Dancing About Architecture Indie Music News 3.30.10
Posted by Ian Wright on 03.30.2010
Jeff Mangum to play a gig, the libertines reform, new music from The Hold Steady, LCD Soundsystem, The National and Broken Social Scene, a new album from David Cross, and more.
The bit at the start
Hello all. We've got a pretty new music heavy column this week. Some of it is awesome, some of it a bit of a let down to be honest. Let's get right to it.
Beg, borrow, buy, steal or download this album.
The Redneck Manifesto – Friendship
New album from Ireland's second best band ever.
You news, you lose
One of many reasons why I wished I lived in NewYork.
If you've more than a passing interest in indie music I'm sure that you're aware that main Neutral Milk Hotel dude Jeff Mangum is something of a reclusive figure. There's been no new record from him since landmark album In The Aeroplane Over The Sea over a decade ago and though there has been occasional live appearances from time to time they've usually been pseudo unannounced affairs with him showing up at gigs by bands loosely connected to the Elephant 6 collective.
So the fact that Mangum has actually announced a performance ahead of time is a pretty big deal. The gig takes place in New York's Le Poisson Rouge on May 6th and it's a benefit for New Zealand punk pioneer Chris Knox who suffered a series of strokes last year.
Mangum will play "a very short acoustic set" as part of a lineup that also features Yo La Tengo, TV on the Radio's Kyp Malone, Portastatic, Claudia Gonson of the Magnetic Fields, Sharon Van Etten, Dimmer, and Knox's fellow New Zealanders Robert Scott and David Kilgour of the Clean who will perform both solo and as part of The Clean.
Parts of the show will be recorded for future broadcast on WFMU and various kiwi radio stations. Tickets for the gig go on sale today from here.
Don't get your hopes up folks, this isn't the start of something indie dorks have been aching for for years*, as per the gig's publicist, "is doing the show specifically to help raise money for his close friend and it's not the start of a comeback."
*We got pavement back this year, that's got to be enough.
Bunch of overrated shits reunite, only cunts care.
Possibly worst British band of the last decade (and there's plenty of competition for that, Scotland aside UK indie is in the toilet) The Libertines will get back together on the final weekend of August to play the Reading/Leeds festival and recreate the magic of their mythical Albion.
I kid, they're getting back together so the dolts that are promoting the festival can pay them a reputed £1.5 million for the two sets (Leeds on the 27th, Reading on the 28th.)
This is all dependant on Pete Doherty not fucking the scam up obviously. But you know the old saying, if you want someone reliable ALWAYS get an arty junkie, they'll never let you down.
Wow, the new Hold Steady song is terrible.
I don't mean "Hurricane J," which was released to the web last week and was pretty meh and really Rick Springfieldy, I mean this new one called "Rock Problems" which you can listen to on the Vulture Blog.
Oh man, I really love The Hold Steady, but these two songs do not hint positively for the upcoming Heaven Is Whenever, which is out …
actually no, after those two songs I'm not giving out the release dates again.
Wow, the new LCD Soundsystem song is fucking terrible.
LCD Soundsystem unleashed the first material from their forthcoming album onto the web last week. The tune is called "Drunk Girls." And it's terrible.
Really, really appallingly bad.
See for yourself in this somewhat amusing unofficial video …
That shit reminds me why I hated everything on LCD Soundsystem's first album except for "Losing My Edge."
Appalling.
Wow, the new National tune is KICK ASS.
Finally, a band I love that hasn't let me down in the last week. "Bloodbuzz Ohio" is taken from The National's forthcoming album High Violet. It's unquestionably a National tune, and it rules.
You can download it here. And you really should, because once again … it rules.
High Violet is out on May 11th by the way.
I've perhaps been too opinionated on the issue of new music this week.
So I'll let you make your own mind up on these new Broken Social Scene tunes.
I just blue myself.
David Cross has a new CD/DVD due out on Sub Pop on May 25th. Bigger And Blackerer was recorded in Boston's Wilbur Theatre and while there is some material that will be on both releases rather rip-offingly each version will also include exclusive material. Here's the CD tracklisting:
01 Opening Song (The Sultan's Revenge)
02 If You Care
03 That One Show About Drugs and Stuff
04 Me and Drugs
05 Black Stuff
06 …Or Worse
07 Where We Are Now Back in Sept. '09
08 Silly Religious Crazies
09 REALLY Silly Religious Crazies. I Mean, Double, Triple Crazy!!
10 Random Goofabouts
11 I Can't Get Beer in Me…
12 Lesson Learned
This, by the way, is one of the best written comedy sketches ever. Up there with "Who's on first?"
The YouTube video of the week
Titus Andronicus, the video for "A More Perfect Union."
