All the Young Mod Soldiers

2007 - The Young Mod Year in Music

2007-12-23T23:36:00.000-05:00

It's frightening how clueless America's music critics and bloggers are. Forget about Panda Bear and the rest of their so-called "best" records of the year. Here are the 50 songs that made 2007 a decent but not exceptional year in music...

1. 23 - Blonde Redhead
2. All My Friends - Franz Ferdinand
3. Your Love Alone Is Not Enough - Manic Street Preachers
4. Friday Night at the Drive-In Bingo - Jens Lekman
5. We Get On - Kate Nash
6. Men's Needs - The Cribs
7. Tears Dry on Their Own - Amy Winehouse
8. Amylase - Cajun Dance Party
9. Delivery - Babyshambles
10. Thursday - Asobi Seksu
11. TV - Headlights
12. Doves Circle the Sky - Bodies of Water
13. Lazy Eye - Silversun Pickups
14. These Grey Days - Eight Legs
15. You Talk - Babyshambles
16. Selfish Jean - Travis
17. Valerie - Mark Ronson (feat. Amy Winehouse)
18. Easter Parade - Emmy the Great
19. Silently - Blonde Redhead
20. Foundations - Kate Nash
21. Won't You Come Around? - Polytechnic
22. Love's Not a Competition (But I'm Winning) - Kaiser Chiefs
23. Let's Dance to Joy Division - The Wombats
24. She's Got You High - Mumm-Ra
25. The Angry Mob - Kaiser Chiefs
26. Back to Black - Amy Winehouse
27. For the Actor - Mates of State
28. Christobel - Joan as Police Woman
29. Heretics - Andrew Bird
30. Folding Stars - Biffy Clyro
31. Lucio Starts Fires - Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong
32. Take Your Medicine - Cloud Cult
33. I Found Out - The Pigeon Detectives
34. Fluorescent Adolescent - Arctic Monkeys
35. The Underdog - Spoon
36. It's Not Over Yet - Klaxons
37. John, Let Me Go - Sondre Lerche
38. Hometown Glory - Adele
39. My Rights Versus Yours - The New Pornographers
40. Dead Sound - The Raveonettes
41. Daddy's Gone - Glasvegas
42. Lost and Found - Taken by Trees
43. I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You - Black Kids
44. I'll Kill Her - Soko
45. What's a Girl to Do - Bat for Lashes
46. Pull Shapes - The Pipettes
47. All the Night Without Love - Elvis Perkins
48. Silent Hotels - The Answering Machine
49. Acrylic - The Courteeners
50. Rockferry - Duffy

2006 - The Young Mod Year in Music

2007-01-03T09:19:00.000-05:00

It was another great year for songs and another terrible year for albums, and, as usual, the indie intelligentsia (NME, Pitchfork, Drowned By Sound, etc.) got it (almost) all wrong. Here's how we see it..

The 50 Best Songs of 2006

1. The View - Wasted Little DJ's
2. Arctic Monkeys - Leave Before the Lights Come On
3. Divine Comedy - A Lady of a Certain Age
4. Dirty Pretty Things - Bang Bang You're Dead
5. Franz Ferdinand - The Fallen (acoustic)
6. Camera Obscura - Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken
7. Peter Bjorn & John feat. Victoria Bergsman - Young Folks
8. Chris Thile - Heart in a Cage
9. Mojave 3 - Breaking the Ice
10. The View - Superstar Tradesman
11. Arctic Monkeys - When the Sun Goes Down
12. Ben Kweller - Sundress
13. Arthur Baker feat. Tim Wheeler - Glow
14. Duels - The Slow Build
15. Magic Numbers - Take a Chance
16. Midlake - Roscoe
17. Les Incompetents - How It All Went Wrong
18. Joan as Police Woman - Christobel
19. Charlotte Gainsbourg - The Songs That We Sing
20. Lily Allen - Littlest Things
21. The Decemberists - Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)
22. The View - The Don
23. Tapes 'n Tapes - Insistor
24. The Spinto Band - Oh Mandy
25. The Little Ones - Cha Cha Cha
26. Arctic Monkeys - Mardy Bum
27. Razorlight - In the Morning
28. The Kooks - Ooh La
29. The Indelicates - New Art for the People
30. Nouvelle Vague - Killing Moon
31. Beirut - Postcards from Italy
32. Fiery Furnaces - Benton Harbor Blues
33. Larrikin Love - Edwould
34. The Automatic - Raoul
35. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Cheated Hearts
36. Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out of This Country
37. The Concretes - Song for the Songs
38. The Little Ones - Lovers Who Uncover
39. Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs - Alone Again Or
40. Mates of State - Like U Crazy
41. The Strokes - Razorblade
42. The Kooks - Sofa Song
43. Sleepy Jackson - I Understand What You Want but I Just Don't Agree
44. Lady & Bird - Suicide Is Painless
45. Oh No! Oh My! - Walk in the Park
46. Grant Lee Phillips - Boys Don't Cry
47. Fiery Furnaces - Waiting to Know You
48. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife 1 and 2
49. The Concretes - On the Radio
50. Mareva Galanter - Pourquoi Pas Moi

Artist of the Year

Arctic Monkeys

New Artist of the Year

The View

Artist to Watch in 2007

Emmy the Great

Carson Ellis Mini-Documentary

2006-11-26T15:50:00.000-05:00

Apologies for the long hiatus. Please stay tuned for ATYMS's famous year-end lists and holiday gift-buying guide. In the meantime, check out this really nice mini-documentary on our favourite artist (and Colin Meloy muse) Carson Ellis:

Banksy Does Paris Hilton

2006-09-10T09:36:00.000-04:00

As you may have heard, guerrilla artist Banksy sprinkled 500 doctored versions of Paris Hilton's debut CD throughout record stores in the UK, and they have become highly sought-after collectables, selling for over $1,000 each on eBay. Here is the behind-the-scenes video of how he did it (including a sample of the music track by Danger Mouse):

Preston Marries Chantelle!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-08-25T13:20:00.000-04:00

You may recall that at the start of this year we closely followed (i.e., religiously watched the 24 hour live feeds) the goings-on in the UK Celebrity Big Brother house. You may also recall our fascination with the burgeoning relationship between Preston of the Ordinary Boys and fake celebrity Chantelle (now one of the most famous people in England). Today, that story line reached the ultimate fairy tale ending. According to several reports, Preston and Chantelle were wed at Dartmouth House in London's Mayfair district at 4pm. It is understood that the ceremony was attended by 45 guests, including Preston's bandmate, and that Chantelle walked down the aisle in a dress made by designer Elizabeth Emanuel, who created the wedding gown for Chantelle's idol, Princess Diana. Prior to the wedding, Chantelle said: "I want to be Mrs Preston and have that ring on my finger." As for Preston, he insists: "I could never be bored with her and that's what you look for in a wife."

Meanwhile, in the US Big Brother house, an equally exciting romance is developing between evil Dr. Will and America's sweetheart Janelle. Seriously, these two should be on the front of US magazine every week. What is wrong with this country? If you haven't been watching (poor fool), go here to catch up.

Pete Doherty Test Drives The New Jaguar

2006-08-13T10:05:00.000-04:00

Incredible new video from Sky TV show Vroom Vroom of Pete Doherty test-driving the new Jaguar and discussing his Jaguar-collecting habit.

Lyrics Of The Year?

2006-08-09T18:00:00.000-04:00

The View -- Wasted Little DJ's

They told me if I write this song for them,
That they would cut my hair for free,
But that's not me no liberties.

They're into all the coolest bands,
And knowing that they're coming to the gigs as fans,
Entitles me to some decency.

Asted-way ittle-lay eejays-day
They're the cleverest blondes we ken.
Asted-way ittle-lay eejays-day
I wish everybody danced like them.

Split visions of a talkative therapy
It makes me bend away it gives me E,
Seems hard to say, its insanity.

Same record for the 16th time
Exact same set you did the last time round
Doesn't bother me we're in harmony.

Asted-way ittle-lay eejays-day
They're the cleverest blondes we ken.
Asted-way ittle-lay eejays-day
I wish everybody danced like them.

No low emotions rolling tonight
Young heavy hopefuls staying the night
So stick around and wait for the day.
Craziness kills lazyness and happiness takes bad bets,
No one gives a fuck you see we're all out of our little heads.

Craziness kills lazyness and happiness
Takes bad bets no one gives a fuck
You see we're all out of our,
All out of our,
All out of our little fucking heads

Doo doo doo doo...

Asted-way ittle-lay eejays-day
They're the cleverest blonde weekend.
Asted-way ittle-lay eejays-day
I wish everybody danced like them.

Can anybody dance like them
Can u tell me (Asted-way ittle-lay eejays-day)
Does anybody dance like them
Can u tell me (Asted-way ittle-lay eejays-day)
Does anybody dance like them
Can u tell me
Asted-way ittle-lay eejays-day
Asted-way ittle-lay eejays-day

See video below. You can find the MP3 here.

Pop Songs Of The Summer, Part II

2006-08-04T16:41:00.000-04:00

Very few bands in history have released a couple of great singles and a classic debut album, only to follow that up a mere few months later with a song that is even better than anything they have released before. The Stone Roses did it with Fool's Gold, and The Libertines did it with Don't look Back into the Sun, and now the Arctic Monkeys have done it with their incredible new single, Leave Before the Lights Come On. Unfortunately, it appears there is not yet a video of this song to post, but if you have not heard it, proceed immediately to the incomparable Untouched By Work Or Duty. UPDATE: Domino just posted the video here.

In the meantime, check out videos for three more phenomenal new releases currently in heavy rotation at Casa Hugo. I personally guarantee that at least one of these videos will make you very happy. Make sure to watch them all repeatedly for maximum effect.

Peter, Bjorn & John -- Young Folks

Mareva Galanter -- Pourquoi Pas Moi

The View -- Wasted Little DJs

A Boy Called Pete

2006-07-12T11:14:00.000-04:00

I love bizarre children's books. "Pretty Pretty Peggy Moffitt," the 1968 picture book starring the real-life mod model (and muse to designer Rudi Gernreich), is on the same level as Hamlet in my house. But what could be better than an illustrated story book about that lovable street urchin Pete Doherty? If you answered "nothing," then start counting the days, because on September 1, "A Boy Called Pete" will be released in the UK, again proving that country's superiority to our own. "A Boy Called Pete" tells the story of a young man named Pete Doherty who plays guitar, dates a model named Kate, and suffers occasional mishaps. It is the latest in a series of child-friendly illustrated pop biographies created by PopJustice.com, a UK music/celebrity website that I must admit has never crossed my radar until now. Other books in the series include the less-enticing "A Boy Called Elton" and "A Girl Called Madonna." I think I will stick with "A Boy Called Pete," at least until they come out with "A Boy Called Sid." You can pre-order "A Boy Called Pete" now at Amazon UK.

Pete Doherty On Jonathan Ross

2006-07-10T13:42:00.000-04:00

This weekend Pete Doherty sat down for an extended interview on Jonathan Ross. The interview touches on pretty much everything you would want to know (drugs, Carl, Kate, etc.), and concludes with a great acoustic performance of "Beg, Steal or Borrow." Must viewing for all.

Part 1 of 2:

Part 2 of 2:

By the way, what's up with the Harry Potter scar next to Pete's eye? Is that new?

Les Incompetents' Billy Bell In Critical Condition

2006-07-02T09:50:00.000-04:00

Billy Bell, frontman for the wonderful Les Incompetents, is in critical condition from an attack by a stranger on the way home from the band's most recent show in London. Bandmate Stan just posted the following update on Billy's condition:

Today Billy underwent a 5 hour operation, a piece of his skull was removed to relieve pressure on his brain, this was done successfully. However his brain is now very inflamed, this inflamation has spread to the rest of his body.
The next 48 hours are crucial, there are three possibilites. The first is that the inflammation causes him to pass away in the next 48 hours, the second is that he makes it through, in which case he will be in a coma for a considerable time, he may wake up and no longer function properly, he may however also wake up and be ok.
Bill has damage to his brain, the next 48 hours are crucial. Things are touch and go. Essentially billy could pass away.
The doctors say the brain is so complicated that they cannot tell us how likely any of the possibilites are, we just have to wait and see.
Please try to think positively for bill, however irrationally this may sound I cant see this being the end, its just not bill.
We can only hope and pray.
We will keep you updated, and please, respectfully do not come to visit the hospital.
Thank you again for all your messages of support, Im sorry I havent responded to many.
Your kindness is touching at this trying time.

Stan xx

If you still have not heard Les Incompetents' great single "How It All Went Wrong," you can check out the joyous video here.

Pop Songs Of The Summer

2006-06-29T14:05:00.000-04:00

Mojave 3 "Breaking the Ice"

Camera Obscura "Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken"

Mew at Hiro Ballroom

2006-06-28T12:47:00.000-04:00

The New York concert event of the year is now on sale. Look for me front and center (I'll be the one with the whiskers).

New Factory Records Design Book

2006-06-20T16:45:00.000-04:00

Factory Records: The Complete Graphic Album, the definitive catalogue of the Factory Records world of design, has just been published in the UK, and will be out in the US soon. It comes not only with the obligatory intro by Tony Wilson, but also with its own FAC # (FAC 461). You can get it here. (As of right now it is one of the best-selling books on all of Amazon UK! I've done my part, you should do yours.)

Peter Saville Video/Sneakers

2006-06-20T16:22:00.000-04:00

Adidas has made a very nice, high-quality video of Peter Saville discussing his inspirations and techniques, as well as why he no longer designs record sleeves. This video was created for the Adidas Adicolor campaign.

You can buy a pair of the Peter Saville-designed sneakers here,

and the matching jacket here.

Dirty Pretty Things NY Tickets On Sale

2006-06-20T13:18:00.000-04:00

Tickets for two Dirty Pretty Things shows at Bowery Ballroom (August 14 and 15) just went on sale, and are available at Ticketweb. I can't help but think back to The Libertines minus Pete at Bowery, which was only okay, and wonder how these shows could possibly be any better.

What The Bloody Hell?

2006-06-07T17:35:00.000-04:00

When I first learned that dear old Pete Doherty was busy painting pictures with his own blood, and that Kate Moss was encouraging him to sell them in one of London's finest galleries, I must admit I was intrigued. In fact, I began to get a bit obsessive (a la Veruca Salt) about how I could get my hands on one. Now that a few of the images have leaked, however, I'm not sure. Not to be too critical, but at a rumoured one thousand pounds each, is this really the best Pete can do...?

Did You Hear The One About Pete Doherty And The Girl From Big Brother?

2006-05-30T09:21:00.000-04:00

Every week it seems dear old Pete hits a new low. The latest bombshell is news that Pete cheated on Kate Moss with Nikki Grahame, a "model/dancer" from Middlesex who is part of the current cast of Big Brother UK. Ms. Grahame, who entered the Big Brother house in a revealing pink bunny suit, apparently spent a “night of passion” with the Babyshambles singer back in March.

Doherty met the ridiculous blonde, who describes herself as "funny, ruthless and attractive," in London nightclub Boujis. According to Nikki's ex-flatmate, Pete took Nikki back to his “needle-strewn” flat for a night of love-making and crack-smoking. Nikki’s ex-flatmate says:

“Nikki's a very hygienic person, I'm surprised she stayed there with all the needles and other stuff lying about. She doesn't go into explicit details when she sleeps with someone, but she did tell me she spent the night with him. Afterwards he begged her not to tell anyone because he was still with Kate. She said she didn't know how Kate Moss coped with him. She went with him because he's famous, that's the reason, 100 per cent. Also the fact he was seeing Kate Moss. It was a power trip for her. She knows men think with their willies.”

Wolfgang -- Your New Favourite Robot Pop Star

2006-05-22T15:37:00.000-04:00

How often have you wished robots made pop music? Not just pre-programmed, by-the-numbers crap, but real pop music, with feeling and longing and regret and everything that makes music great. I never really thought about it until I came across a new single called Not in Love (Not True) by an artist named Wolfgang, who, from what I can tell, is an actual robot. I really love this song. Wolfgang makes beautiful electropop with just a perfect tinge of robot melancholy. Imagine The Buggles, who were huge, crossed with The Pulsars, who should have been huge. Wolfgang could be bigger than both, especially once Pitchfork starts championing this song and gives it the inevitable four-star review it deserves. At the very least it will be big in Japan. And in Germany. And in Detroit. That's how cool it is. You can hear the song here. Yes, MySpace pages have become so ubiquitous that even even a robot has one now.

Homage To Jose Gonzalez "Heartbeats" Commercial

2006-05-22T15:26:00.000-04:00

Fruit drink Tango has come out with a very faithful homage to the Sony Bravia "bouncing ball" commercial. This one also features Jose Gonzalez's Heartbeats.

Have We Got A Video Nasty?

2006-05-19T08:55:00.000-04:00

Pete Doherty having some bloody fun with the boys from MTV...

The Man With The Golden Arse

2006-04-30T15:10:00.000-04:00

At this point you have probably heard that dear Pete Doherty has been arrested yet again, this time in connection with a photo in The Sun that appears to show him injecting heroin into a young woman lying comatose on the floor. Good to know he's recovering. Meanwhile, the actual photo in question is reproduced below (strictly for the kids).

UPDATE: Pete has come forward to set the story straight: "Just a note to note the unjust Sun's disturbing and ridiculously offensive 'story'. Firstly the photos are stolen from my flat so...upsetting and personally catastrophic...how rude, secondly it's a staged shot and what a f***ing liberty to suggest I'd bang up a sleeping lass. Darkness."

The female fan in the picture has given a slightly different explanation, saying that the needle was empty, and that Pete was drawing blood from her to use in one of his paintings (blood being Pete's medium of choice).

As for former best mate and Libertine Carl Barat, he has responded to the photos by saying: "It's a bad situation. It's a lot to take in. It's a sad situation."

Kate & Pete As Myra & Ian

2006-04-27T13:46:00.000-04:00

For those who live in London (or otherwise will be there next week), you should check out what is being billed as the world's first exhibition dedicated to viral emails, which is taking place at the Institute of Contemporary Art for one week only, from May 1st to 8th. Entitled Outrageous and Contagious, the exhibit includes this amazing pair of doctored photos of Kate Moss and Pete Doherty, who have been made to look like notorious British couple Myra Hindley and Ian Brady, who were responsible for the infamous Moors Murders in Manchester in the mid-1960s, the subject of The Smiths' classic Suffer Little Children. (The couple were further immortalized by Goldie Lookin' Chain in On The Radio, in which Maggot and co. claim "Myra Hindley and Ian Brady, those two have got nothing on my old lady.") Compare with the original photos of Hindley and Brady below.

Trio Of New Videos: Pete Doherty, Arctic Monkeys & Ali G

2006-04-27T10:52:00.000-04:00

There is a new video circulating that offers an incredibly intimate look at Pete Doherty hanging out in his flat, talking on the phone, joking around, and generally just being Pete. Included is footage of Pete walking around and strumming his guitar while singing Hired Gun. It's a must-view for any fan of Pete:

Another must-view is the new video for the Arctic Monkeys' latest single, The View from the Afternoon:

Finally, Ali G interviews Posh Spice and David Beckham:

Free Secret Machines Show

2006-04-14T16:44:00.000-04:00

Secret Machines will be playing a free in-store performance at Virgin Megastore Union Square on April 27 at 6pm. You will need to purchase a copy of their new album, Ten Silver Drops, beginning at 9am on April 25th to get a wristband to reserve your space in line.

Les Incompetents, The Automatic & Dirty Little Faces -- Your New Favourite Bands

2006-04-13T13:24:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you, but every few weeks (sometimes every few days) I need some new bands to get excited about. So, without further delay, I present you with three of the brightest hopes for 2006...

Les Incompetents

London-based six-piece Les Incompetents strike me as Pulp crossed with the Libertines, a delicious cocktail of hooks, energy and humour. You can listen to their majestic new single, How It All Went Wrong, here, or watch the video below:

The Automatic

The Automatic are from Wales, but have recently toured all corners of the UK with The Kooks and The Ordinary Boys. Their first single, Recover, was produced by the legendary Ian Broudie, but was simply good, not great. However, their just-released second single, Raoul, is an instant classic. Listen to Recover here, or watch the video for Raoul below...

Dirty Little Faces

Dirty Little Faces are another London-based band who count The Libertines among their key influences (along with The Jam, The Strokes, Oasis, The Kinks, The Small Faces and Supergrass). They also cite Ben Folds, but that just seems silly (though I've recently been enjoying Ben's cover of The Cure's In-Between Days). The band just released its first official single, Finding It Hard, this week. You can find additional tracks, including the excellent Picadilly, here.

Serge Gainsbourg Videos

2006-04-04T15:38:00.000-04:00

It's truly incredible how many great music videos Serge made two decades before the advent of MTV. Four of the best...

Bonnie & Clyde (feat. Brigitte Bardot)

Une Petite Tasse d'Anxiete (feat. Gillian Hills)

Comic Strip (feat. Brigitte Bardot)

Pauvre Lola (feat. France Gall)

Help the Aged

2006-04-04T15:26:00.000-04:00

Wherein Jarvis Cocker and painter John Currin combined to create one of the greatest music videos ever...

1963 Rolling Stones Rice Krispies Commercial

2006-03-30T17:24:00.000-05:00

In October 1963, with only one single ("Come On") to their name, Brian, Mick and Keith recorded a very young mod jingle for Rice Krispies. The result is too good to be true, but it is...

You're A Big Boy Now

2006-03-22T19:11:00.000-05:00

Today All the Young Mod Soldiers turns one. My deepest thanks to everyone who has ever visited and (hopefully) enjoyed the site. Please do not be shy in letting me know how it might be improved (aside from posting more often, which is obvious).

In the interest of complete transparency, here's where we stand after one year:

43,911 unique visitors

38,759 first time visitors

5,152 returning visitors

The site now consistently draws approximately 200-400 unique vistors a day.

More good stuff to come. I promise.

For Those Who Have The Means

2006-03-16T13:04:00.000-05:00

Yes. Yes. Finally some new shows to get excited about.

First, we have The Kooks at Northsix on 6/01. Hard to believe this is the only venue they will be playing in New York, but so far this is all that has been announced. Needless to say, selected tracks from their debut album are in heavy rotation at Casa Hugo.

Second, we have The Concretes at Bowery Ballroom on 5/08. Same venue they played a year and a half ago. That was a great show, and this one undoubtedly will be no less fantastic. I love the new single, and can't wait to listen to the whole album, hopefully this weekend.

Also note that Aberfeldy has been added to the White Rose Movement show at Mercury Lounge on 3/27.

Other good things to consider...

3/17-18 Stereolab at Town Hall
3/18 Craig Wedren (Shudder to Think) instore at Sound Fix
3/20 Annie at Mercury Lounge
3/20 The Go! Team at Bowery Ballroom
3/21 The Zutons at Mercury Lounge
3/21 The Rakes at Bowery Ballroom
3/21 The Brakes instore at Virgin Megastore Union Square (2pm)
3/21 The Brakes at Sin-e
3/21 Mates of State instore at Virgin Megastore Union Square (7pm)
3/21 Magnet at Living Room
3/22 Camera Obscura at Knitting Factory
3/22 Jose Gonzalez at Joe's Pub
3/22 The Go! Team at Northsix
3/23 Richard Hawley at Sin-e
3/23 Amusement Parks on Fire at Mercury Lounge
3/24 Billy Bragg at Society for Ethical Culture
3/24 The Books & Jose Gonzalez at Bowery Ballroom
3/24-25 Mystery Jets at Mercury Lounge
3/24-26 Ray Davies at Irving Plaza
3/25 Kelley Stoltz instore performance at Sound Fix (4pm)
3/25 The Arctic Monkeys at Webster Hall
3/26 Ted Leo & The Pharmacists at Knitting Factory
3/26-27 Stellastarr* at Bowery Ballroom
3/27 Jose Gonzalez instore at Other Music (8pm)
3/27 Aberfeldy & White Rose Movement at Mercury Lounge
3/27 Th' Faith Healers at Northsix
3/28 New York Dolls at CBGB
3/28 Snow Patrol at Bowery Ballroom
3/28 The Magic Numbers at Webster Hall
3/28 The Editors & Stellastarr* at Warsaw
3/28 (members of) Gomez at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe
3/29 Richard Ashcroft at Webster Hall
3/30 dEUS at Bowery Ballroom
3/30 The Editors at Webster Hall
3/30 I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness at Mercury Lounge
3/31 I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness at Northsix
3/31 Nine Black Alps at Bowery Ballroom
3/31-4/01 Flaming Lips at Webster Hall
4/01 Pretenders at Irving Plaza
4/01 Hard-Fi at Warsaw
4/01 South at Southpaw
4/01 The Orb at Avalon
4/02-06 Gorillaz at Apollo Theater
4/04-05 Art Brut at Bowery Ballroom
4/04-05 The Stills at Mercury Lounge
4/06 Sondre Lerche at Bowery Ballroom
4/07 South instore at Virgin Megastore Union Square
4/07 South at Bowery Ballroom
4/07 Arab Strap at Southpaw
4/09-10 Voxtrot at Mercury Lounge
4/11 Wolfmother at Bowery Ballroom
4/12 Art Brut at Southpaw
4/12 Mates of State at Bowery Ballroom
4/13-14 Franz Ferdinand & Death Cab for Cutie at Hammerstein
4/14-15 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at Bowery Ballroom
4/17 Cloud Cult at Knitting Factory
4/18 Calexico instore at Virgin Megastore Union Square
4/22 Dresden Dolls instore at Virgin Megastore Union Square
4/20 Robert Pollard & Richard Davies at Irving Plaza
4/21 Nouvelle Vague at Irving Plaza
4/27 Adam Green at Bowery Ballroom
5/03-05 Built to Spill & Camper Van Beethoven at Irving Plaza
5/05 Evan Dando at Southpaw
5/08 The Concretes at Bowery Ballroom
5/19 Erasure (acoustic) at Society for Ethical Culture
6/01 The Kooks at Northsix
6/25 Feist at Central Park Summerstage
7/02 Jose Gonzalez & Seu Jorge at Central Park Summerstage
7/21 Jens Lekman at (tba)

Still waiting for: Babyshambles, Duels, and Dirty Pretty Things. Where art thou, oh great booking god in the sky?

DJ Shandi

2006-03-09T11:06:00.000-05:00

Anyone else watch the season debut of America's Next Top Model last night? Is it just me, or do the girls get uglier every season? At least they did not kick off the Brigitte Bardot clone in the first episode, though I'm sure that's coming next week. Tyra hates pretty blonde girls.

Much more interesting than the ANTM debut is the news that former cast member Shandi Sullivan, the "services clerk" from Kansas City, is now the resident Monday night DJ at New York's Pianos, spinning "80's tunes." The party gets started every Monday at 8pm, and is free.

Before you get too excited, keep in mind this is the same Shandi whose profile lists her "Favorite Music" as "No Favorite."

Pete: "I Love Kate 4 Eva"

2006-03-09T09:47:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday, Pete Doherty was told at Thames Magistrates Court that he was making "positive progress" in his fight against drug addiction.

This morning, a mere 24 hours later, Doherty was back at Thames Magistrates Court facing seven new counts of possessing controlled drugs, including heroin and crack cocaine.

Fashionably late as always, Pete arrived (in a gold Jaguar, no less) two hours after the hearing was set to begin. On the window of the car, Pete scrawled (backwards; so talented!) "I love Kate 4 eva," beneath which he added "QPR," in tribute to his favourite football team, Queens Park Rangers (retro QPR shirts available here).

Inside the courthouse, dressed in a blue military jacket and his trademark trilby, Pete was silent other than to confirm that his address is at Laburnum Street in east London (stalkers take note).

The case was adjourned until March 23, and Pete was released on unconditional bail.

As a tribute to Pete's never dying love for Kate, below is the very touching For Lovers video:

Seen Your Video

2006-03-08T10:16:00.000-05:00

For your viewing pleasure...

Babyshambles performing Albion at the NME Awards:

Babyshambles music video for Albion:

Dirty Pretty Things performing Deadwood at the NME Awards:

Dirty Pretty Things music video for Bang Bang You're Dead:

Arctic Monkeys music video for When the Sun Goes Down:

Free Shows Aplenty

2006-03-08T09:37:00.000-05:00

Sick of paying money from your hard-earned dole cheques to see bands play live? Me too. That's why I love in-stores. They really are the best of all worlds: they start early, involve no crappy opening bands, take place in intimate spaces, and cost nothing.

In New York, there are three primary record stores that host quality in-store performances: Virgin Megastore Union Square, Other Music and Sound Fix. Other Music seems to have become a little lazy when it comes to in-store bookings, but Virgin and Sound Fix are more than making up the difference. Here's what's scheduled at both:

Virgin Megastore Union Square

3/10 - Grand National (6pm)
3/21 - The Brakes (2pm)
3/21 - Mates of State (7pm)
4/07 - South (tba)
4/18 - Calexico (tba)
4/22 - Dresden Dolls (tba)

(By the way, does anyone have a good quality MP3 of Dresden Dolls' version of Two-Headed Boy? If so, I would be grateful if you would email it to me. Many thanks.)

Sound Fix

3/12 - Mi and L'au (2pm)
3/12 - Film School (4pm)
3/26 - Kelly Stoltz (4pm)

Another great place to see shows, though rarely for free, is the Housing Works Bookstore Cafe. They have two big shows coming up this month:

3/10 - Sondre Lerche (7:30pm) ($25)
3/28 - Ben, Ian and Tom from Gomez (8pm) ($25)

Does This Man Look "Punk Rock" To You?

2006-03-06T13:46:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of phrases I might use to describe Preston from the Ordinary Boys ("Pretty Boy", "Unable to Play More Than Two Chords of Any Song When Given a Guitar on Celebrity Big Brother", "That Poor Idiot Who Broke Up With His Fiancee to Date Chantelle, One of the Least Attractive Women I Have Ever Seen"), but "Punk Rock" is not one of them. Yet, despite his shenanigans in the Celebrity Big Brother house and his now regular appearances in the glossy tabloids, Preston still sees himself as a punk rocker at heart. Indeed, so much so that he has felt the need to repeatedly make the point in practically every interview he has given since finishing fourth on the programme.

Consider the following selection of recent Preston quips:

"We've always had this punk rock attitude and going on Big Brother was me thinking let's do something outrageous and take a big risk."

"We're always going to be a punk rock band."

"When we plug in and turn up to 11, it's still going to be punk rock."

Bit sensitive on this point, eh Preston?

To further prove he's still down with the kids, Preston is also said to be making a guest appearance in an upcoming new video from The Streets. Apparently he and Mike Skinner recently met and hit it off like the proverbial house on fire.

Finally, Preston is looking ahead to the next Ordinary Boys album. Given his insistence that the band will always be "punk rock", you might be expecting something along the lines of Never Mind the Bollocks or Sandinista!, but alas you would be mistaken. Instead, says Preston, the band's main inspiration for album three will be The Kinks country/folk classic Muswell Hillbillies.

Now that's what I call turning it up to 11.

For Those Who Have The Means

2006-03-03T11:04:00.000-05:00

3/03 Belle & Sebastian instore signing at Virgin Megastore Union Square (5:30pm)
3/04 Man Man instore performance at Sound Fix (8pm)
3/06 Serena Maneesh at Bowery Ballroom
3/07 The Subways at Bowery Ballroom
3/08 The Wedding Present at Bowery Ballroom
3/09 Eagle*Seagull at Pianos
3/10 BATTLE at Mercury Lounge
3/11 Eagle*Seagull at The Hook
3/11 Cloud Room at Mercury Lounge
3/13 Isobel Campbell at Joe's Pub
3/13 BATTLE at Rothko
3/13 Guillemots at Mercury Lounge
3/14 Gemma Hayes at Mercury Lounge (7pm)
3/15 Isobel Campbell at Southpaw
3/17-18 Stereolab at Town Hall
3/20 Annie at Mercury Lounge
3/20 The Go! Team at Bowery Ballroom
3/21 The Zutons at Mercury Lounge
3/21 The Rakes at Bowery Ballroom
3/21 Magnet at Living Room
3/22 Camera Obscura at Knitting Factory
3/23 Richard Hawley at Sin-e
3/23 Amusement Parks on Fire at Mercury Lounge
3/24 Billy Bragg at Society for Ethical Culture
3/24 The Books & Jose Gonzalez at Bowery Ballroom
3/24-25 Mystery Jets at Mercury Lounge
3/24-26 Ray Davies at Irving Plaza
3/25 Kelley Stoltz instore performance at Sound Fix (4pm)
3/25 The Arctic Monkeys at Webster Hall
3/26 Ted Leo & The Pharmacists at Knitting Factory
3/26-27 Stellastarr* at Bowery Ballroom
3/27 White Rose Movement at Mercury Lounge
3/27 Th' Faith Healers at Northsix
3/28 Snow Patrol at Bowery Ballroom
3/28 The Magic Numbers at Webster Hall
3/28 The Editors & Stellastarr* at Warsaw
3/29 Richard Ashcroft at Webster Hall
3/30 dEUS at Bowery Ballroom
3/30 The Editors at Webster Hall
3/30 I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness at Mercury Lounge
3/31 I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness at Northsix
3/31 Nine Black Alps at Bowery Ballroom
3/31-4/01 Flaming Lips at Webster Hall
4/01 Pretenders at Irving Plaza
4/01 Hard-Fi at Warsaw
4/01 South at Southpaw
4/01 The Orb at Avalon
4/02-06 Gorillaz at Apollo Theater
4/04-05 Art Brut at Bowery Ballroom
4/04-05 The Stills at Mercury Lounge
4/06 Sondre Lerche at Bowery Ballroom
4/07 South at Bowery Ballroom
4/07 Arab Strap at Southpaw
4/09-10 Voxtrot at Mercury Lounge
4/11 Wolfmother at Bowery Ballroom
4/12 Art Brut at Southpaw
4/12 Mates of State at Bowery Ballroom
4/13-14 Franz Ferdinand & Death Cab for Cutie at Hammerstein
4/14-15 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at Bowery Ballroom
4/17 Cloud Cult at Knitting Factory
4/20 Robert Pollard & Richard Davies at Irving Plaza
4/21 Nouvelle Vague at Irving Plaza
5/03-05 Built to Spill & Camper Van Beethoven at Irving Plaza
5/19 Erasure (acoustic) at Society for Ethical Culture
7/2 Seu Jorge at Central Park Summerstage

That's a lot of great shows. Is no one else excited about that Richard Hawley show? I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere.

The bad news is, despite all three bands playing at SXSW, it appears that Duels, the Kooks and the Harrisons will not be playing in New York as part of their trip to the States. Criminal.

Ted Leo At The Hook

2006-03-03T10:10:00.000-05:00

Last night was my first taste of The Hook, Brooklyn's latest foray into the world of indie rock venues. The event was the first show anywhere this year by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. I've been a big fan of Ted's since the release of the first Chisel album, but somehow this show was the first time I've been able to see him live. I was not disappointed, either with Ted or the venue.

For those who have not been, The Hook is sort of a cross between Mercury Lounge and Northsix in terms of size and layout. To its credit, the space felt both spacious and intimate despite the fact that the show was sold out and packed.

As for Ted, my first impression was how utterly unpretentious he is. I can't remember the last time the front person of a well-known band came out on the stage 20 minutes before the show starts to set up his own equipment. No roadie, no guitar tech, just Ted.

Another nice touch were the handwritten setlists for each of the band members, which Ted had personally written out on the back of the band's Rider for the show. It amazes me how many young bands have someone type up and photocopy their setlists for them, eliminating all the spontaneity and creativity that comes with a last-minute scribbled list of songs on whatever scrap of paper happens to be handy. Such setlists are very sadly becoming a dying art form.

The show itself was beset with sound problems, but Ted was in top form, sweating profusely and dancing around with his guitar like a teenager rocking out to the first Clash album in front of his bedroom mirror.

A mere four songs into the set, during Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?, Ted's guitar hero antics resulted in a huge gash in his pants running from his thigh to his crotch, which left little to the imagination.

That led to a short break and some judicious application of duct tape, but the show was quickly back in full swing with a rousing rendition of Me & Mia. There were a couple of new songs sprinkled in, but the set was mostly filled with the hits, including an extended set of impromptu encores. No fun covers, unfortunately. (Speaking of which, if anyone has a good quality version of Ted doing Dancing in the Dark, would you mind sending it to me? I would be extremely grateful.)

Joy Division Film Casting Pictures

2006-03-02T14:54:00.000-05:00

You've probably already heard that casting has begun for the film about Joy Division singer Ian Curtis, which is called "Control", and will be the debut feature from music video director Anton Corbijn (U2). You may not, however, have been able to find pictures of the relatively unknown cast. We hereby oblige.

Ian Curtis is to be played by newcomer Sam Riley, who does bear an uncanny resemblance, as seen below:

Ian's French lover, Annik Honore, will be played by German actress Alexandra Maria Lara, who is a serious stunner:

The part of Ian's widow, Deborah Curtis, will be played by Oscar-nominated actress Samantha Morton.

NME -- The Most Maddening Listmakers Ever!

2006-02-14T14:13:00.000-05:00

I find it very interesting to compare NME's new list of the "100 Greatest British Albums Ever!" with the British albums on "NME's 100 Best Albums" list from 3 years earlier.

First, here's the new NME list:

100) Derek and Clive - (Live) (1976)
99) Patrick Wolf - Lycanthropy (2004)
98) Roots Manuva - Run Come Save Me (2001)
97) Led Zeppelin - IV (1971)
96) Adam and The Ants - Kings of The Wild Frontier (1980)
95) Julian Cope - Jehovahkill (1992)
94) The Futureheads - S/T (2004)
93) Brian Eno - Here Come The Warm Jets (1974)
92) Oasis (What's The Story) Morning Glory? (1995)
91) The Fall - This Nation's Saving Grace (1985)
90) Supergrass - I Should Coco (1995)
89) Blur - Parklife (1994)
88) Underworld - Dubnobasswithmyheadman (1993)
87) The Small Faces - Ogden's Nut Gone Flake (1968)
86) George Harrison - All Things Must Pass (1970)
85) ABC - The Lexicon of Love (1982)
84) Redskins - Neither Washington Nor Moscow... (1974)
83) Wire - Pink Flag (1977)
82) The Happy Mondays - Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches (1990)
81) Antony and The Johnsons - I Am A Bird Now (2005)
80) Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970)
79) Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonesque (1991)
78) Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (1992)
77) The Beta Band - The 3 E.P.s (1998)
76) Cornershop - When I Was Born For The 7th Time (1997)
75) Tricky - Maxinquaye (1995)
74) Prodigy - Music For The Jilted Generation (1994)
73) Kasier Chiefs - Employment (2005)
72) Joy Divison - Closer (1980)
71) Buzzcocks - Love Bites (1978)
70) Spacemen 3 - The Perfect Prescription (1987)
69) Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure (1972)
68) The Pretty Things - SF Sorrow (1968)
67) Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head (2002)
66) Elvis Costello - This Year's Model (1978)
65) Radiohead - Kid A (2000)
64) Gang Of Four - Entertainment! (1978)
63) David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust... (1972)
62) Saint Etienne - Fox Base Alpha (1991)
61) Echo and The Bunnymen - Ocean Rain (1984)
60) The Human League - Dare! (1981)
59) The Clash - S/T (1977)
58) Suede - Dog Man Star (1994)
57) The Cure - The Head On The Door (1985)
56) Portishead - Dummy (1994)
55) Bloc Party - Silent Alarm [NME bizarrely calls it S/T] (2005)
54) Morrissey - Vauxhall & I (1994)
53) The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed (1969)
52) Madness - One Step Beyond (1979)
51) Billy Bragg - Talking With The Taxman About Poetry (1986)
50) The La's - S/T (1990)
49) The Who - My Generation (1965)
48) Elastica - S/T (1995)
47) The Libertines S/T (2004)
46) Pulp His 'N' Hers (1994)
45) The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free (2004)
44) Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (1979)
43) The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main St. (1972)
42) The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy (1985)
41) Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love (1985)
40) Dizzee Rascal - Boy In Da Corner (2003)
39) Ride - Nowhere (1990)
38) Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentleman We Are Floating... (1997)
37) Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible (1994)
36) The Beatles - S/T (1968)
35) Radiohead - OK Computer (1997)
34) The Jam - All Mod Cons (1978)
33) Coldplay - Parachutes (2000)
32) The Zombies - Odessey and Oracle (1968)
31) Massive Attack - Blue Lines (1991)
30) Suede - S/T (1993)
29) Led Zeppelin - II (1969)
28) Nick Drake - Bryter Layter (1970)
27) PJ Harvey - Dry (1992)
26) The Smiths - Hatful Of Hollow (1984)
25) The Kinks - The Village Green Preservation Society (1968)
24) Pet Shop Boys - Please (1986)
23) New Order - Technique (1989)
22) Super Furry Animals - Radiator (1997)
21) Muse - Absolution (2003)
20) The Beatles - Rubber Soul (1965)
19) The Smiths - Strangeways Here We Come (1987)
18) Franz Ferdinand - S/T (2004)
17) The Streets - Original Pirate Material (2002)
16) Dexys Midnight Runners - Searching For The Young... (1980)
15) Primal Scream - Screamadelica (1991)
14) David Bowie - Hunky Dory (1971)
13) The Verve - A Northern Soul (1995)
12) The Specials - S/T (1979)
11) Radiohead - The Bends (1995)
10) The Libertines - Up The Bracket (2002)
9) The Beatles - Revolver (1966)
8) The Clash - London Calling (1979)
7) Pulp - Different Class (1995)
6) Blur - Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993)
5) Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am... (2006)
4) Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks (1978)
3) Oasis - Definitely Maybe (1994)
2) The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead (1986)
1) The Stone Roses - S/T (1989)

Second, here are the top British albums from the 2003 NME list. (Note that since the 2003 list had no geographic limitation, I have included only the British albums on the list, in the order they would have appeared had non-British albums been excluded.)

1) The Stone Roses - S/T (also overall #1)
2) The Beatles - Revolver
3) The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
4) Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks
5) My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
6) The Clash - London Calling
7) Oasis - Definitely Maybe
8) Joy Division - Closer
9) Radiohead - OK Computer
10) Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentleman...
11) New Order - Technique
12) Primal Scream - Screamadelica
13) The Beatles - S/T (White Album)
14) The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come
15) David Bowie - Low
16) The Verve - A Northern Soul
17) Massive Attack - Blue Lines
18) Oasis - (What's the Story) Morning Glory
19) Scott Walker - Scott 4
20) Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head
21) Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
22) David Bowie - Hunky Dory
23) Radiohead - The Bends
24) Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV
25) The Streets - Original Pirate Material
26) Blur - Parklife
27) The Smiths - Hatful of Hollow
28) The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street
29) The Smiths - S/T
30) Aphex Twin - Richard D James Album
31) Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure
32) The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
33) The Specials - S/T
34) Pulp - His 'N' Hers
35) Dusty Springfield - Dusty in Memphis
36) Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left
37) Duran Duran - Rio
38) Underworld - Dubnobasswithmyheadman
39) Dexys Midnight Runners - Searching for the Young Soul Rebels
40) Andrew WK - I Get Wet
41) The Verve - Urban Hymns
42) Pulp - This Is Hardcore
43) The Coral - The Coral
44) Suede - Dog Man Star
45) The Clash - The Clash
46) The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy
47) Van Morrison - Astral Weeks
48) The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed
49) David Bowie - "Heroes"
50) The Slits - Cut
51) Primal Scream - Exterminator
52) Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92
53) Pink Floyd - Piper at the Gates of Dawn
54) PJ Harvey - Stories from the City...

As an initial matter, let's give props where they are due for NME consistently voting The Stone Roses as the best album ever. While it would not be my personal #1, it certainly would be in my Top 10.

Although I believe there is a lot of junk on both lists, ultimately it is very surprising how few of the British albums I really care about are not on one or both of these lists. The big omission that comes to mind is The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. When I was growing up, this album always topped these lists. Now it does not even rate a mention in the Top 100. Is that really possible? Another inexplicable oversight is The Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet. Does anyone at NME actually believe that Blur - Modern Life Is Rubbish (#6) is better than that album? If so, please raise your hand so that I may smack you with a white glove. Other (albeit less glaring) omissions that come to mind include The Smiths - Meat Is Murder, New Order - Power, Corruption & Lies, and Belle & Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister.

But, as I mentioned above, it is the comparison of the lists I find most fascinating. What albums have fallen out of critical favour during the last three years? What albums have significantly raised their level of critical appreciation during that period?

Before we look at some of the winners and losers, I should note that the methodology used by NME for determining which artists are "British" in the most recent list is unclear. The preface to the list refers to the UK, but Irish artists such as U2 and Van Morrison appear to have been excluded. Ditto My Bloody Valentine, for reasons I do not fully understand (the geographic locus of MBV is certainly open to debate). Thus, when comparing the lists, I will assume that Astral Weeks and Loveless have been excluded from the new list for geographic, not quality, reasons.

Those albums on the rise include:

Blur - Modern Life Is Rubbish (#6 in 2006, not ranked in 2003)
Pulp - Different Class (#7, n/r)
The Libertines - Up the Bracket (#10, n/r)
Super Furry Animals - Radiator (#22, n/r)
Pet Shop Boys - Please (#24, n/r)
The Kinks - The Village Green... (#25, n/r)
PJ Harvey - Dry (#27, n/r)
Nick Drake - Bryter Layter (#28, n/r)
Suede - Suede (#30, n/r)
The Zombies - Odessey and Oracle (#32, n/r)
Coldplay - Parachutes (#33, n/r)
The Jam - All Mod Cons (#34, n/r)
Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible (#37, n/r)
Ride - Nowhere (#39, n/r)
Kate Bush - Hounds of Love (#41, n/r)
Elastica - Elastica (#48, n/r)
The Who - My Generation (#49, n/r)
The La's - S/T (#50, n/r)

On the flip side, those albums on the decline include:

Joy Division - Closer (#8 in 2003, #72 in 2006)
Radiohead - OK Computer (#9, #35)
David Bowie - Low (#15, n/r)
Oasis - (What's the Story) Morning Glory (#18, #92)
Scott Walker - Scott 4 (#19, n/r)
Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head (#20, n/r)
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV (#24, #97)
Blur - Parklife (#26, #89)
The Smiths - S/T (#29, n/r)
Dusty Springfield - Dusty in Memphis (#35, n/r)
Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left (#36, n/r)
Duran Duran - Rio (#37, n/r)
Andrew WK - I Get Wet (#40, n/r)
Pulp - This Is Hardcore (#42, n/r)
The Coral - S/T (#43, n/r)

Any other interesting observations?

The Jingle Jangle Of The Gaoler's Bangle

2006-02-14T13:14:00.000-05:00

The Guardian has printed exclusive excerpts from Pete Doherty's prison diary from his recent 13-day stay at Pentonville. Here are the highlights...

February 1

At the wobbly legged table in me little Peter [cell]. Still waiting for the jingle jangle of the gaoler's bangle. Court on the 8th and hoping for bail. Even life without drugs has gotta be betta than this malarkey. Babyshambles all set to take over as well. Won't do it again honest guv ... Oh yes you will Doherty and you know it. Still, if I'm on a DRR [drug rehabilitation requirement] and being tested there ain't no way round it I suppose. Get to grips with the idea that it is eating away at your money, your love and your life.

February 2

I'll do my hair a-while, and even make my bed. Top bunk, yellow fire blankets aplenty coz I've been on the lookout see. Even nabbed a rare old prison shirt off a passing trolley, a boiled egg and a nice blue prison vest. To say nothing of the many packets of Butler I just found on the side. Baccy down me sock, someone says something a little out of sway, a stranger in all dark non-prison clobber is opposite my open cell door flashing his watch in my direction he was. Later that day ... Felt like freak show with a host of people at my cell door screaming and whooping like apes. DOHERTY! It's him! DOHERTY! DOHERTY! Oi!

February 3

This is the largest prison in the country and in some ways one of the most modern. I've certainly never come across anywhere as clean or spacious as this, why, in all my days at her Majesty's pleasure. Shame only one of the eight showers work, but it was a joy to hear the sprinkle in me ears and the steam on my body just now. Someone, and again someone else, asks how I came up with the name Babyshambles and so I think back to Denholme days and "oh deary me why is it always such a Babyshambles?" "I wonder where you are now..."

February 5

For my own sake - because it feels like they have the power to cut off my head - I must become a hero, organise my life and obtain from it what they deny me. If I live, in order to continue to live with myself, I must have more talent than the most exquisite poet. These people can only put up with the tamed heroes - they don't know about heroism.

More of Peter Doherty's prison writings will be published at Balachadha, where you can also find exclusive videos and stills from the ever-expanding Doherty archives. Viva la Pete!

The Ballad Of Pete And Pete (And Michael)

2006-02-09T19:02:00.000-05:00

Three legal stories of interest this week:

Pete Doherty Is a Free Man
After pleading guilty to a total of seven charges of possessing illegal substances at three separate court appearances last month, our humble hero was miraculously spared the jail time that many expected, and instead was sentenced to a very lenient twelve month community order, and ordered to take part in a rehabilitation programme. The year-long rehab programme will require Pete to attend a drug centre and submit to monthly checks. He was warned by the Magistrate that failure to comply with that programme could lead to a custodial sentence.

Pete had been held in custody since being arrested by plain clothes police officers in Whitechapel, east London, on 26 January. After the sentencing, Pete spoke to BBC Radio 1 about kicking his legendary habit: "As far as the drugs are concerned, it's simple – I’d rather be on the out with no smack than inside prison with no smack." He also said, "as far as the crack and heroin are concerned...I’m getting an implant in four days."

Pete also spoke of his most recent stay behind bars, angrily noting: "What do you think I’ve been doing for the last 12 days? Picking Tulips? I’ve been sat in a cell sweating it out, fully aware of the circumstances. But I’ve also been with murderers, on occasions a couple of brick walls away from paedophiles. I’m not a threat to society, I’m not selling drugs to anyone’s children. I’m not encouraging or ever will encourage people to take drugs." But when he was asked if he was currently on drugs, Pete replied slyly: "Right now?" He then hung up on the interview.

Pete Burns Will Not Be Prosecuted
The Crown also announced this week that Dead or Alive singer and Celebrity Big Brother freak show Pete Burns would not be prosecuted over his monkey fur coat.
Burns had bragged to his housemates in the Celebrity Big Brother house that the hideous coat was made from gorilla fur. Following complaints from viewers, police broke into the house and seized the coat.

But when the coat was examined by experts at the Natural History Museum, they concluded it was not made from gorillas, but rather black and white colobus monkeys, which are native to Africa. Although it has been illegal to import colobus monkey fur since 1975, it is not illegal to own it. The Crown noted that the coat was in a poor condition, and it was believed the pelts used to make it were likely to have been imported into the UK in the 1930s or 1940s. "There is no evidence to suggest that this garment was imported illegally," they concluded. A spokeswoman for Hertfordshire Police, which currently has the coat, said it would be returned to the singer shortly.

Celebrity Big Brother Housemate Michael Barrymore Also Escapes Prosecution
Finally, it was announced today that a district judge has blocked a bid to launch a private prosecution against "funnyman" Michael Barrymore following the death of Stuart Lubbock, a 31-year-old man who was found dead in Barrymore's swimming pool in March 2001.

A lawyer for Mr Lubbock's family had tried to prosecute Mr Barrymore for alleged drug offences and assault, but a district judge blocked the action on grounds of insufficient evidence. The decision was announced by the Lubbock family lawyer, Tony Bennett, following a private hearing.

Mr Bennett attempted to serve papers relating to the private prosecution on Barrymore last month while he was on Celebrity Big Brother. Channel 4 refused to accept the papers and instead brought the case before magistrates, who decided that a district judge should assess the case once Barrymore's lawyers had time to examine the papers, which resulted in the decision made today by the district judge.

Following the decision, Barrymore said: "Mr Bennet's motivation to seek the truth as to how Mr Stuart Lubbock received the injuries to his body is absolutely right. I remain totally commited as I always have been to continue to pursue the truth. Allegations about drugs on that night have always been a complete irrelevence as to how Stuart Lubbock suffered those injuries. The court held Mr Bennet's misguided application to prosecute me for drugs offences was an abuse of process, it was not in the public interest and the evidence on which he relied was either inadequate or unlawfully obtained."

For Those Who Have The Means

2006-02-09T19:00:00.000-05:00

Still no update on if, when and where Duels will be playing New York in connection with their trip to SXSW. I cannot overemphasize how excited I am by the prospect of a Duels show in New York. I emailed the band last week, but so far no word. I promise to keep you posted.
In the meantime, another avalanche of promising shows you may want to consider...

2/14 Devendra Banhart at Club Exit
2/24-25 Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Bowery Ballroom
2/25 Stars & Magnet at Webster Hall
2/26 Moistboyz (feat. Dean Ween of Ween) at Knitting Factory
3/01 Test Icicles at Northsix
3/01 Rob Dickinson (of Catherine Wheel) at Mercury Lounge
3/02-03 Belle and Sebastian & The New Pornographers @ Nokia Theatre
3/02 Test Icicles at Mercury Lounge
3/02 Ted Leo & The Pharmacists at The Hook
3/06 Serena Maneesh at Bowery Ballroom
3/07 The Subways at Bowery Ballroom
3/08 The Wedding Present at Bowery Ballroom
3/09 Eagle*Seagull at Pianos
3/10 BATTLE at Mercury Lounge
3/11 Eagle*Seagull at The Hook
3/11 Cloud Room at Mercury Lounge
3/13 Isobel Campbell at Joe's Pub
3/13 BATTLE at Rothko
3/13 Guillemots at Mercury Lounge
3/14 Gemma Hayes at Mercury Lounge (early)
3/15 Isobel Campbell at Southpaw
3/17-18 Stereolab at Town Hall
3/20 Annie at Mercury Lounge
3/21 The Zutons at Mercury Lounge
3/21 The Rakes at Bowery Ballroom
3/22 Camera Obscura at Knitting Factory
3/23 ¡Forward, Russia! & Amusement Parks on Fire at Mercury Lounge
3/24 Billy Bragg at NY Society for Ethical Culture
3/24 The Books & Jose Gonzalez at Bowery Ballroom
3/24-25 Mystery Jets at Mercury Lounge
3/25 Kelley Stoltz instore at Sound Fix (4pm)
3/25 The Arctic Monkeys at Webster Hall
3/26 Ted Leo & The Pharmacists at Knitting Factory
3/26-27 Stellastarr* at Bowery Ballroom
3/27 White Rose Movement at Mercury Lounge
3/27 Th' Faith Healers at Northsix
3/28 The Magic Numbers at Webster Hall
3/30 dEUS at Bowery Ballroom
3/30 The Editors at Webster Hall
3/30 I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness at Mercury Lounge
3/31 I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness at Northsix
4/01 Pretenders at Irving Plaza
4/04-05 Art Brut at Bowery Ballroom
4/07 Arab Strap at Southpaw
4/11 Art Brut at Southpaw
4/12 Mates of State at Bowery Ballroom
4/13-14 Franz Ferdinand & Death Cab for Cutie at Hammerstein
4/14-15 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at Bowery Ballroom
4/20 Robert Pollard & Richard Davies at Irving Plaza
4/21 Nouvelle Vague at Irving Plaza
5/03-05 Built to Spill & Camper Van Beethoven at Irving Plaza
7/2 Seu Jorge at Central Park Summerstage

Is there any other place where you can go and get a list of all of these upcoming shows? And don't say Oh My Rockness, because I can assure you that a substantial number of these shows are nowhere to be found on their site. I'm serious, does anyone else come close?

What Is To Become Of Our Beloved Preston?

2006-02-01T18:39:00.000-05:00

BBC6's Mark Sutherland weighs in on the very same question that has been haunting me since Preston from the Ordinary Boys finished fourth in the recently concluded season of Celebrity Big Brother UK: Will his newfound mainstream exposure save or kill the band's career?

Us Sunday Mirror readers are used to being greeted over our toast’n’Marmite by minor celebrities with their shirts off, but the cover stars don’t generally hail from the ranks of mid-ranking indie bands.

But last Sunday, there was Preston from The Ordinary Boys, tats out for the 14-year-old girls, accompanied by the obligatory ‘My Story’ banner headline. Except that this particular version of his story didn’t seem to feature much about his music, but an awful lot about his supposed romance with a poor quality Paris Hilton-lookalike.

Meanwhile, Boys Will Be Boys has achieved the Top Ten placing it always deserved, the neglected Brassbound album is back in the charts and the Ordinary Boys tour in March will probably be a sellout success.

On the face of it, then, Preston’s stay in the Big Brother house, rubbing shoulders with no-marks like Michael Barrymore and Jodie Marsh, has paid off. He’s swapped the NME for OK and is currently British rock’s hottest property after the Arctic Monkeys.

So far, so good, right? So why are the original Ordinary Army of fans – built up over years of hard touring – now at war with the newbies on the band’s website and even accusing Preston of being a “media whore”?

Some of the problem may just be the traditional indie fans’ “I saw them first” mentality but then it must be pretty galling to champion your favourite band to utter indifference only for the people who previously laughed at you to suddenly steal the band from you.

And that is perhaps the reason why this publicity blitz may not be such good news for The Boys in the long-term. Never mind the damage done to their credibility (can you seriously imagine either of Preston’s heroes, Morrissey or Weller, ever taking the reality TV dollar?), much of The Ordinary Boys’ charm rested upon the fact that they spoke up for the dispossessed and the outsiders.

Can Preston still write credibly about dismal dead end jobs and doomed romantic relationships now we know his life is swanky showbiz parties and liaisons (even platonic ones) with wannabe glamour models? And will the new fans stick with them once the appeal of screaming at Preston has worn off and they find The Ordinary Boys’ music is not as fluffy as Kandyfloss?

Those are the questions we want you to answer this week. But don’t bother telling us what you think about Goldie Lookin’ Chain’s chances now Maggot’s also back in the real world. After all, their career always was a joke.

Most importantly, what effect, if any, will Preston's new front-page-news stature have on the size of the venues the Ordinary Boys will play if and when they ever come back to America?

For Those Who Have The Means

2006-01-31T13:20:00.000-05:00

If it seems like every band that has ever been featured in the pages of NME will be playing at Mercury Lounge in March, you are not too far off. The cluster of UK shows makes sense given that New York is the usual stopover for bands travelling to and from SXSW. Yet I can't help feeling this group of shows is a classic case of quantity over quality. Where are the really exciting new British bands, such as The Kooks and Duels and Morning Runner and My Latest Novel (who you can read all about at Untouched By Work or Duty) and Harrisons and Dirty Little Faces? The tour schedule for Duels has them at SXSW March 14-19, but no mention of where or when they will be playing, and nothing about a show in New York or anywhere else in the U.S. Oh, how they tease.

2/02 The Cloud Room at Southpaw
2/03 Low & His Name Is Alive at Southpaw
2/06 Low & His Name Is Alive at Bowery Ballroom
2/07 Nada Surf at Mercury Lounge
2/09 Sigur Ros at The Theatre at Madison Square Garden
2/10 The Mooney Suzuki at Southpaw
2/14 Cat Power at Town Hall
2/24-25 Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Bowery Ballroom
2/25 Stars & Magnet at Webster Hall
3/01 Test Icicles at Northsix
3/01 Rob Dickinson (of Catherine Wheel) at Mercury Lounge
3/02-03 Belle and Sebastian & The New Pornographers @ Nokia Theatre
3/02 Test Icicles at Mercury Lounge
3/02 Ted Leo & The Pharmacists at The Hook
3/06 Serena Maneesh at Bowery Ballroom
3/07 The Subways at Bowery Ballroom
3/08 The Wedding Present at Bowery Ballroom
3/09 Eagle*Seagull at Pianos
3/10 BATTLE at Mercury Lounge
3/11 Eagle*Seagull at The Hook
3/11 The Datsuns at Mercury Lounge
3/13 BATTLE at Rothko
3/13 Guillemots at Mercury Lounge
3/15 Isobel Campbell at Southpaw
3/17-18 Stereolab at Town Hall
3/21 The Zutons at Mercury Lounge
3/23 ¡Forward, Russia! & Amusement Parks on Fire at Mercury Lounge
3/24 The Books & Jose Gonzalez at Bowery Ballroom
3/24-25 Mystery Jets at Mercury Lounge
3/25 The Arctic Monkeys at Webster Hall
3/26 Ted Leo & The Pharmacists at Knitting Factory
3/27 White Rose Movement at Mercury Lounge
3/27 Th' Faith Healers at Northsix
3/30 I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness at Mercury Lounge
3/31 I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness at Northsix
4/04-05 Art Brut at Bowery Ballroom
4/14-15 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at Bowery Ballroom
7/2 Seu Jorge at Central Park Summerstage

Finally, a note to Pete: I know you're currently at the mercy of the gaoler's key, but a U.S. Babyshambles show is really really overdue. Let's talk when you get a chance. There's an abandoned warehouse on the Gowanus Canal that would be the perfect venue. It could be the Spike Island of this generation. Think about it. Seriously.

Eagle*Seagull -- Your New Favourite Band

2006-01-24T09:57:00.000-05:00

Although I am not the first, second or even third to write about Lincoln, Nebraska's Eagle*Seagull, the reality is that they are still criminally underexposed, especially outside the midwest. The band has already recorded two great singles, Your Beauty Is a Knife I Turn on My Throat and Photograph, both of which appear on the band's self-titled debut album, which came out in October on Nashville-based Paper Garden Records, and both of which can be heard on the band's MySpace page and website.

The band cites the following influences: The Cure, The Velvet Underground, The Beatles, Sonic Youth, David Bowie, T-Rex, The Sea and Cake, Belle and Sebastian, Pavement, Broken Social Scene, Talking Heads, Brian Eno, The Stone Roses, Air, The Pixies, The Smiths, Tom Waits, Wilco, Leonard Cohen, Arcade Fire and Blonde Redhead. Many of those I do not hear at all, but I think The Cure crossed with Arcade Fire gives you some idea of what to expect.

I am especially excited to see these guys play live at one of their four upcoming shows in New York:

March 9 - at Pianos

March 10 - at The Real McCoy (Staten Island)

March 11 - at The Hook (Brooklyn)

March 12 - at Roxas Blvd. (Staten Island)

Pianos and The Hook make sense, but I've never heard of The Real McCoy, and from what I've read about Roxas Blvd., it is some kind of hard rock club. Anyway, despite the odd choice of venues, don't be surprised if these guys are huge by the time they get to New York.

Such Great Heights

2006-01-11T15:11:00.000-05:00

IMG_6077

(photo courtesy of KelleyA's Flickr page).

Despite my inability to get into the new Death Cab for Cutie album, my respect for Ben Gibbard has been steadily growing of late. It began with the discovery of his live acoustic covers of Avril Lavigne's Complicated and Cyndi Lauper's Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, both of which are brilliant. Then came the very pleasant surprise that he had decided to play a solo show at Bowery Ballroom while in town with the band to perform on Saturday Night Live. Obviously he could have easily sold out Webster Hall or Town Hall or some other equally huge and grotesque venue. But by choosing to put the quality of the show above his own financial benefit, Ben showed the kind of good judgment that is becoming tragically scarce among today's indie elite.

You may wish to ignore the following rant, which is only tangentally connected with this post:

Has anyone else noticed the ridiculous venue choices artists are making of late: Colin Meloy at Town Hall (I love the guy, but that is bullshit), Sigur Ros at Madison Square Garden (WTF?). What's next -- the Arctic Monkeys hiring Don King as their promoter and playing the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City with a pay-per-view price of $50, all just to prove they are big enough to pull it off? At some point these guys need to look themselves in the mirror and say enough is enough. Especially in New York. Belle & Sebastian are scheduled for two nights at the Nokia Theater here, but two nights at the immensely more intimate 9:30 Club in D.C. Why?

We now return you to our regularly scheduled programming...

Just as impressive as Ben's choice of venue was the show itself, which for me involved two rarities. One, I thought many of the live versions were better than their studio counterparts. Two, I did not want the show to end. Indeed, I could have stood there in that hot, crowded room for another hour and been very happy.

Here's what Ben played:

Brand New Colony
Photobooth
Title & Registration
You Remind Me of Home
(This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan
Why You'd Want to Live Here
It'll Be a Breeze (Long Winters cover)
Recycled Air
Crooked Teeth
405
Title Track
I Hate to See You Cry (Alan Hull cover)
Farmer Chords
Look Out Here Comes Tomorrow (Monkees cover)
The Sound of Settling
Such Great Heights
I Will Follow You Into the Dark
A Lack of Color
Hold On (Spiritualized Cover)

Preston Now Co-Favourite To Win Celebrity Big Brother

2006-01-09T11:48:00.000-05:00

Pretty boy Preston's stock is quickly rising. First, Jodie and Chantelle tried to tempt him to join them for a menage a trois. Now, Preston has become the bookies' co-favourite with Michael Barrymore to win the whole show. Click here for the full odds.

Preston Uncovers The Celebrity Big Brother Secret

2006-01-06T19:47:00.000-05:00

That clever Ordinary Boy Preston has already sniffed out the Big Secret on Celebrity Big Brother, namely that Chantelle, who is pretending to be a singer in a fictional girl group called Kandy Floss, is actually a nobody planted by Big Brother as a joke. Chantelle swore on her mother's life that Kandy Floss was a real group, and Preston said he believed her, but it is clear he knows otherwise and has simply decided not to mention it again until he can catch her in a lie. I will be suprised if everyone in the house does not know the truth by this time tomorrow.

3 weeks of live unedited coverage 24 hours a day for 8 GBP = greatest bargain in the history of mankind.

Preston Name Drops Jonathan Coe In The Celebrity Big Brother House

2006-01-06T11:03:00.000-05:00

It's day two in the Celebrity Big Brother house, and Preston from the Ordinary Boys is already charming the ladies.

This morning Preston had a scintillating conversation with Page 3 girl Jodie Marsh regarding their respective literary ambitions (both have novels in the works).

Upon hearing a description of Jodie's fledgling masterpiece (essentially a fictional account of her life, with particular emphasis on her hatred of tabloid journalists), Preston said it reminded him of something by Jonathan Coe. I don't see the connection, but nevertheless it was fun to hear Preston drop Coe's name.

All this talk of book-learning was too much for Maggot from Goldie Lookin' Chain, who declared: "I don't even read books, let alone write them."

The Rumours Are True: Preston From The Ordinary Boys Is On Celebrity Big Brother

2006-01-05T16:30:00.000-05:00

The rumours have been swirling for the last few days, but with the debut tonight of the new series of Celebrity Big Brother UK, it has now been confirmed that Preston from the Ordinary Boys is one of the contestants who is living in the house and competing for the grand prize. According to the band's website, their frontman was invited to be on the show after one of their producers heard him say in an interview that he would be up for going in the house. In a note to fans, Preston says he is "well nervous and excited," and that:

"I need the army to get behind me...this is a rally cry! I want the door to door campaigning, flyering, fucking fun runs! It's not for fame, the money goes to charity, I'm going in because the lines between alternative and mainstream are so blurred, this is the final taboo...plus they phoned me up and asked me and if I said no I would be a bitter old man!

"I hope you are all as excited as I am. Fucking mental! I love you all, Preston x"

The full cast is still being revealed as I write, but so far we have learned that Pete Burns, the former singer of Dead or Alive, is also a contestant.

A Year In The Life Of Pete Doherty

2006-01-04T15:59:00.000-05:00

What a year it was...

Jan. 15 - Pete meets Kate Moss at her 31st birthday party and the two begin dating.

Feb. 3 - Pete is arrested for assaulting documentary filmmaker Max Carlish in an Islington hotel and is briefly jailed.

Apr. 9 - The Crown declines to pursue charges against Pete for the Carlish incident.

Apr. 18 - Pete briefly reunites with former bandmate Carl Barat at the Boogaloo Bar in London. It is the first time the two have spoken in ten months. They apparently have not spoken since.

May 17 - Channel 4 airs the Max Carlish documentary "Stalking Pete Doherty". Carlish's remaining shred of dignity is forever lost.

June 7 - Pete lashes out at his former band in an interview , claiming: “Apart from the Sex Pistols, The Libertines were probably the most manufactured band ever. It was just a case of let’s get the best looking people and be as much like The Strokes as possible. That was the idea at the time.”

June 22 - Pete fails to show up for a Vogue fashion shoot with Barat, Mick Jones, Shane McGowan and others.

June 25 - Babyshambles cover The Clash's White Riot at Glastonbury in honour of Mick Jones's 50th birthday.

June 25 - Pete and Kate take part in a mock wedding, valid for one day only , at the Glastonbury's Chapel Of Love And Loathing In Lost Vagueness.

July 2 - Pete joins Elton John at the Live 8 concert in Hyde Park to perform T. Rex's "Children of the Revolution". Pete blames his universally denounced performance on suggestive comments made by Bob Geldof's daughter, Peaches, just before he took the stage.

July - Pete and Kate are named the most sought-after couple on Britain's party circuit by the Tattler magazine.

July - Babyshambles fail to turn up for their support slot on Oasis's UK stadium tour, leading the band to replace them on the tour.

Aug. 1 - Following the cancellation of a number of high-profile shows, and rumours that the band had split, Babyshambles play a surprise gig at the Underground Club in Stoke that is acclaimed as a return to greatness.

Aug. 2 - News reports claim Kate has bought Pete a £15,000 anti-heroin implant.

Aug. 3 - Pete is questioned by police in connection with the alleged assault of a junior reporter from The Mirror at a bar in London.

Aug. 13 - Pete is stopped at Oslo Gardermoen Airport, where customs officers found him to be in possession of a small amount of heroin. Pete, who had arrived in Oslo to perform at the Øyafestivalen festival with Babyshambles, remains in custody for three hours until festival organisers pay approximately £700 for him to be released. When the band appear onstage later, Pete vomits after just 20 minutes and the show is cut short.

Aug. 15 - Babyshambles release the single, "Fuck Forever", which reaches #4 in the UK singles chart.

Aug. 28 - Pete headbutts Razorlight singer and former Libertines bass player Johnny Borrell backstage at Leeds Festival 2005.

Aug. 28 - BBC Three telecasts the one-hour documentary Who the F**k Is Pete Doherty?

Sept. 15 - The Daily Mirror publishes photos of Kate snorting cocaine at a Babyshambles recording session.

Sept. 29 - Kate checks herself into rehab at The Meadows clinic in Arizona.

Oct. 2 - Pete is arrested for possession of Class A drugs and held overnight.

Oct. 27 - Kate checks out of rehab.

Nov. 14 - Babyshambles release their debut album, Down in Albion.

Nov. 19 - In an effort to win back Kate, Pete agrees to enter The Meadows rehab clinic.

Nov. 28 - Pete checks out of The Meadows after just nine days. Kate is furious and declares their relationship over.

Nov. 30 - Pete is arrested on alleged possession of class A drugs after police stop his car in Ealing due to the erratic manner of his driving. He is taken to Ealing Broadway police station and later bailed to return in January 2006 pending further inquiries.

Dec. 8 - Pete is arrested again on suspicion of driving under the influence of drink or drugs.

Dec. 16 - Owen O’Dwyer, who claims he sold Pete heroin and shared a needle with him, pleads for Pete to take an HIV test after he tests positive.

Dec. 18 - Pete is arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs in East London. Pete and three passengers flee the scene, and a search of Pete's car reveals substances believed to be heroin and crack cocaine. Having been arrested for possession of Class A drugs three times in three weeks, Pete faces up to seven years in prison.

For Those Who Have The Means

2005-12-29T10:46:00.000-05:00

1/7 - Maximo Park (DJ set) at Don Hill's
1/7 - Tapes 'N Tapes at Delancey
1/8 - Tapes 'N Tapes at Pianos
1/9 - Tapes 'N Tapes, Finian McKean (Push Kings) at Mercury Lounge
1/10 - Ben Gibbard at Bowery Ballroom
1/12 - We Are Scientists at Bowery Ballroom
1/12 - White Rose Movement at Mercury Lounge
1/13 - White Rose Movement at Don Hill's
1/13 - The Wrens at Bowery Ballroom
1/15 - The Wrens, Nada Surf (acoustic) at Knitting Factory
1/17 - Hard-Fi at Bowery Ballroom
1/20 - The Editors at Mercury Lounge
1/20 - Travis Sullivan's Bjorkestra at Bowery Ballroom
1/23 - The Section Quartet (playing OK Computer) at Mercury Lounge
1/26 - Colin Meloy at Town Hall
1/26-28 - Broken Social Scene at Webster Hall
1/28 - Field Music at Mercury Lounge
1/29 - Evan Dando at Joe's Pub
2/3 - Low, His Name Is Alive at Southpaw
2/5 - Jenny Lewis at Angel Oresanz Foundation
2/6 - Low, His Name Is Alive at Bowery Ballroom
2/9 - Sigur Ros at Madison Square Garden
2/13 - Saint Etienne at Irving Plaza
2/14 - Cat Power at Town Hall
2/25 - Stars at Webster Hall
3/1 - Test Icicles at North Six
3/2 - Test Icicles at Mercury Lounge
3/3 - Of Montreal at Bowery Ballroom
3/8 - Nada Surf, Rogue Wave at Webster Hall
3/22 - Jose Gonzalez at Joe's Pub
3/24 - Jose Gonzalez, The Books at Bowery Ballroom

The Young Mod Gift Guide

2005-12-07T11:32:00.000-05:00

For the young mod kid who thinks he or she has everything, I propose the following:

As a setlist connoisseur, this handwritten Elliott Smith setlist is at the top of my personal wishlist. Available to the highest bidder on eBay.

Elliott has been memorialized several times by Elizabeth Peyton, whose portraits are the subject of this new, self-curated retrospective, available at Amazon and other fine booksellers.

Much harder to find is Hedi Slimane's photographic tribute to Pete Doherty, London Birth of a Cult. Released only a few weeks ago, the book's limited printing of 750 copies is already sold out, though Amazon UK continues to believe otherwise. As someone who expended considerable effort finding a copy of this beautifully-packaged book, I wish you happy hunting.

Perhaps the only man in Britain who can presently lay claim to being more notorious than Pete is Banksy. In the past year, he has gone from being simply the world's most important graffiti artist to being perhaps the world's most important artist period. This newly released monograph, Wall and Piece, beautifully charts that evolution. Available at Amazon UK.

Banksy is quickly becoming this generation's Andy Warhol. Earlier this year, Paul Frank released a series of Warhol-related items which quickly flew off shelves and now sell for a tidy premium on eBay. While several of those pieces were nice, none were quite as attractive as this new series of silkscreened Andy Warhol canvas tote bags from Pop Deluxe.

Speaking of tote bags (as well as this generation's Warhol), you would be wise to snap up these Takashi Murakami flower totes, which are available for a mere $10 here.

For those looking to spend a little more, what says "I care" more than a signed copy of Yoshitomo Nara's newest book, Drawing File, which consists of 77 full-page prints, and is available only in Japan, and (of course) on eBay.

Also criminally unavailable in the U.S. (or the U.K. for that matter) is this new 2-DVD reissue of Qui êtes-vous Polly Maggoo? Along with Antonioni's Blowup, this film defines everything that was brilliant about the 1960's world of mod fashion. Often referenced, but rarely seen, now you too can be one of the cool kids. Available at Colette (click "Product List") or from Amazon France.

Finally, on the subject of cool things from France, D'autres nouvelles des étoiles, a 2-DVD, career-spanning collection of Serge Gainsbourg videos, is a must. This 80 video set includes the full version of "Histoire de Melody Nelson", as well as what may be the greatest video of all-time, "Bonnie & Clyde" (with Brigitte Bardot).
Available here.

The Young Mod Year In Review

2005-12-06T17:12:00.000-05:00

So here we are...

SONGS OF THE YEAR

1. Babyshambles "Albion"
2. Raveonettes "Ode to L.A."
3. Hot Hot Heat "Middle of Nowhere"
4. Wir Sind Helden "Nur Ein Wort"
5. Futureheads "Hounds of Love"
6. The Kooks "Eddie's Gun"
7. Fiery Furnaces "Here Comes the Summer"
8. Doves "Snowden"
9. Maximo Park "Graffiti"
10. Arctic Monkeys "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor"
11. Razorlight (w/ Lisa Moorish) "Fairytale of New York"
12. The Bravery "An Honest Mistake"
13. Babyshambles "Fuck Forever"
14. The Magic Numbers "Love Me Like You"
15. Kaiser Chiefs "The Modern Way"
16. Franz Ferdinand "Walk Away"
17. Raveonettes "Uncertain Times"
18. Nada Surf "Always Love"
19. Belle & Sebastian "Another Sunny Day"
20. Arctic Monkeys "When the Sun Goes Down"
21. Thirteen Senses "Thru the Glass"
22. Kaiser Chiefs "I Predict a Riot"
23. Franz Ferdinand "I'm Your Villain"
24. The Strokes "You Only Live Once"
25. Cloud Room "Hey Now Now"

Honorable Mention

Andrew Bird “Fake Palindromes”
Art Brut “My Little Brother”
Athlete “Wires”
Ben Lee “Catch My Disease”
Bloc Party “So Here We Are”
Bravery “Unconditional”
Bright Eyes “First Day of My Life”
British Sea Power “It Ended on an Oily Stage”
British Sea Power “Please Stand Up”
Cardigans “I Need Some Fine Wine and You, You Need to Be Nicer”
Cat Power “The Greatest”
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah “Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood”
Colin Meloy “Everyday Is Like Sunday”
Decemberists “Sixteen Military Wives”
Decemberists “The Sporting Life”
Duels “Potential Futures”
Frank Black “I Burn Today”
Franz Ferdinand “Do You Want To”
Franz Ferdinand “Eleanor Put Your Boots On”
Franz Ferdinand “Outsiders”
Idlewild “Love Steals Us from Loneliness”
Jose Gonzalez “Heartbeats”
Louis XIV “Finding Out True Love Is Blind”
M83 “Don’t Save Us from the Flames”
Magic Numbers “Forever Lost”
Magic Numbers “Long Legs”
Mando Diao “Clean Town”
Martha Wainwright “When the Day Is Short”
Maximo Park “Apply Some Pressure”
Morning Runner “Gone Up in Flames”
New Order “Waiting for the Siren’s Call”
New Pornographers “Sing Me Spanish Techno”
Oasis “Let There Be Love”
Special Needs “Blue Skies”
Stars “Ageless Beauty”
Stars “Reunion”
Stars “Your Ex-Lover Is Dead”
Stellastarr* “Damn This Foolish Heart”
Ted Leo “Since U Been Gone”
Teenage Fanclub “Fallen Leaves”
The Coral “In the Morning”
The Tears “Lovers”

ARTISTS OF THE YEAR

Does anyone bother to listen to albums anymore? Certainly not me. Even I can't help but notice, however, when an artist releases several very good songs in a single year, whether or not they happen to be on a single disc. This list reflects those artists who in my opinion came closest to having enough really good songs to warrant a full album.

1. Franz Ferdinand
2. The Magic Numbers
3. The Decemberists/Colin Meloy
4. Bloc Party (incl. remixes)
5. Babyshambles
6. Arctic Monkeys
7. Maximo Park
8. Kaiser Chiefs
9. The Futureheads
10. British Sea Power
11. Art Brut
12. Stars
13. The Raveonettes
14. New Order
15. Doves

SHOWS OF THE YEAR

1. Colin Meloy at Fez
2. Art Brut at Mercury Lounge
3. Bloc Party at Roxy
4. Nouvelle Vague at Joe's Pub
5. Kaiser Chiefs at Tribeca Grand
6. Maximo Park at Rothko
7. Futureheads at Pianos
8. Arctic Monkeys at Mercury Lounge
9. Doves/Magic Numbers at Bowery Ballroom
10. Ben Kweller at Irving Plaza
(tie) Graham Coxon/22-20s at Bowery Ballroom
(tie) New Pornographers/Stars at Prospect Park

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS OF THE YEAR

Mew -- And the Glass Handed Kites
Oasis -- Don't Believe the Truth
Coldplay -- X&Y
White Stripes -- Get Behind Me Satan
Spoon -- Gimme Fiction

MOST INSANELY OVERRATED ARTISTS

Kanye West
M.I.A.
Animal Collective
Sufjan Stevens
Antony & the Johnsons

Feedback and comments warmly welcomed.

(A Very Belated) Yes. Yes.

2005-11-05T00:23:00.000-05:00

A bit busy lately, but still finding time to enjoy...

the new Franz Ferdinand album
the new Babyshambles album
the Rotters Club movie
Stalking Pete Doherty
Pete Doherty Talks to Kirsty Wark
Who the Fuck Is Pete Doherty?
Colin Meloy "Shankhill Butchers"
(thanks to Untouched By Work or Duty for all of the above)
Serge Gainsbourg D'autres nouvelles des etoiles DVD
Comic Strip Presents DVD
Marcel Dzama
Laguna Beach
Silent Alarm Remixed (better than the original)
Cat Power "The Greatest"
The Strokes "You Only Live Once"
Nada Surf "Always Love"
Ben Gibbard "Complicated" and "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
Belle & Sebastian "I'm Waking Up to Us"
Franz Ferdinand "Mis-shapes"
Jacques Dutronc "On Nous Cache Tout, On Nous Dit Rien"
everything by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood

...and look forward to...

the Jarvis Cocker solo album
Hedi Slimane "London Birth of a Cult" (on order from both Amazon and Amazon UK for weeks now)
the new monographs for Banksy and Elizabeth Peyton
Art Brut and Arctic Monkeys at Mercury Lounge
vintage shopping in London and Paris

Breaking News

2005-09-06T17:20:00.000-04:00

Antony & the Johnsons have won the Mercury Music Prize. He calls winning it "mad," "bonkers," and "a bit nutty." I guess he's a real brit after all.

Secret Halloween Show

2005-09-02T18:24:00.000-04:00

The Knitting Factory has just announced "a Halloween show with a VERY special headlining band." They are not saying who, but they are offering a clue in the form of a secret code that can be deciphered to reveal the band's identity. All they are saying is that it is a band with "two names," which I take to mean with a "two-word name." Here's the secret message for your decoding pleasure:

My adoring fans and enemies alike, welcome to a special missive.
Obstreperously, I come to you, looking forward to the share a secret. Under the guise of a special event that is now underfoot. No, we cant formally announce it! Tis most cheeky to have your guesses, yes? A group so beloved and admired, it is. In October for your listening pleasure, they arrive. No one should miss out.

Get your tickets while you can. Only then will you be able to enjoy their delicious and intimate songs with us. Arriving band will be a tasty treat; so please excuse my trickery. Tickets are on sale; our special band has support from Knit favorites, Morricone Youth. So, here is a capital idea, read carefully between the lines, after a period of time I hope to see you at the show.

Everything's Brilliant In Leeds

2005-08-31T20:06:00.000-04:00

The Guardian has a nice feature on the up-and-coming bands in Leeds, including ATYMS favourites Duels (anyone who does not have Potential Futures in heavy rotation is subject to immediate investigation and possible court martial).

"Britpop was a musical awakening for us," says Duels singer Jon Foulger, a sharp, thoughtful young man obsessed with lost jewels of British pop such as the Pretty Things' SF Sorrow album and 1960s-era David Bowie. "That was the time we discovered those bands and went back to that music." Duels have also inherited Britpop and Mod's sense of glamour, attending rehearsals in suits and - for keyboardist Katherine Botterill - skirts and fishnets. "You have to live it, don't you?" asks bassist Jon Maher. "We were at a festival and saw this bunch of blokes in T-shirts. Then just before they went on stage they put suits on and 'became' Interpol. I was a bit disappointed by that."

Of the other bands highlighted, the most promising appear to be The Lodger, who are described as "a more bitter and twisted Housemartins, or early James," and The Research, a "West Yorkshire Beach Boys."

Jamie Reid's Dirty Linen

2005-08-25T07:26:00.000-04:00

Jamie Reid, the artist who designed the iconic sleeves for The Sex Pistols' Never Mind the Bollocks album and God Save the Queen 7" single (recently voted the best record cover of all time by Q Magazine), has now created a line of bedding called Dirty Linen, featuring his famous Fuck Forever design. Duvet covers are available in Black, Pink, Brown and Blue, and pillowcases are available in Black, Pink, Brown/Orange, Brown and Blue. Pillowcases are £25 each, and duvet covers start at £100. Signed pillowcases are also available for a paltry £250. The full Dirty Linen line is available online here.

Art Brut in New York

2005-08-24T17:53:00.000-04:00

Art Brut, who grace the cover of the new issue of Rolling Stone (in Germany), are apparently playing the Mercury Lounge on November 10. Better late than never.

Songs Of The Summer (So Far)

2005-08-08T22:00:00.000-04:00

1. Kooks "Eddie's Gun"

2. Wir Sind Helden "Nur Ein Wort"

3. Hot Hot Heat "Middle of Nowhere"

4. Magic Numbers "Long Legs"

5. Morning Runner "Gone Up In Flames"

What am I missing?

Not So Special Mew Single

2005-08-08T20:54:00.000-04:00

The good news:

The new Mew single, the second to be released from their forthcoming album, will be released on September 12. The song, which is entitled Special, is already available on the UK version of iTunes. You can stream the video here.

The not-so-good news:

What had been the greatest band in the world for the last few years, eclipsing even the mighty Libertines, appears to have fallen into mediocrity. I'm still cautiously optimistic that the new album will be good, but if Apocalypso and Special are the two best tracks, we are in trouble.

The latest interview with the once great band is available here. Of particular interest is the revelation that Dinosaur Jr. frontman J. Mascis lends his backing vocals to new song Why Are You Looking Grave?

Your Belated Pete Doherty Fix

2005-08-06T07:30:00.000-04:00

The many faces of the great Pete Doherty...

1) Pete the Musician

Following the cancellation of the Babyshambles tour, a no-show for its opening slot on the Oasis tour, and reports that Pete had fired both his manager and the other three members of Babyshambles, there had been considerable speculation that Babyshambles was going the way of the Libertines. The rumoured split centered on "concerns" about Pete's relationship with Kate Moss, and arguments about the record company remixing the band's new single F**k Forever. These rumours have been temporarily put to rest, however, with the band's surprise reformation at the Underground Club in Stoke last week. A fan present at the gig was quoted by the NME as saying, "It was pretty f**king awesome. It was only two quid to get in, they came on three times, I got covered in beer, Pete didn't seem too wrecked and there was a guy dressed up as Max Carlish standing right behind me." Still no news about whether the band's tour will be rescheduled any time soon. In the meantime, F**k Forever (the remixed version) is set for release in the UK on August 15, followed by second single Albion on September 26, and the band's debut album on October 10. Full story here and here.

Meanwhile, Liam Gallagher swears Pete and Babyshambles will never support Oasis again after pulling a no-show on tour. Full story here.

2) Pete the Junkie Lover

Pete was allegedly dumped by girlfriend Kate Moss a few weeks ago after he fell into another drug-fueled frenzy. As a parting gift, Kate has reportedly offered to buy Pete a £15,000 anti-heroin implant. Full story here.

Even former Moss flame Johnny Depp has stepped into the fracas and said that Pete needs to get his act together. Full story here.

3) Pete the Shambolic Live 8 Performer

Meanwhile, the fallout from Pete's less than stellar performance at Live 8 continues. The latest salvo was cast by Damon Albarn, who told the Sun: "The concert was all about raising awareness, but Peter looked like he was having trouble raising his own awareness. He's a mess. I'm starting a campaign to Make Doherty History." Damon has since denied slagging Pete, claiming it must have been some other Gorillaz member. Full story here.

Pete also has unsuccessfully attempted to apologise to Bob Geldof for saying that unwanted advances by Geldof's daughter Peaches were the cause of his Live 8 incapacity. Full story here.

Elton John, meanwhile, has put Pete's Live 8 performance problems down to nerves, saying "I think Pete's immensely talented. He came to Watford and we rehearsed it and it was absolutely tip-top, perfect. I have to be very discreet about what I say, but I just think he was really nervous on the day."

4) Pete the Film Star

Pete is set to star in a documentary for BBC Three entitled So Who The F*** Is Pete Doherty? According to the film's executive producer: "The film covers everything from Pete's arrest to drugs and his romance with Kate. It's sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. There are scenes where it is quite apparent that he is taking drugs and is high." Speaking about Pete's relationship with Kate, the executive producer says: "We witnessed massive confrontations. But we do have loads of scenes of them loved up together at gigs. It's clear that a day in Pete Doherty's life is a long time." The one-hour special will air on August 28 at 10pm.

5) Pete the Writer

Pete is also expected to add the title of "author" to his CV. According to publishing industry press reports, an unnamed "serious literary publisher" is in the process of engaging Pete to write two books for them: a collection of poetry and a diary. No publications dates have been announced.

6) Pete the Pugilist

Pete has been released on bail following another alleged attack on a reporter. Apparently, trainee Daily Mirror reporter Laurie Hanna was sent to the Boogaloo pub in Archway, North London to get an interview with Pete. Hanna claims he approached Pete and said: "Nice to meet you. I don't want to waste anyone's time but my name's Laurie Hanna, I'm from the Daily Mirror, have you got time for a quick 10-minute chat?" What followed, according to the reporter, was an unsolicited punch in the face. Following police enquires, Pete arrived by appointment at a police station in Tottenham, North London with his lawyer last week, where he was questioned and released on bail until next month. According to an eye witnesses, he was wearing a blazer with no shirt and was seen flicking the V-sign at the waiting photographers. Viva la Pete! Full story here and here.

7) Pete the Born-Again Christian

And finally, in what I rate as possibly the lowest moment yet for Pete, the poor lad has allegedly become a born-again christian upon advice from his old British football hero Dennis Bailey. Full story here.

Wir Sind Helden In The New York Times

2005-07-25T13:54:00.000-04:00

Two months and four days ago I wrote about an exciting new band from Germany called Wir Sind Helden. Their pop anthem Nur Ein Wort is a strong contender for single of the year, and yet o so many weeks since I first spread the word, I have not seen a single mention of this band or this incredible song anywhere else. That is, until today. While Pitchfork continues to inform the world of the latest polished turd already in heavy rotation on MTV, leave it to the New York Times (via an article from sister paper the International Herald Tribune) to turn mainstream America on to this German slice of pop heaven. Read the article from today's Business section here.

Cocker On Darger

2005-07-24T13:47:00.000-04:00

In addition to his unique musical and lyrical talents, Pulp's Jarvis Cocker has always demonstrated a wonderful eye for the visual arts, working with greats like John Currin and Peter Saville on the artwork for This Is Hardcore (Currin's paintings also appear in the beautiful video for Help the Aged). Cocker is also an avid admirer of outsider art, or what the French call art brut, including perhaps the most famous self-taught artist, Henry Darger.

Darger's work is incredible in many respects, including its prefiguring of the techniques and imagery of pop art that would seem so revolutionary decades later. But what truly sets Darger apart from all of the other great artists is the size and scope of his work, which includes not only countless images, but also volumes and volumes of methodically told tales of imaginary lands and wars that accompany the images.

Darger and his work are the subject of the documentary In the Realms of the Unreal, which was just released on DVD. In speaking about the man and the film in today's Observer, Jarvis notes:

My attitude to his work has changed considerably since I have had children of my own. They are children's illustrations gone horribly wrong. I used to think that was funny but now I'm slightly more disturbed when I look at his work. I guess we are all more concerned with representations of children nowadays but there is certainly something a little creepy about his work. It appears to be incredibly free, but, in some ways, it's almost like a work of self-medication. Many so-called outsider artists seem to sedate themselves by creating incredibly intricate and symmetrical paintings over and over. Darger certainly did that obsessively.

You can read the full story here.

Free Devendra Banhart Show

2005-07-22T14:47:00.000-04:00

Virgin Megastore Union Square just announced that Devendra Banhart (or as they call him, Devenda Barnhart) will play a free in-store gig and sign copies of his new album at the store on September 13. The time of the performance has not yet been determined, but check back at Virgin's website as the date gets nearer.

My Name Is Jonas

2005-07-22T14:12:00.000-04:00

The buzz on the forthcoming Mew album continues to grow, with this interview with lead singer Jonas at Drowned By Sound. They also have a review of the first single, Apocalypso, which everyone agrees is good, but not nearly as brilliant as their previous singles. Has anyone heard an advance of the new album?

Born In The U.K.

2005-07-19T20:20:00.000-04:00

In a brand new interview with Nick Hornby, when asked what other artists he has gotten into lately, Bruce Springsteen reveals he listens to "all the Britpop stuff, the Stone Roses and Oasis, and I go on to Suede and Pulp." That means he is on track to discover the Libertines sometime around 2012. Full interview here.

My Little Airport -- Your New Favourite Indie-Pop Band

2005-07-17T15:42:00.000-04:00

Speaking of the Field Mice, as I so often do, if anyone owns or has heard this record (When I Listen to the Field Mice), please get in touch with me immediately!

I have heard a couple of other songs by Hong Kong's My Little Airport, and now feel confident in declaring them the next Belle & Sebastian. The song titles alone are brilliant -- such as Edward, Had You Ever Thought That the End of the World Would Come on 20.9.01? -- and the music (Casio, guitar and vocals) has that simple yet wonderful indie-pop quality that has been largely missing from the world since the demise of Sarah Records.

Where'd You Learn To Kiss That Way?

2005-07-17T14:30:00.000-04:00

The career-spanning 2-CD Field Mice retrospective Where'd You Learn to Kiss That Way?, which was released in 1998 and has been out of print and selling for exorbitant prices for years, is now being offered new on Amazon for $19.98. Given the lack of any evidence that this record has been officially re-released, and the fact that it is not similarly available new on Amazon UK (they only have 1 used copy available, which is selling for 90 pounds), I wonder whether Amazon US simply unearthed a few of these in a warehouse and is selling them off. Needless to say, if you do not already own this record, you should move quickly to take advantage of this situation.

So Many Hearts Broken

2005-07-14T09:24:00.000-04:00

Mr. and Mrs. Sondre Lerche (aka Mona Fastvold)

The Kooks -- Your New Favourite Band

2005-07-10T15:32:00.000-04:00

Am I the only one that does not understand the slavish devotion of Pitchfork and every music blogger in America to the good but not great (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Arcade Fire, etc.) at the expense of the plethora of truly great music being made overseas at this moment? I recognize that Bloc Party and a few other UK acts have received their fair share of praise in this country, but come on people, let's get with the program.

Tomorrow sees the UK release of what is not only one of the best singles of 2005, and one of the great debut singles of recent years, but possibly one of the most infectious two minutes of rock and roll ever recorded. The song is Eddie's Gun by four near-teens from Brighton known as The Kooks. The band is the latest to add its imprint on the British punk-pop revival kickstarted by The Libertines and heralded most recently by The Kaiser Chiefs and Maximo Park. Yet Eddie's Gun also harkens back to the golden age of Supergrass-era britpop. This paean to erectile dysfunction is already receiving airplay on alternative radio stations in the States, including KCRW in LA and WKQX in Chicago. Check out the video (and much more) on the band's website.

The band just finished touring with The Dead 60s, and have a smattering of UK headline dates scheduled in July. No US dates yet, but keep your fingers crossed.

Your Weekly Pete Doherty Fix

2005-07-07T09:07:00.000-04:00

It's been a busy week for the world's most lovable troubadour.

The week began with new revelations of Pete's sexual proclivities. The singer told gay lifestyle magazine axm that he used to be a £20-a-time rent boy and said he still fancies men: "F*** it, yeah. I find men beautiful. I find it in their souls and the wisdom they give you." He also told the magazine that he's currently broke: "I've had to cadge taxi fares off paparazzi just to get to places." Full story here.

Pete's fortunes then took a turn for the better, as he and Kate Moss were named the most sought-after couple on Britain's party circuit by the Tattler magazine, beating out royals, aristocrats and last year's hottest couple, Jude Law and Sienna Miller, to head the list. Full story here.

Unfortunately, Fortuna's wheel continued to turn, as he woke the morning of Live 8 to find his car booted, which caused him nearly to miss his performance with Elton John; though perhaps it would have been better if he had never arrived, as he stumbled on stage and was booed for forgetting his words to T-Rex's Children of the Revolution. Despite being booed by 200,000 people, and soundly condemned by the press, event organiser Bob Geldof has tried to put a positive spin on Pete's performance: "I think Doherty and Elton were fantastic. I know there's been a lot of criticism about Pete forgetting his words and stumbling around the stage, but it was undoubtedly a very memorable performance."

Even Pete has resorted to spin control, describing his performance as "wicked" while acknowledging that "everybody has been knocking me and that's put the dampers on it a bit." Pete also has denied that he was late or that his glazed appearance was due to drugs. "I didn't turn up late at all and I wasn't all over the place on drugs. I may have been slightly agitated, but I wasn't on drugs." He did admit having a row with Kate right before the show, but said they soon made up and later watched a repeat of his performance on TV.

The most recent reports put the blame for Pete's dazed and confused performance on the shoulders of Bob Geldof's 16-year-old daughter Peaches. "I wasn't lost for words and I wasn't out of it on drugs," Doherty said to the Daily Mirror from the Spanish island of Ibiza. "Just before I went on stage Peaches squeezed my bum hard and whispered something rather suggestive to me. It left me in such shock I didn't know where I was. Bob Geldof has organised this amazing global event, I was facing 210,000 people, the cameras were rolling, and f---ing Elton John is dueting with me," the 26-year-old continued. "And Bob's daughter has secretly made a pass at me. It's all I can think about. It did my head in. I didn't think Bob would be very happy."

Full stories here and here.

Finally, there is a very disturbing report that Pete and Kate have recorded a cover of the Divinyls' I Touch Myself. The couple apparently believe the song will be a big hit as it expresses their "deep love for each other."

If ever there were a time for the Libertines to reunite, this is it.

Higher Than The Sun

2005-07-06T08:29:00.000-04:00

Artist Paul Cannell, the man responsible for the iconic cover art for Primal Scream's Screamadelica album and Higher Than the Sun single, has committed suicide.

Cannell also designed the logo for Heavenly Records.

Cannell's artwork also featured on the cover of the Manic Street Preachers' classic You Love Us single.

In addition to his work as an artist and designer, Cannell was also a member of the band Crawl, who released a single through Creation in 1996.

You can find a wonderful interview with Cannell here.

Mew And The Glass Handed Kites

2005-06-30T09:48:00.000-04:00

Details of the new Mew album have just been confirmed. Thankfully the band have bowed to the nearly universal negative reaction to the album's working title, Saviours of Jazz Ballet, and decided instead to call it Mew and the Glass Handed Kites, which I like much more. The tracklisting of the album also sounds promising:

01. Circuitry Of The Wolf
02. Chinaberry Tree
03. Why Are You Looking Grave
04. Fox Club
05. Apocalypso
06. Special
07. The Zookeeper’s Boy
08. A Dark Design
09. Saviours Of Jazz Ballet (Fear Me December)
10. An Envoy To The Open Fields
11. Small Ambulance
12. The Seething Rain Weeps For You (Uda Pruda)
13. White Lips Kissed
14. Louise Louisa

The full album is released on September 12. The first single, Apocalypso, is already the most played song on leading tastemaker station DR Barometer (ahead of new tracks by The Arcade Fire and Spoon), and is available now as a digital download on iTunes and other online services. The song will also be released on July 18 as a limited 7" vinyl.

Still no word of U.S. tour or release plans, but the band does have four U.K. shows scheduled for July:

July 25 - London ICA (020 7930 3647, £9)
July 26 - Manchester Academy (0161 832 1111, £8)
July 27 - Nottingham Rescue Rooms (0115 958 8484, £8)
July 28 - Glasgow ABC (0870 903 3444, £8.50)

Meanwhile, the band just finished a short tour of Scandinavia in support of R.E.M. Michael Stipe apparently first saw Mew play at their now legendary show at the Mercury Lounge two years ago and was appropriately impressed. As he put it: "They are not just good. They are.... AWESOME!!"

Your Weekly Pete Doherty Fix

2005-06-27T18:15:00.000-04:00

In a nod to producer Mick Jones, Babyshambles played Clash classic White Riot at Glastonbury. Full story here. An mp3 of Babyshambles' version of White Riot, performed live on Radio 1, is available at Untouched By Work or Duty.

In related cover news, Pete is scheduled to duet with Elton John at Live 8 on a version of another 70s classic, T. Rex's Children of the Revolution. Full story here.

Finally, proving once again that he not only is a great musician and lyricist, but also his own best publicist, Pete chose to spend his free time at Glastonbury (in between playing two sets) getting married to Kate Moss in a "one day" mock wedding. Full story here.

Mourning Morning Becomes Eclectic

2005-06-27T15:33:00.000-04:00

Having never actually listened to KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic, I used to live under the blissfully ignorant belief that the show was American radio's last surviving champion of good, cutting-edge music. After reading this article, however, I now understand that I was wrong.

While the very fact that the show is profiled in the New York Times Magazine is strong evidence of its mainstream appeal, the most stinging indictment has to be the show's own playlist, which includes such "favorite" artists as The Blue bloody Nile! Add to that DJ Nic Harcourt's vigorous patting of himself on the back for "discovering" such AAA drivel as Norah Jones, David Gray and Dido, and my whiskers begin to wilt with disappointment. Surely this show is not the best American broadcasters have to offer?

For those of you who really want to discover new music that will make you realise we are living in another 1966-68 or 1989-91 style golden age, I highly recommend listening to BBC6 and DR Barometer (click netradio on the upper right to play, or netradio on the upper left to view the playlist).

What About Art Brut?

2005-06-24T09:09:00.000-04:00

Are there any budding Morrisseys or Jarvis Cockers among the latest wave of British songwriters? In setting out to answer this question, The Guardian asked a professor of Modern English Literature to study the lyrics of today's leading bands. He gives high marks to Arctic Monkeys and Bloc Party (who he compares to Sylvia Plath). Coldplay's Chris Martin is not so fortunate. Full story here.

For Those Who Have The Means

2005-06-23T14:00:00.000-04:00

6/24 Stars at Maxwell's
6/25 New Pornographers and Stars at Prospect Park Bandshell
6/25 Feist at Bowery Ballroom
6/25 Mary Timony at Northsix
6/26 Tegan and Sara at Central Park Summerstage
6/26 Ted Leo & the Pharmacists and Radio 4 at Irving Plaza
6/27 Ted Leo & the Pharmacists and Radio 4 at Maxwell's
6/28 Annie at Hiro Ballroom (RSVP here)
6/29 Annie at Scenic
6/30 My Favorite at Rothko
7/4 Yo La Tengo and Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks at Battery Park Lawn
7/7 Bettie Serveert at Maxwell's
7/7 Charles Bissell (The Wrens) at Pete's Candy Store
7/13 The Bravery and The Dead 60's at Webster Hall
7/13 Royksopp at Irving Plaza
7/13 Bridget Jones' Diarrhea (Scissor Sisters) at Mercury Lounge
7/14 Dinosaur Jr. and Broken Social Scene at Central Park Summerstage
7/14 The Caesars and The Sights at Southpaw
7/14 Turin Brakes at Bowery Ballroom
7/14 Dungen at Maxwell's
7/15 Robbers on High Street and King of France at Mercury Lounge
7/16 Spoon and Brendan Benson and The Dears and Nine Black Alps at Siren Festival
7/16 Ta Det Lugnt (Dungen) at Mercury Lounge
7/19 The Cribs and Nine Black Alps at Mercury Lounge
7/20 Dirty on Purpose and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at Southpaw
7/20 Keren Ann, Danya Kurtz at Bowery Ballroom
7/20 Megapussi (Scissor Sisters) at Mercury Lounge
7/21 Kaiser Chiefs and The Cribs at Webster Hall
7/21 The Wrens at Maxwell's
7/22 Joy Zipper at Mercury Lounge
7/22-23 Teenage Fanclub at Bowery Ballroom
7/27 CocoRosie at Joe's Pub
7/27 Regina Spektor at Tonic
7/27 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at Mercury Lounge
7/28 Antony & The Johnsons at Town Hall
7/30 MC5 at Central Park Summerstage
7/30 Brian Jonestown Massacre at Bowery Ballroom
8/1-2 Liz Phair at Joe's Pub
8/2 Brian Jonestown Massacre at Maxwell's
8/2-3 Olivia Tremor Control and Tall Dwarfs at Bowery Ballroom
8/4 Patti Smith at Central Park Summerstage
8/8 Kings of Leon and Secret Machines at Roseland
8/10 Devo at Hammerstein Ballroom
8/10 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at South Street Seaport
8/11 Juliana Hatfield at Maxwell's
8/13 The Pernice Brothers at Bowery Ballroom
8/15 Colleen at Other Music
8/16 Holly Golightly at Northsix
8/18 Death Cab For Cutie and The Decemberists and Stars at Central Park Summerstage
8/19-21 Sufjan Stevens at Bowery Ballroom
8/25 Jesse Malin at Bowery Ballroom
8/26 Ted Leo & the Pharmacists and I Am Kloot at South Street Seaport
8/27 Of Montreal at Northsix
9/6-7 Coldplay and Rilo Kiley at Madison Square Garden
9/7 Idlewild at Irving Plaza
9/12 a-ha at Irving Plaza
9/13 Nouvelle Vague at Joe's Pub
9/14 Nouvelle Vague at Canal Room
9/24-26 The White Stripes at Key Span Park
10/8 Dead Can Dance at Radio City Music Hall
10/12-13 New Pornographers and Destroyer at Webster Hall

Your Weekly Pete Doherty Fix

2005-06-23T09:15:00.000-04:00

Pete fails to turn up for Vogue photoshoot with former Libertines bandmate Carl Barat. Full story here.

While the on-again/off-again saga of Pete and Carl's inevitable reunion never fails to capture my imagination, others are more interested in engaging in a heated debate over the proper pronunciation of Pete's surname.

A bit more insightful is this interview with the Socialist Worker about Pete's involvement in the "anti-capitalist movement." In the interview, Pete talks about how What Katy Did was not written as a Libertines song, but ended up on the band's last album as a peace offering to Carl. Interestingly, it is one of the few Libertines songs that Pete still plays live with Babyshambles, and its sequel, What Katy Did Next, is expected to be one of the tracks on the Babyshambles debut album. For those who do not already know, both songs reference a series of 19th century children's books by Susan Coolidge.

Don't be surprised if the other book in the series, What Katy Did at School, becomes a future Doherty classic.

Meanwhile, Sadie Frost, former wife of Jude Law and best friend of Kate Moss, has refused to invite Pete to a party for fear that his "druggie antics" would spoil the night. According to a friend of Sadie's, "She's all for having a good time but some people go too far." Needless to say, it's the scandal du jour of London society. Full story here.

Finally, NME have confirmed the details of the next Babyshambles single, Fuck Forever. The CD is set to be released on July 25, with b-side Monkey Casino, while the 7” inch will include Black Boy Lane.
The single will also be released in Maxi-CD edition, which will include songs East Of Eden and Babyshambles, along with a short film.

In Praise Of Jonathan Coe

2005-06-14T18:40:00.000-04:00

The rapier swift Untouched By Work Or Duty has struck again whilst the rest of us good soldiers were sleeping, scoring an exclusive interview with the most exciting figure in literature today, Jonathan Coe. Coe's work is littered with music references, including the title of his greatest work, The Rotters' Club (an album by British prog rockers Hatfield & the North).

Work or Duty's interview provides some extremely interesting and long-overdue insight into Coe's musical leanings. For fans of The Rotters' Club, this interview with Coe regarding the inspiration behind the book is also a must read. The BBC also recently made a miniseries of The Rotters' Club. No word on when (or if) it will be released on DVD, but you can read an episode guide here.

The sequel to The Rotters' Club, The Closed Circle, is now out in the U.S.

Also newly released and highly recommended is Coe's biography of the great experimental novelist B.S. Johnson.

Finally, don't miss Coe's wonderful tale of Thatcher-era England, What a Carve Up!.

Does This Man Hold The Fate Of Modern Music In His Hands? Should We Be Scared?

2005-06-13T10:10:00.000-04:00

NME Editor Conor McNicholas

Judge for yourself after reading this interview.

Your Weekly Pete Doherty Fix

2005-06-08T10:45:00.000-04:00

Pete has confirmed that the eagerly awaited Babyshambles debut album is now completed and calls it "the best record I’ve ever made by a long shot." He also has confirmed that Fuck Forever will be the first single, with the track Albion following soon thereafter.

Pete also has lashed out at his former band, claiming: “Apart from the Sex Pistols, The Libertines were probably the most manufactured band ever. It was just a case of let’s get the best looking people and be as much like The Strokes as possible. That was the idea at the time.”

Doherty also has finally publicly reacted to the recent Max Carlish documentary, Stalking Pete Doherty, calling it a "disgrace."

The full interview can be found here.

Meanwhile, the debate over whether or not Pete has successfully kicked his crack habit continues to percolate. The Mirror reports that Pete is back on crack, including the very disgusting detail that girlfriend Kate Moss made a spliff for him out of a tampon tube. Kate's mum has also put in her two pence, saying that she refuses to go on holiday with "crackhead Pete." Full story here. For his own part, Pete claims: "I did do drugs but that's all in the past now. That's not me any more. My drug is babies now - I love them."

Finally, Pete has taken a swipe at Franz Ferdinand, claiming they stole the riff for Take Me Out from Ringo Starr's 1972 hit Back Off Boogaloo. Full story here.

THE NEW MEW SINGLE IS HERE!

2005-06-07T11:20:00.000-04:00

Oh how I have waited these past two years for the arrival of new material from Denmark's Mew, whose last album, Frengers, is probably my favourite since Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. Well, the day is finally upon us! The first single from the band's as-yet-untitled new LP just started receiving airplay on the always cutting-edge DR Barometer (Danish Radio's alternative Internet radio station). The song is called Apocalypso, and can be streamed here. The single is set to be released on July 4, with the full record, again produced by Michael Beinhorn, to follow in September. Still no U.S. tour dates, but a show at the ICA in London on July 25 was just announced. Details here.

Decent Days And Nights

2005-06-07T06:11:00.000-04:00

The Futureheads played a free acoustic show at Pianos last night. Was it the loudest "acoustic" show ever? Yes. Did they play all the hits? See for yourself...

A Brush With Greatness

2005-06-05T16:50:00.000-04:00

I have enjoyed several moments of extraordinary pride during my many years of service, yet none set my whiskers alight quite as much as receiving the following note from Beth of Trembling Blue Stars, who honoured this humble site and all who frequent it by leaving the following comment last week to an earlier post regarding the band's tour plans:

Hi Hugo, The TBS tour was cancelled because nothing came together basically. The booking agent was told to run with dates before our label (Bar-None) had worked anything else out so it all had to be scrapped. Sad really, I love The Ocean Blue!!! We've not been on SubPop since "Alive to Every Smile" and have since signed to Elefant Records in Spain for the last LP and 2 Eps. Bar-None released the LP in the US, with the first EP (Southern Skies...) tagged on at the end. We tried to sort out having a website, when someone called Jef from The Philippines offered (rather enthusiastically) to do a site for us last year. He went on and on about how he was doing it (I even sent him some money to hold a domain and offered to send more!) and how it's "nearly up" and in the end all we got was a splash page so we gave up trying to have a site and trusting people! Elefant.com has a page on us and bar-none.com has a little page. Better than nothing really. Take care, Beth/TBS

Anyone interested in restoring the band's faith in mankind by offering to make a long overdue Trembling Blue Stars website that is as wonderful as the band itself?

Look At Us, We Designed A Sleeve!

2005-05-31T10:33:00.000-04:00

Much has been written about the musical greatness that is the debut album from Art Brut,, which was released in the UK yesterday. What has been criminally overlooked, however, is the brilliance that is the record's sleeve. Even better, perhaps, is the deconstruction of the artwork on the band's website into the four images of the individual band members, each of which may be downloaded as wallpaper.

Eddie

Freddie

Ian

Chris

Pictures On Walls

2005-05-30T10:46:00.000-04:00

It is not enough, my friends, that your shelves should be lined with the latest discs, for if your walls are bare, then you are but half-way to being a young mod soldier. Be thankful, then, for the good fellows at GigPosters.com, who have been so kind as to collect some of the best music artwork of recent times at a single site, which may be searched by either band name or designer. While many of the best posters are not offered for sale, you can always contact the designer directly about obtaining a copy. Be industrious, my friends. Below is a taste of what you will find:

Joy Division, designed by Peter Saville

Dead Kennedys, designed by Raymond Pettibon

The Decemberists, designed by Carson Ellis

Your Weekly Pete Doherty Fix

2005-05-26T22:36:00.000-04:00

Word is that a newly-sober Pete Doherty stole the limelight at the 50th annual Ivor Novello awards in London last night. Pete apparently showed up at the ceremony wearing a straw hat with black marker pen scrawled over his face. Speaking of his love for Kate Moss and his relationship with her two-year-old daughter, Lila, Pete said: "I'm bang in love with Kate. She's the one for me." The couple just returned from holiday in the south of France with Lila, Moss's daughter by magazine impresario Jefferson Hack. "Lila's a bossy boots," Pete said. "We argue about crayons. We like singing and dancing. She's really sweet." Pete also revealed that he is writing a song about Moss called What Katie Did Next, and that she will be joining him on stage at Glastonbury this summer.

Pete claims he has been free of heroin for the past three months after having an implant fitted, but that has not stopped him from feeling "a bit paranoid." He said: "I found a bug, a hidden camera, in my house. I don't want to talk about, it's being investigated."

Pete was nominated in the best contemporary song category, but lost out to Franz Ferdinand's Take Me Out.

For Those Who Have The Means -- Collectibles Edition

2005-05-25T09:39:00.000-04:00

For fans of Damon and his animated friends, Kidrobot and Gorillaz artist Jamie Hewlett have created limited edition giant-sized vinyl figures of the band to coincide with the release of Demon Days. The figures are $40 each (Noodle, 2d, Murdoc and Russel), or $150 for the set of 4. Available here.

For that mopey Moz fan who has everything, consider the We Hate It When Our Friends Become Famous t-shirt by literary enfant terrible JT LeRoy in collaboration with "ghetto atelier" JU$T ANOTHER RICH KID. The front of the shirt features an excerpt from the Morrissey song attributed to Shakespeare, while the back features a quote from Shakespeare attributed to Morrissey. Guaranteed to confuse your parents. Available here for a mere $65.

Wir Sind Helden -- Your New Favourite Band (From Germany)

2005-05-21T08:25:00.000-04:00

Turns out that the German music scene is not dead after all, it was just sleeping. BW, who just returned from Deutschland, reports that there is a new wave of German-language alterna-pop (what is being hailed as the first real German pop scene since Nena sang 99 Luft Balloons two decades ago), and at the vanguard of the movement is Wir Sind Helden, who just released their second album, called Von Hier An Blind (Blind from Now On).

Wir Sind Helden has arrived in a country, like our own, that is beset with pre-packaged "artists" a la American Idol (Germany's version of the show is called Deutschland sucht den Superstar). Indeed, BW says that German MTV is just as bland as its American counterpart -- except, that is, for the 3:56 of pop heaven that is Nur Ein Wort, the new single from Wir Sind Helden, which playfully reinvents Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues routine. Lead singer Judith Holofernes is adorable as she gleefully hops around, throwing cards down and picking them up as the film jerks backwards and forwards. As with all of their songs, the lyrics are entirely in German, but the hooks are so universal that it makes no difference. (You also have to love the cover art for the album, with its nod to Tintin.)

You can listen to Nur Ein Wort and other songs here, and the full album is available as an import at Amazon UK. And if you have any doubts, just look at the records recently purchased by the same people who bought Von Heir An Blind: Arcade Fire, Gorillaz, British Sea Power and Kaiser Chiefs.

Your Weekly Pete Doherty Fix

2005-05-18T17:03:00.000-04:00

Pete has been evicted from his flat. Full story here.

Pete plans to debut songs from debut Babyshambles album at gig in Ibiza in early July. Full story here.

Finally, the long-awaited (and apparently quite underwhelming) Max Carlish documentary "Stalking Pete Doherty" aired on Channel 4 in the UK last night. For info on where to download it, go to here.

Hallo from Deutschland

2005-05-18T16:24:00.000-04:00

My best friend and brother in arms BW is in Germany this week, and his absence has caused my mind to wander there as well. Indeed, while the story of my origin remains a tale untold, there is strong evidence to suggest that I was born not in London or Paris, as many assume, but in a small town in Germany.

Why then, you may ask, do my tastes not veer more toward the latest band from Berlin or Hamburg rather than the newest sensation from Liverpool or Leeds? The painful truth is that the German music scene has produced little to celebrate of late.

But there ia new record from a German artist that greatly interests me. Entitled Another Language, it is a compilation of covers by Claudia Brücken (former lead singer of German synth-band Propaganda) and formally-trained neo-composer Andrew Poppy. It was released earlier this year, but has managed to garner nein attention, despite its collection of remarkable covers, including Radiohead's Nice Dream, Frank Black's White Noise Maker, Bowie's Drive-In Saturday, McAlmont & Butler's You Do, Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill, Elvis Costello's Lipstick Vogue, and Marianne Faithful's Broken English.

So is it the next Nouvelle Vague (which I rate as possibly the best album of last year)? Unfortunately, I cannot say as I have yet to hear it. I asked BW to pick it up in Germany, but it appears it has escaped even their attention, as no one there has heard of it either. Alas, I suppose that means that Amazon UK will be receiving more of my meager pension.

Duels -- Your New Favourite Band

2005-05-13T09:49:00.000-04:00

You will understand how a young hussar confined to his camp yearns for ever new stimulation, something to take his mind from the dull days that pass end on end while the generals chart their next bold strike. Music is a fine tonic during these times, and there is much to celebrate of late, but how easily our minds wander and seek out the thrill of the new. We all want to re-live that feeling when we first heard The Stone Roses' Made of Stone, Suede's The Drowners, Radiohead's Creep, etc. To discover a great new band that you will cherish for the rest of your life -- those are the moments a soldier prizes above all others.

Let me have the honour then, my friends, of introducing you to your new favourite band...

Duels are more than the next big thing from Leeds; they may be the next big thing period. Combining the best of Pulp, Blur and Hunky Dory-era Bowie, the band already has a small legion of fans known as Young Believers (after one of their songs) who slavishly mouth every word of every song at their live shows, even though the band has yet to release even their first single. Word-of-mouth about the band has spread quickly over the past few months as they toured England with the Kaiser Chiefs, and this past Tuesday the fervor reached new heights when they played a triumphant headline set at London's Camden Barfly. The band is apparently still unsigned, although that is certain to change in the coming days. In the meantime, we must make due with the demos available on the band's website and await what promises to be the most heralded debut record in quite some time.

It's Official, The World Has Gone Mad

2005-05-10T12:11:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I believe I have seen too much to be ever taken by surprise. Yet I must admit, my friends, to being shocked by the results of an auction last night on eBay for a signed handwritten U2 setlist from around 1980-1981.

I no doubt have made some previous allusion to my penchant for collecting setlists. Suffice it to say that anyone who dares come between me and a setlist I covet puts his or her life in extreme danger. The result of this little obsession is what some have called the greatest such collection ever assembled. While I do not dispute their characterization, I nevertheless acknowledge that it may be improved upon.

I had hoped to make one such improvement to my collection by acquiring the above-mentioned U2 setlist, which recently turned up on eBay with an opening bid of $1. A similar early handwritten (but unsigned) U2 setlist was recently listed on eBay only to be withdrawn because the seller received an unspecified "offer he could not refuse" from a private buyer. This turn of events should have provided some warning of what would transpire with this latest setlist, and yet nothing could ever prepare me for the insanity of the final winning bid.

To put the item in context, signed handwritten Beatles setlists from the early-mid 1960s generally sell for a few thousand dollars, an unsigned handwritten Elliott Smith setlist recently sold for about $800, and a pair of handwritten setlists from one of The Smiths' earliest shows in 1983 sold last year on eBay (to me) for less than $100 for the pair.

Can anyone explain, then, how someone could justify paying $45,100 for this?

Franz Ferdinand's New Fuzzy Warbles

2005-05-06T18:18:00.000-04:00

Franz Ferdinand fansite www.franzferdinand.net has scored an exclusive new interview with Alex Kapranos on the recording of the band's highly anticipated sophomore album with producer Rich Costey (Bloc Party, Muse), which is currently taking place in Kapranos’s house in Dumfries, Scotland. Here are the highlights:

The band is simultaneously writing, arranging and recording, and currently has 25 songs, of which about 18 are considered "contenders" for the new album, including "re-arrangements" of live favourites Villain, This Boy and Your Diary.

While in the studio, the band has been listening to a wide variety of bands for inspiration, including "Eno, The Damned, Trout, Tiger Lillies, Bowie, Bronski Beat, Beefheart, The Stanleys, Dylan."

Once they have finished recording, the band will come to New York to mix the record (and maybe play a secret show or two?).

You can read the full interview here. Sadly, they neglected to ask whether the band will be taking Snoop Dogg up on his recent offer to collaborate.

Never Mind New Wave, Here's Nao Wave

2005-05-06T14:02:00.000-04:00

No doubt you have heard my name mentioned as being the beau-ideal of a soldier, and that not only by friends and admirers like our fellow-townsfolk, but also by old officers of the great wars who have shared the fortunes of those famous campaigns with me. Truth and modesty compel me to say, however, that this is not so. There are some gifts which I lack -- very few, no doubt -- but, still, amid all the vast armies there may have been some who were free from those blemishes which stood between me and perfection. Of bravery I say nothing. But there are other gifts besides bravery which are necessary for a soldier, and one of them is that he should be aware of more than just the latest band du jour in the NME. In this respect I must admit to occasionally being remiss. For example, I spent the 1980s listening to the best new wave artists in England, completely unaware of a host of Brazilian bands working from the same post-punk references. No longer shall I persist in error, however, thanks to a new compilation of the best of these South American new wavers entitled Nao Wave V.A. (Brazil post punk 1982-1988).

As an aid to those brave enough to dip their toe into these heretofore unknown waters, I offer the following chart of band comparisons:

AGENTSS = GARY NUMAN + LIQUID LIQUID
MERCENÁRIAS = THE SLITS
MUZAK = KILLING JOKE
VOLUNTÁRIOS DA PÁTRIA = TELEVISION + TALKING HEADS + XTC
SMACK = PIL
AKIRA S = SHRIEKBACK + A CERTAIN RATIO
CHANCE = CABARET VOLTAIRE
FELLINI = WALL OF VOODOO
VZYADOQ MOE = EINSTUERZENDE NEUBAUTEN + BAUHAUS
PLEBE RUDE = THE CLASH
LEGIÃO URBANA = THE SMITHS + U2

If you are intrigued, the record is available at Other Music, Colette, and other discriminating boutiques.

More Stellastarr* Secret Show Madness?

2005-05-04T09:40:00.000-04:00

Some small controversy erupted over my previous revelation that The Ligers, scheduled to play Bowery Ballroom on 20 May, were in fact Stellastarr* playing under a nom de guerre. Rest assured that I betrayed no confidences in bringing this information to the public. Indeed, I must confess that I did not view Stellastarr* headlining Bowery as a real stretch, and was somewhat disappointed that The Ligers was not the pseudonym of someone a tad bit more exciting (e.g., New Order, Oasis, White Stripes, Coldplay, etc.).

But now comes news that The Ligers are scheduled to play a much smaller venue next Friday the 13th. Assuming that these Ligers are the same as those scheduled to play at Bowery the following week -- i.e., Stellastarr* -- then this show promises to be something very exciting. I will leave it to you to deduce the location, but it should not be too difficult. As someone who is still kicking himself for not seeing Stellastarr* at Luxx a couple of years ago, you may rest assured that I will not be missing this show.

Spoon In-Store Galore

2005-05-03T18:49:00.000-04:00

Every once in a while Virgin Megastore Union Square swoops in out out of nowhere and books an amazing live in-store performance. Travis in 2001, The Shins in 2003, and now...Spoon! For those of you, like me, who cannot abide Webster Hall, this is your chance to see the band for free in a much more pleasant environment. The show is scheduled for Tuesday 10 May at 6pm, and coincides with the release that same day of their new album, Gimme Fiction, copies of which the band will be signing after their performance.

Perhaps not as earthshattering, but also worth noting, are two other events this month at Virgin Union Square:

On Thursday 5 May at 5pm Thurston Moore will do a signing and Q&A in support of his book Mix Tape: The Art of Cassette Culture.

And on Thursday 19 May at 6pm Aimee Mann will perform live.