speed of dark

Best music news this past week: Led Zeppelin will reunite for a tribute to Ahmet Ertegun, co-founder of Atlantic Records. Jason Bonham will take his father's place on drums, but otherwise all the original band members will participate.

Worst music news this past week: Britney at VMA. Nuff said. I don't even want to link to it.

Most hilarious fake music news this past week: Pitchfork Gives Music 6.8. Hopefully the next effort will be better.

The people who are going to be in school have started by now, and although school was the most important thing in most of my life, I am happy to say that I am not going there. But Contrast Podcast #76 went Back To School, with some great selections.

Thee More Shallows

I am just coming around to discovering San Francisco band Thee More Shallows' April release Book of Bad Breaks, their third full-length album, and I am really getting to like their particular brand of Bowie-influenced weirdness.

The songs spring from the creative mind of Dee Kesler, who is joined by Chavo Fraser and Jason Gonzales sharing drums, samples, keyboards, and bass. TTM in that outer-limits zone between Wolf Parade and Say Hi To Your Mom, with many of the songs built around an addictive Casio keyboard riff. Their earlier albums are well worth investigating too. I have grabbed tracks from 2006's Monkey vs Shark EP and 2005's More Deep Cuts.

Watch out, Europe: they are invading next month. Last chance to see them in the U.S. is September 30 at the Swerve Festival in Barnsall Art Park in Hollywood. Other acts include Speed of Dark favorites We Are Scientists and DeVotchKa.

Thee More Shallows: Night at the Knight School from Book of Bad Breaks (2007)
Also highly recommended: "The Dutch Fist," "Fly Paper," and "Eagle Rock."
Thee More Shallows: Walk of Shame from More Deep Cuts (2005)

MySpace | Label: Anticon
Buy at Anticon.com, Monotreme Records, iTunes, and eMusic



Film School



I also appear to be late discovering the true deliciousness of Film School, who released their third full-length CD Hideout last Tuesday.

Film School are the musical descendents of 90's goth-shoegaze icons the Cure, Catherine Wheel, and Chapterhouse. For me, this is pretty darn close to perfection. I am enjoying this entire album, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes this dreamy drone-zone. I can't even highly recommend any particular song--it's just ALL good. Get it.

Film School are preparing to kick off a long set of show dates between now and mid-November, including some shows with other Speed of Dark favorites Land of Talk and Division Day, who are also releasing their album Beartrap Island next month. The dates below are only the beginning of Film School's tour schedule.

Film School: Two Kinds from Hideout (2007)
Film School: He's a Deep Deep Lake from Film School (2006)

MySpace | Website | Label: Beggars Banquet | Lyrics
Buy at Beggars Group, Amazon, iTunes, and eMusic

Show Schedule (more on MySpace):
Sep 16 2007 - Treasure Island Festival, San Francisco, CA
Sep 20 2007 - Amoeba Records, Los Angeles, CA
Oct 7 2007 - The Detroit Bar w/Ulrich Schnauss, Costa Mesa, CA
Oct 10 2007 - KEXP on-air/webcast performance, Seattle, WA
Oct 10 2007 - Crocodile Cafe, Seattle, WA
Oct 11 2007 - Dantes, Portland, OR
Oct 12 2007 - Blue Lamp, Sacramento, CA
Oct 16 2007 - Emo’s, Austin, TX
Oct 17 2007 - Cavern Club, Dallas, TX
Oct 19 2007 - The Earl, Atlanta, GA
Oct 20 2007 - Local 506 w/Division Day, Eulogies, Chapel Hill, NC
Oct 21 2007 - Rock n Roll Hotel, Washington DC
Oct 22 2007 - Johnny Brendas, Philadelphia, PA