The Strokes Post #250

[from my MOJO newsletter]:


this makes me wish I were a proper music journalist. le sigh.

Classic Track Thursday

Rancid - Time Bomb [mp3]
from ...And Out Come the Wolves (1995)

Rancid come from Albany, which is where a lot of my professors at Berkeley lived. the band recorded their stuff at a studio in Berkeley and I'm sure played loads of shows at 924 Gilman (the club of Green Day fame)

this band adores the Replacements, you can just hear it in their music.

there really is nothing better for everyone's inner child than 90's punk rock from the East Bay. listening early Rancid and Green Day proves this. it's perfect for every adolescent in existence, seeing as how there is just the right combination of angst and punchiness (the songs usually averaging at 2 and a half minutes)

The Strokes Post #249

you know how everyone freaks out about turning thirty? I don't think Jules is one of those people.
he's so beautiful, it's insane.

artist to watch: The Potentials

I get emails all of the time of bands claiming that they have a "unique" sound, and usually it's not true. but sometimes, that's not entirely a bad thing.

The Potentials are a three-some from Fairfax, VA. they aren't unique, because their music sounds like what Chester French would be in an alternate universe where they hung out in their garage instead of going to an Ivy league school.

regardless, I'm grateful that it's electronica that doesn't leave me with a horrible headache. so go ahead and indulge in something one part derivative, two parts catchy.

The Potentials - Mayday Baby [mp3]

The Potentials - The Next Attraction [mp3]

visit them on MYSPACE

The Strokes Post #248

yeah, the sound mixing was sounding a bit funky (especially at the beginning), but seriously, I was so glad when I heard the imperfections.



it means that Julian, who's ears are infinitely more musically inclined than mine, will DEFINITELY pick up on this during his shows and compare it nostalgically to the glory days of The Strokes, and he will never ever allow the band to break up.

but anyhow, 3:08 and on, is just glorious. I couldn't move last night when I was watching this, I was just gaping in awe of his excellence. he sounds so good.

does he have any idea how sexy that wide legged stance thing he does is?

Minus the Bear - When We Escape

Minus the Bear - When We Escape [mp3]

I don't know much about this band (other than that they are epic live), but this song is gorgeous. the reason that I'm posting it is because, yesterday, when I was sorting through my things, I came across a post-it with the song title written on it.

when I used to work in tech services at my school's library, post-its were everywhere (we had to flag things etc etc) I ended up using them to write song titles of things I liked from last.fm. I had listened to Minus the Bear before, just not regularly. this guy I was sort of interested in at one time gave me some of their music and I ended up going to a show of theirs with one of my friends, who was a big fan of the band. but anyhow, it's a great track, enjoy.

The Strokes Post #247

I think it's very cute that this showed up a few hours after the album leaked. it reminded me strongly of what The Dodos did for Time to Die (great album, btw)

Arcade Fire - Wake Up

this song came on the radio today as I was picking my younger brother up from school, and I put it on FULL BLAST. it's such an epic song, and I love it. it makes me want to see the band live so much, just hearing their music. the echos, the buildups, the layers, everything is just perfect. then it got me thinking to the days when my older brother would pick me up from school with Mac Dre playing really loudly. oh how very different we are.

Julian Casablancas: European tour dates

Copenhagen Vega (November 30)
Stockholm Gota Kallare (December 1)
Berlin Maria Am Ostbahnof (3)
Amsterdam Paradiso (5)
Paris Le Bataclan (8)
Manchester Ritz (11)
Glasgow ABC (12)
Dublin Academy (14)
London Forum (16)

yay! I'm so happy for my Euro-trash Strokes fan counterparts. haha, I'm only joking, I wish I were Euro-trash

he really looks so much better with dark hair. it's making me seriously contemplate dying my hair black, an idea I've been toying with for ages. but if I did that, I would want my hair straightened and I would miss my curls aka mane.

The Strokes Post #246

I've been singing this song all day, disappointing myself when I hear my voice isn't Jules'.

"on ludlow streeeeeeet"

I love the line about Puerto Ricans. it reminds me of West Side Story.

Sunday Morning Covers

ZIP FILE

Vampire Weekend - Exit Music (for a film) (Radiohead cover) [mp3]
I don't think I've ever posted this one, even though I've listened it to bits.

Ben Folds - Lost in the Supermarket (The Clash cover) [mp3]
I love this one. it made me get up and make a cup of tea, though =)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Sheena is a Punk Rocker (Ramones cover) [mp3]
solid.

Beck - Hot In Herre (Nelly cover) [mp3]
of course, Beck reinvents a classic into something barely recognizable, but totally psychedelic and awesome. the original was one of my favourite songs as a pre-teen. haha. preteen.

Conor Oberst - Kodachrome (Paul Simon cover) [mp3]
I tried to give his solo album another go this week, but it just wasn't cutting it for me. oh well.

Delta Spirit - I'm Waiting (Bill Bush cover) [mp3]
I am itching to see these guys again.

Rogue Wave - Birds (Neil Young cover) [mp3]

CSS - Rat (Rage cover) [mp3]

of Montreal - Computer Blue (Prince cover) [mp3]
I wish I had the attention span to get through this band's entire discography, but, then again, like The Flaming Lips, of Montreal is a fun band to turn to for a musical trip rather than obsessive listening rampages.

The Black Keys - Summertime Blues (Eddie Cochran cover) [mp3]

Arctic Monkeys - Baby I'm Yours (Van McCoy cover) [mp3]
I think this is the fourth or fifth time I'm posting this song, but it's just so good.

The Strokes Post #245

seeing as how everyone is equipped with Phrazes at this point, I think I'll post some pictures instead

here's the Valensi family + Fab







his wife is a really good photographer. I quite like the selection on her blog

Morrissey collapses, is hospitalized, but is currently "stable"

our main man Moz wasn't feeling too good last night and collapsed during a performance. you can read more on NME

here are my wishes for a speedy recovery!

The Smiths - Asleep [mp3]

I know this is a bit inappropriate to post, because it's about death, but it's my favourite Smiths song, and it's just so beautiful.

The Strokes Post #244

a word to the wise,
DO NOT WAIT FOR THE PROPER RELEASE OF PHRAZES FOR THE YOUNG. seriously, you'll hate yourself later. those amazon previews were SHIT SHIT SHIT. you cannot condense musical genius into thirty second snippets.

CLICK ME IF YOU LOVE TO BE HAPPY.

thanks so much Katie!

Saturday Music Definitions: Pure

I can't really describe the elated feeling I am experiencing right now, it's just pure bliss. and it is a direct result of Julian crooning in my headphones.

Maroon 5 - Pure Imagination [mp3, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!]

Audrye Sessions - Nothing Pure Can Stay [mp3]

The Who - Pure and Easy [mp3]

Eric Reed - Pure Imagination [mp3]
(this guy is a jazz pianist)

four new songs from Girls

the band has recorded a cool acoustic session on KDHX (a St. Louis radio station) and you can snag the mp3s at Fuck yeah! Go team! or you can download them below.

1. Heartbreaker [mp3]

2. Lovelife [mp3]
doesn't this remind you forcibly of Bob Dylan? especially the end?

3. Broken Dreams Club [mp3]

4. How Can I Say I Love You [mp3]

additionally, they'll be playing Bottom of the Hill the day after their Cafe Du Nord show on the 20th. I'll be going to both shows, but I'm more excited about the one at BOTH, as it is my favourite venue ever. Nick even mentions it in one of The Strokes' interviews. every time I look at the calendars on the wall and see "The Strokes" in August of 2001, I cringe in envy.

Band of the Week + record review: Bombay Bicycle Club

I first heard about this band in SPIN, they did a little feature a few months back about bands that were named for places outside of their own home country. I listened to a couple of tracks online and was impressed but the band still hadn't released a full length album at that point, so I didn't pursue them any further.

little did I know then that their debut, I Had the Blues But I Shook Them Loose (released this July), is spellbinding. I've been listening to it non-stop since I bought it last Sunday.

produced by Jim Abbiss (of Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not fame), the album is filled with fuzz-y guitars that scream of My Bloody Valentine, but with a twist that will shake you to the core. I can only describe it as Joy Division meets early Pearl Jam, with the obvious advantage of modern production. it has that restless energy of The Gaslight Anthem wrapped in up in that weird sensation which occurs when things get so personal that they become detached.

it's just damn good music and it's scary how I can just picture their live shows. slightly awkward but redeemed by the brutal honesty of the music. I'm not talking about lyrics here. I mean the music itself. it's so personal, so anxious, it's like reading your journals from high school. observe:



I'm really glad that this band has combined the shoe-gaze goodness of MBV with more post-punk elements and a disheartened voice to match.

funnily enough, the American band The Pains of Being Pure At Heart have snagged all of the attention for bringing back MBV-type lo-fi, but they also sound a shit load like Belle and Sebastian. this places them on the other end of the happy spectrum (ie the cheery, upbeat side), as opposed to Bombay Bicycle Club, who a tad on the gloomier side.

you can hear lots of influences in their music, sure, but Bombay Bicycle Club sounds more like the whirlwind ups and downs of a hazy night on the town than anything else.

Connor was the one who recommended that I listen to this album. thank you, very much. really, really good call.

visit the band on MYSPACE

in a slightly related note, I've been reading a lot of Hornby lately and it's made me realize that people in the UK look at Indian food like Americans look at Chinese. "let's go grab a curry" is such a great fucking expression.

The Strokes Post #243

not to be the bearer of bad news, but NME has a looksie at why Strokes IV is taking so long to shape up.

"It's weird with the band, a band is actually a great way to ruin a friendship."
my heart stopped when I read that. I hope all of this is just a cover up for Albert (whom I sincerely hope is ok, but I think we can basically assume that he is indeed in rehab). since when have The Strokes been a democracy, anyways? I always thought that Jules was adamantly anal about his songwriting, with a few minor exceptions when he co-wrote songs on FIoE.

The Rakes break up

a while ago, I found this picture online, and it made me so happy (I'm the one grinning like a son-of-a-gun on the left, with the pale arms). I'm super bummed out that the band has broken up; they had three good records and one hell of a live show.

...and in the process, they also have deprived me of seeing Free Energy : (

here's what Free Energy's people had to say:

"a new country-wide tour is in the works for the early part of the new year, so it won't be long. Luckily, we have been able to hold on to the Boston date (which will now be a Free Energy show) and keep in the dates from Dallas-Philly in late November. There is a new NYC date announced as well below.

To sum it up:

The following dates (with the Rakes) have been cancelled:

10/31: Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy*
11/01: San Francisco, CA @ Slims*
11/03: Salt Lake City, UT @ The Urban Lounge*
11/04: Denver, CO @ The Bluebird*
11/06: Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock*
11/07: Chicago, IL @ Double Door*
11/09: Toronto, ON @ Mod Club*
11/10: Montreal, QC @ Petit Campus*
11/12: New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom*


The new Free Energy touring tinerary looks like this:

FREE ENERGY TOUR DATES:

10/24: London, UK @ Cargo (DFA Night)
10/26: London, UK @ Barfly
10/27: London, UK @ Rough Trade Records (Hoxton) In-Store
(Early Show)/Waterats (Late Show)
10/28: London, UK @ Windmill
11/11: Boston, MA @ Great Scott
11/19: Dallas, TX @ The Cavern
11/20: Austin, TX @ The Mohawk
11/21: Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon
11/22: Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
11/23: Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
11/24: Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
11/25: Washington, DC @ DC9, set TBA
11/27: Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
11/28: New York, NY @ Santos Party House"

RIP, Rakes.

Classic Track Thursday

Sex Pistols - Anarchy in the UK [mp3]
I think this was my first Pistols song-- long before I became fascinated with Sid Vicious, punk music, and/or mohawks. haha no, I'm kidding, I never liked mohawks, although Robert De Niro looked pretty bitchin' when he sported one in Taxi Driver (especially in that ending scene, when there's blood everywhere and he does that gun thing to his own head...genius.)
oh, and Joe Strummer looked good all of the time anyways.

...but then there's this.
we can sigh, we can laugh or we can choose to turn our heads and concentrate on the bassline in "NYC Cops", "Juicebox", or "Is This It". yeah, I think I know which one I'm doing.

I don't feel like I really need to talk about the Sex Pistols, I mean, come on, they're the fucking SEX PISTOLS. in short, they were a great UK punk band with one really great LP to their name (it actually was in the first pile of vinyl that I bought when I first started collecting...I had heard the album before, of course). for the Pistols, like all great bands, I feel like the music speaks for itself. listening to Never Mind the Bollocks really serves as a forceful reminder of what an insanely explosive year for music 1977 was.
the Sex Pistols will always be the greatest "fuck you" band. no pun intended.

The Strokes Post #242

I tried posting yesterday but blogger was being a biatch. so it's not my fault, blame the internet for the lack of posts yesterday. here I go play catch up.


of course we know which indie bassist said that XD

I love love LOVE that The Strokes and/or Jules are popping up all over the media. I just got my issue of SPIN and there's a fantastic interview with Jules in it. Katie (Katzen) was nice enough to email me the scans, but I wanted to wait (I have no idea why)

here are the scans if you're not subscribed to SPIN (which you should be)

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx116/kmkane23/sc003ba253.jpg
http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx116/kmkane23/setsfysf.jpg
http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx116/kmkane23/gfutryurtyu.jpg (I love that picture on the couch...for some reason it now reminds me of Tobias Funke saying to his wife Lindsey "there's the woman I'm sexually attracted to!")
http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx116/kmkane23/dgydtyetuy.jpg (the wiped out bit says "do you have to grow up in a ghetto RoboCop war zone to make rock music?")

by the way, Katie, was it you whom I convinced of SPIN's greatness? or did you get the magazine all along?

Julian Casablancas to play SF in November!!

ok, so I'm a shameless, bloody liar. I promised to stop posting every little Jules thing I came across but I JUST CAN'T HELP MYSELF. 7/8 of this website has become devoted to the damn solo album and I am very comfortable with that.

Julian is playing the Regency Ballroom on NOVEMBER 17th! tickets go on sale Sunday! SEE YOU THERE!!

I am sososoosososoososos happy...that is LESS THAN ONE MONTH AWAY.

thanks Katie aka Katzen!!! you > Orson Welles, anyday.

new video: Arctic Monkeys - Cornerstone

I love it when people make mockeries of highly-sensitive works of art. so when I watched this video, the band's rendition of my favourite song from Humbug (and definitely its most heartfelt), I convulsed with laughter. seriously, genius.
my favourite bit was 1:14.
well done, Alex. this is the band that I fell in love with. I completely forgive him for his subpar energy at this year's concert.

The Strokes Post #241

I know I usually do belated posts, but in the spirit of keeping things fresh, I'm going the opposite route and posting tomorrow's post today. take THAT, predictability.

I just realized that I never scrambled to find an mp3 of "River of Brakelights" and then I realized that I hadn't checked my RSS feed (or the included subscription to hype machine either) or NME or anything else since Friday. so here is me being a responsible music blogger:

Julian Casablancas - River of Brakelights [mp3] (SOURCE)
I can't believe that I didn't like this when I first heard it. it must have been the fact that it was morning, I was tired and listening through on my brother's computer with his shitty speakers.
I love the countdown thing he has on his website.

The Strokes Post #240

there's a short but nice interview with Jules from GQ, nothing new or anything, although he does talk about drinking a bit.

I like the photo, though, it's my new desktop background

I've been listening to "River of Brakelights" on repeat, and I'm getting a tad addicted to it

I'm kind of ticked off because I just NOW realized that the tattoo artist who did my second baby on Sunday fucked up and I now have a grammatically incorrect tattoo. it's supposed to be ";" then "," then "."
that's how it was in Shelley's original manuscript, and that's how the obsessive English major/grammar freak in me wanted it. semi colons are my favourite punctuation marks, and now my tattoo makes me look like a daft person who can't use them properly. oh well. I guess that's what I get for trusting tattoo shops that reek of cannabis.

I only realized it because I took a photo of the thing for a friend of mine. if I were more vane and spent more time in front of mirrors, maybe it wouldn't have taken me 2 days to figure out. oh well, I still think that it looks badass.

The Strokes Post #239

there's a new song on Julian's website, "River of Brakelights"

it's interesting, I'll give him that. I liked 11th dimension a lot more but I'm happy just to hear him sing. it's almost like Nickel Eye meets Muse. what do you think?

Sunday Morning Covers

ZIP FILE

Calexico - Fourth Time Around (Bob Dylan cover) [mp3]

The Flaming Lips - Borderline (Madonna cover) [mp3]
she's on the cover of RS right now. you wanna know something funny? I never heard any of Madonna's songs until I heard Ryan Adams cover "Like a Virgin". I still haven't heard HER sing anything, I'm just familiar with a few covers of her songs. that goes to show you how vehemently I avoid pop music.

The Violent Femmes - Crazy (Gnarls Barkley cover) [mp3, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!]

Arcade Fire - Guns of Brixton (The Clash cover) [mp3, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!]
they just got this one right. I especially love the mandolins and Win Butler's "ohh"s

The Soft Pack - Fences (Phoenix cover) [mp3]

Dashboard Confessional - El Scorcho (Weezer cover) [mp3]

Jim James (of MMJ) - Rocket Man (Elton John cover) [mp3]

Arctic Monkeys - Diamonds are Forever (Shirley Bassey cover) [mp3]
this is very, very sexy (even though I hate diamonds)

The Magnetic Fields - Heroes (David Bowie cover) [mp3]

The Dead Weather - New Pony (Bob Dylan cover) [mp3]

Franz Ferdinand - Heisa-Ho (De Kift cover) [mp3]

The Strokes Post #238

this song is high on my fabricated-Strokes-set-list. it is so...stimulating.

Saturday Music Definitions: Nothing

this post is dedicated to Mr. Shakespeare, and his fabulous play Much Ado About Nothing, which I watched tonight. at this point, I am more or less acquainted with 80% of his plays, but I've still gotta tackle those histories.

I was surprised at how many songs turned up in my itunes search for "nothing" (tells you a lot about the optimism of musicians, eh?), so I limited the ones I posted to contemporary songs that I really liked.

The Wallflowers - God Says Nothing Back [mp3]

Maroon 5 - Nothing Lasts Forever [mp3]

Jimmy Eat World - Nothing Wrong [mp3]
Futures is so incredibly delectable.

Harlem Shakes - Nothing But Change Part II [mp3]
I really like this track, it's the opener to the now defunct band's debut LP, Technicolor Health.

Elliott Smith - Ballad of Big Nothing [mp3]

Audrye Sessions - Nothing Pure Can Stay [mp3]

Winston Audio - Nothing To Hide [mp3]
strange coincidence: when I went to see Winston Audio, they were opening for Audrye Sessions, a local band with a "nothing" song in their discography which I've posted above.

The Strokes Post #237

Band of the Week: The Raconteurs

Jack White is an incredibly talented man, I doubt anyone could argue otherwise. however, I do feel that his talents are not fully tapped in The White Stripes. for this reason, I regularly turn to The Raconteurs for a nice dose of Jack. even in his new project The Dead Weather, I feel like he is more of a behind-the-curtain voice of (sinister) reason rather than the heart and soul of the band. The Dead Weather will always sound more like what it is: a collaboration. The Raconteurs, on the other hand, is Jack's proper music baby. the one with the trust fund and well documented progression a la photo albums and/or banjo fascinations.

with two well rounded and highly listenable albums under their belt, The Raconteurs combine the very best elements of blues, folk, and good ol' rock, best expressed through Jack's unmistakably memorable vocal deliveries. the live shows are killer too.

here are a couple of their mellow tracks (which also happen to be two of my favourites)

The Raconteurs - Together [mp3]

from Broken Boy Soldiers

The Raconteurs - You Don't Understand Me [mp3]
from Consolers of the Lonely

and a crazier one, just for good measure:



PS Brendan Benson is incredibly attractive.

The Strokes Post #236

thanks to Allie for bringing this excellent photo to my attention!
happy weekend everyone.

Classic Track Thursday

I really like the Violent Femmes. if I listened to them more, I could claim that I loved them, but alas, they are one of those great bands that have (up until now) eluded my focus. one of those bands that really makes me wish that I worked in a record store and could spend all of my time listening to new music. because itunes will never replace that amazing feeling of coming across gems like this album in the clearance rack of your favourite record store, and that glorious feeling of recognition of being in the presence of greatness, in musical pioneer form. because all of that will make me listen to this band more, and I will inevitably become a better person in doing so.

this is the first track from their self titled 1983 debut, and it makes me smile just to imagine all of those alternative kids listening to this album while everyone else gushed over Duran Duran.

Violent Femmes - Blister in the Sun [mp3]

The Strokes Post #235

thanks to everyone who emailed me about this,

you can now sample each and every track from Phrazes for the Young a la the Deutsch Amazon.

if I am going to be completely honest, I was actually really surprised to find out that the critics are spot fucking on: it sounds NOTHING like The Strokes. this troubles me a bit. tracks 1, 4 and 7 really intrigued me, but, I dunno, I had different things in mind. is it so bad that I really don't fare well with super experimental stuff? I'd much rather listen to Never Mind the Bollocks any day of the week.

I think at this point, I am just going to wait for the proper album release. what do you think?

White Denim - I Start to Run

this is track of the day from RCRD LBL (the website which first exposed me to the band!) and it commemorates the long-awaited US release of the band's sophomore album, Fits, next Tuesday

the song sounds like it's on drugs, which is a great thing. I will definitely be picking this album up.

head on over to download the song and read a review of the album, or you can download it below:

White Denim - I Start to Run [mp3]

visit the Texan boys on MYSPACE

The Strokes Post #234

y'all must have noticed that I repost things every now and then, especially things that I love.

today is no exception.



this post was came into existence because I watched this last night and it got me really excited about her concert at the Fox in a couple of weeks. I'm pretty sure Little Joy are opening. I love everything about Regina, down to the fact that she was "discovered" by my favourite band and then proceeded to make sexy videos with them (see above). and I mean "sexy" in the Holden Caulfield sense.

The Strokes Post #233

Connor from the UK was nice enough to send me a bootleg called Triple J and I was about to publish a post with all of the tracks until I realized that it was a bootleg I already had...labelled as "live at the wireless". the moment of realization was when I heard Jules call NYC Cops a love song. oh well, y'all might as well give the bootleg another listen, it's gold!

thanks anyways Connor! and if any of you ever stumble upon a live version of "Fear of Sleep", send it to me, because Connor is dying to hear it.

I am such a shameless Is This It junkie, these bootlegs make me salivate. the band clearly sounds young here (and in other similar 2001 performances): the cadence is faster, yet more deliberate. I love it.

The Strokes Post #232

I miss this Jules. the one who didn't let his record label fuck his fans over. I really am quite pissed over Phrazes, but I know for a fact that my anger will dissipate when I hear the album. alas, I am terrible at being patient.

The Strokes Post #231

I'm in a concert mood today.

The Strokes - Wireless Festival, 21 June 2006 [ZIP FILE, ENTIRE CONCERT]


I think I actually have all of the videos to this concert somewhere on my external harddrive. I'll upload them to youtube soon.

1. Heart in a Cage [mp3]
2. You Only Live Once [mp3]
Julian adds some interesting lyrics near the end =)
3. The End Has No End [mp3]
I was singing this song really loudly (alongside Jules in my headphones) after my run yesterday, and scared a couple of my elderly neighbors who were in their front yard
4. Red Light [mp3]
5. Juicebox [mp3]
6. Someday [mp3]
7. Electricityscape [mp3]
8. Hard to Explain [mp3]
introduced with Julian singing a snippet of a very famous Franz Ferdinand song...as if the song weren't epic enough already XD
9. Last Nite [mp3]
I thank the universe every day for The Strokes.
10. Ize of the World [mp3]
hear that crowd go. I am so very green with envy.
11. Reptilia [mp3]
12. Ask Me Anything [mp3]
13. Vision of Division
14. Barely Legal [mp3]
15. New York City Cops [mp3]
16. Walk on the Wildside (Lou Reed cover) [mp3]
17. Take It Or Leave It [mp3]

what a masterfully created setlist. I love that they played "Ask Me Anything" at a festival. personally, I think the song is genius, but I could see how a person not familiar with The Strokes might be put off by it. yet they have the audacity to play it in front of such a large crowd, despite Julian claiming "it's pretty much a guaranteed bad idea". I love that.

unfortunately, like most of their 2006 concerts, their are almost no songs from Room on Fire.

Sunday Morning Covers

ZIP FILE

1. metric - the end has no end (the strokes)
2. arcade fire - i'm so bored with the use (the clash)
3. john mayer - kid a (radiohead)
4. death cab - love song (the cure)
5. rufus wainwright - somewhere over the rainbow (judy garland)
6. nirvana - my sharona (the knack)
7. no age - it's so quiet (bjork)
8. the wombats - patience (nick lachey)
9. eels - i'm a loser (the beatles)

The Strokes Post #230

I just realized that I forgot to do a Strokes post yesterday. I had a chance to go online, but erm it must have slipped my mind.

Band of the Week: Arcade Fire

I love Arcade Fire, and their orchestral sound is especially electrifying while one is under the influence of mind altering substances. They have produced two perfect albums, and their live shows are said to be unparalleled. The band is currently working on their third album (which I am eagerly awaiting, especially because of the subsequent tour), while enjoying being featured on the trailer to Where The Wild Things Are

The thing I really like about Arcade Fire is that they don't try to be quirky or deliberately unique and nothing ever seems forced from them. Their perfectly balanced sound is a result of their naturalness; the smart way with which they approach music lets their craft speak for itself. They are dedicated to their musicianship, and leave the silliness to other bands.

Their music includes baroque elements without sounding sleepy, on the contrary, it's quite stimulating. They are one of a handful of bands that I am dying to see in concert. Arcade Fire consists of Win Butler, his wife Regine Chassagne, Richard Reed Perry, William Butler, Tim Kingsbury, Sarah Neufeld, Jeremy Gara and Owen Pallett, who play various instruments that get your blood tingling. They even did a cover of a Clash song, check it out in this week's Sunday Morning Covers.

Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) [mp3]
from Funeral

Arcade Fire - No Cars Go [mp3]
from Neon Bible

this is one of my favourite videos on youtube:


visit the band on MYSPACE

Saturday Music Definitions: Stoned

s
o


s
t
o
n

e
d


Bob Dylan - Everybody must be stoned [mp3]

Kaki King - Lovestoned (JT cover) [mp3]

Sublime - Let's Go Get Stoned [mp3]

Van Morrisson - And it Stoned me [mp3]

this post was a lot of fun to tyype!#!

oh Radiohead.

what silly boys they are.

this news makes me very very happy.

The Strokes Post #229

Nikolai has always been a superhero to me, even before this recent bout of awesomeness-embodied-in-marathon training. his bass playing in Is This It was actually the thing that got me to separate the different instruments in music for the first time. before that, music was all just one sound to me, if that makes sense. after I heard Nikolai's part in the title song, everything changed. I really began to listen to music.

Nikolai has always been a huge source of inspiration to me. bass guitar is my favourite instrument, a claim I have began to make since I started listening to the band. he really PLAYS the bass. I love it. he was on my mind while I was running today (as I was listening to The Strokes of course). it was Room on Fire, and as I was listening, I realized something that makes The Strokes so unlike every other band:

even though they only have three albums, (almost) everyone who really LISTENS to them beyond the first handful of singles really becomes a full on fan, and these fans begin to cite The Strokes as their favourite band. the great thing about the singles is that they make you want to hear more, and, of course, that almost every Strokes song could easily be a single.

most bands with three albums are considered too "young" to matter, but The Strokes have always made every song count. the fact that there are only three albums makes them accessible...it's quite easy to completely absorb everything in a couple of weeks or months. they don't have any superfluous or filler albums or songs. everything is an important piece of the puzzle. you don't have to worry about accidentally buying one of their boring albums. their music is so listenable that it compels repeated listens.

I think about bands like Wilco, whom a lot of my friends at Berkeley (mainly stoner co-op folk) cite as their favourite band...and I think of their reaction to my lack of enthusiasm for the band, and they say "well yeah, they have some lulls but Being There is incredible" or "I adore everything before _____ album". the same thing goes for other bands.

not The Strokes.

I love them so much it's insane, but at this point, it is the only think that makes any sense in my life...everything else is inane. just for the record, that wasn't a typo, I specifically left out the "s".

The Swing Movement: new site + free songs

The Swing Movement are a great band from the UK that I really quite dig and hope with all of my heart will strike gold and gain recognition for their darkly catchy dance numbers.

they have a nifty NEW WEBSITE and are hosting free downloads of the three following songs: "To The Bone" and "Tarantula" and "Jigsaw"
head on over and check it out!

visit the band on MYSPACE for more tunes and/or info

Magnet: over/underrated Dead Kennedys songs

The Dead Kennedys are a band that I got into after starting this music blog. the more I learned about/listened to punk music, the more I heard about the band until I finally checked their music out. needless to say, they lived up to my wildest expectations and their music blew me to pieces. it still does.

here's what Magnet thinks about their short but solid discography (4 studio albums and a handful of miscellanea):

overrated:

1. When You Get Drafted
2. Riot
3. Chickenshit Conformist
4. Too Drunk to Fuck
5. Terminal Hippie

underrated:
1. Funland at the Beach
2. Halloween
3. Where Do Ya Draw the Line?
4. We’ve Got a Bigger Problem Now
5. Night of the Living Rednecks

read more HERE

The Strokes Post #228

I've never been one for drama and I am quite sick of the whole Jules debacle, so I am not going to post regularly about Phrazes for the Young anymore. in all actuality, I'll probably only post about the album when it leaks.

instead, I'm returning to the basics...that is, the greatest music ever, from the band that somehow manages to be simple and incredibly intricate...

here's a short but sweet boot--the band doing a radio session at the Beeb in 2006, including the ever-so-tasty cover of Ramones' "Life is a Gas"

1. Heart in a Cage [mp3]
it's a tad annoying that they bleep out "fucking around" but oh well
2. Life is a Gas (Ramones cover) [mp3] awesome. highly listenable. a great tribute to a phenomenal band.
3. Reptilia [mp3, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED] holy fuck this is insane(ly excellent)
4. You Only Live Once [mp3]
this is the version with lyrics from "I'll Try Anything Once", quite popular among Strokes fans

ZIP FILE (entire set)

enjoy!

Classic Track Thursday

"despite all my rage I am still just a rat in its cage"
this particular lyric reminds me of a literary-minded friend of mine who simply adores the following song. or at least he did a few years ago...

The Smashing Pumpkins - Bullet with Butterfly Wings [mp3]
from Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)

ever since I can remember, The Smashing Pumpkins have been a refuge from the mundane for me. this particular song really resonates with me, partly because of the repetitious chorus-- which is indeed an element of a genre I don't usually appreciate--but Klosterman is right, the Pumpkins are definitely a metal band at heart. to me, though, they'll always sound more prog rock than Sigur Ros. and that's saying something.

and, of course, the song title itself is incredible. effortlessly cool, unlike some other bands' obviously less successful endeavours in the same department

BONUS:

The Smashing Pumpkins - Today
just because this song always reeked of optimism to me (not the lyrics but the guitars in particular), and that is something so incredibly intrinsic to my own sunny personality. lately, I've had loads of spats with my narrow-minded employer--the epitome of private school squareness-- but every time I meet/talk to parents of my students, they always gush about how their kids love me, and always talk about me, and I don't think I have to worry about being fired any time soon. people would probably withdraw their kids in protest...a sixth grader told me I was her favourite teacher today and I'm not even her teacher =)

viva la revolucion!

The Strokes Post #227

I'm starting to think that the "LA residency" thing was a rumour...the Tokyo gig was widely publicized, but I haven't found any info pertaining to Jules' supposed shows in LA. it doesn't make sense for him to play four nights in LA anyhow...it's not fair, methinks.

really, the only residency around here relating to Mr Casablancas is my desktop background.

what do y'all think?

(also, is anyone else pissed off that Phrazes hasn't leaked yet? at this point, I might just wait until the 20th for the proper release)

Band of the Week: Beck (belated)

oh look at that, a lovely alliteration.

I've been in a semi-nostalgic mood lately, and when I get like this, I don't look through photos or cry over past lovers...I watch my favourite movies and dust off records I haven't heard in a while.
I get nostalgic for my past, not necessarily for people in my past.

but anyhow, I was rewatching Eternal Sunshine for the goodness-knows-how-many-th time, and found myself, once again, in awe of Beck.

one day, Beck will go down in history as the poster boy for alternative rock. he has established himself as a force to be reckoned with, the very epitome of an entire genre, much like Bowie and Cobain did before him in glam and grunge.

how can I make the claim that he stands for Alternative rock?

Beck is versatile. he's fresh. he has a cool voice that can lull or invigorate. it's up to him. he keeps good company whom he ends up making impromptu cover albums with.

he doesn't have a "sound". he changes constantly, dabbles into so many genres that it's hard to keep track of sometimes, and ends up being channeled in the most unlikely of places.

for some reason, he always reminds me of a musical Aldous Huxley. I don't know much about his personal life other than he's a Scientologist, but, like Huxley, he seems like the kind of guy who would write tracts about the benefits of LSD. or, in his case, express these slightly erratic views musically, which I think he does.

to put it simply, he is an incredibly interesting musician. I think it's quite impossible for anyone to say "I know everything about Beck, and know all of his songs by heart, let me hum out his fourth album for you"

his latest studio album, Modern Guilt (2008), is a heavy dose of aural happiness, and was produced by Danger Mouse (of Gnarls Barkley and Dark Night of the Soul)

oh, and, of course, Alt Rock wouldn't be what it is if it didn't break into the mainstream just a little bit.

I really love Beck, and think you should listen to him too. I'd go to a local record store and pick up which ever cd of his that is cheapest...it's all guaranteed to please. his albums are so eclectic that it doesn't matter where you start--the journey through Beck's discography is always intriguing, captivating, and often strange in a lo-fi way which would put Black Lips to shame.

his website is plenty of fun and is updated regularly, so check it out! he's currently covering Leonard Cohen's debut.

Beck - Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime (The Korgis cover) [mp3]
from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind's soundtrack

Beck - Modern Guilt [mp3]
from Modern Guilt

Beck - Nicotine & Gravy [mp3]
from Midnite Vultures

I have 135 of his songs and STILL can't wrap my mind around it all. it's great though, Beck makes the kind of music that you can just enjoy, and not have to worry about knowing every little detail about (or being obsessively faithful to).

he's like a musical fuck buddy.

The Strokes Post #226 (belated)

you know you guys, I'm getting quite sick of myself skipping posts like this. I still haven't posted band of the week, which should have been on Friday. here's an interview from Julian that kind of sums up my general out-of-it-ness to hold you over until this evening, when I'll do some proper posting:



I'm sorry, my time management skills have just all but disappeared. I love Music Induced Euphoria, I don't want it to become a chore. I just need to manage my time better.

The Strokes Post #225

if this picture tells us anything, it's that Julian has replaced JP as the band's "guru".

Vampire Weekend announce new single + dates [California bonus!]

the new single is a bit too mellow and has a tad too much xylophone for my taste, but it's not awful. the redeeming quality of today's update email from VW? they're playing the Catalyst in Santa Cruz-- a super intimate venue (read on below, the band seems to be favouring California...yay!), andandand it's 16+ so I can take my baby brother! he really likes the band so it works out perfectly

Vampire Weekend - Horchata [mp3]
what do you think of the song? I like "White Sky" better...it's a lot more...Vampire Weekend.

"Vampire Weekend are also pleased to announce several shows, including a very special set of intimate tour dates in California. Fans are asked to pay close attention to the band's website, as there will be daily announcements about impromptu events taking place during the California tour.

10/6 - Montreal, QC Le National
10/8 - Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern
10/15 - London, UK King's College (Mailing List Exclusive Pre-Sale)
10/22 - Paris, FR Nouveau Casino
11/02 - Long Beach, CA The Art Theater
11/05 - Pioneertown, CA Pappy and Harriet's
11/07 - Lafayette, CA Town Hall Theatre
11/08 - Santa Cruz, CA Catalyst
11/09 - Visalia, CA The Cellar Door
11/10 - San Luis Obispo, CA Downtown Brew
11/12 - Bakersfield, CA Chencho's
11/14 - Lomita, CA VFW Hall
11/17 - Tokyo, JAP Tokyo Unit (Mailing List Exclusive Pre-Sale)
11/21 - Sydney, AUS Oxford Art Factory (Mailing List Exclusive Pre-Sale)

The California tour dates go on sale Friday October 9."

The Strokes Post #224

I spent the day in San Francisco yesterday, and had to keep shaking my head at all of the hipsters. they really are everywhere, but it doesn't make me love the city any less.

here's a great review of Julian's "11th Dimension" from hipster central itself.
enjoy.

The Strokes Post #223 (belated)

so, everyone is super excited about THIS GREAT NEW INTERVIEW WITH JULIAN via the Guardian's Observer (a UK publication), mostly because it says that Juliet is pregnant (hello Julian Jr!)

my favourite bit, however, was this:

"it's about everyone being happy. If we can get to that point, I think the rest will fall into place."

I think that all Strokes fans can agree that Julian seems a LOT more happy lately, probably because his wifey is pregnant, but other stuff too

is it bad that I'm a tad disappointed that he is completely sober now?

Sunday Morning Covers

ZIP FILE

Ben Folds - Say Yes (Elliott Smith cover) [mp3]
just snagged this one, it's fantastic.

Lissy Trullie - Ready for the Floor (Hot Chip cover) [mp3]

Rogue Wave - On a Plain (Nirvana cover) [mp3]

Graham Coxon - Shipbuilding (Elvis Costello cover) [mp3]
I was just thinking this morning that I really never liked Blur; Pulp has always been my monosyllabic-with-the letter-"u"-Britpop-band-of-choice. (Jarvis' solo work is also > Graham's)

CSS - Cannonball (The Breeders cover) [mp3]

The Strokes - Life's a Gas (Ramones cover) [mp3]
oh how I love this.

Beirut - Shiki Shiki Baba (Kocani Orchestra cover) [mp3]

Foo Fighters - Baker Street (Gerry Rafferty cover) [mp3]

Glen Campbell - Times like These (Foo Fighters cover) [mp3]
this is actually hilarious in an ironic, Napoleon Dynamite musical score kind of way.

Lightspeed Champion - Heart in a Cage (The Strokes cover) [mp3]

Jamie Cullum - Frontin (Pharrell cover) [mp3]

Band of Horses - Your Love Is Forever (George Harrison cover) [mp3]
this is incredible. Band of Horses is the perfect band to cover my favourite Beatle's trippy solo work, methinks.

Saturday Music Definitions: Children (belated)

congratulations, Julian and Juliet!

Oasis - Married with Children [mp3]

The Smiths - Suffer Little Children (Troy Tate Sessions) [mp3]

The Henry Clay People - Children of Chin [mp3, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!]

Margot and the Nuclear So & So's - A Children's Crusade On Acid [mp3]

Delta Spirit - Children [mp3]