AS TALL AS LIONS

As Tall as Lions are a band from New York City. The band members' first names are Dan, Saen [sic], Cliff, and Julio. And that's about all that I know about them. (They have neglected to include a "biography" section on their website, you see.)

(And their best-known song -- across the blogs, anyway -- goes by "Ghosts of York" on their MySpace page and "Ghost of York" on the CD itself. Kind of lazy and sloppy there, boys.)

Oct 25 6:00P/Irving Plaza/New York, NY
Oct 27 6:00P/St Andrews Detroit, MI
Oct 28 6:00P/Peabody's/Cleveland, OH
Oct 29 6:00P/The Metro/Chicago, IL
Oct 30 6:00P/Fine Line/Minneapolis, MN
Nov 1 8:00P/Bluebird Theatre/Denver, CO

[MP3] "Ghost of York"

[MP3] "Where Do I Stand?"

THE BISHOPS

The Bishops are a young trio from the UK consisting of twin brothers Mike and Pete Bishop and drummer Chris McConville. Their debut EP will be released in the U.S. by I Am Sound on November 14.

These guys are almost absurdly beholden to '60s British Invasion acts -- perhaps most especially the Kinks and early Beatles. Whether they'll eventually outgrow their influences and develop into something all their own is something only time will tell. But, young as they are, they have energy to burn and all the time in the world.

The Bishops on MySpace.

Oct 21 8:00P/The Standard/Walthamstow, London
Oct 25 8:00P/Kings College Uni (with The Grates)/London
Oct 28 8:00P/Frog @ Mean Fiddler/London
Nov 14 8:00P/Kings College Uni (with Dogs)/London
Nov 16 8:00P/Leadmill/Sheffield
Nov 17 8:00P/Town Hall/Selby

[MP3] "In the Night"

[MP3] "The Only Place I Can Look is Down"

BOUND STEMS

Chicago's Bound Stems make music that's generally "messier" than I prefer. But these two songs here don't scare me too terribly much....

Oct 20 9:00P/The Night Owl (16+)/Dayton, OH
Oct 21 8:00P/Mercury Lounge/New York, NY
Oct 22 8:00P/The Middle East (18+)/Boston, MA
Oct 23 9:00P/The Grog Shop/Cleveland, OH
Oct 24 8:00P/Alchemize/Cincinatti, Ohio
Oct 26 9:00P/10 High/Atlanta, GA
Oct 27 8:00P/Relative Theory Records/Norfolk, VA
Oct 28 8:00P/DAM! Festival @ DC9/Washington, DC

From the LP Appreciation Night, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "Refuse the Refuse"

From the EP The Logic of Building the Body Plan, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "My Kingdom for a Trundle Bed"

METROPOL

Let's run off to Spain together. Valencia, to be specific.

If you're in a band and call yourself Metropol, red flags should go up. Especially when you say your sound is influenced by "Coldplay, Radiohead, the Killers, Muse, the Smiths, the Beatles, U2, Pink Floyd, Blur, Oasis, and Embrace." Uh... we didn't leave anybody out, did we?

Seriously, though, this is a new band. From Spain. With songs. As such...

[MP3] "Let You Know"

[MP3] "I'm Not Falling"

STEPHIN MERRITT & THE GOTHIC ARCHIES

I've written about Stephin Merritt as a Magnetic Field and a 6th, but not as a Gothic Archie. Let's remedy that, shall we?

The Gothic Archies released The Tragic Treasury: Music for "A Series of Unfortunate Events" on October 10. 13 of the 15 tunes serve as theme songs corresponding to the 13 installments of the Lemony Snicket book series. Creatively-speaking, this is a match made in kismet Heaven. (Perhaps the only way that it could have been better is if Mr. Merritt had collaborated with Danny Elfman, but why split hairs/look a gift horse where the sun don't shine? No reason at all.)

Merritt describes the Gothic Archies as his "Gothic rock-bubblegum pop band," and distinguishes it from the Magnetic Fields by saying that, with TGA, "any glimmer of hope is absolutely extinguished." Well, you kinda gotta love that. And you kinda gotta love a song title like "Walking the Gargoyle." Alas, I didn't love the SONG as much as the title, but you can decide for yourself by clicking on over to The Rich Girls Are Weeping. The crazy ladies in residence will hook you up.

Oct 18 7:00P/Margaret Mitchell House & Museum/Chapter 11 Books/Atlanta, GA
Oct 20 5:00P/Barnes and Noble/Dallas/Frisco/Dallas, TX
Oct 21 3:00P/Hastings/Waxahachie/Dallas, TX
Oct 23 6:00P/Book Soup/Los Angeles Sinai Temple/Los Angeles, CA
Oct 24 7:00P/Mrs. Nelsons Toy and Book Shop/Hinds Pavillion/Pomona, CA
Oct 26 6:00P/University Bookstore/Town Hall Seattle/Seattle, Washington
Oct 28 2:00P/Books, Inc./Capuchino High School/San Bruno, CA
Oct 31 5:30P/The Michigan Theater/Ann Arbor, MI

(If you're going to the Ann Arbor show, drop me a line. We can meet up for some vodka and fries.)

[MP3] "This Abyss"

[MP3] "Crows"

THE FEVER

Well, I hadn't intended this to be the latest installment in my "Dead Bands" series, but what are you going to do? When nobody was looking (maybe that was the problem), New York City's the Fever went and broke up a few weeks ago (playing their last show together October 5 on a floating boat).

Gentlemen, I hardly knew ye.

To be honest, I hadn't known ye AT ALL until yesterday, when I first heard your last (and final) album, In the City of Sleep. What does this album sound like? Well... your own MySpace page sort of spells it out: "Junkyard clank, Sun Studio reverb, Stax abandon, Fellini-esque circus music and 50's noir to create an intense and mysterious landscape somewhere between the nightmare rock n' roll of The Bad Seeds and the Beach Boys' lullabies of lost innocence."

A bit hyperbolic, perhaps, but it at least sets the stage. Sort of an assortment of messy variations on the theme of The Munsters. Playful. But in the way that drunks can be playful before they turn ugly. But ugly in an endearing way. But endearing in the way that your grandfather is endearing simply because he's old and set in his ways and can't help himself and because you sure as hell don't want to deal with the whole guilt-trip thing once the old, moldy coot finally has the decency to give up the ghost and kick.

This, in the end, is the soundtrack to THAT.

[MP3] "Crying Wolf"

[MP3] "Bye Bye Betty Blue"

THE BLOW

A group called the Blow? Huh. What might that refer to? Let us ponder some of the things that one can blow...

Um... BUBBLES! Yes, most certainly. What a charming and innocent image. And... uh... GLASS! Also: LEAVES! An underachieving sports team can "blow a lead" (how ya doin' there, New York Yankees?). An anti-Semitic, rabid-Catholic drunk driver can blow a .12 on a breathalyzer (how ya doin' there, Mel Gibson?).

Still, I have to say, hearing about a group called "the Blow" reminds me most of all of a conversation I was part of while attending the fifth grade at Lewis Cass Elementary School, circa 1980. I can still remember quite clearly one of my more rotund school chums (how ya doin' there, John O'Connor?) informing me that a "blowjob" didn't actually involve "blowing," it involved "sucking." That didn't make a lot of sense to me at the time. Not sure that it does now, either. Somebody draw me a picture.

Anyway, the musical group the Blow consists of two ladies from Portland, Oregon, USA. Their debut long-player, Paper Television, will be available for your perusal and purchase on October 24. What's it sound like? Well... the literature would have you believe: "no-wave and glitch-hop, club anthems and doo-wop." Even if somebody drew me a picture, I'm not sure I'd know what that means. But if it's anything like a blowjob, you should probably assume that it's exactly the opposite of what you think it is.

[MP3] "True Affection"

[MP3] "Fists Up"

UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GIANTS

I usually save the dance-pop/dance-rock for Fridays, when I'm confident that everybody is so hopped up on ecstasy and crystal meth that they won't notice that the playlist has suddenly gone decadently low-rent. But it occurs to me: maybe Mondays are the more logical repositories for such guilty-pleasure ephemera. Play Radiohead on a cold/dark/damp Monday morn and you might just incite mass suicide. Which, come to think of it, I'm all in favor of -- so perhaps I should put up "Let Down" or "No Surprises" or "How to Disappear Completely" or some such. What's the friggin' point to all this, after all? What's it all about, Alfie? What's the frequency, Kenneth? Do you know the way to San Jose? Have you ever seen the rain? And who'll stop the rain? (It's supposed to rain here today, so maybe that's why this is happening. Or maybe it's the vodka. Or the fact that it's a cold/dark/soon-to-be-damp Monday morn. Mourn? Indeed... let's. Strap on your black Nikes and pass the Kool Aid. Salvation awaits.)

(Okay, enough. Pass the vodka and the Kool Aid and the tunes.)

I'm not sure where I first heard of L.A.'s Under the Influence of Giants. From Music of the Moment, perhaps? Hits in the Car? Your guess is as good as mine. Suffice it to say: they are not Radiohead. More like Daft Punk being gang-bang-buggered by the Bee Gees and Scissor Sisters. Yeah, that seems about right. Low-rent. But decadent.

Here they'll be >>>

Oct 17 2006 7:00P/Villanova University/with All American Rejects/Villanova, PA
Oct 18 7:00P/Monmouth University/with All American Rejects/Long Branch, NJ
Oct 19 7:00P/SUNY Albany/with All American Reject/Albany, NY
Oct 21 7:00P/University of Mass - Amherst/with All American Rejects/Amherst, MA
Oct 22 7:00P/Framingham State College/with All American Rejects/Framingham, MA
Oct 23 7:00P/Providence College/with All American Rejects/Providence, RI

Here they is >>>

[MP3] "In the Clouds"

[MP3] "Stay Illogical"

BONUS TRACK >>>

[MP3] "Mama's Room" [Weird Science remix]

FRIDAY THE 13TH

Beware of ladders and black cats. Be gentle with mirrors. Stay clear of hockey goalies named Jason (and their mothers). Download these songs.

[MP3] Big Star/"Thirteen"

[MP3] The Pixies/"No. 13 Baby"

[MP3] The Wrens/"Thirteen Grand"

[MP3] The Delgados/"Thirteen Gliding Principles"

[MP3] Garbage/Thirteen [Big Star cover]

THE PURRS

Right off, we're thrown. Seattle's the Purrs, you see, are simply not named right. A band called the Purrs should be a girl-group -- young, sassy, sexy when they wanna be, legs & pits left brazenly unshaven when they just can't be bothered to give a shit. Think: the Go-Go's crossing paths with the Slits. The Bangles crossing paths with Bikini Kill. The average, horny man crossing paths in the average, dark alley with Loreena Bobbitt and Aileen Wuornos.

But Seattle's the Purrs aren't a girl-group; they're four guys (and one girl, newly added, but can she simultaneously dance and castrate?). These folks are constantly compared to Galaxie 500 and the Verve and the Brian Jonestown Massacre. Fair? Sure. Even the lead singer (Jima) says so. But there's also Calexico, Ennio Morricone, and Dick Dale caught indolent and indisposed in an opium den ("Get on With Your Life") and the Velvet Underground + the Rolling Stones in slow, dark, foreboding mode ("Taste of Monday").

These songs (+ 7 more) are available on the Purrs' s/t album that became available in Sept. on Sarathan Records.

The Purrs on MySpace.

The Purrs in TX and elsewhere >>>

Oct 14 8:00P/Trophy's/Austin, TX
Oct 15 8:00P/Engine Room/Houston, TX
Oct 16 8:00P/Flipnotics/Austin, TX
Oct 18 8:00P/Vaudeville Cabaret/Tucson, AZ
Oct 19 8:00P/Spaceland/Los Angeles, CA
Oct 20 8:00P/Rickshaw Stop/San Francisco, CA
Oct 21 9:00P/Dante's/Portland, OR
Nov 4 8:00P/High Dive/Seattle, WA

[MP3] "Get on With Your Life"

[MP3] "Taste of Monday"

PERNICE BROTHERS

Last year's Pernice Brothers record, Discover a Lovelier You, just missed making my Top 10 Albums of 2005. Well, Joe Pernice is back again (already) with yet another full-length, Live a Little. It dropped October 3, all under-the-radar-like, on Ashmont Records.

The first time through, I wasn't loving this one nearly as much as the last one, but it turns out that its best songs are all back-loaded onto the second-half of the disc. Patience is a virtue.

Pernice Brothers on MySpace.

Pernice Brothers in the USA in November >>>

11/03/06 New York, NY/Rebel (CMJ)
11/04/06 Pittsburgh, PA/Club Cafe
11/07/06 Detroit , MI/Lager House/w/Elvis Perkins
11/08/06 Grand Rapids, MI/The Intersection/Elvis Perkins
11/09/06 Chicago, IL/Schubas/Elvis Perkins
11/10/06 Madison, WI/High Noon Saloon/Elvis Perkins
11/11/06 Minneapolis, MN/7th Street Entry/Elvis Perkins
11/12/06 Des Moines, IA/Vaudeville Mews/Elvis Perkins

[MP3] "Conscience Clean (I Went to Spain)"

[MP3] "B.S. Johnson"

ELECTRONIC

Musical "supergroups" come in all shapes and sizes, and are almost always in the eyes of the beholder. Few would argue that Crosby, Stills & Nash (& Young, eventually) legitimately fit that label, but what of the slew of '80s-era mash-ups that aspired to those same lofty heights (Asia, Power Station, Damn Yankees)? Do they deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as CSNY, Cream, or even the Traveling Wilburys? And what of today's scene? Are Foo Fighters a supergroup? The New Pornographers? Um... Supernova?

It's probably safe to say that these questions weren't exactly of front-and-center significance when New Order frontman Bernard Sumner joined forces with former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr to form Electronic in 1989. Along with Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant, the group collaborated on the single "Getting Away With It" primarily as an effort to stretch their musical boundaries and to do so outside of the sometimes strangulating confines of their day jobs. Indeed, two years would pass before Sumner and Marr could be bothered to reconvene and release their debut LP.

For its primary members, Electronic would remain only an occasional and informal endeavor -- in other words, exactly the thing they'd always wished it would be. They would produce two more full-length efforts (1996's Raise the Pressure and 1999's Twisted Tenderness), as well as a handful-and-a-half of singles that -- commercially, at least -- made less and less of an impact as time dragged past.

With Electronic now apparently kaput for good, Rhino released Get the Message: The Best of Electronic back in September. Long-time fans and neophytes alike will find the group's best-known songs here -- a few of them in slightly re-jiggered form -- along with some of-interest b-sides and album tracks. For beginners, especially, it's as good a place as any to start and end with this particular branch of the "supergroup" sub-species.

[MP3] "Like No Other"

[MP3] "Disappointed" [single mix] [w/Neil Tennant]

[MP3] "For You"

BADLY DRAWN BOY

Rather quietly, Badly Drawn Boy's latest full-length, Born in the U.K., has crept up upon us. And nary a Hugh Grant film in sight.

The album will be released in the U.S. on October 16 on EMI. You can pre-order it at Amazon.

Badly Drawn Boy on MySpace.

Badly Drawn Boy in America >>>

Oct 10 8:00P/Paradise/Boston
Oct 11 8:00P/Hiro Ballroom/New York
Oct 12 8:00P/Hiro Ballroom/New York
Oct 14 8:00P/Mod Club/Toronto
Oct 16 8:00P/Great American Music Hall/San Francisco
Oct 18 8:00P/Troubadour/Los Angeles
Oct 19 8:00PTroubadour/Los Angeles

[MP3] "A Journey from A to B"

[MP3] "The Way Things Used to Be"

FOR KOREAN' OUT LOUD

Cue the shaking of heads/wringing of hands/gnashing of teeth. North Korea may have the Bomb, Mel Gibson may have fallen off the wagon, and Al-Qaeda have instigated Operation Lettuce Entertaint You -- the systematic poisoning of America's leafy green vegetables with E. coli.

Fortunately, we are solutions-oriented here at a PLAGUE of ANGELS. Mr. Gibson should immediately be shipped to a rehab run by atheist Jews, where the only entertainment is a continuous loop of Schindler's List, The Sorrow and the Pity, and Spaceballs. As far as North Korea goes, the CIA should spirit Korean War vets Max Klinger and Frank Burns across the DMZ for the purpose of lacing Kim Jong Il's kimchi-and-Outback-Steakhouse-Bloomin'-Onion brunch with Whitney Houston cootie juice (as extracted from Osama bin Laden's beard).

[MP3] Gap Band/"You Dropped a Bomb on Me"

[MP3] Crooked Fingers/"New Drink for the Old Drunk"

[MP3] Tom Waits/"Little Drop of Poison"

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Today seems to be one of those "embarrassment of riches" type situations here in North America, what with the simultaneous celebrations of Columbus Day (U.S.) and Thanksgiving (Canada). Of course, we all know by now that Christopher Columbus didn't actually discover America -- or even set foot on what would eventually become the American mainland. He set foot on the Bahamas, for which generations of American vacationers thank him.

I don't really know what the Canadian Thanksgiving is all about. In the U.S., it's when we celebrate the last meal we permitted the Native Americans before we started slaughtering them. Maybe, in Canada, it's when they celebrate universal healthcare or whoever the hell the guy was that discovered hockey. Or curling. Ice-fishing, maybe. Or the loose moosemeat sandwich.

Regardless, this post is rife with irony. The band Columbus is Canadian; the band Canada is American. To be more precise, the band Canada is from Ann Arbor, which is home to the University of Michigan. The University of Michigan's archrival in all things is the Ohio State University, which makes its home in Ohio. Columbus, Ohio. You really can't make this stuff up.

[MP3] Columbus/"Christian Girls"

[MP3] Canada/"Record Function"

BONUS TRACK >>>

[MP3] "Blame Canada" [from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut]

MITCH RYDER

Much to my (and everybody else's) surprise, the Detroit Tigers awoke from their late-season slumber and kicked the forever-overrated Yankees to the curb. Thus, I wanted to start this week with some kind of Detroit-themed something-or-other.

The exact angle and vector of that something-or-other became clear while visiting my brother on Sunday (and watching the forever-inept Detroit Lions find still more creative ways to give a game away). Somehow or another, I got to thinking about Motor City blue-eyed soulman/rocker Mitch Ryder, which led me to ask my sibling if he'd ever heard Mitch's cover of the Prince song "When You Were Mine." Turns out, he hadn't.

In truth, it had been years since I'd heard it myself. For a time after its release in 1983 (on the John Cougar Mellencamp-produced Never Kick a Sleeping Dog), it received a fair amount of airplay on Detroit radio. But, since then: nothing.

Of course, that didn't stop a slew of other artists from covering the catchy little bastard. Everybody from Tegan and Sara, Crooked Fingers, Casiotone for the Playfully Alone, and Cyndi Lauper took a crack at it. My Old Kentucky Blog had the skinny on all this back in May. But, alas: no Mitch.

So, my enterprising brother took it upon himself to whip up a bit of search-engine sorcery, and, lo and behold, I had the Mitch Ryder version of "When You Were Mine" in a matter of minutes. I was quite the happy man. A tiny hole in my music-seeking soul had been closed.

Now, just to complete this story: I decided to run a quick hit on the Hype Machine to see what other Mitch Ryder tunes might be circling around the cybersphere. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that a French blog going by the name of Un Violon, Un Jambon ("A Violin, A Ham Bone"?) had posted "When You Were Mine," by Mitch Ryder, THAT VERY DAY. I mean, pardon my French, but that's just effin' spooky.

Nevertheless, here's my version, which is actually Mitch Ryder's version, which comes to you by way of my brother...

[MP3] "When You Were Mine"

REP. MARK FOLEY (R-FL): BOY OH BOY OH BOY

It's nothing new for me to receive e-mails from record labels asking me to flog their latest releases, but I was a little taken aback to receive one from the distribution arm of NAMBLA Recordings (who knew?) alerting me to former U.S. Congressman Mark Foley's upcoming EP, Bring in Da Boyz, Bring in Da Punkz.

TRACKLIST >>>

01) "Do I Make You Horny?"
02) "Sliding the Shorts Off Ya"
03) "Typing One-Handed (Hunting Pecker)"
04) "Cock Tales & High Balls (The Booze Made Me Do It)"
05) "I'll Bring the Ruler, You Bring Your Dick"
06) "Turn the Page" [Bob Seger cover]

Till it actually comes out (hee hee), however, we'll just have to make do with the following troika of tracks...

[MP3] Noblesse Oblige/"Daddy (Don't Touch Me There)"

[MP3] Devendra Banhart/"Little Boys"

[MP3] Connie Francis/"Where the Boys Are"

THE AFFAIR

The Affair are a New York City-based five-piece -- two girls, three boys. This little ditty could have been done in the early '80s by Blondie. Or the Motels. But it wasn't. It was done in the mid '00s by the Affair. From New York City. Two girls. Three boys.

The Affair's MySpace page.

[MP3] "Andy"

LIMAHL

Oh, wherefore art thou, Kajagoogoo? Despite VH1's Bands Reunited best efforts: dead as Dillinger. But their once meticulously-mulletted singer, Limahl, lives and breathes and is never Too Shy to sing his silly little pop songs. His legacy, one might say, is NeverEnding.

(And please don't be alarmed by the fact that he sounds exactly like Yaz's Alison Moyet.)

[MP3] "Tell Me Why" [radio edit]

KENT

[My time is short today, but I do not wish to leave you tuneless. Thus, I must regrettably resort to plagiarizing myself...]

"For today's offerings, we once again travel to the Kingdom of Sweden -- enchanted land of Saabs and ABBA. Smorgasbords. Socialism. Suicide. And such pretty, pretty people that Hitler secretly dreamed he was Swede."

"The band Kent formed in the early '90s, released their first record in 1995, and have been big sellers in their home country since at least 1997. Alas, they are little known in North America, no doubt getting lost amongst the countless other one-word, post-Radiohead types (Travis, Coldplay, Doves, Elbow, Paloalto, Starsailor, Muse, etc.). Muse may well be the most accurate comparison, though Kent is generally more mellow; their singer less prone to shrieky hysterics. Also, Kent sing most of their songs in Swedish, so be forewarned."

From the EP Hjarta & Smarta, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "Ansgar Och Evelyne"

From the LP Vappen & Ammunition, 2002 >>>
[MP3] "FF"

BONUS TRACK >>>

[MP3] "Nalens Oga" [2006]

NIGHTMARE OF YOU

One of my favorite discoveries in recent weeks is the Long Island, NY band Nightmare of You and their 2005 self-titled debut LP. This is pretty much straight-up pop-punk (with perhaps some stray echoes of emo). Lo-fi, it isn't. These guys are utterly unafraid of the over-the-top chorus or the been-done-before-but-it's-new-to-them hook. They take a certain amount of shit from some quarters for hewing a little too close to the Smiths and the Cure, but I'm not sure that those are the first groups that come to mind when I listen to them.

Regardless, I'm a sucker for unabashedly exuberant pop hooks (even those of the "been-done-before" variety), which may be why I chose to include two Nightmare of You songs on my recent "Best of September" mix. Here are two more...

[MP3] "In the Bathroom is Where I Want You"

[MP3] "The Days Go By Oh So Slow"

Nightmare of You on MySpace.

Nightmare of You on tour...

Oct 4 9:00P/Knitting Factory/New York, NY
Oct 5 9:00P/Bill's Bar - Paper (Brandon DJ Set)/Boston, MA
Oct 6 8:00P/Middle East (downstairs)/Boston, MA
Nov 3 7:30P/Landmark on Main Street/Port Washington, NY

WOLFMUSIC

Wolfmusic isn't a record label, nor is it the latest next-big-thing band with "Wolf" in its name. It is, in fact, just a guy from Europe who enjoys writing and playing music -- low-key, bedroom-type music -- as inspired by some of his favorite artists. Radiohead and R.E.M. are two of those artists. Arcade Fire and Sufjan Stevens are two more.

On the track "Where I Wanna Be," in particular, Mr. Wolf's low, raspy baritone reminds me ever-so-slightly of Steen Jorgensen, lead singer for the Danish band Sort Sol (with just a touch of Gordon Lightfoot in full-on seafaring mode). For the most part, though, these are slow, dark, "horizontal" tunes that press on relentlessly, as opposed to building to orgasmic climax (the way that many of the best Radiohead and Arcade Fire songs tend to do).

All of Wolfmusic's tunes can be streamed and/or downloaded from this page right [here].

And would-be wordsmiths are invited to get in touch with him if interested in striking up a creative collaboration. Wolfmusic, you see, doesn't do lyrics. Like these, courtesy of me, just because why the hell not...

Standing on the corner/Of Sodom and Gomorrah/Waiting for temptation to take me/Someplace I've only ever seen/On cheap motel-room TVs

[MP3] Wolfmusic/"Where I Wanna Be"

[MP3] Wolfmusic/"All the Way Back"

[MP3] Wolfmusic/"Down the Line"

BONUS TRACKS >>>

[MP3] Sort Sol/"Holler High"

[MP3] Gordon Lightfoot/"If You Could Read My Mind"

THE DECEMBERISTS

I really can't imagine that anyone who regularly visits MP3 blogs doesn't know exactly who and what the Decemberists are by now. Sure, I could give you a bio on Colin Meloy & Co., but what would be the point? You already know their history or you don't. Or you don't give a damn. You either love the Decemberists' music or you hate it. Or maybe you're on the fence. You find Mr. Meloy's lyrics smart and literate or obscure and precious. His voice makes you smile (you get the joke) or cringe (you think his voice is a joke). You consider his band the American Belle and Sebastian and that's a good thing in your book or you consider his band the American Belle and Sebastian and you'd just as soon burn that book. Right along with the Decemberists' new album, The Crane Wife, which is out on Capitol today -- to be loved, hated, or ignored. Do as you will.

Oct 17 8:00P/Crystal Ballroom/Portland, OR
Oct 18 8:00P/Crystal Ballroom/Portland, OR
Oct 19 8:00P/Warfield Theater/San Francisco, CA
Oct 20 8:00P/Warfield Theater/San Francisco, CA
Oct 21 8:00P/Wiltern Theater/Los Angeles, CA
Oct 22 8:00P/Rialto Theater/Tucson, AZ
Oct 24 8:00P/Stubbs/Austin, TX
Oct 25 8:00P/Gypsy Ballroom/Dallas, TX
Oct 26 8:00P/House of Blues/New Orleans, LA

From the LP The Crane Wife, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)"
[MP3] "The Perfect Crime #2"

From the LP Picaresque, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "We Both Go Down Together"
[MP3] "Eli, the Barrowboy"

From the LP Her Majesty, 2003 >>>
[MP3] "Billy Liar"

From the EP 5 Songs, 2003 >>>
[MP3] "Shiny"

From the LP Castaways and Cutouts, 2002 >>>
[MP3] "July, July!"
[MP3] "The Legionnaire's Lament"

THE STILLS (MP3 + TICKET GIVEAWAY)

Five months after the release of their second LP, Without Feathers, the Stills are touring the U.S. with their Montreal brethren Land of Talk. Personally, I found the follow-up to Logic Will Break Your Heart a disappointment -- much preferring the earlier record's slick, dark vibe (and Tim Fletcher's lead vocals). Nevertheless, "The Mountain," "Halo the Harpoons," and "Baby Blues," all made it onto mix CDs for me, so it wasn't a total loss.

Seems the band has recorded a new song with the aforementioned Land of Talk called "Monsoon." It's yours for the taking below.

Also, if anybody is interested in attending the October 13 Detroit show at the Majestic Theatre, just be the first to e-mail me @ mikarr785@aol.com with "THE STILLS" in the subject line and your name and city in the body of the e-mail, and I'll have the good folks at Vice Records put you and a hot 16-year-old congressional page of your choice on the band's guest list. Hop to!

Oct 3 8:00P/Soma Sidestage/San Diego, CA
Oct 5 8:00P/Independent/San Francisco, CA
Oct 7 8:00P/Dante's/Portland, OR
Oct 8 8:00P/The Showbox/Seattle, WA
Oct 11 8:00P/Station 4/Minneapolis, MN
Oct 12 8:00P/Logan Square Auditorium/Chicago, IL
Oct 13 7:00P/Majestic/Detroit, MI

[MP3] The Stills/"Monsoon"

BONUS TRACK >>>

[MP3] Land of Talk/"All My Friends"

GOLDENBOY

[Well, it's been a veritable school-shootings-palooza of late -- putting yet another dent in today's efforts to be bright and "golden." But can you believe that they're pulling this stuff in Canada and Amish country now? I mean, Colorado, sure -- this sort of thing's going to be figuring into their license-plate slogans soon enough. But Montreal? Lancaster County, PA? Where the hell's Harrison Ford and Lukas Haas when you need them?]

Goldenboy is the Elliott Smith-inspired moniker taken up by L.A. singer/songwriter Shon Sullivan. Along with his drummer/percussionist buddy, Bryan Bos, Sullivan makes laid-back indie folk-pop that's pretty and serene in the extreme. You'll hear the Elliott Smith influence in "Summertime" (below), as well as Morrissey and "To the End"/"Best Days"-era Blur in "Motorbike."

Goldenboy's new album, Underneath the Radio, will be released tomorrow by Eenie Meenie Records. Guests on the record include Lisa Germano, Neil Finn (Crowded House), Matt Sharp (Weezer, the Rentals), and Scott McPherson (Sense Field).

Finally, Goldenboy will be playing a live internet set tomorrow night at 8 PM on Music Plus TV. Check out their MySpace page for further info.

From the LP Underneath the Radio, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "Motorbike"
[MP3] "End of Forever"

From the LP Blue Swan Orchestra, 2002 >>>
[MP3] "Summertime"

THE GOLDEN DOGS

[My determination to make this a bright, "golden" day is suffering some setbacks. While it was supposed to be 75 degrees and sunny today, it is, in fact, in the upper 50s and raining steadily. Gloomy Monday. Also, it's so sad and soul-crushing to see that Congressman Mark Foley (R-FL) has had to check himself into alcohol rehab, a la Mel Gibson. Huh. Blame Jews for all the world's wars, check into rehab. Ask an underage boy about his masturbatory habits, check into rehab. What're the odds that George Michael is next on this list?]

Toronto's The Golden Dogs dropped their second album, Big Eye Little Eye, in August. I don't know a hell of a lot about these folks, but they're Canadian, so I know that they're a cool and courteous lot with a deadpan sense of humor and a love of moose. Actually, I don't know that any of that is true, but it seems a safe bet (and saves me from having to do anything resembling research).

One thing I DO know: vocalists Dave Azzolini and Jessica Grassia are not just collaborators in the musical-sense (unless, sometime since the band's founding in 2000, they've broken up, a la White Stripes). I also know that Azzolini has a decidedly "old-time" rock voice. Not sure what it reminds me of, exactly. Three Dog Night? Hell, I don't know [and I just can't seem to shake this depression re: the Tigers, the rain, Congressman Mark Foley (R-FL)...]. Anyway, re: the Golden Dogs, just think late '60s/early '70s garage rock (by way of the Beatles) (and moose).

Heading to Canada to celebrate the start of hockey season? Well, why not hop yourself up on Labatt Blue and catch the Golden Dogs at one or more of the following locales...

Oct 6 9:00P/POP Montreal Festival @ Hemisphere Gauche/Montreal
Oct 18 10:00P/Baba's Lounge/Charlottetown, PEI
Oct 19 10:00P/The Capital Bar/Fredericton, NB
Oct 20 10:00P/Elwoods.Saint John, NB
Oct 21 9:00P/Halifax Pop Explosion @ Stage Nine/Halifax, NS

[MP3] "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five"

[MP3] "Runouttaluck"

GOLDEN SMOG

Despite the fact that the Detroit Tigers somehow allowed themselves to get swept out of a division title on Sunday, I'm determined to make this a bright, "golden" day.

Thus, we will begin with Golden Smog - the alt-country supergroup featuring members of the Jayhawks, Wilco, and Soul Asylum. These guys put out albums in 1995 and 1998 (Down By the Old Mainstream and Weird Tales, respectively), back when "alt-country" looked like it was really going places and when that particular label still fit the group's sound. With their latest release, Another Fine Day, that sound has shifted more into the realm of indie pop, with the Jayhawks influence holding the most sway (in the guise of Gary Louris) and Jeff Tweedy dropping in here and there with some latter-day-Wilco atmospherics.

[MP3] "You Make It Easy"

[MP3] "Cure for This"