Pictured: Warpaint@Summit

Rebirth motherfucker! Yeah, here we go again. A TON of cool shit has happened since we last got together in this official capacity and I’m not gonna tell you anything about it! I will tell you that Duffy made me take some online journalism and creative writing and photography courses while I was on hiatus and as you’re about to see it did absolutely no good!

I will also tell you I picked a good week to decide to start doing this crap again. Super Desserts, Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s, Guinea Worms, Warpaint, Don B, and of course, Mike O! If you are at all inclined to listen to a bitter, old, hateful, cynical and all around super cool and totally nice dude’s rant about, you know, stuff, you know what to do! (more…)

from myspace

TRANSIT TRANSIT is going to be released on the following record labels:

U.S. & JAPAN —- tbd records (yes that is actually the name of the label) = tbdrecords.com
U.K. & THE REST —- ATP Recordings = atpfestival.com/recordings
RECORD RELEASE DATE —- (YOU DON’T ACTUALLY THINK WE’D HAVE THAT YET, DO YOU??)

but we do have this:

Transit Transit tracklist:

1. Transit Transit
2. Census
3. Highchair
4. Supertoys
5. Spots
6. The Bouncing Wall
7. Audience No. 2
8. Kissproof
9. Headless Sky
10. The Science Of Imaginary Solutions

“Audience No. 2″ live video after the jump (more…)

Rolling Stone is reporting that Mark Linkous, the mastermind behind Sparklehorse, took his own life on Saturday. This is terribly sad news and comes just months after Vic Chesnutt (who had worked with Linkous in the past) killed himself. And, as in Chesnutt’s case, just a look at song titles and a listen to lyrics reveal that Linkous made no secret about his sadness – “Heart of Darkness”, “I Almost Lost My Mind”, “Sick of Goodbyes”.

Linkous was one of the first musicians I ever spoke to for my old site, Swizzle-Stick, and I found him to be a very interesting and enjoyable person to talk to. You can read that interview, done back in 1999, over on AtomicNed.com.

So apparently James Mercer and Danger Mouse met each other few years ago while both playing the Roskilde Festival. (I’d like to imagine while watching Iggy and the Stooges.) Since then, they’ve been exchanging ideas, recording and Broken Bells was born from this amicable indie union. They’re a must see for me at SXSW this year, playing showcases for both NPR Music and Dickies Sounds. Their debut album will be released next Tuesday, March 9th, but you can listen to the album streaming in its entirety right now on NPR.

The Gothamist is reporting that Guru had a heart attack and is in a como. The 43 year-old rapper fronted Gangstar, who is easily one of the most important rap groups of all time.

The above video is for “Whose Gonna Take The Weight” which was on the 1991 classic Step in the Arena. This was in the midst of first Gulf War and the events leading up to the L.A. Riots. Hense the militant imagery.

Nashville-based Turbo Fruits (led by ex-Be Your Own Pet member Jonas Stein) are currently cruising all over the country opening for Surfer Blood. Turbo Fruits will be playing a handful of times at SXSW, including the Panache Showcase.

You can download three songs here and follow their shenanigans on their Turbo Blog.

Puscifer: The Mission

The ever-prolific Maynard James Keenan (Tool, A Perfect Circle) brings his latest musical endeavor, Puscifer, to his home state not once, but twice in the month of March. The first one takes place at the Lorain Palace Theatre on March 21 in Lorain and the second takes place on March 28 in Columbus at The Lifestyle Communities Pavilion. Ohio boys Uncle Scratch’s Gospel Revival and “the world’s worst stand-up comedian” Neil Hamburger open the Columbus show.

Puscifer have managed to, for the most part, not sound like APC or Tool. That is, until their most recent release, “C” Is for (Please Insert Sophomoric Genitalia Reference HERE)”. Check out “Polar Bear” and “Humbling River” on Myspace for further proof.

$250 meet and greet info after the jump! (more…)

MP3: “Hand of God”

Jason Boesel has spent years looking at the butts of Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley), Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) and Ben Lee – now it’s time for the drummer to step out of the shadow and up to the mike. On January 12, Boesel released his first solo album, Hustler’s Son, on Oberst’s Team Love Records.

Difficult to catagorize, Boesel’s material is in the same post-alt.country (did I just make up a new genre?) league as bands like Wilco. There’s a folky/twang to the sound though don’t expect to catch Boesel in a cowboy hat and boots any time soon.

Jason Boesel is currently touring as the opening act on a bill that also includes Dawes and Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons. Rather than hire a backing band, Boesel has enlisted Dawes to pull double duty.

As long as the next round of snow holds off, Boesel, Dawes, and Chisel will set up shop at the Rumba Cafe on Wednesday night for what promises to be one of the best triple bills in this young new year.

Boesel took a few minutes during the first week of the tour to answer some questions I sent his way.

I hate to start off on the wrong foot so if you hate this question or want to reach through your computer and choke me, then pretend like this question was never asked. That being said – Phil Collins or Don Henley?

Hmmm, I really and truly think they’re both great drummers, singers, and songwriters. If I could only choose one, I’d go with Phil. He’s a mother fucker all the way.
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MP3: Race Horses – Cake

Welsh natives Race Horses claim they are bored with modern music. In their first full-length release Goodbye Falkenburg (released last month on Fantastic Plastic), they’ve managed to create quite the intriguing album sans computer editing. With enchantingly dark influences like Michel Gondry, Tim Burton and Where The Wild Things Are, they tell maritime tales of unruly sailors and sunken WWII ships while weaving the typical relationship/love themes. (Plus the songs that I cannot begin to comment on due to the inconvenient fact that I can’t speak Welsh.) The album was recorded over nine months in multiple settings including parties, an eco village and a chapel. Tracks include samples from a pig, zoo animals and a choir of dental trainees.

Race Horses currently have two performances scheduled at SXSW.

Apparently Kurt Vile couldn’t make it down to his show at the Southgate House, so he’s playing a 10pm set tonight at Oldfield’s on High with Psychedelic Horseshit before Jahman Brahman’s jam night. (Thanks James.)

Kurt Vile came to the Summit for a Donewaiting.com Presents show back in December.

MP3: Bill Fox – Appalachian Death Sigh

For our first edition of Overlooked in Ohio, Jerry Dannemiller sang the praises of “reclusive Cleveland folkie” and ex-Mice frontman Bill Fox. Fox has made a few more live appearances lately, like the above performance last month at Boston’s Bistro in Dayton.

In other Bill Fox news, in November Scat Records reissued Fox’s masterpiece Shelter from the Smoke as a double LP. You can order it here. I’ve got the mp3s already, but this vinyl release is at the top of my wish list. The album gets better and better with each listen.

Fingers crossed that Fox makes his way down to Columbus at some point.

If you’re a sucker for clever Brit-rock like me, be sure to catch Gabriel Stebbing’s (ex-Metronomy) band Your Twenties this year in Austin. next time they’re stateside. Due to unforeseen circumstances they will be unable to attend this year’s festival. They’ve already had singles released on both Germs of Youth and Neon Gold.

Album artwork by Mr. Clinton Reno
MP3:Bookmobile – Weekends of our Youth
MP3:Ben Schwabe – Crystal Branches

First a little disclosure right upfront- I’m an official part of the Columbus Music Co-op volunteer machine, so this is a project which is near to my heart. Looking beyond my obvious lack of objectivity, I think most of you reading this have some shared interest in the Columbus music community and will appreciate both the efforts and the results of this undertaking. Something like a year and half ago, a plan was hatched by Jon Fintel (Relay Recording) and Erin Moore of the CMC to provide a vehicle to showcase the variety and quality of music making in town. Of particular importance to the founders was the notion that equal attention should be given to young (high school age) artists, who would be showcased adjacent to more veteran musicians. Over the past year, Fintel donated over a 100 hours of studio time to record and master eleven original tracks, some of which are the first professional recordings made of the participants. All of them are available only on this compilation, which turns out to be a really strong collection.

On Saturday, February 13th Relay and the CMC will host the first of two CD release shows at Carabar, where copies of the compilation, complete with original album art, will be available for $5. In the spirit of providing a musical experience for young people, a second all ages and family-friendly multi-faceted release show is scheduled for Sunday, February 28th in the North Market Dispatch Test Kitchen from 1-5 pm. All bands are volunteering their time, so should any profits be made from shows or sales, they will go to fund the CMC’s Columbus Music Assistantship Program to provide emergency medical expense grants to working musicians in need. Keep reading below for additional information on bands, a track listing, and set times.
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VeganColumbus.com is an informative resource for the local Vegan. They post recipes, events, restaurant reviews and anything else pertinent to a Bustown Vegetarian.

Against any proper judgement Berae Mcclary interviewed me for Vegan Columbus.
.You can read it here. I discuss why I’m vegan and how I miss crawfish etouffe but not enough to eat it.

For the price of your e-mail, you can download Josh Ritter’s new song “Change of Time” here, from So Runs the World Away, out May 4. (It’ll be his first studio album since 2007’s The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter). Spring U.S. tour dates after the jump. (more…)