Marah in Barcelona

Every so often, I just gotta put up some live Marah. Here's the kids from Philly rocking out a little "Point Breeze."

Condolences to Bottom of the Hudson

Some very sad news from Absolutely Kosher Records:

Philadelphia/Brooklyn band Bottom of the Hudson suffered a serious van wreck on Sunday, July 29th, while returning home after the final date of a short East Coast tour to promote their new album, Fantastic Hawk, released just two weeks ago on July 17. While on I-40 near Clinton, NC, a tire blew out sending the van out of control and flipping it multiple times. Bassist Trevor Butler was killed in the accident and drummer Greg Lytle is currently in ICU in Chapel Hill, NC. The other members of the band, Eli Simon, Michael Prince and William Chesterton Chambers, suffered minor injuries and were released from the hospital.

We will update this page as news comes in. We didn't have an opportunity to get to know Trevor Butler as well as we would have liked, but he was a great guy and a great musician. He was instrumental in the evolution of the band's sound over the years. In addition to playing in Bottom of the Hudson for the last several years, Trevor also was a founding member in fellow-Philadelphia group Coyote. He was utterly devoted to music and helped many, many bands set-up shows in Philadelphia. We are devastated by his loss and he will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the band and their families. Thanks to everyone who has sent condolences and well-wishes.

We are currently accepting donations via Paypal (the address is both@absolutelykosher.com) provided on behalf of Trevor's family and for Greg's medical bills resulting from the accident. Your generosity in this difficult time is appreciated.

best, Cory Brown and everyone at Absolutely Kosher Records

[UPDATE, 7/31] Greg Lytle is now, thankfully, in stable condition after fracturing his skull during the accident. Members of his family and of Bottom of the Hudson are with him and report that he is conscious and doing okay.

MP3: Handwriting - Bottom of the Hudson

Early G N' R Photos

Rolling Stone has got some cool photos up from Guns N’ Roses’ early days here, courtesy of the new book “Reckless Road.” Gotta love Axl’s outfits back in those days.

Threefer

GROPED: Faith Hill got a little pissed when one of Tim McGraw’s fans grabbed a little too much of her husband…

SHADES: I wear my sunglasses at…school? In Australia, now they must.

TOUR: Matt Nathanson has got tour dates up. He’ll be at the 9:30 Club October 18th with power pop act Melee and Ingrid Michaelson

A Little Paul Michel

Now I haven't ever actually seen Paul Michel live, but I've listened to his carefully crafted songs and soaring vocals from afar, and liked what I heard. He'll be at Black Cat tomorrow, Tuesday, July 31st, with the guys from Tereu Tereu. And I'm digging the track "Wait" from Paul Michel's newest release, Quiet State of Panic.

MP3: Wait - Paul Michel

Yes, We Know the Metro Extension Is Expensive

OK, OK - we get it already. It’s gonna cost a fortune to extend the Metro out to Tysons and Dulles.

Finley Quaye

I've been listening to Finley Quaye's Much More Than Much Love recently, and it's got an interesting blend of styles, like reggae, electronic and acoustic and it doesn't seem to really come together. He's got an amazingly soulful voice that's quite listener-friendly, and I think he needs some better material overall to take advantage of it. Anyway, my favorite track is the haunting "Dice," his collaboration with William Orbit and Beth Orton.

MP3: Dice - Finley Quaye

The Return of the DeLorean?

Might the DeLorean be making a comeback? This article here in today's LA Times discusses the iconic car, where you can get your DeLorean refurbished or rebuilt, and how certain individuals plan on bringing it back into limited production. [thanks, Rao-Dawg]

The Simpsons - Tapped

This dude taps out the theme to The Simpsons using two guitars at the same time. Pretty interesting...

MINI Clubman

Is the new MINI Clubman a station wagon? An SUV? Who knows? It's looking a bit boxy for my taste, but Autoblog has more photos and details here.

Guns N' Roses - Definitely Maybe

Yeah, I’m a sucker for a Guns N’ Roses story. Anyway, we’ve reached the 20th anniversary of the masterpiece of rock debauchery that is Appetite for Destruction. And some of the original Gunners could be getting together at Steven Adler’s Key Club gig this Saturday. Here’s hoping that Axl gives in to Adler’s pleas and drops by to complete the line-up, Voltron-style. The logical side of me knows it couldn't possibly happen, but there's that one part of me that still wants to believe...

Checker Yourself

Test your checkers mettle by playing against Chinook, the computer that won the 1994 human world championship. Supposedly Chinook is invincible. But go here to play it anyway.

A Case of the Fridays

Working a 5-day week during the summer is for the birds, no doubt, and it’s left me tired and ready for the weekend. But I still want more music. First up we’ve got a selection from some raucous rockers from Australia, You Am I (above). “Ain’t It Funny” is some swaggering garage rock, with driving rhythm guitar and strained vocals, gloriously teetering on the edge of chaos. They sound like they’d be a good time live, and they’ll be here in DC at Black Cat Thursday, August 2nd.

MP3: Ain’t It Funny – You Am I

And of course, after we raise things up, we’ve gotta bring em back down a notch with Tereu Tereu’s “Furwinked!” It’s mellower indie rock with a jazzy twist and catchy chorus – and yeah, they even use vibraphone! If you like what you hear, Tereu Tereu will be at Black Cat, Tuesday, July 31.

MP3: Furwinked! (The Lion/Bear Song) – Tereu Tereu

(songs are on box.net, so just left-click on songs to download or play)

Feeling Cold?

Barcelona cathedrals. Group singing. Brian Eno knob-twiddling. Latin flavoring, hold the maracas. The new Coldplay CD (which may or may not be titled Prospekt) will have ‘em all! It might be awhile, so feel free to pass some time by watching their video to "The Scientist," one of my all-time favorites.

Cloverfield Poster

So are you tired of J.J. Abrams’ viral marketing campaign for Cloverfield yet? Check out the new poster if you're not...

Pink Floyd, Live @ Pompeii

It’s been a long week, kids, and if you’re like me, you could most likely use a moment of relaxation. Aquarium Drunkard’s got a clip from the Pink Floyd Live at Pompeii (1972) – more specifically, the video for one of my favorite PF songs, “Echoes.” So go watch the mud bubble here and be mellow.

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BEARDED: Somebody still loves you, Metallica. Matt Sorum drops a little nugget on the new album here

VENOM: Some DC publication called The Hill has named their yearly “Most Beautiful People on Capitol Hill” – and DCeiver skewers the selections most deliciously here

ROYALTIES: Who’s REALLY writing the songs for today’s artists…here

American Idol - For Bands

Two local bands that I’m pretty familiar with, Juniper Lane and The Niki Barr Band, are in the running to represent Baltimore and audition for the show “The Search for the Next Great American Band” in Las Vegas. The show is basically American Idol for bands – it’s even got the same producers as Idol. Wonder if there will be a snarky English judge… Anyway, you can go check out clips of the four band choices and vote here.

Threefer

MEMORY: Ducati is now making…flashdrives? At least they look cool.

SPIES: Matt Damon on Bourne vs. Bond

TIMEKILLER: Got mad US geography skillz? Play a little Statetris!

Malfoy, Baby!

Ohmygosh, this "band" simply listed as Malfoy on MySpace has a hilarious Harry Potter-themed take on Kid Rock's "Cowboy." Give it a listen. Remember, it's a box.net file, so just right click on it below... [thanks, Pete]

MP3: Malfoy - Malfoy

Hot Rod

Yeah, I'll admit it. I'm definitely intrigued by Hot Rod. I might even have to go see it...

The Swell Season Ticket Giveaway

Perhaps you’ve seen the indie musical Once that features Glen Hansard (of The Frames) and Marketa Irglova…or perhaps maybe you haven’t. Anyway, they’re touring together as The Swell Season, playing songs from the soundtrack, and DCist is giving away a pair of tickets for the show at the 9:30 Club. Enter here.

Hello, Lionel Richie!

Do you think you could mold yourself a clay Lionel Richie head while you listen to "Hello" for inspiration....blindfolded? Well, these Brit sculptors gave it a shot here. [thanks, Pop Candy]

Threefer

DRINK: Modern Drunkard Magazine’s Ten Greatest Alcohol Icons of All Time

RIPE: Filming for Ben Lee’s new video, “Love Me Like the World Is Ending,” went awry, so the concept will be scrapped and a new video will be shot. But you can view the footage that was shot over on Stereogum here

METAL: Carrie Underwood channels her inner Sebastian Bach and covers Skid Row’s “I Remember You” in a live show here

The Hard Tomorrows No More

DC's The Hard Tomorrows had their final show last night at The Red and The Black. Joe over at Instrumental Analysis has got a nice post here that includes the band's whole catalog (fully downloadable) and musings about the Hard Tomorrows by a few local musicians.

Shiny Toy Guns

Now that I'm finished the new Harry Potter book, I have a chance to look into trying to get some more server space. So I'm going to try to see if this post of Shiny Toy Guns' "You Are The One" via box.net works (do a right click, as opposed to left click and save). If it does, enjoy the electronic pop goodness and male/female vocal trade-offs!

MP3: You Are The One - Shiny Toy Guns

Shhhhhh!!!! I'm Reading.

I got Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows this morning, and I'm in the midst of devouring it. This will be my main weekend activity. You may call me a loser if you wish.

American Richness

The New York Times has got a list of the 31 wealthiest Americans EVAR, with wealth measured as a portion of the economy. They give cool little mini-bios with pop-up graphics and such. [thanks, Boing Boing]

Threefer

ESPIONAGE: Oh, to be a fly on the wall…or in the air. [thanks, Pete]

REUNIONS: Looks like the Fugees reunion is off. Honestly, Lauryn Hill, what else do you have going on? Wonder if the few tracks they did will leak…

TYRANNY: Think it’s fair that out-of-staters can speed in VA and pay less in fines than actual VA residents? Do something about it, like signing this petition.

Threefer

HOLLYWOOD: In entertainment, The Sopranos goes out with a 15 Emmy nomination-bang, and sketch-comedy series The State is coming out on DVD! Let the monkey torture begin!

ART: If you’ve got $788 to spare and a 16” x 20” empty space on your wall, then maybe you can hire…Corey Haim? He'll paint you a custom painting, according to your specifications.

SELF-WORTH: You can find out how much you’re worth as a cadaver by taking this quiz. My value? $4,890

Springsteen, Circa 1975

Heather over at I Am Fuel, You Are Friends has a cool Springsteen post up right here with an old Jon Landau music essay and a bootleg 1975 Bruce concert at The Main Point. That show happens to include the first known performance of “Thunder Road” - back then it was titled “Wings for Wheels” and had slightly different lyrics.

Some New House-Mates

Looks like Dr. House will indeed have a bunch of new flunkees….I mean assistants, next season. Actors/Actresses Olivia Wilde, Kal Penn, Peter Jacobsen, and Anne Dudek will be joining next season’s cast of House, so says CNN.com here. Now even though Omar Epps’ character (Foreman) was supposedly quitting at the end of last season, I had heard that Omar Epps was signed for this upcoming season. I’ll be curious to see how that plays out.

Travis @ 9:30 Club - Review

I admit, I was pretty surprised about the devoted following of Travis fans in DC, or at least, surrounding me at the sold-out 9:30 Club show last night (thx Brian for the ticket!). Considering the fact that their first album came out back in the late 90s, it’s interesting to see that they’ve still got a strong fanbase – complete with flag-waving Scots.

Travis didn’t take the stage the way I’d expect a mellow-sounding Brit-pop band to do it. Instead, the theme from Rocky blared over the speakers as the band, each member clad in a boxing robe, made their way from the back of the 9:30 Club through the crowd up to the stage, high-fiving fans all the way. I’ve never seen that before, and I’m pretty sure I got a high-five from lead singer Fran Healy!

Anyway, I was very impressed by Healy’s soaring, effervescent voice from the opening lines of their leadoff number, “Selfish Jean.” I had never seen Travis live before, and Fran (or “Franny,” as my flag-waving neighbors called him) could really get his voice up there to nail those high notes throughout the evening. He’s a character with a good stage presence, which is helped out by a thick Scottish brogue that Sean Connery himself would be envious of.

Overall, I’d say Travis put on a pretty solid show, with a strong arsenal of catchy little melodies and earnest lyrics, though some songs seemed to sound vaguely similar after awhile. Of course, I’m not overly familiar w/ the Travis canon, only owning The Invisible Band. I wouldn’t say that Travis really rocked, but they managed to keep a decent energy level going, thanks to the pounding bass drum stomp rhythm that kept people bouncing during most songs.

I did enjoy the subtle lead guitar work of Andy Dunlop, and was happy to see that he survived his much-labored climb up to the balcony of the 9:30 Club for a second-story solo (never saw that before!). Other highlights included the band gathering around Fran (above) to group-sing “Flowers in the Window,” and Andy busting out the banjo for the fan-favorite “Sing.”

Watch: “Closer” Video

Photo Credit: J. Americ Pasco (Heroboy)

John Paul White @ 9:30 Club / Review

I usually have pretty good luck with opening acts at the 9:30 Club, and last night’s Travis show was no exception…Yeah, his hair might have been straight out of the late eighties, but John Paul White’s voice soared a la Thom Yorke or even Muse singer Matthew Bellamy (thx, Brian). It was just JPW on acoustic guitar accompanied by an electric guitarist who played some nicely textured and sometimes rocking stuff up there. It was more intense material than Travis, and if John Paul White gets a full band around him, he could do some amazing things. Anyway, JPW has got a new CD coming out soon, and I want it.

What Would Optimus Prime Listen To?

Before you fire up your iPod, just remember to think, “What Would Optimus Prime Listen To?” Now there’s a bunch of Transformer-related audio-related accessories to meet your listening needs. Welcome back, Soundwave!

Threefer

▲ Wondering which of your favorite albums from the 80s and 90s are still big sellers? Check this article. [thanks, Pete]

▲ First there was “The Princess Diaries,” then “The Nanny Diaries,” and now Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx has decided to up the book-title ante, with the pending release of his memoirs, “Heroin Diaries.”

▲ Wondering about “Radical Honesty?” Here’s an interesting little article over at Esquire. [thanks, Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands]

Win A Free Trip to the Austin City Limits Music Festival

The 2007 Austin City Limits Music Festival is coming up this September 14-16. The line-up’s pretty stacked, with Bob Dylan, The White Stripes, Wilco, and Arcade Fire, just to name a few acts. And yeah, Texas is far, but local Tex-Mex chain Austin Grill might be able to help you out, since they’ll be giving away a getaway for two to the festival! Get more details here.

More Matt Nathanson

Matt Nathanson was in Philly this past Friday to do a live broadcast of a show at the World Café on WXPN and NPR (unfortunately, I wasn’t there). But you can now listen to it online right here. And he’s got the album version of “Car Crash” streaming on his MySpace site here.

Fourfer

▲ Have you been watching The Next Food Network Star? Go vote for the winner here!

▲ Still waiting for that guest spot on The Simpsons that’ll never come? Check out what you’d look like and get your photo Simpsonized here!

▲ If you’re looking to get your live Ryan Adams fix, Aquarium Drunkard has got a 6/3/07 show in Paris right here for you.

▲ This website can tell you the Billboard #1 song on any day in history (like your birthday) – looks like Paul McCartney and Wings were chart-toppers on my early b-days.

Alfa Romeo 8C

Oh my gosh, this new Alfa Romeo 8C is simply gorgeous. But it’s gonna be expensive. Check out some nice photos here (click on the picture at the link for more pics).

The Vita Ruins

Craving some local DC indie rock? Joe over at Instrumental Analysis has got an exclusive download of The Vita Ruins' debut EP, Thanks For Your Concern (But We're Okay) right here.

Nobody Does It Better

For some reason, this weekend I've had Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better" (actually, Marvin Hamlisch wrote it) stuck in my head. So I got the chords and words on the internet, and I've been playing it on the piano and guitar til my heart's content. But hey, it's cool, cus Radiohead covered it too, right? Check Radiohead's version here...

Simpsons Vans

It's summertime, which makes it the perfect time to buy yourself a new pair of Vans. And Vans has decided to team up with The Simpsons Movie, creating all sorts of Simpsons-themed footwear. Check it out here.

I Want You...To Want Me

He's A Whore (the music blog) is calling it quits, and he's going out in style, with a post of a live 1979 Cheap Trick tracks here. I'm having a blast listening to "Surrender."

Threefer

▲ I’m liking how the new Nissan Altima Coupe takes its styling cues from the Infiniti G35

▲ A few of the top lines from The Simpsons to get you pumped for the movie…

▲ Jefitoblog has got a bootleg of Patty Griffin’s ever-shelved Silver Bell here, and he reviews local DC band No Second Troy’s Narcotic here

A Case of the Fridays

We’re in the midst of tourist season here in DC, so be kind and adopt a tourist. Or at least make sure they go hear some good local music. Anyway, we start with The Daybreak Line’s “Bleeding Hearts.” It’s one tight, hooky pop song, complete with little electronic flourishes for the kids. And I gotta love those electric guitar licks that kick things off. If you like what you hear, The Daybreak Line will be at IOTA Thursday, July 19.

MP3: Bleeding Hearts – The Daybreak Line

And we close out the week with a slice of bluegrass-influenced pop from Junior League (above). In the gentle “Euclid,” Lissy Rosemont’s ethereal vocals waft over a bed of fiddles, plucked banjos, and guitars. If you like what you hear, Junior League will be at IOTA Tuesday, July 17.

MP3: Euclid – Junior League

Threefer

▲ Go get some truthiness in this EW.com Q&A with Stephen Colbert. Or just go eat a pint of his Americone Dream instead.

▲ Did you catch Smashing Pumpkins at the 9:30 Club Tuesday? No? Go watch a clip here or see some photos here

▲ Josh Ritter’s bringing the rock on his new record, The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter

Potter-Mania

Alright, I admit it. I can’t wait to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and I’ve already got my certificate good for one copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The order of release is perfect - what better way to refresh my memory for Book 7 by watching the movie version of Book 6?

I Can't Hear You Over My Stereo

Yeah, it's not your imagination - today's music is louder than it was back in the day. But does it sound better?

OK Computer: Stereogum Tribute

It’s the 10th anniversary of Radiohead’s OK Computer, kids! And to celebrate, Stereogum has compiled a tribute album that features covers of all of the album’s tracks by bands and artists such as Cold War Kids, David Bazan and John Vanderslice. Go check it out here.

Garage Bands No More

There was a cool article by writer Jonathan Mummolo about the decreasing availability and increasing cost of practice space here in the DC metro area in yesterday’s Washington Post. You can check out the article, “Garage Bands No More,” here.

Threefer

▲ Check out Rolling Stone’s 25 Best Rock Rumors Ever

▲ New albums from the Cure and the Foo Fighters are on their way

▲ Slate talks a little sushi here. It’s a good read if you have some time.

New Matt Nathanson

A new track off of Matt Nathanson's upcoming Some Mad Hope album is streaming on his MySpace site. Go hear the pulsing "To the Beat of Our Noisy Hearts" here.

A Little Soul

A Deeper Shade of Soul has got a 1969 Wilson Pickett show from Stockholm, Sweden up here. Very cool stuff. That guy can just dig into a song, and I'm liking his cover of The Beatles' "Hey Jude."