Those of you who are averse to paying for music may want to consider briefly dropping that stance for You & Me, the outstanding new release by The Walkmen. Because if you buy now from Amie Street, all proceeds will go to charity, specifically, the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. It's a mere five bucks for a high-quality rip of an album we'd put in the early running for Best of '08, so how can you go wrong?

LISTEN: The Walkmen, "In The New Year" (stream) 

Tom Korkidis of Eksi Ekso: “Top Five Songs To Go Alongside the 17 North Shore Summer of Love Stories”

1_The S.O.S. Band, “Take Your Time (Do It Right)”
2_Benny Mardones, “Into the Night”
3_Jermaine Stewart, “We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off”
4_Smokey Robinson, “Being With You”
5_Matthew Wilder, “Break My Stride”

Eksi Ekso play upstairs at the Middle East Saturday.

DOWNLOAD: Apollo Sunshine "666:The Coming of the New World Government"

With its fiery-good-from-front-to-back tracklist and a supporting cast sporting a crop of Boston’s best (peeps from Tulsa, Drug Rug, and Viva Viva), Shall Noise Upon, the forthcoming album from the much-beloved Apollo Sunshine (out August 5 on vinyl and via download, September 2 on CD from Headless Heroes), threatens to be the definitive statement to come out of Boston’s reburgeoning indie-rock scene this year. Third albums are such tricky tasks, but the Sunshiners specialize in tricky — as “666” attests. The harmonies, the somehow-bouncy psychedelia, the inverted solos — you wonder whether if the Beatles had just stuck to the weed when tracking Revolver, it might have turned out something like this. The song is an unlikely vessel for a dire commentary on global politics, but there you are, chair-dancing right along to the collapse. Have a listen and catch them opening for State Radio at Bank of America Pavilion on Saturday August 2.

--Michael Brodeur 

We've been waiting patiently for New Hampshire/Boston indie dudes WILD LIGHT to blow up -- it's kind of inevitable, and we're not just saying that because one of 'em used to be in a band with Win from Arcade Fire -- so we're stoked to hear that they've finally wrapped up the recording of their as-yet-untitled debut record for Almost Gold Recordings (Black Kids, Peter Bjorn and John, Does It Offend You Yeah?), which was produced by superproducer Rob Schnapf (Beck, Elliott Smith) and engineered by Dough Boehm (French Kicks, Katy Perry).

We attempted shooting some video of these guys before they flew out to LA to record, but LiveNation goons put the screws to us. Trust us on this: not to be missed. We've only got a track to share from their previous record, but expect new shit when they get home, having returned from the six-week session "sleep-deprived, a few pounds heavier, and one album richer." Just off a ridonculous gig as part of NH homie/San Antonio Spur Matt Bonner's "Sneakers and Speakers Charity Rockfest" (with the Felice Brothers and . . . our dude Edan the Humble Magnificent?!) they'll be at Great Scott on August 3 to open for recent NME coverboys the Enemy UK.

DOWNLOAD: Wild Light, "New Hampshire" (mp3)

Tom Waits's current "Glitter and Doom Tour" didn't come anywhere near the Boston area - or anywhere in the entire northeast, really (unless you didn't mind driving to Columbus.) But for those of you who still wanted to at least hear Waits's live show, NPR has graciously taped his July 5th Atlanta performance, which they will make available tomorrow in both stream and podcast form. Here's your setlist:

Lucinda / Take me down to the well (or was it Ain't Going Down to the Well?)
Down in the hole
Falling down
Chocolate Jesus
All the world is green
Cemetery Polka
Cause of it all / 'Til the money runs out
Such a scream
November
Hold on
Black market baby
9th and Hennepin
Lie to me
Lucky day
On the nickel
Lost in the harbour
Innocent when you dream
Hoist that rag
Make it rain
Dirt in the ground
Get behind the mule
Hang down your head
Jesus gonna be here
Singapore

Eyeball Kid
Anywhere I lay my head

(Hat tip: the Fork) 

Low Vs. Diamond, "Heart Attack" (Live on WFNX)

LA hearthrobs stopped by scenic Lynn, MA to play a couple songs for the Sandbox dudes. Here's the good one, stripped down to words and guitar.

We sent two photographers into the rain and the mud. They came back with lots of photos of kids going apeshit, Katy Perry being Katy Perry, and lots of bands with their faces falling out. Click here to see the full slideshow:

SLIDESHOW: Warped Tour 2008 (55 Photos)

We’ve been so busy wrapping our heads around the new Deerhunter album, which leaked about two months ago (and is still not out till late October), we almost forgot how much we liked Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel (Kranky), the gauzy debut full-length from Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox’s solo project ATLAS SOUND, which came out way back in February. Cox returns to the Middle East, this time by himself (according to his myspace, "solo performances using electronics, vocals, and guitar”; this guy says he's toting Animal Collective's sampler) to play downstairs, 480 Mass Ave, Cambridge | doors @ 8 pm | $14 | 617.864.EAST or www.mideastclub.com.

And in the meantime, Cox just posted an even newer Deerunter demo on his blog -- this one recorded in Atlas Sound/solo mode.

DOWNLOAD: Deerhunter/Atlas Sound, "Game of Diamonds" (mp3)

Bug feat. Warrior Queen, "Poison Dart"

Just in case you had any doubt, US terror policy is still ruining your summer. The latest victim: highly anticipated UK legend Bug, who was on his way to play a Basstown gig at Great Scott this Saturday. Via the Basstown facebook alert:

"For some time now, Basstown was anticipating the arrival of The Bug (UK) to make the ultimate Boston premiere. With Warrior Queen in tow, the legendary producer, who collaborated with Godflesh for Techno Animal, was going to hit our city halfway through a Northeastern stretch to introduce the arrival of the just-released London Zoo. After much prep and pomp, the show was canceled just this week due to the usual story from most international artists: customs, visas, and generally being denied US entry."

The show will go on, with local talent filling in: Lab Allston's Scotch1 and dubstep selector C-Dubbs of Bassic, plus previously announced residents Baltimoroder, Refusenik, Etan, and Volvox.

NEW THIS WEEK: if you're too busy/lazy to get to your web browser, you can now get Tuesday Ticket Alert (or as much of it fits into a text message) zapped weekly to your mobile phone. As they say, standard text messaging rates apply. To signup, just txt HOTTIX to 22122.

JAMIE LIDELL | October 12 at the Paradise, Boston | $20 | On sale this Thursday, July 24, at noon

KATE VOEGELE + VIRGINIA COALITION | September 26 at the Somerville Theatre, Somerville | $17.50 | On sale Friday at 10 am

STREET DOGS | September 27 downstairs at the Middle East, Cambridge | $16 | On sale Friday at 10 am

CUT COPY + THE PRESETS | September 23 at the Paradise, Boston | $25 | On sale Friday at noon

LOTUS | September 27 at the Paradise, Boston | $15 | On sale Friday at noon

ALANIS MORISSETTE | September 20 at the Orpheum Theatre, Boston | $35-$55 | On sale Saturday at 10 am

BEN FOLDS | September 26 at the Orpheum Theatre, Boston | $35 | On sale Saturday at 10 am

RON SEXSMITH | September 18 at T.T. the Bear’s Place, Cambridge | $10 | On sale Monday at 10 am | www.ticketweb.com

FARM AID 2008 with WILLIE NELSON + JOHN MELLENCAMP + NEIL YOUNG + DAVE MATTHEWS | September 20 at the Comcast Center, Mansfield | $42-$207 | On sale Monday at 10 am

LIZ PHAIR PERFORMS EXILE IN GUYVILLE | August 29 at the Paradise, Boston | $25 | On sale now

Bassic resident DJ Dabu: “Top Five Tracks To Get You Loving Dubstep (and Your Neighbors Hating It)”

1_Skream, “Rottan”
2_Mala, “Lean Forward”
3_Kode9 & the Spaceape, “Portal”
4_Zomby, “Spliff Dub (Rustie Remix)”
5_Bloc Party, “Where Is Home? (Burial Remix)"

The next Bassic goes down Wednesday, July 30 with Hatcha, Jam-2, and Pandai’a.

Corporate Rock Mags Still Suck: Frances Bean Cobain interning at Rolling Stone. Meanwhile, her mom's still blogging angrily on MySpace.

In other news:

• "As music retailers struggle to stay in business, a Los Angeles firm is doing nicely targeting a demographic that gets bigger every year -- prisoners." Top sellers: Lil Wayne, Mariah Carey. Just like everywhere else!
• Court throws out $550k fine against CBS for Janet's "wardrobe malfunction." Does this mean Justin can have his ghetto pass back?
• How Diplo, the Fader, and Bono's t-shirt company have turned the South African rock outfit BLK JKS into a profitable b(r)and without a record label. The key? "[M]aking the group comfortable with the concept of branding." From Billboard: "The approach has paid off, guitarist Mpumi Mcata says. 'Branding has been and is ace, especially if they understand the band on a personal level,' Mcata says. 'It's mutually beneficial because people can feel the sincerity or lack thereof, which is important to us. So support from such folks like Edun, Converse, Fader and certain private investors whom we've met on the road, especially in the U.S., are invaluable.'"
• John Lydon beats up the dude from Bloc Party. Lydon: "When you have achieved as much as I have, come back and talk to me." 
• Things you didn't know about the James Brown auction: DJ Shadow bought a commemorative, silver-plated "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" tray for the bargain price of $800. Also this from Nelson George: “James Brown was a reflector of black attitudes toward hair and you can go through the whole history of black hair in his lifetime.”
• Fuck a iPhone. Talk to me about a home server.
• The next Gnarls Barkley? Blues Explosion's Russel Simins teams up with the Automator in Men Without Pants.
• Hanging out with Grandmaster Flash at the Ponderosa. Awesomeness.

July 19: We stayed at the Hotel Weston (i.e., Bob's house), pleasant as always. Slow getting out of town, picking up some gear. Picking up some sandwiches.  Watching the endless rain coming down and feeling sorry for everyone who is at Pitchfork today. What can we do -- we're playing in Detroit tonight.

*****

Well, there's one thing you can say about Michigan -- it's one helluva lot flatter than Massachusetts. AND I was able to pick up a few 6-packs of Michigan's fabled Bell's brewery: one of the best in the U.S. 

The Bohemian National Home. Detroit DIY.

Woh. Classic Detroit "alternate" venue, this Bohemian National Home. In an area no one would ever imagine a club would be. Detroit's fall in the '60's left alot of empty buildings. This one has been taken over by very intelligent and astute art-types -- Detroit DIY is another thing altogether. Really interesting. I grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which some people associate with Detroit. However, Ann Arbor is a midwest college town: Detroit is a city that basically burnt itself out -- there is virtually no similarity. However, I've come to love Detroit's tenacity and their much more rugged DIY.


Stairway from Dressing Room (door on right) to Ballroom/stage upstairs.

Show was quite good, and saw a lot of friends from my earlier days in Ann Arbor. But it was really really hot, no AC in this building, only one fan on my side. By the end I realized I was gettin' that "heat stroke" vibe. Excessive heat fucks me up. Maybe my ancestors were all from above the arctic circle, I don't know. But all in all, a really fun time. Always glad to make it to Detroit, where people really appreciate it. They went out of their way to see we were happy.

July 20: Now we're in the Detroit airport ready to fly to Chicago then to Boston. I got through the "strip zone" without taking my sandals off at Logan, but they nailed me here. (Probably the velcro on them could be used to attach itself to the pilot's pants and drag him off his captain's bench). Coupla nice nights of rock, overall. Can't wait for a coupla nights of nice sleep.

Over.

-- R.

[We asked Roger Miller to give us an insider's view of Mission of Burma's trip to this weekend's big Pitchfork blowout in Chicago, and thence to Detroit. The words and photos that follow are all his.]

JULY 18: Airports: fuck 'em. Before 911 (Bush's illegitimate ticket to bring that glorious "1984" idea to fruition: endless vague fear), airports were bad enough. Of late, it's even illegal to bring water on a plane. OK, so it sucked when they stopped you from bringing in your own vodka so you could get the bloody mary mix for free on the plane at your own leisure. I mean sure, someone might get drunk and threaten to smash a window, with the result that everyone would get sucked out into the heavenly sky.

But think about this objectively: water is a danger (we're not talking about enough to drown in, or w/such currents that it will pull you under: just water in a bottle). They say that water might well be combined with something else to make a bomb. But stand back a bit: water, the essence of life as we know it, has become a potential evil. From an objective standpoint, that is utter madness.

Let's carry this one step further, since we've already gone to this obviously totally insane degree of inefficiency -- what is the real danger on planes? It's humans, not water. I say if the TSA really wanted the job done, they'd check all humans at the gate and not let them on. 

Nonetheless, we all had to pour our water out. 


Logan's Terminal C after all passengers poured out their water.

Despite our sound-check nearly being terminated by a thunderstorm, the show went pretty well. A bit off-kilter, as I broke TWO strings in one hit during our second song, "Progress." But the oddball "Laugh the World Away" was a nice opener that we weren't sure we'd be allowed the time to play. We were doing our 1982 album Vs. here, and the "bonus tracks" from the Vs. CD formed the first 4 songs, starting w/"Laugh." Then we did Vs. starting with track 1, side 1, through track 6, side 2.  Bob Weston -- our loop-man and sound mixer -- supplied record surface noise from the sound booth between side 1 and side 2 for the "authenticity" of turning the record over. The audience charmingly tolerated our 4 or 5 major gaffs (I started one of the songs out of order -- none of us actually remember the order of the songs on the LP), but we seemed to rock, or at the very least, the audience thought we did. Basically, very much fun.

Porta-potties during soundcheck.

Audience shot taken from stage. Note Porta-potties in distance.

Now I sit in the AC dressing room, anticipating a fine heated dinner supplied by Pitchfork. Shit, I gotta do an interview w/someone at Pitchfork. Well, that's not really so bad. That's what we're here for, and as long as I can eat dinner, I'll be fine. I hear Sebadoh playing onstage. Who knows if I'll actually get to hear them.

******

Damn, that was really good food. Supplied by "Big Delicious Planet", a whole foods group in Chicago, they had everything from Beef Briskit to Cajun fish to BBQ Sietan (plus food coop vegetable medley!) and it was all top notch.

Saw some of Sebadoh, and they were quite good. Perhaps Massachusetts should be proud to have two bands on the opening night of this festival, I wouldn't know.    I'm not so familiar w/Sebadoh's music -- they were early '90s, and my son Chance was born in 1989, so my rock was put on hold for a while there. But it was certainly enjoyable.

Great. Just had seconds of the Big Delicious Planet dinner. I didn't expect that, but it was too good to pass up. And the Goose Island (Chicago brewery) IPA was quite superb. You might notice that my spelling is slowly going downhill....   

Shit, Public Enemy just went on. I'm out of here....

******

I don't know. I get a serious kick when they start chanting "Don't believe the Hype!" It could be hype about a music group, it could be hype about why we are supposed to be in Iraq (or possibly soon enough in Iran or Afghanistan again). They do this thing where they follow a riff into a "turnaround", and the music lifts up and then you are slammed back into the main riff and it is SO satisfying. Loved hearing Terminator and Flava Flav's voices intertwining. (Mercifully I don't watch TV at all so I have never seen his TV show -- that probably allows me to still be glad to hear his voice...). They had a guitarist and a drummer, but I heard "through the grapevine" that they were performing ALONG WITH a pre-recorded version of their original album, and played and sang over that. They weren't lip-syncing, but actually rapping and playing over what was there before. Who knows, I was just happy to be there hearing it.


Public Enemy from my first vantage point.

I tired of my vantage-point (see photo), and decided to get onstage (Clint was up there but I didn't know it). One stairway was barred: I had an "artist" pass, but not a "Public Enemy" pass. So, try the other stairway. No problem. This was Real American Fun in my book.

Wound down in the AC dressing room again which was, during the week, a kid's art room. Signs around saying "do we use capital letters at the start of a sentence?" and "always clean up your watercolors!"  What could be more appropriate for Mission of Burma?

Roger Miller and the rest of Mission of Burma take the stage to kick off Pitchfork Fest in a couple of hours -- but after they're done performing Vs. in its entirety, Miller will enter a phone booth, quick-change into his superhero blogger suit, and post exclusively for On the Download. We have no idea what to expect, other than that he's very much looking forward to seeing Public Enemy. Stay tuned, and in the meantime, you can listen to Burma's set streaming live on the internet over here.

PREVIOUSLY:

+ Mission of Burma DJs at Enormous Room

25. Pantera's Vinnie Paul -- no doubt thinking about Hendrix's guitar and that Sgt. Pepper drum -- auctions his oven on Ebay.

24. Miley Cyrus comes thiiiiiiiiiiiis close to a Vanessa Hudgens moment: wet T-shirt pix from hacked phone leaked to internet.

23. Harmonix employee recorded spilling details of Chinese Democracy; YouTube commentors beg for video to be taken down so he isn't fired.

22. Scott Storch in real-life version of Steve Martin's The Jerk.

21. Timbaland, who must be laughing his balls off at #22, on producing next Jay-Z album: "Some of the songs gonna sound like M.I.A. would rap on some of the beats. You gonna be like, 'Whoa!' But it's Jay on 'em. That means it reaches everywhere. I'mma have songs with bagpipes."

20. New Metallica album cover looks a little bit like a coffin, a lot liTuke a vagina.

19. If you think the new Girl Talk album is insane, wait till you see the videos.

18. Avril fans hack YouTube and are attempting to use view-inflation websites to make "Girlfriend" the site's first-ever 100-million-view video. The punchline? Avril's manager expects YouTube to pay for all that.  

17. Brett Michaels breaks up with Rock of Love 2 winner. Seconds later, VH1 announces Rock of Love 3.

16. New AC-DC disc to be sold exclusively at Wal-Mart.

15. Evan Dando, out of songs again, to become first artist ever to release covers of both Christina Aguilera and the Misfits. New Varshons gets back to Lemonheads' Boston roots by enlisting Steve Tyler's daughter to sing backups on a Gram Parsons tune. And while everyone's talking about how he got Kate Moss to sing Arling and Cameron, we're more psyched about hearing Evan cover GG Allin and the Fuckemos.

14. Heroes star Hayden Panettiere's new video.

13. Boringest Farm Aid ever coming to ClearChannel shed near you.

12. Lily Allen rips off Take That, leaks new album tracks on her MySpace page.

11. Ben & Jerry's lure Elton John to Vermont with new "Yellow Brickle Road" ice-cream flavor.

10. Feist rewrites "1-2-3-4" for Sesame Street, improving lyrics immensely.

9. EU extends music copywright protection from 50 to 95 years. Beatles catalogue now safe until well after they're dead.

8. Obamapalooza: Kanye, Wyclef, N.E.R.D. to play Democratic National Convention. Low, Dosh, P.O.S. to play anti-Republican Convention gig in Minnesota. But what about that other half-Kenyan Harvard grad from Illinois?

7. "Now or Never," first single from High School Musical 3, leaked to Perez Hilton. New Jonas Bros tune, too!

6. Merchandising expert Gene Simmons to judge American Idol of ad jingles.

5. Thom Yorke caught in transparent bid to lock down market share of "Lazer Radiohead" over "Lazer Floyd" at late-night planetarium shows.

4. Fall Out Boy collaborate on song with T.I.

3. Eminem is back in the studio. Unfortunately, not with Britney Spears. Or Zack de la Rocha.

2. Pullitzer-winning LA Times music reporter Chuck Philips, of who-killed-Tupac infamy, gets pink slip.

1. Duff McKagan gives away seven-year-old album for free on internet, plots solo tour.

BONUS CRINGEWORTHY BOSTON BAND QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

RUNNER UP: "I am very excited to be a part of the CMJ Store. They have been really supportive of me from the very beginning... featuring me on their site, having me at their festival. I am proud to be associated with such an institution."
-- Eli Paperboy Reed, reacting to news that CMJ.com has discounted his album to under $12

WINNER: "Howdy, all. Well, we've all put a lot of effort and time into this opportunity, but it's vote-based and me saying 'please vote for my band!' over and over obviously doesn't move everybody like I wish it would. Look, this is the last day of voting. The other bands are on an absolute tear. We have to go on one too. Even if you hate Coldplay with a passion, you have to admit that playing that show, in front of a sold out Boston Garden, would be the single biggest opportunity that I've ever had musically, and I've been working on music for what seems like my whole life. If you've ever given a damn about the band, the music or what I'm doing with my life, or if you've ever felt like helping someone achieve a little piece of a dream, please just get 5 people to vote for us today. You don't have to enter an email address, or even any information, just click on the 'Vote For This Band' button and that's it."
-- Jason Dunn, lead singer of the Luxury, urging email list to vote in WFNX-sponsored contest to open for Coldplay at the Boston Garden

Taking a break from exporting the Boston Bounce shizz to folks up in the Windy City, Mashit Recs honcho DJ C comes back to bump laptops with the "Pan Am" crew tonight at Enormous Room, kicking off an East Coast mini-tour that'll swing him through Rhode Island, New York, and Maryland before winding up back at the same joint on July 28, that one with his old Beat Research pals Flack and Wayne & Wax. If you've been wondering what C's been up to, check his album, or better yet, sample the latest in his "B" series mixtapes. "B-Low" takes a crack at dubstep and related skullfuckery, borrowing chunes from new friends and famous people, with a few choice exclusives worth carving out with your Abelton knockoff of choice. Check it:

DOWNLOAD: DJ C, "B-Low" (mp3)

Tracklist:

Stenchman; “On The Road Again”
1. Schlachthofbronx; “Bronx Dub:
2. Max Ulis; “kILL aNOTHA sOUND”
3. abZ; “Cylinder”
4. Elemental; “Space Expander”
5. Juju; “Punks”
6. Fat Freddy’s Drop; “Cay’s Crays (Digital Mystikz Version)”
7. Si Begg; “Pete Fucking Tong”
8. MRK1; “Never Warned”
9. Sosolimited; “Um Nah”
10. Exillon; “Moon Shiner Remix”
11. Burial; “Archangel (Boy 8-Bit’s Simple Re-Mix)”
12. The Others; “Bushido (Caspa Rmx)”
13. abZ; “Bumpy (Wascal Mix)”
14. RSD; “Kingfisher”
15. DJ C ft. Chrissy; “Strut Dub”
16. Schlachthofbronx; “Fatthing (Dubstep Rmx)”
17. The Colonel; “Big Trouble (Original Mix)”
18. Starkey; “Stripped Gutted (DJ C Mix)”
19. Timeblind; “Skater 6″
20. Squincy Jones “Shawty Swing (Nintendub Edit)”
21. DJ C (Ft. Ghislain Poirier, Face T, & T.I.); “Blazin’ Hurts”
22. Ghislain Poirier (feat. Face-T); “Blazin’ (DJ C Remix)”
23. Stenchman; “The Number One”
24. Sully; “Living”
25. DJ C; “Since You’ve Been In This Club (Dub Mix)”
26. Starkey; “Dementia”
27. Schlachthofbronx; “System Red Remix (ft. Mr. Vegas and Babylon System)”
28. Villa Diamante; “Daleduro vs Lady Tigra”
29. Timeblind; “Cassette Deck”
30. DJ Donna Summer: “Rock Rock Rock (Aaron Spectre Remix)”
31. Pacheko; “Bi Polar Bear”
32. Cotti; “Mi Nua Friend Oddessy (Remix)”
33. Cardopusher; “PAO! Total Xplosion of the Heart (Cardopusher rmx)”
34. Buju Banton; “Murderer”
35. Pacheko; “Green Bull”
36. Point B; “Gymede (Original Mix)
37. Ebola; “Teledildonics”
38. Cardopusher; “Homeless”
39. DJ C; “Dehydrogenated”
40. Math Head; “Last”

Nate Albert

While the rest of his former bandmates attempt to regenerate the ol' Mighty Mighty Bosstones magic on stage, ex-Bosstones guitarist/songwriter Nate Albert has been moving up the corporate ladder. Having enjoyed a second life as a producer (Street Dogs, the Explosion), artist manager (Bayside), and talent scout (Straylight Run), he's just been named VP of A&R at Universal Republic Records. Boston bands: this is your cue to stop reading this post and start senspacing demos. For reference, go back and check out the Plastics/Brakes/Kickovers material Albert recorded after he left the Bosstones: while he was never a natural frontman, he had a knack for the proto-emo anthem -- he wrote the same kinds of hooks that younger bands (say, Universal's All American Rejects) later parlayed into Top-40 pop hits. He's probably the only Uni A&R dude with a Fleet Foxes song playing on his MySpace page. And presumably he'll be charged with helping Universal Republic de-choochify its rock roster, which currently includes the likes of Hinder, Godsmack, and 3 Doors Down.

Albert's new boss, Universal VP of A&R Tom Mackay, indicated as much in the Uni press release. “Nate brings a world of depth and experience to Universal Republic as a multi-platinum artist, manager, and as a widely respected purveyor of talent. To be able to mine his accomplishments and insight in an everyday capacity will not only strengthen our roster, but help us bridge the artistic and strategic missions of artists who will benefit greatly from his own hands-on experience. Nate has already been instrumental in helping sign and develop artists Anberlin and Erin McCarley." (Our favorite Mackay quotes are all in this sanctimonious little document, where he gives some unintentionally comic testimony about what, exactly, A&R guys do -- and why they're "the life blood of the record business.")

Coincidentally, both of the artists Mackay mentions have local dates coming up in the next week or so. Anberlin is right in Albert's sweet-spot: a band with an all-ages background, a flair for the occasional hard-rock riff, a singer who can actually sing without sounding like some whiny Top-40 emo band. Plucked off the Tooth & Nail roster, they've got a disc coming out in September and a new song up on MySpace. It almost goes without saying that they're on the Warped Tour, which Albert used to headline pretty much every other year; this year's model hits the Comcast (nee Tweeter) Center on July 23. Erin McCarley is the kind of precociously well-formed, breathy young singer-songwriter that record labels, 35+ rock critics, and Paste Magazine cover designers always fall for -- audiences less so, although every once in a while they become Sheryl Crow or Colbie Caillat. McCarley's currently on the "Ten out of Tenn" tour of Nashville singer/songwriters, which stops by Berklee's new all-ages coffeehouse Cafe 939 on July 28.

DOWNLOAD: MC Exposition, "50 Million Pictures" (mp3)

MC Exposition does this strange thing when he performs: he rhymes so that people in the crowd can understand him. That’s one reason his organic hip-hop outfit, Audible Mainframe, was Boston’s most popular live rap group until it relocated to Long Beach last year. Expo’s clarity and timeless populist message might also explain why San Diego indie Wage Records recently re-released his 2003 solo debut, The Metro. It’s only right that Expo return home to resurrect cuts like “50 Million Pictures,” which finds him greeting old City Year friends, pulling tubes with UMass buddies, and grubbing New York Pizza. If you jumped on the Boston rap scene after the Audible train left town, or if you generally avoid rap shows on account of muffled, inaccessible vocals, Expo’s homecoming will be worth that last $50 in your account. Check him out along with the Greater Good, Awkward Landing, and special guests next Thursday, July 24, at the Middle East upstairs; and download “50 Million Pictures” above.

DOWNLOAD: The Pilot Light, "Ergot" (mp3)

What do you do when a band called the Pilot Light book their last show ever? Well, first you resist the call of the easy metaphor — for it is so seductive. Then you move on to grief or indifference depending on whether you’ve ever heard the band roar through a set of their scratchy, wonky, Mclusky-esque post-punk tantrums. Grief is the only appropriate response — but do yourself a favor and save it till after their last (ever) hurrah with Joan of Arc and the suddenly very popular but ultimately babbling psychos of Ponytail this Saturday, July 19, at the Middle East upstairs — it’ll be much more fun that way. What you can do now is prep yourself with “Ergot,” a righteous, swerving mess from their farewell CD.

Last week I interviewed a woman named Katy Perry.  In late June her single "I Kissed A Girl" was the #1 song in the country, I think: I mean, there are now so many different charts and whatnot, who knows what the real #1 is.  Plus, I never saw the cassingle for the song anywhere, so I couldn't tell you what physical presence the song has.  I do know that in prepping for my interview and doing some research, I realized that a lot of people on the internet think that she is satan incarnate, which I can almost understand (although she was super nice and I think her new record rules).

A review I found of her new album on allmusic.com ended with the following kiss-off: "She sinks to crass, craven depths that turn One of the Boys into a grotesque emblem of all the wretched excesses of this decade."  Whoa!  Personally, if I was managing an early-20's female pop singer, I would encourage her to do things to further represent the "wretched excesses of this decade", if only because doing so usually means that you've hit a cultural zeitgeist vein and that would, I assume, mean $$$$, right?

A day after interviewing Ms. Perry I was at a drive-in theater in Central New York's Leatherstocking Region, in line for popcorn behind a gaggle of 12-15 year old girls, when one of their cell phones rang: and guess what the ringtone was?

I suppose a grumpier dude than myself would probably at this point go on a tirade lamenting the inevitability of the ringtone as the ultimate format of musical product in the future-- but really, is there anything more tiresome than endless discussion of musical formats?  What I find funnier is that I almost stepped in to say "Hey, I talked to that woman that sings your ringtone yesterday, imagine that!"-- but it occurred to me that besides the obvious letch factor that would be in