Here’s this free Ep you can download from Cincinnati band The Spectacular Fantastic. It’s mostly indie-poppy, with a somtimes slight countryish twang, although they’re definitely channeling classic Teenage Fanclub on at least 2 of the tracks (”60 Cycles“, and “Winds Of Change” (I’m not even going to make a Scorpions joke here)).

Did you know that Mr. Magpie, he-of-the-different-area-code over at Chromewaves.net, just keeps adding to the list of freely-downloadable albums from his label, the latest being Georgia’s Nothing New?

I just got an email telling me that Daniel Johnston’s rare early recordings are being released on your favorite Online-Music-Store-Type-Deal, starting May 31st. I’m not sure exactly how the releases are going to work; poke around The Orchard website and see if you can figure out exactly who’s releasing what and when. I’m just posting the list of releases as my brain parsed it:

Continued Story/Hi How Are You (1985) (iTunes Exclusive)
Don’t Be Scared (1982) (Napster Exclusive)
Frankenstein Love (1992) (iTunes Exclusive)
Live at SXSW (1990)
The Lost Recordings (1983)
The Lost Recordings II (1983)
More Songs of Pain (1982)
Respect (1985) (iTunes Exclusive)
Retired Boxer (1984) (eMusic Exclusive)
Songs of Pain (1981) (Real/Rhapsody Exclusive)
The What of Whom (1982) (iTunes Exclusive)
Yip/Jump Music (1983) (iTunes Exclusive)

All this, and Daniel Johnston ringtones too. I shit you not.

I also just got an email reminding me that A Good Band Is Easy To Kill, that Beulah DVD, is coming out August 2nd, and is pre-orderable for a damn reasonable $12.50, shipping included. JV fans should note that they’re saying he’s all up in the DVD, too. JV fans should also note that the Pixel Revolt advances have gone out.

So, did the TMU Devendra/Jana Hunter split disc come out, or no?

Blank Stare, the DVD distribution division of Secretly Canadian, is becoming a full-service DVD imprint. The first major release will be the documentary “Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music”, which features Pedro the Lion, Danielson Famile, and all those other Jesus-y type indie-rockers.

And sorry, but the new mix is running a little behind. Probably be up there tomorrow.