Shatner does Palin, Palin does Shatner

It's poetry AND music AND funny as hell, so I had to share:

New London Archives: Seratonin 'Uptake'

Gradually adding the back catalog at Cosmodemonic Telegraph up online.  This is the first and only release from Seratonin, a band with deep routes in the Mystic scene (featuring members of Skimbleshanks, Mindbender, Magpie, Delta of Venus, and Grand Passion) and the precursor to Low-Beam.  In fact, a handful of the songs on this collection carried through to that band's set and are even featured on the forthcoming swan song release 'Charge of the Light Brigade'.   The record was recorded in the basement at Secret Theatre and features Mat Tarbox on vocals, Sean Fake on drums, CJ Stankewich on guitar and vox, and Rich Martin (yours truly) on bass.

Down to the Filter

One of the great records of The Twenty Oughts is finally being released on vinyl.  Tom Waits' Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards is an odds and sods collection over three discs that sounds like anything but a hodgepodge patchwork piece.  In fact, the record is a seminal release from a national treasure that is staggering in its depth and breadth.  Waits' unique and uncompromising vision grabs you by the throat and drags you through the underbelly of some beatnik hobo fantasy land where you always find yourself under the lone street lamp in the fog taking a drag off your last cigarette, rinsing it down with a swig of whiskey from your hidden hip flask.

It's a melancholy world with bursts of beauty busting through the edges; those edges hanging on the precipice of some otherworldly cliff at the bottom of the world.  The fact that there is a whole additional slab of vinyl featuring six previously unreleased songs in this seven (!) record collection should send any loving soul to the piggy bank with a hammer to find the extra ching to repurchase this outstanding (astounding!) collection. Don't miss it, pretty sure that these won't be around for long!

http://www.tomwaits.com/albums/#/albums/album/4/Orphans/

Mulcahy Tribute at Toad's Place Friday

Mark Mulcahy is one of the singular voices in Connecticut rock history. His band Miracle Legion's career ran parallel to that of REM though due to label woes they never received quite the level of notoriety that their friends from Athens did. Still, their music was hugely influential on a great many artists still playing today (I certainly count myself among them). Mulcahy has also released a handful of solo albums each more challenging (and inspiring) than the last and it can truly be said that he is one of America's great songwriters of this generation.

For those in doubt, look no further than the very special tribute record, Ciao, My Morning Star, which was recently released to celebrate the songs of Mulcahy and help raise money to support the musician who recently lost his wife and mother of his twin daughters. The record is a savagely beautiful and somewhat melancholy affair that features such contemporary luminaries as Thom Yorke, Dinosaur Jr, Michael Stipe, and Elvis Perkins as well as local faves like The Butterflies of Love (who Mulcahy played drums for in early incarnation Bug) and The Gravel Pit. The digital version of the record includes an extra two discs worth of material by artists from around the globe who have donated their tracks to this special cause. In celebration of the release (and the music), Toad's Place in New Haven will host an exciting concert this Friday, December 11, featuring Elvis Perkins, Chris Collingwood (of Fountains of Wayne), The Reducers (who recently recorded a song with Mulcahy called "My Problem" - fingers crossed they'll play it!), The Butterflies of Love, Winter Pills, Dumptruck (!!!) and many more. Should be a wonderful night, definitely not to be missed.

John Winston Ono Lennon

in our thoughts always...

coming up roses

Feeling Feelies

Lee is Free

Sonic Youth have seemingly always been in the forefront of my musical landscape. I've seen them too many times to count and been fortunate enough to work with a few of them on projects over the years. Always happy to hear them extol their craft as Lee does in this interview as part of the BBC's The Story of the Guitar series.




Make sure to visit the BBC site for the series for a virtual tour of the great guitarists of our day (Les Paul, Johnny Marr, Pete Townsend, The Edge, Richie Havens, Mark Knopfler, and even Jack Black!) speaking openly and lovingly about their own personal affair with the guitar.

Live Neutral Milk Hotel!!!!

The Merge blog is dishing out some tasty goodness to celebrate the re-release of the Neutral Milk Hotel classics In an Aeroplane Over the Sea and Live on Avery Island on 180 gram vinyl in the form of two live videos shot at the Knitting Factory back in 1998. So good, here's my fave:

Doc Ellis and the LSD No-No

I like this song, nothing's wrong...

Children are singing...

Beck's stellar Record Club just keeps getting better and better. The project has proved an enlightening exercise and proven out the possibilities of the musical community post-Major Label crappiness and demise. The tantalizing array of musicos making their way Beck-ward for these sessions is dizzying and just plain fun. This go round the crew are taking on the cult classic Oar record by Skip Spence. And what a crew it is: Wilco is on hand as is Leslie Feist and supplying the beats is James Gadson who kept time on many of the Bill Withers classics as well as songs as notable (and huge!) as Express Yourself and I Will Survive!

Record Club: Skip Spence "Little Hands" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

Got Blood?

TV on the Radio frontman Kyp Malone keeps it raucous and trippy with the teaser clip for "Give Blood" off his excellent Rain Machine solo effort. Who knew the creatures under your band could also be your backing band!

Method Acting

Monsters of Folk take their big star video turn for the catchy lead single "Say Please" off their tasty new slab.

in the hood

Sesame and me turn forty this year! Happy Birthday!

Sew and Sew Sew And Sew from Wherever Wherever

Lisa Hannigan performs at in-store appearance in Denver. She quite simply has one of the most hauntingly beautiful voices around.

Going Rogue

A few years back Pat Sturgeon, drummer for the awesome Rogue Wave, was diagnosed with a failing kidney and forced to deal with the realities of that fact on his career as a musician. He also had to struggle through the process of securing a replacement for his failing organ. The heart wrenching struggle to deal was caught on film (along with some great music in support of his cause!) in the newly released documentary D Tour. You can view a trailer and other goodies over at PBS's site (they'll be airing the doc in some markets) and the full piece will be steaming through November 17 at . You can also grab a free mp3 from the soundtrack from Rogue Wave by signing up for their e-list:

the future is now

When an apple falls from a tree in another galaxy, will there be a pie in the sky? Could you eat it?

Get 'em why they'r hot!

The new LCD Soudsystem cover of Alan Vega's "Bye Bye Bayou" leaked so fast that the band and their label Parlophone have decided to get out in front of it and offer up free legal downloads to the first 20,000 takers. It's a great teaser for those of us chomping at the bit for the follow-up to the seminal Sound of Silver LP whihc Sir Murphy has been in studio developing for an early 2010 release. Goodness all around!

Head over to the LCD Soudsystem site for yr free goodies!

Do Heartstrings Mend?

Miles Kurosky of the much loved Beulah is set to return to action with a solo debut at the top of 2010 out on Shout Factory! Good news for everyone indeed. You can keep tabs on his cheerful psychedelia at his(how do you say?) minimalist website:

mileskurosky.com with some tunes to follow on myspace