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wu_fei2

Wu Fei: Experimental Expression of Chinese Traditions

by Daniel Fuller Photography by Ellen Chu
JG_Thirlwell1

J.G. Thirlwell: Cinematic Mad Science

by Pete Klockau Photography by Eric Luc with styling by Nicholas Whitehouse
William Elliot Whitmore by Noah Kalina

William Elliott Whitmore: Poetic Discontent

by Pete Klockau Photography by Noah Kalina
Converge

Converge: Rules Were Made to be Broken

by Tom Vale Photography by Bryan Sheffield
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Seattle's Decibel Festival announces massive lineup

August 11, 2010
Posted by Minami Furukawa

Seattle’s Decibel Festival is back for its eighth year, this time boasting talent from 14 countries. The festival brings together technology and creativity through visual art, workshops, panel discussions, and electronic-music performances.

The musical lineup this year is long and impressive; Fennesz, Ben Frost, Eskmo, Alex B, Ctrl_Alt_Dlt, Mount Kimbie, and Starkey are among the nearly 100 performers, speakers, and visual artists scheduled for appearance.  With a world-class conference included (details have yet to be released), this event is an oasis of underground electronic music and art with plenty to offer. Read more

eg1

Ewerdt Hilgemann's imploded volumes

August 11, 2010
Posted by Minami Furukawa

German artist Ewerdt Hilgemann has been recognized in the States for some time now, his work reflective of America’s current post-industrial state: a gleaming façade collapsing from within. Comparable to Los Angeles’ industrial damage in the past years, Hilgemann’s volumes express the remnants of a bruised economy and the resultant collective mindset.

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Loserdom1

Zine Scene: Loserdom

August 11, 2010
Posted by Mallory Gevaert

Anto McFly, who produces the eclectic DIY punk-rock zine Loserdom with his brother Eugene, is not the only zine writer in Dublin, Ireland, but it can feel that way. “I think that zine publishing is still alive, though not as well as its been in the past," he says. "I would love to see more Irish zines being produced.”

Maybe the problem isn’t the availability of zines but what the future of Irish zines looks like. “Those being produced are mostly by people who have been around for a while," Anto adds. "I fear that younger people aren't inclined to venture into producing something on paper, or if they do, they spend so much time trying to perfect their first issue that it never sees the light of day."

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MoR

Masters of Reality to release Pine/Cross Dover on September 14

August 11, 2010
Posted by Minami Furukawa

Masters of Reality has been creating art and music for nearly 20 years, with plenty of musical accomplishments collected along the way. The duo has worked with Rick Rubin, Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, and collaborated with Stone Temple Pilots, Twiggy Ramirez, SOULWAX, and many others.

Straying from the emphasized improvisation and rhythm of its previous albums, Masters of Reality’s new full-length album, Pine/Cross Dover (out September 14 on Cool Green Recordings), combines elements similar to the punk-rock playfulness of Public Image Limited and the technical mastery of Mahavishnu Orchestra.

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Imbogodom

Thrill Jockey MP3s from Fennesz/Daniell/Buck, Coil Sea, and Imbogodom

August 10, 2010
Posted by Minami Furukawa

Thrill Jockey has a storm of exciting new material, all coming out on August 24.

Christian Fennesz, David Daniell, and Tony Buck's (The Necks) one-off performance at the 2009 Big Ears Festival was such a hit that the label has decided to release it as a live LP, titled Knoxville.

Fennesz/Daniell/Buck: "Antonia" (excerpt)

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A limited-edition LP of Coil Sea, Dave Heumann's (Arbouretum) new project with friends, will be available as an improvised recording project that resembles the sound of Arbouretum and Human Bell’s music. Watch the video for “Waking the Naga” from the LP here.

Coil Sea: "Lattice of AUM" (non-LP bonus track)

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A debut release by the ghostly psychedelic/ambient duo Imbogodom, titled The Metallic Year, is also due for release. The song “Unseen Ticket” mixes soft guitar strums with mellow piano under eerie tape loops, bringing to mind deep-sea exploration with its sonar blips. Watch the video here.

Imbogodom: "Unseen Ticket"

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Shorts
  • In case you missed it, check out Grinderman's video for "Heathen Child."

    Scott Morrow - August 11, 2010 at 8:13 am
  • Faith No More bassist Billy Gould just started a Twitter account for his record label, KoolArrow.

    Scott Morrow - August 10, 2010 at 4:08 pm
  • Guitarist extraordinaire Dave Miller (Algernon, Zing!, Blink.) has been posting lengthy interviews with a number of great Chicago jazz musicians and improvisers.  Yesterday's installment is with Tim Daisy, the multi-talented percussionist behind the new Vox Arcana album.

    Scott Morrow - August 10, 2010 at 7:54 am
  • Soundgarden was pretty excellent at the Vic last night.  Despite some iffy vocal moments (likely because it was so loud), Chris Cornell still has it.  It was awesome to hear "Jesus Christ Pose," "Head Down," "Fourth of July," and other deep cuts.

    Scott Morrow - August 6, 2010 at 8:21 am
  • Scott Morrow - August 6, 2010 at 1:16 am
  • Scott Morrow - August 5, 2010 at 4:33 pm
  • The track you've all been waiting for: a rap song about Ira Glass. Adam War Rock and Ruckus Robot Icus immortalize the bespectacled host of This American Life and bless the world with the new catchphrase "It's so Ira Glass."

    Kyle Gilkeson - August 5, 2010 at 11:33 am
  • Castanets wrote it, Sufjan Stevens covered it, Game sampled it: You Are The Blood

    Kyle Gilkeson - August 4, 2010 at 2:08 pm
  • Scott Morrow - August 4, 2010 at 1:02 pm
  • First his uncle was running.  Now, reportedly, Wyclef Jean will run for president of Haiti.  Clearly, he'd be elected "two times, times…"

    Scott Morrow - August 4, 2010 at 11:08 am
  • Scott Morrow - August 4, 2010 at 10:40 am
  • Scott Morrow - August 3, 2010 at 4:07 pm
  • Experimental electronic music fest Sonar Chicago will take place in Chicago the weekend of Sep 9. So far, artists include The Slew, Nosaj Thing, Martyn, and Efterklang. Sonar Cinema will be presenting films as well. More acts and events to be announced soon.

    Kyle Gilkeson - August 3, 2010 at 11:29 am
  • Check out "Chest Like Expansive Wings" by Devotionals, the new solo project by Tyson Vogel of Two Gallants

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    .  Devotionals' debut was released via Alive Records on July 13.

    Scott Morrow - August 3, 2010 at 11:25 am
  • The new Chrome Hoof album, Crush Depth, is so good.  More sci-fi doom funk.  Order it at Southern Records.

    Scott Morrow - August 3, 2010 at 11:08 am
  • Publisher and editor-in-chief Chris Force's guest blogging began today at the Powells.com blog.  Read his first entry:
    Small-Time Music Critic Asked to Follow Famous Author on Book-Nerd Blog

    Scott Morrow - August 2, 2010 at 3:55 pm
  • Def Jux recently began accepting pre-orders for King of Hearts, the long-awaited posthumous release from Camu Tao.

    Scott Morrow - August 2, 2010 at 3:27 pm
  • Serbian classical guitar virtuoso Goran Ivanovic and his band Eastern Blok hit the road for 14 shows in August. They mix traditional Balkan folk music with Latin, flamenco and klezmer, and elements of jazz. Featured is bassist Matt Ulery's new work, “The Underwater Suite.”

    Kyle Gilkeson - July 30, 2010 at 4:26 pm
  • I saw Tremor (of Buenos Aires) — who mix Argentine folk with rock electronics — at Beauty Bar last night. Catch them and the rest of the ZZK North American tour through August 15.

    Scott Morrow - July 28, 2010 at 7:33 am
  • Two of Every Animal is the new project by Def Jux rappers Aesop Rock and Cage. They're going by Animal One and Animal Two, respectively.

    Kyle Gilkeson - July 26, 2010 at 12:13 pm
  • Kid Koala confirms that the next Lovage album is "mostly done" and waiting on vocals from Mike Patton and Jennifer Charles.

    Scott Morrow - July 26, 2010 at 11:16 am
  • Stream Cruel Hand's new album here.  The band is touring Europe now and will spend four weeks playing in the USA as of mid-August.

    Scott Morrow - July 26, 2010 at 10:56 am
  • Mr. Lif freestyles from his kitchen.

    Chris Force - July 22, 2010 at 6:53 pm
  • Thanks to everyone who came out to the Design Bureau launch event last night. Awesome performances by Zing!, Andreas Kapsalis & Goran Ivanovic, and Herculaneum.

    Chris Force - July 22, 2010 at 4:21 pm
  • Needing only violin, cello, and drums, Judgement Day is more metal than you.

    Scott Morrow - July 21, 2010 at 10:41 am
  • Listened to the Jay-Z / DJ Green Lantern mixtape Creative Control today. It's all right — definitely worth a free download.

    Chris Force - July 21, 2010 at 9:00 am
  • Why can't Nine Inch Nails make anything as bad ass as the Broken EP? Also, how did I miss this crushing version of "Wish" with The Dillinger Escape Plan in Perth last year?

    Scott Morrow - July 20, 2010 at 7:00 am
  • I love how the SF Weekly spells Jim DeRogatis' name wrong during this entire feature.

    Chris Force - July 19, 2010 at 8:29 pm
  • Son Lux has a bunch of cool versions of his song "Weapons," but "V" takes the fucking cake.  Super electronic and orchestral.  Listen here.

    Scott Morrow - July 19, 2010 at 11:26 am
  • I really slept on Q&A by Qua. It's totally bananas in a great way. Really digging it.

    Chris Force - July 19, 2010 at 9:50 am
  • You know how El-P remixed "Baby" by Justin Bieber? Supposedly because he lost a bet to XLR8R? Oh, no? You didn't hear about that?

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    Chris Force - July 19, 2010 at 9:00 am
  • Beak and Cleric were great at Ronny's last night. Sorry, Cleric, we'll have to miss your gigs today and tomorrow at Exxxtacy.

    Chris Force - July 17, 2010 at 10:19 am
  • Rodrigo y Gabriela have a short US tour in August. Check out the new video for "Hanuman."  Shredding!

    Scott Morrow - July 7, 2010 at 4:32 pm
  • Ratatat just announced a North American tour for September and early October.  Dates coming soon.

    Scott Morrow - July 7, 2010 at 3:34 pm
  • Black Milk's manager, Hex Murda, has leaked one of his new tracks, "How Dare You".

    Chris Force - July 3, 2010 at 2:48 pm
  • Iconic saxophonist Fred Anderson, an important figure of the free-jazz movement of the 1960s, has passed away at the age of 81.  He helped found the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians in 1965, and his Velvet Lounge in Chicago is an important home to jazz musicians and improvisers.

    Scott Morrow - June 25, 2010 at 12:09 pm
  • Norway's Shining won the A-ha Grant, a fund from the famous creators of "Take on Me" that awards the winners roughly $125,000.  As a result, a new trip to the States may be in store.

    Scott Morrow - June 23, 2010 at 12:49 pm
  • Check out Afro-Punk's lineup for Saturday in NYC. Bad Brains, P.O.S, and God Forbid

    Scott Morrow - June 23, 2010 at 12:29 pm
  • DeVotchKa is in the studio to record a follow-up to A Mad and Faithful Telling

    Scott Morrow - June 18, 2010 at 1:14 pm
  • Legendary jazz composer/trumpeter Bill Dixon has passed away at the age of 84.  (Read his obituary here.)  This news comes only a few days after Chicago jazz icon Fred Anderson, owner of the Velvet Lounge, suffered a heart attack and was reported to be in a drug-induced coma.

    Scott Morrow - June 17, 2010 at 5:00 pm
  • Mastodon's six-track EP of material from the Jonah Hex soundtrack is being released digitally on June 29.  The full score, with Mario Beltrami, comes out this fall.

    Scott Morrow - June 17, 2010 at 1:19 pm