Dirty Laundry

KILL ALL REDNECK PRICKS (THE MOVIE!)

2012-01-21T09:42:00.000-08:00

We recently checked out Kill All Redneck Pricks, a documentary about the great Washington State band KARP at Cinefamily in LA. Being big Karp fans, we were definitely looking forward to it - but we were kind of surprised with how good it turned out to be. It's a well told, compelling document of three outcast high school kids living in the sticks, who decide to strike out and start a band. Our only complaint: they didn't play the movie loud enough.

Here's the Dirty Laundry episode we did with Big Business (featuring Jared from Karp)

ANSWERED PRAYERS

2012-01-21T09:27:00.000-08:00

It's here: the J Mascis Throbblehead doll (Marshall Stacks not included). Courtesy of our friends at Aggronautix

J Mascis Throbblehead Figure - Buy it! - Aggronautix: Rock n Roll Collectibles. GG Allin, Tesco Vee, and more to come!

DIRTY LAUNDRY YEAR END LISTS: WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS

2011-12-19T20:31:00.000-08:00

We here at Dirty Laundry TV asked some of our friends to send us their Year End Lists. Here's what they came up with.

MICHAEL ABBATE'S YEAR END LIST (SCREAMING FEMALES' BASSIST)

(band - album title)
1. Tenement - Napalm Dream
2. Parlor - S/T
3. The Underground Railroad to Candyland - Knows Your Sins
4. Fergus and Geronimo - Unlearn
5. Black Wine - Summer of Indifference
6. The Heat Tape - Raccoon Valley Recordings
7. PUJOL - Nasty, Brutish, And Short
8. The War on Drugs - Slave Ambient
9. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Mirror Traffic
10. Teenage Cool Kids - Denton After Sunset
11. Landlord - Beneath the Wheel
12. Lemuria - Pebble
13. Male Bonding - Endless Now
14. Mike Watt - Hyphenated Man
15. Hell Beach - Welcome to Hell Beach

AVI BUFFALO'S FAVORITE BANDS OF 2011

"My favorite bands of 2011(suggested recordings included in parentheses). Other groups either have too much to check out or we're still waiting on it. No Particular order."

French Quarter a.k.a. Stephen Steinbrink
Kevin Litrow's N.O.W. a.k.a. Natural Oscillating Wonders
Alak (check out album "Groups")
Luis Gutee (check out "Broke Cop" record)
Lazy Mary
Fort Wife(check out Elkie EP)
Dennis Robicheau
Wild Pack of Canaries(check out The Coroner Can Wait)
Emperor X
Light Music
Gorge Mand(gorgemand.bandcamp.com

KARRIE K'S 2011 MAKEOUT TAPE (DIRTY LAUNDRY HOST)

20. The Icarus Line - 'Like a Scab'
19. Pregnant - 'Vitamin D'
18. White Denim - 'It's Him!'
17. My Morning Jacket - 'Curcuital'
15. Gangi - 'Outside Ones'
14. Òlöf Arnalds - 'With Tomorrow/I'm on Fire'
13. M83 - Ok Pal
12. Messy Sparkles - 'New Blessing'
11. Caveman - 'Old Friend'
10. The Black Keys - 'Little Black Submarines'
9. Lykke Li - 'Love out of Lust'
8. Races - 'Big Broom'
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jr. - 'Simple Girl'
6. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - 'Stick Figures in Love'
5. Chairlift - 'Met Before?'
7. Dirty Projectors & Björk - 'No Embrace'
6. Thee Oh Sees - 'Carrion Crawler'
5. Tune Yards - 'Bizness'
4. Baxter Dury - 'Claire'
3. Guided By Voices - 'Waves'
2. Weekend - 'Hazel'
1. Four Tet - 'Moma'

JOE CARDAMONE'S TOP 10 Of 2011 (THE ICARUS LINE)

1. My Family and Band/Friends (Pets included)

2. Black Spade Acoustics UM17b microphone

3. Simon Keeler's house in the english country side

4. Miss Peaches Ghetto Fried Chicken in NoHo

5. Eastwood Guitars

6. Working with Nick Cave and Warren Ellis

7. All the bands that came through Valley Recording this year

8. The new Icarus Line record being written

9. Snakes on my feet

10. UK/Euro tour

WADE RYFF'S YEAR END LIST (RACES)

Wade's Top 10 Albums of 2011

1. Future Islands- On the Water.

2. Cass McCombs- Humor Risk.

3.Cass McCombs- Wits End.

4. The Shivers- More.

5. Feist- Metals

6. Little Dragon-Ritual Union

7. Other Lives-Tamer Animals

8. 1,2,3-New Heaven.

9. Kurt Vile- Smoke Ring for my Halo

10. PAPA- It's Hard to Find a Good Woman

RADICAL DADS' YEAR END LIST

Here's what we were jamming this year:

Pursesnatchers - A Pattern Language
Sat. Nite Duets - Wilder Dreams EP / Homemade Halo 7-inch
Little Gold - Weird Freedom
Shark? - True Waste
Ovlov - What's So Great About the City?
Yuck - S/T
Street Chant - Means (this came out in 2010 but we listened to it all through 2011)
Plates of Cake - S/T (ditto)

MALIA JAMES (DIRTY LAUNDRY HOST)

Top Ten Albums of 2011

These are in no particular order, except PJ Harvey.
1. PJ Harvey: Let England Shake. Hands down, best of the year.
2. Tom Waits: Bad As Me
3. Dum Dum Girls: Only In Dreams
4. Boom Bip: Zig Zaj
5. Lyki Li: Wounded Rhymes
6. Timber Timbre: Creep On Creepin On
7. Panda Bear: Tomboy
8. Weekend : Sports
9. The Soft Moon: The Soft Moon
10.Wu Lyf: Go Tell Fire To The Mountain

Here's what I listened to most regardless of what year:
1. PJ Harvey : Let England Shake
2. Tamaryn : In Waves
3. Wu Tang Clan: Disciples of the 36 Chambers: Chapter 1
4. Dolly Parton: A little Taste of Dolly
5. Mazzy Star: So Tonight I Might See
6. Spectrum: What Came Before After
7. Grace Slick & The Great Society
8. Solomon Burke: Rock N' Soul
9. New Order 1981 Factus B-1982
10. The Cramps: Off the Bone

MAURA MILAN (DIRTY LAUNDRY CAMERA)

Top 11 Albums of 2011

1. James Blake - James Blake
2.Kuedo - Severant
3. Emika - Self Titled
4. Jacaszek - Glimmer
5. North Highlands-Wild One
6. Polinski - Labyrinths
7. Beyonce - 4
8. EMA - Past Life Martyred Saints
9. Seefeel - Self Titled
10. Planning to Rock- W
11 - Kendrick Lamar- Section 80

TERESA GUY (SPECIAL GUEST HOST - CMJ)

Below are my 10 best new albums of 2011. Happy Holidays to you and yours!

10. Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring for My halo
9. SBTRKT -SBTRKT
8. Metronomy - English Rivera
7. Gotye - Making Mirrors
6. WU LYF - Go Tell Fire to the Mountain
5. tUnE-yArDs W H O K I L L
4. Hooray for Earth - True Loves
3. The Kills - Blood Pressures
2. Cut Copy - Zonoscope
1. Black Keys - El Camino

ANAIS ALESSANDRA (DIRTY LAUNDRY CREW)

(In no particular order)
Dum Dum Girls- Only In My Dreams
Thee Oh Sees- Castlemania
Foster the People-Torches
CANT- Dreams Come True
Hooray For Earth- True Loves
Lykke Li- Wounded Rhymes
Future Islands- On the Water
Bon Iver- Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Wild Beasts- Smother
Smith Westerns- Dye it Blonde

DIRTY LAUNDRY - 10 BEST ALBUMS OF 2011

2011-12-16T09:53:00.001-08:00

Well, laundro-mates, it's that time of the season again for the annual Dirty Laundry TV list of 10 best albums. It was an overall solid year for indie music. Lots of new discoveries here amongst the list of 10. As well as some old warhorses (like 400 Blows) who kind of snuck up on us. In fact, there were a few albums that snuck up on us (EMA's comes to mind). There were bands that lived up to the hype (Caveman) and bands that kept on chugging along despite no hype whatsoever (Freshkills). Plus bands that came out of nowhere and caught us by surprise (Radical Dads and Widowspeak). So without further adieu - here goes, the Dirty Laundry Top 10 albums of the year. And this year we've got some special Guest Contributors who will be chiming in with their own Year End lists -- so keep a lookout.

1. Caveman - Coco Beware

2. 400 Blows - Sickness And Health

3. Widowspeak - Widowspeak

4. EMA - Past Lives Martyred Saints

5. The Icarus Line - Wildlife

6. Thee Oh Sees - Carrion Crawler/The Dream

7. Freshkills - Coextinction Release 6

8 Obits - Moody, Standard and Poor

9. Radical Dads - Mega Rama

10. Crystal Antlers - Two Way Mirror

STAY TUNED - MORE YEAR END LISTS FROM DIRTY LAUNDRY POSSE & SOME OF OF THE FRIENDS WE'VE MET ALONG THE WAY - SO KEEP ON THE LOOKOUT

DIRTY LAUNDRY PREMIERE - DOWNLOAD NEW SPINTO BAND FILM SOUNDTRACK FOR FREE!!!

2011-11-30T09:13:00.001-08:00

Everyone's favorite off-kilter pop group from Delaware The Spinto Band are back with an original soundtrack to a new film called Biba Democracy (out on December 6th). Dirty Laundry has got the exclusive premiere of the soundtrack, which you can download for free right here for 24 hours only. So get on that!

The Spinto Band also have a new album coming out soon called Shy Pursuit. And some tour dates. Check 'em out:

Tour Dates:
12.01.11 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
12.02.11 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Bowl
12.03.11 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
12.04.11 - Pittsburgh, PA @ The Brillobox
(all dates with Jukebox the Ghost)

UNFURRRRRL POWER!

2011-11-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

(A review of Wild Flag’s Sold-Out L.A. Show of 11/4, Including Detailed Accounts of What They Wore)
by Gary Lucy

Wild Flag aren’t merely the best rock band in America, they’re an unholy coven. They don’t just play songs, they pound out primal-yet-complex incantations meant to resurrect rock from the dead. Judging by what I saw this Thursday night, they just might do it.

Their sound is a twin axe attack combining starchy riffage and progressive noodling… which forms a type of sonic Top Ramen. This gonzo guitar interplay--between Carrie Brownstein (prim beige sweater set, black jeggings, Victorian lace-up heels) and Mary Timony (Sleeveless biker T, denim mini-skirt, SUPER cute pixie boots)--is anchored by the precise, liquid-crystal-jackhammer drumming of Janet Weiss (red sleeveless top, long blue wrist band thingies that were like a cross between the forearm gear worn by Carmelo Anthony and that worn by oh mighty Isis).

The fan blowing Weiss’ hair sideways only added to the effect that she’s moving 100 mph. Rounding out the recipe is keyboardist Rebecca Cole (black formal sequined top and her trademark Pete Rose haircut), whose angelic backing vocals nicely leaven some of the sinister drone.

As free and reckless as Wild Flag sounds, there was something oddly…sensible about the proceedings at the Troubadour this night. The show started right on time, the sound was clear, bright, and just loud enough, the temperature was comfortable. I think this vibe all goes back to Brownstein, the heart of the band. She’s like exactly what Portlandia-style parents are hoping for when they send their kids to those hippie schools with no desks. Give us a daughter who’s creative, poised, self-actualized, authentic and is possessed by the spirit of rock. When she windmills on her SG, it’s no homage to Pete Townshend, it’s like she invented it.

Music nerds in attendance, on the verge of mass head explosion all night anyway, were finally pushed over the edge by the encore, which featured a nifty version of Television’s “See No Evil” and a drop in by Eleanor Friedberger (black toreador jacket covered in big puffy silver moons and stars, like something you’d wear to Doug Henning’s funeral). In short, if you didn’t go, you messed up.

SET LIST:
Black Tiles
Boom
Electric Band
Future Crimes
Black Tambourine
Winter Pair
Nothing
Short Version
Something Came Over Me
Romance
Racehorse
Encore:
See No Evil
Beast of Burden
Do You Wanna Dance?

Gary Lucy is co-host of the popular music podcast “Never Not Funny presents: Rock Solid”

LOOK, MA! IT'S OUR FIRST CMJ SHOWCASE

2011-10-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

Dirty Laundry TV is co-hosting our very first CMJ showcase (along with the fine folks at Indigenous Promotions, Spaceland, and Origami Vinyl) on Wednesday, October 19th at Cake Shop. We're super-excited because the line-up is that good. Don't believe us? Well, then have a look-see. We've got former DL guests Weekend, future DL guests Audacity and Races, as well as bands which haven't been on DL yet (but we like a whole lot) Guards, Bleached, Fidlar and Tropical Popsicle. It's all homegrown - straight outta Cali. If you live in NY (or you're going to be there), definitely try to make it out. For more details, go here.

New High Places Song - Year Off

2011-08-05T06:49:00.000-07:00

High Places - Year Off by thrilljockey

THEY'RE BAAAAACK! CRYSTAL ANTLERS RETURN TO DIRTY LAUNDRY

2011-07-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

This week on Dirty Laundry, we've got one of our fave bands Crystal Antlers (who Dirty Laundry completists will note, were guests on the first Dirty Laundry shoot ever - along with Cursive two years ago). The Long Beach quintet have a new album out, Two-Way Mirror, which has been picking up some nice buzz and they've got a Monday night residency in LA at the Echo (only one more show left - if you're in LA, seriously, just go). We checked 'em out the other night (see the photos above) and they were better than ever - which is saying something considering they're one of the best live bands going. Check 'em out on this week's episode. Lotsa Dirty Laundry goodness coming your with episodes featuring...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Times New Viking, Big Freedia, The Coathangers and Le Butcherettes to name just a few of them. So keep 'em peeled.

TRAIL OF DEAD MILKMEN

2011-06-17T10:19:00.000-07:00

So the FYF Fest line up has been announced and it's a veritable potpourri of new and old bands like Tijuana Panthers, Twin Sister Yacht along with indie stalwarts/oldsters Descendents, Guided By Voices and the Dead Milkmen. Plus some FODL (Friends Of Dirty Laundry) thrown into the mix, too: Avi Buffalo, Future Islands, The Strange Boys, Cults... We had a good ol' dusty time at the last FYF Fest (and several Fuck Yeahs before that) so this one should be no different. Tix officially go on sale today at 3pm here

And later tonight, we're going to be interviewing veteran instrument destroyers ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead, who were one of the first bands we ever contacted about doing our show way back when in '09 (wow, we're old). Malia toured with the boys when she was playing with Marnie Stern -- so good dirty hilarity should ensue (or at least it better). More good stuff in the works with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., EMA, This Will Destroy You episodes all coming your way pronto!

GUIDED BY POLLARD

2011-06-01T08:50:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Justin Gage (Aquarium Drunkard) for the head's up on this. Guided By Voices - Classic Lineup; Bob teaches band Jar Of Cardinals

YOU'RE DUNKING ALL OVER ME

2011-04-28T23:15:00.000-07:00

Nike releases Dinosaur Jr. sneakers? At 300 bucks a pop, might have to wait until they release the Sebadoh cross-trainers.

SCENES FROM TRAILER SPACE - SXSW '11

2011-03-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

Dirty Laundry was media sponsor at this year's SXSW "Best In Show" Showcase at Trailer Space Records put on by Volar Records/I Hate Rock N Roll/Col. Abe. The line up (featuring Thee Oh Sees, Davila 666, The Strange Boys and a whole lot more) was great. The heat was sweltering, the beer was flowing and the crowd was digging it. Below are some snapshots from the event.

Shannon (from Hunx And His Punx & Shannon And The Clams) takes a swig while a member of Davilla 666 stands guard.

DIRTY LAUNDRY AT SXSW

2011-03-17T06:53:00.000-07:00

Hello, friends. It's that time of year again. The annual pilgrimage to Austin, Texas by all sorts of music-related folk for several days of drinking, checking out bands and then drinking some more. It's SXSW -- in its god knows what year. In 2010, our intrepid host Malia James went down there with her buds Darker My Love to cover the festivities and all the shenanigans that went along with it. You can watch the hijinks here. Well it looked like so much fun that when Jonathan Weinberg of I Hate Rock N Roll Records rang us up and asked if we wanted to be media sponsors of his little shindig, we jumped at the chance. The line-up's pretty great: La Sera, No Joy, Thee Oh Sees, The Strange Boys, Davilla 666 and Hunx and His Punx plus a whole lot more. So on March 17-19, Dirty Laundry will be invading Austin to do our thang (shooting bands talking trash and playing stuff). Come on by Trailer Space and say 'hi'...Word on the street is guest host Karrie K (who'll be playing down there with her band Delta Mirror) will be stopping by, too. Should be a good time.

New Die Antwoord Music Video - "Rich Bitch"

2011-03-10T08:46:00.000-08:00

THE "NATIVE" IS GETTING RESTLESS

2011-02-17T06:08:00.000-08:00

(photo by Malia James)

Hey there FODL (that would be Friends Of Dirty Laundry), we are back with another brand spanking sparkly new episode of Dirty Laundry. And this time, we've got Indiana math-rockers NATIVE, who got started way back when they were in high school with some members, who were only 16. But don't worry, youth is not wasted on these guys - cause they tour like crazy and they just released their first full length Wrestling Moves (released by our friends at Sargent House). It's been a veritable whirlwind of activity here at Dirty Laundry HQ these last couple of weeks, with lots o' good down and dirty stuff in the proverbial works for you. Like what, you ask? Well, we've got upcoming episodes with Das Racist, Men, Forgetters (featuring Blake from Jawbreaker), and Kid Infinity to name just few. Not only that, but we're also prepping an episode with the Grill 'Em All Truck (winners of the Food Network's Great Food Truck Race) which we shot at last year's Filter Magazine Culture Collide Fest. And speaking of food, we're also cooking up some tasty SXSW goodness for y'all -- so keep checking back with us, won't you?

The Kills - Satellite Single - NEW

2011-01-31T09:14:00.000-08:00

The Kills - Satellite by DominoRecordCo

KID INFINITY - P.Y.C.O. SINGLE - FREE DOWNLOAD

2011-01-30T07:29:00.000-08:00

Dear indie rock bands of the next decade: Won't you kick the Ambien?

2011-01-20T07:07:00.000-08:00

by Chris Richards
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Remember the aughties? It was a decade riddled with war anxiety, Internet fatigue and Gitmo shame. Somehow, rock-and-roll became the security blanket that would protect us from this accelerating horde of American bummers. Coldplay filled stadiums with their comfort anthems, while the Shins defined threatening times with nonthreatening songs. (Then Ronald McDonald waved his magic freedom fry and turned one into a television ad.)

Elsewhere in indieland, a bothersome new type of escape-rock emerged, promising to lower your blood pressure while increasing your IQ. Its champions were Iron & Wine and the Decemberists, two acts that arrived in the early 2000s, armed with acoustic guitars and surplus copies of Roget's Thesaurus. Their lyrics were erudite, their melodies were precious and it was all so boring. Now, both acts have new major label releases that venture into fresh turf but still feel uninspired.

Decemberist in chief Colin Meloy has sung plenty about war, but his stomach-turning fondness for lyrical archaisms and songs about medieval romance always gave the impression that he was living in the wrong century - or in the deluded fog of his own genius. No surprise, then, that the new Decemberists album, finds Meloy crooning about Gilded Age businesswoman Hetty Green and "supply-side bonhomie . . . in the year of the chewable Ambien tab."

Meloy seems to have chewed a few Ambien before heading into the studio. Easing up on the fussy progressive-folk loop-de-loops, this is a stripped-down, mercifully mellower Decemberists. "Don't Carry It All" sounds like Weezer checked in for a weekend at the Neutral Milk Hotel, while "Down by the Water" pantomimes R.E.M. to startling effect. Or maybe not that startling - R.E.M.'s Peter Buck actually plays guitar on the song (and Americana darling Gillian Welch sings backup).

But with all of the musical derring-do extracted from the mix, Meloy's most pretentious lyrics - "The thrushes bleating battle with the wrens/Disrupts my reverie again," for instance - feel particularly grating.=Sam Beam, who performs as indie-folk star Iron & Wine, faces the inverse problem. His lyrics hardly jump out from the pleasing sonic gristle of his new album, That's because this is a wonderfully recorded clutch of songs, full of rubbery bass lines, epileptic clavinet riffs and hyper-studied production values that fall somewhere between the soft rock of the '70s and the global-minded pop of the '80s. "Rabbit Will Run" might be Beam's finest five minutes - pliant vocals over plinking marimbas, whispering flutes and simmering cymbals.

But even beneath his most imaginative soundscapes flows a river of sap. As a singer, Beam is still afraid to use both lungs, and as a songwriter he's still allergic to adventure - a weakness evidenced with album-closer "Your Fake Name Is Good Enough for Me." It's an unexpected swatch of jaunty Afro-pop that inexplicably changes its wonderful tempo, scrapping all momentum for a plodding, prosaic grand finale. Just like that, a welcome left turn sadly corrects itself.

Will indie rock remain forever dull? Maybe. A new generation of bands is proving that the new boring is different from the old boring, but still kinda boring. Among them: Tennis, a Denver duo with 10 more songs you probably won't remember next week.comes from its back story. In 2009, guitarist Patrick Riley and singer Alaina Moore, husband and wife, sailed a boat down the East Coast of the United States. When they got home, they started writing songs inspired by the trip.

But these aren't deck-swabbin' sea shanties - they're listless, Phil Spector-inspired tunes about the places they visited. The album's opening cut, "Take Me Somewhere," offers the closest Tennis ever gets to a hook. And isn't the song's titular refrain something we should be asking of them?

The quick ascent of easy-breezy groups such as Tennis shows that, from one decade to the next, the indie rock landscape has barely shifted beneath our espadrilles. Brainy, austere and quirky has given way only to clever, casual and quirky.

The security blanket has become a Snuggie.

New Bright Eyes "Shell Games" MP3 - Download

2011-01-06T07:04:00.001-08:00

'TIS THE TOP TEN LIST SEASON

2010-12-14T06:45:00.001-08:00

This is it: the year end blog entry for Dirty Laundry for 2010. Weird, that it's been a little more than a year and a half since we started our little interweb series thing. And now 50 plus bands later -- here we are. 2010 was a pretty great year for us here at Dirty Laundry.

We washed our skivvies alongside some pretty awesome bands/artists/noise makers: Liars, Lou Barlow, BRMC, The Slits, The Rapture, Hot Hot Heat to name a few. We stepped out of the 'mat to cover FYF Fest and Filter's Culture Collide Fest - which were both a blast. We even managed to become partners in grime, as it were, with Venus Zine and The Rumble LA. So, yeah, a lot of ground was covered and a lot of dirt was dished. Hopefully 2011 will be even, well, dirtier...so keep checking us out, we'll make it worth your while.

DIRTY LAUNDRY TOP NINE ALBUMS OF 2010 (in no particular order)

1. No Age - "Everything In Between" - their best album to date?

2. Sarah Jaffe- "Clementine" - okay, it's just a single, but still one of the best things we heard

3. Les Savy Fav - "Root For Ruin" - sounds just like old Les Savy Fav - which is alright by us

4. Surfer Blood - "Astro Coast" - heard it first in 2009, but still qualifies

5. Male Bonding - "Nothing Hurts" - Sub Pop delivers once again

6. The Soft Pack - s/t - in a perfect world, "C'mon" would be a #1 hit

7. Autolux - "Transit Transit" - it wasn't quite "Future Perfect", but still a welcome return

8. Grinderman - "Grinderman 2" - not quite up there with the first Grinderman, but still blows most other stuff away

9. Madensuyu - "D Is Done" - from Belgium, RIYL Slint, Sonic Youth, Chimay

MALIA JAMES'S TOP NINE ALBUMS OF 2010, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER.

1. ZAZA: CAMEO

2. THE BLACK RYDER: BUY THE TICKET, TAKE THE RIDE

3. BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB: BEAT THE DEVIL'S TATTOO

4. MARNIE STERN: MARNIE STERN

5. LIARS: SISTERWORLD

6. DARKER MY LOVE: ALIVE AS YOU ARE

7. THE BLACK ANGELS: PHOSPHORENE DREAM

8. WHITE FENCE

9. GRINDERMAN: GRINDERMAN 2

MAURA MILAN (DL CAMERA): TOP TEN ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

1. DIE ANTWOORD - $SOS$

2. SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS - DISCONNECT FROM DESIRE

3. ANBB - MIMIKRY

4. MOUNT KIMBIE - CROOKS & LOVERS

5. TEEBS - ARDOUR

6. JAMES BLAKE - CMYK EP & KLAVIERWERKE EP (I'M GONNA COUNT BOTH OF HIS EPs AS ONE

7. WARPAINT - THE FOOL

8. EMERALDS - DOES IT LOOK LIKE I'M HERE?

9. PANTHA DU PRINCE - BLACK NOISE

10. THE SIGHT BELOW - IT ALL FALLS APART

ASHLEY BORLIK (DL STAFF) - TOP TEN ALBUMS OF THE YEAR (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)

1. OWEN PALLET - HEARTLAND

2. LOCAL NATIVES - GORILLA MANOR

3. A SUNNY DAY IN GLASGOW - AUTUM, AGAIN

4. THE NATIONAL - HIGH VIOLET

5. BROKEN BELLS - BROKEN BELLS

6. WAVVES - KING OF THE BEACH

7. SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS - DISCONNECT FROM DESIRE

8. TWIN SISTER - COLOR YOUR LIFE

9. TAME IMPALA - INNERSPEAKER

10. SUCKERS - WILD SMILE

THE DELTA MIRROR'S KARRIE K (SPECIAL GUEST HOST) - TOP TEN ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

1. NEON INDIAN - "PSYCHIC CHASMS"

2. WARPAINT - "THE FOOL"

3. KANYE WEST - "MY BEAUTIFUL DARK TWISTED FANTASY"

4. TAME IMPALA - "INNERSPEAKER"

5. ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI - "BEFORE TODAY"

6. LIARS - "SISTERWORLD"

7. DEERHUNTER - "HALCYON DIGEST"

8. THE SHIMMIES - "TO ALL BELOVED ENEMIES"

9. BEACH HOUSE - "TEEN DREAM"

10. THE DELTA MIRROR - "MACHINES THAT LISTEN"

2010-12-14T05:57:00.000-08:00

RIP, the Slits' Ari Up

2010-10-20T22:16:00.000-07:00

Ari Up, the leader of seminal English punk band The Slits, passed away today at age 48. We interviewed Ari and the Slits last year.

The following is from Johnny Lydon's website:

Arianna RIP

John and Nora have asked us to let everyone know that Nora's daughter Arianna (aka Ari-Up) died today (Wednesday, October 20th) after a serious illness. She will be sadly missed.

Everyone at JohnLydon.com and PiLofficial.Com would like to pass on their heartfelt condolences to John , Nora and family.

Rest in Peace.

Here is the Slits on Dirty Laundry:

STEPPING OUT OF THE 'MAT....

2010-10-15T06:41:00.001-07:00

This week on the big DL, we got to talk with the New Jersey band Titus Andronicus at the 2010 FYF Fest which, it's hard to believe, has actually been going on for, like, what, seven or so years now. The lines at the Fest were long, kinda chaotic and once inside there was a Grapes Of Wrath-esque line for the one water fountain in the park. But despite those issues, we still had a super-good time and we were glad to be a part of the shenanigans. And why not? We got to catch up with some of our favorite bands (Local Natives, Titus Andronicus, Warpaint, The Rapture) AND get access to the VIP beer garden. Stepping in for Malia (who had some personal stuff to attend to) was our friend, expert launderer and all around super-sub Karrie K (of the Delta Mirror). Malia will be back in the 'mat soon though in future episodes with the Hydra Head band Torche and Pitchfork's latest crush Twin Shadow (pictured above) - so don't you go anywhere.

Monotonix At Filter Magazine's Culture Collide Festival

2010-10-10T22:03:00.001-07:00

Israel's Monotonix played a memorably slippery and sweat-soaked set today at Culture Collide Festival in LA.

NONE OF YOUR SEA OF BEES WAX

2010-09-25T06:09:00.000-07:00

Wanna know why the 'mat has been buzzing of late? Cuz Sacramento's Sea of Bees are in the hive, I mean, house. A true 'buzz band' (okay, we'll stop), SOB is the band name for one Julie Baenziger aka Julie Ann Bee aka "Jules" -- a 25 year old singer-songwriter who apparently never heard the Beatles or Stones until she was in her 20s . She got discovered by John Baccigaluppi, the publisher of Tape Op Magazine and Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, released two albums and, well, like a bee to honey, the accolades have been pouring in (Rough Trade called her "without doubt one of the best new female voices this year"). We were able to get Jules and Co. to play a couple of songs for us - before they fluttered off to the UK. Check out "Skinnybone" here and "Wizbot" here.

Honest Abe Vigoda

2010-09-15T23:32:00.000-07:00

This week on DL, art punksters Abe Vigoda step into the 'mat to wash and dish. They've been at this thing since 2004 -- constantly growing and re-inventing themselves. We dig 'em a lot -- which is why we've been on 'em for the better part of a year to come hang with us. They've got a new album coming out any moment now -- so I guess the timing couldn't be better. And, dare I say, it was worth the wait...better laundry-mates you couldn't find, trust us. Check out the episode with them and see for yourself. And coming up, we've got so much good stuff it's not even fair. This includes our special FYF Fest multi-parter featuring exclusive interviews with Local Natives, Titus Andronicus, Warpaint and The Rapture...with special guest host: the lovely and talented super-sub Karrie K (of The Delta Mirror fame). Oh yeah -- and we've got a couple of acoustic performances from Sea Of Bees...all this stuff will be premiering first over on our partners in grime Venus Zine - so be sure to check it all out.

Photos: Local Natives at FYF Fest

2010-09-04T22:22:00.001-07:00

Here are some pics of Local Natives playing this year's FYF Fest

Night Of The Living Dead Meadow

2010-09-01T21:46:00.001-07:00

This week on the DL, we've got Dead Meadow, the veteran psych-rock band, who were spawned in DC, but now call LA their home. They recently partnered up with Artificial Army to make a live concert film called Three Kings, which is kind of an ode to the old Led Zeppelin picture of yore "The Song Remains The Same". Check out the trailer for the movie below and see for yourself:

And speaking of partnering up - we did a little of that ourselves recently - with the fine indie music loving folks at Venus Zine. They'll be premiering future eps of Dirty Laundry - so show 'em some love, won't you?

And if you don't already know, FYF Fest is back, this Saturday, September 4th in LA...and Dirty Laundry's will be there, hanging out and shooting stuff for a future episode. Check out the Dirty Laundry episodes we did last year with FYF Fest co-founders Sean Carlson and Keith Morris (ex front man of Black Flag and Circle Jerks).

New Tim Kasher (Cursive/The Good Life) Song Premiere

2010-08-19T11:31:00.000-07:00

Our friend Tim Kasher (of Cursive and The Good Life) has got a new song off his debut solo album The Game Of Monogamy. Download it below:

Tim Kasher - Cold Love:

HENRY CLAY PEOPLE @ GREEK THEATER, LOS ANGELES 8.6.10

2010-08-09T22:02:00.000-07:00

By Gary Lucy

While lounging in Dirty Laundry’s exclusive luxury box at the Greek, eager for the Henry Clay People to warm up the cold-fish industry crowd on a hot plate of rock, I noticed the guy in front of me looked a lot like all-time Jeopardy! champ Ken Jennings.

That sounds like a low-wattage star sighting by L.A. standards, but take it from me, as a third-place Jeopardy! finisher who once had his ass handed to him right in front of God, Alex Trebek and everybody, Jennings is THE MAN.

I started thinking about KJ’s “6 Degrees” column in Mental Floss magazine, wherein he connects two disparate-seeming elements in six moves or less, a-la the Kevin Bacon game.

I bet he was using the between act lag time to work out such a puzzle right now—trying to find the shortest path from 19th century statesman Henry Clay to the Henry Clay People. So I tried to beat him to the punch.

HENRY CLAY was of course a Senator from Kentucky and the Secretary of State under Monroe. He was known as “The Great Compromiser.” If Daniel Webster wanted Chinese food, and John Calhoun wanted Indian, Clay would say, “let’s split the difference and get Thai.” If there’s one thing that fool loved more than Thai food, it was…TARIFFS!

TARIFFS are a tax levied on imports and exports. Set them too low, and your infrastructure crumbles. Set them too high, say goodbye to foreign trade. Tariffs are very low on the lead-based toys and toothpastes we get from…CHINA!

CHINA is a mysterious land about which little is known. I think I remember seeing something on PBS once about the discovery of 8,000 ancient terra cotta warriors in Shaanxi province. What did emperor Qin Shi Huang need with so many…CLAY PEOPLE?

And it was just then I noticed that it wasn’t Ken Jennings at all, but rather some other nerd all together. The point is, THE HENRY CLAY PEOPLE are awesome. But don’t take my word for it, listen to this slide guitar-happy Chinese fire drill:

HENRY CLAY PEOPLE - SLOW BURN mp3

(mp3 of “Slow Burn” hosted on my mediafire acct)

Don't Quit Your Daydream Nation

2010-08-03T22:37:00.000-07:00

Malia shot me an email a few weeks back - saying she had just seen the most inspiring music documentary called "Don't Quit Your Daydream" - and that we had to have the band on the show. I had heard of the movie, but only vaguely -- and the band didn't ring a bell. Well, I checked out the trailer -- thought it looked pretty cool...and before I knew it, Malia had put me in touch with Clark from the band - and well, the rest is Dirty Laundry history. The band has been traveling with the film at festivals and playing live sets along with the screenings a la Anvil. And they've been getting a lot of nice publicity. So check it out when it comes to a festival (or a theater) near you.

CHECK OUT THE EPISODE HERE

Hot Hot Heat In The Hot Hot House

2010-07-20T21:46:00.000-07:00

Hey remember when Hot Hot Heat were all the rage along with The Rapture, Franz Ferdinand and all the other bands in that New Wave-y dance punk revival kind of thing from a few years back (even though it feels like forever)? Yeah, well, guess what? They're back -- and not only do they have a somewhat new line-up, they've also signed to LA-based label du jour and FODL (friends of Dirty Laundry) Dangerbird. So when we heard they were holed up in SoCal, had a new album coming out and were playing a residency at the miniscule (for them) Bootleg Theatre - well, it was kind of a no brainer -- we had to ask 'em to come down to the 'mat. The band was definitely in one of those "post major label - we got nothing left to lose so fuck it" kinda moods (which is always a good thing). So even though one of the band member's girlfriends literally broke up with him RIGHT BEFORE the interview (just outside the laundromat no less), the band did not disappoint. See for yourself.

CHECK OUT HOT HOT HEAT ON DIRTY LAUNDRY TV HERE

What I Washed On My Summer Vacation

2010-07-15T07:09:00.000-07:00

Things are heating up this summer down at Dirty Laundry HQ -- and we're not just talking about the weather (although that's pretty stinkin' hot, too - especially INSIDE the 'mat...sheesh!). We've got a shit ton of great artists, who are going to be washing their unmentionable with us in the coming weeks. First up is funky white boy soul crooner Jamie Lidell, who actually never made it down to the 'mat (we shot him before his show at LA's El Rey Theatre). He worked with Beck, Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor and Feist on his latest slab of idiosyncratic soul Compass - and let's just say, he wasn't afraid to share the gory details. Next up, we've got Canadian comeback kids Hot Hot Heat, who recently signed to LA's label du jour Dangerbird (home of Silversun Pickups among others). And then we've got Future Islands (Thrill Jockey), Sara Jaffe, The Good Listeners, Lou Barlow to name a few after that. And that's not even the "hottest" news of all -- which we're keeping secret until a later date...but it's a goodie, for sure. So keep checking back with us and stay cool (and, of course, dirty).

JAMIE LIDELL ON DIRTY LAUNDRY TV

New Song From "The Sword"

2010-07-12T21:50:00.000-07:00

All You Need Is Jaguar Love

2010-07-03T00:28:00.000-07:00

You loved him (or hated him) in the Blood Brothers ...now Johnny Whitney's back bringing his screamy, spazz-core vocals to Jaguar Love, a decidedly dancier, beat driven band altogether. Whatever you think of Whitney's particular brand of synthesizer-laden glammy post-punk, you've got to admit one thing: in interviews, as in his live performances, Johnny does not hold back. For evidence of this, look no further than our latest installment of Dirty Laundry -- where Mr. Whitney spills the beans on his former band's break up, kicking Jay Clark (ex-Pretty Girls Make Graves) out of Jaguar Love after their first album and being a baby daddy. He was so good in fact - that we had no choice, but to turn the interview into a Two-Parter. Check out next week's installment when Johnny talks about getting dropped by Matador and signed by Fat Possum all in the same night...And keep checking back for future eps featuring Jamie Lidell, Future Islands, Hot Hot Heat, Sarah Jaffe and more....

Sucking Up To Suckers

2010-06-23T06:27:00.000-07:00

Hello there, Laundry-ites...we've got Brooklyn (by way of Connecticut) art-rockers Suckers on the big show this week. The night before the shoot, we saw them play a spirited sweat-soaked set at Spaceland, opening for NJ's Screaming Females (who also left it all on the floor). In fact, Mike from Screaming Females confided in us that his goal that night was to "blow Suckers off the stage". Nothing personal against his Brooklyn neighbors, he assured us (he thought they seemed perfectly nice) - Suckers just happened to be the band playing before them and, thus, the enemy. Don't know if they achieved their goal - but I will say this: Screaming Females's designated screamer/shredder Marissa Patenoster (all 5'2 of her) is certainly a sight (and a sound) to behold. Tough to take your eyes off of her. All in all, it was a very good (if lightly attended) night for these two bands from the "tri-state area" both on respective West Coast swings. Which made us all the happier to scrub our skivvies with them the next day. And speaking of scrubbing skivvies, we're going to be hanging in the 'mat a lot in the weeks to come with Jaguar Love, Jamie Lidell and Hot Hot Heat to name just a few....so grab some detergent and join us, won't you?

And The Beets Goes On

2010-06-02T23:35:00.000-07:00

Straight outta Jackson Heights, come the lo-fi Kings Of Queens: The Beets who crank out charmingly off-kilter garage pop gems on records with names like "Spit In The Face Of People Who Don't Want To Be Cool" and are about to release a new one on label du jour Captured Tracks. We first came across the Beets when they opened for the Vivian Girls at the Echo some months back and we were instantly won over. Looks like we're not alone: L Magazine recently named them one of their 8 NYC Bands You Have To Hear, Cynthia Rowley put them in one of her ads and now the Mountain Goats have invited them to tour. Not too shabby for a band who most people still confuse with the cartoon band in that show Doug. Our guest host on this episode is Codi Fischer (of G4's Web Soup) covers the gamut from vomiting mannequins to Vivian Girls' menstrual cycles and the time the band met Mickey Roarke. In other words, a typical day at the Dirty Laundry laundromat.

Check out the Dirty Laundry Beets Episode Here

And scroll down to the bottom of the page for The Beets performing the uber-catchy "Cold LIps"

Happy Birthday To Us Plus Fang Island!

2010-05-19T20:40:00.000-07:00

(Fang Island pictured above)

Okayyyy, so it's been a big one year since we started our little web show that could bringing you the latest and greatest (well, at least we think so) indie bands and personalities from around the wide, wide world. And it's a been an amazing one: I mean, think about it...Mike Watt, The Slits, Mission Of Burma, Liars, Thermals, Keith Morris, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Cursive, Crystal Antlers, Future Of The Left, Har Mar Superstar, Vivan Girls -- those are just some of the names who have washed, rinsed and, yes, even repeated with us. So we just wanted to take this moment to thank them, and to thank you all for checking back with us week after week and to thank all the other friends we've made on the world wide interweb and beyond. Keep coming back and keep spreading the word...and we'll check back in with you next year at around this time - cause I'm sure we'll have added some more stellar names to the list and I'm sure we'll have a lot more people to thank. (And special shout outs to Ashley Borlik, Evan Tarne, Mark Galliano, Aaron Thacker, Ali Nusrat, Maura Milan, Matt Chavez, Clay Jeter, Will Basanta, Joe Nargi, Eric Pritchard, Josh Crockett, Steve Drypolcher, Sparkling Coin Laundry, Dick Huey, Jessi Hector, and the inimitable Malia James, our hostess with the most-ess.)

WATCH FANG ISLAND ON THIS WEEK'S DIRTY LAUNDRY

Malia Bonding

2010-05-06T07:03:00.000-07:00

Gotta hand it to that volcano. See Male Bonding, the UK buzz band who are about to release an album on Sub Pop and who have been causing quite a stir at all sorts of festivals of late including CMJ, SXSW and MtyMx, were supposed to be back in London, not stuck in LA with a lot of time (and dirty laundry) on their hands. So when the chance to hang with Malia down at the 'mat and shoot the proverbial shit about their pals the Vivian Girls and what it's like being a hippie in a punk's body and discussing Mark "Mudhoney" Arm's deafness, how could they possibly turn it down? Well, lucky for all of us, they didn't. And the episode in question, can be seen right here. So you see, every volcano-spewed ash-cloud DOES have a silver lining...

There Will Be Surfer Blood

2010-04-08T06:59:00.000-07:00

We're not the most sentimental of sorts here at Dirty Laundry. So the fact that we're about to turn a year old isn't going to be met with much pomp and very little, if any, circumstance. Instead, it's business as unusual as we like to say. So without further adieu, we bring you the much talked about new kids on the indie guitar rock block Surfer Blood, who hail from, of all places, West Palm Beach, Florida -- which despite the Surfer boys' success -- we're guessing isn't going to become the next Seattle anytime soon. The band made waves, so to speak, at CMJ playing, like, 432 shows in one week -- or something like that. And all the good press they managed to pick up (the NY Times has a severe almost stalker-ish band crush on them) turned out to be actually warranted - cause Astro Coast, their debut album, is one of the best things we've heard so far this year. So check out our latest episode and keep watching us and spreading the word...

REVIEW: BEAR IN HEAVEN (LIVE) - THE ECHO 3/24/10

2010-03-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

Bear In Heaven at the Echo
Los Angeles, CA
March 24, 2010
Reviewed by Ashley Borlik

Brooklyn based Bear In Heaven played their first show in Los Angeles Wednesday night at the Echo. Despite their second album, Beast Rest Fourth Mouth, having received Best New Album props from Pitchfork, Bear In Heaven still seems to be relatively unknown. Live, the band retained their melodic atmosphere created largely by their use of drum and bass. You could close your eyes and just listen and forget that you were in a room with a hundred other people. Particularly impressive was the drumming by Joe Stickney. The vocals from Jon Philpot sounded just as passionate and as off the album, all while switching between keyboards and guitar. They played songs off of their second album including "Beast in Peace", "Wholehearted Mess", "You Do You", "Lovesick Teenagers" and "Ultimate Satisfaction", amongst others. I got the impression that they hadn't expected such a enthusiastic response at the show, even asking the crowd if they were secretly from Brooklyn. Cymbals Eat Guitars keyboardist and vocalist Brian Hamilton was even sporting their t-shirt, representing his fellow tour mates. If you missed their show, check out their latest album Beast Rest Fourth Mouth and you will not be disappointed.

Dios Are Going To Take You Higher

2010-03-17T06:58:00.000-07:00

It seems like everyone and their mother is down at SXSW this week. I guess the lure of free booze, a shit-ton of bands and oodles of parties is too much for some people to resist. Even Team Dirty Laundry will be representing (in the form of Malia James, who'll be scoping out the scene with camera in tow). But in the meantime, the show must go on (or rather: the show must go on-line). And what a show it is. Hailing from Hawthorne (home of the original rock and roll spaced cowboy Brian Wilson) comes CA's very own Dios, who thanks to a cease and desist order from oh so cranky metalhead Ronnie James Dios have gone from Dios to dios (malos) to wearedios. But now they're back to Dios again (or at least until they get served) and they've got a new album of psychedelic-tinged pop gems "We Are Dios" out on our friend Buddyhead's label. Notoriously shy lead Dios-er Joel Morales wasn't too shy when the cameras started rolling as he held forth on a variety of subjects (from weed to losing his virginity to more weed). So by all means do check it out. (the contact high alone will make it worth your while.)

DIRTY LAUNDRY POLL: BEST MUSIC TO GET "DIRTY" TO

2010-03-12T05:46:00.000-08:00

The results are in... It started out innocuously enough with Malia asking "in honor of Valentine's Day" what the best music to make out to was. But, as is the case with most stuff here at Dirty Laundry Central, things eventually took a turn for the dirty. So the question became: What music do you like to do the 'dirty' deed to?

Har Mar said it was Duran Duran, Mary from High Places chose reggae, Karrie K from Delta Mirror said she listened to her OWN record. We opened the question up to you (our neo Laundry-ites) and here's what you told us:

1. Dummy - Portishead
2. Close The Door -Teddy Pendergrass
3. Lovage
4. Turn Off The Lights - Teddy Pendergrass
5. Nancy Sinatra
6. Girl Talk
7. Mezzanine - Massive Attack
8. Metric
9. Glassjaw
10. These Arms Are Snakes

Tell what you think. Inquiring dirty minds want to know. Leave a comment below or tweet us - then have a cigarette.

Keeping It Real...Dirty with BRMC

2010-03-03T06:33:00.000-08:00

Hello Laundry-ites. Lotsa interesting stuff coming at you on Dirty Laundry in the weeks ahead. And by "interesting", we mean "good" -- for you-- the loyal viewer. First off, we've got indie rock stalwarts Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's Robert Levon Been. The band has been around for, like, ever -- and this interview is something of an exclusive -- so definitely check it out. Malia is an old friend of Robert's and was able to make him feel uber-comfortable. So comfortable in fact, that we had to split the interview into two parts. The first part is up right here. And next up on the big show - we've got the LA-based Stereogum and Pitchfork darlings The Delta Mirror, who also brought their instruments along with them -- and kicked out the jams for us (a slow jam, but a jam nonetheless). Both interview and song will be going up next week - when they'll be in the midst of their March residency at the Echo (if you're in LA, go see 'em..and, yes, it's free). And then after that we've got Scottish brogue-sters We Were Promised Jetpacks, who dropped by to play a couple of ditties before their sold-out Troubadour show. And finally we've got -- straight outta Hawhtorne -- the great Dios, who've been sequestered away for the last three years cooking up their latest batch of indie rock goodness. Like we said - lotsa interesting stuff, so keep coming back...

Hardy Har Mar

2010-02-19T13:17:00.000-08:00

(We're mixing things up today at Dirty Laundry Inc with a guest blog from the funny and (funky) Gary Lucy offering up an appreciation of sorts for the inimitable Har Mar Superstar, the subject of this week's Dirty Laundry episode.)

When Taylor Swift accepted her Album of the Year Grammy, she didn’t thank God (who at that point in the evening was all thanked out, and had left during the creepy Michael Jackson part to beat the Staples Center traffic), she thanked her parents for telling her she could be anything she wanted to be.

Sean Tillman, AKA Har Mar Superstar, must’ve had the exact same type of parents as Taylor Swift (though much shorter and hirsute, I’m guessing). Of course, encouraging the far-fetched dreams of a kid like Sean might be considered child abuse.

After all, sexy R&B singers don’t usually look like him. They aren’t this moist, pasty, or pear-shaped. They look like R. Kelly, they don’t look like me.

But Sean didn’t let his offbeat appearance hold him back. When his dead, beady eyes looked into the mirror, his amorphous face framed by a thinning but unruly mane of bristly split ends, he saw a Superstar staring back. He shall overcome (and overcomb).

What makes some folks uncomfortable about Har Mar Superstar isn’t the sight of a fat guy owning the stage in toddler-sized Underoos…it’s the fact that he has game. His jams are dope. He has the respect of his peers. He gets mad paid and mad laid. His very existence forces you to confront the excuses you’ve made about your own “limitations”.

In conclusion, if you think Har Mar is Superstar is a joke, then that joke is on you, Hater.

Houston, Har Mar Has A Problem With You

2010-02-18T06:05:00.000-08:00

This week on Dirty Laundry, we've got the one, the only Har Mar Superstar. Har Mar, who's known for stripping down to his undies for his stage show - managed to keep all his clothes on for the interview - while still baring all. Sean Tillman is the man behind the Har Mar curtain. And Sean is definitely leading an interesting life -- rubbing shoulders (among other things) with the likes of Eva Mendes, Weird Al, Kate Moss, Ellen Page, The Red Hot Chili Peppers - the list goes on. Check him out as he expounds on his favorite makeout jams, writing for Brittany and going to song camp with Hanson. Coming up next week is Robert Been - one third of the indie rock juggernaut known as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Robert's Been there and done that -- living the rock and roll dream ever since he was a kid going on the road with his pop Michael Been, leader of SF 80s alt. rockers The Call (and later a bandmate in the Band). And be sure to keep an eye on our site - we're going to be leaking news of a secret free show with one of our all-time fave bands (LAers, we're talking to you).

Sweethead Vs. High Places

2010-02-08T04:28:00.001-08:00

This week we've got Sweethead on Dirty Laundry. Not yet a household name (their album doesn't come out stateside until May - so give 'em time), the band does include members of Queens Of The Stoneage, Plexi, Handome and the Mark Lanegan Band - so calling them a 'super-group' would not be that much of a stretch. Troy Van Leeuwen, the band's mastermind, definitely brought the 'rock star' vibe to our little humble home away from home. But what did you expect from a guy who's played with A Perfect Circle, Failure and Eagles of Death Metal? Serrina Sims, the band's sultry lead belter, was no slouch herself in the glam department (even though this is her first singing gig). The band has recently toured with the likes of Them Crooked Vultures, Eagles of Death Metal and Snow Patrol - it's nice to have friends in high places. And speaking of 'high places' - that's exactly who we've got coming up later this week - indie darlings High Places, who recently switched coasts (moving from Brooklyn to Cali) and are 'dropping' their next album, the modestly titled "High Places Vs. Mankind" (which we've gotten a sneak peek at and we 'high'-ly recommend). More good stuff on its way: the one the only Har Mar Superstar and some folk from BRMC (at least that's what we're told) - so keep checking back.

Watt The World Needs Now...

2010-01-25T01:36:00.000-08:00

It's a new year and a new decade. And we here at Dirty Laundry don't really have any New Years resolutions -- other than world domination of course - but that goes without saying. We started off 2010 with a blast from the punk rock past and by "punk rock" we mean of the safety pin through the lip variety. We're talking the First Ladies of Punk: The newly reformed Slits. Lead singer Ari Up did not disappoint with her big orange day-glo heels, outsized dreds and her equally outsized personality. She was everything you want in a punk-rock front person and more. We got to check out the Slits playing to a near-capacity crowd at the Echo the next night and they were definitely a lot of fun...you should check 'em next time you get a chance-- and do it soon cause you never know when they might go on another 25 year hiatus. Next up was DJ /mix-master extraordinaire Boom Bip, who is in the midst of recording his next solo record with some "big" name contributions (that we're not at liberty to drop unfortunately). But it wasn't like BB wasn't forthcoming -- he had a lot of great stuff to say (about his debt John Peel, the Johnny Rotten/Bloc Party brawl, his desire to someday work with Bjork). And he was our first DJ/mix-master- see we're not just about the indie rock. And finally, we turned to our fourth installment (and final) of our interview series with the one, the only Mike Watt. It's one of the best segments we've had on Dirty Laundry (and we're not just saying that). The Man In the Van With A Bass In His Hand expounds on all things D. Boon, words of wisdom from Joey Ramone and the Jackass theme song (a.k.a. Minutemen's "Corona"). Truly compelling stuff. In fact you can check out all the segments: here, here, here and here. Next up for as at Dirty Laundry: The High Places (who recently relocated from Brooklyn to Los Angeles), Jemina Pearl (former Be Your Own Pet lead singer) and Sweethead (featuring Troy from Queens Of The Stoneage). Lotsa good stuff for you. And you can take that to the bank.

Top Ten Indie Rock Feuds of 2009

2009-12-21T22:10:00.000-08:00

Okay, so we finally caved and are writing our first Dirty Laundry Year End Top Ten List. And when we thought back on this year, sure it produced a lot of good music (we were partial to Obits, Crystal Antlers, Vivian Girls, Fiery Furnaces and Cursive to name a handful) ...but what was MOST memorable about '09? No, not Animal Collective or the nine hundredth U2 album, no...it was the feuds. Cause we're not going to lie, we love the feuds. And 2009 was a good year for feuds. Dare we say it was THE year for them. And that's why we decided to come up with:

THE TOP TEN FEUDS OF 2009

10. ALICE COOPER VS. VAMPIRE WEEKEND: Rock n' roll dinosaur Alice Cooper calls out Vampire Weekend for not living up to their name. Says Cooper: "What happened to the balls in rock 'n' roll? Why are American bands so wimpy?"

9. TRENT REZNOR VS. PRINCE AND CUOMO: Perennially cranky industrial rocker Reznor rears his once relevant head. Says Reznor: "Prince, if you have 100 great songs or 1,000, how about picking a few and putting them on your record, because your last several have sucked. Same for you, Rivers. I say that constructively, you know."

8. RADIOHEAD VS. MILEY CYRUS: Miley gets on Radiohead for declining an intro to the Grammys. Radiohead "fires" back accusing Miley of "entitlement". Okay, okay, its not exactly Biggie v. Tupac -- but, hey, that's why it's number 8.

7. TRENT REZNOR VS. CHRIS CORNELL: Trent Reznor discovers "The Twitter", then takes on a fellow oldster. Tweets Reznor: Cornell's new album is "embarrassing".

6. BAT FOR LASHES VS. MEG WHITE: The drummer for Bat For Lashes calls White "the worst drummer I've ever seen". Poor Meg, first the faux sex tape, then the anxiety thing, now this...

5. JAY REATARD VS. BAND: Reatard's band quits mid-tour. Reatard tweets: "Band quit! Fuck them! They are boring rich kids who can't play for shit anyways ... Say hello to your ugly and boring wifes opps I mean lifes guys suck it."

4. BLACK LIPS VS. WAVVES (ROUND 1): In an interview, Lips' Jared Swiley disses Wavves' Nathan after his meltdown at the Primavera Festival, calling him a "baby" who couldn't handle his "MDMA".

3. FIERY FURNACES VS. RADIOHEAD: FF's Friedberger calls out Radiohead for their song about Harry Patch. Says Freidberger: "Fuck you. You brand yourself by brazenly and arbitrarily associating yourself with things that you know people consider cool." Then it gets revealed that Freidberger mistook Patch (a WWI British soldier) for Harry Partch (an experimental American composer). What the what? Beck eventually chimes in, coming to Radiohead's defense. Things get weirder. Or rather more Fiery Furnace-y.

2. BLACK LIPS VS. WAVVES (ROUND 2): First Black Lips dissed Wavves in print, then Jared and Nathan crossed paths in a NY club. Punches were thrown, bottles were broken and blood was spilled. A rematch was called for at a later date in Atlanta (but apparently never materialized). Last we heard Wavves had taken on Jay Reatard's old band -- obviously thinking "well, since they worked out so well for him..."

And the number one Indie Rock Feud of 2009....

1. FLAMING LIPS VS. ARCADE FIRE: What is it about these "Lips" bands? Wayne Coyne call critical uber-darlings Arcade Fire "pricks" in an interview with Rolling Stone. Says Coyne: "People treat Arcade Fire like they're the greatest thing ever and they get away with it. Those sort of opinions change my view of their music. They have good tunes, but they're pricks, so fuck 'em."
In subsequent interviews, Coyne sticks to his words and refuses to take them back.

Have a great holiday and a dirty, dirty New Year. Thanks to all of you who've read this blog and watched Dirty Laundry. We'll be back strong in 2010 with legendary old school punks The Slits and mix-master extraordinaire Boom Bip. So keep an eye out.

Talking The Talk With Talk Normal

2009-12-16T06:54:00.000-08:00

It's the last episode of Dirty Laundry for 2009. And we've got NY noise duo Talk Normal washing their unmentionables with us. They're kind of the quintessential NY band -- they're not out to win any popularity contests, they do things their own way, not following trends. They live in Brooklyn. When not touring, they work as sound engineers with artists like Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed. They're favorites of Thurston Moore and Sonic Youth. They've even opened up for Lydia Lunch and Boss Hog. Seriously, can you get more NY than that? I don't think so. And, cause we're in the holiday spirit, we've got more good cheer to spread with a Dirty Laundry Exclusive: Avi Buffalo (Sub Pop) performing "Coaxed" right outside the 'mat. It's our first "performance" piece. Who knows, maybe in '10 we'll make a habit out of it. We're just sayin'. And, if that weren't enough, our friends The Briggs have cranked out a nice little blast of Christmas rock and we're posting it for you.

Thanks for hanging with us over the last several months. It's been fun. Met a lot of great people and heard a lot of great music. Check back with us in the new year when we kick things off with the legendary Slits and then mix-master extraordinaire Boom Bip and lots, lots more.

The Briggs - Silent Night mp3

Getting Down To Big Business

2009-12-09T06:06:00.000-08:00

This week on Dirty Laundry, we've got the LA (by way of Seattle) rock gods Big Business, who we've been fans of for a while. In fact, we've been following Jared and his brand of snot-nosed metal-ly post-punk for years - first in the great, great band Karp, who if you don't know you should definitely check out and then after that in his 'party' band Tight Bros From Way Back When. Throw into the mix the wild man drumming skills of one Coady Willis, formerly of the Murder City Devils (no slouches themselves) and the newly added third member Toshi Kasai (who they met through the Melvins) and you've got the makings of an indie rock super group (sorta like Asia, but good). And if that isn't enough, Jared and Coady both do double duty in the legendary Melvins (because apparently one band these days isn't enough). And next week, we've got the NY-based art rock duo Talk Normal, who have opened for the likes of Sonic Youth, Boss Hog and Lydia Lunch (so you know they've gotta have it going on...at least a little bit).

Big Business - Gold And Final mp3

Don't Call It A Comeback...

2009-12-02T04:50:00.000-08:00

This week we've got post-punk standard-bearers Mission Of Burma on the show. Following on the heels of Mike Watt and Keith Morris, MOB fill out the "punk legend" hat trick for us -- though we're not going to stop there (Henry Rollins, Sonic Youth, David Yow consider yourself warned). It's also our first non-laundry related interview. But for a band as important and influential as Mission Of Burma, you tend to let a few things slide (translation: we don't step outside the cozy confines of the 'mat for just ANYONE). The band features Bob Weston (the "kid" in the band) on sound loops and tape manipulation -- on loan from his other band, the Steve Albini-fronted Shellac. Bassist Clint Conley was next door watching the Patriots game -- but I'd say his bandmates more than made up for his absence. We get back to business next week with, well, Big Business - those loud and loveable noise makers who currently make their home in LA (by way of Seattle) and who also do time in another legendary band - namely The Melvins (you're on the "legends soon to appear at a laundromat near you" list too, guys -- so keep an eye on your inbox).

THE DIRTY LAUNDRY TOP TEN

2009-11-29T18:24:00.000-08:00

This is what is floating our boat right now

1. Surfer Blood - Astro Coast

2. Liars - Sisterworld

3. At The Drive In - Relationship Of Command

4. 20 Years Of Dischord - Various Artists

5. Tweak Bird - Reservations EP

6. Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away

7. dd/mm/yyyy - Black Square

8. Health - Get Color

9. The Soft Pack - "Answer To Yourself"

10. Sleigh Bells - "Ring Ring"

Tweak Bird Is The Word

2009-11-18T20:28:00.000-08:00

We at Dirty Laundry are the first to admit that we don't know of EVERY great band that comes down the pike. So when our erstwhile hostess with the indie rock mostest Malia suggested (or was it 'begged'?) that we get Tweak Bird on the show, we were all, like, Tweak Who? She, then, went on to tell us that she was so blown away by the Brothers Bird that she actually approached them at one of their shows and asked if she could join their band. So when the opportunity presented itself to have them wash their skivvies with us on the big show, we were more than happy to oblige. After all, who are we to get between a girl and her Tweak Bird?

DD/MM/YYYY? BECAUSE WE LIKE YOU

2009-11-07T19:54:00.000-08:00

Okay, you've got !!!, then you've got MGMT now adding to the list of bands with deliberately hard to say or intentionally unpronounceable names is Canada's own dd/mm/yyyy. Like the aforementioned bands, the dd/mm/yyyy boys' music is a lot more than meets the ear. They can sound like Devo one minute, Dischord-era math rock the next, and then before you know it they're off in Explosions In The Sky/Sigur Ros territory. All over the map? Sure. Good shit? Definitely. It leaves you wanting to hear more from these Canadian multi-instrumentalists (they're known for swapping instruments between songs) and hoping that they stick around long enough to at least crank out another record or two (or three) -- cause you get the feeling these Great White North-ers got a lot more where songs like "Digital Haircut" came from. So Pitchfork, if you're listening, give these guys some love...I think we'll all be better off for it. Oh, and if you're still wondering it's pronounced "day, month, year". Check 'em out on this week's episode of Dirty Laundry.

dd/mm/yyyy - Digital Haircut mp3

Dropping Names with The Soft Pack

2009-11-04T03:45:00.000-08:00

What's in a name? Of course, everyone loved the name The Muslims (well, everyone, that is, except The Muslims themselves...and also apparently some actual Muslims) and the name "The Soft Pack"...eh, not so much. But after all the "band name" smoke cleared, what we were left with is a band with great songs and some great much-needed punk-rock attitude to boot. So it goes without saying that we've been fans of The Soft Pack for a while. You've got to give it up for San Diego: Drive Like Jehu, Rocket From the Crypt, Three Mile Pilot, Pinback, Black Heart Procession, Kill Me Tomorrow, Hot Snakes, Plot To Blow Up The Eiffel Tower...they've given us some great frickin' bands. And The Soft Pack carry on that proud tradition (even though they spurned San Diego for the film friendly confines of Los Angeles - but we're not going to hold that against them, are we?). So when they agreed to wash their skivvies with us, we accepted them with open arms (and plenty of quarters and Tide). So check 'em out on the latest episode of Dirty Laundry - and, if you see 'em, don't give 'em too much shit about their name change...they had their reasons, alright?

Cymbals Eat Guitars Talk Dirty To Us

2009-10-25T12:50:00.000-07:00

This week Staten Island's own Cymbals Eat Guitars took some time off from their tour with Pains Of Being Pure At Heart to hang with us down at the 'mat. Recently profiled in the NY Times and ABC News, the Cymbals boys are riding a wave of acclaim ever since Pitchfork anointed them with their "Best New Music" honors. Check out their new album "Why There Are Mountains", with its catchy as all get-out lead off track "And The Hazy Sea". And then coming up, we've got one of our all-time favorite bands: These Arms Are Snakes, who've toured with just about everyone from The Blood Brothers, Cursive and Mastodon etc. They're loud, brash, fearless and show no signs of slowing down. And that's a good thing - cause we need more bands like 'em.

Cymbals Eat Guitars - Wind Phoenix mp3

(via P4K)

These Arms Are Snakes - Red Line Season mp3

(via Spinner)

Straight Outta Glasgow

2009-10-13T20:32:00.000-07:00

We've got the fine new band The Twilight Sad on this week's episode of Dirty Laundry. We caught them smack dab in the middle of their tour with two other Scottish bands (Frightened Rabbit and We Were Promised Jetpacks). Considering their music is on the dark and morose side, these guys couldn't have been more chipper. Go figure, right? They've got a pretty damn good album out: Forget The Night Ahead. So go pick it up. No sophomore jinx here. We assure you. Need more convincing? Check out this track.

The Twilight Sad - Reflection Of The Television mp3

via P4K

And in the very near future, we'll be dishing the dirt with Cymbals Eat Guitars, These Arms Are Snakes and DD/MM/YYYY to name a few. We're Dirty Laundry. Your new favorite web series ever of the week.

Vivian Girls Come Clean

2009-10-02T12:57:00.000-07:00

We've got the great Brooklyn-based Vivian Girls cleaning their unmentionables with us this week. Been listening to their new album for a couple of weeks and its really won us over. You can snatch one yourself here Definitely one of our faves of the year. The episode is one of our faves, too. Vivian Girls cleared the air regarding their much-maligned "Uncensored Interview" appearance last year and then bonded with Malia on the subject of their former 'nerd-ism'. We've got more good stuff coming up with Great White North-based Most Serene Republic next week. We'll be giving 5 copies of their new album away, too ...so be sure to check back. Other bands coming up: Twilight Sad and Cymbals Eat Guitars.

DIRTY LAUNDRY: THE NEW BLACK?

2009-09-22T20:56:00.001-07:00

It's a big week here at Dirty Laundry. Even bigger than our last big week. And the reason for its largeness is because we've got, none other than, The Thermals getting down with the Downy, so to speak, on this week's episode. They bare all on their recent 'break up' with Sub Pop, their dating past and getting naked. And, as if that weren't enough, we've also got a contest/giveaway with the great Blood Is The New Black. See, we told you it was a big week. And next week promises to be equally as massive when The Vivian Girls stop by. And don't even get us started about the week after that.

Where The Avi Buffalo Roam

2009-09-17T07:48:00.000-07:00

This week on Dirty Laundry, we bring you the the much buzzed about Avi Buffalo - whose song "What's It In For?" has been stuck in our heads for at least half the summer. They chatted with us about inter-band romances, working with producer Aaron Embry and getting wooed by a certain major label monolith (You know times are tough for the record industry when they wine and dine you with burgers and fries...seriously.). They've got a new album coming out on a yet undisclosed label and you get the sense they're on the verge of big things. Catch 'em with Beach House, who they're about to go on tour with, very soon. Coming up, we've got The Thermals, Vivian Girls and The Twilight Sad...lotsa good stuff, so keep an out.

A Stardeath Is Born

2009-09-09T21:25:00.000-07:00

Trippy space rockers Stardeath and the White Dwarfs have a lot to prove. Ya see lead Stardeath-er Dennis Coyne is the nephew of Flaming Lips front man Wayne Coyne. Which might explain their opening slot on the Lips' most recent tour and getting signed to the Lips' label Warner Bros. Nepotism much? But before you start hating and writing them off as Flaming Lips Juniors - listen to "I Can't Get Away" and "New Heat" off their new album "The Birth". You might actually be won over. We certainly were. And that's why we invited 'em down to chat with us in the 'mat....the lucky bastards.

FYF Fest in The 'Mat

2009-09-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

This week in the 'mat, we've got the boys (Sean, Keith and Phil) from the FYF Fest (formerly Fuck Yeah Fest). It's the 6th year for FYFF and besides adding more F's to their name, they've also expanded from the cozy confines of The Echo to LA State Historic Park. The line up has just been announced: http://fyffest.com/line-up.php so check it out. And don't forget to say hi to Malia and the Dirty Laundry crew who'll be there with our brand-spanking-new bumper stickers in tow. F Yeah indeed.

Digging Up the Dirt With Division Day

2009-08-17T20:30:00.000-07:00

This week, Division Day comes clean on Dirty Laundry. These spacey Southern California indie poppers spill on their split with Eenie Meenie, talk the talk about their new label Dangerbird and then kick it old school -- and by old school, we mean kindergarten (yes, they've known each other that long). And next week, we've got the Welsh noise-punk trio Future of the Left (ex-mclusky), who aren't afraid to bring the noise - or the bile for that matter. And bring it they do.

Dirty Laundry Helps Division Day Clean Up Their Act

2009-08-08T09:50:00.001-07:00

Last week we washed our skivvies with LA's own Division Day , who are super-excited about their new album Visitation, which is 'dropping' on August 18th. It's a decidedly heavier affair than previous efforts by the band - who have been on Dirty Laundry's radar since back in the day (that would be circa 2004). It's their first on label-du-jour Dangerbird Records and, although it's got a darker, somewhat more 'industrial' vibe than Beartrap Island and Mean Way In, it's still got the sweet melodies, ethereal goodness and emotional high points that we've come to expect from these moody pop veterans. Not to mention, it really delivers on a purely sonic level. Digging the cover art, too.

Division Day - "Chalk Lines" (MP3)

What We Did On Our Summer Vacation...

2009-08-02T22:32:00.001-07:00

Dirty Laundry is kicking the new week off with Silver Lake-by-way-of-Eugene, Oregon indie-rockers the Parson Redheads. A more likeable bunch of guys you're not likely to meet (especially in a laundromat). Plus they have a certain knack for writing great little catchy pop songs. Which is a pretty good combo as far as we're concerned. In fact, we liked 'em so much we gave them a two-parter. We're crazy like that. And in the coming weeks, we've got recent Dangerbird-signees Division Day, whose upcoming album "Visitation" is starting to get some well-deserved kudos in the press. And then we've got Future of the Left (featuring former members of mclusky) who hail all the way from Cardiff, Wales - and are just as funny, acerbic, biting and dead-on as you'd expect from a band with song titles like "adeadenemysmellsgood" and "You Need Satan More Than He Needs You". So keep checking back...and we do mean you.

Getting Dirty With Cursive

2009-07-21T07:02:00.000-07:00

Things are getting interesting here at Dirty Laundry. For starters, this week we've got Cursive, who just released one of the best albums of the year in "Mama, I'm Swollen". In our not-so-humble-at-all opinion, they just keep getting better and better. And next week, we've got local sensations the Parson Redheads. No, they're not all named Parson. And no, they don't all have red hair. But they do like to wear all white on stage and they do all live together in the same house (did we mention there's a lot of them?). Which might all sound vaguely 'cult-ish' to you (it did to us). So we got down to business and asked the hard-hitting questions (and lobbed a few well-placed softballs) as only Dirty Laundry knows how.

The Punk Rock Gospel According To Watt

2009-07-14T06:03:00.001-07:00

This week, we sit down again with Mike Watt for part 3 of our Mike Watt 4-parter. In this Watt-isode, Mike talks about what it's like to be an 'old punk' in a young man's game. He also spiels about his first tour ever with Black Flag and the Minutemen's last tour ever opening for REM. And next week, we've got Dirty Laundry faves Cursive and then we get our bleach on with the white-clad indie-popsters Parson Redheads. And more good stuff to follow - so keep an eye out. And if you haven't checked out Malia's blog, we really think you should. Malia gives you a bassist's-eye view of what it's like to be on tour with Marnie Stern in Europe. Turns out the glamorous world of indie rock ain't so glamorous after all. Go figure.

Hello Cleveland!

2009-07-07T05:51:00.001-07:00

There are other 'Crystal' bands (see: Crystal Castles, Crystal Stilts, Crystal Skulls) and there are other 'Antler' bands (see: The Antlers), but there is only one Crystal Antlers. And they are from Long Beach. They've been one of our favorite bands here at Dirty Laundry for a while now. We first heard of them when they self-released their EP. Which got them noticed on Pitchfork and then signed to Touch and Go Records, who promptly went belly up. But don't blame that on these guys. And don't feel sorry for them either. No, Crystal Antlers will be just fine. As long as they keep making records like 'Tentacles'. And putting on their great live shows. Check them out on this week's episode of Dirty Laundry where they talk about their record label's demise, huffing whippets on-stage in Cleveland, the real truth behind Sexual Chocolate and that European funk.

THE DIRTY LAUNDRY TOP TEN

2009-07-06T20:05:00.001-07:00

Here's what we are listening to at Dirty Laundry:

1. Crystal Antlers - Tentacles

2. Obits - I Blame You

3. Abe Vigoda - Reviver

4. Deerhunter - Rainwater Cassette Exchange

5. Cursive - Mama, I'm Swollen

6. The Marked Men - Ghosts

7. The Fiery Furnaces - "The End Is Near" single

8. Marnie Stern - This Is It...

9. Ted Leo And The Pharmacists - "Where Is My Brain?" single

10. Pissed Jeans - "Failed Jesii Part 2" single

Flying The Flannel

2009-06-29T16:03:00.000-07:00

This week on Dirty Laundry we bring you the man in the van with the bass in his hand: Mike Watt. From his days with the Minutemen to Firehose to his stint with Iggy Pop and the Stooges, Mike Watt is indie-rock royalty as far as we're concerned. And we've got him, in four parts (think of it as a Mike Watt opus), the first two of which you can watch now. Coming up next week, we've got Long Beach's favorite sons Crystal Antlers and then Saddle Creek All-Stars Cursive...

Hello Interweb

2009-06-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

We are Dirty Laundry. And this is our first blog post. We're kicking things off with Marnie Stern. Marnie's not afraid to speak her mind. And she's funny. These are two of our favorite qualities here at Dirty Laundry. She also makes awesome noise with her guitar. That's one of our favorite qualities, too. Next week, we head out to San Pedro and wash our dirty flannels with none other than Mike Watt himself. And in future weeks we've got local indie-rock heroes Crystal Antlers, who share some war stories from the road and tell us what it's like to release an album on a label that's pretty much defunct. After that we've got old friends Cursive and new friends The Parson Redheads. Send us your questions, comments and let us know what bands you'd like to see in future episodes. Just don't send us your dirty clothes -- cause we've got a shit ton of that stuff around here.