Friday, July 31

Show Alert: Broadcast/Atlas Sound @ The Troubadour - 11/4/09

Embarking on their first North American tour in four years, electro fuzz throwbacks Broadcast will be joined by Deerhunter main man Bradford Cox's "solo" project Atlas Sound for a killer night of experimental atmospheric pop. Send your fax ticket order directly to The Troubadour to avoid $10 in Ticketmaster's evil fees. Full tour dates below:

10-15 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
10-16 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
10-17 Washington, D.C. - Black Cat
10-18 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church Sanctuary
10-20 New York, NY - Le Poisson Rouge
10-21 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
10-22 Boston, MA - The Paradise
10-23 Montreal, Quebec - Le National
10-24 Toronto, Ontario - Lee's Palace
10-25 Columbus, OH - Wexner Center
10-26 Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
10-27 Northfield, MN - The Cave
10-30 Vancouver, British Columbia - Richards On Richards
10-31 Seattle, WA - Nuemos
11-01 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
11-03 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
11-04 Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour
11-05 Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room
11-07 Denton, TX - Hailey's

Tuesday, July 14

News: iTunes Now Offering "Digital 45s"

We here at SSM are big fans of 7" records and 45s. There's just something so satisfying about the physical embodiment of one or two brilliant tracks, memorialized in wax and color and often spun in the context of a spontaneous dance party. New and old releases contribute to a huge selection of unique artifacts, rarely more than $1 or $2 a disc.

So, it is with a tinge of nostalgia that we can report (via TUAW) that the iTunes Store is now offering "Digital 45s". The Digital 45s cost from $1.49 to $1.99 and include the original B-Sides. The first batch contains some heavy-hitters: The Human League's "Don't You Want Me Baby", Boston's "More Than A Feeling", Billy Idol's "White Wedding" and David Bowie's "Let's Dance", among others.

The concept is good for instant gratification and digital players, and it's definitely cheaper than buying two tracks separately. And kudos to iTunes for reaching back into the archives and not limiting the Digital 45s to The Black Eyed Peas and Taylor Swift. But wouldn't you rather own the real thing?