There is an upcoming fundraiser (to be held at UofL’s Red Barn) for Kosair Children’s Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The people with the U of L Honors Society Council are the hearts behind this project. The fund-raiser will be a huge book & media sale April 7 – 11 at The Red Barn. Most items will be priced at $2 or less. So far, they’ve received over 25,000 donations (over 10,000 vinyl items–LPs & 45rpm singles dating back to the last 1950s–and over 10,000 books). They also have lots of CDs, DVDs, video games, and other stuff. There’s going to be a preview night on April 7 from 6-8 pm. Admission is $10 that night, but those individuals will get first pick at the items in the sale. Regular sale hours, free admission, are April 8 – 11, 9 am – 7:30 pm. Parking can be difficult for non-UofL people, so there is a ton of info about parking on our their: http://uoflhsc.com/bams.php.
There will also be a daily drawings for gift certificates and items from local businesses.
What to help out any more? Dust off that old record you think someone else might enjoy more than you and donate it. You can
contact Luke Buckman at luke.buckman@louisville.edu or Greg Shaw at geshaw01@louisville.edu and they will be happy to take donations (any books, music, or movies..or even money if you are so inclined). Or items can be dropped off at any of these locations through April 2:
Eyedia, Inc., 1631 North Mellwood Ave., Louisville, KY
The Etscorn Honors Center (located in Threlkeld Hall), University of Louisville Belknap Campus
Ekstrom Library Reference Desk, University of Louisville Belknap Campus
The School of Music Library or Main Office, University of Louisville, Belknap Campus
Kornhauser Library Circulation Desk, University of Louisville, Health Sciences Campus
Kosair Children’s Hospital, Volunteer Office
We’ll be there on the 7th flipping through the stacks. Mark your calendar. We hope to see you there!!
As you probably know by now, we are vinyl fanatics here at B.S. If you are too, here is an opportunity for you to get Sade’s new album on vinyl. Just comment below and let us know which vinyl you own is your favorite. I know it is like picking a favorite child, but mine is probably The National’s Cherry Tree EP on clear cherry red vinyl. The album releases on March 23rd, so I’ll announce a winner on the 20th. Good luck.
VINYL FORMAT. Epic Records is pleased to announce the release of Soldier of Love, the highly anticipated new body of work from Sade. Soldier of Love is Sade’s first official studio album since the multi-platinum release of Lovers Rock in 2000. That’s a long time Sade, where have you been?! Writing sweet lovejamz, I guess.
“Soldier of Love” is based entirely around a single staggering groove, a wounded stride anchored simply by a regular kick drum and delayed snare. Around this motif, and its unrelenting-yet-damaged steps, a song is gradually carved: a sensuous sculpture that refuses to congeal, an effect not unlike making out an uncertain shape by touch in total darkness…. – Pitchfork.
The Pomegranates are an amazing band from Cincy that has played Louisville a number of times and they were here last Wednesday for a free show at the Zanzabar. UL was playing Cincy in the Big East tourney so the show started late and I imagine a few people stayed in because of UL’s unfortunate loss. Regardless, around 11, the Pomegranates showed those in attendance why they keep getting bigger and bigger. Their sound is poppy and playful, but serious enough to keep it edgy. I just picked up their debut that was recently release on vinyl. If you are not familiar with them, check out my favorite track from that album below, “Whom/Who”. Also, on their way down to SXSW, the guys are keeping a video diary. They stayed with us after the show and in the video below you can see them tell the story of The Mysterious Grocery Bag that hang on my living room wall (around 1:30). We also grabbed some video from the show, below…
Murdoc and his band of merry musicians have emerged from their Plastic Beach recording studio out in the middle of the sea with a pirate vibe and a brand new record, PLASTIC BEACH. We’d like to thank Murdoc for his kind welcome message this week (those were his melodic tones greeting you as you checked out the site) and assure him that we’re heading to our own favorite indie outpost to pick up the new Gorillaz. See you at the record store.
I’m too sick to my stomach right now to even speculate what will be said at a press conference on Friday held by ear x-tacy’s owner John Timmons. The press release (below) only says that potential changes to ear x-tacy will be addressed. The tone of the release was not encouraging. Ear x-tacy is too important to lose, not only for the local music scene, but the Louisville community at whole. From now until Friday, lets make a pact. For every album you would go buy online (or “borrow” online) and for every album you would purchase at Best Buy, go to Ear x-tacy this week and pick it up (they even have a digital online music store). We’ll start there and then work our way forward. I’ve been collecting vinyl for a while now and there is no greater feeling than flipping through the stacks at ear X-tacy, finding that “gem” and enriching the collective music experience by knowing that you are contributing to something you love so much. We can start tonight. Louisville’s own The Watson Twins are playing an in-store show tonight at 5pm (I just got off the phone with ear x and the show is on despite the snow). Enjoy some great music and buy that album you’ve been thinking about all week. That is all for now. I’ll be at the press conference on Friday and I’ll let everyone know what I find out. Feel free to voice your opinions below. We need to show our support.
Via a press release:
ear X-tacy Owner Addresses Potential Changes
John Timmons, founder of the independent record store and owner for nearly 25 years, is expressing his concern for the survival of ear X-tacy, as we know it. Timmons will announce details of the store’s situation during a press conference Friday, February 12, at 10:00am, at the store,1534 Bardstown Road.
With the 10,000-square-foot prime location’s lease about to expire in March 2010, Timmons is focusing attention on the realities of a dire situation and the potential impact of losing one of the nation’s top 10 record stores. The absence of this local treasure would have a financial impact on the local media, especially public radio. It would affect concerts, promoters, and leave a void on Bardstown Road in the Highlands, an area already severely impacted by the economy’s downturn. The synergy of Louisville’s local businesses would be affected and the city’s music and cultural landscape definitely would be altered. The dynamics of “keep Louisville weird,” a local movement founded by John Timmons, would suffer from such a loss.
“This is not about business. It’s about something my customers have built and have come to expect. It’s about a place to experience music,” Timmons said. “Many tourists seem to make ear X-tacy a destination point as out-of-towners have learned about ear X-tacy through national exposure. I think the store is a place that makes Louisvillian’s proud. It’s been a community effort to build it and it’s going to take a community to sustain it.”
The Pomegranates are an amazing band from Cincy that has played Louisville a number of times. With each year, they get bigger and bigger and now their debut album, Everything is Alive, is going to be released on vinyl. It is going to be limited to 500 (100 black, 200 green, 200 red).
Oh where to begin. The third concert stop on my Morrissey Pilgrimage took me to San Diego… for all of about 3 hours. Since the show was an assigned seat type, I didn’t have the opportunity to queue for 10 hours. What a shame. So I didn’t get to see all the wonderful sights of San Diego, such as… well, I have no idea what else I would even want to see besides a concert hall where Morrissey is performing. Is there really anything else? There’s more to life than music you know, but not much more. No, not much more.
After a short two hour drive that expanded into a grueling three and a half hour trek, my friend April and I finally arrived in time for the doors to open, just 1 hour before show time. As we pulled into the parking lot that stole ten dollars from us to store our car we noticed a small gathering near the stage entrance. It was about time for Morrissey to walk into the venue, we just knew. Good thing it was a one-way street that I ran across, for I certainly didn’t look both ways while running to see what was about to happen. We saw our friend Wayne waiting behind a metal barrier, ready to say hello to Morrissey and offer him a gift. Just seconds after stepping to the sidewalk, and Moz’s car pulls up to the heavily guarded pathway. He stops for only a second, just to look at but not accept Wayne’s gift, and then in the building he goes. This is a giant leap for someone who normally does not even acknowledge that anyone is waiting around to meet him. I can understand this too, as there are some weirdos out there (myself included).
After the anti-climactic event of watching a person walk into a building, we decided it was time to take our own selves into that very same building. As we rounded the corner towards the front door I started to see many familiar faces. It’s nice to go to a city that I’ve never been to and immediately see ten or more certain people I know. Upon entering the venue everyone was groped and manhandled (or womanhandled) by security. As it was so elegantly spoken later in the evening, I was given a “taint massage”. No, not the good kind. Guess they thought my blazer and tie and big bright healthy smile were threatening. Of course they are. Everyone was then placed in a holding area lobby before doors were allowed to open. Though a seated venue, everyone couldn’t wait until we got to run down the aisle and into our seats. “No running! NO RUNNING!”, uh, sure. I don’t think that has ever worked for anyone. Everyone got in safely and nobody ran over another person, so we all passed on good conduct to enter the seated pit. I say a seated pit because that’s technically what it was, though the two rows of seats were abandoned quite promptly. A rail? With about a 4 foot gap to the stage? No person would be sitting for this. One of the best parts of this show was that everyone standing on that rail and the very few who got second row were all my Morrissey friends. It was as if Morrissey was playing a private show just for us. How nice.
The seats were hardly filled when Doll & The Kicks took stage, but the pit crew were certainly paying attention. We get our own private Doll & The Kicks show too?! Where do I sign! It was a treat seeing them open every night, and this was one of their best performances. By this show a few of my friends knew most of the words and were able to sing along with them. Even in the big venue it felt like our own intimate show as Doll was smiling while watching us sing along. I think the rest of the people in attendance took kindly to them as well. When the house lights came on after their set there were a lot more seats that were filled with clapping and cheering patrons. I was also able to finally be close enough to get a few decent iPhone pics of them. No way I could have got a real camera in after the above mentioned taint massage. I still urge you to listen to them, as I still have their CD playing in my car.
Then there is this charming man
Every time Morrissey arrives on stage an angel gets its wings. That’s a little known secret I heard on the internet and I believe it to be very true. Moz and The Lads hit the stage where he proclaimed, “San Diego, I give you my heart.” and then burst right into This Charming Man, pulling everyone into the show. Not that everyone wasn’t already anxiously awaiting to hang on every word during the set. However, when Morrissey walked on to the stage he was holding an Elvis record that he signed. Morrissey signed it, not Elvis (that would have been even cooler though). M was waving it around throughout singing This Charming Man, covering his face with it at times as if to sing through Elvis. If anyone is allowed to do that, it is Morrissey. I brought a gift into the venue of an Elvis vinyl record titled Let’s Be Friends, I figured he’d get a kick out of the title if he saw it. Seeing him come out with an Elvis record too made me smile; he has incredibly good taste. Nearing the end of the first song I knew that record couldn’t last, one can’t hold vinyl for an entire set. What was to come of it? Hold your horses and I’ll tell you. The song ended and he is moving across to stage right, where I just so happened to be standing. Morrissey takes the record, looks right square at me, and says ,”For you.” Other than looking at the setlist, I couldn’t tell you what he played next. I stood there holding my new record, unable to move. Someone could have set me on fire and I would not have even blinked an eye. I was not able to fully comprehend what had just happened (I’m still having trouble with it). Morrissey, possibly my favourite artist of all time, OF ALL TIME KANYE STYLE, presented me with a gift. It was like a scene in a movie where everything is in slow motion and you can’t really hear anything, just murmurs for a while until everything comes back in focus. What made it even better was that all of my friends were surrounding me and congratulating me, I felt at home. So yeah, I was having the best week ever.
*High quality MSPAINT skillz right there
The passing of the record wasn’t all there was to the show though. Morrissey crooned through the now typical setlist with Smiths classics such as Ask, Cemetery Gates, and Is It Really So Strange?, and solo b-sides like Ganglord, Teenage Dad On His Estate, and the song that is becoming an all time favourite of mine – Because Of My Poor Education. Somewhere in the midst of the set I noticed a stage invasion attempt was about to happen. If anyone was ever going to try it, this was the time and place to do so. Out of nowhere comes a friend of mine making a flying leap that would shame Superman. He made it up for only a second, but the bruises that would follow were worth the effort. After the song ended Morrissey looked at the successful invader and said “Action Man! Where’s Action Woman?”. We in the know were shocked by this, as the song title Action Man has been floating around for years but has never seen the light of day. Was this a hint at something to come?
Though there were no more successful stage invasions, there were plenty of handshakes going around as Morrissey seemed to be in a pleasant mood. Dare I say it again, was he… happy? As they came back on stage to take a bow before the encore, Moz passed by and I motioned him a thank you for my record and he gave a graceful motion of “you’re welcome”. I’ll still go to as many shows as I can, but I don’t believe anything will ever top this one.
Yeah – I said it…I’ve been converted and Lady Gaga beat out the new project by former members of Joy Division and New Order as well as The Smiths frontman Morrissey.
YOUNG WIDOWS Settle Down City LP Reissue on Auxiliary Records. Out of print for over two years, YOUNG WIDOWS debut album is now available again on 12″ LP. All copies on various mixed colored vinyl.
Bonnie “Prince” Billy has announced a new live LP (with digital download) through Drag City with The Picket Linecalled Funtown Comedown. I could not be more excited for this album. The album comes out November 17th December 15th, but you can PRE-ORDER HERE. (Thanks to Dan Lubbers for the heads-up.)
From Drag City:
LIVE (in the studio) is the Bonny one with next-generation bluegrass band known as The Picket Line. They’re the official dance band of Funtown, a metaphysical little community in the woods outside Louisville. Bonny and the boys (and girl) run through a set of BPB classics, some Palace songs and a few classic country covers. VINYL ONLY! (And download exclusively on the new-and-retro-improved www.dragcity.com!)
Abut the pressing…
Vinyl LP pressing. 2009 intimate live recording by Will Oldham (AKA Bonnie Prince Billy) and young Bluegrass band The Picket Line. In the wilds of greater outer Louisville Kentucky, there is a place called Funtown. You won’t find it on any map, and you might just lose yourself in the woods out there trying to pin it down to the ground as well. Yet, Funtown is a place, as much as it is a place of mind. It was in this place, in a clearing and on the shores of a pond, that Bonny ‘Prince’ Billy and The Picket Line combined forces to play his music and their music and other people’s music for a community of people to hear and watch and swing and step to. Live in front of friends and family is the way of Funtown. It was as fun as it sounds and more, in ways which have mostly been channeled down to the two sides of a groove and presented to you here, wrapped twice in full-color sleeves.
THE TEETH will finally be releasing their long awaited seven inch EP Clatter & Jive at a show on Saturday, November 14th at The Cathouse (747 s. preston st. one block south of broadway). Straight A’s opens. Doors at 9:30pm, music at 10pm with the sharpness. $5 covers your admission to the show plus gets you a FREE copy of the new record. On top of that there’s sure to be some additional freebies as well. Now that’s a deal that can’t be beat.
Here are some Karate Body related upcoming shows this month:
Nov. 2: eremy*JIrvin w/ Zee Avi @ Zanzabar. JIrvin’s exclusive track, “On My Own” appears on Vol. 9 of Louisville Is For Lovers. Copies of the limited edition red and white double vinyl available from karatebodyrecords.com. Nov. 6:The Fervor w/ Smug Brothers @ Zanzabar.The Fervor’s new song, “No Apology” appears on The Green Belt limited edition split 7-inch, available now from us, ear X-tacy and Underground Sounds. Copies will be for sale at this show. Smug Brothers features former members of Guided By Voices. 9 p.m. $6. Nov. 14:Wussy @ Headliners (Dare To Care Food-raiser). Chuck Cleaver and Lisa Walker open the show. Wussy’s exclusive track “Fly Fly Fly” appears on The Green Belt split 7-inch. Harper Simon and Company of Thieves also perform.
Nov. 14:Joe Manning @ Rudyard Kipling. Manning’s new song, “Lately at A Lesser Table” appears on The White Belt split 7-inch with riverboat soul provider Pokey LaFarge. Manning appears at The Rudyard Kipling alongside Scott Carney and Sardren Wells. It also happens to be Ken Pyle’s 69th birthday. Nov. 20:Phantom Family Halo @ Zanzabar. Phantom Family Halo’s double LP Monoliths & These Flowers Never Die is out now, and available from us, ear X-tacy and Underground Sounds. The band hits the road for a tour of the east coast and Canada Nov. 27 with Russian Circles and fellow Louisvillians Young Widows. NOTE: Each double LP comes with a free download card of the entire Phantom Family Halo album.
I was in Underground Sounds the other day and Phantom Family Halo’s new album Monoliths & These Flowers Never Die was playing. I didn’t recognize it at first, but what I heard was epic. Every track seemed lifted from a timeless album that changed music, but in a mirror reflecting PFH’s own image. It’s messy, its distorted, it’s trippy, it’s perfect. I’ve seen them a number of times in the past and I’ve always been a fan, but this album has taken them to a whole new level for me. The album throws pretension and convention out the window and does whatever the fuck it wants. Fast, slow, melodic, electric, old, new, hard, soft…they do it all at their pace, not yours. White Stripes, Velvet Underground? I raise my head and wonder if I’m listening to the same album, only to be reassured that, yes, it is still PFH. Get a taste of the album below, but you MUST listen to this WHOLE album. It’s one of my favorite albums of the year. No question. Take notice.
On a related note, Karate Body Records is KILLING IT!! Let’s review: This album (a beautiful 2xLP), Bonnie Billy and Cheyenne Mize (10″ Cream), Louisville is For Lovers Vol. 9 (Pink/White mix), Ben Sollee (White LP), Rachel Grimes (w/ Sheet Music), Wussy/The Fervor (Green Vinyl), Ume EP (Gold vinyl), Pokey LaFarge & Joe Manning 7″ (heavy as hell white vinyl)… It’s all ridiculously awesome and I can’t get enough of it.
Phantom Family Halo will open for Russian Circles and Young Widows on the following tour dates:
FRI NOV 27 – Detroit MI, Magic Stick
SAT NOV 28 – Buffalo, NY Soundlab
MON NOV 30 – Milford CT, Daniel Street
TUE Dec 1 – New York NY, Bowery Ballroom
WED DEC 2 – Cambridge MA, The Middle East
THU DEC 3 – Washington DC, DC9
FRI DEC 4 – Philadelphia PA, First Unitarian Church
SUN DEC 6 – Montreal QC, Il Motore
MON DEC 7 – Toronto ON, Lee’s Place
WED DEC 9 – Kalamazoo MI, The Strut
THU DEC 10 – Cleveland OH, The Grog Shop FRI DEC 11- Louisville, Kentucky, Skull Alley
Also:
PFH’s double LP Monoliths & These Flowers Never Die is out now and you can get it online at Karate Body or at a fine record store near you. Mark it down: Their record release show will be Nov. 25 in Louisville at Lisa’s Oak Street Lounge with Softcheque. Cost is $5.
We’re very pleased to announce the upcoming release of the new Second Story Man album, Screaming Secrets. It will be released on December 5th on both CD and LP. This record has been over two years in the making and is easily the best work they have ever done. The release show will be at Skull Alley on 12/5 with openers Straight A’s and Softcheque.
EvergreenWholeness of the Soul can now be ordered at www.louisvillenoise.com and is available locally at Ear Xtacy Records. It will pick up national distribution on October 27th. You can also purchase it as a digital download right now at www.thinkindie.com and it will be up on Itunes in the next few weeks. We would also like to thank everyone who made it out to the release show last month and made it such a great night.
Metroschifter’s European tour commences next month and the dates can be found at www.louisvillenoise.com. Their newest album Carbonistas is available now along with a new “greatest hits” style collection entitled Whatever’s Wrong With Me Is Here To Stay. Go to our site for more info.
Bonny Billy and The Picket Line Funtown Comedown
LIVE (in the studio) is the Bonny one with next-generation bluegrass band known as The Picket Line. They’re the official dance band of Funtown, a metaphysical little community in the woods outside Louisville. Bonny and the boys (and girl) run through a set of BPB classics, some Palace songs and a few classic country covers. VINYL ONLY! (And download exclusively on the new-and-retro-improved www.dragcity.com!)
BPB is also releasing a 7″ single with “Stay” performed with Joshua Abrams, Jennifer Hutt, Emmett Kelly, Michael Zerang and “People Living” performed with Emmett Kelly and Cheyenne Mize! It comes out October 20, 2009. You can pre-order it here for just $5 bucks.
![[funtown_comedown.png]](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YX2Ueu3L_5w/SvMXVG29DhI/AAAAAAAAAps/N4e_sIRLfUE/s1600/funtown_comedown.png)
