Hauled ass to catch Roky Erickson (and the Explosions) at 3:50 PM (it was a long night, okay?) in the Gobi Tent, while juggling a case of (his) hay fever, which consequently triggered (his) asthma, a searing pain in my left eyeball (dust!), a heavy laptop and the 100 degree heat.

The bassist for The Good, the Bad and the Queen: Paul Simonon (of the Clash!), wielding his bass guitar like a tommy gun, seemed to pose for the cameras as much as possible. Even Damon Albarn might've been a little jealous.

coacHELLa?

It was a 100 degrees out this afternoon, it took me 45 minutes to find a space and park (real helpful employees out here), 15 to locate press will call and enter then maybe another five to situate where the fuck I was. I told myself two years ago I'd never do this again and here I am again: it's hot, the boyfriend is miserable, I've realized once again just how much I hate people (read: hipsters in every color of American Apparel track shorts available), but seeing Jesus & the Mary Chain perform a near flawless set of all the hits (seriously. Just. The. Hits. And a new song), with Scarlett Johansson (also known as Girl-I'd-Go-Gay-For #3) singing backup on "Just Like Honey," has almost made it worth it.

That and seeing Rufus Wainwright in a striped leisure suit complete with short shorts calling himself the "gay Frank Sinatra." Awesome.

Anyway, Interpol is starting, and soon Sonic Youth, and I'm stuck in the press tent. Enjoy the (sideways—I'm dumb, sorry—just tilt your head sideways, it'll just be as if you're there, I promise) video of Rufus Wainwright performing "14th Street" off of Want One.

Wainwright will also be performing at the El Rey, Tues., May 1st. His newest full-length, Release the Stars will be released May 15th—the same day as Wilco's Sky Blue Sky.

...And here's Jim Reid looking as better as ever.

Dan Deacon
Spiderman of the Rings
(Carpark)
Release date: May 8, 2007

Starting your album with layered samples of Woody Woodpecker's laugh over delicately plucked thumb piano and cheap analog synth progressions that Styx might've discarded for being too pompous is ballsy. But that's how Baltimore solo artist Dan Deacon rolls on Spiderman of the Rings, and it's a real ear-grabber of an intro. The disc goes on to burst with effervescent electronic pop that simultaneously inflates itself to ridiculously self-important dimensions and undercuts that seriousness with warped, helium-ized vocals and squonkily tuned keyboards. Deacon's music's schizo, but fun with it.

It says here that Deacon's a "classically trained composer with a Masters degree in electro-acoustic composition." And you can hear a higher degree of finesse and complexity in his work than you usually do in most other indietronica releases. But, to reiterate, this academic know-how is balanced by a loopy sense of melodic tomfoolery that launches Deacon's music way out of the observatory and into the rowdy house party of your mind.

It wouldn't surprise me at all to see Deacon soon go on tour opening for Girl Talk; this madcap savant has that much thizzing mojo animating his grandiose-gestured synth symphonies. But then a track like "Big Milk" will come on, with its tender xylophone-and-analog-synth-burble gamelan fantasia, and you're suddenly transported to a swinging hammock in Bali. Utterly lovely.

Spiderman of the Rings is as optimistic as a grade-schooler on the first day of summer who's just heard "Good Vibrations" for the first time. I'd say many of us could use a daily dosage of this album for the next couple of years of Rove/Cheney/Bush rule.

Swiss/New York DJs Oliver Stumm and Domie Clausen, known to savvy clubbers as A Touch of Class, are touring the West Coast for the first time, in support of their recent album of remixes and productions, A Touch of Class Still Sucks! (we like their healthy self-esteem). The duo will hit Avalon Saturday April 28 (located at 820 W. 19th St. in Costa Mesa).

ATOC are in high demand among a grip of rock and electronic acts looking to slinkily discofy their original songs for dancefloor oomph. Artists such as the Gossip, Le Tigre, Erasure, Scissor Sisters, and Services have benefited from ATOC's glittery, thumpin' treatments. If you're not going to Coachella, this show should be a nice consolation prize for those who want to get their lubricious, electro-house grooves on.

Dinosaur Jr.
Beyond
(Fat Possum)
Release date: May 1, 2007

J Mascis and Lou Barlow settle their long-running beef and record a damned solid Dinosaur Jr. album with original drummer Murph... for Fat Possum Records? In 2007? Yeah, right. Put down the crackpipe, junior. Oh, shit, it's true. Reality just done sucker-punched your desperately trying not to be skeptical correspondent.

Right from opener "Almost Ready"'s confident surge of patented, fuzz-toned Dino rock, ye olde Massachusetts power trio slam you back to their near-peak 1988-91 form. Beyond is not quite as explosive and sublime as Dinosaur and You're Living All Over Me, but it does recapture the mellow power and rugged hookiness of Bug and Green Mind. Mascis' voice has aged incredibly well, its East Coast Neil Youngian drawl as poignant as ever. Furthermore, his guitar prowess hasn't diminished a whit. He's still got that rococo whine and growl thing going—no need to mess with such a successful approach. Beyond's 11 songs (nine by J, two by Lou) are like revisiting old high-school friends who haven't changed much, but they didn't really need to change because they were already dependable, lovable lugs.

Most rock-band reunions are tragicomic farces, but with Beyond, Dinosaur Jr. restore some dignity and quality control to this (justifiably) much-scoffed-at practice.

Dinosaur Jr. play The Troubadour May 11-13.