One of my favourite London based bands, Stricken City, have 2 new teaser tracks from their forthcoming album available for your listening pleasure on their MySpace page. They’ve also some upcoming gigs. Pity I’m no longer in LDN, as Stricken City put on a great show.

JD Samson and her art/performance collective MEN are once again taking to the streets of North America to bring their special brand of electro dance pop to the masses.

08/31 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah
09/01 – Pomona, CA @ The Glass House
09/02 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy Hariet’s Pioneertown Palace (Joshua Tree)
09/03 – Phoenix, AZ @ Club Sancton
09/04 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
09/05 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
09/06 – Denver, CO @ Hi Dive
09/07 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
09/09 – Vancouver, BC @ The Media Club
09/10 – Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey
09/11 – Portland, OR @ Rotture
09/16 – San Francisco, CA @ SF MOMA
09/17 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echo
09/18 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Muddy Waters
09/25 – Washington, DC @ Phase 1
10/09 – Atlanta, GA @ Piefmont Park (Atlanta Pride)
10/19 – New York, NY @ Santos Party House (w Salem and Restless People)

“I remember being young and hearing music and thinking, ‘I didn’t know music could do that.’ That can be a feeling of a release, of pent-up tension or aggression, or just being transported through a beautiful moment or an emotional setting. It’s just something that connects. I don’t know why it does it, but it’s there, and I’m bloody glad it is.”

- Ivo Watts-Russell on starting 4AD

As a fan of Bowie and chiptunes, this brings a tear to my eye. (via)

As put off as I was by all the hoopla surrounding Wavves’ debut, it was Nathan Williams’ subsequent “meltdown” that really made me wish the whole thing would just go away. So, I was shocked to like the band’s first single off its Fat Possum debut, King of the Beach, as much as I do. “Post-Acid” is a great pop song couched in stridently accented chords and herky-jerky rhythms. Willliams’ voice still rides a sunny slacker wave, but he injects enough Kurt Cobain in the breakdown to pique my interest. Great chorus, too.

Interpol follows up the most bizarre video of its career with a much more conventional short-form take on “Barricade”, the first actual “single” off Interpol, out September 7th via Matador. With the departure of Carlos D., Interpol is “officially” a trio, since there’s no sign of Dave Pajo on bass in this clip. On the first few listens, “Barricade” sounds like formulaic Interpol, but I’ve grown to appreciate its nuances with repeated plays. It’s by far the most aggressive and danceable track off the band’s fourth LP, which hasn’t left my stereo in a week. Couldn’t resist the higher quality leak that eventually surfaced, but I did pre-order the record. Thus, my conscience rests easy.

Ok, I’ll admit it. I used to worship Alec Empire. I was young and impressionable. It was the ’90s. (Lash the 90ties!) I’m older now and I while I don’t regret my youthful ATR/Empire dalliance, I’m not likely to find myself at an ATR show any time soon. That said, if Aphex ever came out of hiding, I’d probably fly anywhere in the world to see him. He jilted me at Coachella many a moon ago. Of course, Squarepusher filled in and if ever there was a suitable replacement for Richard D James it was Tom Jenkinson. Though, at the time I would have gladly taken Mr. Empire.

With inviting melodies and smooth synths, Living Rooms deliver a summery sound representative of hot childhood days spent running through the sprinkler, taking gulps of water from the garden hose, and catching jars of fireflies at dusk.

– I Guess I’m Floating

Always nice to see Southern bands getting attention.

I heard someone say “quote unquote” this evening and was reminded of this song and then a few hours later someone posted a Faith No More video (Falling to Pieces) on their blog. Kismet?

(via)

I don’t normally like to post things that come in via PR emails, but this was such a noggin scratcher, I couldn’t resist. I like Gonzalez as much as the next guy, but an entire film about him?! Is he really worthy of his documentary? I guess I’ll have to see the film before I make that judgement, but this just seems odd.

The Cure’s original drummer, Laurence Tolhurst, who was publicly humiliated and subsequently fired by band leader Robert Smith for being “useless”, wants to rejoin the band for a 30th anniversary tour celebrating Faith, the band’s gloomily masterful third album. Despite Smith’s public thrashing of him, Tolhurst played an integral role in The Cure’s early years, not only for being present at such a creative apex for Smith but also for drumming on classics from Three Imaginary Boys through the transitional Japanese Whispers. He moved to keyboards when the band’s rhythms became too complex and was eventually replaced by Boris Williams. Tolhurst’s substance abuse was legendary in The Cure’s inner circle, and Smiths’s disdain for his mate reached a point where the business end of The Cure was threatened by the actions of his longtime friend. Tolhurst was dealt many passive aggressive blows until his inevitable firing. Even his keyboard playing was mocked when the band hired an additional keyboardist in Roger O’Donnell, circa Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me. And in the video for “Just Like Heaven,” Tolhurst’s presence was but a blurry blip in the background:

The final blow came in the liner notes to The Cure’s masterwork, Disintegration, where Tolhurst was credited with “Other Instrument,” as he had become little more than the band’s mascot and punching bag. He was sacked shortly before the band’s 1989 “Prayer Tour.” His asking to rejoin the band is far from the craziest thing in the Cure’s illustrious history. He and Smith have evidently patched things up to some degree with Tolhurst even tweeting about his recent communication with his old friend. If he can still bang out those dirges, I don’t see why not. Couldn’t be any worse than whatever dreck that’s been released in the past two decades under the name The Cure. I say go for it.

An intimate warm up show in NYC. I would always get goosebumps when Dean would play an old Galaxie 500 song back in the day (post-Luna). I can’t fathom an entire show of Galaxie 500. I would be in heaven.

“A beautifully illustrated celebration of one of the most influential pop music record labels of all time. Mixing cultures and influences from reggae to pop, hip hop, and punk, Island has shaken up artistic tastes and introduced new categories to mainstream music. “

(via)

They’re Swedish, so of course I love them. I haven’t heard the new album yet, but I’m definitely looking forward to it, having enjoyed the previous albums.