SCANDAL!

(UPDATED with mp3 at bottom)(UPDATED pt. 2 - now with video file!)
So yeah, the new remastered with bonus tracks version of Byrne & Eno's famed collaboration, My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts came out. And guess what? They changed the cover artwork. This is a bummer for two reasons:

1. I have always been a big fan of the original cover. Kaleidoscopic, hazy, and with a simple typeface, evoking a sort of ECM Records with trippy feel.



2. This new one looks almost identical to that Stereophonics record. WTF. LAME!

The new Byrne/Eno:


So, I don't want to diss too hard...there are some fun jams on this classic, but oh-so-dated-sounding record. For example:
David Byrne & Brian Eno - Help Me Somebody with it's upbeat, fun times tempo and preacher samples....kind of like a G-Rated !!!-lite. Get the new one with some Stereophonic-licious artwork here.

But more importantly...some music.

There's this band Parts and Labor that are from Brooklyn...I was tipped off to them by Can You See The Sunset From The Southside? (click for more tracks) . They've got a new album coming out on Jagjaguwar on April 11th.

It's really enjoyable stuff from the songs I've heard...It reminds me quite a bit of some of the stuff happening in Virginia/North Carolina in the mid 90's; they share a mutual appreciation for energy, melody, noise, and exuberance that bands like Cornelius (not the Japanese one), Resol, Eagle Bravo, Rights Reserved, Action Patrol and others were brimming with back when I was in high school. They have a clear understanding of melodic noise and from the pictures I saw, they use some sort of keyboard set up live. I would imagine it's pretty exciting to watch. The vocals rule...I'll just leave it at that...

Also, it's worth noting they've had some great posters for their shows...go check em out at their site and buy their album when it comes out!

Here's a jammer from Stay Afraid: Parts & Labor - A Great Divide

"people will do anything for a pot of gold."

Thought I would pass this along and further the internet sensation. Mobile, Alabama is a beautiful place.

A message from Castle

I want to thank everyone who checked up on me. I think that's what made me better.

Thanks to a realtor's open house in the middle of the day I got to go on a walk and look at the water today...it was fun. See above.

Technopolis

One of my favorite songs ever.
Reminds me a bit of certain levels from the Sonic the Hedgehog series.

Mannheim Steamroller, you can suck it, you fucking hacks.

With no further adieu...Yellow Magic Orchestra's Technopolis:

More than one prince.

So, we're from Little Rock, Arkansas, motherfucker...and we get shit about it all the time down here. Maybe because we bring it up too much....but goddammit we love that place...it made us into who we are now. How could we not mention it all the time? With so many amazing people, beautiful nature all around you, laid back Southern attitudes, and an incredible scene while we were in our musically formative years ('90-'98) it's pretty much impossible to not bring it up. (I might add that a quality number of people [considering the size of the state] have gone on to much bigger things recently --- Some of Lucero, !!!'s drummer and one of Ted Leo's Pharmacists to name a few). It was an interesting place. Everything from Econochrist to Green Day to Thumbnail had roots there, and the kids had diverse-as-hell music tastes at a time when things seemed very segregated and the dang ol' internets weren't taking over the world yet.

There were these two guys Sara went to school with...Collins and David...good guys; played in a bunch of bands back in the day...about a year ago I saw that they were in a band called American Princes and were starting to get noticed. They signed to Yep Roc (who reissued their first album), toured with Lucero, and started working on their second album. We ran into Collins at a show in Little Rock over xmas break and gave him a pile of the stuff we've put out on Hometapes. It was great to run into him and see that he/they were doing so well. What was equally amazing was the full-blown scene at an all-ages venue that served alcohol in downtown Little Rock. The place was packed.

The American Princes boys got in touch not too long after to enlist our help on their album artwork. We were happy to help old friends, and a few weeks later, they sent us a copy of the finished recording. It was absolutely incredible. I'd only heard a few mp3s from their first album and I liked it, but this stuff blew me away. Super musically mature; they bring the rock when it's necessary and the bring the quietude to help calm your nerves. David's vocals are very, very strong and Collins has become an absolute god on guitar. I've listened to it countless times since....on long drives, in the morning when I need some pep, in the afternoon when I'm just trying to make it through the day. I'm so happy for these guys that they have been able to achieve something that is so musically great. I can't believe I know these guys (and I can't believe we were slightly involved with a record this good). They should be superstars. Rock gods. Heartthrobs for youngsters. They are truly American Princes. Cheers, fellas.

Their new album comes out tomorrow on Yep Roc. Go and buy the shit out of it.


Here's the lead off track from Less and Less.
American Princes - Stolen Blues

Final Pup Update a.k.a. Pupdate

Castle is doing great...all blood tests are good to go...He and I had a great time walking the streets while Sara was in Boulder and the realtor was showing our house here.

Thanks to everyone for asking about the lil' guy.

Crimso

King Crimson - Larks' Tongues in Aspic
I consistently keep coming back to this song as inspiration...this video finally proved why...Jamie Muir going completely bat-shit crazy throughout the entire song.

Jamie Muir Checklist in detail:
1. Half length fur-type coat --- CHECK
2. Weird dirty hippie necklace --- CHECK
3. One man Rio Carnivale celebration solo with whistle --- CHECK
4. Giant rack of various metal sheeting --- CHECK
5. Stunt double for Monty Python's Michael Palin or Jamie Lidell --- CHECK
here's the proof:


Now, enjoy the video: