Nothing's On Telly : New vid from WAS, plus they're playing the east coast this week.

It's amusing. I think I enjoy the live version of "Impatience" more than the recorded one. Not that they differ very much. Luckily, We Are Scientists are playing my neck of the woods this week. Expect to me in attendance of at least two shows.

29th July - Johnny Brenda's - Philadelphia, PA
30th July - Middle East down - Cambridge, MA
31st July - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY
1st August - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY
2nd August - Black Cat- Washington, DC

They'll be playing all over the rest of the US after that, and then some of Europe after that, and then they're opening for R.E.M. in September, and then they've got a handful of Australian dates in October. All dates are listed over here.

Oh, they're on Letterman tonight, too, if you're into that sort of thing.

We Are Scientists - "Impatience"

Monday Morning Mux: Just a good ol' shuffle.

So maybe you did or didn't notice the last Mux I had up, some self-pitying thing based on The Beatles' "Misery" and a Motion City Soundtrack song. Blah blah. Time for a new mux!

This one is yet another modified shuffle that my iPod just shot out the other day, as I was riding back and forth between my old high school and visiting old friends. No theme, and none of the songs have anything to do with that, but that's the soundtrack I got. And it works.

1) "Tropical-Iceland" - The Fiery Furnaces
2) "Skag Trendy" - The View
While everyone was listening to the Fratellis, I was listening to the View.
3) "Hang Them All" - Tapes 'n Tapes
I saw TnT at Siren '06 and was underwhelmed, but this new track is great.
4) "Stuntman" - Kasabian
5) "Conflitos Urbanos" - AfroReggae
AfroReggae is a group in Rio de Janeiro that seeks to change children's lives through music. They were the subject of the excellent documentary Favela Rising.
6) "Decent Days and Night" - The Futureheads
7) "Koka Kola" - The Clash
8) "I Don't Want To Dance Anymore" - Nightmare of You
9) "Bingo" - M.I.A.
10) "This Means War" - We Are Scientists
11) "Butterfly Nets" - Bishop Allen
Favourite BA song? Probably.
12) "Track 3" - Panda Bear

New Tour Dates : We Are Scientists! Plus NoY wants you to see them, too.

New news from the Sci-Cave:

We're going to tour our home country, Some United States of America, finally this summer. If you live there or nearby, please reference these tour dates: The American U.S. America Tour.

Um, finally?? Dates are as follows:

1 July - Glasshouse - Pomona, CA
2 July - The Casbah - San Diego, CA
3 July - El Rey Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
5 July - The Blue Lamp - Sacramento, CA
6 July - The Independent - San Francisco, CA
8 July - Berbati’s Pan - Portland, OR
9 July - Neumo's - Seattle, WA
29 July - Johnny Brenda’s - Philadelphia, PA
30 July - Middle East [down] - Cambridge, MA
31 July - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY
1 August - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY
2 August - Black Cat - Washington, DC
3 August - The Basement - Columbus, OH
4 August - Magic Stick - Detroit, MI
5 August - The Music Mill - Indianapolis, IN
6 August - The High Noon Saloon - Madison, WI
7 August - Varsity Theater - Minneapolis, MN
8 August - The Abbey - Chicago, IL
10 August - Southgate House - Newport, KY

Excited? Very.

...

In other, not-very-related news, Nightmare of You has kicked off the second half of their spring US tour, having played at the Middle East last night. (Which I missed. I'll see them in June, though.)

Look, they've put all their dates on a convenient poster, so I don't have to type them out for you:



Mmhmm, mmhmm.

We Are Scientists - "Chick Lit"

New Releases and Listening Parties Galore : The Submarines, Death Cab, We Are Scientists

Irving Plaza, NYC

The Submarines, Death Cab for Cutie, and We Are Scientists all just dropped brand-new records yesterday, and various persons and places online want you to have a listen.

The Subs have the entirety of Honeysuckle Weeks (and their first record, Declare a New State!) up on their iLike page.

AOL's Spinner has both DCFC's Narrow Stairs and WAS' Brain Thrust Mastery up on their Full CD Listening party.

Go on, try before you buy.

Nothing's On Telly : Music's gone to the dogs.

Two new music videos from two of my favourites. First, The Long Blondes' "Guilt."



"Couples" was released today in the US. It's not Someone To Drive You Home but still rather brilliant.

Secondly, We Are Scientists' "Chick Lit."



Brain Thrust Mastery is released in the US on the 13th. I haven't taken to it too much, but this song has grown on me now.

In other news, I've heard rumours that one Micheal Tapper will be touring with one Bishop Allen this spring. Yippee!

The Days Go Oh-So Slow.

Continuing with those playlists that I've been making for the past two years or so.

Fall 2006 has finally been posted over here.

Tracklisting:
1) "The Days Go Oh So Slow" - Nightmare of You
2) "Everyday I Love You Less and Less" - Kaiser Chiefs
3) "Empire" - Kasabian
4) "Mama's Room" - Under the Influence of Giants
5) "When You Were Young" - The Killers
6) "Storm in a Teacup" - Milburn
7) "Blankest Year" - Nada Surf
9) "Procrastinating" - Stellar Kart
9) "Why Am I Always Right?" - Nightmare of You
10) "Still Take You Home" - Arctic Monkeys
11) "Yr Mangled Heart" - The Gossip
12) "Textbook" - We Are Scientists
13) "Expo '86" - Death Cab For Cutie
14) "Looks, Looks, Looks" - Sparks
15) "Tell Me Baby" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
16) "Timorous Me" - Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
17) "Lust a Prima Vista" - The Spill Canvas
18) "Mr. Brightside" - The Killers
19) "All These Things That I've Done" - The Killers
20) "That August Feeling" - Absent

Go read me expound on heartache, life in France, the month of August, and too many Killers songs. Warning! It's pretty emo.

Summer 2006 is still up over here. You should read that first if you haven't.


(Also warning : it's that nose-to-the-grindstone part of the semester, so while I have loads to write about, posting may be spotty for the next few weeks or so. I mean, not that it isn't spotty already. Also, I'll try to get a new muxtape up for Monday.)

For those interested in maybe learning a little too much about me,

I've gone and started posting some old playlists from my junior year over at my LJ.

Since May '06, I've been making 20-track playlists for each season, and they all mean quite a bit to me. I'll eventually start posting them here, but because the first few are very stuck in the past, those will be posted over there instead.

So if you're interested in finding out maybe too much about me and/or hearing what summer 2006 sounded like, feel free to stroll on over here.

Tracklist, if you're interested:

1) "Barcelona" - Scamper
2) "Sometimes The Sun" - The Lashes
3) "My Name Is Trouble" - Nightmare of You
4) "Fidelity" – Regina Spektor
5) "Because It’s Not Love" - The Pipettes
6) "Half Light" - Athlete
7) "Out of Range" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
8) "Chasing Cars" - Snow Patrol
9) "Oh Lately It’s So Quiet" - OK Go
10) "Here It Goes Again" - OK Go
11) "Modern Swinger" - The Pink Spiders
12) "Mirror Kisses" - The Cribs
13) "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt" - We Are Scientists
14) "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley
15) "Start Wearing Purple" - Gogol Bordello
16) "Happier" - Guster
17) "You Got Me" - VHS or Beta
18) "It’s Not The Fall That Hurts" - The Caesars
19) "Jetsetter" - Morningwood
20) "Lying Is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have" - Panic! At The Disco

And updates soon, I promise promise promise.

Look, Ma, I made a mixlist!: "Get On Your Dancing Shoes (You Sexy Little Swine)"

I made this dance mix a while ago, with the intention of making some "cover" art (so to speak) to go with it, but I never got around to that. I didn't actually get a chance to test it out on a live crowd of dancing people, though, until Saturday night (Sunday morning, actually), when I was dubbed the official DJ of the after party, mainly by default. (Seriously, how some of Boston's finest pop rockers and their closest friends and family(?) wound up at a house party, and none of them stopped to think, "Hey, maybe I should bring my iPod along, ya' know, for the tunes and dancing and such," is sort of beyond me.) At one point, someone told me, "You are the party right now."

Regardless, everyone (or at least those who were dancing) seemed to like my choice in dance tunes (though maybe I was too drunk to notice otherwise), which included this mix. I skipped over tracks three (great remix, but a little long) and five (because I wasn't sure how they'd respond to the Spice Girls), but it went well overall, I think.

1) "Dancing Shoes" - Arctic Monkeys
The boys from Baker kept demanding more Arctic Monkeys. When I finally wandered away from my iPod around 4:30 am, that's what they put on.

2) "Loser" - The Plasticines (Les Petits Pilous remix)
Wow, this song makes me want to dance. Also, I like when indie rock kids want to know what I'm playing, because it gives me some confidence in my faux DJ-ing ability.

3) "Sci Fi Kids" - Blitzen Trapper (Principal Participant 'Kingswood' Remix)
I think I stole this from Stereogum over the summer. A little slower, a little longer, but still danceable.

4) "The Love Cats" - The Cure
Somebody asked me what song this was. I just stared at him.

5) "Who Do You Think You Are?" - Spice Girls
Say what you want, this is great for the dancefloor.

6) "Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above" - CSS
I mean, CSS is great for a dance party. I don't know if I like this one more than "Hot Hot Sex" (also played that night), which I love mainly for the Portuguese rap at the end.

7) "Don't Start" - Franz Ferdinand
A lovely FF b-side that starts out quieter and then blasts in on the refrain.

8) "It's A Hit" - We Are Scientists
I think I've listened to this song too many times.

9) "Tits & Acid" - Simian Mobile Disco
The title says it all.

10) "Heart of Glass" - Blondie
Classic. My copy is a little quiet, though.


Mix with LCD Soundsystem, Peaches, some more CSS, and maybe a little Britney, add some indie rock boys and too much champagne, and call it a party. Just don't be like me and try to get to bed before you crash at 6:30 am.

Myspace it: Nada Surf's Lucky, and other stuff.

As previously mentioned, Nada Surf's new record Lucky drops 5 February, but as of tomorrow, 25 January, you can stream the whole thing on the 'Space. Good times.

.....

Also, We Are Scientists have announced some tour dates- in the UK. Rawr.

.....

Don't forget to vote for Rocketshp Park! Because more money for Josh means more SDR for us.

MySpace it: WAS' new song is up.

We Are Scientists have posted their new song "After Hours" on their 'Space, so if that radio rip isn't enough for you, you can, I dunno', add it to your own profile, I guess.

Nothing's On Telly : Some more WAS love.

'Cause there's never too much!

Here's a vid from their 18 December performance with the Upright Citizen's Brigade at the Canal Room for the New York Holiday Office Party.

And, um, some really belated Christmas greetings that I meant to post ages ago, but about which I totally forgot, oops.



Oh, and Keith hitting on you. Just for good measure.

New song: We Are Scientists - "After Hours"

Hey, did you kids catch We Are Scientist's new single, "After Hours," on BBC 1 with Steve Lamacq and Colin Murray last night?

Yeah, I didn't, either, 'cause I was busy running about midtown.

Luckily enough, someone was kind enough to rip and post it for all us busy Yanks.

We Are Scientists - "After Hours" (radio rip)

(via JPs blog, thanks)

So many lovely layers, and so peppy!




We Are Scientists' second major label record, Brain Thrust Mastery, drops 3 March on Virgin. No word on when "After Hours" will be released or upcoming tour dates...yet.

(Also, JP reminded me that Franz Ferdinand are due to drop a new record in 2008, as are OK Go. That's three out of my four favourite acts, kids. Plus new Secret Dakota Ring and The Lashes. Exciting? Very.)


ETA: Jo Whiley will apparently also be playing "After Hours" on her show on Radio 1, from 10 to 11 am (that's, um, 5 to 6 am EST) tomorrow. If you desperately want to hear it on the radio. Or live in the UK.

Nothing's On Telly : Another reason to be upset about Tapper leaving WAS.

I've been hanging onto this one for a bit now.

Oh, sadness, part 2: WAS Edition.

It's sort of no secret around here that I love/adore/want to have babies with the gents of We Are Scientists (okay, maybe not that last bit...but you get the idea). I mean, just look at the blog title.

But alas, alack!

I was sort of excited when I got this bulletin from the boys yesterday:

BRAIN THRUST MASTERY!!!

This November and December, our neediest fans in the UK will be invited to reap the rewards of our latest philanthropic effort: BRAIN THRUST MASTERY, a free seminar design to help students take control of their lives, which are, let's face it, likely crashing and burning as we speak. These limited engagements feature instruction in such proven techniques as "Mind Sound (TM)," "Time Vision Performance (TM)," and "Emotional Intuition Transfer (TM)."

Take instantaneous control of your physical, academic, sexual, medical, psychological, historical, emotional, intellectual, financial, theoretical, and automotive destiny with BRAIN THRUST MASTERY!!!



November
Wed, 7 - Heriot Watt Student Association, Edinburgh
Thurs, 8 - Leeds College of Music
Mon, 12 - Keele University Student's Union, Staffordshire
Thurs, 22 - Bournemouth University Student's Union
Sat, 24 - Cardiff Student's Union


December
Thurs, 6 - Strathclyde Student's Union, Glasgow
Mon, 10 - Northumbria Student's Union, Newcastle
Fri, 14 - LSE Student's Union, London

These dates, are, of course, on top of our already impossibly arduous touring schedule, which will see us tooling around the UK - playing actual music - throughout November and December. Those dates are listed elsewhere, because if you think we're going to type all of those out now, you're out of your fucking mind.

Okay, so I can't go to any of those dates 'cause they're in the UK. But it sounds like a typically good We Are Scientists time, so anybody who can make those should really go.


Unfortunately, one of my friends passed this news on to me this morning:

We Are Scientist drummer 'relinquishes his duties'

Michael Tapper quits band ahead of UK tour
1 hour ago

We Are Scientists' drummer Michael Tapper has quit the band.

The sticksman has departed the group and will not accompany them on their forthcoming tour.

According to the band, the split is amicable and they issued the following statement to NME.COM: "Michael Tapper has relinquished his duties as drummer of We Are Scientists in order to pursue other things."

A permanent replacement is yet to be named.

Meanwhile, the band kick off their UK tour next week (November 7), playing a series of university venues.

As previously reported, at some dates the band will support themselves, offering self-improvement seminars to fans.

The band will play:

Edinburgh University Student Union (November 7)*
Leeds University Student Union (8)*
Keele University Student Union (12)*
Bournemouth University Student Union (22)*
Cardiff University Student Union (24)*
Glasgow University Student Union (December 6)*
Newcastle University Student Union (10)*
London University Student Union (14)*

* Brain Thrust Mastery session

From NME.

Okay, wtf? HEY ALL OF MY FAVOURITE BANDS WHY DON'T YOU ALL JUST GO BREAK UP RIGHT NOW??? Hrmph!

Well. I suppose it could be worse. They're still We Are Scientists. They'll just need a new drummer, as sad as it is to see Tapper (from whom I've never got an overly-friendly vibe, actually, but that's just me) leave. But Tapper! Where else are you going to find a drummer with a name like TAPPER??

Here are the rest of those UK dates:

3 November 2007 Empire Middlesborough
5 November 2007 53 Degrees Preston
6 November 2007 Civic Whitehaven
7 November 2007 University - Potter Row Edinburgh+
8 November 2007 Met University Leeds+
10 November 2007 University Guilford
11 November 2007 University Leicester
12 November 2007 University Keel+
13 November 2007 UEA Norwich
15 November 2007 Cresset Peterborough
16 November 2007 University - Sub Bar Derby
17 November 2007 University Plymouth
18 November 2007 University Southampton
20 November 2007 University Swansea
21 November 2007 Exeter Westpoint Arena Exeter*
22 November 2007 Bournemouth BIC Bournemouth*+
24 November 2007 Cardiff CIA Cardiff*+
25 November 2007 Brooks University Oxford
26 November 2007 Birmingham NIA Birmingham*
28 November 2007 Nottingham Arena Nottingham*
29 November 2007 University Bangor
30 November 2007 Manchester Evening News Arena Manchester*
1 December 2007 Skegness Weekender Skegness
2 December 2007 University Warwick
3 December 2007 Sheffield Hallam FM Arena Sheffield*
4 December 2007 Hull Arena Hull*
6 December 2007 SECC Glasgow*+
7 December 2007 Fat Sam’s Dundee
8 December 2007 AECC Aberdeen*
9 December 2007 Ironworks Inverness
10 December 2007 Newcastle Metro Radio Arena Newcastle*+
13 December 2007 Roadmender Northampton
14 December 2007 London Earl's Court London*
*supporting Kaiser Chiefs
+Brain Thrust Mastery date