All right, the Ack is off gallivanting around Montreal with all the fancy music biz swells at M For Montreal , and yes, that leaves me back in Halifax minding the cyber store. And it also happens to be Thursday, so that means one thing: videos. We've had a couple of jam-packed editions of Video Hits over the last couple of weeks, and I wanted to keep that going, but I'd also been hyped on Canadian hip hop after spending the last week with Ghettosocks new album on repeat . So, guess what you're getting [...]

In her persona as Dee Dee, guitar-slinging frontwoman of SoCal garage-rockers Dum Dum Girls , Kristin Gundred has gotten in touch with that little girl who used to sing along to pop classics. "I've always been a fan of more straightforward pop music, and of all the oldies," she says. "I probably know all the songs on oldies radio." The singing served her well as drummer-vocalist of Grand Ole Party , the soul-rock trio that busted out of San Diego in 2007 and released their debut "Humanimals" in 2008. But with the demise of [...]
Another year of (mostly) daily tunes here at Doklands, and I have to say I'm still having fun with this. I considered winding this up after hitting 1,000 tracks because really, how much is there left to say? Glad I didn't, though. Nik Bärtsch's Ronin - Modul 38-17 Miriam Makeba - Jol'inkomo Bishop Allen - Psycho Killer Oysterband - Road To Nowhere MGMT - This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody) Geoffrey Oryema - Listening Wind The Staple Singers - Life During Wartime The Staple Singers - Slippery [...]

MUSIC NEWS - Dave Rawlings , the guitarist, producer, singer and songwriter best known for his work with Gillian Welch and Old Crow Medicine Show has announced the November 17 release of " A Friend of a Friend " album from the Dave Rawlings Machine (out via Acony Records). Welcha and Old Crow.. friends join Rawlings on the record beside newer friends Benmont Tench from the Heartbreakers, Karl Himmel, and Nate Walcott of Bright Eyes [...]

One of the best things to come out of the expansion of the monthly RUMBLE parties is the discovery of each city's rising talents. Of all the towns we've set up shop in, which has just hit seven a month, the one I had regarded as the least promising in terms of talented acts, has jumped to the front surprisingly. Right now, the hottest music city NOT called Brooklyn is San Diego, California. [...]

When posting a demo of ostensible Jail La La track " Over The Phone " I referred to Grand Ole Party singer/drummer Kristin Gundred, aka Dum Dum Girls, as a "nostalgic one-woman girl-group." It wasn't the first time I've said something to that effect: There's a dusky romanticism woven through much of DDG's J&MC-on-Ronettes bedroom pop. For instance, this cover of Gilbert Bécaud, Mann Curtis, and Pierre Delanoë's Everly Brothers-popularized classic "Let It Be Me" from her forthcoming Blissed Out cassette collides perfectly with " It Only Takes One Nite " and " Blank Girl ," [...]

Bon Iver Wants to Meet You at the Cemetary Gates On Sunday So much to do, so little time.... Monday 9/21/09 [Pick of the Night] Ross Flournoy of the Broken West @ Largo Little Room ($10) – I'm excited to see Ross play a solo show. The Little Room has a liquor license too. [Recommended] David Cross / Todd Glass @ the Wiltern ($36) – One of my favorite stand-ups [Recommended] Leslie and the [...]

Words: Tyler Fassnacht | Photos: Ed Oliver Ever since I got to see Matt and Kim play at the Outside Lands festival in San Francisco several weeks back, I have been way too excited for this show. As a band they play fun, accessible, synthy, dancy pop music with the most energy I have ever seen from live performers. I knew this show was going to be great, especially because it sold out the Majestic and that is why I was so scared for the three minutes I thought I wasn't going [...]

Joe Pernice Appears at McCabe's on Saturday Anybody make it to Sunset Junction this weekend? Any highlights? I did make it to Elvis Costello last week. I read a glowing review in the LA Times, but I agreed with my concert companion when he said "This is more soulless than Disney's Country Bear Jamboree." In addition to wrecking others' classics, he even wrecked some of his own. This is a pretty fantastic week to be a music fan in LA. The only problem is all the [...]
Thee Oh Sees on the basketball court at the Funhouse The thing I really wanted to do this weekend was head down to Portland for SMMR BMMR , but since that wasn't in the cards, sticking around Seattle was the next best thing. I don't remember a weekend where there were so many bands in town and it wasn't Bumbershoot or Capitol Hill Block Party. My weekend started on Thursday night as all good weekends should, at the Funhouse with Thee Oh Sees and Sic [...]

I was fighting a cold last week, so I didn't make it out at all. Hopefully this week is different. Some cool stuff going on in town.... Monday 8/10/09 [Pick of the Night] Local Natives / Red Cortez / Swim Party / Rademacher @ Spaceland (Free) – The first night of the residency was packed last Monday. [Recommended] Lower Heaven / The Moon Upstairs / Hi Hos / Shine Brothers @ Silverlake Lounge (Free) – The Moon Upstairs [...]

[Happy birthday to longtime Buzz Bands fave Michael Penn on Saturday. Here's what's huge, and not-so, this weekend:] Tonight: Told somebody I was eager to see Stellastarr* at the Troubadour and was asked, "What is this, 2003?" And I thought, you know, it some ways it would be better if it were. Stellastarr was one of the best of the wave of post-Strokes post-punk bands back then, and after some down time and record-label misadventures, the NYC quartet returned this month with their third album, [...]

Malkmus was a bit disappointing on Saturday night. But on to this week.... Monday 7/27/09 [Pick of the Week] Radar Bros . / The Minor Canon / Dragging An Ox Through Water @ Bordello ($5) - Two of my favorite current bands. [Recommended] Jarvis Cocker / Little Joy @ The Wiltern ($5 if you're a Citicard member / $35 otherwise) The Mekons / The Pulsars / Bollweevil @ The Echo [...]

[Why, it's Thurston Moore's birthday Saturday. That's reason to celebrate, right?] Today: It figures to be a touching night at the Echoplex, where artists and admirers gather to honor the late Sky Saxon of the Seeds. The Sky Saxon Tribute will feature, among others, Billy Corgan [pictured] of the Smashing Pumpkins and Mark Tulin of the Electric Prines (playing as Spirits in the Sky), Nels Cline, Mike Randle of Baby Lemonade, Djin Aquarian and original members of the Seeds performing with guest vocalists. ... There [...]
San Diego has announced the bulk of the lineup for the 25th Anniversary of the San Diego Street Scene Festival on August 28th and 29th on the streets of downtown San Diego in the East Village. Headliners include Beastie Boys , MIA, Black Eyed Peas, Modest Mouse and The Dead Weather . The bill will also include Cake, Silversun Pickups , Band of Horses , Girl Talk, Chromeo, Mastodon , Ozomatli, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Devendra Banhart, Wavves, [...]

The Very Best Play the Echoplex on Thursday This is one of those weeks where so much seems to be happening on Wednesday and Thursday... Monday 7/13/09 [Pick of the Night] Last American Buffalo / Avi Buffalo / Evan Way / Greg Jong @ Silverlake Lounge (Free) – Get there by 10 to see Avi Buffalo. Evan Way doesn't have the show listed on his Myspace page, so I'm not sure if he's still on the bill. [...]

Fuzz fetishists, here is your next objet d'amour . Dum Dum Girls , whose blissed-out garage pop will get shelved with your Raveonettes, Jesus and Mary Chain, Ronettes, Flatmates, Vivian Girls and maybe Talulah Gosh, have been signed to Sub Pop , which will release their debut in early 2010. Who are Dum Dum Girls? Various lovingly penned missives on the Internet have made them out to be something of a mystery — from L.A., and the one-person project of a woman named Dee Dee. She and her band played the Woodsist/CT Festival in Brooklyn [...]

Nine Inch Nails have announced their final tour, for real. Trent Reznor and the boys have released dates with openers Mew and The Horrors in much smaller venues, more details at Billboard . If you read local blogs I guarantee you'll find Frankel 's new album Anonymity is the New Fame on many 'best of 2009' lists [...]

photos by Tim Griffin The Mayfair Set "Festival is a very misleading term to describe this showcase because this wasn't really a festival. There were a lot of bands playing which is a prerequisite for a festival, but beyond that there wasn't a whole hell of a lot that qualified this as a festival. It was basically just a really kick-ass show that lasted for two days. There was rain on Friday, and the show was moved indoors. I discovered this after [...]
Dum Dum Girls @ Woodsist Fest - July 4, 2009 ( bajapuntos ) The two-day Woodsist & Captured Tracks Festival happened in Brooklyn on Friday (7/3) and Saturday (7/4). Both days were supposed to take place at 979 Broadway Backyard, but Friday was moved to the very hot Market Hotel due to the threat of rain. Pictures of both days coming soon, but first here is video Bill took on Saturday during the first-ever performance by Dum Dum Girls . [...]