A little birdie told me producer/director pro Shane Nelson is shooting a video for the local band Sick of Sarah tomorrow morning and needs some more extras.

If you’re interested, just show up at the Soap Factory at 7:30 a.m. (yes, a.m.) dressed like you’re ready to rock at a basement show…

If you want to be famous, you better set your alarm clock.

I quite enjoyed We Are Scientists‘ 2005 debut LP, With Love & Squalor (Virgin) with its danceable standbys “Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt,” “It’s A Hit,” and “The Great Escape.” And now the Brooklyn indie rock trio have a sophomore follow-up coming out next week on Astralwerks called Brain Thrust Mastery.

Stream a few tracks below.

The Scientists are back and ready to rock. Are you?

I’m spinning the new Fearless Records compilation Punk Goes Crunk today.

It’s the seventh album in the popular “Punk Goes…” series and features all of your favorites. Highlights include Hot Rod Circuit’s take on Snoop’s “Gin and Juice” and My American Heart’s take on “California Love.”

Tracklisting

1. Put Yo Hood Up  (Lil John) - Set Your Goals
2. Got Your Money (Ol’ Dirty Bastard) - Say Anything
3. I Wish (Skee-Lo) - The Secret Handshake
4. Men in Black (Will Smith) - Forever the Sickest Kids
5. California Love (2PAC) - My American Heart
6. I Wanna Love You (Akon) - The Maine
7. Kryptonite (Purple Ribbon All-Stars) - Emanuel
8. The Seed (The Roots) - Person L
9. Still Fly (Big Tymers) -The Devil Wears Prada
10. Umbrella (Rihanna) - All Time Low
11. Notorious Thugs (Notorious BIG) - Scary Kids Scaring Kids
12. Nothin’ But A “G” Thang (Dr. Dre) - The Escape Frame
13. Gin and Juice (Snoop Dogg) - Hot Rod Circuit
14. Hey Ya! (OutKast) - Lorene Drive
15. Tennessee (Arrested Development) - New Found Glory

Stream tracks here, yo.

At first listen, Swedish songstress Lykke Li sounds like a whining puppy who can only cry in tiny beeps.

I just want to grab little Lykke by the neck and shout, “Project, girlfriend! Sing out! Use that diaphragm!”

Lykke Li : “Dance, Dance, Dance” (mp3)

But the more I listen to her U.S. debut, Little Bit EP, the more I understand the appeal of her minimalistic approach to vocalese, the tiny oohs and aahs at just the right, the refusal to screech like Björk being attacked by a swan. All good things, really.

Little Bit is out today, and Lykke Li will be touring North America for the first time this spring on a double headlining bill with fellow Swedes El Perro Del Mar and special guest Anna Ternheim. There aren’t coming to Minneapolis, so don’t get your hopes up, friends.

Her debut album, Youth Novels, has already been released overseas and is sure to be headed across the pond sooner than later.

Colour is DJ Andy Hunter’s third studio album and first release in three years. During that time Hunter’s work appeared in the trailer for “The Matrix: Reloaded,” “The Italian Job,” ABC’s “Alias,” Microsoft commercials and video games, including “Black Hawk Down,” “Burnout Revenge,” “Need For Speed Underground” and “Enter the Matrix.”

His new album on Nettwerk Records is ripe with 12 subtle, driving tracks of mostly midtempo soundscapes. Tracks like “Stars” and “System Error” serve as a perfect soundtrack for an afternoon of creative writing.

Andy Hunter : “Stars” (stream)

Hunter also co-wrote and produced the score to Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, Ben Stein’s new independent film.

Are you looking for some fresh Americana singer/songwriter stuff? No, well then nevermind.

Oh, you’re still here. Well let me share NYC songwriter Pete Francis with you.

His new solo record, Iron Sea and the Cavalry, is a slow meander across the sonic Heartland on an otherwise scurrilous day.

San Diego’s Calico Horse tapped musical genius Pall Jenkins of Blackheart Procession to produce their forthcoming release, Mirror, out June 24 on Banter Records.

Here’s the single off that album and also lead singer Emily Neveu’s gorgeous cover of Radiohead’s “Idioteque.”

Calico Horse : “Father Feed Me” (mp3)
Calico Horse : “Idioteque” (Radiohead cover) (mp3)

When he’s not wearing a tablecloth as a shirt, Robert Francis is releasing songwriter downer pop perfectly suited for quiet Sunday afternoons. Here’s his newsish video for “Little Girl” off his debut album, One By One (Aeronaut):

If you dig that, check out “All Of My Trains,” also off 1×1.

Robert Francis : “All Of My Trains” (mp3)

Cleveland’s mr. Gnome are dropping their debut full length, Deliver This Creature, on May 8th on El Marko Records.

Check out this track — kind of an upbeat European twist on CocoRosie.

mr. Gnome : “Pirates” (mp3) 

mr. Gnome play Minneapolis’ Hexagon Bar June 12 with Mute Era, Gay Witch Abortion
and The Nina The Pinta.

Jacksonville, FL quintet Black Kids are putting the final touches on their full-length debut, working a 15-date May tour and then heading back to the UK for a headlining tour of their own.

Black Kids : “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You (The Twelves Remix)” (imeem stream)

Catch them May 6 at The Entry with Cut Copy

DJ Logic & Jason Miles’ world-jazz-electronic-funk-compost Global Noize have a new album up mixing up jazz, electronica funk and world music featuring a very impressive cast of contributors: Meshell Ndegeocello, Billy Martin (Medeski, Marin & Wood) , Vernon Reid (Living Colour), John Popper (Blues Traveler) Cyro Baptista (Herbie Hancock), Bernie Worrell (Talking Heads, Parliament Funk), Karl Denson (Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Lenny Kravtiz), Christian Scott and more.

This music totally hits the spot on when you’re still at the office at 9 p.m. and are opining for something fresh, upbeat and transcendental.

Here are some samples:

Global Noize : “Dar’abesque”  (mp3 via link)

Global Noize : “A Jam For Joe” (stream)

Global Noize : “Quero Dancar” (stream)

T Rex, the debut digital EP from Wallpaper is on iTunes today with an exclusive remix only available on iTunes or there’s a limited edition 7″ you can purchase it at the eenie meenie online store and get a FREE digital copy of the EP

Here’s my review: Worst band name ever, but the tunes are snappy.

Wallpaper : “Everytm” (mp3)

COACHELLA ORGANIZERS OFFER $10,000 REWARD AND FOUR FESTIVAL TICKETS FOR LIFE IN EXCHANGE FOR THE SAFE RETURN OF THE INFLATABLE PIG THAT ESCAPED DURING SUNDAY HEADLINER ROGER WATERS’ SET

COACHELLA organizers are offering $10,000 and four (4) festival tickets for life in exchange for the safe return of the two-story inflatable pig that broke loose during Roger Waters’ set on the final night (Sunday, April 27) of the 2008 COACHELLA VALLEY MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL. The pig escaped and floated into the desert sky just prior to the intermission between Roger Waters’ back-to-back sets–marking the only back-to-back COACHELLA sets by one artist in the critically acclaimed festival’s history.

Anyone with information on the lost pig, should email lostpig@coachella.com.

REM - Hollowman

“I wanted Hollow Man to be a piece that creates a chaotic universe that only really occurs on a desktop, backlit and made of light, and to allow within that universe varying levels of, and glimpses into, intimacy and distance, abstraction and distraction, focus and avoidance. All the things that flash across the conscious mind when you’re trying to work your way through something. The Pixelman became the kind of unconscious; direct, calm and absolute, but ultimately unclear in his direction.

I had the idea that Crush could provide a completely made up universe that references our world but flattens it out and mixes in the turmoil and tumult of emotion; in essence, like the character in the song, overwhelmed, incomplete, emptied out, on repeat.

Crush delivered brilliant ideas which became several roughs, and we worked closely on the ideas, bouncing them off of Chris Bilheimer and a few trusted allies and artists. I was inspired by Douglas Coupland, various websites that invite web experimentation that I discovered with Jacknife Lee, and Eliot’s “The Hollow Men”. It was great fun working with Crush . I think the result is staggering. We are already at work on our next project together.”

-Michael Stipe

Cloud Cult

The Forms

Recaps: City Pages, doodledee, Higher Than Highlights.

photos by Alison

Dov Davidoff released his debut album, The Point Is, on Comedy Central Records last week. Dov grew up in a junkyard, lost his virginity at age 12 with a prostitute in Mexico, and quit smoking pot (yet neglects to share that gem with his audience for fear of being booed).

With a slurred Jersey accent and inability to enunciate, Dov sometimes sounds like Rocky after 12 rounds, and his raunchy act is long on filth and short on jokes.

Stream a few tracks here and decide for yourself.

AOL’s Spinner.com posted the brand new video for “Clouds” video from Omaha’s Neva Dinova late last week. Director Rob Walters built a classic small town dance scene for frontman Jake Bellows to tear down.

“Clouds” is the first single from the recently released You May Already Be Dreaming CD/LP (Saddle Creek).

Neva Dinova : “Clouds” (mp3)

Catch Neva Dinova Sunday, April 27 at Minneapolis’ 7th St. Entry with Ladyhawk.

Grammy and Dove award-winning band Casting Crowns took the stage at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center Saturday night and rocked our innocent Christian souls.

Baytown, Texas group Leeland opened, showing off lead singer and child prodigy Leeland Mooring’s first tenor choirboy vocals and 3 of the 5 band members wearing snappy vests.

Their best song of the night was probably “Tears of the Saints” with its poignant “This is an emergency” chorus, although “Count Me In,” the first single off their new album, Opposite Way, finally got the crowd on their feet and engaged.

Even if you’re not a fan of Christian rock, odds are you’ve heard of Casting Crowns. The group’s third studio release, The Altar and The Door, has made an enormous splash with the faith community — including a debut on Billboard’s Top 200 chart (just below High School Musical 2’s soundtrack, actually) — and overall, CC has sold 3 million albums.

Pretty good for an Atlanta youth pastor and his friends gigging in their free time, eh?

The seven-piece band took the stage — bedecked with gold-trimmed red draperies, chandeliers and silver screens reminiscent of the stage upon which they performed as the first Christian band to rock North Korea — and kicked off their two-part set off with title track “The Altar And The Door.”

It was quickly evident the clapping was going to be out of control for the next couple of hours. Let’s face it; Christians can’t clap.

Favorite moments included the fiddle vs. guitar showdown of “Simple Gifts,” all-hands raised and gooseflesh galore during “Praise You In This Storm,” opener John Waller helping out lead singer Mark Hall’s heart-warming baritone on “Somewhere in the Middle,” and “If We Are the Body” (my wife calls this the Oprah song).

While some of the tracks off the new album seemed less popular with the crowd — perhaps because they weren’t worship songs, per se, or because they lacked words on the screen — regular KTIS listeners could probably sing the chorus of more than half the songs unaided.

While I love a good contemporary worship song, there’s something about that church organ sound — pulling back all other instruments while the organ hits a power chord like CC does on “Every Man.” It is simply as powerful as it gets for us hybrid-traditionalists.

Quoting Psalm 1 before launching into “Slow Fade,” Mark Hall reminded us we can’t lean on other Christian’s walk, and it was continually apparent he’s just a humble youth pastor doing the best he can to break down walls. It just so happens CC writes a heck of a song.

With 8-9,000 packed into Xcel’s seats, we indeed were Minnesota’s biggest mega-church — gathered in an arena where thousands pound $8 beers and cheer on hockey fights on any given weekend — to worship not the award-winning Casting Crowns, but our God.

Amen.

(photo lifted from CC’s site)

Xcel Energy Center and JAM Productions announced today that R.E.M. with special guests Modest Mouse and The National is coming to the Theater at Xcel Energy Center on Thursday, June 5th, at 7 p.m.

R.E.M. hasn’t been in St. Paul since the “Vote For Change Tour” on Oct. 5, 2004 and adding Modest Mouse AND The National is just insane.

Really looking forward to this one.

Tickets are $45/65/75 and go on sale Saturday, May 3rd, at 11 a.m. at the Xcel Energy Center Box Office, and .

A photo I entered in the Punch Pizza photo contest made it as a finalized and was blogged about today. It may be link bait, but I’m falling for it.

We enjoyed the activity captured in the kitchen and how the oven at night is framed as the center of attention.  The oven in this pizzeria is the largest we have built and it really pops at night (it’s also John and my favorite place to cook calzones because the mass of the oven is best for cooking these difficult “off menu”, but delicious, items).