Kansas City Blog

The Spank Shop

Next month, Baltimore indie rapper MC Spank Rock (with producer Benny Blanco) is dropping the Bangers and Cash EP, a sort of homage to the 2 Live Crew’s As Nasty as They Wanna Be. Every week until its release, he’ll be posting a new track on his MySpace page, beginning with “Shake That,” available now.

Enon and On

Enon returns next month with LP4, Grass Geysers…Carbon Clouds. Pitchfork has the album’s first exercise in hand claps and fuzzy guitar below.

Enon: “Mirror on You” MP3

Trip the Light Fantastic

Math-doctor-turned-indie-musician Daniel Snaith has told the funny papers that he came up with the name Caribou while tripping acid in the Canadian wilderness, so I’m guessing there’s some pretty freaked out reindeer up there. But it was all worth it for “Melody Day,” the lead track from Andorra, which I’ve been listening to compulsively since its release. Snaith will be bringing his psychedelic productions to the Bottleneck with live band in tow on October 22. Check out Gorilla vs. Bear for “Yo-Yo,” taken from his current tour-only CD.

Caribou: “Melody Day”

Caribou: “Yo-Yo”

…And the Yea’s Have It

Yeasayer’s excellent “2080” has been creating a buzz for months, and it looks like the remainder of the band’s debut, All Hour Cymbals, will be put to the test October 30. The Brooklyn quartet recently stopped by the Daytrotter Studios for a live preview. Check it out here.

Yeasayer: “2080” MP3 (link2)

Yeasayer: “Sunrises” MP3

Another Bad Creation

Joining the ranks of INXS and Alice in Chains, Blind Melon is looking to make a comeback, sans dead lead singer. Twelve years after the death of Shannon Hoon, the band is releasing a new one. Listen to a couple of new tracks at the band’s MySpace page. Hey, bee girl, holla atcha boys.

The List

9/11

Animal Collective, Strawberry Jam (Domino)
The Black Lips, Good Bad Not Evil (Vice)
Elvis Costello, My Aim is True (Deluxe Edition) (Hip, O)
Dirty Projectors, Rise Above (Dead Oceans)
Black Francis, Bluefinger (Cooking Vinyl)
The Go! Team, Proof of Youth (Sub Pop)
The Good Life, Help Wanted Nights (Saddle Creek)
Grayskul, Bloody Radio (Rhymesayers)
Hot Hot Heat, Happiness Ltd. (Reprise)
Love, Live in L.A. (Snapper)
Mono, Gone (Temporary Residence)
Oakley Hall, Follow You (Merge)
Pinback, Autumn of the Seraphs (Touch & Go)
Jonathan Rice, Further North (Reprise)
Shout Out Louds, Our Ill Wills (Merge)
Simian Mobile Disco, Attack Decay Sustain Release (Interscope)
Kanye West, Graduation (Def Jam)

9/18

The A, Sides, Silver Storms (Vagrant)
Crystal Method, Vegas (2 Disc Deluxe Edition) (Geffen)
The Donnas, Bitchin’ (Purple Feather)
Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene), Spirit if… (Arts & Crafts)
Fog, Ditherer (Lex)
Havoc (Mobb Deep), Kush (Nature Sounds)
Ben Lee, Ripe (New West)
Ministry, The Last Sucker (Megaforce)
The Polyphonic Spree, Live from Austin, TX (New West)
Rogue Wave, Asleep at Heaven’s Gate (Brushfire)
Thurston Moore, Trees Outside the Acadamy (Ecstatic Peace)

9/25

Athlete, Beyond the Neighborhood (Astralwerks)
Devendra Banhart, Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon (XL Recordings)
The Cave Singers, Invitation Songs (Matador)
Foo Fighters, Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace (RCA)
Iron and Wine, The Shepherd’s Dog (Sub Pop)
Matt Pond PA, Last Light (Altitude)
Mum, Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy… (Fat Cat)
Office, A Night at the Ritz (New Line)
PJ Harvey, White Chalk (Island)
Jill Scott, Real Thing: Words & Sounds 3 (Hidden Beach)
Stars, In Our Bedroom After the War (Arts & Crafts)
Supagroup, Fire for Hire (Mrv)
Will.I.Am, Songs About Girls (Interscope)

10/2

Aceyalone, Lightning Strikes (Decon)
Cake, B, Sides and Rarities (Upbeat)
The Cult, Born Into This (Roadrunner)
Dashboard Confessional, The Shade of Poison Trees (Vagrant)
Fatboy Slim, Late Night Tales: Fatboy Slim (Thrive)
Mobius Band, Heaven (Absolutely Kosher)
Most Serence Republic, Population (Arts & Crafts)
Peanut Butter Wolf, 2K8 (Stones Throw)
Pipettes, We Are the Pipettes (Cherry Tree)
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Magic (Columbia)