Slint's Spiderland

Slint's Spiderland commiserates, embodying the frustrated outsider. After bonding over a creepy, unright feeling, an alienation, a secret is whispered in your ear. It is pretty and violent.

rising out of the river, water dripping from the sinewy body. Shoulders low. Hands open. The man moves with determination, as his fixed, dead eyes reveal the lost ability to argue.

This album pierced my heart with a bomb of light and made me want to tear my face off and simply agree. To bow and say yes, I understand. You understand.

"I'm sorry. I miss you."

After listening to "Good Morning, Captain," the rest of the album can be found in the related links.

Jawbox's "Savory"

Pinning the knife on the donkey. An old man wearing an oxygen mask. Children petting a dead dog that's just been opened as a birthday present. Yep, this is definitely a '90's rock music video. Funny how it's so serious.

This is your big statement, a girl dressed in her Easter best stabbing at cake and dancing with her friends to your less-than-palatable music?

The images, though not shocking anymore, were obviously an attempt to cause unrest by punks who were given the keys to the kingdom. And I can't blame em. I probably would have done the same thing. "That dog is really gonna mess with people, man. Good job."

Can you imagine a band like Jawbox or Shudder to Think being signed to a major label today? Oooh, I laughed for a good two minutes there.

Spoon's "Written in Reverse"

This song steams with frustration and sharp breathless desperation. The worst or best part is that the voice is very sober and aware of the problem. The most alive, eyes wide, during the most fearful moments, all semblance of self and normality dissolved.

Rotary Downs, James Hall, Foburg, and The Circle Bar

"YEAH! YEAH! YEAH!"


The new Rotary Downs album, "Cracked Maps and Blue Reports," is a more epic album than their previous three full-lengths. The songs are longer and more open-minded, comprising attractive songwriting choices like sudden twists, blackouts, and reprises.

"Maps" is also a more ethereal addition, thanks in part to co-vocalist Tiffany Lamson's "oohs" and "aahs." The band reaches for beauty through harmonies and psychedelic sound layers that build through songs and send a chill with their overwhelming colors. There's more vocal tracks, overdubs, and sound collages, making it clear the Downers have been mastering the studio. This is a better produced album, a headphones album(you'll need at least 3 or 4 listens to appreciate the nuances). The group is more comfortable with auxiliary instruments(synthesizer, electronic drums, xylophone, woodblock, metal percussion, triangle, shakers, church bells), and thanks to the mixing and the occasional coupling of Lamson's voice, lead vocalist James Marler's lyrics are thankfully more distinguishable than ever.

As far as I can hear, and that might not be very far, guitarist Chris Columbo has put away his pedal steel guitar and instead focused on tight-knit, catchy lines, swashes of noise, and splashes of guitar heroics. Bassist Jason Rhein and drummer Zack Smith pulse together and are responsible for a stop and go/push and pull that, along with nods to Afrobeat, Dance, and Hip Hop, makes the album unpredictable and fun.

Rotary Downs play their CD Release Party at One Eyed Jacks tonight with Givers and DJ Art Damage.


NEW JAMES HALL SINGLE AVAILABLE


JAMES HALL AND THE FUTURA BOLD CD RELEASE PARTY
APRIL 16TH
ONE EYED JACKS
10 P.M.

"Euroskank," the first single off James Hall and The Futura Bold's new album, is now available for listening at

http://www.myspace.com/thefuturabold


LIVENEWORLEANS.COM AT FOBURG


LiveNewOrleans.Com presents 3 nights and 13 bands at The Blue Nile Upstairs as a part of The Foburg Music Festival. Doors at 7 and show at 8 on March 12, 13, and 14. $8 cover for each night. Schedule:

FRIDAY

8--Lovehog
9--King Rey
10--A Living Soundtrack
11--The Happy Talk Band

SATURDAY

8--Steve Eck and The Midnight Still
9--Hurray for The Riff Raff
10--Big Blue Marble
11--Glasgow

SUNDAY

8--Hugo
9--The Bellys
10--Signals
11--The Show is the Rainbow
12--Big Rock Candy Mountain

Noir Collective presents Foburg, a brand new 3-day alternative music festival held in 8 or more venues on and around Frenchmen Street on March 12-14, 2010. Foburg will feature rock, indie rock, and alternative artists from the greater Gulf South and national touring artists on their way to SXSW in Austin, TX, which is the following week.


MARCH AND BEYOND AT THE CIRCLE BAR


March 11--AWESOME COLOR WITH TYVEK PLUS MOTION TURNS IT ON

http://www.myspace.com/awesomecolor
http://www.myspace.com/tyvekmusic
http://www.myspace.com/motionturnsiton

March 13--MOTO WITH MISSING MONUMENTS AND DIE ROTZZ

http://www.myspace.com/moto

March 14th--FAMILY PORTRAIT

http://www.myspace.com/officialfamilyportrait

March 15th--MONOGOLD

http://www.myspace.com/monogoldmusic

March 16th--SCREENS WITH Aa PLUS ONE MACHINE

http://www.myspace.com/screensscreensscreens
http://www.myspace.com/alittlea

March 17th--YULA BEERI WITH RATTY SCURVICS AND DEATH BY ARROW

http://www.myspace.com/yulabeeri

March 19th--WOODEN WAND WITH LUKE ALLEN PLUS STEVE ECK

http://www.myspace.com/woodenwand

March 21st--ROYAL BANGS WITH SILENT CINEMA

http://www.myspace.com/royalbangs
http://www.myspace.com/silent cinema

March 23rd--VIVIAN GIRLS WITH WETDOG PLUS HAPPY BIRTHDAY

http://www.myspace.com/viviangirlsnyc
http://www.myspace.com/wetdogthebest
http://www.myspace.com/brattleborohousecartoon

March 24th--SEEDY SEEDS WITH PEASANT PLUS PAPER BIRD

http://www.myspace.com/theseedyseeds
http://www.myspace.com/peasant
http://www.myspace.com/paperbirdband

APRIL 15TH--WHITE COLLA CRIMES WITH THE LOCAL SKANK

http://www.myspace.com/whitecolla
http://www.myspace.com/thelocalskank

APRIL 18TH--CASIOTONE FOR THE PAINFULLY ALONE

http://www.myspace.com/cftpa

MAY 9TH--JACUZZI BOYS WITH THE BELLYS

http://www.myspace.com/jacuzzi boys
http://www.myspace.com/ilovebellys

MAY 10TH--GROWING

http://www.myspace.com/growingsoundnyc