Modern Guilt Acoustic “Gamma Ray” from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

A close friend of the TSS community made a New Order compilation about a month ago for me to learn more about the band that used to be Joy Division. I was completely unfamiliar with New Order (I had heard about them obviously but owned nothing)  until about a year ago when this same person burnt me, their 1983 album titled Power, Corruption & Lies (Pitchfork 9.6). I just got around to listening to it two months ago and was wholly impressed, particularly with the opening song Age of Consent. The album contains the better parts of drumming from Joy Division, but is much less heavy in nature even though the lyrics contain similar meanings. All of it sounds just like how I would remember the 80′s if I had been alive for much of it.

My favorite part of the compilation was the little piece of paper attached to the disc with a typed up playlist marking what year the songs were recorded. This piece of paper was subsequently scanned to be a part of the TSS Compilation artwork.

The Builders and the Butchers are back in LA for another stint at Spaceland.  I discovered this band about 2 years ago when they opened for Helio Sequence at the Detriot Bar of all places. They played an epic hour set that was complete with them passing out pots, pans, spoons, tambourines, etc to everyone in the crowd. I just love bands that invite the crowd to help out in developing the overall energy of an evening. At that show I picked up their only album at the time and subsequently listened to it for about two weeks straight in the car. Other of my friends became equally obsessed with it; in fact one of my friends used to call my work number and I was answer the phone in my cubicle to him singing their opening song at full blast in my ear. Awesome stuff. Now they have a new album which is part of this tour and I am very excited to hear it for the first time live.

Long story short. They are fun. It is cheap. We should go. Here is a video of them on the road the last time they were in town. Its pretty hilarious.

We are getting tickets at the show but here is who is going so far:

1. Capt AKAK
2. ALHP
3. J WYA
4. Ebee
5. Capt Shabbin
6. George Pants
7. Jewels

We saw them once at the troubador and it was a great show. I shook Omar Rodriguez-Lopez’s hand after the most awkward introduction I could muster.

The show starts at 8:00 with Warpiant opening followed by Foreign Born.
Details for the show

and see how it stacks up to the rest of everybody at www.kexp.org.  Personally, I’m either totally in touch with BtS fans or predictable: I choose the top song (at least for the moment).  In the meantime, here’s a fun MIA cover for your edification.

Built to Spill – ‘Paper Planes’

I’m missing Tortoise and I’m missing you guys, too.  So let’s pick out one or two other shows this month, so I can feel the love.  I’ve picked out some interesting things off ohmyrockness but if, say, you wanted to see X or Tears For Fears (no joke, I’m serious) at the Fair, I’d be game for that.

*Andrew Bird, 7/10.  I’m not all that crazy about him (I like Patrick Watson better for this sorta thing), but, y’know, maybe.  *Onieda, 7/12.  Fans of Tortoise would like these cats, I’m thinking.  *The Cowboy Junkies and Son Volt, I forgot to write down the date.  Y’know, for Chris Hoff.  *Jet, 7/17.  …..psyche!  You gotta read the now infamous Pitchfork reviews of Jet if you’ve never seen them.  Hilarious!  *Voxtrot and Giant Drag, 7/18.  Voxtrot is okay, but Giant Drag rules!!  Seriously, I love Giant Drag and this is a Saturday afternoon show at some place called Out of Asia, so that could be fun.  *The Pains of Being Pure at Heart.  Well, y’know, Pitchfork approved.  Awesome record; posted a vid of theirs a while back.  *Elbow.  A weak The National in my book, but I could stand a bit of dad rock…they’re quite good at that.  *Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, 7/25.  You’ve heard of this guy, eh?  *Grace Jones and Of Montreal at the Hollywood Bowl, on a Sunday night.. just think:  picnic baskets and weird sexual gender benders everywhere.  That’s Entertainment!  *Jarvis Cocker, 7/27.  C’mon, Pulp!  *Glasvegas, 7/28,29.  Well, NME approved and cool kid hated.  But I dig ‘em, so there!  *Crystal Antlers and Mika Miko, forgot the date again.  *Future of the Left and Japandroids, 7/31.  This will be a show for healthy young males to bash each other in the heads ‘n stuff.  So hopefully there’s a balcony section for me.

Mclusky – ‘Lightsabrecocksuckingblues’

(^^Falco’s of Future of the Left’s old band, right)

Giant Drag – ‘This Isn’t It’

Okay, so talk to me gang.  Whaddaya like here?  Or suggest something else. 

It was 7 years ago when Bloodclot bought me my first Tortoise album, A Million Now Living Will Never Die. We proceed to cruise the Pacific Coast Highway at approximately 60 miles per hour along the Huntington/Newport Coast. The opening sang off this album is roughly 25 minutes long and was the only song listened to for this particular drive. My life was expanded into an entirely different universe since then. I had no idea music like this existed; electronic in a way but way more organic in nature. The music which is at the heart of the post-rock genre. Over the course of the next two years, I became obsessed with all post rock bands: Tortoise, Slint, Isotope 217, Godspeed!, Trans Am, etc. I have more than 20 albums in which John McEntire plays drums/produced. Frequently, I would play a Tortoise album in my car and end up getting lost on my way home from falling into the K hole that is their sound frequency.

About two years ago, me and about 6 of you were able to see Tortoise live for the first time at the El Rey. I am very excited to be afforded the pleasure of seeing them again for the tour of their new album, Beacons of Ancestorship, due out June 23rd.

Two Drummers plus Jeff Parker on Guitar……lots of energy and fun. And also you know Johnny Mc is the greatest drummer ever in my humble opinion.

Ten Tickets @ $29 a piece.

1. Capt AKAK
2. Capt Shabbin
3. Willum
4. mRoyed
5. Hello Kitty
6. ebee
7. Angel
8. WB Records Friend
9. MartotheLyn
10. ??

Thought you all might get a kick out of this!

“ Ticketmaster is facing a $50,000 fine and a change in how it does business after an Illinois Attorney General investigation found that the company had not clearly told customers they were paying marked up ticket prices.

As part of the agreement, TicketsNow, owned by Ticketmaster, will also close 100 websites that tricked customers into believing that they were purchasing directly from the concert venue.

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