Next week, on March 4th, Hurts to Laugh will be playing at The Basement with Vermicious K’nids and Forgotten Sons. I mention this show because I’ve only recently become aware of their “hessian-meat-rock” style. Despite being wary of a band that describes themselves as sounding like “Black Sabbath raping the Go-Go’s on a Sunday morning sidewalk” I must admit that they are doing what they do quite well. The video for “I Tried” is entertaining, stupid, lo-fi and engaging all at once; and I mean that in a complimentary way. Too often bands take themselves way too seriously and forget that they should also be having fun. Fortunately, I don’t think that’s going to be a problem for Hurts to Laugh.

Jensen Sportag will be unleashing their next EP in their “relationship series” of releases, Jackie, on March 3rd and it will contain a remix of their track “Cocktease” by none other than Max Tundra. Honestly, I’m not versed enough in the electronic / dance scene to really know who that is but apparently it’s a big enough deal to make Pitchfork take note of the occasion. Regardless of your thoughts on the matter it’s great coverage for a quality local act and it helps dispel the myth that Nashville has nothing beyond country music to offer.

The Carter Administration have announced that they’re embracing digital releases wholeheartedly and to prove it have put their entire catalog up on Amie Street for extremely low prices and released two new releases to go right along with it.

First up, the digital single “Victory Girls” with “Bitchery and Abomination.” Instead of recording haphazardly and compiling songs for a full album the band is going to record and release a collection of digital singles for regular release. Get the first one, for free, right here.

The band has also gone back and re-recorded a bunch of songs that they were never happy with, coupled the recordings with some covers and are releasing it as a greatest hits of sorts, entitled Bomb-Ass Singles 1998 – 2008. You can download it, for free, here.

And if that somehow still isn’t enough to get your Carter Administration fix, remember that they’ve posted their back catalog online and it can be purchased for a grand total of $6.99 – for all of it.