Go to my co-presented CMJ show because, well, I can’t

Piper FergusonI suspect most of your inboxes aren’t reminding you of it quite as insistently as mine is, but the fact is that the CMJ Music Marathon kicks off in New York next week. Retirement or no, heading down is always on the table because hey – week/end in New York that I can write off. What’s not to like? Unfortunately, that’s not happening this year because of work and other logistics, and it’s especially unfortunate because this year I’ve teamed up with the good folks at Hype Machine and some other blogger types from YVYNL, All Things Go, and No Fear Of Pop to put on a couple nights of free shows.

My night is Wednesday, October 17, at Brooklyn Bowl where you can, indeed, bowl as well as see live music – what will they think of next – and the impressively international bill stacks up as follows: New York’s own Virgins, who had no small amount of buzz circa their 2008 party-friendly self-titled debut and are looking to recapture that with a new lineup and a second album, due out in early 2013. Ameri-Kiwi psych-pop trio Unknown Mortal Orchestra, who’ve been turning heads whilst opening for Grizzly Bear on their Fall tour and have just announced they’ve signed to Jagjaguwar for the February 5 release of their second album II. From Los Angeles, The Neighbourhood do a kind of dark, neo-soul writ rock and have been making an impression with their debut EP …I’m Sorry. Copenhagen’s Indians, who recently found the perfect home for their dream-induced folk-pop with legendary label 4AD; their debut full-length is due out in 2013 and they’re opening up for Other Lives on tour this Fall – which is good, because it means I can catch them at The Horseshoe on November 23. And finally, there’s JJAMZ, the improbable West Coast electro-pop supergroup drawing DNA from Rilo Kiley, Phantom Planet, The Like, and, um, Maroon 5. Hey, it’s eclectic!

So if you’re going to be in New York next week – be it visiting or residing – do RSVP and show up, knock down some pins, cut a rug, whatever being in Williamsburg compels you to do. And if you do go, let me know how it is, yeah?

MP3: The Virgins – “Venus In Chains”
MP3: Unknown Mortal Orchestra – “I’ll Come Back 4 U”
MP3: Indians – “I Am Haunted”
Video: The Neighbourhood – “Female Robbery”
Video: JJAMZ – “Heartbeat”

Closer to home, it really doesn’t seem like there’s been a time in the past few years when Ty Segall didn’t have an album coming out and/or a show coming up. His third record of 2012, Twins, just came out this week and even though he was just here at The Hoxton a few weeks ago, he’s already scheduled a return engagement – and this time the show will be Phoenix-sized. He’s back on February 6, tickets $16.50 in advance.

MP3: Ty Segall – “Don’t Talk To Me”
Video: Ty Segall – “The Hill”

Savoir Adore gets some blog love as BrooklynVegan has premiered a new video and My Old Kentucky Blog has a stream of their new album Our Nature, out next Tuesday. They’re at Rancho Relaxo tomorrow night.

MP3: Savoir Adore – “Sparrow”
MP3: Savoir Adore – “Dreamers”
Video: Savoir Adore – “Empire Of Light”
Stream: Savoir Adore / Our Nature

Spinner talks to Benjamin Gibbard about his solo debut Former Lives, out next Tuesday but available to stream in whole now. He’s at the Danforth Music Hall on Sunday, October 14.

MP3: Benjamin Gibbard – “Teardrop Windows”
Stream: Benjamin Gibbard / Former Lives

The Aquarian, amNY, and PopMatters talk to John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats while The AV Club solicits a goth playlist and The Fader a reading list. The Mountain Goats are at The Phoenix next Saturday, October 20, and they’ve just released both a new video and download from Transcendental Youth.

MP3: The Mountain Goats – “Amy aka Spent Gladiator 1”
Video: The Mountain Goats – “Cry For Judas”

There’s been a flurry of Sharon Van Etten goodness over the last few days – a new video from Tramp, a Black Cab Session, and a stream of a duet with Rufus Wainwright taken from a forthcoming Starbucks-assembled holiday compilation called Holidays Rule, available where you buy coffee come October 30.

Video: Sharon Van Etten – “Magic Chords”
Stream: Rufus Wainwright and Sharon Van Etten – “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”

Spin reports that Dinosaur Jr will release a vintage live recording on vinyl come November 19; Chocomel Daze (Live 1987) is available to preorder now and a sample from it is streamable below.

Stream: Dinosaur Jr – “The Lung” (live 1987)

DIY talks to Jason Lytle, in town opening for Band Of Horses at Massey Hall on December 5.

A new video from M. Ward’s A Wasteland Companion has premiered over at Team Coco.

Video: M. Ward – “Me And My Shadow”

Paul Westerberg talks to Rolling Stone about the covers benefit EP that will eventually be coming out credited to The Replacements.

Toro has an interview and Chart a video session with The Antlers.

The Alternate Side welcomes Bob Mould to their studios for a video session.