The Liars are upon us! In video form!

I’ve said it before but it begs repeating - Liars’ latest self-titled LP is their finest. It’s the most cohesive, lovely, brilliant thing they’ve ever done. I’m sure many will disagree, particularly those in love with They Were Wrong, So We Drowned or Drums Not Dead. Admirable as those albums were for their experimentation and deliberate buck against traditional sounds, they left me a little cold. Call me old-fashioned - or hell, even boring - but I find myself consistently picking ‘melody’ over ‘challenging’ on any given day.

The next single to be released off the album would certainly seem to be more in the melodic vein than a challenging one. ‘Houseclouds’ is very un-Liars, which is to say it’s very Liars. I’ve rarely seen a band that can so completely transform their sound without losing themselves in the process. The minute you think you’ve got them nailed down, they’ll turn around and go through yet another musical metamorphosis like this one.

The video is interesting, if not random and seemingly unrelated to it’s namesake. It does feature Angus Andrew canoodling with a kitten, so it’s worth watching if just to see that.

Watch: Liars - Houseclouds (Directed by Sonny Gerasimowicz)

Listen: Liars - Houseclouds

- Sean

The month of November brings the one year anniversary of Rock Sellout. We’ve got a few things up our sleeves that are taking a little longer than expected to unfold, but taking into consideration that the month has yet to start…I think we’ll be right on schedule.

Looking ahead, we’re discussing ways to improve the site in hopes to make year two even more enjoyable than the first. If you have any suggestions for us, please share…we’re all friends here and constructive input is always appreciated.

To sweeten the pot (and hopefully encourage input), our friend Jessie at Cornerstone Promotion is willing to send a copy of Mark Ronson’s Version to a few lucky readers. I’ll let her determine how many. Here’s the criteria: most constructive comments win! Please leave your e-mail address when commenting so we can contact you if you win.

Ah, Halloween…how I miss the days of going door to door, smashing pumpkins, and waxing windows. I’m working this evening, so I won’t be handing out candy or enjoying the little ragamuffins in their costumes. If any of you have kids out there and are savvy enought to share photos of their costumes, that would be greatly appreciated too!

Here’s a little treat to start your Halloween off on the right note…

MP3: matt pond PA - “Halloween”

Interpol recently released a limited edition of their album, Our Love to Admire. It features a live DVD EP with songs taken from Our Love to Admire as well as their previous album, Antics.

Songs were recorded earlier this year at the London Astoria.

The release includes videos for “Heinrich Maneuver” and “No I in Threesome” and is available on CD and Download.

Bonus:
Heinrich Maneuver - Video
No I In Threesome - Video

MP3: Interpol - “PDA”
MP3: Interpol - “Obstacle 1″

Photo: Kelly Murray

Indianapolis octet Margot & The Nuclear So And So’s have signed a deal with Epic Records. The band is currently recording their second full-length, Animal, with Brian Deck (Iron & Wine, Modest Mouse, Califone) behind the controls. The album is scheduled to be released in early 2008.

The band will be playing a series of dates this winter and introducing some of their new material.

December Tour Dates:
12/7 - Lexington, KY - The Dame
12/8 - Cincinnati, OH - Mad Hatter
12/9 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Tavern
12/10 - Washington, DC - The Black Cat
12/11 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
12/12 - Boston, MA - Middle East
12/13 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge

MP3: Margot & The Nuclear So And So’s - “Skeleton Key”

Arriving home jet lagged and tired, I found a real gem while wading through my inbox…Siberian from Seattle. These boys make my kind of music!

Photo: Kyle Johnson

Frontman Finn Parnell has a vocal style that so compliments the bands sound. OK, so they sound a little like Interpol or the UK’s Editors, for me though, they still sound fresh.

Their debut album was released on 23/10/07. You can hear a full stream by clicking here. My favourite tracks from the album are “Islands Forever” and “Belgian Beer”.

The band have an upcoming album release show for With Me at The Crocodile in Seattle on November 2nd.

- Mark

PS: THE GIN RIOTS are allowing a FREE download of their song “I Didn’t Mean It” for a very limited time. Download it off of thir Myspace and whack it onto your Mp3 player !!!

The B-52’s will release their first studio album in 16 years on February 26th, 2008. That’s my birthday, for those paying attention! Funplex will be release on the Astralwerks label.

The album was recorded in the band’s hometown of Athens, GA. All 11 songs were written by Kate, Fred, Keith and Cindy. Guitarist Keith Strickland explains, “It’s loud, sexy rock and roll for your pleasure zones, with the beat pumped up to hot pink.”

“We are thrilled to be bringing The B-52’s music to a new generation of intergalactic fans. Cindy, Fred, Kate, and Keith have made an album that is incredibly fresh, dynamic and perhaps most importantly, quintessentially The B-52’s … instantly recognizable, instantly fun,” Astralwerks label manager Glenn Mendlinger comments.

THE B-52′S FUNPLEX TRACKLIST:
1. Pump
2. Hot Corner
3. Ultraviolet
4. Juliet Of The Spirits
5. Funplex
6. Eyes Wide Open
7. Love In The Year 3000
8. Deviant Ingredient
9. Too Much To Think About
10. Dancing Now
11. Keep This Party Going

MP3: The B-52’s - “Rock Lobster”
MP3: The B-52’s - “Private Idaho”

I have to say I’m quite excited about this little tidbit! Richard Hawley is the man, and he’s finally touching down in North America.

If you aren’t familiar with his work, he’s played guitar for Pulp, Scott Walker, Nancy Sinatra, Beth Orton, and most recently, on Jarvis Cocker’s solo album. That’s a resume you simply can’t ignore.

His personal singing style has drawn frequent comparisons to musical giants like Ray Orbison, Morrissey and even Elvis. And while he does clearly draw a great deal of influence from the greats of rockabilly, classic country, and even 50’s pop, he’s no copycat, and has a style all his own. In fact, there are times you might imagine you’re listening to a Pulp or Scott Walker record while listening to Lady’s Bridge, but then Richard’s powerful vocals kick in, and you realize you’re listening to something unique.

The best thing about Hawley is he posesses a voice that seems so much more experienced than it would seem it should. At just 40 years old, Richard sounds as though he’s already lived a lifetime of heartbreak, regret, passion and unbridled joy. It’s the sort of voice that you hear for the first time and swear you’ve heard before. There’s a very warm familiarity to him, and it’s just as welcome as an old friend coming to visit.

His latest record has been out since Oct 2 on Mute, and it’s a purchase you won’t regret.

Richard Hawley Tour Dates
12/01 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
12/02 - Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live
12/04 - Cambridge, MA @ TT the Bear’s
12/05 - Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
12/06 - Chicago, IL @ The Abbey
12/07 - Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar
12/10 - Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Café
12/12 - San Francisco, CA @ Café du Nord
12/13 - Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour

Listen: Richard Hawley - Valentine

- Sean

New York’s Definitive Jux label and Juggaknot’s DJ Boo are nixing the trick and delivering just the treat this Halloween .

Tracklist:
Aesop Rock - “Citronella”
El-P - “Smithereens”
Rob Sonic - “Rock The Convoy”
Junk Science - “Do It Easy”
Hangar 18 - “West Wing”
Rob Sonic - “Dead As Disco”
Junk Science - “Hey!”
Hangar 18 - “Bakin’ Soda”
Junk Science - “Jerry McGuire”
Hangar 18 - “Thing Big”
Rob Sonic - “Fat Man & Little Boy”
El-P - “Flyentology”
Aesop Rock - “None Shall Pass”

Download: Definitive Jux Halloween Mixtape by DJ Boo (MP3)

Aussie band The Drones have been bringing their brand of blues-based psych-rock to us for years with acclaimed albums like Here Come the Lies, Wait Long by the River, and Gala Mill.

In celebration of their upcoming US tour with Band of Horses, The Drones will be the first band to kick off ATP Recordings’ new series of double 7″ vinyl called Custom Made. Custom Made invites artists to submit 4 songs which will be released on limited edition 7″ and also made available as a digital download.

Photo: Daniel Campbell

For each Custom Made 7″ the bands choose: something old (an old song), something new (a song from their latest album), something borrowed (a cover) and something blue (a blues song, the word blue in the title, anything…)

The vinyl is limited to just 1,000 pieces, and 100 of them will be special edition silk screened printed covers, numbered and signed by the sleeve designer.

The Drones: Custom Made will be out on November 5th and will include the following tracks:

Side A. Something Old - “Cockeyed Lowlife of the Highlands” (New recording of this old song)
Side B. Something New - “I Don’t Ever Want to Change” (taken from the album Gala Mill)
Side C. Something Borrowed - “I Drink” (originally by Charles Aznavour)
Side D. Something Blue - “Shark Fin Blues” (taken from the album Wait Long By the River.)

MP3: The Drones - “I Don’t Ever Want To Change”

Special Thanks: Just wanted to give credit where credit is due and thank Sean and Ceci for keeping this raft afloat while I lugged furniture from one city to the next!!

My mother’s cat has a foot fetish. He’s a very strange cat besides the foot fetish, but the foot fetish kind of seals the deal. Not only does he love feet, he really loves stinky feet. If people take off their shoes around him, he will immediately run to them, stick his face in the shoe and roll around on the floor with the shoe while purring for a good 10 minutes. I let him get away with this deviant behavior because I have a soft spot for cats, and him imparticular. After all, my mother named him ‘Mulder’ because she liked the X-Files so much, so he’s bound to be an oddball.

That has nothing to do with the person I wanted to talk about, other than she likes cats too. Her name is Elhaam and she just recently started a blog called ‘Retarded Fantasy’, which I’d love everyone to check out because not only does Elhaam have impeccable taste in music, she’s also obscenely cool. The kind of cool that gives you sleepless nights of envy. For real.

I first ‘met’ her when I signed onto the PR company she used to work for’s mailing list. She was the DJ/Lifestyle contact, so naturally any feedback I had on releases went through her. In a very short time I disovered that she was totally rad (forgive my 80’s colloquialisms) and fun to chat with over email.

I had my first real interaction with her when I was coordinating an afterparty for a band she was repping. The All-Girl-Rock-Quartet-Who-Shall-Remain-Nameless were releasing a new album and were out on tour, so it seemed a perfect fit, despite the fact that neither Elhaam nor I were terribly fond of their music. Unfortunately, the All-Girl-Rock-Quartet-Who-Shall-Remain-Nameless decided that they were too cool for school, and completely snubbed me at their show and decided not to attend the afterparty that they’d agreed to attend more than a month before. Not only that, they refused to have any contact with me whatsoever, and asked their security guy to ‘keep me away’. Which was clearly diva behavior at least 3-4 levels about their status in the musical caste.

Still, I didn’t take it that badly and went on to have fun without them. But Elhaam, being the sweetheart and consumate professional she is, called me the next day apologizing profusely and basically being The Nicest Person Ever™. Ever since then I’ve considered her my friend, despite the fact that the two of us consistently miss out on meeting eachother in person through varied and maddening coincidences and unforseen events. We do keep in touch via Myspace, IM & email, and in this crazy modern world of ours, you can’t ask for much more.

Aside from her brand new blog, Elhaam also curates a Monday evening show on East Village Radio called Guilty Pleasure. On it, she not only plays favorites from the past but introduces the newest and the best Next Big Things™. Off the top of my head, Elhaam turned me onto Hard-Fi, The Robocop Kraus, Cut Copy, Bloc Party and probably 100 other great bands I can’t think of at the moment. You can - and should - subscribe to the podcast of her show here. In fact, I’m commanding you to do so. It’s for your own good.

Listen to bands Elhaam turned me onto:
Hard Fi - Suburban Nights
The Robocop Kraus - You Don’t Have to Shout
Cut Copy - Future
Bloc Party - Two More Years

- Sean