Little Lebowski Urban Achievers to play Lebowski Fest September 11 @ First Avenue!

Drunk rockers Little Lebowski Urban Achievers will be a part of Lebowski Fest again in 2009 to celebrate the release of their split LP with The Divorce Force. The band played at the Los Angeles Lebowski Fest in 2007 and now is jumping on the Minneapolis dates for the 2009 Lebowski Fest Tour.

The two-day fest begins its Minneapolis stop with a "Movie Party" on September 11 @ First Avenue. LLUA will be opening for the Black Diamond Heavies. A special screening of the Big Lebowski will also be played that evening. The second night of Lebowski Fest in Minneapolis will be a bowling night at Memory Lanes.

I'm a huuuuge Lebowski fan and have always wanted to go to Lebowski Fest so I might just have to make the trip to "the cities" for this one. I don't think I'll bring my grad school paper on how The Dude rewrites the Western male hero, though. That would be over the line, Donny.

SubCity new album, tour

It's funny how often the lines between opinion and fact become blurred when discussing something you're passionate about, like music. For example, Radiohead is one of the most influential bands of the past 20 years is my opinion. Listening to Nickelback kills brain cells is a fact. Ok, that's probably opinion, too. But balancing the line between the two is the essence of journalism of any type. I'm not sure if I made that up or if I read it somewhere but it sounds good so let's go with it.

Opinion: Winnipeg band SubCity lands somewhere between Tom Waits and your favorite Mighty Mighty Bosstones record.
Fact: They've got a new record, "Where's The Noise?", coming out on Transistor 66 Records on Sept 15. They'll also be embarking on an All-Canada tour shortly thereafter at the following cities:

Sept 17 - Regina - O'Hanlons w/ 40 Theives
Sept 24 - Fernie - The Bulldog
Sept 25 - Golden - TBA
Sept 26 - Vancouver - Anza Club w/ Fuzzcat & Great White Shark
Sept 27 - Salt Spring Island - Beaver Point Hall w/ Big Bass Theory & Great White Shark
Sept 29 - Victoria - Felisitas (UofVic Pub) w/ Great White Shark
Sept 30 - Nanaimo - Queens w/ Kiltlifters & Great White Shark
Oct 1 - Courteney - Merville Hall - w/ Great White Shark & Multi Coloured Mischeif
Oct 2 - Victoria - Lucky Bar w/ Great White Shark
Oct 3 - Tofino - The Legion w/ Great White Shark
Oct 6 - Banff - Rose & Crown
Oct 7 - Banff - Rose & Crown
Oct 9 - Edmonton - The Pawn Shop
Oct 10 - Lethbridge - TBA
Oct 16 - Winnipeg - WECC "Where's The Noise?" Release Party!

Say what you want about their choices of musical genre (I personally am not a huge fan of ska or reggae), but I certainly enjoyed my first listen to a few of their tracks - their gritty sound certainly makes for a more entertaining backdrop to the Little League World Series I'm currently watching than Brent Musberger's voice.

More praise:

“Like their last outing, this 11-tracker finds the horn-fuelled octet pushing their boundaries beyond the comfort zone of ska and reggae, venturing boldly into everything from Rancid-style post-punk to Tom Waits boho-blues. Frontman Ian Lodewyks, for his part, continues to sound like he exists on a steady diet of Gitanes, kerosene, razors and red-hot gravel. All in all, a most glorious noise.”4 out of 5 stars. - Darryl Sterdan- Winnipeg Sun

SubCity - "Silence"

You can stream some more of their tunes in the handy little flash player below that the band provides via their MySpace page.

Modest Mouse at Aragon Ballroom Review

It's Day 2 on our Chicago vacation and last night we made it down to the Aragon Ballroom to catch Modest Mouse with The Dutchess and the Duke.

Standing next to a smelly garbage can in a graffiti tagged alley next to the Aragon Ballroom waiting for the doors to open, surrounded by hipsters in neon colored tights and bandannas and beards, I was unmistakably at a Modest Mouse concert. We arrived a little late (5:15) thinking that the doors were going to open at 6:30, but when we got off the El at Lawrence we realized the doors would actually be opening at 5:30. Oops. Thus we trudged our way back to the end of the line, last of the hipsters, to wait for the burly security guard to yell at everyone to get against the wall - guys on the inside, girls on the outside - it was time to move the line.


We had hoped to score a balcony seat, being probably a few years older than the average Modest Mouse fan, but our chances seemed slim given our place in line. Once we got in however we were easily able to make it up to the balcony and score two seats with a great view. I love concerts, but there's really no need for me to be on the floor sweating it up with the dirty hippie youth and their hidden pocket marijuana bongs. I mean, don't get me wrong, that was a great time...six years ago. Now I prefer to play the casual observer, nodding my head at my own pace, getting soaked in my own sweat, not others, and enjoying the ambiance from a distance.

Like most reviews you will ever find on the Aragon, the sound was shit, and it was hotter than hell. Even Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock commented on how unspeakably hot it was at the end of the show. But I knew both of those things going into the show, so I wasn't exactly disappointed. Dress light, don't plan on hearing the greatest sound, and you won't be disappointed either.

That said, everything else about the venue was top notch. We got in fast, got seats easy, beer was just a few steps away at a pricey $6, and bathrooms didn't seem too congested. It didn't take my wife that long to snag an American Apparel King Rat tshirt for $25, either.

Bring out the bands...

the dutchess and the duke

The Dutchess and the Duke opened to a crowd of roughly 20% capacity and put together a tidy little set. Their songs seemed recognizable enough and crisp, jangly, and folksy - they would be great at a smaller venue. They opened with "Back to Me", my favorite of their tracks, and played about a half hour before yielding the stage to Modest Mouse.

the crowd thickens...

This was my first time seeing Modest Mouse, and I wasn't disappointed in much other than that they didn't play a couple of songs I wanted to hear (Whale Song), but when you've got a discography the size of theirs that's understandable. They played a couple of tracks off Good News for People Who Like Bad News, but opened the show with "King Rat", which is becoming quite a favorite amongst me and my other Modest Mouse friends (and as the tshirt sales at the show would attest, a lot of others).

modest mouse

Modest Mouse mixed up the tempo in their set nicely (from "Baby Blue Sedan" to songs like "Dramamine" and "Satin in a Coffin") and Brock seemed to have a good time with the crowd, asking the fans up front for the latest news on the curfew and the mayor's daughter and some other things. Having two drummers created a really percussion heavy feel to the set, which I enjoyed, and it seemed like they were bringing out a different instrument for every song - from cellos to horns to violins to banjos... they had a full stage.

"Wore our blank expressions, trying to look interesting.."

All in all it was a great time, which is all you can ask for as a fan. From the convenience of the El to the ability to snag seats, enjoy a beer, and catch some great (albeit muddled) music in a picturesque venue is about all a guy with a little music blog and a Modest Mouse loving wife can imagine. If they return to the Midwest at a different venue, I'll definitely be back.

"There's no work in walking in to fuel the talk.."

If you know of any other reviews or photos from the show last night go ahead and throw those in the comments. My wife is a professional photographer, but she wasn't allowed to bring her digital SLR into the show, so we had to make do with our 6-year-old point and shoot, sorry!

Set list:

king rat
3rd planet
education
black cadillacs
gravity rides
shit luck
satellite skin
tiny cities made of ashes
baby blue sedan
dashboard
dramamine
guilty cocker spaniels
blame it on the tetons
wild pack of family dogs
the view
satin in a coffin
encore
paper thin walls
ohio
parting of the sensory

The Heavy - How You Like Me Now?

We're about to head down to Chicago for the Modest Mouse show tonight at Aragon but we wanted to drop a little bit of music on your for your morning.

Today's selection is a cool, new bluesy video from UK band The Heavy. The band's new album, The House That Dirt Built, is set for an October 6th release.

In support of their new album the band will be hitting some US cities this fall. See if they'll be in your hood anytime soon, below:

US Tour Dates
10/21 || The Echo || Los Angeles, CA
10/23 || Casbah || San Diego, CA
10/24 || The Bank Club || San Jose, CA
10/27 || Slim’s || San Francisco, CA
10/29 || Doug Fir Lounge || Portland, OR
10/30 || The Crocodile || Seattle, WA
11/2 || World Café Live || Philadelphia, PA
11/5 || Great Scott || Boston, MA
11/7 || 92Y Tribeca || New York, NY

More info available at their myspace page

All-You-Can-Drink with The Library

As an undergrad at UW-La Crosse I often found myself wandering into The Library for their $5 all you can drink Thursday wristbands. That never made the next morning's 7 am Computer Science lecture seem all that worthwhile.

Now, there's a whole new kind of library out there that won't ruin your Friday morning lectures. The Library is an up and coming band out of Brooklyn with some heavy shoegaze influences. Their debut album, The Life and Times of Rosa Lee, is available in its entirety FREE for you to download here.

They don't jump out of the speakers, but they've got a subtle glow that lingers like a good glass of whiskey.

Take a listen to the title track from the album below, and if you like what you hear, drop by the link posted above and snag the rest of their tracks.

The Library - "The Life and Times of Rosa Lee"

New Yorkers can find The Library during their September residency at Pete's Candy Store in Brooklyn. They'll be playing Friday the 4th and every Monday starting at the 7th going to end of the month at 9 pm.

Elsewhere on the web today...

In Defense of Third Eye Blind, by Rob Tannenbaum, New York Mag

The comment sections of music blogs are like Store 24 parking lots: places where idiots hang out. For example, Third Eye Blind has a new album out this week, and for much of the summer, arbiters of cool have bad-mouthed the band all over the Internet...[read full post]

Muzzle of Bees features a track from Volcano Choir, a Justin Vernon aka Bon Iver/Collections of Colonies of Bees collaboration.

Favre greeted with standing ovation, proceeds to go 1-4 for 4 yards while Tavaris Jackson goes 12-15 for 202 and 2 TD. As a Packers fan I can only hope that the Vikings open the season 0-5 with Favre at the helm and then turn to Jackson to lead them back to .500. What a summer.

Farenheit 451 in comic book form

My friend Spicy Hambone has a funny, sarcastic, and sometimes frightening new blog called Gnome Riot that you just might enjoy. It's sort of a cross between a GG Allin journal and a George Carlin book. Warning: mature content and lots of poo references await you.

Save these dates

Aug 25: Modest Mouse plays Aragon in Chicago
Sept 17: The Office returns
Sept 20: Curb Your Enthusiasm returns - wish I had HBO
Oct 3: Tapes N' Tapes at Turf Club in Minneapolis
Oct 15: 30 Rock Returns - best show on primetime TV
Nov 1: Brett Favre returns to Lambeau field as a Viking, gamma ray burst destroys Earth

Sponge - Molly (Sixteen Candles)

A little blast from the past. Hey nice pants!

The new Modest Mouse record is really really ridiculously good looking

Just got done watching a little bit of the Johnny Cash documentary Johnny Cash: The Man, His World, His Music on Wisconsin Public Television and it put me in the mood to cruise over to the computer for some tunes before I head off to bed.

Before I do that, I want to take a second to mention just how much I enjoy the new Modest Mouse record. It's been on constant play in my PT Cruiser's CD player since I got it last weekend and it only gets better with each play. I could listen to the guitar and bass riffs on "Whale Song" all day long, it's that good. "Guilty Cocker Spaniels" is another standout track, pure Modest Mouse, all alive and jumping with a kind of schizophrenic energy. Please do yourself a favor and go buy this record. That's probably the worst review of the record you'll find out there, but it speaks for itself. Can't wait for their show in Chicago.

Canasta in Madison This Sunday, $5 show

If you're going to be around the Madison, WI area this Sunday you should drop by The Frequency. Canasta got booked for a last minute show there, and it's only $5. Sadly we'll be far north of there camping but you should hit up the show if you're in the area. You can always catch True Blood On Demand later in the week, so don't use that as an excuse.

Canasta rocking with Obama

Head over to the band's website to grab a whole crap load of free mp3s, including their entire latest release, We Were Mixed Up, available as a free download. Some of our favorite tracks are below if you need persuadin':

Canasta - "Microphone Song"
Canasta - "The Model" (Kraftwerk cover)

Elsewhere...

We're looking forward to the Sept 1 release of It's Not Our Responsibility! from Cincy group Eat Sugar. We hear them quite reguarly on WOXY.com, where we tune in daily, and have enjoyed most of the stuff we've heard. If you've yet to have your first listen, you can have both a listen and a look at their new music video for the track "Pop Singer", below. It's super 80's, super creepy, and kinda hot - much like the music:

And last but not least, an interesting cover of Andrew WK's "I Get Wet" by Paper The Operator at their MySpace page

Stream The Raveonettes new single, "Suicide"

This past weekend one of my friends headed down to Lollapalooza. Before he left he asked me for some recommendations on which acts to catch, and one of the groups I recommended he catch was the Denmark duo of Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo, better known as The Raveonettes.

According to Spinner.com, their performance this weekend at Lolla, especially at the after party the night before, shined:

"Tucked away on the corner stage at Chicago's Empty Bottle club, they seemed at home. The darkness was only interrupted by flickers of blue and pink lights, which, when they caught Foo, made her look like something Andy Warhol would covet. They ripped through selections from their three full-lengths, including a particularly upbeat rendition of 'Love in a Trash Can' and the hypnotic track from their last album, 'Lust.' But the highlight arrived when they performed two tracks from their forthcoming album, 'In and Out of Control' for the first time live. The first single, 'Suicide,' is indicative of the kind of sunny arrangement-meets-sinister-lyrics Wagner told Spinner about in Brooklyn. And the never-before-heard 'Last Dance,' is perhaps the most accessible song from them to date. With its bouncy, catchy chorus, it was no surprise that it inspired dancing at both sets that weekend."

The band recently released their first single from their fourth EP, In & Out of Control, on Pitchfork, and also announced that they will be touring later this fall.

If you haven't ever heard The Raveonettes on sultry tracks like "Ally Walk With Me" then now is your chance to check the band out and support their latest release. My wife especially enjoys their shoe-gazedness. Stream and share "Suicide" from In & Out of Control below:

The Raveonettes - "Suicide"

More info on the band at their MySpace page

Sunday Serenity: Kuroshio Sea - 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world

song: Please Don't Go - "Barcelona"

Sunday Linkage

A righteous John Hughes musical tribute over at Music For Kids Who Can't Read Good

Don't You (Forget About Me) Hughes Tribute over at Sterogum

Some Lollapalooza coverage at Chicagoist

More coverage, videos at Spin Earth

Film At 11: Modest Mouse

Film At 11: Modest Mouse

The video for Modest Mouse’s “King Rat” has been a long time coming. While the song was first available in 2007, the video (and the band’s latest EP, No One’s First And Your Next) was released on Tuesday. It was well worth the wait. A gory commentary on illegal whaling off the coast of Australia, the video is the brainchild of the late Heath Ledger. The actor approached Modest Mouse with the idea in 2007 (while the band was touring Australia), after conceiving it on a boating trip with his family. Ledger, who receives a directing credit, died before the video was completed.


Posted using ShareThis

How German It Is

The sun has finally returned here in Northern Wisconsin, National Lampoon's Vacation is on TV, and we're rolling through the inbox checking out the latest offerings.

One offering we want to share with you today is from a little Brooklyn band called How German It Is. The band is made up of a rotating group of musicians, and they're going to be playing some dates in the New York area in August in support of their new record, The Seasonal.


They're a little raw, but I think they're on the right track, and could use your listening ears and support.

Have your first listen to the gents from How German It Is below:

How German It Is - "Flags and Kings"
How German It Is - "End of Summer"

Upcoming Shows:
Brooklyn: August 8th @ Pete’s Candy Store at 9:30pm, August 27th @ Trash Bar, 10:30PM
Manhattan: September 15th @ Piano's at 8pm as part of Liberated Matter's Cross Pollination performance series

Head over to MySpace to check out some additional tracks not posted above