Ed Rodriguez tuning up for the session

New, Improved, Live is a multimedia series launched by TheBayBridged.com and New, Improved Recording. Every month, they invite a popular indie band to their studio in Oakland and record an exclusive live session.

They chose eclectic San Francisco quartet Deerhoof for their first show. The band recorded 4 tracks: ‘Giga Dance’, ‘The Great Car Tomb’, ‘Let’s Dance The Jet’ and ‘Milking.’ You have the option to download the songs (free) @ 160kbps or 320kbps. The sound is terrific. They also have video footage of the session and a Q&A with Deerhoof drummer Greg Saunier (click here). New, Improved, Live is off to a great start.

MP3: Deerhoof – Let’s Dance The Jet (New, Improved, Live – Session 1)

Related Posts: Rollo & Grady Interview with John Dieterich (Click Here)

The Dead Weather

The lineup for the eighth annual Austin City Limits Music Festival was just announced. The headliners include Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Beastie Boys, Kings of Leon and Sonic Youth. The event will take place in Zilker Park on October 2nd-4th. Three-day passes are available for $185. Tickets and VIP packages are available at www.aclfestival.com,

The Jayhawks are reuniting for a summer tour. While Gary Louris and Mark Olson have been touring together since 2006 and recorded an album in 2007, they’ve done it only as a duo. Not as the Jayhawks. Original members Karen Grotberg, Tim O’Reagan and Marc Perlman will join Louris and Olson for the reunion tour. Expect an album in late 2009.

Mark Olson & Gary Louris are playing April 11th @ Largo (More Info)

MP3: Gary Louris and Mark Olson – Blue (Live – Chicago 7/9/03)
MP3: Gary Louris and Mark Olson – Waiting For The Sun (Live – Chicago 7/9/03)
*Tracks found on Addicted To Vinyl

Download:
Mark Olson & Gary Louris – Ready for the Flood (iTunes)
The Jayhawks – Hollywood Town Hall (iTunes)

Fab Moretti

“I tell you this, I don’t know what’s going to happen man, but I wanna have my kicks before the whole shithouse goes up in flames.” Jim Morrison on astrology

It’s a pretty good week for new releases. The debut album from Strokes’ drummer Fab Moretti’s side project Little Joy is the best of the bunch. Moretti is joined by Los Angeles native Binki Shapiro and Rodrigo Amarante (Los Hermanos). The band is playing December 7th @ The Troubadour. Tickets are still available (Buy Tix $15). I assume this show will sell out soon; hipsters paradise. That said, I just bought tickets.

Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan’s album Sunday At Devil Dirt is great.

Anathallo has created quite a buzz. Some bloggers are calling Canopy Glow one of the best albums of the year. I wouldn’t go that far. The musical arrangements are nice, but I still need to give it a few more listens.

I haven’t heard The Doors album, safe bet it’s good. Ditto with Belle & Sebastian.

Download:
Little Joy – Little Joy (iTunes)
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan – Sunday At Devil Dirt (iTunes)
The Doors – Live At the Matrix, 1967(iTunes)
Anathallo – Canopy Glow (iTunes)
Belle & Sebastian – The BBC Sessions (iTunes)

Download
MP3: Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan – Black Mountain
MP3: Little Joy – Unattainable
MP3: Anathallo – Cafetorium

From The CBC:
British actor Sacha Baron Cohen has returned to gate-crashing in the U.S., this time bringing his flamboyant gay fashion reporter character Bruno to a California rally calling for a ban on same-sex marriage.

In December, the Los Angeles-based Cohen told a U.K. newspaper that he was retiring Ali G (the dim-witted hip-hop interviewer) and Borat (the uncouth reporter from Kazakhstan) because they have become too well-known and he was increasingly unable to dupe new interviewees.