street debut – in all of its skuzzy garage pop glory – is available for pre-release purchase exclusively at AmieStreet.com . And better yet, for the next three days, you can snag it for just three bucks(!). Yes, that’s right, three measly dollars. And then, when Friday rolls around, the price inches up to four greenbacks until (one more time with feeling!) September 2nd, the album’s wide release. So, yeah, long story short, Heavenly Bender costs sixty nickles for the next three days!

In other news, the Andrew Zuchero-helmed Sam Champion video series continued last week when RCRD LBL premiered the second installment of the four-parter. This time, bassist Jack Dolgen encounters a 4th grade demonspawn in a ridiculous feverdream, only to awaken strumming the final note of a bitchen bass solo on stage with his Sam Champ brethren. And in case you missed it, the first video was unveiled by Music For Robots earlier this month , and has its own surreal moment. Keep a look out for the old man! And lest we forget, all the humor is in celebration of a serious slab of music: Sam Champion’s Heavenly Bender , available exclusively at AmieStreet.com until September 2nd.

MP3 :

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Tuesday, August 26th, 2008

Ra Ra Really Long Post About Ra Ra Riot!

The accolades keep flooding in for the full-length debut from Syracuse, New York’s Ra Ra Riot . Earlier this month, Rolling Stone dropped them on their list of Six Artists to Watch in 2008 , while awarding the record an impressive 4 out of 5 stars . Likewise, Entertainment Weekly , Pitchfork , The New York Times , and nearly the entire critical community have come out in support of The Rhumb Line , the long-playing follow-up to the band’s 2007 self-titled EP. Riding this overwhelming wave of praise, Ra Ra Riot recently announced an appearance on Late Night With Conan O’Brien set to broadcast on September 2nd.

In celebration of the album’s release, the band recently recorded a handful of live performances in an attic in upstate New York. Over the past week, Pitchfork , Stereogum , Brooklyn Vegan and My Old Kentucky Blog have each unveiled one clip in the four-part series. The videos, directed by Taryn Gould and Emily Kowalcyzk, feature the band performing a different Rhumb Line stand out facing in a different compass direction – North, South, East, West.

In addition, Ra Ra Riot recently unveiled the official video for “Ghost Under Rocks,” the NPR fave featured on All Songs Considered this week. It’s a simple enough performance clip bolstered by a world map backdrop and the band’s characteristic bouncy energy. The video premiered this weekend on MTV2’s Subteranean. A link to the clip is below. And after the jump? The band’s complete(ly massive) touring itinerary for the remainder of the Fall.

Video : Ra Ra Riot - Ghost Under Rocks
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Monday, August 25th, 2008

The Legendary Dave Stewart Premieres Inspirational Video for “American Prayer”

Any regular Huffington Post readers out there may have noticed a new guest blogger on Friday by the name of Dave Stewart. The Dave Stewart, of the Eurythmics, you mean? Yup, that one. Fresh on the heels of his brilliant solo record The Dave Stewart Songbook, Vol. 1, and in conjunction with MoveOn.org, Stewart has released a video for single “American Prayer” that features stock footage of Barack Obama and Martin Luther King Jr., as well as appearances by many celebrities and musicians, including Forest Whitaker and Joss Stone. Check it out for yourself right here (or after the jump), buy the track at iTunes, and upload your own version via Stewart’s website, My American Prayer.

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Friday, August 22nd, 2008

Project Jenny, Project Jan Play FREE SHOW Sunday, Prep Collaboration EP

Brooklyn duo Project Jenny, Project Jan have been busy. Coming off their debut album XOXOXOXOXO, PJPJ have spent the summer working on a collaboration record due this fall featuring songs with Fujiya & Miyagi, Mixel Pixel, So Percussion, Adam Matta, Nate Martinez (Pela) and One Watt Sun. Listen to new track “You Said (feat. So Percussion)” right

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. All proceeds will go to charity.

This Sunday, August 24th, Project Jenny, Project Jan will play a FREE SHOW at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn for the McCarren Pool After Party. They’ll then join Fujiya & Miyagi on a string of UK and Ireland dates in September.