Once again, pushing the bounds of what is at once both questionably legal yet very much mind-meltingly-rad… here is the video for Shempi off LP3. 

If you’ve been one of the blessed few to catch them on the current tour, you may recognize this as one of the most fist pumpenest (and most disco-esque) moments of the current Ratatat live experience.

In the grand tradition of a trip of spiritual enlightment (or maybe in the tradition of one, Mr. Clark Wilhelm Griswold), the Thomas Brothers (l. Beggars Marketing Manager Blake) recently returned from the heart of Bavaria with stories o’plenty but we think perhaps this photo says it all.

Film School toured the US with British Sea Power earlier this year.  I guess the bands had such a good time (and if you believe the reviews from the shows, so did the fans) that they’ve decided to team up again and takeover the UK this time.  Film School have also lined up a very special show in Norway while they’re out there.  Noway? Yesway!  So all you Shoegaze fans in England and Oslo get those ear plugs ready and get on out to one of these shows.  For everyone else Film School’s appearance on Fuel TV’s Daily Habit is going to have to hold you over until they roll through a town near you.  

What I Meant To Say

www.fuel.tv/music

Compare

www.fuel.tv/music

Oct 2 2008     CORN EXCHANGE       Brighton
Oct 3 2008     UNIVERSITY                  Southampton
Oct 5 2008     THE JUNCTION             Cambridge
Oct 6 2008     ACADEMY                      Bristol
Oct 7 2008     ACADEMY                      Birmingham
Oct 8 2008     UNIVERSITY                  Newcastle
Oct 10 2008   FAT SAMS                      Dundee
Oct 11 2008   ABC                                 Glasgow
Oct 12 2008   RITZ                                 Manchester
Oct 13 2008   LEEDS MET UNIV         Leeds
Oct 15 2008   REGAL                            Oxford
Oct 17 2008   ROUNDHOUSE             London
Oct 19 2008   SONIC CATHEDRAL     London#
Oct 21 2008   CLUB MONO                  Oslo, Norway#

# = shows without British Sea Power

Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett stopped by WNYC for a wonderfully researched and executed inteview with John Schaefer on his Soundcheck show yesterday. Take a listen here, as it does a great job of explaining exactly what Monkey: Journey To The West is all about.

That’s right when a tour bill includes Future of the Left, Ted Leo and Against Me it can be dubbed nothing else but a SUPER TOUR.  Starting Tue, Sept 30th in Birmingham, AL all 3 bands embark on a tour that touches every corner of the US with their collective brand of youthful angst, biting humor and sonic prowess.  Ok I promise this tour will be way more fun and far less serious then that last sentence suggests.

Moreover FOTL have decided to bring with them a previously unreleased Live Album titled Last Night I Saved Her From Vampires.  Recorded this summer at some of their shows in London and Wales, it’s only available at the shows during the tour.  Fans new and old of Future of the Left should really dig it.

And please be sure to check out a brand new, unreleased FOTL song titled The Hope That House Built.  Available to stream or download here:  www.beggarsgroupusa.com/listen/

This just in from venerable label dude Caius over the AIM… his top 5 YouTube picks of of the night. 

Read the rest of this entry »

MySpace is giving the new Friendly Fires album the premiere treatment in advance of it’s official release date here in the US this Tuesday.  Click on the image below to listen and buy it here.

We know the communication from XL can be scant, but no one gave the heads up to Murdoc?  Despite being a bit miffed, he gives one hell of a celebrity testimonial:

Right, Ok. Listen Gorillaz fans. I’ve had a pretty testy couple of months. Credit crunch, house prices collapsing…. I can’t seem to shift this enormous deserted ‘Kong Studios’ building that me and those other gonks have occupied for the last 8 years. And also I’ve only just got back from this whole ‘tracking Noodle down in the Underworld, and rescuing her from an eternal existence in the jaws of a 50ft soul-eating demon from Hades’ epic-type-jaunt, as what was posted in my last Bookface geek-fest thing…

That was pretty hairy, but it’s all safe now, all good. I’d love to tell you lot about it but, as usual I’ve got myself all tangled up with some turgid movie dudes who say, “Y’know keep schtum, we’ll sell the whole story to Schpeilburg”. Probably all rubbish again but let’s see.

Anyway aside from all that. Why am I back here today? Well as I said, So, I just re-surfaced from Hell, dusted all off all the burning coal, entrails, smoke, liver and sulphur from my cape and what do I find on my mantelpiece? A big, gaudy envelope with this inside:

‘To Murdoc Niccals…Blah blah blah…You are cordially invited to attend the première of the fantastic new Chinese Opera Monkey: Journey To The West at London’s most prestigious venue The Royal Opera House.’

Well, right, me and opera go together like Kylie and arse cheeks, so I thought OK. ‘Could be good. Let’s check it out…’

I’m always open to new ideas. I actually saw a very vivid performance of Wagner’s ‘Ring Cycle’ recently, but that was a part of a triple-bill including a showing of “My Big Fat Greek Orgy”, and also “Raiders of the Lost Arse” so I’m not sure any of them were strictly ‘Opera’, by the conventional definitions of the term. But the singing was pretty fantastic. And the aria in the middle brought tears to my eyes. And a strange swelling down below…

Read the rest on Gorillaz web site…

Not content with just fantasy football, Young Turks (home to El Guincho and Holy Fuck amongst others) has decided to sponsor the Hemel Hemstead U-15 All-Stars, or the Aces as their ardent fans call them.  What’s in it for Young Turks other than some more scarves and supplying orange wedges at halftime… well, we’re not sure.  But they look strong to me, let’s just hope Young Turks springs for some matching socks.

Far be it from us at 4AD to hear about it first but apparently Tanya Donelly is going to be touring — with Rufus Humphrey’s band as her opener!   Or is Rufus in the band?  Because I was laughing I couldn’t quite tell which it was going to be.   I only heard Rufus telling Vanessa that he was going to go on the road with Tanya.  Rufus Humhrey is of course Dan and Jenny’s dad.   On Gossip Girl.    Rufus must have met Tanya when his crappy band was touring with The Breeders at the end of last season.   Ah well -  the mystery of ’support slot’ or ‘in the band’  might never be solved because after telling Vanessa he needed to get back on the road – it was something he had to do -  he decided (with the help of an artful collage) he needed to be around his family so good-bye touring.  Poor Rufus but in the end its probably a good thing – his kids are only in high school and it’s appropriate for them to have some adult supervision.     Now I am just left to wonder if Vanessa is going to make the moves on Rufus – looks like Nate isn’t really coming back to her.