More Small History

if you've been to the Merge Store recently you may have noticed that in addition to the 44-track Some Small History album that came out a couple weeks ago, there's a free set of 11 bonus tracks to download that wouldn't fit on the album -- we maxed out the time on both discs in the set. there are also extended liner notes on the album page, to which i've now added extra liners about the bonus tracks as well.

if you like stuff that's free and also obscure, go HERE!

wednesday playlist:

Liz Durrett - Outside Our Gates
Jay Reatard - Blood Visions
Miles Davis - Workin' With the Miles Davis Quintet
Eccentric Soul: The Tragar and Note Labels

McCain Wants a TO?

McCain and his mute running mate are tanking so McCain wants a "time out" from the campaign and to postpone the debate on Friday....all for the sake of the country of course....doesn't he know you can't call time out if you don't have possession of the ball?

the McCain / Palin campaign seems more clownish all the time, but who knows maybe people will fall for this as some sort of "presidential, bi-partisan" move.

Coltrane Would Be 82

i was alerted by Mike Watt's latest mass email that today is John Coltrane's birthday...he would only be 82 today, which serves as a reminder of both how young he was when he died - 40, a year younger than me... - and how much music he made in those years. we cranked up Ole´ on the way back from our show at the beach this weekend, i don't listen to that one enough.

speaking of those who left too soon, the best obit i read of the recently departed David Foster Wallace was A.O. Scott's in the Times' Week In Review last Sunday. i lugged the hardcover Infinite Jest around on tour for awhile; what a massive, massively great book. stuff that seemed on the surface -- the crazy endnotes, the size & scope of the book itself -- dissolved once i was involved in the novel because the material was so hilariously, painfully human.

UPDATE: in the Still Rocking dept, a friend has alerted me that today is Mr. Bruce Springsteen's birthday as well -- still kicking out the jams hard at a young 59. Happy Birthday, Bruce. Still kicking myself for not catching a show at the end of the Magic touring....the beginning was great, but the last few shows sounded like real free-for-alls.

Release Day!

18 years in the making, the 2-disc, 44-song Some Small History is available in stores and online today. just look for the beautiful Amy Sillman art gracing the cover. The physical version of this release is a limited edition, while the digital jams live on forever of course....

this Friday at Local 506 Portastatic will appear in a special new configuration featuring Jim Wilbur as usual but also Ivan Howard of the Rosebuds playing several instruments! and we'll be pulling lots of old songs off the new comp for their first-ever performances...

on the stereo today:

Lambchop - I Hope You're Sitting Down
Ornette Coleman - Sound Grammar
Stereolab - Chemical Chords
Supergrass - The Best of '94-'04
Jennifer O'Connor - Here With Me
Coltrane - First Meditations

trying to drown out the panicky thoughts in my head about a world with creepy hawk John McCain and freaky flat-earth Sarah Palin running the country....

Stand Up to Cancer!

tonight all three of the major networks are airing the Stand Up to Cancer telethon at 8 pm -- find out more about it at standup2cancer.org and while you're there check out the PSA called "Where the Money Goes" which uses a Portastatic song ("Lively Chase") as it's backdrop while Paul Rudd explains how the money you give goes to work to fight cancer.

What A Joke

If anyone thought that longtime-secessionist Sarah Palin was going to be a "game changer" her speech tonight put an end to that....a hectoring, sarcastic, empty, GOP-speechwriter-written screed that may indeed appeal to the (completely white, if attendees of their convention are an indication) base of her party, but the base of her party is much smaller than the base of the Democratic party. if this country elects the McCain / Palin ticket it's only because a portion of the electorate are still straight-up racist and won't vote for a black man no matter how qualified he happens to be, and no matter how incompetent, incoherent, and unfit to lead the Republican ticket is. unfortunately you can't rule out that unthinkable outcome at this point in our history.