Crib Notes

Athens band Venice is Sinking has a new digital EP due out Sept. 22 via One Percent Press, titled Okay. The title is a nod to the San Francisco one-man band Okay, and it includes two Okay covers, titled “Compass” and “Give Up” which were both recorded with with Jason NeSmith of Casper & the Cookies. To make things even more confusing, the song on the EP, titled “Okay” previously appeared on VIS’s last album, AZAR — Okay?

“Compass” mp3

In other VIS news the group recently raised funds to pay for their upcoming third LP, The Georgia Theatre Album via Kickstarter. As of today (Fri., Sept. 11) their website boasts that they have surpassed their goal and funded “108%” of the album’s pressing costs. “We met our goal a few days ago!” says the group’s vocalist Daniel Lawson. “We’re still encouraging folks to pre-order the album through Kickstarter and/or continue donating since all of the proceeds from the record will be going back to the Georgia Theatre.

Click below the jump to read VIS drummer Lucas Jensen’s explanation of how Kickstarter works.

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Haveyouheard.net is sponsoring a free show at the Star Bar on Thursday, April 23, which kicks off its new series of free shows on the fourth Thursday night of every month. It’s free and the music starts at 10 p.m.

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Casper & the Cookies: Jason NeSmith (second from right).

For today’s episode of Roll Call we call out Jason NeSmith (A.K.A. Casper Fandango) frontman for Casper & the Cookies.

Who are you?
Jason NeSmith of Casper & the Cookies.

Describe yourself in three words.
filibuster
cloudy
hypno-toad

Who — dead or alive — would most you like to meet?
Ron Geesin. He plays ragtime improvisational piano, performs home studio experiments, writes for ensembles in a variety of styles, gives lectures, and creates art installations designed to help people with autism. He’s a common sense lunatic.

Who would you most like to slap in the face?
I would like to slap California in the face for voting ‘yes’ on Proposition 8.

What song do you wish you had written?
“(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, & Understanding?” Not only is it a fantastic, multi-layered song, but I would be a millionaire!

Elvis Costello or Elvis Presley?
It’s hard to imagine a history of popular music without Elvis Presley. Let’s find out.

LP, CD or MP3?
MP3 Monday through Friday, LP on the weekend (a.k.a. the media mullet).

If you could start one trend, what would it be?
It would be great if I could snap my fingers and cause car manufacturers to be passionate about discovering a practical alternative energy. Barring that, I’d like to see the return of natural Licorice and the corresponding demise of Green Apple Flavor.

If you could end one trend, what would it be?
I think fewer bands should write their own songs. It’s time for a new Brill Building.

With whom would you most like to play a game of spin the bottle?
Dude, I’m happily married. But the answer is the woman on the cover of Whipped Cream and Other Delights. That would be a lifelong dream fulfilled.

Casper & the Cookies forthcoming album, Sound of Silence is due for release in 2009.

“You Love Me” MP3

(Photo by Courtnie Wolfgang)

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Casper & the Cookies have unveiled three songs as a sampling of their forthcoming album, Modern Silence. This is the group’s follow-up to ’06’s The Optimist’s Club. The album is the product of nine months spent working alongside Bill Doss (Olivia Tremor Control, Apples in Stereo, The Sunshine Fix).

Each week during the month of October Casper & the Cookies are releasing one previously unreleased song form Modern Silence unto the blog world.

Frontman and principal songwriter Jason NeSmith offers this cryptic statement on the album: “Modern Silence: a phrase that evokes a number of themes. We used most of them: awkward long distance phone calls — language barriers — social anxiety — absence (or a general lack of presence) — a sudden numbing realization that one can no longer think of oneself as a good person — extraterrestrial friendship — and of course jazz-mime.”

Last week Three Imaginary Girls featured “Little King”. This week Optical Atlas will release “Sunshine Girl” on Friday, October 17th. You Ain’t No Picasso will do the honors on Oct. 24th.

(Photo by Courtnie Wolfgang)

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