The entire statement:

On behalf of both the Jimi Hendrix Foundation and Brave New World, I want to address the despicable news in regards to the Jimi Hendrix “sex tape.” Regardless of the tape’s authenticity, it is obvious that this is an intentional means to profit off of the exploitation of the greatest musician of our time. This by no means is a reflection of the contribution he’s given to us all through his talents and therefore we will aggressively pursue any and every legal course of action to protect the integrity of his legacy.

Shyan Selah
COO /Spokesperson--The Jimi Hendrix Foundation
President/CEO--Brave New World

On a recent evening, as the clock approached midnight, I created a makeshift altar with a photo of late Blind Melon singer Shannon Hoon, then lit a mixture of wormwood, patchouli, vervain, and Mrs. Dash, then chanted over and over, “I summon you from the other side; come to me and cross the great divide.” Soon, a familiar apparition descended upon the room…

Of course it can! In this week's issue, Justin F. Farrar writes with great enthusiasm about Athens, GA psych-tribe Dark Meat. Here, you can get a glimpse of what to expect when all 17 members cram their asses and instruments in the Comet Tavern this Sunday, May 4 (oh, and remember Kent State that day while you're at it). The spectacle of these Southern kids is enough, but dig that sound too. It's like the Albert Ayler trio leading a mariachi band through the French Quarter at 2 a.m. Insanity.

I mentioned this in my column today, but it's worth repeating again here on Reverb: Steel Pole Bathtub is reuniting! I tend to think of them as progressive noise punks ahead of their time, so this definitely feels more like justified revisionist history than nostalgic circle jerk (though it could be argued that whenever the phrase "progressive noise punk" is tossed about that a circle jerk is just around the bend).

Anyway, no word yet on whether this is just a one-off, but they are supposed to be playing the Willamette Weekly-sponsored Musicfest Northwest on Thursday, September 4 (Black Elk opens).

On a vaguely related note, while unsuccessfully trolling for a decent image of the band to use for this post, I came across this very cool site that traces the history of Tacoma's Community World Theater via old show posters:

Can You Hear Me, Keaton Simons
When: Recently
How: Through headphones, at my desk
In Stores: June 10
Listen Now on his MySpace
Notes: I was a fan of Simons' Currently EP when it came out in 2004. The EP's title track appears on this full-length, too. But, when I heard it, I swore that Simons had bastardized it, and I quickly purchased the original for confirmation. Nope, I was wrong. Truth is, the song has always been as weak and predictable as it is today. Tweaked a bit, but, as with the rest of the release, Simons hasn't moved on from the safe acousti-pop that was all the rage in 2004. Today, it all just sounds dated.

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The Swell Season
Where: Moore Theatre
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $32.50 - $37.50

When the storybook partnership that is the Swell Season won the Oscar for Best Original Song this year, the two stars of the art-house hit Once couldn't have looked more shocked. Glen Hansard offered up a humble, stunned thank-you, and when Markéta Irglová stepped up shyly to say her piece, she was unceremoniously cut off by the dreaded exit-urging music before she could get one word out. Host Jon Stewart saved the moment, ushering Irglová onstage again after the commercial break so that she could give a succinct but deeply touching speech about the importance of hope for independent-minded artists. The only thing more moving than that speech is the extraordinary power of their live performance. This show, like virtually every other stop on their tour, sold out in a heartbeat, so consider yourself lucky if you have your tickets already.
-- HANNAH LEVIN

Photos by Laurie Pearman

Tyler Ramsey
When: Tuesdsay, April 29
Where: Tractor Tavern

These days, it seems trends can hang on for no longer than six months at a time. If your band buzzed at SXSW this spring, chances are your buzz will be reduced to a low murmur come CMJ time (Remember the Annuals? Peter Bjorn & Who?)

Of course, alt. country strung itself up at the gallows when it became indistinguishable from the CDs sold at Starbucks (i.e. predictable, milky white, suburban) But there are signs of life on the horizon with newer, weirder Americana acts (see: D. Charles Speer).

But what of freak folk (always hated that tag, by the way) now that Devander appears in Vanity Fair. With acts like D. Charles Speer and Dark Meat (see Justin F. Farrar's feature on the Athens, GA tribe in tomorrow's issue) operating at the fringes, it seems to me that the death of alt. country might signal a new wave of Freak'd Americana acts. Whereas the original freak-folk forebears were a bit Anglophilic for my tastes, I suspect we'll see the genre spiked more and more with flavors of the U.S.A.

Goodbye fairies and mushrooms, hello stoned gun enthusiasts!

Image courtesy of the Experience Music Project.

Perhaps Vivid Entertainment will screen the film -- allegedly showing Jimi with two women -- on the massive screen in EMP's Sky Church.

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Sons and Daughters, Bodies of Water
Neumo's, $10, 8 p.m.
"We want to be one of those bands that sounds like a different band with each record," said Sons & Daughters' guitarist Scott Paterson when I spoke with him two years ago. At that time, S & D were brand-spanking new, touring in support of The Repulsion Box, one of my surprise from-across-the-pond faves. Like their Scottish forebears in Fire Engines and Wire, Sons and Daughters played high-tension post-punk, all angular riffs and stiff-shouldered rhythms. Given Paterson's stated goal, who knew what their follow-up, This Gift, would sound like! Oddly enough, it sounds like The Repulsion Box, but with a bolder, more stylish haircut. The differences: Paterson no longer counters frontwoman Adele Bethel's brassy lead with Leonard Cohen deadpanning; the choruses are more memorable; the riffs are bigger and more anthemic. Top that off with shiny production by Suede guitarist Bernard Butler and you've got, if nothing else, a new and improved Sons & Daughters. What remains intact, however, is the unrelenting pace the band keeps with its songs. Their drive can be enough to wear a person out, but the energy they give off is no less inspiring.
-- BRIAN J. BARR