Strokes Guitarist Preps Second Solo Album

While his bandmates lounge around the lower east side and admire their bank accounts, it seems Strokes background man Albert Hammond Jr. has been hard at work. The band's third most recognizeable member recently completed recording Como Te Llama, the follow up to last year's wonderfully surprising Yours To Keep, and is shooting for a June release. Hammond, also known for his stirring portrayal of "The Guy" in Dave Chappelle's Half Baked,surprised many, including the other Strokes, with the 2007 release of his first solo album. A light, dreamy, summertime excursion, Yours was critically endeared, leading to an impromptu tour following the album's release. This time around, it appears Hammond is anticipating some live sets.

Friday Afternoon Playlist

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Tampa Music Week

Hunker down and gather round the fire to combat the unseasonably sub-65 degree temperatures. If you dare venture out, here's a little something to keep you warm.

WEDNESDAY
Vodoo Organist
New Wolrd Brewery 9pm
Here's something you don't see every day: a one-man goth organist/variety show, whose music sounds like the soundtrack to a Rob Zombie flick. Local oddball rockers Worldwide Zoo and Super Secret Best Friends join.

THURSDAY
VHS or Beta;Tigercity
Crowbar
Over the top dance rockers VHS or Beta may not be able to decide on an obselete video media, but they definitely know how to have a good time. It seems they've tried to tone it down a bit. Hopefully, not too much. Ingeniously paired with Hall & Oates spawn Tigercity.



SATURDAY
Auto! Automatic!!

New World Brewery 9pm
Ubiquitous local experimental troupe melts Imperial Stout sipping faces. Plus, the guy who cuts our hair likes 'em. History and With Harchet, Pike and Gun open.

A Portrait of The Artist: Carlos D.

Fans looking for some insight into the creative minds behind the excellent, if not somewhat reclusive, art/industrial band Interpol will want to make their way over to this cyberspace gem. Apparently, Carlos D., Pol's goth bassist galore, has been up to more than just perfecting the porn stache recently. D's also trying his hand at television and cinema scoring and using his personal website as a means for hocking his wares.

(Carlos D., trying to recall where he parked the beat up white van.)

It will come as no surprise to those familiar with the best dressed band this side of the Atlantic that Carlos marches to the beat of a different drum, but some of the info over there is still....interesting.

Pitchfork.tv Launches

We here at the Society are forever indebted to the folks over at Pitchfork for their dedication to shining a light on good and interesting, if underappreciated, music. That said, it can be difficult to digest some of the pretense and snark over there at times. Tends to smack of "I'm cool because I like such and such band" and what have you. Fortunately, for those looking to get turned on to new music sans the jibber jabber, we point you to pitchfork.tv, launched earlier this week. There's already lots of fun stuff up over there, including live sets and music videos. Enjoy.

Bon Iver: Cold, Good

The classic rock and roll tale: Boy meets girl. Boy starts band. Boy breaks up with girl and band. Boy moves to a cabin in West Bumblefuck, Wisconsin in the dead of winter. Boy records heartbreakingly magnificent album. Ok, maybe "classic" is not the right term. Anyway, Justin Vernon, aka Bon Iver, sure did come out of the woods with some damn fine tunes. His first album, For Emma, Forever Ago, was properly released by Jagjaguwar about two months ago. While others jumped into this album headfirst months ago, the Society, as is often the case, arrives fashionably late to the party.

That Emma was written and recoded in a wooded, snow-convered cabin, only seems appropriate. Listening to the album, its as if it couldn't possibly have been created anywhere else. The songs have a distinct "winter" hue. Those of you experiencing the final throws of old man winter's fleeting grasp would do well to snatch up a copy, before the clouds break.

Friday Afternoon Playlist

Kicking down cubicle walls edition. Cut our chains now, spread our borders.


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Ambulance Ltd. Tour Begins Now

This tamborine weilding lad and his mates intend to get some road under their feet in the coming days, setting out on an Atlantic Coast jaunt that began last night in Boston. "Shoegazing" is the first word that comes to mind, but really, their work is much more eclectic than that, encompassing a little bit of everything from Velvet Underground and The Allman Brothers to Al Green. While knocking off the rust of a two year layoff and breaking in an almost entirely new lineup is no small feat, the opening show apparently went pretty well. If you're out and about anywhere between NYC and DC in the next handful of days, the Society recommends giving Ambulance Ltd. a listen in person.

Luke Wilson Picks Up Guitar, Sprouts Beard, Croons Sentimental

It appears the price of stardom weighs heavy on two Wilson brothers these days. Luke Wilson, he of hits Old School, Bottle Rocket and The Royal Tenenbaums and misses Vacancy and The Family Stone, has sold his home in L.A., moved to the nether mountains of western North Carolina and grown some Richie Tenenbaumesque fuzz. Stunningly, he's thrown his hat into the alt folk ring to boot. Under the stage name Tyler Ramsey, Wilson released a well received solo album, A Long Dream About Swimming Across The Sea in January and recently wrapped up a nationwide tour opening for the like minded Band of Horses. Wilson, ahem, Ramsey, whose new bio claims that he grew up on folk picking in the foothils of Asheville, NC, has even been recruited to join the Horses full time on guitar.

A long dream, indeed.