ARGH! So it occurs to me that I have totally screwed up and missed my deadline. Sorry gang. I haven't even had a moment to look at my CDs. I'll be able to put ont together, but I think this is where I move to the back of the line.

Sorry.

People of the music thread: I am hear to report that I saw Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! last night (and I have a brand spanking new t-shirt to prove it) and they were very very good. (And young! And nice guys it seemed - later at the bar they didn't seem to mind at all that I interrupted their pool game to drunkenly tell them that their new stuff sounded really good and that could the NCAA tournament final be more boring this year? But that's OK because Florida winning meant that I won my office pool and lots of money and can I buy them a beer? OK.)

But what I am really here to report is that the band that opened for them were really really really good: the Brunettes a band from New Zealand that plays lots of odd instruments (like one of those tiny keyboards you blow into through a long hose) and sings songs about Mary Kate and Ashley Olson with actual MK/Ashley masks on. They were a lot better than that sounds, and I actually haven't seen a band I liked so much so quickly since the first time I saw Andrew Bird live. This morning I bought their last album and an EP off of the Sub Pop site (their American label apparently) but you can hear them I think off that link above if you desire.

That's my news.

Thanks for the recs, Tina!

But if their US label is from Austin, that makes more sense.

The label only relocated here recently from Brooklyn, but the Misra bands (some of the others are Centro-Matic, Summer Hymns, and Jenny Toomey) play down here all the time now.

like one of those tiny keyboards you blow into through a long hose

A Melodica. I'll have to check if the radio station has any Brunettes. If they've released stuff on Sub Pop then we should.

the new Bats album

Speaking of New Zealand... They played in Boston a few weeks back and were wonderful. It was old-timer's night at TT's. It was probably the same people who came to see them play 18 years earlier. The next week, th' Faith Healers played at another small club in Somerville. It was another old timer's night, but about five years younger.

The guy who runs Misra Records lives right around the block from my house. My wife and his wife hang out sometimes.

Very cool! Can you tell him how great a DJ I am and that I should be on their promo list? ;^)

(Just don't tell him that I wanted to see Centro-Matic last night but was simply too tired to leave the house. I've seen them so many times before, though, that I'm not too sorry about my lameness)

Can you tell him how great a DJ I am and that I should be on their promo list? ;^)

I ought to see him at some point in the next month or so, so I'll talk you up.

What was the thereminist's name?

Chris Conway. He's British.

So did we know there was a band called The Tony Head Experience that was recording in 1991?

I don't think ASH was in it though.

Farewell, Gene Pitney.

That is sad making.

He has to have been older than 65!