The latest issue of the Believer has an interview with Ian MacKaye; the magazine’s Web site has a teaser from it, but Idolator isn’t very impressed after reading the whole thing.

Dischord Records has finally made the leap and created that bridge to the 21st Century, paved its own merge lane onto that information superhighway…In other words, Dischord is now making its records available in a downloadable format:

“This Dischord “digital” site offers a unique hybrid of the direct sale and subscription based download services (as well as the usual CDs, LPs, DVDs, etc). Customers have the option to download entire albums for a set price (usually $7), purchase Digital Credits (15 credits for $10) that can be used to download individual songs, or receive a free album download with the purchase of a 12″ vinyl LP from our store.

We have also added a media player to our site which which features streaming songs and video from Dischord artists. Content for the media player will be updated continually as we find and adapt high quality material from our archives and from users. In the future we will also add more cool features to the player so stay tuned.”

Dischord Records is reporting that John Davis (Q and Not U, Georgie James) is hosting a weekly specialty show called 1, 2, 3, 4, More More More on XMU (channel 43). “This week John’s co-host will be Guy Picciotto (Fugazi), who will be in charge of the play-list,” the label goes on to say.

Dischord is reporting that the long-awaited Faraquet singles compilation will be released on July 28. The label provides record cover and track listings as well:

The compilation will include:

1. Parakeet
2. Um Die Ecke
3. The Whole Thing Over
4. Call It Sane
5. Study In Movement
6. Yo-Yo
7. Review
8. Rex
9. Conversations
10. Sea Song

Dischord’s blog brings the news that CP contributor Justin Moyer has a new Edie Sedgwick album on the way (and hints that a Dischord MP3 store is coming soon):

Edie Sedgwick, the alter ego of Justin Moyer (Antelope, El Guapo) has finished recording a new album, titled “Things Are Getting Sinister And Sinisterer”, to be released in the summer/fall of 2008 on Dischord. This album will be simultaneously released on 12″ Vinyl and as an MP3 digital album (yes, this is a hint about the upcoming launch of the new Dischord “digital” website).

On May 16, Joe Lally will be hitting the road, opening his huge tour in Pittsburgh. He’s scheduled to play the Black Cat on May 28. Dischord has the dates. [Label needs to learn how to spell Pittsburgh correctly].

Last evening’s concert at the Kennedy Center turned out to be two separate acts, the Dave Brubeck Quartet followed by the Ramsey Lewis Trio, rather than the monumental duet concert I was expecting, but there was nothing disappointing about it. Each delivered a phenomenal set–Brubeck a program of standards and surprisingly contemporary sounds, Lewis one of his own gospel roots and gospel-tinged originals, capped off by their respective hits, “Take Five” and “The In Crowd.”

During both, I was sitting in a side tier with a charming lady, perhaps in her late sixties, who told me stories between sets of seeing Brubeck, Stan Getz, and others on the West Coast Jazz scene of the 1950s. When I told her that I was a freelance music critic, she got a funny smile on her face.

“Do you know a fellow named Ian MacKaye?” she asked.

“Of course,” I replied.

“My daughter lived with him for about 20 years,” she said. “He’s an amazing man, and he really encouraged her in her own art.”

I was sitting with the mother of Cynthia Connolly–longtime Dischord promotions director, D.C. scenester, and author of Banned in DC: Photos and Anecdotes From the DC Punk Underground (79–85).

Between that and the two divergent pianists on the stage, I can only conclude that the Kennedy Center has a unique ability to bring people together.

The Nationals are requesting your votes for “7th Inning Stretch Song,” “Home Run Song,” and “Victory Song.” As pointed out in this Idolator post, there’s only one local choice in there, Chuck Brown’s “Bustin Loose” (my personal theme music for overeating) and the rest are pretty crappy (though I do get goosebumps whenever I hear U2’s “Beautiful Day”).

You’d think that, instead of Blur’s Fugazi rip-off “Song 2,” we could get an actual Fugazi song. Luckily, there’s a write-in function.

Overheard yesterday at Orpheus Records in Arlington: the store might be closing within the next week. They have yet to hear from the landlord about an extension and they need time to pack up thousands of LPs and CDs (not to mention furniture and stereo gear).

Got some great deals yesterday on Mahavishnu Orchestra, Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, Pentangle and Julian Priester LPs.

Sale aside, this place has been around 31 years–that’s longer than either 9:30 Club or Dischord or most D.C. rock institutions. I’ll be real sad to see Rick go. Drop by while you still have the chance.

Baltimore’s Human Bell—seen here performing at the Adams Morgan record store Crooked Beat—just announced a national tour with Japan’s Boredoms, a band that Washington City Paper’s Aaron Leitko described as the most bizarre “ever to have graced the roster of a major label.”

Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band might dispute that claim, but I can say for certain that the Boredoms are one of the top-five best live acts I’ve ever seen (Brown’s Island, in 1994, with Sonic Youth and Superchunk).

Human Bell is Dave Heumann, frontman of Arbouretum, and Nathan Bell, best known as bassist for Lungfish. According to both bands’ label, Thrill Jockey, the Boredoms “handpicked” them for this tour.

Here are the dates. Alas, no DC:

Mon Mar 10 Lousiville, KY Ear X-Tacy (in-store)
Wed Mar 12 Dallas, TX Good Records (in-store) w/ Kid Dakota
Thur Mar 13 Marfa, TX TBA
Sat Mar 15 San Diego, CA Canes w/Boredoms
Sun Mar 16 Los Angeles, CA Family (in-store)
Sun Mar 16 Los Angeles, CA Henry Fonda Theater w/Boredoms
Mon Mar 17 San Luis Obispo, CA Boo Boo Records (in-store)
Tue Mar 18 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore Auditorium w/Boredoms
Thu Mar 20 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom w/Boredoms
Fri Mar 21 Seattle, WA Neumos w/Boredoms
Sat Mar 22 Anacortes, WA Department of Safety w/ Mt. Eerie, Photosynthesis
Mon Mar 23 Missoula, MT The Palace (Badlander downstairs, free show)
Tue Mar 25 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue w/Boredoms
Wed Mar 26 Chicago, IL Congress Theater w/Boredoms, Soft Circle
Thu Mar 27 Chicago, IL AV-Erie

The Boredoms will be at the 9:30 Club on April 3rd