Concerted by Jonathan Fischer - www.myspace.com/concertedcomic

Some photos from this past Friday night at Johnny Brenda's in Philadelphia. First up was Creeping Weeds, whose new disc We Are All Part Of A Dream You're Having is one of my current favorites. This was the third time I've seen them and they just keep getting better and better. Next up was Bitter Bitter Weeks celebrating the upcoming release of their new disc Peace Is Burning Like A River with a great set of their shimmering, jangly songs.
Apollo Sunshine with special guest vocalist Quentin Stoltzfus of Mazarin closed out the night with a set of blistering rock.

This week for 5 On A Friday, a a taste of what was "hot" this week.
(sorry no direct MP3 links today, all will direct you to another page where you can hear the song)

1:Sure, Amercian Idol wasted a lot of powerful technology to bring you Celene Dion singing with a virtual Elvis, but this was the one AI moment you truly needed to see.


2: Covering LCD Soundsystem's song All My Friends was one of the in things to do. Here are versions by by Franz Ferdinand and John Cale.

MP3: Franz Ferdinand - All My Friends (via Kwaya Na Kisser)
MP3: John Cale - All My Friends (via Let's Sexy Fighting)


3: Icky Thump. For me Jack White's been long past overkill, but he's still back with more. Here's the first single for the new White Stripes disc of the same name.

MP3: The White Stripes - Icky Thump (via Your Head's Not Right)

4: iTunes UK springs a leak allowing an early return of Bjork from the planet Iceland with more of her trademark soundscaping.

MP3 : Bjork - Earth Intruders (via Who Killed The Mixtape)

5: A baby spoonful of information about the new Spoon disc. The cover art for Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga.

It's not often that use this space to editorialize on an issue, but this is pretty important. I honestly don't listen to a tremendous amount of internet radio myself but that doesn't make this issue any less relevant. If you lament the current extremely sad state of commercial FM radio these days you need to take an interest here. If this ruling stands as it is, internet radio will become just another outlet for the same commercialized repetitive low quality programming that dominates the FM airwaves. Why?, you say. Because they will be the only ones who can afford to bring it to you. Small independent and non-profit streaming web radio sites will no longer be able to afford to continue. Take action now.

I am reposting this letter from Roger LaMay ,General Manager of WXPN as it stresses the importance of the Copyright Royalty Board's recent ruling on this issue.

Thanks
-tom

Copyright Royalty Board Update
Recently, the U.S Copyright Royalty Board issued a ruling that dramatically increases the royalties paid to rights holders for streaming music on the Internet. While public broadcasters have been paying negotiated royalties to music publishers/songwriters for some time, this marks the first time, due to increased activity and new technology that we have been asked to pay the “performers” royalties. The board ruling set new rates that are 250% above copyright royalties. Even more ominous is that these royalties by themselves greatly exceed the revenues that the handful of public stations like XPN who are committed to music streaming generate or expect to generate in the near future. These services all are committed to playing artists who do not otherwise get airplay on commercial radio.
Section 118 of the Copyright Act of 1976 specified “a fair return to copyright owners without unfairly burdening public broadcasters.” Clearly this is not the case here. Therefore, Congress will introduce a bill this week addressing both noncommercial and commercial streaming services, the “Internet Radio Equality Act”. This legislation recognizes public radio’s public service mission and will put these royalties under the same system and standards as the royalties we currently pay to the publishers/songwriters. We believe artists should be fairly compensated but under a system that allows the continuing operation and development of the Internet streaming of music that does not get exposure in commercial broadcasting.
Please contact your congressional representatives in the next week and ask them to co-sponsor and support the Internet Radio Equality Act. The future of non-commercial Internet music streaming depends on getting relief from this onerous new burden. We are pursuing this acknowledgement of the special role of public broadcasting in negotiations, through legislation and in the courts.

Thank you and stay tuned.
Roger LaMay, General Manager WXPN

Some other things from around the blog-o-sphere for today.

So Much Silence has a live set from the Broken West on KCRW from 4/19/07

Heather at I Am Fuel,You Are Friends has the new Paul McCartney single -Ever Present Past from his debut Starbucks release.

Teenage Kicks profiles the letter "C" in their ongoing Alphabet Project

YouTube has the new Snow Patrol song/video from - Signal Fire - From the Spiderman 3 Soundtrack


The Yellow Stereo's Daily Graboid for this week features mp3s from eighteen of this week's new releases

I've found more often than not a band's own perception of what they sound like is more rooted in what they "want" to sound like as opposed to what they really sound like. There's the exception to every rule and I think Alasdair Maclean of the Clientele pretty much nails it when he sums up his band's new record thusly :

"The band are setting free their inner Monkees; a lovely blend of Big Star
twisted power-pop and country achin', with flashes of the Beatles at their most
joyful and upbeat. The ghosts, half-light and uncertainties remain, but I sense
a new found optimism in the music."

I'll admit to never having even heard of The Clientele before this ,their third record, but that blurb picqued my interest. God Save The Clientele is a breezy joyful pop record that is the perfect accompaniment to spring days full of sunshine. Gently picked and softly strummed acoustic guitars mix with piano, violin,pedal steel and slide guitar to create spacious almost orchestral sounding arrangements. Fans of bands like the Pernice Brothers or Midlake will thoroughly enjoy this record. It's steeped deep in influence while forging it's own sound and they're not afraid to wear it on their sleeve either, Isn't Life Strange seems to pay homage to the Moody Blues song of the same name while Bookshop Casanova reworks lyric snippets from the Beatles B-Side You Know My Name (Look up the Number) into a completly new song.

The album was Recorded in Nashville with producer Mark Nevers (Lambchop, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Calexico, Silver Jews) and has a US release date of May 8th on Merge records.

The band is currently in the midst of a US / Canadian tour, be sure to catch them when they come through your town.

The Clientele is :
Alasdair Maclean
James Hornsey
Mark Keen
Mel Draisey

MP3: The Clientele - Here Comes the Phantom
MP3: The Clientele - The Dance of the Hours

[myspace] [website] [blog] [BUY IT from merge] [hear more Clientele music]

Upcoming The Clientele Tour Dates
05.06.2007 Hoboken NJ Maxwell's
05.07.2007 Philadelphia PA Johnny Brenda's
05.08.2007 Washington Black Cat
05.09.2007 Charlottesville VA Satellite Ballroom
05.10.2007 Carrboro NC Cat's Cradle
05.11.2007 Charleston SC Map Room
05.12.2007 Atlanta GA The Earl w/ Beach House
05.13.2007 Nashville TN The Basement w/ Beach House
05.14.2007 Memphis TN Hi Tone w/ Beach House
05.16.2007 Baton Rouge LA Spanish Moon w/ Beach House
05.17.2007 Houston TX Walter's on Washington w/ Beach House
05.18.2007 Denton TX Hailey's w/ Beach House
05.19.2007 Austin TX Emo's Lounge w/ Beach House
05.21.2007 Tempe AZ Modified w/ Beach House
05.22.2007 San Diego CA Casbah w/ Beach House
05.24.2007 Los Angeles CA Knitting Factory w/ Beach House
05.25.2007 Visalia CA Howie & Son's Pizza & Beer Parlor w/ Beach House
05.26.2007 San Francisco CA Great American Music Hall w/ Beach House
05.27.2007 Portland OR Doug Fir w/ Beach House
05.28.2007 Seattle WA Crocodile Cafe w/ Beach House
05.31.2007 Minneapolis MN 400 Bar w/ Beach House
06.01.2007 Madison WI High Noon w/ Beach House
06.02.2007 Chicago IL Subterranean w/ Beach House
06.03.2007 Detroit MI Magic Stick w/ Beach House
06.04.2007 Toronto ON El Mocambo
06.06.2007 Montreal QC Club Lambi w/ Beach House
06.08.2007 New York NY Bowery Ballroom w/ Beach House
06.09.2007 Boston MA Museum of Fine Arts w/ Beach House

Concerted by Jonathan Fischer - www.myspace.com/concertedcomic

Some photos of the Gore Gore Girls bringing the rock and roll to the 449 Room in Trenton last night.

The Setlist :
Hot Rod/Voodoo,Fox In A Box,Loaded Heart,Mary Ann,Starstruck,Automatic Love,Pleasure Unit,Sweet Potato,Fight Fire,Little Baby,So Sophisticated,All Grown Up,Don't Cry,You Lied To Me Before,Buried & Dead,Astral Man, Casino

Be sure to catch them if they headed your way.

Upcoming Gore Gore Girls Shows
Sun, 4/22/07 The Jewish Mother Virginia Beach, VA
Mon, 4/23/07 Local 506 Chapel Hill, NC
Wed, 4/25/07 The Map Room Charleston, SC
Thu, 4/26/07 The Earl Atlanta, GA
Fri, 4/27/07 The Nick Birmingham, AL
Sat, 4/28/07 Phoenix Hill Louisville, KY
Mon, 4/30/07 Melody Inn Indianapolis, IN
Tue, 5/01/07 Atomic Cowboy St. Louis, MO
Wed, 5/02/07 The Picador Iowa City, IA
Thu, 5/03/07 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, MN

Named after an old Herschell Gordon Lewis movie, Detroit's Gore Gore Girls are bringing their Motown girl group meets The Ramones sound to the 449 Room in Trenton NJ this Saturday. With a new album entitled Get the Gore coming out in June on Bloodshot Records, the girls are embarking on their first tour in two years. Check out a taste of the new disc with the couple tunes below and head on out to Trenton this Saturday to get your go-go boots rocked off.

Also on the bill is one of Trenton's finest alternative rock bands The Frantic, and Harrisburg PA's The Thrives

MP3: Gore Gore Girls - Fox In A Box
MP3: Gore Gore Girls - All Grown Up
[Website] [Myspace]

MP3: The Frantic - Someting New
[Website] [Myspace]

MP3: The Thrives - Leaving Behind
[Myspace]

Saturday April 21
Randy Now Presents
Gore Gore Girls,The Frantic, and The Thrives
at 449 Room
449 South Broad Street Trenton, NJ

Concerted by Jonathan Fischer - www.myspace.com/concertedcomic

Rain Delay, Please Stay Tuned !

Once again it's Friday the thirteenth. Thirteen historically being a number full of mystery and superstition, today for 5 on A Friday we'll take a look at some of the songs holding down the lucky?/unlucky? thirteenth spot on their respective albums. So cross your fingers, close your eyes, and turn it up.

13.1: Wilco - Too Far Apart
Buy AM
13.2: Modest Mouse - Dashboard
Buy We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
13.3: Southern Culture On The Skids - Fight Fire
Buy Countrypolitan Favorites
13.4: The White Stripes - Girl You Have No Faith In Medicine
Buy Elephant
13.5: Bright Eyes - Lime Tree
Buy Cassadaga

Do you live in Washington or Oregon and want to turn your love of indie rock and obsession for all things musical and artistic into an education ? Sub Pop wants to help.

Apply for the Sub Pop Scholarship - 5750$ can be yours!
If you are a Washington or Oregon High School senior please for the love of money apply for the Sub Pop College Scholarship, all of the details are below and can also be found here: Announcing The Sub Pop Loser Scholarship. The Deadline for entry is May 1st!

The Sub Pop Scholarship

Sub Pop Records in Seattle, WA is offering $5750 worth of college scholarship money to an eligible high school senior. To apply for this scholarship you must be a resident of Washington or Oregon, and a graduating senior on your way to full-time enrollment at an accredited university or college. We are looking for an applicant who is involved and/or interested in music and/or the creative arts in some way.

To apply for this scholarship we would like you to submit an essay, no longer than one page, letting us know about some of the following topics:

* What are you doing in the arts/music field in your community?

* How and/or why did you become interested in artistic outlets?
* Why do you need this scholarship money?
* What are your influences and/or who inspires you?
* Who are some of your favorite bands or artists?

Applicants are encouraged to send digital links and provide hard copies of their artwork along with their essay, if relevant. However, please be aware that Sub Pop will not return any of this material, so please don’t send originals. Sub Pop will give equal opportunity to all applicants who fit the criteria outlined above. The deadline to apply for this scholarship is May 1st.

Please send all submissions and attachments to scholarship@subpop.com.

Amount: $5750 – check will be made payable to the university or college of the winning applicant’s choice (applied to winning applicant’s tuition).

And while your working on your submission here's somm great tunes from Sub Pop artists to put you in the mood. Good Luck !

MP3: Dntel - Dumb Luck
MP3: Low - Breaker
MP3: Oxford Collapse - Lady Lawyers
MP3: Comets On Fire - Dogwood Rust
MP3: Wolf Eyes - The Driller

[SUB POP Website]

Like many other artists do, Bless 1 recently sent me message to make me aware of his music and asking me to check it out if I was interested. What I heard was some of the sharpest hip hop songs I have heard in quite a while. Bless 1 is a hip hop artist/producer from the west side of Chicago with an incredible skill for lyrics and a sense of timing and rhyme that flow so well as to seem effortless. His rapping style reminds me a lot of Common or some of the recent Roots material.

He just finished his first album entitled Starving Artist, working with French producer Rythm from Art(Powell). He plans on posting the entire album for free download shortly. He wants to share his music with as many people as possible. Enjoy the two amazing songs we have posted here as well as few others on his myspace. Remember to keep an eye on his myspace for the full album, if these two tracks are any indication it won't be long until Bless 1 is a household name right alongside Kanye or Jay-Z.

Also check out a recent Q&A with Bless 1 over at just like music blog

MP3: Bless 1 - Starving Artist
MP3: Bless 1 - Never Give Up

[myspace]

What I've been listening to most this week : LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver, The Fratellis - Costello Music, Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero, a lot of iPod shuffle time, and even some radio(WXPN).

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K'nise Connections' pick of the week is the indie alternacoustic sounds of London's Grand Central. Think Midlake meets Coldplay and you'll have an idea of what they sound like.

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Some Things Coming Up This Week
The first Popped Festival takes place in Philadelphia this week. Although based on the numerous last minute venue and scheduling changes it hints at being a disorganized mess there's still a lot of great music to check out, and almost all of it is all-ages events.
04/09/2007 08:00 PM - Make A Rising, Pattern is Movement,The Asteroid No.4, The Cobbs@ Johnny Brenda's 1201 N. Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, 19125 - $10 21+ Event

04/10/2007 07:30 PM - StinkingLizaveta,Grandchildren,NormalLove,BearIsDriving,BarkingSpiders @ Avant Gentlemens Lodge 4028 Filbert St., Philadelphia, Oregon 19104 - $10

04/11/2007 07:30 PM - Notekillers, Low Budgets, Mtn.High,Northern Liberties, Bad News Bats @ Millcreek Tavern 4200 Chester Ave, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19123 - $10

04/12/2007 08:00 PM - Golden Ball, King Kong Ding Dong, The War on Drugs, Fursaxa, Fan of Friends @ TheParlor 1170 s. broad st., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - $10

04/13/2007 08:00 PM - Dr. Dog, The Spinto Band, Bardo Pond, Illinois
Starlight Ballroom, Philadelphia, Oregon 19123 - $15

04/14/2007 02:00 PM - Hail Social, Phil Moore Brown, Feather Mills, Public Record, and Movable Type
1000 N. block of Hancock St. btwn Front and 2nd St. & Girard and Laurel St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19123 - Free Philebrity Block Party

04/15/2007 06:00 PM - Pissed Jeans,Sharks With Wings,Birds Of Maya,Satanized,Affirmative Action Jackson, Drums Like Machine Guns - $10
originally at Red Warehouse, this show is now at the Firefighter's Lounge. 415 N. 5th Street at Willow

Be sure to check their website or myspace for any last minute changes before you head out.

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Amazing power pop band,The Celebrities start an ongoing Thursday Night residency at the 449 Room in Trenton NJ. From the bands myspace:
After performing all over the east coast with the likes of OKGO, Albert Hammond Jr. of The Strokes, The Pink Spiders, and even the legendary Beach Boys with their previous bands LUZER and Dr. Thunder, Timmy Sean (vocals/guitar/keys), Chris Volk (lead guitar/keys), Dan Seeth (drums) and Krishna “The Mania” Vasudevan (vocals/bass) officially formed The Celebrities ringing in the New Year on January 1. Since that time the band has written more than twenty songs, including the four tracks featured on “The Free Four All Demo”, a sampler EP available for free beginning April 7. The four songs can also be downloaded online from the band’s official MySpace page. “We’re really proud of our new music, and we just want as many people to hear it as possible…even if that means putting it out there for free,” says The Celebrities’ chief songwriter Timmy Sean.
MP3: The Celebrities - She's Mine
MP3: The Celebrities - East Coast Girls

Concerted by Jonathan Fischer - www.myspace.com/concertedcomic

DVD Easter Eggs are special features not listed on the contents of a DVD. Often they're outtakes or images you can only see by following a speical set of directions.
Here's an example of four on the DVD of the movie Almost Famous.
Find a list with hundreds more of these "Easter Eggs" at Movieweb. Happy Hunting !

Almost Famous Untitled: The Bootleg Cut: Director's Edition with CD DVD
You Spencer...Me, Jane!:
On Disc 2, the theatrical cut, go to the 'Special Features' option. Then access the 'Cast' option. Access the Fairuza Balk area. On page 1 of this menu, arrow UP! The "middle polaroid" will highlight. Press ENTER to select it and find a series of takes with Kate and Patrick on the re-take train to hell. A little over 9 minutes.

Hidden Deleted Scene:
Disc 1: From the main menu select SPECIAL FEATURES and arrow RIGHT once. Then arrow UP. The last POLAROID should be highlighted. Select it and watch a four minute deleted scene involving Penny Lane!

The Ghost Take:
On disc 1, go to the Audio Menu. Then highlight the "Commentary by Cameron Crowe" menu entry. Then press RIGHT on the remote control to highlight the middle/spindle of the record. Select it to get a special "Ghost Take". This one's a little creepy.

Flowers:
Insert the disc and wait for the Main Menu animation to start playing. Repeatedly press 'DVD Menu' on your remote until the menu freezes. A screen with 5 flowers should now appear.

Spring has sprung, but here in the east wintertime is getting in one more slap as Easter weekend rolls in. Here's five today related to the mascot of the holiday for you to do the bunny hop to. Hoppity hop hop hop.

The first thing you hear is a solitary desolate piano playing, sooned joined by half spoken-half sung vocals merging to create a surreal sounding lullaby. Part of A Dream evokes that sensation you have have when you're almost asleep, where your mind is completely clear but insanely racing with thoughts all at the same. It's the title track on Creeping Weeds new disc We Are All Part Of A Dream You're Having. As it's signature piano line slowly fades out it perfectly sets up the mood for the songs to follow. The songs that follow evoke shades of bands like The Pixies, Pavement, Modest Mouse and Dinosaur Jr paying tribute without ever sounding derivative. Each song is a new journey ,like a trip with Alice through the Looking Glass into Wonderland soundtracked by a swirling sonic dreamscape of electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards, syncopated rhythms, and instruments like xylophone and digeridoo. The climax of the journey is the 7 minute plus tour de force, Derelict, a major highlight of the couple live shows I've seen them do. Don't just take my word for it give the songs a listen,get the record, see the live show, and experience the ride yourself.
You'll be glad you did.

The Creeping Weeds are :
Pete Stewart
Justin Seitz
Chris Wirtalla
Kate Stewart
Cara Sakoian

MP3 : Creeping Weeds - Part Of A Dream
MP3 : Creeping Weeds - Derelict

Upcoming Shows:
Mon Apr 16 2007 7:00P Knitting Factory New York, New York
Fri Apr 20 2007 9:00P Roustabout! @ Chronic Town State College, Pennsylvania
Fri Apr 27 2007 9:00P Johnny Brenda's Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Sat May 12 2007 9:00P The Fire Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Fri May 18 2007 8:00P Siren Records Doylestown, Pennsylvania

[Buy From Insound] [Buy Direct From Band] [Myspace] [Website]

Wrapping up the past week and looking ahead a bit.
What I've been listening to the most this past week :The Broken West - I Can't Go On,I'll Go On, Warren Zevon - Excitable Boy(remaster), Julie Doiron - Woke Myself Up, Bright Eyes - Cassadaga,Limbeck - Limbeck,The Swimmers - Fighting Trees,The Creeping Weeds - We Are All Part Of A Dream You're Having

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The ~K'nise Music Maker Of The Week is the lovely piano playing Skyler Stonestreet.

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Bag Of Songs Artist To Watch Chelsea Taube has gotten her song Desperate Winters placed on an upcoming Loose Music Country Girl compilation and is playing a couple shows in New York City this week.

Wednesday April 4th Wicked Willy's on Bleecker St. 7pm
Friday April 6th Googie's Lounge Above The Living Room 154 Ludlow 7pm

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One of the bands that blew me away when I saw them recently for the first time was Canada's The Constantines. Someone stole one of their guitars at a recent show @ Lee's Palace in Toronto.

From the band :
Hey Friends,
Thanks to all who came out to the show last night (March 30) at Lee's Palace in Toronto. No thanks to the person who walked out of the club with Will's guitar in Steve's guitar case. We are asking anyone in the Toronto area to be on the look-out for a Black 1995 American Stratocaster with a white pick-guard, a rosewood fretboard, and a rainbow coloured guitar strap. The serial number is: N55 7313. The guitar case is a black Fender hardshell case, covered in Constantines, Threegut and Subpop Records stickers.
If whoever took the guitar reads this, you can contact us via cradlerock1@gmail.com and we can figure out a way for you to return it, no questions asked.
Thanks to everyone who has come to the shows in Eastern Canada so far. We head off to Winnipeg tomorrow and I am going to write another message in a few minutes announcing further tour dates in the Northeastern United States in late April.
xo.
Cons

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Good Sounds Good is a collective of amazingly talented female artists mainly based out of Toronto consisting of Emer, Emma-Lee, blueVenus, Melissa Bathory, Sarah Shafey, Moulann, Kirsten Jones, Clare Love and, Saidah Baba Talibah. They have a big showcase show coming up as well as shows by a few of their members.

Tue Apr 3 2007 9:30P GSG Monthly @ The Cameron House featuring Melissa Bathory, Moulann and Sarah Shafey! Toronto
Wed Apr 4 2007 7:00P Clare Love Solo @ Arlene's Grocery - New York City NYC, New York
Thu Apr 5 2007 9:00P Clare Love - The Lei Lounge at Niagara New York
Fri Apr 6 2007 8:00P Clare Love - Freddy's Bar and Backroom Brooklyn
Sat Apr 7 2007 9:00P Emma-Lee & Emer @ The Cameron House Toronto
Sat Apr 21 2007 10:00P blueVenus at The Cameron Toronto, Ontario
Tue Apr 24 2007 8:00P Sarah Shafey- Renaissance Cafe(Emma-Lee hosts) Toronto, Ontario

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My favorite Philadelphia band of the moment, The Swimmers, bring their amazing sounds to the midwest this week. Be sure to stop out and see them and tell them I sent you.

Tue Apr 3 2007 1:00P WHFR in-studio Detroit, Michigan
Tue Apr 3 2007 8:00P Lager House Detroit, Michigan
Thu Apr 5 2007 8:00P Schubas Chicago, Illinois
Fri Apr 6 2007 8:00P Constant Spring Goshen, Indiana
Sat Apr 7 2007 7:30P Senorita Burrita Lancaster, Pennsylvania