The Mars Volta – “Cotopaxi”
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BILL CALLAHAN IN AUSTIN
Last Friday at Waterloo Records here in Downtown Austin local freak-folk hero Bill Callahan (aka Smog) performed some tracks from his new, hypnotic LP Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle to a hushed and reverent Texas audience. Marking a return to the darker days of his lo-fi cassette recordings, Callahan kept a crowded record store absolutely rapt with attention as he lightly strummed and picked through literary and intricate tracks. If you haven’t heard the new LP, definitely grab it from this Austin legend.
Bill Callahan – “Jim Cain”
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NEW CELEBRATION SONGS
Check out the new website from Cannibal Cheerleader favorites Celebration – it’s called Electric Tarot and it’s based on the idea that the 22 tracks from their latest LP of the same name are related to the 22 major archana of the Tarot deck. Their site will feature a full deck with cards being added over time. Studio recordings will be the major archana, home recordings the minor, and the Court cards will be Celebration videos. Sounds like a really cool idea to us, check out the mp3s and videos below for the first two songs, “What’s This Magical” (The Shaman/Magician Card) and “I Will Not Fall” (The Fool Card). Awesome stuff.


Celebration – “What’s This Magical”
Celebration – “I Will Not Fall”
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NEW BLOC PARTY VIDEO
Here’s the video for the Villains’ remix of “Ares” as featured on Bloc Party’s Intimacy: Remixed LP. It’s an all cell-phone-camera production recorded from two nights at London’s Olympia Theater. Very cool idea and even better realization. Take a look below.

Bloc Party – “Halo (We Have Band Dub)”

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1. “Since We’ve Been Wrong”
2. “Teflon”
3. “Halo of Nembutals”
4. “With Twilight as My Guide”
5. “Cotopaxi”
6. “Desperate Graves”
7. “Copernicus”
8. “Luciforms”

Also notable is the suggestion that this album will be a more subdued and listenable approach to TMV’s sound, an experience Omar Rodriguez-Lopez has dubbed “acoustic”, though it’s anyone’s guess as to what acoustic can mean for this band. Still, a step towards listenability may just be an approach to greater rockness, though there’s hardly any chance this album could conquer the behemoth (no pun intended) that was the Bedlam in Goliath. Still, here’s hope “Since We’ve Been Wrong” is a Kelly Clarkson cover (it IS the first single after all).

Another interesting tidbit – check out this photo below, which is the background of Hello Merch’s Mars Volta page. Below that you’ll see the mountain the picture was based on, called “Cotopaxi”. Coincidence? We think not! Maybe another piece of the art puzzle, look out for more clues folks!
Lastly here’s a live bootleg version of “Since We’ve Been Wrong” from their New Year’s Eve show this past December. Get excited.

The Mars Volta – “Cavalettas”
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NEW BALMORHEA VIDEO
Here’s Austin’s own Balmorhea’s newest video for “Remembrance” off their excellent third LP All Is Wild, All Is Silent. Enjoy!

Balmorhea – “Settler”
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THE ARM TO REUNITE IN AUSTIN
Back in the day, back when things were real different here in Austin, there used to be this rather electric dance-punk group whose combination of Interpol-esque pathos merged seamlessly with their industrial, Bloc Party beats to create a local powerhouse of Gang of Four-style indie rock – that group was called the Arm and they broke up YEARS ago it seems. Well imagine our surprise when we found out the group would be reforming for one night only at a headling show at Emo’s on May 9th. You know we’ll be there! Check out the group’s Myspace for more details!

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