Asides

New Superchunk EP coming soon!

Good news in the form of a press release sent by Merge Records – Superchunk will be releasing a new EP in April, Leaves in the Gutter, their first set of new material in 8 years. The seminal indie rock band has played a handful of shows over the past few years and the tracks included on the EP were written during this time.

The most promising part of the press release is the indication that Superchunk is working on songs for a new full length. Mac McCaughan says, “We kind of felt like if we’re going to get to work on a new album we need to clear the decks of these songs first. A couple of them I really like but they already feel like they’re from another era and wouldn’t fit on a new album anyway, and the newer ones are from the new era but we’ve recorded them and they sound good so here they are.”

Leaves in the Gutter will be in stores and also available in digital format on April 7. Eleven days later Superchunk will be playing at Coachella.

Here’s “Misfits and Mistakes,” one of the songs slated to appear on the EP.

Track Listing:

1. Learned to Surf

2. Misfits & Mistakes

3. Screw It Up

4. Knock Knock Knock

5. Learned to Surf (acoustic demo)

Interview: Jason Isbell

This week ex-Drive-By Trucker guitarist Jason Isbell and his band – The 400 Unit – release their self-titled album. It’s Isbell’s second post-DBT release but the first where he’s put a name to the guys backing him up. And it’s with good reason that he gives credit where credit is due – the 400 Unit brings a consistency to Isbell’s sound, a consistency that was lacking (a bit) on his 2007 debut, Sirens of the Ditch. Don’t get me wrong, I loved that album and went so far as to call it one of 2007’s most “outstanding country-influenced rock albums” but it sounded exactly like what it was – a culmination of years worth of songs that had been brewing in Isbell’s head.

With less time to write, and more input and influence from his band, Isbell’s latest sounds like the fully realized vision of an accomplished Southern songwriter and contains some of Isbell’s strongest compositions to date (“Sunstroke,” “Good,” “No Choice in the Matter” and “The Last Song I Will Ever Write” are personal favorites).

Preview Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit CD.

I sent Isbell some questions via his publicist a few weeks ago. Read the interview after the jump.

Continue reading “Interview: Jason Isbell”

Interview: Alex Dezen of The Damnwells

Last year around this time, Alex Dezen of The Damnwells wrote on the band’s MySpace blog that he was busy recording some new songs in Mississippi with the band’s former manager Wes Kidd (ex-Triple Fast Action) overseeing things. With the depatures of drummer Steven Terry and guitarist Dave Chernis, and with bassist Ted Hudson seemingly giving up the rock n’ roll lifestyle for a paying career,  it seemed as if the music Dezen was recording was destined to be a solo album. But, as Dezen told me earlier tonight, there never really was the thought of releasing the stuff he had been recording under just his name. Regardless of who is playing in the band and/or contributing to the songs, it’ll always be The Damnwells in name.

It came as a shock then to learn just a few short weeks ago that The Damnwells were going to forgo the traditional label route and, instead, partner with Paste Magazine to give away … yes, I said ‘give away’ … the new CD, One Last Century, for free on the Paste Magazine website starting Tuesday, February 10. The Damnwells aren’t the first band to give away music but Alex has always had interesting ideas about how to get the music he writes out to the masses and he’s interested to see how this whole experiment goes.

While I’ve had the CD for a little over a month now (it pays to know people within The Damnwells camp), I’m going to hold off on a review of the CD until a later date. I’d rather you check it out for yourselves, without hearing any of my opinions, and let me know what you think by leaving a comment.

Take a listen to what Alex had to say just a few short hours before the on-line release of One Last Century.  The interview is just shy of 40 minutes.

DOWNLOAD: The Damnwells – One Last Century
DOWNLOAD: The AtomicNed.com exclusive Alex Dezen interview

Langerado 2009 Cancelled

Straight from the press release:

Today, the 2009 Langerado Music Festival is cancelled due to sluggish ticket sales.  The 7th annual event was slated to happen March 6-8 at their new home in downtown Miami’s Bicentennial Park.

Langerado’s independent local promoters, faced with a very tough decision in a dismal economy, cancelled the 2009 event only after every possible option was exhausted.

As Langerado Co-Promoter Ethan Schwartz explains, “Langerado has always put the fan experience first.  Unfortunately, during these difficult economic times, and facing a first year in a new venue, it’s become apparent that we cannot execute a production that lives up to the high standards of our past events. Putting Langerado on hold was the toughest decision we have ever had to make.  We are very grateful for the support of the greater-Miami community and the music community during this difficult time.”

All tickets purchased will be refunded.  Please look for ticket refunds to be processed in the next 5-7 business days.   Each order will be refunded to the credit card in full, minus the included order processing fees.  Shipping fees will also be credited for those orders that did not select the free shipping promotion.

Visit www.musictoday.com for more information.

More info here: http://www.langerado.com/land.php

Tour dates: Benjy Ferree

Benjy Ferree’s new CD – Come Back to the Five and Dime Bobby Dee Bobby Dee -  is available digitally TODAY and will be available in physical form on Feb.17.

To promote the album, Ferree’s eulogy to ’50s teenage pop star Bobby Driscoll, the singer will play a handful of dates with Tim Fite before a few appearances at SXSW.

Here are the dates:

Feb 19 TT the Bear’s Cambridge, Massachusetts
Feb 20 Union Hall Brooklyn, New York
Feb 21 M Room Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Feb 22 Thunderbird Cafe Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Feb 23 Beachland Tavern Cleveland, Ohio
Feb 24 The Pike Room Pontiac, Michigan
Feb 25 Schubas Chicago, Illinois
Feb 26 Northside Tavern Cincinnati, Ohio
Feb 27 Rumba Cafe Columbus, Ohio
Feb 28 Black Cat (Record Release Party!) Washington, DC
Mar 18 – 21 SXSW Austin, TX