Dell produced Jay Reatard’s first official video, which is why he was last seen giving AOL the finger. It’s all about sponsorship, kids. Reatard tore through “See/Saw” on the aforementioned Spinner set, and it’s also the soundtrack to his first official video. In the clip, the Memphis garage-punk gets pushed around (slowly) in a shopping cart. And he and his cohorts also rock out. And he puts rocks on his face down on the train tracks. What did Amrit say yesterday about cheaply constructed press-cycle-extending promo material? Just kidding. (No I’m not.) It was directed by the Austin-based collective Super!Alright!.
Posted on November 20th, 2008 by admin
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It is tearing up Tumblr today. “Freaxxx” was shot for no money in four hours by a couple of recent film school graduates, but we still find it hard to believe that Brokencyde is a real band. Watch it here, you won’t regret it. (You will regret it.)
Posted on November 20th, 2008 by admin
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The Woodies happened, I was there, you didn’t miss too much. This year’s performance roster was interesting though, particularly for a couple of onstage collaborations. Vampire Weekend’s “The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance” with Chromeo was previously announced and a fun if subtle shift from the original (not like the Chromeo studio remix of the track, which is a fun if unsubtle shift from the original). Lykke Li (with Björn Yttling on bass) covering Tribe’s “Can I Kick It” alongside surprise guest Q-Tip was unexpected and momentarily electrifying. Tip has the power. That bled into a three-song medley of Kamaal solo stuff, which you can watch here along with the Chromeo Weekend, Santogold, and the Cool Kids’ performances. That screengrab captures the slow dissolve from Q-Tip and Lykke kicking it to Rostam Weekend loving it which I included because that is highly bloggable imagery.
Posted on November 20th, 2008 by admin
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Photos coming soon from last night’s A Tribe Called Quest-heavy Q-Tip show, but in the meantime, here’s a clip of the Abstract joining Lykke Li for a performance of a Tribe classic:***************************
Posted on November 20th, 2008 by admin
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These Smashing Pumpkins shows aren’t going so well. In part for their crowd-confounding setlists, but more so for their consistent devolution into excruciatingly awkward Corgan therapy sessions. The latest dispatch from the fault lines comes from the band’s hometown shows at the Chicago Theatre. This time, for the now infamous, sarcastic and ranting “Everything Is Beautiful” encore portion of the show, Billy again turned the mic over to a ticketholder to hear the crowd’s perspective on the ongoing saga of his inexplicable meltdown. However this time his randomly selected crowd ambassador was more of a sycophant than a heckler. (”You’re the man, we trust you! You guys rule! Don’t ever stop playing. We love you. You gotta believe in yourself!”)
Oddly, you don’t get the impression that’s what Billy wanted to hear. If this is some Tony Clifton crowd-antagonizing performance art BS, consider that moment a backfire. And when Corgan takes back the mic, he continues on with the acerbic, vindictive, self-doubting, totally unhinged tone of his previous spiel which included masturbatory fantasies of bending Sarah Palin over his amp (and thinking of the audience to help get him off), comparing his fans to his ex-girlfriends (who take all his money and never love him), and generally wondering why the world is out to get him. Just watch the video:
Posted on November 20th, 2008 by admin
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When we announced Blake Scharzenbach and Aaron Cometbus’ Thorns Of Life, a few days ago, commenters brought up another recent ’90s resurfacing: I wouldn’t put the Get Up Kids in the same league as Jawbreaker (sorry), but the guys did just play a reunion show at the Record Bar Kansas City in celebration of the 10th anniversary of Something To Write Home About. They performed the album from start to finish, along with six bonus encore tracks. Let’s start with “Holiday” since that’s where they started.
Posted on November 20th, 2008 by admin
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Jessica just gave us Andrew Bird’s Progress Report. Before that, we spotted he and Yo-Yo Ma smiling and whistling at each other and heard a bunch of new Bird songs. Andrew’s clearly not ashamed to go step beyond Armchair Apocrypha. In fact, he just performed a previously unreleased song in Nigel Godrich’s basement. It’s a lengthy, thoughtful track called “Section 8 City” that involves plucking and whistling, because that’s how Andrew got his name. Go Bird watching (via You Ain’t No Picasso). It’s a new one, yes, but it’s not on Noble Beast. Maybe a B-side?
Noble Beast is out 1/27 via Fat Possum.
Posted on November 20th, 2008 by admin
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The more I listen to The Renaissance, the more it sounds like a bona fide classic. Rik Cordero just needs to go ahead and do a clip for every song on the record:***************************Q-Tip plays tonight in Dallas with the Cool Kids. Previously:***…
Posted on November 19th, 2008 by admin
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We filled you in on Beach House’s “Used To Be” 7″, then the Baltimore duo headed down to a beach (complete with waterfalls) to perform it. At first glance I thought Victoria and Alex raised the conceptual arc a notch by shooting the “Used To Be”’s Matt Amato-directed video in — yes — a beach house (or at least a beach-side hotel), but alas: It was shot in a desert outside L.A. and features the sharp-dressed band waiting around, contemplating themselves, and generally feeling the tug of time.
Posted on November 19th, 2008 by admin
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Mr. Simon continued being awesome with a stop over at Stephen Colbert’s place last night. Paul was on hand to promote his new book Lyrics 1964-2008, a title which Colbert deemed utterly unpoetic (his suggestion: Word Salad Jazzmatron). Simon’s stay spanned two segments. The first had Stephen ask Simon to defend some of his hippie-era lyrics, explain what exactly Julio was doing down by the schoolyard, and why Paul needed to walk out on Cecilia to wash his face. (”Well it was the ’60s so I don’t remember.”) After wits were traded, Paul performed “American Tune,” with the stars of the flag and the city skyline hanging behind him. Utterly poetic.
Posted on November 19th, 2008 by admin
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Today is apparently “pensive, low-budget dream-pop video day” here on GvsB:**************************
Posted on November 19th, 2008 by admin
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New Pornographer A.C. (Carl) Newman’s pop-drenched Get Guilty, the followup to 2004’s Slow Wonder, is out at the beginning of ‘09. You’ve already heard the opener “There Are Maybe Ten Or Twelve” and now there’s maybe one or one Go-Betweens covers to add to the Newman canon. It’s a non-album track. He did it live at the Bell House in Brooklyn. See if you can guess the tune without peeking.
Posted on November 19th, 2008 by admin
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It’s getting to be that time when people start asking you to make lists and rank the year in music. Fun! Texan outfit and BTW Fight Bite are on my shortlist for the year’s finest debuts, and “Swissex Lover” is its signature track. The duo of Leanne Macomber and Jeff Louis crafted their swirling, cinematic ten-song set Emerald Eyes in a bedroom in Denton, and their first video combines those charms in this simple, stirring black-and-white visual: homemade images of the pair superimposed on film footage of playgrounds and armies, families and office spaces. It’s a moment of heartbreak and acceptance on a dorm-room budget. Fair enough. It’s been that sorta year.
Posted on November 19th, 2008 by admin
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It was Glasvegas’ drummer Caroline McKay who made it to 10 on NME’s 2008 Cool List, but that doesn’t stop vocalist James Allan from wearing sunglasses at night. Of course, everyone’s cool in this one. The imagery’s atmospheric, autumnal, dark. You see dead leaves, a concerted choir, and lots of colorful lights punctuating the black backdrop. The video’s for the depressing, but anthemic “Please Come Back Home” from the Scottish quartet’s forthcoming “mini-album” A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like A Kiss).
Posted on November 18th, 2008 by admin
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Conan and Letterman always win the award for best music guests that I just made up. They’re both based out of NYC. Coincidence? I hope so — Mr. O’Brien’s days in the city are numbered, and it’d be a shame for him to inherit the empty-pop minded booker Leno’s leaving behind. Anyway, it’s nice to see Blitzen Trapper get a nod from the Late Night staff, bringing their Sub Pop country strumming harmonica jam “Furr,” from the album of the same name, to 30 Rock last night. Watch it at Hulu, and take notes on how to make your show more bloggable, Jimmy Fallon. You’re off to a good start.
Posted on November 18th, 2008 by admin
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