Summer is Ready.

Here comes the sun.  The weather is shaping up nicely and I would like to go swimming. So. Here's the deal.

I have been cultivating my fondness for the wonderful Built to Spill this past year, and some weeks ago, I remarked, "Gee-- it sure would be nice to see this band play live."  And then the next morning, because fortune decided to smile upon me, I opened up the City Pages to the First Avenue schedule-ad, and guess who is scheduled for July 22?  Yes, indeed it is Built to Spill.  I am going, I am excited.

Also in the upcoming concert queue is one Ramblin' Jack Elliott.  There's a good chance I am going to see him play at the Cedar very soon.

I've been on a ridiculous Donovan kick lately, decades late to the party or not.  He just recently turned 64 years and released through his website a new single. (http://www.donovan.ie/).  He's got a new album coming out you know, Ritual Groove.  Whether it is going to come out within the summer or not, I think he'll be getting heavy rotations on my record player all summer long.

Speaking of new material.  My first musical love, Sawao Yamanaka, has finally gone along and created a solo album.  I will say, I am excited for him!  His album is called Discharge and the song 'Dawn Speech' is up and playing already.  What can we say about it?  It's different, it's Sawao trying to sound mellow, or something.  Still, it's nice to see him and Yoko together again.  I'm curious to hear more cuts from the record.

The Arcade Fire, too, have a new album due for August as well, titled The Suburbs. I doubt it has any correlation to the Minnesota band The Suburbs, but either way I am looking forward to hearing new Arcade Fire tunes.

Summer music is always integral to the season.  I will be digging out the required summer records soon, a comprehensive list of which I plan to compile in the near future.  Rock music friendships, yes yes.

916

So, it's 916. The significance? Well,

my favorite band of ever, the pillows, formed on this very day in 1989. So, today is their nineteenth anniversary, and for us fans, it's a tradition of sorts to recognize this day every year. So it leads me to wonder: what has the future in store for our beloved Sawao, Yoshiaki, Shin, and Jun? They're showing no signs of slowing, so I guess we'll have to wait and see, yes?

Band photo found on the 2005 SXSW site.

the pillows: Pied Piper

My ever-prolific favorite band the pillows have a new album slated for release entitled "Pied Piper." They've been pumping out the singles like mad(and genre-jumping from pop to ska to grunge and back to indie, not to mention), and we've finally gotten confirmed word on the record! The track list is thus:

曲目リスト

1. PIED PIPER

2. New Animal

3. No Surrender

4. Last Holiday

5. Tokyo Zombie(The knock came at dead of night)

6. Across the metropolis

7. Purple Apple

8. Tokyo Bambi

9. Ladybird girl

10. That's a wonderful world (song for Hermit)

11. POISON ROCK’N’ROLL

Looks interesting, no? Strange how a B-side makes it on there, but Across the Metropolis is a wonderful song anyway. Hopefully this record will be a nice surprise... I'm not saying I didn't dig "Wake Up!^3"...I'm just saying.