video: John Maus - Believer

I mentioned John Maus a few times in my last post, and I'm digging his album quite a bit, so I figured I should share some of his stuff.

videos: R. Stevie Moore - I Like to Stay Home + I Need Your Love

I recently learned of R. Stevie Moore (or finally took notice of his name being tossed around) from a review of John Maus's new album, We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves. R. Stevie Moore is a weird cat. He's the best kind of weird -- the kind who records freaky drug-damaged pop music in his basement for decades and self-releases it on hundreds of cassette tapes and CD-Rs. If you've ever heard Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, you'll realize as soon as you watch these videos that Ariel basically owes his career to this guy. (BTW, John Maus apparently played keyboard for both Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti AND Animal Collective in the past. If you dig Ariel Pink, check out John Maus as well -- you won't be disappointed.)

R. Stevie Moore has been self-releasing music since 1968, and he's just now going on his first tour in 2011. Sadly, it looks like I got into his music about 20 days too late, as he came through my area last month. Let's hope this first tour isn't his last.