Remember 1995? Sure you do... think hard for a second. You remember now... Warchild released that benefit album that featured the likes of the Manic Street Preachers, Boo Radleys, Orbital, Oasis, Stereo MC's, Blur, Salad, etc etc. Well, they're doing it again. Not re-releasing the same record and not really a record either but starting September 9 Warchild Music is kicking off a download service with all the proceeds going to charity. Starting this new lil venture is Radiohead with a live rendition of 'Go To Sleep' originally recorded in Osaka, Japan and remixed by Jonny Greenwood. The week after that you'll be able to download Keane's version of 'The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore' (yes, originally that Walker Brother's classic). Bloc Party contributes the next week with 'Tulips' and this once a week thing will be closing out September with Lucky Jim's 'Somewhere Up Ahead' (a track from their sophomore record which won't see the light of day until Summer of 05).

Nothing cuter than ingenuitive people, unless it's ingenuitive people creating homemade Radiohead videos. James Montalbano and his magic little camera made videos for several Radiohead and Coldplay songs. We especially like the video for 2+2=5 and Exit Music (For A Film).

Tanya Donelly is recording her new album in front of a live studio audience. This is not a live album of previously released songs, but 10 NEW tracks that will be laid down on August 27 & 28 in Bellows Falls, Vermont. I have no idea where that is but surely she'll get 50 diehard fans out there for the two night extravaganza (if one can call a theatre laced with microphones an "extravaganza"). You can buy tickets online for the performance/recording at The Windham, an old hotel turned recording studio of sorts by Fort Apache's Gary Smith and Charlie Hunter of Flying Under the Radar. What an interesting idea (and no, I don't mean that sarcastically). According to Tanya's label, 4AD/Beggars Banquet, we shouldn't expect the album until sometime in 2005.

I like it when artists make new releases fun... which is why I adore Falco vs. the Young Canoeist where you can not only check out the new album by Welsh rockers McLusky but attempt to beat the high scores of the Beggars staff. Yeah, guess they have nothing better to do all day then play about with canoes. ;-) Too bad I haven't mastered a videogame since the days of my Atari 2600... maybe you can do better than I did.

If that isn't enough for you... you can always go visit Mew and play their Frengers game by navigating that wee blue bird about. If nothing else it *might* solve the mystery of what a Frenger is or what the Danes put into the water.

If you're one of those people that Starsailor hasn't bored to tears yet, they're trying even harder this time. Exclusively through their official website you can now download multiple tracks from the band's last world tour (as in the tracks were recorded in either London, Belgium or Germany... wait that sounds more like a European tour). Well ok, I'm painting a rather cynical picture here. All the proceeds of the sale (ha... you thought you were getting something for free didn't you?) will be benefitting The Fairtrade Foundation. Oh wait, did we say all proceeds? We must be mistaken... only "Starsailor's proceeds" go to good will. Shall we assume the rest goes back to the record company? Oh... we'll play nice... have a free wallpaper for your computer.

Yes, I am a little hard on them but after experiencing the "live" thing first hand... I preferred the dancing that happened after the fact. Those boys can cut some rug to The Charlatans... too bad no one was dancing while they were on stage.

It would be remiss of us to ignore the role that the indie music world has been having (or attempting to have rather) on the US political world. We can't walk into a venue anymore without Rock The Vote asking us a dozen times if we're registered. We can't watch a show without at least one diatribe from the musicians on stage about getting involved. Shows for Concerts For Kerry have involved artists like Tenacious D, Ted Leo, Moby, David Cross, etc. The Pernice Brothers played benefit shows in their hometown of Boston to coincide with the DNC Convention. Springsteen, REM and Bright Eyes have all taken the stage for Vote For Change. As Springsteen told the AP, "We're trying to put forward a group of progressive ideals and change the administration in the White House. That's the success or failure, very clear cut and very simple."

So what yer saying? Damn you are jaded aren't you? Well with just over two months left until the election, expect all these things to increase. Tomorrow, New York is hosting a show for MoveOn PAC's 10 Weeks featuring Moby, Perry Farrell and The Roots at the Hammerstein Ballroom. The Vote For Change tour has split into mini tours that will be assaulting the country from all angles with the likes of Death Cab, The Dixie Chicks, My Morning Jacket and more. Punk Voter and Rock Against Bush are putting on shows with quite a few punk bands that I don't know (this doesn't mean they're kids who just tuned up in their garage but more likely I know nothing about the current state of punk music.) Yo La Tengo are even setting out on their new US tour, "Tour of Swing States to Try and Help John Kerry Get Elected." Yes, that really is what they're calling it... I also thought they had more imagination than that.

The Jenville Show might just be one of the cutest indie rock sites we've stumbled upon recently. Subtitled 'Cooking with Rockstars", the Jenville Show features interviews about food with such personalities as Gaz Coombes of Supergrass (Cajun Tuna), Jack Black (Burritos made of Doritos... eww), Robert Schneider of Apples in Stereo ("the world's best drink" which sounds even more disgusting than dorito burritos), Sam Foginaro of Interpol (pasta with mushroom cream sauce - yum!) and many many more. Go check it out and be sure to watch a few of the video clips.

As ajay expressed back in March... there's soon to be a VERVE best of out on the market (well, in the UK anyway on October 11). With the details finally hammered out we can tell you that "This Is Music" will be entirely an A-Side collection and features two previously unreleased songs...

This Is Music
Slide Away
Lucky Man
History
She's A Superstar
On Your Own
Blue
Sonnet
All In The Mind
The Drug's Don't Work
Gravity Grave
Bittersweet Symphony
This Could Be My Moment (new)
Monte Carlo (new)

For reasons I cannot identify as the Brits have all sorts of crazy rules about releasing music that will make it to the charts apparently... IT boys of the moment FRANZ FERDINAND can't release the German version of 'Tell Her Tonight' as the b-side of their new single. Which is really a shame cos it's REALLY cute. As if they could make their chart topper any poppier, they have... and with a COWBELL (yes, we know how you all feel about cowbells). But, not to fret... Domino Records has put it up on their website for free download. Enjoy!

Canada is quite a large place to stuff into one music scene, so we're not quite sure how they do it. Regardless of the geographical size... being a indie musician in Canada generally means you've played on the records of at least two other bands. Case in point, breakthrough artists last year Broken Social Scene contains members of neu wave act 'Metric', indie pop band 'Stars' and sonic explorers 'KC Accidential' to just name a few. Metric vocalist (and guest vocalist for BSS), Emily Haines used to sing in 'Stars' and Metric guitarist and songwriter Jimmy Shaw grew up with the 'Stars' frontman Torquil Campbell and also plays with 'Memphis'. Confused?

You'll be more confused at the end of the month, as we're about to get yet another grouping of these well talented musicians. Up until now, Memphis has remained a side project of Stars antagonist, Torq. After the 2002 release of a brilliant 5 song EP, A Good Day Sailing (Le Grand Magistery), things just sort of fell to the way side until Torq gave a call to Memphis co-conspirator Chris Dumont last spring. Finally, after well over a year in the making (recording in Vancouver and beyond, mixing in Montreal and chaos everywhere in between) the duo is set to release their debut album, 'I Dreamed We Fell Apart' on August 31. I'd keep an eye out for this newest formation of Canadian indiepop kids, as we've been hearing quite a bit of praise about this material.

And... just to make this juicier you can now listen to two tracks on the Paper Bag E-Card... 'The Second Summer' and a spirited rendition of the Pet Shop Boys classic 'Love Comes Quickly'. Enjoy!