Optical Atlas

Here’s a great Village Voice interview from last October with the esteemed Vic Chesnutt, in which he talks about collaborating with Elf Power on the album Dark Developments, and discusses just about everything else one can possibly imagine, including his cameo in Billy Bob Thornton’s Sling Blade.  (There are also MP3s from Dark Developments for download.)  Vic Chesnutt and Elf Power begin their second leg of touring in support of the album beginning this week – dates here.

If you missed of Montreal’s appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, it is rerunning tonight, January 22nd, on CBS.  And if you also missed yesterday’s live performance from Amsterdam, webcast on Fabchannel.com, it will be available shortly for viewing right over here.

The New Yorker recently profiled of Montreal in a flattering article, which you can read here.

Heather McIntosh of The Instruments is one of the principal curators of AUX, the organization devoted to Athens’ experimental music scene.  So far they’ve released a compilation CD, as well as organized an AUX music festival a couple years back.  Now a second [correction: third!--thanks to Chris Yetter] festival is lined up in Athens, Georgia, for Saturday, February 21st, at Cine and Little Kings.  Expect a lineup to be announced soon; I’ll post it when I get it.

Sorry about the absence yesterday – I took the day off to watch the inauguration coverage, and became so mesmerized that I forgot to check in. Anyway, you may be interested in these fan-made videos set to unreleased Circulatory System demos:

Stereogum covered Robbert Bobbert and the Bubble Machine on Friday, offering for download an MP3 of Mr. Schneider’s fun and totally Powerpuffy song “We R Super Heroes.”  You can grab it here.

The Music Tapes…Nana Grizol…Brian Dewan.  Yes, we’ve finally got a list of dates, thanks to Rich over at Cable & Tweed (who got them from Lance of The Flat Response). Here they are:

The Music Tapes, Nana Grizol, and Brian Dewan: Winter 2009 Tour
2/10 Mohawk, Austin, TX
2/11 The Opolis, Norman, OK
2/13 Solar Culture Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2/14 TBA
2/15 Echoplex, Los Angeles, CA
2/17 Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA
2/19 Vera Project, Seattle, WA
2/20 Department of Safety, Anacortes, WA
2/21 Backspace, Portland, OR
2/24 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis, MN
2/25 AV-aerie, Chicago, IL
2/26 The B-Side, Ann Arbor, MI
2/27 Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON
2/28 Big Orbit’s Soundlab, Buffalo, NY
3/01 Maxwell’s, Hoboken, NJ
3/02 Middle East – Upstairs, Cambridge, MA
3/03 The Bellhouse, Brooklyn, NY
3/04 First Unitarian Church – Basement, Philadelphia, PA
3/05 Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC
3/06 TBA
3/07 40 Watt Club, Athens, GA

If you haven’t heard The Visitations‘ third (and best) album, The Conundrum Tree (released last fall on Orange Twin Records), you’re missing out – but the good news is that you may very well have a chance to experience Davey Wrathgabar and his Visitations live in a town near you, within the next couple of months, as he’ll be touring like mad. Here are the dates so far, still being finalized.

The Visitations – Winter 2009 Tour
01.20.09 Athens, GA @ Go Bar
01.22.09 Gainesville, FL @ The Kickstand
01.23.09 Orlando, FL @ AKA Lounge (Happy Hour Show)
01.24.09 Deeland, FL @ Cafe DaVinci
01.27.09 Charleston, SC @ Oasis
01.28.09 Greenville, SC @ R3v3rB
01.29.09 Wilmington, NC @ The Soapbox
01.30.09 Blacksburg, VA @ Prisses
01.31.09 Charlottesville, VA @ Tea Bazaar
02.02.09 Arlington, VA @ Galaxy Hut
02.03.09 New York, NY @ Cake Shop
02.04.09 Baltimore, MD @ Golden West
02.05.09 Marlboro, VT @ Marlboro College
02.06.09 Philadelphia, PA @ The Pilam
02.07.09 Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Artworks
02.08.09 New Haven, CT @ Bar
02.09.09 Brooklyn, NY @ Goodbye Blue
02.10.09 Providence, RI @ Manbeard House
02.11.09 Rochester, NY @ CoMMoN
02.12.09 Geneseo, NY @ SUNY Geneseo
02.13.09 Athens, OH @ Bruce Manor
02.14.09 Toledo, OH @ Center Stage
02.14.09 Bowling Green, OH @ Riot House
02.15.09 Columbus, OH @ Bernie’s Distillery
02.16.09 Morgantown, WV @ Blue Moose Cafe
02.17.09 Bloomington, IN @ Cinemat
02.18.09 Ypsilanti, MI @ Elbow Room
02.19.09 Lexington, KY @ 503 Oldham Court
02.20.09 Louisville, KY @ 6th & Oak
02.21.09 Naplate, IL @ The Village
02.23.09 Madison, WI @ The Frequency
02.24.09 DeKalb, IL @ The House
02.25.09 Omaha, NE @ TBA
02.26.09 Lawrence, KS @ Replay
02.27.09 Kansas City, MO @ Skinless Gallery
02.28.09 Manhattan, KS @ TBA
03.01.09 St. Louis, MO @ The Wedge
03.02.09 Little Rock, AR @ TBA
03.03.09 Denton, TX @ TBA
03.04.09 Austin, TX @ TBA
03.05.09 Lubbock, TX @ TBA
03.06.09 Santa Fe, NM @ TBA
03.07.09 Phoenix, AZ @ TBA

Tom Williams has written an interesting piece on Radio Exile about the influence Neutral Milk Hotel has had on indie rock for the last 10 years.  You can read it here.

And as a reminder, the Optical Atlas contest to win copies of the new Heartfast Records singles/DVDs from of Montreal and The Apples in Stereo expires tomorrow at midnight.  Enter here.

Heather McIntosh has been busy touring with Lil Wayne, but took the time to mention on her MySpace blog that her music as The Instruments is featured in the new documentary Examined Life, which will be playing in exclusive engagements starting this month.  In her blog post she has posted some dates and cities where the film will be airing.

Earlier this week Southern Shelter posted the 40 Watt Olivia Tremor Control reunion performance from April 15th, 2005 – their first show in five years, and the kickoff to what was a fantastic tour.  You can get the MP3s and FLAC here.  Thanks to lou2ser for the link.

Casper & the Cookies have posted some tour dates, listed below (thanks to quixoticgoat for noticing!):

Casper & the Cookies on Tour

01.16.09 Asheville, NC @ Stella Blue – POPAsheville Festival
01.30.09 Athens, GA @ Caledonia Lounge
03.07.09 Augusta, GA @ Sky City
03.10.09 Savannah, GA @ The Wormhole
03.11.09 Jacksonville, FL @ Club TSI
03.12.09 Orlando, FL @ Will’s Pub
03.13.09 Gainesville, FL @ TBA
03.14.09 Tallahassee, FL @ The Engine Room
03.15.09 Panama City, FL @ Gallery Above
03.16.09 New Orleans, LA @ Dragon’s Den
03.17.09 Mobile, AL @ Alabama Music Box
03.18.09 Lafeyette, LA @ TBA
03.19-21.09 Austin, TX @ SXSW