I think you can tell a person’s age by how excited they are about the return of The Lemonheads, who will release a new, self-titled album on September 26. Of course, it’s not really a reunion at all and is just the resurrection of a brand name – the band always featured a heavily rotating cast of players and besides mainman Evan Dando, there’s no one in the current lineup who’s ever been a Lemonhead before.

Folks of my generation will be nostalgic for It’s A Shame About Ray and the days when he was a staple on the cover of SPIN making out with Adrienne Shelley or begging Juliana Hatfield in song to get it on with him. Others only know Dando as a drug abuse cautionary tale or as that guy who fucked up the MC5 reunion shows recently. And the younger generation probably have no idea who he is at all.

But the one thing that’s been consistent through all that time was that he had a knack for writing a killer pop song. And that he was a junkie. Okay, two things. Judging from the first MP3 from the new record, which is now available courtesy of AOL’s indie music blog (and that’s a bizarre contradiction in terms unto itself), he hasn’t lost his touch on the former. The song is pretty damn good and yeah, that’s J Mascis ripping the guitar solos over top, not Dando. Different stoner icon.

As for the drugs, Dando tells The Guardian that while he’s living a healthier lifestyle than he did in the ’90s, psychedelics are still a regular part of his diet. LiveDaily also has an interview but they just talk about making the new record. You know, boring stuff.

MP3: The Lemonheads – “No Backbone”
MySpace: The Lemonheads

Update: The Weekly Dig gets Juliana Hatfield to talk about that whole virginity thing. Via Stereogum via Leafblower.

Pitchfork recounts a conversation with John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats that pretty much tells you everything you need to know about Get Lonely. Or maybe not everything as this piece Darnielle has written for The Los Angeles Times about the writing of the new album is essential reading. That the Metacritic rating for the album is anything less than 100% (or even in the 80s) says to me that more rock critics need to get dumped. Both Sixeyes and I have tracks from John Darnielle’s recent instore at Amoeba Records in Los Angeles, but you can also grab the whole set at Archive.org. So much for exclusivity. Also note there’s a high-res version of the video for “Woke Up New” at the director’s website. I also just received my copies of Nothing For Juice and Protien Source Of The Future … Now! in the mail with All Hail West Texas en route. Thanks to everyone who helped guide me through the Goats’ back catalog.

MP3: The Mountain Goats – “Moon Over Goldsboro” (live at Amoeba)

Chart has more details on the forthcoming Mercury Rev compilation. It’s now called The Essential Mercury Rev — Stillness Breathes (1991-2006) and will be a double-disc set. The first comprising singles and album tracks, the second features live tracks, rarities, remixes and covers. It’s out October 3 on V2.

Also housecleaning, Billboard reports that Pinback will release Nautical Antiques, a stopgap collection of rarities and whatnot, on September 5. They continue to work on the follow-up to 2004’s Summer In Abadon.

Paste features The Long Winters, in town at Lee’s on October 4.

Metromix asks Headlights’ Erin Fein if the midwest really is the best. Apparently it is not. OH IRONY.

Sunset Rubdown have cancelled their October 7 show at Lee’s Palace, no reason given. No word on if it’s just the Toronto date or the whole tour.

The new blog-powered Pernice Brothers website is offering up pre-orders of the new album Live A Little that will come with a bonus, 17-track CD with demos of all the songs and a sleeve hand-printed by ol’ Joe himself. Nice. They’ve even provided a video of Joe autographing the sleeves. It’s riveting.

The Toronto Star has a piece on how the folks in charge of the Toronto edition of the Virgin Festival, happening September 9 and 10, were in the UK last weekend to see how the mothership operates. That bit about free kabobs for Virgin Mobile customers? RUN WITH IT.

np – The Mountain Goats / Nothing For Juice