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

I am completely in love, perhaps an agape love, with the new song Broadcast has been ending all their shows with on the current tour. You know the one I’m talking about… the one with Trish Keenan shredding on a customized electric dulcimer. Like, total “My Dear Companion” meets “Astronomy Domine” meets “Autobahn” meets “Fight For Your Right (To Party)” action. Ya know, the krautrock hoedown. With the help of Pretty Creatures‘ warm analog tape bootleg of the show (you can download it here), I grabbed the finale, cleaned it up a bit (with just a couple of compressors, filters, and a peak limiter – no manipulation of the actual sound), and am providing it below for maximum damage (you can grab the cleaned-up-a-bit version here). No one knows the actual name of this song yet, so I’mma call it “Dulcimer Jam.” Because it features an amplified dulcimer. And it’s a jam.

MP3 :::
Broadcast – Dulcimer Jam [Wexner Center, Columbus, 10.25.09]

Fuck! I just reported today how The For Carnation is playing their first show in, what, seven years or so at the Speed Museum’s Art After Dark event, then I realized that’s also the same night that Siltbreeze patriots Blues Control and locals Sapat bust brains across town. OMG MULTITASKING LOL.

Ya know, it is possible that The For Carnation will play a lot earlier than the general 10 p.m. start times at Lisa’s, so you may be able to do both. But then again, perhaps you might want to show up to the Blues Control/Sapat gig early, considering that Lisa’s is small, Sapat draws a fairly large crowd locally, and Blues Control spent a chunk of this year supporting Animal Collective on tour and probably picked up lots of fresh fans along the way. Good gravy, ya’ll, don’t know what to tell you. I’mma try to do both.

I submit for your consideration some previous write-ups I’ve done on both bands:

Blues Control (from the Puff EP write-up) – “Always on Time” is straight from space.  It’s the sound emitting from the SETI experiments.  Large, cavernous waves of radiation and solar wind flush around a simple, rarely changing Neu-esque piano melody with the reverb turned up all the way and dripping in condensation for 12 big minutes. The harmonica on “Behind the Skies” is the only indication that Blues Control is going to attempt to live up to its name, a mid-tempo, fuzzed-out burner reminiscent of Lightning Bolt on purple drank (perhaps there’s a connection between Ride the Skies and Behind the Skies?).  R-O-C-K in the U-S-A.

Sapat (from the Jana Hunter/Crazy Dreams Band preview) – Sapat is a local collective that features between eight and one million people (depending on the type of show), all of whom have a like-minded approach to fringe music. Sapat is a pulsating orb of eclecticism and mysticism – never cateogorizable, but always freaky, funky, and brain splattering. Sapat’s expansive beauty and unwavering experimentation is what makes Louisville amazing. They are truly a breath of fresh air. Remember that part in Amistad when they’re in the court room and the bro is all ike “give us… free!”? Sapat gives you free with every show.

Blues Control and Sapat
Friday, October 23
Lisa’ Oak Street Lounge
1004 E. Oak St., Louisville (map that shizz)
9 p.m.-ish
21+

Blues Control Unleash the Dragon World Tour 2K9*
*= not actually the name of the tour, though that might’ve been the name of an Aerosmith tour

10.12.09 – Princeton, NJ – WPRB – in-studio 3pm EST
10.16.09 – Philadelphia, PA – Pilam
10.18.09 – New Haven, CT – Bar
10.19.09 – Ithaca, NY – The Shop
10.20.09 – Scranton, PA – The Bog
10.21.09 – Pittsburgh, PA – Garfield Artworks $
10.22.09 – Cincinnati, OH – Art Damage Lodge $
10.23.09 – Louisville, KY – Lisa’s Oak Street Lounge %
10.24.09 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle – early show @
10.25.09 – Madison, WI – Good Style Shop
10.26.09 – St Paul, MN – Turf Club
10.27.09 – Kansas, City MO – Record Bar
10.29.09 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court – early show
10.29.09 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge – late show
10.30.09 – Boise, ID – Neurolux
10.31.09 – Olympia, WA – The Northern – Halloween &!
11.01.09 – Seattle, WA – Funhouse &
11.02.09 – Vancouver, BC – Little Mountain Studios
11.03.09 – Portland, OR – Someday Lounge
11.05.09 – San Francisco, CA – Hemlock Tavern =
11.06.09 – Oakland, CA – Continental Club +
11.07.09 – Sacramento, CA – Luigi’s Slice <
11.08.09 – Santa Cruz, CA – CREPE PLACE >
11.09.09 – San Luis Obispo, CA – Crossroads
11.10.09 – Irvine, CA – UC Irvine ^
11.11.09 – Los Angeles, CA – Synchrocity ^
11.12.09 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
11.13.09 – Phoenix, AZ – Trunk Space
11.16.09 – Denton, TX – J&J’s Pizza
11.17.09 – Austin, TX – The Mohawk
11.18.09 – Houston, TX – Mango’s
11.19.09 – New Orleans, LA – Allways Lounge
11.21.09 – Nashville, TN – Dino’s
11.22.09 – Asheville, NC – Harvest Records
11.23.09 – Chapel Hill, NC – Nightlight

$ Puffy Areolas
# Kurt Vile
! Tyvek
% Sapat
@ Ga’an
Chinese Stars
& Little Claw
+ Sic Alps
= Hank IV
^ Pocahaunted
< The Duchess and the Duke
> Lucky Dragons

MP3 :::
Blues Control – Behind the Skies
Sapat – Dark Silver

Erika Thrasher’s got a lot to smile about, since Houston-based shamanistic noise psych troubadours Indian Jewelry start a healthy string of tour dates tonight in the most beautiful city’s that’s a bitch to bike, San Francisco. Not sure if this new tour means that a new album is in a the works, but this rather comprehensive jaunt is more than satisfactory in itself. I tried to bring Indian Jewelry to Louisville during this leg, but unfortunately they had to agree to the Cincy date (which is okay since the Art Damage Lodge is awesome). You’ve gotta see these dudes live. I’ll probably make the trip myself. They wear tunics, adorn the stage with animal skulls, tin foil, and a Texas state flag, blast flood-level strobe lights everywhere, and keep things evil at all times. The live show is epileptic madness. Plus, the group has solidified an impressive and eclectic collection of support dates, playing with everyone from Kurt Vile and Faust, to !!! and Celebration, to Sword Haven and Psychic Ills. Insane.

9/26 – San Francisco, CA – Independent
9/27 – Los Angeles, CA – The Troubadour
9/28 – Costa Mesa, CA – The Detroit Bar
9/29 – Phoenix, AZ – The Rhythm Room
9/30 – Tucson, AZ – Hotel Congress
10/02 – Lawrence, KS – The Replay Lounge
10/03 – Grinnell, IA – Grinnell College
10/04 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
10/05 – Bloomington, IN – The Bishop
10/06 – Detroit, MI – Museum of Contemporary Art
10/07 – Cleveland, OH – Now That’s Class
10/08 – Poughkeepsie, NY – Vassar College
10/09 – New York, NY – Cake Shop
10/11 – New Haven, CT – Sundazed at Bar New Haven
10/13 – Brooklyn, NY – Glasslands
10/15 – Baltimore, MD – Load of Fun
10/16 – Gambier, OH – Horn Gallery at Kenyan College
10/17 – Cincinnati, OH – Art Damage Lodge
10/18 – Atlanta, GA – Eyedrum
10/19 – Mobile, AL – Alabama Music Box
10/22 – Austin, TX – Club DeVille
10/23 – Houston, TX – TBA

The boys and girls made a commercial advertising their “Live Music” tour. I think it captures their music well. Especially the clip of the Oregon Trail-style caravan fording the river.

MP3 :::
Indian Jewelry – Nonetheless

Hey Trish and James,

It’s Bloggins. Many moons since we’ve heard from you all. I mean, it’s been a minute. I wondered what happened to you dudes. I mean, Broadcast drops this brilliant album, Tender Buttons, back in the fall of 2005. It made my solar plexus tingle. You all toured a bit on that jam hive. Good times. But then you guys, like, bounced. Just straight up peaced out. I feared you might’ve broken up. I went through five stages of acceptance.

But now you’re touring again – first time in ages. That’s great news. I guess I would’ve known about this sooner if I followed the Fun Fun Fest lineup, but unfortunately I didn’t/don’t give a shit about it. Perhaps I should be better about shit-giving. But anyway, you’ve roped in Deerhunter bro Bradford Cox’s Atlas Sound. Excellent choice. Does this mean that a new album is to follow? I hope so. You guys need to show the indie rock retards how it’s done. I know that a new EP is getting ready to drop on Warp. And that Focus Group had something to do with it? Sweet cinnamon and biscuits! It’s like Christmas up in this bitch.

Anyway, enough gabbin’. I do see you’re playing a club called The Black Cat, too. That’s funny. A hardy lol was muttered from this side of the table, no doubt. Hope the tour goes well, and I’ll be seeing you guys in Columbus or Chicago. Haven’t decided which yet. Wish you had, like, just one open date on the east coast so I could help bring you all to Louisville, but somebody’s got some type-A-personality booking goin’ on. I ain’t mad at ya, though.

TTYL,
Kenny Bloggins

All dates below are with Atlas Sound and The Selmanaires. No word on the official release date or title of the new EP, but I think it might be called Witch Cults of the Radio Age. If you poke around their MySpaceTime, you’ll probably ascertain why I think that. Anyway… dates…

10/15 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
10/16 Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
10/17 Washington, DC @ Black Cat
10/18 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church Sanctuary
10/20 New York, NY @ (Le) Poisson Rouge
10/21 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (CMJ)
10/22 Boston, MA @ The Paradise
10/23 Montreal, QC @ Le National
10/24 Toronto, ON @ Lees Palace
10/25 Columbus, OH @ Wexner Center
10/26 Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
10/27 Northfield, MN @ The Cave
10/30 Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
10/31 Seattle, WA @ Neumos
11/01 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
11/03 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
11/04 Los Angeles, CA @ The Troubadour
11/05 Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room
11/07 Denton, TX @ Hailey’s
11/08 Austin, TX @ Fun Fun Fun Fest

MP3 :::
Broadcast – Black Cat
Broadcast – The World Backwards

Akron/Family will end their late summer/early fall North American schizo-folk tent revival in the River City at one of the city’s most intriguing venues, the 21C Museum Hotel, on September 20. The first leg of their upcoming tour features psych roots luminary and helluva nice guy Wooden Wand, with Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard and Slaraffenland rounding out the rest of the shows. The dates:

Wed. Jul. 22 Cleveland, OH @ Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Thu. Jul. 23 Detroit Lakes, MN @ 10,000 Lakes Festival
Fri. Jul. 24 Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge w/ Icy Demons
Sat. Jul. 25 Calgary, AB @ Calgary Folk Festival
Sun. Jul. 26 Calgary, AB @ Calgary Folk Festival
Wed. Jul. 29 Steamboat Springs, CO @ Ghostranch Saloon
Thu. Jul. 30 Vail, CO @ The Sandbar
Fri. Jul. 31 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
Sun. Aug. 2 Liberty Park, NJ @ All Points West Festival
Tue. Aug. 11 Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel w/ Wooden Wand
Wed. Aug. 12 Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle w/ Wooden Wand
Thu. Aug. 13 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl w/ Wooden Wand
Fri. Aug. 14 Birmingham, AL @ BottleTree w/ Wooden Wand
Sat. Aug. 15 Asheville, NC @ Harvest Festival at Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall
Fri. Aug. 28 San Francisco @ Outside Lands Festival
Sat. Aug. 29 Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theater w/ Howlin’ Rain, Lucky Dragons
Mon. Sep. 7 Seattle, WA @ Bumbershoot Festival
Tue. Sep. 8 Portland, OR @ Baghdad Theatre
Thu. Sep. 10 Baltimore, MD @ Talking Head Club w/ Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard
Fri. Sep. 11 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s w/ Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard
Sat. Sep. 12 Monticello, NY @ ATP NY Festival
Mon. Sep. 14 Hudson, NY @ Jason’s Upstairs w/ Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard, Slaraffenland
Tue. Sep. 15 Williamsport, PA @ Site B w/ Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard, Slaraffenland
Wed. Sep. 16 Ithaca, NY @ Castaways w/ Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard, Slaraffenland
Thu. Sep. 17 Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place w/ Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard, Slaraffenland
Fri. Sep. 18 London, ON @ LOLA Fest
Sat. Sep. 19 Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick w/ Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard, Slaraffenland
Sun. Sep. 20 Louisville, KY @ 21C Museum Atrium Gallery w/ Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard, Slaraffenland

MP3 :::
Akron/Family – They Will Appear

Yes, Bonnie Prince Billy’s latest releases, Beware and his Among the Gold collaboration with Chyenne Mize, are excellent. But Bachelorette’s My Electric Family (The Deicbel Tolls review) is next level shit. This is your heads-up to arrive early to the show tonight at The Red Mile in Lexington. Doors are at 9 p.m. Get there at exactly that time, render your $12, and have Annabelle Alpers destroy your brain for 45 minutes (show info).

Congrats to Alex for gripping the tickets in last week’s giveaway. Enjoy this video of “Intergalactic Solitude” from Isolation Loops in Brooklyn. Yay for mushrooms.

And man… I. Just. Can’t. Stop. Listening. To. “Instructions For Insomniacs.” Good gawd, ya’ll. Enjoy this too.

MP3 :::
Bachelorette – Instructions For Insomniacs

The folks at the blog Pretty Creatures have a pretty good audience recording of Black Moth Super Rainbow’s tour kick-off show last week in Lexington. Pretty pumped for their show at the Southgate House in Newport on June 21st. Hope to see you there!  The rest of the tour:

Fri. May 29 Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour w/ School of Seven Bells
Sat. May 30 Costa Mesa, CA @ Detroit Bar w/ School of Seven Bells
Sun. May 31 Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room w/ School of Seven Bells
Tue. June 2 Austin, TX @ The Mohawk w/ School of Seven Bells
Wed. June 3 Denton, TX @ Hailey’s w/ School of Seven Bells
Thu. June 4 Little Rock, AR @ Sticky Fingerz w/ School of Seven Bells
Fri. June 5 Nashville, TN @ Exit/In w/ School of Seven Bells
Sat. June 6 Columbus, OH @ Skully’s w/ School of Seven Bells
Fri. June 19 Knoxville, TN @ Pilot Light
Sat. June 20 Birmingham, AL @ City Stages Music & Arts
Sun. June 21 Newport, KY @ Southgate House
Sat. June 27 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
Tue. June 30 Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
Fri. July 24 New York, NY @ South Street Seaport – Seaport Music Festival, Pier 17
Sat. July 25 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brendas w/ Dan Friel
Sun. July 26 Washington, DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel w/ Dan Friel
Mon. July 27 Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar w/ Dan Friel

MP3 :::
Black Moth Super Rainbow – Full Concert Bootleg, 5.19.09 (via Zshare)

I’m really excited to see these technicolor conjurers and super positive dudes on tour, since I always seem to miss them. Black Moth Super Rainbow will be super zipping through the lower 48 this spring to promote a new jam hive called Eating Us, out on May 26. And the tour kicks off here in Kentucky on May 19!

The aforementioned Lexington show is sponsored by my college radio alma mater WRFL, who have been booking some real kick-ass shows lately (going to see Ariel Pink tomorrow night, actually). Gotta step up your game, Louisville, unless you’re too depressed about last week’s loss to Michigan State or somethin’.

Tue. May 19 – Lexington, KY @ Red Mile
Wed. May 20 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
Thu. May 21 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
Fri. May 22 – Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club
Mon. May 25 – Quincy, WA @ Sasquatch Festival
Tue. May 26 – Portland, OR @ Holocene
Thu. May 28 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
Fri. May 29 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
Sat. May 30 – Costa Mesa, CA @ Detroit Bar
Sun. May 31 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room
Tue. Jun. 2 – Austin, TX @ The Mohawk
Wed. Jun. 3 – Denton, TX @ Hailey’s
Thu. Jun. 4 – Little Rock, AR @ Sticky Fingerz
Fri. Jun. 5 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
Sat. Jun. 6 – Columbus, OH @ Circus

Moody, blacker than black slowcore folk superstar Boduf Songs, fresh from dropping How Shadows Chase the Balance on the flawless Kranky label, will bring joy to all the girls and boys this fall in his first national tour.  Since it’s his first one, be nice ya’ll!  The tour includes two New York shows and a shit-ton of art galleries. The jaunt across the upper midwest and northeast also includes some on-air playin’ and spitballin’ on Pittsburgh’s low power but pretty darn good WPTS before his performance later that night on Nov. 19th.  If his live show bears any of the intensity of this recent work, do not drink before these shows, lest you want to leap off a bridge later that night.

11.17.08 – Milwaukee, WI – BBC Upper Level
11.19.08 – Pittsburgh, PA – Garfield Artworks
11.20.08 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fire Philadelphia
11.21.08 – Richmond, VA – Ghost Print Gallery
11.23.08 – Arlington, MA – Regent (Brainwaves Festival)
11.25.08 – New York, NY – Pianos
11.28.08 – New York, NY – The Annex
11.30.08 – St. Laurent, QC – Casa del Popolo
12.02.08 – Ann Arbor, MI – Yellow Barn
12.03.08 – Chicago, IL – The Empty Bottle
12.04.08 – St. Paul, N – Turf Club

via Tiny Mix Tapes (plug, plug)

MP3 :::
Boduf Songs – Pitiful Shadow Engulfed in Darkness