First things first: I bitched and moaned about how I wouldn't be caught dead at the Pitchfork Music Festival -- now I'm considering doing something very rash, like getting in the car Ted and driving the 17 hours to Chicago RIGHT THIS VERY SECOND so I can make it to the Mountain Goats set just in the nick of time and then collapse in exhaustion after Art Brut while deciding whether to see Matmos or Teddy Leo. Sadly, there's really no way, feasable or not, to make it in time to make it to the opening party with Voxtrot, The Joggers, and Sunset Rubdown tonight, though. Dang!

Seriously, what was I thinking? Nearly everyone (and I mean everyone) I know is there. Friends who live elsewhere, Austin pals, fellow bloggers, friends in bands, my biggest secret indie rockstar crush (*sigh*) -- they're ALL there -- probably hanging out in the VIP tent drinking POM together, too, even. So, just know I'm rocking out in spirit with you, kids. Feel free to call me and hold up the phone at key moments or drunk dial me at the end of the night from one of those crazy afterparties. You know what I'm talking about! (And really, don't get me started on how maybe we should have made plans to go to Lollapalooza, too.)

Moving on: I have a huge ego -- this may not surprise you. Seriously huge -- but only about one thing, really: The quality of my writing. But there's a few people who really put me to shame on a regular basis, and one of them is Sean from Said the Gramophone.

Wait, let me back up a bit. The thing about being a loathsome hipster tastemaker is that you can't do it alone -- though people come to me for recommendations, often I'll hear of a band that totally blows me away from a friend, and it seriously makes me wonder if I'm even a tenth as awesome as I think I am. But the reality is that one can't know every fantastic band in every city around the world -- though one would certainly like to try and be that knowledgeable. (Heck, there's even Austin bands I'm only hearing about now, you know? It's impossible sometimes.) But I digress. Back to Sean.

A few months ago he wrote about seeing The Hussy's (yes, that's not a grammatical error) open for The Research. Did I listen to them then? I can't remember. Maybe? But it doesn't really matter as yesterday my work pal Adi emailed me a few tracks from The Hussy's, forwarded to him by his friend Alex in the UK. I was totally charmed.

Generally, gimmicky songs full of pop-culture references are anethema to me. And a song about Napoleon Dynamite, a movie I find completely loathsome, should send me screaming, right? The thing is, it doesn't. The Hussy's are catchy, clever, polished without being overly slick and inaccessable -- Sean said they were like Avril Lavigne in a tryst with Beulah, which is a semi-horrifyingly vivid mental image, actually, but pretty spot-on. Which is to say, such a comparison is quite a compliment in my mind -- you do know that my signature karaoke tune is "Complicated," right? And that I bemoan the break up of Beulah at least once a week? Both of these facts are completely true.

The Hussy's -- Rock Show
The Hussy's -- Tiger

If you want to hear "Napoleon Dynamite," check out The Hussy's Myspace page and/or buy an EP (if you're in the UK, they don't currently ship internationally).

Other finds of interest this week:
The melancholy, melodramatic piano-pop of Jeremy Warmsley, RIYL Rufus Wainwright and Jens Lekman. Dog Problems, the fantastic second album from The Format, who, like The Walkmen and I, have Harry Nilsson on the brain. Dog Problems may very well turn out to be this year's American Idiot -- which is to say, the album I obsess over that surprises everyone. J. Frank Parnell offers some Prefab Sprout, and their modern-day offspring, The Changes. I had very polite, well-written (always important!) emails from the boys in The Cherry Tempo (who are from my old haunt, Santa Fe, NM, no less) and local lads Ghost of the Russian Revolution, both of whome I believe are worth checking out. Oh, and. Please don't tell, but I have a big crush on Mew. Can you tell it's summer? I'm all about the big, shiny, heartfelt, and uabashedly sincere pop these days.

Jeremy Warmsley -- Jonathan and the Oak Tree
The Cherry Tempo -- Wake Up! Gertrude Stein

Confidential to the person(s) who have Overhyped -- please keep posting, I miss you!

And, if this doesn't make you nostalgic for the good ol' days, I don't know what will: John Roderick from The Long Winters and Sean Nelson, formerly of the Long Winters and back with his mainline gig, Harvey Danger (their album, Little by Little, was re-released on Kill Rock Stars this week), interview each other for Three Imaginary Girls. In a swanky steakhouse. Classic!


Photo: Aubrey Edwards // Model: Sean // Location: Emo's Front Room

And now, for the announcements. First of all, Pinkie and I (thanks to Terry!) will be DJing at the Chain Drive on first and third Wednesdays -- our first gig is this upcoming Wednesday, August 2nd. We'll entertain you with a fine array of delectable musical delights before, between, and after sets from Denton's toy piano-loving up-and-comers Teenage Symphonies, Economy, and The Shells. We are also planning an as-yet unnamed (though we have a really good contender) Sunday night residency (second and fourth Sundays) at the swank-a-riffic pride of the Eastside, the Peacock. We're also, yes, planning on holding the next Love and a .45 there in September -- stay tuned for details on both of those events!