Update: Linus Pauling Quartet Unleashes Light (tomorrow!) + Alice Cooper Live + Iron and Wine + mt.st.helens + more…

Update time, update time… This time out, we’ve got 2 things in particular that I’m very excited about. The first is a review (by yours truly) of the brand-new Linus Pauling Quartet CD, All Things Are Light. And while you should really go read the review for yourself, I can give you the upshot here: it’s fucking badass. I’ve been on the fence for years now on the LP4 — great guys, great history, etc., but y’know… — but this one knocks me off it & lays me out flat, to boot. It’s damn good, seriously. (The band’s photo is by the ever-friendly rosaphoto, btw. Credit where it’s due, yo.)

Plus, the band’s playing their official CD release tomorrow night, Nov. 10th, up at The Proletariat, and despite the sad reality that you, uh, prob’ly ought to get out to the Prolo before it gets ground down before the inexorable Richmond Light Rail, it’s gonna be a very, very cool show. Not only are LP4 playing, but cool local folk-popster Jenny Westbury opens, followed by friends/math-rock heroes The Jonx (who’re worth checking out just on their lonesome), and strange-os The Mathletes close out the night (at least, that’s the schedule I’ve seen; could be switched around a bit). Be there or regret it.

The second thing I’m psyched about may sound a wee bit silly, but what the hell: Alice Cooper! No, not an interview, sadly, but new contributor Bill R. threw his hat in the proverbial ring with a review of the campy shock-rocker’s show last month, and we think it’s pretty damn good. And to those who question our inclusion of an Oldies-Station-Dweller like Cooper in our little e-zine, we say “feh” — our tent is big enough for all, and we like many things, not all of them specifically labeled as “indie.”

At any rate, here’s the full list for this week:

Live Reviews: Alice Cooper — Psycho Dramatics.

Reviews: Linus Pauling Quartet; mt.st.helens; Iron and Wine; Tom Alford; Satanic Puppeteer Orchestra; & The Warriors (who’re playing, by the way, up at Java Jazz on 12/14).

That’s it for now. More soon.