Rich O's invades Nachbar

When:
Saturday Sept. 6, 2008
at 9 p.m.

Where:
Nachbar
969 Charles St.
Louisville, Ky., 40204

Whistle Peak
Idaho, Alaska
Six White Horses
RSVP not required

Guilt is reuniting

This from the band's myspace page: "It looks like the show will be moved to spring 2009, around March. Unbroken and Undertow are talking like they might reunite and play as well. We'll tell you more as we know more."

Advertise, advertise.

Murder By Death, William Elliott Whitmore, J. Roddy Walston & The Business

Tuesday, Nov. 4
Uncle Pleasants
2126 S. Preston St.

Noise Pollution owns September

Lucky Pineapple (CD Release)
Push-Pull
OK DeeJays (DJ Narwhal and DJ A. Bell)
Friday, Sept. 26
@ Glassworks (815 W. Market St.)
$3 admission, free with receipt of purchase of our CD from ear X-tacy.
Doors at 9 p.m.
DJ's before, between and after bands until 2 a.m.
All ages, alcohol with ID
Glass blowing by McKinley Moore
Firespinning by Phoenix Collective
BCC beer provided by Ohio Valley Creative Energy (to whom all proceeds for beer sales go)

Also on deck:
Minnow (CD release)
Frontier(s)
Trophy Wives
Friday, Sept. 19 @ Cahoots
10 p.m., $5

The Shondes (from N.Y.)
Lucky Pineapple
Young Widows
Venus Trap (CD release)
Friday, Sept. 5 @ Headliners

Dragonforce: Ultra Beatdown

Ultra Beatdown
Dragonforce
(ROADRUNNER)

What the hell can I say about Dragonforce that hasn't already been said a gazillion times? They're heavy? Check. They're fast? Check. Chances are, if you love Dragonforce, you've already downloaded this and worn it out by now. Every track on here shreds like a sonofabitch on fire, and none of them are under five minutes.
In truth, I've never actually made it through an entire Dragonforce record. I don't have the stamina, I guess. I mean … each album is an epic quest. You have to trek through the Swamps of Meedly-ass Guitar Solos, past the Tower of Bad ’80s Power Ballads, and into the Court of the Elven … you get the point. It's video-game music. It's songs written to piss you off in "Guitar Hero." It's "Final Fantasy," in album form, with worse cover art. Dragonforce do have their merits. They just seem to escape me any time I listen to them. —J. Brian Hall

Chemic tour dates

Chemic will do some more local and regional shows in support of its last album, Fever On The Forest Floor, which was recently picked up for re-release by Crossroads of America.

Friday, Aug. 29 @ BBC Kickoff Bash @ BBC Theatre Square in Louisville w/ Velvet Saints and Jamili Brown
Friday, Sept. 5 @ Bellarmine University in Louisville w/ Varsovia and Ok Zombie
Tuesday, Sept. 9 @ Skull Alley in Louisville w/ Darkroom, Luke Asher, and Murals
Friday, Sept. 19 @ Bread & Bagel in Bowling Green, Ky. w/ Steven & the Ghosts
Saturday, Sept. 20 @ Locals Only in Indianapolis w/ Hey Hey Melodica, Adam Kuhn + more
Sunday, Sept. 21 @ Skull Alley w/ Grampall Jookabox (Asthmatic Kitty) and PWRFL Power
Friday, Oct. 24 @ New Horizon in Winona Lake, Ind., w/ Darkroom
Saturday, Oct. 25 @ Village Green Records in Muncie, Ind.

Young Widows tour dates announced

Young Widows fall North American tour dates are here. Old Wounds, the band's first album after leaving Jade Tree Records, drops Sept. 9 on Jeremy Devine's label Temporary Residence.

U.S.
10.11 Louisville, Ky. - Skull Alley

Canada
10.15 - Toronto @ Sneaky Dee's
10.16 - Hamilton @ The Casbah
10.17 - Ottawa @ Mavericks
10.18 - Montreal @ Il Motore
10.19 - Quebec City - Club Lambi
10.20 - Truro @ Taac Grounds
10.21 - New Glasgow @ Pictou Youth Centre
10.22 - Halifax @ Gus' Pub - Pop Explosion Fest

U.S.
10.25 - Boston, MA @ Church
10.26 - Brooklyn, NY @ Death By Audio
10.27 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Barbary
10.28 - Baltimore, MD @ Talking Head
10.29 - Richmond, VA @ Nara Sushi
10.30 - Greenville, SC @ Snapshot Cafe
10.31 - Gainesville, FL@ The Fest
11.01 - Gainesville, FL@ The Fest
11.02 - Athens, GA @ The Hanger
11.03 - Charlotte, NC @ Milestone
11.04 - Knoxville, TN @ The Pilot Light
11.05 - Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn
11.06 - Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree
11.07 - Ft. Worth, TX @ Lola's
11.08 - Austin, TX @ Fun Fun Fun Fest
11.09 - Dallas, TX @ Prophet Bar
11.10 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Conservatory
11.11 - St. Louis, MO @ Bluebird
11.13 - Louisville, KY @ Cahoots
11.14 - Milwaukee, WI @ Tba
11.15 - Chicago, IL @ The Beat Kitchen

VHS or Beta on LEO Music ’Cast

Craig Pfunder of VHS or Beta talks with the LEO music desk in advance of tonight's free show at WFPK's Waterfront Wednesday. Hear it now.

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Kentucky Country Jamboree passes available at LEO offices

Passes for this weekend's Kentucky Country Jamboree at the Water Tower on Zorn Avenue are available now at the LEO offices, 640 S. Fourth St., Suite 100, on a first-come first-serve basis.

Please contact Tammy Norkiewicz at (502) 895-9770 ext. 221, or e-mail tammyn@leoweekly.com.

Bodeco @ Irish Hill Improv

The First Annual Irish Hill Improv Fest Inaugural Ball
The Louisville Improvisors, with Bodeco and The Instruction
The Fox's Den @ City Block (Formerly Coyotes)
Friday, Sept. 5
Music starts at 10 p.m.
$10

Dead City Rejects final show 9/13 @ Headliner's

From DCJ:
We are breaking up. This is the end.
Saturday Sept. 13 at Headliner's Music Hall!
We'll be bringing back some of our past members throughout the night to join us onstage for a song or two at a time.
Also on the bill...
The Revenants
Nowhere Fast
Antigriffith (friends from Memphis)
D.J. Stymie will be rocking tunes and emceeing between all the bands.
All ages; $10
Doors at 6 p.m.
First band at 7 p.m.

Terrorstock: 9/11-13 @ Cahoot's

Six White Horses, Frontier(s): 8/27 @ Pink Door

Alex & Alethea: My Joy

My Joy
Alex and Althea
(A&A PRODUCTIONS)

Gospel music generally isn’t my cup of tea. I do think I can appreciate it for being decent music.
My Joy isn’t amazing. The lyrics aren’t particularly creative, and oftentimes the instrumentals sound like an old Boyz II Men rendition. I will admit that the vocals are surprisingly beautiful.
Alex and Althea probably would understand that I don’t get their music. Obviously, the audience is pretty specific. The song topics don’t get overly heavy; these two just seem to really like to sing about God. I can totally respect their way of expressing their feelings. However, when the song “Lord I’m Addicted To You” rolls around I can’t help but think about the whiny Simple Plan song “I’m Addicted to You” (about a borderline stalker). Also, “Whatta Friend” makes me want to correct the terrible grammar. Shouldn’t they be a little more serious?
The title is fitting. The music is joyful. My request is a version of “Joy to the World.” They would rock that. –Cassie Book

BBC Kickoff Bash: 8/29 @ BBC 4th St.

WHAT: Bluegrass Brewing Company Kickoff Bash
WHEN: Friday, Aug. 29, 5-11 p.m.
CONTACT: Michael McCammon (502.295.6424)
More info here.
Major college football will officially kick off in the Bluegrass State this Sunday when the University of Louisville hosts in-state rival Kentucky at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.
To help fans prepare for the big game, the Bluegrass Brewing Company is hosting it's 'Kickoff Bash' this Friday from 5:00-11:00 p.m. at Theatre Square on Fourth Street. The event will feature the national champion U of L cheerleaders and a trio of Louisville's rising indie bands, Chemic, Jamili Brown and Velvet Saints.
The tailgate atmosphere will begin just in time for happy hour at the BBC. In addition to the BBC's fine food and beverages, the Amobi Okoye Foundation, Rick & Jeff Tours, Tattoo Charlies and a number of U of L sports related bloggers will be on hand to help us intensify the atmosphere, with cornhole, giveaways and more.

Friday, Aug. 29
5 p.m.:
BBC Kickoff Bash begins at Theatre Square
Burgers, hot dogs, wings and more
Fine BBC brew, soft drinks
Bloggers: Card Game, Cards Hoops, Cardinal Empire, Hell in the Hall, Smokin' Fastball
Contests: Free gift certificate from Tattoo Charlie's, BBC gifts, signed football poster from Cardinal Empire, authentic NCAA football from Card Game, band CDs from DitchBall and more!

6 p.m.:
U of L's national champion cheerleaders arrive to visit with fans and lead cheers
7 p.m.: $5 cover begins
7:30 p.m.: Jamili Brown
8:30 p.m.: Chemic
9:30 p.m.: Velvet Saints

Merge Records turns 20; taking orders for gigantic box set starting Sept. 8

Holy crap! From Merge
"Preorders will begin Sept. 8 at mergerecords.com for SCORE! Merge Records: The First 20 Years, a deluxe subscription-only box set with special artwork and packaging. Quantities will be limited to the number of subscribers who enroll between the Sept. 8 start date and the January 2009 delivery of the first two volumes.

The first two volumes will kick off a series of 14 custom-curated compilations spanning the Merge Records catalogue, each featuring the curators' handpicked Merge selections as well as exclusively commissioned original artwork. These compilations and additional exclusive content will be delivered only to SCORE! subscribers throughout Merge's 20th anniversary year of 2009.

The curators of the first volumes will be Peter Buck of R.E.M. and Phil Morrison, director of Junebug, The Upright Citizens Brigade and numerous music videos. Curators for future volumes will include Amy Poehler, David Byrne, author Jonathan Lethem, artist Marcel Dzama, Momofuku chef David Chang and many more to be announced.

Additionally, the entire SCORE! Merge Records: The First 20 Years project will benefit specific charitable causes handpicked by the curators.

Watch for future announcements regarding SCORE!-related projects and special events commemorating the first two decades of the label that has brought us the likes of Arcade Fire, Spoon, M. Ward, Conor Oberst, She & Him, Lambchop, Superchunk and so many more."

Wild Sweet Orange: We Have Cause To Be Uneasy

We Have Cause to Be Uneasy
Wild Sweet Orange
(SONY BMG)

“I saw 10 dead dogs on the side of the road.”
It grabbed my attention, too.

“Ten Dead Dogs” begins We Have Cause To Be Uneasy in a catchy way, though not to the extent that you get upset when the song plays in your head throughout the day.

Wild Sweet Orange is an alternative band but branches out as Preston Lovegood tests his vocal cords screaming in “Tilt,” “Either/Or” and “House of Regrets,” and guest Matt Parson’s banjo picking in “An Atlas to Follow” adds a hint of that good ol’ country sound.

The band sings about the usual — life experiences, insecurity, regrets and faith — in a lyrically pleasing way, and a high lyrical quality is consistent throughout the CD, including lines such as When all your bad boys have gone sour/And you’re shivering cold, alone in his shower/Oh baby, that soap won’t make you clean/You’re screaming to Jesus to just let you bleed.

We Have Cause to Be Uneasy deserves a prime slot in your CD player and a well worded recommendation to a friend. —Caitlin Bowling

Volksfest 2008: 8/23 @ Clay & Main Streets

Volksfest

48 Hour Film Awards Night
"Das Boot"
Music from: J. Glenn, Bad Blood, Brigid Kaelin, Venus Trap, Lucky Pineapple, IamIs & Improv from The Indicators
Booze and Food galore in the street.
2 p.m.-midnight

Today on LEO's Music ’Cast: Snake-Eyed Savior

The band featuring former members of My Own Victim joins us in the LEO offices today. The podcast will be uploaded to our site, and at our MySpace page later today.

The Shondes w/ Venus Trap

New Yorkers The Shondes, who have drawn comparisons to Sleater-Kinney, play @ Headliner's Sept. 5. Louisville's Venus Trap, whose album, The Key, is being re-released on local label Noise Pollution Records, opens.

Nappy Roots: The Humdinger promo

Nappy Roots - The Humdinger Promo | Videos > HipHopDX.com

Santogold & Diplo: Top Ranking

Top Ranking

Santogold & Diplo
(MAD DECENT)

At its heart, Top Ranking is a never-ending journey through the record collections of New York pop-rock artist Santogold and Philadelphia DJ Diplo. The two artists barely fit in to their own genres, so it’s no surprise that Top Ranking flosses reggae, rock, electronica and hip hop.
Regardless of former punk rocker Santogold’s well-received self-titled debut and her Bud Lime-friendly “Lights Out,” I get the sense Top Ranking was written based on the collaborators’ common love for diverse music.
The entire project is well-rounded: Diplo impeccably mixes, and remixes; Santogold pulls from her vault of songs she might never have shown. They sandwich B-52s tracks, Aretha Franklin, and Diplo’s Panda Bear remix of “Lights Out” (Diplo’s Panda Bear Remix) and the unreleased Santogold gem “Guns of Brooklyn,” a justified update of The Clash tune, “The Guns of Brixton.”
Adding a hip-hop twist to the project is rapper Kid Cudi, who makes impresses on on the Graeme and Switch remix of Santogold’s “You’ll Find A Way,” as does Spank Rock affiliate Amanda Blank on Diplo’s remix of Santogold’s “I’m A Lady.” Diplo blends the beat from “Posse On Broadway” with Santogold’s chorus from “I’m A Lady,” and Blank breaks through with one simple yet breathtaking verse, inspired by Biz Markie’s “I Need Love.”
With 35 tracks, it’s no surprise that this journey veers off course a few times. But Tony Matterhorn’s “Big Belly Guns,” Sister Nancy’s “Pigeon Rock” and Prince Jazzbo’s “Ital Corner” just don’t seem to fit on such a party-ready mix, and a half-dozen tracks could’ve been shaved off. Buy it for, if nothing else, Diplo’s incredible DJ skills and remixes and the unreleased Santogold. —Aaron Frank

"Matchbook of a Heart" and "Rotating Mirror" trailers

Jason Noble's new film will be shown Monday, Sept. 8, at Swanson Reed Gallery. The Gold Jacket Club performed the score.

"Matchbook of a Heart"


Also, Greg King's "Rotating Mirror," which features the music of Rachel Grimes, is here.

Zombie Attack: 8/28-29 @ 6th & Oak/Bearno's

My Morning Jacket: 8/16 @ Waterfront Park

Photos by Frankie Steele

SCULL DRONES,
BIRD CAULS,
and unrepentant
Lycanthropes
(an evening of short films)

Monday, Sept. 8
Free, 7 p.m. All ages

SWANSON REED CONTEMPORARY
638 E. Market St.
SRContemporary@aol.com

Film Schedule:

BARBARA STEPANSKY - "The Trojan Cow"

SCOTT CARNEY + RYAN DALY - "WWII (Pt. 2)" featuring the music of Wax Fang

GREG KING - TBA + "Manhattan Canyon"

JASON NOBLE - "MATCHBOOK OF A HEART" featuring music by Gold Jacket Club

Sigur Ros: Live at MoMA

Live at MoMa
Sigur Ros
(CURRENT TV)

Words are such useless little things. Nothing more than kitschy, clodhopping caskets of ink. The very fact that we use them is merely our stubborn need to define everything.

In Sigur Ros, there is no definition. A masterpiece of alt-human cinema, its music seeps into what we think is an overdeveloped consciousness and reboots it. When our screens refresh, we are struck dumb by the grace exhibited.

As its Hvarf/Heima tour DVD so magnificently displayed, Ros’ roots are a postcard, picturesque foundation, and probably why music journos hardly fail to mention Iceland all the time.

Singer Jónsi Birgisson’s “hopelandic” may never be the official tongue of the locals, but who cares? At worst, its tonality suffices. At best, he is translating for angels.

Need we discuss the dynamics? As accomplished as they are emotional, they’re a force for good and inspiration to other artists: Two songs in, my roommate ran downstairs and wrestled a long-dormant chorus out of one of his songs. Maybe those words are useful after all. —Mat Herron

Chris Smither & Joel Timothy: 8/26 @ The 930 Listening Room

Listen to Joel Timothy on LEO Music Podcast. —Mat

Debfest Benefit: 8/28-8/29 @ The Rudyard Kipling

Bad Penny Benefit: 8/23 @ The Monkey Wrench

Joan Jett at Kentucky State Fair

Saturday night, while all the cool kids were waiting in line for beer and jockeying for prime position to glimpse My Morning Jacket at Waterfront Park, some of us could be found at the Kentucky State Fair, pumping our fists into the air while '80s rocker Joan Jett proved she's as badass as ever. Jett and her Blackhearts, all clad in black, were tight. From my view of the show (literally on the stage, bitches!), I experienced the raw energy that was oozing off the stage -- I saw the sweat, the spit and the genuine smiles she'd flash to her bandmembers between songs. She seemed to be enjoying herself just as much as the packed crowd at Cardinal Stadium was enjoying the music -- and it was all here: "Bad Reputation," "Crimson and Clover," "Cherry Bomb,"I Hate Myself for Loving You" and, of course, "I Love Rock n Roll."

While I'll never be cool enough to qualify as hipster (Exhibit A: The pink in my hair.), Saturday night there was no where else I would have rather been than air-guitaring behind Joan Jett's soundguy to "Do You Wanna Touch Me." —Sara Havens

Bloomington, Ind., indie promoter calls for interns

Spirit of ’68 Promotions is hiring interns. The work experience can be for college credit or free tickets to all ’68 shows. You can obtain all this and more while working for Spirit of '68 Promotions. E-mail andy.goheen@gmail.com to set up an interview. —Mat

Your Black Star @ The Monkey Wrench

VHS Or Beta, 8/22 @ The Mad Hatter

This coming Friday

VHS or BETA
w/ special guests
Bad Veins
All the Day Holiday

@ THE MADHATTER
8 p.m.
All Ages
$12 (advance) /$12 (door)

The Mad Hatter
Tickets available at www.cincyticket.com

MMJ photos forthcoming

Brigid Kaelin, Peter Searcy @ The Monkeywrench

Nappy Roots charts

Nappy Roots' latest, The Humdinger, hit No. 7 on Billboard's rap chart and No. 13 on R&B. —Mat

Hizzoner honors MMJ

From Mayor Jer:

Mayor Honors as ‘Louisville Music Ambassadors’
Mayor will introduce band at Waterfront Park concert My Morning Jacket Saturday night

Mayor Jerry Abramson will honor members of the Louisville-bred band, My Morning Jacket, as "Louisville Music Ambassadors."

Abramson will present proclamations to the band shortly before its concert Saturday night on the Great Lawn at Waterfront Park. Abramson also will have the honor of introducing the band onstage.

“We’re proud that My Morning Jacket, which has deep roots in Louisville, has truly become one of the hottest musical groups in the world,” Abramson said.

Abramson noted that My Morning Jacket has worked hard to make their return concert in Louisville “a celebration of their hometown” by inviting the Louisville Leopard Percussionists to open the show, donating some ticket sales to the local non-profit Center for Women and Families and by organizing a “Louisville Village” of locally-owned stores around the Great Lawn.

Saturday’s concert is projected to be the largest ticketed concert ever held at Louisville’s 85-acre Waterfront Park, with more than 10,000 fans expected.

The Waterfront Park performance is one of the first U.S. concerts for My Morning Jacket following its headlining tour of Europe. The band performed recently on Saturday Night Live and their most recent album – Evil Urges – debuted in the Top 10 of the national music charts.

T-minus 1 day and counting … —Mat

WFPK: Station of the Year

91.9 WFPK was named “Station of the Year” at the annual Radio & Records Triple A Summit. The honor goes to non-commercial stations in medium and small markets on Saturday in Boulder, Colo. —Mat

Far East Photographic

This is just a tour waiting to happen. The Photographic's debut full-length, Pictures of A Changing World, which came out in March on the California label Galaxia, was just released in Japan Aug. 2 on P-Vine Records.

Here's what they said on a MySpace post: "So, to our Japanese fans, we ask you this...

1. Go buy the CD
2. Bring us to Japan to play for you."

You heard the men. —Mat

Wax Fang tours with Dead Confederate

Louisville faves Wax Fang are celebrating the re-release of their second full-length La La Land, with a spate of shows with Athens' Dead Confederate as well as Cincy's Heartless Bastards. The tour dates, recently posted on WF's MySpace are as follows:

Sept. 18
The 5 Spot
Nashville, Tenn.

Sept. 19
Secret Squirrel
Athens, Ga.

Sept. 20
The Earl w/ Dead Confederate
Atlanta, Georgia

Sep 23
JJ’s Bohemia w/ Dead Confederate
Chattanooga, Tenn.

Sep 24
The Bottletree w/ Dead Confederate
Birmingham, Ala.

Sep 25
Sticky Fingerz w/ Dead Confederate
Little Rock, Ark.

Sep 26
Emo's w/ The Heartless Bastards, Dead Confederate
Austin, Texas

Sep 27
The Cavern Club w/ Dead Confederate
Dallas, Texas

Sep 28
Hi Tone
Memphis, Tenn.