The lineup for APF 3 just hit about an hour ago, and once again it’s lookin’ pretty good, as expected. The Black Angels headline, of course, as they have the previous two. Full lineup:

The Black Angels – The Raveonettes – Pink Mountaintops – YaHoWa 13 – Spindrift – Warpaint – Indian Jewelry – The Vandelies – The Meed – Headdress – Ringo Deathstarr – Christian Bland and the Revelators – Daughters of the Sun – Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor – The Night Beats – Shapes Have Fangs – Smoke and Feathers – Screen Vinyl Image – Black Acid – Ghost Songs

The festival happens at Austin’s good ole The Mohawk April 23 , 24, and 25. Bummed I’m not within a day’s drive in Austin to roll through for this, but stoked on seeing a lot of these dudes at SXSW next week.

Though I’ve given you just about all the info you need, you should go to their website anyway because it’s fun to zone out on. You’ll see what I mean.

MP3 :::
The Black Angels – Snake in the Grass
Indian Jewelry – Nonetheless
Warpaint – Set Your Arms Down
Ringo Deatstarr – Every Time

Austin-based label Kill Red Rockets is a humanitarian effort, providing a wealth of free shit. They currently host a killer (pun intended) compilation on their website available for free download called Jesus in Space made up almost entirely of good stateside shoegaze, dream pop, fucked electro, and ethereal meditations with teeth. The comp is packed with artists readers of this blog will be familiar with (Oblisk, Ceremony, Dead Leaf Echo), and many more that I’m not familiar with at all and will take measures to correct.  The nefariously titled Bloody Knives (pictured above) is one that stuck out. “Hands Around My Neck,” included below for a taste, is quality acid punk with a slight synth edge at its finest and most crafty – basically what M83 could’ve done had they not decided, on their own volition, to suck a big one after the Dead Seas set. 8-bit shoegaze hath been reared.

Quality abounds on this massive set, so no matter what else happens, go download this compilation right now and know that you’ve done at least one radical thing today.

To celebrate the compilation and generation awesomeness of the KRR community, the dudes are throwing a big SXSW party in Austin. Thursday March 18 and Friday March 19, Kill Red Rockets will welcome 21 different acts from around the nation to play at, get this, an apartment complex with a giant pool. Wall of sound noise squalls… and a pool party. That sounds like some intergalactic MTV Spring Break/Beach House action. Where Dasiy Fuentes and Pauly Shore at? Oh, looks like Pauly Shore is over here hanging out with White Rainbow. Maybe they’ll both roll through.

Details on the festivities, as well as download sampler of everyone playing, are right here. This is a Kenny Bloggins-approved event, and that should hold some weight on your itinerary, for realz.

MP3 :::
Bloody Knives – Hands Around My Neck

Sheeeeeeeit, guess I know what I’m doin’ on May 13th. I saw the Growing bros open for Mogwai in 2006, so I can attest – see them! They ripped open a hole in the sky approximately six meters above the crowd’s head. It was gnarly. Wasn’t sure if it was a portal or not, but I wasn’t about to find out – kinda like the theory that the post-mortem light at the end of the tunnel is actually a trick…

04-06 Brooklyn, NY – COCO66
04-08 Winooski, VT – Monkey House
04-10 Montreal, QC – Casa del Popolo
04-11 Toronto, ON – The Garrison
04-12 London, ON – Call the Office
04-14 Detroit, MI – Contemporary Art Museum
04-15 Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
04-16 Madison, WI – Project Lodge
04-17 Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
04-18 Fargo, ND – The Aquarium
04-21 Seattle, WA – The Vera Project
04-22 Vancouver, BC – Biltmore Cabaret
04-23 Olympia, WA – Northern
04-24 Portland, OR – Berbatis Pan
04-26 San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill
04-28 Oakland, CA – The Parish
04-29 Santa Cruz, CA – Brookdale Lodge
05-02 Irvine, CA – UC Irvine
05-04 Tucson, AZ – Solar Culture
05-07 Austin, TX – Mohawk
05-10 New Orleans, LA – Circle Bar
05-11 Atlanta, GA – E.A.R.L.
05-12 Knoxville, TN – Pilot Light
05-13 Lexington, KY – Al’s
05-15 Pittsburgh, PA – Garfield Artworks
05-16 Huntington, WV – Pleasant 123
05-18 Baltimore, MD – Floristree
05-19 Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie

No word on support yet, but I’m sure it shall rule as well.

MP3 :::
Growing – Hormone
Growing – Innit

POSSIBLY RELEVANT :::
[Photos + Video] Tortoise and Disappears – Headliners, Louisville – 2.11.10

MP3 :::
Disappears – Lux
Woven Bones – With You Alone

Rockshows to Know will be our attempt to regularly list shows that are of interest to us and probably you as well, mostly in and around the Louisville area, and will often be accompanied by sample MP3s. The news about Caribou/Toro Y Moi playing at the intimate Zbar last week was epic, and there’s more good jammage around the bend.

The in-fucking-comparable Josephine Foster plays the intimate Skull Alley in Louisville on May 7th. As the show was just confirmed, expect additional acts to be added to the bill in the next couple of months. Another excellent booking from Joel Hunt. (Show info)

Joel also picked up lovely power electronics noise+vocals unit and Jagjaguwar recording artists Sightings. Bring ya mams to Skull Ally on May 6th, as Mother’s Day will be just around the corner at that time. The Teeth also perform. This show will be radical and possibly upsetting, but in the right kind of way. (Show info)

Just announced, like, five minutes ago, the mighty Eluvium will chill your shit out at Louisville’s amazing 21c on May 26th. (Show info)

Black Lips will test the structural integrity of Headliners in Louisville on April 8th with the Box Elders. Hilarity might ensue. (Show info)

Acid Mothers Temple are flying on thunderbirds to Cosmic Charlie’s in Lexington on April 14th. I will probably be thinking about Dogen from LOST most of the time. (Show info)

There is a darkness spreading about your bro, Jack

Beach Fossils hit up Al’s Bar in Lextown en route to SXSW on March 12. They’ll be joined by The Beets, whom I believe to be a different entity from these Beets. (Show info)

On the same day, Titus Andronicus do a free in-store at ear X-tacy in Louisville, starting at 6 p.m. sharp. The band, not the Roman. (Show info)

In typical Will Oldham fashion, the Billy Prince is playing a non-venue on Sunday, March 28th, at the Salvation Army Old Male Campus (I have no idea what this is honestly) as part of The Rudyard Kipling-sponsored Motherlodge Fest. Tickets are only $10, but $15 buys you a meal. Dinnah and a flick, dahling. His facial hair should be amazing. (Show info)

While Vetiver’s last album might’ve suck a big ‘un, they’re still an awesome band (can’t hit it out of the park every time), and they storm Newport’s Southgate House on March 7th. (Show info).

Tobacco of Black Moth Super Rainbow swings through Cincinnati’s Northside Tavern March 13th. Vocoders! (Show info)

Woods and Real Estate are very appropriately touring together and visit The Bishop in Bloomington on March 23rd. Smoke tree. (Show info)

UPDATE: Just got word that No Age is swinging through Lexington and playing a WRFL-sponsored show at… Gumbo Ya Ya? That’s according to the official Gig List. Friday April 23rd is the date to save. Fun fact: that’s Shakespeare’s bday!

Finally, The Decibel Tolls is sponsoring a just-confirmed upcoming show at Zanzabar that I’m pretty stoked on, but I can’t announce yet, and currently working on other exciting shows. More soon….

MP3 :::
Eluvium – The Motion Makes Me Last
Acid Mothers Temple – Ange Mecanique de Saturne
No Age – Loosen This Job
Josephine Foster – She Sweeps With Many Colored Brooms
Sightings – Tar and Pine
Woods – Echo Lake
Real Estate – Snow Days
Beach Fossils – Time

A Carbiou live show is a hell of an experience, at least circa the Andorra tour, and he’s coming to Louisville this summer with Toro y Moi. The show goes down June 8th at the quite intimate Zanzabar. Considering the double drumming extravaganza and brain melting visuals, it should be an utterly devastating show. Production Simple is responsible for delivering the goods, so thanks dudes.

Caribou with Toro y Moi
Tuesday, June 8th
Zanzabar
2100 S. Preston St., Louisville (map that shizz)
9 p.m. / 21+
Tickets on sale 2/26 at ear X-tacy, $12

MP3 :::
Caribou – Medium Sized Working Dog

Last Thursday was awesome. Though Tortoise boasts the pedigree and equity of “legendary,” I was actually more pumped to see Disappears. And they were utterly devastating. I always appreciate a band as loud as a Saturn V, and Disappears delivered the goods – disgustingly chunky guitars, tape echo on every mic, neanderthal drumming, reverb that shook Headliners Music Hall to its core – this band is ridiculous.  Disappears is truth.

As Brian Case discusses in our forthcoming interview, much of the set was very new material that may find its way past their Kranky debut Lux, out April 13. Unsure of the title of this one, but Disappears embraces the motorik like a loved one and cultivates decibel shredding more expansive than Manifest Destiny. Believe:

“Black Cross” was in fine form, as well:

Tortoise was also a treat to see live, though I’d be remiss if I didn’t honestly say that I enjoyed Disappears more. This probably had more to do with tertiary factors than the band’s actual performance. Tortoise was as tight as ever, but I felt their live show this time around suffered by not having, say, a visual element. Disappears didn’t need one, as Brian Case is a beast on stage, but the post-rock quintet, outside the double drumming extravaganza and John McEntire switching instruments every five minutes, hid behind their stacks of synths and computers – opting more to noddle in a detached sense, much like a jam band, than to engage the crowd. However, a couple of moments truly stood out, especially when Tortoise reached into their heavy metal bag and brought the motherfucking ruckus, as evidenced below. As an added bonus, you get We Listen For You’s Zach Hart’s mighty dome in the first video:

Overall, I still greatly enjoyed seeing Tortoise up close and personal – a very excellent bill all around. Keep your eyes on Disappears, though. There’s a statistically significant chance that, if our God is a merciful and loving god, this Chicago collective will fucking dominate 2010. Tortoise and Disappears storm Cat’s Cradle in Carborro, NC tonight and DC’s Black Cat tomorrow.

Almost forgot that this show was around the corner. As in, tonight around the corner. Joel’s got another good one tonight. Here’s the scoop:

Shedding has been a solo project for Connor Bell since 2001, though in 2009 Tim Furnish (Parlour, Crain, Papa M, The For Carnation) and Joey Yates (The Loved, Parlour, Sapat) joined as the rhythm section in Shedding’s new lineup. Solo, SHEDDING has already released a few albums, and the new band lineup plans to release a 7″ or 2 over the winter and spring of 2009-2010. (MySpazz)

Mountains is Brendon Anderegg and Koen Holtkamp, friends since their middle school days. The duo were brought together by mutual artistic and musical interests, and both ended up at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. It was during this time that they began exchanging musical ideas and compositions which led to them founding the Apestaartje label in 1999. As their collaborations and individual projects blossomed, they decided to create Mountains as a vehicle for live performance. The group has 4 albums: their first self-titled release and second album Sewn were both on Apestaartje; the third and fourth, Choral and Etching, on Thrill Jockey. Mountains is often compared to artists such as Brian Eno and Fennesz, citing their extended melodies and their unique broad guitar work. Mountains seamlessly blend pastoral electronic sounds with field recordings and a plethora of acoustic instruments. (MySpazz)

Swedish trio Tape was set up in 2000 by brothers Andreas and Johan Berthling with Tomas Hallonsten. Taking cues both from pop, experimentalism and minimalism, their sound has become recognized internationally and is clearly something of its own. Their first album Opera was released on the Häpna imprint (which Johan is a co-owner of) in 2002. With an array of electronic and acoustic instruments at hand they recorded at a small stone barn on the island of Öland, east of Sweden. 2003 saw the release of Milieu, recorded at the very same barn. In 2005 they went to Cologne to have Marcus Schmickler produce and record their third album Rideau. Over the past few years, their touring has taken them to places like Japan, Taiwan, USA and most parts of Europe. (MySpazz)

R. Keenan Lawler is a musician and sound artist based in Louisville Kentucky. For over 25 years his musical journey has taken him from early experiments with reverb tanks, noise and tape decks to all manner of avant-garde, “new” music, psychedelia, electro-acoustic, drone, ethnic and sampler-based work. LAWLER is best known for developing a highly personal and exploratory language for the metal bodied resonator guitar which Baltimore’s John Berdnt called “Cosmic, monolithic and deeply American.” Indeed his work is informed by carnatic classical, Charles Ives, Albert Ayler, blues, minimalism and non-western trance musics. Primarily a solo performer, he is also known for collaborative work. The “Keyhole II” album he recorded with Pelt and metal worker Eric Clark is one of Pelt’s most beautiful and memorable recordings, and his guitar playing is also heard on releases by Paul K., Jack Wright, My Morning Jacket and most visibily on Matmos’ “The Civil War.” He has collaborated or performed with a wide range of forward-thinking musicians and mavericks including Rhys Chatham, John Butcher, Eliott Sharp, Charalambides, Ignaz Schick/Perlonex, Kaffe Matthews, Burning Star Core, Jason Kahn, Ut Gret, Thaniel Ion Lee, Ed Wilcox, Ramesh Srinivasan, Kevin Drumm, Arco Flute Foundation, Helena Espvall, Ian Nagoski, Connor Bell, Andy Willis, Alan Licht, Taksuya Nakatani, Tom Carter, Bhob Rainey, Aaron Rosenblum, Joe Dutkiewicz, Evergreen, Eric Carbonara and Joseph Suchy. (MySpazz)

Tape, Mountains, Shedding, and R Keenan Lawler
Wednesday, February 3rd
Skull Alley
1017 E. Broadway (map that shizz)
7 p.m. / All Ages/ FaCeBoO!K invite

MP3 :::
Shedding – Disconnect
Tape – Sand Dunes

After a superprolific year in 2009 including the near perfect Rifts and Zones Without People, Oneohtrix Point Never is finally bringing his electro midnight meditations to Boston. Head down to the Whitehaus in Jamaica Plain this Saturday for an evening full of intimate strangeness you can’t afford to miss if you’re in the area. Playing with OPN will be Stellar OM Source, Daniel Higgs, Prince Rama, and the Whitehaus’ own Many Mansions, who are pretty fuckin rad. Gonna do my best to make it out there and get my chakra toasted. Here’s the Facebook event page to help you remember.

Oneohtrix Point Never, Stellar Om Source, Daniel Higgs, Prince Rama, and Many Mansions
Saturday, January 23rd
The Whitehaus
10 Seaverns Ave, Jamaica Plain, Boston
7 p.m./ all ages
$5 suggested donation to the artists

MP3 :::
Oneohtrix Point Never – Emil Cioran

To prepare for their more elaborate return at the sold-out Ten Years of ATP, The For Carnation, once again, very politely and quietly announced that they’re playing a primer show. On a Facebook event. Tomorrow night. At a place I’ve never heard of called simply The Lounge (Louisville Beerologists article). This band really has a way of approaching things.

No word yet on if The For Carnation is getting back together in full capacity, new album and all, sans Dave Pajo. But it seems that they are pretty stoked on playing shows. Just not stoked on properly announcing and promoting them. So… Carnation dudes, if you guys need a hard-workin’ publicist, give Bloggins a ring here. His shit is for hire.

Anyway, if you read the article linked above, The Lounge is quite small, so it’s best show up as early as possible to experience The For Carnation at the most intimate venue you’re likely to  see ‘em at.

The For Carnation (an evening with)
Sunday, December 6
The Lounge
942 E. Madison (corner of Chestnut + Wenzel in Butchertown – map that shizz)
10 p.m. / $7
21+ (probably)

MP3 :::
The For Carnation – Emp. Man’s Blues