Jeff Mangum plotting to kill Zach Condon, financing ab machine

This one is only sort of a joke. If you go to Aziz is Bored, comedian Aziz Asnari conducts an interview with "Jeff Mangum" about his future. Topics include Aeroplane's influence, his plot to destroy Beirut, a Neutral Milk Hotel "total gym", and the idea to create a VH1 reality show called "The Queen of Carrot Flowers" where Jeff finds a wife Joe Millionaire-style. Ill.

You can hear it here.

Though Neutral Milk Hotel actually isn't returning, there is some consolation. Orange Twin has made the only record from Mangum's side project Major Organ and the Adding Machine finally available on vinyl. Not exactly a brand new concept album, but it's all I got.

Monday's Best: Slits playing Boston, Bobby Gillespie bludgeoned outside club, David Byrne didn't steal from hot dog stand

According to several sources, reformed all-girl punk band The Slits are playing their first Boston date in over a quarter century at Great Scott's on October 30th, the day before Halloween. Aside from flat-out rocking, the band is infamous for posing half-nude in their liner notes (they were also, arguably, except for the Raincoats, the most popular all-girl punk band of the 1970s). There's also a band called Aids Wolf playing, apparently. Keep this date open, things could get interesting.

In other news, NME is reporting that Primal Scream singer/head maestro Bobby Gillespie had the shit kicked out of him outside a Spanish nightclub just days before the band was slated to perform on one of the last episodes of Top of the Pops. Apparently, Primal Scream played "Country Girl", black eyes and all. Can't wait to see that up on YouTube.

Lastly, Pitchfork published an interview with David Byrne this morning. Even if you don't care about Byrne's newfound love for 1980s Spanish opera or why he decided to keep "Qu'ran" off My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, he's got some interesting things to say about the music industry. Check it out here.

Slice of Samba: Futureheads, Paul Holcomb, Destroyer

The Futureheads - "He Knows" (courtesy of Bradley's Almanac)
This is a live track from the Futureheads' last stop in Boston a few weeks ago. I was at the show, and loved it, but not as much as I love it now. They are so crazy good live -- I hope you get the chance to witness it.

Paul Holcomb - "Ted's Techno Tubes" (courtesy of Yeti Don't Dance)
If you're not a big blog reader or a Daily Show aficionado, you probably haven't heard about this. This is cut-up actual audio footage from the Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, 85 year-old Ted Stevens. Keep in mind that this guy regulates internet activity in the United States when he mentions that the internet "is a series of tubes" and that when other people are downloading movies he can't get the internets that his staff sends him. Right.

Destroyer - "European Oils"
Many people are calling Dan Bejar's newest, Rubies, the album of the year, including awesome comedian and DJ Aziz Asnari. I haven't gotten a chance to hear the whole record, but you can listen to the track that people are loving, courtesy of Good Hodgkins.