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WIN My Morning Jacket tickets TODAY!

Dear SCOPE Blog Reader,

The time has come! Send an email to scopeproductions@mac.com within the next 24 hours with the correct answer to the question below, your name and phone number, and you will be entered to win two tickets to My Morning Jacket October 7th!

Question: What was the first single off of My Morning Jacket's newest album, Evil Urges??

Check out www.scopeproductions.org for more information about all of our upcoming concerts!
The winner will be announced Friday, October 3rd. Good luck!

Rooney + Chuck Berry last night

I had to do this. SCOPE girls got a little down and dirty with the ol' Chuck Berry last night! I hope that many of you got to come out and enjoy this epic event!!! Leave your comments on the show here.

Homecoming Show TONIGHT

Don't forget that TONIGHT is the Homecoming Show featuring Chuck Berry and Rooney. The show starts after the parade on the Pentacrest Lawn. This show is FREE and is a great way to kick off Homecoming weekend! Homecoming is only the beginning of the concerts coming to Iowa City in the next few weeks.

On Tuesday, September 30th, Margot and the Nuclear So and So's will play LIVE from Old Brick Church. Will Bernard will perform at Old Brick as well, on Thursday, October 2nd.

On Tuesday, October 7th, My Morning Jacket will rock the University of Iowa Recreation Building. My Morning Jacket have sold out shows across the country and are stopping at the University of Iowa for their only college show before playing Madison Square Garden on New Years Eve. Do not miss the chance to see My Morning Jacket in such an intimate setting! A portion of all tickets sold goes to the University of Iowa Flood Relief Fund.

All tickets can be purchased at the University of Iowa Box Office located in the Old Capitol Mall, where students can charge up to eight tickets to their UBILLs. Tickets can also be purchased at ticketmaster.com and any other Ticketmaster location.

See you at the show! SCOPE Productions

new rocket summer video

i happened to be looking at rocket summer videos because of some scoffice discussions about musical tastes and happened upon a new video from the super fine, super talented bryce avary. his current album, 'do you feel,' came out last summer and i never stopped listening to it, but the title track's video was recently released. its upbeat, poppy stuff, but well worth a listen. avary puts on amazing live shows, plays multiple instruments, and is crazy talented. take a look.

jimmy eat world on nick jr. tomorrow

I don't get it...maybe if I was five.

Jimmy Eat World-Beautiful Day-Yo Gabba Gabba

Keeping up with the Tube

Kings of Leon played Letterman Tuesday night. The band played "Sex is on Fire" off of their new album, Only by the Night which was out yesterday....

And I hope you were able to catch My Morning Jacket on the Tonight Show with Leno Monday night, but if not click HERE and click on chapter 6 to view their performance of "I'm Amazed".

As for the rest of the week, be sure to check out Jakob Dylan on Late Night with Conan O'Brien Thursday, and Amos Lee Friday. Lady Antebullum will also be on Crag Ferguson Friday. 

Talk, Talk, Talk.

So I was surfing the web and came across a band called "Land of Talk". I really don't know how I haven't heard of them earlier. These indie rockers are the perfect remedy for a down and out day. The front woman's voice is rough enough to be edgy but still smooth enough to say "hey, let's listen to this over and over again." If you aren't convinced, you can get a free sample off their new album "Some Are Lakes" here. They are also playing in Minneaoplis at First Ave with fellow Canadians, Broken Social Scene, on October 13. Anyone up for a road trip?

gives you hell

back in the day, i used to be a big all american rejects fan. i enjoyed their "move along" cd and was eagerly awaiting the release of their next cd....until i just heard their new single on their webiste.

if you take a few seconds and join their website @ http://www.allamericanrejects.com/player/default.aspx?mid=3049 you can stream their new single, "gives you hell."

at least from my point of view, im thinking they should've stopped while they were ahead. check it out for yourself...

yes, another jack's mannequin post

apparently absolutepunk.net is posting a new video everyday of andrew mcmahon discussing one of his new songs. today he talks about spinning...

jack white and alicia keys' james bond theme released

here is the link to the spin article which also has the track:
http://spin.com/articles/hear-jack-white-and-alicia-keys-bond-theme

'another way to die.' ...literally.
i'm not impressed. and i LOVE jack white. LAME. what do you think?

Keep Coming Back...to Marc Broussard

i...met you in the middle of a rain cloud.

Most of you may believe (and I don't blame you) that not many worthwhile indie bands hail from central Iowa, or make it past playing an opening show at my beloved dive venue, the House of Bricks. False. Sure, you may not have heard of them, but if you follow the music scene in Des Moines, the Envy Corps is a big deal. Another plus: they're fantastic.
Hailing from Ames, Iowa, the Envy Corps is currently made up of Brandon Darner, Luke Pettipoole, and Scott Yoshimura. Scott's brother, David, is an original member but has since left the band. Luke and David, the original two, became friends through their mutual love of British rock. The addition of Brandon not only brought guitar talent to the band, but also contact with the Killers' David Keuning, from Pella, Iowa. After hearing demos, Keuning became an avid fan.
Meanwhile, playing local shows had created quite the local following for the boys, myself included. (Especially since one of my friends worked at Mr. Movies with Scott.) They released several EPs themselves, including I Will Write You Love Letters If You Tell Me To in 2006. It got great reviews, was on the College Music Journal's top 200, and most impressively, earned a spot opening for the Killers' fall tour that year.
London's Vertigo Records, an imprint of Mercury, came knocking, and in March of 2007, their Story Problem EP was released on iTunes and on double 7" in the UK. Much to the dismay of their Iowan cult following, the Envy Corps went on extensive tours through the UK. Last spring, they were supposed to open for the Eisley show I had tickets for in Minneapolis, but they canceled last minute to hop on a plane back to the UK for more tour dates that followed their UK release of their major label debut Dwell. It has also recently been released in the US. They also had a track, Story Problem, on the soundtrack for the movie Run, Fat Boy, Run.
After a hiatus of US appearances, the Envy Corps has finally been playing local shows again recently. Most memorably, their performance at the Iowa State Fair, where a large group moved from the primitive seating of the Anderson-Erickson Dairy Stage to form the standing room only crowd that the Envy Corps deserves. Their cover of the Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony" proves how much British rock influenced them from their days at Iowa State University to their recording days in London. They have also recently played at Des Moines' Nightfall on the River and have an upcoming show at People's Court, also is Des Moines, before going on tour with stops including Minneapolis, St. Louis, and Chicago.

Check out their Myspace page at www.myspace.com/theenvycorps.
Tracks to listen for:
Rhinemaidens
Wires and Wool
Sylvia the Beekeeper

The Envy Corps also has some awesome music videos out, so Youtube it. Here is the video for Rhinemaidens, one of their very first songs. Also check out the videos for Story Problem and Wires and Wool.


So this is more like an Envy Corps novel, but you won't be disappointed. I promise.

...mmj "i'm amazed"...

as we all "patiently" await the My Morning Jacket, Evil Urges show...i thought a little listen to "i'm amazed" might help some of you feel these guys out (if you know what i mean)...oct. 7th at university of iowa's rec center is the only college show they're doing all tour...ill say it again...it is the only college show they're doing all tour...have a listen and put on my morning jacket...it's getting cold outside

Win MMJ Tickets!

We told you all about SCOPE's upcoming fall lineup including:

Chuck Berry and Rooney September 26, 2008 FREE

Grammy-nominated jazz guitarist Will Bernard, October 2, 2008

Orchestral rock band Margot and the Nuclear So and So's September 30, 2008

Southern rockers My Morning Jacket October 7, 2008

Tickets for all of these shows can be purchased at the University Box Office, relocated in the Old Capitol Mall, but you also have a chance to win tickets to My Morning Jacket right here!

Stay tuned for a post in the next couple of weeks asking a question about My Morning Jacket. Simply e-mail scopeproducitons@mac.com with your name and the correct answer and you will be entered in a drawing to win 2 tickets to the show! Check out www.scopeproductions.org for more information about all of our upcoming concerts! 

I would be something they would be good at.

The Con - Call It Off
Beautiful song. Beautiful album.

And for the record I know they like girls, I'm hoping that I'm just girly enough to get them to make the switch. At least one of them anyway.

edit: video removed by popular demand

New Taylor Swift Video

Music and TV, maybe not so different...

I know the title may mislead you to thinking I'm talking about the new TV on the Radio (I still haven't listened to it. I know, I'm sorry) but what I'm really getting at is the new Ben Folds music video. Has Ben Folds dropped off (Yes) is he so five years ago? (Maybe). Luckily for avid music video connisseurs he is still awkward and funny. Have a look for yourself:

You Dont Know Me (featuring Regina Spektor)



Side note 1: For having Regina Spektor (a personal favorite) this song is terribly underwhelming

Side note 2: If you don't recognize the main couple then you don't watch the Tim and Eric show on adult swim. Youtube took off the show clips but i think the ad promo's gives you an idea of how awesome the show is. Please don't watch

Kanye Arrested!

MSNBC reports that early this morning, police arrested Kanye West and his road manager, Don Crowley, at LAX for felony vandalism after a little run-in with a photographer. Evidently Kanye didn't want his picture taken this morning , so he took the camera and threw it to the ground. Then, after noticing that another camera had captured the whole thing, he proceeded to go after them. Luckily, that camera survived to tell the tale. Check this out.

Get Excited, More Bon Iver News!

Bon Iver just recorded an EP of four songs from the album For Emma, Forever Ago for Myspace Transmissions that you can download for free here. The songs have a little different style to them. In For Emma, Justin completely ditches the guitar and serenades us from the piano. Very different feeling but still good all the same. You can also check out the video of the guys recording the EP.

Check out this video: Bon Iver - "For Emma" from MySpace Transmissions

SCOPE announces Margot and the Nuclear So and So's concert

MARGOT AND THE NUCLEAR SO AND SO'S
SEPTEMBER 30, 2008
7:30 pm
OLD BRICK CHURCH
IOWA CITY, IOWA

Tickets can be purchased at the University Box Office, located in the Old Capitol Mall, where students may charge up to eight tickets on their U-Bill. Tickets are also available at any official Ticketmaster location or at www.ticketmaster.com.

Persons with disabilities are encouraged to call (319) 335-3041 for special seating accommodations. For additional information regarding SCOPE Productions, please visit www.scopeproductions.org.

Department of Eagles, one half Grizzly Bear, one half other.

For all you Bon Iver lovers out there... Department of Eagles is an indie folk/pop duo that met in an NYU dorm room in 2000. After the roommates Fred Nicolaus and Daniel Rossen began creating music using pirated software, a Californian label picked them up and most of this music ended up on their debut album in 2003. Dan joined the group Grizzly Bear in 2004, and as their singer, guitarist, and songwriter has been kept pretty busy (also touring with Radiohead!!!). Now after 5 years, the band has created their second album due to be released on October 7th. From the website, "many of Fred’s contributions relate to similar themes of nostalgia and mortality, giving the album at times an elegiac feel. In Ear Park is also full of joyful moments, lush production and concise songwriting."

Check out their single in ear park here.

Just so you know...

BON IVER is going to be on Conan tonight. Thought I would throw that out there because I'm sure it's going to be a stellar performance and you will severely regret it if you miss out.

Kanye has Singing Locked Down.

Kanye West can probably be considered one of the most current controversial artists. The things he says both publicly and in his raps, mainly about himself, seem to aggravate and annoy people. The fact that he samples music for every one of his songs makes people think that he is unoriginal. 

But Kanye West as you know him is a different artist as of last night. During the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards West unveiled his new song, "Love Lockdown". This new single, is rumored to be the first off of his new album due out by the end of the year, features no rapping, and a style of singing with Auto-Tune, which is a pitch correction device, used to distort and correct singing. Kanye West used this style of singing with Auto-Tune when he was featured on Young Jeezy's single "Put On". He also used it on his last tour to perform songs like "Put On" and "Can't Tell Me Nothing."

Kanye's set was fairly simple, he had a set of about 20 drummers in the background of him, modestly singing. He came out last night in a good looking suit, as always, and a little broken heart, lighted, red pin. As he mentioned in "Put On" he recently "lost the only girl in the world that knows (him) best", which could be a reference to his split from longtime girlfriend Alexis Rainey, or the recent death of his mother. "Love Lockdown" is said to be a reference to both of these losses. (From the lyrics I'm leaning towards the gf split....)

Check it out for yourself. 

gamma ray

I love Beck. And his new album.
Here is the video for his single, Gamma Ray, off of his new album, Modern Guilt. It's trippy and reminiscent of Andy Warhol and the White Stripes' 'Hardest Button to Button' video. Check it out.

Who Wants To Play The Mess Around?

So the boys of Hot Chip have put out a video for the song Wrestlers and surprisingly it doesn't involve any girls. No really it doesn't and frankly I'm suprised. I would make jokes or try to be witty but Kappy has already done it better. So...

Wrestlers

Jazz Is Dead...

My Band of the Month...

Nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to the band that reinvented the Grateful Dead. Not that the Dead needed reinventing in the first place. Imagine Gov't mule covering the Dead... Jazz is Dead 

Admittedly I was not a Grateful Dead fan when I first heard this group. I instead stumbled upon them when browsing a friends library. This incredible group had a sound that immediately jumped out at me. They are not a cover band, (in my eyes) as they took classic Dead songs and turned them jazz-iliciously upside down with blazing guitar licks, funk-to-the-max basslines, harmonics on top of harmonics, and doing this all while mixing in the subtle melodies of the Grateful Dead. All this creates a really sick and unique sound that simply needs to be heard. They are made up of the one and only Jimmy Herring (uh...guitar), Alphonso Johnson (bass), Billy Cobham (drums), and T Lavitz (keys) and when I say they shred boy do they ever. 

Check them out, they are my band of the month and I like to think for good reason. 

P.S. They have 3 albums out... Blue Light Rain, Laughing water wake of the flood, and Great Sky River... This also was the best video I could find on youtube.

I'm not crying...

My comedic folk singer crush has been...well crushed. Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords has married. Yes, that's right, married. (Coincidentally on my birthday, as well.) It's reported that on August 19th, Jemaine married Miranda Manasiadis, an actress/theater director who also had a small role in Eagle vs. Shark, in which he starred. The small ceremony in an LA registry office was attended by the other half of the FOTC duo, Bret McKenzie. I guess he found his 'most beautiful girl in the room...'

On a lighter note, filming for the second season of the Flight of the Conchords HBO show has begun filming in NYC.

Bird in Chicago, Chicks go crazy

Our loyal source for music news SPIN.com has reported on Andrew Bird's Millenim Park performance last night. His intro to "Fake Palindromes" evidently struck a reaction from the love-struck ChiTown females in the crowd who, according to the article, stopped just short of panty-throwing. Bird's violin playing of course brought out the water-works, but this time with tears of joy and girls screaming "I love you!!". Slightly reminiscent of the days of Elvis Aaron Presley...

We love you out here in Iowa City too, Andrew!

FOB Drops One

Here a link to the new Fall Out Boy song, "I Don't Care" off their upcoming album. What does everyone think of it?
http://perezhilton.com/2008-09-03-new-fall-out-boy-2

How Do It Sound? (KOL video diary #2)

In this episode: Nacho, drawings of guitarist Matthew's anus, soaring guitar solos for new track "Use Somebody", and tandem Followill motorcycle riding.

Marc Broussard Tour Sept. 14th

After listening to this guy for almost 6 years I am finally going to try and hit up one of his shows this fall. He will be touring up until October 7th which includes an intimate date at New York City's Hiro Ballroom. I've heard only good things about this guy live, and he will be playing in Des Moines on September 25th and Council Bluffs on the 30th. Check him out.

Little Big Town to re-release Oct. 14th

After signing a new deal with Capitol Records, Little Big Town will re-release its latest album, A Place to Land, on Oct. 14th. The CD will include 4 new songs.

Getting kicked out on The Streets

New video from SCOPE love The Streets for the song "Everything Is Borrowed". The video was kind of sad, but the song is phenomenal. Check it out.

In Valleys EP

Jack's Mannequin is releasing their second EP prior to the release of The Glass Passenger on iTunes. In Valleys EP will be coming out September 9th and will include three b-sides and one track from the new cd. I don't know about you all, but I'm pretty excited.

TRACK LISTING::
Swim
Cell Phone
Sleazy Wednesday
At Full Speed

best song ever. literally.

Another reason Chuck Berry is a god? Because Rolling Stone recognizes his 1958 song, 'Johnny B. Goode' as the number 1 greatest guitar song OF ALL TIME. It was recorded 50 years ago at Chess Records in Chicago and has obviously left a lasting impression. Get excited, Iowa City!

Here's the article and a link for a listen:
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/20947527/page/2

Coldplay Set To Release New Material

NME reports that Coldplay plant to release an EP, tentatively titled Prospects March, this December, which will include leftover tracks from Viva La Vida, including a song featuring some Kylie Minogue vocals. 

Chris Martin also said to expect another full-length to be out by December, 2009.

KOL Home Movies

This is the second (in hopefully a long line) of the Kings Of Leon home movies series, offering a glimpse of the behind the scenes magic of the making of "Sex On Fire."

Marching Band, not like the one at your highschoool

I came across this band just a bit ago, immediately bought their debut album, Spark Large, on iTunes, and have been non-stop listening to it ever since. Marching Band is a pop duo from Sweden. This album was produced by Adam Lasus (producer of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Army Navy, Yo la Tengo, etc..)

I don't think anyone could feel sad listening to these tunes. As a first album, they have mastered the feel-good feeling that many indie pop groups only try to portray. Using less common instruments such as banjo, xylophone, and vibraphone, their songs make me want to be in one of those scenes in a movie where everything is in slow motion and everyone is having one of those infinite happy moments. Their fairy-tale-like sound matches their album cover completely. Have a listen to their first single here.

Marching Band: For Your Love