CATEGORY: Interviews

Meet Henry Owings, #32 on Chunklet Magazine’s list of the 100 Biggest Assholes In Rock.

He should know since he compiled and edited the list for his own magazine Chunklet, one of the funniest and most scathing music and comedy publications ever. Each issue is full of smart interviews with amazing bands and the cream of the comedy crop (Jon Benjamin, Sarah Silverman, and Robert Smigel, amongst many others). On top of that, Owings and his gang of contributors pokes fun at the inflated egos of indie rock bands, celebrities, and, most importantly, themselves.

Yet, for every band Owings takes to task within the pages of his magazine, there are dozens more who he loves and supports. He books countless shows in Athens and Atlanta and, in Chunklet, champions many a band often in the same issue that they are excoriated.

Invisible Limb had a chance to catch up with Owings as he prepared to celebrate Chunklet’s 13th anniversary with a series of shows and events set for the end of October.

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CATEGORY: Music Reviews

Thunderbirds Are Now!
Make History
Frenchkiss Records 

Is it just me, or does the title of this record sound a little pretentious? Make History, hmmmm… Are Detroit’s Thunderbirds Are Now! telling us to make history, or are they claiming that they do? Well, I don’t know, and it’s not important anyway.

What is important is that this, the band’s third full length release, second for French Kiss Records, is their best yet. I guess that doesn’t really say much right now, as I didn’t like the previous two albums. But, I will admit, Make History is better. I’ll even go as far as to say that it is a pretty good record in general.

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CATEGORY: Music Reviews

Jim Noir
Tower of Love
Barsuk Records

Since his first EP came out in June 2006, Alan Roberts, aka Jim Noir, has enjoyed the buzz created by his cheerfully vintage music. When Tower of Love, his debut full-length album, was released only two months later, interest only continued to grow.

Many indie rock bands have adopted vintage nuances as a part of their sound. Jim Noir, however, has taken this to a new level. Throughout Tower of Love, Noir does not waver from his middle-60s pop/rock sound. From melodies, to instrumentation, to background vocals, Jim Noir has me convinced of his mission to bring back the carefree music of the 60s era. With guitar and backup vocals very similar to those found in The Beatles’ “Tax Man,” “Tell Me What To Do” is a song that would fit in exceptionally well on the influential band’s Revolver album.

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CATEGORY: Features - MP3 - Mixtapes

On Sunday, October 8th, Portland songwriter Ben Barnett logged into Myspace and made the announcement heard ’round the indie world:  that he is no longer continuing the prolific project known as Kind of Like Spitting. 

“My personal life has become too intense to continue writing songs that blame others for my issues.  Singing these songs and touring my life into the ground has left me lost and directionless in my life.  I have spent ten years of my life getting high and blaming others for my history and inability to control my demons. I want to reach a better place.  I want to move FORWARD.”

In memory of one of my all-time favorite bands, I have decided to assemble the first InvisibleLimb.net mixtape:  The Short Story Long, A Retrospective Look at Kind of Like Spitting. 

Tracklisting:
01. Birds of a Feather
02. Tyco Racing Set and a Christmas Story Fifteen Times
03. Worker Bee #7438-F87904
04. Yes, You’re Busted
05. Boy Cries Wolf
06. Something in the Air
07. Now I Can Smile
08. The Thing About Distance
09. Team Reasonable (Redux)
10. Born Beautiful (Demo)
11. Enjoy the View (Unreleased demo)
12. In the Red (Demo)
13. Aubergine (Demo)
14. When I’m Gone (Phil Ochs cover)
15. Valentine’s Day is Over (Billy Bragg cover)
16. Title Track (Death Cab for Cutie cover)
17. Julie Christie (Yo La Tengo cover)
18. St. Swithin’s Day (Billy Bragg cover)

Anyone familiar with the band’s extensive back catalogue knows it would be impossible to summarize Kind of Like Spitting in one CD-R worth of music.  So instead I’ve chosen one track from each of his major releases, as well as some rare demos, outtakes, and cover songs, all in an effort to give new and old fans something to enjoy.

We hope these songs find you as well as they have us.

[zip] InvisibleLimb.net Mixtape #1: The Short Story Long, A Retrospective Look at Kind of Like Spitting (65 MB)

CATEGORY: Music Reviews

Yo La Tengo
I’m Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass
Matador Records

For the last 10 years or so, Yo La Tengo has been releasing albums that are the textbook definition of a ‘mixed bag’. On the one hand, you get instant classics like “Sugarcube” from I Can Feel The Heart Beating As One or their smart take on “You Can Have It All” from 2000’s And Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out right next to extended jam songs, drone-y meanderings with no apparent point or end in sight, and experiments in incorporating the instrumentation and atmosphere of some of their influences that fall quickly flat.

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CATEGORY: MP3

John Vanderslice is in the studio right now recording his follow up to last year’s Pixel Revolt.  According to his website, the record is going to be more rock oriented and less layered, which is fine by me.  Everything the man releases is gold.

The mp3 I have for you today is a B-side from the vinyl version of Pixel Revolt called ‘the Kingdom’.  It’s a slow piano song that doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the album’s songs, but it has some very beautiful parts, particularly in the chorus.  Vanderslice fans should eat this up fairly well.

[mp3] John Vanderslice - The Kingdom

CATEGORY: Editor's Pick - Music Reviews

Tommy Guerrero
From the Soil to the Soul 
Quannum Records

Tommy Guerrero spent the better part of his youth riding a skateboard as a member of the much-vaunted Bones Brigade (where Tony Hawk got his start), but a little known fact about him during those years was that he was a musician as well. Sure, he played in the hilarious punk band, Free Beer, but it still seemed to come out of nowhere a few years back when he came out with his first album of instrumental funk and soul.

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CATEGORY: Music Reviews

If you are one of the 7 people who visit this website (you probably are) then you already know about the sweet Birdman Records contest we are running right now.  Seriously, I know this is my own website and it’s easy to lie to you and pretend the stuff we do is cool, but I am actually telling the truth here- this giveaway is killer.

The contest ends October 15th, which is, like, soon, so fill out the form below and enter now.

CATEGORY: Features - Myspace Interviews

Great oogly moogly, kids, do we have a special treat for you today.  We have a new Myspace Interview with none other than punk zine legend Barry Scatton.  If you were ever a casual reader of the punk rock website Punkrocks.net, the name may ring a bell.  If not, just know that good old Barry is the guy who wrote this.

Buckle up and get ready, boys.  This is going to be a bumpy ride.

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CATEGORY: MP3

Much like John Vanderslice’s 2-track recordings of Pixel Revolt and Kind of Like Spitting’s Phil Ochs tribute, Swearing at Motorists’ Exile On Gipsstrasse is an album of familiar songs, recorded in a unique setting.  The cuts are raw, stripped down, and delivered to you with all their blemishes in tact.  There is no second take.  Only the record button and a guitar.

The purpose of these ‘live’ albums isn’t to change your mind about the songs- the songwriters can do that by entering the studio and recording new versions- it is to capture a time and place like only a session’s worth of self-recorded, stripped down songs can.  Vanderslice recorded Suddenly It Went Dark in a chicken coop in California, Kind of Like Spitting recorded his Ochs cover songs on Gene Autry’s two track machine, and, in the case of Exile On Gipsstrasse, songwriter Dave Doughman chose an underground train station in Berlin as his studio.

For the full story, you can read Doughman’s self-penned description.  It is a necessary listening guide to an album full of warm, lonely songs. 

Get them while they’re free.

[link]  Exile On Gipsstrasse full album download