Tuesday, June 30, 2009

DAYTRIPPING WITH THE THERMALS ON PITCHFORK


It gets better towards the end

whoa


james, charlie, and i were just talking about how it's been too long since this blog has had some posts, and a second later i get ichatted this pic of marisa handren's cat chilling with the new xiu xiu album! she must have psychic powers or something.

Friday, June 26, 2009

save our sounds is the greatest art project of all time.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specialreports/saveoursounds/index.shtml


please go to this link. it is totally wonderful and makes you want to live or stop living as it will not get any better than this if you are a sound obsessed nerd on alert like me. i know you are one. i will see you in the great beyond with headphones on. thumbs aloft! and eyes closed or poked out!

"We want you to help us build an interactive map of the world. So get involved and send in recordings of sounds from where you live." www.BBC.com

i heard about this driving home from NYC this weekend. the commentator also talked about writing a list of every sound she heard within and hour's time and being amazed at what she discovered was around her.
do you think that this would exciting to do and then read or would it be tedious to do and then read?
the answer is IT WOULD BE EXCITING!!!!!!!! and LIFE CHANGING AND EXCHANGING!!!!!!!!

please, if you would like, email to willitburn@hotmail.com, a list of every sound you hear within an hour and i will post it at www.xiuxiu.org

please include your name and where you live. please do or do not feel constrained by reality. abuse your illusion or be TOTALLY HONEST. truth is stranger than diction!

the sound of street protest in iran being crushed by right wing jocks!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

R>I>P

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

New Deerhoof video

for My Purple Past. Directed by Asha Schechter

Monday, June 22, 2009

facebook deleted the krs account

so i made a new page if you want to be a "fan."

check it out here

Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars
Promote Your Page Too

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Abbas Djavadi’s Blog


Observations: June 15 in Tehran

by Abbas Djavadi on 16/06/2009

A.A. reports his own observations on the course of events of 15th June 2009 in Tehran.

I left my home in Tajrish along with my family at 3 p.m. We went down Valiast Street which is the main northern-southern avenue in Tehran and entered the Evin Exp’way which leads to Enghelab Street. We knew that people are supposed to gather in Enghelab Sq. (Revolution Sq.) at 4 and march toward Azadi Sq. (Freedom Sq.). From Gisha Bridge onwards, we saw people walking down. Cars were blowing their horns and people were showing victory sign. We went to Navvab Street and parked our car at the end of the street. Then we took a taxi to bring us back to the Enghelab Street.

On our way, near Jomhouri Sq. (Republic Sq.), I saw a group of about 20 militia with long beards and batons on motorbikes. My hand was out of the car window with a little green ribbon (the sign of reformists) around my finger. One of the militia told me to throw that ribbon away. I showed him a finger. All of a sudden, about 15 people attacked me inside the car. They beat me with their batons and wanted to pull me out. My wife and my daughter who were sitting in the back seat cried and hold me tight. I also hold myself tight on the chair. They wanted to shatter the car windows. The driver went out and explained that he is a taxi and we are his passengers and he has no fault. After about 5 minutes,they left. My elbow hurts severely. Then, a young man from their group came and kissed my elbow! I told him: You know, I don’t hate you. I am like you with the only difference that I know more and you are ignorant. He apologized and left. We joined the crowd in Enghelab Street.

Read carefully: What I saw today was the most elegant scene I had ever witnessed in my life. The huge number of people were marching hand in hand in full peace. Silence. Silence was everywhere. There was no slogan. No violence. Hands were up in victory sign with green ribbons. People carried placards which read: Silence. Old and young, man and woman of all social groups were marching cheerfully. This was a magnificent show of solidarity. Enghelab Street which is the widest avenue in Tehran was full of people. I was told that the march has begun in Ferdowsi Sq. and the end of the march was now in Imam Hossein Sq. to the further east of Tehran while on the other end people had already gathered in Azadi Sq. The length of this street is about 6 kilometers.

The estimate is about 2 million people. On the way, we passed a police department and a militia (Baseej) base. In both places, the doors were closed and we could see fully-armed riot police and militia watching the people from behind the fences. Near Sharif University of Technology where the students had chased away Ahmadinejad a few days ago, Mirhossein Mousavi (the reformist elect president) and Karrubi (the other reformist candidate spoke to people for a few minutes which was received by cries of praise and applause. I felt proud to find myself among such a huge number of passionate people who were showing the most reasonable act of protest. Frankly, I didn’t expect such a political maturity from emotional Iranians who easily get excited.

My family and I had put stickers on our mouths to represent the suppression. Placards that people carried were different; from poems by the national poet Ahmad Shamlu to light-hearted slogans against Ahmadinejad. Examples include: ” To slaughter us/ why did you need to invite us / to such an elegant party” (Poem by Shamlu). ” Hello! Hello! 999? / Our votes were stolen” or ” The Miracle of the Third Millenium: 2 x 2 = 24 millions” (alluding to the claim by Government that Ahmadinejad obtained 24 million votes) , “Where is my vote?” , ” Give me back my vote” and many other. We arrived in Azadi Square where the entire square was full of population.

It is said that around 500,000 people can be accommodated in this huge square and it was full. Suddenly we saw smoke from Jenah Freeway and heard the gunshot. People were scared at first but then went forward. I just heard the gunshots but my sister who had been on the scene at that part told me later that she saw 4 militia came out from a house and shot a girl. Then they shot a young boy in his eye and the bullet came out of his ear. She said that 4 people were shot. At least one person dead has been confirmed. People arrested one of the Baseeji militia but the three others ran away when they ran out of bullet. At around 8 we went back on foot. On the way back people were still in the street and were chanting Allah Akbar (God is Great). I was coming home at around 2 a.m. In parkway, I saw about ten buses full of armed riot police parked on the side of the street. Then I saw scattered militia in civil clothes with clubs in hand patroling the empty streets.

In Tajrish Square, I saw a very young boy (around 16) with a club who was looking at the cars to see if he can find something to attack. I don’t know how and under what teachings can young boys change into militia. I came home. Tomorrow, people will gather again in Valiasr Square for another peaceful march toward the IRIB building which controls all the media and which spreads filthy lies.

The day before Yesterday, Ahmadinejad had hold his victory ceremony. Government buses had transported all his supporters from nearby cities. There was full coverage of that ceremony where fruit juice and cake was plenty. A maximum of 100,000 had gathered to hear his speech. These included all the militia and the soldiers and all supporters he could gather by the use of free TV publicity. Today, at least 2 million came only relying on word of mouth while reformists have no newspaper, no radio, no TV.

All their internet sites are filtered as well as social networks such as facebook. Text messaging and mobile communication was also cut off during the demonstration. Since yesterday, the Iranian TV was announcing that there is no license for any gathering and riot police will severely punish anybody who may demonstrates. Ahmadinejad called the opposition as a bunch of insignificant dirt who try to make the taste of victory bitter to the nation. He also called the western leaders as a bunch of “filthy homosexuals”.

All these disgusting remarks was today answered by that largest demonstration ever. Older people compared the demonstration of today with the Ashura Demonstration of 1979 which marks the downfall of the Shah regime and even said that it outnumbered that event. The militia burnt a house themselves to find the excuse to commit violence. People neutralized their tactic to a large degree by their solidarity, their wisdom and their denial to enage in any violent act. I feel sad for the loss of those young girls and boys. It is said that they also killed 3 students last night in their attack at Tehran University residence halls. I heard that a number of professors of Sharif University and AmirKabir University (Tehran Polytechnic) have resigned. Democracy is a long way ahead. I may not be alive to see that day. With eyes full of tear in these early hours of Tuesday 16th June 2009, I glorify the courage and bravery of those martyrs and I hope that their blood will make every one of us more committed to freedom, to democracy and to human rights. Viva Freedom, Viva Democracy, Viva Iran.

p.s.: If you find this report of any value, please share it with as many people as possible. Facebook is filtered and internet is very slow in Iran. Please somebody put this on facebook.

مطلب را به بالاترين بفرستيد: Balatarin

Demo of the Week: Jóvenes y Sexys (Venezuala)


FREE MP3

The Thermals on Comcast

Interview

Live Session (with new song!)

DEERHOOF!!!



New, Improved, LIVE: Deerhoof - "Milking" from The Bay Bridged on Vimeo.



Love these guys.

coming this summer

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

New Gossip video

For Heavy Cross

christopher's gourmet grill field trip tomorrow

oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit

Quasi on KRS!!!


Kill Rock Stars is ecstatic to announce that we will be releasing the new album from Portland darlings Quasi on October 27th. It was recorded at Jackpot Studios by Kendra Lynn and will be mixed by Steve Fisk (Unwound, Sleater-Kinney, Shoplifting) This is Quasi's first studio album since 2006's When the Going Gets Dark and first for Kill Rock Stars.

We have wanted to work with Quasi for years and welcome Sam, Joanna, and Janet (welcome back Weiss!) into the KRS family.

June 2009
18 - Portland, OR @ Disjecta
25 - Seattle, WA @ The Vera Project
July 2009
09 - Austin, TX @ Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheatre w/ Spoon

More info (track listing, title, etc) coming soon!

Castration Squad "A Date with Jack"



Among others, Castration Squad's lineup included Tracy Lea (who was also in Red Cross
and appeared as Tanya Hearst in the cult movie Desperate Teenage Lovedolls), Tiffany
Kennedy (Cambridge Apostles), Phranc (Nervous Gender, Catholic Discipline), Elissa
Bello (Go-Go's) and Alice Bag (The Bags). With Shannon as lead singer and Mary as backup,
Castration Squad and its avowed mission "to repair men" could have been somewhat
intimidating, but it was mostly in the spirit of fun.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Panther covers Can


Free mp3 of their Vitamin C cover here.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

MARNIE STERN TONIGHT IN NYC WITH MAGIK MARKERS AS PART OF NORTHSIDE FESTIVAL

oh shit. that sounds like it would be the #1 show of the year to me...
more info here....

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Happy Anniversary Jackson


11 years ago I went to the pound and met this guy. xoxoxoxoxoxo

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Jeff Hanson 1978-2009

We are deeply shocked and saddened to report that Jeff Hanson passed away on June 5, 2009 in his home, a victim of a terrible accident. Jeff has been a part of the KRS family since 2003.

Jeff Hanson was an amazing artist, a riotously funny person, and a good friend. Everyone at Kill Rock Stars feels that we were privileged to put out his records. We will miss him tremendously. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Explode Into Colors on Penny Jam

Watch Explode Into Colors play "How Adee Got Her Groove Back" at the Portland Art Museum:

Duet with a Superfan

More Shaky Hands' tour footage. This time it's Nick dueting with a Superfan in someone's living room I think? It's pretty awesome

Demo of the Week: White Lung

FREE MP3

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

USE THE FORCE!

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Monday, June 1, 2009

Dear Maru, spare your paws! Use pesticides!

Posted this weekend. Can't get enough of this guy!


The Thermals and Shaky Hands are on their way home!!!

The Portland Tour of Love is over. We can't wait to see more pics and hear all their stories!!


new krs office game= bloopers

basically you just go

ppfffftttt

a lot.