NEW: John Vanderslice - "Too Much Time"

*MP3: John Vanderslice - "Too Much Time"

John Vanderlice's new album, Romanian Names, will be out on May 19 via Dead Oeans. Here is "Too Much Time," the latest from this soon to be my favorite of 2009.

I love John Vanderslice.

Buy all of his records here.

MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

John Vanderslice Announces Tour Dates

*MP3: John Vanderslice - "Fetal Horses"

John Vanderslice added a whole slew of tour dates to his schedule today, including an MPLS date at the Turf Club.

05/17/09 Merced, CA - The Partisan w/ The Morning Benders
05/19/09 San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Shop w/ Special Guest
05/21/09 Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios w/ Special Guest
05/22/09 Seattle, WA - Easy Street
05/24/09 Quincy, WAS - Sasquatch Music Festival
05/27/09 Provo, UT - Velour w/ The Morning Benders
05/28/09 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court w/ The Morning Benders
05/29/09 Denver, CO - Hi Dive w/ The Morning Benders
05/30/09 Omaha, NE - Slowdown Jr. w/ Special Guest
06/01/09 Mpls, MN - Turf Club
06/03/09 Iowa City, IA - The Mill
06/04/09 Milwaukee, MN - Turner Hall
06/05/09 Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
06/06/09 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
06/06/09 Chicago, IL - Metronome Celebration (Early Evening) w/ Here We Go Magic, Apostle of Hustle
06/08/09 Cincinnati, OH - Southgate House
06/09/09 Pittsburgh, PA - The Warhol Museum
06/11/09 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
06/12/09 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
06/14/09 Boston, MA - Middle East Downstairs
06/16/09 Washington, DC - Black Cat
06/17/09 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
06/18/09 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
06/25/09 Dallas, TX - Pontiac Garage @ HOB
06/26/09 Austin, TX - The Parish
06/28/09 Phoenix, AZ - Modified Arts
06/29/09 Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour
06/30/09 San Diego, CA - The Casbah

(Ian Anderson)

John Vanderslice - "Fetal Horses"

*MP3: John Vanderslice - "Fetal Horses"

The always amazing John Vanderslice has released his first single from the forthcoming "Romanian Names," out 5/19 via Dead Oceans.

Upoming tour dates:

05/17 - Merced, CA @ The Partisan
05/19 - San Francisco, CA @ The Rickshaw
05/21 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
05/22 - Seattle, WA @ Easy Street
05/24 - George, WA @ Sasquatch!
05/27 - Provo, UT @ Velour
05/28 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
05/29 - Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive
05/30 - Omaha, NE @ Slowdown Jr
06/06 - Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
06/09 - Pittsburgh, PA @ The Warhol Museum
06/12 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williambsurg

Don't miss him!

MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

Video: John Vanderslice on KEXP

*MP3: John Vanderslice - "Time To Go"

KEXP Blog just posted video from the life session John Vanderslice did on air earlier this week. JV and drummer Matthias Bossi performed two new songs from the forthcoming "Romanian Names," due out May 19 on Dead Oceans. Below is one new jam and a couple of older songs, “Dead Slate Pacific” from Pixel Revolt (2005) and “Fiend in a Cloud” from Life and Death of an American Fourtracker (2002).







(MySpace)

Live Video: John Vanderslice - "Too Much Time"

*MP3: John Vanderslice - "White Dove"
*MP3: John Vanderslice - "Pale Horse"

John Vanderslice will be releasing his new album, "Romanian Names," on May 19 via Dead Oceans (a Secretly Canadian spinoff that he just signed to). JV is hitting the road with the Mountain Goats at the end of March as well, no MPLS stop sadly.

3/18 - Asheville NC @ The Grey Eagle
3/19 - Durham NC @ The Duke Coffeehouse
3/20 - Norfolk VA @ The Attacus Theatre
3/21 - Washington DC @ Sixth and I Synagogue
3/24 - Northampton MA @ Pearl Street
3/25 - Somerville MA @ The Somerville Theatre
3/27 - New York NY @ The Society for Ethical Culture
3/29 - Gambier OH @ Kenyon College
3/30 - Oberlin OH @ Oberlin College
4/01 - Chicago IL @ Epiphany
4/02 - Champaign IL @ Courtyard Café at University of Illinois
4/03 - Iowa City IA @ The Mill - Mission Creek Music Festival
4/04 - Richmond IN @ Earlham College
4/06 - Bloomington IN @ Buskirk-Chumley Theater

JV on MySpace

LARPERS Caught by Google Street View

Two battling LARPERS were caught on camera by Google Street View. I'm not kidding. Check it out here. After laughing for a good spell, I began to think about LARPing, and what it could mean to me: you know, the swords, the shields, the never-ending lore. So, I put a mix together of songs that I would pipe into my medieval helmet whilst I don the appropriate garb, wield a battle axe, and smite my enemies.

Please, imagine a montage of me running through fields with a sword slaying some shit up while this playlist is rocking me to victory.

Behold, my LARPING mix:

*MP3: The Microphones - "The Glow Pt. 2"
*MP3: David Bowie - "Life On Mars"
*MP3: Animal Collective - "Brother Sport"
*MP3: Fuck Buttons - "Ribs Out"
*MP3: John Vanderslice - "Time To Go"
*MP3: Deerhoof - "+81"
*MP3: Headlights - "TV"
*MP3: Dr. Dog - "My Old Way"
*MP3: Ten Grand - "Fuck You Guyses Teams"
*MP3: Frightened Rabbit - "I Feel Better"
*MP3: Hockey Night - "Style Raiders"
*MP3: Justin Timberlake - "Summer Love/Set The Mood"
*MP3: Les Savy Fav - "The Orchard"
*MP3: Marnie Stern - "Simon Says"
*MP3: The Knife - "Neverland"
*MP3: Deerhunter - "Lake Somerset"
*MP3: Copeland - "Chin Up"

So, yeah, special note. If you're in a larping club and are reading this, please send me a note, I might totally want in.

John Vanderslice Appreciation Post

Download: John Vanderslice - "Tablespoon of Codeine"

Last night marked the third time I saw John Vanderslice live (once at the Entry in Minneapolis, once at Schuba's in Chicago, and last night with Malkmus). Looking around at the crowd during Vanderslice's set, I couldn't help but feel that the deep appreciation I hold for JV wasn't shared by those around me. That's not to say that people weren't into it, I just think they weren't as into it as they should have been.

So, I thought I would make a you-should-really-like-John-Vanderslice post.



You can pick up all of his records HERE.

John Vanderslice on MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

John Vanderslice/Bishop Allen at the 7th St. Entry Last Night - A Few Shots

John Vanderslice

Bishop Allen


The show was fantastic and the photos don't do it justice. Bishop Allen were very dynamic and entertaining, and Vanderslice put on a seamlessly great show - he even ended it playing a song in the crowd. This is the first show in months I was sad when it was over.

JV on MySpace
BA on MySpace
(Ian Anderson)

John Vanderslice at the 7th St. Entry Tonight

Download: John Vanderslice - "White Dove"
Download: Bishop Allen - "Rain"

John Vanderslice is performing tonight at the 7th St. Entry with excellent openers Bishop Allen. Vanderslice is in the midst of a two-month-long epic tour supporting "Emerald City," his fantastic Top-Tenner this year, made mention previously by Jon here. Doors are at 8 p.m. for this 18+ show, worth a visit.

MySpace Page

(Ian Anderson)

Live Review: John Vanderslice, 8/11/07, Amoeba Records, San Francisco

Download: John Vanderslice - "White Dove"
Download: John Vanderslice - "Tablespoon of Codeine"

On Saturday, my last full day in San Francisco, I was lucky to catch John Vanderslice playing for free at Amoeba records in the Haight-Ashbury district. I'm going to preface this by saying that, though I've never been huge on Vanderslice (I saw him open for Pedro the Lion four or so years back), he's really, really grown as an artist and performer.

The area of the store right in front of the stage was packed – hipsters were stuffed into every possible aisle they could fit into. Many of the shelves swayed precariously as shaking hips crashed repeatedly into them. That's right, shaking hips at a John Vanderslice show.

Vanderslice, who confessed to being "distorted" at 2 p.m. on a Saturday, laid the rhythm on thick. I had never noticed Vanderslice's talent for making such tangible grooves before seeing him on Saturday (listening back, I can hear some gleams of Saturday's brave showing, but not much). The whole set had a tinge of 90's dark pop rock (imagine the feel of the Foo Fighters's "Everlong," but folkier). The infusion of that type of sound into his brand of folk-pop really set his sound apart from all the other folk-pop on the market right now.

On top of it all, Vanderslice had some super-cute stage banter. First he was off on a kick about John Cage, then "the ether" and then onto Sasquatch on the Art Bell show. It was pretty cute for a while. Then he just started getting long winded and annoying and then the quality of his performance dropped off sharply (as did his guitar's ability to stay in tune).

Vanderslice is embarking on a full US tour (and oh-so-conveniently missing Minneapolis) this fall. Even with a sudden downturn in musical ability three-quarters through the show, I would still say it's worth it to check him out if he passes through your hometown (And besides, maybe once he's away from the lingering hippy influence on Haight, he'll be able to focus better).

You can stream his full album at his MySpace Page.

(April Wright)

Stream John Vanderslice's Emerald City

Download: John Vanderslice - "White Dove"
Download: John Vanderslice - "Tablespoon of Codeine"
Download: JJohn Vanderslice - "The Tower"


Along with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Tegan and Sara, the other big indie release was Emerald City by John Vanderslice. As of last night, you can stream all nine of the tracks from Vanderslice's album at his MySpace Page. After a couple of casual listens, I will say that this is a reasonably solid album. It's not floating any boats of mine (which, at my income level basically boils down to either proverbial or toy), but it's a pleasantly executed piece of melodic indie-pop revolving around the emotions of 9/11.

I think that the record's strongest sequence of songs are square in the middle of Emerald City and I have posted them here for your listening pleasure. Check out "Tablespoon of Codeine," one of Emerald City's highlights. It's a highly addictive, electronically enhanced, song.

(Jonathan Graef)

Stream Sterogum's Tribute to OK Computer

Download: My Brightest Diamond - "Lucky"
Download: John Vanderslice - "Karma Police"
Download: Cold War Kids - "Electioneering"
Download: The Twilight Sad - "Climbing Up The Walls"

Stereogum commissioned several bands to do a 10th anniversary, song-by-song, tribute to Radiohead. Above you'll find four of the more noteworthy tracks from the set, and below you will find artist/track list and the link to stream the rest of the album! It's totally free and legal, so you should not hesitate to download all of these tracks:

1. Doveman - "Airbag"
2. Slaraffenland - "Paranoid Android"
3. Mobius Band - "Subterranean Homesick Alien"
4. Vampire Weekend - "Exit Music (For a Film)"
5. David Bazan's Black Coud - "Let Down"
6. John Vanderslice - "Karma Police"
7. Samson Dalonoga feat. The Found Sound Orchestra - "Fitter Happier"
8. Cold War Kids - "Electioneering"
9. The Twilight Sad - "Climbing Up the Walls"
10. Marissa Nadler feat. Black Hole Infinity - "No Surprises"
11. My Brightest Diamond - "Lucky"
12. Flash Hawk Parlor Ensemble - "The Tourist"

Stream the rest of the album here

(Jonathan Graef)

Cool John Vanderslice Interview About the Music Business

The Merlin Show - John Vanderslice Interview

Thank you Bill Caperton (of Ela fame) for tipping me on this one. Here is the first part of three 20-minute interviews with John Vanderslice on The Merlin Show about the future of the music business and what blogging has done to it. It's pretty cool and Vanderslice is rather articulate - plus, he has some good insight.

(Ian Anderson)