THE DIG-Electric Toys
Posted on 03.13.10 by ekko @ 3:16 pm

A buddy of mine recently played for me what he said was an “advance” copy of The Dig’s “Electric Toys.”  (He probably called it an advance ‘cause he knows I won’t listen to leaks, but that’s how much he loves this band—he’s willing to lie to me about it.)  I’d never heard of The Dig before.  There was some band called Dig about ten years ago whose CDs were inescapable if you thumbed through the bargain bin, but this isn’t them.  (As I recall, that band’s album had what looked like a well-carved turd with a stupid face on the cover.)  This is The Dig, a straight-ahead indie rock band who managed to bring, on their debut album, a collection of tunes that are truly amazing.  One song is better than the other, making use of all the indie cred qualifications, styles, and techniques: They’re based in Brooklyn, but come from California and (get ready) Canada.  They waver, go loud/soft/loud, toss in a creeping baseline and bubbly
guitar that never becomes overwhelmingly intense . . . Tastes of Nirvana, Pavement, Spoon, U2, Gary Newman . . . I can’t tell you how much “Two Sisters in Love” rocked my world.  Except that then I heard “You’re Already Gone,” and my world was rocked even harder.

This is an amazing, amazing record.  Truly.

Try the free sample track, and get into it when it comes out in April.

You’re Already Gone

THE DIG  ON TOUR W/ PORTUGAL. THE MAN AND PORT O’BRIEN
3/13 Atlanta, GA The Earl
3/18 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
3/19 New York, NY Highline Ballroom
3/20 Pittsburgh, PA Mr Small’s Theater
3/21 Cincinnati, OH 20th Century Theater
3/24 Columbia, MO Mojo’s
3/26 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
3/27 Vail, CO The Sandbar
3/28 Aspen, CO Belly Up Aspen

Bookmark and Share

Tagged with:
No Comments


SHOPPING LIST OF THE DAY
Posted on 03.13.10 by ekko @ 5:37 am

Bookmark and Share

Tagged with:
No Comments


SCOOBY DOO SEQUEL ANNOUNCED
Posted on 03.12.10 by ekko @ 3:18 pm

Now this is my kinda Scooby flick.

Scooby Doo (Hey! Demo)-MF DOOM (alt link)

Bookmark and Share

Tagged with:
No Comments


WHO SHOULD BE THE NEXT AVENGERS?
Posted on 03.12.10 by ekko @ 3:43 am

I know I’ve already written about this, but now that we’re almost in The Heroic Age, I thought I’d revisit who is appropriate for the main Avengers title.  I mean, who would best represent what the team is supposed to be: The best of Marvel, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, protectors of our world from cosmic threats like Thanos, The Collector, Baron Nefaria and the Masters of Evil (and Egghead)?  More importantly, who do I want to see Brian Michael Bendis write about?  That’s the key part of this.  After all, having multiple, interlocking Avengers titles just wouldn’t have worked during Dark Reign without a single vision guiding the ship.

I know this isn’t the lineup—that’s already been announced, pretty much–but this is who I’d go for on the main team.  I’d make the team big, like it was back in its heyday, so that we could have multiple simultaneous missions.  Hell, if this was the team, I’d probably read it if it came out weekly!

1.  Captain American and Iron Man. Obviously.  It will be great to read Bendis’ take on how Tony and Steve re-forge a relationship of trust and respect.  But I wouldn’t include Thor.  I like him out on his own, being all Godlike and aloof.

2.  Hawkeye. Bendis has handled the return of Marvel’s archer with superlative skill.  Clint is a fan favorite, even if he doesn’t have powers, and he’s always been a major part of the team.

3.  Yellow-Jacket/Giant-Man or -Woman/Wasp/Ant Man. Or some variation thereof.  They need a size-changer.

4.  Vision. Even if he’s a robot, he was always part of the soul of the team.  Part of that was due to his marriage to Scarlet Witch, and that obviously can’t happen again, but I’d love to see how Bendis could engineer a comeback here.  Maybe the Young Avengers’ version?

5.  Ms. Marvel. Her solo series sucked.  Someone’s got to maintain her rep.

6.  Storm. She needs to get back in the mainstream, and this is a good way to do it.  Black Panther could come in once in a while, too, but I don’t see him as a regular.  Or if she’s unavailable, how about Psylocke?

7.  Hercules. First of all, we all know he isn’t really dead.  Second of all, he would provide some much-needed levity to the proceedings.  Third, this is the heroic age, and who likes being a hero more than Hercules?  I’d say that The Beast could add jokes, but Hank hasn’t been jovial in a long, long time.  If they don’t go with Herc, how about Valkyrie?  They need some Godness on the group.

8.  Quicksilver. I’ve lost track of the character and I’m not sure what he’s up to nowadays, but I always like it when he was on the team.  ‘Cause he’s such a jerk.  He provides the Guy Gardner ingredient.

9.  Amadeus Cho. He could be their Martian Manhunter (or “Chloe” on Smallville)—the genius behind the scenes who keeps it all together.

10.  She-Hulk. Nuff said.

11.  Puck and Shaman (from Alpha Flight).

Note the omissions: Wonder Man (enough already with this reluctant hero); Dr. Strange (borrrring); Sentry (more borrring!).

SIDE TEAMS!

Side teams could include:

1.   Luke Cage, Spider-Woman, and Wolverine. I really enjoyed them on New Avengers, but Wolverine is over-exposed and they never really made good use of him on the team—he never really got a chance to shine.  And Cage and Spider-Woman already got too many chances to shine—he’s not really a “cosmic challenge” type of guy, and she’s certainly not one of Marvel’s “mightiest heroes.”  And both of these qualifiers apply to Spidey, too, who is terrific in Bendis’ hands, but it’s time to let the boy go.

2. And how about Dazzler for some Bendis rebooting?  I always liked her.

3.  Power Pack/Young Avengers. This seems like a potential crew on its own—a young team that needs a solid mentor.  (Maybe this is what “Avengers Academy” will be about?)  Luke and Jessica Jones, perhaps?  Or maybe Bucky Cap and Black Widow?  Anyone but Nick Fury.

4. Speaking of Nick Fury, I could see him in charge of a SHIELD Avengers team—some kind of strike force for special, Earth-based missions, with a group of stealthy and/or hard-to-control fringe types like Ghost Rider, Deadpool, Nightcrawler, Mystique, Elektra, White Tiger, Taskmaster or Bullseye (don’t know where they’ll end up after Siege), the now-reformed Silver Samurai, and Iron Fist.  With Wolverine as a hanger on.  Fur will fly.

5.  War Machine! (That’s a gimme and a given, I think.)

What do you all think?

Bookmark and Share

Tagged with:
2 Comments


BETTIE SERVEERT-Pharmacy of Love
Posted on 03.11.10 by ekko @ 8:18 pm

Bettie Serveert have been around since 1986, coming up with the likes of Superchunk, Pearl Jam, and Belly, and forming the basis for bigger (but less talented) bands like Garbage. Their 2010 release, “Pharmacy of Love,” is a testament to why this band is better than all the other bands who sound like them. It’s the talent, stupid. Their songs are tight, and their musicianship is top notch. The drumming on “Love Lee,” for example, is relentlessly upbeat, while the chopping guitar and bassline come through in waves, making the heart race and the head bob and weave. And then, of course, there’s Carol van Dyk’s vocals. Van Dyk has always had solid range, but she’s not prone to acrobatics. That’s part of what made this band less “pop” than Shirley Manson’s soundalikes–van Dyke is steady and even, not selling the song on the chorus alone.

It’s amazing that the band is still on fire after all these years. The sound is a little dated, sure, because noone is making music like this any more. But if you can get your ’90s chick groove on, this album is a treasure.

Semaphore

Deny All video:

Bookmark and Share

Tagged with:
No Comments


PICTURE OF THE DAY
Posted on 03.11.10 by ekko @ 3:18 pm

Bookmark and Share

Tagged with:
No Comments


THE GAME-America’s Most Wanted
Posted on 03.11.10 by ekko @ 1:11 am

I know, I know.  About a third of what The Game spits is nothing but name-drops and shout-outs.  And another third is just lame attempts to sound like everyone else. But when he’s on his game, The Game is pure fiya.  When Game hits the mark, he crafts perfect bangers that recall the best hip hop has to offer.

Not sure what’s on this mixtape yet–if it’s the former or the latter–but if it’s got his name on it, I’ll certainly give it a try.

The Link!

Bookmark and Share

Tagged with:
No Comments


R.I.P.
Posted on 03.10.10 by ekko @ 5:37 pm

Thou Shall Not Fall-Joe Buddens

Bookmark and Share

Tagged with:
No Comments


LIVE GRATEFUL DEAD! FROM 1993!
Posted on 03.10.10 by ekko @ 3:28 pm

1993 might not (definitely was not) the best year to see the Grateful Dead.  Health issues plagued the band, and Bobby’s songwriting skills were not peaking, either.  What makes this show so cool, though, is the widely varied setlist.  There’s the last Casey Jones ever played, and in set one no less, a rare recording of Broken Arrow, and then old favorites like Eyes, Corinna, and Cassidy.

So, without further ado, The Dead, March 27, 1993, 3/27/93, Albany, N.Y.  Enjoy.
SET 1:
01.  Hell In A Bucket
02.  Bertha
03.  Same Thing
04.  Peggy-O
05.  Queen Jane Approximately
06.  Broken Arrow
07.  Loose Lucy
08.  Cassidy
09.  Casey Jones (last time played . . . Ever!)

SET 2:
01.  Eyes Of The World
02.  Estimated Prophet
03.  Comes A Time
04.  Corinna
05/6.  Drumspace
07.  The Wheel
08.  All Along The Watchtower
09.  Days Between
10.  One More Saturday Night

ENCORE:
I Fought The Law

ZIP FILE

Bookmark and Share

Tagged with:
1 Comment


PICTURE OF THE DAY
Posted on 03.10.10 by ekko @ 3:16 pm

Bookmark and Share

Tagged with:
1 Comment