This is actually a harmless pie graph showing the percentage of Indie acts playing Coachella compared to those on major labels. Not, however, a pacmanization of varying segments of the music industry.

For more Coachella graphs and overly emphasized Youtube statistics go here. (Thanks Marina)

Posted by Merry Swankster at 02:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Mets have a new stadium that is slated to open next season and there are all kinds of 'last season' happenings in honor of the current dump. Most of them dubious given we're talking about an uninspired relic of architecture in Flushing that is going to be missed by nobody. Growing up we used to say that Shea looks like a pizza pie with a slice taken out -- that slice transported to Jones Beach for an amphitheater of equally sad aesthetics contrasting with the beachy environs.

Anywhoo...a scroll through the interweb is all one needs to see there is no shortage of pranksters trying to leave their mark on the final season before the wrecking ball. Now, the steamrolling Rickroll prank has its sights on occupying the 8th inning song slot at the stadium.

Currently at Mets.com, the team is asking fans to vote from 10 choices, including a write-in option, to elect a new eighth-inning sign-a-long song, which could potentially replace Sweet Caroline.

However, FARK.com is encouraging it’s community to bombard Mets.com and vote Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up as a write-in candidate. (via)

Anyone else not the least bit offended by this one? In fact I would much rather have Astley's hit over the Fenway borrowed "Sweet Caroline". Talk about unoriginal.

Rick Astley - "Never Gonna Give You Up"

Posted by Merry Swankster at 03:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It seems like too long since we shared an individual act of brilliance from the ol' Internets. Garfield minus Garfield has been hitting the rounds with great enjoyment by squatters at the Merry Swankster flophouse, though as hysterical as it is, the non-connection to music keeps our enthusiasm off the blog. Now that someone has lifted one of Pulp's, arguably, best songs, we have a chance to reference not only Jon Arbuckle's hidden mental anguish, but this amazing dose of comic extraction too! "Common People" dubbing Archie and the gang. More please. (via)

Pulp - Common People

*Archie In...A Different Class!
*Garfield minus Garfield

Posted by Merry Swankster at 12:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Jeff Pearlman is most well known (and beloved) for his infamous article that (rightly) painted then Atlanta Braves pitcher John Rocker as a racist buffoon. But he's also made waves for calling out his alma mater, the University of Delaware, for its possibly-racially motivated reluctance to play Delaware State in football and for leading the national media charge on doing away with Native American sports team nicknames. Even though his articles tend to strike nerves, they are always well researched and full of credible sources. He's also a nice guy who seems down to earth, somewhat of an anomaly among sports writers. These are all known. What's not so known is that, to boot, Pearlman is apparently a pretty avid runner. Enough so that he (or his editors, or whoever), saw it fit for him to create the "ultimate" running playlist and to post said list on ESPN's Page 2.

Pearlman's article begins by bashing what is quite possibly the most referenced work out/running song, Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger". I have a great hearsay anecdote about that song, told to me by a reporter from The McAllen Monitor who was backstage covering the show: About five years ago, Survivor played a concert in the Rio Grande Valley, I believe it was one of the Borderfests. So the emcee of the show was attempting to hype the crowd and said something along the lines of, "Rio Grande Valley, are you ready for Survivor!?!" At which point, a dejected Robin McAuley (the singer) turned down his head and muttered, "I don't think I'm ready for Survivor," before heading on stage to presumably play "Eye of the Tiger" five or six times.

But this post isn't about Survivor (anymore), it's about running playlists. For the most part, I think Pearlman did a pretty good job, although I'm sure Jeff would have something to say about the track-to-track transitions. To see his choices, and for my track-by-track critique there of, read on. Oh, and We've done this before.

Continue reading "Music Criticism vs Jeff Pearlman" »

Posted by Randall Monty at 06:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Ownership alert - I did not create this... But someone cleverer than I put together a number of graphical representations of hip-hop songs. I wish only to share them with you.

Find many more examples of this at Jamphat.com/rap

Posted by Keith O'Brien at 05:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

[Photo cred]

Brooklyn as hipster mecca has officially jumped the shark:

"Want a brief overview of Sufjan's fascination with the hippest highway in indie rock? Go here."

Emphasis mine. Though, in all fairness Asthmatic Kitty's description of the project's inspiration is a very well written, on the money teaser. Well worth the click through (via).

Posted by Merry Swankster at 02:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Remember when the Internets where really slow? I remember being thrilled when I discovered music files could be downloaded in just 30 minutes! Might be why I feel the need to point out an interesting comment I read at eMusic's page for Celebration's the Modern Tribe. From the "Well I'll show you!" in conjunction with "not only slow, but for 3 miles in two feet of snow!" files:

It took me about 8 tries (and 30 minutes) to successfully download this album with the new eMusic Remote. I could have just gone down the street to the record store and gotten this album for $7 by the time the Remote was done. Next time, I'll do that.

(Apologies to Sports Illustrated.)

//Celebration - The Modern Tribe - eMusic

Posted by Merry Swankster at 02:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Hat tip: the C. Rizzle gangster)

Posted by Merry Swankster at 01:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Merry Swankster at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Deerhunter blog is a bizarre and wondrous thing. With a band whose sound is so thick and evocative, you'd think that demystifying it with day to day ramblings would be detrimental. But the site has gone so far past demystification that it has almost thickened the mystery. From keeping a journal of band members' bowel movements to posting lengthy diatribes on homoerotic fantasies, from posting exhaustive lyrical explanations and guitar tabs to elegies for deceased band members and well remembered acid trips, the level of intimacy allowed to the group's fans is flatly unprecedented and really quite strange. You're never quite sure if you're getting 100% honesty or performance art, or whether there is any distinction between the two at all.

Though I understand the turn off for those who can't be bothered to follow this stuff so closely, the blog has been posting original material at the rate of a well updated mp3 blog. In typically odd and uncomfortable fashion, singer Bradford Cox has attributed his prolificacy to an antidepressant that has rendered his unable to jerk off, and with literally alot of time on his hands. Though quickly "tossed off" (sorry), much of the posted material is quite good.

Song highlights to date:

Atlas Sound - "Monochromatic"

The strongest original composition from Cox's solo Atlas Sound project to be given away so far is the warped, dreamy "Monochromatic." As the Atlas Sound MySpace page has already posted the tracklist for next year's expected Atlas Sound full-length Let the Blind Lead Those Who See But Cannot Feel, it's a sound assumption that this sub three minute gem has seen its moment in the sun. With cymbals steady shaking, Cox intones again and again, "we cut their throats, we cut their throats." The mantra like repetition matched with some sweetly melted psychedelic guitar lines places this very closely in quality and style to Deerhunter's excellent Fluorescent Grey EP released earlier this year to near universal acclaim.

Atlas Sound - "Solar Ropes"

"Solar Ropes" has a faster tempo than most of the other song sketches, letting an off kilter loop take center stage while Bradford multi tracks himself into oblivion over the top. Structurally, this wouldn't rate in the top percentage of his compositions by any means, but the textural oddity in conjunction with a tone that's more spritely and playful than usual makes it an interesting listen.

Atlas Sound - "So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)"

In addition to giving himself challenges like recording a full EP in a single evening, Cox has taken to performing and producing cover versions as fast as readers can suggest them. While haunted takes on Liars, Neil Young, and the Velvet Underground were all worth a listen, this gorgeously eerie cover of the Everly Brothers' 1960 top ten smash is in another class entirely. His singing style and guitar strumming is surprisingly reverential, but the mind bending production gives the words an different color altogether.

the Wet Dreams - "Circuit Breaker"

The blog is also a clearing house for material from forgotten Atlanta side projects that never got anywhere near Deerhunter's level of attention. Such a group were the Wet Dreams, a garage punk three piece in which Cox played drums. Their sound is closer to the fast and raw sixties dominated songs of the band's close friends and fellow Georgians, the Black Lips. But there's something on the edges of this sloppy girl fronted track, an odd disconnected white noise that floats to the surface in between rushed drum beats and bratty harmonies. There's a connective tissue here linking it to the new and extemporaneous material that the site so regularly delivers.

Lockett Pundt - "Glass Snake Rendered"

Though posting with nowhere near the frequency (I was going to say "or intimacy" but then I remembered the poop journal) as his Deerhunter band mate, guitarist and possible complicated Madden Football play Lockett Pundt occasionally offers an original recording or cover of his own. His version of the Amps semi-forgotten "Bragging Party" was pretty swell, but this song is the jewel among his contributions to date. With his main band's signature ambience, some constantly creeping electronics, and a surprisingly sweet yet muffled singing voice, "Glass Snake Rendered" might be the most nuanced and fully developed track yet discarded through the site.

Keep checking in for yourself if you can bear to. Though it can sometimes resemble a slow moving train wreck, it more often resembles a slow motion box set. A logical and groundbreaking move to keep up fervent attention in an ADD digital age.

Posted by Jeff Klingman at 04:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The buzz around M.I.A.'s new album Kala is finally starting to trickle up from the file sharing and bit torrent wilderness to the blog world at large. It's holding strong on my stereo in the face of very strong competition (Sunset Rubdown, Prinzhorn Dance School, etc.) as we speak. I was sadly not able to make it to Ms. Arulpragasam's recent set at Greenpoint's Studio B, but Charlie from Nerd Litter was front and center, smuggling footage back to the masses.

M.I.A. - "20 Dollar"

Here's the soon to be exhaustively discussed track "20 Dollar," which proves that the Pixies name dropping on Arular was no empty endorsement. You should really go check the original post here, to get a handful of additional clips.

UPDATE: My review of the track's studio version is up on Prefix, where you can hear some streaming audio...

Posted by Jeff Klingman at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Via Naked Communications

Bob Fosse meets "Walk It Out"

I complete agree with Johanna's friend Brian's sentiment (I do not know these people).

As my friend Brian put it, “it hit something near perfection around 2 minutes - 2:15.” I would have to agree. Check it out, this whole thing is pretty genius.

UPDATE: The original kicks ass too.

Posted by Keith O'Brien at 09:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

If Wolf Parade ever tickled your fancy (consentually or non-consentually) you should probably give at least a periodic check to the sparsely worded Snakes Got a Blog. The latest WP related find to surface over there is a decent live recording of Dan Boeckner's Handsome Furs shambling through a dark and sloppy version of Tom Petty's "You Got Lucky." As the evil border guard suspended the Furs from playing their scheduled New York gigs, I've no clue if this is a set staple or a one time experiment, but it's preserved in semi-acceptable audio for all time now.

Handsome Furs - "You Got Lucky" (live Tom Petty cover)
mp3

P.S. If you look around at the site you'll notice a new Islands song that has yet to be ubiquitous as well.

Posted by Jeff Klingman at 01:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We're way overdue on weighing in on this, as Wonkette, Time's quite good Swampland, and probably seventy music blogs have already posted.

But, so what?

Hill-Hill has asked supporters to choose her campaign song.

Oh my lords. Smash Mouth's cover of "I'm a Believer!" Oh my rick rubins. Jesus' Jones "Right Here, Right Now".

Clearly there's no indie rock fan in the Clinton camp. So, whose got some pretentious indie rock suggestions?

How about Belle & Sebastian's "She's Losing It"

The Smith's "Oscillate Wildly?"

How about Radiohead? Was that enough of a reason to link to our fabulous, still-running Radiohead May Madness tournament, which is located here?

"Electioneering" is the obvious election-themed post, but it's not sharp enough. "Let Down?" "How Can You Be Sure?"

What say you?

Posted by Keith O'Brien at 03:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"'Heimdelsgate', we play it and the audience is dancing and having fun and smiling. But when I think about it, God, this is so weird, because I'm singing this song that was inspired by this period of almost a mental breakdown, it's all about chemicals, you're destroying my life, I'm so suicidal, I'm so paranoid, I've got so many anxieties, my life sucks, but then here I am, dancing around on stage, wearing this crazy outfit and everyone in the crowd is smiling and dancing up and down, it's kind of a bizarre thing to realize. But at the same time, I'd rather them be doing that than wearing all black and sitting in the shadows and slitting their wrists or whatever. So in a way it's kind of like pulling yourself out of this and celebrating the victory that you've conquered the demon that was destroying you." (via)

The rest of the interview with the man behind our Album of the quarter is worth checking out. Did you know Playgirl is going to publish those NSFW pictures? Crazy. I wonder if these idiots think it's another "proposition that’s insulting to both the genre’s current audience and the faceless masses." Whatever the fuck that means.

Previously:
Video: Of Montreal, "Tropical Iceland," Bowie covers
The Surrealists were just Nihilists with good imaginations

Posted by Merry Swankster at 01:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This has been posted about, but hey, who doesn't like an astronaut fight?

Posted by Jeff Klingman at 04:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, this is just a very small little tidbit of hip, but in the latest issue of magazine the Pop Manifesto Illirjana Alushaj, who just so happens to be the lead singer of Neon Lights' band Apache Beat, interviews DFA newbies Prinzhorn Dance School, who just so happen to be the subject of multiple posts on MS. Just a happy little convergence. That is all...

Posted by Jeff Klingman at 05:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've always been confused by Hardcore. This Donahue clip doesn't help (via).

NYHC on Donahue 1986

Another score from the dumpster diving Youtubers. I think I have a burgeoning fetish: vintage videos of punks doing what they do best. These people might be your parents!

Posted by Merry Swankster at 01:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tuesday's controversial post on the Love God's Way Ministries "gay bands" list appears to be an elaborate hoax. Joe from Joe. My. Blog. sniffed around enough to discover Donnie Davies is really the "very successful commercial actor with some television and film credits peppered within his career," Todd Quillen.

Theories abound on why anyone would go through so much trouble pulling an elaborate stunt. I suppose Quillen subscribes to the school of thought that there is no such thing as bad publicity. Let's see how it works out for him.

My favorite: "Donnie Davies is a kidder and an asshole."

UPDATE: 1/29/2007, 4:35 PM ET

Joe.My.God debunks a debunking only to reveal that Todd Quillen is not Donnie Davies. Proper credit should go to the actor Joey Oglesby. We've already moved on, but you can read about it here.

Posted by Merry Swankster at 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Taking a misguided page from the 'music approved by conservatives' files comes this debacle from the "Love God's Way Ministries (via Idolator).

"One of the most dangerous ways homosexuality invades family life is through popular music. Parents should keep careful watch over their children's listening habits, especially in this Internet Age of MP3 piracy."

Bands to watch out for

The Spores
Scissor Sisters
Rufus Wainwright
Merzbau
Ravi Shankar
Wilco
Bjork
Tech N9ne
Ghostface Killah
Bobby Conn
Morton Subotnik
Cole Porter
The String Cheese Incident
Eagles of Death Metal
Polyphonic Spree
The Faint
Interpol
Tegan and Sara
Erasure
Le Tigre
The Gossip
The Doors
Phish
Queen
The Strokes
Sufjan Stevens
Morrissey
The Pet Shop Boys
Metallica
Judas Priest
The Village People
The Secret Handshake
The Rolling Stones
David Bowie
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Man or Astroman
Richard Cheese
Jay-Z
Depeche Mode
Kansas
Ani DiFranco
Fischerspooner
John Mayer
The Indigo Girls
Velvet Underground

If you've already caught the Gay, the crazies offer hope:

"The bottom line - you shouldn't be gay! You can lead a life of fulfillment and happiness as God intended, a life far better than what your Gay life has offered."

Previously:
YFLMD* - Youth Fight, Love Marriage Defense?
Conservative songs, redux

Posted by Merry Swankster at 04:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)

This is, for YouTube, some relatively high quality live footage. Spencer Krug and company tear through a number that didn't make it onto my favorite album of the year, but rules regardless. It looks like they're playing somebody's rec room...

Sunset Rubdown - "Winged/ Wicked Things"
Live @ Lenny's Bar, Atlanta, GA

(with thanks to Snake's Got a Blog, who apparently love Sun Rub even more than I do...)

Sunset Rubdown - "Winged / Wicked Things"
(from the Daytrotter.com session)

// Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up, I am Dreaming buy

Posted by Jeff Klingman at 07:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Some Sunday morning sex-pottery from our collective 2006 obsession. I could expand on the main visual appeal of this clip, but don't want to sound any creepier in regards to Kate Jackson than I already have. New Year's resolutions and all that...

the Long Blondes - "Giddy Stratospheres"

Posted by Jeff Klingman at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Since I'm still rubbing my eyes and squinting at the light of the new year, extensive posting has been a bit beyond me. However, I've been lapped by the new girl in the prolificacy department about four times over now, and I've got to stop the bleeding.

Luckily, I'm saved from in-depth analysis by finding something that, even after serious deliberation, I don't know what to make of...

Deerhunter - "Lake Somerset"

Deerhunter are sure to be on the fingertips of the bloggerati any day now, with their stellar sophomore album Cryptograms set for a late January release. "Lake Somerset" is one of the more menacing tracks from the album, prodded forward on an insistent "Psycho Killer"-type bassline. The accompanying video that has popped up on YouTube, is, uh, I don't know what.

In a single shot, the video's director, James Sumner (who also apparently made an animated opera about Don Henley that screened at this past year's SXSW) is dressed as a turtle and eats alot of pizza, intensely.

It looks like one of the foam rubber Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from the 90's films has slowly pissed away all of his royalties and grown bitter and unstable. He now stays inside a little house in the sticks all day, nursing a serious meth habit. Since there are four plates that he's eating off of, you'd think the other heroes in a halfshell would show up anytime, but maybe they've either settled down with little gecko wives, or are dead in the basement.

The dark tension of the music makes it all a little less ridiculous and alot more creepy, but still it's just a stationary shot of a turtle eating pizza, so I'm conflicted.

Thoughts?

Previously: Deerhunter

// Deerhunter - band site
// Deerhunter - MySpace
// Deerhunter - Deerhunter Buy

Posted by Jeff Klingman at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Because the post on writers invoking My Bloody Valentine as a descriptive adjective drew a short, yet healthy discussion in the comments section, I feel the need to dumb it down with a simple image using TuneGlue's audio mapping tool :

Previously:
Sounds like My Bloody Valentine...?

Posted by Merry Swankster at 01:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Playing Jingle Bells backwards reveals two things. Misguided corporate campaigns and what we've been wondering all year.

*Conspiracy Carols

Previously:
Satan eats Cheez Whiz and Britney's Slutty Ambition (from schoolgirl outfit era), care of the Funny Farm

Posted by Merry Swankster at 01:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hey, I'm still trying to break the cycle of napping and stuffing my face with two hands, so a real live in-depth whatever will have to wait another day or so. If you are dying for a dose of pontificating, you can read my review of the Long Blondes Someone to Drive You Home that was up on Prefix over the hiatus. Shockingly, I thought the record was good.

Also, for some unfathomable reason, I never knew this existed. I now do, and am thankful.

the Unicorns - "Tuff Ghost"

Normal output to resume shortly...

Posted by Jeff Klingman at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On the Internet you find wonderful, magnificent, disgusting treasures. A collection of recent booty:

-Wowee Zowee mania is in full swing. Domino Records has a free download of Pavement's 4.24.1994 show in Hollywood here.

-Minty Fresh is giving away the new Prototypes EP. Tis the season to be thankful.

-List season is upon us. Don't strangle that puppy! Resist the urge to spew vehement disapproval. Get a grip on yourself.

-Ever wonder how a meeting between a satirical music blogger, Borat and a Star Wars legend would play out? Someone has. Nerdom that can only be described as epic. "YODA, BORAT, AND GERARD NEGOTIATE A THREE-WAY"

-Nothing but Green Lights hearts Economy Wolf. The UK blog predicts wolf band #48,936 as best of the year...in 2007.

Beastie Boys - "Professor Booty"

Happy Friday.

Related:
Pavement
Prototypes
MS Lists
Wolves

Posted by Merry Swankster at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Is Jim Dubois the greatest consumer marketing executive in Manhattan that can sing like Bono? Is there a blog covering songs reworked for internal corporate meetings? If no, why the hell not? I have so many questions...

Jim Dubois & Ethan Chandler - "One"

Money line:

"Integration never had us feeling so good/
We'll make lots of money forever I can sing"

African children just lost all hope in Bono (via BV).

Posted by Merry Swankster at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

We love you, we love you not, we love you, we love you not, we love you...

"Sound Team, Birdmonster, now these guys-- bloggers, raise your standards!"

Hee hee.

Posted by Merry Swankster at 03:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Stereogum doesn't have a monopoly on all matters concerning Britney, or in this case her punching bag of a husband.

Kevin Federline on WWE Monday Night Raw

You can see him get body slammed here. USMC serving our nation proudly.

Tags:Kevin Federline, WWE, Publicity stunts that make you go whaat?

Posted by Merry Swankster at 05:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The increasing sales of digital music may have an unintended consequence - the end of album art. I know that at least two-thirds of Merry Swankster partners fondly adhere to the official CD release for both artifact and as a physical representation of one’s music collection. The value, accessibility, and portability of music digitization has been a wonderful thing, but there is something to be said about flipping through a CD (or album) collection and reminiscing with memories tied to particular records that cannot be duplicated with the quick scrolling of an iPod.

The Apple people understand the emptiness that naysayers of digital music have towards the medium and are clearly striving for that visceral feeling that comes only with rich visuals that album art provides. The latest iTunes version (7.0) has a nifty feature that allows browsing by album cover which actually gives more of a jukebox feel than a scan through a CD tower, but its close and better than bland text on a screen. (That is of course until the iPod brain implant version gets released.)

Why am I saying all this? Because I support the “full package” of a CD release. Artists take time in planning the cover art, lyrics layout and thank yous to their family and producer. Also, because without them we would never enjoy this video which is one of the greatest things I have ever seen. Tell me that different episodes of your life did not flash through your mind upon seeing the classic covers used in the video and I’ll call you a liar, or you’ll call me a big music geek. (From: Motionographer via: Stereogum)

Posted by Merry Swankster at 01:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

At this point you've probably already seen this clip, which was all over the place. Rightly so, because it's unreasonably funny. So watch it again...

David Bowie on Extras

Man, I like that more than anything on Hours.

Alright, now that your memory is refreshed, we reveal a bit of the hidden backstory. Apparently, Ricky Gervais's unrequited love for Bowie stretches back quite a few more years than we previously knew. He was at one point the future comic genius's main influence apparently...

Seona Dancing? Wuh?

Here's another Brit show in the horrible VH1 mode of nobody hacks talking over archival footage. The dominance of these types of programs probably started in England, as that's where out country's TV exec bad ideas are usually poached from. The best part of this is the two sleepy eight year olds in the front row for the live performance footage.

I have nothing wildly insightful to say about all this, except that it's weird. Sadly, Ricky would not get in front of music video cameras for nearly 20 years. When he did, he had clearly not lost any of his previous majesty.

David Brent - "If You Don't Know Me By Now"
(from the Office UK)

(with thanks to Liz for bringing this to my attention)

Tags: David Bowie, Ricky Gervais, Extras, the Office, Seona Dancing

Posted by Jeff Klingman at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

For the record, I am not a fan of mashups. Combining two (or more) perfectly good songs together can sound way too busy and usually the results are awful. But like everything, there are exceptions. When I was in living in LA I used to isten to fantabulous Indie 103.1. Possibily the last good non-public radio station in the country (another exception to the rule). Every Friday they have a drivetime feature called "Mashup of the Day" produced by DJ Paul V. Today's version is made up of artists performing the Austin City Limits festie now underway. (via Stereogum)

The Smash Mix - Austin City Limits Edition
(Tracklist after the jump.)

For all things ACL, GorillavsBear is liveblogging from his hometown festival.

//Austin City Liimits - Festival site
//Indie 103.1 - Listen Live
//DJ Paul V - site

Tags: Austin City Limits, Indie 103.1, DJ Paul V

Continue reading "Austin City Limits (S)mashup" »

Posted by Merry Swankster at 06:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I touched on the new Xiu Xiu album yesterday, and although Pitchfork disagrees with me, I will stand firm with my reservations. This awesome video is not one of them, however.

Xiu Xiu - "Boy Soprano"

How bad do you want to play this game? "Oh no, Jamie's health bar is fading. Quick, pick up a Smiths album!"

Tags: Xiu Xiu, Nintendo, music videos

Posted by Jeff Klingman at 04:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I know that I just posted about ultra low profile NYC sorta Swedes Thieves Like Us a couple of days ago, but I'm still in my early flush of infatuation. Plus, with Pieces of the People We Love hitting stores on Tuesday, it's good to slip this in before all the air in the disco rock discussion gets sucked up by the Rapture.

Thieves Like Us -"Drugs in My Body"

The song in question comes across like a b-side from Discovery in which Daft Punk finally unmasks to reveal the twee indie kids suspected to be inside the robot coating all along. That's totally a compliment, by the way. Watched this twice last night and it's been running on repeat in my head ever since.

Tags: Thieves Like Us, Daft Punk, the Rapture

Posted by Jeff Klingman at 03:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The music musings of Bill Simmons' well read ESPN column were the focal point of an exhaustively cited, and "obsessively detailed" criticism by recent MS guest blogger, Randall Monty. This week Simmons lets readers in on a menagerie of pop culture leads badged with the "Sports Guy seal of approval," including the venerable iTunes mix. Simmons includes an imix playlist while throwing caution to the wind and explicitly challenging the blogeratti (or Monty) to call him out. Like tossing red meat into the warm waters of the Gulf Coast.

"I'm excited for snobby music bloggers to rip me to shreds because I included The Bravery and Louis XIV. I don't care. Mock me all you want."

Will anyone take the bait?

Previously: Music criticism versus Bill Simmons

Tags: ESPN, Bill Simmons, Sports Guy, Playlist

Posted by Merry Swankster at 09:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stereogum has been posting the ugly instances of collective stupidity at the Reading Festival. Fans have pelted bottles at performers. First Brendan Urie of Panic! at the Disco gets knocked in the face by a bottle and now it appears that My Chemical Romance have also been targeted for felling via bottle blows from irate (see: drunk) “fans.”

Without passing judgment on the quality of musical output of these groups, bands getting intimate with the wrong end of hostile Brits' flying missiles is all fairly idiotic and reminiscent of 1999’s ill-fated Woodstock debacle. While fires and rapes have not yet replaced “bottling” headlines, attacking artists performing onstage makes as much sense as throwing cream pies at the cunty, verbal diarrhea spewing Ann Coulter. Walk away people, just walk away.

All of this nonsense comes amid reports that crime is down at this years festie.

Maybe the true sign of a free society is not freedom of movement or freedom of speech, but the chance to be a complete jackass and aim your misguided anger at powerless figures while in a faceless mob. Pussies.

Here are some YouTube vids of "bottlings":

-50 Cent & G-Unit