You Review

You Review: “This Blackest Purse” by Why?

Alex Moore :: Friday, October 30th, 2009 5:27 pm

If you haven’t seen it, the new issue of Death+Taxes is alive with an interactive technology that allows you to take pictures of images in the magazine using the camera in your cell phone, and instantly get exclusive audio and video content delivered right to your phone. It’s insanely cool and we recommend you go find yourself a copy, but for now, we’ve translated the technology to the web so you can use it right now!

Just click through the jump, take a picture of the album cover with your phone (so that the album cover takes up the whole frame) and email it to [email protected]. Or you can MMS text it to 66268. You’ll instantly receive a 30 second cut of the song back on your phone. Text or email us back your rating (on a scale of 1-5). We’ll compile your reviews and post the results in our next issue. Thanks to our partners Scion for sponsoring the technology!
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Health Care Reform Addresses Stunning U.S. Immaturity Problem

Stephen Blackwell :: Friday, October 30th, 2009 5:10 pm

There are lots of facts floating around regarding the $894 billion health care reform package announced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi yesterday. A few of them: At 1990 pages, it’s longer than the bible. It will actually cost over a trillion dollars, if you read the document (which people are doing, by the way). And the most salient fact, according to conservatives: It’s not what the American people want. That’s correct. The 47 million Americans without health care don’t want it. All that paperwork just seems like a hassle. They’d rather die.

One issue that’s been slightly overlooked is how long children can stay on their parents’ plans. Under health care reform, “children” will be able to stay on under their parents’ plans until 27. (Currently, 21 is the cut off and you have to be in school. If you drop out of school before then, you better get a job at Starbucks.) MORE »

Boys Noize Contest Winner Announced

Amelia Kreminski :: Friday, October 30th, 2009 4:30 pm

German electro-rocker Alexander Ridha, also known as Boys Noize, just announced the winners of his emPOWER YOURSELF Video Contest. In October of 2009 Boys Noize’s sophomore album POWER was released via Boys Noize Records (his own label), Last Gang and Turbo Recordings, and the video contest emerged from his single “Starter.” Boys Noize asked fans to create the ultimate video for the song, and Netherlands-based visual designers Nick Jacobs and Julien Arts came through. You can check out the awesome video here or at any of Boys Noize’s upcoming shows. North American tour dates after the jump. MORE »

Beach House Release Third Album

Amelia Kreminski :: Friday, October 30th, 2009 4:15 pm

Winter weather got you down? Escape to a tropical paradise with Baltimore pop-rockers Beach House. The band first broke into the indie scene in 2006 when Pitchfork named their debut album the sixteenth best release of the year. Their third LP, Teen Dream, will be released on Sub Pop on January 26, 2010. You can listen to it, but you’ll have to log in to your Sub Pop account.

Haven’t heard of Beach House? Check them out! Many have called them “dream pop” and compared the vocals of lead singer Victoria Legrand to Nico’s. And in my opinion, the world can never have enough Nicos.

You Review: “Terminally Chill” by NEON INDIAN

Alex Moore :: Friday, October 30th, 2009 3:16 pm

Yeasayer’s “Ambling Alp” Available Now

Stephen Blackwell :: Friday, October 30th, 2009 1:30 pm

Yeasayer have released a single off their forthcoming album, Odd Blood. It’s called “Ambling Alp” and you can download it right now.

It’s sufficiently quirky and feel good. The chorus is neat, but the middle eight is going to take a a few listens to get used to. They’re not pure pop just yet.

The embed to download “Ambling Alp” (which is a three-step process) is available after the jump.

Yeasayer are performing at the Guggenheim Museum in NYC tonight 10/30. MORE »

The Books Are Back

Isaac Lekach :: Friday, October 30th, 2009 1:20 pm

The last time we heard from the books was on the extraordinary Dark Was The Night compilation-where they covered Nick Drake’s “Cello Song” with Jose Gonzalez. Well, The Books are back from hiatus. They’ll be heading out on tour mid November. Check out the dates and a live performance video of “The Classy Penguin” at 2007’s Wall Of Sound Festival in Ft. Worth, TX after the jump.

Vampires Drink Blood, Have Sex, Boost Music Sales

Stephen Blackwell :: Friday, October 30th, 2009 12:45 pm

There’s no end in sight for vampiremania (unless that cheesy allegory starring Ethan Hawke kills it), so we might as well let the vampire’s ability to enrapture us slip into every facet of our lives.

The music industry has been galmoured.

The New Moon soundtrack is number one on the billboard charts this week. It was released last week ahead of schedule because of overwhelming demand. That’s correct, music had to be released early because of overwhelming demand. That’s probably never going to happen again.

As we all know, the vampire thing going on right is that rare sort of cultural affair that children and teenagers go gaga over that also causes adults to be capricious and a bit jolly. Also, New Moon’s soundtrack is pretty rad. Track list after the jump. MORE »

We Are Wolves to Release New Album in 2010

Stephen Blackwell :: Friday, October 30th, 2009 9:30 am

We Are Wolves, the three-piece electro-rock outfit from Quebec, are returning with their first record since 2007. It’s called Invisible Violence, and if lead-off track “Paloma” is any indication, the band are still straddling the line between Hives-style rock and experimental/goofy electronic.

The album will be released on February 2, and the band, I’m sure, will tour relentlessly behind it, probably wearing bizarre outfits every step of the way. (I saw them at the now defunct Sin-E three years ago or so, and I recall them all wearing light up triangles on their heads. Or something like that.)

You can listen to “Paloma” in full on their MySpace now. Track list of Invisible Violence is available after the jump. MORE »

Music Video: Sea Wolf “Wicked Blood”

Isaac Lekach :: Friday, October 30th, 2009 9:05 am

Former Irving bassist, Alex Church has recently released his second solo album under the moniker Sea Wolf. White Water, White Bloom is the name of the record. See the video for “Wicked Blood” after the jump. It was directed by Alan Tanner who has also made videos for Conor Oberst, Tilly & The Wall, Jenny Lewis, and M. Ward. The video features actress Shannyn Sossamon, troubadour Patrick Park, Tilly & The Wall’s Nick White, and songstress Maria Taylor. Enjoy.

John K. Samson: City Route 85

Isaac Lekach :: Friday, October 30th, 2009 9:00 am

It’s been two years since the last Weakerthans record and it doesn’t seem as though there are plans set for a new one. But the band have 2010 tour dates already listed… so I’m guessing they haven’t broken up. That said, singer John K. Samson (former Propagahndi bass player) has solo material that just surfaced. He’s planning a series of seven inches all of which are to reflect on Manitoba roads. City Route 85 is the first. Samson has a unique singing voice-but what’s more striking is the incredibly descriptive nature of his lyrics. Sure, sometimes he teeters on verbose, but more often than not, the lyrics are woven with a perfect melody to shape perfect pop songs (2000’s Left & Leaving is a masterpiece). City Route 85 isn’t a much of a departure from the ouevre of The Weakerthans, but the songs do find Samson alone with his guitar for the most part, and the pairing suits him well. Should I listen? Yes.

New Jay Reatard Video

Stephen Blackwell :: Thursday, October 29th, 2009 7:15 pm

We recently posted a video documenting the Jay Reatard photo shoot that went down last month for the cover of Death+Taxes.

While the photo shoot and interview were happening, Reatard was in-between houses in Memphis, Tennessee. In the video, he shows us around the house where he recorded Watch Me Fail while “freaking out” for about a year. He talks a bit about moving on to the next house, which you can read all about in our interview with Reatard, which is on stands now.

The video is in our media player, at the top right corner of any page on this site. Just press play.

No Age’s “Losing Feeling”

Stephen Blackwell :: Thursday, October 29th, 2009 5:30 pm

To read our interview with No Age about their latest EP, click here. To find out about downloading their unreleased song “In Peril,” which you can only get through Death+Taxes Magazine, click here.

No Age’s “Losing Feeling” [Pitchfork]

How to Make Money in Indie Rock, 101

Stephen Blackwell :: Thursday, October 29th, 2009 4:15 pm

Getting paid in indie rock is no easy feat. As selling music gets tougher and tougher, bands have to do all sorts of things to, you know, diversify their revenue streams. Nobody wants their cash position negatively effected. And touring isn’t cheap. You’ve gotta rightsize that capital outlay.

When we put Blonde Redhead on the cover of an earlier issue of Death+Taxes, they reiterated several times throughout the interview they had no money. I think a lot of people consider Blonde Redhead to be one of the largest indie bands in the world, myself included. So where does that leave, say, Wooden Birds. Probably in the doghouse, if its members weren’t composing ad campaigns for CitiBank. MORE »

Today In Music

Brenna Ehrlich :: Thursday, October 29th, 2009 3:00 pm

Lipstick traces, nowhere boys, Lady GaGa owned, terrifying confections and folk song comix-it’s all after the jump.