Music industry executives are losing their jobs left and right these days, but you know who's probably not losing his job? The guy who came up with the idea for all these "play a classic album start to finish" tours. What a great pitch—fans can count on hearing their fav albums performed uninterrupted by untested or lesser material, and let's face it, gen-xers are at prime nostalgia age (cf, this year's Bumbershoot line-up). Last week it was GZA touring Liquid Swords. This week it's Built to Spill performing Perfect From Now On (tonight at the Showbox, sold out). (Sonic Youth, Public Enemy, and countless other venerable acts have been doing this lately as well). Anyway, it may be a gimmick, but it's not a bad one, and Built to Spill's Perfect From Now On is, well, perfect for this sort of treatment, an evenly sequenced album with both shining pop hits and stoner-riffic jam-outs and some of Doug Martsch and co's finest song-writing. But don't take just my word for it. Take it as well from Rebecca Brown, Tao Lin, David Shields, Everett True, Kathleen Wilson, Brendan Kiley, and Jeff Kirby':

David Shields:

"Randy Described Eternity" is a launching pad for the empty space between your body holding your guts (built to spill onto the pavement) and the vast cavern of forever-land eternity.

Rebecca Brown:

I can't get that sound you make out of my head. Nobody else can hear it, and you wouldn't want them to. The sound of you napping perfectly, content like nothing could ever happen to perfection.

I once thought if I tried I could be perfect. If I did what one should, was nice and good, worked very hard, one day I could become as pretty and perfect as you. But I was wrong.

Jeff Kirby:

It was an adolescent revelation, like finally figuring out what boners were good for—how had this amazing thing been in front of me all this time and I didn't know what to do with it until now?

Brendan Kiley:

Looking up lyrics is always a terrible idea.

Myself:

Worst of all was Martsch telling me, in response to some dumb question about what some specific lyric meant, that he usually wrote melodies first and then just figured out whatever nonsense words fit them phonetically.

Everett True:

I think of seesaws—and children yelling, throwing Frisbees on a wide deck.

Tao Lin:

When he says, "Kicked it in the sun," I think, "Someone kicked someone in the crotch in a movie in slow motion with fireworks in the background at night, giving it a solar system–like tone."

Kathleen Wilson:

As satisfying as it feels to sing out, "You don't like anything/'Cause you're unlikable," a modicum of self-awareness can set off a devastating case of the shudders as you wonder if Martsch's words might spell out the reason you feel like such an asshole all the time.

In a weird way, I'm kind of Sam Mickens' boss. (In another way, as a freelancer, he is a lone wolf, a loose canon, a vigilante, and I'm merely Commissioner Gordon to his Batman.) In any case, he had little choice but to consent for an interview for this week's music feature about the Dead Science's forthcoming album Villainaire, which is being celebrated with a "Week of Culture" starting on Monday and culminating with an album release show at Neumo's on Sunday September 7th.

As I make plain in the piece, Villainaire marks the first time the Dead Science has caught my ear more than merely in passing. It's lyrically dense (in the good way), musically deft, and conceptually ambitious—one of the most interesting albums to bubble up out of Seattle this year. I think a lot of people are going to hate it. There's a lot going on—you should just read the whole article—but here are a few highlights:

"I think a lot of my points of reference as a kid are kind of the same as [Wu-Tang Clan's]."

"I am sort of a classist dude. That's the one prejudice or unhealthy hatred that I've held throughout my life—I have real reflexive problems sometimes with rich people, and in some ways I think that's good. Those ideas are somewhat present on the record. But there's not a lot of content that's like, 'Being rich is evil,' even though I feel like that often may be the case."

"There are a million metaphorical things you can drape on [black and white] beyond good and evil, black and white in the Star Wars sense. There's the tension between ecstatic abandon—nightlife, being real fucking drunk and dancing at the party—and its aftermath. That's just real basic soul music stuff. Saturday night versus Sunday morning."

G-Unit Producer Jake One Signs to Rhymesayers for LP Debut album features MF DOOM, Busta Rhymes, Brother Ali, Young Buck, De La Soul's Posdnuos

Mainstream meets underground in a big way on White Van Music, the debut studio album from Jake One. The Seattle producer is part of G-Unit's production team, and in the past, he has worked with 50 Cent, De La Soul, Snoop Dogg, Young Buck, E-40, and Lil Scrappy, among other folks.

Suss the tracklist for White Van Music:

White Van Music:
01 I'm Coming [ft. Black Milk and Nottz]
02 Gangsta Boy [ft. M.O.P.]
03 The Truth [ft. Freeway and Brother Ali]
04 Turn It Down
05 God Like [ft. D. Black]
06 Bless the Child [ft. Little Brother]
07 Oh Really [ft. Posdnuos and Slug]
08 Hi
09 Trap Door [ft. MF DOOM]
10 Dead Wrong [ft. Young Buck]
11 Kissin the Curb [ft. Bishop and Busta Rhymes]
12 How We Ride [ft. Freeway]
13 White Van [ft. Alchemist, Evidence, and Prodigy]
14 Big Homie Style [ft. J Pinder, GMK, and Spaceman]
15 Scared [ft. Blueprint]
16 Great Sound
17 Get Er Done [ft. MF DOOM]
18 Feeling My Shit [ft. Casual]
19 Soil Raps [ft. Keak Da Sneak]
20 Glow [ft. eLZhi and Royce Da 5'9"]
21 RIP
22 Home [ft. Vitamin D, C-Note, Maneak B, and Ish]

I've been a Hodder fan for about as long as I've been writing for The Stranger--the band was the subject of my first lengthy music feature, we go way back. But after some shake-ups over the past couple years (member replacement, label replacement, and tour cancellations), Hodder has had a hard time regaining their footing.

It felt like forever for this EP to finally come out, and a few times it felt like it was going to never happen. But it's finally here, and it's a hell of an effort--a weirdo hardcore dance party that shifts speeds, moods, and genres quicker than Lindsay Lohan does sexual orientation. Vocalist Andrew Moore still croons and screams in the same breath, the guitar shreds and shimmers in the same riff. It's everything Hodder is best at being and it sounds like they're having a hell of a time doing it.

You can get the record for less than $5 at www.hodderrock.com.

The Dead Science has posted a mixtape, School of Villainy on their website today in advance of their forthcoming album Villainaire (due out 9/2). I had some trouble downloading the first mixtape, but the "originals" have downloaded just fine; the excerpts of Sam Mickens' Stranger interview with the RZA are particularly curious.

School of Villainy (The Digga Crates Real Deal) Mixtape:

INTRO
MODERN VAMPIRES
VILLVILLE
DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
GREY DIAMONDS
MAKE MINE MARVEL (CRAIG DUB PLATE) FEAT. CRAIG WEDREN
THRONE OF BLOOD RMX FEAT. ZAC PENNINGTON & KATRINA FORD
INTERLUDE
GARDEN WALL
MAKE MINE MARVEL RMX FEAT. CARLA BOZULICH
HEAVEN ON THEIR MINDS (EXCERPT)
CLEMENCY (FREDDY RUPPERT HOUSE MIX)
ADRIAN DESCANT
IMPLIED VIOLENCE RADIO PLAY-"A GHOST ON THE BOAT"
MAKE MINE MARVEL (REMIX)
THE APOLLONIAN
OUTRO

also available for free download:

School of Villainy (The Originals) Mixtape:

RZA #1
INTRO
DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
THRONE OF BLOOD RMX FEAT. ZAC PENNINGTON & KATRINA FORD
VILLVILLE
RZA #2
GARDEN WALL
MAKE MINE MARVEL(CRAIG DUB PLATE) FEAT. CRAIG WEDREN
HEAVEN ON THEIR MINDS (EXCERPT)
RZA #3
MAKE MINE MARVEL RMX FEAT. CARLA BOZULICH
INTERLUDE
GREY DIAMONDS
RZA #4
CLEMENCY (FREDDY RUPPERT HOUSE MIX)
IMPLIED VIOLENCE RADIO PLAY-"A GHOST ON THE BOAT"
RZA #5
MODERN VAMPIRES
ADRIAN DESCANT
MAKE MINE MARVEL (REMIX)
THE APOLLONIAN
RZA #6
OUTRO
RZA #7

Download both, and check out the schedule for their "Villainaire Festival of Culture" (9/1-9/7) at http://www.thedeadscience.com/.

This weekend, I was finally reading The Thing About Life Is That One Day You'll Be Dead by David Shields. I tore through it, but it still took the duration of several records. One record fit perfectly: Alopecia by Why? The obvious common thread here is, of course, death. Shields works out his morbid fixations with precise biological and biographical detail; Why?'s Yoni Wolf exorcises his using more oblique strategies—recurring poetic images and themes; cold, hollow tonal spaces. There are other connections—looming father figures (although that's more pronounced on Why?'s "Fall Saddles" from Elephant Eyelash than it is on Alopecia), sexual urges and their resulting moral conflicts, basketball courts, Judaica, atheism. Also, they're both excellent. Alopecia (and, really, everything by Why?) is pretty lyrically dense, which can sometimes make for a distracting reading soundtrack, but if you're already accustomed to its songs (as you should be), it's easy enough, and a fine pairing.

I discovered Debashish Bhattacharya in March through his album Calcutta Chronicles: Indian Slide Guitar Odyssey (Riverboat Records). Bhattacharya also used to play with John McLaughlin’s excellent Indo-jazz fusion ensemble Remember Shakti.

I didn't know much at all about Indian slide guitar (to my ephemeral shame), but after listening to Calcutta Chronicles, I realize that you really haven't lived until you've heard a pandit (master) play Indian slide guitar. It is some the most beautiful music ever conceived. In fact, it may be too beautiful.

At times when listening to Calcutta Chronicles, I feel unworthy of being in the presence of such beauty. I feel as if I'm going to simply dissolve in my own tears. This feeling is akin to looking at a stunningly gorgeous person and realizing that you will never get within whiffing distance of him/her. A chronic ache in your marrow forms and you understand that frustration can infiltrate you like a toxic gas.

But back to Calcutta Chronicles. The nine ragas mostly move at a stately pace: Subhasis Bhattacharya’s leisurely tabla slaps buttress Debashish’s crystalline notes, which gently sob, sigh and then gracefully curve into the loving embrace of Swati Biswas and Sukanya Battacharya’s tamboura drones, spurring contemplation of humanity’s deepest emotions. (They may also provoke Pavlovian pangs for vegetable biryani.)

Debashish isn’t burning up his fret board on Calcutta Chronicles (except in the ravishing "Aviskaar" and "Maya"), but rather caressing it with tenderness and profound knowledge passed down from centuries of raga pandits. His playing is one of the purest manifestations of peace through sound I’ve ever heard.

Light In The Attic has The Saturday Knights' debut Mingle up for free download, while supplies last.

The DL page has a headline: "Fuck! I'm confused, dude." Then it lists some of the press for Mingle- some very positive (such as the piece I wrote here), some dismissive. People can leave comments on the page as well.

I'm less than surprised people aren't getting it. The rap is not of the neon $300 shoes, vintage 80's Starter coat variety. The rock is not spazzy Gang Of Four-play nor is it softbeard folk shit.
What it is IMHO is a great record, and people should hear it and make up their own minds. Hopefully TSK is going to tour soon as well- their rep was made by their fun-on-fire live spectacle.

Our apologies for the slump on Line Out this morning. We've all been a bit busy here getting shit together for a little thing called Bumbershoot (start relearning the lines to "Plush" now!). So, yes, this is yesterday's news, and yes, other media outlets have mentioned it already, but how fucking stoked are you for the new Of Montreal album?! Minus the few stubbornly contrarian trolls out there (shorter version: "cheap beer sucks! sunglasses suck! anything popular sucks!"), you should all be very, very excited—trust. If not for the further trans-gendered/racial lyrical advenutres of Georgie Fruit, than for the bevy of merch formats in which Skeletal Lamping will be available, pictured above, which include: cd, vinyl, paper lantern, tote bag and t-shirt, buttons, and wall decals, with all the non-musical media coming with download codes for the mp3s of the album. Everything comes out Oct 7, 2008 on Polyvinyl (who might want to change their name to Polyvinyltotesshirtsdecalsbuttonsandpaperlanterns).

Portland’s 31Knots are one of those groups that had me hooked from the first time I heard them, which was about four years ago now. My introduction to the band was It Was High Time to Escape, released on the now virtually nonexistent 54º40' or Fight! label. Somewhere I read a review of the band that compared them to old Modest Mouse with Yes’ Rick Wakeman on guitar, and that struck me as a pretty apt comparison. Since that record, however, the band has been slowly moving away from proggy compositions and more toward theatrical numbers with loops and pianos. On their last record, The Days and Nights of Everything Anywhere, the intricate back and forth riffing between the bass and guitar that made me love their early work was almost entirely absent. The record had a few worthwhile moments, but for the most part was a dud compared to the rest of their impressive catalog.

So hooray for 31Knots for straightening themselves out and writing the best record they’ve released since High Time. Worried Well manages to find the perfect balance between the intricate instrumentation and swaggering theatricality that have come to define their tenure as a band. “Strange Kicks” is built on a see-saw piano loop but breaks into guitar solos and a stomping chant-along. “Opaque/All White” has a guitar lick that would sound perfectly at home on the Yes album Relayer. The record is constantly turning, rising and falling, starting and stopping, each song unique from its counterparts. 31Knots are squarely back on the top of their game. Here’s to hoping they start receiving the attention they deserve for being one of the most intriguing bands in rock music.

Worried Well will be released 8/19 on Polyvinyl.

How can this be missed? Badu's "Master Teacher," which is on her superb new album New Amerykah Part One (4th World War), owes everything to Plato:

I am in the search of something new
(a beautiful world im trying to find)
Searchin' me,
Searching inside of you
And thats fo' real

What if it were no niggaz
Only master teachers?
I stay woke
What if there was no niggaz
Only master teachers?
I stay woke
What if it was no niggaz only master teachers now?
I stay woke

Searching for a "beautiful world" that's "hard to find"? What if there were only "master teachers" and "no niggaz"? "I stay woke"? Has Badu been reading The Republic? This tune is an R&B translation of Plato's chief concerns: the third wave (philosopher kings), the cave and ship allegory, and the establishment of a guardian class.

"What if it were no niggaz [hoi polli/doxa/commoners/common opinions]/Only master teachers [philosophers/truth/alitheia/forms]/I stay woke [I stay authentic/aware/in a state of thavmazo, philosophical wonder]." Badu's beautiful world is Plato's world of forms. Amazing.

Subject-line supporting fact #1: While Santogold definitely has a few M.I.A.-esque elements—the percussive synth-buzz beat and rap-chant brags of "bringing the explosion" on "Creator," the percussive synth-buzz beat and "eh eh eh AY!" exclamations on "Unstoppable"—such ostentatiously common ground is essentially restricted to these two tracks. (And what—only one brown woman's allowed to appropriate war lingo over clangy synth-beats? During a time of war?)

Everywhere else on Santogold, she's off on her own trip, through some incredibly attractive terrain that's much more Siouxsie-and-Shakira-molest-Missing Persons than M.I.A. The result is a fucking great record that I've been playing three or four times a day for the past week. (The last record in my life to hold up to this kind of intense prolonged exposure: Kala. Make of that what you will, but don't get stupid about it.)

Subject-line supporting fact #2: If Santogold looked like this, we wouldn't be having this discussion. Which brings up the ickiest element of the Santogold backlash—the sense that people are rushing to dismiss her out of something worse than laziness. "Didn't we pay attention to a stylishly confrontational brown woman last year?" seems to be the subtext of the anti-Santogold hipster whine. Fuck that shit. If you enjoy listening to music, you should hear Santogold.

Holy shit! Whoever was telling me about the Vivian Girls over the weekend, you get a gold start both for accuracy (they're fantastic) and timing (the promo cd just came in the mail today). I get a demerit for not remembering who you are (my guess: someone in a beer garden, somewhere.) The band is parts Vaselines, parts Aisler's Set, and, per their myspace, parts Black Tambourine, Wipers, and Shangri-Las. (Side note: does anyone actually listen to the Shangri-Las, or does everyone merely cite them as influences?) The band may already be old news, I don't know, but DAMN! Their self-titled album is sold-out of its original run but will be rereleased on In the Red on Oct 7th. It will, in the interim, be on heavy rotation on my various music playback devices. Sadly, the Brooklyn band has no Seattle dates scheduled for the time being. Someone here ought to do something about that...

Update: Mike points out that they were here two months ago. I missed them. I will now spend the time being kicking myself.

Today in the Stranger Suggests, resident vis arts critic/synchro freak Jen Graves recommends you go see Water Lillies a French film about "several sapphically oriented girls on the same synchro team." As if synchronized-swimming, saphically-oriented French girls isn't enough, the film's original soundtrack is composed by hot-shit French electro producer (and TTC-affiliate) Para One. It's a far cry from the glitzy club thump of his Institubes album Epiphanie—soft, gauzy synths and pianos that are more new age than nu rave, but it's always nice to see good producers getting good work. You can hear samples of the score at Institubes, and here's a trailer for the film featuring the song "Trahision" by fellow Frenchman Vitalic:

Naissance des Pieuvres