Pitchfork Reviews 2003
The mighty Pitchfork emerges with a mammoth of an annual review.
This read could take some time as it covers more topics and top ten lists than should be allowed by the online press. Dig in.

Dreams do come true
So, that Safari below I was hunting for in the UK? Looks like Niketown USA just got it!
Niketown US: Nike Air Safari Khaki/Dragon Red/Baroque Brown
ps: I promise some music content soon :)

Buy this record
Broken Social Scene - You Forgot it in People
Big ups to my good friend miclee for recommending this one. As he puts it, "I have faith in rock again." About time, man.

Who in the UK can pick me up the new Safari?
I would love you for life :)

(photo borrowed from Instyleshoes.com Forums)

The last few days music playing through my Koss Portapro cans has sounded bizarre to say the least. Checking it against some very stereo divided tracks, it seems as though the drivers had been switched on the headband. I can only suspect my coworkers for this one.

Revolver is to Bigbeat
Before Thanksgiving last week, a unusually thick copy Rolling Stone Magazine made it was into my mailbox. The issue, "The 500 Greatest Albums of all Time" was another large and exclusive list of records that clearly is forgetting classics from Fugazi's back catalog. But, so is the nature of this list.

Why I bring this to your attention is that I constantly see three records at the top of any such lists (including RS):
- The Beatles: Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
- Beach Boys: Pet Sounds
- The Beatles: Revolver

I'll avoid arguing the merit on the above three and must admit that before last week, I had only explored two of them.

As to why in 28 years I had never listened to Revolver is unclear, but after hearing Geo. Harrison's "Taxman" open the album, I plan to repent and repent often.

The experience of the album is very different across two monitor sets. Listening to it on heapdhones tends to lend a helping hand in maintaining what is assumed to be Geo. Martin's spatial intentions (though rumor has it that the boys preferred the mono mix - your local bootlegger should have a Japanese vinyl > CDR available for all those mono enthusiasts). Try it into your home theatre syetem and you'll see what I mean.

One shocking note that may have been explored many times over during the last 8 years: Can it be argued that the final track on Revolver, "Tomorrow Never Knows" is the predecessor to the Bigbeat craze of the mid 1990's? I think I can hear a taste of every major Chemical Brothers' single in this one track... thoughts?

[If you do plan to go out tomorrow and pick up Revolver, do keep an eye out for the 1998 Toshiba-EMI Japan repressing. This is the choice version.]

How bad is this new colour?

Due to the generosity and kindness of a good friend, the latest Elbow release, "Cast of Shadows" has finally made it to my ears.

As mentioned before, this release is still a good two months away from a US domestic date (Jan 13th to be exact). As to why V2 would delay its US release by more than 6 months latter the Euro/Asia date has me concerned...

Understandably, Elbow is not the biggest name in US music, but it may be one of the biggest names on the imports scene. Domestically, they have played a handful of gigs in 2003 outside of opening for the likes of the Grandaddy this past October. Eight openers (did we forget to visit Boston????) will not suffice in getting the word out on the US music market, sorry to say, but will keep those Elbow fans on the West Coast and NYC fairly entrenched as we wait for a presumed market blast from V2 come January.

As for me, well, I simply could not wait that long. A "BRTY" (borrow, rip, thank you) into iTunes and I'm covered until i can buy this album at fair market value. Let my friends in the industry scream in disgust, but maybe its a good thing I did get a rip. How else would I be able to spread my love for this disc?

Dont worry, I ripped it in AAC, not MP3, and I do promise to buy it come Jan.

Coming soon: some actual insight into "Cast of Shadows"

[For the record: the last disc to break my bank was in Daft Punk's "Homewerk" in early 1997. I simply could not wait the extra 3 months for its domestic release. Its the only import in recent years to force a purchase well ahead of the US drop date. Was it worth it? Come on...]

A Daily dose of Mix Mash
Looking for an easy daily fix of mix session to fill your aural spectrum? Turn to our good friends at Blentwell, providing
new links daily to a diverse selection of sounds and rhythms.

Blentwell continues to prove that online mixes will thrive as loing as the ear will listen. How better to keep yourself busy?

Some quick notes to ensure to all that the mind is still working:

• The punk electro mix is thriving


• Why is the new Elbow record out in the EU but months away from a US release?


• Sundance and IFC music docu's usually suck (re: Driver23)


• I need more soul records in my iPod


• pre-ordering music on half.com saves you money

We'll talk properly soon...

The Rapture DJ in London.
Well worth a listen if not to simply hear Special Ed's "I Got It Made" again!
The Rapture DJ Session on BBC Radio1
(Be aware this link will change in a few days and will be replaced with Fat Boy's latest sauce de gonads tomorrow).

Being without my Powerbook for a week caused less frustration that I had first expected but it caught me in the middle of a res-design of this site. Maybe now I can fix those nasty CSS bugs...

On a good note, I am half way through Stephen Fry's "The Liar" and listening to Tobias Thomas' "Smallville" (on Kompakt) courtesy of EZ.

Elliot Smith Remembered
http://www.nme.com/news/106526.htm

Apple is on the JET
As I mentioned just 8 days ago, JET is my pick for the best new band this year! Just as I was about to push out a nice long propganda peice on my love for their music, Apple goes a step further and features their track "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" in their latest iPod TV advert! The is the best possible promotion for any band! Big ups!

Also on the Apple front, iTunes was released today for Windows, opening up the iTunes Music Store to the missing 92% of the computing world.

iPod advert featuring JET

Listening to JET. More on them in a bit.

The last few weeks since returning from Barcelona have been quiet for me. Very few new full length releases have interested me into a purchase, so I have taken to picking up some EPs to test the waters.
The best of the batch is an EP from the Aussie band JET. Released back in May, "Dirty Sweet" is a great prequel to their Oct 7th (US) full length. Likened to the Rolling Stones and The Who, JET descends into that very popular 70's rock sound while adding a touch of garage noise to the image...

Added some new Kompakt releases to The List. Both are well worth the money and continue in the long held Kompakt tradition of releasing premium compilations.

Back from Barca
3 weeks is a long time but not long enough on the coast of Spain.
Below is a link to some amazing street art/graf that I photographed. Though not music related, it warrants sharing with you all.
Barcelona Street Art/Graf

Turin Brake's Ether Songs does the sinus good
Being sick in the dead heat of the summer is as catastrophic as being trapped in Solvenia wihtout some hard techno. Luckily the boys of Turin Brakes are here to help.
Ether Song is their latest release with a more uptempo vibe than their freshman release, The Optimist.
So far the new record has been good to me as I battle this sinus infection. Oly and Gale's vocals; though not as soothing as Vapor Rub, do help settle the mind.
Worthy of a listen. Track of choice on Ether Song: Self Help.
Someone send me some drops please.

1001 Tracks Should You Download
Cool thread beginning on the I Love Music forums. I've added a few of my picks.
Dig in and lay claim to some of your favorites.

i love music thread: 1001 Tracks Should You Download Before You Die(TM) ???
(http://ilx.wh3rd.net/thread.php?msgid=3778244)

More compression
With my CD's now properly stored,the time has come to re-examine why my 10GB iPod is full. The nemesis of the iPod looks to be the 192MP3.
Running out of room on this device was something I never thought would happen, but it has. in the beginning of my love affari with the iPod, I promised it that I would never allow for anything lower than 192MP3 to be decoded by the device. To my dismay, the "standard" MP3 encoding rate is a space killer. It sounds better than the lower rates. Hands down. Luckily Apple may be changing all that with AAC. Smaller files that sound comprable to 192? Even I didnt believe it until I tested.

After a long ordeal A/B sampling a variety of music between 128/160AAC and 192MP3, I can honestly say that I really dont hear a difference. 128AAC really sounds as good as a 192MP3; at least to my ears No arguments please. This is simply what I have concluded.

So as much as it irks me, I am re-encoding everything slowly (sans the Radiohead records and my MFSL CDs which will stay at 320MP3) into Apple's preferred 128AAC format. Some quick math show me to be emancipating about 2GB of space. Easily 50 more CDs into the iPod. I hope the ordeal is worth it. Pray for me...

Jack White's Finger Fix Video
A not so nauseaus photo and video profile of The White Stripe's own Jack White getting a couple of screws put into his finger. Thanks for sharing Jack!
http://www.whitestripes.com/finger.html

Compression
In my condo (like any condo in the city), space is an issue. For that reason, we build from the ceiling down in order to preserve precious floor space. Allocating CD space has never been an elegant project, but we finally agreed on a 550 easy access limit. I still have space for about 40 more... choosing IS becoming easier with age, but still not pleasurable. Behold "the dropform wall of sound."

Holy Shit! I got allocated for Euro 2004!
This is not directly music related, but it needs to be stated. As a die hard footie fanatic, I have attempted years to successfully have my name drawn in ticket lotteries which would allow me to view games during the World Cup and Euro Championships. Its never happen. My nice stack of rejection letters tells the true story... but, I always still go. In 2000, my dear friend Chris and I partied in Amsterdam during the final week of Euro 2000. Simply amazing.
My luck had finally changed. In the mail today arrived my FIRST allocation/confirmation letter. For the first time, I'll have tickets in hand before arriving! Thank you UEFA for the luck of the draw! See you at Euro 2004 Portugal next summer!

Revisit: "Big City" by Operation Ivy.
Amazing what the random playlist on the iPod will produce.
"This town in fucking insane..." - see above

Rock solid Blur show at Avalon Friday night; with a focus on the more "progressive" tracks from their catalog. Solid gig that revived me to pick up and renew missing stock in my collection. Trying to find the setlist from the gig now...

Someone had it rough
My favorite working class rock outfit, the Stereophonics, have just released their 4th LP, "You Gotta Go There To Come Back." in the UK (with no US release date in sight). I hate buying imports when a domestic release should have sufficed... but anyways...
"You Gotta Go..." has tossed me into confusion. Like most Stereophonics records, Kelly Jones sings his heart out: on tune and damn raspy, but this is more than raspy. Either Kelly's cigarette intake before each session grew or this man was awfully sad during the sessions (interviews point to the latter).

"You Gotta Go There To Come Back" is a tale of a man trying to regain trust in a woman. Its unclear if 'he' ever does.

Kelly and boys buried their 'walk and talk lyrical style' for a gripping 'heart in the back of the mouth' sound. in "Climbing the Walls" I hear some hope of a turnaround but it is obvious from its position on the LP that the mood of the record is to move from anger to sadness.
"I Miss You Now" finds honest vocals overdubbed on top of an agonizing Kelly humming heartlessly through it. Its a difficult record to stomach...

With the exception of two tracks on this album, its a full unleashing of heart and emotion, never before heard from the Phonics. Kelly obviously got fucked up big from personal issues and it can be heard easily from start to finish. Some overproduction on tracks like "I'm Alright" initially sound unneeded, but only help to add to sound they wanted.

Three tracks on this record feel disconnected from the full record. "Help Me," "High As a Ceiling," and "Madame Helga (a single)." Their positions simply break up the flow. Removing them from the CD playlists really helps keep the intended emotion running.

To V2: "JEEP's" sales sucked in the US. but the fall of 2001 was bad for everyone. Release this record in the USA. It's deserving. The Phonics has a fan base in the US. Their sellout gigs in NA alone show that.

For whatever reason, I was not able to finish my disucssion on the new B.R.M.C. single on my last try. I'll just state that its a good rock single and hopefully the boys do well with it.

While I am here, let me list a few of the music related blogs that I frequent for reads. The writing is very good and very opinionated. Enjoy and let them know I sent you.

The Astronaut's Notepad: http://www.astronautsnotepad.blogspot.com/
:: technicolor :: : http://othernessblue.blogspot.com/

B.R.M.C. - the boys are back in town
I always find it interesting when bands from the US go over to the UK Europe, and/or Japan and make it big. Most of them usually revolve around neo - heavy/death metal bands who's sound keeps the youth of Europe in a frenzy. But the boys of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club may be my new favorites.
Like most of the US, I didnt give nor pay too much attention to this West Coast rock outfit. I didnt avoid the album, B.R.M.C., I just didnt have the time to hear it (as ridic as that sounds).... but thanks to the musical gods, I was re-instroduced with their newest single "Stop." (to be continued)

Renewing stock
A few folks have noticed the increase in the amount of "classic" CDs being added to the 2003 List. Some have even assumed that these may be my first listen to such classics as "OK Computer" or "Achtung Baby." Not so.
The truth in the matter is that after years of abuse and constant play, many of these discs have gone dead from bad handling. In particular, "Achtung Baby." If my memory serves me right, this is my 3rd purchased copy in the last 11 years. Copy one lasted me a good 4 years before it brittled under heat stroke in my Nissan. Copy 2 lasted a good 6 years until i realized that I was handling nothing but an empty jewel case. Lost stolen? Unclear.
The same also applies to other non recent releases in my List. Lost, unplayable.. who knows what went wrong. They say CDs last 100+ years.... I wonder if they're referring to non played "shelved" discs... god knows mine get worked.

Nothing makes the day job go by faster than live music to keep you up. I;ve been glued to the Southside Fest 2003 (in Germany) live feed for an hour now.... Underworld live...Radiohead next....

Sonar last week... Southside this week. This is what the web is all about.

Sonar 2003 begins Today!
The pristine European music festival begins today in the sunny cty of Barcelona. Wish I could make it...
Luckily, we havethe next best thing: BBC Radio 1 is brodcasting a fair amount of events LIVE.

Listen live right now as Gilles Peterson bring us some amazing live guests: Bjork, Laurent Garnier, and the almighty Matthew Herbert.
This is going to be some serious fun...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/events/sonar2003.shtml.

Respect to WASTE for allowing for refunds to the folks like I who cannot make it to Giants Stadium. Youre professionalism in the frustrating situation is very much appreciated.

Things get worse for me. W.A.S.T.E. has done exactly what I hoped they would not:

from W.A.S.T.E. email:
-------------------------
... Please note that as a special service to W.A.S.T.E customers, all tickets
bought through our site will be handled differently than those purchased
through Ticketmaster. All ticket orders for the original Field Day Music
Festival purchased through W.A.S.T.E will automatically be transferred to
the one-day event tickets at Giants Stadium. We will automatically refund
any difference in face value paid and will randomly assign seats based on
our allocation. ..
-------------------------

Not happy about this one. A service to some, sure, but give me the choice please...

UPDATE: (Amazing 2 strikes days) WASTE has now given us the option. respect.

NEWSDAY: Ticket Seller Says Concert Moving to Giants Stadium

Field Day no go, go , new venue? - huh?
Though official word is not out, Ticketmaster is listing a new on sale date for Field Day Fest at Giants Stadium for one day only event this coming Sat. Talk about short ticket notice.

Though I know very little about the ongoing battles with the county, it must be stated that something is simply unprofessional about how this issue dragged on up to the last days. Granted that many large festivals only receive their "go aheads" a few days prior to their date, someone on the inside of this promotion house should have been clear with a verbal on the go ahead.

A venue change to Giants Stadium only 3 DAYS prior to the event is unacceptable. How will tickets arrive? Do they plan on 60,000 will call tickets?

Sounds to me like the winner here is Ticketmaster who not only picked up 2 sets of fees (for the now cancelled site and the new site), but will also rape all purchasers with "Next Day delivery" charges...

For those that make it to Giants Stadium, i wish you luck. For you all, I truly hope it all works out in the end..

Update: So i ranted a bit and got some of it wrong. The refunds look to cover at least some of the Ticketmaster costs which is in good faith... but I still stand by my view of how it was handled. The venue change was unfortunate.... but I guess we should be happy something is happening for those that want to attend.

More info at fielddayfest.com

Re-discovered missing classics.
LA's musical tastes vary as much as mine. Allowing her to dig into CD collections when visitng friends will usually lead to some begging for me to "copy" some her discoveries.
Copy schmocky... half.com or Amazon Used should have what she needs as original. Case in point: Fiona Apple's 1996 debut "Tidal" and the absolute perfect soul record of the 70's: Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life" (make sure and get the 2000 Motown remaster).

Fiona's debut is a damn good record. not what I am into right now, but when you can pick it up for 3.58 in "very good"condition (thats a total of $6.00 shipped), you cannot go wrong.

Stevie on the otherhand is a different story altogether. This double album+EP is so intense and loved... you'll be lucky to find it used for less than 20.00. You know what...fcuk it, buy this one new... the harmonics of this "true" live studio recording's mixdown is whats albums SHOULD sound like: compression free and unlimited. Buy this record for your kids if not for you....it goes without saying how much passion can be found here.

Help my poor soul: Any spare Radiohead Beacon Theatre tickets?
God help me. I'll buy you dinner if you can help me.

Finally updated all the new CDs in house. I think I am missing a few.

Spending a good deal of ear time with Badly Drawn Boy's "About a Boy" soundtrack. Typical soundtrack flow that lends itself well to occupational day work. Pick up this record. An amazing songwriter that is in a category of his own.

And I thought it could not get any better than the iPod...
Enough cannot be said about Apple and innovation. Point in case iTunes 4. The feature list is big, but only one will truly change how people listen to music.

Forget about iTune 4's ultra simple to use, The iTunes Music Store (which for the first time makes online music purchases, ad-free, personal, and so damn easy). Forget about iTunes 4's AAC encoding (which purportedly makes smaller and more listenable music files than MP3 @ 128). Forget about iTunes portability compliance with the iPod (where's Ogg Apple? The chip supports it!)...

The real killer function of iTunes 4 is Playlist Sharing
In short, imagine wanting to hear a track on demand, but without the wait, lag, and grey-legalmatters of p2p downloading. Imagine being able ask a friend if they have a particular song, and being able to remotely connect to that friend's playlist and actually not only listen to the song in high quality but to also be able to rewind and fast forward through that track in their playlist! As much as ffwd and rwd seems like standard operating procedure in our CD players and tape decks, its never been the case in remote (streaming) MP3 usage. iTunes 4 allows for all of this and much much more.

I, for one, not only believe that this Playlist Sharing will decrease p2p usage by Mac users (which has been mediocre at best up to this point), but will also decrease illegal music trading across the OS as a whole. No need to log into Acquisition and try to find that new Bonobo single (as you wait in a queue to download it).. Ask a friend if they have it and listen to it off their machine now!

What is even more interesting is that Apple only mentions this feature on their iTunes page in one small paragraph and only mentions it in terms of sharing across the local network via Rendezvous. no mention of WAN sharing is made, but IT IS AVAILABLE! I can see the RIAA and DMCA with their puzzled looks now....

My voice of activism passed away today.
Nina Simone, more than any other black American, has brought me closer to understanding, even if only on a small level, what true anguish was during the 50's and 60's in the US. The first time LA and I heard her singing "Missisippi Goddamn," we both were taken deep into a new spiritual call for action. Her penetrating voice not only sang, but truly screamed emotion to us. Make no mistakes, she sang only what she felt.... and what she felt was a big "fcuk you" to everything that attempted to bring her down.
For this Nina, you are my hero.

Ever got to a solid rock show and hear nor see a thing on stage?
The first time I saw The White Stripes back in April of 2003, I spent more time trying to figure out who the opening act was, rather than paying attention to the music before me (The Datsuns). Problem is with +6'6" tall boys drunk and singing around me short 5'6" self, it became apparent that I would not only not to see Meg, but I would also not be able to hear a damn thing. As big as the space was, sound reflects horribly inside The Roxy (save me from these fcuking photos) and leads to nothing more than an hollow echo when you're crammed between giants.

Hopefully this Sunday will be a different story. We have 4th row balcony seats for their Orpheum gig. The Orpehum is a much more natural sounding venue and more comfortable. Not only will I actually be able to hear what is being played (nice acoustics in the upper level of this old theatre), I will also be able to see the divorcee's from a good vantage point. Hopefully Easter Sunday dinner does not tire the mood. Add a double shot of express. and I should be good to go...

Also, for those in Boston Sat, April 26th, WBCN will rebroadcast this gig in its entirety.

And official word on Field Day Festival is out: http://www.fielddayfest.com.
Line up changes have been made since the initial rumor.... see you all on Sat June 7th.

Festival season is almost upon us whch means boring East Coast big gigs featuring some America's most mass marketed / consumed bands.... with the expection of one very "hyper rumor' of a 2 day East Coast festival...

Field Day Festival looks to be East Coast America's answer to Cali's Coachella or TN's Bonaroo. Let it be known that no official word has been made public on this event, but, some heavily interested players with the help if a quick and dirty wget of the aforementioned website did discover this very telling gif (now removed from the official site but archived for ages to come by yours truly). If this is any indication of coming events, I for one, will be packing my camping gear very soon.

Even Canadian bands have it bad in the USA:
Godspeed You! Black Emperor Questioned as Suspected Terrorists

The following email arrived from the Radiohead's Waste Dept. today. Nothing would be more ultimate than having your work on their big screens:

We've got a plan.
We need your help.

We're looking for moving pictures.
Can you make moving pictures?

Time is short.
This is what you have to do.

1. Take one of the live MP3's of a Radiohead track.
2. Make some moving pictures to it (can be anything: live action, animation, graphics
etc).
3. Make it at least 10 seconds and at most a song's length (although we prefer shorter).

OR... Have you already made a short film that would benefit from an airing?

Send your work to Radiohead at:

The Picture Gallery
w.a.s.te
PO box 322
Oxford
by Monday 8th May 2003

Formats Required:
For short films / whole songs : VHS (PAL) (You will be contacted if we require higher
quality masters)
For shorter animations, graphics: Quicktime (720 x 576 pixels) CODEC: Motion JPEG B (High
Quality)

Please enclose with it your name and e-mail address/telephone number.

Added newest addition to The List. Mostly all good.

Skinner and The Streets crew threw a jump up show on Thursday night. Anyone who can pull off a 2step version of 'Ghost Town' that works is deserving. Great show... short as expected.. but exactly what I expected.

Tell me whats wrong with this plugin rendering in Safari?

Tonight, The Streets live in Boston. Let's see what Skinner is made of.

So what make a good live show? The venue? The crowd? The Band?
How about a modern day 6 foot tall reincarnation of Janis Joplin?
Feel out Macy Gray. A soul-full of a woman who's know music and knows how to toss a crowd into a frenzy. Given that her last album, 'The ID' got caught between Alicia Keys and Jill Scott releases (Jill's albums being worthy of a full listen), it a pleasure to see her promoting her 3rd release, 'The Trouble With Myself,' by running a romping US microclub tour.
The Paradise was energy. Macy and her band (pure excellence) tore through re-worked hits and new album tracks. The full 2 hour show not only drained the crowd of energy by the last jam, but also left a solid impression on this music snob.
For those reading in from Philly, Brooklyn, or the Southwest, GO to a Macy gig. well worth the small admission price. True smokin grooves.

Most people that know me are aware of my sneaker fascination. I own more pairs than most humans have shirts... but would 'you' or I get get down for a pair of Puma's? Based on these purported ads from the EU, Puma thinks so ( 1 and 2). (borderline work safe).
How 'electro'...

Bunch of great upcoming shows:
03/19 Macy Gray (to see her high is to see Janice J)
03/20 The Streets (first Boston appearance)
03/21 The Datsuns
04/20 The White Stripes

Finally, the music returns...

I hate to admit this, but I think the Grado's sound better in the iPod headphone amp than in the fucking Marantz.....

This past Wednesday marked not only my 28th birthday but the start of a very loving relationship with an Apple iPod (thanks LA!).
How I lived without this device for as long as I have is news to me. By far the impressive piece of hardware ever developed. Sure we have all seen them: folks walking by with the big white earbuds.. . but until you actually hold one in hand and use it for a day.. you just will not understand.
The most difficult part of the iPod has nothing to do with the iPod itself but in choosing what to fill its 10GB of storage with. I rarely listen to music outside of my trusty Marantz CD5000 and Grado SR80's. I feared the loss of fidelity by converting to MP3, but I feel safe in the fidelity that LAME encoding gives me @ 192kps (via the iTunes LAME Encoder of course).
So what's in the iPod right now? A Carl Cox session, all the U2 and Coldplay records... encoding now: "Live @ the Social Volume 1 (the only Chemical Bros. mix CD worth owning)... much more to come.

...

For those in the USA (or access to HBO): The new Ali G show begins this evening at 00:30 EST. Respect.

Oh yes its been a while... the cold is cold in New England. So cold in fact, that it kept my fingers away from this forum. With the return of some warmth (> 35 F), comes a return to normalcy. Listed some new CDs in the list. Dig in.
Playing now: Hotel Costes Etage3. Always a favorite.

Listening to Nicola Conte's "Jet Sounds Revisited." Dope.

For those in the USA who have PBS (which everyone with a TV and antennae does on channel 13 VHF), make sure and catch the 3 part FRONTLINE series on "The Future of Sound." Part 3 focuses in on Iceland and its cast of interesting groups/characters. From my understanding, its well worth a viewing.

So no Walkmen/ Calla review (as you may have guessed by now). I unfortunately have not gotten my copy yet. Ironically enough though, they seem to have caught the eye of the advertising world (as Interpol did with the NFL advert heads). You can catch their 'hit' track "We've Been Had" in the newest Saturn Automotive ad. if you can break those holy gates, youre sure to make it big time.

Big ups to BC, a friend in the biz, that has eliminated my musical drought and provided me with a thick selection of new CDs to dive into. Of important note, was an advance copy of the domestic (US) release of Fischerspooner's "Feels Good Looks Good" (aka "#1"). So many of you should be asking, 'Who the hell gives a shit? It came out on International Deejay Gigilos back in early 2002 (see sidebar date 2002-02-xx).' True enough, but this domestic release is no simple repressing. Capital Records has taken this disc and completely remastered it with a bunch of new tracks. Its truly sounds good.... for a change.

Check the sidebar for the beginnings of the 2003 list....

Finally, the new Massive Attack has started making the rounds on all our favorite p2p's. My first listen is on now.... my thoughts in a bit....

2 weeks come and go.... come back tomorrow for my review of the Walkmen / Calla splt 12 inch....