Hey, we’ve spoken to our friends over at Stolen Recordings in the UK, and they’ve kindly set it up so that U.S. Catbird readers can pick up the brand-spankin’-new Pete & The Pirates EP, Wait Stop Begin, for only $10, which includes shipping from the UK. That’s about 6 or 7 bucks cheaper than the regular price (because the dollar/pound conversion rate totally blows (go check it)).

I mentioned this new EP last month (and posted a few mp3s). And I know I’ve already explained that Pete & the Pirates is Thomas Tap Tap’s other band, but the especially interesting thing about that is that there a few shared songs between Wait Stop Begin and the new Tap Tap Lanzafame disc. It’s kinda cool to compare the differences between the versions of “Come On Feet” and “She Doesn’t Belong.”

Yeah, yeah, it’s new release day. But there’s only one company gonna get my dime today, and that’s the amazing 4 Men With Beards, who are releasing new 180-gram vinyls of both Chris Bell’s I Am The Cosmos, AND Big Star’s Third/Sister Lovers (ft. original cover art, complete liner notes, and original mixes/track listing from master tapes directly from Argent Studios).

Wow. Like, whoa. Everybody just *loves* the Tap Tap; don’t you? We’ve been getting crazy response on this one. Limited-edition copies remain, but note that there are very few copies of the red, pale-red, and purple left.

And remember a few weeks ago, I mentioned the new EP by Thomas Tap Tap’s other band, Pete & The Pirates? That disc’ll be available this week in the UK from our dear friends at Stolen. There’s a release show at the Spitz, 109 Commercial St, E1 in London on Friday the 28th. Also, they’ll be doing an XFM Session on the 27th.

We’re hoping to arrange a specially discounted price on the Pete & The Pirates Wait Stop Begin disc especially for Catbird readers, so stay tuned.

I didn’t get to mention it before, but the Maestro wants to extend a special thanks to all who came out the Candy Store show on the 16th. It was a packed house, and that’s always nice. The Maestro and Katie have been asked back too, and will be doing another show together on 10/13. I also need to mention that the Maestro will be performing in his new incarnation as Fulton Lights at the Knitting Factory on July 30th.

::: Fulton Lights - Fire In The Palm Of My Hand :::

He’ll be playing with a full 9-piece band, which should be just amazing. And to top it all off, also appearing will be Dragon Turtle, Kristen:Austin (Kristen Mueller of Gloria Deluxe), and Lewis & Clarke! (Oh My Rockness, did you get that?)

Btw, the bonus disc version of the Maestro Echoplex EPs are sold out now.

I’ve been wondering why every new order for the Hemstad disc is coming from the UK, and the answer is simple: The English love Hemstad. They’ve been getting some radio airplay over there, plus, UK-based Wigwam Records will soon be releasing a 7-inch of “Kaserntorgets Charkdisco” b/w “Speedway Pa Arendal,” plus, Hemstad has also been tapped to play the End Of The Road Festival in Reading on September 15-17, alongside Badly Drawn Boy, The Pink Mountaintops, El Perro Del Mar, and a bazillion other fantastic bands. Anyone want to donate some frequent flyer miles so I can haul my ass over there?

Anyway, on to non CBR crap…

You guys catch that Merge has a new Buckner disc on the way? It’s called Meadow, and it’s out September 12th.

::: Richard Buckner - Town :::

He’ll be touring throughout September alongside Eric Bachmann, whose new disc, To The Races, will be out on Saddle Creek on 8/22.

::: Eric Bachmann - Carrboro Woman :::
::: Eric Bachmann - Lonesome Warrior :::

(Isn’t “Lonesome Warrior” a yoga position?)

Holy smiley happy pop-song, Batman; have you heard that track from the upcoming Jim Noir full-length on Barsuk?

::: Jim Noir - Key of C :::

Sheesh, SCTAS has been turning me on to so much good stuff of late, I can’t keep up. Here’s just one thing: the new double-album from The Channel, Tales From the Two Hill Heart / Sibylline Machine, out 8/08 on C-Side Records.

::: The Channel - The Deserter :::
::: The Channel - Sibylline Machine :::

Speaking of double-disc’ers, our pals 75 Or Less Records have just released a double-CD, Rock Out With Your Tail Out, as a benefit for the Providence Animal Rescue League. 31 different RI bands contributed tracks for this release, which comes in a hand-silkscreened edition of 500. Only $8.50, shipping included! Go pick up a copy– the little waggytails of Providence need your help. Don’t make me send you over to Cute Overload to get you into “Awww-Lil-Animals-Are-So-Adorable-And-Need-Our-Help” mode.

Oh hey, you know how that Maestro Echoplex disc is called Last Night I Saw God On The Dancefloor?” There’s a song called that on the disc, but it’s actually a sort of cover. The song’s actually written by Maestro collaborator John Lindenbaum (formerly of Rust Belt Music, currently of The Lonelyhearts), is called “Trip McNeely Syndrome,” and originally appeared on Rust Belt’s 2003 EP The Dodge EP.

::: Rust Belt Music - Trip McNeely Syndrome :::

You can download that EP in its entirety, as well as the just-posted final Rust Belt album, The Company Town, right here on the Rust Belt Music download page. Can’t beat that with a stick.

After swinging by Said The Gramophone the other day, and hearing the song “Greased Hairclip,” I immediately had to jump over and order the new disc by BOAT. I can’t wait to hear it.

::: BOAT - Last Cans Of Paint :::

Wow, mega-tweesters Sprites are still kickin’ and have a new disc, Modern Gameplay, out this month (avail. at Darla). Here’s their apocalyptic end-of-the-world song (keeping in mind, of course, that I refer to Sprites as “mega-twee”):

::: Sprites - George Romero :::

Wha-wha-what?! The Spectacular Fantastic have followed up last summer’s totally-free I Love You EP with, yep, another totally free EP! I can’t even single out a favorite track out of the bunch– they’re all good stuff. And free, did I mention that?

Mark your calendars for 11/21:

Swan Lake
Beast Moans
11/21/06

1. Widow’s Walk
2. Nubile Days
3. City Calls
4. A Venue Called Rubella
5. All Fires
6. The Partisan But He’s Got To Know
7. The Freedom
8. Petersburg, Liberty Theater, 1914
9. The Pollenated Girls
10. Bluebird
11. Pleasure Vessels
12. Are You Swimming In Her Pools?
13. Shooting Rockets

No word yet on which tracks are Dan Bejar’s, which are Carey Mercer’s, and which are Spencer Krug’s, but then again, does it really matter? S’all gonna be fantastic.

Hells yes. CBR 005: Tap Tap - Lanzafame is done, it’s in, and now shipping. It’s been a long wait, but I assure you, it was well worth it; this disc is amazing.

::: Tap Tap - 100,000 Thoughts :::

Regular jewel-case edition, and limited edition of 200 in book-style cases with 3-song bonus disc.

Boy, this new Catfish Haven track, from their upcoming full-length, Tell Me, is a bit odd. It’s like, Catfish Haven, but also, like, uh, 70’s white funk.

::: Crazy For Leaving :::

Tell Me is out 9/12 on Secretly Canadian. I think they’ll probably be touring ’round that time too, and probably with Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin along again.

Also, hey, there’s a brand-spanking-new Pernice track up for download over at the Pernice Brothers site. It’s called “Somerville,” is from the upcoming disc, Live A Little, and sounds fairly Pernice-y. And I’m only going to link to this entry page because it’s obvious that they want you to sign up for the mailing list before downloading, so hotlinking the track would be a real dick thing to do.*

(*so, if you’re reading this and you’ve hotlinked or otherwise reposted that track– yes, you’re a dick.)

Yeah, you may have heard, but that new Oneida album, Happy New Year, is really good. It reminds me a little more of Secret Wars than it does The Wedding (and it’s definitely not in the vein of “Sheets Of Easter”). It’s that Oneida-y krautrockipscychadrone-ica. The opener, “Distress,” to my ears, sounds like an acid-infused, satanic ritual version of “Scarborough Fair,” and I can honestly say that I’ve never said that about any other song in my life. My current favorite, though, is this one, track 3:

::: Oneida - The Adversary :::

On a different note, seems like everyone in the known universe got their M Ward Post War promo disc this week. I won’t get into the reasons why, but I will say that I wasn’t expecting to like this one, but was totally surprised. It’s good. Damn good, as a matter-of-fact, and rock-solid front-to-back. It’s out 8/22 on Merge.

::: M Ward - To Go Home :::

Probably seems like I’m harping on it, but (especially since Oh My Rockness just couldn’t be bothered to even list it) I’ve just got to give one last reminder about the Maestro Echoplex CBR 006 quasi-release show this Sunday night at Pete’s Candy Store in Brooklyn. 8:30pm. Free show.

Orillia Opry. Duo. In a country-y, folky-y vein. From Montreal. Their album is Pandion Haliaetus on Ships At Night Records, and I like this song:

::: Orillia Opry - Poison House :::

Here, try some of this.

Smells good, what is it?

It’s Kobe steak. It costs a fortune, but oh, it’s so good.

Mmm, that *is* good! Thank you! Mmmm (chomp chomp) Mmm….

You like it, eh? Here, have some more.

Really? Mmmm! Delicious! (chomp chomp) Mmm! That was great, thanks!

Here, here’s some more…

Uh, ok… (chomp…) (chomp…)

Ready for more? Here you go!

Um, I’m kinda…

…and another one! Come on, now, finish it all!

Ugh, I don’t feel so good, can you, uh…

How about another! This one’s a full half-pounder!

(groan…)

Come on now, one more. Come on…

(moan…)

Ok, ok. So you liked it, right? It was good, right?

(…)

Glad you liked it! Because I’ve got 6 more steaks here for you to finish off!

…
Sufjan’s The Avalanche is out this week.

Won’t You Miss Me? Wouldn’t You Miss Me At All?

Syd Barrett (the only good thing ever about Pink Floyd (he left in ‘68) is dead at 60. In his honor, when you go out to the record store today, instead of buying some sub-par, overhyped new disc that you’ll never listen to ever again after 2 weeks, you should pick up Syd’s brilliant album, The Madcap Laughs.

CBR 005 hasn’t disappeared; it’s just still delayed a bit at the factory. Nonetheless, I must go ahead and announce immediate pre-orderibility (is that a word?) of CBR 006: Maestro Echoplex - Last Night I Saw God On The Dancefloor.

CBR 006
Maestro Echoplex - Last Night I Saw God On The Dancefloor
August 2006

Last Night was originally self-released by the Maestro back in 2001, but poor distribution kept it impossibly hard to find. We are proud to be re-releasing Last Night, complete with a newly-designed letterpressed case. It’s one of my favorite records of the past 5 years, and hey, it was even BBC New Music’s Runner-Up for Album of the Year, 2001.

Now, why am I suddenly announcing a pre-order for this? Because Maestro Echoplex is playing a quasi-release show for the album this Sunday, July 16th, at Pete’s Candy Store in Brooklyn, 8:30pm. This performance will mark one of the few, if not last, times that songs from the Last Night album will be performed, so do swing by if you’re in that neighborhood. Quite possibly the only chance you’ll ever have to hear these amazing songs performed live. And speaking of songs, I’ve been listening to this particular track for nigh on 5 years now, and I tell you honestly, I still love it.

::: Maestro Echoplex - My Eyes Are Disconnected… :::

So if you dig, you should definitely go pre-order. The disc is $6, and it will ship in August. First 100 orders get a free 4-song bonus CD, but act fast; CBR Mailing List members have been ordering those up fairly quickly since they got the announcement last night. There are still some copies remaining, but I don’t know how long they’ll hold out.