“I Dream of Crystal” is out today. The forthcoming album, Turning The Mind, is out on Mute on October 20th 2009. We Can Create was one of my favourite records of 2007. Sadly, I doubt Turning The Mind will compare, but I will reserve judgment.

Science Fiction and Horror author Jeff Vandermeer asked Murder By Death to write the soundtrack that will accompany the limited edition release of his book entitled Finch.  It’s an instrumental score that was inspired specifically by scenes from the book. According to the band, the story is akin to Bladerunner but “with spore-faced bad guys.” The band holed up in the studio for five days in its hometown Bloomington, Indiana and came out with a completed album. The recording details from murderbydeath.com:

“We have used a lot of crazy techniques that we have never tried before on this record.  Our old pianist Vincent Edwards lent his hand(s) at the piano, organs, and Rhodes. Each song is attempting to recreate a scene or mood from the book- the release shows the page numbers in the book that correspond to each track on the CD. We are putting this out on our label Tent Show records. Each copy will come with a download code. Downloads will also be available for purchase as of Oct 7, 2009.”

To preorder the book go here and for the album here.

New Land of Talk mp3 from the forthcoming Fun & Laughter EP. I’ve been all about this band lately, so, of course, all upcoming tour dates could not be further from the South.

Land of Talk – May You Never.mp3

[via Brooklyn Vegan]

Wow. This is so bad I don’t even know what to say. Everett True does, though. And he did rather succinctly. Courtney Love did not take kindly to his further disgust on Twitter. Gold and hilarity both ensue.

Oh, and I just got an email from Nasty Little Man owner, Steve Martin:

“Activision is responding to queries regarding the usage of Kurt Cobain’s likeness in Guitar Hero 5 with the following statement “Guitar Hero secured the necessary licensing rights from the Cobain estate in a written agreement signed by Courtney Love to use Kurt Cobain’s likeness as a fully playable character in Guitar Hero® 5.”

Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl, the two surviving members of Nirvana, have no say whatsoever in the usage of Kurt Cobain’s likeness.”

I dare say the ball’s in Courtney’s court now.

John Lydon, as simultaneously annoying and entertaining as he can be, is not one to play by the rules. The fact that he has flogged the dead horse that is the Sex Pistols’ legacy for cheap, cash-cow reunions on numerous occasions is unsurprising to anyone who has even tangentially followed his career path. The Sex Pistols is/was/will always be the caricature of punk’s genesis- the name that everyone recognizes but whose music far fewer actually know. Lydon’s other claim to fame, Public Image Limited, has always served as Lydon’s true(er) artistic statement. At least it did in the beginning. Although, it, too, would succumb to artistic compromise in the face of dollar signs. The ever-shifting line-up was only a peripheral problem, as Lydon lost focus early on. The fact that he’s reuniting PiL is just another shrugging matter of course. The fact that he’s reuniting PiL without the people who made it great is another problem altogether. The Guardian argues that PiL’s “sonic sorcery” won’t work without Jah Wobble and Keith Levene in the mix, and, despite a soft spot for a few post-Wobble/Levene albums, I have to agree.

If you take issue with this line of thinking, perhaps you should compare and contrast the following:

PiL (featuring with Wobble and Levene) performing “Death Disco” on Tops of the Pops in December of 1979

PiL (as the “college rock” incarnation) in the video for “Cruel” off the godawful That What Is Not album from 1992

Amusing statement from Ryan Adams regarding the digital relaunch of his PAX AM label:

Thanks for making Pax Am the number one Ryan Adams merch site online. We would hunt anyone else down though.

Did you have a rad summer? Good. If you said no, never worry, Pax Am is here. We are gonna fill your fall and winter up with vinyl, digital singles, and t shirts you don’t need.

Stay tuned for videos, free tracks, and our digi-singles.  Subscribers get first dibs on rare vinyl.

Remember, purchasing the buck 49 singles is a way to keep FOGGY TV on the air, but it is not necessary to view the weekly content.

This is my label and my internet disco dream.

Make it real you jerks.

Worship me.

“Lost and Found” b/w “Go Ahead and Rain” is available for pre-order at ryanada.ms. Shipping digitally on Friday, September 11, 2009.

If you’re marrying a girl with a seemingly limitless dowry, then you just might be able to afford one of the following performers for your reception. The prices are as big as the names, give or take. I remember my friend wanted to get The Magnetic Fields when he and his wife got married almost nine years ago. The price at the time was $10,000 plus air-fare, which seems like a steal compared to these acts. Granted, it’s a stratospheric difference in terms of fame but still. Some of these prices just seem to be set as deterrents because nobody wants to play some random wedding, but the logic being,  if you cough up millions, hey, then it’d probably be ok. If I had $981,000 extra clams lying around I sure as shit would not employ the likes of Rod Stewart, especially circa now. And, really, Jennifer Lopez demands $1.6 million for private parties? I cannot even imagine the buyer’s remorse after that party ends. The rest at least make some semblance of sense, given your taste level:

1. The Rolling Stones – up to £5 million ($8.176m)
2. Sir Elton John – up to £2 million ($3.27m)
– Kylie Minogue – up to £2 million ($3.27m)
4. Christina Aguilera – up to £1.5 million ($2.45m)
5. George Michael – £1.3 million ($2.45m)
6. Amy Winehouse – £1 million ($1.64m)
– Sir Paul McCartney – £1 million ($1.64m))
– Leona Lewis – £1 million ($1.64m))
– Jennifer Lopez – £1 million ($1.64m)
10. Barry Manilow – £750,000 ($1.23m)
11. Rod Stewart – £600,000 ($981,000)
12. Duran Duran – £500,000 ($818,000)

[ via Idolator]