New Indie and Alternative Rock

The usual flurry of indie and alternative rock album and single releases for return to school and pre-Christmas season is in full swing.

This week IRC has assembled another eclectic collection of new MP3 releases from already released and forthcoming releases of some of the best indie rock albums and songs of 2008.

Featured artists and bands include Ed Laurie, Jeremy, The Harvey Girls, The Trophy Fire, The Doleful Lions, Awesome Color, The New Up and others.

Labels: 2008 Indie Rock, Best Indie Songs, MP3s

Former Pavement frontman and one of the original trailblazers that delivered 'indie' music to the masses during the 1990s, Stephen Malkmus, appeared on FOX News' (nice move man; that really appeals to Pavement fans...) program "RedEye" last Friday (at 3 am - when every one's watching) and, well, disappointed some fans, including yours truly, with his apparent snooty and less-than-dignified persona.

Maybe I'm over-reacting, but the interview (watch the video segment) speaks for itself. It's a good educated guess that many Pavement/Malkmus fans may get a different opinion of the 'indie rock sensation' after seeing this clip. Maybe it's just me (although other bloggers were left with a luke warm feeling as well). Is Malkmus a FOX News type of 'thinker'? If so, what a let down.

Not only did Malkmus actually agree to do an interview on FOX News, but he also made what some consider a semi-racist remark, not surprising for a guest on FOX News, but this guy is a representative of indie rock. In another interview, Malkmus compares his music more to the 'underground' than the 'indie fashion.' What?!

Steve, you're not underground at all; you're a multi-millionaire preppy rock star - hardly an 'underground' musician. Even if Malkmus means 'underground' in an artistic sense - that is "holding unorthodox views in an environment where conventional ideas dominate" - he's the one that went on FOX News and acted like a pompous ass.

In response to the question from the always annoying (maybe that's why he's on when no one's watching) Greg Gutfeld about the origin of the word 'jick' (Malkmus' band name is the Jicks), Malkmus said: "I don't know what ghetto that comes from" and went on to elaborate that he believes it means someone who is "between a dick and a jerk." Irony?

Fame often kills the 'indie' in a musician, and yeah Malkmus has made some of the greatest grunge and indie rock ever, but watching this interview left me with a stomach ache. This is the guy who was the force behind Pavement and he's doing a stupid, 'I'm-all-that' interview on FOX News with Greg Gutfeld, who asked one stupid question after another.

It is just head-scratching and disappointing that one of indie rock's most celebrated frontmen would go on FOX News channel and make such an ass of himself with the help of Gutfeld. I wish I'd never seen the damn interview, so if you're a die-hard Pavement fan, you might want to save yourself the trouble and skip it - not 'underground' or true to grunge/indie ideals at all.

The bitch-fest about Malkmus on FOX didn't start here; check out what others had to say:

Stereogum
Pitchfork
Prefix

Just in case you are curious about the debut album Real Emotional Trash, here's a free, legal track off the new album:

MP3: Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Baltimore from the new album Real Emotional Trash

* Maybe Malkmus should go to a 'ghetto' somewhere and ask around what 'jick' means and come back to us and explain to us what he meant by the "I-don't-know-what-ghetto-that-comes-from" remark. And perhaps, he could clarify that whether he really thinks he's in the same league as Bach and if he endorses FOX News distorted agenda of blatant support and advocacy of the right-wing agenda. (Ugh)

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Note: Please submit CDs with a press kit to POB 722, RE, CA 95044 for review.

Labels: 2008 Indie Rock, Pavement, Stephen Malkmus

Watch this fun video from the Vampire Weekend video (which the photo above was taken from) to see evidence of musical genius, but also more evidence that they are not letting their unprecedented success get to them too much.

Streaming Video Session: Vampire Weekend live on KCRW

Live MP3: Vampire Weekend performing M79 at SxSW 2008

Webs: Vampire Weekend's official website and MySpace page.

P.S. Did anyone else at the Vampire Weekend show at the Rickshaw Stop take photographs that have orbs in them? I don't know if it's a lighting or camera issue, but I have orbs on all my photos, but they did not appear at any other recent indoor, darken venue except here. Looking at some of these pictures you can see what clearly look to be one or more orbs moving around, so to me I just call it "Dancing with Orbs" (a new band name?).



Vampire Weekend Concert Tour Schedule through August 2008

Mar 19 2008 - 8:00P The Casbah (SOLD OUT) San Diego, California
Mar 20 2008 - 8:00P El Rey (SOLD OUT) Los Angeles, California
Mar 22 2008 - 8:00P The Independent (SOLD OUT) San Francisco, California
Mar 23 2008 - 8:00P Rickshaw Shop (SOLD OUT) San Francisco, California
Mar 25 2008 - 8:00P Doug Fir Lounge (SOLD OUT) Portland, Oregon
Mar 26 2008 - 8:00P Neumos (SOLD OUT) Seattle, Washington
Mar 27 2008 - 8:00P Richards on Richards (SOLD OUT) Vancouver, British Columbia
Mar 29 2008 - 8:00P The Badlander Missoula, Montana
Mar 30 2008 - 8:00P Neurolux Boise, Idaho
Mar 31 2008 - 8:00P In the Venue Salt Lake City, Utah
Apr 1 2008 - 8:00P Bluebird Theater Denver, Colorado
Apr 3 2008 - 8:00P The Triple Rock Social Club Minneapolis, Minnesota
Apr 4 2008 - 8:00P The High Noon Madison, Wisconsin
Apr 5 2008 - 8:00P Turner Hall Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Apr 6 2008 - 8:00P Metro (SOLD OUT) Chicago, Illinois
Apr 11 2008 - 8:00P Brown University Campus Green Providence, Rhode Island
Apr 25 2008 - 1:00P Coachella Indio, California
May 1 2008 - 8:00P Bistol Bierkeller Bristol, UK
May 2 2008 - 8:00P Birmingham Academy 2 (SOLD OUT) Birmingham, UK
May 3 2008 - 8:00P The Liquid Rooms Edinburgh, UK
May 4 2008 - 8:00P Oran Mor Glasgow, UK
May 6 2008 - 8:00P Northumbria University Newcastle, UK
May 7 2008 - 8:00P The Cockpit (SOLD OUT) Leeds, UK
May 8 2008 - 8:00P Manchester Academy 2 (SOLD OUT) Manchester, UK
May 9 2008 - 8:00P Camber Sands Minehead, UK
May 12 2008 - 8:00P Wedgewood Rooms Portsmouth, UK
May 13 2008 - 8:00P Electric Ballroom (SOLD OUT) London, UK
May 15 2008 - 1:00P http://www.blogger.com/ Brighton, UK
May 20 2008 MelkwegAmsterdam, Holland
Jun 7 2008 - 8:00P The SocialOrlando, Florida
Jun 8 2008 - 8:00P Cafe ElevenSt. Augustine, Florida
Jun 12 2008 - 1:00P BonnarooManchester, Tennessee
Aug 10 2008 Summer Sonic - OsakaOsaka, Japan

Labels: 2008 Indie Rock, Vampire Weekend