Also, this video for “Everything Touches Everything,” directed by former Let’s French guitarist Max Sorensen, slipped through the cracks. Find it after the jump:
Read More “These United States Go 90s In New Video” »

I met Chris Lombardi once. Back in ’07 I was helping some friends from Australia, who were then signed to Matador, the label he co-founded, get around the United States. When the tour came through New York City the label invited us to stop by the office for a visit. We dropped in for about half an hour—about as long as we could afford to rent a parking spot in Manhattan—shook hands, grabbed some CDs, and split.

Given the brevity of this encounter, I can’t claim to know much about the guy. However, were I to set up a Fake Michael Bay–style Twitter account for him based on first impressions and trivial details–he had a jar of formaldehyde on his desk with a coiled rattlesnake inside—it would probably revolve around slurred words, fine dining, and pharmaceuticals.

In other worlds, it would be much like this actual Twitter account, which a friend passed along to me today. I guess this could be a hoax, but who else would brag about drinking a nice Côte de Beaune AND be Twitter friends with John Agnello? Seems pretty convincing.

Various 140 character slices of rock living after the jump:

Read More “Matador Owner’s Twitter Account Pretty Much Lives Up to Expectations” »

Solange: “Stillness Is The Move”
First GZA performs with Black Lips, then Jay-Z gets down at a Grizzly Bear show. Whether it was Sasha Frere-Jones or just a bedfellows-by-way-of-declining-sales-figures thing, something finally got hip-hop interested in indie rock. But let’s not get all cynical about it, especially when it’s getting results like Solange’s take on “Stillness is the Move.” The original, by Brooklyn’s Dirty Projectors, put an art school twist on contemporary R&B. Surprisingly, it works just as well without the art school part.

Hot Chip: “Take It In”
Devo might have had a few reflective moments in its time, but nerds don’t come much more tender than Hot Chip. The London-based electronic pop group’s new single, “Take It In,” could bring a tear to the tersest microserf’s eye. “Wheel of Fortune stops at 6 o’clock/So what am I to do until midnight?” sings co-front man Joe Goddard over a skittering beat. Yeah, we’ve all been there. But it’s the chorus—with its soaring New Order keyboards and talk of doves—that will bring tears down on the keyboard and have you Skype-ing the one you love.

Yellow Fever: “Hellfire”
Chief among the virtues of Austin, Texas: there’s good barbecue. But the rent isn’t too bad either. So, you’d think Yellow Fever could afford to buy a few more instruments—maybe a sampler or a keyboard. But if “Hellfire,” from the duo’s self-titled debut record, is any indication, they’re getting by just fine with drums and guitar. One part Swell Maps and two parts Quix-O-Tic, it’s a solid piece of post-rock minimalism.

Eels: “Little Bird”
Eels front man Mark Oliver Everett has gotten a lot of mileage out of being sad. He’s made seven sad full-length records and then, recently, authored an autobiography that details the specific reasons for his ever-enduring melancholy (to be fair, he has some pretty good reasons). And, he’s not done yet. A new Eels album, End Times looms just over the horizon and its new single, “Little Bird,” is duly bummin’. “Little bird hopping on my porch/I know it sounds kind of sad/But what’s it all for?” sings Smith. What does the little bird say? Nothing. He’s flown off in search of a birdbath filled with hemlock.

KingPen Slim:

-I’m dropping pops off in g town & he says in his thick west Indian accent “I was shopping here when niggas were wearing polyester and shit”

-Need to punch you in the mouth with a Listerine boxing glove

-I got #attentiondeficit on Itunes, on the leak and I need to cop out the store to complete the trifecta

Outputmessage:

-The last few weeks have easily been the busiest of the year. Feels good to be in the final stages of the album releasing process though!

-Got word that a few of my recent tracks will be on the show Styl’d airing on @MTV in Nov. Stay tuned for more info!

Foul Swoops:

-after playing a lot of NBA Live 2001 over the last few days I’ve come to the conclusion that Foye is a young Alvin Williams.

-the verizon center is as empty as a foul swoops show.

Edie Sedgwick:

-Bulgarian guy on 4-pack/day cigarette habit: “We all have to die someday.”

-All the vegan vampires here in Macedonia hot to trot in re: tofu-flavored blood.

-Free barf bags on this tour through your aesthetic.

Tom Noble knew only two things about George Smallwood: He had an awesome record and an address.

Read More “Old Smoothie
Record collectors revive the career of Hyattsville soulman George Smallwood” »

Heavy on the Mellotron, fuzz tones, and paisley, The Black Hollies Softly Towards the Light has more psychedelic homage than a stack of Bomp! fanzines. You wouldn’t guess, then, that three out of four members of the band had toiled long and hard in the New Jersey post-hardcore outfit Rye Coalition. But that hoodie-to-turtleneck-and-sunglasses swap-out isn’t as awkward as it might seem.

Read More “Tuesday Rock City: The Black Hollies” »

Story/Stereo—a concert/reading series that pairs local musicians with local writers/poets—just announced two new events.

First, Asa Osborne—formerly of Baltimore gnostic/punk quartet Lungfish—will perform with his guitar/organ project, Zomes. Lisa Selin Davis will read. That’s kind of a tough gig, though, considering the last person to put words in or around Osborne’s music was Dan Higgs.

Then, in February, J. Robbins—fresh from reissuing the late ’90s masterpiece For Your Own Special Sweetheart and performing on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon with the reunited Jawbox—will perform his first ever solo show. Marianne Villanueva and Steve Fellner will read.

Dates and details after the jump:
Read More “Story/Stereo Announces Two New Shows” »

Sampling the thought streams of D.C. musicians past and present.

Tittsworth:

-A man has our elevator filled to the brim w/plants. Its like a 2 acre jungle crammed into a cubicle. he’s complaining the door won’t shut.

-i think i just discovered the malkovich floor of my building? what exactly is going on the 3rd floor? :-)

-Mother fucker, I’m trying to watch the lost boys!!

Wale:

-dear ucb..i will go to breakfast w/ yall but i am NOT goin to eat a Dinosaur sized pancake at “The Griddle”

-everybody askin what kinda shoes im wearin…haa

-09 airmaxes http://pic.gd/38d0d6

Casper Bangs:

-is listening to some old songs he wrote and thinking that they are not that good.

-The Whitespace 7″ should in stores soon, but it’s available now here: http://www.dischord.com/release/ws01/whitspace

Tabi Bonney:

-My bookbag smells like it’s been eatin chicken behind my back…literally

-Somebody somewhere has candy paint…on their house though.

-I think I’m just gonna say “Jordan!” after I have sex or something from now on.

Kurt Vile plays slow, murky, and sloppy rock. His backing band, the Violators, looks like a gang of b-listed stand-up comedians. They seem weird and awkward. But Vile is no slouch. Neither are the guys in his band, for that matter. People (well, music critics) have been paying a lot more attention to the Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter since his performances at SXSW last March, and in each profile he’s betrayed some hype-savvy above and beyond your run-of-the-mill DIY nose-picker.

Read More “Kurt Vile @ Black Cat Tonight” »

A few weeks ago Shortstack came out of hiding and performed a show at Comet Ping Pong. I went here instead. Fortunately, All Our Noise was there and shot some footage of the band. And they’re rocking out. The band’s past couple of releases–History of Cut Nails in America and 2008’s Covers EP–had some grit, but this clip has some real aggro-Creedence stuff going on.

Bite Sized Sets at Comet: Shortstack from All Our Noise on Vimeo.