News From The Great Beyond: Marshall Watson, Mandelbrot Set, Los Straitjackets, This Providence contest, The Kooks

Marshall Watson is not only moving music, but he is moving all of his possessions. Watson will be releasing Math and Other Word Problems on the Highpoint Lowlife label. According to his website, Watson find himself "carelessly weaving strands of cologne style dub techno, minimal house, avant-pop and shoegaze sensibilities. The end result is a refined and rich development in the maturation of Marshall Watson's style and sound." Watson also recently packed up and moved back to the northwest (Seattle, specifically) from Brooklyn, NY, and is DJ'ing at various clubs.

Also from Highpoint Lowlife comes the Mandelbrot Set's All Our Actions Are Constantly Repeated. Frans De Waard of vital Weekly wrote, "Mandelbrot Set is a drone rock band, playing walls of sound, employing all the pedals required (mainly live sampling and overdubbing the guitars) and furious drums banging beneath. Whatever Melisa adds is around this: her sounds become the pictures on this wall of sound. Stoner rock? Shoegazing? It's all there, but Mandelbrot Set gets away with it. Of course because they do something entirely different than 90% of the acts usually to be found on this label, but also because they play a dam fine tune, not caring about any hype or trend, they do their own thing, and at such perhaps not so new under the sun, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, just because it was so different. Great, furious one."

Being an educator, I had to write about this one. Los Straitjackets are releasing Twist Party! on the Yep Roc imprint. The album is accompanied by a DVD which instructs viewers on the fine art of the twist. Chubby Checker is loving this!! The album was recorded with The World Famous Pontani Sisters and Kaiser George. Los Straitjackets will be playing shows in various cities and kids are welcome.

Congratulations to Touch and Go Records on their 25th Anniversary.

Ever felt your artowkr might be good enough to grace an album cover? Fueled By Ramen is holding a contest to design the cover for the forthcoming This Providence release. The grand prize is two VIP passes to the 2007 Coachella Valley Music Festival. Other prizes include a personal phone call from the band, autographed CDs, t-shirts, and posters. For more information or to enter the contest, log on to www.brickfish.com.

Finally, I first caught The Kooks on woxy.com. This band already has several top 40 hits in the UK and now they are aiming for America. Their debut release, Inside in/Inside Out, will hit stores on October 3, 2006, on the Astralwerks imprint. "Eddie's Gun" is a song that woxy.com has bestowed major airplay upon, and the video looks to be a winner as well.