Let's not spill the truth ...

First Aid Kit

I like American Music

Alright everyone, before I start the post, I'd just like to state that I'm really tired right now(I just ran into a tree, and now I'm suffering severely... don't ask) . Therefore, what would be tonight's lengthy post is going to replaced by what I was originally planning to do next Sunday. I think it'll have the same effect though. If you haven't guessed already, it's time for the Back To School Mixtape.

I Am Gonna Make It Through This Year, If It Kills Me; A Back To School Mixtape Pt. 1

This Year - The Mountain Goats

The Coolest Kid In School - The Teeth

1921 - The Who

American Music - Violent Femmes

Returning To The Fold - The Thermals

Teachers - Leonard Cohen

That's all for today, Pt.2 comes tomorrow.

Til' Next Week

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.

The Decemberists will be releasing a new singles collection, before they set out to release their new album. Information's below;

Adored Mailing List Recipients,

Summer is upon us; our oscillating fans are circulating warm, jasmine-perfumed air through our bedrooms and ossuaries. The taste of tangerine sorbet is perpetually on one's palette. Our feet are finding themselves often submerged in mixing bowls filled with ice water. Summer is upon us.

Which brings to mind a slurry of news regarding your humble Pac NW Decemberists.

First and foremost, you'll be pleased to know that we've recorded a tidy heap of material which we're releasing as 12" vinyl and digital singles over the course of three Autumnal months. This 'singles series' is aptly titled "Always the Bridesmaid" and will prominently feature songs that the Decemberists really loved but presciently felt they would not fit on the band's forthcoming LP.

The first volume will hit fine indie record stores everywhere on October 14th, and will be comprised of "Valerie Plame," and "O New England" on the A and B side, respectively.

The second volume, "Days of Elaine" b/w "Days of Elaine (Long)" and "I'm Sticking With You," will be released on November 4th. In celebration of both Volume 2's release and the promise of a shiny new administration, the Decemberists will be performing "Valerie Plame" on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on the 3rd of November.

The third and final volume, "Record Year for Rainfall," b/w "Raincoat Song," will be released on December 2nd.

Always the Bridesmaid: A Singles Series will be available on high-grade 12" vinyl and digital format in the US and 7" vinyl and digital in the UK. The lovely folks at Rough Trade will be overseeing the UK release of the series, Capitol Records will oversee the US digital release and the band's new imprint, Y.A.B.B. Records (in association with Jealous Butcher) will release the 12" vinyl version. The digital release will likely be available world-wide.

You can pre-order the 12" version of the singles on colored vinyl EXCLUSIVELY through the Decemberists Shop NOW. You can either have them arrive at your doorstep in the three installments or you can have them, all three, delivered in one shot around the release of the 3rd single on December 2nd. You'll be happy to know that no small effort has gone into the design and manufacture of these beauties -- each one will be on 180 gram vinyl in a rather lovely custom jacket. The shop will also be making available two (his 'n' hers) t-shirts to coincide with the singles' release.

And this mysterious LP which proved an inhospitable home to these little pop gems? The band is currently hard at work in the studio trying to tame its mangy throw. It's a tough bit of leather. . .a little mossy, a little evil. More on that later.

And what better time than summer to consider purchasing a fetching new t-shirt, as designed by Jason Munn of The Small Stakes. Jason did a nifty design for a Decemberists t-shirt, along with 19 other bands, and you can check them all out at www.insound.com/insound20. Drop in the code "Insound20dec" for a fan-friendly discount.

That's all for now! Keep those toes under water! And REGISTER TO VOTE!!!!

Yours,
The Decemberists
www.decemberists.com

Free Jake Mitchell

Today I was sent a very disturbing email by the manager of The Boxing Lesson, Mr.Ryan Cano. You might remember them from a record review that was posted here a couple months ago. Anyways, instead of giving you a condensed version of this news, I'll just share the email with you.

The Boxing Lesson are Narco-terrorists? Free Jake Mitchell.

Austin,TX (August 20, 2008) You know The Boxing Lesson aren't ones to
keep their mouths shut after several interviews and appearances since
the release of their full length LP Wild Streaks & Windy Days. The
real truth of the matter is that The Boxing Lesson have kept one of
the most important parts of their story a secret. It is with much
sadness we make this announcement but its time the public knows what
is going on.

Jake Mitchell, drummer for The Boxing Lesson and most importantly, a
dear friend, will be put in Federal jail at the beginning of September
for some marijuana growing charges. What makes this story unique and
what has enraged every single one of our close friends, is that Jake
has been branded by our government as a Terrorist under the Patriot
Act. In fact, they have thrown the Narco-Terrorist tag on him.
What this does legally for a defendant is mind blowing in terms of the
new laws waged against them. If you are branded a terrorist, your
wife doesn't get spousal protections and will go to jail. If you are
branded a terrorist, each party involved in the crime gets full
responsibility for the scope of the crime. Then there are strict sentencing
minimums. And remember we are talking about Marijuana here.

It is obvious from anyone who has ever met, hung out with and gotten to know
Jake Mitchell that he is anything but a terrorist. This incorrect and unfair
branding on our own US citizen and friend, Jake Mitchell, is a disgrace
and this has caused untypical hardships on his life. He has sold his house,
lost his cars, and his freedom. We are asking our friends in the media,
in bands, in t-shirt screen shops and really, anyone who can help, to send
the message of his story to the public eye. We know there was a crime
involved but branding him a terrorist has set unfair sentencing guidelines on
a person who is anything but a terrorist.

We are accepting PayPal donations to help Jake's mounting legal bills
at : freejakemitchell@gmail.com

Jake Mitchell is available for interviews before jail or in jail
and has a lot to say right now about the music biz, The Boxing Lesson,
the system, playing drums, recording, Fecal Shock, Austin bands,
marijuana laws, and life in general. Final performances from Jake
Mitchell until he gets out will be next week in Austin,TX!

August 27, 2008 @ Emo's Lounge 101x Homegrown Live show w/ Frontier Brothers
August 28, 2008 @ Carousel Lounge (Monkey Wrench Benefit)

Come out and celebrate life with Jake before our government
intervenes. Fans of The Boxing Lesson have no fear, you can keep
hearing your favorite songs live. Keeping the seat warm for Jake
Mitchell behind the drums will be Kevin Sparks, a veteran of the
Austin music scene who has played with many bands including Bad
Motivators, Say Hello to the Angels and Megatron Triggerdick.
Until next time, we'll see you on the Dark Side of the Moog.

For interview, please contact Ryan Cano @ The Loyalty Firm.

Cheers,

Ryan Cano, Owner
The Loyalty Firm
Management & Publicity
Austin,TX
ryan@theloyaltyfirm.com
512-905-0528

Hljóð- Æska

Good evening world, and welcome to another beautiful Sunday evening, here on Looks Like Coffee, Tastes Like Juice. Now, I've come with quite an aggravating cold/fever combination, which is actually going to make today's post that much better. Why, you ask, would me being sick contribute to making this weeks post better? Well, the answer is, because I haven't left my house all day, and have actually had some more time to think about what to include this week. So, there you have it. Enjoy today's post, where we'll cover some Sonic Youth, The Streets and Peter, Bjorn and John. Yep, quite a set list, I'd say.

The Streets ; Everything Is Borrowed, And A Grand Don't Come For Free

Mike Skinner, who you probably know by his rapper alias, The Streets, is going to be releasing his fourth LP. Before I fill you in with the details of this new album, let me explain a little bit about Mr.Skinner.

Mike Skinner is a British rapper who was born in Birmingham, England. His first major single, Has It Come To This, was released by Locked On records in late 2000. Since then, he has released three albums, one of which is a concept album (my favorite) about losing a grand, going through various ups and downs, and then finding the grand again. It is appropriately titled, A Grand Don't Come For Free.

Alright, now, the new album, which is titled Everything Is Borrowed, is slated for release on September 15th, 2008. Here's the track list;

1. "Everything Is Borrowed"
2. "Heaven For the Weather"
3. "I Love You More (Than You Like Me)"
4. "Just Thought of Something"
5. "On the Flip of a Coin"
6. "The Sherry End"
7. "Alleged Legends"
8. "What are Chances of That Like?"
9. "When That Day Will Be"
10. "Further Away"
11. "Strongest Person I Know"
12. "The Escapist"

Peter, Bjorn & John ; Seaside Rock

Swedish ... Music Makers? (that's what I get when I can't choose between rock and pop, maybe I should just put Pock, or Rop?) Peter, Bjorn & John have recently released some important details about their new album, which will be entitled Seaside Rock.

The album will be released ONLY on vinyl (that's right, bitches), and as a digital download. It is also interesting, and utterly depressing, to note that their will be only 5000 LPs pressed in the US. The album, which is originally supposed to be strictly instrumental, is apparently not going to be so instrumental after all. This is what the band had to say about it, in a press release;

"As homage to Peter Bjorn and John's respective hometowns they wanted to feature the voice and dialect from each of the three areas. So apart from the instrumental soundtrack to the lonely childhood of northern Scandinavia you can also hear three monologues about some sort of seaside. The stories are read by a real saxophone player from Norsjö, a grandfather from Vika and the hairdresser Siw from Piteå."

Here's the track list;

1. Inland Empire
2. Say Something (Mukiya)
3. Favour of the Season
4. Next Stop Bjursele
5. School of Kraut
6. Erik's Fishing Trip
7. Needles and Pills
8. Norrlands Riviera
9. Barcelona
10. At the Seaside

Andre Sider Af Sonic Youth

For those of you who are Sonic Youth fans (hopefully this is a majority of you), you'll be quite happy to know of a new addition to the Sonic Youth Recordings series. What is the Sonic Youth Recording series, you ask? Well, that's what I'm here for.

Aside from being signed to a major label Geffen Records, Sonic Youth also releases music, mostly of the experimental or instrumental varieties, on their own record label, entitled Sonic Youth Recordings. What's most interesting about these releases, is that each album is in a completely different language. So, now it's time for the eighth release in the series, entitled Andre Sider Af Sonic Youth (Danish).

This album, which I'll admit, I didn't have such high hopes for, definitely exceeded my expectations. It is Sonic Youth, pure and classic, who I thought were winding down, after the Starbucks release of the Hits For Squares compilation. Thankfully though, this is not the case. Don't believe my incessant rambling though, experience it for yourself. Unfortunately though, I cannot supply you with a track from this album, seeing as their is only one track, and it's 53 minutes long. See my predicament? So, to solve this problem, you should go buy it for yourself.

You can buy it right here.

Well, that's all for this week. I'll be keeping in touch with some smaller posts during the week.

Til' Next Week

So, this is what the volume knob's for.

Alright I'm on Johnson Avenue in San Luis Obispo

and I'm five years old or six maybe.

and indications there's something wrong with our new house

trip down the wire twice daily

I'm in the living room watching the watergate hearings

while my step father yells at my mother.

launches a glass across the room, straight at her head

and I dash upstairs to take cover.

lean in close to my little record player on the floor.

so this is what the volume knobs for.

I listen to dance music.

dance music.

Ok, so look, I'm seventeen years old,

and you're the last best thing I've got going.

but then the special secret sickness starts to eat through you.

what am I supposed to do?

no way of knowing,

so I follow you down your twisting alleyways,

find a few cul de sacs of my own.

there's only one place where this road ever ends up.

and I don't want to die alone.

Let me down, let me down, let me down gently.

When the police come to get me,

I''m listening to dance music.

dance music.

Dance Music - The Mountain Goats

Lock your doors and warn your neighbours...

It's people!  They're making our food out of people! Next thing they'll be breeding us like cattle for food. You've gotta tell them, You've gotta tell them!

And you're lying when you sing along

Good evening everyone, and welcome to another week of Looks Like Coffee, Tastes Like Juice. I must apologize for the lack of post last week. I was in Florida and although I did have an internet connection, I had no music on my father's laptop that was worth posting (unless you want ABBA, Manfred Man, and other musical atrocities). I hope you can understand. Alright, enough of that, enjoy the post.

Isaac Hayes; 1942 - 2008

Our first order of relevant business today, is the untimely death of Mr. Isaac Hayes (I'm starting to sense a pattern? See recent post). For those of you who think you don't know of Isaac Hayes, let me inform you (Article via Pitchfork Media)

"Born in 1942 in Covington, Tennessee, Hayes moved to Memphis with his family at a young age. He sang in church and played in gospel, doo-wop, blues, and jazz bands in high school. In 1964, Hayes joined the Stax Records stable as a session musician and later songwriter, playing with Otis Redding and teaming with co-writer David Porter to write hits for the likes of Sam & Dave ("Soul Man", Hold On! I'm Coming!") and Carla Thomas ("B-A-B-Y"). According to his website, "with the exception of Booker T & the MG's, Isaac Hayes worked on more Stax sessions and tracks than any other musician."

In 1967, Hayes released his first solo album, Presenting Isaac Hayes. He hit the mainstream with 1969's hit Hot Buttered Soul, which stretched the boundaries of R&B with its epic song lengths and sexy, bubbling funk. It hit number one on the R&B charts and stayed on the pop charts for 81 weeks. His imposing image (shaved head, sunglasses, massive gold chains) helped solidify Hayes' presence as a star.

As his website notes, Hayes scored 20 albums on the R&B and pop charts between 1969 and 1980. 1970's The Isaac Hayes Movement and ...To Be Continued were both hits, but it was 1971's Shaft, the soundtrack to Gordon Parks' blaxploitation film, that launched Hayes into the stratosphere. Shaft hit number one on both the pop and R&B charts, and won both Grammy and Academy Awards. Hayes' performance of "Theme From Shaft" at the 1972 Oscars remains one of television's most powerful musical moments.

Following the success of Shaft, Hayes took on film roles (and scoring duties) for two 1974 films, Tough Guys and Truck Turner. It was the beginning of an acting career that would last until the end of his life, with roles in such films as 1981's Escape From New York, 1988's I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, and 2005's Hustle & Flow. From 1997 to 2006, Hayes was introduced to a whole new generation of fans through his role as Chef on the foul-mouthed cartoon "South Park."

That pretty much wraps it up. It's also interesting to note that Mr.Hayes was a Scientologist and quit South Park after they took a couple jabs at Scientology. I for one find this a bit idiotic, as he didn't mind when the show took a jabs at almost all other systems of beleif (which occurs in

Mr.Hayes you will be missed.

Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic- Isaac Hayes

Theme From Shaft - Isaac Hayes

Okkervil River; The Stand Ins

Okkervil River have been one of my favorite bands for a while now, from the first song I heard by them (The President's Dead), to their phenomenal latest release (The Stage Names), their genre-hopping rock music is something I can continuously enjoy. Thankfully, my opinion hasn't changed in the slightest after listening to their soon to be released album, The Stand Ins.

As the name suggests, the album is very similar to it's predecessor, as they were actually supposed to be a double album. You realize this fact immediately, as the songs share a similar quality and subject matter. Also, if you place the album art for these two albums on top of each other (with The Stage Names on top), they make one completed picture (as seen above).

So, clocking in at a mere 40 minutes, The Stand Ins is a very strong effort from the boys of Okkervil River. Hopefully they'll go on a long tour in support, and PERHAPS land in Detroit, as they've been neglecting to do so.

Enjoy a couple tracks from the new album, which is out September 9th.

Pop Lie - Okkervil River

Singer Songwriter - Okkervil River

Now we've come to the conclusion of this week's rather short post. You'd be right to expect some small posts during the week.

Thanks for reading.

Til' Next Week

R.I.P

Bernie Mac
August 9th, 2008
1958 - 2008

Chicago Tribune

Post tomorrow.

Be back on Sunday ...

Good evening, dear world, and welcome to another beautiful Sunday night, here on Looks Like Coffee, Tastes Like Juice. As many of you already know, I'm currently vacationing with 4/6 of my family in Florida (and having a delightful time, if anyone's interested). Therefore, I hope you can understand why I won't be able to present to you a proper post tonight. So, I'm just writing to let you know that I'll be home Thursday morning and there will be an adequate makeup post a la Sunday.

Thanks for your time.

Til' Next Week