We’re on holiday until 9/3. Probably will have a new mix ready later that week. Meantime, you could always keep yourself occupied with the August Mix, or, heck, even this other special mix I put together:

Jason Anderson is awesome. But we already knew that, didn’t we? Jason hasn’t put out a new record in awhile, since he’s been on the road touring living rooms, basements, backyards, and lofts for these last 762 years. But his new record, Tonight came out last week, and I have to say, it’s one of best things I’ve heard in a while. They’ve finally managed to capture the vibe of the Jason Anderson live show on disc– and everyone knows that the Jason Anderson live show is all joy; pure and genuine joy. So yes, despite my confessed “Springsteenisms overload,” I’m very, very much enjoying this disc.

And dude. It’s only $5.99 on iTunes. C’mon.

The NYC preppies with diamonds on the soles of their shoes, Vampire Weekend, have signed with XL’s Abeano Music imprint. I’m pretty sure that’s a UK only label, which means that their next 7-inch, after import taxes and currency conversion against the pitifully weak dollar, will cost you about the same as their current domestic 7-inch.

I was very happy to recently learn that one of my favourite Canucks, Nathan Lawr, will have a new album (A Sea Of Tiny Lights) out October 2nd on Calgary’s Saved By Radio / Saved By Vinyl. The disc features many of Nathan’s current “Minotaurs,” like Simon Osborne, Shaw-Han Liem, and Kate Maki, plus a number of guests, including Jim Guthrie and Paul Aucoin. There’s a couple of the new album tracks streaming on Nathan’s Myspace.

Praise continues to roll in (at a leisurely pace, naturally) for Moviola’s Dead Knowledge, this time from Cleveland Scene’s Justin Farrar, who says that:

…Dead Knowledge unfolds as if Moviola intentionally set out to capture our country’s musiial experience in its entirety. There’s colonial folk, drunken Tex-Mex, field spirituals, punchy R&B, and some of the best West Coast rock since Poco dropped its Crazy Eyes LP back in ‘74.

Whoa. I mean, come on, how often do you see a Poco reference?

And I should probably mention that I just uploaded another one of the videos from the DVD that comes with the Dead Knowledge Special Edition (of which we have a mere handful of copies still remaining). “Truth & Devotion:”

Other recent blurbage for Catbird releases:

Popmatters on The Underpainting:

These modest songs’ honesty goes back to a more straightforward brand of folk-rock than we’re generally offered in the independent scene today, where things seem forever tarted up…

And Pip, from the full-album-RAR blog Old/Borrowed/New says of Jason Zumpano’s In The Co. Of Ghosts:

…it all works beautifully as a suite. Some tracks have ‘Michael Nyman played on honky-tonk piano’ feel, or maybe that’s just me.

That Nyman quote made me chuckle, but it really is appropriate.

On a simiar but different note, it’s clear to me after reading his writeup that Kevin Elliott over at World Of Wumme really *gets* In The Co. Of Ghosts.

Lastly, we’re currently just putting the final touches on 2 new short-run releases, to be out in the coming weeks. And the new edition T-shirts (not “New Edition“) should be in any day now. Although almost every one of them is already spoken for, you can probably maybe still reserve one of the surplus ones if you wanna give it a shot.

So I’ve gone from having tons of little text doc notes littering my screen all the time, to having tons of little notes jotted into my Google Notebook all the time. Here’s a dump of stuff that’s accumulated there recently:

First of all, news to me, but apparently, the entire world just collectively shits their pants when Daft Punk tours.

Secretly Canadian has joined in the “maybe we can get people to actually pay for this stuff if we give them exclusive download content” movement that’s sprung up of late: Pre-orders for the upcoming Jens Lekman album, out 10/9, will get a download code for “some very exclusive content. [Not] horseshit.”

Pleasant, inoffensive new indiepop abounds: Rogue Wave, who recently parted ways with Sub Pop (no juicy story other than “their contract was up and they wanted to leave”) for Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records have a new album out next month, and Idolator has an mp3. Also, LA stalwarts Earlimart have a new disc, Mentor Tormentor, out next week. Streams on thier Myspace.

Modern-era indie fans #283 thru #9802 are very excited: the LCD Soundsystem/Arcade Fire Tour is spinning off a “limited” split 7-inch, LCD covering Joy Division’s “No Love Lost” b/w AF covering Serge Gainsbourg’s “Poupee de Cire.” I said “Poupee,” snicker.

I wouldn’t want to hazard a guess as to what, exactly, they mean by “limited,” but, since you’re asking, I’d bet it’s almost certainly not less than 5,000. Available *exclusively* at the shows. And at LCDSoundsytem.Com. And at ArcadeFire.Com.

And speaking of DFA, you know they’ve spun off a side label called Death From Abroad, right? I suspect they’ll be releasing international “bangers,” whatever the hell “bangers” may be.

On a similar note, I don’t typically go for that type of stuff, but I’m really digging this “Go Go Go” track by the not-affilated-with-DFA Capitol K.

More Myspace selections:

Puzzle – Words and Actions

Sweetie – Building A Building

We Used To Vacation – To The Country

Desmond Reed – Guinea Pigs (from the new Guinea Pigs EP, out on Weepop, a label after my own heart)

Which also reminds me- another label in that vein: The Offices Of Moore & Moore, an offshoot of the bizarrely interesting / interestingly bizarre Perris-Beauchamp, is a new limited-edition label whose first release is a 100-copy cassette release from Portland’s Clovis Heald.

Beirut – Postcards From Italy:

The Shins – Turn On Me:

The Go Team! – Doing It Right:

R Kelly – Trapped In The Closet, pt. 12
At IFC.com, with new episodes daily

So long, Tony.

Tony Wilson interview circa 1988:

A week or two ago (apparently), Pitchfork slipped a track by Portland’s Sexton Blake into their Forkcast, and it went right by me (mainly because it’s a Springsteen cover, and I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty Springsteened out). But last night, I got an email from a trusted Friend Of Ol’ Catbird, saying that he had just seen Sexton Blake play at PDX Pop Now, and he had picked up the new covers CD, Sexton Blake Plays The Hits, and that he thinks it may be his favorite album of the year. Stong words to be sure, but as my source is not a music blogger, I’d say he probably actually means that when he says it. So I went and checked out the CD Baby page, and not only are the cover song choices interesting (”Life In A Northern Town,” “Logical Song,” “Rush Rush(!?!)”), but they also don’t seem to be all gimmicky and silly. Just sounds like some really sweet, lilting, Pacific NW bedroom pop– and it’s songs you already know and love.

While I’m on the topic of JV, I should mention that John is playing a private solo show for XM Radio on Friday, 8/17 at The Living Room, and we have 10 guest list spots (with plus ones) to dole out. Send a blank email to XXX and we’ll pick 10 at random, let ye know this Friday. List spots all given out now, thx.

You’ve probably heard about Vanderslice’s ‘Online Tour’ thing by now, right? He’s hitting a bunch of sites with exclusive live performance videos of songs from his brand new record, Emerald City (note: the 180-gram vinyl version will be out on 9/11). And today’s our day– we’ve got an exclusive performance of “Central Booking” for you:

Oh BTW, John is playing a private solo show in NYC on 8/17. Click here if you want to get in.

We also sat down with John for a brief interview.

Catbird: It’s common knowledge that the title of your new album, Emerald City, is
an homage to the 1978 film ‘The Wiz.’ What was it about the film that struck such a deep chord within you?

JV: The sexual tension that pulses through that movie is unreal!!! Holy shit. Michael
wants to shape-shift INTO diana. YOU CAN FEEL IT.

Catbird: Diana Ross was cast as young Dorothy, even though she was 35 at the
time. She ended up turning in a great performance in the role. How is
your life, as a touring musician at 40, different compared to what it
was like in your 20s?

JV: Ha!! 40?! Ryan, you know I just celebrated my 26th at Pure in Vegas. I gotta
get into that wiki bio. It also says I’m a vegan. Man, I make my own foie gras. I got the hoses and everything.

Well, it all feels the same really. and I think that’s a good thing. I really like touring, especially the idea of touring.

Catbird: Michael Jackson, under heavy makeup and costuming, played Scarecrow.
At the time, no one could have anticipated that one day, all it would
take to make MJ look like a Scarecrow would be to simply place a straw
hat on his dessicated zomboid frame. As you look back on your career,
are there any “I wish I’d known then what I know now” instances that
really stand out?

JV: Oh yes!! I was in such a hurry when I was younger, I really felt that time
was running out EVERY DAY. Now I’m as lazy and slow as anyone,
and I probably get more done. I wish I could’ve been contacted
by my future self and told to chill out.

Catbird: Nipsey Russell was a spendid Tinman. I’ve always thought of Russell as
a sort of more refined Slappy White (though I realize this assertion has
launched a million chatroom flame wars). How have your techniques for
writing and recording been refined over the years? Are you doing things
differently now than you were 10, or even 5, years ago?

JV: Oh yeah, I would say I’m much better at delegating authority, creative and otherwise.
My band mates have a lot of say in the studio and Scott Solter operates as my partner.
I think this has helped me out quite a bit.

Catbird: The real star of the film, obvs, was Richard Pryor as the Wiz.
Richard Pryor was awesome. Remember “The Toy?” That movie ruled.

JV: Remember “The Toy”?? It’s my life!

Catbird: So, John, in closing– as you continue to “Ease On Down The Road,” what
does the future hold? What can we expect from John Vanderslice between
now and the time of our ultimate doom when the Mayan Calendar ends in
2012?

JV: A record every 1.5 years, more plants in my garden, my silver trees
growing to 30+ ft, a trip to New Zealand and Vietnam (I hope!),
shows in Thailand(!), a camping trip to King’s Canyon National Park,
and 10,000 more photographs.

The Moviola fellas sat down with Dusted this week to talk about their favorite records. Also, earlier in the month, Mr. Muzzle Of Bees experienced what I suspect a lot more folks could experience if they just slowed down and took some time to really sit back and listen to some music: he realized that Moviola’s Dead Knowledge is a really great record.

I haven’t seen much mention of this: on 8/20, Rough Trade is releasing the EP Four Songs By Arthur Russell, featuring 4 covers of the avant-garde cellist slash disco producer, by Jens Lekman, Vera November (aka Verity Sussman of Electrelane), Taken By Trees (aka Victoria Bergsman), and Joel Gibb. This thing must have been sitting in the can for awhile, because I think Lekman was talking about this like 2 years ago.

I stumbled across Mean Beard Recordings this week (a label ostensibly run by members of a certain hirsute horde). Their first release is a 7-inch by (deservedly) hyped purveyors of pop trifles, Tokyo Police Club, for their new song, the impossibly catchy happydance rave-up “Your English Is Good (stream).”

Pitchfork has chimed in on gracelandic prep-poppers Vampire Weekend, and say what everyone else says: this really shouldn’t work, but it does. The band actually has a physical release available now, as well as a 7-inch for A-Punk / Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa. The single costs $12 (no, that’s not a typo), but look at it this way: you’ll probably be able to sell it on eBay for 3 times that in another year or two.

And please stop sending me links to Tay Zonday’s “Chocolate Rain”, thanks.