interview: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

"Dreampt of marimbas made from the bones of our relatives..."

We recently caught up with Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin singer/songwriter/drummer/guitarist, Philip Dickey before their Charleston gig. While taking an evening stroll through the massive strip mall parking lot adjacent to the venue, we talked about their new record, what it's like being blog darlings and playing in the glorious homeland of their namesake. All under the romantic lighting of a giant neon Arby's sign...

Chocolate Bobka: So this is right in the middle of your tour... how's it going so far?

Philip Dickey: It’s going really well. We were gonna try to do the whole country in one tour, but when we do that, everything kind of falls apart, and we start to try and kill each other.

CB: Is it hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel at this point?

PD: A little bit. Because it really is a lot of fun, and you get really caught up in it all, and then you’ll just remember how nice it is to be home, and then it just hurts. You’re trying to have a good time on the road, and then you just want to be at home all of a sudden, want to be home with your girlfriend or something.

CB: Let's talk about the new record, Pershing…What was it like recording it?

PD: By the time we started recording it, we were just so ready… we just had so many songs, we still have too many songs to record. I think we kind of psyched ourselves out by waiting so long. We just had to get it over with. At one point we were nervous about what everyone was going to say…Pitchfork, fans, all that stuff. Once it was just us in a room, it made it easier. That’s when we forgot about everyone else. The weird thing about our band is we all want it to sound a little different; no one has the exact same vision. When we made Broom, we were doing it separately, we didn’t know we were making this album that a lot of people were going to hear, we thought it was just for our friends. We weren’t really self-conscious about it.

CB: It’s been a while between since Broom... do you feel like that will place more scrutiny on this one, with such a buildup?

PD: At first, it seemed like a bigger deal, having a second record. But it’s just a record, you know? It’s just ten songs. And we have so many more, and we’re always writing new ones. I think the buzz is a little distracting, because it builds it up into something it’s not. I mean, we hope people like it, but this is just one phase. This record is more about riding your bike, driving in a car, that feeling. Broom was more about being in a bedroom, being sad… I think the next one will be a little more intimate.

CB: How does the songwriting process work for you guys?

PD: The one thing about songwriting in our band, is no one ever finishes a song from start to finish, everyone helps each other out.” [Phil starts strumming a new song they’ve been working on.]

CB: Kind of sounds like "Oregon Girl" a little bit.

PD: [Laughs] Yeah, I guess it does! So what I’ll do, is I’ll take this riff to John [SSLYBY singer/songwriter/bassist/guitarist] and say ‘Make this not sound like "Oregon Girl"’. That’s how songs are generally written. Also, Will [SSLYBY lead guitarist] didn’t really have a lot of input on Broom, just because he wasn’t there when John and I wrote most of the songs, but on this record, he has way more of a presence. "Modern Mystery" and "Boring Fountain" both are based on riffs that Will wrote in high school, stuff he just dug up. And we just kind of turned them into more polished pop songs.

CB: Are you already looking forward to the next record?

PD: Yeah. Honestly, right now it would be awesome to record this summer, and put it out by winter. I don’t know if we’re legally allowed to do that, with the label, but that would be really sweet. The way the business is now, I think it rewards bands that are constantly working on new material.

CB: I’ve always heard that bands with a big backlog of material tend to avoid sophomore slumps better.

PD: Yeah, I can totally see that being true. Having a lot of old riffs and songs really helped us, and it’s going to keep helping us. We have like twenty songs we’re working on…well, maybe a dozen. With Pershing, everything was kind of planned out, but I think with the next record, it’s going to be half new stuff and half old stuff, like half of it planned, the other half impulse, just in the moment.

CB: You guys have been considered a big "blog success"... are you happy with that, or do you hate the association?

PD: We were just happy to get the exposure. I mean, we have no control over it, except for the material we put out. One thing I really like about the blogs is that, in the 90’s, PR guys were going straight to writers, straight to MTV, and now they’re going straight to the music listeners, and it’s less of a monopoly. I don’t think our band would have had a chance back then. There are certainly people out there who are like ‘What the hell, this band should not be getting this much attention’; people are always going to complain about bands getting too much blog hype.

CB: I think it’s just that blog hype is a new form of the same old exposure; it’s not that certain bands have a monopoly on this new kind of music writing for no reason, it’s just that people really like this music, and they want to talk about it, and this is how it’s done now.

PD: Yeah, definitely. I just think it’s great that these big PR guys, instead of going to MTV, now they’re going to some kid in a basement. I find that really, really funny.

CB: You guys went to Russia to do some shows… what was that like?

PD: Frickin awesome. We just never thought that would happen, it was a weird dream come true, just being there, talking to the people, what they’ve been through. Our tour guide said her grandpa dropped a picture of Stalin on the ground by accident, and they took him to jail.

CB: Yeesh... How were the crowds?

PD: Surprisingly, really great. They really knew all our songs, even the b-sides. When we started playing they held up some signs with our name on it.

CB: Alright, lastly, in what is becoming a running theme with our interviews, I have to ask what it was like to have a song on the OC, especially when you were unsigned at the time?

PD: What happened was Chris Walla [Death Cab for Cutie guitarist/producer] found us through a friend, and he said he really loved the song “Oregon Girl”, and he gave it to the music supervisor of the OC. We were on tour, playing to like two people, and they called us and said they wanted to use the song. It was really nice because it was a time when our parents were like ‘Come on, what are you really doing?’ and we had to borrow money. So yeah, it was great, to finally make some of it back.

CB: Do you guys make much on these tours?

PD: We just now are starting to finally make a little bit, but it’s still borderline poverty. But at the same time, we’re really, really happy. This is the dream, you know?

Behind the Scenes of Pershing with SSLYBY

Bobkast #13: Let It Blossom

Our Wings Are Open Wide
(thanks to nikomatic for the photo)

After slowly emerging from the winter hibernation, there's no better way to embrace the joyousness of the rebirth season than by putting some life into your bones via raucous dance party in the sunshine. For the thirteenth edition of the Bobkast, we offer you a collection of beat-heavy tunes that we think sound just as good in the warm glory of Mother Nature as they do in the dark clubs where they originated. Ranging from dirty disco funk to sleek and squeeky electro, this mix is an electronic celebration, ideal for working out the kinks to your favorite dance moves (including the cabbage patch, running man, and egyptian strut) in anticipation of the summertime heat.

Bobkast #13: Let It Blossom
Kano - I'm Ready
Metro Area - Evidence
Four Tet - Smile Around the Face
Feist - I Feel It All (Escort Remix)
Arthur Russell - That's Us/Wild Combination
The Gap Band - Ride the White Horse
Professor Murder - That's How They Getcha (Chinzuki Riddim Version)
diskJokke - Staying In
Track N Field - Iso Maha
Lindstrom - Music In My Mind
The Whitest Boy Alive - Golden Cage (Fred Falke Remix)

TOTAL RUN TIIME..............53:11

Bobkast #13: Let It Blossom (direct link; right-click and save target as)

sunday morning music: Rainbow Dome Musick

Sunday morning music is a recurring feature where we attempt to cure the hungover, dehydrated and those still battling Saturday night excess. This week there is no doubt in my mind that you, you indulgent bastard, will be saved from your hedonistic ways by a single song. A bold statement, yes, but seriously, you will be. I guarantee it.

Intended for inclusion at 1979's "Festival of the Mind, Body and Spirit" in London, as part of the Rainbow Dome exhibit (a healing room with crystals and other super heady shit to purify your mind, body, etc), Steve Hillage's Rainbow Dome Musick is an twinkling ambient masterpiece sure to sooth your aches and pains. Don't let the ultra-headiness of Rainbow Dome Musick dissuade from getting it on with Steve Hillage, as this record transcends all new age stereotypes and is the musical equivalent of transcending space and time. The album is composed of 2 side long tracks, with "Garden of Paradise" taking up the A-side and "Four Ever Rainbow" the B-side. They're long, delightful and soothing, the perfect dose of wellness for your ailing Sunday morning blues.

Steve Hillage- Garden of Paradise

video: Bowerbirds "Dark Horse"

"Keep this wood stove burning"

Another exemplary video from La Blogotheque. This one finds Vincent Moon and Co. driving through the streets of NYC's Lower East Side, while the Bowerbirds bless the crew with a breathtaking version of "Dark Horse," one of the standout cuts from last years Hymns for a Dark Horse. We saw the band perform on those same dirty streets a few months back and couldn't have left feeling any better about life. Hymns... will be re-released later this year (6/19/08) on compact disc and vinyl by the fine folks at Dead Oceans. If you don't own a turntable, you may want to purchase one before Hymns for a Dark Horse hits stores, as vinyl is really the only way to truly experience a recording as sacred and pristine as Hymns for a Dark Horse.

Bowerbirds- In Our Talons

we saw: Ra Ra Riot

"Can you tell I'm losing sleep"

Last night Ra Ra Riot hit up Maxwell's in Hoboken for the only tri-state area appearance on their current tour with The Little Ones. I arrived in time to catch about half of The Little Ones set, a delightful blend of beach pop, sugar pop and all around good times music. I wish I had picked up their brand new EP, Terry Tales and Fallen Gates, as their sound is perfect for bobbing around all happy go lucky in the summer. Mmmm, lemonade.

By the time The Little Ones left the stage, Maxwell's had filled in quite nicely. The show was sold out, and with good reason, as Ra Ra Riot probably won't be playing venues the size of Maxwell's in the coming months. Needless to say, the size of venue couldn't have been a better match for Ra Ra's explosive orchestral pop. After asking the crowd if it was too cold (the air conditioning was cranking), singer Wes Miles vowed to heat the place up. The band did so by cranking into "A Manner to Act." The song, which also has a kick ass remix by RAC, was a great way to kick start the evening started. Following "A Manner To Act," the Syracause bred sextet burst into "Each Year," one of my favorite Ra Ra Riot songs, which, like "A Manner to Act," also boasts a killer remix by RAC. And yes, after "Each Year" the room was significantly warmer.

The band ran through a set culled mostly from last years eponymous EP, however, like cellist Allie mentioned to us a few weeks back, many of the arrangements were fresh and unpredictable. While the entire band was in fine form, I couldn't help but be transfixed on violinist Becca Zeller (a Ridgewood, NJ native), who is arguably one of the most enigmatic performers I've seen in recent times. A compliment of the highest regard as the last couple shows we've seen have all featured some incredibly dynamic performers (Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes, Van Pierszalowski of Port O'Brien).

Other highlights included the John Pike penned "St. Peter's Day Festival" (what a great sing-a-long), Kate Bush's "Suspended In Gaffa" and the set closer, and Ra Ra Riot's signature tune, "Dying Is Fine." After a few minutes of rapturous applause and "SU" chants, the band broke into "Hounds of Love," their second Kate Bush cover of the evening. A damn good ending to damn good evening.

Ra Ra Riot- St. Peter's Day Festival

Ra Ra Riot- Each Year (RAC remix)

more: Atlas Sound

"I see angels appear"

In what should come as a no surprise, Bradford Cox has released another set of tunes via the Deerhunter/Atlas Sound/Lotus Plaza blog. Posted at 4:51 am, "Bored Dub" and "No Longer" are ethereal wonders perfectly suited for watching the sun rise. I can personally vouch for that. Bradford, graveyard shift workers of the east coast thank you for the treat. Keep 'em coming.

Atlas Sound- Virtual 7" No.3 {zip file}

1. Bored Dub (5:20)
B/W
2. No Longer (3:28)

remixed: Radiohead

"A handshake of carbon monoxide"

Before Radiohead hooked fans up with the tracks to make their own remixes, producers had to take it upon themselves. Such is the case with Panzah Zandahz, the beat constructor who does an excellent job tweaking exquisitely arranged, multifaceted "rock" songs and transforming them into stoney downtempo killers well suited for late night blunt cruises, or early morning fornication. From what I understand, Charles found this at Charleston's 525. He thought it looked odd and sweet, albeit expensive (especially for a CD-R). We'll I'm certainly glad he shelled out the loot that fateful afternoon because Radiohead: Me and This Army is well worth the purchase. Nice score, Chuck. Panzah post apocalyptic Radiohead Panzah get a facelift from hip hop mad housers MF DOOM, Ghostface, Gift of Gab and Mr. Lif. While their lyrical contributions are welcome, they pale in comparison to subtle tweaks Zandahz works in and around Radiohead classics.

Radiohead- No Surprises (none at all really) {reconstructed by Panzah Zandahz}
Radiohead- Daytona 500 (panzah zandahz iron lung remix featuring Ghostface)

nu music: Port O'Brien

"Sleep is where I want to be"

(photo by CharlieHomo)
A couple of days before we were drooling over the Fleet Foxes NYC debut, we were fawning over Port O'Brien's foot stomping ramshackle affair at Piano's. While the latest studio version of "I Woke Up Today" is undoubtedly one of the best songs of the year, the band's got alot more up their sleeve than the pots and pans percussion and bourbon sing-a-long of the song that birthed the title of their upcoming record All We Could Do Was Sing. And while I love the studio recording, the savage army sing-a-long they recorded for Daytrotter during Noise Pop is so boisterous that it practically screams 'wake the fuck up,' both literally and figuratively. Appropriately, the revamped Daytrotter version has been my iTunes alarm clock jam since it was loaded it a few weeks back.

Coincidentally, our good friend, psuedo-west coast correspondent and blow dart enthusiast John Dura (aka SpaceCakes420, muxtape) sent me a few tracks the band recently recorded for a Hear Ya Live Session (brought to you by Beer Nuts!). The band performed three songs, including standout "From Port," but the real treat is "Is This Really What It's Come To." Personally, this song really hits home. Not only does Van mention listening to the Grateful Dead (my first favorite band) and the Smashing Pumpkins (my first concert, Infinite Sadness tour) but he has the uncanny ability to sum up the subtle nuances of young life by way of sleepless nights. I can't do any justice to this one, so just peep the lyrics.

"Is this really what its come to/ Some drugs inside my bedroom/ With the lights turned down/ I know I cant see much of anything/ The glow from my computer screens/ Telling me to go/ And sleep is where I want to be/ but I cant get there for the life of me/ So I guess I'll just, watch TV/ And I'll listen to the Grateful Dead on my headphones/ I'll watch as my old dear friends hit the road/ but I think I will stay/ Stay right here.

I've taken all these college course/ I've seen all kind of courses/ That my life should take/ And not to hesitate/ But that's all I want to do/ So I'll sit right here and think it through/ Until the timings right/ Or right for, the time is running with me/ We're holding hands for eternity/ Then we'll have some kids/ Then we'll die/ And I'll listen to the Smashing Pumpkins on my headphones/ I'll watch as my old dear friends hit the road/ But I think I will stay/ Stay right here."

Port O'Brien- I Woke UP Today (Daytrotter/Noise Pop version)
Port O'Brien- Is This Really What It's Come To

Port O'Brien raging "I Woke Up Today" in New York City

one take new york with PORT O'BRIEN, 'i woke up today' from one take new york on Vimeo.

who: Why?

"Faking suicide for applause / in the food courts of malls"

Genres can be a nasty thing. They can also be essential. I first tried writing this post without using genre words. The result was three nonsensical paragraphs that resembled something Pete Dougherty might have written at 4am in a hotel bathroom. That being said, as critics often ponder the future of popular music on the basis that most musical sounds have already been fully exploited, groups like Oakland hip-hop/rockers Why? prove that regardless of the truth of said critics' remarks, music will always have one thing: itself.

Why?’s newest release, the stellar and invigorating Alopecia, is a lesson to listeners who try to define their own tastes. When looking for Alopecia over a month ago, I looked first in the Hip-Hop/Rap section but to no avail. I scratched my head and tried the Rock section where I soon found the album, clad with a bright green sticker affixed “FILE UNDER: ROCK.”

Alopecia is perhaps as much rock as it is hip-hop, and as much Lyricists' Lounge as it is Cake, or Butthole Surfers. It certainly isn’t the rap you’d find coming from the tinted Nissan pulled up beside you at a red light. But within its genre coding lies complex foundations of fresh sincerity, purpose, and the kind of subtle hooks made famous by people like the RZA and The Hold Steady. Now that I think about it, I might start describing Why? as just that.

Why? - Good Friday
Why? - Fatalist Palmistry

sunday morning music: Fleet Foxes

"What a life I lead in the Spring"

This week's sunday(er, monday) morning music comes from from Xachu'bsh, Washington based Fleet Foxes. Yes, we were drooling over them a month ago when we saw them deliver the gospel at the Bowery Ballroom. This Daytrotter session, while not entirely representative of the choral wonder displayed at the Bowery, is none the less, a wholehearted gift from the Foxes. If you haven't yet fallen in love with these guys, do yourself a favor and jump on the band wagon. Highly recommended for fans of The Band, My Morning Jacket, CSNY and the woods.

Fleet Foxes- Sun It Rises
Fleet Foxes- White Winter Hymnal
Fleet Foxes- Sun Giant

post-420: Pineapple Express

"It's like God's Vagina"

Pineapple Express could end up being the best comedy of the year. Hell it might even become a staple in the vast ouevre of stoner comedies. "I can't even light this thing on my own". Seth Rogan, James Franco, a shit ton of "Pineapple Express," this movies got gold written all over it. Blast off.

r.i.p: Danny Federici

"The fireworks are hailing over little eden tonight"

Last night organist, accordion player and founding member of the E Street Band, Danny Federici passed away after a bout with melanoma. Federici's organ fills were an integral part of the E Street Bands unique sound, while his accordion gave Bruce's songs a timeless, old world quality. One of his most notable and most beautiful contributions is the accordion solo on "4th of July, Asbury Park", aka "Sandy." Watch Federici get majestic in this video of Bruce and the E Street Band performing at London's Hammersmith Odeon in 1975. This classic performance, one of the sweetest live captures from Bruce at his peak, is included in the remastered, 25th anniversary Born to Run box set. R.I.P Danny, you will be missed.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band live at the Hammersmith Odeon, 1975

viddyo: Pinball Number Count

"SEVEN!"

This post is dedicated to my brother, who still cites this classic video as one of his favorite childhood memes. Not that I can blame him: the song (originally by the Pointer Sisters, and remixed here by Ninja Tune's DJ Food) is a funky, soul-jazz tune that uses the numbers 1 thru 12 as its only lyrics, and the mildly-psychedelic pinball animations make counting seem downright amazing. This video (and Sesame Street in general) gets a 10 on the awesome scale. (Thanks to P4K.tv )

new: Atlas Sound

"Right On, Right On"

It seems like every other day Bradford Cox releases a new tune via the Deerhunter/Atlas Sound/ Lotus Plaza blog. Not that we have a problem with that, in fact, we like it so much we've subscribed to the blog via RSS, which is a great way to keep up with the outpouring of music Bradford has unleashed in the past months. Last night he posted the following.

After the Deerhunter show at the Market Hotel Friday, I became extremely ill. Lockett and I had both been suffering from a severe flu, but I think exhaustion and too much cigarette smoke pushed me beyond my limits and by Sunday, the 13th I had to go to the emergency room in Manhattan. I honestly felt like I was dying and there is no better time to explore and relive small tears in your past than to have them floating in front of you in a haze of painkillers and i.v. bags.

"April 13th" is a loopy bit of Animal Collective-like happy schizo pop. Warm and inviting, weird and charming all at the same time. According to Bradford "this should give you an idea of what to expect of a solo A.S. performance" (he had been performing with a band, see here, here). "April 13th" is a doozy; nearly twelve minutes of floating melody hung in a perpetual purgatory like state, cuddled with pharmaceutically entranced vocals and all the subtle nuances of sound you'd expect from a Deerhunter or Atlas Sound song. It's reminiscent of "Youth Energy" in form and length, but more focused than the instrumental from the How I Escaped The Prison of Fractals EP. The bells and dreamy, aesthetic optimism also bring Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel standouts "Quarantined" and "On Guard." It's a behemoth of love soaked in high grade opiates, bells and synths, looped over and over for your aural pleasure. "Right On Right On" (or is it "Ride On, Ride On").

Atlas Sound- April 13th

P.S- I thought I had this song on repeat, but it just segued perfectly into Augustus Pablo's dub plate classic "Unity Dub." So much so that I didn't realize the song had ended until I heard Pablo's signature reverb/echo/delay flying snare hits. A compliment if there ever was one.

whoa: Circulatory System

"You were never so high"

We've been hearing rumors for a while that Will Cullen Hart's post-Olivia Tremor Control band Circulatory System would be releasing an album in '08. Now there's proof and we're fucking psyched about it. If you know Bobka, you know we like psychedelic anything; art, music, shoes, drugs, animals(?). Whatever it is, we like it a little fuzzy, a bit skewed and trippy as balls (see The Sea & Cake video below). So when P4K posted about 3 new jams on Circulatory System's MySpace, we immediately hopped on the bus and hit the information super highway seeking enlightenment, or something like it, via loopy bedroom psych. So far we're really digging "Same Place", a track full of opiated vocals, Beatles in India guitars, homemade percussion and a quirky maelstrom of bizarro instruments you've grown to expect from the E6'ers. All that makes for a what feels like a very lucid sleepwalk through a rainy Amazonian jungle. Listen here.

If you've peeped my muxtape you might have expected this post. Why? Because it's spring and nothings better on the train than some weird Elephant 6 fuzz to combat the itchy crackhead lady sitting next to you trying to free the bugs from under her skin. Creepy, but hey, that's what drugs do. It's not pretty, unless you grew up in Ruston and were/are part of a highly touted, experimental psych pop collective that's sorta kinda based out of Athens, but not really. If you don't believe us about the psych, etc, just peep the video for "Should A Cloud Replace A Compass?"

Oh yeah, the image at the top is from Circulatory System's My Space wallpaper, which might be the best, most appropriate wallpaper I've ever seen on the crap ass social network.

Circulatory System- Yesterdays World
Circulatory System- Now

"Should A Cloud Replace A Compass?": A Short film by Joey Foreman

viddyo: "Coconut"

Directed by Lung

There isn't anything resembling a storyline in the video for The Sea and Cake's latest single, "Coconut", but the trippy, nonsensical animations are certainly fun to look at. That, and the floating, melodic warmth of the backing track, makes the whole thing feel like a laid back acid trip from the early '90s. Where were you in '92?

nu musick (television): P4k

It was bound to happen...

It's been one week since Pitchfork launched their dubiously named, super high quality video site, Pitchfork.Tv. So while we were busy working, we had intern Hunter (we still love the way that sounds). whose spending the last semester of his college career running a hot dog stand, a chance to review the totally bad ass video website. Here's what the youngster had to say

Music television, for all it's age old glory, is, (ahem), not what it once was. As soon as MTV decided once and for all to resign itself to reality tv, game shows, and spring break (woo!), those of us who actually enjoy watching music videos, concerts, interviews, and the like, were forced to the underground (otherwise known as Youtube). No longer! The ratings-obsessed, indie music behemoth known as Pitchfork, who in reviews past has given OK Computer a perfect 10.0 (spot on), as well as The Boy With the Arab Strap a 0.8 (wtf!?), is throwing it's trendy hat into the music television world. Here's a quick rundown:

It seems P4kTV is broken into five different sections:

1. Featured - basically a highlights section, pulled from the other four.

2. Shows - the place for Pitchfork original content that so far contains programs called:
• "Don't Look Down" (a band playing some songs on an NYC rooftop, for now, The Thermals)
• old favorite "Juan's Basement" (now fully produced under the Pitchfork name, featuring performances and interviews, starting with personal fav Liars)
• "Daytripping" (ostensibly a place for Pitchfork produced mini-documentaries, currently following the exploits of those crazies from Man Man)
• "Special Presentation" (whatever else Pitchfork is cooking up; this week poking fun at themselves before anyone else can, by making fools out of unwitting VJ wannabe’s. Someone haul Jessie back out of the dumpster from whence he came...)

3. Pitchfork Live – where you’ll find complete live concert footage, right now featuring Jay Reatard’s Live at Cake Shop performance in NYC from October ’07. (see video below)

4. One Week Only – as this section currently features the (full length!) Pixies documentary “loudQUIETloud”, this might be the most groundbreaking section of PitchforkTV. Presumably, it’s where they’ll be airing content that is too expensive for them to keep up permanently, otherwise known as stuff that’s professionally produced. Maybe next week they’ll be showing the Mark Wahlberg classic “Rock Star”?

5. Music Video – music videos, as well as one song live performances, from indie bands near and far

THE GOOD:
Damn near all of it. While some of the features (Music Videos, a site-specific search engine) were no brainers, many of the others are downright clever, most notably the One Week Only section. Also, everything that is more than just a music video is broken up into DVD-style chapters, so you can skip to your favorite Jay Reatard song in the middle of his set, or watch the Pixies try to contain their hatred for their David Blaine-wannabe drummer near the end of loudQUIETloud. In addition, it seems as though one "chapter" per Pitchfork produced show will be available for download for your itunes/ipod(!), like set closer "Ocean" from the just added A Place To Bury Strangers set, found in Pitchfork Live.

THE BAD:
Ummmmmmmm, not much. I'm a little disappointed that there isn't more available for download; at first glance, I thought that everything besides the One Week Only and Music Videos could be had for free, and I almost wet myself, but like I said, it seems to be just one chapter per segment. I’ll get back to you when they start production on Real World: Athens.

Jay Reatard at Cake Shop 10/10/07

re-review: DFA/ Pop Rally/ MOMA Color Chart

"Colors and Colors and Colors and Colors"
(Photo by Mecredis)

Six weeks ago we attended the opening of the MoMA's Color Chart exhibit. Lots of colors, trippy lights, DJ sets by a bunch of DFA headhunters and free booze. A damn good time indeed. The other day the PopRally kids posted some fresh video of the event, along with mp3's of each and every one of the DJ sets that evening. Definitely sure to get the party started. Grab 'em will they're fresh.

Juan Maclean- 3/1/08 Moma DJ Set
T&T (Tim Sweeney & Tim Goldsworthy of DFA) 3/1/08 MoMA DJ Set
Holy Ghost- 3/1/08 MoMA DJ Set
Justin Miller & Jacques Renault 3/1/08 MoMA DJ Set

Video from the MoMA Color Chart opening 3/1/2008

ha: Wild Knights "Beaver Patrol"

"I hustle chicks"

We've been on a bit of a garage psych kick the past few weeks. So much so that our friend Bill at Sound Bites is waiting for a post on the Count Five (Bill, see below). While they say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, I simply couldn't pass thing one up on title alone. Truth is there are no shortage of aptly titled obscure garage psych compilations out there (Nuggets being the most famous), however, this one really caught my eye: Acid Dreams Epitaph- 75 Minutes of Green Fuz. How 'bout that, eh? Not only does this mix essentially define punk before punk was even a notion in a pissed of kids head, but it includes one of the most absurd songs I've ever heard (and yes I'm factoring in the entire R. Kelly catalog). The song in question, The Wild Knights "Beaver Patrol." Yeah, maybe its a bit dated, sorta sexist and flat out, um, in your face, but hey, who says music shouldn't make you laugh, cry and rock out at the same time?

My favorite way of getting kicks/ I go down town, I hustle chicks/ Beaver Patrol! (Beaver Patrol!)/ One good thing that's on my side/ It's a big bad car, it's out of sight/ Beaver Patrol!

The Wild Knights, indeed. In all fairness, "Beaver Patrol" is far from an accurate depiction of the Acid Dreams Epitaph comp, which is way better than this novelty sex song. But I'll prove that some other time. If "Beaver Patrol" isn't exactly "your thing", and maybe it's best that way, then check out The Count Five's "Pyschotic Reaction", a jangly rave up with a classic garage rhythm sure to bring you back to Kevin Arnold's world, or something like that.

The Wild Knights- Beaver Patrol
The Count Five- Psychotic Reaction

classik: Herbie Mann "Push Push"

We don't want to know where that flute has been.

Legendary jazz flutist Herbie Mann made a sexy foray into the world of funk, R&B, and pop with his 1971 aphrodisiac Push Push. Having already released a whopping 73 albums under his name, Mann ventured into uncharted musical territory, and as the album cover reveals, he did it with his shirt off. To make the equation even more amazing, he brought along Bobka-idol Duane Allman for the ride. The result is 48 minutes of straight up baby-makin' music, featuring funked up versions of jazz standards and sultry, exploratory grooves.

Herbie Mann feat. Duane Allman - "Push Push"