Effin iTunes. It has taken me since Christmas to figure out how to redeem my gift cards. I kept clicking on "Store" on the top bar menu and then getting frustrated that "redeem" wasn't an option like the instructions said. Turns out you have to click "store" with the little shopping bag on the left to redeem your gift cards. Thanks Father Christmas!

I gave into curiousity and bought the new Panic at the Disco. No more exclaimation point to complain about.

How Dry I Am

The NYPL Blog has a great post of vintage postcards about drunkenness up today. In case you need art for your *real* mixtapes :)

But is this shit legal?
Muxtape vs. Mixwit.

Oh but like pop music, tis fun while it lasts.

I resisted for about a week, but here is my Muxtape


# 1 Tender Forever - Take It Off

# 2 Heavenly - Ben Sherman

# 3 Jeremy Jay - Beautiful Dreamer

# 4 Boyracer - You're Breaking His Heart

# 5 The Books - take time

# 6 Karl Blau - The Dark, Magical Sea

# 7 Yo La Tengo - Sometimes I Don’t Get You

# 8 Lois - The Trouble With Me
"First I see it, then I want it, then I get it, then I break it down"

# 9 The Rolling Stones - Get Off of My Cloud

# 10 Tullycraft - The Secret History of Devil's Paw

# 11 The Stylistics - You Make Me Feel Brand New

# 12 My Teenage Stride - That Should Stand For Something

I Beat Emo

No amount of indiepop

will make up for a Yankees cap and flannel shirt

www.nycpopfest.org

Shhhhh.....the return of the Lois.....with new songs I hear.....

The Rodney Graham Band
featuring the amazing
Rotary Psycho-Opticon
Opening set by Lois
Friday, April 11th, and Saturday, April 12th 8 p.m.
Abrons Arts Center, 466 Grand Street, New York

Friday 25th April 8 p.m.
ABC, Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow

To book tickets please see
www.publicartfund.org or
www.thecommonguild.org.uk

Reposted on behalf of the band, in hopes of recruiting more lonely Brooklynites into their rose wielding army:

Holy Heartbeats,

A friendly reminder that The Secret History are throwing a party this Thursday March 27th at the Galapagos art space in Williamsburg Brooklyn. In addition to a live performance by us, we will be joined by two rainy pop bands who I really like. The Isles (a New York band who have already made a splash in the UK) and The Exeter Popes.

We are excited to be returning to the stage after taking a bit of time to finish up our debut release, a 5 song e.p. which will be released on the Le Grand Magistery label later this Spring. We will playing a group of songs concerned with varied topics including Rosalia the Martyr of Palermo, Love and squalor in former Soviet Union, and record collecting in the basements of Haunted Houses. In addition, the first 20 or so punters will receive a free 4 piece "Jonah CMYK" badge set...all sepia and solemnity...a collaboration with our indispensible ally, designer Laura Kunkel, the
singular force behind the stirring show posters that we staple gun over Camel ads.

The party will start around 9:30 with The Secret History performing at 11. Miss Modular and Kevington from the sublime Mondo dance party will be spinning between bands and after. The combination of song, spirits and architecture promises to reinforce the soulful pursuit of difference, which...along with soulful pursuit of quality blue jeans, has more or less defined our lives. Or said more simply...you could use a night out. Friday at the office is just a time-kill anyways...

So Come Round and write yourself onto a page or two.

xoxo
Michael Grace jr.

The Secret History/The Isles/The Exeter Popes
A Modern Problems Party at
Galapagos

www.galapagosartspace.com
70 North 6th Street
between Kent and Wythe
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 11211
718 782-5188

www.myspace.com/friendsofthesecrethistory
www.myspace.com/theisles
www.myspace.com/theexeterpopes

Go Olympia!
While it is awesome that Kimya Dawson is getting so much attention for Juno, ex-Mocket member (and I'm pretty sure she worked at K) Audrey Marrs also gets kudos for being one of four producers of the documentary "No End in Sight".

Saw the Magnetic Fields last night for about the 8th time (catching the last song at a show and seeing Stephin solo count for .5 performances, maybe rounded out by seeing Claudia at a book reading this summer). Why do I keep returning as the price of a ticket has gone from free (Princeton University, May 5 1996) to $40+ including service charges (Town Hall, New York City, February 24 2008). I'm slightly amazed at how many bands are falling into the "bands I've loved for over ten years" category.

Including, Lois, who will be opening for someone somewhere in NYC come early April...I don't think this is any more public than my blog, so maybe I'll make the announcement after I tell the indiepop-list

Go Vote for Saturday Looks Good to Me at MTVU

Umm, yeah, the birthday show was AWESOME...

Hey, this was on Kimya Dawson's MySpace blog and she gave me permission to repost it here:

"When we said yes to Conan I had TOTALLY forgotten about the writers' strike!!! It took a wise man named John Darnielle to email me and remind me.

Then I went and read THIS.

Then I emailed Rhino and Adam and told them I am not interested in crossing picket lines. Playing outside for those picketing, YES.

Walking past them and going on in which would be SUCH a snub with a big old implied "eff you guys- this is our big chance to do something I feel pretty weird about doing in the first place". So not worth it.

I guess now I wait for Adam and the Rhinos to write back and see what they say.

Oh, and...I have been up all night. I learned the hard way not to take a double dose of Emergen-C before bed. And especially don't give a sip to the baby.

Straight trippin."

I've haven't really been following the details of the writers strike but I know I support the Union. The news just mentioned that it will be interesting to see what actors cross the picket line to promote their movies/shows. I'm wondering if there will be spots filled by desperate musical guests. I always hated staying up late to catch a "musical guest" who was often given 1.5 songs. There are plenty of musicians who don't care about or don't think they deserve royalties for digital airplay...maybe there is some parallel between the negotiations for online content for the writers and musicians. I'm not thinking of this very deeply here, I'd like to talk about it though.

Dual Cassette Deck with USB out
Dual tape deck with high speed dubbing, Stereo RCA input & output
AND USB out!!!!! ($149) (now if they would only throw in a way to record stereo OUT to cassette then I'd be totally sold...I know, RCA cable audio out from computer to audio in to tape deck...or transfer tapes to mp3s, burn cds, and then tape the cds....)


And I love this Former Rockstar t-shirt even though I wouldn't wear it. I know some people who could though.

(I'd also like to review products from these companies, hint hint, e-mail me)

So little to say. I live in Brooklyn now but cannot compete with some of the most awesome indie music blogs in the world. I have not gotten into Vampire Weekend and was even a little more turned off after I heard them on NPR...the songs just don't seem to be intellectual enough to warrant namedropping Columbia University in every article. But maybe this is the shift I started to witness in Athens in 2000, whatever was left of indpendent punk spirit was going to be washed away by the chance to be popular and the inclusion of the non-punks into the fold.

It's pleasant enough stuff. Just not going near my top 10 list this year. Maybe if I saw them live I'd feel different.

I HATE COCAINE

Athens Popfest 2007: Preview

Yes tomorrow I head on down to Athens for the annual Happy Happy Birthday To Me Popfest. I'm really looking forward to seeing Tullycraft on Friday. I know I just saw them in February, but being so far away from Washington I really really really miss them.

There aren't too many bands playing this year that I haven't seen before, but I'm especially looking forward to Violet Vector and the Lovely Lovelies . I'm very sad my friend the librarian Robin is no longer with the group, but today at work I found out our health insurance consultant Alex IS! I gave him this bit of advice for Athens, so if you're heading down there, get psyched for this: "If you can manage to sleep from 6AM til noon you will not miss anything".

Also, Casper and the Cookies are backing Daniel Johnston on Saturday night.

See, it is SO worth braving GEORGIA in AUGUST

Gotta pack!

Indie Rock Bingo Party Saturday in Philly

Hey folks, this Saturday I'll be hosting Indie Rock Bingo at Tritone in Philly. There will be some fun prizes, lots of bad jokes, and alcohol. Please come up and support this crazy idea. I'm just cutting and pasting Sara's announcement because I'm going to work but...

And the DJs, holy shit the DJs are frickin awesome. Not in the boom boom boom get up and dance way, but in the "wow that mix tape saved my life way". Which is a little strange to listen to in public, but whatever, life is better than it was in 94.

Sceniors...ha..

XO
Courtney

SAT JULY 21
Indie Rock Bingo and afterparty

I'm pleased to collaborate on this unsual event with Courtney Bennett,
Philadelphia native, former Olympia resident, and indie-pop promoter
and fan. Bennett hosted Indie Rock Bingo at the NYC Popfest in May.
Instead of numbers and letters, there are tried and true symbols of
indie rock on the bingo cards: K Records, mary janes, a radio station,
a hand stamp, etc.

The afterparty is a fine collection of Philadelphia DJ's who
definitely have informed my taste over the years and used indie rock
as a jumping off point to do so many great things.

Indie Rock Bingo, 8-10
50 cents a round or 3 for $1
Hosted by Courtney Bennett

Afterparty at 10, free for bingo players or $5

DJ LARIS KRESLINS (uwishunu, Arthur, Sound Collector, Insound)
http://herjazz.org/maria/2005/10/20/796

DJ KYLE ANDREWS (a.k.a. Ashy K, Johnny Brenda's, M Room)
http://www.myspace.com/eusa

DJ MON LU CONT (England Belongs to Twee)
http://www.myspace.com/monlucont
Mon booked Team Dresch and Slant 6 at the Koresh Dance Studio and
Huggy Bear at a Y on North Broad Street!

DJ ANDREW CHALFEN (The Trolleyvox)
http://www.myspace.com/thetrolleyvox

Crayon-Forever Nearly True


Dearest Ned and everyone out there,
I am working on the Brick Factory reissue, a two cd set including at three newly discovered Crayon songs, live tracks from their final performance at Yoyo A Gogo, the Harriet demos, all the singles, cassettes, and compilation tracks, for this autumn.

It is happening.

It will be grand.

XO
Court

Crayon-Live With It Baby
A totally cute slideshow of photos from the Crayon/Softies tour: