New video from Degrassi High alum-turned-rapper Drake for "Best I Ever Had", his first single off of his third mixtape, So Far Gone. (You can download So Far Gone for free!) The music video was directed by Kanye West. 

By Marcie Garcia

White Rabbits bunkered down in a Brooklyn studio for just four weeks recording their sophomore album, It’s Frightening (TBD Records), under the guidance of none other than Spoon’s cryptic crooner-turned-producer, Britt Daniel. Armed with their staple piano-thuds and dueling drumlines, “Percussion Gun” shot off the shelf as the record’s segue to new material and the band soon began touring behind the record which vocalist Stephen Patterson describes as their most “spontaneous” effort yet.

But White Rabbits wants you to know they’re not just a two-skins gimmick. The Missouri sextet, of Patterson, Gregory Roberts, Alex Even, Brian Bettancourt, Matt Clark, and Jamie Levinson, known for their heavy reliance of physical instruments, including a two-drummer lineup (Clark and Levinson), has much more to offer with its intricate compositions, lush textures, and most interesting arrangements, that has allowed some breathing room between all the would-be clutter. A stand-out: “Midnight and I”, showcases double-tracked baritone vocals and spacious guitar phasing that gives fans a taste of their newfound lyrical growth and musical artillery. See for yourself tonight, July 1st,  as White Rabbits play at The Empty Bottle: 1035 N. Western Ave. / $12 / 9:30 p.m. And check out my Q&A with White Rabbits' frontman, Stephen Patterson below.

The Rikters
The Rikters
June 26, 2009
Self-released


by Abby Echiverri 

Popular for their rollicking local performances, The Rikters are to release their s/t debut LP this weekend. The band offers an impressively loud sound for an emerging three-piece. Tracks such as "All My Life" and "Ava" balance the build-up of forceful drums and guitar with singer Doug Jenkin's honest lyrics. The LP refreshingly avoids pretentions with its straightforward power rock anthems. While certain spots show sameness in their three-chorded, three-instrument simplicity, much of the debut hints at the band's potential.

 

Photos from the June edition of Spandexxx are live on Glitter Guts! Check 'em out! 

Slightly sad, completely true and 100% hilarious. 

 

This Friday! Details above—be there or be square. RSVP to Smiths@MembersOnlyAV.com  for a Colt 45 hosted bar from 9-10, courtesy of MyOpenBar.com and $2.00 admission before 11 PM. 

Beastie Boys' eighth studio album, Hot Sauce Committee Part 1, is set to be released on September 15 through Capitol Records.  Details have been confirmed including the 17-composition track list below, which reveals collaborations with NAS and Santigold!

Tour dates for 2009 include a handful of festival appearances including Bonnarroo, All Points West, Lollapalooza, and Outside Lands.  A pre-Lolla show has been announced for Congress on Thursday, August 6th.

For B Boys die-hards, remastered/deluxe/expanded reissues of a 2-CD Hello Nasty and multi-format Ill Communication are due on August 25th and July 14 respectively.  Click here for more info.

The track list:
1. Tadlock's Glasses
2. B-Boys In The Cut
3. Make Some Noise
4. Nonstop Disco Powerpack
5. OK
6. Too Many Rappers (featuring NAS)
7. Say It
8. The Bill Harper Collection
9. Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (featuring Santigold)
10. Long Burn The Fire
11. Bundt Cake
12. Funky Donkey
13. Lee Majors Come Again
14. Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament
15. Pop Your Balloon
16. Crazy Ass Shit
17. Here's A Little Something For Ya

Vice Records has just announced an album from a supergroup that consists of label-mate garage-rockers: King Khan, Black Lips, and BBQ.  Under the moniker, The Almighty Defenders, the s/t album is due for release on September 22.

Created when Black Lips crashed at King Khan's place in freezing Berlin after their passports were confiscated, we can expect tracks "brimming with soul, earnest shouts, cries and hand-claps over post-modern gospel-rock anthems" (according to Vice).

The pAper chAse
Someday This Could All Be Yours, Vol. 1
(2009, Kill Rock Stars)

by Justin Valmassoi

You know when you like a band even though there are about 145 reasons, very obvious reasons, why they go against one or several deeply ingrained preferences you have held for years?  The pAper chAse is that band for me (for a lot of you, it’s the Jonas Brothers). I struggled to dismiss them as some sort of hybrid Shellac/Jesus Lizard thing with an annoying frontman, but that ignores their rampant experimentation, stylistic flourishes, ridiculous ear for melody and the simple fact that whenever one of their records comes on I am overcome with an unbelievable urge to flail my arms about and make little stabbing motions and almost kind of lurchingly twitch and dance (Not in any traditional sense. It’s more like an extended, rhythmic siezure involving little “piano hands.” In fact, forget I said anything.) We all have our “I don’t get it but I GET IT” bands. The pAper chAse is most assuredly mine.