Dinosaur Jr
Patent Pending, 2009

Prefix interviews Tegan Quin of Tegan and Sara.

DOA interviews Matt Dowling of Deleted Scenes.

Pitchfork reviews Robert Pollard's latest 100-track outtakes compilation, Suitcase 3.

The Sydney Morning Herald profiles singer-songwriter Greta Gertler and her alternative means for funding her debut album.

To make the orchestral pop album, Gertler estimates she will need a relatively modest $16,000 (“I never had that much money personally so, to me, it sounds like a lot of money”) but she decided not to go the Public Enemy route of selling shares in a future album, with its possibility of a financial return for investors, much like film financing. Instead she turned to the online site Kickstarter, which organises and formalises the process across a number of artistic disciplines.

Drowned in Sound reviews music singles released this week.

The 24-track Daptone Gold compilation is on sale at Amazon MP3 for $2.99.

Frank YangIn leading up to Friday night’s show at Lee’s Palace, I’d wondered aloud as to why it had taken The Wooden Sky so long to play a proper hometown show, what with their latest record, the ex If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone having come out all the way back in August. Walking into Lee’s, I got my answer – they were building their sets. The stage was breathtakingly decorated with all manner of props and sculptures built of paperback books and pages, which my iPhone photo does not do justice (yes I had my regular gear with me and no, I didn’t take a proper picture – shut up). In both concept and execution, it was one of the coolest things I’d seen as far as art installations go, certainly better than stuff I’d seen at Nuit Blanche – big salute to artists Chris Mills and Tim Oakley for their work. So yeah, I was wholly impressed before a single act had taken the stage. A good sign.

Photos: The Wooden Sky, Hooded Fang, Brian Borcherdt @ Lee’s Palace – November 13, 2009
MP3: The Wooden Sky – “Bit Part”

The two sides of Forest City Lovers’ imminent “Phodilus and Tyto” 7″ single are currently available to stream on the band’s MySpace. The 7″ should be available for purchase on November 20, the tracks will also be available to purchase digitally and a video for the b-side of “If I Were A Tree” is also imminent – all of which does a good job of building excitement for the band’s third album, currently targeted for a late Spring/early Summer 2010 release.

There’s a video session with The Wilderness Of Manitoba up at Southern Souls and another MP3 from Hymns Of Love And Spirits available to beguile.

MP3: The Wilderness Of Manitoba – “Bluebirds”

Another Monsters Of Folk video.

Video: Monsters Of Folk – “Say Please”

Chart talks to Alela Diane.

Spinner gets a new album status update from Alison Mosshart of The Kills, who denies that Kate Moss ever threw a laptop containing all their demos into a swimming pool.

Black Cab Sessions drives School Of Seven Bells around Austin in exchange for a song. Alejandra Dehaza talks to NME about preparing to record album number two, entitled Disconnect From Desire and due out sometime in the middle of next year.

The nebulously-maned Music Reviews blog interviews Dean Wareham. The third Dean & Britta album appears targeted for a mid-2010 release.

The Line Of Best Fit and Epigram interview Christian Mazzalai of Phoenix.

MP3: Neko Case - “Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth”
MP3: Sparks - “Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth”

The name of the game was "Gotta Do It". The rules were simple: someone would name a deed (it could be something normal like "eat grass" or it could be something weird like "climb up Dead Dog's Tree and scream the name of your True Love") and point to a person and then the rest of the watching group would whisper "Gotta do it!" over and over until they, the chosen boy or girl, did it. Dickie had watched many a game of Gotta Do It from afar, and would watch with curiosity, thankful separation, or unbearable envy, as the various "do its" were acted out. He came to school that morning with a very particular "do it" in mind. He spent all of science class unable to focus his microscope, his hands were shaking and his eyes felt sweaty, blurry. He couldn't eat breakfast that morning, he dumped his oatmeal in the toilet after his parents left for work. "Take off your jacket, Dickie," said Mrs. Greg, the wiry science teacher, he hadn't noticed he'd left it on, "you're not outside yet."

Tindersticks – “Black Smoke” From the group’s just-announced new album Falling Down A Mountain, out early next year from Constellation/4AD.

We’ve had 3 great new Listen@MBV streaming albums in as many weeks– and the combo player above collects them for easy listening (though not “easy listening”), so enjoy. Brilliant Colors‘ classic C86-y punky pop will keep you bouncing, Jookabox‘s Dead Zone Boys is the best psychedelic musical love story you’ll hear all year, and Dragon Turtle‘s dark & lovely Almanac will give you some warm flames to ease that chill outside.

AND, we’ve still got a copy of Dragon Turtle limited-edition swirled vinyl to give away, so hurry up and enter for that already! As always, even if you entered on the original post, you’re totally welcome to enter again below for another chance.

Class Actress – “Careful What You Say” From the band’s forthcoming EP Journal of Ardency, due on 2/9/2010 from Grizzly Bear Chris Taylor’s Terrible Records label.