Dirt

The Rose Has Teeth

2006-05-25T11:17:00.000-04:00

Matmos will be passing by during their first official North American tour. October 13 & 14 the duo will be at the Thalia Theater at Symphony Space. Haven't seen tickets yet available.

Only the Sun Knows

2006-05-25T10:39:00.000-04:00

Six Organs of Admittance - Ben Chasny's superpsychedelic folk project - will be at Mercury Lounge 7/6. Tickets available here. Check out the video for "All You've Left" from the latest top quality album School of the Flower. Maybe Sufjan will show up to get his banjo signed by the true master.

Silent Shout

2006-05-24T15:57:00.000-04:00

The Knife's Silent Shout is one of the best releases I've heard in a while. For samples and images, go here. Also, check out the video for "Marble House". The Swedish duo pulls elements of Throbbing Gristle, Chris & Cosey, various electro, etc. Silent Shout info page here. Dark and dirty beats - just like they should be.

Music for the Masses

2006-05-24T14:41:00.000-04:00

A friend hit me up on this today. Pandora is a music recommendation device; and works pretty well. It's very easy to use and is slightly interactive. iTunes has a similar concept in its "Just for You" feature. But here at least you're not required to purchase anything. Open the box; c'mon, you know you want to...

Fresh Dirt

2006-05-24T14:30:00.000-04:00

Yes; Dirt is back. The pharmaceutical advertising industry has its ebbs and flows, and we account pawns often get caught gasping for air under the crashing waves. For now, I can see the sunshine...

An Excellent Film School

2006-05-24T13:44:00.000-04:00

Film School played Mercury Lounge last night and did they fucking rock. Starting off with intense feedback noise, the left coast lads plunged right into the brilliant "On & On". Their set contained most album tracks, and had a nice flutuation between slow and fast. Check out the video for "Eleven-Eleven" here. Great energy; great vibe. In typical NYC fashion, the hipsters left prior as the hype machine parted with the opening band Margot & the Nuclear So and So's [who sound like the Counting Crows parading as Arcade Fire].

A Wild Tiger

2006-01-17T10:24:00.000-05:00

Looks like at least one interesting film will be presented at this year's Sundance. Wild Tigers I Have Known is co-produced by Gus Van Sant, and features voiceover + music from David Tibet of Current 93. The director is Cam Archer, whom I'm not at all familiar with. But it looks like he will be also directing videos for the upcoming Current 93 album Black Ships Ate the Sky. Cam has created one for the wonderful track "All You've Left" by Six Organs of Admittance. I think I've found the Cam/David connection here.

Admitting Organs

2006-01-16T12:02:00.000-05:00

Pitchfork has interviewed Ben Chasny; a.k.a. Six Organs of Admittance. Hopefully the uber-hip zine will continue to promote the true king of current neo-folk. Listen to School of the Flower (samples below) and you'll realize Sufjan is just a little ignorant boy...

Saint Cloud
Thicker Than a Smokey

Besides, Ben has been graced by the presence of recently enlightened David Tibet of legendary and cultish Current 93. The two have collaborated; although it's hard to understand how a self-declared nihilist can get along peacefully with a newly-converted apocalyptic christian. Frater Crowley must be twitching [magickally] in his grave.

Amanda Palmer Solo

2005-12-14T09:16:00.000-05:00

50% of the Dresden Dolls will be performing live in an "intimate setting" at Joe's Pub on 02/03/06. Tickets on sale this Friday at noon here.

Nurse With Wound - Live

2005-12-13T16:26:00.000-05:00

Here's the latest from Durtro:

Nurse With Wound have confirmed they will be playing three shows at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall in June on Thursday 15, Friday 16 and Saturday 17. More details will be posted as we get them; tickets are not yet on sale. These are the first NWW shows to be announced since their two concerts in the early 1980s, which Steven Stapleton hated so much that he vowed never to play live again. Let's see if it takes us another 20 years or so to get over the assault on our souls this time.

This may be well worth a trip to the left...

Rumors

2005-12-13T09:21:00.000-05:00

Here's the unconfirmed list:

April 29
Depeche Mode, The Strokes, Portishead, Franz Ferdinand, Fatboy Slim, Massive Attack, Infected Mushroom, Royksopp, Kings of Leon, Doves, Sufjan Stevens, Broken Social Scene, Atmosphere, Blackalicious, Super Furry Animals, The Buzzcocks, Primal Scream, Supergrass, Ladytron, DJ Peretz, The Shins, Dieselboy, Tortoise, Sleater Kinney, Richard Hawley, Grooverider, Death From Above 1979, Yesterday's New, Quintet, The Walkmen, Son Volt, Will Oldham, The Clientele, Lightning Bolt, Cage, The Crimea, OK Go, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, John Kelly

April 30
The White Stripes, Roxy Music (featuring Brian Eno), The Arcade Fire, Sigur Ros, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Boards of Canada, Underworld, Ween, Death Cab for Cutie, Armin Van Buuren, Built to Spill, De La Soul, Big Star, Iron & Wine, Uberzone, Happy Mondays, Dinosaur Jr, TV on the Radio, Elbow, Eagles of Death Metal, The Tears, Esthero, T. Rauschmiere, Cat Power, The New Pornographers, Carl Cox, Grandaddy, Calexico, Explosions in the Sky, The Wedding Present, Andy C, Fatlip, DJ Icey, The Notwist and Themselves performing as 13 & God, Devendra Banhart, The Coral, Stateless, 65 Days of Static

The Ape of Naples - RELEASED

2005-12-02T11:24:00.000-05:00

Coil's new album has been released and is available here. At the moment though there's no information about the very limited special edition. Here's the tracklisting:

Fire Of The Mind
The Last Amethyst Deceiver
Tattooed Man
Triple Sun
It's In My Blood
I Don't Get It
Heaven's Blade
Cold Cell
Teenage Lightning 2005
Amber Rain
Going Up

Sigur Rós - Live in Reykjavík

2005-12-01T10:50:00.000-05:00

Check here for video and photos of the band's weekend show in their home town. 17 musicians on stage!

Crisis

2005-11-30T15:14:00.000-05:00

Apop Records is releasing the entire discography of the band Crisis on Holocaust Hymns. Details can be found here. For those unaware, this is the former Death in June incarnation of Douglas P and Tony Wakeford. More political and a sign of the times. Very much worth checking as the material dates to the late 70s. Compare to Warsaw. Warning: may lead to head-shaving and boot-stomping activity. Check the samples:

Holocaust
Alienation
Frustration
Kill Kill Kill
Kanada Kommando

Videos of the Day

2005-11-30T11:05:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of GBH; check out:

Sigur Rós - Hoppípolla
Depeche Mode - A Pain That I'm Used To
Babyshambles - Albion

New Dates

2005-11-18T15:54:00.000-05:00

Tosca @ Irving Plaza - 12/7

Supergrass @ Webster Hall - 2/9

The Ape of Naples

2005-11-14T13:15:00.000-05:00

Coil will be releasing their last studio album within the next week or so. Entitled The Ape of Naples this features Jhonn Balance in his last days before the sudden and tragic death of 11/13/04. Purchase this gem at the Threshold House store.

New Year's Noise

2005-11-10T13:30:00.000-05:00

[click image for details]

Throbbing Gristle have announced that they will be playing two gigs at the end of the year in Berlin. One (12/31) will be a live performance along with other artists such as T.Raumschmiere. The other (1/1) will involve the band creating a "live soundtrack" to Derek Jarman's 1980 film In the Shadow of the Sun. Our beloved foursome has also finished their first studio album in 25 years called PART TWO; which will be available at the start of '06...

'PART TWO' Track Listing
Vow of Silence
Rabbit Snare
Seperated
Almost A Kiss
Greasy Spoon
Lyre Liar
Above The Below
Endless Not
Worm Waits Its Turn
After The Fall

Total Playing time: 67:25

Dresden Dolls: Call to Artists

2005-11-04T14:12:00.000-05:00

The Dresden Dolls are currently working on the artwork for their new album; scheduled to come out in spring '06. Interestingly enough, the band is looking for contributions from its fan base. Visit here for details. A cool gesture I think - ensuring that their release is at least a slight collaboration with the listeners.

Hate Deux

2005-11-04T13:45:00.000-05:00

Just had to share a thought about the violence going on in the Parisian suburbs. The '95 film La Haine is eerily representative and predictive; similarities between this quality Mathieu Kassovitz production and today's (and yesterday's) reality abound. Poor Parisian suburb, violence ignited over apparent police brutality, burning of cars, riots in the streets... what's next? Click here for the trailer. Or just hop on the RER from centre-ville.

Dorfmesiter in the Mix

2005-10-28T09:46:00.000-04:00

Check out this mix from Richard Dorfmesiter posted on Five Grand Stereo last Tuesday. Good to see the smoked out beats continuing, although here the Austrian spinner is a bit housier than usual.

Supergrass Unplugged

2005-10-27T17:10:00.000-04:00

If you missed the Supergrass set that aired Thursday on KCRW, click here to stream it. This is not the Brit pop the band has been labelled in the past; the boys have matured into a fine rock band. Although I prefer their plugged-in Road to Rouen sound, the acousticness isn't bad. Plus this is indicative of their recent NYC set (seems like this tour was a small US jaunt for the release of the new album and a larger proper tour will take place next year).

Hawtin Halloween

2005-10-26T16:32:00.000-04:00

[click image to enlarge]

I imagine most electronic heads are already aware of the plastikman coming to town this weekend, but if not consider yourself warned. Although his recent sets in the city haven't received the best of reviews, any fan of tech beats shouldn't miss the master himself as we all know what he's capable of. For me personally, MUTEK of '03 was the best DJ set I've witnessed in my life (and I've seen many); this was courtesy of none other than the skinheaded Canadian above - Richie Hawtin.

She Wants Revenge

2005-10-25T10:27:00.000-04:00

She Wants Revenge? Does she? Well, apparently so, as implied by this LA band's web site. Made up of Justin Warfield [you may remember him from the Bomb The Bass rap attack "Bug Powder Dust"] and Adam 12, this group has been Spin Magazine's band of the day recently and says that they want to create music that "would make girls dance and cry". Starting from hip-hop origins, SWR certainly fits now in to the 80s nostalgia acts of late; notably Interpol (is that Paul Banks signing?). Nevertheless the act churns out great tunes. See and hear for yourself:

Sister [Video]
iTunes Link
KCRW Recommendation
Tour Dates (12/6 @ The Mercury Lounge)

Eclectic Supergrass

2005-10-25T09:18:00.000-04:00

KCRW will be airing a special acoustic set by Supergrass this Thursday (10/27) at 11:15 a.m. PST. Click here for details. FYI, the group's last visit to NYC was [predominantly] unplugged as well. Are the boys tiring of electric?