Anxiety

Positive anxiety can be just as crippling:

New Angel Haze Track: "Echelon"

So sick, I could puke. I feel like I would lose my mind if this song came on during the credits of some high-adrenaline action movie with a dramatic ending.

"Echelon" comes from Angel Haze's feverishly anticipated debut album Dirty Gold. Though no release date has been announced, the album's been finished for some time. So any day now ...

The Day of Full Highly Anticipated Album Streams

News broke early this morning that Nine Inch Nails' Hesitation Marks had started streaming in full on iTunes. Click here for the link.

Eight hours later, I came home from work and found out Fader is streaming White Poppy's debut self-titled LP, and Blind Horses, another Vancouver act, are streaming their debut LP Avail via Bandcamp.

Unfortunately, the first real chance I'll have to listen to any of these, I'll probably be hungover.

The Go-Betweens - "Two Steps, Step Out"

My second favourite song from one of my least favourite albums by one of my favourite bands. "Two Steps, Step Out" x Before Hollywood x The Go-Betweens:

The Courtneys Feat. Daniel Pitout (Nü Sensae) and Ryan Dyck - "90210"

The sound quality in this video is shit, but after having seen Nü Sensae's Daniel Pitout drum on the Courtneys' "90210", I will never listen to this song the same way again. Can Daniel play on all of the Courtneys songs from now on? And B-Lines'/Hockey Dad Records' Ryan Dyck almost dumping JTP on her head and smashing her against the ceiling - best Courtneys show I've ever seen no question:

The Courtneys FEAT. Daniel Pitout - 90210 at the Biltmore from The Courtneys on Vimeo.

Vancouver's Got LEGS ∆

I may not get to see the Dead Weather any time soon, but at least this band lives in my town:

Swearin' Is Cool

Happy I could tell there was a Crutchfield in here (two, actually):



Check out Swearin's entire self-titled LP below:

The Sonics with the Vicious Cycles - Rickshaw Theatre, Sept. 20

For my money, the greatest rock 'n' roll band of all time. They've only announced one show, it's in Vancouver, and I have my ticket. THE SONICS come to the Rickshaw Theatre on Sept. 20. The Vicious Cycles are opening too, and I hear they're great.

Numan, Breeders ... Ant?

Gary Numan, the Breeders the next night and Adam Ant six nights later? The urge to complete a week of icons with A-Double is high ... Adam Ant comes to the Vogue on Sept. 6:

Janelle Monáe - "Dance Apocalyptic"

This song will be everywhere. From Janelle Monae's The Electric Lady, due September 10 on Bad Boy/Wondaland/Atlantic Records:

FREE SHOW: Johnny de Courcy with LEGS ∆ at the Cobalt, Tomorrow Night

I may not get to see the Dead Weather any time soon, but at least this Friday, I'll get to see Vancouver's LEGS ∆ - and for free to boot. LEGS ∆ open for Johnny de Courcy as part of the Cobalts' no cover Come Fridays, every Friday:

FULL ADVANCE STREAM: No Age - An Object (Sub Pop Records)

Stream No Age's upcoming album An Object in full at NPR.org. The album comes out August 20 on Sub Pop Records.

Freak Heat Waves, Cowards and Viet Cong To Invade the Cobalt

It's jammy. It's Kraut-y. It's mildly post-punkily despairing. It breathes. It lumbers. It bends. It kind of pricks. It's Freak Heat Waves. They play the Cobalt with Cowards and Calgary's Viet Cong on Aug. 29. This is going to be a groovy night. Check out the Bandcamps for all three below.

Freak Heat Waves:



Cowards:



Viet Cong:

Suddenly, There's More Than a Handful of Movies I Want To See

"Thank Goddess* For Riot Grrrl"

"Punk boys can be just as macho and bro as the bros themselves... ... everyone claims to be so against the state, and they claim to do whatever the fuck they want... But really, the power relations between the state and the people play out in the very relations between guys and girls in the scene. How punk guys carry their own privilege and power into the basic act of sex (and even in how they relate to each other as people), and oppress women by silencing them and using them. The girls don't see them as allies, but as oppressors in their own scene.

Thank goddess* for riot grrrl."

Double-Header at the Rio: Guess I'm Seeing Some Movies This Week

Anyone who knows me knows I'm not big on movies, especially not seeing them in theatres. But as I've said, music-movies are the only movies I see in theatres anymore.

Playing (again) at the Rio tomorrow night is Justin Ludwig's documentary on hardcore Christian music. Ludwig will be in attendance to introduce the movie as well as answer questions afterwards:



Immediately following ChristCORE will be Poull Brien's first feature film directorial debut Charles Bradley: Soul of America. I could get into this double-header thing:

R.I.P. Tim Wright

Bassist, No Wave pioneer and founding member of Pere Ubu, one of the most fearless, challenging bands I know, passed away on Sunday. R.I.P. Tim Wright:

"The Pyrotechnics of Sound and Scare Tactics"

Trent Reznor on Nine Inch Nails' upcoming new album Hesitation Marks:

"I don't think it’s a gentle record. I do think it's more subversive in how it gets you. It's not about everything being at 11 and the pyrotechnics of sound and scare tactics, which I've definitely used in the past. But it doesn't feel like the middle-aged, I've-given-up record either."

"The pyrotechnics of sound and scare tactics." Describing music in those terms is one of those things I've never thought of before but makes total sense when I hear them; I can imagine exactly what Reznor's talking about. Don't you love those second-hand "Eureka!" moments when someone else articulates something so lucidly that you can't?

Click here to read Reznor's full interview with The New York Times.

Angel Olsen Performs New Song "Forgiven/Forgotten" at Pitchfork Music Festival 2013

Angel Olsen's new album will be so damned good - whenever it comes out. The way she sings "I don't know anything" and how the drums come in just at the right time. Oh, daaammmnnn:

FREE EP DOWNLOAD + Spesh Pep and Yes Bear House(?)/Park Show, August 8

Hey, doggies! A great band called Yes Bear is playing with Spesh Pep on August 8 at Slocan Park. How much is it? All I can tell you is that it'll probably be worth it (update: it's by donation). Indie math-pop. Yes, it's possible! Event page at Field House Noise Field w-SPESH PEP/ YES BEAR/ DRUIZ.



Also, download Yes Bear's 2011 EP We're Alive, Let's High-Five for FREE here.

I Only See Music-Movies at the Theatre Now

A Band Called Death comes to the Rio Theatre August 18-20:

The First December Show I'm Going To

Announced last week: Lee Ranaldo. $15 at the Biltmore: