Tuesday, May 27, 2008

A heart of stone, a smoking gun

Lots of goodies for today!
Thanks to Pfork, you can stream Wire's new song "One of Us" here

Also, you can thank them for the heads up on the new Black Kids vid for "Hurricane Jane":

It's full of magical looking sparkly things.

Next order of biz, is a whole lotta new Sigur Ros shiz. You can watch a new video (NSFW for n00ds) & download their new single "Gobbledigook" at their website. Omg, the song is sooo good. Seriously. Just the right amount of old Sigur Ros plus new.  It also, as my brother pointed out, has sort of a Dave Matthews Band type of acoustic riffing. Listen to "Grey Street" by DMB & you'll see what I mean. You can thank Sgum for those heads up as well as a buzz in our ear; apparently the translation for the album is "with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly" or "með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust" in Icelandic. Visit Sgum for some facts about the new album!

Alsoooo check out NME for news about Feist, Ben Gibbard, The National, The Decemberists, and other sweet artists doing a compilation for 'Red Hot' charity album. That should be cool, no? (Thnx ONTD for the tip)

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Songs To Welcome The Advent Of Summer/Happy Memorial Day!

Hope this muxtape goes well with your BBQ & sunny weather!
1. Consolation Prizes- Phoenix
2. The Underdog- Spoon
3. Trains To Brazil- Guillemots
4. I Feel It All- Feist 
5. Crooked Teeth- Death Cab For Cutie
6. Tropical-Iceland- The Fiery Furnaces
7. Campus- Vampire Weekend
8. I'm Always In Love- Wilco
9. Oregon Girl- Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin 
10. Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby- Islands

Saturday, May 24, 2008

I used to be sad, now I'm just bored with you

Is everyone excited for the Memorial Day Weekend? To celebrate, have lots of BBQ for eating & lots of Stereogum Memorial Day MP3 Mixes for listening! I will say though, tomorrow I shall be posting a muxtape with the same summer-ish/BBQ feeling theme. Tell me which one you like better. 

Speaking of another kind of weekend, Vampire Weekend's Rostam Batmanglij leaked a previous version of "Campus" that I must say I enjoy quite a lot. It may or may not be due to the fact that it's a lot more strings-heavy. Listen & d/l here

Along with Memorial Day, summer is also nearing on us! Pfork gives us a list of the festivals that are going on. If you live or are going to visit anyone of these places, I suggest you attend one of the many festivals that are going to happen. You can tell me all about it & make me a very jealous person. 

& now, I shall leave you with some Cure pictures & videos, compliments of someone over at ONTD. 

Monday, May 19, 2008

You're a silver lining the clouds

If you're finding a lack of things to commend Coldplay for lately, such as their new single "Violet Hill" & the music vid/political statement for it or their album art/title, etc, read on & they might redeem themselves in your eyes. If buying $6000 piano for a primary school that lost all its musical instruments in a flood is the sort of thing that impresses you. For the story read here & thanks here for the heads up. For s'more of Coldplay, take a gander at TMA for why they are "afraid to leave Grandma's house."

Sunday, May 18, 2008

No need to say goodbye

Since it's such a happy Sunday, I thought it warranted two posts (to catch up for my lack thereof in the past week).

So what's everybody's thoughts with all these celebrity turned musicians? Do you think it's fair that they already have a large fan base from which to catapult their musical careers? Can you take them seriously? Or will they forever belong on screen in your eyes? 

Personally, I think they have a chance to be respected as musicians just like everyone else. 

Here's a few things that might help you form your opinion on these celeb/musicmakers:
-A Pfork interview with Scarlett Johansson regarding her upcoming LP of Tom Waits' covers.
-She & Him's Myspace site, ft. the standout vocals of Zooey Deschanel with M. Ward's accompaniment.       
-This video of Tom Felton & his bluesy acoustic guitar.


What do you think?

Songs To Dance Your Pants Off With

...because your AP exams are done! 
Happy Sunday, because here is your long promised Muxtape!
Track listing for future reference:
1. One More Time- Daft Punk
2. Waters of Nazareth- Justice
3. Nobody Lost, Nobody Found- Cut Copy
4. XR2- M.I.A.
5. And I Was A Boy From School- Hot Chip
6. Tribulations- LCD Soundsystem
7. Deceptacon- Le Tigre
8. Wrong Galaxy- Shit Robot
9. House of Jealous Lovers- The Rapture
10. Bounce That- Girl Talk

By now you should know that anything Strokes/Julian Casablancas related catches my eye. So here it is. Apparently, Pharrell Williams, Santogold, and Julian will be making a little jingle for a Converse commercial. Visit Stereogum if you're as excited as me to hear anything that Julian will have a part in. 

Also, if you haven't watched Prince Caspian yet, (featuring my number one celeb crush, William Moseley!!!!!!!!) then you'll be pleasantly surprised with the ending song. I know I was, when I heard Regina Spektor's melodic voice fill the theater. I wasn't familiar with the song & I remember thinking how perfectly the words managed to capture the scene. I went home to look it up and discovered the name "The Call" (click for lyrics) & that I think she wrote it specifically for the movie. The song really cinched the ending of the movie for me, & I admit it made me tear up a little. Thanks to the Hype Machine, you can download the song here

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

I fly like paper get high like planes

I know I didn't post a new muxtape on Sunday. MY B. With AP exams this week, I'm super busy but one will be up on this Sunday, pinky promise. 

Sigur Ros tantalizes us with mysterious incoherent bits of videos for their new album. Look hurrrr. Visit Pfork for their expanded tour dates.

After we've all had a little taste of "Pork and Beans" Weezer has decided that us, fans, need a bigger bite. They've decided to move up the release date for the Red Album. Yarrr. (News via Pfork)


Also, listen to the new Cure single. It's pretty magical! Click to experience. My bruhhh is excited to see them in June. He acquired 5th row seats. I know not how. 

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

You used to be alright, what happened?

So last night I got to see talent. Real live musical talent/genius manifested in a band called, Radiohead. Seriously, OMGZ. Pics~

This is my bro smiling because of our ridiculously, fantastic, 9th row, orchestra seating.






































This is Radiohead & their ridiculously fantastic lighting & big screen system.



















































This is me & my bro in our matching $40 ridiculously overpriced (yet fantastic) concert shirts. It's lyrics from "Bodysnatchers." I'll give someone a dollar if they can tell me what it says without Googling it. 














Needless to say, Radiohead was amazing. It was so surreal, I kept asking myself, "Am I really 50 feet away from Thom Yorke? Is that even the real Thom Yorke???" Yep, it was. Each member was incredibly talented & the flawlessness to which the show was run with the lights & big screen & whatnot, was just so impressive. Johnny Greenwood was up there shaking a small percussion instrument with one hand & then playing piano with the other with his guitar slung around his neck. A second later he'd run over to do the synth. Thom Yorke's dancing was intense, spastic, highly amusing, & extremely awe-inspiring. They opened up with "All I Need" & they did two encores, the last song being "House of Cards." The entire night was a memorable experience from start to finish for several reasons. Actually I can't name them all. Oh & also, Liars, the opening band, is very noteworthy. A very rhythm heavy band whose lead singer, Agnus Andrew, entertained the audience with his dance moves, resembling those of ritual performed by a shaman priest. 

Intense.

Monday, May 5, 2008

Champion of missed opportunities

Remember this "innovation smackdown" I mentioned a while ago between NIN & Radiohead? Well it looks like NIN is trying to one-up Radiohead & is offering their new album for freee right here. Sounds all too familiar huh?

Anyways, speaking of Radiohead, I might be going to see them tomorrow night. Hopefully it works out in my favor.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Give me your eyes I need sunshine

Long time no update!

Head over to Stereogum where they have a premature evaluation of the new Wolf Parade. The album is called At Mount Zoomer & I am sorry to say the album art is... let's just say I hope the music is nothing like the cover, yeah?
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Yeah.

New band alert! Titus Andronicus. Mmm so good. Who couldn't love a band that sounds like it was named after a transformer? Read what Pfork had to say about them but I disagree that their frontman sounds like the angry howl of Conor Oberst. I don't hear it really at all.

Oh & apparently, along with rock'n'roller, Jack White can add "life saver" to his list of accomplishments. At a recent Raconteurs show in Kansas City, some lady fainted (probably because of the overwhelming feeling of lurve she was experiencing)  & instead of a burly bouncer rescuing her, Mr. Jack White went in the crowd, picked her up, and put her backstage. Then he continued with the song. Kudos, Jack, you deserve some peppermints. Read about it here. (Via TMA)

Take a listen to the new Coldplay song on their Mspace. What do you think? A little more crunchier sounding than their previous stuff I'd say.

I promise you guys a new playlist next Sunday!