Yeah, this last update was a big one -- we're gonna have to skip a week or two after this, as I'll be flying out tomorrow AM for Arizona, off on The Great Grand Canyon Adventure/March of Death '08, so we tried to get a large bunch of new things up on the site...

First -- and possibly foremost, your mileage may vary -- we've got a brand-new interview up with super-ultra-badass Party Guy Andrew W.K. Honestly, when I sent out the email, I did not expect a response. Even after talking to his management, I fired off a ton of questions I'd hoped were insightful and witty and what-have-you, in the hopes of drawing out Mr. Wilkes-Krier for a bit of a chat, but I kind of did it figuring, y'know, that'd be the end of it. It's happened before, believe me. (ahem -- guys from The Talk: what the heck happened?)

In the end, though, while Andrew didn't answer about two-thirds of the questions I sent (including an incredibly leading question about "Steev Mike"; Google if you care), the ones he did answer came out pretty nice, I think. I've never, ever done an interview where the interviewee flat-out says not just that he doesn't give a crap if people dislike him or laugh at him, but that it's a perfectly valid reaction to his music to do so. Wow. The guy's starting to sound like some kind of metalhead bodhisattva or something...

Anyway, I'm tickled as hell to have been able to talk to Mr. W.K., especially since he'll be coming to town in the not-too-distant future, nearly right after I get back from AZ on July 5th over at the Keene St. Warehouse for Jacob Calle's gonna-be-epic Keene St. Warehouse Party -- see here for more info. I mean, with Andrew W.K. on hand, how could it not be epic? I'm seriously psyched about this, y'all; not only is one of the most intriguing, mystifying entertainers I've run across playing, but so are local folks I love dearly, like The Riff Tiffs, Bring Back the Guns, Papermoons, & The Watermarks. I liked the thing so much, I, uh, kinda-sorta offered to help sponsor it (I think?). Save the date.

While you're at it, scribble out anything you might've had a week from tomorrow, on Sat., July 28th, 'cause Hollywood Black are playing the release show for their awesome new EP, Crooked Shepherd. I'll admit that I wasn't a big fan of the band in the past, but damn, I am now. It is good, good, good -- the title track alone, with its murky, rock-back-and-forth-on-your-heels threat, is reason enough to check the band out. Plus, they're playing with The Goods, who I really like, and Tambersauro, whose CD I got a really long time ago now & still need to listen to. (Sorry...)

On an administrative note, in my absence you will hopefully start to see new posts to this here blog by people other than me. Y'all may remember Brandon from the SXSW coverage back in March; this time 'round he'll be joined by a few other folks, incl. Jef With One F (formerly of The Black Math Experiment) & Brigitte, who's been writing reviews & such for us for quite a while now. Be gentle with them.

Beyond all that, yep, we also have up shiny-new reviews of the Dengue Fever show at The Orange Show a while back, the French Kicks/Young Mammals/Hearts of Animals show earlier this month, & more reviews than you can shake a stick at. Here's the full list:

Interviews: Andrew W.K.

Live Reviews: French Kicks/Young Mammals/Hearts of Animals; Dengue Fever

Reviews: Hollywood Black; The Raveonettes; Your Black Star; Alkari; Speaker Speaker; Melissa Giges; Jon McKiel; pArAdOx OnE; Plök; & Sunny Day Sets Fire.

There it is, at least for the moment -- see y'all when I get back...

Labels: Interviews, Live Reviews, Musical Crap, Public Service Announcements, Reviews, Things To Do

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