Sunday, January 31, 2010

of Montreal - Enemy Gene

Kevin Barnes previews a new of Montreal track "Enemy Gene" in this YouTube clip.  Nice beard, Kevin.

Mix 17 - Run & Swim

01) Vampire Weekend - Run
02) Spoon - The Mystery Zone
03) Owen Pallett - Lewis Takes Action
04) Yeasayer - Love Me Girl
05) Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Skeletons
06) Atlas Sound - Criminals
07) Radiohead - Reckoner
08) Passion Pit - Swimming in the Flood
09) LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends
10) Micachu - Golden Phone
11) of Montreal - We Were Born the Mutants Again with Leafling
12) Neon Indian - Deadbeat Summer
13) The xx - Islands
14) Grizzly Bear - Boy from School (Hot Chip cover)
15) Surfer Blood - Swim


Grizzly Bear - Boy from School (Hot Chip cover)

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Skeletons

Yeah Yeah Yeahs just released a video for the latest single off of It's Blitz!, "Skeletons"

              

Animal Collective - ODDSAC

Check out the trailer for Animal Collective's movie ODDSAC:

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Vampire Weekend #1 on Billboard


Pitchfork are reporting that Billboard are reporting that Vampire Weekend sold 124k copies of their sophomore album Contra in its first week of release.  Does this really mean anything in an age where most of the intended target audience of this album just downloaded it anyway?  Perhaps not.  But it is kinda noteworthy only because it's rare for an album that would be categorized as indie rock (however terrible a term that may be) to get into the Top 10, must less #1.

I'm liking Contra more once I get past "California English".  "Cousins" is a catchy, bouncy tune, that's for sure.  Both this album and Spoon's latest Transference require further listening from me before I determine how much I like them.

Spoon - "Written in Reverse" on Conan

Spoon played their song "Written in Reverse" on one of Conan O' Brien's last episodes of The Tonight Show to promote their new album Transference, which came out this week.

Julian Casablancas @ Terminal 5


I caught Julian Casablancas in concert last Friday 1/15, and it was a great show.  I've never seen The Strokes live before, so I don't have that basis for comparison.  But Julian's laid-back cool is just awesome.  Whether it's an act or not, he comes off as if he has no ego, and we're all just having a good time on a Friday night at a rock show, chillin'.

It was hilarious during his banter when he was struggling to come up with the name of the 2nd opener besides Telepathe, Tanlines.  When members of the audience were trying to help him out, he was like "I know who they are!  I chose them".

The songs were excellent as well.  I expected "11th Dimension" to be the highlight, as it's hard not to just listen to that song on repeat when I play Phrazes for the Young.  But there's actually a lot of strong material on the album, and I'm starting to appreciate it more after seeing the show.

I took some videos with the iPhone.  Check 'em out after the jump...

The New Pornographers - Together

 
Get excited!  The New Pornographers have announced that their new album Together wiill be released on May 4th.  I dig the album art, which appears to have figurines either dancing or floating atop an iceberg.  Definitely like it better than the cover art for Challengers

There's no tracklisting available as of yet, but frontman A.C. Newman had this to say on his Twitter:

"
New Pornographers' 'Together' album out May 4th. Guessing that some kind of MP3 will be released soon? Google it if you don't believe me."

I would be fucking thrilled if a New Pornos single was released in the next few days.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Spoon and Deerhunter Touring Together



Pitchfork have announced that two of my favorite bands - Spoon and Deerhunter - will be touring together.  I'd be hard pressed to come up with a more awesome double bill off the top of my head.

And shit, Miccachu and the Shapes are joining the tour as well...but not for the New York date (3/26 @ Radio City Music Hall).  That kinda sucks - I would have had a trifecta of amazing acts.  I don't know The Strange Boys, who are opening in NY.  Oh well.  It's hard to complain too much.  Spoon and Deerhunter...do you really need anyone else?

Dirty Projectors - Ascending Melody


I've had this song "Ascending Melody" from the Dirty Projectors for a little while now, but now DP are officially releasing it, and they're giving it away for free, as part of a virtual 7".

Head on over to their website here.  If you supply DP with your email address, they'll let you download "Ascending Melody" and "Emblem of the World" in a zip file.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Spoon - Transference


Spoon's latest album Transference has just leaked this weekend.  I'm psyched to give it a spin.  Spoon have been producing rock solid albums one after another for a while now, I'm not expecting to be disappointed.

The New York Times did an article on the band.  Check it out here.


I like this quote from the article:

"Spoon is an increasingly rare commodity, a career band whose new album is as heavily anticipated as releases from younger blogosphere favorites like Vampire Weekend and Yeasayer."

Jack White


Rolling Stone did an interview with Jack White.  I had heard that Jack announced some details about a new White Stripes album and a solo album, but that's not exactly the case.  The interviewer is asking Jack about his future plans and he says...

"
I honestly could be working on a White Stripes in the next two weeks. I have no idea if that is going to happen. And the same with Dead Weather. I'd rather live like this without a calendar in front of me".

So I mean, that's an awesome attitude Jack has - I know that's how I'd like to operate if I made music for a living.  But he basically said "I don't know".  The chances of us getting a new White Stripes album in 2010 seem about 50/50 based on that statement.  As for the solo album business, the interviewer brings it up, and Jack says that "eventually" he would like to make one.

One thing that can be said with certainty is we'll see some new music from Jack in 2010, whether it's from The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs, The White Stripes, a solo album, or some combination.  Reportedly Jack's methods usually call for heading into the studio and banging out a record in a matter of weeks.  The potential for getting another "oh yeah, we just did an album and it comes out in a few days", like we did with The Raconteurs' Consolers of the Lonely, is awesome.

Jack also returns the love that Jay-Z showed to indie rock with his endorsement of Grizzly Bear this summer.  Jack calls Jay-Z "just incredible" and names The Black Album as one of the best of the decade.

Friday, January 08, 2010

Conan O' Brien / Jay Leno Rumors


I don't always watch late night shows, but I know this to be true: Conan O' Brien is much, much funnier than Jay Leno.  Leno is the epitome of Lowest Common Denominator humor.  Anytime I have been exposed to his show, I have not been made to laugh once.


Here's a great quote about Jay Leno from Videogum:

"Jay Leno is a losing strategy. He is depressingly unimaginative, aggressively mediocre, and painfully unfunny." -Videogum

"Aggressively mediocre".  That is the perfect phrase to describe him.

Anyway, NBC recently gave Conan O' Brien the honor of hosting The Tonight Show (he had, up until this point, been hosting the late late show), and since they wanted to keep Leno around, they gave him a show at 10pm.  I read some BS about how this was supposedly a revolutionary move in television.  See, usually a network airs scripted dramas at 10pm.  Scripted dramas are expensive to make.  If they can get a monkey in a suit to host a talk show at that time and get halfway decent ratings, then they win. 

Except he didn't get halfway decent ratings.  They're terrible, in fact.  Conan's ratings haven't been so hot either, but you gotta give the dude a chance to grow into The Tonight Show.  Not to mention Leno isn't helping matters with his sucky lead-in.

The rumor is that after the Winter Olympics, Jay Leno is gonna be back at the 11:30 timeslot.  Possible options include Jay Leno getting a half hour show at that time and having Conan's tonight show air afterwards, or potentially even dropping Conan altogether.

NBC: Jay Leno is ass.  Drop his stupid primetime show, don't look back, air your dramas or whatever at 10pm, leave Conan alone and give him a chance.

Animal Collective - Brother Sport Video


Animal Collective have premiered the video for the latest single off of Merriweather Post Pavilion, "Brother Sport".  It is as trippy as I've come to expect from this group.  Glow-in-the-dark eggs, animated animals, finger painting, wild children dancing...you know, the usual stuff.



God I can't wait to see what kind of feature length film these dudes come up with when ODDSAC comes out.  It's gonna premiere at Sundance in just a few weeks!

Here's the description for ODDSAC:

"An earthy, psychedelic experimental narrative infused with the band, Animal Collective's aural and musical sensibilities."

I could not be more excited.  When I go out to see that movie, it's gonna be a motherfucking event.

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Mix 16 - Clap Connection


01) Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Clap Song
02) Owen Pallett - Red Sun No. 5
03) Madvillain - America's Most Blunted (feat. Lord Quas)
04) Alec Ounsworth - That Is Not My Home (After Bruegel)
05) Wale - Triumph
06) Yeasayer - Rome
07) Soundgarden - Pretty Noose
08) Pixies - Hang Wire
09) Jay-Z - U Don't Know
10) Broken Bells - Vaporize
11) Beach House - Silver Soul
12) Deerhunter - Famous Last Words
13) of Montreal - Vegan in Furs
14) The Dead Weather - I Cut Like a Buffalo
15) OutKast - I'll Call Before I Come
16) LCD Soundsystem - Beat Connection

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Best Coast


I'm fast becoming a fan of Best Coast, despite the fact that the band name is an affront against the region I call home (as in, West Coast is the best coast, yo).

Real name Bethany Cosentino, Best Coast are kind of like a female Wavves.  Or if you don't know Wavves, think Beach Boys sunny melodies, but with a shitstorm of distortion and reverb.

Best Coast don't have an album yet, though they've released a number of 7" singles.  So currently I just have an assortment of random songs of theirs on my iTunes.  Enough to cobble together a makeshift album, if I wanted to do such a thing.  In this interview with Free Williamsburg that I just read, Bethany says that a proper album is forthcoming in 2010.  And she doesn't hate the East Coast, really.  Great place to visit.

While we're waiting for the album to drop, check out some of these songs.  How great is "Sun Was High (So Was I)" as a song title?  Love it.

Best Coast - When I'm With You


Best Coast - Something in the Way 


Best Coast - Sun Was High (So Was I)

Monday, January 04, 2010

New of Montreal Album


Stereogum have issued a progress report on the status of the new of Montreal album.  As I start to read it, I realize just how excited I am to hear new material from this band.  I'm sure the new Panda Bear record will be awesome, but...after the recent EP Fall Be Kind, I'm still gorging on Animal Collective.  But it feels like I've lived an entire lifetime since of Montreal's last album.  This is my most anticipated album of 2010, easily.  (Yeasayer's fantastic second album Odd Blood, which I've now listened to over a dozen times, doesn't count, even if it doesn't officially come out 'til February)

Frontman Kevin Barnes says he's wavering between calling the new record False Priest or The Controller Sphere.  They're both good choices, I'm not sure which I like better.  Apparently Kevin is determined to title all of his records with lyrics from the song "Faberge Falls for Shuggie" from now on.  The title for 2008's Skeletal Lamping was also a phrase pulled from there.

Anyway, the album is going to be produced by Jon Brion.  Kevin is planning to have a bigger band for future live shows (10 or so musicians) and is guiding the sound of the record accordingly.  70's funk and R&B serve as inspiration.  Cameos from Solange Knowles, Janelle Monae, and "one or two other people" will be included.

The record is due in August or September...shit that's a long wait.  I need something to make me happy now, dammit.

Soundgarden Reunion


Fuck yeah!  There's honestly no other band out there I've wanted to reunite more than Soundgarden.  One of my all-time favorite bands for a number of years, and I never got the chance to see 'em live.  They've announced that they're reuniting for a handful of festival dates.  Count me in.  Now must listen to Badmotorfinger and Superunknown in preparation.

Soundgarden World

"Show me the power, child.  I'd like to say that I'm down on my knees today.  Yeah, it gives me the butterflies, gives me away, 'til I'm up on my feet again." 

Soundgarden - Outshined

"Just when every day seemed to greet me with a smile, sunpots have faded.  Now I'm doing time.  Now I'm doing time."

Soundgarden - Fell on Black Days