video obsession: Ryan Adams on Letterman

I don't know if you all have had the fortune to watch this, but it is AMAZING. I've been watching it all week.



Ryan Adams is perfection. there are no two ways around it. his performances are so heartfelt.

I'm not going to post an mp3 because I don't want this post to be deleted.

INCREDIBLE Beatles bootlegs: Abbey Road

courtesy of POPDOSE

download each track HERE

Megapuss premiere video, and it's HILARIOUS

watch "Adam and Steve" below



this is what happens when people with a shit load of talent realize that they have the leeway to do stupid things and still retain their fans. I wonder what would happen if the Gallagher bros did something of this sort

Megapuss - Crop Circle Jerk '94 [mp3]

Saturday Music Definitions: Fireworks

the post-Obama victory festivities included many fireworks, and it got me thinking: how freaking awesome will Independence Day 2009 be?

Elvis Costello - Indoor Fireworks [mp3]

Animal Collective - Fireworks [mp3]

Nicholas Hooper - Fireworks (from the HP V soundtrack) [mp3]

Jimmy Eat World - Just Watch the Fireworks [mp3]

Band of the Week: Little Joy (+record review)

according to my iTunes, Little Joy is classified as "Tropical" music

now that made me laugh out loud. literally.

the band consists of:

Fabrizio Moretti – Guitar/Tenor Guitar/Piano/Bass/Drums/ Percussion/Melodica & Backing Vocals

Binki Shapiro – Vocals/Guitar/Glockenspiel/Percussion & Backing Vocals

and
Rodrigo Amarante – Vocals/Guitar/Piano/Bass/Ukulele/Organ/ Melotron/ Percussion & Backing Vocals

the album insert also thanked other contributing artists, including Nick Valensi (Fab's fellow Stroke) on background vocals and miscellaneous instruments



I really dig this record. Quite simply, it's happy music. No depressing Conor Oberst vocals in sight: this band sounds like sunshine. "Brand New Start" reminds me a bit of Rilo Kiley's "Silver Lining". You get a bit of Portuguese lyrics here and there, and the closer "Evaporar" is entirely in the beautiful Brasilian dialect of the language. "How to Hang a Warhol" resonates with Strokes fans who are aware of Fabrizio's incredible capacity as an artist (as in art school, which he attended for a few years before pursuing the Strokes full time). "No One's Better Sake" delves a bit into reggae. Binki sings background vox throughout, and sings lead in "Unattainable" and "Don't Watch Me Dancing", singing a la Kimya Dawson in the latter. Alongside "Brand New Start", "Keep Me in Mind" is the strongest track on the record, because the guitar sound is ambitious and explores territory the other songs don't. For an album which was released on Election Day, it's surprising how un-political the collection of songs is. Little Joy is lounge music in every sense of the word, so whip up some margaritas, pull out that bong, and enjoy. I guarantee that Little Joy will give you more than their name suggests. What else would you expect when the Strokes' sexy and talented drummer collaborates with his girlfriend and good friend?

3/5

Little Joy - Brand New Start [mp3]

Little Joy - Keep me in Mind [mp3]

visit the band on MYSPACE

For fans of: Sondre Lerche, Rilo Kiley, Vampire Weekend, and of course, the Fab Four

record review: Ryan Adams and the Cardinals - Cardinology (repost, sans mp3)

I am so sick of emails with "Blogger DMCA takedown notification" in the subject line.

I specifically DIDN'T post a song from Cardinology, in order to avoid the wrath of these stupid internet cops.

I'm kind of sad because I edited it online and didn't save the changes on my word document, so here is the incomplete review.

anyhow, here it is:

It seems like Ryan Adams fans are abundant, but not fanatics. This doesn’t mean that Ryan is not worthy of our ecstatic anticipation, on the contrary: he has consistently released excellent music since his fantastic debut, Heartbreaker. It’s just that, though, he is ridiculously consistent. Now don’t get me wrong. I’m glad that there is at least one artist whom I can turn to and not be disappointed with. The only downside is that we know that Ryan won’t get very much critical attention, despite his incredibly excellent new songs. I have yet to be familiar with all of Ryan’s songs (I am a relatively new fan on about 3 months), because there is such a vast supply of goodness, including excellent live shows floating online. All I do know, is that Ryan’s voice warms me like hot chocolate.

Now, his new record- the verdict: EXCELLENT. Most of the record is characteristic of Ryan’s unpretentious neo-ballad type songs, like “Let us Down Easy Lord” and “Fix It”, but there are a good number of surprises, like the ridiculously sexy “Magick”. That guitar riff will punch you in the face, I really hope that the Cardinals perform it when I see them live. “Sink Ships” starts out with an acoustic guitar but glides through a bunch of different genres, epitomizing Ryan’s eclectic style. I always have a difficult time describing Ryan Adams to people oblivious to his brilliance, and try to avoid the “alt-country” label most people (and Wikipedia) use. Ryan conforms to no labels. Well, perhaps perfection. The record closes with “Stop”, an incredibly moving song with Ryan singing “a crucifix can never fix enough”, perpetuating the theme which he started on “Fix It”. Overall, it’s a solid record and, like the new CWK album, gets better upon multiple listens. 3.5/5

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club release new record online

head over HERE to buy "333", their new, all instrumental record, which will be released independently.

track listing:

'The Effects Of 333'
'Still No Answer'
'I Know You're In There'
'And With This Comes'
'A Sad State'
'A Twisted State'
'Sedated With Sterilized Tongues'
'We're Not Welcome Alone'
'Or Needed'
'And When Was Better'

read more on NME

I found this band on last.fm and wrote in really big letters in one of my notebooks: "black rebel motorcycle club = kicks a lot of ass". they craft some damn good garage rock/psychedelic tunes. check them out.

visit the LA based band on MYSPACE

BRMC- Aint no Easy Way (acoustic) [mp3]

The Kinks are back together!

they are set to reunite to create new material! read more on SPIN

I love the Kinks. in my opinion, they are WAY underrated, a la Velvet Underground. what is it with incredibly good bands from the 60's who made sunshiney music being ignored now?

lame.

anyhow, I will keep you all posted

The Kinks - Love me Till The Sun Shines [mp3]

Kings of Leon: new tour dates + new video (Use Somebody)

according to an email I received from them,

New European Tour
Kings of Leon will heading to Europe to play 7 shows in 5 countries. All dates are scheduled for February 2009 with tickets going on sale over the next 5 days. Go to kingsofleon.com for a full list of on sale dates.

* February 11: KB Halle (Copenhagen, Denmark)
* February 14: Razzmataz (Barcelona, Spain)
* February 15: La Riviera (Madrid, Spain)
* February 20: Olympia (Paris, France)
* February 21: MHM (Amsterdam, Holland)
* February 23: Columbiahalle (Berlin, Germany)
* February 26: Live Music Hall (Cologne, Germany)

head over to their to MYSPACE to watch their new video for "Use Somebody"

Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire (live on SNL) [mp3]

NME's cool list of 2008

read the entire list (and justifications) of 50 artists HERE, but here are the top 5:and

5. Sam Dust, Late Of The Pier

4. Alex Turner, Arctic Monkeys/The Last Shadow Puppets

3. Andrew VanWyngarden, MGMT

2. Jay-Z

1. Alice Glass, Crystal Castles

agree, disagree?
I think Ezra Koening should be higher up on the list. and Donald of the Virgins should have been mentioned. and hello, Pete Doherty? I don't care about his drug addiction(s) he is STILL really damn cool.

MGMT - Time to Pretend [mp3]
I had this on repeat at work today =)

Saturday Music Definitions: Change

I'm dedicating this week's SMD to our soon to be President Obama. I've been following Obama ever since I read his breathtaking book "Dreams from my Father" my senior year of high school. Finally, this race has nearly reached its end; on Tuesday, we will know who the new leader of the free world will be. (did anyone else see that hilarios bit from the Colbert report on Thursday where Stephen's logic defied him and led us to Senator McCain and PRESIDENT OBAMA? haha priceless.)

Ben Sollee - A Change is Gonna Come (Sam Cooke cover) [mp3]
this is the best cover of this song that I've ever heard. Ben Sollee is a FANTASTIC musician from Kentucky, and his cello playing skills are superb. he is actually on tour right now, visit his MYSPACE for more information. I'm going to see him at Cafe Du Nord in a couple of weeks =)

The New Pornographers - The Laws Have Changed [mp3]
TNP are always loads of fun. their music is upbeat and addictive.

The Flaming Lips - Suddenly Everything Has Changed [mp3]
people often brush off this band as crazy or psychedelic or whatnot and overlook the fact that they produce really beautiful, well crafted songs. Wayne Coyne has the voice of an angel. a slightly demented angel, but an angel nonetheless.

John Mayer - Waiting on the World to Change [mp3]
this one speaks for itself. well don't you worry John, the change is here to stay

Jamie Cullum - 7 Days to Change Your Life [mp3]
it's actually 3 days, thank goodness. I love Jamie's newer record because it shows his brilliance as a songwriter. his first record had a lot of covers; he really shines on "Catching Tales"

The Killers - Change Your Mind [mp3]
probably the most underrated and under-listened to Killers song of all time. it's a fantastic tune.

Band of the Week: The Muslims

this band is fantastic. there is no way around it. I have not yet had the opportunity to see them play live, but I hear that they have an incredible stage presence, much like the Strokes. The San Diego band is said to emanate an aura of indifference but perform with incredible precision and passion.

The Muslims stray away from the big, over produced sound that mainstream music has unfortunately embraced. They are raw, they make great songs. Mr Strummer would be proud.

they've been getting some attention from blogs lately, which is good. their music deserves to be heard by more people. they recently played CMJ

for fans of: The Strokes, early Clash, Sublime

The Muslims - Extinction [mp3]

The Muslims - Bright Side [mp3]

The Muslims - Nightlife [mp3]

visit them on MYSPACE

they have a handful of shows in CA right now, this makes me incredibly happy:

Nov 3 2008 8:00P
MAYAN THEATRE w/ LAST SHADOW PUPPETS Los Angeles, California
Nov 8 2008 8:00P
DETROIT BAR w/ Japanese Motors, Tijuana Panthers Costa Mesa
Nov 14 2008 8:00P
SLIMS w/ The Breeders San Francisco, California
Nov 15 2008 8:00P
SLIMS w/ The Breeders San Francisco, California
Nov 16 2008 8:00P
THE ECHO- PART TIME PUNKS FEST Los Angeles, California
Nov 17 2008 8:00P
THE WILTERN w/ The Breeders Los Angeles, California
Dec 5 2008 8:00P
RICKSHAW w/ The Morning Benders San Francisco, California

Death Cab For Cutie Tour Dates

they will play the tonight show with Jay Leno tonight (11:30 PST)

11.01.08 - Reno, NV - Tickets

11.12.08 - Belfast, Northern Ireland - Tickets

11.13.08 - Dublin, Ireland - Sold Out

11.14.08 - Edinburgh, Scotland - Tickets

11.15.08 - Nottingham, England - Tickets

11.16.08 - Bristol, England - Tickets

11.17.08 - Sheffield, England - Tickets

11.19.08 - London, England - Tickets

11.20.08 - The Hague, Netherlands - Tickets

11.21.08 - Munich, Germany - Tickets

11.22.08 - Brussels, Belgium - Tickets

11.23.08 - Paris, France - Tickets

11.24.08 - Bielefeld, Germany - Tickets

11.25.08 - Berlin, Germany - Tickets

12.02.08 - Milwaukee, WI - Tickets

12.04.08 - Baton Rouge, LA - Tickets

12.09.08 - Seattle, WA - Tickets

12.11.08 - Oakland, CA - Tickets

DCFC - All Apologies (Nirvana cover) [mp3]

Not So Silent Night! presale password here!

ok, so this lineup is crazy. like unbelievable:

THE KILLERS
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
BLOC PARTY
FRANZ FERDINAND
JACK'S MANNEQUIN

I had a conundrum: choosing between Frightened Rabbit and Jack's Mannequin this weekend, and now I don't have to! Frightened Rabbit it is. anyhow, this also means that I will see the Killers twice in two days. how freaking amazing is that?

it's at Oakland's Oracle arena. tix are $57.50 for general admission floor. $32.50 for upper bowl seats. you know you want to buy the former.

now, for the good stuff.

buy your tickets HERE tomorrow morning at 10AM

presale password is: oakland

CSS - Music is My Hot Hot Sex [mp3]
(haha I know CSS isn't exactly relevant here, but that song title sure as hell is)

The Killers announce tour dates

including the rescheduled Warfield show on December 12th

11-03 London, England - Royal Albert Hall
12-09 Seattle, WA - Deck the Hall Ball
12-12 San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theater
01-17 Denver, CO - Magness Arena
01-19 Minneapolis, MN - Northrop Auditorium
01-20 Chicago, IL - UIC Pavilion
01-22 Ypsilanti, MI - EMU Convocation Center
01-23 Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre
01-25 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
01-26 Boston, MA - Agganis Arena
01-28 Fairfax, VA - Patriot Center at George Mason University
01-29 North Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues
01-30 Atlanta, GA - Atlanta Civic Center
01-31 Nashville, TN - Grand Ole Opry House
02-02 Houston, TX - Verizon Wireless Theater
02-03 Austin, TX - Frank Erwin Center
02-04 Grand Prairie, TX - Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie
02-20 Dublin, Ireland - The O2
02-21 Belfast, Northern Ireland - Odyssey Arena
02-23 London, England - O2 Arena
02-24 London, England - O2 Arena
02-26 Birmingham, England - LG Arena
02-27 Birmingham, England - LG Arena
02-28 Cardiff, Wales - Cardiff International Arena
03-02 Sheffield, England - Sheffield Arena
03-03 Nottingham, England - Nottingham Arena
03-05 Aberdeen, Scotland - Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Center
03-06 Glasgow, Scotland - Scottish Exhibition and Conference Center
03-07 Newcastle, England - Newcastle Arena
03-09 Manchester, England - Manchester Evening News Arena
03-10 Manchester, England - Manchester Evening News Arena
03-12 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Heineken Music Hall
03-13 Dusseldorf, Germany - Phillpshalle
03-14 Berlin, Germany - Max Schmelinghalle
03-16 Munich, Germany - Zenith
03-17 Milan, Italy - Alcatraz
03-18 Zurich, Switzerland - Maag Eventhall
03-19 Paris, France - Zenith
03-21 Barcelona, Spain - Sala Razzmatazz

The Killers - Spaceman (live on snl) [mp3]

Andrew Bird finishes recording new record + 2 intimate gigs announced

Nov 19 - Berlin , Germany - Roter Salon - solo show
Nov 20 - London , England- St. Giles Church - solo show

Noble Beast is set for a January 27th release

Andrew Bird - Fake Palindromes [mp3]

Saturday Music Definitions: Leave

Led Zeppelin - Babe I'm Gonna Leave You [mp3]
this is my absolute favourite Zeppelin song ever. and yes, I know it isn't an original but it might as well have been because their rendition of it is heartbreaking.

Ryan Adams - Why Do They Leave [mp3]
I seriously cannot get enough on Ryan Adams. in this vein, he reminds me of Elliott Smith: he has so many songs that there is always something new to discover. I love that.

The Killers - Leave the Bourbon on the Shelf [mp3]
for some reason, I find this song incredibly depressing.

and, BONUS:

Arctic Monkeys - Take it Or Leave it (Strokes cover) [mp3]
one of my favourite bands covering my favourite band? sounds like an equation for success. it is, in case you're wondering. =)

Band of the Week: The Last Shadow Puppets

2008, as we know it, has been a year of side projects and solo efforts. therefore, you may have overlooked the very cool collaboration project between Miles Kane of The Rascals and Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys. if this is the case, shame on you. they released their fantastic debut (The Age of the Understatement) in April, and have since released 3 amazing music videos to accompany their singles:

the age of understatement:


standing next to me (hello Beatles outfits =)):


and, my personal favourite: my mistakes were made for you:



remember, a lot of times a band is hyped because they MAKE GOOD MUSIC.

don't believe me?

listen below:

TLSP - SOS (Rihanna cover) [mp3]
so so so so good. I can't emphasize how good this is. it's amazing how they can turn a song I hate into one I love.

TLSP - In the heat of the morning (Bowie cover) [mp3]
also an excellent cover. I am heavily biased in favour of Bowie, Alex, Miles and other fabulous British musicians

TLSP - My Mistakes Were Made for You (live on Jools Holland) [mp3]

TLSP - Calm Like You (album version) [mp3]

I would say more about this spectacular band but a.their music speaks for itself and b. I am incredibly tired and have loads of work to do.

enjoy.

FINALLY! a Strokes newsletter!

I've been on the e-mailing list for the Strokes' newsletter for ages. this is the first thing I've ever gotten from them. essentially, it's just a recap of all of the side projects that out boys have been up to, and a reminder that "in the ensuing months, hopefully there will be more developments on The Strokes forthcoming plans for 2009!"

it's still really fucking exciting. my favourite band will soon be producing new material. this gives me hope. =)

The Strokes - I'll Try anything once (demo of You Only Live Once)

today we remember Elliott Smith

5 years ago today, we were stripped of one of the most brilliant song writers of all time. I've been thinking of getting "XO" tattooed on my left wrist in honour of one of my favourite records ever. I don't think I get through a day without listening to Mr Smith. as sad as it makes me that he is no longer alive, I'm glad he left behind so many songs to keep us company. I always find new gems that I never really fully appreciated before

Elliott Smith - Angel in the Snow [mp3]

Elliott Smith - Waltz #2 (XO) (live black cat DC 1998) [mp3]

Elliott Smith - Between the Bars [mp3]

Elliott Smith - Miss Misery [mp3]

if you haven't listened to Elliott, I HIGHLY recommend that you go out and get yourself a copy of XO. it's absolute perfection, probably the most intimate and beautiful things that I have ever heard. it was XO (specifically Waltz #2) that made me fall in love with Elliott. I got shivers upon hearing it for the first time.

my Elliott Smith book is one of my most prized possessions.

anyhow, we love you Elliott. may you rest in peace.