HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULIAN!!

I'm really quite bad at remembering my favourite bands' birthdays, but hey lookie here I actually remembered Jules because he has an August birthday, like me

Julian Casablancas, singer/songwriter extraordinaire, turns 30 today. In 2001, he and 4 of his friends changed the world of music forever by bestowing upon us lowly mortals the brilliant record, Is This It.

Thus ended a long streak of crappy rap/rock that had stripped rock and roll of everything we love about it. The Strokes inspired many bands to come, and truly revolutionized music. They made rock and roll cool again. With 2 equally strong (but very different) follow ups (Room on Fire and First Impressions of Earth), The Strokes continually gave us tasty, brilliantly crafted tunes. As the band's primary songwriter and the common denominator between the band, Julian is the cornerstone of my favourite band ever ever ever, and one that I consider to be the best in the world.

Also to be noted, Julian has recently cleaned up his crazy party habits, and has given up most drinking and smoking, as he realized that it began to affect the music. His most recent work was a collaboration with NERD and Santogold for a Converse commercial, with a tune called My Drive Thru

The Strokes will be back to grace our lives from the mundane in 2009, with a new record and tour dates to follow.

now, watch this interview with early Julian (circa 2001), and try not to fall in love with this man. yep, I know, it's impossible





I am addicted to his voice in these two live videos:





The Strokes - Is This It [mp3]

The Strokes - Ize of the World [mp3]

The Strokes - Last Nite [mp3]

The Strokes - Take it or Leave It [mp3]

The Strokes - Under Control [mp3 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.]

The Strokes - NYC Cops [mp3]

finally, if you are already a fan (or still need to be convinced of this band's coolness), and haven't seen In Transit yet (or even if you have), feast your eyes on this. greatest thing ever.

Saturday Music Definitions: Red Light

Kings of Leon - Red Morning Light [mp3]

Arctic Monkeys - Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured [mp3]

The Strokes - Red Light [mp3]

all excellent songs from 3 fantastic bands.

new Kooks video: Sway

most of the video is composed of Luke looking a bit pained while lipsynching the song from their latest record, "Konk"

DAMN IT ALBERT, WHERE ARE MY NORTH AMERICAN DATES???

Albert Hammond Jr has just posted a load of European tour dates on his MYSPACE ending in October. Apparently he is going to open for Coldplay on their Euro trek.

here are the tour dates:

Sept. 1 – Strasbourg, France – Zenith
Sept. 2 – Manheim, Germany – SAP Arena
Sept. 4 – Lyon, France – Tony Garnier Hall
Sept. 6 – Barcelona, Spain – Palau St. Jordi
Sept. 7 – Madrid, Spain – Palcio des Deportes
Sept. 9 – Paris, France – Bercy
Sept. 10 – Paris, France – Bercy
Sept. 12 – Cologne, Germany – Koln Arena
Sept. 14 – Hamburg, Germany – Colorline Arena
Sept. 15 – Berlin, Germany – O2 World Arena
Sept. 17 – Stockholm, Sweden – Globe Theatre
Sept. 18 – Stockholm, Sweden – Globe Theatre
Sept. 19 – Oslo, Norway – Spektrum
Sept. 22 – Prague, Czech Republic – Sazka Arena
Sept. 23 – Budapest, Hungary – Budapest Arena
Sept. 24 – Vienna, Austria – Stadthalle
Sept. 26 – Munich, Germany – Olympiahalle
Sept. 28 – Zurich, Switzerland – Hallenstadion
Sept. 29 – Bologna, Italy – Palamagotti
Sept. 30 – Milan, Italy – Datchforum
Oct. 2 – Rotterdam, Netherlands – The Ahoy
Oct. 3 – Rotterdam, Netherlands – The Ahoy
Oct. 4 – Antwerp, Belgium – Sportspalais

please please please come to the SF area Albert! and then rush back to NY to work with your fellow Strokes and blow us away with a fourth record. yeah, he'll probably never read that, but whatever, you just did, and are now informed not only of his new tour dates, but of my freakish tendencies induced by my ridiculous love of his (and the Strokes' of course) music.

Albert Hammond Jr - Bargain of a Century [mp3]

band of the week: MGMT + record review

I've been meaning to blog about my love for their debut record "Oracular Spectacular" all week, so this works quite nicely. This NY based duo (Andrew and Ben) have taken psychedelic rock on a whole new level. I remember, hearing "Time To Pretend" for the first time, thinking that this was just another band with a catchy single who would inevitably be drowned out by the rest of the music industry trying to do the same thing. But I did acquire their record, and upon my first listen, I was pleasantly surprised to the contrary. Easily one of the year's best releases thus far, Oracular Spectacular is indeed a spectacle for your ears to behold. From lyrics that make fun of famous people (so, themselves, really): "Let's make some music, make some money, find some models for wives; I'll move to Paris, shoot some heroin, and fuck with the stars"-to some happy go lucky declarations of childlike wonder (Kids; The Youth), this record is just teeming with ridiculously good melodies and trust me, you will find yourself dancing to it, although somewhat unconsciously. There is even a hint of early RHCP type guitars ("Of Moons, Birds and Monsters"), and the record ends with "Future Reflections", a tune that mixes a very futuristic feel (haha appropriate) with a subtle chord progression emanating a more vintage sound. It's as if MGMT wants to remind us that the whole electronica/psychedelic fad is ultimately grounded in the 60's, which probably produced more acid-influenced records than any other decade. "This is a call of arms to live and love and sleep together" sums up that theme quite nicely.

I did have the lovely opportunity to see them live, and they were superb (although at one point the mic wasn't working, and I was about to go crazy. this was before Andrew started singing and I was just bubbling with happy suspense.) so, if you have the chance, check out their live renditions of their very palatable songs.

enjoy my favourite tracks from the record below, and do go out and buy the record, you will not regret it.

MGMT - The Youth [mp3]

MGMT - Electric Feel [mp3]

MGMT - Kids [mp3]

(oddly enough, they are consecutive)

also, visit them on MYSPACE.

watch the new SSLYBY vid on PASTE

HERE

the song has some cool guitar riffs. they sort of look like the new Weezer here. and it has that same feel from that new Vampire Weekend video.

I love love love the band's new record, Pershing. it's happy and sweet without making your teeth rot. great vocals, nice melodies too. highly recommended for anyone with two ears and a heart

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Think I Wanna Die [mp3]

visit them on MYSPACE

new video: Oasis- The Shock of Lightning

hellooo psychedelic goodness



that seems to be a trend lately...

Albert Hammond Jr- GfC



MGMT - Time to Pretend


Oasis - Champagne Supernova [mp3]

Pete Doherty and co banned from festival

the authorities in Wiltshire, England were worried that Babyshambles would incite violence.

the band plans on playing a private show near the festival, which was canceled

read the full story on NME

one more step towards an Orwellian society...this is utter bull. rock n roll isn't about a well behaved crowd. it's about getting fucked up and rowdy with your friends and enjoying the music. which, most of the time, bashes society and promotes law breaking anyways.

Babyshambles - Fuck Forever [mp3]

Anthony Green does acoustic version of his song "Slowing Down"

watch the video on PUREVOLUME

it's quite beautiful.

the Circa Survive frontman released his solo debut effort entitled Avalon earlier this month.

Anthony Green - Devil's Song [mp3]

Noel Gallagher promises a less mainstream record.

The guitarist says that the latest Oasis effort "Dig Out Your Soul" will NOT be the anticipated "Britpop". I haven't been excited about a record like this since Albert Hammond Jr's Como Te Llama. I love Oasis's music already, I wonder how great they will be with a more indie approach.

read the full story on NME

Oasis - Wonderwall [mp3]

oh the ludicrous nature of today's generation.

(please do click on the above picture to get the desired full effect)

I was exasperated yesterday when my younger brother told me that he couldn't switch from Honors English to regular English because there wasn't enough room in the latter. In my days (and I am only four years older than him) there were ONLY TWO honors classes, with 20 people each. Our grade consisted of 450 students. So the honors students were less than 10%. So what my brother is saying is that now, there aren't even that many people capable of accelerated coursework. That made me so sad, especially because I want to teach one day. I was just thinking yesterday how if there were classes in Guitar Hero and brand name shoes, today's generation would be star pupils. Which brings me to today's post. Take a looskie at this bit of news on Rolling Stone:

Teen Drops Out of High School To Become Professional “Guitar Hero”

that makes me want to bang my head against the wall, but I will refrain for the sake of my brain cells, which apparently are a rare commodity in our society.

I have nothing against kids dropping out of school to pursue music. The lead singer of my favourite band (Julian Casablancas of the Strokes) dropped out after junior year, but then continued studying music. Having ambition is admirable. But thinking that you can support yourself via a simulated video game is simply retarded.

The Hives - Walk Idiot Walk [mp3]

back to school, already?

I know a lot of US high schools are starting today (my younger brother included). I'm moving back to Berkeley on Wednesday, or Thursday, term starts the following Wednesday.

here are a couple of songs to get us through the hard times:

Belle and Sebastian - Wrapped up in my Books [mp3]

The Wombats - School Uniforms [mp3]

30 seconds to Mars gets sued...by their own record company.

the LA based band fronted by actor Jared Leto (Requiem for a Dream; "angel face" in Fight Club) is using a loophole in their contract (that one cannot be bound to a contract for more than 7 years) to get out of a bad relationship with Virgin/EMI. they've had a tumultuous relationship, and the company insists that 30STM owes them 3 more records (they haven't had an effort out since "A Beautiful Lie" in 2005), and is thus suing them for 30 million dollars. yep, that's right, 30 million.

sorry, no accompanying mp3, they aren't on my computer (I listened to them a lot junior year of high school) and I don't feel like digging through my collection to find one of their cds.

Sunday Morning Covers

today I will post some very, very different versions of some classic songs:

The National - Clampdown (Clash cover) [mp3]

Ben Gibbard - All Apologies (Nirvana cover) [mp3]

Play Radio Play! - Mr Brightside (Killers cover) [mp3]

sometimes, a good cover means properly emulating the original artist, other times, it's quite nice to have a different twist on the song. my favourite of the above three is the last, because although the original is one of my all time favourite songs and nothing will change that, I thought PRP did a cool interpretation of it. it certainly does homage to the synth feel of "Hot Fuss", even if the vox will never be on par with Mr Flowers'. I do like how he sings the chorus, though. and it definitely gets better in the middle/toward the end (the beginning is a bit weak, imo)

what do you think?

yet another Nickel Eye Song available

via MYSPACE.

"where the cold wind blows" is slow and methodical, perhaps my favourite of his thus far. an album to be released by Niko and co this fall.

Saturday Music Definitions: Grass

there are few simple pleasures better than lying in the grass, looking up at the clouds above. to honor the peaceful loveliness of the green stuff, here are a couple of songs:

disclaimer: the AC tune isn't as peaceful as the I&W. but of course you knew that already.

Iron and Wine - Teeth in the Grass [mp3]

Animal Collective- Grass [mp3]


Iron & Wine on MYSPACE

Animal Collective on MYSPACE

band of the week: Spoon

a friend of mine gave me "Kill the Moonlight" back in October of 2007, and my love for this band has only grown since then. I have yet to hear a Spoon song that I don't like. This superb band from Austin, TX is great to behold on disc or live, and lucky for you, they tour pretty often. They have a few upcoming shows,

Sep 19 2008 9:00P Street Scene
San Diego, California

Sep 20 2008 8:00P
Hollywood Bowl Los Angeles, California

Sep 22-24 2008 8:00P
The Fillmore San Francisco, California

now give the following tune a listen and get ready to add a new band to your list of awesome.

Spoon- Don't You Evah [mp3]

visit them on MYSPACE

FINALLY, new Oasis single available

for all the nay sayers who claim that all Oasis songs have melded together into some unintelligible white noise, here is the fiesty new single to prove them wrong

it is loud.
it is lengthy.
it is a massive supernova of energy that will blow you away.

"I got my feet on the street but I can't stop flyin,
my head's in the clouds but at least I'm tryin
I'm out of control but I'm tied up tight"

it sounds like Oasis are sick and tired of being praised, then shot down, over and over and over again.

Oasis - The Shock of Lightning [mp3]

The Virgins rework "Rich Girls"...again.

my favourite version is still the original EP version, but hear a squeaky clean live rendition below:



visit the not so chaste Virgins on MYSPACE

calling all Florida readers: free Smashing Pumpkins show

the only thing better than a good live act would be a FREE good live act.

the Smashing Pumpkins will play in Orlando on August 22nd.

get your free tix HERE

HINT: if you enter “Pumpkins” in the Summer Krush comment box while applying for tickets, your ticket form will get priority.

go forth, Floridians, and see Billy Corgan and co while you still can

Smashing Pumpkins- Today [mp3]

Blogs are good for record sales

read the article HERE. it's pretty interesting.

new Oasis songs streaming online

listen to "Falling Down" below



I've only listened to it a couple of times but I'm pretty impressed.

"The Shock of Lightning" debuts tomorrow.

Oasis - Don't Go Away [mp3]

goodies with new Of Montreal record

in case the music itself was not lavish enough for you, Of Montreal are including some cool extras with the Skeletal Lamping LP

read more HERE

that lantern has my name all over it.

Kings of Leon PRESALE PASSWORD

the magic word is "KINGS"

buy tix HERE until 10 PM EST (7 PM PST) tomorrow for the following shows:

* 9/23 - New York: Webster Hall
* 10/15 - Los Angeles: Nokia Theatre
* 10/20 - Seattle: Paramount Theatre
* 10/21 - Portland: Schitzer Hall
* 10/23 - Denver: The Fillmore
* 11/3 - St. Louis: The Pageant
* 11/7 - Toronto: Kool Haus
* 11/18 - Atlanta: The Tabernacle

get em while you can

a few other shows (San Diego and SF for example) go on presale tomorrow)

Kings of Leon - Molly Chambers [mp3]

visit KoL on their official website HERE

new mp3: Nickel Eye

Strokes bassist gone solo side project (a la many artists this year).

visit Nikolai Fraiture's project "Nickel Eye" on MYSPACE

Nickel Eye - Back From Exile [mp3]

Radiohead + Palahniuk = ecstasy.

this is the best news of the day, imo

Radiohead is apparently going to be providing the musical score for the upcoming film adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's best selling "Choke". He gained notoriety for the famous "Fight Club" (my favourite movie) and he remains my all time favourite author. His work is quite demented, I love it.

Chuck is apparently ecstatic about the entire ordeal. Radiohead will debut all new material for the upcoming film. Read more HERE

Radiohead - Weird Fishes Arpeggi [mp3]

Franz Ferdinand streaming new track online

visit them on their website HERE to hear the track that they maintain is "not a single" or simply click below:



wha wha what?? this song is so tasty. it is so much more electronica than anything else they have done.

we can anticipate a new record from this Scottish band named after a horse named after the archduke who caused WWI in January.


Franz Ferdinand - The Fallen [mp3]

SF's Outside Lands Festival schedule is available

give it a looksie HERE

buy your 3 day passes, single day tickets, or VIP passes HERE

Cold War Kids - Something is not right with me [mp3]

Spin's Artist of the Day: Ra Ra Riot

see for yourself HERE

I really like this band. their music is quite refreshing.

read a previous post of mine here

Ra Ra Riot - St Peter's Day

Brandon Flowers coming terms to not being able to please everyone

“But we’ve got faith in what we do, faith in our fans and faith in the soon-to-be-converted.”

read the Rolling Stone article about the forthcoming "stripped down" third record HERE


The Killers - Under the Gun (b-side version) [mp3]

watch a hilarious skit below:

Death Cab announce new fall tour

08-12 Singapore, Singapore - Esplanade Concert Hall
08-15 Seoul, South Korea - ETP Festival
08-17 Melbourne, Australia - The Palace
08-18 Newtown, Australia - The Enmore
08-20 Fremantle, Australia - Metropolis
08-22 Fortitude Valley, Australia - The Tivoli
09-01 Seattle, WA - Bumbershoot
10-03 Boston, MA - Agganis Arena
10-04 Wallingford, CT - Chevrolet Theater
10-05 Atlantic City, NJ - Showboat Casino Hotel
10-06 New York, NY - Radio City Music Hall
10-08 Columbus, OH - LC Outdoor Amphitheater
10-12 Champaign, IL - Assembly (University of Illinois)
10-13 St. Louis, MO - Fox Theatre
10-26 New Orleans, LA - Voodoo Music Experience

visit them on their official website

Death Cab for Cutie - Technicolor Girls [mp3]

Liam Gallagher lashes out at Radiohead and Coldplay fans

he called them "ugly and boring"

haha! I personally like both bands, but not as much as Oasis.

now where would we be without the Gallagher brothers constantly talking trash about other bands? bored, that's where.

read the story on NME


Oasis - Don't Go Away [mp3]

new I'm from Barcelona song

free download for "Music Killed Me" available for those who sign up for their newsletter HERE

visit the 29 piece Swedish band on MYSPACE

Saturday Music Definitions: Happy Birthday

haha ok so I'm usually not this self centered, but today is my 19th birthday, and I thought I'd share a couple of birthday songs by a couple of my favourite singers, and my current favourite Strokes song: Alone, Together. It boggles my mind how perfectly the rhythm and lead guitar parts work together, not to mention the perfectionnn of the bass, drums and vox. Hot damn I love the Strokes.

It must be noted that I adore all of the Strokes' songs equally, but I become a wee bit more obsessed with one at a time.

It's usually from their first record Is This It. If you don't own that record, you cannot consider yourself someone with good music taste. I'm sorry, I'm biased but whatever, it's a masterpiece. My all time favourite record. I swear it gets better each time I listen to it.

ok, so here are your tunes, ENJOY!

Andrew Bird - The Happy Birthday Song [mp3]

Sondre Lerche - Happy Birthday Girl [mp3]

The Strokes - Alone, Together [mp3]

Band of the Week: The Clash

Ok, I'm cheating. Band of the week is about exposing you lovely readers to obscure indie bands that actually make tasty tunes. But I've been listening to nothing but The Clash ALL WEEK. I've been humming "Rock the Casbah" for ages (I love that song particularly because I was raised Muslim and my parents HATE my love for "the rock n roll"). Hot damn this band is the coolest. By far the best punk act. London Calling is a fucking masterpiece.

So if you guys have not yet worshiped this band, I suggest that you start very very soon. Download one of their songs below and go out to your local record store and get their eponymous debut on vinyl. Or I'd recommend this compilation -> The Clash - The Singles. But vinyl >>> everything else so yeah.

One of my favourite things about this band is the timelessness of their lyrics. Another is how they pack so much punch in such short songs.

Here's a cool website dedicated to all things Clash.

The Clash - Cheat [mp3]

fucking sweet guitar solo.

Liam looooves John.

Liam Gallagher of Oasis has written a ballad entitled "I'm Outta Time" for the new record which shows his love for the famed Beatle, Mr Lennon. It features an extract from an old interview with Lennon.

I love Oasis. I love The Beatles. I love "Champagne Supernova". I love the following quote:

"If you're not in it to become bigger than The Beatles then it's just a hobby" - Noel Gallagher

'Dig Out Your Soul' will be available on October 6th.

The full tracklisting is as follows:

'Bag It Up'
'The Turning'
'Waiting For The Rapture'
'The Shock Of The Lightning'
'I'm Outta Time'
'(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady'
'Falling Down'
'To Be Where There's Life'
'Ain't Got Nothin''
'The Nature Of Reality'
'Soldier On'

bring on the tour dates!

Oasis - Champagne Supernova [mp3]

Analogue magazine

I just found out about a cool independent Irish publication which is determined to make itself available for FREE for each and every issue. I gave their fourth issue a looksie in the PDF format available HERE, and was quite pleased. Check it out.

here is their official website:

analoguemagazine.com


Foo Fighters - Free Me [mp3]

Albert Hammond Jr is Guest Listed by Pitchfork

he talked to them about happiness, Tom Petty, and his David Bowie ringtone.

read more HERE

visit Albert on MYSPACE

Albert Hammond Jr - In Transit [mp3]

Wolfmother drops 2 members, singer to stick it out

It all started when keyboardist/bassist Chris Ross left the band, and drummer Myles Heskett soon followed suit.

However, singer/guitarist Andrew Stockdale said that he is going to recruit new members and continue with the band

new Kings of Leon single streaming online

listen to "Sex on Fire" on their MYSPACE

I really like it. It's less aggressive than their first single, Crawl. You can really hear the yearning in Caleb's voice, in vein of Dave Grohl. Great guitar riffs, too.

UPDATE:

I've acquired an mp3. download it below:

Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire [mp3]

Happy Birthday Elliott Smith

he would have been 39 today.

I was just listening to The Elected today and realized how much Elliott's music has influenced bands today. We miss you dearly, Elliott, may you rest in peace.

I don't like to talk about my love for this man very much, because most of my friends don't like his music and I can't stand to hear anyone say anything remotely negative about him. XO changed my life, and I subsequently acquired his entire discography, some of the best stuff in my collection. If you haven't really listened to Elliott Smith's music, give it a try. The following song gave me chills the first time I heard it, and I just fell in love with Elliott right that moment. His music is so intimate, his lyrics so poetic. This man was a genius and died too soon. His music will forever be his legacy.

Elliott Smith - Waltz #2 (XO) [mp3]

Wolfmother to split?

I really hope not. The Australian-based band only has one record out so far, an eponymous debut which I really liked. I saw them live at a festival a couple of years back and they were great.

anyhow, read more on NME and I will post updates soon

Wolfmother - Dimension [mp3]

Kings of Leon North American Tour Dates

they have not one but TWO SF shows. =)

The Whigs, We Are Scientists and The Stills will open

9/23, New York, NY (Webster Hall)*
10/11, Las Vegas, NV (The Joint) #
10/12, San Diego, CA (House of Blues) #
10/15, Los Angeles, CA (Nokia Theatre) #
10/17, San Francisco, CA (Warfield Theatre) #
10/18, San Francisco, CA (Warfield Theatre) #
10/20, Seattle, WA (Paramount Theatre) #
10/21, Portland, OR (Schnitzer Hall) #
10/23, Denver, CO (The Fillmore Auditorium) #
10/25, Austin, TX (Austin Music Hall) #
10/26, Oklahoma City, OK (Bricktown Events Center) #
10/28, Houston, TX (Verizon Wireless Theater) #
10/29, Dallas, TX (Palladium Ballroom) #
10/31, Chicago, IL (Aragon Ballroom) #
11/1, Minneapolis, MN (Orpheum Theatre) $
11/3, St. Louis, MO (The Pageant) $
11/5, Milwaukee, WI (The Eagles Ballroom) $
11/7, Toronto, Ontario (Kool Haus) $
11/8, Detroit, MI (The Fillmore) $
11/10, Washington, DC (DAR Constitution Hall) $
11/12, Boston, MA (Orpheum Theatre) $
11/15, Philadelphia, PA (Electric Factory Ballroom) $
11/18, Atlanta, GA (The Tabernacle) $
11/19, Nashville, TN (Nashville Municipal Auditorium) $

(* w/ the Whigs)
(# w/ the Stills and We Are Scientists)
($ w/ the Whigs and We Are Scientists)


Kings of Leon - Red Morning Light [mp3]

of Montreal + Freudian psychology = spectacular on so many levels

now I love of Montreal for many reasons, primarily their trippy high energy melodies that get me pumped at the gym

but the following lyric reminds of Brave New World so I have a new found reason to love these guys:

"Can’t help it if its true, don’t wanna be your man, just wanna play with you"

tasty, tasty. anddd it's on repeat. alas, they've done it again.

download the new song from their forthcoming record, Skeletal Lamping, below:

of Montreal - Id Engager

and if you have yet to discover this cool band from, where else: Athens, Georgia (that city has given us so many top notch bands), trek over to their MYSPACE until they hook you with their sexy and completely palatable dance music (oxymoron? I think not) and you go out and buy Hissing Fauna, or a number of records from their lengthy discography.

new Kaiser Chiefs record due October 14th

it's entitled Off With Their Heads

the tracklisting is as follows:

1. "Spanish Metal"
2. "Never Miss A Beat"
3. "Like It Too Much"
5. "Can't Say What I Mean"
6. "Good Days Bad Days"
7. "Tomato In The Rain"
8. "Half The Truth"
9. "Always Happens Like That"
10. "Addicted To Drugs"
11. "Remember You're A Girl"

I don't care if it's uncool to like these guys. I really like the Kaiser Chiefs. I like both of the records that they have out so far and am confident that this third effort will not prove futile.

Kaiser Chiefs - Na Na Na Na Naa

visit the blokes on MYSPACE

Adam Green on Daytrotter

good stuff.

read the article and download some songs HERE

Adam Green - Jessica [mp3]

I actually prefer Adam to Kimya, unlike most people (the majority of whom have been exposed to her music primarily via Juno). Kimya's pretty cool too, and I miss the Moldy Peaches. But yeah, Adam's solo stuff is top notch.

the Killers reveal new LP title

"Day and Age" will be officially released in November, hear the source of the title below:



The Killers - Leave The Bourbon On The Shelf [mp3]

NOW ANNOUNCE SOME TOUR DATES PLEASE!

videos galore!

there seems to be a plethora of new music videos floating around now...

first off, The Kooks' "Do You Wanna"



everytime I hear that song I smile, because I remember a friend's incredibly confused expression at my singing "do you wanna make love to me" a couple of days after Konk was released. twas priceless.

The Kooks - Young Folks (Peter Bjorn and John Cover) [mp3]

next...

The Virgins - Rich Girls



now, I just got the Virgin's record a few days ago and was SHOCKED to realize that they had a different virgin (haha pun! yes I know how to spell version.) of "Rich Girls" on their record (the one you hear in the video.)

compare it to this:
The Virgins - Rich Girls (EP version)[mp3]

I really prefer the earlier (EP) version. I know that comparisons of this band to IS This It era Strokes are everywhere, but I can't help but think of the original EP version of Last Nite, which I prefer to the more well known one.

The Strokes - Last Nite (EP version) [mp3]

The Strokes - Last Nite (ITI version) [mp3]

oh what the hell, I'll embed a live version too. hot damn I love those guys.



lastly, Vampire Weekend have abandoned their preppy look in favour of goth. good stuff.

VW - Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa


Vampire Weekend - M79 [mp3]

Sunday Morning Covers

Elliott Smith - Blackbird (Beatles cover) [mp3]

The Strokes - Walk on the Wildside (Velvet Underground cover) [mp3]

John Mraz - Piano Man (Billy Joel cover) [mp3]

three of my favourite artists emulating some classic artists. enjoy.

Saturday Music Definitions: Luck(y)

lately I haven't been feeling too lucky. it seems as though everything requires so much effort. oh well, I'm not complaining.

The Verve - Lucky Man [mp3]

Jimmy Eat World - Feeling Lucky [mp3]

The Strokes - Trying Your Luck [mp3]

Radiohead - Lucky [mp3]

band of the week: LCD Soundsystem

this dance/punk band fronted by James Murphy is completely underrated in the US.

they hail from NYC, visit them on MYSPACE

download a more piano-y ballad below

LCD Soundsystem - NY, I love you but you're bringing me down [mp3]

download 10 FREE tunes from Babyshambles sideproject

Babyshambles' drummer Adam Ficek is giving away 10 demos for free HERE

Pete Dpherty isn't the only one busy with cool side projects, as you can see. er, hear.

visit Adam on MYSPACE

Babyshambles - Fuck Forever [mp3]

Nikolai Fraiture streaming new tracks!

hear the previous two tracks, Brandy of the Damned and Dying Star, alongside a new track, Back From Exile, on Nickel Eye's MYSPACE. This is The Strokes' bassist side project. The Strokes are expected to be back in studio in early 2009.

Nickel Eye's debut record is expected to be released in the fall.

download early versions of the first couple of tracks below:

Nickel Eye- Brandy of the Damned [mp3]
Nickel Eye- Dying Star [mp3]

I really love the new track, Back From Exile. IMO, Niko has a better voice than Albert, who went solo a couple of years back. Nikolai is amazing, especially when he's nailing amazing bass lines as 1/5 of the greatest band on earth. Download a tasty example below.

The Strokes - Is This It [mp3]

Jason Mraz PRESALE CODE!

for the Berkeley show at the Greek Theatre on November 2nd.

the presale code is POLAROID

buy your tickets HERE until tomorrow,tickets go on sale to the public next Saturday.

it's a bit pricey (I just got a ticket for a bit under 60 with all the surcharges. ticketmaster is an exploitative bitch), but I'm sure it'll be worth it. this man is AMAZING.

if you don't live in the Berkeley area, see some other tour dates HERE

download a tune from his new record [We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things., available everywhere now] below:

Jason Mraz- Make It Mine [mp3]

I love this guy. most definitely one of the best pop/acoustic acts of our time =)
visit him on MYSPACE, or his adorable OFFICIAL WEBSITE (it's animated with his voice. adorable.)

TRAILER FOR NEW HARRY POTTER FLICK AVAILABLE!!

now I know this is a music blog, but hey, it's MY music blog and I happen to be a huge HP fan. the musical score for the fifth film was CRAZY GOOD, the soundtrack wasn't the same though and I was a tad bit disappointed.

BUT GOOD LORD THIS LOOKS LIKE THE BEST FILM THUS FAR.

November, why must you be 4 months awayyy????

download a tune from the 5th film and soundtrack below:

Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix- Fireworks (song played when Fred and George wreck havoc during the OWLs) [mp3]

The Muslims add more tour dates

don't mind their controversial name which induces many online wars, these guys make good music.

Aug 4 KING KING Los Angeles, California*
Aug 6 THE ECHO Los Angleles, California
Aug 8 A WAREHOUSE Costa Mesa, California
Aug 9 TOWER BAR San Diego, California
Aug 16 SPACELAND Los Angeles, California
Aug 18 BOWERY BALLROOM New York, New York**
Aug 19 BOWERY BALLROOM New York, New York***
Aug 20 UNION POOL Brooklyn, New York^
Aug 21 Dunderdon New York, New York
Aug 23 12 GALAXIES San Francisco, California
Sep 4 BOTTOM OF THE HILL w/ The Night Marchers San Francisco
Sep 5 MUSICFEST NW Portland, Oregon
Sep 19 STREET SCENE San Diego, California

*w/ Cheeseburger
** w/ The Walkmen, Frances
*** w/ The Walkmen, Mac St Michael
^ w/ The Howlies
^^ w/ The Night Marchers

The Muslims - Extinction [mp3]

visit them on MYSPACE

Albert Hammond Jr cancels Australia and Japan shows

due to a bad throat infection. GET WELL SOON ALBERT! and add more tour dates when you do! we love you.

Albert Hammond Jr - Bargain of a Century [mp3]

Albert Hammond Jr - You Won't Be Fooled By This [mp3]

if you haven't done so already, go out and buy his new record. I think I preferred Yours To Keep at first, but Como Te Llama really grows on you. definitely one of the year's best releases thus far.

The Killers play new songs

holy goodness gracious, this is good stuff.

listen to Neon Tiger:



and

Spaceman:



Spaceman is so very Hot Fuss, but I kind of prefer Neon Tiger. they're both lovely tunes though, and Spaceman has great tempo, a fantastic bass line.

The Killers are so great. They're gonna make such a major comeback with this new record, I can feel it. Not that I think they had sophomore slump or anything, I love Sam's Town, but that seems to be the consensus among music critics. Anyhow, yeah, keep your eyes (er, ears) peeled for new material from these talented Vegas boys!

enjoy my favourite Killers tune below:

The Killers - Under the Gun [b side version) [mp3]

ways to keep yourself off of drugs for good

a. watch Requiem for a Dream
b. read and/or watch Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
c. look at these photos. well, maybe these pictures aren't as bad as watching Requiem for a Dream, but there are a few freakish pictures in the collection. poor Pete Doherty.

Weezer- We Are All On Drugs [mp3]

cool new band alert: Innercity Pirates

give "Ear Sex" a listen on their MYSPACE
it reminds me of The Clash. now that's probably one of the highest compliments that I can give.

they have yet to release a LP, just a couple of singles so far. I'm gonna try to acquire some sort of mp3 from this band, and will post it soon.

watch the vid another tune, Cockney Sparra, on Youtube




enjoy!

The Killers to play an exclusive gig tonight, new record in the works

the show, at NY's Highline Ballroom, is only available to members of The Victims, The Killers' fan club.

but, more importantly for the rest of us fans not in the NY area, we can expect a new record this NOVEMBER! read the story on GIGWISE

with a sexy electronica debut, an Americana followup and a complication of miscellaneous b-sides and rarities, who knows what these blokes will come up with next? one things for certain, it'll blow our minds away.

enjoy their cool concept of a trilogy of songs leading up to a murder below:

The Killers - Leave The Bourbon On The Shelf [mp3]

The Killers - Midnight Show [mp3]

The Killers - Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine [mp3]

MTV to remake the Rocky Horror Picture Show

it looks like it is set for a Halloween release. read the story on PASTE

download a tune from the show below:

Richard O Brien- Sweet Transvestite [mp3]

Bill O Reilly responds to Nas' claims of Fox being racist

watch the video below, and listen to Nas' anthem against one of my least favourite things (Fox News) below:



Nas - Sly Fox:



personally, this isn't my cup of tea when it comes to music, but hey, anyone

new Kings of Leon track!

sweeeeeeeeeeeeet!

I can't wait for the new record, "Only By The Night", which you all should go out and buy on September 23rd!

if you don't believe me, give the new tune a listen and see for yourself.

Kings of Leon - Crawl [mp3]

southern rock never sounded this good.

the Morning Benders reveal free covers EP!

so, very cool news (that I am about 5 days late on knowing haha): The Morning Benders are giving away an EP of covers of their favourite songs on their BLOG, as a thank you to all their fans.

download them all in zip form HERE

or, if you want to pick and choose, sample and download them individually below:

1. crying - roy orbison
2. mother and child reunion - paul simon
3. why dont they let us fall in love? - the ronettes
4. lovefool - the cardigans
5. i won't share you - the smiths
6. he's a rebel - the crystals
7. marie - randy newman
8. fools rush in - johnny mercer/rube bloom
9. temptation inside your heart - velvet underground
10. dreams - fleetwood mac
11. pull up the roots - talking heads
12. caroline, no- beach boys remix (bonus track)
12.5 why don't they let us fall in love? (live daytrotter version!)

visit The Morning Benders on MYSPACE

Sunday Morning Covers

this morning, I would like to share a couple of my favourite bands covering some over-played songs.

for the record, I like the original Peter Bjorn and John version of "Young Folks" but I can't stand Rihanna. It's amazing that the LSP made the song palatable. But then again,m they are British and amazing

The Kooks - Young Folks (Peter Bjorn and John Cover) [mp3]

The Last Shadow Puppets - SOS (Rihanna Cover) [mp3]

enjoy!

Saturday Music Definitions: Girls

this week's SMD is inspired by a track I've had on repeat for days, "Rich Girls" by The Virgins. I absolutely love the track, and the band. The vox remind me of early Franz Ferdinand and the bass line is ridiculously dancable and addictive. Their debut LP came out early June of this year, if you like the track, then invest in this up and coming NY band by buying the record =)

anyhow, I have also included some other great tracks about girls, so enjoy!

Matt White - New York Girls [mp3]
Death Cab for Cutie - Technicolor Girls [mp3]

Spoon - All The Pretty Girls Go To The City [mp3]
The Virgins - Rich Girls [mp3]

I highly recommend the last two tracks. Both bands are currently on tour

visit The Virgins and Spoon on myspace for tour dates in your area.

band of the week: Ra Ra Riot

I plan on catching this NY based indie rock band who successfully incorporate a cellist and a violinist into their infectious melodies at Rickshaw in SF this September. they have loads of tour dates, so be sure to check them out on MYSPACE and see when they're playing in your area!

their debut record, The Rhumb Line, is set for an August 19th release.

Ra Ra Riot - Dying is fine [mp3]

Russia to ban emos

this is the funniest bit of music news I've read in a LONG time, probably since the whole Mexican emo riots thing.



Russia is in the process of banning emo style clothing in government buildings and school, while also regulating emo websites, in an effort to combat suicide and "bad behaviour" that supposedly stems from this sub culture.

read the full story on NME, and enjoy an emo tune below (if that's possible ha!)

The Used - Taste of Ink [mp3]

Cold War Kids streaming new track online

listen to "Something is not right with me", their first single off of "Loyalty to Loyalty" on their MYSPACE

I love it. the guitars and vox have a Lou Reed-ish feel with that classic CWK twist, and best of all, it is strikingly different from anything on Robbers and Cowards, which is great, I love it when bands take their sophomore effort stylistically away from their debut, it's always a risk, but it looks as if it has paid off here.

with most new music being so experimental that you can hardly tell what's going on, it's nice to see an indie band return to gold old rock n roll of the 60s.

Cold War Kids - We Used To Vacation (Daytrotter)[mp3]

Sunday Morning Covers

Ben Sollee - A Change is Gonna Come (Sam Cooke cover) [mp3]

Iron and Wine - Such Great Heights (Postal Service cover) [mp3]

The Killers - Romeo and Juliet (Dire Straits cover) [mp3]

I especially love the last song, when I first heard it on Sawdust, I thought it was an original Killers song and was thrilled. I was a tad bit disappointed when I realized it was a cover, but, regardless, Brandon Flowers and co. did a fantastic job .