New Wolfmother track available for download

Australian rock band Wolfmother is back with a brand spanking new track from their upcoming second album.

The track, "Back Round," is the first peek into Wolfmother’s soon to come Summer 2009 release.

Back Round is yet another musical offering from the rock gods that will take you back to the era of Zepplin, Hendrix, and Sabbath. Or, for those who wanted to feel less dated, the last time you played Guitar Hero.

In lieu of cash payment for the new track, Wolfmother are encouraging fans to put their money in a righteous place and donate to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal at redcross.org.au

Download the track "Back Round" at the Wolfmother website (email addy required)

Better blogs than ours:

Make sure you drop by Daytrotter and check out the session with VLM favorite Wild Light. Their track "California on My Mind" is pretty much an every day listen. See how well it works at the Daytrotter studio. Also up for listen is a poetry readying from Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo. This poem, entitled “By The Side of the Road,” "has a Gwar-like Cuomo gagging through a narrative about vomiting and putting his face in it — the act somehow bringing him closer to nature."

Our good blog pal Ryan has a review from Chicago's Peter Bjorn and John show, courtesy of Muzzle contributing writing Jodi Root.

Milwaukee Decider discusses the news that Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson will be headlining one night of Summerfest down in Milwaukee this year. I'll probably pass in favor of seeing Conor Oberst, Rise Against, and Rancid on the 25th instead. No disrespect against Dylan or Willie, but that's just not my crowd.

Last but not least, the always clever Music for Kids Who Can't Read Good has an Earth Day "Go Planet!" mix featuring the likes of Fleet Foxes and Beirut to go grab. Do your part for the planet by listening to these songs. And maybe go plant a tree or two.

Stream two new tracks from the upcoming Xu Xu Fang record, Seven Days Now

Got a big day ahead of us. Got our eggs here, our Eight O' Clock Colombian coffee, and later today, a little shopping down in Wausau before the NFL Draft. Detroit already got there man, but I'm pretty anxious to see what the Packers end up doing. The Packers need to have a good draft because teams in their conference like Detroit and Chicago have already made moves this offseason to improve their squads.

You might have noticed the addition of a few banners/ads to the site. That's because I recently joined the MOG Music Network hoping for a little more exposure. I'm still sorta trying to figure out how it all works but hopefully things work out for both of us. I'd probably help if I blogged a little more consistently but you know how that goes.

Today I wanted to talk a little about the new Xu Xu Fang EP set to hit the streets April 28, titled Seven Days Now.


Xu Xu Fang featurs Bobby Tamkin (The Warlocks, Hovercraft), and Barbara Cohen, who sang with French band, Air. Barbara's delicate vocal stylings, the same ones you heard when she was with Air, are here combined with a darker, moodier backdrop to produce a sound reminiscent of PJ Harvey record, sliding over slow, rhythmic beats - great mood or chill music for any night. The band is attracting some mainstream visibility with the song "Your Way" which will appear on Gossip Girl Monday, April 27. In addition, there's a sultry cover of the Cure's Fascination Street that I think you're really going to enjoy.

Fans out in Cali can hit up the record release show at The Echo in Echo Park on Thursday, April 30 at 10 pm.

Get to know the band by streaming the two tracks below (our fav is the Cure cover) and by visiting the band's MySpace page.

Xu Xu Fang - "Fascination Street"
Xu Xu Fang - "Your Way"


P.S. If you haven't heard it yet, head over to It's Hard to Find a Friend's MOG page to check out the Surjan Stevens written in "an imaginary world where Sofia Coppola was my confidant." Visit It's Hard to Find a Friend blog by itself, here.

We Heart Elliott Smith, XO, Friends

It's amazing what a friend's dance with death can for your health. Time spent looking at nutrition labels increases. Any motivation that was needed to get off your ass and go for a walk or a hike in the woods is suddenly much easier to come by. The idea of a twice weekly bowl of ice cream suddenly melts to much smaller, much less frequent portion. It shouldn't take a heart attack from a seemingly healthy 37 year old friend to remind you to take better care of yourself, but then again, what are friends for? Hoping you get well soon friend.

Unfortunately, not everyone in life was so lucky, as was the case with VLM favorite and famed musician Elliott Smith. Author Matt LeMay's XO, which hit stands on April 6, chronicles the genius of Smith's 1998 debut, XO, which remains his defining album.



About the 144-page book:

Many albums could be cited to support the claim that great suffering yields great art. Elliott Smith's "XO" should not be one of them. Smith's 1998 major label debut defies the 'tortured singer-songwriter' stereotype and takes up this defiance as a central theme. At a time when Smith was being groomed for a particular (and particularly condescending) brand of stardom, he produced a record that eviscerated one of the central assumptions of singer-songwriters: that pain is beautiful. Indeed, "XO" insists that romanticizing personal tragedy can only leave you 'deaf and dumb and done'. It backs up this claim with some of the most artful and intelligent music of its day. While these themes permeate "XO", the record hardly registers like a thesis statement. The album's title cleverly reflects one of its central concerns - the difference between how we present ourselves and the damage we do through such self-denial. It's simple lyrical phrasing and characteristically hesitant vocal delivery have led many to overlook how mean, witty and incisive XO is. It is the product of an artist who could never quite shake off the stigma of his early work. Matthew LeMay writes an original take on a widely beloved album, steering clear of the sensationalist suicide angles that have dogged most analysis of Elliott Smith's extraordinary work. [Amazon]

About the series:

33 1/3" is a series of short books about a wide variety of albums, by artists ranging from James Brown to the Beastie Boys. Launched in September 2003, the series now contains over 50 titles and is acclaimed and loved by fans, musicians and scholars alike [Amazon].

Article on the book at Reading Local.

Buy it on Amazon

Thanks to Largehearted Boy for pointing out the release of XO and for being awesome in general.

Karate High School sees zombies everywhere

Listen up, kiddies...Bay Area band Karate High School has posted a new track called “Zombies Everywhere”(off their Eyeball Records debut Invaders) on the band’s new MySpace page. Invaders will be in stores May 19th.

According to the band, "Invaders is a record about life, love, destiny, self-discovery, accomplishments, disappointments, Heaven, Hell, dreams, reality, hope, realizing it’s never too late to follow your heart, and finding beauty and strength in the most peculiar of places. If there’s one theme that keeps coming back throughout the record, it’s that It’s Okay To Be Yourself. I fought with this concept for a long time, and I still do. There is simply too much media telling you how to look, how to act, and selling you answers to your problems that it’s hard to wade through the bullshit and find something real. If you feel this way too, then hey, this record is for you.

I wrote and recorded most of this record in my old bedroom at my mother’s house. No high-priced studio. No big-name producer with fantastic street cred. No money. Aaron played drums. Geoff played guitar. And I played bass, keyboards, and sang. The only thing I had was a minimal amount of recording gear and an overwhelming need to use music as a way to process life experiences, express them, and gain some type of understanding of What The Hell I’m Doing Here. And yes, I am fully aware of how disgustingly pretentious and self-indulgent that sounds. But what can I say? I’m writing this on my laptop at Starbucks while nursing a Venti Decaf White Mocha With Extra Foam, and my thick rimmed glasses and black beret got the best of me."

Sure, they're a lot like Panic! At the Disco and Fall Out Boy. But they're also hard working musicians and play a damn catchy tune. We can see the appeal, can you? Head over to their MySpace page to learn more and stream the new track + others.

The Monolators

Sorry for the prolonged absence, but we've had a lot going on (outside of the blog); spring is here (or was, for a few days), baseball season is in full-swing (ha), and well, we're still working on the Easter candy. Hopefully we can get back to posting more regularly, starting today with The Monolators.

With their unique blend of 50’s rock and 70’s punk and their increasingly talked about live performances; where drumsets are used as jumping platforms, food fights ensue and an occasional head bleeds, The Monolators have come a long way since their beginning in 2002 as the husband and wife duo of Eli (vocals, guitar) and Mary (drums) Chartkoff.

Today we're helping you get introduced to the 2008 full-length Don't Dance, which fell under our radars until recently. The opening track, "I Must Be Dreaming," sets the tone for the rambunctious album and just may find its way on to your iPod after a listen or two. It makes us think of what would happen if you crossed a 60's beach surf party with the The Vines. You can check out this track below:

The Monolators - "I Must Be Dreaming"

Other standout tracks include the title track “Don’t Dance” and the live favorite "This is Goodbye":

Listen: "Don't Dance"
Listen: "This is Goodbye"

More on The Monolators at MySpace

Opening Day 2009

image: NY TIMES

Opening Day for the Brewers...unfortunately for Brewers fans like me, Milwaukee probably has the second-worst rotation in their division, and it showed today when Suppan gifted 6 runs to the Giants en route to a 10-6 loss. Thanks for that, Sup.

In honor of the baseball season starting up again, you should head over to Spinner.com and have a listen to "A Positive Rage" (from Twins-loving fellas The Hold Steady), an album that is basically a live show from 2006 at the Metro in Chicago.

And hey, say what you want about professional sports and their media packages/exclusive rights, but I spent $15 today to secure my ability to listen to any MLB game broadcast this season, and I think that was a $15 very well spent.

Don't forget to check out the new batch of Threadless tees that debuted yesterday. We particularly like Grandpa Cassette.

Ok, on to the music...


I remember a few years back when my friends were listening to Junior Boys and I wasn't. What can I say, I'm a little slow to anything that's groovier than two guitars. Luckily for me, I was ahead of the game this time and so I was ready when Junior Boys released Begone Dull Care today, the latest album from the duo who go by the names Jeremy Greenspan and Matthew Didemus when the visit their respective dentists (I'm only assuming they don't use Junior Boys outside of their "profession" - but if I had a cool moniker I just might try and find a way to slip it in wherever).

Begone Dull Care is the band's third album, following the critical and commercial successes of Last Exit (2004) and So This Is Goodbye (2006). We think it sounds like the type of record you'd find playing at Banana Republic or H&M - dancetastic, dark, and with some funky grooves that aren't over the top. We'll be at the Mall of America this weekend, so we'll let you know if we hear the album anywhere while we're trying on clothes we can't afford.

Junior Boys - "Hazel"

Stream the entire album over at Spinner.com for free!

You can catch Junior Boys on the road during their six week tour at the dates/locales below:
TUE 4/7 - Starlite Room - Edmonton, AB
THU 4/9 - The Warehouse - Calgary, AB
SAT 4/11 - The Biltmore Cabaret - Vancouver, BC,
SUN 4/12 - Neumos- Seattle, WA
TUE 4/14 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR
THU 4/16 - Bimbo's 365 Club - San Francisco, CA
SAT 4/18 - Coachella - Indio, CA
SUN 4/19 - Rhythm Room - Phoenix, AZ,
WED 4/22 - The Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO
FRI 4/24 - Record Bar - Kansas City, MO
SAT 4/25 - Billiken Club - St. Louis, MO
MON 4/27 - Canopy Club - Urbana, IL
TUE 4/28 - Southgate House - Newport, KY
WED 4/29 - Skully's Music Diner - Columbus, OH
THU 4/30 - The Dame - Lexington, KY
FRI 5/1 - Mercy Lounge - Nashville, TN
SAT 5/2 - The Earl - Atlanta, GA
SUN 5/3 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC
TUE 5/5 - Black Cat - Washington, DC
WED 5/6 - 1st Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, PA
THU 5/7 - Webster Hall - New York, NY
FRI 5/8 - Middle East Downstairs - Cambridge, MA
SAT 5/9 - Le National - Montreal, QC
SUN 5/10 - Babylon - Ottawa, ON

Junior Boys MySpace page

Wild Light

Despite temperatures in the low 30's, it's a beautiful day here in Northern Wisconsin. Writing from my current spot in the living room recliner, I'm looking out to my left across my back yard, between the hanging pine trees, to the sun set reflecting off the ice on Squash Lake. To my right, baseball's Opening Day results scroll across the TV while I joyfully yet painfully watch the Cubs, who already look good. Tomorrow, the Brewers open the season. Yep, things are good...and that's worth saying sometimes.

If you're heading out to catch The Killers on tour this summer, make sure you get their early enough to catch opening act Wild Light on the select dates that they're providing support (dates to follow below).

The New Hampshire quartet will be the main support for the Killers tour, which kicks off April 17 in Vegas. Wild Light are touring in support of their March 3rd release, Adult Nights. They're a great choice for an opening act, but are certainly a strong enough group to stand on their own with standout tracks like that of "California on My Mind" and "Surf Generation." Personally, the give me a good Better Than Ezra type of feeling. Head on over to the band's MySpace page to stream these two tracks (and a few others) and see if you don't agree.

Apr 8 2009 8:00P
Great Scott Boston, Massachusetts (Headliner)
Apr 17 2009 8:00P
The Joint @ Hard Rock Hotelhaerd w/ The Killers Las Vegas, Nevada
Apr 19 2009 8:00P
San Jose Event Center w/ The Killers San Jose, California
Apr 22 2009 8:00P
Wamu Theatre @ Qwest Field Events Center w/ The Killers Seattle, Washington
Apr 23 2009 8:00P
Save on Foods Memorial Centre w/ The Killers Victoria, British Columbia
Apr 24 2009 8:00P
UBC Thunderbird Arena w/ The Killers Vancouver, British Columbia
Apr 26 2009 8:00P
Pengrowth Saddledome w/ The Killers Calgary, Alberta
Apr 27 2009 8:00P
Rexall Place w/ The Killers Edmonton, Alberta
Apr 30 2009 8:00P
The Eagles Club w/ The Killers Milwaukee, Wisconsin May 1 2009 8:00P
Murat Theatre w/ The Killers Indianapolis, Indiana
May 2 2009 8:00P
Capitol Federal Park @ Sandstone w/ The Killers Bonner Springs, Kansas
May 8 2009 9:00P
The Bog Scranton, Pennsylvania (Headliner)

Now, time to help cheer on MSU and the Big Ten for the NCAA Championship. Do they stand a chance? Probably not. But they also have nothing to lose.

Get it on

This post is intended directly and for no other reason than to implore you to listen to the Adam Carolla podcast each and every day. Seriously, it's some of the best stuff out there right now, and he's doing it as podcasts, which will really help give even more visibility to the medium as the popularity grows.

I'm not saying you'll agree with everything he says, but any friend of mine will appreciate the humor in things such as Pedif Isle and his octomom rants.

I start every Monday-Friday morning with two things: whole wheat toast w/peanut butter and honey, and the Adam Carolla podcast. Take away either and I'm not going to get off to a good start that day. My day also usually includes some WOXY.com, the previous night's Countdown with Keith Olberman, The Sports Guy, and a little fantasy baseball on ESPN, but Carolla's podcast is certainly the gem of the group.

Check it out now.

Return from Spring Break

Well it's been a couple weeks but we're back to the blog after a restful "spring break" of sorts. Of course, the 72 emails in my inbox from bands/PR/labels didn't take much of a break, so we've got lots of material to sort through.

First and foremost on my mind today is the trade of Jay Cutler to the Bears. This will surely prove to cause me and my beloved Packers much pain this season, perhaps as early as this evening since I'm guessing the news isn't going to go well with the coconut shrimp and couscous w/tikka masala that I'm currently enjoying from the dinner table/office. A few bottles of the champagne of beers will be necessary to calm the stomach.

And since It doesn't appear that the Packers are going to do anything dramatic during the offseason, here's hoping for a good draft.

I've got a few days off in May before Memorial Day weekend and lucky for me the Brooklyn three-piece School of Seven Bells will be dropping by Madison on Thursday, May 21 for a show at the Hign Noon Saloon. I've been enjoying what I've heard from SVIIB on WOXY.com, my 8am-5pm musical hangout, and now I can look forward to the show.

School of Seven Bells (via the band's myspace)

School of Seven Bells' Ghostly International full-length debut, Alpinisms, has received critical acclaim across the globe. The band was recently featured in SPIN, and in a recent Rolling Stone cover story on U2, The Edge sites School of Seven Bells' sound as an influence on No Line On The Horizon's droning tribal side. The New York Times called the Bells, "a promising blend of the psychedelic and the futuristic," David Fricke at Rolling Stone said, "the effect is warm goth - New Order with more eros," and PItchfork Media called it, "a reverberating march of twinkling effects, glitchy Bjorkian rhythms, and insistently echoed drones of womanly harmonies."

They'll be joined for most of the tour dates (including the one in Madison) by experimental psych band Black Moth Super Rainbow. They're less my cup of tea, but it certainly makes for an interesting pairing (sort of like my dinner).

School of Seven Bells US Tour Dates:
5/20 Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge*
5/21 Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon*
5/22 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club*
5/25 Seattle, WA @ Sasquatch Festival*
5/26 Portland, OR @ Holocene*
5/28 San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill*
5/29 Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour*
5/30 Costa Mesa, CA @ Detroit Bar*
5/31 Tucson, AZ @ Rhythm Room*
6/02 Austin, TX @ Mohawk*
6/03 Denton, TX @ Hailey's*
6/04 Little Rock, AR @ Sticky Fingerz*
6/05 Nashville, TN @ Exit In*
6/06 Columbus, OH @ Circus*
6/12 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
* w/Black Moth Super Rainbow

Catch up on some School of Seven Bells at their MySpace page.