Greatest Rock Song of All Time

Been thinking about this lately... Not so much "which song is greatest" though... More like, which songs are in the discussion? Which songs could top a list of the "Greatest Rock Songs of All Time" without making the list a joke?

Black Keys + Pixies

Two Pixies "references" from the Black Keys "El Camino" album...

#1
1:40 into "Nova Baby"
http://youtu.be/nmAB7S-oAdA
the Black Keys sing about "elevator ladies"

just like the Pixies did 20 seconds into "Levitate Me"
http://youtu.be/a6WuB-QgRjw

#2
The drum bits 20 seconds into
the Black Keys "Mind Eraser
http://youtu.be/4wVPq9O6HsI

sound like the drum bits 15 seconds into
the Pixies song "Down to the Well"
http://youtu.be/3ZYCy0DIXDA

This unique little beat pops up throughout both songs too.

Scott Pilgrim

Really good movie which is more than partially about music. Not sure why I didn't see this movie sooner.

Simple Math

Manchester Orchestra's "new" album. Love it. Read about it here.

Pixies Doolittle-era Performance

When Black Francis was Black Francis, and when his shrieks sent shivers down our spines.

Best of 2010

I wish I could have an opinion on the best CDs of the year, but I think I own only 3 or 4 of them. I like what I've bought. (I don't steal anymore.) Superchunk. Bad Books. The Arcade Fire (stolen for me). Spoon. MGMT was okay.

How about best songs? I don't have my mp3 player with me. I'll edit this post when I do, and get a real list going. Off the top of my head though... Can't imagine anything but "My Gap Feels Weird" by Superchunk being my number one. Great song!!

REVIEW: The Arcade Fire, "The Suburbs"

A friend recently described Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs" as a grower, and that's proving absolutely true. What comes across on first listen as the bleeding together of similar songs develops into... GASP! An actual album.

"The Suburbs" is the Canadian band's most complete and consistent work. The band's first two albums were interesting in composure but more notable for their stand-out tracks like "Keep the Car Running" and "Wake Up." On this record the band deals out an emotional ride that, while certainly offering its single-worthy material, is better served with the time to experience creative rock and roll.

"City With No Children" continues the band's heavy flirtation with Bruce Springsteen's "Darkness on the Edge of Town" material, which would be very easy to criticize as derivative if it wasn't so damn good. "Suburban War" is another Springsteen-laden track, but it's also probably the best song I've heard so far in 2010. It's haunting. It's affecting. It's downright wonderful, with its coda?:

"All my old friends, they don't know me now. All my old friends, are staring through me now. All my old friends, wait."

It'd be easier to call frontman Win Butler the high school outcast now living large up in his critics' faces, but that's not quite right. Perhaps it's fitting that Butler's defiant hipster visage is what keeps me from truly embracing the band, because his lyrics scream for some sort of communal acceptance of his egotism. I'm not saying I can't appreciate that. If there's anything I hate about it, it's how hard it is to be that honest... and that correct.

In the end, this song will give you a new favorite track each time through. "Month of May" and "We Used To Wait" are great examples of this. It's moving music with a seething straight-forward approach. Cheers to "The Suburbs."

AV Club

AV Club.

Covers of GBV, Kinks, Pavement...
by Superchunk, Ben Folds...

Good stuff!!

Spin the vinyl

OK. This is a weird one. Spin.com has two new Arcade Fire songs available to preview. Cool enough, I guess. I wouldn't have posted a link here if it was just that though. It's the way you preview them that makes this post-worthy. Check it out... You have to spin the vinyl by clicking and dragging in order to hear the song. If you screw up and spin too slowly or stop or go backwards, well... try it out. You can also flip the record over to play around with the other side. Cool!!

Nada Surf Covers Bill Fox

Electrocution. Not bad. MP3 here.

Spin's Best 125 of the Past 25

Here's a link to the complete list and stories.





I PUT THE SPOILER LIST IN COMMENTS BELOW...

Supergrass Quits

Just read it here.

Malcolm McLaren Dead

Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren has died. Funny I had no idea he was gravely ill, but I was going to post on him last week. I had recently discovered his Duck Rock album and all its good stuff. Duck Rock dovetails nicely into previous posts on Paul Simon and Vampire Weekend and 'world' inspired music. Missed this first time around in '83, but glad to know it now. It was put together by McLaren, Trevor Horn and Horn's house band who were basically Art of Noise and Thomas Dolby.

Here are two prime examples. I'm sure you'll recognize some future sampled pieces of music in each:

Double Dutch -- "Hey Ebo-Ebo-Ebonettes!!"


Buffalo Gals

New Blitzen Trapper

New Blitzen Trapper
"Heaven and Earth"
Made it onto the Beatlesque list immediately.
Youtube
MP3

MGMT Congratulations First Listen

It's streaming on NPR, so sit back, light up, relax, and listen.

Dark Side of the Moon - Documentary

I watched a documentary on Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon the other day. I thought it was really good. Streams through Netflix, if you do.

Matthew Good

Is anyone else planning to attend the Matthew Good show at the Town Ballroom on March 27th? the tour reviews have been good so far and I'm looking forward to hearing his new album, Vancouver, live.

Bright Eyes MP3s

There are a couple of free Bright Eyes' mp3s here. They sound good to me.

Pretty Pink Lips

The Flaming Lips will release their interpretation of Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon In May. Upcoming tour coming up could include show at Artpark in July, but that is not confirmed as of now.

A Match Made in (Digital) Heaven

I was glad to hear read today that Daft Punk will be scoring the new Tron movie. You can hear some bleeps and bops in the official trailer. Hopefully 'Tron Guy' will not be making a cameo in the film or on the soundtrack!

Live White Stripes Streaming

NPR is at it again. The new, live White Stripes is streaming NOW!

RIP Mark Linkous (Sparklehorse)

Just the other day I posted that Dark Night of the Soul would be released for real. The collaboration between Danger Mouse and Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse.

Now the news that Mark Linkous has committed suicide. Sad.

Broken Bells

NPR is streaming the new Broken Bells CD. Broken Bells is James Mercer (the Shins) and Danger Mouse.

Gorillaz (De La Soul, Super Furry Animals)

New Gorillaz song. Featuring Super Furry Animals guy on the chorus, and De La Soul throughout.

New New Pornographers

Listen, then download for free if you like. Your Hands (Together)

Band Names

How bands got their names. There aren't a lot of good ones yet, but maybe eventually? Flaming Lips is the newest one.

Vampire Weekend - Self Titled

Not sure how this all works. But, I figured I'd give a short review on an album that I've been really digging lately. Vampire Weekend's first full-length album is not too far short of incredible.
My favorite tracks off of it are: A-Punk, Campus and Oxford Comma. Check them out and if you like them, there newest album, "Contra" came out Jan. 11.

Listen to a few tracks off of it here:
http://www.myspace.com/vampireweekend

Free New Broken Social Scene Song

On their website.

Twilight Singers Recording

Interview.

Pixies latest news...

Black Francis or Frank Black or whatever says, "This ain't about the art anymore." And readily admits that it's all about the touring money. And, again, they may or may not make new music together. Those few albums still make them rank among my favorites of all time, but whatever at this point.

Isla de Encata used in a pretty good Visa Commercial. It's not about the art anymore.

Oasis and Strokes

Too funny, I was going to cover White Stripes and MGMT news, but Jim beat me to it. I guess great minds...so...

Anywho, Oasis's Noel Gallagher will not be attending the sentencing of the dude who busted his ribs at the V festival a few years back. However he is starting a new band (well same band minus Liam, I guess).

The Strokes are aiming for a September release date for new record. Been a while. Since their last, I liked what I heard from the Albert Hammond, Jr albums. Did anyone hear anything from the Casablancas EP or whatever that was?

I say "management"

I guess they say "M. G. M. T." Just learned that.

Their album comes out in April. Can't wait.

White Stripes vs. Air Force Reserve

If you haven't heard... The White Stripes may go after the Air Force Reserve for using a re-recorded version of "Fell in Love With a Girl" in a SuperBowl ad.

The video has mostly disappeared. Here is where I found it. I assume it'll be pulled from here soon too though.

Sounds similar enough to me.

The Air Force said they hired a company to do the music.

The company said they hired a musician.

The musician said any resemblance is coincidental. "They said they wanted some high-energy music, and I gave them three demos, all of them a little bit different," he explained to EW. "They asked me to tweak the one that they preferred, so I beefed up the drums or whatnot, added some echo to my guitar part." After the Stripes released their statement, Kraft went to their website and admits the songs "sound close". "I might have [heard it] somehow or somewhere," he said, but he maintains that he doesn't listen to the White Stripes or that "kind of music". "I had no intention whatsoever of copying [the Stripes]. If [Jack White needs] me to pay the money back that I made, which was 2,000 bucks (£1,300) ... I will do that."

Pavement Reunion Article

In addition to the Pavement reunion article in Relix, there's a companion swordfest with the likes of Trey Anesthesia of Phish, Black Keys, and Okkervil River dishing out the love.






Pavement, circa 1995
Photo Kevin Westenberg

Review: Spoon, "Transference"

The last two records Spoon released were inequivocably my favorite releases of their respective years. "Gimme Fiction" was a dark and noisy job that screamed "Art!" without asking for a spot in history books, while "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" was a smoother and poppier ride. Both rank in my Top-100 albums of all-time. Easy.

Spoon's latest offering, "Transference," is a lot harder to pin down. My wife and I saw them in Chicago a couple summers back, a small club show at Schuba's. It was an electric night for me, but my then-girlfriend told me she enjoyed herself but thought the material started to meld together too much.

This is the first album where I could even begin to agree, albeit slightly. "The Mystery Zone" is that vintage Spoon song that lays down a strong groove for Britt Daniel to wander over vocally with certain points of lyrical emphasis. To be fair, "Out Go the Lights" is also nothing new for Spoon and is the record's superior offering (Hey, bands are known for a reason).

"Transference's" last five songs are a tour-de-force that I'd put up against any 5-song offering in the modern "indie rock" era. "Trouble Come Running" is screaming for some sort of Michael Gondry movie. Golden lyrics by Daniel on that one.

"Goodnight Laura" is a moving ballad and solid lead-in to "Out Go the Lights." The record finishes with two very good offerings, "Got Nuffin'" and "Nobody Gets Me With You," the latter of which works just right for the sort of self-perceived outsider who greatly appreciates his mate.

All-in-all, it's another "A" for Spoon, though closer to the "A-" mark on a relative scale.

This is my first CD review in a great while, so bear with me, folks,
Nick

How people use Nielsen to hurt musicians

An interesting read. Long. (I haven't yet finished.) But interesting.

Prince unveils Vikings' Fight Song

Straight from Paisley Park Studios, Prince has blessed us with a fight song for his (dearly) beloved Minnesota Vikings. The media is slamming this as something that won't exactly whip a crowd into a frenzy and I can buy that. The lyrics are definitely more inspiring and poetic. But I gotta say overall I like this jam!

A couple of sites I like to drop in on for free music

Stereogum's mp3 page usually has good stuff you can download for free. Recents include Spoon, David Byrne and Fatboy Slim featuring my girl Santigold, and good covers from Ted Leo (Concrete Blonde), Hot Rats [Supergrass] (Beastie Boys), and Peter Gabriel (Arcade Fire).

At Spinner Listening Party you can hear whole albums that are just released. For example this week you can hear the latest from Spoon (they're "so hot right now" (like Hansel)), Eels, Editors, the Crazy Heart soundtrack.

Smashing Pumpkins

The first two new songs are completely listenable. Maybe even good. Free downloads at the website...
http://www.smashingpumpkins.com/

Best of 2009

I usually have a year-end list ready in December. I haven't even thought of one yet for 2009. Anyone??!?

New Spoon is Streaming

NPR is streaming the yet to be released Spoon Album for the next week.

You can also still hear the new Vampire Weekend album on NPR's Exclusive First Listen web page.

Pavement Best of Info+++

On the Matador Records blog you can read about new Pavement GH collection, enter a contest to see them in NYC, and download a remastered "Gold Soundz".

'So Now Ya Know'...

...who gets mystified!!! Soundgarden is reuniting. Do I care? The question I ask myself with these reunions is not if would I go to see them if they came to the b-lo (that's a slam dunk yes), but would I go see them if they're in TO? This is one that I could go either way on I suppose. Other factors would come in to play -- on weekend?, non-extortion ticket price?, and others.


Outshined

Best Beatlesque Songs

Ok, I had this idea Sunday while shoveling. A list of the best Beatlesque song for each year since 1970 or 1971 (the year after the final Beatles song).

I wasn't sure of the criteria
- songs that the Beatles might have made, had they still been together
- songs that sound most like the Beatles

I wonder if this already exists.

1970: No Matter What (Badfinger); With My Face on the Floor (Emitt Rhodes); 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 (Zoot)

1971: Baby Blue (Badfinger); Day After Day (Badfinger)

1972: Alone Again (Gilbert O'Sullivan); Nobody Knows (The Raspberries); Couldn't I Just Tell You (Todd Rundgren); Stuck in the Middle with You (Stealers Wheel); I'm Coming Home (Stories)

1973: Bluebird is Dead (Electric Light Orchestra)

1974: September Gurls (Big Star); Can't Get It Out of My Head (Electric Light Orchestra); Cry (The Raspberries)

1975: New York City (Artful Dodger); Good Company (Queen)

1976: Telephone Line (Electric Light Orchestra); Yes It's True (The Flamin' Groovies); Sub Rosa Subway (Klaatu)

1977: Chance To Get Away (Dwight Twilley Band); Mr. Blue Sky (Electric Light Orchestra); Baby It's Cold Outside (Pezband); The Things We Do For Love (10cc)

1978: Flying With Broken Wings (Angel); Where Have You Been All My Life (Fotomaker); See You Tonite (Gene Simmons)

1979: Good Girls Don't (The Knack); South Bound Saurez (Led Zeppelin)

1980: Another Nail in My Heart (Squeeze); I Just Want To Touch You (Utopia)

1981: Absolute Beginners (The Jam)

1982: If You Want My Love (Cheap Trick)

1983: Cry Just A Little Bit (Shakin' Stevens)

1984: Valotte (Julian Lennon)

1985: My Love Explodes (Dukes of Stratosphear)

1986: World Where You Live (Crowded House); Earn Enough for Us (XTC)

1987: Hank's Little Fingers (Guided By Voices); Long Distance Man (Guided By Voices)

1988: Into Temptation (Crowded House)

1989: Everybody Needs A Holiday (Big Audio Dynamite); Paper Girl (Guided By Voices); Let Love Rule (Lenny Kravitz); Sowing the Seeds of Love (Tears for Fears); The Loving (XTC); Mayor of Simpleton (XTC)

1990: How Loft Am I? (Guided By Voices); Baby's Coming Back (Jellyfish); She Still Loves Him (Jellyfish); Feelin' (The La's); I Can't Sleep (The La's); Way Out (The La's); Every Little Thing (Jeff Lynne); Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah (The Pogues); God On My Side (World Party); Put the Message in the Box (World Party); Take It Up (World Party)

1991: Chance of a Lifetime (Material Issue); Window Pane (The Real People); Top of the Pops (The Smithereens); Girlfriend (Matthew Sweet); I've Been Waiting (Matthew Sweet); What You Do To Me (Teenage Fanclub)

1992: Exit Flagger (Guided By Voices); Long Way Down (Michael Penn); Seen the Doctor (Michael Penn); As A Child (Suzanne Vega); Blood Makes Noise (Suzanne Vega); Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead (XTC); My Bird Performs (XTC);

1993: Wish I Was Skinny (The Boo Radleys); Crutch Came Slinking (Guided By Voices); Hey Aardvark (Guided By Voices); Kisses to the Crying Cooks (Guided By Voices); My Love (Lenny Kravitz); Into Your Arms (The Lemonheads); Hang On (Teenage Fanclub); Silver Naked Ladies (Paul Westerberg); World Class Fad (Paul Westerberg); Is It Like Today? (World Party); Sunshine (World Party)

1994: End of a Century (Blur); The Game of Eyes (Gorky's Zygotic Mynci); Echoes Myron (Guided By Voices); Yours To Keep (Guided By Voices); Kite (Nick Heyward); Live Forever (Oasis); Shakermaker (Oasis); Supersonic (Oasis); Whatever (Oasis); Love and Kisses (Sam Phillips); Strawberry Road (Sam Phillips); I Hate My Generation (Sloan); Snowsuit Sound (Sloan); Worried Now (Sloan)

1995: It's Lulu (The Boo Radleys); Wake Up Boo! (The Boo Radleys); Wilder (The Boo Radleys); Alright (Cast); Big Me (Foo Fighters); As We Go Up, We Go Down (Guided By Voices); Chicken Blows (Guided By Voices); Closer You Are (Guided By Voices); Little Whirl (Guided By Voices); Game of Pricks (Guided By Voices); Watch Me Jumpstart (Guided By Voices); You Will Know (The Inbreds); Limited Liability (Chris Knox); Mirror Mirror (Chris Knox); Don't Look Back in Anger (Oasis); She's Electric (Oasis); Some Might Say (Oasis); Wonderwall (Oasis); She's Electric (Oasis); Passion Play (Papas Fritas); Just (Radiohead); Try To Please (The Spongetones); Alright (Supergrass); Time To Go (Supergrass)

1996: Tea (Brendan Benson); C'Mon Kids (The Boo Radleys); Not the Girl You Think You Are (Crowded House); If We Wait (Guided By Voices); It's Like Soul Man (Guided By Voices); Stars in Her Eyes (Nick Heyward); Cambridge California (Lilys); Almost Arms (The Minders); The Day We Caught the Train (Ocean Colour Scene); We'll Talk (The Odds); Nothing Beautiful (The Odds); Anybody Else But Me (The Odds); Courtyard (Olivia Tremor Control); Green Typewriters (I Don't Wanna Hear That Song) (Olivia Tremor Control); Jumping Fences (Olivia Tremor Control); No Growing (Olivia Tremor Control); The Opera House (Olivia Tremor Control); The Good In Everyone (Sloan); The Lines You Amend (Sloan); That Thing You Do (The Wonders)

1997: About Your Fame (The Apples in Stereo); Tin Pan Alley (The Appples in Stereo); Beetlebum (Blur); Lily Dreams On (Cotton Mather); My Before and After (Cotton Mather); Main Street Electrical Parade (Richard Davies); I May Never Know (Bill Fox); Jane of the Waking Universe (Guided By Voices); No Gnashing Teeth (Eric Matthews); D'You Know What I Mean (Oasis); Don't Go Away (Oasis); Stand By Me (Oasis); Live By The Water (Papas Fritas); Love is the Law (The Seahorses); Say Yes (Elliott Smith); Winter (Teenage Fanclub); Mermaids (Paul Weller); She's The One (World Party)

1998: Comb Your Hair (The Boo Radleys); Kingsize (The Boo Radleys); A Viper In Hiding (Doleful Lions); For Anyone That You Love (Bill Fox); My Baby Crying (Bill Fox); Over and Away (Bill Fox); Day After Day (Julian Lennon); Hooray for Tuesday (The Minders); Now I Can Smile (The Minders); Pauline (The Minders); Yeah Yeah Yeah (The Minders); She's Everything (Myracle Brah); Baby Britain (Elliott Smith); Oh Well, Okay (Elliott Smith); Mr. Underground (Superdrag); Hellbent (Superdrag)

1999: Strawberryfire (Apples in Stereo); If We Can Land a Man on the Moon... (Beulah); Olde Tyme Waves (Elf Power); Choking Tara [Creamy Version] (Guided By Voices); Hold On Hope (Guided By Voices); Dimes Make Dollars (Lilys); Another Mellow Winter (Mellow); Albert's Hand (Myracle Brah); Treat Her Right (Myracle Brah); A New Day (Olivia Tremor Control); Hideaway (Olivia Tremor Control); Do It Yourself (Salako); I'll Be There (When You're Down) (Salako); The Idiot Boy (Ron Sexsmith); The N.S. (Sloan); ELT (Wilco); My Darling (Wilco); Nothing'severgonnastandinmyway (Again) (Wilco); I’d Like That (XTC)

2000: Alright/Not Quite (Apples in Stereo); Pissing in the Wind (Badly Drawn Boy); Anything You Want (Mike G); A Crick Uphill (Guided By Voices); Flesh Ears From June (Guided By Voices); Sing It Out (Guided By Voices); Wondering Boy Poet (Guided By Voices); Go Let It Out (Oasis); Problem With April (Of Montreal); Sorry Paul (Oranger); Stoney Curtis In Reverse (Oranger); Heart of Mine (Peter Salett); Somebody That I Used To Know (Elliott Smith)

2001: Up In The Sky (The Anniversary); Something to Sleep To (Michelle Branch); Glad Girls (Guided by Voices); No Fear of Falling (I Am Kloot); (Drawing) Rings Around the World (Super Furry Animals); Near Perfect Smile (Swag); Flowers in the Window (Travis); I Can't Wait (The White Stripes); Now Mary (The White Stripes); We're Going To Be Friends (The White Stripes)

2002: Wednesday (Tori Amos); She's Telling Lies (Apples in Stereo); Good to Me (Brendan Benson); Dreaming of You (The Coral); Do You Realize? (The Flaming Lips); You'll Be Sorry (The Greenhornes); Cheyenne (Guided By Voices); L-O-V-E (Irving); A Question For Emily Foreman (Of Montreal); Pancakes for One (Of Montreal); LA Breeze (Simian); Grace (Supergrass)

2003: People Who Care (Vic Conrad); Family Romance (Department of Eagles); Girljacketdrunk (The Emergency); Look What You've Done (Jet); Anytime Soon (Marshmallow); Her is You (Mull Historical Society); Saint Simon (The Shins); So Says I (The Shins)

2004: Baby I've Changed (Fountains of Wayne); Girls of Wild Strawberries (Guided By Voices); Hospital Bed (Ben Kweller); Riverside (The M's); Memory Lane (Elliott Smith)

2005: Brighter Than Sunshine (Aqualung); Where Has All The Love Gone (Sheryl Crow); The World May Never Know (Dr. Dog); Eleanor Put Your Boots On (Franz Ferdinand); Twin Cinema (New Pornographers); Thank You (The Redwalls); Spanish Teeth (Robbers on High Street)

2006: St. Paul (Capstan Shafts); Together (Raconteurs); Shine (Take That)

2007: Will You Return (The Avett Brothers); The Trilateralist Told You Not To (Capstan Shafts); Keep A Friend (Dr. Dog); Hang On (Salim Nourallah); Nicely Now (Robert Pollard); Whatever (Elliott Smith)

2008: Furr (Blitzen Trapper); Middles of June (Capstan Shafts); Weekend Wars (MGMT); Nine in the Afternoon (Panic at the Disco); Landscape Typing (Unbunny)

2009: Any Fun (Coconut Records); Sawdust Man (Ben Kweller); Everyday (Vetiver)

2010: Heaven and Earth (Blitzen Trapper); Look Out (Peter Case); Coquet Coquette (Of Montreal); "Young Veins (Die Tonight)" (Young Veins)

2011: The Roller (Beady Eye); Sleep Forever (Portugal. The Man)

2012: This is Sally Hatchet (Father John Misty)

Vic Chestnutt

In case you missed it over the holidays, Vic Chestnutt died. Maybe he found his 'sweet relief'. R.I.P.

I need HELP...

Back in the old days of Finetune, CDRs, and mix tapes, I'd somewhat randomly throw together a bunch of songs to listen to. Maybe there'd be a theme. Maybe not. I'd give it a catchy little title, and listen to it once in awhile til I burned it out.

Now, though... I'm stumped.

I have tons of songs on my computer. Some I know and love. Some I've yet to really listen to. Some belong only with albums (remember albums?).

I don't know how to organize. How do you organize your songs? How do you pick which group goes onto the mp3 player?

The only thing I've done so far is... Have a folder for artists. Then, I put the whole lot of his/her songs onto the mp3 player alone. In other words, off I go, and it's Elliott Smith day. All Elliott Smith. Nothing else. Or, alright, it's a Spoon night.

I'm having a hard time grouping and listening to other songs. I don't know how to group them. I'm thinking, I can stick to my old school ways, and make "mix tape" playlists. A hodgepodge grouping of maybe similar, maybe not, songs? Is this what people do? Should I try to categorize them? I think I'd go nuts.

NEED ADVICE!!!

Manchester Orchestra

Free "Sessions" EP download.
http://www.myspace.com/transmissions
Includes sorta stripped down versions of a few songs.

There are others here too. I see Bon Iver.

Tried sending the "I Got Friends" mp3, but both "rich" and "yahoo" bounced it back to me.

Mighty Mike

Mike Jackson died and there was no action on this blog. Hmmm. Sales are thru the roof, the memorial was a massive debacle/rousing success depending on who you talk to, MJ was all doped up, and the estate is in shambles. He truly was Mighty Mike!!

On top of his game :




Bonus: Here's a moonwalk tutorial


At least this guy showed some class at memorial:

Goooo, Little Record, Goooo!

Some Pixies news:

New Music

Old Music

Happy 30th

The Sony Walkman turned 30 today. I remember my first one and I still have one in working condition (am I embarassed or proud????) . I also have a Walkman mp3 player. I guess I'm a sellout.

SPOON

I told myself I'd post a more thought-provoking entry next. Something beyond, "check out this free mp3." But when I find the newest Spoon song, how could I possibly resist?!? Spoon is my favorite active, current, relevant band. This new song does not disappoint.

http://iguessimfloating.blogspot.com/2009/06/mp3-new-spoon-got-nuffin.html

Spiral Stairs

"Maltese Terrier" - in honor of Tiki, Louie, and Sonny/Sunny/Whatever its name was.

http://www.spin.com/articles/hot-new-download-spiral-stairs-maltese-terrier

White Page Edge

No not the side of the paper, but It Might Get Loud. I've got to check this out at a theater for maximum rawk potential.

Joaquin or Fidel

I don't know if his current look was procured before or after naming his current album 'Hombre Lobo'!! A long way looks wise from A Man Called E, but not musically.

In My Dreams from Letterman 06/09 -- just beautiful:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoahQUxyVyw

Gateways to Geekery

I had not checked out The Onion's AV Club web site recently, but the added a nice little feature called 'Gateways to Geekery'. Basically if you know nothing about a certain genre of music or film or are clueless on a author you heard was good, this feature will give you ideas where to start your listening/watching/reading.

Beck starts a Record Club

On his website Beck will post (looks like stream) a new cover song each week. This week he does Sweet Lou and VU.

Lemonheads "Waiting Around to Die"

Free on Amazon...

http://www.amazon.com/Waiting-Around-To-Die/dp/B002D6AG8K/ref=amb_link_84639971_2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=right-2&pf_rd_r=0QW59VC3SRFMYG3R7X9Z&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=482108991&pf_rd_i=678551011

"Jolly Banker"

Wilco. A waltz of sorts. Of course I like it.

http://www.wilcoworld.net/guthrie/

Modest Mouse

New Modest Mouse B-Side.
Stream only.
6+ minutes long.
Takes about 3 minutes before the singing starts.
Then only lasts for under 2 minutes.
Craziness. Jumbled, overlapping lyrics.
Not my cup of tea.

http://www.thetripwire.com/listen/2009/06/18/modest-mouse-whale-song/

The Manchester Orchestra may wear their influences (including Modest Mouse) on their sleeves, but to me... they are way more listenable than this song.

MGMT

"Time to Pretend" is free here...
http://www.spin.com/audio/mgmt/track-01

Free SUBPOP Sampler

with tracks from Iron & Wine, Fleet Foxes, and Flight of the Conchords.

Did the Beatles Destroy Rock?

or maybe someone should write a book called "Did the Beatles Invite Rock?', as IMO everything before could be classified as R & B.

Did the Beatles Destroy Rock?

Twilight Singers "When Doves Cry"

Just a stream, no mp3, sorry...

http://www.spin.com/articles/spin-exclusive-greg-dulli-apollonia-cover-princes-when-doves-cry

I haven't had a chance to even listen, so no opinion yet. Dulli does killer covers though, so I'd bet it's at least solid, if not amazingly awesome.

Afghan Whigs Tribute

http://www.summerskissrecords.com/

Only listened to a few clips. Didn't sound amazing to me. Still, thought I'd share it since we're all big Whigs fans.

PS - I love "The Whigs," but hate that they named themselves that. Surely they realized that "The Whigs" already refers to "The Afghan Whigs."

PPS - It'd be nice to see the Whigs cover an Afghan Whigs song.

The Charts, REAL Emo, & Muzak

Just some fun links:

The Top 20 Album Sellers Of The 2000s

Endless Original Music

Muzak: From The Elevator To The Future

Superchunk

New song. Free download...

http://www.spin.com/reviews/superchunk-leaves-gutter-merge

God, I love(d) Superchunk.

Jay Bennett

In case you didn't know former Wilco sideman Jay Bennett died last weekend. Here's a wrap-up featuring a link to a free download. No cause of death yet as far as i know. Well I love Summerteeth and Bennett had a big hand in that. I know I like Wilco better when Bennett was in the mix than before or after. If you haven't seen the Wilco documentary I recommend it. It's about the trials and tribulations the band went thru while making Yankee Foxtrot Hotel and shows a lot of backstage, let's say, confrontation b/t Jeff Tweedy and Bennett. The doc features a version of Summerteeth's My Darlin' sung by Bennett. It's terrific. You can hear it on Bennett's myspace page.

The Beastie Boys

On Jimmy Fallon. NEWSFLASH!! They are O L D ! !

http://www.nbc.com/late-night-with-jimmy-fallon/video/episodes/?vid=1111135#vid=1111135

The interview starts at about 14:30 and the performance starts at about 19:30.

Starclub

Does anyone else remember this song from the early nineties? I find myself humming this from time to time. It's not big enough to even garner a youtube link. I love the harmonies and the 'days of the week' lyrics. I remember this song was played over the opening credits of the movie "The Crush" w/90's ingenue Alicia Silverstone.



http://www.singingfool.com/Title.aspx?publishedid=504232

Is Rock Dead?

As I was reading this article, I got more and more angry...

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/05/20/van.zandt.save.rock/index.html

Van Zandt says, "Nobody's buying records... because they suck!" Totally untrue. Nobody's buying records because they can get them for free. And, even if he believes that all or most or many records suck, wtf!!! He is in a position to help to change that. And, he's been in that position for years. When posed the question, or when given the chance, he should be a promoter of good music; not the trasher of all rock music.

Laziness. Laziness from Van Zandt. Laziness from CNN.

The better angle would be something like... Here are 5 great rock bands that you've never heard of... Ten or twenty years ago, they'd have been the household names... The Pearl Jams, the Rolling Stones, the Nirvanas, etc... Now they go unheard... Why?

I don't listen to every highly-touted new band anymore. And I no longer have time to dig around and discover unknown rock gems. But, I am positive that these great rock artists still exist. And, I'm certain that a new one starts up each week, and will continue to do so for a long, long time.

Awesome rock music is not dead. It is not dying. It does not need saving. But, if we expect those artists to be household names, rock music (and music in general) needs a new way to generate money.

Coldplay, Ash

Couple of quick hitters. You can download a copy of a live album from Coldplay. They are handing out a physical copy at their shows this summer (so I'll have both).

About a year ago I heard about Ash doing this. Now it has come to pass. An interesting experiment, I guess only time will tell if it pays off and others follow. Not many have followed the Radiohead/NIN ploy of giving away albums, so who knows how this will do. You can download single #1 for free at their website.

Dark Night of the Soul

I don't think I'll have to sell this to hard. Here's a list of the contributors on this Danger Mouse/Sparklehorse collaboration:

James Mercer of The Shins, The Flaming Lips, Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, Frank Black of the Pixies, Iggy Pop, Nina Persson of The Cardigans, Suzanne Vega, Vic Chesnutt, David Lynch, and Scott Spillane of Neutral Milk Hotel and The Gerbils.

The album is called Dark Night of the Soul. I love when the 'guest vocalist' thing is pulled off well and that definitely is the case here. It's not hard to do on tribute albums, but more difficult to do w/original material. Off the top of my head this is right up there w/Unkle's "Psyence Fiction". I need to listen on headphones instead of my crappy computer speakers. After reading the article it's best to listen while it's still streaming and available.

Bonus: Spinner has full, new streaming releases every week. This week they have the new Jason Lytle of Grandaddy amongst others.

The Beatles

Duh, right? I know. But check out this guy's opinions. Some are right on, others are debatable. I stayed up way too late one work night reading and reading and reading.

http://magazine.jamsbio.com/2009/01/05/playing-the-beatles-backwards-the-ultimate-countdown/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=ad&utm_campaign=facebook-beatles

How could this blog thing start with anyone other than the Beatles. It just wouldn't be right.