French Virgin caught Screwing Madonna

No, not a virgin. The Virgin. The French component of the megastore downloaded Madonna's song "Hung Up" [Warner Music] and resold it as their own.

"Immediately after the track was made available to mobile users, the Virgin store downloaded, overcame the DRM, repackaged it and then openly resold it to customers on the VirginMega website." [wiredfire, via digg]

At least they didn't pirate Madonna's hit "Like a Virgin." The irony would have had catastrophic consequences.

P4K Weighs in on Diableros, Sound Team

Pitchfork gave The Diableros' You Can't Break the Strings in Our Olympic Hearts an impressive 8.4 today while managing to steer clear of both the stigamtized "Best New Music" and "Recommended" titles. Sam Ubl decrees:

Plenty of bands do the hysterical singer/banal subjects thing these days, most of them Canadian; but none push the contrast farther than the Diableros. Carmichael plays the part of the withering, artfully disheveled, colossally fucked-up vocalist as popularized by Win Bulter (Arcade Fire), Spencer Krug (Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown), Alec Ounsworth (CYHSY), Hamilton Leithauser (Walkmen), and Paul Banks (Interpol).

The Diableros - No Weight (mp3)
The Diableros - Push it to Monday (mp3)
Stream the rest at their website, or buy from eMusic.

Meanwhile the equally competent Soundteam album got a summer-sizzling 3.7. Marc Hogan writes:

Yes, summer 2006 is the summer of Snakes on a Plane. But it's also the season of the "art-house monster movie"-- at least in the words of The Wall Street Journal (I know!). Among the latest snob-spookers: South Korean director Bong Joon-Ho's The Host, Thai duo Oxide and Danny Pang's Re-Cycle, and The Exorcist guy's fresh Harry Connick Jr./Ashley Judd creep-out, Bug. All picked up Cannes plaudits, though probably fewer than Al Gore.

Eventually he goes on to talk about the music, but who cares. That's not why we read Pitchfork.

We read it for reporting about Sufjan's baby and Jeff Magnum's forum chats.

Lo-Fi Fnk - "Adore"

My latest obesession is Lo-Fi Fnk's song "Adore" thanks to Greg, aka DJ Never Forget. Lo-Fi Fnk [website/myspace] is Swedish techno, and "Adore" is catchy as all hell.

Lo-Fi Fnk - Adore (mp3)

DJ Never Forget also starts his great Summer Rations mix (38 minutes) with another Lo-Fi FNK song called "City." The whole mix is sweet.

Team Summer Rations Mix (mp3)

Central Village likes also and had the mp3 "City." LFF has lots other random bloglove.

Review: Steven Seagal @ BB King's

Angela went to Steven Seagal's show on Sunday. She writes:

Steven Seagal’s tour for his recent album Mojo Priest drew a full house at B. B. King Blues Club on Sunday night. The album came out just over a month ago in the US, but true fans in the audience were likely already familiar with songs like “Alligator Ass” and “Talk to My Ass” from the import version released earlier this spring.

I’d mistakenly expected to encounter a large faction of middle-aged tourists but instead found a relatively diverse crowd in regard to both age and hipness. My friends were enthused to briefly chat with MC Chris before the show, something I was oblivious to as a consequence of my low pop culture awareness.

When Seagal appeared on stage, he was wearing a vibrant purple tunic and a some sort of talisman suspended from a sliver chain. The flashy outfit seemed an unnecessary effort to be more visible -- when you have twice the physical mass of your supporting band members and are the only white guy on stage, there's little danger of fading into the background.

The music itself is scarcely worth mentioning; not bad enough to be painful and certainly not good enough to take seriously. The vocals weren't overly dominant, so I had to strain to hear that the lyrics involved something to do with making scrambled eggs and getting some ass. During a few of the show's off moments, Seagal was stricken by what a friend coined “the George Bush expression.” A look of mild confusion would cross his face for a few moments, but then almost immediately his uncertainty would be erased by a giddy, boyish smile when he realized that the enthusiasm in the room was all directed at him.

But then, why wouldn't he smile? As the evening progressed, there was a definite shift in the crowd from ironic detachment to genuine enthusiasm. By the time of the encore, we were chanting "Mojo Priest" not out of mockery but because we wanted the spectacle to continue. The conga line may have formed out of jest, but hey, when's the last time you've seen a conga line at Bowery? And that was the greatest thing about the show: to some extent, everyone was in on the joke -- including Seagal himself.

Best of all, there was a meet and greet session after the show. As we waited in line, they passed out cans of Seagal's energy drink, which comes in "Cherry Charge" and "Asian Experience" flavors. The meeting and greeting didn't involve the signing of breasts, so we had to settle for Seagal reaching his hand pretty far up my friend’s shirt in order to autograph it. The Brits in line behind us, however, had the best autograph scheme of all. On the inside of their passports, they had Seagal sign the space where you list emergency contact info.

Top Five of 2006 [Thus Far]

In No Particular Order:

Elvis Perkins – Ash Wednesday
"A cross-breed of Clem Snide, Devin Davis, Colin Meloy, and maybe a little Alec Ounsworth. I throw out those names not to say that Perkins is a lesser version of them, but rather their peers, and maybe occassionally their superior."
[Previously][Available Only at Select Shows]


¡Forward, Russia! – Give Me a Wall
"Casually strewn about are puzzling lyrics like “ninety-nine, two hundred and five,” making us wonder with what base-decimal system are we dealing. That’s not to mention some tricky time signatures, odd rhythms, and intriguing guitar lines. And as gimmicky as the whole titling-songs-as-numbers sounds, after a while it’s hard to imagine they’d be anything else. A rose by any other name isn’t as mathematical."
[Previously][Buy]


The Gaskets – Loose Change
"Pretty much the Gaskets, as seen on myspace, ruled the universe for 45 brief minutes Friday late night. For those willing to stick around, we were treated to intense, dancey, pop, sugary sweetness… the ideal music for kick-starting the weekend and boogying the night away. Guilty fun, without the guilt."
[Previously][Buy]


Tunng – This Is Tunng: Mother’s Daughter and Other Songs
"the perfect balance of minor and major keys, and of acoustic with a touch of scratch. And yet the electronic aspect rarely takes center stage, leaving that to the bareness of the guitar."
[Previously][Buy]


Man Man – Six Demon Bag
"Not that Man Man are actual pirates, but they aren't not pirates either."
[Previously NSFW][Buy]



20 Other Albums I Like:
6. Sunset Rubdown – Shut Up I Am Dreaming
7. O’death – Head Home
8. Voxtrot – Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives EP
9. Think About Life – Think About Life
10. Tapes ‘n Tapes – The Loon (2005)
11. Band of Horses – Everything All the Time
12. Human Television – Look At Who You’re Talking To
13. Lily Allen – Alright Still Demos
14. Love is All – Nine Times that Same Song
15. The Stills – Without Feathers
16. Islands – Return to the Sea
17. Land of Talk – Applause Cheer, Boo, Hiss
18. Low Skies – All that Love
19. Sound Team – Movie Monsters
20. Beirut – Gulag Orkestar
21. Slowlands – Never Was There a Town
22. Birdmonster – No Midnight
23. Spider – The Way to Bitter Lake
24. Belle & Sebastian – The Life Pursuit
25. Gomez – How We Operate

Green Day aids in positive grenade ID; Avocado recoginition remains low

For those who dismiss the importance of album art:

"Green Day have been credited with saving the life of a young fan, after she found a live hand grenade in her garden in the Britsh town of Halifax. Ruby Wilson, 12, found the device while clearing leaves from the garden. She identified the grenade from her Green Day T-shirt for the band's American Idiot album." [link]


Of course, she then went ahead and picked the thing up to show her dad. I guess "identifying" doesn't go far enough. The album will have to read "No Touching!"in future pressings.

If you had to choose one object to put on your cover to change the world what would it be? Stickers? I hope not. F'ing gimmick. Gimme a puppet Beck!

Think About Life - Summer Date

Think About Life will return to NYC on July 27th (tix) opening for Cause co-Motion and the Long Blondes. That's the same night as Pela & HTV @ Mercury, Hold Steady @ Castle Clinton [although River to River probably already gave away all their tickets], and Phillip Glass @ Prospect Park.

I am hoping TAL will play another date around that time, although that weekend is as busy as this week already.

Crazy Week in NYC Starts Tonight

What is everyone doing? Too much going on all at once.

Tonight: Tuesday, June27
1. Tokyo Police Club, The Grates, The Lovely Feathers @ Mercury Lounge [Grates made a name for themselves at SxSW. Let's see them deliver]
2. Alexi Murdoch @ Mo Pitkins [First NYC show in years]
3. Oh No Oh My! w/ Aberdeen City @ Knitting Factory [ONOM! first & only NYC show]
4. Doveman, David Thomas Broughton @ Tonic [Doveman is always astonishing]
5. The Streets, Lady Sovereign @ Webster Hall
6. Calexico @ Warsaw

Tomorrow: Wednesday, June 28
1. Land of Talk, The Little Ones, Figurines @ Mercury Lounge [first Little Ones NYC show]

Thursday, June 29
1. Land of Talk, Tokyo Police Club, The Ballet, Ramesh (?) @ Syrup Room [Brooklyn Vegan Showcase]
2. Dirty on Purpose, Little Ones @ Mercury Lounge [DoP Record Release Party]
3. We Are Scientists @ Warsaw [I still love these guys]
4. Man Man, Fiery Furnances @ Webster Hall [Man Man are crazy good]
5. Jose Gonzalez, Juana Molina, Psapp @ Bowery Ballroom
6. Mancino, The Isles, Secret Life of Sofia @ Sin-e [Earfarm Showcase]

Friday, June 30
1. Voxtrot, Matt Pond PA, TV on the Radio @ Propspect Park [Who the hell is Voxtrot?]
2. Birdmonster, Gaskets, Tally Hall @ Sin-e [First NYC Birdmonster Gig. I love the Gaskets]
3. We Are Scientists @ Irving Plaza [Yeah, Still love 'em]
4. Futureheads, French Kicks @ Webster Hall
5. Bishop Allen @ Pianos [Monthly Residence]
6. The Walkmen @ Warsaw

Saturday, July 1
1. Birdmonster, By the End of Tonight @ Knitting Factory Tap Bar [Only BteoT NYC Show. GO. You Must.]
2. Elvis Perkins, The Little Ones @ Bowery Ballroom [last EP gig before they tour]
3. The Comas, Hopewell, Head Set @ Mercury Lounge

Sunday
1. Seu Jorge, Jose Gonzalez @ Central Park

Spaceman

Birdmonster - Spaceman (Second Half) (mp3)

I was listening to this song [I chopped off the first half] this morning while going through pictures of my niece getting her first haircut in a spaceship chair. It was too perfect. I'd post a picture of the spaceship chair, but they dont convey the cuteness quite right. So here's a different one.

State of the Year in Songs Part V

The best of the best. Without repeating an artist, my favorite songs I’ve listened to in 2006, Part V. [Part I, II, III, and IV previously].

1. Tunng - Woodcat (mp3)
I lied. I said I wasn't going to repeat an artist all year, but Tunng has already been featured in Part I. I'll allow it only because Tunng have a new album. "Woodcat" is the single off that album and made me think they'd have two of my favorite albums this year. Not quite so, but this song is nonetheless stellar.

2. Beirut - Scenic World
Beirut's album came out at a great time, but also perhaps a few months too early. Great because every blogger was hungry for content and it's propelled Zach to get his shit together, but awful because their repertoire of material has grown a lot since Eggnog Orkestar was recorded. If they released their ten best songs now, I'd be their biggest fan. For now, you must see them live to get that. "Scenic World" is one they don't yet play, but if we're lucky they may just learn it.

3. Think About Life - The Blue Sun
I shouldn't like Think About Life as much as I do. Their basic elements are similar to a lot of other bands I love, but they are rougher, dissonant, and occassionally out-right suck. But even then, I love it. "The Blue Sun" here is one that doesn't suck at all, unless it does, in which case it does so well.

4. Sunset Rubdown - They Took a Vote and Said No
It's no accident that Sunset Rubdown follows Think About Life. Nationally and sonically they are congruent. While Shut Up I am Dreaming didn't grab me at first, it is one of best this year. Better than Wolf Parade? Define: better.

5. Human Television - In Front of the House
Human TV has always been a favorite around here even with their languid live show. Their album is solid from beginning to end and one that with hopefully not go unnoticed. Always catchy and fun, and their follow up to last year's album [which was a bit too sugary pop for my tastes] is great. A grower, but great.

6. Islands - Jogging Gorgeous Summer
Still mourning the loss of the Unicorns and scorning the Corn Gang's missteps, I finally got around to listening to the Islands. Light, crisp, Caribbean. This song makes me happy.

7. Lily Allen - Oh My God [Kaiser Chiefs Cover]
Orignally I had her big hit "LDN" in this spot, but once I heard this cover I replaced it. She makes a really good Kaiser Chief song great. Unfortunatly I can no longer stand to read anything she writes [I even try to block out lyrics] or visit her newly horrific website, but as long as she makes fun beats and melodies, I'll listen. It helps when she doesnt write her own clever lyrics.

8. Land of Talk - Speak to Me Bones
If you haven't joined a stance on Land of Talk, start here. Elizabeth has a lovely voice which is at the same time urgent and forceful.

9. ¡Forward, Russia! - Twelve
Agressive punk with influences of contemporary post-punk and dance. Makes me go crazy. Creative melodies on voice over angular guitars, with shouts of "Give Me a Call!" I love the single downbeat right before the chorus. Awesomeness.

10. Sound Team - Movie Monster
A perfect way to close out a mix. I think: TV on the Radio meets the Knife. Mostly in minor chords, at the last possible moment it switches to major. A perfect conclusion.

Fake Out! Q Magazine creates Fake Buzz

Ever hear of a band called Hope Against Hope? Me neither. But many in the UK had, and the buzz was growing enough for the band to be booked by Alan McGee, "the man who discovered Oasis and the Libertines."

Except for this: "Hope Against Hope are a scam, a spoof indie band 'with no talent whatsoever' invented by Q magazine in order to prove that the Rupert Murdoch-owned site is now just another cog in the older industry phenomenon of hype."

Visit Hope Against Hope at myspace to listen and join the hype.

What's the difference between fake buzz and real buzz? And if it's that easy why haven't some lesser known talents taken advantage of the formula?

RIP Group Sounds

Group Sounds have called it quits indefinitely. While they had their critics in the blogosphere, I always thought they had one of the most enthusiastic crowds in this city. They write:

"Group Sounds played their last show Sat night at R and R in NYC... Not many bands get to do what they did as a completely unsigned and unfunded band (they toured the US, played Bowery Ballroom twice, had their music featured on national TV shows, had a music video that was seen by over half a million people."

Here are some acoustic tracks from their last practice session:

Group Sounds - Temporarily in Love (mp3)
Group Sounds - Goodbye (mp3)
Group Sounds - Bellyup (mp3)
Group Sounds - Things Fall Apart (mp3)

Digg to Expand Next Week

For those unfamiliar with Digg, it' a community blog where people submit links to stories,the most interesting are reviewed by thousands of people, and the best rise to the top. Web 2.0 at it's [de]finest.

Up until now, however, Digg was a Technology site. Starting Monday, it'll be much more.

Digg.com, a tech-news phenomenon that has readers recommend online articles to others, is expanding to let users also vote for the most popular general news, entertainment stories or videos, the company said on Thursday. Challenging a long-held journalistic assumption that editors know best what people want to read, the 18-month-old San Francisco start-up has surged to become one of the most widely read sources of technology news on the Web. [link]

I've always thought checking a news source such as ABC of CNN for the "most-emailed" stories was far more intriguing than their own "top stories." [via digg]

Stay Tuned.

More USA World Cup coverage coming right your way.

[Interestingly, the wikipedia entry for the World Cup 2018 is much longer than the World Cup 2014]

Taylor Hicks + Snoop Dogg perform "Gin & Juice"

Is Taylor Hicks super cool or is Snoop losing his edge? Click image below for Youtube. [thx rach]

USA's World Cup Paradox

As you may know, USA needs to defeat Ghana tomorrow to advance to the next round. In addition, Italy needs to defeat Czech Republic, or they can tie as long as USA pounds 5 goals through Ghana. That aint going to happen.

As this article points out, the games will occur simultaneously. If the USA wins or is ahead, Italy and Czech can play for a draw and both be safe. If USA loses or is trailing, the Italy Czech game suddenly becomes Do or Die.

Pretty much we want to score but in the 93rd minute.

Here's a great commercial from France Telecom about soccer [youtube].

Beirut? You Mean Beirules!

I'm not the biggest fan of Gulag Orkestar, the flash flood album of 2006 by Beirut. It's good and all, but I can never get through the whole thing. There's just not enough variation.

Last night, headlining their first show, Beirut blew me away. They have a load of new songs and every single one is fantastic. I wish they were heading into the studio now to record. They have dynamics, variation, and melodies that had everyone engaged, and the applause after every song was rapturous.

Backed by a nine-piece orchestra [Zach makes ten] the sound was powerful and lush. They weren't always together tempo-wise, especially in the transitions, but it never dissolved.

The band was unaware of the crowd demanding an encore, but we stayed goddammit, and we got one.

David Bazan @ Southpaw

"I was in my cups." David Bazan relayed last night in the middle of another story. Only an hour earlier I had to come up with a motto for myself and I decided upon "My thoughts are never more clear than when I am in my cups." Bazan and I, we think alike.

Bazan tells lots of stories in his set, taking questions, losing himself in tangent. As much as I roll my eyes at lame banter, he kept things spontaneous and natural. He poked fun at the Sweet Sixteen party downstairs, which I was just dying to crash. He began to play "Foregone Conclusions," but a few bars into it stopped because he thought he had a better one that fit thematically with the previous. Too bad, because it's one of his songs that sets apart from the rest.

75 minutes is a long time to hold the attention as a solo singer/guitarist. He almost pulled it off, but by the end I had figured out his formula. All of his songs sound the same, but no one quite sounds like him. His website claims a "one-man melodic pop show" except it's far from pop, and the melodies are interesting -but they don't differ enough from song to song. This is hidden in the clamour of a full band, but starkly exposed solo.

Some favorites of mine he didnt play:
Pedro the Lion - Rapture (mp3)
Pedro the Lion - I Am Always the One Who Calls (mp3)

"Top of the Pops" Cancelled; Art Brut in Mourning

"The final edition of the long-running music show [Top of the Pops] is expected to air during the summer. Audiences have plummeted since its 70s heyday, when it was watched by 19 million viewers, and fell further when it switched from BBC1 to BBC2 last year." [Guardian]

It's true. Art Brut's eternal position at the Top of the Pops will come to a bloody, bloody end with the cancellation of the show. TOTP has been on the air for 42 years. Watch the very first episode ever here.

Now what? Art Brut Top of the Elbo.ws? Art Brut Top of the Hype?

Devin Davis Mp3s

I love love love Devin Davis. One of my favorite albums of last year. Sad am I, then, to learn that his show last night included a full band, and it rocked. I did not go after his [nearly] dreadful solo gig last November.

Here's a newer song off the Kill Rock Stars compilation, The Sound the Hare Heard:
Devin Davis - When the Angels Lift Our Eyelids in the Morning (mp3)

And a cover of a traditional song done live on the radio:
Devin Davis - Corrina, Corrina (Traditional)(mp3)

Older songs available here.

Band of Horses Review: Friday @ Bowery, Sunday @ Warsaw

Band of Horses - I Lost My Dingle on the Red Line (mp3)

My three favorite BoH songs are Dingle [see above], St Augustine, and Monsters. They played neither of the first two, and both nights opened their set with the last. The effect was that I was immediately swept up into their sound, and remained there with them the entire time. Oh, and Our Swords and Funeral work as mighty good filler too.

Their shows this past weekend were as fantastic as when I caught them at Sasquatch, and one of the better shows I've seen since then. I'm not in love with the album, but there's something I find endearing about their live show. I'll just add to all the blogger coverage that while a good number of my friends were not impressed, I most definitely was. Heck, I saw them twice.

Ben Bridwell was ecstatic at the quality of sound at Bowery, and blown away by selling out such a large space as Warsaw [cap 700]. Who wouldn't be, as they've gone from unknown to a big success in a few short months? Not the first to deal with such sudden attention, but it appears they are handling it well. While the reverb was a little unnecessarily out of control Friday night, they reigned it in for Warsaw.

Someone even shouted out "Reverb!"

Or maybe it was "Freebird!" Hard to tell. Damn Rolling Stone interns.

"Sunday Bloody Sunday" by GW Bush

Some nice Michael Moore-esque video-editing of Bush speaking along to U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday."


Click the image above

Myspace News Items

¡Forward, Russia! blogs about USA trip.

Equipment Theft of the Day: Man Man's Fisher Price Rattle Stolen

Meanwhile SingleStat.us, a service informing you when your Myspace friends become single, was sent a cease and desist order from Myspace. You can read the C&D at the SingleStatus website, and I must admit that Myspace had proper grounds to do so. But this also means that all you ladies out there will now have to personally update and inform me of your relationship status.

Also: RIAA says, "Youtube Don't Dance."

Free Birdmonster w/ By The End of Tonight Tickets

Yeti [Unofficially] Presents:
Birdmonster
By the End of Tonight
and also: Buxton

At
Knitting Factory Tap Bar

On
Saturday, July 1

$8 Tix but I also have one pair to give away. Email me and I'll select someone at random. Winner has been picked.


By the End of Tonight - Setting Sail in April (mp3)
By the End of Tonight - Tigers (mp3)
Birdmonster - Resurrection Song (mp3)
Buxton - California (mp3)

This post brought to you by The Letter B.

Jill Sobule's "God Save the Internet"

"Jesus! Wouldnt mess with our internet.
Kennedy! Wouldnt mess with our internet.
Martin Luther King! Wouldnt mess with our internet.
Ghandi! Wouldnt mess with our internet.
Ben Kingsley! Wouldnt mess with our internet."

Jill Sobule jumps in the net neutrality ring with a protest song of sorts called "God Save the Internet" will a faux band called The Broad Band. Yes, it's horrible, but it had to be. It's part Mr. Tambourine Man, part Smelly Cat, part Dixie Chicks. I know you're curious:

The Broad Band - God Save the Internet (mp3)

I'm just glad she's as big a fan of Kingsley as I am.

Flashy Python rare performace next week; CYHSY Demos

"Flashy himself doesn't like to perform so we don't perform. we work on music that is a bit more inaccesible than some of my other projects. We may put something out eventually but I can't say I'm ever sure of what Flashy is thinking." -Alec Ounsworth, last year.

Alec Ounsworth, CEO of CYHSY, is playing a few shows next week, one in Philadelphia, and two in NYC under his monkier Flashy Python. Who is this "Flashy" guy who refuses to be himself flashy?

I've seen Ounsworth solo and with the Pelican Picnic, so I am interested in seeing what this brings.

06.20.06 Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live Tix
06.21.06: New York, NY @ Joe's Pub; 7:30pm & 9:30pm. Tix.

For completists and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah fans, Hifi Popcorn has some early demos I havent seen elsewhere.

The Boy Least Likely To @ Knit Factory, some of which may be untrue

The Boy Least Likely To - Faith (George Michael Cover) (mp3)
[savefile mirror] [high quality version courtesy of Jason S.]

TBLLT brought bubble machines this time around. And trophies. And -thank god- new jokes. While the evening started off with their lesser songs, by the end of the night I was carried along in their innocent merriment. But I got to thinking: is it really all that innocent? I had my doubts, as double entendres abounded: the virgin's lament "Be gentle with me," or "Fur Soft" - pretty much described [by themselves] as an orgy of stuffed toys.

"Rock Upon A Porch" was played at a breakneck speed and as such was understandably out of sync. "Faith" -that oh so sexual George Michael cover- was broken up a couple times by banter, and all night long they kept dropping fuckword after fuckword. Ok, that last part is wholly untrue. They were recording the show for the radio and told us to restrain ourselves from chanting cursings. They said, "This isn't a fucking football match!"

No. They didn't say that either. But they were undoubtedly told to clean up their filthy, filthy act. Plus, there were a few 13 year olds up front, so, you know... you can't just whip out your dick and pee in your mouth.

All in all, they dont quite have a full set's worth of great material, but they are able to construct their set list accordingly. I'm glad they backloaded [heh heh heh] it with their -umm- "strongest" "material."

Disclaimer: I apologize for this post, but I had just seen Smoosh play before them, so... you know....




Just kidding!

Leggy Blondes, Eels, Boys Most Unlikely To

1. Anyone else going to the Eels / Smoosh tonight downtown?

2. Anyone going to The Boy Least Likely To afterwards? Make sure you listen to their great cover of George Michael's "Faith" here. Or download a lesser quality version at YANP. I'd love to have a high quality version of this.

3. Anyone else pumped up for FWD:CCCP tomorrow? F'ing A.

New Sunset Rubdown mp3s.

Daytrotter has four Sunset Rubdown songs for download, including some new and unreleased tunes. Head here.

Converting One by One, Two by Two

Exclusive Download:
The Gaskets – Got My Mind Set on You (G. Harrison cover) (mp3) (live, quality: B)

Upcoming NYC shows: 6/30 @ Sin-e w/ Birdmonster & Tallyhall; 7/30 @ Delancey

“Much better than Tapes ‘n Tapes,” a friend said after the Gaskets finished their Tuesday night gig last week, the same night a few blocks away that the very same TnT kids were playing up their newfound stardom. We had both seen TnT Sunday and while I thought they were decent, he did not. Comparing the two bands is like saying the Y chromosome is better than the X. We all know its true, but there’s still something about that extra X that drives me batty.

I was glad to hear another person converted to the joyousness of the Gaskets. The "band" was great, even though the atmosphere of the show was lacking. The duo works best when there’s a minimum density, causing everyone to feed off each other like carnivorous fish. It’s the infectious 80s dance music than you are too embarrassed to go nuts for, but secretly you really really want to; if there’s enough anonymity and/or alcohol in the crowd, you will. Indeed, dear readers, the crowd was too thin for the orgy to get out of hand, but I have no real complaints. The Gaskets closed with the two best numbers for an encore, "High Five Club" and "New Hotness," and I left with the self-satisfied comraderie that the Gaskets induce.

Jay Goodtimes said some kind words, but the full Gasket effect, he has yet to see:

"I kept thinking that maybe I shouldn't like this, but they are a band that sucks you into the moment and takes you to a Happy Gillmore style happy place, (complete with midgets and girls in lingerie). By the end of their set my grin was ear-to-ear and I walked home with thoughts swirling in my head. I wanted to write something about them that would change the world or at least the path of popular music... Here I am three days later telling you that The Gaskets are as close to a must see as you can get."

Recommended: new Sono Oto ep

Sono Oto is back with a strong EP bringing us their pop with a theme. Along with O'death, it’s all I’ve been listening to this past week.

Last time I wrote about Sono Oto, I mentioned Mark Phillips’s voice had a resemblance to Ben Gibbard. [I called them Gibbard-esquities.] Well, it’s even more apparent than ever. A commentor last time didn't hear the resemblance, and Phillips asserts himself that he doesn't agree. Am I plain crazy? Someone back me up here.

I think Sono Oto is not unlike [recent] Death Cab without the sappy lyrics that tarnished Plans. There’s some Beatles in there too, which is a hangover from Phillips's early days as a musician.

Each of the six songs on the EP is about Michigan… I mean… apples. In fact, it’s called the Apple album. Maybe this *is* a Beatles rip off. Off to court!

Sono Oto – Granny Smith (mp3)
Sono Oto – Malus domestica (mp3)

Two more available at myspace. Eventually they’ll have the other remaining ones available to download. I’ll be sure to remind you.

Wolfmother Video Defaced

You could watch the original Wolfmother video for "White Unicorn" here (mov file). Or better yet, watch a slightly altered one here, "Defaced," on youtube. Subtle changes, but nice. [via]

------------------------------------------------------
At a Wolfmother show, it's hard to resist pulling out that dusty air guitar. The risk is that you may look odd, rocking the solo in a crowded room of people who've never seen such phenomenal air guitar. But soon thereafter, you'd be the envy of all your neighbors, as you rip through riff after riff, solo after heartpounding solo.

That's how I felt as I watched Wolfmother play Webster Hall last weekend. On stage, I was expecting black lights and lava lamps. Instead, the banner of some sunset -a more probably, a planetset- over the landscape of some other foreign planet was equally fitting.

Everything they do is derivative, but at some point, who cares? We need more material for the Championship.

Final(ly) Fantasy, On Sale.

I'm posting on Final Fantasy far more than I probably should... considering my level of enjoyment of He Poos Clouds peaks with how much I enjoy the album title. Still, I'm looking forward to see Owen play.

Tickets are on sale for their 6/24 show at Tonic here. Ticket Limit: 25 per order. [thx j]

I also enjoy reading FF's lyrics. [via]

This kitchen has a king!
This hand, this hand is a cunning little bugger
With a habit of turning every A into a B

Weekend Plans: BBQs and Ponys

Saturday comes with some rain-free finally. We got the Loose Record BBQ [see flyer at your left, my right] in the afternoon with what one member of the AARP called a "Nice Price." Both the Picture and Love As Laughter are worthy performers and thus I assume Shade is also. Goodtimes writes that he went shopping. Look at all this meat:

100 hot dogs
80 hamburgers
24 italian sausages
30 chicken breasts
48 boca burgers
100 slices of cheese

What the hell is a boca burger? Doesnt sound very carnivorous.

Get out your bikes and ride over to Union Pool; because it'll take you all day to ride out to Belmont Park for the Stakes. Speaking of which... has anyone been to the Belmont Stakes? How long does it take to get there by LIRR? Is it worth going?

O'death Where Are Thou?

Essential 1906 2006:

O'death - Adelita (mp3)

O'Death is my newest favorite, and my sixth essential album of 2006, all thanks to the hearty recommendation of Heartonastick -who has a more mp3s that you need to download. Hell, just buy the album.

They are the Appalachian answer to Man Man and have an uncanny ability to write tune after tune that you've feel is as familiar as the doorknob in the house where you grew up. Yet, it's exhilaratingly distinct. I'd write more, but J already did such an eloquent job:

"The sound is ancient but immediate, mythic, Gothic, American. Acoustic and explosive, percussive but melodic. Morbidly obsessed, bursting with life. By adding that almost too-cute apostrophe to the title of the traditional song, their name serves as both a plea and a possessive. Great music is never just one thing, and these guys scramble to embrace every dichotomy within reach while plummeting towards the inevitable singularity. End of Times, all the time. History as perpetual conclusion. The CD should come in a knotted pine box."

They played Pete's Candy Store last night, as they will every Wednesday this month before going on a national tour. Go see them. You'll be going back for more. The lead singer, yes, looks like Alec Ounsworth with a beard. These pictures dont capture their energy because I had to sneak quickly to snap them before retreating to the crowded back. Believe me you... they are bursting with it.

"Ffffreeeeaakin' Door!"

Brad Neely took Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone, the movie, and re-dubbed the entire thing with his own narration as if it was an audio book. Some of his descriptions are hilarious; some are shockingly vivid. The result is like your grandfather narrating an incredible tale at bedtime, with a few fuckwords. For effect. The juxtaposing of ten-cent words and four-letter words with ridiculously contemporary slang is a perfect match.

Here's a 2:30 excerpt of one of my favorite chapters:

Wizard People, Dear Reader - Chapter 16 (mp3)

Wizard People, Dear Reader, the whole thing:
Part I (mp3)
Part II (mp3)

You can sync it with the movie, but it also works as audio only.

MADD About Trees

Boing Boing relates to us of the Last Tree of Ténéré, which it appears was the only tree in the wastelands of Ténéré for 400km.

It was reportedly killed when it was struck by a drunk driver in 1973. If there was any safe place to drive drunk in the world, I'd imagine it'd be in an area of only 1 tree for every 400km. I guess I would be wrong.

The odd thing is, according to wikipedia, it was struck by a truck before that, in 1934.

Oh yeah... and then again in 1959.

Beat Radio - Treetops (mp3)

The Chenguin Gets Hitched.

I was browsing through the Sunday NY Times this past weekened -Sunday to be exact- when I came across the wedding announcements. Usually I dont read these, but something caught my attention. The italics are mine.

Kelly Jennifer Schoeffel, the daughter of Elaine and Hank Schoeffel of Princeton, N.J., was married last evening .... blah blah blah... Mr. Murphy, 29, is a freelance art director at advertising agencies in Manhattan. He is also a street performer known as Chengwin, for which he dons a half chicken, half penguin outfit.

Whaaaa? Incredulous, I looked it up. I turned to the Internet, which for some reason tends to attract such behavior, and sure enough I found the chenguin website. In addition to chenguin wrestling matches, they also have some pretty interesting pictures of an unrelated Chenguin wedding from 2002.

Also intersting was the couple's first date, because -as you know- I'm a hopeless romantic:

"Mr. Murphy convinced Ms. Schoeffel to accompany him to Prospect Park in Brooklyn to play in the snow. He ran. She jumped. And they both went tumbling. Mr. Murphy plunged headfirst into the snow. "And my head went into his," Ms. Schoeffel said. The blow knocked her out. Mr. Murphy said, "I took snow and cleaned the blood off her nose and mouth." Seeing his date bruised and bloodied had a strong impact on him...Ms. Schoeffel regained consciousness, and they went to a hospital emergency room, where the doctor said her nose was broken. Bitchin'!"

The Gaskets Tomorrow!

Yeah, I usually spazz out everytime the Gaskets play. The Gaskets play the Mercury Lounge tomorrow night and it's going to be off the hook as usual. I dumped my Tapes 'n Tapes tickets for it; 3xWes dumped his too. [We went last night instead]. This is their only NYC show for another 8 weeks. I've already said a lot in the past so I'll quote [aka: steal with citation] Wes's recent post who also took that photo:

These two guys from Richmond, Virginia make music that would mix well with Prince, Michael Jackson, The Scissor Sisters, or Ghostland Observatory. In other words, if you come to this show you are going to dance.

TOP 5 REASONS TO SEE THE GASKETS ON TUESDAY
5. You want to see the singer Ted's tattoo of an Eames chair on his arm.
4. You don't have ticket to Tapes n' Tapes / Cold War Kids / Figurines.
3. You are curious how any band that is good enough to headline the Mercury Lounge could rock a show with only a Yamaha Rm1x sequencer.
2. You are really good at giving/receiving high-fives.
1. You listened to the MP3s below and recognize their awesomeness.

DOWNLOAD
Left Hand (MP3)
Hold Steady [Hot Weather] (MP3)

Oh shit, watch out.

Alexi Murdoch: Album, Tour

A couple years in the making, one would imagine Alexi Murdoch’s new album would have a few more that eight new songs on it. Time Without Consequences [out tomorrow] has eleven tracks en totale, three of which were previously available on his 2002 debut ep, Four Songs. Maybe it’s Garden State Syndrome; the Shins can’t seem to poop out an album either. And don’t even get me started on Nick Drake.

Speaking of which, the Drake influences are fairly blatant here, and like it or not, he's solidly tethered to them. Murdoch pulls it off for the most part, and honors his memory. On the otherhand, the lyrics aren’t very exciting, and at times downright weak. I was hoping the song "12" was a ¡Forward, Russia! cover, but alas. The strongest song –other than of course “Orange Sky”- is the opening one. “All My Days” had me hooked instantly, and despite all the warning that it’s too cheesey, I’m still fascinated by it. It's possibly the most montage-worthy I’ve heard in a while.

Alexi Murdoch – All My Days (mp3)

To be honest, if Murdoch only wrote “Orange Sky,” that’d be enough for me. After so many listens, it still gives me chills.

Alexi Murdoch is finally on tour after a long hiatus and if he only plays that, it’ll be worth admission:
June 27 - Mo Pitkins [tix]
July 5 – Mercury Lounge

National dates here.

The Streets to take to NYC Streets

"Mike Skinner--aka the Streets--is going to run the New York Marathon this year, he has announced. The British rapper, who is understood to have quit booze and drugs, made the brave pronouncement in a recent posting in his official blog, under the title Big Grief.

Wrote Skinner: 'Spoke to Reebok about things and I've decided to run the New York Marathon. I know it seems a bit long but if people do it dressed as milk cartons it can't be that hard, right?' "

Right. It only seems a bit long. A piece of cake.

The question remains: Can Skinner beat Oprah?

New Lily Allen Demos

These are only getting better. Extracted from Mixtape #2. I left the Jay-Z segue into "Truth" because it works.

Lily Allen - Truth (mp3)
Lily Allen - Oh My God (Kaiser Chiefs Cover) (mp3)
Lily Allen - You're Gonna Get Burned (mp3)

FWD:CCCP signed to Mute

"Mute Records has signed one of Britain's hottest new rock
acts, ¡Forward, Russia! The band's new album "Give Me a Wall", will be
available in the US this September, but until then, check them out on
their first ever US min-tour."

Knowing I am a huge fan, Mute informed me of this a couple weeks ago under secrecy, and I've been stoked ever since. ¡Forward, Russia! will join such like-sounding artists as Jose Gonzalez and Paul van Dyk to the repertoire of Mute.

Give Me A Wall is one of my favorites.

Pete Doherty Sinks to New Low

"During the flight our cabin crew became suspicious of a passenger who spent a lot of time in the toilet. When he came out they saw it was Pete Doherty. Members of the cabin crew then entered the toilet and found a syringe hidden in a bin, covered in blood." [link]

What airline was he flying? easyJet.

Good God, man. Have some decency.

Where is Final Fantasy?

I was checking in with the Tonic website to see if tickets for Final Fantasy were on sale yet, only to discover that they are no longer listed for June 23. Curious, I tried their website only to discover that they don't list it either.

Mystery Solved: I am dumb. The show is on the 24th. Still unsure if there'll be tickets available.

Their myspace account has vanished as well. [Solve that one, Charles] Solved: thanks to the anonymous tipster.