Dancing About Architecture 08.26.08
Posted by Ian Wright on 08.26.2008
Philip Glass, Deerhunter and Atlas Sound leaks, the talking music series, Craig Finn talks sports and Muxtape gets shut down.
The bit at the start
Well howdy. Hope you're all keeping well.
I saw Amusement Parks On Fire on Sunday night. I never really card for their second album but I do consider the debut to be something of an overlooked gem certainly a bit of a precursor to the new wave of shoegaze bands that have emerged in recent years.
But boy were they terrible the first time I saw them a year and a bit ago, I don't know what was wrong but nothing clicked for me at all that night. On the other hand they were much better last weekend, wave after wave of washed out reverby noise. Very little to dislike about it.
They've got a new album out later in the year and it could be one to keep an eye out for.
Beg, borrow, buy, steal or download this album.
Sigur Rós - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
Seeing them for the first time in years this Friday.
You news, you lose
Dear Hunter.
You kinda have to feel sorry for Bradford Cox. He's had the most terrible time of it of late with album leaks. The new Deerhunter album Microcastle isn't due for release until October but it made it's way onto the internet back in May. To combat this in part as of last week the album appeared on iTunes.
When the actual physical album arrives there is a chance that it will come with a bonus disc called Weird Era Cont included. Or it may not. It's actually quite hard to know at the minute because the weekend before last, it leaked too. That weekend someone found their way into Cox's mediafire.com account where he leaves his unfinished Atlas Sound/Deerhunter demos and found a folder that contained Weird Era Cont. This being the internet you can only guess what happened next. Cox was not happy about this as you might imagine and wrote on (and then deleted) an entry on his blog saying "it was supposed to be a surprise and actually make the idea of an 'Album Release Date' fun. You ruined Christmas".
But wait, there's more.
Also found in the account was early demos for Logos which was to be the second album from Cox's Atlas Sound project. Those demos were subsequently (and temporarily) posted on the Deerhunter blog as a free download with Cox saying "fuck this shit. I can just make another album. It's not finished and now it never will be."
Or at least that's what he first said.
A couple of days later a more considered Cox wrote a lengthy blog post where he said he blamed himself for leaving the material in an unguarded folder and that he does now intend to finish the Atlas Sound record.
The post in full reads …
Here is the deal.
I accept my mistake. I apologize for my reaction, especially since it was misinterpreted so widely to be directed at fans. I appreciate and am very grateful for the fact that people want to hear my music and the music we make with deerhunter. I don't take that for granted. My anger was very much directed at dickwads who mock the dead. And my anger was directed at myself. Sorry for projecting.
I have researched it and am not going to make excuses but the fact is that Mediafire has made several upgrades recently when I was taking a break from blogging. In all seriousness, I AM THE ONE WHO FUCKED UP by not realizing that without creating an account, Mediafire has been archiving my uploads "for my convienience" via my "browser chache (!?!)" and that as part of their new "convienient" features they offer automatic "folder sharing" which must be turned off. I don't blame anyone for, and am not accusing anyone of STEALING things. How many songs have I given away on this blog? I have always uploaded the same way and copied and pasted the link from the same place. I didn't expect this to be any different.
TO ACTUAL FANS, SUPPORTERS, AND FRIENDS: I don't blame you for my mistake. I'm NOT pissed if you download the stuff. Please don't apologize. I'd probably do the same thing. I feel like a hypocrite for making people feel guilty on that end. I will finish Logos, but for now I'm taking a quick break to get away from this weird glowing box that makes me insecure and feel like i have to defend myself all the time. Please enjoy Microcastle and Weird Era Cont., and the Logos demos that I probably would have posted for free here anyway AFTER the album was finished.
Please keep in mind that these records are made possible by our record labels, Kranky and 4AD. Microcastle was released today on iTunes. If you downloaded it in advance through the leak and you can afford it I urge you to support those labels and us by downloading it legally.
Also, although I am grateful, please do not send paypal donations. I have refunded the ones that I received.
I also want to make something very clear and I'm going to keep it short: I don't sit around scheming up ways to get publicity. Nobody affiliated with us our any of our labels leaked Microcastle. I had no intention of leaking Weird Era or Logos. When I make records by myself or with Deerhunter, I enjoy taking into consideration LOTS of aspects about the WHOLE RELEASE. I wanted Microcastle and Weird Era to be a Fall / Winter record. That might sound stupid to some of you but its the whole truth. I don't blame you for listening to it now that its widely available, but its just another part of the project that was taken out of my hands by someone not associated with the band or label. Weird Era, I reiterate, was MY MISTAKE.
I have disabled the comments on this blog, not for fear of negative feedback, but because several of my friends and band mates urged me to do so. I apologize to our friends and fans that will no longer be able to communicate here but there is always the deerhunter forum maintained by Oliver, Madeline, and Gaurav. My intention is not censorship. I despise censorship. But friends and family come before politics for me.
I am seriously ending all bad vibes here.
Cox
Incidently, if anyone has the Logos or Weird Era Cont. leaks hook me up.
Talking Music.
The next few months will see a series of lectures take place in San Francisco's Herbst Theatre in the Performing Arts Center titled "Talking Music" where songwriters will perform and talk about their music to the audience.
The lectures are being organised by City Arts & Lectures and the people appearing in the coming months is an impressive list including John Darnielle, Neko Case, Will Sheff, Stephin Merrit and Laurie Anderson. Each event will take the shape of a the musician "in conversation and song" alongside a literary figure as host. The only exception being Anderson who is in conversation only.
09-11 Stephin Merritt (with Daniel Handler)
12-17 Will Sheff (with Andrew Leland)
01-28 Neko Case (with Callie Khouri)
02-24 John Darnielle (with Tobias Wolff)
04-27 Laurie Anderson (with Michael Azerrad)
It's all muxed up.
It was always gonna happen folks. Last week the following message appeared on virtual mixtape hosting site muxtape.com's front page …
"Muxtape will be unavailable for a brief period while we sort out a problem with the RIAA." This was also posted on their Tumblr "No artists or labels have complained. The site is not closed indefinitely. Stay tuned."
…
which kinda sucks.
Take me out to the ball game, by the Mississippi river, with that girl that'll go with whoever will get her the highest.
Craig Finn loves baseball. Almost as much as he likes singing about kids that are on drugs. And on September 10th he'll appear on ESPN's The Show to talk about sports in the Twin Cities and all sorts of other stuff. The show airs at 3PM EDT but you can submit your questions for the finest lyricist in indie rock here.
More high falutin' than I'd normally cover.
Coming soon (September 23rd to be precise) from Nonesuch, a 10 disc retrospective on the work of minimalist giant Philip Glass featuring material from his operas, symphonys, film scores and all sorts of other things he's put his hand to over the years. But it's not just an ordinary box set, Glass Box: A Nonesuch Retrospective comes with a 191 page booklet and it all comes packaged in a cube with each of its sides featuring an image of Glass by Robert Mapplethorpe, Annie Leibovitz, Chuck Close, Robert Wilson, and Francesco Clemente.
Tracklisting:
Disc 1:
Music in Contrary Motion
Music With Changing Parts
Music in Similar Motion
Disc 2:
Music in Twelve Parts, Parts VII-X
Disc 3:
Einstein on the Beach, 9 Selections
Disc 4:
Glassworks/Analog:
Orange Mountain Music Archive
Étoile Polaire
Dressed Like an Egg
Mad Rush for Organ
String Quartets Nos. 2, 4, 5
Études for Piano Nos. 2, 3, 5, 9
Disc 8:
Selections from the CIVIL warS, Symphony No. 5, Akhnaten, and Hydrogen Jukebox
Disc 9:
Symphonies Nos. 3 & 8
Disc 10:
Filmworks, selections from: Mishima, The Secret Agent, Kundun, Anima Mundi, La Belle et la Bête, The Thin Blue Line, Dracula, The Fog of War, Candyman, The Truman Show, The Hours
An Irish guy won the top award at the world's biggest comedy festival this week. He's a very funny man.
If you can you should go to these gigs.
Hold Steady/Drive-By Truckers "Rock and Roll Means Well" tour
10-30 Louisville, KY - Coyote's at City Block *
10-31 Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium !
11-01 Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle !
11-02 Tallahassee, FL - The Moon *
11-03 Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre !
11-05 State College, PA - The State Theatre *
11-06 New York, NY - Terminal 5 !
11-07 New York, NY - Terminal 5 *
11-08 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory !
11-09 Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre *
11-11 Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix Theatre !
11-12 Pittsburgh, PA - Carnegie Music Hall *
11-13 Bloomington, IN - Bluebird !
11-13 Chicago, IL - Riviera *
11-15 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue !
11-16 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue *
11-19 Boise, ID - The Big Easy !
11-20 Seattle, WA - Showbox *
11-21 Seattle, WA - Showbox !
11-22 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom *
11-23 San Francisco, CA - Fillmore !
11-24 San Francisco, CA - Fillmore *
11-25 Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern *
* the Hold Steady closing
! Drive-By Truckers closing
The Hold Steady
08-29 Philadelphia, PA - TLA !
09-29 Oxford, England - Academy
09-30 Manchester, England - Manchester University
10-01 Glasgow, Scotland - ABC
10-02 Wolverhampton, England - Wulfrun Hall
10-04 Bristol, England - Anson Rooms
10-05 Nottingham, England - Rock City
10-06 Portsmouth, England - Pyramids
10-08 London, England - Roundhouse
10-09 Paris, France - Nouveau Casino
10-11 Hamburg, Germany - Knust
10-12 Cologne, Germany - Luxor
10-13 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg
10-15 Oslo, Norway - Rockerfeller
10-16 Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser Slussen
10-17 Goteborg, Sweden - Sticky Fingers
10-19 Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega
10-20 Berlin, Germany - Columbia Club
10-21 Vienna, Austria - WUK
10-22 Munich, Germany - Ampere
12-16 Den Bosch, Netherlands - Brabanthallen *
12-20 Dublin, Ireland - The 02 *
12-21 Belfast, Northern Ireland - Odyssey Arena *
! with Sonic Youth
* with Counting Crows, Melee
Deerhunter
09-02 Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheater !
09-03 Salt Lake, City UT - The E Center of West Valley !
09-04 Portland, OR - MusicFest NW
09-05 Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena !
09-06 Inglewood, CA - The Forum !
09-12 London, England - The Dome
10-31 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse @*
11-01 Asheville, NC - Orange Peel @
11-02 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle @
11-03 Baltimore, MD - Ottobar @
11-04 Washington, DC - Black Cat @#
11-05 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church @#
11-06 Princeton, NJ - Terrace F. Club @#
11-07 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg #@
11-08 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom $@
11-10 Boston, MA - Paradise $@
11-11 Montreal, Quebec - Theatre Plaza %@
11-12 Toronto, Ontario - Lee's Palace %@
11-13 Pontiac, MI - Crofoot Ballroom !@
11-14 Cleveland Heights, OH - Grog Shop !@
11-15 Chicago, IL - Metro !@
11-16 Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon !@
11-17 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock Social Club !@
11-20 Vancouver, British Columbia - Richard's on Richards ~@
11-21 Seattle, WA - Neumos ~@
11-22 Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater ~@
11-24 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall ~@
11-25 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre ~@
11-28 San Diego, CA - Casbah @
11-29 Phoenix, AZ - Modified Arts @
12-01 Dallas, TX - Palladium Loft @
12-02 Austin, TX - Emo's @
12-03 Houston, TX - Warehouse Live @
12-04 Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon @
12-05 New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks @
12-06 Birmingham, AL - Bottletree @
! with Nine Inch Nails
@ with Times New Viking
* with Pylon
# with Knyfe Hyts
$ with Vivian Girls
% with Neighborhood Council
! with Disappears
~ with BARR
Jay Reatard
09-13 New London, CT - Historic Waterfront Park (I Am Festival)
09-25 Memphis, TN - New Daisy Theater *
10-11 Columbia, MO - Mojo's
10-12 Chicago, IL - Congress Theatre (Riot Fest)
10-12 Chicago, IL - Double Door (Riot Fest afterparty)
10-15 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
10-16 Toronto, Ontario - Sneaky Dee's
10-17 Ottawa, Ontario - Babylon
10-18 Montreal, Quebec - Cabaret Music Hall
10-19 Quebec City, Quebec - Le Cercle
10-21 Halifax, Nova Scotia - Halifax Pop Explosion
10-22 Cambridge, MA - Middle East (Upstairs)
10-27 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
10-28 Washington, DC - Black Cat
10-30 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
10-31 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse #
11-01 Atlanta, GA - Lenny's
11-05 Orlando, FL - Back Booth
11-06 Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder
11-07 New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks
11-16 Dublin, Ireland - Green Synergy Festival
11-18 Glasgow, Scotland - Barrowlands 2
11-19 Manchester, England - Deaf Institute
11-20 Leeds, England - The Faversham
11-21 Liverpool, England - Korova
11-22 Nottingham, England - Bodega
11-23 Bristol, England - The Cooler
11-24 London, England - Old Blue Last
11-25 London, England - Press
11-26 London, England - The Belvedere
11-27 London, England - Banquet Records (in-store)
11-28 Brighton, England - Engine Rooms
* with the Black Keys
# with Deerhunter, Times New Viking
Ryan Adams And The Cardinals
08-23 San Francisco, CA - Fillmore
08-26 Seattle, WA - WaMu Theater *
08-27 Vancouver, British Columbia - General Motors Place *
08-29 Edmonton, Alberta - Rexall Place *
08-30 Calgary, Alberta - Pengrowth Saddledome *
09-01 Winnipeg, Manitoba - MTS Centre *
09-04 Ottawa, Ontario - Scotiabank Place *
09-05 Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre *
09-07 Boston, MA - Bank of America Pavilion
09-09 London, Ontario - John LaBatt Center *
09-25 Schenectady, NY - Proctor's Theater
09-26 Syracuse, NY - Landmark Theater
09-27 Rochester, NY - Auditorium Theater
09-29 Columbus, OH - Palace Theater
09-30 Cleveland, OH - Playhouse Square
10-02 Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theatre
10-03 Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theater
10-04 St. Louis, MO - Fox Theater
10-05 Madison, WI - Overture Hall
10-07 Ames, IA - Stephens Auditorium
10-09 Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theater
10-10 Tulsa, OK - Brady Theater
10-11 Grand Prairie, TX - Nokia Theater
10-13 Austin, TX - Paramount
10-14 Houston, TX - Verizon Wireless Theater
10-16 Tuscaloosa, AL - Bama Theatre
10-17 Atlanta, GA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
* with Oasis
Andrew Bird
08-24 San Francisco, CA - Golden Gate Park (Outside Lands Festival)
08-31 Vancouver, British Columbia - Malkin Bowl (Stanley Park Singing Exhibition)
09-03 Chicago, IL - Jay Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park
10-02 Tarrytown, NY - Music Hall
10-03 Bethlehem, PA - Baker Hall
10-04 Ithaca, NY - State Theater
10-06 New York, NY - Hiro Ballroom
10-07 New York, NY - Hiro Ballroom
10-08 Portsmouth, NH - The Music Hall
10-09 Albany, NY - The Egg
10-10 Northampton, MA - Calvin Theatre
Philip Glass
08-22 Big Sur, CA - Henry Miller Memorial Library (Henry Miller Memorial Library benefit) !
09-01 Porto Alegre, Brazil - Auditorium (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul) *
09-03 Salvador, Brazil - TBA *
09-14 Zaragoza, Spain - Expo Zaragoza #
09-18 Turin, Italy - Teatro Alfieri $
09-20 Milan, Italy - Teatro degli Arcimboldi $
10-03 Cleveland, OH - Playhouse Square %
10-10 Sydney, Australia - Sydney Opera House $
10-11 Sydney, Australia - Sydney Opera House $
10-12 Sydney, Australia - Sydney Opera House $
10-13 Melbourne, Australia - The Playhouse (Melbourne International Arts Festival) ^
10-15 Melbourne, Australia - Melbourne International Arts Festival $
10-16 Melbourne, Australia - Melbourne International Arts Festival $
10-17 Melbourne, Australia - Melbourne International Arts Festival $
02-16 San Francisco, CA - San Francisco Performances ~
! with Wendy Sutter, Mick Rossi
* "Philip Glass discussion: Creativity & Collaboration"
# Philip Glass and the Philip Glass Ensemble perform the world premiere of "Los Paisajes del Rio"
$ "Book of Longing" performance
% solo piano performance
^ with Patti Smith
~ Philip Glass and the Philip Glass Ensemble perform "Music in Twelve Parts"
Writing under the influence
Without which this column would not have been possible:
Talk Radio
The bit at the end
I spent much of this evening watching The Rose of Tralee competition. It's compulsively awful. It's almost a shame that I'll miss night two tomorrow as I'm seeing Adam Green play.
Won't be here next week as I'll be at a festival next weekend. See you in a forthnight
