Three dollars and 63 cents

These kinds of prices are the same reason I skipped the last U2 tour. It was either $250 for the "good" seats, or else buy the $50 GA ones but have to line up ridiculously early to get close enough to actually be able to see them and be exhausted by the time the show actually started. At the same time, though, when prices are lower, scalpers just gobble up the tickets. Look at the LCD Soundsystem farewell show at Madison Square Garden next week. I couldn't do any of the in-person presales because I live five hours away, and the Pitchfork presale happened when I was teaching. I had to rely o

That's a really good cover--it echoes the original, but they put their own spin on it. Why are these guys not playing at Solid Sound? They sound like they're a blast live.

The official list is available here. If I can get them, I'll probably pick up the releases by Deerhoof, Ryan Adams, Justin Townes Earle, Sonic Youth and maybe the Dylan. I'll be at my local shop, Angry Mom Records (best store name ever!), bright and early.

It seems to me that there's a lot more advertising for Solid Sound this year. This week alone, I've seen ads on Paste and last.fm.

I just ordered a sealed copy of Kicking Television from a seller on Amazon for $49.95

There was a sealed copy on ebay a few weeks ago. The starting bid was $125, and the buy it now price was over $200 I'm really hoping these get rereleased on vinyl at some point, ideally not for Record Store Day, since that will inflate the prices (which is why I still haven't gotten Kicking Television yet).

Kim Gordon is doing a solo "and friends" show at the Stone the last weekend of April. I keep hoping Nels might be part of that, though I imagine it's going to be a tough show to get into. The LPR show is Deerhoof and friends and is part of Carnegie Hall's 2011 JapanNYC Festival. If By Yes was announced as an opening act a few weeks ago, though I agree with you that Nels will probably play a song or two with Deerhoof. I was already thinking of going when it was just Deerhoof, and there have been more reasons to try to make it as it's gotten closer.

Deerhoof *and* Nels the day after my birthday? Hot damn

I used to date a guy who lives in Northampton, so I've been to a few of the evenings of readings and music they've put together. They were always great stuff. (and one time, after one of these things, I got really annoyed because this woman was standing in front of my car talking to someone when I was ready to pull out of my parking spot, and when she turned around, I realized it was Kim Gordon and I sat there and was all until she finished her conversation) It's made me think, if Wilco has started its own label, why not start their own small press as part of it, too?

This just made me laugh so hard!

I'll come right out and admit that I'm more excited for Pillow Wand and Glenn's solo performance than I am for Wilco's sets. I was expecting the Singers and On Fillmore again and definitely would've enjoyed both, but I'm thrilled to get to see/hear Nels and Glenn doing things I haven't had the chance to before. I think that's really in the spirit of what this festival should be--celebrating all the other creative things these guys do besides being in a band together. Now that we know Thurston is part of the festival, I'd love to see Ecstatic Peace's press do some kind of reading or zine or

I have one of those USB turntables. It seems to pick up imperfections so much more clearly when hooked up to my computer than it does when hooked up to my stereo. I doubt I'll use the USB feature all that much because of it.

They played longer than I expected them to. I'm glad I came to my senses and realized driving down there and back tonight would've been a disaster for the rest of my work week. I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure it wowed me enough to go through the 10-hour roundtrip to see them this weekend. We'll see. Thanks to Ars Nova for doing this. They've gotten the Singers in Philly twice in barely more than six months, which is awesome. Keep it up--but not on a school night next time

They're not playing yet, but the stream is up and running. Video! I figured it would just be audio. I couldn't get down there tonight, but I may still try to make it to New York on Saturday.

My reaction to my first listen this morning is that it's completely forgettable. I have no desire to give it a second try anytime soon, either. What I thought was the highlight of the album was actually the start of Airbag, since OK Computer is the next album in my iTunes library. It just came off as robotic and soulless, which aren't words I've ever used to describe Radiohead before.

I'm hoping to make the trip down for this, weather- and work schedule-permitting, but it's still great to know the show is going to be webcast. I hope somebody is able to record and share the stream. I get the feeling this may be the only time these guys can find the time to tour together.

Nels is a big Deerhoof fan, and they've opened for Wilco before. Plus they have a new album out and will probably still be touring then. I'm wondering how much the artists they choose for Solid Sound will reflect or hint at the sound of the new album.

Prior to W(TA), A.M. was my least favorite Wilco album simply because it had the most songs that I regularly skipped (I Thought I Held You, Dash 7, and Blue-Eyed Soul). I love the rest of it. Now I'd much rather be forced to listen to A.M. in its entirety than all of W(TA). Like others have said, it's not an album I find myself going back to very much, and when I do, I always skip Deeper Down and You and I and usually skip Country Disappeared and either I'll Fight or Sonny Feeling. Too much of W(TA) feels familiar to me, and not in a good way. Deeper Down reminds me of Black Eye. Country Di

Some others I've thought of: Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon, Deerhoof, Low, and Nicole Atkins. And I second Langhorne Slim! As much as I love the Avett Brothers, they're way too popular now for a festival the size of Solid Sound.

What's strange is that Nels can play authentic country music. He did when he was with the Geraldine Fibbers (though they were less country by the time he joined, they still played their older material live), and he did when he played on Carla Bozulich's reimagining of Willie Nelson's Redheaded Stranger. The fact that his more recent playing doesn't come across as authentic (and I fully agree that it doesn't) leads me to believe it's the songwriting and the role he's allowed to take in Wilco more than it is his musicianship. I'd be interested in a Wilco album where each of them had the chance

The full Singers/ROVA Celestial Septet tour is: 2/22: International House, Philadelphia 2/24: Bowker Auditorium, U Mass, Amherst 2/25: Boston 2/26: Le Poisson Rouge, New York Scott Amendola's website shows a 2/27 show at the Windup Space in Baltimore, too, but it wasn't on Nels' site last time I checked. I don't doubt it's actually happening, though, if Scott posted it. If the weather cooperates, I'm hoping to make it to Philly and/or New York.

For starters, because it's safer for people who have been drinking (some probably all day--beer was pretty cheap last year) to be able to walk back to their hotel at the end of the night than have to drive or find a ride. I don't remember seeing any cabs last year, most likely because all of the hotels were either within walking distance or too far away for a cab. Some people will make safe, responsible choices if they have to drive, but inevitably, some won't. I hope it doesn't become a problem. As much as I enjoyed last year's festival and am looking forward to this year's, if the festiva

I'm glad to hear you're coming this year!