What You're Doing Tonight

Sigh. What a day.

Here's what you can do to try and forget about it all.












Also:

• Stradivari Quartet [Knowles Memorial Chapel – Rollins]

• Knock Down Drag Out, the Oak Hill Drifters [Peacock Room]

• Watching the Magic beat the curse out of the Pistons.
  

What You're Doing Tonight

• Well, you're not going to see Joe Bonamassa at the Plaza Theatre, because that's sold out.

• You may be thinking about going to see MuteMath at House of Blues, but ... well, that's probably gonna sell out too. It might not, though; if you are going, please get there early enough to see As Tall As Lions. They're much better.

• I'm pretty sure the Saul Williams show at the Social won't sell out, but that's really a shame. 1) It's his only Florida appearance on this tour. 2) The man has to make his living on the road since, you know, he gives away his records now. 3) The mighty Earl Greyhound is opening.

• Definitely not selling out – because the show is free – the Jazz Revolvers at Redlight Redlight.
  

Neko Case nabs top of first big music-year listicle

Getting a slight jump on most of the end-of-year album lists, Amazon's going ahead and calling it for 2009 with the selection of Neko Case's great one, Middle Cyclone, as the best.

And then they nullify the whole thing by throwing The Blueprint 3 in there. Nice.

Anyway, Neko will coincidentally (or not) be right here in a couple weeks. She plays the Plaza Theatre Nov. 19. Here she is covering Harry Nilsson:

Hardly Art label sampler...FREE!

Hoo, boy, have I got some shit to share with you...

Besides being the little sister to cornerstone Seattle record label Sub Pop, HARDLY ART is also just about the hottest young indie label going right now with a stocked stable of ahead-of-the-curve bands.

THE GOOD NEWS: They just released a 15-song sampler to catch you up with all the sweet stuff they got cooking over there. Some seriously dope stuff.

THE BETTER NEWS: It's FREE!!! Cop it HERE. See? I no lie. Dig it...

Track Listing:

1. Hands – The Dutchess & the Duke
2. Forgive Me – Le Loup
3. Changing – The Moondoggies
4. There Are Too Many Birds – Arthur & Yu
5. Reservoir Park – The Dutchess & the Duke
6. Tora Tora Tora – Pretty & Nice
7. Ichthus Hop – Talbot Tagora
8. We Are Gods! We Are Wolves! – Le Loup
9. Summer Cutting Kale – The Pica Beats
10. Hideaway Tokyo – Pretty & Nice
11. Perception Stick – Talbot Tagora
12. Back To Me (previously unreleased demo) – The Dutchess & the Duke
13. Keep Her On The Line – The Moondoggies
14. Poor Old Ra (previously unreleased acoustic version) – The Pica Beats
15. Magic Mtn (previously unreleased live version) – Arthur & Yu w/ the Moondoggies

OTHER PRESS RELEASE JIBBER-JABBER

In addition to selections from all of our releases thus far there are a few unreleased highlights – an early demo of the Dutchess & the Duke’s “Back to Me”, a stripped down / acoustic version of the Pica Beats’ “Poor Old Ra” and a live version of Arthur & Yu’s “Magic Mtn” (taken from a show at Seattle’s Triple Door at which the Moondoggies served as Arthur & Yu’s backing band).  This digital sampler is the only place to get these unreleased tracks.  Also included is the early Moondoggies song “Keep Her On the Line”, previously available only on their limited edition Record Store Day 2009 EP.

Los Lobos goes, urmm, Disney

If long-respected Tex-Mex roots rockers LOS LOBOS and Orlando's own BIG MOUSEY BROTHER sound like weird-ass bedmates, that's because they are. Nevertheless, they've decided to keep the baby and released Los Lobos Goes Disney on Oct. 26.

If there's anyone who can bring some coolness and humanity to Disney songs, you'd think it'd be them. And they do their damnedest by painting the numbers with their gorgeously colorful Southwest palette, even daring to sully the wholesome establishment with their brown tongues on the Spanish version of "Heigh-Ho" (take that, Snow Whitey). 

But complete transformation doesn't quite happen because, well, we're still dealing with STUPID KID'S SONGS here. Still, the border-town take on "Not in Nottingham (Robin Hood)," the scrappy rock & roll of "The Ugly Bug Ball (Summer Magic)," the Mexican swoon of "Bella Notte (Lady & the Tramp)" and the countrified "Oo-De-Lally (Robin Hood)" are all pretty digable.

LOCAL BONUS!!! Los Lobos will be performing November 6, 7 and 8 at Epcot's American Gardens Theatre, near the American Adventure Pavilion. Show times are 5:15 pm, 6:30 pm and 7:45 pm (three 30-minute sets per day). It's not a ticketed event, all guests with tickets to Epcot are welcome to attend.

A fifth of tequila fits in a standard baby bag, dudn't it?

What You're Doing Tonight

• White Tie Affair may not be the worst band in the world, but they sure are funny. Opening: Every Avenue, Stereo Skyline, Runner Runner [The Social]

• Brand New, Thrice, Crime In Stereo [HOB]

• I'm almost afraid to write anything about local synth duo Arrythmia, for fear it might be taken the wrong way. All I can say is that you really – really – should check out their Myspace page. [Back Booth]

• Secret Invasion, Midas In Reverse, Before Dawn [Will's Pub]

What You're Buying This Week

What You're Doing Tonight

• Go see the Low Anthem. They're opening for Blind Pilot and they're very, very good. [The Social]

• Alternately, you could go see guitar legend Ritchie Blackmore – and his wife – dress up like Renaissance Faire characters and play music that sounds like a cross between Rainbow and ... Renaissance Faire music. (Seriously, I'm a huge Ritchie Blackmore fan, but this is sort of insane.) [The Plaza Theatre]
  

J.J. "Put Me In, Coach!" Redick Recording A Rap Song. No, really.

Before Sunday's game against Toronto, if you would have told me that Orlando Magic shooting guard J.J. Redick was working on a rap album, I probably would have said something like "Well, that's fine; he's got plenty of spare time" or "Will it be 50 minutes of him rapping 'I could be gangsta if someone would just give me a chance'?" But then J.J. pulled up his babypants and put in a ferocious game on Sunday that was the very definition of a "pleasant surprise."

The opposite of a "pleasant surprise?" News from allhiphop.com that Redick is, indeed, working on a rap album ... well, technically, he's just working on a song. He hasn't gotten very far, though: "The chorus has been written and the first verse and the direction we're heading on the song has to deal with waste management."

Waste management, huh? Sounds like a winner. All we have to wait for now is for Vince Carter to get better so J.J. can finish up those lyrics during his 47 minutes of per-game bench-time.

Lakeland band Copeland calls it quits

Although I could've sworn they've danced this dance before, Lakeland "Don't call us Christian" band Copeland are kaputz. They're still playing Anti-Pop next week so see them while you can. Here's the MySpace announcement and, below that, my favorite track of theirs, "No One Really Wins."



Dear friends,

We have come to an extremely difficult decision. It has come time for us to move on from Copeland and follow other paths in our lives. We are absolutely grateful to have been able to make music for as long as we have. In the last 9 years we've been able to see parts of the world that we never dreamt we would see. We have shared the stage and built friendships with immensely talented artists. We've been afforded the opportunity to make 4 records that we're extremely proud of. Most of all, we feel honored that people have cared so much for our band and for our art. We appreciate every listener who has allowed our music to be a part of their lives. We want to offer our deepest thanks to every individual who has supported us on this ride. It has profoundly impacted our lives.

To put your minds at ease, we assure you this is not a bitter break up. We all individually feel Copeland has run its course in our lives and it’s time for us to pursue what is next. We couldn’t end things without a proper goodbye, so we are planning a final farewell tour in the US this coming Spring, as well as one final jaunt around the world to some of our favorite countries. We are really excited about seeing you all one more time, and we hope it turns out to be the best Copeland tour ever.

It has been discussed and we are not ruling out the possibility of recording one more album sometime in the future. However, this spring tour will be our last.

From the bottom of hearts, thank you for all of your love and support.

Aaron, Bryan, Jon & Stephen

Jacksonviille's JJ Grey scores PBS war doc

Airing this Friday on WMFE's Bill Moyers' Journal is a documentary film that captures the journeys of five generations of soldiers, from enlistment to the aftermath, from WWII to Gulf War 2. The Howard Zinn-endorsed film is called The Good Soldier, and the music underneath it was provided solely by Jacksonville Mofro frontman JJ Grey.

Some tracks, like the one I've provided below (the "Gimme Shelter"-as-sung-by-CCR track "War," which I have to assume will underscore the Vietnam section) are album selections from Mofro, and others are brand-new songs by Grey.

It's Grey's first foray into film scoring. The Good Soldier is making a limited theatrical run this month as well, but the closest it comes to our town is the Lake Worth Playhouse on Nov. 15. So set your DVR for Friday at 9 p.m. on PBS.