Two New Blanche Hudson Weekend songs!

The Rats In The Cellar EP

At this point I feel that it's pretty safe to say that my love for The Blanche Hudson Weekend grows just as deep as it did for the late, great Manhattan Love Suicides — and I love/loved the MLS. A LOT. I ordered the BHW's Letters To Daddy EP last year as soon as it was out and I'll do the same again with their upcoming Odd Box release, The Rats In The Cellar EP. The two new songs on their MySpace right now, which will hopefully be on the EP, are both brilliant — and more importantly, they further prove that the BHW, like their predecessors, have the same fantastic inability to ever write a dull song. Head over over to MySpace and listen to "Only Snow" and "Grip Of Fear" and do your eyes peeled for that new EP!

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The Medusa Snare!

Adam John Miller = The Medusa Snare

The Medusa Snare is the fantastic solo recording project of Adam John Miller of the Manhattan Love Suicides. The cool thing is that it doesn't just sound like Manhattan Love Suicides 2, but more along the lines of early 90s American indie rock – not surprising though, as his list of influences ranges from The Clean to Galaxie 500 to Guided by Voices – even to Jeff Mangum. The Medusa Snare's Cinderella EP will be out soon-ish on – you guessed it – Squirrel Records! There's a few songs up on MySpace right now and they're all totally, wonderfully ace! I love them all, but it's "lxtab" that I've had on repeat for the past half hour, so I'd recommend checking that one out first!

The Medusa Snare on MySpace!

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Win Manhattan Love Suicides Things!

The MLS in Brooklyn

UPDATE: THIS CONTEST WILL CLOSE ON 9/1!

The only thing better than The Manhattan Love Suicides these days is FREE THINGS. So, working from that kind of logic, FREE Manhattan Love Suicides records would be a pretty tremendous thing, right?? RIGHT! Answer the question below – along with your name and email address in the comments and you could maybe possibly win yourself their new Burnt Out Landscapes compilation AND all three of their previously released 7"s!!!

What band did The MLS cover on their debut LP?

For those of you not interested in the prospect of free things, you can order Burnt Out Landscapes from Magic Marker Records in the US or from Squirrel Records in the UK right now! the Squirrel records version is actually now SOLD OUT until further notice. Also, in true Manhatan Love Suicides fashion, there's already another release on the way! Look for a new 7" on Squirrel Records in Septemeber!

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Burnt Out Landscapes

Is it fair to consider a compilation as an actual album? Because if it is, than The MLS have just released the best record of the year, hands down. Within the 26(!!!) tracks on Burnt Out Landscapes, there are at least 26 awesome songs – some of which transcend awesome ("You'll Never Get That Guy," "Johnny Boy," "Head Over Heels"), and require a different adjective all together (tre-awesome, perhaps(just rewatched Camp Nowhere the other day, what can I say?)). I heard "Johnny Boy" for the first time live back in March at the Cake Shop in NYC and I've been dying to hear it recorded ever since – but even with my super-high expectations, it's still blowing me away. The Manhattan Love Suicides can seriously do no wrong in my book, and they just keep pumping out songs left and right. Go and order Burnt Out Landscapes from Squirrel Records, right now!!!

Listen to "Head Over Heels"!
[MP3]: The Manhattan Love Suicides :: Head Over Heels

Watch the (creepy as shit) video for "Clusterfuck"


ALSO: while you're at it, I just found this video of a great acoustic version of "You'll Never Get That Guy" (perhaps my fav MLS song ever?) and you should watch it!

The MLS on MySpace!!!

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This is the rhythm of the night

I plan to start posting semi-regularly again at some point in the near future, but I've been quite busy lately and haven't had the time – or for that matter – been in the mood for writing, so I just haven't.

I did however have an awesome time up in New York this past weekend. We drove up Friday morning for Peggy Pains' Birthday Extravaganza at the Cake Shop. Insect Guide, The Manhattan Love Suicides, and of course, The Pobpahs all played and it was one of the best times I've had in quite a while. The was my first time seeing The MLS and they definitely met what by now must have been some extremely high expectations! And they even did so in about 15 minutes. Stunning, really. They played a new song, "Johnny Boy," which I now really, really want to hear recorded. Insect Guide opened and they were quite fantastic as well. They were pretty Slowdive-y, with lots of layered backing tracks by way of their laptop. They also pulled out a "Freak Scene" cover that I've gotta say, was pretty damn amazing. The Pobpahs were obviously great, save for a uncooperative power strip. They played some new songs, too! "Side Ponytail" might be my new favorite Pains song... infact, I'm pretty sure it is. They also played another new one called "The Tenure Itch" – a song about a bookish student sleeping with her distinguished philosophy professor who’s been coasting along on the coattails of decades old translations of Plato. Amazing, yes? The show was followed by an EPIC 90s Jock Jamz dance party care of DJ Shirley Beans! Too much fun, seriously.

The whole weekend was just totally awesome, and now I just really want to live in New York. It was absolutely wonderful to meet so many people I've only known through the internets for so long.

Well, I suppose that's it for now. I should be posting again soon. I really do miss it quite a lot, but it's just not happening right now.

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The Raveonettes on Live Daily

Sune Rose Wagnor and the lovely Sharin Foo

More Raveonettes!!! Sune and Sharin recently recorded a small session for LiveDaily at their LA studio. The two of them played some excellent acoustic versions of a few songs from Lust Lust Lust; including: "Dead Sound," "Aly, Walk With Me," and "Lust." I posted a video of them playing an acoustic "Dead Sound" for the Black Cab Sessions, but this one is far better because they're actually both playing this time around.

You can watch all three of the videos HERE!

The Raveonettes on MySpace

ALSO: The Manhattan Love Suicides have a new song streaming on their MySpace right now!!!! It's called "Heat and Panic" and it'll be on their upcoming "Clusterfuck" EP, due out on Squirrel Records in the UK sometime soon. If you happen to be in the UK, you're a very lucky person, because the MLS have a bunch of shows coming up with The Pains of Being Pure at Heart! Please go for me.

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The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart: UK Tour Extravaganza

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

The wonderful Pains of Being Pure at Heart will be heading over to England for a small stint of a tour with best pals The Manhattan Love Suicides, as well as a few shows with The Parallelograms. I would die to be at every single show of this tour, so if you have an opportunity to go, you had better go!

2.23.08: The Betsey Trotwood (Downstairs) w/ Pocketbooks, Parallelograms, Pete Green - London
2.24.08: Red House: Atomic Beat Presents w/ The Parallelograms, Pete Green - Sheffield, UK
2.25.08: Rescue Room: w/ Manhattan Love Suicides - Nottingham, UK
2.26.08: The Glebe: w/ Manhattan Love Suicides - Stoke, UK
2.27.08: The Royal Park: w/ Manhattan Love Suicides - Leeds, UK
2.29.08: Lostmusic Presents @ Buffalo Bar w/ Manhattan Love Suicides - London, UK
3.01.07: The Organ: w/Singapore Sling -Reykavik, Iceland

[MP3]: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart :: Come Saturday (Highest Rec!)

The Pains on MySpace!

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The Manhattan Love Suicides: "Last Stand"

I'm just gonna go ahead and say it – The Manhattan Love Suicides are my number one favorite band of the year. Everything this band does is flawless, and they are just really, really COOL, in every single aspect of the word. Their string of flawlessness continues on November 21st when they release their Sycamore Peripheral single on Roque's indiepop powerhouse, Cloudberry Records. "Sycamore Peripheral" will be back by two other tracks – "Last Stand" and "Autumn Fades In." I think we all know what you need to do come November 21st, so make sure you do it!!! For now, check out "Last Stand." The jury is still out on whether or not it could beat out "Head Over Heels" as the best MLS song of the year, but it's definitely possible – I can't wait to hear the rest of the single!

[MP3]: The Manhattan Love Suicides :: Last Stand (Enormously Recommended!!!*)

Manhattan Love Suicides on MySpace
Cloudberry Records dot com

*In fact, if you download one song on the front page, make it this one.

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The Manhattan Love Suicides: "Head Over Heels"

The Manhattan Love Suicides have a had a big couple of months. The released the Kick It Back EP on Magic Marker back near the end of August, and then on October 5 we saw the release their other new EP, Keep It Coming. The new EP also marks the debut release for the excellent new London label, Lost Music Records, a project of Lost Music Presents, who've been organizing fantastic gigs all across London since April. Back to the new record; Keep It Coming is a limited edition four-track 7" EP featuring three (!) new songs, and a great reworking of "Thinking Is Killing Me," which appeared on their self-titled debut last year. I've mentioned how much I loved title track "Keep It Coming" when I first heard it over a month ago, but now I've finally got the whole thing in my hands and I gotta say, "Head Over Heels" is my new favorite MLS song. Sounding like The Shop Assistants covering some long lost girl-group gem, The Manhattan Love Suicides have really outdone themselves on this one. I suggest listening to it immediately!

[MP3]: The Manhattan Love Suicides :: Head Over Heels (HIGHLY REC'D!)

If you like it, head over to Lost Music Records and grab yourself a copy!
The Manhattan Love Suicides on MySpace!

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Ringo Deathstarr: "Sweet Girl"

Austin, TX's mighty Ringo Deathstarr.

Excuse me for being a bit late on the best shoegaze record of the year, but frankly I've been far too busy enjoying the crap out of every second of Ringo Deathstarr's debut self-titled EP, to even think about writing about it. But now that I've managed to take a step back from it, I've noticed that Ringo Deathstarr, as well as other recent cohorts such as The Manhattan Love Suicides, seem to have more than just a "thing" for the brothers Reid. They don't just appreciate their work, they obviously grew up on it, had that ringing wash of electric joy instilled somewhere in their psyche. They don't just like those sounds, they fucking adore them – and the Reid brothers should be mighty chuffed, as we all know that imitation, especially imitation this damn good, is the very greatest form of flattery*. Listen, you and I both know I'm a horrid writer, what I'm trying to say is, don't you dare overlook this record. Don't you dare.

[MP3]: Ringo Deathstarr :: Sweet Girl (SUPER AMAZING RECOMMENDED PLUS!)

Buy the EP from SVC Records for cheap!
Ringo Deathstarr on MySpace!

*It is entirely possible that the members of Ringo Deathstarr don't "fucking adore" JAMC, but if I weren't to assume such a thing, this post would've been one sentence long; now who want's that? Nobody, that's who.

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Manhattan Love Suicides: "Keep It Coming"

Brand new video for the Manhattan Love Suicides' "Keep It Coming", taken from their forthcoming limited edition Keep it Coming 7" EP. As expected, "Keep It Coming" oozes with that fuzzed out, feedback-laden, JAMC and Shop Assistants inspired sound that the MLS do so so well, and the video's pretty cool, too. The 7" is out in October on Lost Music Records in the UK. You should DEFINITELY pick it up.



In other MLS 7" news, their recently released, also limited edition, Kick It Back 7" EP is out now on Magic Marker records in the US and Squirrel Records in the UK. Grab that one, too. I Hiiiiiiighly Recommend everything they do.

Manhattan Love Suicides on MySpace!

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