Villains Always Blink

All Mixed Up

2007-09-20T19:55:00.001-07:00

Download: Young Marble Giants Searching for Mr.Right
Download: Les Savy Fav What Would Wolves Do
Download: Les Savy Fav The Equestrian
Download: Capgun Coup Oh My Mod
Download: Capgun Coup My Tears Cure Cancer
Download: Holy Fuck Lovely Allen
Download: Devendra Banhart Seahorse
Download: Super Furry Animals Run Away
Download: Elvis Perkins While You Were Sleeping
Download: Pedestrian The Yard
Download: Pedestrian Silhouette
Download: His Name is Alive Go to Hell Mountain
Download: Minus the Bear Throwin Shapes
Download: Minus the Bear Dr L'Ling
Download: Little Name How to Swim and Live
Download: Thurston Moore Fri/End
Download: Broken Social Scene Presents: Kevin Drew TBTF
Download: the Kin Together
Download: Tiny Masters of Today K.I.D.S.
Download: Tiny Masters of Today Hey Mr. DJ (CSS Remix)
Download: A Weather One More Night Stand
Download: Jamie T Calm Down Dearest
Download: the Good Life Heartbroke

Akron/Family

2007-09-19T20:05:00.001-07:00

It has been brought to my attention that I don't post enough about Akron/Family. Here's a few tracks and tour info. And a promise to keep up on the activities of Akron/Family.

Akron/Family on Tour:
21 Sep wexner center for the performing arts @ osu columbus, Ohio
22 Sep LOLA festival london, Ontario
23 Sep Lee's palace toronto, Ontario
25 Sep vinyl guelph, Ontario
26 Sep barrymore's music hall ottawa, Ontario
27 Sep club metronome burlington, Vermont
28 Sep harper's ferry boston, Massachusetts
30 Sep bowery ballroom new york, New York
10 Oct stanford university Palo alto, California
11 Oct independent san francisco, California
12 Oct the troubador Los angeles, California
13 Oct fernwood resort big sur, California
18 Oct richards on richards vancouver, British Columbia
19 Oct crocodile cafe seattle, Washington
20 Oct doug fir lounge portland, Oregon

Download: Akron/Family Ed is a Portal
Download: Akron/Family Phenomena

Akron/Family on MySpace

Interview with Nate Nelson

2007-09-14T09:52:00.001-07:00

Villains Readers, meet Nate Nelson and Cortright. At the young age of nineteen, Nate has just released his second album Knobs Have Turned. Since, Nate was born and raised in Athens, GA, it is probably no surprise that he has many friends in the local music scene including Maria Taylor, Andy LeMaster (Now Its Overhead and Bright Eyes), John Swint (Modern Skirts) Phillip Brantley (Modern Skirts), and Amanda Kapousouz (Tin Cup Prophette). Nate sang with Maria Taylor on her song 'Clean Getaway' (check the liner notes of Lynn Teeter Flowers) and has had his songs on the same album as R.E.M, Patterson Hood (Drive-By Truckers), and The Whigs. Now after a year and a half of working hard on every aspect his album, Knobs Have Turned has been released and Nate is ready to meet the world.

6 Questions with Nate Nelson:
Can you describe your music a bit to people you aren't familiar with it?
The music is folk/pop that frequently dances over to rock and the vocals are sharp/ focused melodies laced with harmonies.

What does the album title Knobs Have Turned mean?
Knobs Have Turned (as a entire record) talks a lot about writing songs. I took a year off from school after high school and completely devoted my life to being a songwriter/ musician/ recording engineer/ producer and all of my songs of that time (being the songs on this record) came out talking about all i knew at that time, i.e. writing songs and all that you achieve and lose because of it. Knobs Have Turned (as a song) is a thank you to all the people that i met who supported me, humbled me, and inspired me.

You sang on Maria Taylor's song 'Clean Getaway'. How did it come about that you got to sing on her album?
Maria is a longtime friend of my friend Andy LeMaster. She recorded 4 tracks off her new record with Andy at Chase Park Transduction (the studio in Athens both Andy and I engineer at) and he asked me to come in a assist him. For the most part it was just the three of us living in the studio that week. One night when i wasn't there Andy played Maria a couple of my songs I had recorded and she really liked them. The next day when i walked in the studio Maria informed me that her, Andy and myself were going to create a choral part on "Clean Getaway". It was a huge honor and i feel very grateful to be apart of such a great record.

There are a number of guests on your album. Have you known Jay Rodgers, Andy LeMaster, John Swint, Phillip Brantley, JoJo Glidewell, Amanda Kapousouz, and Andy Baker for awhile? How did it come about that they joined you on Knobs Have Turned?
I have known Andy Baker for about 4 years now, i was referred to him by a friend when i was looking to record my first record, Random Acts, and we have been great friends ever since. Andy engineered the bulk of this record because of the amazing studio chemistry we have together, he really knows how to pull the best out of me. I owe a lot to that man!
John Swint, Phillip Brantley, and JoJo Glidewell have a band called Modern Skirts. I met them around the time i was releasing Random Acts (2004) and i didn't have a band because i recorded all of the instruments myself on that record. I asked them if they would play as my band and we hit it off and played a shit load of shows together where they would play with me and then they would play as Modern Skirts. I asked them to come play on the record because they really understand where i am coming from musically and if i ask them to take the song somewhere i am going to like where they take it. Good guys, good friends, and good players!
-Like i said earlier, I met Andy LeMaster when i got a job at Chase Park Transduction. We hit it off because we like a lot of the same music and have similar recording/ producing/ songwriting styles. I asked Andy LeMaster to mix "The One You Wish You Heard" and "Laugh of Relief" because Andy Baker and i got to a point where we knew something else needed to happen but couldn't hear it. and i knew that LeMaster would hear it, and he did.
-I met Amanda through her husband, Bain Mattox. And I am also a big fan of her band Tin Cup Prophette. Andy Baker and i were throwing around names of people who we would want to play violin and names of girls who we would want to cover some harmonies, and she filled both of those spots. Jay Rodgers i met through mutual friends. I was recording my good friend Nick Light's record (one of the bands jay played in) and there jay and i realized how well we worked together and how our ideas complimented each other. So Jay became a member of the NN+C line-up!

Describe the first show you played/ the last show you played/ and the best show you played.
First show played was at a party with a punk band called Tripmine i played drums in. it was fucking terrible as i'm sure can imagine.
The last show i played was last night, we had a listening party for Knobs Have Turned here in Athens. All my family, my girlfriend, all the people mentioned above, and people playing a role in the record. we just did a totally stripped down set. i played acoustic, jay played bass, Ben Leather (my drummer) play shaker, and we all sang. it was a blast.
The best show was last week Sept. 6th at Tasty World in Athens. Our record came out on the 4th and we went out of town to play some shows and then came back to Athens and all of our friends and our fans were there. We just had so much excitment from the record being out, it just felt so good to have people we love to be there having a great time.

What is the best thing about living in Athens, GA?
The best thing about living in Athens is the support you get form the music scene here. What is said about all Athens bands is that you are either in the band or you love the band. It is very incestuous and we love it!

Nate Nelson and Cortright on MySpace

Download: Nate Nelson and Cortright Hoping That You Stay Home
Download: Nate Nelson and Cortright 12:12 Love Song

It Came Out Magical

2007-09-14T09:51:00.001-07:00

Here's a few images from the New Pornographers show here in town that kicked off their tour last night.

Making up the line-up this time around are Dan Bejar, Todd Fancey, Carl Newman, John Collins, Blaine Thurier, Kathryn Calder (also of Immaculate Machine), Neko Case, and Jon Wurster (of Superchunk)

They debuted their stellar new sign.

Home-town band Immaculate Machine opened the show.

Download: Immaculate Machine Dear Confessor
Immaculate Machine on MySpace

Download: the New Pornographers Myriad Harbour

Impossible!

2007-09-11T10:56:00.001-07:00

'Impossible' from the new Shout Out Louds

Interview with the Bosch

2007-09-11T10:55:00.001-07:00

I've been taken with this indie punk pop band from New York since back in the fall of 2005 when I stumbled upon them in WOXY's unsigned bands feature. Two years later, they've made a slight change in their line-up (added a Canadian!), released a new EP (titled Hurry Up), and still have a killer saxophone sound. Guitarist and vocalist Matt Harrison of the Bosch kindly answered some questions for Villains Always Blink.

7 Questions with The Bosch
Currently, the Bosch does not have a label. Is belonging to a label important to the band or do you think that you get along fine without one?
I think we'd honestly like whatever constitutes a bit of success and
recognition in today's music "industry." The industry seems
completely screwed in some ways, and in others, there are a lot of
uncharted possibilities. Nobody seems to know what the hell is going
on. CD sales are going down, vinyl (vinyl!) sales are going up, and
the internet still has its Christmas wrapping paper stuck to it, it's
still so new. I think a record deal would be swell, as long as it
didn't compromise what we do. You know, I think that even if you find
our songs irritating, I think you'd have to agree there's not much out
there that sounds like us. Who has a saxophone in their band, for
one thing? So if someone came up with a suitcase of cash and
lollipops and said, "Great tunes, but lose the sax, and you all need
to get mullets, and you need to sound more like Good Charlotte," we'd
say, "Gee, thanks" and go home. But if someone wanted to support us,
and allow us to pay the rent through doing music? We don't have trust
funds, and I think if the conditions were right, we'd work with 'em...
Maybe even if they wanted us to get mullets.

What's the meaning of the new EP title Hurry Up?
My old job was giving away New York City's money to non-profits. As
day jobs go, quite an interesting one. Occasionally I was invited to
functions. One day I got to go to a big to-do at the Apollo Theater
in Harlem. You might know that Bill Clinton works down the street.
About two hours into this ceremony where some mid-level bureaucrats
cut the ribbon on the latest renovations to the theater, everyone was
hoping Bill would show up, but they were all ready to give up 'cause
he was so late. Then this really tall guy with bright white hair
surrounded by what looks like ten linebackers comes down the street,
and everyone flips out. We all rush the doors to the theater after he
goes in, and somehow I got through, and found myself right next to
Bill. I said, "Mr. President, can I get my photo taken with you?"
He looks at me, and his cheeks are hollow and he has ten circles under
his eyes, because he just had that really tough surgery on his heart
or whatever. He looked beat. This little voice comes out of him and
says, "Hurry Up." So I did.

Besides my fond memories of a guy I wish were still president, it's
also a reflection of the fact that our songs are mostly 200 BPMs or
something. And we've slowed down a lot! But we all like music
that's intense. I think that comes through.

The Bosch had a line up change. How did it come about that Valérie Sauvé joined the band?
Our old bassist, our good friend Brett Beyer, left the group to focus
full-time on photography. He took the band photo that is on the
cover of Hurry Up. When he left, we did what most bands would do – we
looked on the internet for a replacement. Holt has a real knack for
internet trolling and found Valerie's myspace page. When Valerie came
in to play with us for the first time, it was funny, because she fit
in right away, and Holt, Andrew and I were trying to be funny and play
as well as we could during her "audition." It felt more like we were
auditioning for her. Somehow, she has stuck around. I can't imagine
The Bosch without her. It's also good having someone in the band
from Canada, it makes us a little more international. Although given
that Holt and I are from the South, and Andrew's from New Jersey,
we've got some different backgrounds anyway. But… She's also a
veterinarian, too, which is pretty awesome. So there you go.

On your website, it says that the Bosch's music has been featured in an indie film. Which film was it?
One film we've been featured in is our friend Evan Richard's movie In a Day. It's about a young, struggling musician in London who has an unpleasant encounter one morning. Sounds
familiar to us New Yorkers! A great flick, and Evan's the nicest dude
in the world. We're just waiting for it to show in NYC – it's won
some awards in other major towns, like London and L.A.

Describe your first show/ last show/ and best show.
I think the first show with the new lineup was a raucous little show
at the Trash Bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The fellow who books
there, DJ Mojo, is an old supporter of ours and quite a character. In
between sets they play blisteringly loud garage rock and serve cheap
beer from cans. We had a good time.

The last show we played, which may have been our best one, was at The
Dame in Lexington , Kentucky. We opened for our friends in Chico
Fellini (Chico Fellini on Myspace). We played for like 200 people, and they snapped up CDs and struck up conversations with us. People thought we were crazy for spending all weekend in the car for just one show, but it was worth it. We had exactly the sort of time
you hope for when you're on tour.

The Bosch does a lot of shows around New York. Do you have a favourite venue to play?
Hands down, The Mercury Lounge. It's the place for emerging bands. Good sound, and they treat you well.

What do you think the Bosch will be doing in five years?
Hopefully, we'll be scoring a soundtrack to Herbie Reloaded 10:
Lindsay Lohan goes Drag-Racin'.

Download: The Bosch This Town
Download: The Bosch Brooklyn Cars
Download: The Bosch Worst Thing

the Bosch on MySpace

All Mixed Up

2007-09-06T14:04:00.000-07:00

Download: Miss Fairchild Number One
Download: Miss Fairchild Vanilla Place
Download: Carolyn Mark The 1 That Got Away
Download: the 1900s When I Say Go
Download: Bella Give It a Night
Download: Dawn Landes Suspicion
Download: Cinematic Orchestra Breathe (featuring Fontella Bass)
Download: Cinematic Orchestra Music Box (featuring Patrick Watson & Lou Rhodes)
Download: Head of Femur The Leader and the Falcon
Download: Head of Femur Curve That Byrd
Download: Head of Femur Oh You're Blue
Download: Little Name How to Swim and Live
Download: Little Name Tracy and I
Download: Nathan Lawr and the Minotaurs Righteous Heart
Download: The Onlys: Onomatopoeia
Download: The Onlys: Bedhead
Download: Still Flyin' Sticking My Head In Icewater
Download: Still Flyin'Rope Burn
Download: Pash ABCD
Download: the Deep Dark Woods Hang Me, Oh Hang Me
Download: Sleeping in the Aviary Pop Song
Download: Bear In Heaven Bag of Bags
Download: Cannonball Jane Take It To Fantastic
Download: Tim Williams Novel
Download: the Hot Springs Headrush
Download: Red Collar Hands Up
Download: Ham1 White Rat
Download: Ham1 Hare Lipped Bust
Download: Ham1 I Had a Good Idea, But It Passed My Mind
Download: Greg Summerlin Unlucky in Love
Download: Kathryn Williams Glass Bottom Boat
Download: Standfast Love For Life
Download: Luke Temple Serious
Download: the Birthday Massacre Red Stars
Download: Girl Nobody Balaclava Casino Heist
Download: Sarah Blasko Planet New Year

Rilo Kiley on Kimmel

2007-09-06T11:19:00.000-07:00

Rilo Kiley's performace of 'Dreamworld' last night on Kimmel

Shout Out Louds on Tour

2007-08-29T14:55:00.000-07:00

Shout Out Louds are touring North America to support their latest album Our Ill Wills that comes out September 11th on Merge Records. Opening the shows are Johnossi and Nico Vega.

Shout Out Louds Tour Dates:
10/6/07 – Los Angeles, CA @ LA Weekly Detour Festival
10/9/07 – San Francisco, CA @ Independent
10/10/07 – Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall
10/11/07 – Portland, OR @ Berbati’s Pan
10/12/07 – Vancouver, BC @ Richard On Richard’s
10/13/07 – Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey
10/15/07 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
10/16/07 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre
10/17/07 – Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot Lounge
10/18/07 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Café
10/19/07 – Chicago, IL @ Logan Sq. Auditorium
10/20/07 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement
10/22/07 – Toronto, ON @ Mod Club
10/23/07 – Montreal, QC @ Cabaret
1024/07 – Boston, MA @ Paradise
10/25/07 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
10/26/07 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg *
10/27/07 – Hoboken, NY @ Maxwell’s
10/28/07 - Washington, DC @ 9.30 Club
10/29/07 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
10/30/07 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
10/31/07 - Atlanta, GA @ The Loft
11/2.07 – Austin, TX @ The Parish
11/3/07 - Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre

Johnossi on MySpace
Nico Vega on MySpace
Shout Out Louds on MySpace

Download: Shout Out Louds Tonight I Have To Leave It

Office + Earlimart Tour Dates

2007-08-29T14:40:00.000-07:00

Office are releasing their album A Night At the Ritz on September 25th, then they are headed out on their first national tour with Earlimart.

Office on MySpace
Earlimart on MySpace

Download: OFFICE The Ritz
Stream: Earlimart Everybody Knows
Stream: Earlimart Happy Alone
Stream: Earlimart Answers Questions

OFFICE TOUR DATES:
August 17: Brooklyn, NY: Studio B
August 18: New York, NY: Mercury Lounge
August 25: Chicago, IL: Double Door
August 28: Los Angeles, CA: Cinespace
August 30: Los Angeles, CA: Filter's Revenge of the Sunset Strip at the Roxy

With Earlimart:
September 27: Portland, OR: Doug Fir Lounge
September 29: Vancouver, BC: Pit Pub
October 2: Milwaukee, WI: TBC
October 4: Cleveland, OH: Grog Shop
October 5: Toronto, ON: El Mocambo
October 6: Montreal, QC: La Sala Rosa
October 7: Boston, MA: Harper's Ferry
October 11: Philadelphia, PA: First Unitarian
October 12: Baltimore, MD: Ottobar
October 13: Chapel Hill: Duke Coffeehouse
October 14: Atlanta, GA: The Earl
October 15: Birmingham, AL: Bottletree
October 16: Houston, TX: Minc
October 17: Austin, TX: The Mohawk
October 18: Dallas, TX: Loft Palladium
October 20: Denver, CO: Larimer Lounge
October 22: Phoenix, AZ: Paper Heart Venue
October 23: San Diego, CA: The Casbah

Down the Line

2007-08-29T14:32:00.001-07:00

José Gonzalez's sophomore release In Our Nature will be out on September 25th. Here's the video for 'Down the Line'.

Video: José Gonzalez Killing for Love
Stream: José Gonzalez qt or win

Jose Gonzalez on MySpace

1990s Tour Dates

2007-08-29T14:07:00.001-07:00

1990s Tour Dates
Sun - Oct 07 @ First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA w/ Voxtrot
Tue - Oct 09 @ The Mod Club, Toronto, ON w/ Voxtrot
Wed - Oct 10 @ Zaphod Beeblebrox, Ottawa, ON w/ Voxtrot
Thu - Oct 11 @ La Sala Rossa, Montreal, QC w/ Voxtrot
Fri - Oct 12 @ Pearl Street, Northampton, MA w/ Voxtrot
Sat - Oct 13 @ Middle East, Cambridge, MA w/ Voxtrot
Sun - Oct 14 @ Maxwell's, Hoboken, NJ
Mon - Oct 15 @ Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY w/ Voxtrot
Wed - Oct 17 @ The Rock & Roll Hotel, Washington DC
Fri - Oct 19 @ Bug Jar, Rochester, NY
Sat - Oct 20 @ Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland, OH
Sun - Oct 21 @ Southgate House, Newport, KY
Wed - Oct 24 @ Larimer Lounge, Denver, CO
Sat - Oct 27 @ Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA
Sun - Oct 28 @ El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles, CA w/ Roky Erickson
Wed - Oct 31 @ Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA w/ Roky Erickson
Fri - Nov 02 @ Richard's On Richards, Vancouver BC w/ Long Blondes
Sat - Nov 03 @ Dante's, Portland, OR
Sun - Nov 04 @ Hi-Dive, Seattle, WA
Wed - Nov 07 @ 400 Bar, Minneapolis, MN
Thu - Nov 08 @ Empty Bottle, Chicago, IL
Fri - Nov 09 @ The Basement, Columbus, OH
Sat - Nov 10 @ St. Andrews Hall, Detroit, MI w/ Electric Six
Tue - Nov 13 @ Granada, Lawrence, KS w/ Hold Steady, Art Brut
Wed - Nov 14 @ The Palladium Ballroom, Dallas, TX w/ Hold Steady, Art Brut
Thu - Nov 15 @ La Zona Rosa, Austin, TX w/ Hold Steady, Art Brut
Sat - Nov 17 @ Bottle Tree Annex, Birmingham, AL w/ Hold Steady, Art Brut
Sun - Nov 18 @ Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA w/ Hold Steady, Art Brut
Mon - Nov 19 @ Toad's Place, Richmond, VA 2/ Hold Steady, Art Brut
Tue - Nov 20 @ 9:30 Club, Washington DC w/ Hold Steady, Art Brut
Wed - Nov 21 @ Terminal 5, New York, NY w/ Hold Steady, Art Brut

1990s on MySpace

Download: 1990s You're Supposed to Be My Friend
Stream: 1990s You Made Me Like It
Stream: 1990s See You At the Lights

The GoStation

2007-08-29T13:59:00.001-07:00

The GoStation are releasing their debut album Passion Before Function on September 25th on Edge Delay Records. The album was produced by Bill Racine (Rogue Wave, Mates of State, the Flaming Lips).

"Good things are going to be happening for The GoStation, I have no doubt. If not, there's something wrong in the world." - John Richards, KEXP
GoStation on MySpace

Passion Before Function tracklisting:
1. All Together Now
2. Twin Six
3. Not Enough
4. Down Street
5. C'mon
6. Battle Lines
7. The Way Of The World
8. Next In Line
9. Common Ground
10. When I'm Gone

Download: the GoStation All Together Now
Video: the GoStation All Together Now

YSP! WSD! Opportunity

2007-08-29T13:42:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest video for the song 'Opportunity' from everyone's favourite Vancouver dance pop band You Say Party! We Say Die! from their album Lose All Time.

Video: YSP! WSD! Opportunity

Also, check out this article in The Village Voice. Troubles at the border have gotten You Say Party! We Say Die! banned from playing in America for 5 years! Here's a link to a petition to help them out here.

Feist and Friends

2007-08-28T09:38:00.000-07:00

Wow, Feist has a lot of friends. On Letterman last night, Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning of Broken Social Scene, Carl "A.C." Newman of the New Pornographers, Aaron Dessner, Bryan Devendorf and Scott Devendorf of the National, Nicole Atkins, Mates of State, and everybody in Grizzly Bear did the back up.

Hard-fi Suburban Knights

2007-08-27T10:52:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest video by Hard-fi from their new album Once Upon a Time in the West that comes out September 18th.

Once Upon A Time In The West tracklisting:
1. Suburban Knights
2. I Shall Overcome
3. Tonight
4. Watch Me Fall Apart
5. I Close My Eyes
6. Television
7. Help Me Please
8. Can't Get Along
9. We Need Love
10. Little Angel
11. The King

Eric's Trip on Tour

2007-08-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

You've probably heard the rumors. It's all true. Eric’s Trip are getting together again for some Canadian Tour dates this fall.

Download: Eric's Trip Follow
Download: Eric's Trip Belong
Video: Eric's Trip View Master

Here's a bit about Eric's Trip:

Made up of Rick White, Julie Doiron, Chris Thompson and Mark Gaudet, Eric’s Trip rose from anonymity to international renown in the 90’s. Hailing from Moncton, NB, the group was the first Canadian act signed to the seminal Seattle based label, Sub Pop Records. Through their three acclaimed full-length albums, Love Tara (1993), Forever Again (1995), Purple Blue (1996) and several EP’s and self-released recordings, the band delivered a heavily distorted mixture of melodic songwriting and lo-fi production values.

Eric's Trip Tour Dates:
Sept. 13 Hamilton, ON Casbah *
Sept. 15 Toronto, ON Lee’s Palace *
Sept. 20 Waterloo, ON Starlight *
Sept. 22 London, ON Call The Office **
Sept. 23 Guelph,ON Club Vinyl *
Oct. 5 Ottawa, ON Barrymores *
Oct. 7 Montreal, PQ Ukrainian Federation Hall (Pop Montreal)
Oct. 19 Moncton, NB Paramount *
Oct. 20 Halifax, NS The Marquee (Halifax Pop Explosion)
* w/ opening set from Rick White, Blue Heeler and Moonsocket
** w/ opening set from Bob Log III

Eric's Trip on MySpace

Previously on Villains Always Blink:
Julie Dorion
Eric's Trip

Bright Eyes Fall Tour

2007-08-10T13:09:00.000-07:00

Bright Eyes Tour Dates:
09.14 Fri Boise, ID Big Easy Concert House
09.15 Sat Spokane, WA Big Easy Concert House
09.18 Tue Fairbanks, AK University of Alaska - Fairbanks
09.19 Wed Anchorage, AK University of Alaska - Anchorage
09.20 Thu Anchorage, AK University of Alaska - Anchorage
09.22 Sat Seattle, WA Quest Field - End Fest 2007
09.23 Sun Eugene, OR McDonald Theatre
09.24 Mon Chico, CA Senator Theatre
09.29 Sat Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl buy

of Montreal on Tour

2007-08-10T11:48:00.000-07:00

of Montreal on Tour:
Sep 28 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle * AA
Oct 02 - Knoxville, TN - Bijou Theater ^^^ AA
Oct 03 - Urbana, IL - The Canopy Club ^^^ 18+
Oct 04 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater ^^^ AA
Oct 05 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue (EARLY SHOW) ^^^ AA
Oct 06 - Chicago, IL - Metro ^^^ AA
Oct 07 - Chicago, IL - Metro ^^^ AA
Oct 08 - Oberlin, OH - Hale's Gym @ Oberlin College ^^^ AA
Oct 09 - Detroit, MI - Majestic Theatre ^^^ AA
Oct 10 - Buffalo, NY - The Tralf ^^^ AA
Oct 11 - Philadelphia, PA - The Trocadero ^^^ AA
Oct 12 - Boston, MA - The Roxy ^^^ AA
Oct 13 - New York, NY - Roseland ^^^ AA
Oct 14 - Baltimore, MD - Ram's Head Live ^^^ AA
Oct 31 - Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club ^^^ 18+
Nov 01 - New Orleans, LA - House Of Blues ^^^ 18+
Nov 02 - Houston, TX - Numbers (EARLY SHOW) ^^^ AA
Nov 03 - Austin, TX - Fun Fun Fun Fest ^^^ AA
Nov 04 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater ^^^ AA
Nov 05 - El Paso, TX - Club 101 ^^^ AA
Nov 06 - Tempe, AZ - The Marquee ^^^ AA
Nov 07 - Tucson, AZ - The Rialto ^^^ AA
Nov 08 - Los Angeles, CA - Avalon ^^^ AA
Nov 09 - Los Angeles, CA - Avalon ^^^ AA
Nov 10 - La Jolla, CA - Mandeville Auditorium @ UC-San Diego ^^^ AA
Nov 11 - Pomona, CA - The Glasshouse ^^^ AA
Nov 12 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall ^^^ AA
Nov 13 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall ^^^ AA
Nov 14 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall ^^^ AA
Nov 16 - Salt Lake City, UT - In The Venue ^^^ AA
Nov 17 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theater ^^^ 16+
Nov 18 - Lawrence, KS - Liberty Hall ^^^ AA
Nov 19 - St Louis, MO - The Pageant ^^^ AA
AA=All Ages

* w/ Psychic Hearts
^^^ w/ Grand Buffet & MGMT

Parade

2007-08-09T10:28:00.001-07:00

Parade declare that their only agenda is to play music that they love, and I think that you can hear that in their songs. The Athens/Atlanta, GA foursome make some energetic pop music with a slice of edginess. Already, they've released a handful of EPs, and by next year, they will be releasing their debut full-length album. Parade's drummer, Jason Chamison kindly answered some questions from Villains, so you can get to know Parade.

Download: Parade That's Hott
Download: Parade Hunting

5 Questions with Parade:
How did you meet your bandmates?
I put an ad on a website. I met like 20 people before I met Scott and Carrie. As soon as I met them, I knew I wanted to work with them. Not that its all about me though. :) Scott and Carrie knew Emily from Athens, and she joined the band in early 2004.

Why did you want to be in a rock band?
Because I love rock music, and I have ideas that I want to explore through/with that genre.

Parade are about to go on tour. Can you describe the first show you played/last show you played/ best show you played?
We played our first show at the Echo Lounge in Atlanta in 2003. I was so excited the night before, that I couldn't sleep. And the thing is, is that I had been playing in bands for a while before that show. So it wasn't that I was playing a show that I was so excited. I was most excited to play the songs with Parade. I think we're now playing some of our best shows. We're more confident now on stage, and using the computer during our live show has allowed us to expand and fill out our sound.

What's the meaning behind the EP title Answer Me?
Carrie came up with that. She says that it basically sums up all of the lyrics on the album. She writes all the lyrics.

How is the recording process going for your full length album that comes out next year?
We haven't begun recording yet. We're writing our butts off though. After the tour we 're going to back down the shows a bit to focus on getting the album done. Some big differences in this album are that we're doing a lot of the production as we go (write). This is mainly due to the fact that we've integrated the computer into our live show, so now we're able to include any production ideas into the writing process, and the live show. So I think there will be less production to worry about when we record, and hence will be able to focus on sound quality and performance. We will also likely be recording this whole album ourselves this time. But we probably won't mix it, and we definitely won't master it.

Parade on MySpace

Musicfest NW

2007-08-08T23:48:00.000-07:00

Portland, OR (July 11, 2007) Willamette Week’s Musicfest NW announces this
year’s festival line-up which will be held at various clubs around the Portland,
OR metropolitan area on September 6, 7, 8 & 9, 2007. Wristbands for the 4 day event are on sale now. Please visit Musicfest NW for details on performers and where to purchase passes.

MFNW continues its tradition of supporting diverse genres that will appeal to
every music fan. Confirmed to play are national acts: Spoon, Clipse, Aesop
Rock, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Girl Talk, Roky Erickson & The Explosives, along
with Portland’s own The Thermals, Viva Voce, The Shaky Hands and YACHT (see
below for the current 2007 list).

On the heels of the most successful MFNW to date, 2007 launches with nothing but
the hope for an even bigger and better festival. MFNW's ultimate aim is to
provide Portland with a unique and special musical experience that honors the
talent of the Northwest while giving back to the local kid-focused music
programs. MFNW will once again benefit The Oregon Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame &
The Rock N' Roll Camp for Girls for the second year in a row.

Seattle’s KEXP radio will broadcast live from Portland at The Doug Fir Lounge
September 6-8 during MFNW, with live performances from artists playing the
festival. Listener-powered and community supported, KEXP not only serves
Seattle but also has a large loyal listener base in Portland and around the
world who tune into WWW.KEXP.ORG through online streaming.

2007 MFNW CONFIRMED LINE-UP
Spoon
Aesop Rock
Wolf Parade
Clipse
The Thermals
Floater
Girl Talk
Brian Jonestown Massacre
Roky Erickson & The Explosives
Okkervil River
Lifetime
The Bronx
The Helio Sequence
Eugene Mirman
Grizzly Bear
Deerhunter
Patterson Hood (Drive By Truckers)
Jason Lytle (Granddaddy)
The Lifesavas
The Blue Scholars
The Fucking Champs
Dan Deacon
The Shaky Hands
Balkan Beat Box (DJ Set)
Eric Bachmann
Viva Voce
Aqueduct
The Dirty Projectors
YACHT
Sky Cries Mary
Old Time Relijin
Charmaine Neville, Reggie Houston, & Amasa Miller
The Minus Five
Bobby Conn
The Brunettes
Pierced Arrows
The Obituaries
Anders Parker
Panther
Copy
31 Knots
Nice Nice
Tiny Vipers
ATLAS (DJ Anjali, E3, and The Incredible Kid)
The New Trust
The Thrones
Richmond Fontaine
The Hugs
Herman Jolly
The Shook One's
Damien Jurado
Horse Feathers
And many other bands.....

Rilo Kiley is now confirmed to play as well on Sept. 7
at the Crystal Ballroom.

Musicfest NW

Mega Mix IV

2007-08-08T22:23:00.000-07:00

Download: AA Bondy There's a Reason
Download: Siberian Belgian Beer and Catholic Girls
Download: Siberian Islands Forever
Download: Mogwai Time and a Half
Download: Arks The International
Download: Arks Stator/Asymptote
Download: Mother and the Addicts All in the Mind
Download: Mother and the Addicts So Tough
Download: Rocky Votolato Postcards from Kentucky
Download: John Vanderslice White Dove
Download: Julie Dorion No More
Download: Aesop Rock None Shall Pass
Download: The Caribbean The Go From Tactical
Download: The Caribbean Bees, Their Vision and their Language
Download: Bloc Party I Still Remember
Download: Spoon The Ghost of You Lingers
Download: St. Vincent Now Now
Download: Maritime Guns Of Navarone
Download: Maritime Science Fiction
Download: Starlight Mints Pumpkin
Download: Deerhunter Spring Hall Convert
Download: Bottom of the Hudson Handwriting
Download: the Coathangers Parking Lot
Download: Calvin Harris Acceptable in the 80s
Download: Stars Time Can Never Kill the True Heart (Uncut Remix)
Download: Justice Cross Medley
Download: Tegan and Sara Back In Your Head
Download: Gravy Train!!! Club Situation
Download: Shout Out Louds Tonight I Have to Leave It
Download: the Lodger Kicking Sand
Download: the Press Krab Teeth

Norfolk and Western + Graves

2007-08-08T20:51:00.000-07:00

Norfolk and Western and Graves are releasing a limited edition Collaboration 10" on People In A Position To Know Recordings.

"Fleetwood’s Hack is the culmination of those two weeks of recording sessions; a six-song collaboration tribute to 50’s/60’s DooWop Legends, The Fleetwoods. While the name may not be familiar to many, the songs will be. “Oldies” radio staples such as Mr. Blue, To Know Her (Is To Love Her), and Come Softly To Me, are lovingly reinterpreted and reworked. Each of the 490 Limited Edition 10” records comes in a sleeve that was letter-pressed and numbered by hand."

Fleetwood's Hack on MySpace
Norfolk and Western on MySpace

Moes Haven

2007-08-08T10:16:00.000-07:00

Moes Haven aren't known for doing things half way. Moes Haven is primarily comprised of Matt Farley and Tom Scalzo (and some guest musicians too). These two prolific guys are straight out of Manchester, NH. In 2006, they decided to take on the ambitious goal of making and recording thirty minutes of music every single day for a year. Each month, the best of the best tracks were rounded up and released on albums titled after that month. (These are available to order from cdbaby). They also made one last album titled Victory is Ours (For Now) with the best songs from the entire project. (Their next release is scheduled for 2012).

One glance at the absurd titles on the track list from Victory is Our (For Now) (like 'Let's Open a Deli!', 'Isn't This Spectacular, Kite Flying', and 'Peter Bogdanovich Can't Stop Talking About Orson Welles'), and you'll be intrigued by their sense of humor. The songs are creative, imaginative, and fun. At some point listening to this cd, it's guaranteed that you will crack a smile. Matt and Tom have a great sense of humor and a great sense of how to craft a song.

Download: Moes Haven A Walk in the Park
Download: Moes Haven Rattletrap

As a new feature on Villains, I've decided to do some short 5 question interviews.

5 Questions with Moes Haven:
How did you and Tom Scalzo meet?
Tom and I lived on the same floor during our freshman year of college. We were both English majors at Providence College in Rhode Island. Class of 2000.

What made you want to start a band?
It soon became evident that we both had a lot of interest in music. He played guitar and I played piano. We were both interested in the music of Bob Dylan and Van Morrison. Within a month of meeting each other, we started writing songs together. We continued writing songs together here and there through the first three years of college. During our senior year, we started writing a lot more. We'd meet once or twice a week for several hours and write and record one song after the other. That's how we developed our fast-paced songwriting style.

Can you describe the first show you played/ last show you played/ best show you played?
We are mostly a "studio band." There have only been three Moes Haven concerts:
We did a Battle of the Bands in college. In keeping with our odd sense of humor, we put on a very strange show which consisted of me on keyboard and Tom on Guitar. We had three girls on stage with us, dressed in uniforms. The girls just sat there and did nothing at all through the entire performance. It left the audience confused, but we still laugh about it.
In 2003 & 2004, I started mailing out CDs to different people and places around the country, which resulted in a coffeehouse in Wisconsin inviting us to play there for $25. Even though it took us two days and $300 in gas to get there, we thought it would be a fun road trip and we played a show in this little coffeehouse for about 12 people.
In 2001, I handed out free CDs at a concert in Boston. One of the people who received a disc ended up emailing me in 2007 and asking if we'd play a gig in his basement. So the most recent show was in "Tim's Basement" in Massachusetts. That happened in May of 2007. Tim and about a dozen of his friends seemed to enjoy the show.
So there have only been three Moes Haven shows. We're open to doing more performances, but we still focus primarily on writing and recording.

Recording 30 minutes of music every day for a year is an ambitious goal. Did you ever feel like you were running out of things to write about?
Yes. It was difficult. Some days, the albums were absolutely terrible. But we believe that the more you write, the more likely it is that you'll eventually write something that's good. We released the best songs from each month on an album named after that month, so as long as we were able to come up with 10-20 good songs per month, we were pleased.

Does Moes Haven have any shows coming up?
No. But we're always open to just about anything that comes our way.

Moes Haven on My Space
CD is available here.

Oakley Hall: I'll Follow You

2007-08-07T13:22:00.000-07:00

Oakley Hall are releasing their fourth full length album titled I'll Follow You on Merge Records on September 11th.

Tracklist:
Marine Life
No Dreams
Rue The Blues
Angela
Free Radicals Lament
All The Way Down
I'll Follow You
Best Of Luck
First Frost
Alive Among Thieves
Rogue Revelator
Take My Hands, We're Free

Download: Oakley Hall No Dreams