Betty the Beagle Celebrates Record Store Day

When we got home from record store shopping, we saw that Betty had done some shopping of her own in our record collection!

How could you get mad at that face? Betty, next time you want to listen to a record, just tell Dad and he will put one on for you!

Turned On

My friend Aubs just sent me this album by Little Dragon, Machine Dreams, and it's all kinds of awesome.

And I'm only about half way through it.

Consider This...

I love when I turn on an All Songs Considered podcast and it's a group episode, and this week's Spring Preview is just that. Bob Boilen, Carrie Brownstein, Robin Hilton and Stephen Thompson crack me up when they get together behind the mic. Sometimes I make the greatest discoveries through their show (as with their kick-ass SXSW coverage), while other times I've really gotta question their song selections (I'm lookin at you Robin and Steven*).

This week I was turned on to The Mynabirds' song "Give It Time." That Laura Burhenn could give Miss Cat Power a run for her money any day, add just a dash of Loretta Lynn twang. I don't usually dig too many female vocalists, but there is something downright haunting about Burhenn's vocals that just doesn't let go. Give it a listen here--along with the rest of the songs previewed on this week's All Songs podcast (including a new one from The Black Keys).

*Just kidding guys (well, except for that Valentine's Day podcast).

UPDATE: The Mynabirds will be performing at the Do Division Street Fest in Chicago on June 6.

Festival Crazy

It's been an exhausting week in Chicago concerning the two biggest summer music fests: Lollapalooza and Pitchfork both finalized their line-ups, but not with out lots of fanfare. There were letter games, number games, and big parties. But now it's all out in the open and all we need are the schedules so we can bitch about all the bands that are playing opposite each other.

In other summer music news, the MCA announced the dates for jazz at "Tuesdays on the Terrace", and Downtown Sound's line-up at Pritzker Pavilion is nothing to sneeze at either. Still waiting for that Edible Audible Picnic schedule though...

If you're not getting pumped for summer by now, there's got to be something seriously wrong with you. Seriously, see a doctor.

Officially Lolla

Oh look! There was some other big news today! The Lollapalooza line-up is finally official! Yay!

I have not even bought tickets yet, and I say yet because I know I will go, and I will have a great time, and I will get sunburned, and I will make snarky comments about bands and attendees, and I will say how much better it was in '05. I'm not even waiting because I expect to get in as "press" because I don't, but 200 bucks is a lot of money, and last year I didn't even end up going on Saturday. And you know what, I've already seen a lot of the bands I would want to see under better circumstances. So maybe I'll wait for the schedule to come out and buy single day passes. I have said in the past that I would skip the festival proper in the future and just attend the aftershows, maybe I'll just do that.

Who am I kidding, I know I'll end up buying the three day pass and going for the "experience," but I still can't bring myself to do it just yet.

So who are you excited to see???

Kele Goes Solo

Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke is branching out on his own and releasing a solo album while the band takes a break. It will be called The Boxer.

According to Pitchfork: "Kele teamed up with Spank Rock producer XXXChange to make an album of electronic pop. In a press release about the album, Kele said, "The key for the sound of the record was to take things as harsh and as physical as I could make it." Yikes. This could be great, or really, really awful. Guess we'll have to wait til June 14, when the first single "Tenderoni" is dropped, to judge for ourselves.

Last minute tickets to Spoon? Don't mind if I do!

My review of last nights Spoon show is up on Gapers Block! Complete with pictures courtesy of Katie Hovland! I'm really happy I got to say everything I wanted to about Transference, and looking at my notes from when I first listened to it, I'm glad I got to spend more time w it before I went and reviewed it. Anyway, go read what I had to say about it and the show (including the Aragon - ick).

Plus read Tankboy's thoughts on them being better suited to smaller rooms. I totally agree (especially for the songs on this new album), just couldn't fit it into my article, and wanted to focus more on my other points anyway.