Rubin Recommends

(Part of The Weekly Check In series)

Andre just fell into my life one day because his girlfriend Anna, was my upstairs neighbor. He’s from Cincinnati and he thinks I was in the newest Die Hard Movie. He just finished the new season of the show he works on/stars in called Stupidface on FUEL TV (It’s on Saturdays.) He’s always up to something around Los Angeles, so be on the lookout for him.

RR: What are you currently working on or just finished that you’re excited about?

Hyland: I’m just finishing up my second season as a segment producer for the sketch comedy show Stupidface on Fuel TV. I perform as various characters, write, direct, and edit my segments. It’s a lot of work, but I love doing this stuff, so I’m kinda bummed were almost done shooting for season 2.

But I do have some more exciting news!!!

I’ve recently been working with Bob Odenkirk (Mr. Show), along side my manager, and long time pals/collaborators Paul Oyen, & Mike Mayfield on concept for our own TV show. At the moment, we are in the beginning stages of going out and pitching the show concept. I hadn’t mentioned this openly until now, so i hope it doesn’t jinx it. Hopefully 2009 will be a busy year for yours truly.

RR: Where have you traveled so far this month?

Hyland: I’m currently living in LA, and last month I went back to Cincinnati for Christmas & New Years, along with a couple trips over the river to northern Kentucky.

RR: What’s your favorite music right now?

Hyland: MGMT “Oracular Spectacular“, my sister gave me a bunch of music when I went home for Christmas. And I’ve been listening to this album non-stop since then.

RR: Best food you’ve had in your neighborhood lately or while you were traveling?

Hyland: When i went back to Cincinnati, I had my favorite pizza, Adriatico’s Pizza. I have dreams about this pizza, It’s so good.
oh, and Skyline Chili of course.

RR: Anything Else You Want To Mention?

Hyland: My girlfriend Anna Lee, and I have recently gotten in to the habit of watching the sitcom show “Two & 1/2 Men”. On the show, Charlie Sheen has a never ending supply of ill-fitting, ugly bowling shirts, please take notice.

I’m really enjoying the 2 songs I’ve heard off this 7″ so far. Real Estate is a band that’s made of some members of Ducktails and Peditor Vision. (Thanks to Nick for getting me into Ducktails.)

This 7″ comes out on Underwater Peoples February 1st and you can find out more here. Check out the song below and go to Myspace to listen to more (this was the only MP3 I could find.)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

(MP3)

Visit Real Estate’s Myspace.
Visit Underwater Peoples.

photo by: Ted Drake

This just seemed like the right timing since Three Mile Pilot just played 3 reunion shows this past weekend in San Diego. Why wasn’t I there? I don’t know. Really. Anyhow, Three Mile Pilot was an amazing band from San Diego in the mid to late 90’s. The members later went to form bands Pinback and The Black Heart Procession (among other side projects, Systems Officer etc.) All amazing, just like they were. How good is the bass sound? How did he figure it out? (My friend Dan says they might be officially getting back together. Be on the lookout.)

My favorite record of theirs is Another Desert Another Sea, it’s out of print, so you’ll have to buy it used or borrow a copy from a friend, same with most of their records.

They released:
Nà Vuccà Dò Lupù (1992)
Chief Assassin to the Sinister (1994)
Another Desert, Another Sea (1997)
Three Mile Pilot EP (1998)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

(MP3)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

(MP3)

Learn more at the Wiki page.
Listen to more on Myspace.
Watch Youtube videos from the reunion shows.

(Part of The Weekly Check In series)

Aaron is part of the band The Appleseed Cast, who I think my high school years, I saw more than any band I’ve seen to this day. I still love them and I’m excited they have a new record coming out on Vagrant Records on February 17th, 2009. You can hear a new song from it on their Myspace. Also if you don’t own any of Appleseed Cast’s records yet, you should probably pick up their older records right now.

RR: What are you currently working on or just finished that you’re excited about?

Pillar: Went back and watched Battlestar Galactica Season Four so I could get prepped for the new season, which is quite delightful I must say…sorry I’m a total geek for it…

RR: Where have you traveled so far this month?

Pillar: Hot Springs Arkansas..fun little town, the bathhouse thing is cool and pretty cheap, there is good food and a good bar called maxines that we ended up in…You can rent down houses down there in the off season for real cheap, its a good vacation bargain…

RR: What’s your favorite music right now?

Pillar: Right now…hmmm..the new Life and Times CD Tragic Boogie, Bon Iver (although I didnt immediately like the new single off the ep) and I fell in love with Jawbreaker’s Bivouac all over again….

RR: Best food you’ve had in your neighborhood lately or while you were traveling?

Pillar: We had some roast duck spring rolls in hot springs with a sort of habanero jelly that was really good…

RR: Anything Else You Want To Mention?

Pillar: UMM…A SMART MODEST MOTIVATED MAN NAMED BARACK OBAMA IS PRESIDENT!!!!!!

(If they have a STAR by them, it means I’ve heard it and I like it. Album title links go to Amazon. If I miss any good releases, please add them in the comments.)

A.C. Newman: Get Guilty *
Andrew Bird: Noble Beast *
Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion *
Antony and the Johnsons: The Crying Light
Bon Iver: Blood Bank EP *
Cut Off Your Hands: You & I
Jackie-O Motherfu**ker: The Blood of Life
John Frusciante: The Empyrean
Matt & Kim: Grand
Psychic Ills: Mirror Eye
White Lies: White Lies

(Part of The Weekly Check In series)

Sonny Kay, used to run a record distro called Bottlenekk Distribution (that I loved to mail order from back in 97) and he was kind enough to distribute the Anniversary 7″ I released, (when I had no idea what I was doing.) That’s when I realized he also sang for Angel Hair, The VSS, (and others,) ran GSL (Gold Standard Labratories) and is a collage art/graphic designer (doing lots of record covers over the years, Mars Volta, The Locust, etc.) Since the recent closing of GSL, I wanted to check in and see what he was up to lately. He’s busy, he’s always doing something.

RR: What are you currently working on or just finished that you’re excited about?

Kay: These days I’m really focused on art and design stuff. I just finished opening my first ever gallery show at this little place here in L.A. called Han Cholo. The opening was last weekend, the turnout was great, a few things have sold so far… From what I can tell, it was a success. It was just like putting on a punk show without the burden of having to explain to the bands why no one showed up. I spent the month prior to that finishing up a few of the pieces in the show. Now it’s back to freelancing again for the foreseeable next few months, which is a nice change of pace. It’s fun to kind of switch gears every few days. I’m doing a few album covers, a couple of tour posters, and some steady work making ads and posters for some local venues.

RR: Where have you traveled so far this month?

Kay: I toured Europe for 5 weeks recently, tour-managing for this band called Anavan, some friends from around here. It was a good time, but 5 weeks can start to get kind of exhausting. It’s probably the last time I’ll do something like that without actually being in the band. The highlight for me was going to Poland for the first time. I spent a week in Oakland over the holidays at my mom’s place which was awesome… food, drink, TV. Came back rested and ready to rip.

RR: What’s your favorite music right now?

Kay: Tobacco’s “Fucked Up Friends” has been on pretty heavy rotation. The last Gang Gang Dance record, Gnarls Barkley, The Bug, TV on the Radio, Minor Threat… Picked up some old Vangelis vinyl a few months ago and have been getting into it. I saw Blade Runner again recently and had forgotten how awesome the Vangelis soundtrack was. Too bad he’s only really known for Chariots of Fire, at least in the US.

RR: Best food you’ve had in your neighborhood lately or while you were traveling?

Kay: The most exciting food development of the past year for me took place in Dortmund, Germany at this little spot called Arabic (which the Germans pronounce a-RAY-bic). There’s a whole string of these Middle Eastern places in the city center, but a friend recommend we ignore them all and go straight to Arabic, which was excellent advice. The house specialty is called, appropriately, Arabic. Man, I have dreamt about this friggin thing since then. It’s more of a burrito than anything else. The wrapping is this warm, thick, spongy bread that is sort of like a thick, dusty crépe, filled with spicy veggie beef “medallions”, tahini, salad… My stomach is growling just thinking about it. I’d never been to Dortmund before but I swear I will go back just for another one of those things. Completely slays any falafel anywhere.

RR: Anything Else You Want To Mention?

Kay: I’ve been fronting this for-charity hardcore band for a few months, with some dudes from a million old hardcore bands. We cover Flex Your Head from start to finish, and nothing else. If you’re in L.A., come check it out: myspace.com/millionsofdeadcomps.

Thanks for checking in, Matt. Here’s a photo of myself and Stefan from the German band Confused, hanging out at Die Au in Frankfurt a couple of months back.

There’s not much to say, I love the new Animal Collective. I think it’s one of their best ones yet, just the song “My Girls” alone makes the record amazing, but the transition between the first song “In The Flowers” into “My Girls” is magical and I love it. You should order the vinyl now, double vinyl, gate fold, beautiful art, and comes with an MP3 download.

The CD and digital versions come out next Tuesday January 20th so you can wait and get those if you want. (yes the album art is moving while you read this.)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

(MP3)

Order Merriweather Post Pavilion in all formats on Amazon.
Visit their Myspace page.
Read the 9.6 rating Pitchfork Review.
Enjoy the magic.

Human Television were from Brooklyn, NY and released the LP Look At Who You’re Talking To, an EP All Songs Written By: Human Television, and an EP titled Orange. I thought this band was great, I was sad they were gone so fast. It’s perfect for the weather we’re having in San Francisco right now. Even though their last record came out May of 2006, I just wanted to bring it into the light once again.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

(MP3)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

(MP3)

Purchase Look At Who You’re Talking To,  All Songs Written By: Human Television, and Orange at Amazon.
Human Television info on their old Myspace page.

If you’re in the San Francisco area you should come to this show at Needles And Pens this Saturday January 17th. I really love this store/gallery space, it’s where I get my copies of Cometbus and always want to buy everything I see there. They also sell products online, you can visit them at http://www.needles-pens.com.

Some Word Pictures show January 17th, 2009 – a collaborative installation and exhibition by Bill Daniel and Santiago Mostyn.

Featuring:  Photographs, written word, and video projections from the artists’ river, road, and freight train travels. The exhibition serves as an examination of the use, re-use, and re-presentation of images relating to story-telling. And a focusing in on how the act of story-telling relates to traditions and how traditions become folklore, binding the then and now.

Visit Needles And Pens
Visit http://www.billdaniel.net
Visit http://www.santiagomostyn.com

We’re again blessed with new material by Bon Iver. The Blood Bank EP comes out next Tuesday January 20th on Jagjaguwar.

Pitchfork says: “You can feel him stretching a bit, playing around with different ways to tell stories in his songs. ‘Blood Bank’ doesn’t really have a proper chorus– a leap up to a weary high note is as close at it gets– and there’s no bridge, either. Instead, it’s just a steady funeral march trailing behind one repeating chord progression, a lean and stark structure to match the song’s blown-out world.”

If you’ve already heard the EP it was probably a vinyl rip, so you should probably check it out again on January 20th!

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

[MP3]

Get the Blood Bank EP at Amazon.
Visit Bon Iver’s website.
Upcoming tour dates posted. (For Australians only)