Right on. It'll be fun!

From GBV.com

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM GUIDED BY VOICES

After almost 20 years, assorted lineups, and countless albums, EPs, singles, triples, stolen bases, misdemeanor convictions, and broken hearts, Dayton, OH's fortunate sons are taking leave of your senses. 'Half Smiles Of The Decomposed,' to be released August 24 on Matador Records, will be the final album from Guided By Voices, one of the most acclaimed independent rock bands of all time.

"This feels like the last album for Guided By Voices," explains Robert Pollard, GBV's lone constant member, lead singer, and famously prolific songwriter. "I've always said that when I make a record that I'm totally satisfied with as befitting a final album, then that will be it. And this is it."

'Half Smiles Of The Decomposed' is the band's 15th full-length studio release, following 2003's 'Earthquake Glue' and retrospective box set, greatest-hits, and DVD releases. Although its tour later this year will be the band's last, Robert Pollard will continue writing, recording, and (possibly) touring as a solo artist. "I love the guys in the band, but I'm getting too old to be a gang leader," he explains. "There's a sense of maturity, and even integrity, I think, in continuing as one's own self."

Since Bob has been the only constant, it's hard to get worked up about this. It's not as though the "solo" stuff he's already released has been so different from GBV.

Saw Blondie on Saturday night. 'Twas fun. They sounded great, she scared me by altering a few melodies in the early bits (I thought she had to lower the notes to fit her range), but then hit big high notes later, so okay.

They played a good handful of new tunes, all save one or two fit really well with the old favorites. I feel so neat having seen a big ol' legend!

Debbie should be in pretty good voice - she's been singing with the Jazz Passengers since the 90s.

Heh, just came across some folks in LJ talking about the Bubblegum Book, and speculating about the fact that Kim will be writing one of the Continuum Books about In The Aeroplane Over the Sea.

It feels kind of weird to pop in and say, "You'll love the new book!" But it also reminds me of the scene in Annie Hall when Alvy pulls Marshal McLuhan into the frame to talk to the blowhard.

Uh, not that anybody was being a blowhard.

That reminds me that I really ought to buy the Joe Pernice one.

That reminds me that I really ought to buy the Joe Pernice one.

After reading the review, I wanted to get it myself.

Real fast because I'm about to go to bed.

Found a new band- new to me, actually, they're big enough now to be touring with Coldplay- give them a listen. They're called Eisley.

My batting average in buying cds has been pretty good of late, if not fiscally responsible.

Purchased today:

TV on the Radio, desperate youth, blood thirsty babes

The Innocence Mission, befriended

The former is spunky, surprising and rocking. The latter mellow and lush (and, yet again, Christian artists - what's going on here?).

I had remembered previous posts (Jon?) mentioning the goodness of TV on the Radio, but I really bought both because the music store I spent forever in today (ahh the time of empty-music-store browsing that joblessness allows) does such a great job of cutting out reviews and attaching them to the name cards for each band. Every music store should do that.

I had remembered previous posts (Jon?) mentioning the goodness of TV on the Radio

Yep. A real grower.

<pokes head nervously into music thread> Does anyone here know anything about a band called "Rasmus"? I think they're from Finland. I saw a video called "In the Shadows" (or possibly "From the Shadows") which hit some of my buttons. (Said buttons tend to hover around Bowie, alt-feminist-rock, and weird combos of Mexican and Irish folk music like The Mollys, but show up in other odd places.) Anyway, I liked the single. Does anyone know if it's representative of their sound in general? Suggestions on where I can find out more?