My Bird Performs

Man, dial-up can sour even the best things in life. My undead rogue is collecting serious dust. Regardless, I press on.

Just a heads-up, though: you should probably only expect updates on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule until the middle of next month, when school starts again and my internet access is blazing fast once more. If that schedule works for Penny Arcade, it works for me.

In the news, can liberals do better? Our options could be worse, but that still isn't saying much. Decisions like that, coupled with the fact that the dude's only 50, mean George Bush's pawprint could loom over the legal community for a significant chunk of the century. In other words, this shit is hot.

As promised, here are more clips from this week's upcoming Midwest Music Summit in Indianapolis.



Everything, Now! - I Live In A Trailer Park. An awesome track off of Police, Police!, an awesomer mini-album. The lads of Everything, Now! were birthed from the sticky womb of Ball State University. They're strapping, heroic, and fluent in Coolese. They've also fought the hydra, served me hallucinogenic Chinese food, and have at least one song that sounds like a goblin work chant. Only some of these statements are true. This song? "Crazy neighbors" doesn't even begin to describe it.

BONUS: Margot and the Nuclear So-and-Sos - Barfight Revolution. Since I was a delinquent poster yesterday, here's another track from another Indiana band playing at the Summit. I'm not as intimately familiar with this group, but this track has some serious swagger, and their name is a reference to the Royal Tenenbaums, so they're already way ahead in my book.

Both E,N! and the So-and-Sos will play Radio Radio on Friday in a set that boasts the highest concentration of Indiana rock awesomeness anywhere in the entire festival. They'll be joined by local favorites like Killjoy Confetti, The Vegetables, The Lou Reeds, and even more. Some tracks from at least one of those artists will be in the Thursday/Friday update. Promise.

Posted by Tyler at 11:51 PM | Permalink | Comments

Well, that was a fun hiatus. Only having access to a dial-up connection really saps my desire to post, but here goes nothing anyway. We've got some good music on the horizon this week, thanks to Midwest Music Summit 2005.

In an attempt to get in on the summer festival scene, and to prove that we can attract just as many cool acts as our neighbors on the lake, Indianapolis will once again play host to the Midwest Music Summit. The event, which stretches out over three days (June 21-23), features artists from all genres playing bills at night clubs and ballrooms all around the Circle City. For indie kids, this means rocking out with acts both well-known (Robbers On High Street, French Kicks) and soon-to-be-well-known (Everything, Now!, Killjoy Confetti). What follows are some samples of my personal favorites.



The Changes - When I Wake. Oh man, janglepop. How I love thee. So do the Changes, a four-piece from Chicago whose timeless devotion to masterwork pop result in hooks that bury themselves in your brain for weeks on end. When you hear this song, the fact that these dudes remain unsigned will seem even more hard to swallow.

The Changes play one of the finer showcases at The Vogue on Friday night before heading up to Lollapalooza and their Sunday timeslot (which runs head-to-head with fellow Chicagoans Ok Go). Their website also features more downloads from their self-titled EP. Clear some space on the hard drive.

Check back later for more tracks and pithy commentary. It's good to be back.

Posted by Tyler at 1:22 PM | Permalink | Comments

Apparently, we're winning. Who knew?

No more comments, though. Not yet. Morrissey said it better, anyway.

The Smiths - Panic.

Posted by Tyler at 9:03 PM | Permalink | Comments

The following post is Obner-approved:

While charity was in the air during last weekend's Live 8 mega-event, it seems that this week marks the return of greed, charity's jerko cousin who listens to REO Speedwagon and still wears sleeveless shirts even though they look ridiculous. In the worst PR move since [insert topical reference point here], nth-generation Brit rock middlers Razorlight became the first act to stand up and say, "Yeah, we're kinda dicks."


(I was planning a funny caption, but... look at them. Who knew I'd be right?)

The group went on the record about their plans to keep proceeds from increased album sales generated by their appearance at the concert. When asked what they were going to do with their seemingly ill-gotten gains, they mentioned something about paying off some speculative eBay auctions that ended up being total fucking busts.

That statement is false, but the concept is still comedy gold. Discuss your opinions about Razorlight/Live 8/celebrity charity bastardry here.

And on a totally unrelated note...

The Russian Futurists - These Seven Notes. I've been hooked on Matthew Hart ever since I first heard "Let's Get Ready To Crumble" off the album of the same name. His tracks always seem to evoke simultanious polar opposites. Any given song can be hot and cold, lush and sleek, inviting and detached... and it just works. This cut is taken from the Futurists' newest album, Our Thickness. Once again following the Paul Simon path to success (10 tracks = perfect album), the album is full of nine others just like this one. I defy you to tell me that's a bad thing.

Also, check out the website. I have to respect a man who can still rock the Geocities.

Posted by Tyler at 9:19 PM | Permalink | Comments

I went to one of Barack Obama's town hall meetings in Pekin this afternoon. It was pretty boss, and I even got my question answered. I decided to go for the lob and ask about the upcoming Supreme Court replacement fight, since some of the questions were on topics (Haitian unrest, community block grants) that just didn't pack much of a punch answer-wise.. His answer was pretty safe, but that doesn't stop me from feeling like this summer's about to heat up.

Also, who's this handsome devil?



Now, the music:

The Lemonheads - Kitchen. From The Lemonheads' astounding 1992 release It's A Shame About Ray. This song doesn't really correspond to the post, but that doesn't stop it from sounding mighty fine. This is one of the tracks that's going on my upcoming biographical mix CD project. It has a certain swaggering romantic irresponsibility that seems to match my life pretty well (I think). When I play a montage of my college years in my mind, I think this song could be one of the accompanying tracks. Plus, Evan Dando is the dreamiest addled drug addict this side of The Viper Room. I'd hold his hand, in a completely hetero way.

Posted by Tyler at 9:47 PM | Permalink | Comments

I survived Indiana, and all is well. Also, what follows may seem like heavy-handed editorial commentary. It is. If you're not in the mood for that sort of thing, feel free to ignore the post and just download the song. It's very good, and comes courtesy of one Mr. Drew Deboy. Less polarizing posts will resume tomorrow.

Harry Nilsson - Sail Away. Call this one America's birthday present. Originally written and performed by Randy Newman (who guests here on the piano), the song is taken to new heights by Nilsson, who adds bravado to the role of a glad-handing slave trader. The lyrics speak of promise on a variety of levels, and whether you like the idea or not, they're basically correct. While some forms of 21st-century nationalism trumpet America's austerity and value, this nation was founded by people who also estimated that property was the equal of both life and liberty. It should be no surprise that our history is full of one group fucking over another in the name of the proverbial "fat cash". As a product of the system, I can't make a value judgment. This isn't right or wrong or negotiable; it just is. Really, that's the point. If you love all things American, you have to love this part, too. Suddenly, being a patriot just became much harder. Not impossible, mind you. Just harder.

Posted by Tyler at 7:19 PM | Permalink | Comments

Greetings from Indiana. I'm here for a holiday weekend filled with bratwurst and hazy, whiskey-fueled shenanigans. This update is brought to you by those things, as well as television shows from my youth.



Polaris - Hey Sandy. A great theme song for an equally great show, this track is lifted directly from the original soundtrack to The Adventures of Pete and Pete. For any unfamiliar parties out there, let me set the record straight: Pete and Pete may be the pinnacle of televised young adult programming, beating even the kings of angst over at Degrassi for the title of "Best Kid's Show Ever". Over the course of three seasons, the brothers Wrigley harnassed the oddly unique power of the early 90s alternative movement and made it kid-friendly. You could almost call it suburban surrealism. While the narrative was compelling enough, the musical sensibilities of the show's producers rang strangely authentic. The guest stars alone were off the charts. Iggy Pop was a concerned neighborhood father. Syd Straw and LL Cool J were local teachers. Hell, Marshall Crenshaw was the fucking meter man! Throughout all this, there was Polaris. Composed of members from alt-pop band Miracle Legion, Polaris provided the soundtrack for the Petes' adventures. Amazingly, these songs stand on their own, regardless of your level of familiarity with or fondness of the show. Please, see for yourselves, my little vikings.

BONUS: Polaris - Waiting for October. Fuck Prince. You'll never find a happier song about the end of the world.

Posted by Tyler at 5:41 PM | Permalink | Comments