CATBIRD EXCLUSIVE FOOTAGE!!!

EXCLUSIVE!!!!! OMGZ, DUDES! (farting sounds) THE ARCADE FIRE WUZ ON SATURDAY (farting) NIGHT LIVE!!!! WE (farting) WER IN TEH AUDIENCE, CHEK OUT THIS CATBIRD EXCLUSIVE VIDEO (farting) OF DE PERFORMANCE BEFORE IT GITS YANKED!!!!!

Forest Fire killed it last night. I think they’ve got something something. There are less than 50 copies of the CD remaining, by the way.

I was completely surprised to discover that a new Dolorean record came out this week– I hadn’t heard a damn thing about it! But it’s understandable that something like this may slip through the cracks, considering the sheer volume of new music being foisted upon the general public each week (and the never-slowing, exponentially-increasing number of mp3 blogs mindlessly, thoughtlessly, regurgitating incessant PR hype, thus perpetuating a cycle of endless white noise (but I digress…)).

Dolorean. New record: You Can’t Win. I just listened to the full album stream, and I think it’s quite a good one. I’m really glad that Al James & Co. are still at it, cranking out that lovely Cosmic American Music, even when feeling a bit beat-down by It All.

::: Dolorean - Beachcomber Blues :::
::: Dolorean - Heather Remind Me This Ends :::

Note that the vinyl edition of You Can’t Win is a very limited one-time pressing, so if you want to secure one of those, you’d best order right away. Comes with a free instant digital download, to boot.

Envelopes are streaming some all-new tracks over at their Myspace.

Ever wondered what the offspring of a three-way between Spencer Tunick, Koyaanisqatsi, and Tortoise would be? Here you go.

A new Pink Mountaintops 7-inch was released this week with very little fanfare. I bet it’s pretty good.

About 6 months ago, on a whim, I downloaded a torrent of demos from a band I’d never heard of. Yadda yadda yadda, today, I’m happy to announce immediate availability of their new six-song EP on Catbird Records. The band is called Forest Fire, they’re from Brooklyn, New York, and I like ‘em, obvs.

::: Forest Fire - Psychic Love Star :::

This Wednesday, February 21st, come join us for the Forest Fire CD Release Show at Zebulon in Brooklyn, with Forest Fire, Scary Mansion, Michael Leviton, and The Finches (from San Francisco, California).

June Panic has a new release out on 3/10, it’s his contribution to the Burnt Toast Vinyl One-Sided LP series. Raising The Canopy Wire is 5 newly recorded tracks, including some new takes on songs originally found on Horror Vacui:

1. Raising The Canopy Wire
2. Oh, Oh, I Love Her So (Ramones)
3. David Poe
4. (I’d Have To Be) Crazy (Willie Nelson)
5. Baby Divine

The cover portrait was done by June’s wife Mandalynne, who also did the etching for the B-side of the disc.

Titles (maybe) of songs (possibly) to appear (perhaps) on Spoon’s upcoming album, It’s Frightening (or “Trouble Minx“) (or “Stroke Their Brains“) (but definitely *NOT* “Fish Fingers“):

- Kindness Kills Them

- Underdog Jon

- My Little Japanese Cigarette Case

- Rhythm and Soul

- Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

- The Way You Said, Yeah He Did

- Black Like Me

- Finer Feelings

- The Ghost Of You Lingers

- Eddie’s Ragga

- You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb

- Don’t You Evah

- Don’t Make Me A Target

I Heart Music has rooted thru the CBC Radio 3 Archives and ripped their old Royal City session to mp3, just for you.

The lads of Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin are apparently trying to rapidly age themselves via hard-living on the road, as they’ve got pretty much the next three months booked solid with touring. And not only do they have a new 7-inch coming out just in time for the tour, they also now have an official fanpage (!), plus also a new McSwy’s swipe at their name.

If you’ve spent any time around here at all, you know that, in the beginning, there was Maestro Echoplex, which begat John Guilt. Eventually, John Guilt faded, leaving Andrew Spencer Goldman, solo, who, late last year, picked up the name Fulton Lights, and then promptly finished the album he’d been working on for the last three years. With help from a very large cast of very talented associates, including Oktopus and DJ Still (both of Dälek), Andrew has put together a debut that, as the press release puts it, “is a cycle of songs that are deceptively sweet-edged, but indelibly tough.” Here’s one example of that “sweet-edge,” this simple, smoldering slow-burner:

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

And on to the “indelibly tough:”

::: Fulton Lights - Thank God For The Evening News :::

Fulton Lights’ s/t debut is pretty much a product of Andrew’s trademark quiet/lovely sensibility, with a booster shot of John Cale strings, multiplied by the RZA, on a bed of fresh Isaac Hayes ‘tude. I believe that everyone sort of has “their own” New York, you know? And Andrew’s New York may not be pretty, but it’s darkly sublime and beautiful, and damn, the boy captured that perfectly on this record.

Oh yeah: And so I’m really happy to announce that Catbird Records is releasing a special, limited-edition (150) version of the album, complete with some really cool packaging and a 4-track bonus disc which includes one non-album track, plus remixes from Still, Strategy, and Nick Forte. Should ship just prior to the release of the regular edition (on Android Eats Records) on March 6th.

Related: SPIN, CMG, Silent Uproar, Fingertips Blog, Kinky Origami

Our friends at Soft Abuse just sent over a copy of the upcoming release from the Giant Skyflower Band (Glenn Donaldson (Skygreen Leopards, Jewelled Antler, etc.)), Shayde Sartin, & guest Kelley Stoltz). It’s a 10-song collection of depressed psycho-delicate pop called Blood of the Sunworm, and it’s due out next month. Here’s a sitarry-night ramble that segues directly into a bummer-psych cover of The Hidden Cameras‘ “Builds The Bone:”

::: Giant Skyflower Band - Bitter Wild Rabbit/Builds The Bone :::

On an unrelated note, I know most of you haven’t even heard it (because I know both the sales figures *and* the torrent download figures), but FWIW, Drowned In Sound, the “Pitchfork of the U.K.,” just gave The Ghosts’ Blue Birds Blood a 9 out of 10 review. Which is pretty cool.

Ok, the Monthly Mix is back. Thanks to all the folks who wrote in to say how much they like these things. So, ok, yeah, I’ll keep ‘em going. Probably.

My ol’ pal Charles (that’s Chattanooga’s own Charles Allison (the man responsible for one of my very favorite records of 2002)) just finished up a EP of new material that he’s been pokin’ around on for a long while. With the aid of his cohorts Black Eyed Dog, and with masterful mixin’ by the legendary Mitch Easter(!), Charles ‘ new disc, Some Queer Raincoat, is now available, and it’s a nice lil’ slice of Charles’ earnest and sweet no-depressed sounds.

::: Charles Allison - All On An Officer’s Wage :::

He’s pressed the disc in a limited edition, and is currently selling it for a mere six bones (postage included(!)). I’m putting his Buy Now button right here on the page to save you the pain of having to jump over to Myspace:

There’s apparently a new Final Fantasy video, for “This Lamb Sells Condos,” here. I can’t see it because my internet is TEH SUCK right now, but I bet it’s probably pretty cool.

Got a note from Merge that there’s a new Rosebuds record on the way, which is great news… Night Of The Furies is out on April 10th, and is apparently a combo of their bouncy pop stylings (a la Make Out) and their gloomy pop stylings (a la Birds Make Good Neighbors). Check yr local listings- they’re touring throughout February and March.

Pitchfork had a nice review yesterday of that new Beirut EP, Lon Gisland. I just got it last week and am thoroughly enjoying it, brief as the damn thing is. For those not paying very close attention, this is out not only on CD, but also as a one-sided vinyl from Chouette. Completists may also want to take note, if they missed it, about the limited-edition Calexico/Beirut 7-inch that City Slang put out when the two bands were on tour together. Tracks are Beirut - “Interior Of A Dutch House” / Calexico - “The Guns Of Brixton.”