Paul McCartney RAM Tribute Album – Free Download

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Thank you Justin Gage!  Aquarium Drunkard’s label Autumn Tone Records released RAM On L.A. today – a tribute album to Paul McCartney’s classic 1971 solo album RAM (one of my favorite albums of all time, I might add) featuring a dozen L.A. based bands hand picked by Justin himself.

The not-for-profit compilation is available free via aquariumdrunkard.com.  But listeners are encouraged to make donations to No More Landmines, the fantastic cause that “helps and empowers communities around the world by removing the threat of landmines and unexploded weapons.” A cause championed by Sir Paul McCartney himself.  Donate here.  

Listen to Radar Bros. take on “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey”:

“We’re so sorry Uncle Albert, but we haven’t done a bloody thing all day…”

Red Red Meat – Bunny Gets Paid

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Listen to Gauze:

Red Red Meat’s third album, Bunny Gets Paid, has been out of print and unavailable for some time now. Sub Pop is planning to reissue a remastered, deluxe edition of the acclaimed 1995 album on March 24th. You can pre-order now. Plus the band is getting back together to play a few shows.  They will be playing at the Sub Pop showcase at SxSW this year on March 19th and Waterloo Records in Austin during SxSW on Saturday, March 21st.

California’s Budget Solution: Legalize Marijuana

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San Francisco Assemblyman Tom Ammiano proposed a bill this week that would decriminalize and legalize the sale of marijuana to adults 21 and over in California.  The tax revenues would generate more than a billion dollars annually for our cashed-starved state.  A perfectly plausible and sensible solution really, but sure to be met with resistance from the federal government’s prohibition policy on cannabis.  However, Ammiano said federal officials may be receptive to such changes under the administration of President Barack Obama.  

Imagine the boon to tourism in our state if this happens too.  Buy a ticket to Disneyland and a bag of weed. The Magic Kingdom awaits.

Listen to the psych rock sounds of Arbouretum’s “False Spring”.  Their new album Song of the Pearl will be out on Thrill Jockey records March 10.  They will be touring heavily this summer opening for Band of Horses.

Deerhunter @ San Francisco’s Mezzanine

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Deerhunter kicked off the Noise Pop Festival this Tuesday at San Francisco’s Mezzanine and holy shit was it good. Ranking right up there as my favorite live performance so far in 2009, but we are just getting started.  They pulled out quite a few new songs early on in the set but after a few quirky interludes from Bradford Cox the band got down to business and had us knee deep in Microcastle yumminess.  For those of you who pulled out early before the encore, you don’t know what you missed. The band delivered a relentless, blistering, mind-blowing wall of sound finale that left me with goosebumps and grins all night long.

Listen to “Agoraphobia” 

More Evidence Billy Corgan is a Tool

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Not like I need any more convincing on this subject, quite frankly, but I was reading the recent issue of Spin and smirked at this review of Billy Corgan’s December 3 LA Smashing Pumpkins show where he figuratively spits in the faces of fans.  His response to fans screaming “Billy, I love you”? “Last time I checked, I was nobody’s bitch.”  Way to mock your audience, Billy.

Read the full article for more antic dotes of his surly display of self-pity.  There’s also a hilarious review on Pitchfork blasting their 20th reunion tour as a ‘shitshow’.

Leopold and His Fiction

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Artist: Leopold and His Fiction
Album: Ain’t No Surprise
File Under: Vintage Rock
Recommended if You Like: The Doors, The Black Keys, White Stripes
Featured Track: “Broke”

I could sit you down right now, play this entire album and tell you it was a long lost 70s re-issue from some obscure San Francisco rock band and I bet you wouldn’t bat an eye.  The San Francisco trio’s sophomore release, Ain’t No Surprise, takes their love of classic rock and all things vintage and spins it into a thoroughly enjoyable album from start to finish.  An amalgamation of 70s rock influences, the band concocts a stripped down, bluesy, southern-fried psych rock sound reminiscent of some of the great bands of that era – from The Doors to the Allman Brothers and Bob Dylan. 

Listening to the album, it’s hard not to compare lead singer Daniel James’ gritty vocals to Jim Morrison.  I swear he’s channeling Mr. Mojo Risin’ himself on “Hawk Eyes”.  And with the carnival-like organ swirling through“Broke” it’s hard not to draw a comparison to The Doors.  While the influences are everywhere, the band never imitates.  Their sound is definitely that of  a bygone era.  But in this day and age of 80s synth pop revival, it’s a refreshing one.

Don’t miss Leopold and His Fiction play Bottom of the Hill March 10!  To get a taste of what’s to come, check out this video of their recent performance at Sundance this year.

Get this album free via eMusic’s 50 Free MP3 Promo

buy it at insound!

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Never Had Nobody Like You

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And so the age of imagination begins.  While it may look like my boy is seriously lacking in table manners, he’s actually pretending to be a kitty-cat.  Kitty-cat Judah to be exact.  He mews, crawls around on all fours, likes to be petted and – most importantly – insists on being served a bowl of milk. Preferably, he’d be drinking from the bowl off the floor, but we had to draw the line somewhere.  So here he is lapping up the leftover milk from his cereal bowl.  I try not to get too disturbed by these episodes and instead focus on the positive aspects – like his creativity and commitment to character.  Who knows, maybe he’ll be a respected character actor like Philip Seymour Hoffman one day.

Listen to M. Ward‘s “Never Had Nobody Like You” from his new Hold Time album out now.

Black Gold

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My Beautiful Blue Bottle Latte

20 Surprising Health Benefits of Coffee – Drink Up!

  • Regular coffee drinkers have a lower chance of developing cirrhosis of the liver…
  • Reduces the risk of skin cancer…
  • Increases sense of well being and happiness…
  • May reduce the chance of Parkinson’s disease…
  • Very high in antioxidants…
  • It’s the second most economic valuable product in the world – black gold!
  • May reduce colon cancer in women…
  • Can reduce the risk of developing type II diabetes…
  • Reduces muscle pain…
  • May reduce heart disease…
  • Fights cavities…

…and more!  For the full article, click here.  

In the meantime, listen to Athens, Ohio-based Southeast Engine’s “Black Gold” from their new release From the Forest to the Sea.  

Shit Storm

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In case you were wondering why San Francisco isn’t a beach town, you can add this to your list.  A ruptured sewage pipe in Marin County has leaked more than 500,000 gallons of stinky, bacteria-laden raw sewage into the San Francisco Bay this week. Thanks to this brave soul, the leak has been fixed – temporarily.  (Oh joy.) Apparently this isn’t the first time this has happened to Marin sewage plants either. While the news of this event is horrific and disturbing, I can’t help but muse over the fact that our Bay is being consistently contaminated with the shit of thousands of environmentally enlightened Marin County residents. Irony is not dead people.

Listen to “Heads Will Roll” from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs forthcoming album It’s Blitz due out April 14.