new Rilo Kiley

Looks like Jenny Lewis, et al. went and wrote a disco record. I'm only about halfway through it and so far it's my favorite thing of theirs I've heard. I can't tell how much influence Warner money has had yet - the title track is a little glossy sounding, and there are shades of...Fleetwood Mac, mabe? But still! It's got a funky beat, and I can dance to it.

I'm hearing some vocal harmonies that are a bit reminiscent of the Watson Twins' contribution to Jenny Lewis' terrific solo record, but outside of that, this is a very different beast.

"The Moneymaker" is the first single, but you'll probably be able to steal that from somewhere else on the internests, so take this one instead:

Rilo Kiley - "Close Call" [5.2mb]

edit: watch the video for "The Moneymaker". It's got porn starlets in it.

Rock Lottery 3 this Saturday:

Here's how it works: Twenty-five hand picked musicians meet at 10:00AM at the evenings performance venue. These volunteers are organized into five groups through a lottery-based chance selection. The five separate groups are then released to practice at different locations. The musicians have twelve hours to create a band name and three to five songs (with a one cover-song limit). The groups will then perform what they have created that evening in front of a waiting audience.

I'm plugging this for two reasons: 1) it's a benefit for a good cause (being the Vera Project), and 2) I'm one of the 25 musicians doing it. So clearly you should be there.

http://www.myspace.com/rocklottery

Betty Davis:

OK, I have no idea how I managed to go as long as I did without hearing, or even being aware of, Betty Davis. (Not that Bette Davis.) She came up in a conversation with a friend last week, and I sought some stuff of her's out, and I have to say, it's funky as hell.

And you know than any woman who managed to stay married to Miles Davis for any length of time had to have been a tough-ass broad.


Light In The Attic Records recently reissued two of her albums. Peep that shit.


Anti Love Song

If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up

station break:

This has nothing to do with the bands that I intended to write about here.

I'd like to take this moment to proclaim that I heart Kelly Clarkson. That 'Never Again' song? Kicks ass. I get some sort of Pat Benetar vibe out of it, though she sounds closer to Corin Tucker in spots. Either way, I've been playing the shit out it.

Also: the new Blue Scholars and Busdriver records are the shit too.