Dancing About Architecture 12.01.09
Posted by Ian Wright on 12.01.2009
Pavement, She And Him, Local Natives, The Flaming Lips to cover Pink Floyd, NIN's gear for sale, new Thermals record, Ariel Pink and more.
The bit at the start
Hello folks. It's December. Where the hell did he year go. About time for end of year lists and all the bullshit. Actually this time there's also room for end of decade list bullshit too. Wow, seems like only yesterday that it was New Years Eve 1999 and I was climbing over an apartment balcony to crash a party next door.
Beg, borrow, buy, steal or download this album.
Deerhunter – Rainwater Cassette Exchange
2009's Deerhunter release keeps up their phenomenal run of quality.
You news, you lose
Really quick Pavement reunion news this week. It's nearly a running gag at this point.
Another stand alone date was announced over the weekend. In the Tripod venue in Dublin for May 4th. I'm pretty sure that that makes it the first of the European dates. Tickets are on sale on Friday morning, which is when I'll be on a plane to the UK for the My Bloody Valentine curated ATP (dudes, on Friday I'll be seeing Yo La Tengo followed immediately by My Bloody Valentine.) but I've got a nominated second who will be trying to get me tickets.
I never would have imagined that she'd have found mutton chops appealing
Mrs. Ben Gibbard (eat it besotted indie geeks) Zooey Deschanel told MTV last week that she and M. Ward have completed their second She And Him record and that it'll come out early next year. In fact, what she actually said was, "I have a new [She & Him] record coming out in the spring. It's official. It's done and being released in the spring. And we're going to go on tour."
Let's make a deal. Pt. 1
Aside from the pretty shit Neon Indian this year's big new blog darlings have probably been Local Natives. The band have just signed to the Les Savy Fav owned Frenchkiss label.
Their debut album Gorilla Manor will come out on February 16th. Named after the house in Orange County where the band lived together the record was produced by the band along with Raymond Richards.
Things to do in Oklahoma when you're bored and it's New Year's Eve.
Well for one thing you could go to this …
That's right, The Flaming Lips are playing Oklahoma City on December 31st with support from Stardeath and White Dwarfs. And the Lips gig will feature a performance of Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd (who are one of the bands I hate most in the world, but they're definitely lower on the list than The Stone Roses).
If you can't make the gig or if you can and would just like a teaser of what you might be in for you can go here here and scroll down till you find the video of the band playing "Eclipse" on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic.
Your special, once in a lifetime opportunity to pay waaaayyyyyyy over the odds for some guitars ...
... just because Trent Reznor owns them.
Nine Inch Nails are selling a load of equipment and instruments because they aren't touring any more. In the coming weeks you'll be able to bid for all sorts of keyboards and effects units but for now there's a number of guitars, basses etc. up for sale. The provenance of these instruments probably means that they'll go for a lot more than they're worth but at the minute the initial prices for everything seems to be quite reasonable.
The Thermals have announced that their next record, an as yet unrecorded follow up to this April's Now We Can See will be released on Kill Rock Stars on September 7th. Which is ages away.
Work will begin on the record this month in Portland's Jackpot studios with Chris Walla of Deathcab For Cutie producing. Walla also mixed the band's first record and produced their second.
Let's make a deal. Pt. 2.
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti have signed to 4AD. The first record as part of the deal is currently being recorded wit ha view to releasing it in spring next year.
The YouTube video of the week
This is fuckin' hilarious.
If you can you should go to these gigs.
The Thermals
12-11 Portland, OR - Berbati's Pan
12-12 Seattle, WA - Neumo's (KEXP Yule Benefit)
12-13 Seattle, WA - Vera Project
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
12-04 Bristol, England - Qu Junktions
12-05 Minehead, England - All Tomorrow's Parties
12-06 Cardiff, Wales - Buffalo
12-07 Nottingham, England - The Bodega
12-08 London, England - The Rest Is Noise
12-09 Manchester, England - Deaf Institute
12-10 Paris, France - Point Ephemere
12-11 Aalst, Belgium - Netwerk
12-13 London, England – Lexington
Writing under the influence
Without which this column would not have been possible:
Talk Radio
Tom Waits – Glitter And Doom live
The bit at the end
Going to ATP this weekend. Should be great. And cold. Cold and great.
Interview with Panda Bear that's worth reading here.
Don't think that the new Animal Collective EP Fall Be Kind is up to much. Sounds like Paul Simon.
