My first introduction to Anticon Records was from someone who absolutely HATED what they were putting out. This, sadly, colored my opinion for some time; that is until my cousin (currently studying international law at Harvard…so I’ll have someone to represent me once I finally get caught for my various illicit activities I enjoy so liberally) burned me a mix CD of some of their artists. It was then that I figured out that Anticon isn’t quite the self-important backpack hip-hop label my friend made them out to be — Its stable of artists is more composed of experimental rock, sample/electronica artists. There’s a love and appreciation of hip-hop within most of these artists, but it’s not straight up beats and verses, far from it. As for my Anticon hating friend, sometimes it pays to take opinions with a grain of salt (or in this case, an entire shaker).

For me, Anticon artist Why? leads the label roster with inventive, glitchy indie-rock with an almost They Might be Giants vocal delivery and dark, contemplation-worthy poetic lyrics. It’s on some real shit, real sink-your-teeth-into sounds. Worth your attention, for sure. Love their cover of “Close To Me,” by The Cure, too. Why? is heading out on tour, and their publicist was kind enough to alert us.

From Force Field PR:

It’s been a busy and interesting year for WHY?, since the release of their acclaimed album Alopecia in March, the band has been touring the world almost non-stop, with a U.S. tour in the Spring and a lengthy European tour that immediately followed. Only one slight hiccup - while in Europe, two of the band members (brothers Yoni and Josiah Wolf) got the mumps, and on top of that, Yoni broke his hand. The band has soldiered on despite these minor setbacks and has scheduled another full North American tour for the fall, with pals Mount Eerie, Tussle and Tobacco (of Black Moth Super Rainbow) opening along the way.

Check out their video for “Song of the Sad Assassin” right here:

Tour dates (courtesy of Force Field PR) after the jump (more…)

Whoever first tagged Stephen Malkmus as a slacker did the lanky indie rock pied piper-turned-hipster jam band leader did him a great injustice. Just sayin’. His upcoming Real Emotional Trash tour will take him through parts of Canada, Japan, the UK, and a brief stop at the Lollapalooza festival. In about a month.

Not bad for a slacker, eh?

07-16 Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix Concert Theatre
07-17 Montreal, Quebec - La Tulipe
07-19 Brooklyn, NY - Coney Island (Siren Festival)
07-27 Niigata, Japan - Fuji Rock Festival
08-01 Chicago, IL - Grant Park (Lollapalooza)
08-24 Brighton, England - Komedia
08-25 Bristol, England - Thekla
08-27 Nottingham, England - Rescue Rooms
08-29 Argyll, Scotland - Hydro Connect Festival

Today we bring you Oshin, a New York indie rock four-piece that’s been in our inbox for a few months now. It seems that every time I went to blog about a new Band of The Day I’d listen to Ohshin and then fail to have anything of interest to write about them, or else get distracted by an office fire or a a pretty butterfly. But now I’m ready for their fretboard-tapping antics, sway-worthy musical vibe, Sunny Day Real Estate meets Dismemberment Plan songcraft and vaguely Thom York-esque vocal delivery, and…OOOOH PRETTY !!!

http://www.myspace.com/ohshin

Though her recent albums have been pretty awful, Liz Phair’s Exile in Guyville still stands the test of time. To celebrate its 15th anniversary, Dave Matthews’s ATO Records is releasing a special edition of the landmark, out of print album with four unreleased B-sides and a DVD, Guyville Redux, a 60-minute making-of documentary.  Guyville Redux will also feature an introduction by Matthews and look at the early ’90s Chicago indie music scene that also featured bands such as Urge Overkill and Smashing Pumpkins. Phair herself interviews local rock luminaries such as super producer Steve Albini and Matador Records‘ Gerard Cosloy and Chris Lombardi as well as actor John Cusack and NPR’s Ira Glass.

The Guyville reissue will be out June 24th and will prelude Phair’s new studio album, which purports to see the songwriter getting back into “the DIY spirit” (we’ll have to wait and see), this fall.

In honor of Mary-Kate’s loss, here’s a video of Stars’ “Your Ex-Lover is Dead.”

A buddy of mine posted a bulletin with this Stars video this morning, and it reminded me of how much ruleage this band achieves. Just one more reason to love Arts & Crafts Records and Toronto. Enjoy.