Air France: Post Rave Bliss

We at MinorProgression make very frequent trips back to Air France‘s album No Way Down. It’s the kind of record that somehow gets better with each listen; it’s good for a cry, allows you to dance, perfect for the bedroom, whimsical, magical and has pretty much become our favorite album off the Sincerely Yours label. I kind of had a weird “Oh No” moment last Spring when I realized (though admitting it is hard) that Air France moved above The Tough Alliance in my last.fm account.  Anyway, I shot Air France an email to see what they’ve been up to and was happily blessed with an interview. So check it out!   If you don’t already have any Air France tracks at your fingertips, look at the bottom of the page for a few downloads and I suggest you immediately dash off to buy the full album if our recommendations here at minorprogression ever get you going. Of course you don’t have to take my word for it, I’ll let the music ( and the band) speak for itself…

LOVE LEAVES: a hunger for more: mp3s

Bay Area::: I’d like to let everyone know a new musician is heading your way – meet Love Leaves. Fans of Debutante, Casey Chisholm, Samuelroy and Brother Bruno will totally be happy!!!! Love Leaves is working on an album. It’s been described by Love Leaves as, “a labor of love.” When I asked how long he’s been working on it, he replied, “hmm, not too long, the album proper, probably like a year or so, i mean, I didn’t decided to make an “album” until this past winter and I’ve been making music for just a few years, but you know, I’ve always loooved it. I went to school for painting and then for poetry and I guess really I thought music is where it’s at. It’s all produced but I have very strong feelings about electronic music, and don’t like people to disown it as genuine.”

COCOROSIE new EP: “Coconuts, and Plenty of Junk Food

CocoRosie’s new EP Coconut’s, Plenty of Junk Food totally managed to fly past my radar when it came out about a month ago. A bit of research showed that the album is only being sold at their live shows so don’t feel too much like a moron if you too hadn’t heard of it and consider yourself a fan of the girls. As of now, I’m thinking the album isn’t that great but maybe with time it will grow on me.

VULTURE WHALE: COME ON COME ON RIDE WITH US!!!!

Vulture Whale is one of the better finds we stumbled upon at SXSW a few months ago. Brokenbrooklyn and myself were smoking a joint and scowling at the dreadful Vivian Girls when Wes McDonald (singer for Vulture Whale) asked us if we knew who was playing that awful “pussy rock”. Embarrassed that we knew, we told him and passed him our joint. Quickly we all agreed we were at the show to see Ponytail, they were coming on after Titus Andronicus. After ensuring Wes that Titus Andronicus was far removed from the drudgery we were withstanding, we got to talking and he told us about his band Vulture Whale.

Fast forward a couple months and I received an awesome package in the mail from Wes with a CD and links to videos:

OH MR. FLOWERS; singer songwriter sniffing flowers in Provo, Utah

Whats up? It’s been forever since we’ve been regularly posting because of a hectic summer start for all of us here at minorprogression. However, all our schedules are starting to cool down so expect more from us throughout the summer. First up on the summer watch list from me is the fabulous Oh Mr. Flowers hailing from Provo, Utah.

I hated Seattle until I heard KHV (Katherine Hepurn’s Voice)

I followed my friends down the stairs to a basement in a house on the North edge of Seattle’s central district. Inside it was dark and muggy. It wasn’t a punk-rock house, or a DIY collective. It was a fairly regular looking house, but people in their twenties seemed to live there. I think it was a going away party for Seth Sugar (Wilde Turkey), who was moving to NYC. I always liked his music and enjoyed his company, so I figured this show would be worth something or other. Still, I can be grim. My friends who had taken me usually liked good music, but had taken me to more than one show that left me trying to figure out which hurt more; my head, my feet, or my sad, withering heart. I was not having a good time living in Seattle in late 07. However, this would end up being one of the only really great experiences that happened in the months before I left. To my delight, KHV (Katherine Hepurn’s Voice) filled my head with ideas, my feet with morphine and my heart with another soft red spot, waiting to be punctured when the show was over. Yes, I liked it.

A GUN THAT SHOOTS KNIVES: BEST MINORPROGRESSION PARTY YET

So last Thursday (March 26th, 20009) my living room turned into a scene from Spinal Tap. The guys from A Gun That Shoots Knives showed up early fully equipped with fog machines, flashing neon lights, outer space outfits, props, merchandise, huge speakers and enough party energy to power a few vehicles.

SXSW DAY 2: “LET’S GET ALONG WITH IT Y’ALL” WEDNESDAY THE 18TH

Words by Popejohnpaul12 and Brokenbrooklyn

Pictures by Brokenbrooklyn

Our day started out (though it shouldn’t have) with Whispertown2000 (omg… check out their stats – are they really listening to themselves that much???), a southern, dual female, lead vocalists jam/ alt country band. This was the kind of annoying, forced, twang fest that scared me away from Texas daydreams in my youth. They closed their set with a song about time which made me want to barf (they love time? Wasting mine maybe?…). I’d suggest staying far, far away from them.

Afterwards the band we were there to see came on (thank God), the Evangelicals. Hailing from Oklahoma city are an Oklahoma City they often get compared to The Flaming Lips, but the band is comprised of sexy/hip Midwestern boys (which the Lips never really were) and share the Lips penchant for the strange. Their sound is more whimsical post-punk psychedelic than the Lips stuff nowadays with vocals reminiscent of early Robert Smith with a more helium croon.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NINA HAGEN!!!

Today is an important day in pop cultural history, it marks the birth of the vixen/goddess/dream maker/ space explorer NINA HAGEN!!! So, put on a lot of make-up, tease out your hair, get on some spandex and neon colored clothing and start flailing your arms and call to the spirit that is NINA to come to your room so you can get picked up by some alien invaders that will drop you off in a disco in some far off galaxy, man.

Here is a very exclusive video for Nina Hagen‘s birthday with rarely seen photo’s of her out of costume::::

Enjoy, earthlings……

VALENTINES DAY LOVE IN: RIP OSCAR GRANT

The official MinorProgression stance on the horrendous unwarranted murder of Oscar Grant“ by BART police is FUCK THE POLICE!!!

Since we don’t support police brutality and the violence they stand for, we’re urging all bay area residents and those in the vicinity that can make it, to do what police officers cannot do, and that is love…