if things were perfect

There’s not really much I can add to the endless stream of media vomit that has followed the death of Michael Jackson. Like most kids my age I LOVED the Jackson 5 – made my parents buy the records, watched the cartoon TV show and generally grew up with them. You just can’t argue with the tunes, the incredible sound and energy, the sheer exuberance that jumps from those records. It’s pop in the greatest sense of the word, of it’s time but also absolutely timeless.

Here we have the a-side from the band’s first single, released in 1968 on Steeltown Records. I was lucky enough to be gifted a copy of this years ago by a record store buddy (thanks Ray!), and while you wouldn’t mistake it for a Motown production or anything, I think it does give some indication of what was to come. Under the rough production a very young Michael’s talent is unmistakable, and though his trajectory is irreducibly tragic, the innocence and unalloyed joy on evidence here remains untainted.

Big Boy, [mp3]

To celebrate the release of their smashing Songs For Tuesdays album on July 14th, Melbourne’s newest pop sensations Summer Cats will be playing a series of shows on the west coast.

SAT JULY 11 – VENTURA CA
venue: Mai’s Cafe
with: Sea Lions

SUN JULY 12 – LOS ANGELES, CA
venue: Part Time Punks at The Echo
with: The Tartans

MON JULY 13 – SAN FRANCISCO, CA
venue: RECORD RELEASE PARTY at The Knockout’s All Fall Down night
with: The Tartans, Magic Bullets

WED JULY 15 – SACRAMENTO, CA
venue: The Blue Lamp
with: The Tartans, Baby Grand, English Singles

THU JULY 16 – PORTLAND, OR
venue: The Backspace
with: The Tartans, Soft Paws

Not content to spend almost every waking moment this spring on the road, the Pains are rapidly filling their summer/autumn dance card, starting with these upcoming shows:

07-10 New York, NY – South Street Seaport %
07-18 Chicago, IL – Pitchfork Music Festival
07-20 Los Angeles, CA – The Echo *
07-21 San Francisco, CA – The Rickshaw Stop *
07-23 Portland, OR – Backspace *
07-24 Vancouver, British Columbia – Biltmore Cabaret *
07-25 Seattle, WA – Capitol Hill Block Party
09-05 Boston, MA – Middle East Downstairs &+
09-06 Montreal, Quebec – La Sala Rossa &+
09-07 Toronto, Ontario – Horseshoe Tavern &+
09-08 Chicago, IL – Logan Square Auditorium &+
09-09 Madison, WI – Stage Door at the Orpheum &+
09-10 Omaha, NE – The Slowdown &+
09-12 Morrison, CO – Monolith Festival
09-13 Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court &+
09-14 Boise, ID – Neurolux &+
09-17 Portland, OR – MFNW/Doug Fir &+
09-21 San Diego, CA – Casbah &+
09-22 Tucson, AZ – Club Congress &+
09-24 Fort Worth, TX – Lola’s &+
09-25 Austin, TX – The Mohawk &+
09-26 New Orleans, LA – One Eyed Jacks &+
09-27 Tallahassee, FL – Club Downunder &+
09-28 Atlanta, GA – The Earl &+
09-29 Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506 &+
09-30 Washington, DC – Black Cat &+
10-01 Baltimore, MD – Ottobar &+
10-05 Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church &+

# with Crystal Stilts
% with Zaza
* with Girls & The Champagne Socialists
+ with Cymbals Eat Guitars
& with the Depreciation Guild

Liechtenstein recently completed a whirlwind tour of the US east coast. While here, they recorded a few radio sessions that will air soon. Both stations stream online, so no matter where you are please give a listen. Air times are Eastern Daylight Time.

WPRB – Wednesday, June 3 – 7-10pm (airs at 8pm, archive on http://www.keepingscoreathome.com)

WFMU – Saturday, June 6 – 9pm-Midnight

PS – I just heard the WFMU session and it’s awesome!

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart are featured in URB’s Next 100 Issue. Cool!

Check It Out!

We’re awfully excited to announce that our favorite Swedish post-punk pop group, Liechtenstein, will be playing their first-ever US shows in a few weeks:

MAY 15 – New York NY – Don Hills (NYC Popfest)
w/Don Lennon, The Tartans, Cats on Fire, secret band

MAY 16 – Philadelphia PA – Adobe Cafe
w/Brown Recluse

MAY 17 – Baltimore MD – Talking Head
w/The Calm, The Art Department, Sugarplums

MAY 18 – Cambridge MA – Middlesex Lounge
w/Pants Yell!, Suburban Kids With Biblical Names + Mark Robinson DJing

MAY 19 – Brooklyn NY – Bruar Falls
w/Cats on Fire & Boy Genius

MAY 20 – Washington DC – Velvet Lounge
w/Lorelei, Sundresses

Their splendid debut album Survival Strategies In A Modern World is out on Fraction Discs May 26 and on Slumberland June 9.

A fab set recorded in Brooklyn in February. Features upcoming single “103.”

Watch the full concert at baeblemusic.com

To celebrate the release of their new Because Because Because 12″ EP, out May 12, Cause Co-Motion! are playing some shows:

May 9
Brooklyn, New York
Bruar Falls
Record Release party
With the Beets and Liquor Store and DJs Daniel DiMaggio (Home Blitz) & Serge Pinsky (German Measles)

May 14
Columbus, Ohio
Wexner Center Mershon Auditorium
with King Kahn and the Shrines and Mark Sultan

May 15
Ann Arbor, Michigan
ARBOR VITAE (above Wazoo Records)
With Tyvek and Seaside

May 16
Chicago, Illinois
University of Chicago
WHPK “Summer Breeze” Festival

The Pains had their TV debut last night on Last Call with Carson Daly. Here’s a vid of them playing Young Adult Friction:

Look for more video soon…

Look for The Pains to make their first proper west coast jaunt in July. They’ll also be playing at the Pitchfork Fest in Chicago on the way.

07-18 Chicago, IL – Pitchfork Fest
07-20 Los Angeles, CA – The Echo (all ages) *
07-21 San Francisco, CA – The Rickshaw Stop (all ages) *
07-23 Portland, OR – Backspace (all ages) *
07-24 Vancouver, BC – Biltmore Cabaret (19 +) *

* – with Champagne Socialists and Girls