05/11/2008 20:54:06  ♥ written by vu ()

Mates of State - My Only Offer Mates of State Tour Dates 05/16/08 Toad’s Place New Haven, CT 05/22/08 Slims San Francisco, CA 05/24/08 Les Schwab Amp Bend, OR 05/25/08 Sasquatch Festival Quincy, WA 05/28/08 Henry Fonda Theater LA, CA 06/06/08 Wakarusa Festival Lawrence, KS 06/07/08 Slowdown Omaha, NE 06/08/08 Bluebird St. Louis, MO 06/10/08 Bricktown Ballroom Oklahoma, Ok 06/11/08 Granada Theatre Dallas, TX 06/12/08 Warehouse Live Houston, TX 06/13/08 Emo’s Austin, TX 06/14/08 Rev Room Little Rock, AR 06/15/08 Hi-Tone Memphis, TN 06/17/08 Southgate House Newport, KY 06/18/08 Mr. Small’s Theatre Pittsburgh, PA 06/21/08 Popped! Festival Philadelphia, PA 06/25/08 Pemberton Festival Pemberton, BC 08/01/08 Lollapalooza-Grant Park Chicago,IL 08/08/08 All Points West  Liberty State, NJ 09/26/08 Austin City Limits Festival TX Discography [2000] My Solo Project [2002] Our Constant Concern [2003] Team Boo [2006] Bring it Back [2008] Re-Arrange Us

Mates of State are back with Re-Arrange Us, coming out May 20^th. Let me tell you that this girl-boy duo knows great pop music.

Mates of State - Fraud In The '80s

I first heard about them on a 2003 CMJ compilation with a little song called "Ha Ha", but I didn't think much of it. By 2006, after being signed to Barsuk Records, I remember I started seeing that distinctive "indie cover" artwork with Mates of State's husband and wife team, Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner, in a very strange half embrace.

There's some great pop tunes on Re-Arrange Us, but the song that the record label approved us to use is "My Only Offer", which I already liked so I have no problem with using this particular song. I thought the trumpet, played by Gary Olson, was a very nice addition to the song.

There's a few great songs, including, "Jigsaw", which basically has Jason repeating lyrics sung by Kori (actually, after reading the credits, it lists Ben Gibbard, from Death Cab For Cutie, as backup vocals). It's really easy to sing along, so I think this would be a great live concert pleaser. Also would play great is "Now", which has the simple, but catchy "Now now now now now now. Now now now now now now, who who who?"

I also really dug "The Re-Arranger", which is basically what the album was named after.  This song sounds like it's escaped from the 60s and made a stop in the 80s, before resurfacing now.

The duo are currently doing some tour dates to promote Re-Arrange Us, so catch them if you're able. According to their official website, if you pre-order the album, it should arrive in your mailbox on the 20^th, but you can usually find Barsuk records at most good record stores.

Little Boxes

http://weheartmus...

The third season of the Showtime series Weeds recently began. The popularity of the show has incr...

PS, apparently the band is a fan of the "Little Boxes" song (there is a live rendition on their myspace).  I wonder if they got involved with the song because of Death Cab for Cutie's version or because they're also doing a theme song for Weeds?

Links: matesofstate.com myspace.com/matesofstate barsuk.com

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The Mars Volta - Birthday

The Mars Volta

There are a ton of album releases today! Here are the ones that might interest you:

The Mars Volta - The Bedlam In Goliath
From the ashes of At the Drive-In, The Mars Volta releases their fourth album, The Bedlam in Goliath, today.

There's a bunch of "exclusives", so for die-hard fans, you will have a very tough time tracking down all the extra bonus tracks.

I know that Best Buy have an exclusive 2nd live disc and if you got your CD from Japan, it comes with a DVD and a cover song of The Sugarcubes' "Birthday".

Their version is very... er.. very strange. I have to say "good try" though.

Chris Walla - Everyone Needs A Home

Chris Walla - Field Manual
Ceji previously wrote the review for this album, I suggest you read it if you're at all interested in Death Cab for Cutie.

There's not much to add, except that there is a limited edition (with a bonus CD) and as pointed out by Dale, you also get a couple of extra songs for downloads.

Description from Barsuk:

Available in two versions: Standard digipak cd package, or limited-edition deluxe clothbound cd package. Both come with a 32-page booklet featuring Chris' original photography.

SPECIAL LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Order by February 4th and get 3 non-album MP3 bonus tracks!

Shelby Lynne - I Only Want to be With You

Shelby Lynne - Just a Little Lovin'
There's a few country albums released today, but since I don't have Willie Nelson's A Moment of Forever, I'm just going to talk about Grammy-Winner Shelby Lynne's Just a Little Lovin'.

Her 10th album is an all Dusty Springfield cover album. I take it back, there is one original song on here, it's called "Pretend". This song is written by Shelby Lynne and is mostly acoustic... in the same vein as her Dusty covers.

I love the album artwork, I think it may have been inspired by the live album Dusty in Memphis.

If you get the Best Buy digipack version as it comes with a bonus DVD with two live songs.

Louis XIV - Tina

Louis XIV - Slick Dogs and Ponies
The only thing I know about Louis XIV is that all their songs are about drugs and sex. Right?

I'm glad to see that their latest release does not feature old porno images, instead you get darken green pictures of the band (I think).

Anyway, according to wikipedia: There's a Traitor in This Room is the lead single for the album, but I couldn't find evidence of this anywhere. It's not even available on the US iTunes store. By all accounts, it looks like Guilt by Association is the single.

Xiu Xiu - Under Pressure (Feat. Michael Gira)

Xiu Xiu - Women As Lovers
You may have remember seeing the disturbing album artwork for A Promise. Trust me, it's an image you cannot unsee.

Their cover of Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" is also equally as disturbing.

Anyway, I haven't listen to Women as Lovers, but I noticed that they did another cover on the new album. This time it's Queen's "Under Pressure".

This version is actually pretty good, I wish it would utilize more of that awesome bass that Vanilla Ice took advantage of.

Joe Jackson - Invisible Man

Joe Jackson

Joe Jackson - Rain
Don't forget that the CD/DVD combo album Rain by Joe Jackson is released today! It looks like I may have to review the album as Ryan is computerless.

Besides from from the awesome DVD (please see my review), the album is reminiscence of his popular Night and Day album. Joe Jackson returns to his piano-driven music, which I'm calling the Joe Jackson Trio (all jazz trios are named after their pianist).

Listening to the album, I was drawn to "Rush Across The Road", a song about seeing a complete stranger and wanting to rush over to her to get to know her. It's very easy-listening reminds me of a more optimistic version of the very bitter Positively 4th Street.

Jackson's ability to tell stories in short pop/jazz songs can also be heard on "Invisible Man" which I think is about a famous person slowly fading into obscurity.

Like most of his songs, it's open for interpretation.

 01/29/2008 17:24:35  vu my♥posts www.weheartmusic.com

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Rancid - Salvation Rancid Further Reading Rancid Enters Studio http://weheartmus... In the five years since the release of Indestructible, the members of Rancid have been anything ... Bad Religion http://weheartmus... I was kind of surprise to find out that Bad Religion's 14th studio album, New Maps of Hell, is be...

I just received the press release stating that Rancid are back in the studio to record a new album:

The incomparable punk band Rancid began recording today in a studio on the California coast with long-time friend, producer and label president Brett Gurewitz, who has worked with Rancid on virtually every record in their extensive, accomplished career.

...

But a new Rancid record is different -- something special, never hasty or perfunctory, as their fervent, untiring fans have learned over the years. A Rancid record is an organic thing, not cultivated, but rather harvested wild; filled to the brim with all the living done in between stints in the studio. This record will be no different. Sweated over, hammered out and brought forth, the yet-untitled release will have all the hard knocks and big wins of lives lived prodigiously.

As you know, Rancid formed from Operation Ivy (a Ska/Punk band) and debut their record on Epitaph Record (the label that was started by Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion). Epitaph had a string of hits in the 90s, including some of their best known releases: Rancid's Let's Go, NOFX's Punk in Drublic, and Offspring's Smash (16 million copies sold) - all in a short span of time in 1994.

Rancid, always seems to me as pretty much Operation Ivy Part 2, as their singer, Lars Frederiksen Tim Armstrong, as that kind of kind of skank garble singing style.

I'm including one of their better-known songs, "Salvation".  I think that "whoa-whoaaa" part is pretty catchy.

Anyway, it seems that they are currently on Hell Cat Records. Expect a tour shortly after its release, in the meantime, keep an eye out on www.rancidrancid.com

Nada Surf - See These Bones Nada Surf Further Reading Nada Surf - Always Love http://weheartmus... In 1996, their hit song "Popular" from the album "High/Low" made Nada Surf an MTV buzz band, ...

Speaking of tours, I also got an announcement that Nada Surf is going to go on tour at the end of the month through April in support of their album, Lucky. I have a review copy, which I'll be sending to Kristin for review. If you recall, she originally reviewed Nada Surf's Popular.

I will also be requesting W♥M staffers for concert reviews (so send me a note if you're interested in attending any of these show dates).

Tour
1/30: Seattle, WA @ Triple Door^[1]
1/31: Portland, OR@ Doug Fir^[1]
2/02: San Francisco, CA @ Swedish American Hall^[1]
2/07: Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
2/08: New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
3/17 – 3/29 – Little Ones support
4/1 – 4/13 – What Made Milwaukee Famous support w/ the exception of NYC
3/17: Tempe, AZ @ Clubhouse
3/18: San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
3/19: Los Angeles, CA @ Henry Fonda Theater
3/21: Pomona, CA @ Glass House
3/22: San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore
3/25: Sacramento, CA @ Harlow's
3/28: Seattle, WA @ Showbox at The Market
3/29: Vancouver, CA @ Commodore Ballroom
4/01: Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre
4/02: Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room
4/03: Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
4/04: Chicago, IL @ Metro
4/05: Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
4/07: Toronto, CA @ Opera House
4/8: Montreal, CA @ Club Soda
4/10: Boston, MA @ Paradise
4/11: New York, NY @ Terminal 5
4/12: Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
4/13: Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero

[1] w/ Port O'Brien - Acoustic

For more information, please refer to www.nadasurf.com and their label, Barsuk Records.

 01/14/2008 21:05:29  vu my♥posts www.weheartmusic.com

JGS wrote: Jan 18, 2008 6:29 PM

Not to be pedantic... oh, who am I kidding - to be totally pedantic, Tim Armstrong is the singer with the 'skank garble singing style' - he's also the one who was in Op Ivy. Lars also sings on some songs, but he has a much more shouty 'punk' style.

And Hellcat records is Tim's label, so it's safe to say Rancid will be on that label for a while...

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