band of the week: Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus make no nonsense Springsteen loving punk rock, and no, they are not just another Gaslight Anthem. Don't get me wrong, I am under the impression that we should have 17 other Gaslight Anthems, because they're so damn good and annoyingly underrated, but really, Titus Andronicus escape the confines of sounding like their fellow NJ band. Formed in 2005, the band put out its first full length, The Airing of Grievances, in 2008. Just a couple of weeks ago, they beat sophomore slump to a bloody pulp with The Monitor, showcasing Pixies swagger immersed in an uncompromising DIY aesthetic. They even have a few slow tracks like "Four Score and Seven" (harmonica anyone?) that'll come in handy when you need to catch your breath during their bound-to-be-incredible live performances. But, never fret, even those slow tracks build up into a fit of harmonious noise.

give them a listen below, check out their tour dates on MYSPACE

Titus Andronicus - A More Perfect Union [mp3]

I'll see you at Slim's tomorrow.

The Strokes Post #394

do you guys remember...

this?

The Strokes Post #393

JP as "the Guru". very nice.

Classic Track Thursday

Guided by Voices - Alright [mp3]
from Alien Lanes (1995)

this track is so cool. it's mostly instrumental, and really showcases the GBV-sound-like-my-best-friend's-cool-older-sister's-boyfriend's-band. you know exactly what I mean.

The Strokes Post #392

go Jules go!



shit audio quality but I love that he did it again.
what I wouldn't do to have heard that song live in NY in 2001

PS nobody can rock colourful skinny jeans + leather like JC does. he is just the ultimate badass. all the time.

PPS: another video:



dude all these people need to get my camera. it has the best audio ever. I bought it for that very reason. er, I have the 8 MP one but whatevs.

last one, I promise:


good sound quality, terrible video. but who the fuck cares?!

The Strokes Post #391 (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

YES.



Julian you sound like all of my dreams rolled into a poppyseed muffin

Phoenix giving away free live album

check it!

Phoenix - 1901 (live, Sydney) [mp3]

this is keeping me very happy until that video of Hard to Explain surfaces.

this makes me want to reproduce

no lie

Girls cover Radiohead

title is self explanatory



I love you, Christopher Owens, you beautiful man, you.

The Strokes Post #390

I just wanted to say:
I don't understand all the backlash about the interview I posted yesterday in which Jules says "the money". that's the reason for the TOUR, not for Strokes IV, so money doesn't have anything to do with the music. I'm sure, with almost all of them having families etc now, it would be stupid to pass up this opportunity to tour before their album will be released. plus, they need a warm up period before a proper tour begins. if you are as insane as I am, you're thinking of the University of London gig right now. you know how they all seemed pissed off? yeah.



anyhow, I will stick to my boys until the end of time. I trust them more than I trust myself.

The Strokes Post #389

many thanks to Katie the kool kat for these goods

NEW INTERVIEW WITH JULES

and Nickel Eye covering Nico's "These Days"

The Strokes Post #388

bootleg time!

The Strokes - Live in Rome 18 December 2003 [ZIP FILE!]

1. Reptilia
2. Alone Together
3. I Can't Win
4. Automatic Stop
5. 12:51
6.NYC Cops
7. Under Control
8. Soma
9. Someday
10. Whatever Happened
11. Between Love & Hate
12. Hard to Explain
13. Last Nite
14. The End Has No End
15. Take it or Leave It

Sunday Morning Covers

this. is fucking brilliant.

ZIP FILE

Sonic Youth - I Know There's An Answer (Beach Boys cover) [mp3, highly recommended!]
this is one of the coolest musical reinventions I have ever heard

Los Lobos - Uncomplicated (Elvis Costello cover) [mp3]

The Postal Service - Suddenly Everything Has Changed (The Flaming Lips cover) [mp3]

The Section Quartet - The Man Who Sold the World (Bowie cover) [mp3]

David Bowie - White Light White Heat (Velvet Underground cover) [mp3]

Arctic Monkeys - You Know I'm No Good (Amy Winehouse cover) [mp3]

Ben Gibbard - To Sing for You (Donovan cover) [mp3]

Spoon - Loose (The Stooges cover) [mp3]

Sondre Lerche - Bluish (Animal Collective cover) [mp3]

Radiohead - The Headmaster Ritual (The Smiths cover) [mp3]
this is the first Smiths song I ever heard. and I love it.

Ryan Adams - I Want it that Way (Backstreet Boys cover) [mp3]

Saturday Music Definitions: Sky

Explosions in the Sky - Welcome, Guests [mp3]

Oasis - Up In The Sky [mp3]

Guided By Voices - No Sky [mp3]

The Beatles - Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds [mp3]

The Replacements - Waitress in the Sky [mp3]

Vampire Weekend - White Sky [mp3]

Queens of the Stone Age - The Sky is Fallin' [mp3]

bonus:
Albert Hammond Jr - Blue Skies [mp3]

The Strokes Post #387

cheers to Eric for posting this. I'm loving the red pants. I am in Fresno and absolutely pooped. will resume good journalistic habits tomorrow evening.

band of the week: Broken Bells

Danger Mouse is one of our best modern composers. Although I have never been a huge fan of The Shins, this project showcases James Mercer’s voice perfectly, and I dig it—a whole fucking lot.

Broken Bells sounds like anything but their raucous title, and the debut album is only consistent in the quality of music—that is, excellent. The interplay of Mercer and Brian Burton beautifully melds so many genres: hip hop, folk, electronica. Gorgeous string arrangements seem to pop out of nowhere. It’s hard to believe that these songs derive from the same album, but they form a unity like that of a soundtrack or film score: inconspicuous relationships that make perfect sense once you see them all together, but not immediately noticeable at first. Best of all, the music doesn’t seem to fit any sort of time period (ie 60s psychedelia, 70s punk, 90s restlessness or what have you) and doesn’t have any obvious influences. It’s music for music sake, if you will. Pure artistic expression.

Broken Bells are annoyingly listenable, from start to finish. Go out and pick up the record if you haven’t already.

song of the day: Rise Against- Savior

I love Rise Against. I always will. I don't listen to them a lot anymore because they remind me of my sXe vegan teenage self and then my cigarette smoking, drug consuming, cheese eating modern person feels guilty.

regardless, I always try to catch them in concert...they were at my first ever festival (BFD 2006!) and continue to awe me every time Warped tour comes to town.

oh, and here's an mp3

Rise Against - Savior [mp3]
from Appeal to Reason

The Strokes Post #386

I'm back! just finished sorting through a monstrous mound of emails and RSS goodness.

to make up for the last week of non-posts, here is the Phrazes for the Young Bonus Disc ZIP FILE as per requested by dozens of you. literally, dozens!

enjoy!

The Strokes Post #385

didn't realize this was on YT...



watch it if you haven't. for the love of twinkies, watch it.

temporarily incapacitated

yo
I have not died. my battery adapter, however, has. Music Induced Euphoria will resume once I recieve my new one in the mail. but don't fret, cause it shipped this morning, y'all