The Mid-Week and Beyond

Since I am heading out of town for a long weekend, the usual weekend show preview is combined with the shows that will be coming through the area today and Thursday. Quite a few big names are playing as well as some hitting multi-city stops.

TV on the Radio just dropped their new disc Dear Science and are on tour with the Dirtbombs, playing at the Electric Factory in Philly Friday night.

After a long hiatus, Shudder to Think is back together and out on tour. This Friday catch them with Philly's Pattern Is Movement at the 9:30 Club in DC.

mp3: Pattern Is Movement - Bird

Speaking of long hiatus, Wire is out on tour as well, playing Johnny Brendas Friday and the 9:30 Club Saturday.

mp3: Wire - One of Us

Find out if sampled electro-pop and hip-hop mix when Girl Talk takes the stage with Grand Buffet and Hearts of Darknesses for a sold out show at the Starlight Ballroom Thursday night. If you can't get enough, this line-up hits the 9:30 Club Friday and Sonar Saturday.

mp3: Grand Buffet - Dark Autumn

One of the originals of the East Coast punk scene, Ted Leo + Pharmacists are mixing it up with Against Me! and Future of the Left for a show Wednesday at the Black Cat, then head up to Philly and the Electric Factory.

mp3: Future of the Left - Manchasm

Another band with a new album, Apollo Sunshine is out on tour, hitting Johnny Brenda's Wednesday, then are joined by Tulsa for a show at DC9 Thursday.

mp3: Tulsa - Whissper

With a forthcoming new release, Talkdemonic is taking the new material on the road with Bon Savants. Friday night, see them at the Khyber. Sunday, locals Albatross are added to the line-up at The Red & The Black.

mp3: Talkdemonic - Duality of Deathening
mp3: Bon Savants - Between the Moon and the Ocean

The Wedding Present and the Jealous Girlfriends are joined by Philly folk locals Brown Recluse Sings for a show at the North Star Friday. You can also catch the two headliners Saturday at the Black Cat in DC.

mp3: The Wedding Present - The Thing I Like Best
mp3: The Jealous Girlfriends - Roboxulla (Daytrotter)
mp3: Brown Recluse Sings - Western Meadowlark

Wednesday

One of the best line-ups I have seen for a small club show in awhile, Philly's The Swimmers share the stage with Catfish Haven (check out the new album) and Dead Confederate.

Hot Chip/Growing @ 9:30 Club

mp3: The Swimmers - St Cecilia
mp3: Catfish Haven - Devastator
mp3: Dead Confederate - The Rat

Thursday

Uniquely out-there Georgians Of Montreal grace the 9:30 Club with their presence with Love Is All.

York, PA is getting one hell of a show with Langhorne Slim and Heartless Bastards at the Capitol Theater. DC can catch them Monday at the Black Cat.

The New Year/Dirty On Purpose/Tre Orsi @ Johnny Brendas
Laura Burhenn/Olivia Mancini & The Housemates @ Rock & Roll Hotel

mp3: Of Montreal - ID Engager
mp3: Langhorne Slim - Restless
mp3: Heartless Bastards - All This Time
mp3: The New Year - The Company I Can Get
mp3: Olivia Mancini & The Housemates - I Wouldnt Worry

Friday

DC meets Philly in Arlington at IOTA when Middle Distance Runner and Drink Up Buttercup perform. Also on the bill is New Rock Church of Fire.

Title Tracks/The Carribean/Moscow Telephone/Nathan Bell @ Metro Gallery
US Royalty @ Jammin' Java

mp3: Middle Distance Runner - Man of the People
mp3: Drink Up Buttercup - Young Ladies

Saturday

Lach @ The Red & The Black

Sunday

Local troubador Peasant makes the end of the weekend a little bit better with a show at the Tin Angel in Philly

Ra Ra Riot/Walter Meego/The Morning Benders @ Black Cat
Delta Spirit/Andy Zipf/The Moderate @ Rock & Roll Hotel
MSTRKRFT @ TLA
Jonathan Richman (The Modern Lovers) @ First Unitarian Church
Paramount Styles @ Khyber

mp3: Peasant - Those Days
mp3: Ra Ra Riot - Dying is Fine
mp3: Delta Spirit - Bleeding Bells (Daytrotter)

Feed The Animals Out Now!

Girl Talk has finally released his 4th studio album, Feed The Animals. A follow-up to 2006's Night Ripper, this album is the next iteration of mash ups. If you head over to Illegal Art, you can pledge whatever you want to pay to get the album. Even nothing, if you wish. However, if getting something for nothing is not something you jive well with, there are a number of extras for certain dollar amounts. At the $5 level, you will get the album in individual mp3 tracks, the tracks in FLAC, as well as the entire album in one continuous mp3 file. At the $10 level, you receive all of the previous files as well as the physical CD when it is released on September 23. If you just want to hear it first, you can stream the entire album on his myspace page.

I have listened to the album a couple of times and I feel that it is more polished, but not as clubish as Night Ripper. It is in the same format, but the album samples songs from the last 25 years or so and has more of a 90s feel to it. It is a bit faster paced and uses less beats in the background, which gives it more of a pop sound. If you have listened to many of the remixes from The Hood Internet, you will be familiar with many of the newer samples used. That said, with 200+ samples used on the album, it sounds like nothing released before. I'll leave you with a sample.

mp3: Give Me A Beat

New Year's Eve Party Playlist

To get you in the partying mood for NYE here are some great songs to dance to. Enjoy!

Orbital - Satan
Plastic Operator - Parisols
Panda Bear - Good Girl/Carrots
Working for a Nuclear Free City - Asleep At The Wheel
2 Bit Pie - Fly
Sugarcult - Do it Alone (Breakfast Club Remix)
Slightly Stoopid - Above The Clouds
Girl Talk - Lets Run This
The Crystal Method - American Way
Daft Punk - One More Time

This Week's Mix

Back to the mixes after a week off for the holiday break. Thought I'd make this week all about upbeat music to get everyone still in college ready for finals. Enjoy!

Girl Talk - Can't Stop
Battles - Race In
Scissors for Lefty - Ghetto Ways (Baron Von Luxxury Remix)
Middle Distance Runner - The Sun and Earth
Ghostland Observatory - All You Rock & Rollers
Bjork - Earth Intruders
Firefox AK - Zodiac
Faithless - Spiders, Crocodiles and Kryptonite
Animal Collective - For Reverend Green
Holy Fuck - Royal Gregory

Girl Talk and Dan Deacon

Dan Deacon - credit
Pittsburgh's Girl Talk and Baltimore's Dan Deacon have teamed up for a tour that is selling out over the place. White Williams will be joining them as opener. They will be in the area for most of this week.

9/18/07: 2640 Space, Baltimore
9/19/07: Black Cat, DC
9/20/07: Satellite Ballroom, Charlottesville

Dan Deacon - The Crystal Cat
Dan Deacon - Wham City
Girl Talk - Bounce That
Grizzly Bear - Knife (Girl Talk Remix)
White Williams - New Violence
White Williams - Violator