Beat Happenings

Between trying to finish the semester on a strong note and working my ass off over the weekend, blogging has sort of fallen by the wayside, for now. But for those in desperate need of a fix, here are some happenings that have occurred in the recent days.

Clap Your Hands Say I Demand a Refund! - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah "postpone" their final four US tour dates for no apparent reason. A brief Kansas City Star piece speculated that the VooDoo Lounge show, originally scheduled for tonight, was called off because of low ticket sales, which proves my theory, albeit a band too late, that indie bands with no radio play and 21+ venues don't mix. That, or it proves my theory that the new CYHSY album is shit, and that no one, regardless of venue, wants to see them anyway. But what do I know, I sit on muh porch with muh pa and watch them tumbleweeds a-rollin' all the livelong day. I never heard nonathis "indy" music, fact the only indy I know is racin'.

Why Pay For Coachella When You Can Watch It On YouTube? - You mean I can watch Win fuck up during "Rebellion" without paying $9 for a veggie dog? Talk about having your cake and eating it too.



Seriously, I'd fuck up too if I had to play a show in that heat, so no disrespect. By the way, most of Bjork's set is on YouTube, you don't even have to look that hard. Thanks to all the kids who ripped the live web stream, by the way. Without your work I'd be left with only crappy minute long cell phone footage.

Will She Be Thrown in the Lake To See if She Floats? - The Pitchfork Music Festival Keeps getting better. Recently announced artists include Yoko Ono, Sea and Cake, Califone, Twilight Sad, and Nomo. This is turning out to be the best $50 I've ever spent, and the show is still 2 1/2 months away. Don't believe me, see for yourself.

Sheryl Crow on Hygiene - Sheryl Crow thinks everyone should use one square of toilet paper every time we take a shit. While many people have dismissed the idea, it certainly beats her usual means of waste disposal: releasing albums.

In all seriousness though, if musicians are so concerned with the environment, shouldn't they be embracing the MP3 as a waste-free medium instead of opposing it? I know that many do, if only out of necessity, but its still something I think about every time a band reminds me that they have CDs for sale in the corner.

New Minus Story Album Details Announced - God bless CMJ, one of the music magazines that helped inspire me to become a music journalist, even if that means having a shitty blog that I update only in my spare time. But I digress, Minus Story, one of my favorite area acts, are releasing their new album in June. Read more here.

Speaking of New Albums, Ever Hear of a Band Called Interpol? - Pitchfork recently tickled my fancy with some details about the new Interpol album, Our Love to Admire, which will be released on July 10th. As of right now the band has no shows scheduled between July 8th and August 4th, so here's hoping they play some in that time frame. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they wind up playing a nearby gig on their way to/from Lollapalooza. Fingers crossed!

Avey Tare & Kria Brekkan's Pullhair Rubeye Gets Mixed Reviews, Played Backwards (Which In This Case Would Be Forward) - Knowing Pitchfork, and just about everyone else these days, has a bit of an obsession with all things Animal Collective, I was a bit surprised to see this album get a measly 1.0 rating. Granted, I have not heard a single note from the album, but surely it can't be any worse than Hollinndagain, can it?