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Incoming: The Life and Times, May 16

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Rarely do I wear earplugs to shows (dumb, I know), but I’ll probably make a point of bringing a pair Saturday for The Life and Times show, a band that has the potential and the gear – a 26-inch kickdrum?? – to shake the foundation of our humble Modified.

Started from the ashes of Allen Epley’s Shiner, The Life and Times is touring in support of its second full-length Tragic Boogie (6.9 at Pitchfork).

The Life and Times falls right in line with my penchant for grandiose rock, bands that can fill wide-open spaces with the obligatory wall of sound but do it with a sense of purpose (Catherine Wheel and Hum come to mind). That ringing in my ear the next day will have been worth it.

Kinch and Traindodge open. Tickets ($10) are available here.

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DJ Z-Trip on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic

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DJ Z-Trip, probably one of the most-posted-about artists on this site, visited Jason Bentley and KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic for an interview and a couple of great mixes.

Z promised on Twitter and his forum that he’d make the sets available on his Web site … soon, I hope.

In the meantime, KCRW is offering an archived video of the set. Kudos to Bentley for name-checking Phoenix and the Bombshelter DJ days.

Also, Z-Trip just made a new mix track available on his site called Work It or Leave It, which offers a taste of what he played on KCRW. It’s one of a slew of free downloads he offers.

[ZIP]: DJ Z-Trip | Work It or Leave It

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New Jeremy Enigk: Life’s Too Short

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Jeremy Enigk is sharing a second song – Life’s Too Short – off his forthcoming album OK Bear (due out May 12 on his Lewis Hollow label).

You might remember Mind Idea from a couple months ago. If categorizing a singer’s solo work in the context of his former band is your thing, then I’d say Life’s Too Short fits somewhere between How It Feels to Be Something On and The Rising Tide (which I always felt was a bit underrated).

As I was reminiscing about Sunny Day Real Estate the other night, I stumbled across this fantastic live video of one of my favorite SDRE songs, In Circles. (Does Jeremy Enigk have his nose pierced here? There’s also that dark side to the nose ring).

I also discovered that William Goldsmith – one of my favorite drummers – suffers from carpal tunnel syndrome, which threatened his career. I really hope to see him surface with a band soon. One of my fondest memories of SDRE is seeing them in Scottsdale at the Cajun House and being mesmerized by Goldsmith knocking out the final fading pulses on Days Were Golden on his snare, the last man standing on stage (like he does here).

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Win tickets to see Haiku D’Etat

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The folks at online marketing and publicity firm RED are giving away a pair of tickets for every date of the Haiku D’Etat tour. That includes a May 20 stop at Chaser’s in Scottsdale (and May 19 at Club Congress in Tucson for that matter).

Haiku D’Etat is the sorta haughty-sounding moniker for the trio of Aceyalone, Myka 9 and Abstract Rude, all well-respected for their contributions to the underground scene in L.A. Aceyalone and Myka were founding members of Freestyle Fellowship, and Haiku D’Etat follows in the free-form, jazz-inspired style.

It’s been five years since the last Haiku D’Etat release (Coup De Theatre), so it could be that something new is in the works. Ab Rude’s debut for Rhymesayers, Rejuvenation, came out Tuesday.

Haiku D’Etat’s tour also kicked off on Tuesday and continues through May 22. Enter to win tickets to any of the shows right here.

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How to Break Bad News book/soundtrack

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I’m only about a month late on this, but Eric Steuer (aka Eriksolo from Meanest Man Contest) curated a soundtrack for a book, How to Break Bad News, by Tim Molloy.

As Eric describes the book, it’s “about a reporter who goes undercover at a fast food restaurant chain to expose labor abuses – but then finds he prefers working there to being a (TV) reporter.” As a former newspaper employee, I know there might be a better future in fast food than the news business.

Anyway, RCRD LBL is offering the soundtrack, which features MMC (of course), Dirty on Purpose, Sam Champion and more, as a free download.

Also, check out Molloy’s Book Notes entry at Largehearted Boy, in which he includes the Hieroglyphics track At the Helm, thus forever endearing himself to me.

RELATED:
Daedelus: Off to the Races (Meanest Man Contest remix feat. Cuzzo)
Meanest Man Contest: We Blame You EP
Meanest Man Contest: Throwing Away Broken Electronics (video)

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New John Vanderslice: Too Much Time

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John Vanderslice continues to find new and unique ways to market his music and, more important, connect with fans on a more personal level.

Last week, he was offering a wonderful gift with a pre-order of his new album Romanian Names: a letterpressed wallet containing a small snippet of analog tape, which contained unused music from the master recording of the album. Not surprisingly, this deal sold out.

I’m telling you, he just gets it – after all, this is a guy who offered pillowcases at his merch table. Pillow cases! What surprises me is that more musicians don’t follow his lead. And here he is again, offering a second MP3 for download – Too Much Time – from Romanian Names (due out May 19).

Remember: JV returns to Modified on June 28. The Tallest Man on Earth recently was announced as the opener.

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Telekinesis: Tokyo (video)

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If there’s one album I’ve been turning to for repeat play in 2009, it’s the debut from Telekinesis (aka Michael Benjaman Lerner), appropriately titled Telekinesis!

The record, produced by Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla, is all quick and catchy power-pop but then ends with the pretty and somewhat fragile I Saw Lightning, a song that anyone would be wise to include for a sensitive/sentimental interlude on a homemade mix tape. (Stream the tune here.)

But one of the catchiest tracks is the energetic Tokyo. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more enjoyable two minutes, 54 seconds. Video is below.

Catch Telekinesis open for Margot & the Nuclear So and Sos on May 20 at Rhythm Room in Phoenix. Tickets are 10 bucks.

hip-hop, video

Ask De La Soul a question (via URB magazine)

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In celebration of the 20th anniversary of 3 Feet High and Rising – 20 years! – URB is inviting readers to ask a couple questions that the magazine will then get to the group.

I thought I was all ready to type in a question and then I became paralyzed: What can I possibly ask these guys that they haven’t been asked before without sounding like bumbling idiot? Of course, these are musicians I hold in the highest regard. In fact, hanging just above my computer is a placard promoting Stakes Is High signed by Posdnuos and Trugoy, who happened to stroll into Zia Records in Tempe one afternoon before a show that night in 1996. Trugoy signed it: “To: Kevin, True Plug Too”. In the event of a fire, I’d probably grab it right after my dog.

So, what would you ask De La Soul?

ALSO, De La Soul has just released its contribution to the Nike+Original Run series. Are You In? is a continuous 45-minute mix “written specifically to power your run.” That would be pretty cool if, well, I actually ran. Below is an interview with De La discussing the project:

RELATED:
J. Period feat. De La Soul: Excursions (remix)
De La Soul tribute on Hip-Hop Honors

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Mayer Hawthorne: Maybe So, Maybe No

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I touched on Mayer Hawthorne a little bit in November and now Stones Throw has some more tangible goodies from the soul revivalist.

A 12-inch for Maybe So, Maybe No b/w I Wish It Would Rain will be released in May, but Stones Throw has a download of the single available for purchase, including instrumentals.

The label also has kindly offered Maybe So, Maybe No as a free download.

Check out a test press of the vinyl playing the B-side on a Vestax portable player in the rain (naturally).

UPDATE:

Stones Throw just sent out a video for Mayer Hawthorne’s Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out.

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Wye Oak to play Stinkweeds on Friday

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Baltimore’s Wye Oak, a member of the talented roster at Merge Records, was unable to find an unoccupied venue for a show in Phoenix on Friday, so the duo instead will play an in-store at Stinkweeds with touring partner Pomegranates.

The show will get under way around 7 p.m. with Phoenix’s Turn Back, O Man. A $5 donation goes to the bands.

Wye Oak is due to release its second album, The Knot, on July 21. Listen to/download the lead single, Take It In, below.