I haven’t been posting much this summer. Mostly due to a wedding and lots of travel. I’ll be taking a few weeks off (officially) and I hope to start doing more full-time posts and reviews in mid-August.

A little late - I originally reviewed this for Shuffle magazine and was going to review it again for QCLA, but why bother. Here’s the initial review first appearing in Shuffle #3.

Wolf Parade
At Mount Zoomer
(Sub Pop)

Myspace.com/wolfparade

Carrying the burden of “most anticipated album of the year” can cripple even the most brazen act. When “Call It a Ritual” was released as an MP3 single a couple months ago, there was mass prayer among the bearded and the blog-wielding: “please don’t let this be the only good song on the album,” went the refrain. A comprehensive listen quenches those fears. Balanced between Spencer Krug’s other band, the orchestrated gonzo of Sunset Rubdown and Dan Boeckner’s Casiotronic side-project, Handsome Furs, At Mount Zoomer is 100 percent authentic Wolf Parade. Neither Krug nor Boeckner hog the spotlight, but rather offer a dynamic twin front; two remarkable songwriters for the price of one. “Bang a Drum” and “An Animal in Your Care” are vehicles for Krug’s off-kilter pop while “Soldier’s Grin” and “Fine Young Cannibals” showcase Boeckner’s gritty surrealism. If you’ve been waiting with bated breath for three years then rest easy – At Mount Zoomer is worth the wait.

Yep… I’m talking about Cyndi Lauper and her Goonies single, “The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough”. The Acorn is a Canadian band on Paper Bag Records and this track is from their upcoming Tin Fist EP. It’s a decent enough cover - sort of plinky folk, but I’m diggin’ it. The track is originally from a CokeMachineGlow podcast.

Listen to the Acorn - “Good Enough (Cyndi Lauper Cover)” MP3

it’s a fact. 9 out of 10 white denim wearing, ugly hat sporting, ironic t-shirt wielding, pompous attitude having, hipsters give me ulcers. it’s ok to be critical of something without writing it off. think about it. except for vampire weekend. i fell asleep watching them on SNL and i had nightmares about crappy “upper west side soweto” or whatever the hell it is. blah. they might be nice kids, but they give me a headache.

i do, however like willy wonka’s gobstoppers and vodka martinis. not at the same time.

Mr. T as B.A. Baracus says, “Take off your white denim jeans, fool.”

Sorry about the lack of posting. QCLA just tied the knot. Expect some good posting next week.

RIP Tim Russert.

Here’s a video from Band of Horses for the song “No One’s Gonna Love You”.

www.subpop.com/assets/video/4339.mov

Happy Memorial Day Weekend from QCLA.

xo

Chicago’s Bound Stems are releasing their follow-up to The Logic Of Building The Body Plan on Flameshovel in Sept. In the meantime, they’re offering a free MP3 of one of the album tracks. The new album is called The Family Afloat.

Listen to Bound Stems - “Happens To Us All Otherwise” (MP3)

The Family Afloat track listing:
1. Taking Tips from the Gallery Gang
2. Happens To Us All Otherwise
3. Passing Bell
4. Palace Flophouse and Grill
5. Clear Water & Concrete
6. Cloak of Blue Sky
7. Only Clementine Knows
8. Winston
9. Crossed Off Together
10. Sugar City Magic

At Mount Zoomer’s first gleaming, I see only one thing amiss - a meager 9 tracks. That’s sad news for easily one of the most anticipated releases of 2008. Review is forthcoming, but I don’t anticipate disappointment. Especially considering the strength of Krug and Boeckner’s other releases via Sunset Rubdown and Handsome Furs. An MP3 for “Call It A Ritual” is a few posts back. Check it out.

I’m always trying new things with this site - when I get around to even updating it. For that, I apologize, but I hope you appreciate the constant need for streamlining. Maybe one day I’ll settle on a look and stick with it for more than six months, but probably not. I’ll really try to do some more reviews and updates from here on out. There’s no excuse for not adding daily content to the site - I’m online all day long.

Feel free to comment, bitch, gripe, commend or whatever else it is that kids do on the blogs.

Cheers.

Superdrag
Kay Hanley

Wednesday, May 28th & Thursday, May 29th
@
Troubadour
9081 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA
310.276.1159
8p • $20 Adv

Who sucked out the feeling???