Holy. Shit. Thanks to MIKE GILL for lugging the camera to Jesus Lizard's reunion gig last night at the Dise. If you had questions about David Yow's ability to bring the mayhem, this should answer it. The difference between then and now? Now it takes him an extra 0.03 seconds to dive 20 feet into the audience.

Phoenix, "1901" (live at the Paradise)

More to come on Phoenix's blowout at the Paradise last night. Until then, we have a ton of video of these guys, starting with their last song of the night, "1901," which is fast becoming their big hit. After the jump, enjoy another song from the Paradise, and another version of "1901," this one from their visit with the Sandbox at the WFNX studios at One Financial Center recorded just this morning. 

And as a bonus corporate synergy reminder, if you listen to WFNX's Sandbox morning show, you could potentially win tickets to see these guys in NYC (with Passion Pit opening, no less). Details to be found here.

Oh, and by the way, you can vote for "1901" as Best Song in our Best Music Poll right now:

Philly rap foursome CHIDDY BANG -- who've made a name for themselves in their hometown for rhyming over such hipster staples as Radiohead's "Nude," Kid Cudi's "Day and Night" and MGMT's "Kids" -- have dropped a new track based on the hook from (multiple Best Music Poll nominees) PASSION PIT's "Better Things." We don't expect to hear it on JAM'N, but it's nice to know that someone outside Boston still thinks there's cred to be had by bumping these dudes.

In his review of World Inferno Friendship Society's recent performance at the Paradise, Barry Thompson had this to say:

Their roster may fluctuate, but not their knack for eliciting language-defying quantities of jubilation.

VIDEO: Of Montreal, "Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse," live at the Paradise Rock Club (video by OTD)

Georgia popsters Of Montreal have been playing a handful of new songs on their current US tour. We had three people taking video of them over two nights when they stopped by the Paradise earlier this week, and so, of course, nobody got any new stuff. But that's okay, as it's still always a pleasure to hear Kevin Barnes and company operate.

Although, I still can't help but notice one thing: I was not there, but in the videos and the photos, a few things are apparent. First, they've got a bunch of people augmenting the stage show by dancing around in animal costumes. Second, they project video on a large screen behind them. Third, at some point, they dump confetti - or is that actually a pile of feathers? - on everyone. Where have we seen these things done before? There are worse sources to pay homage to, I suppose.

More video follows after the jump, with "Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games" and "Beware Our Nubile Miscreants."

I've been teaching a course at Tufts University on the Jewish roots -- cultural, not religious -- of punk rock. As you might guess, it's an elective. On Wednesday evenings, my students and I examine topics ranging from comic books to Zionism to the Holocaust and explore how they relate to PUNK magazine, D.I.

1. Taxpayer, “We Have Arrived” (mp3)
2. Eli “Paperboy” Reed, “I’m Gonna Break Every Heart I Can”
3. Winterpills, “Take Away the Words”
4. Fly Upright Kite, “Across the Ocean”
5. Chester French, “My Party”

Grand designs: Taxpayer do some sound planning. By Matt Parish.

Eli "Paperboy" Reed signs to Virgin

Review and photos coming soon from last night's Soundtrack of Our Lives show at the Paradise -- the first date on a 10-day US tour behind their new double-CD Communion. Here's the band giving that record's "Fly" its first proper live performance.

Rock n roll is way out of fashion these days, but Georgia's DEAD CONFEDERATE have that early-'90s lost-boys-burning-shit-in-the-woods thing on lockdown. Not that this will help you decide whether to listen to 'em, but they sound to us like someone rolled up all of Verbena's records into a single ball of fire.

Having given a few cursory listens to the new U2 record, No Line On the Horizon, we feel confident in concluding that it is not a masterpiece. We'll hold off on calling it a dud until we've given the record the chance to do that odd thing which records tend to do even in the age of instant interweb leaks: grow on you.

DOWNLOAD: Ryan Walsh, "Famous Last Words (Faces on Film cover)" [mp3]

DOWNLOAD: Mike Fiore, "Nurses 5 Float Past (Hallelujah the Hills cover)" [mp3]

We couldn't have been more surprised, or delighted, when this ultra-exclusive two-fer landed in our email a couple of days ago: a matched pair in which the respective frontmen of Hallelujah the Hills and Faces on Film, longtime friends, perform solo covers of each others’ songs, perfectly timed to coincide their show together (on a bill with Dear Leader) at the Paradise this Friday.

Letters To Cleo: "Here and Now" [Live in Los Angeles, 2008]

Probably no secret that we've still got a soft spot for "I See" and "Here and Now," which were, for a certain generation of Boston musician, the gateway drug to girlie power-pop. LETTERS TO CLEO kick off a sold-out, two-night homecoming at the Paradise tonight and tomorrow, and if Kay Hanley has anything to say about it, this is a one-time-only affair -- so everyone is hereby encouraged to make the most of it.