March 19, 1999

MP3 lovers: THE JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION has granted us a total of 8 unreleased or rare tracks for our burgeoning MP3 page. Maybe you saw "Wait a Minute" up there before...if not, too bad because a new one, "Confused (Dickinson)," has taken its place. Each week starting now we'll post a new JSBX track, continuing thru the first week in May.

Adding to the excitement: A contest of sorts. Maybe you've see the band's new video, "Magical Colors." If not, the site is now equipped with 2 Quicktime versions: an original, pre-MTV version and the edit....anyway, the first, say, 127 people who can answer the question below get a page of little Japanese JSBX stickers. (They're like Hot Wheels stickers but without the Hot Wheels.)

ok: Which three of the following items had to be pulled out of the "Magical Colors" video

I might point out that the video is comprised of slides by one Terry Richardson. Although the RealMedia versions here look like a straight slide show, the video has some fade-in/out action...

In other news, SLEATER-KINNEY (coverstars of the new issue of Magnet, btw) have had to cancel their East Coast tour due to Carrie Brownstein's back injury. We'll keep you posted when the dates are rescheduled. Those needing a S-K fix may view their new "Get Up" video online at Kill Rock Stars.

More new links:

Pavement @ NME talking about the upcoming LP, horses.

Bunnybrains' web home

Popular.org J. Burger's (of Burger/Ink) website; the Popular Organization is a platform for his various projects

A Mogwai piece by one of our staff @ Rollingstone.com

March 12, 1999

News, official-like: Matador has signed NON PHIXION. Straight outta beautiful Brooklyn, with a handful of independent 12" singles, an aborted deal with Geffen, the moxie to kick MC Serch out of the group...and great names: Goretex, Ill Bill, Sabac, and Eclipse. They're funny, straight-forward and playing with Prince Paul at Tramps on March 23. I'll post some of their press on the website in the next couple of weeks.

Right now, a couple RealAudio clips from 12"s:

The hottest: "I Shot Reagan" (as far as I'm concerned, they could do nothing but repeat the titular line over and over and it would still work), from "I Shot Reagan"/"This is Not An Exercise," "Refuse to Lose" 12" (Uncle Howie).

"Legacy" from the "Legacy"/"No Tomorrow" 12" (Serchlite/Fat Beats)

Meanwhile across the Atlantic, Matador Europe has licensed (from Vague Terrain) Quasi-Objects and Self-Titled by the San Francisco experimental electronic duo MATMOS. What do they sound like? Rhythm that hustles promiscuously somewhere between 2 Live Crew, Spike Jones and Muslimgauze; melodies inspired by slot machines and duck calls; basslines with the low end presence of dub or Miami bass; sharp bursts of abject noise puncturing the sound field when you least expect them, and most deserve them. As the title "Quasi-Objects" indicates, the group have an ethic of restricting sound sources to everyday and not-so-everyday objects (balloons, whoopee cushions, walkie talkies, latex fetish clothing, a banjo, the human body).... We'll have a full bio, sound clips, and all that up shortly. Look for some European dates in May and June.

YO LA TENGO will make their annual appearance on the WFMU Marathon this Saturday, March 13. Says Ira (who will NOT be naked):

COME and CAT POWER appear on a forthcoming comp. of live tracks from KBOO-Portland, Drinking From Puddles (Kill Rock Stars). Come does "Hurricane," and Cat Power, "We Dance" (a Pavement cover, yes). Other luminaries include Elliott Smith, Cadallaca, Hazel, Poison Idea, Geraldine Fibbers, Lydia Lunch, Prolapse, Kristen Hersch, Soul Junk, and Dead Moon.

Cornelius has a new remix on the Manic Street Preachers single, a radical re-construction of "Tsunami." Nils went so far as to call it the best thing he's ever heard but then backtracked.

A new PAVEMENT CD5 (possibly a 7" as well) has been added to the release schedule, "Spit On A Stranger," out May 18. There will be four b-sides to our "Spit" single: "Harnish Your Hopes," "Roll at the Wind," and two as of yet untitled. These four b-sides are the same ones Domino will be using, the difference being that Domino will release two CD5's of "Carrot Rope" with 2 bonus tracks per CD. Domino will also release a 7" of "Carrot" with "And Then..." (the original version of a song now known as "The Hexx") on the flip. This song will be on a free, one-sided 7" with our LP, Crooked Rain-style (not limited, either)....and for those of you keeping track, Bandai in Japan will have NO bonus tracks for now (although they may release an EP later on with the same b-sides, nothing exclusive)....oh, and the full-length (which will knock your socks off) now has a title: Terror Twilight.

On the road again: The For Carnation are going to have some dates in the eastern U.S. in May. Jega and Pole both are expected to play some dates in the late spring/early summertime. Meantime, Jega has a one-off date in Miami during the Winter Music Conference with Prince Paul and The Pharcyde among others.

Our MP3 page has been updated with a track from the forthcoming KHAN record, 1-900-GET-KHAN (details on this puppy next time). The track, "Body Dump," is a collaboration with Julee Cruise, who you may or may not remember as the vocalist for Twin Peaks' stuff.

All for now.