Friday, October 31, 2008

New Audio

It looks like I'm on candy duty tonight.
While I have a few minutes I thought I'd share some tracks that have caught my ear lately. An Ash Gray top 5 if you will. There goes that door bell again. Enjoy the music.

From Snowflake Midnight
Mercury Rev- Dream of a Young Girl as a Flower


From the Always a Bridesmaid: A Single Series
The Decemberists-Valerie Plame


From Dual Hawks
Centro-Matic- Rat Patrol And DJ's


From Microcastle
Deerhunter- Agoraphobia


A new song by Wilco recorded last night Live on The Colbert Report
Wilco- Wilco The Song
51 Candles

Happy Halloween to our loyal readers and happy 51st birthday To Robert Ellsworth Pollard



I'll be hitting the streets tonight with the little ones and trying to avoid our yearly candy induced stomach aches. A night out with a Clone Trooper and Darth Vader, what could be better than that?

We've been waiting patiently to get this story up. We wanted to ensure that we had the facts straight. This news involves Bob as well as Guided By Voices. According to Variety as well as countless other sources, Steven Soderbergh is planning to direct a 3-D, action, rock-n-roll musical about Cleopatra. The project is in it's early stages but word around Hollywood is that Catherine Zeta-Jones will play Cleopatra and Hugh Jackman will play Marc Antony. The films music will be provided by Robert Pollard and his former band Guided By Voices. That's right kids GBV & Bob will be rocking the big screen. The script was written by former GBV bassist and author Jim Greer. You may recall that Robert Pollard provided the music for Steven Soderbergh's 2005 film Bubble, officially released as Music for Bubble under The Fading Captain Series.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Vic & The Elves



Two of our favorites artists here at the AGP have teamed up for one of the years most anticipated releases around these parts. Recorded at Vic Chesnutt's home studio with Elf Power, Dark Developments marks the first collaboration from two of Athens, GA's favorite citizens. With Elf Power's well crafted psych-pop and Chesnutt's bleak world view there strengths blends perfeclty together for a rewarding listen. The album will hit the brick and mortar shops on Tuesday 10/28 Via Orange Twin and a tour in support of Dark Developments will start on November 29th at Proud Larry's in Oxford, MS.

Vic Chesnutt & Elf Power- Stop The Horse 9-18-08 Barcelona

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Five Years


I can remember the first time I heard the music of Elliot Smith like it was yesterday. I was in Stinkweeds in Tempe, AZ and Needle in The Hay was coming out of the speakers. My jaw was on the floor, I didn't know who or what it was but I knew I had to have it right then and there. Within a few minutes I was walking out of the store with Elliot Smith, his 1995 self titled release. I always think about that day when I think about Elliot's death, probable because his music meant a lot to me and I was crushed when I got the news. The Cobain suicide struck me as tragic but Elliot's passing put actual tears in my eyes. Five years have passed since that tragic day in Silverake, but Elliot's genius remains in the recordings that he left us. He's was one of those rare artists that can stump me when a friend asks for a starting point I have no idea where to point them. From Heatmiser to his posthumous released Basement on The Hill, all of his recorded work is essential and required listening.
Elliot you are missed.

Elliot Smith
- Needle in The Hay

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Wilderness
Baltimore, MD
USA




On November 4th Wilderness will release there third full length (K)no(w)here via Jagjaguwar. Inspired by there collaboration with visual artist Charles Long,which was exhibited at The Whitney Museum earlier this year. (K)no(w)here was originally conceived as one large musical piece and as a reslut the albums eight tracks flow into one another seamlessly. On(K)no(w)here Wilderness retain the sounds that occupied there previous two records with one notable change James Johnson is occasionally joined on vocals by Colin McCann aka The Lord Dog Bird. We dig these guys and we are eagerly awaiting the release of album #3, or to put it another way we're as giddy as couple of school girls.

Check out The Strands of Time from the forthcoming album (K)no(w)here.






















Wilderness - (K)no(w)here
Jagjaguwar 11/4

High Nero
Strand the Test of Time
(p)ablum
Silver Gene
Own Anything
Chinese Whisperers
Soft Cage
<....^....>


The unconvential band from Baltimore will be hitting the road in support of (k)no(w)here in mid-November. I'm holding out hope for a Boston show to be added soon.

Wilderness US Tour
11/19 New York, NY @ Cake Shop
11/23 Pittsburgh, PA @ Brillobox
11/24 Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern
11/25 Chicago, IL @ Schubas
11/26 Bloomington, IN @ Jake's
11/29 Asheville, NC @ Harvest Records
11/30 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
12/1 Birmingham, AL @ The Bottletree
12/3 Houston, TX @ The Mink
12/4 Austin, TX @ Emo's

wildernesssounds.com
jagjauwar.com

Monday, October 6, 2008

Boston Spaceships with Big Dipper
Tuesday September 30, 2008
The Paradise Boston, MA




All the good kids(and old men) came out for the return of Robert Pollard to Boston. After a two and a half year hiatus from touring Robert Pollard hit The Paradise stage fronting his new project Boston Spaceships for a nearly three hour set. First off this band might just be the finest Pollard has assembled to date. With Chris Slusarenko and John Moen as well Jason Narducy and power pop luminary Tommy Keene filling out the touring line-up Boston Spaceships ran through a tight and excellent set which focused on material from there debut Brown Submarine, Pollard's latest solo release Off To Business as well as few tracks off the Guided By Voices rarities box sets Suitcase & Suitcase 2 respectively. Tracks like Dorothy's a Planet and Headache Revolution take on new life when given the full band treatment. As per the norm Pollard had plenty to share in between songs including the reason for tapping our city for the name of his latest project. "I always wanted to be in a Boston band.... but I never wanted to be in the band Boston".



It's amazing to me that the bulk of the main set was culled from the material that Pollard has released in the last 12 months. Prior to the launching of this tour Pollard had mentioned that there would not be the usual onslaught of GBV hits, however there had been some rumors that he may pull out some surprises for the encores,but I didn't want to get my hopes up. That is until they ended the first encore with Game of Pricks. I have to admit my usual subdude concert demenor was out the window and my fist was in the air. After the band left the stage the lights went up and the house music came on so I assumed that I would be heading home exhilarated from a great Live show, but before I knew it they were back on stage and launching A Salty Salute and followed that a handful of classics. I won't bore you with more song titles but think Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes era GBV.
Robert Pollard has released two superb records in the last few months and this tour finds him in great vocal shape. Get out and see this band in your town, that is if you like to get your rock on.



I was bummed out when I missed the chance to see the Big Dipper reunion shows a few months back so I was especially excited when I found out that Robert Pollard had tapped them to open the Boston show. Due to some parking issues I ended missing the bands first two songs but what I did get to see was impressive. From Faith Healer to Ron Klause Wrecked his House Big Dipper proved be to worth the 20 years I've endured waiting for there return.

Thanks to Tim Bugbee for the use of the band shots.
Check out Tinnitus-Photography to see more of Tim's photos.