Get the new Walkmen album for $5

The Walkmen have a new album coming out in August entitled You & Me. I love The Walkmen but I'm not posting about this because of that love, I'm putting this up because The Walkmen are currently selling the album ahead of it's official release date (8/19 on Gigantic) as a digital download for only $5. This is a deal in and of itself, especially since it's in delicious 320kbps, but these wonderful gents are giving 100% of the proceeds from these prerelease digital purchases to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. It's such a humbling and selfless act in this day and age and really hits close to home for me. A few years ago my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and went up to Sloan-Kettering for her surgeries. It was a terribly trying time for her and our entire family. As anyone who has had a loved one in a situation like this can tell you, it really rips your life apart. Everything you took for granted before becomes a question rather than the statement it once was. You start adding question marks to so many sentences that didn't need them before. Thanks to the people at Sloan Kettering most of those question marks went away. They answered every question we had, and in the end they successfully operated on my mom. The rehabilitation was long and at many points seemed as if it would never end, but here we are 4 years later and my mom's happy and healthy as can be, thanks in large to the folks over at Sloan-Kettering. Anyway when I read about this today on GorillaVsBear (who always seems to post the most relevant content around in my opinion) I just had to tell everyone about it. If you have a couple extra bucks, I can't think of a better way to spend it. You get a fantastic album in really high quality, completely legally and pre release, and you get to help write more stories like the one I just told. Alright, that's my piece, everyone be good and I'll try to make this whole posting thing a more than once or twice a month deal.

Download the new Walkmen album You & Me here for only $5.

All proceeds benefit the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

In place of relevant content

I present this video of some guy covering the Pixies' Debaser in his car on a Ukulele and a tambourine. Enjoy

I'm terrible

Updates coming soon....I swear.....

Mogwai @ Stubbs 9.12.08

Set your fucking calendars ladies and gentleman because Mogwai are coming to town and if you don't plan on going you are going to miss out on the most crushing live band in the world. I first saw Mogwai at La Zona Rosa in 2001 when I was just shy of 18 years old and my ears have never stopped ringing. Seeing Jeff Buckley perform in a Brooklyn church at age 11 started me on this whole music thing, but seeing Mogwai at 18 absolutely shook me. I didn't quite understand what I had seen or exactly how to articulate the way the music made me feel, but I knew that I loved it and I have never looked back. Since that first time seeing them, I have only had a handful of opportunities to see Mogwai live again, but each time I am there and each time they are amazing. As an added incentive, you don't need one but it's nice anyway, Fuck Buttons will be opening the show. I have seen this UK based electronic/noise/casiosandloopersandshit duo twice in the last few months (once at SXSW and once opening for Caribou at Emos) and have been very impressed both times. Can you tell that I'm excited about this one? The show is at Stubbs outdoors which will make this show unique for me having previously only seen the band in dark poorly ventilated rooms. Tix are $18 plus fees and go on sale this Saturday June 14th via Frontgate Tickets.

Mogwai - Like Herod (live)

Buy the new Young Team remaster here

Fuck Buttons - Sweet Love For Planet Earth

Buy Street Horrrsing here

In other Mogwai news, they are set to release a new EP shortly followed by a new LP later this summer. The Batcat EP, which features contributions from Roky Erickson of The 13th Floor Elevators is out on September 9th (digital and vinyl only for us in the US) and then a few weeks later the big daddy, Mogwai's new LP The Hawk Is Howling comes out on September 23rd. Both are due via Matador Records.

Frightened Rabbit/French Kicks show at Mohawk on Thursday 6.5.08

The band behind one of my favorite releases of the year, The Midnight Organ Fight, is set to play the Mohawk this coming Thursday. The band I speak of is Selkirk, Scotland's Frightened Rabbit. The trembling Leporidaes were last spotted by yours truly playing some exceptional shows during SXSW. While their recorded music takes pains to show some restraint, their live show really allows the songs to breath and quiver a bit. I really can't recommend the show more. Also be sure to stick around to check out New York's French Kicks who are headlining the show. I've seen them a time or two before and have always enjoyed their sets. They've got a new album out that, sadly, I haven't heard in it's entirety yet, but I'm going to try to get my hands on it before Thursday comes around.

Frightened Rabbit - The Modern Leper

Buy The Midnight Organ Fight here

French Kicks - Abandon

Buy Swimming here

Buy tickets to the show here.

Good shows in Austin this week

There are some good shows going on in Austin this week. Consider this a heads up.

Monday May 19th @ Antones

• Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Strange Boys
  
• Doors at 8pm
• Tickets here

Tuesday May 20th @ Mohawk

• Efterklang, Slaraffenland, Balmorhea
• Show starts at 10pm
• Tickets here

Balmorhea - Barefoot Pilgrims (MP3)

Buy Rivers Arms here

Wednesday May 21st @ Mohawk

• 101X Homegrown Live
  
• Experimental Aircraft, The Calm Blue Sea, Monuments
• Starts at 10pm
• Tickets here ($5)

The Calm Blue Sea live at The Austin Figurative Gallery - A Man Of Dangerous Dreams



Also note that before the show on Wednesday The Calm Blue sea will be recording a session for KUT's Radio Without Borders, which is hosted by Laurie Gallardo. I'll let you guys know when it will be available.

Friday May 23rd @ Emos (outside)

• Clinic, BBQ
• Doors at 9pm, Show at 10pm
• Tickets here
• Win free tickets at Covert Curiosity

Friday May 23rd @ Stubbs (indoors)

• This Will Destroy You, Lymbyc Systym, Mom
• Doors at 9pm
• Tickets here

This Will Destroy You - Threads (MP3)

Buy This Will Destroy You here

Lots of good stuff this week. Go see some shows!

New Frightened Rabbit Video - Heads Roll Off

Here's the new video for "Heads Roll Off" from one of my favorite albums of the year, Frightened Rabbit's Midnight Organ Fight. There seem to be a lot of kids in videos these days, and this video is no exception. I can see why, kids love music and definitely aren't shy about showing their enthusiasm for it. Be sure to check out Frightened Rabbit when they open for the French Kicks at the Mohawk on June 5th. Zykos is set to open the whole thing up so it should be a great show.

Frightened Rabbit - Heads Roll Off



(via P4k.tv)

Buy The Midnight Organ Fight here

Buy tickets for their June 5th show at The Mohawk here