Fresh from recording their contribution (new song “Catalysts”) to the mind-boggling Lifted Brow “Fake Bookshelf” project, Get Him Eat Him are headlining a show at the soon-to-be-dead NYC Knitting Factory on 8/28 (that’s tomorrow). Know what’s cool about this show? The Wrens‘ Charles Bissell is also playing. Know what else is cool? The elusive Dean Wells, aka The Capstan Shafts is playing too, ZOMG. Know what else is cool? Get Him Eat Him is gonna be Dean’s backing band!

Crikey, yet another new Final Fantasy MP3, this time courtesy of Zoilus. It’s another one from the Lukashevsky-homage disc, (Final Fantasy) Plays To Please; a real old-timey movie kinda tune:

The Donkeys have generously shared yet another MP3 from their forthcoming record Living On The Other Side, out 9/9 on Dead Oceans.

Their tour proper kicks off on 9/1 in Oklahoma, and goes for most of the month. They’ll be here in NY at Cake Shop on 9/12 (9/11 at Union Pool if you’re Brooklynish).

Stereogum just pooed 2 new tracks from Owen Pallett aka Final Fantasy. “Ultimatum” is from the upcoming Plays To Please EP (an homage to the, ahem, very “unique” Torontopian Alex Lukashevsky). “The Butcher” comes from another, different, upcoming EP, called Spectrum, 14th Century, which is apparently a collaboration with Beirut.

You’re probably aware by now of my great enjoyment of that Lord Dog Bird record. I wanted to post another track up, but the request I sent to Jagjaguwar went unanswered, so here instead is a stream of “March To The Mountain over at Tumblr.

(I was listening to the record really loud the other day and thought to myself, “this sounds like Peter Gabriel meets Wolf Parade.” Ten minutes later, Mrs. Catbird came home, and as she put down her bags, observed out loud, “hey, this sounds like Peter Gabriel meets Wolf Parade.”)

Everyone seems to be enjoying that new TV On The Radio streaming track.

Ex-Beulahmaniac Miles Kurosky’s Myspace has seen some activity lately: he’s just posted 2 different remixes that Beulah did back in ‘04 for Yoko Ono. Now, don’t misread that: it’s NOT remixes from Beulah’s album Yoko, it’s remixes of an actual YOKO ONO song, “Let Me Count The Ways.”

(Coincidentally, I was just recently about to bid on a vinyl copy of When Your Heartstrings Break, but got scared off by the description, “some slight scratches and small popping occur.” Plus I’m feeling pissy about eBay because of that recent copy of Thief that I wanted went for 185 freaking dollars. On top of that, I’m aggravated that people are dumb enough to pay $35 for a Vivian Girls 7-inch that they can buy from the label for $4.)

Our friends at Merge tipped us off to their upcoming release from LA’s Broken West, Now Or Heaven, out Sept. 9. I must confess, their first Merge release, last year’s I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On, slipped by me. So when I checked out these new tracks, I was very surprised: this band is not what I thought they were– with a name like “The Broken West” I was always under the impression that they were a dusty, sun-baked, country-leaning outfit. Turns out I was wrong. These guys actually have quite a handle on the sunny, upbeat, winsome pop angle, and that was a pleasant surprise.

I’m sending heartfelt thanks out to Jez today, for turning me on this morning to Edinburgh’s Meursault, who are sort of like a slightly happier version of Xiu Xiu, and to whom I’ve been listening all day.

Being a record label in this day and age requires ingenuity, inventiveness, and a willingness to think outside the box. Jagjaguwar’s got it covered– check out the sleeve for the Lord Dog Bird LP I just got: it’s an old Minus Story sleeve flipped inside out with new labels pasted on.

Reusing existing materials is also good for the environment, you know.

Previously: On Repeat: The Lord Dog Bird

That cover, wow. So yeah, that Jim Guthrie / Nick Thorburn (Islands) Everlyesque harmonizin’ side-project Human Highway comes out next week. You can stream the whole album at their Myspace right now, and you can even grab one of ‘em as MP3 from Insound:

I think opening track, “The Sound,” is still my favorite, though.

Totally randomly, I stumbled across the fact that German label Affairs Of The Heart is (re-)releasing Unbunny’s 2004 album Snow Tires, with new artwork and 2 (old) bonus tracks. What’s more, if you happen to live in or around Germany, you’ll get a rare opportunity: you can see Unbunny play live– there’s a tour thru most of September alongside Maria Taylor.

This is probably a good time to remind you that Unbunny’s Snow Tires and its predecessor Black Strawberries are two of my favorite albums of, well, ever.

Video: “Casserole”