By the time this runs, American Minor will be back in Los Angeles for two weeks to mix the full-length follow-up to The Buffalo Creek EP. The homecoming concert Jan. 28 at The Canopy Club was a thunderous success. The set was the new album from start to finish: 12 songs, five never previously played in public, plus “Buffalo Creek,” “Walk On,” and “Break,” the oldest surviving song by American Minor. A video for “Buffalo Creek,” directed by Max Nichols in December, is available at both jiverecords.com and mtv.com. American Minor next performs Feb. 25 at The Highdive with The Redwalls and Addison.
Adam Fein, frontman for Absinthe Blind, has been scarce since the band semi-officially folded in September 2003. To date, he has resurfaced only from October 2003 to February 2004, for three shows with Headlights when it was an acoustic vocal duo, and one song of one show with Orphan at the Nargile grand opening. Evidence of a side project, Cortisol, dates to at least the release of Rings, but apart from a demo EP or two without promotion, everything has been hush-hush.
An album at last is imminent: The University of 4.5, which consists of 11 tracks by Adam Fein with Brett Sanderson, mixed by Adam Schmitt. Techno remixes of “The Truth That Paints Your Eyes” and “Do You Know What You Mean to Me” on Winning Is Our Business and Business Is Good hinted at what was to come here, but sovereign songs such as “Amy to the Northwest” both distinguish it and link it to live performance past. Another, “The Gold,” will appear on both The University of 4.5 and a Brilliante Records compilation soon. Adam Fein will discuss Cortisol and preview the new album Monday night at 11 p.m. on Champaign Local 901. Meanwhile, the current incarnation of Headlights performs with The Chemicals and Earlimart at 10 p.m. Saturday at Cowboy Monkey, and cover is $5.
As reported right here last time, the release show for the Innocent Words Records compilation, More Ways than Three, will be at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 26, at The Highdive, and cover will be $5. The lineup includes Lorenzo Goetz, Terminus Victor and Cameron McGill. Proceeds will go toward art supplies, books and music for the recreation room of Riley’s Children’s Hospital. More Ways than Three, available for pre-order at innocentwords.com, has 17 tracks and is the third annual Innocent Words Records compilation. The three exclusive tracks are by those on the bill: advance single “Slumber Jaw” by Lorenzo Goetz; “Burning Capabilities” by Terminus Victor; and “Depression Glass” by Cameron McGill. The 14 other featured acts are: Kinski, Sinombre, King’s X, Hamell on Trial, Juliana Hatfield, Tegan & Sara, Andrea Maxand, Ani DiFranco, Common Rider, Haymarket Riot, Big Bright Lights, The Eames Era, Two Loons for Tea, and Triple Whip.
Last weekend at Pogo Studio, recording began for Playlisted, the other local compilation due early this year from Green St. Records. The track listing for Playlisted appeared last week in Listen, Hear. Two of the 13 finalists for inclusion, Shipwreck and i:scintilla, co-headline a Green St. Records showcase at 9:30 p.m. tomorrow at Nargile, and cover is $5.
Note: the singer for i:scintilla is Brittany Bindrim, and debut album The Approach is a self-release, with distribution through Positron! Records.
