Archive for July, 2008
Stream Conor Oberst’s new solo album!
Conor Oberst is venturing out on a new endeavor, setting Bright Eyes aside for the moment. Some of this sounds a bit more like earlier Oberst musically, but lyrically it is much more like his last album, Four Winds. Stream the entire thing at his web site:
STREAM CONOR OBERST AND THE MYSTIC VALLEY BAND
MP3: At the Bottom of Everything (Live in Minneapolis, 2004; with Jim James of My Morning Jacket and M. Ward)
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Add comment July 30, 2008
Live Show: The Watson Twins and Tim Fite @ The Mercury Lounge
–This review is soon to be cross-posted at the soon-to-be-launched www.music-news.com USA site.–
Black and white. North and South. Fast and Slow. The Watson Twins and Tim Fite. Polar opposites are everywhere we look, but one special pairing appeared at New York City’s Mercury Lounge Wednesday night. On the opening leg of a tour together, these two groups took the stage separately, providing two completely different takes on musical genre.
Add comment July 28, 2008
BREAKING! NEW KINGS OF LEON RELEASED: CRAWL
Add comment July 28, 2008
Nirvana Boy Now 17, Sick of High School
NPR had an story less than a week ago about the child pictured above. Of course it is the notorious cover of the massively influential Nirvana album that charted a new path for rock music. And we all know what become of KC and the rest of the Nirvana crew. But what of the child? NPR has it, and here are the highlights:
Headline: Once Naked for Nirvana, Now a Teen Spirit
“Quite a few people in the world have seen my penis,” he says from his home in Los Angeles. “So that’s kinda cool. I’m just a normal kid living it up and doing the best I can while I’m here.”
First a hilarious title, and then the kid throws a one-liner like that. More, from the child’s dad’s perspective:
“[He] calls us up and was like, ‘Hey Rick, wanna make 200 bucks and throw your kid in the drink?,’” Rick recounts. “I was like, ‘What’s up?’ And he’s like, ‘Well, I’m shooting kids all this week, why don’t you meet me at the Rose Bowl, throw your kid in the drink?’ And we just had a big party at the pool, and no one had any idea what was going on!”
Finally, again the child offers some insights on life:
Now he’s trying to graduate from high school a year early. And he’s talking about applying to West Point or becoming an artist … or something.
As Spencer is wont to say, “I just take it as it comes. If I like it, I like it; if I don’t like it, I don’t like it.”
I really recommend reading the article in full, and while you do so:
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Add comment July 28, 2008
New Music: The Pinkertones
The Pinkertones seem to be hopping on the train that says put a dot after each letter in the title of your song. S.E.X.Y.R.O.B.O.T. might be a cool title for a nifty electronic song, but it is hell for bloggers to try to type smoothly. Check out the Barcelona electronic duo’s “shake it, shake it, sexy robot” courtesy of KCRW’s tune of the day.
MP3: S.E.X.Y.R.O.B.O.T.
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Add comment July 28, 2008
M@M: Old Crow Medicine Show-Wagon Wheel
Here is a great cover of Bob Dylan’s “Wagon Wheel” off of what the Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid soundtrack. OCMS added verses, videotaped themselves singing it, and came up with this gem. For the full story, check out Wikipedia.
MP3: Wagon Wheel
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Add comment July 28, 2008
Fleet Foxes on NPR’s The Lillywhite Sessions
Check out Fleet Foxes with Lillywhite Session host David Dye from NPR. The best comparison I think that can be made to these guys (and has been made by many already) are the summer masters The Beach Boys. Check out what I think is a pretty influential song that helped lead us to White Winter Hymnal below. (I also like YANP’s comparison of them to My Morning Jacket meets Sigur Ros.)
MP3: The Beach Boys-You Still Believe in Me
MP3: Fleet Foxes-White Winter Hymnal
Alike?
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Add comment July 28, 2008
Lego Album Covers
This is pretty hilarious. Check out TheToyZone for Lego covers of Let It Be, Abbey Road, Revolver, Nevermind, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Offspring’s Americana, Born in the U.S.A., Norah Jones’ Not Too Late, and more.
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1 comment July 28, 2008
A Few Quick Notes
The Rolling Stones made the news twice this week. First they are suing Lil Wayne for allegedly stealing too many musical qualities from their song “Play with Fire” for Tha Carter III song “Playin’ wit Fire.” (He does this really well in a response to Beyonce’s Irreplaceable on his track from TC3 “Comfertable.”) Check those out at the end of the post. The Stones have also made what I consider a fairly bold move in not signing with HUGE entertainment conglomerate Live Nation. Instead they have opted for Universal. Which is bizarre since that is who they are suing over the Lil Wayne business.
TV on the Radio has a new album coming out September 23rd in the US (though I’m sure we’ll get some sneak peeks before then). It is entitled Dear Science, –comma and all. After quite possibly the best album of 2006, the expectation bar is high for these guys. Hope for big things. MP3 below.
And Brooklyn Vegan has great coverage of the Nas Fox News protest, complete with Stephen Colbert videos. Check those out and the mp3 below.
MP3: Beyonce-Irreplaceable –> MP3: Lil Wayne-Comfertable
MP3: TV on the Radio-Dry Drunk Emperor
MP3: Nas-Bridging the Gap
1 comment July 27, 2008
