Nothing says instant cred like a leaked album and Jay Reatard’s forthcoming release, Watch Me Fall, is out there on the bit torrents.  The album was scheduled for an August 18th release on Matador but the self-proclaimed “young Meatloaf” announced the leak on his Twitter feed late last week.  As a sidenote, the dude is seriously spell-check challenged so I’m rethinking whether or not the spelling of his last name was accidental or intentional…

Of course the leak really shouldn’t be all that shocking given that Reatard was selling copies of the new release at his live shows.  But let’s face it, this ain’t exactly Chinese Democracy and I don’t see anyone going to jail anytime soon over this.  The tracks “Wounded” and “It Ain’t Gonna Save Me” are already available for free download and point to a poppy, polished effort and a departure from the amphetamine-driven garage punk of prior releases.

Jay’s been touring in advance – er, in support – of the album and Brooklyn Vegan has some photos of the band in all its sweaty glory.  They make Tenacious D look svelte.  By the way, note the Grifters stencil on some of the road equipment.  I was just dusting off my copy of Full Blown Possession and wondering what’s happened to those guys.

MP3 :::
Jay Reatard – Wounded
Jay Reatard – It Ain’t Gonna Save Me

True to their name, The Black Heart Procession is probably one of the darkest bands to emerge from sunny San Diego and their upcoming release, Six, shows no sign of a break in the clouds.  After the unfortunate demise of the their former label, Touch and Go (see “Things are Touch and Go for Touch and Go”), the band put out an SOS on its Myspace page seeking “anyone who wants to release the new black heart record.” Temporary Residence, Ltd., a Brooklyn-based label, came to the rescue and has since put out releases from hometown compadres, Pinback, as well as singer/guitarist Pall Jenkins’ other band, Three Mile Pilot.

The 13 cuts on the scheduled October 6 release portend a heavy experience with names like “Suicide”, “Drugs” and “Back to the Underground.”  Time to buy futures in Eli Lilly stock to profit from the ensuing spike in Prozac sales.  As a teaser, the band has pre-released “Rats”, a moody Nick Cave-ish ditty about life in a seedy town.  “I see the pimps, I see the whores, I see the thieves outside your doors…” Clearly not San Diego, and apparently the band’s time in Portland is bearing lyrical fruit.

Amore del Tropico (the band’s 4th album) continues to wield influence on their current sound with heavier syncopation and a more complex, layered aesthetic.  According to the band, more details on the forthcoming CD will be out in the next few weeks.  When you’re tired of squealing kids out in the summertime sun and fresh air, shut the windows, lower the shades and reach for this slab of gloom to sink you into a satisfying state of perpetual melancholy.

MP3 :::
The Black Heart Procession – Rats

The NYT reported Friday that Sky Saxon (born Richard Elvern Marsh), lead singer and bassist for LA psychedelic band, The Seeds, had left this mortal coil.  His death was apparently due to heart failure and was “thought to be 71.”

Anyone with a Nuggets compilation is likely to have heard “Pushin’ Too Hard” or “Can’t Seem to Make You Mine” with the latter ditty featuring Sky’s gruff warble and a trademark bent guitar lick.

Apparently the celebrity death rule of threes is in force with MJ, Farrah and Sky all passing during the week. If you’ve had enough “Thriller” for the time being… check out The Seeds on American Bandstand circa 1965:

MP3 :::
The Seeds – Pushin’ Too Hard

If Wikipedia serves me right, election 2004 saw the birth of the ‘two Americas’ meme – blue state/red state, Democrat/Republican, Target/Walmart, patriot/commie, etc. It seems like so long ago… Joe Lieberman was a Democrat, Usher and Now! 16 (where are we today – Now! 42?) were topping the charts, and your house was worth more than it is now. In the past decade the two Americas have multiplied like Jon and Kate into multitudes of Americas. How do I know this? Witness the schizophrenia that is the Billboard 200 chart.

This week the top 10 albums in this great land of ours are from artists such as Kenny Chesney, Busta Rhymes, Lady GaGa and Hannah Montana. That’s at least four Americas right there (none of which I really care to live in). There’s another America that includes Kate Voegele who is apparently a fictional character on television and Myspace.

Is this really the schizo musically retarded demographic into which we’ve disintegrated? Or does this melting pot simply represent the 12 year old girls and knuckle-draggers who still purchase music in mall record stores? Let’s cross-reference the iTunes charts.

Lady GaGa. Check. Kenny Chesney. Check. Hannah Montana. Check.

Damn.

Digital music was supposed to herald the democratization of music. No more hegemony from the likes of major labels since even the most fringe artists can easily access the market. Maybe I should be encouraged by the fact that Grizzly Bear has debuted at #8 in the most recent Billboard chart. But then again, the #11 artist made it by selling CDs exclusively through Cracker Barrel restaurants.

Perhaps we weren’t really oppressed by the evil major labels and controlled distribution. Perhaps many of us just have exceptionally poor taste in music. Or perhaps those of us with good taste in music tend to steal tunes rather than pony up at Sam Goody.

On second thought maybe not. Check out Pollstar which tracks concert ticket sales. Acts with average ticket prices over $100? Bette Midler ($142.48), Cher (148.72), Celine Dion ($114.30), The Eagles ($129.01), and Madonna ($153.88). Some people apparently haven’t been slapped hard enough by recession. And considering you can’t illegally download a concert for free, it’s not likely that the numbers are skewed by freeloading cool kids.

With all that said, I will say it’s refreshing to finally have a President who appears to appreciate music. Bush’s inauguration featured Wayne Newton, Brooks and Dunn, and Ricky Martin. Meanwhile, Obama gave us Kanye West, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen and… Hannah Montana. Gotta throw a bone now and then to that other America.

MP3 :::
The Books – That Right Ain’t Shit

As a big-time music critic, I’m frequently contacted by fledgling bands looking for a leg up in the biz.  Of course my journalistic ethos requires that I turn down the many offers of cash, drugs and concubines in exchange for favorable mention.  In fact I’ll sometimes go so far as to review a band which offers me absolutely nothing.  No bio, no CD, no press kit, no briefcase full of unmarked Euros (note: Xavier also accepts gold bullion and Chuck E Cheese tokens).  Lulla Violet is just such a band.

Armed with nothing more than a Myspace page, Facebook and a debut EP titled Lordess, LV is staging a PR assault on the blogging world.  I’ve long considered Myspace the ghetto of the online world and avoid it like a pig farm in Mexico.  But I fortified my browser and ventured over to find out more about this enigmatic quartet from Chichester, UK.

The slow build of “Bridges + Bridges” reminded me of early The Cure seasoned with a bit of Sunny Day Real Estate and a side order of Slint.  ”Sticks & Stones”, with its inexplicable switch from plus signs to ampersands, reveals a bit of a Thom Yorke fetish which is not such a bad thing (ask Miley Cyrus).  After two songs I was thinking, “I like this, you young Violets… give me more!”  Alas, there is no more unless I choose to deposit 99 cents in the pocket of Steve Jobs.  Feel free to head over to iTunes and check out the available tracks, but I’d go broke without my review copies.

In all seriousness, these guys have serious chops and a big sound though the PR could use a bit of fluffing.  I ran across a Youtube vid titled “Dan’s Review of Lulla Violet” wherein someone – presumably Dan – boasts that he “was not bored at all” after seeing the band’s encore.  Perhaps this is some British brand of understatement.  So in my less modest American way, I’ll give Lulla Violet the kind of plug I think they deserve.  Lordess is a tasty appetizer which goes down easy and primes your palate for a big fat heaping helping of a full-on LP and world tour.  Bring it on.

MP3 :::
Lulla Violet – Sticks & Stones

Thousands of years ago, early rock drummers stretched animal skins across hollowed tree trunks and beat them silly with a dinosaur bone.  Primitive cultures continued to worship the drum for many millenia and even modern humans still regress into ancient ritual at hippie festivals worldwide.  Hipster humans have eschewed the traditional drum in favor of such innovations as beatboxing and electronic gizmos called “808s.”  But one man is poised to take modern beats to an entirely new level; Mr. Quintron with his revolutionary Drum Buddy.

Quintron has a day job as a performer – showcasing the Rhodes and Hammond organs along with the occasional puppet show – mostly at his own club, the Spellcaster Lodge in New Orleans.  He had previously tinkered with a number of homespun inventions including the Disco Light Machine and the Spit Machine and his experiments have culminated in a theremin-like contraption affectionately named the Drum Buddy.

In scientific terms, it’s a “five-oscillator, light-activated, mechanically-rotating drum machine” and sounds a bit like… well… listen in the video below – a 10 minute infomercial featuring Quintron, Ernie K-Doe and the Miss Pussycat puppets hawking the Drum Buddy for the low low price of $999.99.  In layman terms it’s just fucking weird.  ”Does NASA have one?  Have they flown one to the moon yet??”  No, but you can get your very own.  Watch and learn:

MP3 :::
Quintron & Miss Pussycat – Chatterbox

In what’s probably the only good news coming out of Detroit lately, ‘80s garage gods, The Gories, are planning a summer reunion tour along with Memphis cohorts, Oblivians. The Gories broke up back in 1993 – the same year the Ford Taurus was America’s best selling automobile – as front man Mick Collins made the permanent transition to his side project, The Dirtbombs. With only three US dates scheduled, this ticket is hotter than a GTO’s clutch at the dragstrip (RIP Pontiac):

June 19, 2009 – Hi Tone, Memphis TN
June 20, 2009 – Hi Tone, Memphis TN
June 27, 2009 – Majestic Theater, Detroit MI

The remaining dates are scattered throughout Europe where American garage bands seem to always get a better reception than they do here in the US. Jack Oblivian played SXSW earlier this year with his latest band The Tennessee Tearjerkers but his namesake band, Oblivians, hasn’t been heard from since its final ’97 opus Play 9 Songs with New Orleans keyboard provocateur, Mr. Quintron.

For the uninitiated, The Gories repertoire is best exemplified by 1990’s I Know You Fine, But How You Doin’ which shows a bit more polish than previous efforts while maintaining a decidedly lo-fi sound. Berklee School grads they ain’t – think of Dead Moon but with rhythm.

Oblivians’ collaboration with Mr. Quintron feels like the soundtrack to a tent revival complete with baptisms and an afternoon barbeque. Popular Favorites spawned the quasi-hit “Guitar Shop Asshole” which paraphrases Chris Rock’s memorable performance in I’m Gonna Git You Sucka (‘how much for just one string?’).

If you happen to be within driving distance of Memphis or Detroit you’ve been warned that this will be the most raucous show you’re likely to see until Elvis and Lux Interior resurrect for a double bill in Vegas.

MP3:::
The Gories – Hey, Hey We’re The Gories
Oblivians – Feel All Right

Man or Astro-man? sounded like The Ventures after being anally probed by aliens and promptly dumped behind a Radio Shack. In fact, the band claims to be from outer space but rumor has it they surfed out of the same Auburn, Alabama scene as the Immortal Lee County Killers and The Quadrajets.

Dropping science on top of surf guitars, MoAM toured the country with a wagonload of retro tech including theremins and even a homemade tesla coil which remarkably never resulted in a Spinal Tap moment of spontaneous combustion. The band also built its own supercomputer called Eeviac which is reputed to be the most powerful supercomputer ever used on stage by a rock band.

What Remains Inside a Black Hole was an Aussie import on Au-Go-Go Records which compiled many of the band’s early 7” singles. The live version of “Eric Estrotica” was originally included on Man or Astro-man? Vs. Europa while “Adios Johnny Bravo” – complete with Brady Bunch samples – was incarnated in wax on Possession by Remote Control.  Estrus later released a domestic facsimile, Beyond the Black Hole, which included many but not all of the tracks on the Au-Go-Go release.

Bands with a schtick are sometimes entertaining, sometimes annoying. In the realm of entertainment, MoAM’s live shows rank at the head of the class. Certainly well above the toilet antics of GWAR though not quite as retro as The Mummies. For a little teaser check out this snippet from the YooTubes:

MP3 :::
Man… or Astro-Man? – Eric Estrotica (Live in Space)
Man… or Astro-Man? – Adios Johnny Bravo

Over the last few years, Brazilian Tropicalismo innovator, Caetano Veloso, has had his stateside stature escalated to near-god status after being name-dropped by the likes of David Byrne, Beck and Devendra Banhart.  Well-known in his home country but far from a best-selling artist, he expressed to the New York Times his confusion over the hero-worship from English-speakers with no cultural context for his music.  ”‘My popularity outside Brazil was a big mystery to me and to a certain extent remains enigmatic,” he said adding that he always thought Gilberto Gil was the better musician of the two.

I happen to have a modest command of Portuguese though not near fluent enough to follow Veloso’s nuanced narratives.  Perhaps in a concerted effort to cater to his gringo audiences, he released A Foreign Sound in 2004 with English-speaking covers of Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder and Kurt Cobain among others.  Unfortunately it came off contrived, scattered and soulless and probably explains why in his subsequent release, Cê, he returns to his native tongue.  People listen to Sigur Rós despite having absolutely no comprehension of the lyrics so maybe the phenomenon is not really all that baffling.

It does beg the question of who originated the notion that Veloso was the Brazilian Bob Dylan.  It seems to be a truism that pervades the American press despite anyone’s ability to decipher what it is he’s saying.  While both singers were contemporaries, Dylan and Veloso were products of radically different environments.  The American folk movement appropriated a heartland nostalgia but Tropicalismo sought to broaden the palette of Brazilian music beyond bossa nova to a more electic and worldly aesthetic.  In the eyes of Brazil’s wildly nationalistic military regime, any effort to appropriate external influences was perceived as subversive and Veloso’s hippie image and diverse sounds were threatening in an increasingly insular nation.  Deep in the boiler room of the interwebs you’ll find Veloso vs. Dylan debates so feel free to look them up.  But furthering the argument just props up an already tired critic’s cliche.

I’m admittedly not that familiar with Veloso’s more recent work.  Ironically while he’s moved on and embraced more modern sounds, legion followers have adopted his style from some 40 years ago.  You can’t read a Banhart interview without hearing reference to Veloso and Tropicalismo has definitely had a revival.  Os Mutantes was picked up for the Pitchfork Festival a few years ago and even back home Gilberto Gil served a brief stint as Brazil’s Minister of Culture.

Details on Veloso’s release scheduled for April are sketchy and mostly in Spanish or Portuguese.  Zii e Zie is touted as being estilo “rockero” and a quote from Veloso indicates it’s similar in style to Cê. Keep in mind that what a 66 year-old thinks of as a rock album – no matter his past status – may not be what you have in mind.  And the same article also references Veloso’s past collaboration with David Byrne of the “Scottish band, Talking Heads” so I’d take the musical critique with a grain of salt.

Really, take any critique of Veloso with a grain of salt and give it a listen for yourself.  Checking Metacritic you’ll find scores for Cê range from 40 to 100.  You get everything from the ‘Veloso is genuis so everything he does is brilliant’ to ‘this doesn’t sound like “Bat Macumba”‘ and everything in between.  Through the magic of MP3s, a few select cuts are posted below.  ”Cada Macaco No Seu Galho” is a collaboration with Gilberto Gil which epitomizes the sound of Tropicalismo and Minhas Lagrimas from Cê clearly shows his progression into something totally different.

MP3 :::
Caetano Veloso – Minhas Lagrimas
Caetano Veloso & Gilberto Gil – Cada Macaco No Seu Galho

Recession blues yall and I’ve been digging through the personal back catalog to see what I can hock for food.  Apparently nobody buys CDs any more so I’m back to flipping vinyl.  There in the back of the closet I came across a vintage ’80s slab from Dag Nasty which has since gone out of print.  Most are familiar with their Dischord releases – Can I Say and Wig Out and Denkos – but the subsequent release of Field Day had the misfortune of coming out on now defunct Giant Records and is mostly unavailable. 

Haters would say that Field Day marked the onset of Brian Baker’s slow descent into pop metal hell and it’s hard to argue against it when he soon departed for the likes of Junkyard.  It’s definitely a more polished, less aggressive effort and probably more a forerunner of bands like Sunny Day Real Estate or Jawbreaker than it is a natural progression from Wig Out.

But tracks like “Things That Make No Sense” and “Trouble Is” are brilliant in their own right with atypical flourishes like vocal harmonies and a crisp production that belies its DIY origins.  ”Ambulance Song” is arguably an experiment with mixed results and the band clearly lacks the chops to put out a convincing lounge tune.  I’ll chalk it up to that mid-life phase bands go through when self-consciousness overtakes raw passion and they start citing Coltrane as an influence.

Dag Nasty really never got a lot of play even back in their so-called heyday.  Other than a straight-edge ethos, they were decidedly conventional in the midst of an era where The Dead Kennedys were putting out stuff like Frankenchrist and GG Allin was constantly threatening to off himself on stage.  Their musicianship arguably surpassed most of their peers and they were lyrically much more introspective.

Minor Threat still gets most of the glory as hardcore’s poster boys – as evidenced by the fact that tweens are now buying their counterfeit shirts at the mall – but the first three Dag Nasty releases are classics of the second wave and sound as contemporary today as they did 20 years ago.

MP3 :::
Dag Nasty – Trouble Is
Dag Nasty – Things That Make N