This week, the first release in the new STIFLE series came out (STIFLE is a joint-Joint
between Startime and
The Fader). This first release,
STIFLE001, features the French Kicks‘ “Close To Modern”
remixed. From the French Kicks’ website:

The song originally boasted dirty guitars, a Rolling Stones like back beat, and Prince like vocal harmonies.
In the hands of DJ Smash and Eucho it?s totally different.

EUCHO - Underground house producer Eucho provides “Close to Modern” with a thumping electro-bassline a la New
Order with a solid house beat and enough funky keyboard flourishes to put most producers to shame. The white label
was shortly the talk of the town at Winter Music Conference this year. The dub is super funky disco a la Metro Area.

DJ SMASH - Most famous for his uber-successful Blue Note mix CD, DJ Smash has been a fixture on the deep
house circuit for close to ten years?garnering a world wide fan base. Stripping down the song to its most minimal parts
this song would fit perfectly for a “Bang the Party” kind of vibe. Relaxed and funky.

Tracklist:

Side 1
1a Manic Panic Remix
1b Manic Panic Dub
1c When You Heard You (b-side)
Side 2
2a MobileGlobal Vocal Mix
2b MobileGlobal Dub Mix

The Streets is next in the series, but Ted Leo has definitely been name-dropped as a future installment.

Amigo Row, the new album from Matt Suggs(Ex-Butterglory), drops next week (or
you can order now from the Merge site).
I’m really anxious to check it out, but unfortunately, no sample mp3s seem to be available anywhere. Of the
9 or so posts on the Matt Suggs section of the Merge Message Board, 1 describes the record as killer, one says “I was a big Butterglory fan, but his solo stuff blows it away”,
and 1 says:

Tour Dates:
Sep 18 Tampa (w/ Songs:Ohia)
Sep 19 Tallahassee (w/ Songs: Ohia)
Sep 20 Baton Rouge
Sep 21 New Orleans (w/ Songs:Ohia)
Sep 25 Nashville (w/ Songs:Ohia)
Oct 12 Chapel Hill (w/ Beulah)
Oct 13 DC (w/ Beulah)
Oct 15 Philly (w/ Beulah)
Oct 16 NY (w/ Beulah)
Oct 18 Boston (w/ Beulah)
(yeah, venue names woulda been good, but hell, just pick your damned local free-paper and look that shit up)

Also touring in September is singer, songwriter, and all-round-hell-of-a-nice-guy, June Panic.
I’m not sure what the status is of his “new” album; the website says to expect a fall/winter release, but I can’t find any other info. Y’know, you should go out to see June play, and
then ask him about the status of the new album, and then you can e-mail me and let me know. In the meantime, mark your calendars, and listen to Baby’s Breadth, or one of June’s many other splendid
records (you can get ‘em at the Secretly Canadian store).

Sep 10 Bloomington, IN - Bear’s Place
Sep 11 Upland, IN - Taylor University
Sep 12 Knoxville, TN - Pilot Light
Sep 13 Athens, GA - Ultramod Compound (House show)
Sep 14 Asheville, NC - Vincent’s Ear
Sep 15 Mt. Pleasant, SC - Village Tavern
Sep 17 Baltimore, MD - Talking Head
Sep 21 Arlington, VA - Galaxy Hut
Sep 22 Pittsburgh, PA - Rex Theatre
Sep 27 N. Manchester, IN - Firehouse

And if you happen to be *anywhere* near southern Tennessee this weekend, I strongly urge you to head on over to Lamar’s, in Chattanooga,
on the 17th. Charles Allison will be playing a free “back-to-school” show,
and Charles will not disappoint. His latest, Braced In The Beams, has become as a dear old friend to me now. I fucking love that
record. Here, check out the alt-country-twinged pop of “Next Summer“. Plus
two of my other favorites, from his “old band” Kil Howlie Day: The lurrvely “Much Like Van Gogh“, and
the quirkpop gem, “Emo Camo“.

and I’m out.