The Scourge of the Sea on WOXY.com

Lexington popsters Scourge of the Sea are playing live in-studio on the WOXY.com Lounge Acts today (Thursday, November 30) at 1pm CST. Go here to listen. Shortly after the set should be available indefinitely in the WOXY.com audio archives.

I already posted a couple of tracks from their Make Me Armored a few days ago, but here's a track I haven't shared yet:

The Scourge of the Sea - Waterwings

More goodies on MySpace.

WRAS benefit @ Eyedrum, Dec. 2

This Saturday, December 2, Georgia State University radio station WRAS (Album 88) will be hosting a fundraiser at The Eyedrum here in Atlanta. This will also be a celebration of the station's 35th anniversary - yay! There will be lots of music, giveaways, and free cake, so it promises to be a humdinger.

The festivities start at 4:30pm, and will feature a number of diverse bands. Headlining will be Athens indie folk artist Phosphorescent and L.A.-based experimental act Daedelus. In support will be upcoming rock acts from Atlanta (The Selmanaires, Moresight) and Athens (Boulevard) as well as acclaimed Atlanta hip-hop artists Psyche Origami and electronica act Aerial2012.

It promises to be one heck of a show, and it's only $8 for 7 bands all day. Here are tracks from some of the bands, and links to the others:

Phosphorescent - I am a Full Grown Man (I Will Lay in the Grass All Day)
The Selmanaires - Images
Psyche Origami - Nuff Teef
Moresight (myspace)
Boulevard (myspace)
Daedelus (myspace)
Aerial2012 (myspace)

Good stuff, eh?

ELSEWHERE...

Slate ponders why we hate Pitchfork.

Daytrotter has live-in-studio tracks from Elf Power this week.

Q Magazine has named Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" the best single of the past 20 years, followed by Outkast's "Hey Ya!" and Guns 'n Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine." Check out the their (generally awful) top 20 picks.

MSNBC spotlights undeserving members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Black Sabbath? Really?

KissAtlanta is back online after a brief hiatus, with a whole new look.

Big personal news to come soon. C&T headquarters is relocating!

Creating Loafing's worst first-date songs

Creative Loafing has published a list of the worst songs to play on a first date. Here are their selections:

1) "Gold Digger" by Kanye West: Bad for both parties. If the guy plays it, he's telling you he's cheap; if the girl plays it, she's the subject of the song.

2) "Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None)" by Snoop Dogg: I know it all depends on the girl, but usually, suggesting a gang bang isn't the right way to get the evening started.

3) "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails: "I wanna fuck you like an animal, I wanna feel you from the inside." These are second-date lyrics at best.

4) "Smack My Bitch Up" by Prodigy: Unless you're dating a self-loathing masochist, this song probably won't work.

5) "Let's Get Married" by Jagged Edge: Politely ask your date to pull the car over, get out and RUN!

I'd like to add this Ween song to the list:

Ween - Touch My Tooter [live 8-1-2006] (NSFW)

Really though, just leave the Ween at home. It's probably for the best.

Have any further suggestions?

Smurfs coming to the big screen

Smurfy news from the entertainment front -- the Smurfs are coming to the big screen! They're still three apples tall, but soon they'll be in theaters. According to ComingSoon.Net, the Smurfs tale is being adapted into an epic trilogy. There will also likely be an extensive look at Gargamel's backstory. Perhaps falling victim to hyperbole, producer Jordan Kerner claims the films will be like "the animated Lord of the Rings - through the world of these idiots. Because they're sweet characters but they're goofs." Whatever. They're still cooler than the Snorks.

Be sure to get this while you're at it... it'll delight and/or annoy your co-workers all day long:

Smurfs theme (version 2)

Hopefully this means the Smurfs village survived its recent brutal attack at the hands of UNICEF. Tough little bastards.

The Gurus

Today on C&T I've decided to highlight Spanish trio The Gurus, whom I stumbled onto via the Salon Audiofile site. Online info is somewhat scarce, but I can tell you that they're from Barcelona, and they play British Invasion-style psychedelic pop tinged with dance and electronic influences. They do have a MySpace page, but it's in Spanish. I can sorta read it, but I don't think it says much of note other than that they've been together since about '94 and have a thing for old rock music. Hey, me too.

They have recently released their second LP, The Swing of Things, which is available at Insound; the nice people at Rainbow Quartz Records have been kind enough to make a couple tracks available for sampling. "Flats and Jobs" is crunchy, jangly, trippy, and bound to get your body moving (voluntarily or otherwise). Perhaps something like The Selmanaires if they sounded a lot more like The Who. I you're a fan of '60s-era psychedelia and dance music you're probably going to dig 'em. I haven't been able to get much out of the lyrics just yet, but the dance groove and mood are enough. "Tears on the Wardrobe" is a fine pop song with psychedelic flair.

The Gurus - Flats and Jobs
The Gurus - Tears on the Wardrobe

Additional tracks are available for download from the Rainbow Quartz Records website.

Scourge of the Sea, Petticoat Petticoat coming to ATL, Athens in January

Thanks to You Ain't No Picasso for the heads-up on this one.

Lexington, Kentucky, indie popsters Scourge of the Sea and Petticoat, Petticoat are coming to north Georgia in early 2007. They'll be playing at The EARL in Atlanta on January 6, and following that up with a gig at Tasty World in Athens on January 10. Matt has the full list of tour dates.

It will probably come as little surprise that I'm interested in Scourge of the Sea given their bio -- it says they play "sweet golden pop music" with "jangly hooks" and "[s]mart and literate songwriting." Um, yes please. They're touring to support their current album, Make Me Armored, which has been reviewed positively by *sixeyes and the fine folks at Paste. Here are two tracks from Make Me Armored:

The Scourge of the Sea - Smitten Kitten
The Scourge of the Sea - Out of the Trash

You can order the album from Alias Records. MySpace has more info.


Touring with Scourge of the Sea is Petticoat, Petticoat. They also have a recent release, Every Mother's Child, that I'm sure they'd like you pick up. What I've heard of them reminds me of indie acts like Headlights or Magnapop, although they also have soulful moments (see "We're Gonna Be Poor") akin to good ol' Meg & Jack White. They employ both male and female vocalists, and seem comfortable with either low-key ballads ("Love in an Alley") or Pixies-cum-Pretenders indie rock ("Glittering Heels"). I should add that Kristin Messina of Petticoat, Petticoat is a prime candidate to wind up on the next "Women of Indie" feature at Skatterbrain. A couple tracks from Every Mother's Child:

Petticoat, Petticoat - Glittering Heels
Petticoat, Petticoat - Love in an Alley

The album is available on their website, and they also have some cool T-shirts. More info on MySpace.

ELSEWHERE...

When did babies get so damn hip?

rbally has a live show from 2004 with Neko Case backed by Calexico. Delicious!

Fellow ATL blog Confessions of a Music Addict has begun a weekly podcast. Go check out their first offering.

Untitled features Atlanta's own Manchester Orchestra. Those boys are blowin' up.

It's a sad day in Nerdville. The Revenge of the Nerds remake has been scrapped.

I came across this American Eagle ad for indie rock flip-flops on The Google. WTF? Although I must admit that I don't have nearly enough clothing with nail head accents.

Elephant 6 goodness: new releases

There's a good bit of exciting material coming out of the Elephant 6 camp. I've already mentioned the forthcoming album from Of Montreal (due out in January) here. In addition to that release, there are also new or forthcoming releases from Summer Hymns, Ladybug Transistor, and Apples in Stereo.

The new Summer Hymns album, Backward Masks, was released this month. The album is available from Misra Records. Unfortunately, I haven't picked this one up yet, but Paul at The Yellow Stereo has given it a glowing review. Based on what I have heard, it sounds like more of the sweet folk-laced pop that Summer Hymns have long churned out. Here are two tracks from Backward Masks courtesy of Misra:

Summer Hymns - Pity and Envy
Summer Hymns - Start Swimming

The Brooklyn/Marlborough Farms contingent has also unleashed a new release. Ladybug Transistor has just issued a 4-song EP of covers titled Here Comes the Rain. Tackling tunes by Grin, Trader Horne, John Cale, and Kevin Ayers, the EP was released on Spanish label Green UFOs on November 1. It is available for download from Merge Records (for $4!) or you can order a hard copy from Other Music ($9.99 + S&H). I finally got around to ordering mine last night after hearing the title track on their MySpace page. Fans of Jens Lekman will be interested in knowing that he guests on that track as well. Unfortunately, I don't have it yet to share a track, but here are two songs from their most recent full (self-titled) album:

Ladybug Transistor - Splendor in the Grass
Ladybug Transistor - A Burial at Sea

In addition to those releases, the forthcoming record from Apples in Stereo, New Magnetic Wonder, has been getting positive early buzz. It doesn't hit store shelves until February, but Yep Roc Records has already begun taking pre-orders for the release. They've also made available an Apples in Stereo SuperFan Pack that includes an enhanced CD, double LP, a holiday single, an autographed poster, a T-shirt, and other goodies. Of course you can order just the album too if you wish. Word is that Jeff Mangum guests on the album too, which is quite nifty. In the meantime, here are tracks from prior Apples in Stereo releases:

Apples in Stereo - Please
Apples in Stereo - Liza Jane (Dimension Mix)

Atlanta-area readers, please note that E6 friends Casper & the Cookies will be at The EARL on November 30. They'll also be on the Georgia Music Show on WRAS that evening (6pm). Here are their remaining tour dates, courtesy of Optical Atlas:

11.16.06 Cambridge, MD @ Phoning it In
11.19.06 Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree Cafe
11.30.06 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
12.01.06 Jacksonville, FL @ TSI
12.02.06 Greenville, SC @ The Gypsy

I raved about their current album, The Optimist's Club, back during the summer. Here is "Sid from Central Park" from The Optimist's Club and a couple older tracks:

Casper & The Cookies - Sid from Central Park
Casper & The Cookies - Take It Away, Kathy
Casper & The Cookies - Wave of Mutilation [Pixies cover]

If I missed anything, I'm sure Optical Atlas will pick up the slack.

Stranger Than Fiction

A few weeks ago, I got an e-mail asking me to post about the soundtrack to the current Will Ferrell/Maggie Gyllenhaal/Dustin Hoffman/Emma Thompson release Stranger Than Fiction. It included a link to some streaming songs and an impressive list of artists participating in the project. I checked out the new Spoon song on the soundtrack ("The Book I Write") but wasn't sufficiently impressed to feel it really justified a post. That, and I don't really link to streams if I can avoid it. Thus, it slipped my mind rather quickly.

So what? Well, this week I saw the film itself. I enjoyed it a great deal (not unlike Heather, it seems), and one thing that really caught my attention was the terrific soundtrack. It occurs to me that I don't really know where to look online for units sold of particular albums, but this release deserves the sort of attention given to soundtracks to Garden State, Thumbsucker, or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

The Stranger Than Fiction OST is anchored by contributions from Spoon and Britt Daniel, who collaborated with Brian Reitzell (ex-Redd Kross) on the soundtrack's production. Other artists on the release include Califone, Wreckless Eric, Maximo Park, M83, The Jam, Delta 5, Vangelis, and The Upsetters. Wreckless Eric's "Whole Wide World" plays a particularly pivotal role in the film, but I'll try to keep this spoiler-free. Here are a few tracks from the soundtrack, which I really do recommend picking up.

Spoon - The Way We Get By
Wreckless Eric - Whole Wide World
The Jam - That's Entertainment (demo version)

On a related note, I learned yesterday that Wreckless Eric was in Atlanta just about two weeks ago. Argh.

Any other good soundtracks come out lately?

Glen Phillips and Two-Headed Boy(s)

Little did I know it, but it seems that Glen Phillips has long covered Neutral Milk Hotel in his live shows. Specifically, he has covered both parts of "Two-Headed Boy" from In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. Today I thought I'd share a couple versions of each.

First is Phillips' cover of "Two-Headed Boy." Glen flubs the second line on the 2003 version and starts over, adding a bit of humor, while the 2002 version is the more forceful of the two.

Glen Phillips - Two-Headed Boy [Neutral Milk Hotel cover; live 7-2-2003]
Glen Phillips - Two-Headed Boy [Neutral Milk Hotel cover; live 9-18-2002]

In addition, here is "Two-Headed Boy Part 2." While the 2005 version is higher quality, the 2001 version is preceded by a nice bit of chatter from Glen about his adoration for In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. I can imagine it might be of interest to fans of either artist.

Glen Phillips - Two-Headed Boy Part II [Neutral Milk Hotel cover; live 7-31-2001]
Glen Phillips - Two-Headed Boy Part II [Neutral Milk Hotel cover; live 5-7-2005]

If you'd prefer to see Jeff Mangum perform the song on his own, here's video of him doing "Two-Headed Boy" from the Live at Jittery Joe's release (via YouTube):


Was this shot at the Jittery Joe's at Five Points in Athens? I was just there on Friday. Can't imagine getting to see Jeff play in that space. Anybody know?

Of Montreal coming to Variety Playhouse, Feb. 24

Heads up, party people -- Athens natives and E6 affiliates Of Montreal are returning to the Variety Playhouse on February 24. You know I love those guys, so no sense blabbing too much. Word is Kevin & co. may have an expanded stage show thanks to the fat cash they made allowing some corporate wankers to use their music in ads. For a complete list of their tour dates, head over to Pitchfork.

Here's a track from the forthcoming Of Montreal LP, Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?, courtesy of Polyvinyl:

Of Montreal - Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse

Yes, they're on MySpace.

On a side note, I saw The Puffy Chair last night and it features Of Montreal tunes on its soundtrack along with tracks by Spoon, Decibully, Death Cab, and others. I had no idea that would be the case, but it was kinda cool. It also had a scene in tribute to my boy Lloyd Dobler. I heart Netflix.

Bonus mp3:

Of Montreal - Requiem for O.M.M. 2
Of Montreal - Disconnect the Dots
Of Montreal - In Dreams I Dance With You
Of Montreal - Know Your Onion [The Shins cover]

Gone fishin'

I'm out of town the rest of the week. Everyone play nice.

Lots of good music this weekend -- see the upcoming.org sidebar for some of my picks. Another not listed:

Take care of yourselves... and each other.

Mr. Understood: The Willy Terry Story

Here's a little bit of Atlanta "culture" for all the lovely people out there. Not high-brow culture, mind you, nor the sort of thing you take grandma to see when she comes to visit. That's what the Georgia Aquarium and World of Coke are for, I guess. Rather, this is one of the ATL's little quirks that you're only likely to know about if you have lived in the city.

Most days, there's a gentleman standing on the corner of Ponce de Leon Avenue and Briarcliff Road [a horrible, terrible, no good, bad intersection -- ed.], across from the Exxon station and a short distance from Little 5 Points. Why is this notable? Well... without being too obscene, I'll just say that he wears skin-tight white bicycle shorts every day that highlight his manhood. Just about every day. He's such an institution that the yellow sign above was posted in the last few months to note his territory. Many Atlantans, myself included, have long speculated about his intent, if not his sanity. Well, now we have some answers.

Through the magic of YouTube, a local documentarian has shared part of his story. The filmmaker has also taken commentary from many merchants and locals who see or deal with him on a regular basis. This video has been making the rounds quickly, so here it is for those who haven't seen it yet. It's in two parts, each about 9 minutes long. Whether you're interested or just curious about Atlanta's bizarre side, here you go:

Part 1 -- Part 2

Warning though -- not safe for work, or kids... and not to be seen if you're easily offended. Nothing explicit is in the video, but it does talk a great deal about this man's... um.. you know. Be aware.

I have to say though... isn't Keith from CVS (prominently featured in part 2) awesome? Gotta love that Curtis Mayfield soundtrack when he's pontificating about Mr. Terry.

I guess characters like this are part of what makes living in the city interesting. I full expect a report on Blondie from Clermont Lounge in the near future.

ELSEWHERE...

You know, Wax Fang didn't do much for me the other night. However, as I'm a big fan of The Big Lebowski... this is awesome.

If you need a live My Morning Jacket fix, the Knoxville gig and the Charleston show from last week are online to download. You can also stream them from the linked sites. No sign of Atlanta yet, but I saw at least one taper with quality gear.

Threadless $10 holiday sale

Jingle bells, Batman smells....

Threadless is having another $10 sale, and they've reprinted some old favorites. I suggest getting while the getting is good. With Xmas coming, I just ordered one for my little sis... but don't tell, mmmkay?

Sorry music content is light this week. I'm busy. Did make it to My Morning Jacket/Wax Fang last night. Show was fun, but their crowd really sucks these days. Are MMJ fans the new DMB fans? I sure hope not...

Thanks, vets!!!

As an American and an Air Force brat, I'd be remiss to let Veterans Day pass without saying thanks to our military and those who've served. Thanks to all of you!

In the spirit of the blog, here's an amateur video of "Lazy Ramadi" (of the "Lazy Sunday" ilk) that was produced by a couple of fellow native Hoosiers (from Muncie!) who were stationed in Ramadi, Iraq, recently. Cheers to these guys for keeping their sense of humor in tough conditions.

Spotlight on Georgia politics (kinda)

So, how many tabs of X do you think Sonny Perdue took at this rave?

Nice visor, Guv. Is that a Hurley?

I'm having flashbacks to that Kids movie. God help me.

ELSEWHERE...

Britney and K-Fed are getting divorced? I guess they're each ready to make somebody else miserable. Welcome back to obscurity, Kevin.

I can't believe I didn't think to link to the "Vote or Die!" parody from South Park. I'm slipping. It's still frickin' hilarious (and NOT SAFE FOR WORK).

The Daily Show on the mid-terms (and a couple tunes)

From The Daily Show in 2002...

Funny how some things change, and some... don't. The mid-terms sure as hell matter this year.

Note that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert will be co-hosting The Midterm Midtacular election coverage tonight on Comedy Central at 11pm EST. Schedule here.

Here are a couple politically-minded tunes for election day:

Eddie Vedder - I am a Patriot (live) [Little Steven cover]
Billy Bragg - No Power Without Accountability (live)

So, did you vote yet? If not, go get your vote on. One way or the other, it's gonna be an exciting night!

VOTE TUESDAY! & The Capitol Steps

Sent my absentee ballot in a couple weeks ago, but it's time to go to the polls on Tuesday!

If you have any problems at the polls, be advised that the National Campaign for Fair Elections has set up a hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE to provide assistance nationwide.

If you're a Democratic Party supporter and have trouble at the polls, you can also call 1-877-DEM-VOTE. If there's such a number for Republicans, I can't find it on their website. If somebody passes it along I'll gladly post it.

If you need to find your polling place, this website that will direct you toward the contact info for your local election authority. If you're a Georgia voter, you can go directly to this site.

While we're being political, here are some recent songs by those silly folks in The Capitol Steps. Each of these are parodies of well-known songs with new lyrics to ridicule current events. If you've ever seen them on PBS, you know the drill.

The Capitol Steps - Old Man Rumsfeld ["Old Man River" parody]
The Capitol Steps - Hang Down Your Head, Mark Foley ["Tom Dooley" parody]
The Capitol Steps - Super Zealous Radicals ["Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" parody]
The Capitol Steps - Guantanamo ["Kokomo" parody]
The Capitol Steps - FEMA ["Fever" parody]

The Capitol Steps have an extensive touring schedule ahead of them, and they perform regularly at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC. Oh, and of course... they're on MySpace.

Now be sure to get out and vote!

These United States, Paleo, and Pistolero at ISP Studio, November 19

I haven't been to the new ISP Studio space (494 Flat Shoals Ave., Atlanta, Ga.) yet, but I may have an excuse now. On November 19, D.C.-area band These United States will be there along with Paleo and Pistolero. My understanding is that this will be an afternoon show, starting at around 4pm.

These United States have a familiar sort of jangly psych-garage sound that I really like -- they're what the Black Lips might sound like if they were more in the tradition of the Flaming Lips or Eels than Nuggets-era punk acts. I only just learned of them from Harmany Music, but they sound quite promising. I'm not too familiar with the D.C. music scene, but it appears they have quite a following up in the District.

Information on Paleo is a little hard to find, so I welcome anything you can offer in the comments. From what I can tell, it is primarily the project of a gentleman named Dave Strackany. Generally they seem to be in the lo-fi indie folk vein, with a hushed and fragile sound along the lines of Iron & Wine and some Phil Elverum projects. There's also an occassional whiff of Conor Oberst in the vocal. They've been touring to support their album Misery, Missouri which is available online. A positive review was published by Splendid Magazine, and links to more are available on their MySpace page.

Atlanta's own Pistolero call themselves "gunfighters from the world of love" on their MySpace, which is amusing if nothing else. Despite the fact they're locals, I've never seem them play out. From what I can tell they aren't kidding when they say that they're "heavily inspired by the music pouring out of Britain between the mid 60's through the mid 70's." Certainly seem like an act worth checking out.

Here are tracks to sample from each of the bands:

These United States - The Business
These United States - Kings and Aces (live)

Paleo - In the Morning Linda Dies
Paleo - When Money Talks

Pistolero - Godless Summer (left click -> Save to Disk)
Pistolero - God is Thicker Than Love (.m4a)

Paleo has been posting a new song every day on their site. I only sampled a few. If you come across one you think is particularly good, feel free to say so in the comments.

Now, back to watching election coverage on C-Span. Only two days until the election!

Nerds kicked off Emory campus

First they were kicked out of the freshman dorm at Adams College (in 1984), and now they've been kicked off the Emory University campus. It seems that the remake of the cult classic Revenge of the Nerds has been put on indefinite hiatus by Fox Atomic. The reason? The powers-that-be at Emory backed out of a prior agreement to allow filming on campus in October because they were reportedly uncomfortable with the content of the film.

What, had no member of the Emory administration ever seen the Tri-Lambda misfits take on those meathead Alpha Betas? I would have gladly let them watch my copy of the original if they would have asked. Apparently the film was halted after only a week of filming and is currently looking for a new campus.

Personally, I have mixed feelings about the remake. At least they're creating new characters instead of recasting Louis, Gilbert, Booger, Wormser, Poindexter, Ogre, etc. Really, why mess with such triumphant mediocrity? Here's the trailer to the original movie, brought to you by the magic of YouTube:

Jil Station tonight cancelled

FYI, via Confessions of a Music Addict: Jil Station has cancelled their performance at 10 High tonight. Gates of Berlin and Tentonic are still on the bill.

You should also head over to COMA (I'm so calling it that from now on) to check out a list of upcoming events more in the Atlanta alternative/pop realm that I don't cover much on C&T. Be sure to leave a smartass comment for Leah and Ally while you're at it.

Saturday night... live!

A few exciting things going on this Saturday that I thought I'd note here. Thus:

Blog darlings Arizona will be playing the "holy shit I made it to the end party" for the for the 2nd Annual Faster Moustache 24-Hour Bike Ride. The show will, oddly enough, be at the Johnny's Pizza location at 676 Highland Avenue in Atlanta. In support will be local indie acts Cassavetes and Lasch. You should all know by now that Cassavetes is one of my favorite local bands, but I don't know the first thing about Lasch.

Lasch is on at 8pm, Cassavetes at 9pm, and Arizona at 10pm. The music has to end at 11pm, so the times are solid. Don't be late. I'm told there will be bottomless PBR for a nominal fee, so come and get your Blue Ribbon on.

Arizona - Away
Cassavetes - My Heart Your Beat

I have live recordings somewhere of the band (Yellow & Green) that some of the Arizona guys were in back when they were in college in Atlanta. I might share those one day if I ever pony up for a legitimate filehost.


Also on Saturday night, nerdcore rapper MC Chris (also of Adult Swim fame) will be performing at The Loft. He is currently touring to support his new record, Dungeon Master of Ceremonies. While other rappers brag about their rims or bling or whatever, MC Chris name-drops Adobe Photoshop, Star Wars characters, and Bennigan's. Oh, and he plays MC Pee Pants on Aqua Teen Hunger Force. How can you beat that?

MC Chris - Fett's Vette
MC Chris - DQ Blizzard

Yes, the first song is about Boba Fett. And if you're a Star Wars geek at all (and I am), it's awesome. I can totally see Boba being a bit gangsta, yo. For more on MC Chris, check out his MySpace.


At The EARL on Saturday night, The Close, The Orphins, and Rizzudo will rock the place to celebrate the release of The Close's new album Sun, Burn. I haven't heard the new release yet, but here's a track from The Close's prior album, It's a Secret to Everybody:

The Close - John Henry by Decision

Also on Saturday night, Sufjan Stevens and Calexico (with Iron & Wine guesting!) will be on the PBS series Austin City Limits. In Atlanta it's on at midnight on PBA 30. Sounds like a job for Tivo!

Long story short -- there's plenty going on this Saturday night. Whew.

Beck - "Clap Hands/One Foot in the Grave medley" on SNL

In case you missed this last Saturday, it's totally worth seeing. It features Beck's band playing a table full of plates and glasses, per his usual live show, which is awesome. This particular clip is a little light on puppetry, but it's still killer.

Beck's performance of "Nausea" from SNL last weekend is also available on YouTube.

The Mountain Goats and Jennifer O'Connor coming to The EARL, Nov. 3

Indie stalwarts The Mountain Goats will be at The EARL on Friday, November 3. I bought tix for this one a while back, and after having to miss the Athens Popfest show nothing's gonna keep me away from The EARL that night. I'll assume most of my readers will be familiar with the band, but if you'd like more info on John Darnielle or The Mountain Goats you can visit their official site or Wikipedia.

To give you a taste of the live show, here are a few tracks from Mountain Goats performances (courtesy of archive.org).

Mountain Goats - Pet Politics [live 6-23-2005; Silver Jews cover]
Mountain Goats - Dinu Lipatti's Bones [live 6-23-2005; with John Vanderslice]
Mountain Goats - This Year [live 9-20-2006]
Mountain Goats - Cubs in Five [live 2-18-2004]
Mountain Goats - Two-Headed Boy [Neutral Milk Hotel cover; via themountaingoats.net]

From the current release, Get Lonely:

Mountain Goats - Woke Up New

Recordings of these full concerts and others are available via the Live Music Archive.

Remaining Mountain Goats tour dates can be found here. You can read a nice interview with John Darnielle at *sixeyes.

Tickets to the show at The EARL are available online. The opener is Jennifer O'Connor, who I believe actually got her start here in Atlanta. I haven't checked out much of her stuff yet, but if this track (courtesy of Matador Records) is any indication, I want to hear more:

Jennifer O'Connor - Exeter, Rhode Island

And I don't think I've ever even been to Rhode Island.