Glory be – Splendid has an interview with Dean Wareham and Damon Krukowski of Bostonian slowcore/shoegaze/indie legends Galaxie 500 about their former band’s place in history and their new DVD retrospective Don’t Let Our Youth Go To Waste (link from The GPC). The interview is a nice compliment to the DVD liner notes/interview, wherein all three G500-ers are interviewed by Yo La Tengo’s James McNew. While the interviews make it seem as though the acrimony that resulted when Galaxie 500 split has receded somewhat, things aren’t necessarily mended. Damon says, “We haven’t been in the same room since the band broke up. We are extremely estranged but it’s receding rapidly into the past”, while Dean is quoted as saying, “Damon, Naomi and I are on better terms than we have been, which is nice. We still don’t really speak — they were really angry when I quit — but I think it’s hard to say angry at someone.” Seeing as how all three have gone on to forge respectable solo careers (Dean with Luna and Damon and Naomi as, uh, Damon & Naomi), it’s nice that they can look back on their former band’s accomplishments with pride and affection, if not their interpersonal relationships.

As for the DVD itself, it’s an interesting document of the band’s short career. It comprises their three appropriately arty videos and a bunch of live performances, most culled from bootlegs and amateur videographers. The quality runs from pretty damn decent to pretty damn laughable (watch for the basketball hoop in the gymnasium). The only bit of commentary comes from an interview for some unidentified UK television station wherein the band talks about their perceived “wimpiness”. Still, the music and performances are great and it’s fun to see just how absurd Naomi’s earrings got over time and how much mileage Dean can get out of a single Spacemen 3 t-shirt (To which Dean says, “It didn’t occur to me that there would be a DVD later — otherwise I would have had different outfits and I wouldn’t have worn the same thing twice”).

Besides the DVD, a new/old compilation called The Uncollected Galaxie 500 was released just last week. Featuring live and unreleased tracks, it was originally the bonus disc in the Galaxie 500 box set that came out in 1996 and but is now available on its own, obviously for fans only. For the unconverted but curious, check out The Portable Galaxie 500, a compilation released the same time as the box set. It’s as advertised, a good introduction to the underground legends pulling together tracks from their three studio albums and the live Copenhagen disc. Finally, there’s a tribute album – Snowstorm – featuring a bunch of bands I’ve never heard of and a handful that I have. No idea if it’s any good.

And to close the topic, one little fun bit of G500 trivia: when the band first formed in university, they had some trouble rounding up the necessary gear to perform. They ended up borrowing their kit from a fellow Harvard freshman, name of Conan O’Brien.

It’s funny how the Splendid interview touched on the topic of Galaxie 500 living in the shadow of fellow Beantown indie gods the Pixies during their original lifespan, and now more than a decade later when they’re getting some posthumous recognition, the Pixies come back from the dead for a reunion tour and cash grab. Some bands can’t catch a break, not even in this blog – all that G500 love and I have to follow up with a Pixies bit: Frank Black has just revealed exactly what his next solo record Frank Black Francis will comprise – one disc of pre-Pixies demo material and one disc of Pixies material re-recorded as “this sort of freeform, not jazzy, but kind of new-age-y weirdo thing” with members of Two Pale Boys. There’ll also be a new album of original material coming out next year called Honeycomb, which was made in Nashville with session musicians.

And finally, to wrap up today’s Boston content, Tanya Donelly talks to The Boston Herald about Whiskey Tango Ghosts and what to expect from the next album being recorded live at the end of the month.

Shows announcements: Las Vegan hype machine The Killers are at the Opera House October 11 and New York arty-pants Blonde Redhead and The Liars are at the same venue October 22.

So I got my TIFF coupon book in the mail yesterday. It’s literally a sheet of ten perforated coupons that say “This coupon is valid for one Toronto International Film Festival film ticket”. Um. What? I have no idea what to do with these, nor was the accompanying letter of much use. Seriously, if someone can explain to me exactly what the Hell I’m supposed to do with these, I’d really appreciate it. They look like I should be able to trade them in for beer. Really really expensive beer.

np – Old 97’s / Too Far To Care

Rilo Kiley may have left Saddle Creek to release More Adventurous (out next Tuesday) on their own Brute/Beaute label, but they still seem to like partying with the Nebraskans. Joining them on their Fall tour will be former labelmates Now It’s Overhead (featuring Maria and Orenda from Azure Ray) and tap-dancing Tilly & The Wall. The October 2 Toronto date still hasn’t been confirmed, but I’d imagine they’ll be playing Lee’s Palace. Apparently the last time they played Canada it was to a whopping 5 people… That apocryphal factoid was taken from the preface of this interview with Jenny Lewis, and isn’t a direct quote. I don’t know what they’re talking about, their last time in T.O. was Fall 2002 at Lee’s Palace opening for Idaho, and while I wasn’t there I have to think that there was more than just the bar staff in attendance. (Photo by Wendy Lynch for Under The Radar)

Speaking of Saddle Creek, Bright Eyes will be releasing not one, but two new albums in January, one “traditional and folksy”, the other “more digital and poppy”. The incomporable Emmylou Harris does backing vocals on three tracks on the first album – now there’s a bizarre combination of voices. Anyway, both albums are intended for release on the same day next year. For the record, Bright Eyes are still on my shit list for cancelling their show in town last summer out of SARS fears, doing absolutely nothing to dispell Conor Oberst’s reputation as a scaredy cat. Hear that Conor? You’re on my shit list. Gonna cry? Gonna write a song about it?

The Morning News had a terrific round-table discussion about MP3 blogs with some of the top names in the game, including Sean from Said The Gramophone and Dave from Largehearted Boy, two of my daily reads. There’s a lot of good discussion about the value and influence mp3 blogs have to promote new music and each blogger’s personal aesthetic. There’s even a shout-out from Dave to your’s truly (thanks, Dave!). If nothing else, it reminded me why my site will never properly qualify as an mp3 blog – I’m lazy and they sound like a helluva lot of work. I have my hands full with daily posting and a weekly mp3.

The Online Film Critics Society has compiled their 100 Most Overlooked Films of the 1990s. I don’t know exactly what their definition of “overlooked” is – I see films that have amassed great critical acclaim and more than a few Oscar nominees on the list – but it’s probably just meant as a list of “films we like that weren’t blockbusters”. I’ve seen a mere twenty of these selections, perhaps I’ve found a new list for when I hit the video store without a clue of what to rent? Oh yeah, glad to see Truly, Madly, Deeply ranked so high up on the list – that’s been a long-time favourite of mine. Alan Rickman’s best role and he’s not even playing a villain! It’s what Ghost could have been if it didn’t suck so hard. If you haven’t seen it, do so. And if you’re making fun of me for liking a chick flick, fuck you.

The Bourne Supremacy was solid – not in the 70s Blaxploitation film hero/heroine sense, but in the ‘that was entertaining and did not have massive plot holes that offended my very being’ way. It’s much less character-driven than the first film and much more action-oriented. Matt Damon pretty much has one facial expression through the whole film, that of stony-faced determination, Julia Stiles cries like a little girl, Brian Cox is a bad guy and Franka Potente probably gets the easiest second-billing she’ll ever have. Much has been made of Paul Greengrass’ hyper-kinetic direction, with super-fast cuts through all the action sequences, and for the most part it works. The shaky-cam does get annoying at times but it’s not so overbearing as to be disruptive. Somehow your brain is able to process all the images being thrown at it and assemble a coherent idea of what is transpiring. That or I was just imagining the car chases out of Ronin instead.

David O Russell’s new film I (Heart) Huckabees will be playing at the TIFF in September. It will be gala premiere, so I would think it’s reasonable to assume that some of the cast will be in town for the festivities – Helloooo Naomi Watts. I’ve found my #1 choice for ticket selections.

So… the Olympics start on Friday, right? I like the Olympics. These sorts of sporting events are pretty much the only time you’ll find me being all “rah rah” patriotic, ever. Not face-painting foam-finger “rah rah”, but following sports and results for Canada that I usually have absolutely no interest in. “How did we do in table tennis?!?”

And finally, witness – Best. Ad. Ever. From TMFTML.

np – Paco / This Is Where We Live

This survey, allegedly from All-Music Guide, has been kicking around lately so in light of another slow news day, I figured a good old fashioned list is always good blog ballast. Many of these responses are off the cuff, so don’t take em too seriously. And because there’s no image that logically goes along with a list of musical favourites, I give you this splendid picture from my immense collection of Gary Coleman photos.

First Record Bought: R.E.M. / Document (on cassette)

First Concert: The Grapes Of Wrath at the Oakville Waterfront Festival, May 1992

Favourite Music Movie: Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band

Favourite Music Book: Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991 by Michael Azerrad

Favourite Songwriter: Jeff Tweedy

Favourite Producer: Dave Fridmann

Favourite Record Label: Sony-BMG-Warner-EMI-Universal. Is there another?

Favourite Magazine: Magnet

Favourite Bassist: Bruce Thomas of The Attractions

Favourite Album Cover: My Bloody Valentine / Loveless – so perfect.

Favourite Teen Idol: Mandy Moore seems like such a nice girl.

Artist Who Broke Your Heart: That seems awful dramatic, doesn’t it? Can I say biggest disappointment – Ryan Adams?

Artist You Will Always Believe In: Jeff Tweedy

Singer Who Makes Your Skin Crawl: Courtney Love. Actually, everything about her makes my skin crawl.

Singer Who Makes You Swoon: Tanya Donelly. Runners-up: Gemma Hayes… And Nina Persson… And Emmylou Harris… Hmm, I swoon easy.

Favourite Sound: Deep, twangy, tremoloed guitar.

Album You Will Always Defend: Belly / King. Those four billion people who sold their copies to the used shops are fools.

Album You Own That No One Else Does: Belly / King – apparently everyone else sold theirs.

Classic Album You Own but Don’t Like: Pink Floyd / Dark Side Of The Moon

Artist You’re Supposed to Like but Don’t: Almost every ‘next big thing’ that’s come out of New York in the last three years (Sea Ray and Interpol excepted)

Song You Can’t Stand by an Artist You Like: The Beatles – “Revolution No 9″… What, too obvious?

Band That Should Break Up: The Tea Party

Band That Should Re-form: Ride. I don’t think it would be embaressing, really. Tarantula? Never heard of it.

Guilty Pleasure: Philip Oakey and Giorgio Moroder – “Together In Electric Dreams”

Favourite Music DVD: I Am Trying To Break Your Heart. Runner-up: Standing In The Shadows Of Motown

Concert You Wish You’d Seen: Rollercoaster, featuring My Bloody Valentine, Blur, The Jesus And Mary Chain and Dinosaur Jr.

Dream Collaboration: Fred Durst and a wood chipper. And by “and”, of course, I mean “in”.

The London Review looks at songs that people probably don’t realize are covers.

Chart talks to The Sadies about their new album Favourite Colours (out August 24) and how they ended up working with Robyn Hitchcock on the record.

Nellie McKay fans may want to head over here to download a half dozen live shows and demos of a couple new songs that she’s been performing live on the most recent tour. There had been some noise earlier this year about a new album out in October but I haven’t heard anything on that topic of late.

Comic Book Resources talks to Joss Whedon about his run on Astonishing X-Men, which in my opinion is the only bright spot in the most recent “X-Men Reloaded” title shuffle/debacle (“Grant Morrison? Never heard of him. He never wrote this title. Never.”). We’re three issues in to his 12-issue run, and while it’s still too early to really say if he’s going to do anything remarkable with the plot, his ear for dialogue which made Buffy so much fun is definitely intact. And it doesn’t hurt that the visuals are being provided by the ridiculously talented John Cassaday – the artwork looks so good I’m even willing to forgive Cyclops’ horrible horrible costume. The link has some sample artwork from issue #4.

np – Gemma Hayes / Night On My Side

Sunday night wes dedicated to power pop with a capital ‘P’ on the ‘power’. On the slate at Lee’s Palace were The Neins, Rogue Wave and solo New Pornograper AC Newman.

The Neins hail from Vancouver, and not Portland as I’d originally thought (as there is another band called The Neins outta Oregon – it’s just as well that I didn’t get around to listening to any samples because I would have been listening to the wrong band). They sounded a lot like The Mountain Goats by way of Athens, GA due to Cameron Dilworth’s high, edge-of-breaking tenor and their slightly psych song structures. I was impressed with the polish of their music and performance, particularly since they seem so young. Or maybe I just seem old. Anyway, good stuff to start off the night even if the room was awfully empty when they took the stage.

I had gone to the show primarily to see Oakland’s Rogue Wave as I’ve been enjoying their debut album Out Of The Shadow and have heard good things about their live show. I wasn’t quite expecting the full-out rock attack that they came to town with, though. If you haven’t heard the record, it’s primarily acoustic with some tasteful electric guitar and synth embellishments though you’d never have guessed it from their performance. Every song in the set got a fully amped makeover and while I won’t say that they all benefitted from the extra wattage – some of the lovely delicacy of the record was obviously lost – it definitely made for a more powerful and impressive set. And loud. A lot with the loud.

But not as loud as Carl Newman’s travlling sideshow. I haven’t heard his solo debut The Slow Wonder but the tracks I have heard haven’t really blown me away. But still, I do love The New Pornographers and many folks whose opinions I respect have been gushing about the record so I was certainly prepared to have my mind changed – and changed it was. Not in a road to Damascus sort of way, but I definitely enjoyed the show and will be seeking out a copy of the album. Newman has done well in filling his band with a crew of hyperkinetic freaks to raise the energy level in grand rock fashion – how often do you see not one, but TWO Flying V’s on stage? Playing primarily as a four-piece, they also brought a few of The Neins onstage to help out with extra guitar, melodica or percussion duties as needed. The set was mighty short – barely an hour including encore, but just about right length for a concentrated does of pop goodness.

My only complaint on the night was Lee’s Palace’s decision to use the crappiest possible combination of lights for the show – sure, that’s a complaint that’s probably mine and mine only, but even though I had my run of the front of the stage and two wings, I could barely get a decent picture from anywhere. In the grand scheme of things, it really doesn’t matter, but I’ve been on a bit of a nice run of getting good show pictures so it was a bit of a letdown – after all, how often do you see shows where all three bands have cute girl bassists? Oh well. Photos here.

Why did the Pixies reunite? They’re in it for the money, of course, But at least they’re honest about it and are putting on good shows. So everybody wins – especially Joey Santiago’s kids. The New York Times article also has some history from the band and a look at what future there might be. From The Mutual Slump.

Watched the “Explosive Extended Edition” of The Bourne Identity yesterday to bring myself up to speed on what happened in the first film before I get around to seeing the second one. I’d seen it theatrically when it was first out and enjoyed it, my only complaint at the time was that Matt Damon looked way too young to be a super-spy. I happened to catch his birthdate in one of the passports on the second go-around and noted that he’s supposed to be 33 (if we’re to assume that the year in the film was 2002). Uh-huh. Anyway, the DVD re-release really wasn’t all that extended and certainly wasn’t much more explosive (which is to say not at all). They tack on an new beginning and ending segment, ostensibly to better bridge the first film with the second one, but the new opening really doesn’t make any sense and certainly doesn’t add anything except to set up the new closing scene, which I didn’t think was necessary at all. Oh well, I’m sure they sold a bunch more DVDs, and really – isn’t that what really matters? Still enjoyed the movie overall, though. Franka Potente? Thumbs up.

np – Slumber Party / 3

The little dude in the image is the nutcracker favour thingee I got at my friend Lisa’s wedding yesterday – it’s actually quite cool, it has the working jaw lever and everything. Of course, being Christmas tree ornament-sized, it’s not really capable of cracking any sort of nut, but that’s not his fault. He’s doing his best.

The wedding went well, took up pretty much the whole day. First I got to drive down to Hamilton – GOD I hate traffic – for the ceremony which was held in the same catherdal that I graduated from high school in over eleven years ago. It was reasonably quick for a Catholic service, coming in at exactly an hour. I was impressed. The reception that evening was up by the airport and was quite possibly the longest dinner I’ve ever sat through. It was after 11pm before the desserts and toasts and all were done with, and I had to hoof it pretty much right after, I was so beat. The dinner itself was good though I couldn’t really avail myself of the open bar since I was driving. All in all it was a pleasant day of catching up with old friends from high school.

We had more than a few hours to kill between the ceremony and the reception (isn’t that always the way?), which we spent at a friend’s place watching Lawrence Kasdan’s Silverado on TV. I remembered watching Silverado way back when it first came out almost twenty years ago and enjoying it immensely – I was pleased to see that it still held up pretty well after all this time. It’s a pretty standard good guys versus corrupt sherrif guy western featuring a pretty solid cast – Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn (whom I thought was Tommy Lee Jones…), Danny Glover, Rosanna Arquette, Jeff Goldblum, John Cleese, Brian Dennehey and a young Kevin Costner – even by today’s standards. Unfortunately we had to leave before the final 20 minutes or so so I didn’t get to see how it ended. I could probably just pick the most predictable Hollywood outcome and be correct, but I actually wouldn’t mind watching the whole thing again. Perhaps I’ll rent it at some point.

I am still exhausted. I need to take a nap this afternoon before heading out to the AC Newman/Rogue Wave show at Lee’s tonight.

np – Yo La Tengo / Ride The Tiger