So after much deliberation, I’ve decided to give the Dinosaur Jr reunion show July 17 at the Phoenix a pass. Hefty ticket prices aside, I just couldn’t get excited about it. I completely understand the rationale for only playing material from the first three albums – those reissues are what they’re ostensibly promoting and it doesn’t make much sense for Lou to be playing material that was written after he left the band the first time around. But while I’ve grown to appreciate You’re Living All Over Me and Bug (don’t have Dinosaur), I discovered the band with Green Mind and Where You Been. That’s what pricks up my nostalgia receptors. Of course, I may change my mind in the next month and a half, but for now, I’m going to go play “The Wagon”. Meanwhile, you can read interviews with Lou Barlow about how the reunion came about courtesy of PopMatters and London 24.

And man – J has not aged well. Nor has his fashion sense.

August 23 is turning into another of those filled-to-the-rim-with-Brim indie rock release days. The Strokes’ third album has been slated for release on that day is now scheduled for January 2006 – whoops, alongside Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s Howl, The New Pornographers Twin Cinema, Portastatic’s Bright Ideas and John Vanderslice’s Pixel Revolt. And there’ll certainly be more good stuff added to the list between now and then.

Like the eponymous Arcade Fire EP. Someone on the Big Takeover mailing list mentioned that Merge is re-releasing the band’s debut EP, which while not out of print has been fetching silly sums on eBay, on July 23. However that’s not a Tuesday but if they got the month wrong, then it fits quite nicely. All speculation on my part based on hearsay, of course. And in this Chicago Reader interview with Will Butler from last month, they say that the follow-up to Funeral is eyeing a March 2006 release, but 10 months is a lot of time for things to get pushed back. Don’t write that one down.

And as The Shins tell Chart, don’t expect their third album until 2006 either.

Oh, and the Summer issue of The Big Takeover is now out. Interpol are on the cover and it also has the second part of their expansive Wilco interview.

Chuck Klosterman defines musical genres for Spin. Via Largehearted Boy.

I had planned to go see As The Poets Affirm at the ElMo last night, but found myself way too tired and unmotivated to get off my duff to catch a midnight set time. A pity – hopefully they’ll come back sooner rather than later and I can make up for it then.

np – Shearwater / Winged Life

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