What a way to end the work day with a SWEET Aloha interview. Am I right? Tony Cavallario got a chance to chat with Reax Music about the new Aloha album, Home Acres, and how it was made using a private blog. Check it out by clicking the link below.
Tony Cavallario of Aloha recently made a great 8-song mix tape for Indie Rock Reviews. Check out what Tony thinks of artists like Four Tet, Memory Tapes, and others by clicking the link below. Don't forget to check out the new Aloha single "Moonless March" while you're at it!
Tons of stuff has been happening in the JOA world lately. Read on to be informed!
Joan of Arc Presents: Don’t Mind Control
Hey! The new compilation - Joan of Arc Presents: Don't Mind Control - is out now! Go check it out at your local record shop!
Tim Kinsella playing with White/Light
Tim Kinsella has been a busy man...but he's not slowing down! He's playing a show at the MCA in Chicago, Saturday March 13th with White/Light as part of their series of performances accompanying their installation there. Other performers in the series include Disappears, Lucky Dragons and Steve Shelley from Sonic Youth. Find out more HERE.
Intelligentsia Coffee Makes Signature JOA Blend
Did you hear about Intelligentsia Coffee's signature Joan of Arc "Afternoons Mourning Blend?" It's pretty tasty! Intelligentsia offered to whip up a signature blend for the Joan of Arc Don't Mind Control Variety Show on 1/22. If you couldn't make it to the Variety Show, don't worry! The Polyvinyl store still has a few bags for sale. It's an awesome way to start your morning! Check it out HERE.
Love of Everything in Japan
Love of Everything will be traveling to Japan this month! If you're in the area, be sure and say hi to Bobby and co. Check out the dates below then head to Love of Everything's Myspace for more details.
2/13 Matsumoto, Japan @ Gunjyou w/Torch, Asuna
2/14 Nagoya, Japan @ Huckfunn Factory
2/15 Shibuya, Tokyo @ Shibuya-O-Nest w/Chuck Bettis @ Friends, Fukuro, Kenichi Fumoto
Postcard Trouble
Bobby Burg and Jeremy Boyle (Vacations) both showcased a few pieces of art recently at the Andrew Rafacz Gallery in Chicago in the exhibit Postcard Trouble. Bobby showed some paintings while Jeremy contributed a few of his photographs. Check out what Time Out Chicago had to say about the show along with a few pictures by clicking HERE
Joan of Arc on Cassette
Word on the street is that Joyful Noise Recordings will be releasing the last 3 Joan of Arc full-lengths on cassette! (Joan of Arc, Dick Cheney, Mark Twain – Boo Human – Flowers) So if your car is super old like mine and is without a cd player, you’ll soon be able to rock some JOA while you embark on your various car related journeys!
Just think! You could brew a cup of JOA coffee, break out the walkman and rock your JOA cassettes while you jog down to the record shop to check out Don't Mind Control on orange or green vinyl! Hide More
Last night's of Montreal/James Husband show in New York City was one for the books! On top of Solonge Knowles coming out and singing "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5, Susan Sarandon made a guest appearance as a naughty teacher and spanked a few pigs with her ruler! Check out all the action below, then head over to Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Stereogum, You Aint No Picasso, Paste, and more by following the links. Above photo by Chris Owyoung.
Earlier today, of Montreal tweeted the above video - a song in progress which will most likely appear on the upcoming album. So far Stereogum, Pitchfork, Paste, and You Aint No Picasso have all posted articles about it. Check out the video below then follow the links to read up on the news.
While in New York for CMJ, Headlights got a chance to sit down with Beyond Race Magazine for an interview about their latest album Wildlife, and what it's been like touring as a 4 piece. Check it out by clicking the link below.
Want to know what of Montreal has been up to lately with the new album? Head on over to Stereogum to read the in-depth interview with Kevin about the status of the new album. There's also a cool video thrown in there as well. Oh, and don't forget to check out Kevin's rockin beard!
Drowned in Sound just posted a great article with a few artist's "Best of 2009" lists and of Montreal's Kevin Barnes participated. Check out a few of Kevin's favorite albums of 2009 by clicking the link below.
Since everyone is posting their "best of 2009" lists over the interweb, Polyvinyl decided to make one too. Here's what we've all been listening to this year (aside from PV releases). Starting clockwise with Matt Lunsford (top center, label owner), here they are:
Matt's Top 5:
In no order
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix Passion Pit - Manners Dinosaur Jr – Farm Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Self Titled
Bon Iver - Blood Bank EP
Danielle's Top 5:
Why? – Eskimo Snow Woods – Songs of Shame HEALTH – Get Color Wavves – Wavvves Thee Oh Sees – Help
Honorable Mentions Dan Deacon – Bromst Major Lazer – Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do
Adam's Top 5:
Lamps - S/T
Mayyors - 12”
Woods - Songs of Shame Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs
Baroness - Red Album
Megan's Top 5:
David Bazan – Curse Your Branches Silversun Pickups - Swoon Metric – Fantasies Andrew Bird – Noble Beast Patton Oswalt – My Weakness is Strong
Honorable Mentions The new Rihanna record (Rated R) Fun (Aim and Ignite)
Seth's Top 5:
In no ranking order:
Atlas Sound - Logos Devendra Banhart - What Will We Be Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix St Vincent - Actor
Honorable Mentions Gable - I'm Ok Michachu & The Shapes - Jewellery Girls - Album (Side A)
Mayer Hawthorne - A Strange Arrangement Starf*cker - Jupiter
Andy's Top 5:
Vacations - I Was Bikini Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca Gable - I'm OK Devendra Banhart - What Will We Be Girls - Album
Honorable Mentions:
I Was A King - I Was A King Kings of Convenience - Declaration of Dependence
Mark's Top 5:
Sunset Rubdown – Dragonslayer Gable - I'm OK Jamie T - Kings and Queens Volcano Choir - Unmap Blakroc
Chris' Top 5:
Broadway Calls – Good Views, Bad News A Day To Remember – Homesick New Found Glory – Not Without a Fight You Me at Six – Take Off Your Colours The Almost – Monster, Monster
Honorable Mentions
The Von Bondies – Love, Hate and Then There’s You Taking Back Sunday – New AgainHide More
With all these year ends lists popping up, Ragged Words decided to give the artists a platform of their own to voice their top albums of the decade. 4 Polyvinyl artists including Japandroids, Headlights, of Montreal, and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin all contributed 10 albums of the decade that they think you should know about. Check out each band's list along with the comprehensive top 50 by clicking the links below.
You Aint No Picasso just posted their top 50 albums of the decade and of Montreal's Satanic Panic in the Attic comes in at #10! Click the link below to see the full list.
Hey Chicagoans! Mike Kinsella of Owen will be playing a pretty awesome show with Bob Nanna, Drew Brown, and Joe Trohman where they'll perform only Morrissey covers! The show will be at Subterranean in Chicago on 12/26. All proceeds go to Girls Rock Chicago. Purchase tickets by clicking the link below.
2009 was a good year for Japandroids. Their debut full-length Post-Nothing, was well received by outlets around the world and is now appearing on tons of year-end lists including #15 on Pitchfork, #8 in The Canadian Press, #16 on SPIN, #2 on Exclaim!, #39 on NME, #14 in Magnet, #25 on The Onion A.V Club, #9 in Chicago Tribune, and more. Check out what everyone has to say as they recap 2009 by clicking the links below.
Pitchfork just posted a great photo gallery of all their favorite photos of 2009. of Montreal makes an appearance with the photo above by Nilina Mason-Cambell. Click the link below to check out all the photos.
of Montreal's Kevin Barnes was featured on NPR's The Decade In Music: How Musicians Create. The article goes into last year's Skeletal Lamping collection and its strong points for consumers and the music industry. Kevin also talks about why albums are still important to him. You can read, listen, and download the piece by clicking the link below.
The new installment of the Headlights Vibloggeo series is here! Check out this week's video - Idaho Peppergrinder - to see the band cruise through The Rockies, record some radio promos, and hang out with a few baby rattlers. Check it out below.
It's always a good time for a live Owen video right? Check out this performance of "Bad News" from Owen's show at Union Hall in Brooklyn, NY on Oct. 10th. Video by Ian Perlman.
The pop superstar Beyonce was recenlty interviewed by the Guardian for their Artist of the Decade feature and when asked who she'd like to work with in the future, she name drops our very own of Montreal! Who knows, maybe we'll get Beyonce to become a Sunlandic ninja!
In response to Beyonce's interest, Kevin Barnes told Paste, "There is a reason why she's the most popular vocalist of our time. I would be fully psyched to work with her." In addition to the Guardian, tons of other publications have posted the news, including SPIN, Pitchfork, Exclaim, Prefix, and more. Check out the interview by clicking the links below.
After just getting back from their UK tour with A Place to Bury Strangers, Japandroids are back on the road with Surfer Blood here in the states. A few blogs and notable publications like the San Francisco Bay Gaurdian have recently done features, interviews, and reviews of the band's latest US shows. Click the links below to check out them out.