Bill Murray may be suffering from "hydrogen-psychosis", according to Klaus.

I hope everyone's Thanksgiving weekend was enjoyable. The Arcade Fire show on Saturday nite was a blast & I'll write a little more about it later this week, but unfortunately the 400 Bar was fairly packed & I wasn't able to get good positioning for digital pix. Oh well. Last nite, I went to my pseudo-family's annual Hanukkah party & came home with a couple of books & my breath stinking of fried potatoes (latkes, that is). Good times.

ETA: More Cowbell makes up for my lack of Arcade Fire photos.

I did some snooping around the official site for the upcoming Wes Anderson flick, The Life Aquatic w/Steve Zissou, over the weekend & found a bunch of short "webisode" trailers in the "archives" section. Check 'em out:

MOV Adventure no. 12: "The Jaguar Shark (Part 1)" (15.8mb)
MOV Adventure no. 26: "Meet Ned Plimpton Part 1" (11.8mb)
MOV Adventure no. 26: "Meet Ned Plimpton Part 2" (12.7mb)
MOV Adventure no. 30: "Reknowned Scientist" (12.2mb)
MOV Adventure no. 41: "Mutiny on the Belefonte" (13.5mb)

The film finally hits theaters in NY/LA on December 10, expanding to a nationwide release on Christmas (which gives me something to do that day - hooray!). The soundtrack will be in stores on 12/14, and like with previous Wes Anderson outings, I'm sure it will be classic & influential. Here are a couple of tracks that have been used in the trailers/webisodes thus far:

MP3 Devo - "Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy"
Original Devo member Mark Mothersbaugh has also been Wes Anderson's composer of choice on each of his films, so it should surprise no one to hear this groovy song featured prominently in the first trailer. "Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy" originally appeared on Devo's wonderfully oddball 1978 album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!

MP3 David Bowie - "Queen Bitch"
Wes Anderson certainly loves British rock n' roll, circa 1960's & 70's. While the Beatles & Stones have taken semi-spotlight roles in his previous films, it appears as though The Life Aquatic's may be dominated by the music of David Bowie. Both "Rebel Rebel" & this song, from 1971's Hunky Dory, are used in the "webisodes", and it looks like several other Bowie tunes will be used in the film, including some performed in Portuguese (as seen in the trailer) by Brazilian actor/musician Seu Jorge, who plays a character named Pele, appeared in the critically-acclaimed City of God & has a website that seemingly takes forever to load (at least for me).

Do you doubt that I am psyched for this movie? I'm trying not to get my expectations up too high, as I did earlier this year with both Garden State & I ♥ Huckabees, only to be disappointed that I was not blown away. I'm already half-expecting to be underwhelmed, which may just be after-effects of post-election letdown. Still, I'll be at the theater opening day...will you?

A belated-Happy Thanksgiving to y'all.

This blog as been dead quiet for the last week, as things have gotten awfully busy all of a sudden as various projects have dropped out of the sky & are now in the works. While next week promises to be even busier, but I'm pretty sure that I've got some stuff to write about & should be able to find enough time do so. So no worries, people.

I had a lovely & ginormous Thanksgiving dinner last nite over at my cousins Steve & Jen's, with LA fam & many many others in attendance. I somehow managed not to completely stuff myself, but all the tryptophan in the tur-duck-en (that's a chicken, stuffed inside a duck, stuffed inside a...you get the picture) knocked me out of comission for about 15 hours. Yawn.

Despite having far too much music that needs listening to at the moment, my cd player has been dominated over the past week by DFA Records' Compilation #2 (especially the third "mix" disc) & The Arcade Fire's Funeral (often on repeat). I'm gonna see the Arcade Fire tomorrow nite @ the 400 Bar here in Mpls, and to say that I'm looking forward to it would be a vast understatement. I'll do my best to find a good spot to snap some pix.

Keep enjoying the holiday weekend, & don't shop too much...

Soiled paper tells a story: a Trail of Dead setlist, before and after the show.

I've been meaning to post these digital pix from the ear-shredding ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead show that I went to at the Triple Rock on Mischief Nite (aka 10/30/04) for a while now, so today's a good a day as any to do so. I caught a Ben Kweller/Unicorns double-bill over at the f**king Quest earlier that same evening, but this was truly the main event.



MP3 ...The Trail of Dead - "Will You Smile Again"
I forgot to bring my earplugs - big mistake. As soon as the Trail of Dead launched into this sprawling opener, the second track from the Austin TX band's forthcoming Worlds Apart LP (due out in January), I knew my hearing was in for an all-out rawk assault for the next hour plus. My ears are sore just thinking about it. This was my first time seeing these guys, & I was only mildly surprised to learn that they carry two drummers, which you might guess by the thundering beats that open this song.



MP3 ...The Trail of Dead - "And The Rest Will Follow"
The band played a decent amount of new material during their Triple Rock gig, including this particularly anthemic & memorable tune (also off Worlds Apart). They also played plenty of stuff off of their older albums like 1999's Madonna & 2002's Source Tags & Codes, which garnered the ever-elusive Pitchfork 10.0 rating. All in all, it was kick ass (and very loud) show that impressed the heck out of me. I'm bringing my ear plugs next time.



BTW: One last bit of wisdom that I took from that Mischief Nite - pirates make for a great group costume. Have a solid weekend, people. ARGH!

Emo-friendly Seth Cohen will come face-to-face w/the fury of Hamilton Leithauser.

According to Fox's website (and this handy-dandy e-card), NYC "garage"-rockers The Walkmen will be appearing on this week's episode of The O.C.. Apparently Seth takes a job at a local all-ages music venue called "The Bait Shop" that will come to feature many other like-minded/show-friendly acts, such as The Killers (who appear on the December 2 episode). The Walkmen, whose Bows + Arrows LP has to be in the running for my album of the year, will also be appearing next week on Letterman (11/22). Tune in.

Kyle over at [information leafblower] was kind enough to invite me to contribute to the 2004 edition of his The Top 40 Bands In America Today list. I tried not to base my top ten picks on who's got the most buzz or whose album just dropped or who are my favorites, but instead attempted to base them upon some other vaporous definition of "best" that is hard to explain. Am I totally lacking for originality when my #1 is the same as what was #1 on last year's list? Perhaps, but I have my reasons. Here's what I sent over to Kyle early Monday morning, just before his stated deadline:

10) Tom Waits
He may be the coolest man on the planet, a lyrical genius, bizarre & wonderful, and still going strong after all these years. For me, to get on this list you have to put on a helluva show, and Waits has to be on the top of my must-see-in-concert list. He may not be in his prime, but he's still doing his thing pretty damn well & there isn't really anybody out there that can do the same.

09) TV on the Radio
Their debut LP was a disappointment for many (after the Young Liars EP), but I dug it. Any disc that opens up with "The Wrong Way" gets the benefit of the doubt IMO. These guys are bringing a unique & dense sound to the "indie" rock scene, and it's f**king intense - especially in-concert. I finally got to see them earlier this year & I was converted on the spot. Yes they've got huge potential, but they're also doing plenty of damage right now.

08) Spoon
Things may have been a bit quiet for Austin TX's Spoon, though they were featured on The O.C. and it's accompanying soundtrack. Britt Daniel is an amazing songwriter, and each Spoon album is an indie rock treasure. My pal JRDN is predicting a breakthrough 2005 for the band when their next album gets released, but their body of work & live acumen already speaks for itself.

07) The Decemberists
Speaking of amazing songwriters, Colin Meloy of the Decemberists is likewise in an elevated class that I like to call the REAL "american idols" (along with Daniel, Stephen Malmkus, James Mercer & others). Meloy writes beautiful songs about pirates - I mean, who does that? In 2004, Meloy & his bandmates stretched their musical muscles on the 5-part, 18+min The Tain EP, which covered a lot of ground, making some surprisingly metal-esque pit-stops along the way. Next year will bring the band's next LP, something to look forward to indeed.

06) Ted Leo/Rx (whose new site is up)
"Our generation's Billy Bragg." [Kyle] said that last year, and it's even more true today after the release of the highly political (yet, more on a human-level) Shake The Sheets LP during this contentious election year. It may not be as "good" an album as his earlier albums, but it's the right album for the time (and may be the album to fall back on over the next four years of W). And as per usual, it's full of pop-punk licks & heady lyrics that make up great songs. Ted's shows are a blast, as he is an explosive ball of energy & clever quips throughout. Thank god for Ted Leo.

05) The Fiery Furnaces
Put aside the genius that is their 2003's blues-pop rocker Gallowsbird's Bark. Nevermind the Kid A-esque stylistic leap that is this year's gargantuan & sprawling Blueberry Boat. Don't even think about the fact that when they release a "single" they totally re-do the damn thing & make it even more incredible (see "Tropical Iceland"). Just go see Eleanor & Matt Friedberger's live show - a non-stop rawk-fest that spirals in-&-out of songs left & right, intensity spewing out their respective ying-yangs - and you'll know why the Furnaces deserve the praise & the buzz & a place on this list.

04) Outkast
The Beatles of hip-hop.

03) Bruce Springsteen
The Boss is still keeping it real after all these years, and he has to be given his due. The man puts his heart on the line every nite, and his shows go on forever. He's a legend, and he's still willing to put his neck on the line for what he believes. In 2004, he headlined the Vote For Change swing state tour, and he appeared in-person with candidate John Kerry at several massive rallies during the final days of the now-failed campaign. Despite the unfortunate election results, it was inspiring. Much respect, Bruce.

02) Beck
Beck Hanson is the consummate showman, the uber-hipster, almost beyond reproach. He doesn't make bad albums, and his next Dust Brothers-produced affair is due out next spring & should be a good one, though I doubt it will be what anybody actually expects it to be. Beck is ahead of the curve, and we should all just be pleased to be playing catch-up.

01) The Strokes
The Strokes were #1 on this list last year, though that was on the heels of the release of their sophomore LP, Room on Fire. One year later, Julian Casablancas & company haven't provided us with anything new beyond a couple new videos ("Reptillia" was notably great) & a b-side or two, and of course some damn great concerts. But if you're asking me for the best band in America (which you are), I would still have to name these overly-"cool" NYCers as my top choice. Casablancas is a first-rate songwriter (another REAL "american idol" IMO), creating pop-rock gems while maintaining an indie aesthetic/gritty edge that's easy-to-fake yet hard-to-capture - & the Strokes do it all so effortlessly (which makes them such an easy target to scoff at). They're the best America has to offer IMO, and they don't even seem like they're trying. How 'bout that?

As 2004 continues to draw to a close, you can probably expect to find more annoying-yet-somewhat-intriguing year-end top ten lists coming your way here at The Big Ticket, so be prepared to call me on my bullsh**. Tally-ho!

ETA: Attn NYC folk! Drop by Pianos tonite around 8:30pm to catch a set by Brooklyn upstarts Sam Champion, who are opening for fellow-locals The Head Set (who have a November residency). SC's Noah says to "expect hot licks & even hotter flare, & maybe a tribute to baby jesus." Don't miss out.

Pop77 is back (though will be undergoing an eventual redesign). Hooray!

There's an entire live set (w/pix) from The Arcade Fire's friday nite performance (11/12/04) at T.T. the Bears in Cambridge, MA up @ bradley's almanac, so go get it while the gettin's good (via totally fuzzy).

Here in Mpls, First Avenue will be up & running shortly. Details to come...

Saw The Incredibles last nite, which was fantastic. Pixar done did it again!

MP3 Elvis Costello - "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's A Doll Revolution)"
This track came up on the random shuffle on my iTunes this morning, and it just felt like the perfect song for a Friday. Lyrically it might not have much significance for the weekend (I'm not looking forward to being particularly superficial tomorrow), but it's got the right energy going for it, being all rocking & anthemic & all. From Costello's 2002 album, When I Was Cruel.

MP3 Sleater-Kinney - "You're No Rock n' Roll Fun"
But what song to pair up with the previous one? This Sleater-Kinney tune was the first song that popped in my head, so I'm going with it, trying to get this weekend off to an upbeat start. The Portland OR punk trio recently signed to Sub Pop, and I cannot wait for their next album, which they are currently recording in NYC & hope to release in "late spring/early summer 2005." This track is from the gals' 2000 LP, All Hands on the Bad One.



bonus MP3 Incredibad - "Ka-Blamo! (Didier Red Remix)"
Incredibad is the musical not-so-secret identity of The Lonely Island, who are three funny dudes (as well as fellow NYU alum, or at least some of them are). They've currently got the hit show The 'Bu going strong over at Channel 101, and according to their TLI blog, they're being spotted all over Hollywood. This is an older Incredibad track (albeit a remix), featuring the dudes attempting to ape the Beastie Boys while injecting a new cool catchphrase into the American lexicon. And hey, there's also a video!

MOV Incredibad - "Ka-Blamo! (single version)" video (15mb)

For more hilarity, check out the dudes' website. Have a ka-blamo weekend!

John Medeski's hand moves in a strange & confounding manner (but in a good way).

MP3 Medeski Martin & Wood - "End of the World Party"
Downtown NYC legends Medeski Martin & Wood released their latest album, the solid John King (of the Dust Brothers) produced End of the World Party (Just in Case), back in September. This is the title track from that record, and as per usual it's a masterful piece of instrumental groove as MMW do it best. King's production work may give the song added density & ambience, but it's drummer Billy Martin & bassist Chris Wood holding down the thumping rhythm section while keyboardist John Medeski does his "thang" that makes it a real keeper (and a rump shaker). Groovy, indeed.

MP3 RANA - "It's So Hard (Believe Me)"
I received the new RANA record, entitled What It Is, in the mail (thanks again, Matt!) last week, but I'm not ready to share it with the rest of the world quite yet - at least not until it's available on the band's website. Besides, this nine-plus minute track, which closes out the Jersey boys' 2002 debut LP Here in the USA, just seemed more appropriate for me at the moment. There's little chance I am going to describe it any better than Bill Stites did a couple years back, so I'll just let him do it for me:

The final track's first ninety seconds sound like nothing so much as morning coming to life, as sounds of all shapes and sizes scurry about, foraging for sustenance, preying and being preyed upon. Then the drums kick in, and for the next seven minutes the band glides along instrumentally, just barely building, no longer applying their impressive synergy to writing and arranging, but to defining a psychedelic rock environment unlike any other I've ever encountered [...] Scott's guitar hums and wails, Matt's keyboards converse, cascading ambient sheets tumble over one another, and all the while Andrew and Ryan pulse along primally, crafting a breathing, lifelike sonic space that somehow seems to last much longer than its running time would allow, yet is always over far too soon.

After coasting along, sculpting sound, for longer than the combined running time of any two of the album's other tracks, Scott begins to sing. Thirty seconds of pop perfection later the song and the album are over, and you realize that RANA don't just play rock and roll, they are rock and roll, more than any band to come down the pike in years. First they turn in an impressive array of not-a-second-too-long rock chestnuts, fast and slow, full of hope and longing. Then they abruptly pull a 180 and prove themselves to be completely unhurried conceptual improvisers, seemingly willing to explore a simple drumbeat all day if necessary. And then, in the end, the improv turns out to be in the interest of the song as a whole, as it always should be.

Thanks, Bill. Well said.

Matt from RANA will be performing as Leafcutter (w/support from Ryan & Noah of Brooklyn's Sam Champion) for a couple of upcoming east coast dates, including next Monday (11/15) at the Tap Bar in NYC's Knitting Factory (with friends The Wowz) and then again at Boston's Zeitgeist Gallery on December 9. Mark your calendars, people. Don't miss out on the fun.

it's the aftermath, stupid

This blog has seemed like a Ted Leo fansite of late, which is not all that surprising given that his latest album Shake The Sheets is one of the year's very best IMO. I may never know what to say about last week's presidential election precisely, so we might as well read Ted's thoughts on the matter:

November 3, 2004 - Morning in America

So let me tell you about my week: I left on tour tired. After the first few days of rather long drives, it sinks in that my new cousin (by marriage) Jeff has just been shipped off to Iraq. This hits me as we pull into Orlando, to play at the Social -- the same club we played at the night the bombs started dropping 2 1/2 years ago. The weight of all the work of the entire past 3 years makes me fall, as I sit there, unable to "get it up," to perform, for the people who are there to be there, to be together, to be part of something, and for the people who are owed some return on their $10 investment, and I'm staring at a dressing room wall covered in drawings of dicks -- just like every other dressing room wall in America, and I lost it. I lost the thread, I lost confidence in so many things, but most importantly, in the fact that what I do is something worth doing. In retrospect, I realize I must have looked like Martin Sheen in "Apocalypse Now" (you know the scene). But I get up the next day, and I almost make it all the way back. By the time we get to Houston, a few days later, I'm on it.

Then our van breaks down in Austin, after the show during which my amp breaks and my Echoplex tape snaps. I wake up the next day to find out that we won't be able to get the van out until the NEXT day, which means we have to cancel Tucson for the second time in a row (the previous time being when I injured my vocal chords), and then to a tearful call from my parents informing me that they had to take the action of putting our dog to sleep while I was away. She was 15. I don't live with my parents, but I did for a number of the past few years, I still live relatively close, and when I'm not on tour, I spend about half of every week in New York and New Jersey for work-related stuff anyway, the point being that she was very much "my dog" as well. I took care of her often, and spent time with her when I didn't need to care for her more often. She was omnipresent in my life. She was so much love, and her loss is huge.

We got out of Austin at 5 PM on Monday, taking our friend Che with us, planning to drop him off in El Paso. About 2 hours into the journey, we drove straight into what seemed (seriously) like a tornado. The way things were blowing and floating on the wind in front of us, and the pressure on the van made it seem like we were under water. Luckily, those conditions soon gave way to just rain and wind, until we got to Kent, Texas, population 65, formerly called "Antelope." Here, we hit snow. And not just snow, but a blinding blizzard so intense that I was assessing the blanket situation for four in the van, because it seemed more likely that we'd be snowed in here or on the side of the highway than that we'd make it out or the snow would end -- uh, oh yeah -- did I mention that this blizzard took place IN THE DESERT OF WEST TEXAS??? But with a little cell phone help from home, I figured out that the next town with motels was 40 miles away, and understanding just how ridiculous our situation was, I figured we might as well make the "snowed in" thing happen on the side of the highway, if it was gonna happen at all. So off we went, at 20 miles an hour, into the Great White South. As our elevation dropped a bit, though, so did the snow, and we found ourselves in blessed rain once again.

We made it to El Paso, dropped off Che, slept for a few hours at the Travelodge right off the highway, woke up, and drove straight to San Diego (made it in just a little over 10 hours, too!), listening to election coverage the whole way. I had predicted a decicive Kerry win. I got off stage in San Diego to four voice mails with people crying, including my (now) wife, and my father, both of whom had also lost almost too much already last week BEFORE Tuesday. I went to sleep feeling shell-shocked, not knowing how I'm supposed to get on stage and finish the rest of this fucking tour, let alone go back to living in this new theocratic (yet hypocritical) landscape that I see as so fundamentally opposed to me and my world. I woke up this morning feeling the same way. Then I talked to my father, who told me, through tears of sadness and rage, that having that dog made him love more, and that he wasn't going to let this make him hate. He was waking up this morning, and he was getting back to work. That was all I needed to hear, because I'm getting up right now, and I'm going to fucking war. I won't be driven out of my home by these Huns unless they drive me straight to Hell.

So hopefully I'll see you all there -- bring percussion.

PLAYLIST: Everyone should bring many percussion instruments to the shows. They won't hear us, but we'll hear each-other...

LATE MORNING ADDENDUM: I was just sitting here doing the books covering everything from Austin to today (see below for explanation), and I found it interesting that, with all that was taken, we still came out exactly one dollar in the black, which is slightly better than if the last few days had never happened...

On a related note, everybody has gone maps-crazy (and I'm not talking about fellow NYU alum Karen O)! Moebius Rex pointed me toward some odd-looking maps that balance out the red/blue divide by compensating for population density, while Oveis points out that the US is not red nor blue, but actually purple. Oveis also draws some eery parallels to the electoral college of 1896. If pink is the new black, then are gays the new slaves?

ETA: Hey world, we're sorry. (via Zoilus & Good Times Roll)

The Arcade Fire blows up the Merc during last month's CMJ (via stereogum).

I have nothing new to offer today, or at least nothing you couldn't have already read in several other places. Look! Here are two outstanding tracks from "it" canucks The Arcade Fire, from their debut LP Funeral that has been getting such rave reviews of late. There are Arcade Fire tracks & blogposts all over the place (just have a look around), though Said The Gramophone may have been the first to write about them way back when.

MP3 The Arcade Fire - "Wake Up"
MP3 The Arcade Fire - "Neighborhood #2 (Laika)"

So why am I adding to the already deafening (well, maybe not that loud) echo-chamber? Frankly, I was barely able to get out of bed for most of the weekend, and Funeral was in my cd player on repeat for most of the time, encouraging me to finally "wake up" & learn to "adjust!" You can stream a few more tracks over @ Merge Records, but you might as well buy the disc.

My overwhelming urge to do next-to-nothing at least provided for some interesting television on Saturday nite, as I was able to watch several films about both rock & politics. Thanks to IFC, I finally got to see Soldiers Pay, the powerful documentary short from director David O. Russell about the current Iraq war, which also details an incident somewhat similar to the scenario of his 1999 film Three Kings. Depressing, yet informative. Next up on IFC was The Filth & The Fury, the documentary about the Sex Pistols from a few years back. After that, I caught the season finale of Bill Maher's show on HBO, which did its best to deal with the post-election fallout.

I then switched over to Sundance Channel, where I caught the last two thirds of Bush's Brain, a documentary on republican strategist Karl Rove based on the book of the same name (also check out the film's website), which only proved to be even more depressing. Luckily, Sundance followed that up with DIG!, a documentary focusing on the the rivalry between indie rock bands The Dandy Warhols & The Brian Jonestown Massacre that has already been commented upon plenty elsewhere. I think the film should still be in theaters (check the film's website), but Sundance will be airing it again this Tuesday (11/9) @ 8pm ET. And for those of you who are interested, you can download the entire BJM catalog online. Oh Anton, you so crazy!



Both Kos & Frank Chromewaves have posted about Bloom County scribe Berkeley Breathed in the last couple of weeks, & I've been meaning to mention him as well ever since. And now I have. Whoopee, I feel special.

Apparently, I've got a case of the Mondays. My apologies for the snarkiness.

I know this is really last minute, but Mpls folk might want to drop by the Oak Street Cinema tonite, where local filmmaker Chuck Olson will be screening his Blogumentary at 7:30pm as part of the 2004 Get Real Documentary Film Festival. You can read about it in this week's City Pages, or you can just go to Chuck's blog & find out from the horse's patoot.

I am still recovering from the results of this past week's election. Yesterday was actually worse than the day before, as I could barely lift my legs to do the walking necessary to get from here to there. I guess the reality of it all must have finally set in for me on a gut level. Ugh (I'm repeating myself).

MP3 Black Leotard Front - "Casual Friday"
I've been struggling to come up with the energy to blog again, but my inability to sleep through the nite helped to quell my laziness a bit, and this track just screamed out to be included in a week-ending post (for obvious reasons). It's the first track off DFA Records' (whose site seems to be down at the moment) new Compilation #2, and it is a fifteen minute juggernaut of oddball dance grooves that just oozes giggly sexiness. Pitchfork does a great job of describing it, and I'm not going to try to top them (also check out the Stylus review of the fantastic 3CD set). Enjoy your casual shabbat!

ETA: Telephone Thing described this track as "pervy," which is spot on.

WMV Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - "Me & Mia" video
I found this simple yet great music video for the leadoff track from Ted Leo's essential Shake The Sheets album about a week ago, but hadn't gotten a chance to post about it due to recent national events. Credit goes to Frank Chromewaves, who beat me to the punch. The video is being hosted by Ted's label, Lookout Records, which also features the video via RAM Real.

Soviet Panda also tipped me off to the new video from British sensations Franz Ferdinand for their latest single - "This Fire" - which is the hotness.



Not to be missed this weekend is the second season premiere of Arrested Development, the funniest show on television IMO. Fox is now airing the Emmy-winning show at 8:30pm ET, after the latest Treehouse of Horror installment from The Simpsons. Sunday nites just got a whole lot better. For more on AD, be sure to check out the best fansite I've run across, the witty folks over at The OP. Want to catch up? Get the season one dvd.

In the midst of all the electoral madness, I've been completely ignoring the return of the NBA. I went with my folks to the Wolves home opener on Wednesday nite, and I didn't even realize that it was the regular season yet. Suffice it to say, KG was his usual dominant self & his squad pulled out a sloppy, yet respectable 99-93 win over the Knicks, though they fell to Denver on Thursday, losing 94-92 in overtime. And apparently both Spree & Sam are having contract disputes, but I really have little time to spend on millionaires whining about their inflated salaries - especially after this week.


New season, still the best player on the planet. Go ahead, tell him otherwise.

BTW: I know a lot of the sidebar stuff needs semi-massive updating, & I'll attempt to get some work done on it over the next couple of days. Enjoy your weekend folks, or at least try to (I know it may be a little tough).

Another re-post, as I may have to let the music speak for me for a while.

Do it again, Ted.

MP3 Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - "Shake The Sheets"

"How're you gonna save the world, when the world ain't ready?"

Still awake. I don't know what to say at the moment, but hopefully something will come to me eventually. So until then, here's a re-post:

MP3 Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - "Little Dawn"

Reassure me, Ted.

it's alright...it's alright...it's alright...it's alright...it's alright...it's alright...
it's alright...it's alright...it's alright...it's alright...it's alright...it's alright...
it's alright...it's alright...it's alright...it's alright...it's alright...it's alright...
it's alright...it's alright...it's alright...it's alright...it's alright...it's alright...

Oh yeah, and First Avenue closed here in Mpls. What a f**king day.

Ugh.

Hey! Stop what you're doing. You're not going to find that Arcade Fire live bootleg today, nor will you be stumbling across the b-side to "Hand In Glove", and there's no way you'll be finding that unreleased Pixies album. What you need to do is get ready to vote in the most important election of our lives. Figure out where your nearest polling place is and make sure you are registered. Tell your friends to vote, tell your enemies for that matter.

But just vote.

Worried that you're not informed enough to vote? You're on the internet - the information is out there waiting for you. Not a U.S. citizen? Then please call or email all your American friends and make sure they plan on voting. Many artists/organizations are stepping up and helping with the Get Out The Vote campaign, and now so are many of us in the music blogging community. Here are some links to help y'all figure out what's what:

Rock The Vote : Declare Yourself : Just Vote : My Polling Place
Music For America : Get Educated : IndyVoter.org : MoveOn.org
Vote Smart : Citizen Change : JohnKerry.com : GeorgeWBush.com

And since this is an mp3 blog...

MP3 Chris Stamey w/Yo La Tengo - "V.O.T.E." (Rockin' version)
MP3 Chris Stamey w/Yo La Tengo - "V.O.T.E." (Fifties version)
MP3 Chris Stamey w/Yo La Tengo - "V.O.T.E." (Old A.M. version)



Craig from songs:illinois found this 30 second PSA from Chris Stamey and indie rock vets Yo La Tengo, which will also appear on their forthcoming album of the same title out election day (aka tomorrow) on Yep Records.

MP3 Leonard Cohen - "Democracy"
Okay folks, I've shown up way late to the Leonard Cohen party, but I'm slowly catching up. This patriotic seven minute-plus track originally appeared on LC's 1992 The Future LP, though I got it from More Best of Leonard Cohen. And yes, I am aware that "greatest hits albums are for housewives & little girls," but I never claimed to be a perfect music blogger.

MP3 Trey Parker - "America, F**k Yeah"
My buddy Sam called me on Saturday nite after having seen Team America: World Police, which I have yet to pay money for. He especially liked the music in Trey Parker & Matt Stone's marionette extravaganza, and his description of this tongue-in-cheek track in particular prompted me to hunt down the film's soundtrack. Note that the "F**K YEAH!"s lose their oomph after the mention of republicans (and Bed Bath & Beyond).

Get out & vote on November 2nd. Regular blogging will commence on 11/3.

Music Bloggers For Democracy
songs:illinois : The Big Ticket : last sound of summer : moe rex
scissorkick : Kingblind : bars & guitars : TTIKTDA : The Napkin
Tuwa's Shanty : Radio Babylon : An Idiot's Guide To Dreaming
Pregnant w/o Intercourse : Rumage Through The Crevices
Telephone Thing : aurgasm : Republic of Replicants : Fingertips
largehearted boy : bradley's almanac : Mystery & Misery
the witness exchange : Alternate Tuning : Enchilada's Blog
Lost Bands of the New Wave Era : something i learned today
fat planet : 10:51am Toronto : Acousticwood : Pedaços de Céu
close your eyes : Rock & Roll Report : silence is a rhythm two
Bolt : Optimus Crime : chromewaves : The Naugahyde Life
The Oak Room and everyone else that has agreed to post

ETA: Look! We made the news. How 'bout that?

The front page of Tuesday's Pitchfork:



Also, a final message before the election from Michael Moore (via Frank).