Hippies Are Dead

Oasis Played Oracle Arena - Setlist, Pics, Review

2008-12-04T11:57:00.001-08:00

Following Ryan Adams' solid opening set, Oasis took the stage at Oracle Arena to deliver a set that fulfilled all the hype, pomp, and showmanship that one would expect from one of the world's most mega rock bands. The lights were big, the set was big, the video screens were big - all of it was designed to be larger than life and completely wow the crowd. What's more, the setlist was a fantastic blend of the band's material over the years, and even included a few treats for the diehards.

It was actually quite remarkable how easily the band jumped from old material, to new, and back again. Despite the fact that the band's records have taken on a decidedly darker production aesthetic in the past few years, they've clearly been putting in the time to make sure that they can deliver on all the classics as well - material from Definitely Maybe sounded just as solid as anything off the recent records.

In many ways, Oasis' US gigs are doomed to be greatest-hits affairs: most Americans aren't super familiar with the deep album cuts, and moreover they pay money to see those well known tunes. That being said, given the infrequency of Oasis' touring in the US, that's not necessarily a bad thing: it is really and truly great to see the band rock out to "Morning Glory" under a full bath of lights with 6' guitar cabinets roaring away.

Even in light of delivering the hits, the band did manage to slip something in for the die hard fans (of whom there were many). They performed both "The Masterplan" (best known as the title track of the band's B-Sides collection), and "Slide Away" - a seldom played track from Definitely Maybe. It's nice to see a band that is so thoroughly an "arena act" still have the awareness and promotion of their rarer material. Although with a library of b-sides and rarities as rich as Oasis', it's easy to see why they would do so.

The only disappointing moments in the set for us were a somewhat half-hearted "we have to do this" version of "Wonderwall", and the closing of the night with "I Am The Walrus". In both cases it felt more like a band doing what was expected, as opposed to what came naturally. And still, a slightly weak version of two songs out of the whole night is hardly a damning report. We walked away feeling more than satisfied by the set. Oasis delivers absolutely what you'd expect from them: loud, unadulterated, unabashed rock and roll. And we loved every minute of it.

Setlist:
Fucking In The Bushes (Intro)
Rock N' Roll Star
Layla
The Shock Of The Lightning
Cigarettes And Alcohol
The Meaning Of Soul
To Be Where There's Life
Waiting For The Rapture
The Masterplan
Songbird
Slide Away
What's The Story (Morning Glory)
Ain't Got Nothin'
Importance Of Being Idle
I'm Out Of Time
Wonderwall
Supersonic

Don't Look Back In Anger
Fallin' Down
Champagne Supernova
I Am The Walrus

Many more pictures at the HAD Archive

Ryan Adams Played Oracle Arena - Pics, Review, Setlist

2008-12-04T11:34:00.000-08:00

Last night, bookended by two massive neon Cardinals roses, Ryan Adams and The Cardinals kicked off the first night opening for Oasis on their North American tour. Despite suffering some of the typical "opener" roadblocks (non-full audience, lesser stage setup, quieter mix), the band delivered a solid set, and by the end they had a solidly delivered on their latest material, as well as some Adams classics.

Throughout the show, the band was under a pretty low level of light. We have no idea whose decision it was (or maybe it was a stage fright thing), but it did make it a little harder to engage the band's on stage persona. Still, there's no question that the band delivered on their musical potential. Newer material like "Cobwebs", "Fix It", and "Magick" was thoroughly fleshed out, and made the album versions pale by comparison. Perhaps the only weakness was that "I Taught Myself How To Grow Old" lacked the epic guitar jam that's usually present at Adams' headlining shows.

Even more impressive than delivering on the new material, it seemed that Adams has accepted that he needs to "play the hits" in order to engage a less familiar audience. The band delivered solid versions of "When The Stars Go Blue" and "Two", not to mention and awesome, rocking version of "Come Pick Me Up" that was the highlight of the set.

Playing a large venue, to an unfamiliar audience, as an opener, is always a tough act to pull off. However, it speaks to the continuing growth and maturity of the Cardinals that they jumped into the situation and managed to avoid any pratfalls. If they continue in this direction (and frankly, bring a bit of their live rawness into the studio), we're thinking that 2009 could be a big year for the Cards.

Setlist:
Cobwebs
Crossed Out Name
Everybody Knows
When The Stars Go Blue
Fix It
Let It Ride
Go Easy
Sinking Ships
Come Pick Me Up
I Taught Myself How To Grow Old
Two
Magick

More photos at the HAD Archive

Oasis And Ryan Adams Kick Off North American Tour At Oracle Arena Tonight

2008-12-03T14:08:00.000-08:00

We're guessing that if you're planning on going to this show, you probably don't need to be reminded. You already have tickets, and are most likely barely concentrating on whatever it is that you're supposed to be doing this afternoon. But, just in case, here's one last reminder: tonight will be host to a super rock blowout over at Oracle Arena as Ryan Adams and The Cardinals join Oasis for a night of rock massivity. The show kicks off two weeks of a North American tour for the two bands, leading right up to Christmas. Be there or be square.

Ryan Adams And The Cardinals and Oasis, Winter 2008 Tour:
December 3 - Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA
December 4 - Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
December 6 - The Pearl, Las Vegas
December 8 - Broomfield Events Center, Denver, CO
December 10 - Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
December 12 - Allstate Arena, Chicago, IL
December 13 - Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI
December 15 - John Labatt Center, London, ON
December 17 - Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
December 19 - Susquenhanna, Camden, NJ
December 20 - GMU Patriot Center, Washington DC

Another Planet Entertainment Reopens The Fox Theatre In Oakland

2008-12-03T12:03:00.000-08:00

Image courtesy John Mattos

Well, if you felt the Easy Bay was sorely lacking in midsize concert venues, you're about to get your fill: Another Planet Entertainment has renovated and reopened The Fox Theater as a Warfield-sized music venue in Uptown Oakland. We have to say we're curious how this will pan out, but judging by Oakland's hipster-cache, and APE's variety of musical inroads, we're guessing it could become 2009's hot alternative to The Fillmore. The initial artist lineup will be announced on January 5th (with an opening gala on February 5th), so in the meantime you'll have to busy yourself by looking at pretty renovation pictures over at the official site. Looks pretty awesome, folks. Neat-o.

The Sea And Cake Played Great American - Pics, Review

2008-12-03T10:43:00.000-08:00

Last night at the Great American, The Sea and Cake returned to San Francisco for an awesome, career spanning show. Despite GAMH only being about two thirds full, we're pretty sure we've never heard a louder or more enthusiastic crowd in that space. Not only did the band deliver a lengthy main set, but they were compelled to return for two solid encores by fans who just couldn't get enough.

Openers The Ugly Suit definitely delivered a solid dose of rock to the beginning of the evening. In general their live set was considerably more loud and jammy than anything they've got on the web. It would probably be fair to say that they had something of a My Morning Jacket vibe, although the songwriting and vocals weren't really up to Jim James standards. We enjoyed the Suit's set, but when they finished, we have to admit that we were eagerly awaiting the main act.

The Sea and Cake started off their set with all pistons running, and never really let up from there. They started with "Aerial", the opener from Car Alarm, and for the first part of the night proceeded with a set that drew quite heavily on the last two albums. For us, this was ideal, as the last two records have really been our most solid intro to the band. Still, it was clear that there were a number of long time fans in the audience who were dying for some older stuff.

The band didn't fail to deliver, and the second half of the set drew far more heavily on the older material, including "Nature Boy", "Parisol", and "Jacking The Ball". Still, we were glad to see that the band doesn't relegate their new material to beginning of the set fodder: they closed the second encore with a fantastic version of Everbody's "Lightning".

One of the more noticeable aspects of The Sea and Cake's live show is that while their tunes tend to maintain their intricate arrangements and sound, they tend to rock a bit harder. The drums, and guitars all seem to have a bit more of an edge, while Eric Claridge (amazingly) keeps his remarkably intricate bass lines going, even in a live setting.

For a band with such a lengthy history, and devout group of fans, we're really glad to see The Sea And Cake still delivering not only brilliant records, but a brilliant live show as well. These guys are all extremely talented musicians, and could easily rest on their laurels of being an indie rock institution. Instead, they're really getting out there and delivering a clear and resonating message about just how much they love every second of it. Cheers to that.

Many more pics at the HAD Archive

Spoon Offers Up A Live Version of "Beast And Dragon" For The Holidays

2008-12-03T07:42:00.000-08:00

Okay, well, maybe it's not for the holidays: the band has been offering up a free track every month for well over a year now. But still, it's nice to see that their generosity isn't letting up any time soon. This month's freebie is a live version of "The Beast And The Dragon Adored", from 2005's Gimme Fiction. It's nice to hear that guitar freak-out at the end burn just a little bit more, and if we're not mistaken, isn't that chord at the end the lead-in to "Me And The Bean"?

mp3: Spoon - The Beast And Dragon, Adored (Live)

Reminder: Sea And Cake Is At Great American Tonight

2008-12-02T16:05:00.000-08:00

Between last year's album pick, and gushing over the new material, we couldn't be more psyched for tonight's Sea And Cake show. We got our copy of Car Alarm two weeks back, and we couldn't be happier with it. It's like Everybody's rockier, more enthusiastic sibling - and the two make quite a pair! Unfortunately, it looks like Field Music isn't on the bill (as originally announced), but Oklahoma's The Ugly Suit will be there instead. From the sounds of things, they're producing somewhat angsty, poppy tunage that holds its own, at least in the context of myspace. We'll have to see how it goes in the flesh - either way, we are uber-psyched for this evening's festivities! Rawk!

Doors at 7, show at 8. Tickets are still on sale.

Al Green's Latest Caught Us By Surprise

2008-12-02T11:54:00.000-08:00

One of the advantages of running a music blog is that we get exposed to a far wider range of artists and releases than we might otherwise see. Unfortunately, the advantage can also be a hindrance, as the sheer volume of releases allows for some stuff to slide by unnoticed. Luckily, the folks at record companies are more than happy to send out droves of end-of-year emails to try and remind you of their overlooked masterpieces.

It was one such email that alerted us to Al Green's latest record Lay It Down. The record caught our eye (aside from Green's obviously huge legacy) because it was produced by none other than The Roots' ?uestlove. For us here at HAD, The Roots have a special signifigance: When they backed Jay-Z on 2001's Unplugged, they drew us into hip-hop in a way that no other band had done before. Allowing hip-hop to escape the now-standard heavy studio production values and venture into the realm of completely live music was a move of total genius. As such, we had high hopes for the Green album: not only has Green made a self-proclaimed return to R&B, but with ?uestlove producing (which he also did for Jay-Z's record) it seemed like a solid bet that this record would deliver in a way that Green's hadn't in quite some time.

Thankfully, our suspicions were completely accurate. While the record does include some much-hyped duets with modern singers (John Legend, Corrine Bailey Rae), the thing that really makes it a fantastic record is just how vintage it sounds. The production yields not even the slightest hint of synths or drum machines, and the arrangements are laced with solid horn and string sections. In short, the record is a classic R&B record, in the best sense of the word. What's more, Green's voice is in top form, and if the years have done anything to affect his classic timbre, they've only served to make it warmer.

There are many reasons why hearing a record like this is such a treat: the realization that an R&B legend is still making it happen, and the fact that a modern hip hop artist is also a killer producer with insight into why genres need to be handled differently, to name two. But more than anything, it's great to hear an R&B album that has such a solid sense of soul and musicality. So much of the R&B material today is sickly-sweet and painfully smooth. Even much respected artists are releasing records that make us cringe a bit. They seem to lack personality and any real sense of generating a true musical groove and persona. By contrast, Lay It Down is the polar opposite: Green and ?uestlove have delivered a classic R&B album that transcends both its time and place by delivering something far more lasting: real music.

Stream: Al Green - Lay It Down

Coldplay's Prospekt's March Fails To Deliver

2008-12-02T10:42:00.000-08:00

Coldplay's latest release dropped last Tuesday, and we have to admit that despite eating crow in regard to Viva La Vida, we were still looking at Prospekt's March with a high degree of skepticism. For one, the EP is a collection of B-Sides from the Vida recording sessions, which makes one wonder about the quality bar. For another, three out of the EP's eight tracks are "versions" of album tracks: "Life In Technicolor II", "Lost +" and "Lovers In Japan, (Osaka Sun Mix)". Still, Coldplay does have a decent track record with B-Sides, so we figured the best way to decide was to just go have a listen.

The EP really almost feels more like an alternate version of the record than a collection of B-Sides. It's nice to hear "Life In Technicolor" fleshed out with a full lyric, and "Rainy Day" manages to delve into some clearly Eno-influenced polyrhythms reminicent of his collaboration with John Cale. On the other hand, "Postcards From Far Away" barely qualifies as a full track, "Glass Of Water" is a pretty de rigueur Coldplay radio fodder, and the remix of "Lovers In Japan" is barely discernable from the original. "Now My Feet Won't Touch The Ground" and "Prospekt's March / Poppyfields" are both perfectly passable tracks, but neither one really goes anywhere beyond the realm of quiet acoustic ditty. And, well, for those who actually thought it might work: "Lost +" featuring Jay-Z is completely and totally laugable. Nice try, guys.

In the end, our conclusion falls decidedly on the "less than necessary" side of the fence. The EP is definitely in the same vein as Vida, and works well as a companion to the record. But it offers little that is new. If you haven't gotten either yet, picking up the deluxe edition is an easy way to check it out. If you're considering picking up the EP by itself, you'll probably find yourself favoring the actual record most (if not all) of the time. It simply doesn't have one track that makes it a "must have", and in the end seems to be angled pretty aggressively in the "let's have something for the holidays" space. Ah, well. At least you can stream for free...

Stream: Coldplay - Prospekt's March

Land Of Talk: New Bass Player, West Coast Tour, Bottom Of The Hill In January

2008-11-26T07:41:00.000-08:00

We've really been digging Land Of Talk's latest record, not to mention their debut EP. As such, we couldn't be happier to see that they're finally making it out West! The band will be starting out in their Canadian homeland, and then gradually making their way down the coast before bouncing back up to Vancouver for the final show of the tour. For you locals, that means a January 24th show at Bottom Of The Hill.

We also happened to spy a myspace blog entry from the band dated October 8th this morning. Apparently original bass player Chris McCarron has left the band (on good terms) to play guitar for The Dears, and Joe Yarmush has taken his place. You can get your full up close and personal intro to Joe Yarmush as he intros the video above. Silly times, kids. Silly times.

Land Of Talk Tour Dates 2009:
Jan 14 2009 Ebar (Zeroes & Little Scream) Guelph, Ontario
Jan 15 2009 Horseshoe Tavern (Zeroes & Little Scream) Toronto, Ontario
Jan 16 2009 The grad club (Zeroes & Little Scream) Kingston, Ontario
Jan 21 2009 High Dive Seattle, Washington
Jan 22 2009 Doug Fir porland, Oregon
Jan 23 2009 San Bond’s Eugene, Oregon
Jan 24 2009 Bottom of the Hill San Fransisco, California
Jan 26 2009 Casbah San Diego, California
Jan 28 2009 Spaceland Los Angeles, California
Feb 7 2009 Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver, British Columbia

New Frightened Rabbit Audio/Video: "Set You Free"

2008-11-25T13:28:00.000-08:00

We're perfectly willing to admit that we're obsessed with Frightened Rabbit. Guilt factor = 0. What's that, you say? So obsessed that we'd be more than willing to post and enjoy their cover of cheesey dance songs? Yes, that obsessed.

"Set You Free" is to be released on Engine Room's Guilt By Association 2, along with a bunch of other questionably ironic cover tunes. Video above, audio below. Take your pick!

mp3: Frightened Rabbit - Set You Free (N-Trance Cover, click through)
Stream: Guilt By Association 2 (Full Record)

Wolfgang's Vault Has Classic Elvis Costello From San Francisco Circa 1978

2008-11-25T11:44:00.000-08:00

We're going to assume, given that it's Thanksgiving week and all, that many of you will have a fair dose of free time on your hands over the coming days. Well, all things being equal, you may as well fill that time with some of the good tunage that's out there waiting for you. If you manage to tear yourself away from all the awesome new music out there, then we encourage you to take a step back and head over to Wolfgang's Vault. The always-awesome archive of Bill Graham's concerts is hosting an Elvis Costello & The Attractions show from 1978, and it's not to be missed. It's a recording from The Winterland right in the midst of Costello's pissed off young man phase, and the set is rife with the frustration and angst of his first two records. Highly recommended.

Stream - Elvis Costello Live At Winterland 06-07-1978

Mark Kozelek: Covers Record, Free MP3

2008-11-25T10:36:00.000-08:00

San Francisco local Mark Kozelek, he of Sun Kil Moon and Red House Painters, has a new record (credited as a solo effort) largely of cover tunes coming out entitled The Finally LP. The record drops on December 9th from Caldo Verde Records. Last week's "Gum Drop" over at Stereogum featured a quick interview and managed to finagle a free mp3 out of the deal, a cover of Husker Du's "Celebrated Summer".

Kozelek has a pretty solid history of reworking covers (see "Silly Love Songs" and
All Mixed Up" for two), and this record looks promising. Apparently it's culled from 10 years of bonus tracks and unreleased material, with the intent of getting some of the rarer material out there legitimately. In addition to two original instrumentals, it features songs by Low, Will Oldham, and Stephen Sondheim, among others. If the mp3 below is any indication, it looks to be a choice piece of text book Kozelek, and we mean that in the best way possible.

mp3: Mark Kozelek - Celebrated Summer (Husker Du cover, click through)

Reminder: Deerhunter, Times New Viking Are At Great American Tonight

2008-11-24T17:21:00.000-08:00

If you're not in the mood for viewing some free Noise Pop 2008 footage, and you fancy that you could do with a little bit more noise in your night, then allow us to recommend you head over to the Great American and check out Times New Viking and Deerhunter. Both bands are getting a suitable amount of hype these days, and from all we can tell, it's well deserved. Sure, there're stories of Deerhunter shows falling apart at the seams, but what's rock and roll without some drama and risks? Hit it!

mp3: Deerhunter - Wash Off

French Miami: New Record, Bottom Of The Hill, Local To The Max

2008-11-24T12:05:00.001-08:00

Our continual, enraptured use of eMusic often leads us to discover many bands through the music site's recommendations engine. It does a pretty solid job at looking at what you're downloading, and finding some other bits you might enjoy. Both Frightened Rabbit and Army Navy fell into our laps this way, and we couldn't be more pleased.

So this morning, as we logged on to eMusic to download our monthly fix, we browsed our way over to the "New And Noteworthy" section, and stumbled upon the new record from French Miami. We listened for a bit, and the more we listened, the more we liked it. The band's sound combines sweet analog synth tones with crinkly guitars and driving beats to create a vibe that is at the same time messy and highly precise. Put differently, controlled chaos. It's good, and it makes us happy.

Even more exciting than discovering a new record, is dicovering that these guys are locals! That's right: San Franciscans, hometown heroes. Their record is even on local artists' collective Dinner Party Records. What this means for you is that they'll be wrapping up their current tour on December 19th at The Bottom Of The Hill. We're not saying you have to be there, but we are saying it'll be our last show in town before we head to see our fams for the holidaze. We don't take that sort of thing lightly.

mp3: French Miami - The Goddamn Best
mp3: French Miami - Science Fiction

First Rumblings Of Noise Pop 2009 Lineup Drop, Badge Onsale Date Announced

2008-11-24T11:06:00.001-08:00

Well, we're getting into the second half of the year, which means that the buzz about this year's Noise Pop will be starting right about....now.

The Noise Pop...Committee? Organization? Promoters? We don't know. Anyway: those kind folk who bring you Noise Pop each year have announced the initial bands in the 2009 lineup. The list includes AC Newman, No Age, Antony and The Johnsons, Clues (former Unicorns), Goblin Cock, and Dear And The Headlights. Obviously, as is the case with such a monster event, there are more names (100 bands!) still to come down the pike.

Additionally, the on-sale of Noise Pop badges (read: admission to all gigs, space permitting) has also been announced. The haloed admission passes will be going on sale December 10th at 10 AM via an exclusive site that has yet to actually exist. Indeed.

Obviously Noise Pop 2009 is still very much developing, so keep an eye out for more news. As a side note, tonight at Madrone there will be a showing of a Noise Pop 2008 video compilation. Free to all takers, so, you know - if you're looking for something cheap to do, probably a solid bet.

New Jay Bennett Album Gets Rapid Internet Only Release, Free Download

2008-11-24T10:39:00.000-08:00

Jay Bennett has been busy. Holed up in his own Pieholden studios, he's apparently recorded two albums worth of material, and now is simply tasked with deciding how and when to release them. Not a bad spot to be in, we suppose.

Well as of today, Bennett has decided to release the first record, entitled Whatever Happened, I Apologize, through the online music site rockproper.com. As to why he released this record first? Apparently, much like a tootsie pop, the world may never know. On his myspace blog, Bennett simply stated:

"I am somewhat at a loss for words as to explain why I arrived at this decision, save to say it's just one of those lonely and private choices one sometimes has to make—in other words, it just felt more like the right album for the time."

Fair enough. As for the record, it is strikingly and surprisingly completely free. You simply go to the rockproper site and download a hefty zip file full of tasty new mp3s. We're thinking this may be a good strategy for Bennett, as there may be a world of Wilco fans out there who are interested enough to listen, but maybe on the fence enough not to drop $12 on a CD.

We just finished our download, but from what we can tell at first listen it's an earnest set of polished, acoustic rock songs. In other words, classic Jay Bennett. Check it out below.

mp3: Jay Bennett - Whatever Happened, I Apologize (full record download)

Anya Marina Played Cafe Du Nord

2008-11-21T11:18:00.000-08:00

You may remember that yesterday we weren't really sure what to expect from Anya Marina's set at Cafe Du Nord, and that we were banking heavily on her Britt Daniel-related credentials. Well, suffice it to say, there was no need to worry: Marina, with only an acoustic guitar and a handful of beat machine backing tracks, delivered a show that was as solid as it was enjoyable, with a little comedy to boot.

The thing that struck us most immediately about the performance was Marina's highly competent guitar playing. It's far to often that you go to see an artist see a "solo set", and wind up hearing strummy strummy chord action that yields little or no original vibe. Marina's guitar playing was exactly the opposite: she had the technical chops to play intricate, syncopated parts, while at the same time giving each part it's own unique character.

On top of her guitar playing chops, Marina also had the songwriting skills to keep her tunes from just being typical folky ditties. The lyrics were sufficiently abstract, and the melodies unique enough, to yield songs that left the listener with some room for their own interpretation. Despite having a song featured on Grey's Anatomy, Marina's songs didn't feel canned, or like they were catering to some predetermined adult alternative target market.

Finally, it would be remiss to discuss the set without at least mentioning Marina's playful stage banter. She seemed completely at home on stage, and engaged the audience with a range of stories and reflections. Maybe this is sourced in her days as a DJ, or maybe it just comes naturally. Regardless, she roped in the crowd, and it was the biggest round of applause we've heard for an unfamiliar opening act in quite some time.

More pictures at the HAD Archive

Some New Music From New Zealand: Cut Off Your Hands

2008-11-21T11:06:00.000-08:00

Typically when we get Insound's "Free MP3 Of The Week" it tends to be a little underwhelming. It's either a band we've already heard, or a the latest buzz band that's already been hyped to high heaven, or something that doesn't catch our fancy in any particular way.

However, this week is different: the track is from New Zealand's Cut Off Your Hands, and is called "Happy As Can Be". From the second we put it on, we were pretty much won over. Repeated listens have only increased our enthusiasm, so needless to say: it's good. The track is full of driving energy, and to our ears winds up being somewhere in the territory of Morrissey meets Phil Spector meets a Christmas Carol (that's probably just the tubular bells getting to us, though). Anyway, there's no need for you to sit around and listen to us blab about it: go get the track now!

mp3: Cut Off Your Hands - Happy As Can Be (courtesy of Insound's mp3 of the week)

Not So Silent Night Preparty Features Vampire Weekend, Cold War Kids, Audrey Sessions: Tickets On Sale Now

2008-11-21T10:49:00.000-08:00

Photo from the HAD Archive

Word just came over the wire that the Live 105 Not So Silent Night Pre-Party will be at Mezzanine on Wednesday, December 10th, and will feature Vampire Weekend, Cold War Kids, Chairlift (?), and Audrey Sessions. Plus, of course, the ubiquitous DJ set by Aaron Axelson. Let's just say our NSSN skepticism has been somewhat abated by the awesomeness of a Vampire Weekend holiday show.

Tickets are on-sale now.

Popscene Is Hopping In December: Franz Ferdinand (DJ Set), Vampire Weekend, The Virgins

2008-11-21T10:34:00.000-08:00

This morning we decided to check out 330 Ritch's December schedule (well, actually, Popscene's), and we were pleasantly suprised to see that the venue is hopping for the holiday season. Most notably, on December 11th Popscene will be hosting the Not So Silent Night afterparty, and Franz Ferdinand will be DJing. A week later, Popscene will be having their own "holiday ball", and NYC hot-item The Virgins will be in the house. Granted, the place is always a mob scene, but if you're feeling the holiday party vibe, maybe that's not such a bad thing.

Free No Age Tickets For Rickshaw Back In Stock

2008-11-20T22:55:00.000-08:00

Photo from the HAD Archive

Tickets to the No Age show at Rickshaw Stop on December 4th are back in stock and available right now. They're free - limit two per person. Severely awesome! Thanks to reader Kevin for the tip - get 'em while they're hot!

Stream Guns N Roses Chinese Democracy In Its Entirety

2008-11-20T11:02:00.000-08:00

It drops on Sunday (we have no idea why), but if you just can't wait, then head to Guns N Roses myspace page and hear the long awaited, much maligned, finally-truly-coming-out, Chinese Democracy. Sure, it's crass, and grandiose, and ridiculous, but um, really? What else were you expecting? You have heard Guns N Roses before, right?

UPDATE: The New York Times has a feature...

Stream: Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy

New Frightened Rabbit Track In Australian Zine

2008-11-20T09:14:00.000-08:00

Picture from the HAD Archive

Yum. Tasty. More Frightened Rabbit, complete with "sad, sad, sex". Does it get better than that? We thinks not. Seriously though, apparently the Australian zine The Lifted Brow got their hands on a new Frightened Rabbit Track "Last Tango In Brooklyn", and Pitchfork was kind enough to dig up an mp3.

The track is a quick acoustic lament of love lost, and melodically reminds us a fair bit of "The Twist" from the band's last record. Although production wise, it's far simpler then the stuff on Midnight Organ Fight. All in all, we're not totally shocked that the track ended up as a giveaway, since it seems a little less compositionally complete then the band's album material. That being said, we're pretty much suckers for these guys at the moment, so anything they put out there, we're gonna gobble up.

mp3: Frightened Rabbit - Last Tango In Brooklyn (Link courtesy Pitchfork)