[Photos by Jimmy Edgar]

Much has been made of Kelley Polar’s expulsion from Juilliard, which happened soon after his “Kelley Polar Quartet” swaddled such key Metro Area cuts as “Miura,” “Dance Reaction” and “Caught Up” in rich string arrangements. Since the producer/pianist/violist still has a soft spot for classical music, we asked him to share his favorite jams made by (long) dead men, as well as explain the whole Juilliard thing in detail …

I was drawn to classical music at a young age because my parents (specifically my mother) decided that my dear sister Blevin should play when she was about 3—when I was born. She also bought a puppy around this time. So my sister practiced the Suzuki method of violin playing and my first germinative months were spent with her playing “The Happy Farmer,” “Aunt Rhody” and “Perpetual Motion.”

So when I was around 3 I started playing as well.

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SIGUR RÓS: Filming the sequel to ‘Lady in the Water’

• Roky Erickson has contributed vocals to one cut on Mogwai’s upcoming EP.
• Sigur Rós has revealed all the saucy details behind their new album.
• Speaking of Iceland’s finest post-rockers, YouTube has banned their new video.
• Who knew Becky Stark of Lavender Diamond was a movie star at heart?
• Radiohead has asked Prince to unblock YouTube videos of his “Creep” cover.
• Okkervil River are readying another new record already.
• A Germs biopic is on tap for September.
• Editors can’t seem to get over their R.E.M. support slot.
• So Mount Eerie is a little busy.
• Poor Billy Murray.
• Mike Patton and The Melvins have been tapped to curate ATP’s Nightmare Before Christmas fest.
• Don’t give up on a Blur reunion just yet.
• Tricky has slammed some hip-hop artists for encouraging the UK’s gun violence.
• The controversy never stops with Nas.
• The Stills have joined the Canada-centric roster of Arts & Crafts.

[Photo by Liz Hodson]

Look, we’re never going to get over the disbandment of cLOUDDEAD—the murky & melancholic collective that helped launch the love-or-loathe careers of Yoni Wolf, Doseone and Anticon.’s finest beat conductor (outside of Alias, of course), Odd Nosdam. It’s telling that two of the three have already went on to widely-acclaimed bands, both of which released their finest records to date this year (Subtle’s ExitingARM, Why?’s Alopecia).

What’s unfortunate is just how overlooked Nosdam’s been over the past few years, as he quietly crafted a hypnotic and hazy compromise between Boards of Canada’s chilling, sepia-toned compositions and the in-the-red drone pieces of Boris and Sunn O))). While the latter may seem like a stretch at first, Nosdam did manage to distill his own version of distorted downtempo on last year’s Level Live Wires LP.

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DAN DEACON: Spinal Tap for the DayGlo generation

• Spinal Tap has returned in time for a … National Geographic documentary.
• Dan Deacon is working on a “dark” album. Yeah, we’ll believe it when we hear it too.
• A mystery witness has cropped up in R. Kelly’s trial.
• Don’t fuck with Naomi Campbell.
• People—hundreds of thousands of them—apparently still care about 3 Doors Down.
• Wanna ask 1/2 of KLF—electronica’s greatest ever pranksters—a question?
• A bunch of Tony Soprano gear is up for bids at a benefit auction.
• EMI’s debt-ridden plot keeps thickening.
• The Black Lips have unveiled a new, kinda awesome music video.
• Radiohead-lite alert: Muse is back in the studio.
• Jello Biafra has turned 50. And to think Ah-nuld got a state government spot before him.
• Nothing says good afternoon like a vintage Gwar interview.
• Pearl Jam have added a special charity show to their July NYC run.
• T.I.’s last wish before starting his 2009 prison sentence is a new MTV show.
• Maximo Park are prepping a new album for 2009.
• Simple Minds are plotting a proper reunion.
• What a cute but somewhat creepy Sigur Rós story.
• And the greatest festival name ever? “F Yeah.”
• Wanna hear another epic Hercules & Love Affair remix? Yeah you do.

BONEDUST: The cell phone guy is seconds from being electrocuted

Text/Photos by Andrew Parks

self-titled decided to do the unthinkable last Wednesday: hit shows throughout the city from 7 to midnight, only to end up at one of the warm-up parties for Santos’ Party House. Four venues and five acts were witnessed along the way, along with intermittent rain, two rounds of indie rock trivia, a door bitch that wasn’t too bitchy, and one of the city’s finest cocktail bars. Here’s what happened …

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ELLEN ALLIEN: The most minimal Magic Eye portrait ever

By Aaron Richter

As we all know by now, new releases hit record-store shelves and digital-download services each Tuesday. So every week self-titled presents a new release you’d be stupid not to own (Buy It), one worth checking out if you’re the curious type (Burn It) and something you might have heard about but probably should avoid (Skip It). Simple, ain’t it?

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[Portrait of Eleanor Friedberger by Gregory Holm]

It’s official: self-titled has finished and ‘printed’ our first digital issue. A mini version of it can be found near the top of our page, but here’s a more detailed rundown of what you’ll be able to find inside:

• A probing Q&A about drugs, near-death experiences and Harmony Korine with Spiritualized’s Jason Spaceman.
• An exclusive Mad Libs session with No Age.
• Beard tips from Tim Harrington of Les Savy Fav and how not to sound like an American in Paris with The Teenagers, all on one page.
• Booka Shade break down their decision to make a total living room LP.
• How to survive three brunch courses with head Swan/Angel of Light, Michael Gira.
• A complete guide to Berlin, by Ellen Allien.
• Magik Markers pull out their favorite OOP albums.
• Jens Lekman explains just what the hell is going on in that head of his.
• A year in the hype machine with Yeasayer.
• A Winehouse-free tour of Daptone Records‘ Brooklyn homebase.
• “Tipping Point” profiles of Mahjongg, Cool Kids and Holy Fuck.
• A look at the bleeding edge album art of Boris‘ drummer.
• Eleanor Friedberger shares her personal clothing collection in an exclusive photo shoot.
• The most revealing Black Dice profile you’ll ever read, not to mention extensive features on Black Mountain and our cover stars The Black Lips.
• James Pants, Quiet Village, Torche and nine other “From the Stacks” selections.
• A Burial-inspired art print by Kim Hiorthøy.

Now, for some reading tips …

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Because self-titled’s staff doesn’t always agree (and neither do you) …

What we said then:
“The Jamie Lidell we know and love is fun. This is not fun. This is so white-bread normal.”

Another perspective on things:
The chirping birds and cascading piano keys that drift across the opening scene of Jamie Lidell’s third studio album couldn’t be more obvious in terms of the tone they’re trying to set. Much like the animated/analog universe of Mary Poppins (yes, Mary Poppins), Jim sticks to a sun-gazing palette of pastels, reds and oranges—a world where a spoonful of sweetener is all it takes for the medicine to go down. Or a spoonful of blue-eyed soul in Lidell’s case, as his latest LP marks a jarring departure from the circuit-bending, seize-the-day songs of Multiply. True to its banal title, Jim is free of frills, a record that’s determined to deliver nothing but deceivingly simple nods to the glory days of Otis, Marvin, Stevie and anything that’s ever been pressed with a Stax or Motown sticker. Deceivingly simple because of the subtle but spicy touches that Mocky and Gonzales—longtime Lidell collaborators that had their way with Feist last year—bring to nearly every track. That goes for everything from the decadent disco direction of “Green Light” to the way synths color outside the lines of “Figured Me Out.” As Lidell says in one song, “a little bit of feel good goes a long way,” making this album one of the year’s finest Sunday morning listens.

Disagree with one of our reviews? Be sure to comment/offer your own take and we might print your thoughts in a follow-up ‘Au Contraire’ piece.

Text/Photos by Andrew Parks

A review of this Les Savy Fav performance/NY Mag promotion wouldn’t do it justice, especially since the sound was cranked to the point of utter incoherence, much like it had been for Ted Leo’s set at a SPIN party last winter. (Maybe comedy and acoustic Michael Gira shows are the only things Highline can handle.)

That said, such raucous Let’s Be Friends selections as “Patty Lee” and “The Equestrian” went over VERY WELL with a severely inebriated crowd of Indie Rock Trivia players. Not that the music matters when Tim Harrington is onstage (yes, these are all from the same show; Tim is quite the fan of costume changes) …

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See that curious new cut over in our IMEEM player? It’s not some ordinary single or mid-fi MP3; it’s a full, high-quality live set from Gang Gang Dance’s Southpaw show in late April. Straight from the band, too.

In other GGD news, be sure to keep an eye out for two things in the coming months:  (1) the band’s appearance on SummerStage’s greatest bill ever and (2) details on an actual full-length album after all that EP/DVD business.