img src= http://www.chromewaves.net/images/interface/20070801ride.jpg title= Ride class= blogPhoto It's funny, after four or five days of intense concentration on one thing/topic/event, trying to sort through all the unrelated stuff that's been backing up in the queue. I guess the most logical place would be this piece in last week's A href= http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic/story/0,,2135023,00.html target= new title= Guardian vs Shoegazing i Guardian /i /a which seeks to introduce its readership to a musical style tearing up the charts called shoegazing . br / br / Quotes are solicited from the likes of a href= http://www.slowdive.co.uk target= new title= Slowdive Slowdive's /a Neil Halstead and A href= http://www.rideox4.net target= new title= Ride Ride's /a Mark Gardener, representing the old guard and a href= http://www.mahogany.nu/ target= new title= Mahogany Mahogany's /a Andrew Prinz and A href= http://www.ulrich-schnauss.com/ target= new title= Ulrich Schnauss Ulrich Schnauss /a the new school but it's former Creation Records honcho Alan McGee who has the most contentious quote, calling A href= http://www.mybloodyvalentine.net Target= new title= MBV My Bloody Valentine /a a comedy band and a joke . br / br / Of course, McGee's been known to utter an outrageous remark or two in his time so there's really naught to do but shake your head, say Oh Alan! and turn i Loveless /i up. Way up. Or, if you're a a href= http://www.stereogum.com/archives/bigmouths-strike-again/my-bloody-valentine-were-a-joke.html target= new title= Stereogum vs shoegaze Stereogum /a reader, you get indignant and outraged. Whichever. Naturally, I think McGee's on the mark on calling Ride a rock band, really, a fantastic rock band but he's still a bit of a nutter. br / br / Coincidentally (or perhaps not, there is apparently a shoegaze revival happening right now), A href= http://www.avclub.com/content/feature/permanent_records_albums_from_19 target= new title= AV Club vs Ride The AV Club /a has added Ride's debut full-length A href= http://search.insound.com/search/showrelease.jsp?from=90804 p=INS21112 target= new title= Nowhere i Nowhere /i /a to its Permanent Record Hall Of Fame. I applaud the selection, of course, but am firmly on record as declaring A href= http://search.insound.com/search/showrelease.jsp?from=90804 p=INS21113 target= new title= GBA i Going Blank Again /i /a as their masterpiece. Disagree if you like, just know that you are wrong. br / br / strong MP3: /strong A href= http://www.chromewaves.net/mp3/Ride-ChromeWaves.mp3 title= Chrome Waves Ride - Chrome Waves /a br / br / Rumours continue to circulate about Kevin Shields returning to live performance as soon as this Fall and some new MBV activity next year, involving both new and archived material. Most are right to be skeptical, but where there's this much smoke, there's usually some kind of fire. Or just enough people smoking something. Ride, on the other hand, seem to be the one band from the 90s that are bound and determined to stay split up (though they've also been the subject of some a href= http://www.nme.com/news/ride/28291 target= new title= NME vs Ride crazy, unfounded rumours /a as well. Hell, at last check the retrospective DVD wasn't even happening anymore. br / br / A href= http://www.toshackhighway.com/ target= new title= Adam Franklin Adam Franklin /a , ex of a href= http://www.swervedriver.com target= new title= Swervedriver Swervedriver /a , recently released his new album and first under his own name a href= http://search.insound.com/search/showrelease.jsp?p=INS36527 target= new title= Bolts Of Melody i Bolts Of Melody /i /a . A href= http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/Content?oid=365096 category=22153 target= new title= Portland Mercury vs Adam Franklin i The Portland Mercury /i /a talked to Franklin about finally stepping up and putting out an album without a pseudonym. Also worth mentioning is A href= http://www.myspace.com/thesettingsuns target= new title= Setting Suns Setting Suns /a , Franklin's new project with a href= http://www.interpolnyc.com target= new title= Interpol Interpol's /a Sam Fogarino. a href= http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/42042-interpols-sam-swervedrivers-adam-setting-suns target= new title= PF vs Setting Suns Pitchfork /a had some details about the collaboration a few months ago. br / br / And speaking of Fogarino, he talked to A href= http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article2146133.ece target= new title= The Times vs Interpol i The Times /i /a about his opinion on stylistic doppelgangers a href= http://www.editorsofficial.com target= new title= Editors Editors /a (he finds them flattering). The rest of the band also talks to the UK paper about stuff and such. br / br / A href= http://www.jmascis.com target= new title= J Mascis J Mascis /a has got his own A href= http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?partno=0255800550 target= J Jazzmaster signature model Fender Jazzmaster /a , complete with purple sparkle finish. It's good to know that if he ever gets his A href= http://jmascis.com/news/dinosaur_jr/dinosaur_jr_gear_stolen_(long_island_city,_ny)_2006083047/ target= new title= Dinosaur Jr gear theft gear stolen again /a he can just head down to the nearest Guitar Center and pick up another one. br / br / A href= http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/44511-sigur-ros-plan-live-dvd-retrospective-album target= new title= PF vs Sigur Ros Pitchfork /a has details on two upcoming A href= http://www.sigur-ros.co.uk/ target= new title= Sigur Ros Sigur Ros /a releases, both due out November 5. i Heima /i is a tour DVD culled from a tour of their native Iceland and i Hvarf - Heim /i a double-disc retrospective but rather than collect album cuts, it consists of one disc of unreleased material and one disc of acoustic interpretations of their catalog. In other words, a must-have for fans. br / br / strong Trailer: /strong A href= http://www.heimafilm.com/heima_trailer.html target= new title= Heima i Heima /i /a (MOV) br / br / A news item at A href= http://www.cardigans.com/?sid=article pid=read id=7011 target= new title= Cardigans vs A Camp Cardigans.com /a confirms that Nina Persson is working on a second A href= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Camp target= new title= A Camp A Camp /a record. Persson says that it won't be as country-inflected as the first album nor is there any mention of A href= Http://www.sparklehorse.com target= new title= Sparklehorse Mark Linkous' /a involvement this time around. br / br / A href= http://www.chartattack.com/damn/2007/07/3005.cfm target= new title= Chart vs Fields i Chart /i /a talks to a href= http://www.fieldsband.com target= new title= fields Fields /a . br / br / A href= http://www.daytrotter.com/article/911/low-here-not-for-the-calamitous-but-for-whatever-comes-next-likely-a-series-of-empty-embraces target= new title= Daytrotter vs Low Daytrotter /a is offering both an interview and A href= http://www.daytrotter.com/article/910/free-songs-low target= new title= Daytrotter vs Low downloadable studio session /a with a href= http://www.chairkickers.com target= new title= Low Low /a . br / br / a href= http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/download/44556-voxtrot-firecracker target= new title= PF vs Voxtrot Pitchfork /a points the way to a new video from A href= Http://www.voxtrot.net target= new title= Voxtrot Voxtrot /a . They're in town October 9 at the Mod Club with A href= http://www.wearethelittleones.com/ target= new title= Little Ones The Little Ones /a and A href= http://www.1990s.tv/ target= new title= 1990s 1990s /a . br / br / Strong Video: /strong A href= http://streaming.beggars.com/bgroup/wm/playr/voxtr/video/GB-141-07-00043_300.asx title= Firecracker Voxtrot - Firecracker /a (ASX) br / br / Many show announcements over the past few days. Quickly and chronologically - A href= http://www.lilchiefrecords.com/brunettes/ target= new title= Brunettes The Brunettes /a are at the Horseshoe on September 28 and their new album A href= http://search.insound.com/search/showrelease.jsp?from=90804 p=INS36765 target= new title= Structure Cosmetics i Structure Cosmetics /i /a is out next week. A href= http://www.minusthebear.com/ target= new title= MtB Minus The Bear /A are at the Opera House October 1 to support A href= http://search.insound.com/search/showrelease.jsp?from=90804 p=INS36771 target= new title= Planet Of Ice i Planet Of Ice /i /a , out August 21. A href= http://www.dirtyonpurpose.com target= new title= DoP Dirty On Purpose /a and A href= http://www.fujiya-miyagi.co.uk/ target= new title= F M Fujiya Miyagi /a team up Voltron-style at Lee's Palace on October 3. A href= http://chkchkchk.net/ target= new title= !!! !!! /a get sweaty at the Opera House on October 15. A href= http://architectureinhelsinki.com/ target= new title= AiH Architecture In Helsinki /a pay a visit to Lee's on October 18 - their new album A href= http://search.insound.com/search/showrelease.jsp?from=90804 p=INS36482 target= new title= Places Like This i Places Like This /i /a comes out on August 21, check out their a href= http://www.blogotheque.net/article.php3?id_article=3290 target= new title= AiH vs Takeaway Shows Take-Away Show /a . And finally A href= http://www.figurines.dk/ target= new title= Figurines Figurines /a are at the El Mocambo on October 26 - their new record A href= http://search.insound.com/search/showrelease.jsp?p=INS37214 target= new title= When The Deer Wore Blue i When The Deer Wore Blue /i /a is out September 11. Most of the acts above putting out new records have media to sample. Check it out below. br / br / strong MP3: /strong A href= http://www.subpop.com/assets/audio/3457.mp3 title= Small Town Crew The Brunettes - Small Town Crew /a br / strong MP3: /strong A href= http://mp3.insound.com/download.php?mp3id=3166 title= Debbie Architecture In Helsinki - Debbie /a br / strong MP3: /strong A href= http://www.polyvinylrecords.com/media/prc-139-02.mp3 title= Heart It Races Architecture In Helsinki - Heart It Races /a br / strong MP3: /strong A href= http://www.controlgroupco.com/promo/figurinesdownload/03.mp3 title= Hey Girl Figurines - Hey Girl /a br / strong Video: /strong A href= http://vimeo.com/247919 target= new title= Hold Music Architecture In Helsinki - Hold Music (Vimeo) /a br / br / And finally, some terribly sad news - A href= http://www.bottomofthehudson.com/ target= new title= BOTH Bottom Of The Hudson /a , who were in town a href= http://www.chromewaves.net/index.php?itemid=2703 title= Chromewaves vs BOTH just a week and a half ago /a , were in an accident coming off tour in North Carolina on the weekend and bassist Trevor Butler was killed. Drummer Greg Lytle also sustained serious injuries but has been upgraded from critical to stable condition. Full details are available at A href= http://absolutelykosher.com/ target= new title= AbKosh their label's website /a and they are accepting donations via PayPal for Butler's family and Lytle's medical bills. Sympathies and best wishes to friends and families of Butler and the band. ...read full story