Do You Remember the Verve?

Because I do. According to NME.com The Verve are getting back together to go on tour. Lead Singer Richard Ashcroft has written a few new ditties and plans on showing them off around the beginning of November.

Alas, those old American fans won't be able to see him. No tour dates have become available for a trip to the States. So Englanders, get your chance in while you can. I mean, you can't beat a couple of old Nineties songs with a reunion tour.

Amy Winehouse's New Song

My Tears Dry on Their Own. It sounds like a woman standing up for the rights she deserves; which are basically ruing the day. However, for Amy Winehouse it seems the man walks out on her and not vice versa. But that doesn't matter, because she's stronger than that.

Well, that's the illusion I get from the song, however, it's not what I get from the video. A very Sex and the City -esque creation from David LaChapelle on Winehouse walking down non-descript streets and hanging out in bedrooms waiting for her man. What does that remind me of Carrie Bradshaw?

That's because most of the show was about her waiting for one man. She roams the streets for new men, but end up alone. Her tears will definitely dry on their own.

So The Beatles Have Finally Given In

I watched this last night on TV:



It shocked me mostly since there was this huge brawl between Apple and The Beatles. I thought I should share it with you. It's pretty cute with Sir McCartney wearing a pair of chuck taylors and playing a mandolin.

The Muggabears @ Mercury Lounge (6/18/07)

I realize that it's a silly thing to think, but I was under the impressed that a three piece band couldn't rock as hard or be as exciting live as a bigger band could. The Muggabears proved me wrong. They played at the Mercury Lounge in NYC on June 18, 2007 and rocked me quite hard.

If you remember, I wrote a blog post about this band a couple of weeks back where I basically tried to get you to listen to their Myspace. Well now I'm going to have to ask you to not only listen to their entire discography (2 EPs and a fully length), but go see them in concert as well.

In accordance with their oh-so-huggable name, the band's dynamic on stage might be described as "cute" - their banter is unrehearsed and short. They nervously stare out into the audience or to the floor in between songs. Never once however do they come off as cold, however. No, they're happy to be there and play for you.

And they did play. The shyness fades away as soon as notes were heard from the guitar and it becomes all danger. Sure, they're cute bears. But remember that they're The Muggabears - as in, these bears will fucking mug you.

The set opened with my personal favorite (good move, guys) "The Goth Tarts." The drums pound out that tom/shaker rhythm and the bass and guitars chug along in a long intro that when played live really sets up the menacing chords that follow the main sections of the song. When the singer, Travis Muggabear declared "I went looking for you" in the song's opening lines, it felt like he was warning each and every one of us in that audience.

The guitar and bass literally roared like rolls of thunder in the worst rainstorm you can imagine when they played "We Were Priests" - the closest they come to straight up punk. I stood amazed at how loud and how strong this music was.

Not all was perfect, however. About halfway through the set, lead singer and guitarist Travis Muggabear's equipment started to cut out on him and a faulty pedal or cable plagued him for the rest of the set. You can't really blame anyone in a band for things like this, because as the singer said, "It happens." But I think this is a really telling moment for bands because it becomes an issue of what you do with the technical difficulty - you have to make it work in the overall performance.

In this case, the band let these set backs fuel the emotion they put into the music. The song "Dead Kid Kicks" closed the set and even though I already loved the recorded version of the song, I felt like I was hearing something completely new. They absolutely tore it up, with the lead singer beating the hell out of his guitar. It was as if he was scolding the thing for acting up earlier. This time it behaved.

If you like giant, oddly tuned chords of noise slapping you in the face (and who doesn't?), then I highly recommend going to check out The Muggabears. They've got another show at Mercury coming up in a few weeks so maybe I'll see you there.

The Go! Team has got some new moves

There was always something about The Go! Team that always brings me back to them. I could go on months without hearing them for a while, then I can stick them on my ipod and immediately be transformed into this dancing machine.

Thankfully, I don't have to listen to the same Thunder, Lightning, Strike over and over again. Now, with their new album Proof of Youth coming out in the UK in September I can dance even more. Yeah, September is a long ways away, but until then I can listen to their new single Grip Like A Vice pretty much everyday. That is, until they come out with another single. Then I'll listen to that one.

It pretty much sounds like the anthem for women everywhere. It's almost like a ritual calling sound to the ladies to join together against the evil predator called THE MALE. Ha. Either way, it's got that funky beat their known for from their last album and it's got some new tricks here and there. Just another brand new song from the dance moguls, The Go! Team.

The New Supergroup Chavs

What do you get when you mix part Klaxons and part Libertines?

That's right, you get Chavs. It's the latest group designed to melt faces with their English-ness. Sadly, the elusive Pete Doherty will not be joining the group. Other members include: Carl Barat, Gary Powell, Jamie Reynolds, and Steffan Halperin. Tim Burgess of The Charlatans sings vocals. I guess all those drugs did Doherty in.

According to NME.com, the band will be playing a show tonight. The last time they played it was only five songs in London.

While scoping out the goodies at wikipedia, I found out that a Chav is a British slang used to describe white kids who dress in the fashionable hip-hop culture or guido. When did it become fashionable to look retarded? I think in America we use the term wigger.

Unfortunately, I am not at liberty to put up a photo or any mp3 because I can't find any. They're good at this whole new thing.

Radiohead leaks...sort of

In an ingenius way to sample their new album, Radiohead puts up a youtube video where they play bits and pieces of their new songs.

According to NME.com, the band has not released anything new since 2003's Hail to the Thief. I'm trying to play this youtube post and damn, I can't make ends of anything. Instead of playing a streaming 30-second sample, the band decides to take clips from here and there within the song. You really can't get anything much out of this leak except for the faint sounds of Thom Yorke's voice and some techno stuff.

It is up on youtube under the description

"...bits of tape which have been chopped out of the mixes when they were edited..."

I think that means that what we're listening to is stuff not even on the album. Either way, I'm confused and thrilled to actually hear the entire thing.

Geez.

Liars record leaks. Amazing.

I urge you to download the new Liars album. It's so much fun! It doesn't have the spacey take-you-to-another-state-of-mindness of Drums Not Dead - this is more of a straightforward collection of songs.

What I do like is that there are a few different threads throughout the album - some songs have the same fuzz guitar driving them, others are 1990s trip hop influenced, some are driven by the pounding drumming that makes the previous album so special and then a few of the songs are stabs at being the Jesus and Mary Chain. But it's all twisted and beautiful pop music.

The band have tried lots of conventional song structures this time but managed to make them sound really fresh because they are, well, Liars and that's what they do. "Plaster Casts of Everything" is my current favorite song and I cannot wait to DJ another party so I can play it really loud and get everyone jumping around like raving lunatics. As it is, I've been doing this by myself in my room. So download this thing so you can do it too!

Liars Tracklist:

1. Plaster Casts of Everything
2. Houseclouds
3. Leather Prowler
4. Sailing to Byzantium
5. What would they know
6. Cycle Time
7. Freak Out
8. Pure Unevil
9. Clear Island
10. The dumb in the rain
11. Protection

There is a something of a lack of information about this album and the leak, but if you Google it you will be able to find a download location. There are many but they're likely to change each day so you'll need to search a little. I've gone ahead and Googled it for you:

Click here.

Good luck finding it! I hope you enjoy it as much as I have been. And yes, I am going to purchase it because Liars make it well worth their fans money to do so. Just check out the packaging for Drums Not Dead and you'll see.

Jack and Meg White USB Keys + Icky Thump.

I suppose you would need to be a hard core White Stripes fan in order to want to buy one of these. I know I said I was really getting into them but not enough to want to pay $99 for one of their albums. For the price, they aren't even giving you USB keys with a lot of space on them. Not to mention that you're not getting any album artwork either. Just little weird figurines. I guess USB Meg is kind of cute.

Check this out:

These figures have removable hats that reveal a USB port. Each USB 2.0 flash drive has a 512-megabyte capacity and are Windows and Mac compatible. The Jack and Meg figures are available separately, or you can purchase the set at a discount. They are produced in a limited edition of 3,333 Meg drives and 3,333 Jack drives.
Each drive contains the complete Icky Thump album in the Apple Lossless format.

But if you are a White Stripes-aholic then these will be right up your alley. Go here and buy em.

Proof that our prison system is perfect.

I was going to post a picture right here at the top but I don't really want to look at her dumb face so I won't. Mind you, the only reason that I am bothering to post on such a stupid topic is because I just happened to be checking out Time.com and I read this article that literally had me laughing out loud for about five minutes. I mean, you can't really write this stuff.

Paris Hilton has been released from the jail house - though she's not in the clear just yet. In fact, she's spending her time in the medical ward of a maximum security detention center. Cos she's sick. The poor baby.

Don't worry though, because the experience is changing her for the better. "I used to act dumb. ... That act is no longer cute," is what she told ABC. Whew. After 3 whole days in the slammer, it's good to see her making some progress. Maybe she'll stop being a huge joke.

Oh wait - no she won't. Punch line:

Hilton has been saying that she is changed by her jailhouse experience, and she repeated that theme with Walters: "Now, I would like to make a difference. ... God has given me this new chance."

I'll let that speak for itself.

2007 Shortlist Winner

Out of all the numerous award shows I watch, I think I enjoy the Shortlist Award. Ok, so it's not really an award show with multiple prizes given in various categories, but it is when some of my favorite bands who are never recognized by MTV can perform a song or two and win a coveted prize.

I remember the first time I watched the performance. Funny, it was on MTV. Anyway, I didn't even know they were still giving out the prize over some dispute with the founders. All I remember hearing last was that TV On the Radio won last year.

This year, however, was a tough call. Out of nine nominees, Cat Power wins for The Greatest. According to Billboard.com, she won this coveted award against the likes of Band of Horses, Beirut, Bonnie Prince Billy, Girl Talk, Hot Chip, Joanna Newsom, Regina Spektor, Spank Rock and Tom Waits. TOM WAITS! He was one of the nominees and he still didn't win. What a close call. I could never make a decision like that against such a variety of sound. Not to mention that all these musicians are so talented and hardworking, you could never make a single choice.

Way to go, Cat Power. You finally stop singing about how depressed you are and now you're winning stuff.

Ready to Uff.

Her name is Uffie. And she will make you dance. But she will also threaten your life, and tell you to get the fuck out if you do not like what she has got to offer.

Well, I like it. So please let me stay, Uffie.

Her music is pure cheese - straight up dance music with a rap flow influenced by the roots of Hip Hop. She's one of the artists on Ed Banger Records, a wonderful Paris based electronic/dance label that I just discovered the other day.

She's got some pretty sweet tunes on her myspace, and a couple more on the 2 compilations that the record label put out.

I think in particular you're going to like "Ready to Uff":

If you don't, then I don't know man. Uffie might do things to you. And I can't help you if she does.

Courtney Love, you are so funny

Courtney Love announced on her website that she is putting her band back together.

On NME.com, Love's latest blog entry includes news that one of her new members looks exactly like Kurt Cobain, her ex-husband.

She quotes:

Another (guy) I found out later models on the side...but I'll admit it, I really hired him 'cos he looks so much like Kurt. It's weird, and he can play really well. He didn't kill me but he swore if I gave him a week he'd learn everything. He's blonde and soooooooo beautiful and his guitar playing is great.

I wonder if her new man will become her new husband and father to Francis Bean. But then again, having a member of your band look like your late husband could come off as either 1) disrespectful or 2) fucking creepy.

My second reason comes from the fact that the guy is dead. What if you were on stage and your boyfriend/husband who had died a decade ago plays right next to you. Wouldn't you have a freak out and completely forget it's not him? I would.

But Love also admits to him playing pretty decently, so she has other reasons for hiring him. Maybe she'll just put him behind the drummer or wearing a KFC bucket for a hat.

M.I.A.'s comeback includes a lot of "Boyz"

M.I.A. has just released her first video off her latest album Kala.

I haven't heard M.I.A. in a while and listening to this song makes me fall in love with her music all over again. It's got like this Carribean beat with the Southern marching band quality of drumming and the classic M.I.A. whininess. You can never get enough nasal sounding whines especially from the tiniest girl in East London.

Besides her whiny voice, you can't leave out the fact that you can barely understand what she's saying most of the time. That's boss. Her wardrobe also changed a lot from the baggy t-shirts to some nylon and body suits.

The other songs on her album are:

1. Bamboo Banga
2. BirdFlu
3. Boyz
4. Jimmy
5. Hussel (featuring Afrikan Boy)
6. Mango Pickle Down River (with The Wilcannia Mob)
7. 20 Dollar
8. World Town
9. The Turn
10. XR2
11. Paper Planes
12. Come Around (featuring Timbaland)

A Touchy Subject.

Apple has released an ad for their newest line of iPod.

Very interesting. The "iPod Touch" perhaps?

Here's the video:

I knew it was only a matter of time before this would be out. Won't the screen get all smudgy?
Ah, who cares. It's going to look beautiful. I wonder if someone is going to create some cool apps for it - like finger painting or maybe even a tiny midi keyboard so you can create music with the ipod instead of simply listening to it.

Next would have to be an ipod that is controlled by your mind. And after that, an ipod that controls YOUR mind. The possibilities are endless.

Special thanks to Mike for the heads up on this.

So have you heard that ___?____ is coming to town?

Hello everyone. I'm BACK!

Where did I go? I wish I knew.

In any case, things are as they should be. I'd like to announce that we are now the proud owners of www.supercoolawesomeradyeah.com! Clicking on that link is pointless. You're already here. But I put it there so you could try it out. If you wanted to. Cos I did. Four times.

Anyway, now you don't have to type in a really long url in order to read our blog (this is actually debatable, but you've gotten used to the name by now, right?). But on to the reason for me posting:

Where are you going to go see bands this summer in NYC? Do you even know?

Maybe you do. But just in case you're like me and need to have all your info in one place or else it is everywhere and you can't find anything and then you get really sad because you don't know where you left anything and...

Here's a list of some of the shows (many of which are free!) that you can check out this summer.

McCarren Park Pool Parties:
http://www.thepoolparties.com/events.php

This is a really cool thinger that happens for a bunch of sundays in the summertime. It's a giant community pool that lacks water but has amazing bands (TV on the Radio, Blonde Redhead) that you can check out for the low, low price of $0.

Southstreet Seaport Music Festival:
http://seaportmusicfestival.com/

Here's one that already started. A very impressive line up indeed. I'm going to try and make it to Battles. I have to know they make the sounds they make.

Music at Prospect Park in Brooklyn:
http://www.briconline.org/celebrate/schedule_2007.asp

For some local flair, check out this long list of events happening in my home town. Prospect Park is absolutely beautiful right now, so I highly suggest going. And make sure that either before or after you've checked out these performances you go over to the pedal-boats and ride em.

Siren Festival:
http://www.villagevoice.com/siren/

This is a great one. Hosted by the Village Voice, in Coney Island, on what will most likely be the hottest fucking day of the year. The line up looks really great. I've been hearing a lot about Matt and Kim, and Elvis Perkins from friends so this should be really fun. I'll probably be spending a ton of money on merch and my wallet will die. So it goes.


So those are just some of the really cool shows you can see this summer. Do not forget to check out the bands we talk about in this blog when they play this summer. We're going to try and implement some kind of system where we will list their showdates for your convenience.

Hopefully I'll be seeing you at some of these shows. Like I said, most are free and this is probably the best thing you could be doing with your time so check them out. Tell friends.

byebyebye.

Thanks to Jon for the info.

Secrets Secrets are no fun

Last night, Sir Paul McCartney played a secret show in London for a crowd of celebrities. NME.com has the scoop on the show with pictures and everything.

What I'm concerned about is the "secrecy" going on here. I thought musicians and fans had a mutual agreement. We go out to see your show and you play for us. It's like we're the kings and queens and you're the musical court. Your goal is to entertain, not keep things private.

Anyway, I'm not mad at any musician in particular. I'm just upset that Paul McCartney didn't give me enough time to get plane tickets to fly out to London so I can hear him play. Because it will definitely be a longshot for me to ever see him live.

Here's the playlist from last night:

Drive My Car
Only Mama Knows
Dance Tonight
C Moon
The Long And Winding Road
I'll Follow The Sun
Calico Skies
That Was Me
Blackbird
Here Today
Back In The USSR
Nod Your Head
House Of Wax
I've Got A Feeling
Matchbox
Get Back
Hey Jude
Let It Be
Lady Madonna
I Saw Her Standing There

Is It Really Selling Out If You Drive a VW?

Yesterday on Billboard.com, it covered the many aspects of featuring a band's music in a car commercial. Who may the band be, you ask? None other than Wilco.

One member believes:

"This is a subject we've discussed internally many times over the years regarding movies, TV shows and even the odd advertisement," the band says. "With the commercial radio airplay route getting more difficult for many bands (including Wilco), we see this as another way to get the music out there. As with most of the above (with the debatable exception of radio) the band gets paid for this. And we feel okay about VWs. Several of us even drive them."

I remember when a band would get tried and persecuted for acts like letting their music play in commercial. I mean, look what happened to The Beatles. You can listen to their music in everything from a car commercial to the Target ads, Gap ads, etc. There is no end.

True, they make a point of saying that radio play is so rare for bands like Wilco or anything out of the mainstream and you do make money everytime that car commercial plays. It's good publicity. It will get people to go out and buy the damn thing.

Knocked Up Makes Me Rethink Motherhood

I've always been a little skeptical on the idea of motherhood. Well, I could only be this way because I'm 22 and still on my way to getting a job and a life of my own. But then I think of the numerous stories my mother tells me about giving birth.

You were a stubborn baby and didn't arrive until two weeks past your due date. It was a hellish birth and I ended up getting a C-section.

That is not scary enough. With all my ideas of child rearing, I went and saw Knocked up with Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen. It sounded like a good movie hearing about the reviews and anything by Judd Apatow seems to turn to gold.

And it did turn out to be one of the funniest films I've watched this summer so far. It's about a woman named Alison (Heigl) and a man named Ben (Rogen) who engage in an one night stand. The audience watches everything. They see them meet, get drunk, go to her sister's poolhouse (her apartment), and begin the ritual act of having sex. We even see Ben carelessly throw the condom on the floor when Alison in a pit of sexual desire screams "Just do it already."

Don't worry. I haven't given away the plot yet. The film is called Knocked Up because she doesn't have a baby. It's about the process of having a baby. Since Alison and Ben aren't so close to each other, they begin to date in hopes to bettering the future of their child. That's where the real drama begins.

However, it's not the only point in the film. Knocked Up is riddled with funny banter between Ben's friends and Alison's sister and her husband. It is definitely the movie to watch when you're in your mid-twenties. It's almost like watching a quarter-life crisis that ends happily and definitely not tragically.

Kelly Clarkson and her loss of luster

And I return with another post about pop music. It's undeniable that pop music sort of follows us around everywhere we go. When we're at the grocery store, in a cafeteria, at your co-worker's desk. It just follows you around like a bad break up.

That's the theme of Kelly Clarkson's new song Never Again. Before even hearing the song, you can ultimately predict what it's about; a really messy break up with a lot of angst and hatred for her boyfriend who screwed her over. Now she's following him around like a bad seafood dish in a Chinese Restaurant.

I've been a really big fan of Kelly Clarkson. There is no denying that she has an excellent voice and she deserves her fame. However, this new song from her new album My December makes me a little hesitant to enjoy Kelly Clarkson any further.

Her last album Breakaway has a lot of themes (it looks like) as her new album. It's all about the guy who fucks everything up and ends up alone while the girl prevails and walks away without a scratch. It's a beautiful dream that I think many women would love to come true: a life without baggage. I know I would. But her new album gives her no room for relenting if you're the male species. Judging from this song alone, she's gone a little dark. The synth and the heavy guitar playing makes me think more AFI than the womanly Kelly Clarkson. Without further ado:



At least she's not baring it all. Well, except for the scene where she's shirtless.

June Greetings and Franz Ferdinand

I love when you start off the month with good news. It's like starting with a clean slate. What good news could I be talking about? Perhaps it's the recent capture of known villain Paris Hilton. Her tyranny over the people of Beverly Hills has finally come to an end.

But enough about Paris. Let's talk about Glasgow. According to NME.com, Franz Ferdinand is making a blip on the radar. While the band was away on hiatus, I don't remember the world in dire need of the band. Personally, I haven't listened to them since "Take Me Out."

Franz Ferdinand played their top secret gig in Glasgow revealing five new songs called 'Anyone In Love', 'New Thrill', 'An English Goodbye', 'Favourite Lie' and 'Turn It On.'

Of the new material, 'New Thrill' received the warmest reaction from the fans, while old favourites 'Matinee' and '40' were lapped up by the screaming crowd.

I guess the blip will get bigger with a new album, a touring session, and miles and miles of publicity up the ass on MTV. It probably was a good idea to take a hiatus with such extreme amounts of celebrity approaching the band. Paris should have thought of that before getting in a car drunk.