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The Book of...

The Great Book of John - Let Me Slide

THE GREAT BOOK OF JOHN
thegreatbookofjohn.com

From Birmingham, Alabama, The Great Book of John is set to release their self-titled LP, out on August 16th via Communicating Vessels. The preview/free track they have released is "Let Me Slide".

The Great Book of John is fronted by Taylor Shaw, from Wild Sweet Orange. I didn't know this, but apparently the band broke up late last year. They seem to be on the up-and-up, having signed to Canvasback Records and even appearing on David Letterman and selling out the Fine Line Cafe here in Minneapolis...

I suppose if you were a fan of WSO, you'll be glad to know that some band members have moved on. So look for The Great Book of John to be out in mid-August. I am pretty sure a tour announcement will be made prior to the release. Stay tuned.

As a cover lover, I was pretty happy about their version of INXS's "Never Tear Us Apart". The song is not on their self-titled album, sorry!

THE BOOK OF MORMON
www.bookofmormonbroadway.com

Nominated for 14 Tony Awards, this Original Broadway Cast Recording for The Book of Mormon is on sale for $1.99 on amazon.com. This is kind of a weird twist, considering that it was Lady Gaga's album that was on sale previously.

Anyway, the deal is pretty sweet, considering it's 80% off, but you better hurry, sale ends June 14th.

The digital purchase will be a nice boon to your Amazon Cloud service, and it also comes with a digital color booklet with production photos, lyrics, and liner notes by Frank Rich.

Some awards for this Broadway show: Winner of the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, five Drama Desk Awards including Best Musical, Best Music (Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, Matt Stone), Best Lyrics (Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, Matt Stone), Best Director (Casey Nicholaw, Trey Parker) and Best Orchestrations (Larry Hochman, Stephen Oremus), four Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score (Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, Matt Stone), Best Actor in a Musical (Josh Gad) and Best Director (Casey Nicholaw, Trey Parker) and the Drama League Award for Best Musical.

As Charlie Sheen would say, "winning, duh".

Mick Harvey: October Boy

SKETCHES FROM THE BOOK OF THE DEAD
www.mickharvey.com

Is this album, Sketches From The Book Of The Dead about Ash and his fight against the Evil Dead? I hope so (it's not).

Well the Mick Harvey album came out last month, May 3rd on Mute Records, which was around the same time that we featured him on our Freebies page for his track "October Boy". You can still grab the free song at spinner.com.

According to Mute, Sketches From The Book Of The Dead is Mick Harvey's first fully self-penned album. He played and recorded most of the instruments on the album, but does get some help with Rosie Westbrook on double bass and J.P. Shilo on accordion & violin, with Xanthe Waite for backing vocals.

If you don't know Mick Harvey, he has been around forever. Started in The Birthday Party, moving to Crime and the City Solution, and eventually joining Nick Cave as part of the Bad Seeds. He's currently doing solo material, but was recently working with PJ Harvey.

ALINA SIMONE
alinasimone.com

Just briefly, speaking of books, Alina Simone announced her new album called Make Your Own Danger and a new book, "You Must Go and Win". Bookslut called the book "the funniest essays I've read in years". She's an interesting person to keep an eye out, I mean even Lara called Simone as Top 5 Bands to Think About in 2009.

Catch her on these live shows and book tour:

6/13 – San Francisco, CA @ Make Out Room, Rumpus event, 7pm
6/15 – Portland, OR @ Record Room, 7pm *
6/16 – Los Angeles, CA @ LA Public Library, 7pm**
6/20 – Boston, MA @ Brookline Booksmith, 7pm
6/21 – Portland, ME @ Space Gallery

* reading and performance
** w/ KCRW's Eric J. Lawrence

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

80/35 Music Festival Review

Tilly and the Wall ♥ photo by Elizabeth Soda (7/3/09) Man Man ♥ photo by Vu (7/4/09) Matisyahu ♥ photo by Vu (7/3/09) Tilly and the Wall Setlist ♥ photo by Vu (7/3/09) Poison Control Center ♥ photo by Vu (7/4/09) Miss Derringer ♥ photo by Vu (7/4/09) Paper Route ♥ photo by Vu (7/4/09) Wild Sweet Orange ♥ photo by Vu (7/4/09) Audrye Sessions ♥ photo by Vu (7/4/09) Girl in a Coma ♥ photo by Vu (7/4/09)

We arrived in Iowa on Friday, July 3^rd, morning, very excited to attend the second annual 80/35 Music Festival in downtown Des Moines. Already there was a few things I've noticed right away that the festival got right: awesome free parking, loads of portapotties, very organized setup, a lot of securities & volunteers. What I thought was disappointing was that the paid stage ($80 for both days) was somewhat expensive - considering that the two other stages (Mediacom and Meredith) lineup was just as good, if not better, for $0.

July 4^th weekends might not be a great weekend to have a music festival. At least here in Minnesota, everyone goes up to their cabins traditionally for a family get together. Most of the people that I've noticed walking around the festival were young people who overshadowed families and hippies (can someone explain to me the hula-hoops or the "balls in a sock" thing?).

Also, the one factor that put a damper on things was the weather. I realized this is beyond anyone's control, but you would reckon they saw the forecast predictions and would've been better prepared with perhaps a giant umbrella for the audience. Still, despite major contributor and sponsor, US Cellar, attempt to distribute rain ponchos, they quickly ran out in a matter of hours.

For the first day, I only covered the main stage, which included all the artists that I wanted to check out. Although I contemplated on heading over to Modern Skirts and Maps and Atlases.

 

Tilly & The Wall - Pot Kettle Black

Tilly and the Wall started off the festivities promptly at 4pm. The tap-dancing didn't start until the fourth or fifth song, and we were told that Jamie Pressnall is with child (if you couldn't have figured it out based on her newborn baby on her colorful dress).

Matisyahu - Youth

Matisyahu started off stiff (sunglasses, jacket, baseball cap) and thenreally started to get into it towards the third song. I suspect this is all part of his act, but that also means that they've kicked out most of the photographers in the press-pit (incidentally, there were a ton of media coverage for the festival). I have never seen an audience going bananas when M took off his jacket - just to give you an idea that the "act" works.

Towards the end, Matisyahu decided to do a stage dive - but the barrier was far, so the security team was right on top of it, moving the monitors and making sure Matisyahu can jump.

When Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks came on stage, I thought to myself that he "cut his hair". I also thought his drummer looks incredibly like the drummer from Sleater-Kinney - and did get confirmation:

Mendeley @weheartmusic yes she is! http://bit.ly/10Pss3
4:40 PM Jul 3rd from web in reply to weheartmusic
tigerpop @weheartmusic yes! janet weiss rules!
3:21 PM Jul 3rd from mobile web

Public Enemy's incredible 20 hour soundcheck was filled with "ai'ight" and "cd and dvd for $10". The soundcheck was so long, the press photographers, possibly bored out of their mind started taking pictures of the setup - in which the MC told them to "chill out, ai'ight, save it for the show, ai'ight?" This was followed by another warning and complaints that the DJ's third amp or something wasn't working. But the fans brave it out in the rain, I suppose sound perfection commands a high price, ai'ight?

I was only there to see Flavor Flav, who never made it to the show. For a guy with a clock around his neck, you'd figure he would remember the show started at 9:30pm. Incidentally, 80/35 official twitter notes: "It's unforunate about flavor flav but the show will go on and public enemy will bring it. #8035" at 5:04 PM.

July 4^th proved a little more difficult for me, as that day required me to walk back and forth to all three stage. While the stage are not all that far apart, my "slipper shoes" did not offer much support. Here are the bands I did manage to catch:

Iowa's Poison Control Center "got the party started" as their audience sung along, "love, love is the answer, until you get cancer". They are energetic and seems to enjoy playing their duct-taped guitar upsidedown.

Miss Derringer - Click Click (Bang Bang)

Saw Miss Derringer again, the setlist and performance routine was pretty much the same from a few nights ago. Although, I think the set for the two free stages were much shorter than the main stage.

They seem more talkative at the festival, always projecting this infectious happy to be on tour (and their performance won over a few new fans who eagerly bought the new album to have autographed). Singer Elizabeth McGrath mentioned on stage much she liked these festival food. Which I can attest is true as she offered some of her deep-fried food at their touring BFF's Girl in a Coma on the next stage.

GIAC's set was essentially the same as a few nights ago, only a bit shorter. I got a chance to say hi to them and mentioned that my good friend Melinda once got lost on the train with them on the other side of France.

Audrye Sessions-New Year's Day

Wild Sweet Orange - Ten Dead Dogs

I caught briefly Man Man, who I can only describe as tribal animals with pots & pans. Audrye Sessions seems really intense, Paper Route was impressed by the people on the rooftop watching them, Envy Corps had mad-audience attendance (they should've been on the main stage, not the free stage) who invade the stage, Wild Sweet Orange's hilarious "do you guys remember what we're called? Yes, that's right we're called Wild Sweet Horses!"

Broken Social Scene-7-4 (Shoreline)

G. Love and Special Sauce's show packed and ended their set with the popular "Cold Beverages" song. By this time, I was ready for bed... but I soldiered on for Broken Social Scene - who as Lara have mentioned to me before when she saw them last year that these guys "are old". She's right. What she didn't mention was that it's ridiculous that the band have FIVE guitarists. Really? Five?  Amy Millan from our favorite band, Stars, showed up on the second song and stayed throughout their (very) long set.

Ben Harper and Relentless7's fans are insane. I mean that in a good way. They were so passionate (and drunk) and wanted every opportunity to invade the stage. I saw so many fans turned away from trying to get a closer view in the photography press area. I have never seen that much excitement for any artist at the festival!

We left before the fireworks, so we can get home at a decent hour. Overall, I wasn't looking forward to another night of pitching the tent in the dark and/or with the rain coming down on us... Although it was a lot of fun, it was too much work for me (I'm not a big fan of driving and getting lost). I think next year, I will have someone else cover the show and maybe do the Taste of Minnesota thing next year.

Update: more photos at britrockatthetop.com

 07/05/2009 18:07:28 ♥ vu () ♥ 80-35.com ♥ myspace.com/8035 ♥ twitter.com/8035 

Wild Sweet Orange

Wild Sweet Orange - Ten Dead Dogs Wild Sweet Orange Tour Dates 07/31/08 Ear X-tacy in-store Louisville, Kentucky 08/01/08 Crofoot Pontiac, Michigan 08/03/08 Lollapalooza 2008 @ Grant Park Chicago, Illinois 08/04/08 Slowdown Omaha, Nebraska 08/06/08 The Varsity Minneapolis, Minnesota 08/10/08 Stubbs Jr Austin, Texas 08/11/08 Warehouse Studio Houston, Texas 08/12/08 House of Blues- Pontiac Garage Dallas, Texas 08/13/08 The Rustic Cowboy Shreveport, Louisiana 08/14/08 The High Tone Memphis, Tennessee 08/20/08 The Belcourt Theater Nashville, Tennessee 08/27/08 The Social Orlando, Florida 08/28/08 Common Ground Gainsville, Florida 08/29/08 40 Watt Athens, Georgia 08/30/08 5 Points Club Columbia, South Carolina 08/31/08 Village Tavern Charleston, South Carolina 09/02/08 Neighborhood Theatre Charlotte, North Carolina 09/03/08 The Gravity Lounge Charlottesville, North Carolina 09/04/08 Khyber Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 09/05/08 Southpaw Brooklyn, New York 09/06/08 Maxwells Hoboken, New Jersey 09/08/08 Fletchers Baltimore, Maryland 09/09/08 Canal Room Richmond, Virginia 09/10/08 Greene Street Greensboro, North Carolina 09/11/08 The Earl Atlanta, Georgia 09/12/08 Jack Rabbits Jacksonville, Florida 09/13/08 WMNF Birthday Bash Tampa, Florida 09/14/08 Real Big Deal Festival Gainesville, Florida

Wild Sweet Orange are really popular among selected group of fans, of mostly younger people (it didn't hurt their popularity when they made an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman on June 27^th). They even sold out the night they played at the Fine Line Cafe in Minneapolis earlier this year (which I suppose, looking back, is not a surprise as that cafe has very limited seating), but the good news is that they are coming back here on August 6^th at a larger venue.

 

Their long awaited debut album, We Have Cause To Be Uneasy comes out today, July 29^th, on Canvas Back Music (which also released the wildly popular Once Soundtrack).

I do get the impression that this Alabama band are a Christian band, or are heavily influenced by religion, based on their lyrics: "I woke up in water... I spoke in tongues, I took all my clothes off and oh my God..." on "Ten Dead Dogs", "your soul was coming out your eyes" on "Tilt", "I pray for an Angel on its way to comb her hair on "Seeing & Believing", etc.

That doesn't matter, because I think if you like sweet harmony and a beautiful, clear voice of Preston Lovinggood (what a name, right?), you'll like this album.� Take a listen to "Ten Dead Dogs" and you'll know what I mean.

 

By the way, I did read that the band, when played live, are "emotional" and "powerful", and on songs like "Either/Or" and "House Of Regret", I feel that these songs are going to be a favorite live as it really cut loose... so check them out on tour. Be sure to check out their debut album, We Have Cause To Be Uneasy.

 

Links: wildsweetmusic.com myspace.com/wildsweetorange