Lucky people in Toronto. This week, The Arcade Fire has played thrice at Danforth Music Hall in the beautiful city, and I am extremely jealous. From the sounds of things, last night's show was absolutely incredible. If you haven't had the chance to see them, I'm so sorry. If you had the chance and didn't go... I'm not sorry, because you should have gone, stupid. I can honestly say there's never been nor do I think there ever will be a show quite as epic as an Arcade Fire show. The band is large, duh, and it has a very thick sound. There's nothing shabby at all about them. They've got their act together.
Chromewaves takes an interesting look at The Arcade Fire show last night, explaining the concept of "you can't experience something for the first time again." I personally don't know if this applies to everyone, but from the sound of things, it happened to him, and that's unfortunate. Luckily, that feeling didn't last the whole night. According to his account, there was something off kilter at the beginning of the show, but, of course, the song "Wake Up" changed everything. The song is ethereal. Chromewaves also has pictures from the show.
Meanwhile, The Globe and Mail also has a very nice review of the show. My favorite part of the article is when they describe the ending of the show:
The last song of the night was"In the Backseat", a fraught childhood reverie sung with exquisite fragility by Chassagne. After reducing the song to silence then gently building it up again, the musicians finished the show by playing their way through the main floor, up into the balcony, then out into the street.
Wow. Just... wow.
In other news...
Like you can ever really improve on the Beatles. Nevertheless, come June 7th, you can pick up your very own copy of Beatles Regrooved, an album of electronic covers, including "Eleanor Rigby" and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds". Artists include The Natural, John Selway, and SkyLab2000. With a name like that, you can't go wrong, right? Right...
Starsrecently talked with VH1 about the subject choice for their recent album, Set Yourself on Fire. I guess I haven't listened to it very closely, but from what the band explains, the album is about sex and death. Even more wonderful is the fact that they had originally planned to make the album solely about sex. Good grief. I hate the fact that we live in a society that trivializes sex and makes it a source of entertainment. Regardless, the band describes in artistic detail the ins and outs of their album. It sounds really depressing to me. If you're in the mood to hate the world, might I recommend that album and the movie Sideways. It's the most depressing movie I've ever watched. I hated it.
After attaining stardom thanks to the indie-film-turned-blockbuster Garden State, and after having their music used as a jingle for McDonald's (ugh... horrid), The Shins are ready to take it to the next level, and hopefully a higher one. The band spoke with MTV recently about the pressure they are feeling to record an album to top their last album, Chutes Too Narrow. As of right now, the plan is to release an album before the end of the year.
If I had a couple thousand dollars I tell you what I'd do I'd bid it on lunch with Chevy and Paul And buy and iPod too
Okay, so I don't have a couple thousand dollars, so I won't partake in the auction love, but if you have a couple thousand dollars, might I suggest bidding on lunch at Gramercy Tavern with Paul Simon and Chevy Chase. Seriously, you'd be the coolest person ever. And if you brought me with you, you'd be like the coolest person ever. You have one week left and it's right now at about $1600. Bid high, bid often.
Upcoming Columbus Shows
5.04 - The Wedding Present w/ The Organ and Tiara - Little Brothers 5.04 - Electric Six w/ VHS or Beta - Skully's 5.07 - The Decemberists w/ Willy Mason - Little Brothers 5.08 - The Books - Wexner Center 5.13 - Mae w/ The Academy Is... and Jamison Parker - Little Brothers 5.15 - Andrew Bird w/ Antenna - Little Brothers 5.17 - Stereo Total w/ Les Georges Leningrad - Little Brothers 5.27 - The Killers w/ Hot Hot Heat and Robbers on the Street - Promowest Pavilion 6.08 - Modest Mouse - Promowest Pavilion 6.13 - Iron and Wine - The Newport
Daily Downloads From Regnyouth: (rar password = rya)
Exclusive Review/Preview of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
I don't know how exactly it happened, but I was sitting in my public relations writing class last week and someone passed to me a ticket to the preview showing of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe and said, "Here, I don't want it." So weird, but I took it home and yesterday, Claude (my boyfriend) and I used it. It was definitely worth the time spent standing in line and the really bad seats.
I like humour. I like it a lot, especially when it's not very hard to get. Movies like The Life Aquatic are great but almost too dry. Blatant humour, not stupid humour like in every single Ben Stiller movie ever made (see: Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers), is really what gets me. This movie was absolutely full of it. I heard someone talking last night while I was at work about the fact that he'd heard someone else say the movie focused more on the science fiction aspect of the book and not the humour. I would just like to state for the record that this is absolutely incorrect. I laughed more in the first five minutes of it than I did during Napoleon Dynamite. It's silly British humour, and I love it.
Having never actually read the book, I can say I am at a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to analyzing the movie. I can't tell you how closely it followed the book, but I can tell you that Claude has read most of the book and said that he remembered almost all of the movie from the book. At one point he said, "Man, that looked cooler than I had imagined it." I think that counts for something.
The only thing I didn't like about it was the fact that the plot was sometimes hard to follow. There's a lot going on in the movie, from finding the meaning of life to running from the evil... things... and a lot in between. This is why I think it would probably be better if you had read the book first, though it's not necessary. I think I enjoyed it pretty well without having read it. I want to read it now, though.
The acting was absolutely superb, and with a cast like that, it's only understandable. Martin Freeman, previously seen as a porn stand-in in Love Actually and Declan in Shaun of the Dead plays Arthur Dent, an awkward, pajama-clad British lad. His best friend is Ford Prefect, played by Mos Def. Prefect is an alien posing as a human, and he saves Freeman from destruction when the Earth is imploded at the very beginning of the movie. From there, the two hitchhike through the universe with their handy dandy Hitchhiker's Guide, encountering foes and friends, sometimes both at the same time.
My favorite character is a little clinically depressed robot named Marvin. Yes, he looks like Marvin the Martian. It's so cool. Marvin is played by Warwick Davis, whom you may remember from the movie Willow, but is voiced by Alan Rickman, who co-starred in Love Actually with Freeman. Another Love Actually star was also in the movie, Bill Nighy (he was the old rock and roll star), along with the very famous John Malkovich.
If you do decide to see the movie, which I hope you do, expect to see a visual masterpiece, amazing special effects, humour that's actually funny, and wit like you've never seen before. From time to time, the characters won't be humans, and you'll also get excerpts from the guide itself. It's a superb movie, and I highly recommend seeing it. I saw it for free, but I plan on paying to see it again.
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe gets a big two thumbs up, and hopefully a nice long ride.
And now, to the news...
First, some day-old news that I didn't get to tell you about when my post suddenly vanished yesterday. Jimi Goodwin, bass player and lead singer of the band Doves, has been forced by doctor's orders to postpone the first half of the band's North American tour. The tour is scheduled to resume as planned in Toronto on May 16th, but if he makes a quick recovery, they may play as soon as May 13th in Chicago. Unfortunately for those going to Coachella, this means Doves won't be able to make an appearance this year. The band is working on rescheduling the affected dates.
Universal Music Groupis being sued by two independent music promoters, Majestic Promotions, Inc., in Atlanta, Georgia, and National Music Marketing, Inc., in Los Angeles, California. According to the lawsuit, Universal had forced the two promoters to submit false envoices for bands they hadn't worked with. The money was then used by Universal to promote other bands. The practice is known as racketeering, and if found guilty, Universal may have to pay as much as $100 million.
Can this be true? Sealab 2021 is cancelled? So saysBrett Butler, aka Dr. Quinn, in the [adult swim] forums. More details explained in Bradley's Almanac, but I still dont understand why they would can such a great show. Speculation continues. I search for more evidence.
You know who is so pretentious it makes me want to vomit? Liam Gallagher, the music industry's most self-righteous narcissist. NME's latest cover story includes a nice long chat with him about the UK music industry, and this time, he holds nothing back. He insults Bloc Party, Keane, Franz Ferdinand, and anyone else he can get his hands and f-bombs on. To see the full story, you gotta import an NME, but it's not worth reading, I don't think. We all know he thinks he's the greatest man who ever lived. It's a shame his albums don't reflect that. I can't wait to see what sort of backlash ensues.
When the Decemberists' trailer was stolen back in March, the band lost tens of thousands of dollars in equipment. Now you can help them get some money back. The band is hosting an eBay benefit auction to raise money so they can replace the stolen equipment. Make a bid and help some artists out.
Ah, The Arcade Fire. My favorite. My love. When will you ever come back to Ohio?! The band has just announced their UK tour, with a few US dates tacked on for good measure. If you didn't get blessed by the presence of The Arcade Fire, you can check out their new animated video for "Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out)" at PlatesAnimation.com, along with videos for The Shins and Mogwai. That's some good company right there.
The Sufjan Stevens album Illinois leaked yesterday. I already have it, but since I don't have a way to post it for all of you, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and guide you to TTIKTDA (long acronym for a long blog title) for one track, "Come On, Feel the Illinoise".
Upcoming Columbus Shows
Tonight - Mute Math w/ Mat Kearney - Little Brothers Tonight - MTU Campus Invasion feat. Muse w/ Razorlight - Promowest Pavilion 5.04 - The Wedding Present w/ The Organ and Tiara - Little Brothers 5.04 - Electric Six w/ VHS or Beta - Skully's 5.07 - The Decemberists w/ Willy Mason - Little Brothers 5.08 - The Books - Wexner Center 5.13 - Mae w/ The Academy Is... and Jamison Parker - Little Brothers 5.15 - Andrew Bird w/ Antenna - Little Brothers 5.17 - Stereo Total w/ Les Georges Leningrad - Little Brothers 5.27 - The Killers w/ Hot Hot Heat and Robbers on the Street - Promowest Pavilion 6.08 - Modest Mouse - Promowest Pavilion 6.13 - Iron and Wine - The Newport
It may be a case of lazy librarians, but a previously mislocated footage reel of The Beatles on their Magical Mystery Tour has been located. The film was lost among the stacks at the BBC Library in Plymouth, wherever that is. The footage of the fab four is also taken at Plymouth. Again, no idea where it is or what is so special, but the article from BBC makes it seem like this is a pretty well known location.
Meanwhile, a bit of Beatles controversy is brewing in the literary world. Joanne Peterson, former assistant to Beatles' manager Brian Epstein, is currently writing There's a Beatle in my Closet. The book alleges that the openly gay manager had a homosexual relationship with one of the Beatles. Which Beatle? Peterson won't reveal the identity. From what I can gather, Epstein was a very close friend to John Lennon, so perhaps it was him? We'll see when the book hits shelves.
In other news...
Another "gay or straight?" controversy has long been brewing, this one dealing with The Killers' frontman Brandon Flowers. His recent behaviour at The NME Awards is leaving many speculating about his sexuality. Flowers was approached by Peter Hook of New Order to take a picture together for his son. The response was a big wet one right on the lips. That's definitely one way to say yes. By the way, just for the record, Flowers has a fiancee.
One can't say The Killers without thinking of The Bravery. Their new single "Fearless" will be released on May 23rd, but the band is already discussing what the song means. According to singer Sam Endicott, the song was written after and inspired by September 11. And you thought all the 9-11 tributes were over with.
The Village Broadsheet has a big interview with Jon Brion. Apparently he wants to kill your puppy. Read it here.
Not that it hadn't emerged already (remember the leak a few weeks ago?), but the cover art for the new White Stripes album Get Behind Me Satan has once again been released on the internet. It's pretty cool looking. Cover art for the single "Blue Orchid" has also surfaced and it looks rather familiar. Interesting concept.
4.26 - House of Heroes w/ New Republic - Little Brothers 4.27 - Mute Math w/ Mat Kearney - Little Brothers 4.27 - MTU Campus Invasion feat. Muse w/ Razorlight - Promowest Pavilion 5.04 - The Wedding Present w/ The Organ and Tiara - Little Brothers 5.04 - Electric Six w/ VHS or Beta - Skully's 5.07 - The Decemberists w/ Willy Mason - Little Brothers 5.08 - The Books - Wexner Center 5.13 - Mae w/ The Academy Is... and Jamison Parker - Little Brothers 5.15 - Andrew Bird w/ Antenna - Little Brothers 5.17 - Stereo Total w/ Les Georges Leningrad - Little Brothers 5.27 - The Killers w/ Hot Hot Heat and Robbers on the Street - Promowest Pavilion 6.08 - Modest Mouse - Promowest Pavilion 6.13 - Iron and Wine - The Newport
So, yeah, yesterday we reverted back to January. I'm glad the ground was warm, because otherwise we would have had massive accumulations. And I would have been very unhappy. Thank God that didn't happen.
Good question. The answer is... to itself! Haha! Like I didn't see it coming or anything. Apparently the Recording Industry Association of Americahas yet to give a dime to any of the artists it claims to represent. Now this is what I call "a bunch of bull crap." The RIAA spends so much time defending itself against people "stealing money from its clients" by downloading music, and then it, in return, steals the money away from its own clients because *gasp* maybe the RIAA really is just a money hungry association of people who don't care about pleasing anyone, especially the album-buying public, but itself. What a revelation! Boy, if I ever felt guilty downloading music before, I sure as heck don't now. I would really like to know where that money is being spent and whose pockets it went into. I'd like to know how many new houses and new BMWs are being bought with the money that was originally going to go to the people who were supposedly losing money because of downloading music. I'm sure some artists -- probably the ones who can afford it -- have at least lost something out of it, but what about indie bands? Haven't they actually gained attention and therefore increased album/merch/ticket sales? That's another rant for another day... Perhaps maybe the only person losing substantial amounts of money is the RIAA itself, and therefore it feels justified by keeping the money to itself since, after all, it needs the money, right? It isn't like the RIAA is screwing any artists over or anything. No... It'd never do that. It'd never take a substantial cut from the money earned from album sales and then give a small percent to the artist who actually spent the time to write the music, record it, play shows, etc. This is disgusting. There's really no other way to put it.
Sorry, I'm irate.
In other news...
Noel Gallagher is the most pompous, arrogant man in British rock. It's just understood. Needless to say, it comes as no surprised that, when it comes to doing music videos, Gallagher's principle concern is making sure that the producers make him (and the rest of Oasis, but really just him) look ten years younger. Nevermind being artistically creative or anything. Gallagher goes on to say that he thinks music videos are a waste of his time, and maybe he has a point, but like it or not, music videos help increase brand awareness, to use public relations and marketing jargon, and when you're in a band that's known in the mainstream music industry, you have to market yourself. That's right, Noel. It's a "necessary evil."
If you want to get a taste of Franz Ferdinand's new album, look no further than the band's video diary. The diary, which is supposed to be on their website but isn't yet, will give fans an inside look into the making of the album as well as early access and previews of their new songs. While we're waiting to get a glimpse at the first songs, Alex Kapranosis describing it as "darker" and "less cold." Whatever that means.
I can't wait to hear Xiu Xiu's new album, La Foret, when it comes out on July 12th. Lucky for me, though, I don't have to wait that long to hear from them again. As I'm pretty sure I mentioned a while back, Xiu Xiu will be releasing a 7" split with Devendra Banhart. Of course, I have no idea when it's coming out. That's not all the band is doing. They will also be collaborating with a band called Larsen. Who knows when that will be. Hopefully we won't be hearing a year's worth of rumours before any concrete information like we did with that 7" split.
Who will be in the championship game of the indie label four square tournament? Sub Pop wants someone to come and play with them, and they've challenged all other indie labels in this mass email (care of Stereogum) to a game of bowling, volleyball, and baseball. May the best man... men... people... win.
I took a tip from Mystery and Misery and checked out the band Some By Sea. According to the M&M, they are the much more indie equivalent to Death Cab for Cutie, a wondeful substitute for those who are put off by having to hear Death Cab on The O.C. I was really pleasantly surprised. They're like the old Death Cab I loved, but strikingly... better, at least I think. I encourage you to check them out.
Chicago will soon be seeing a week-long extravaganza featuring Wilco. The band will perform for four nights as part of the filming for their new DVD. Lucky Chicago fans can go see it live, but the rest of us will just have to wait. It's okay, I already saw them.
In case you don't know what indie rock is, let Wikipedia ease your mind with its in-depth definition. Now that you know what indie rock is, let's find out what happens when indie rock becomes... not indie rock. A column by Richard Tribou in the Orlando City Beat outlines the four steps indie rock bands take to becoming unindie anymore. It's super funny, and I'll admit to having this mindset from time to time (think Death Cab for Cutie). Go read it.
Time for some multimedia! Check out this BBC4feature on Doves. I now officially love BBC4. Check out that girl's accent! I want one. When you're done with that, might I suggest playing a little Yo La Tengo: Prisoners of Love Breakout. That's right, that game with the paddle that you move back and forth to hit a bounce this ball at these blocks... you know what I mean. This version features Yo La Tengo background music, and the object of the game is to save various things such as chapstick, Matador Records, and Hanukkah. You can play the game here, but be warned. It's extremely addicting.
Upcoming Columbus Shows
4.26 - House of Heroes w/ New Republic - Little Brothers 4.27 - Mute Math w/ Mat Kearney - Little Brothers 4.27 - MTU Campus Invasion feat. Muse w/ Razorlight - Promowest Pavilion 5.04 - The Wedding Present w/ The Organ and Tiara - Little Brothers 5.04 - Electric Six w/ VHS or Beta - Skully's 5.07 - The Decemberists w/ Willy Mason - Little Brothers 5.08 - The Books - Wexner Center 5.13 - Mae w/ The Academy Is... and Jamison Parker - Little Brothers 5.15 - Andrew Bird w/ Antenna - Little Brothers 5.17 - Stereo Total w/ Les Georges Leningrad - Little Brothers 5.27 - The Killers w/ Hot Hot Heat and Robbers on the Street - Promowest Pavilion 6.08 - Modest Mouse - Promowest Pavilion 6.13 - Iron and Wine - The Newport
So, yeah, it's so nasty outside. It's like the beginning of the Great Flood or something. It's depressing to go to Weather.com and find that out of the next ten days, only one will have sun and barely any will get over the 60F mark. I hate April. It always toys with my head.
As I reported last week, the Recording Industry Association of America sued some 400 or so students at 18 different colleges and universities around the country on Wednesday, April 12. Now that the news has had time to sink in, the backlash has begun. What could the RIAA expect? After all, they are targetting already poor college students, making them the example to all who download illegally of what might happen to them if they get caught, too. The overwhelming opinion is, of course, that the RIAA was wrong to file the lawsuits, but the reasoning behind this might surprise you. What frustrates students isn't that they got caught, it's that the RIAA is, in essence, screwing itself over.
Take, for example, a column from the opinion page of yesterday's Harvard Crimson. The column explains in very simple terms that the RIAA has the wrong idea of music downloading and that the association is "reacting to symptoms of a larger disease that it has yet to cure, largely because they haven’t realized that it isn’t a disease at all." It seems painfully obvious that the RIAA should, rather than come down harshly upon the art of file sharing, embrace the idea and use it to the advantage of everyone in the industry. I don't know why they haven't gotten the idea yet. They're taking strides, I'll give them that, but lawsuits like these are only setbacks.
An article in The Tartan, the school newspaper for Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburg, looks at the situation from a different approach, blaming the RIAA's attempts to crack down on illegal file sharing for encouraging students to find other means of downloading. "Sure, the RIAA is a mighty organization," writes columnist Marshall Roy, "and maybe it can successfully wrest tuition money from 450 unsuspecting collegiate evil-doers, but it sure won’t make any friends in the process. All it will do is inspire computer geniuses (with which CMU is infested) to devise brilliant new ways of listening to their favorite songs for free." Roy goes on to report that the RIAA made just as much money in 2004 as it did ten years ago. "Did it ever occur to the RIAA that perhaps the 2000–2003 sales slump, which it whines was due to the advent of Napster and music downloading, was perhaps the work of the general economic recession that characterized the first few years of the 21st century?" Just something to think about.
A letter from Kevin Khandjian to Dartmouth's The Dartmouth (how ironic) speaks as the voice of reason from the independent music industry, calling to mind the fact that independent music is probably hurt the most by the RIAA crack down.
Which is why I don't feel the least bit guilty when I download an album that I know I can't get anywhere near here. It's not just a matter of convenience, it's a matter of availability and affordability. It's also about discovering new music. Without file sharing, I don't know what kind of crap music I would be listening to right now. I've been very fortunate to have been able to use music downloading to my advantage. How else would I have been able to find Her Space Holiday or Boards of Canada or even Doves and The Arcade Fire? I don't see them when I go through the music section of Best Buy, and if I did, I'd pass them right by because I wouldn't know who they are. Let's face the facts. File sharing, although illegal, is beneficial for the people who really count on people coming to shows and buying merch because it gets their names out. It's a really simple concept.
The names of the students who are being sued have not been released yet, but I will continue to update as details begin to surface.
In other news...
Poor poor Oasis. Nothing ever goes right for them. First they herald their new album as life-changing, and then their first single is leaked and it's less than impressive, and then Bloc Party disses them... what next? Oh... the whole album was leaked. I'm looking for it as we speak. Expect it to be rotating through the mp3 blogs by the end of the week. Meanwhile, check on eBay and you might be able to buy a burnt copy of the album.
If you were one of the people confused by Coldplay's album artwork for X&Y, you're in luck, because the code has been cracked. The design was created using a code known as "Baudot". Read the article to find out what that means. It's too much to summarize.
Let's summarize what's been going on in the Fiona Apple saga. Fiona recorded a new album, Extraordinary Machines, in 2003, but Epic wouldn't release it because it didn't think the album would be very successful since there aren't any stand-out tracks. I can't say for sure whether they were right about that or not since I haven't listened to the album, but an article from the online magazine Slate suggests that maybe they weren't wrong when they decided not to release it. This notion is based on the number of people currently sharing the album, which was leaked for the most part in January of this year. Compared to the numbers for other albums, which tend to peak in the millions, Extraordinary Machines topped out at a measly 50,000 people sharing the album. There may be reasons for this, such as a lack of knowledge or a smaller listening audience since it's been years since we've heard anything from her. Evidence does suggest, however, that Epic might have done the right thing after all. Backlash from Fiona's fans has changed the heart of the record label, and it now appears that there is a chance the album will be released. Just don't expect it to be a big seller.
To further my obsession with Doves, Mean Streetspoke recently with drummer Andy Williams. He discusses the reasoning and inspiration for Some Cities, which I find very informative. Check it out.
While the RIAA is trying to make file sharing an inconvenience, Ian Clarke is doing just the opposite. The inventor of Freenet, Clarke has created what he calls Indy, the Google of independent music. Simply download the application and begin to search the web. I'm going to try it out, and I'll let you know what I think next time.
Upcoming Columbus Shows
4.19 - M. Ward (solo) w/ Norfolk & Western and DeVotchKa - Little Brothers 4.20 - m83 w/ Ulrich Schlauss (feat. the Moog documentary prior to performance) - The Mershon Black Box 4.21 - Clem Snide w/ The Sure Things, Langhorne Slim and Marbles - Little Brothers 4.21 - Damon and Naomi w/ The Black Swans and Brian Straw - High Five 4.26 - House of Heroes w/ New Republic - Little Brothers 4.27 - Mute Math w/ Mat Kearney - Little Brothers 4.27 - MTU Campus Invasion feat. Muse w/ Razorlight - Promowest Pavilion 5.04 - The Wedding Present w/ The Organ and Tiara - Little Brothers 5.04 - Electric Six w/ VHS or Beta - Skully's 5.07 - The Decemberists w/ Willy Mason - Little Brothers 5.08 - The Books - Wexner Center 5.13 - Mae w/ The Academy Is... and Jamison Parker - Little Brothers 5.15 - Andrew Bird w/ Antenna - Little Brothers 5.17 - Stereo Total w/ Les Georges Leningrad - Little Brothers 5.27 - The Killers w/ Hot Hot Heat - Promowest Pavilion 6.08 - Modest Mouse - Promowest Pavilion 6.13 - Iron and Wine - The Newport
One would think that, since I haven't read any blogs all weekend, there would be at least something juicy to report. Alas, there is none. No Killers vs. Bravery. No Bloc Party vs. Oasis. I actually scoured some new blogs to come up with some good stuff to blog about. So, happy Monday, folks. This is all I've got.
I do have a tidbit of Oasis news. Noel Gallagherwill be chatting with fans online on April 22nd at oasisinet.net at 7pm GMT. I believe that would be 3pm Ohio time. After all the bad press Oasis, and especially Gallagher, has been getting, I don't know if I would consider an online chat a very good idea. It's possible that everyone who logs in will be a fan, but I have my suspicions that a few Oasis-haters will show up to continue their tirade on the band's new album and new single. Chances are that he's too pretentious to let criticism get him down anyway.
I just watched the movie/documentary/biography 24 Hour Party People, about the beginnings of Factory Records, and ever since then I've had a bit more respect for Joy Division and New Order. It's a good movie, and I highly recommended. I will furthermore pay more attention to these bands. That having been said, New Order will release a new single, "Jetstream," on May 16. The song, which will be on the forthcoming album, Waiting for the Sirens' Call, features Scissor Sisters' leading lady Ana Matronic. Haha, she sounds like a robot.
I had no idea that Beck was on Saturday Night Livethis weekend. So while I was playing Super Mario 3 and watching Johnny Depp movies, I could have been watching, at least for a good ten minutes, Beck perform songs from his new album, Guero, live on TV. Man, I'm such an idiot. Ah, but of course it's on the internet! So if you missed it, you may stream both segments. First is "E-Pro" and second is "Girl".
PopMattersdiscussed the art of album-making with Spoon recently. If you were ever interested in learning a little bit more about the details of making albums, I suggest reading it, because it has a lot of really interesting insight into the process of recording and mixing.
Oh, here's something that's been rather on-going. The White Stripeshave now released for download their new single "Blue Orchid". Unfortunately, it's so far only available on iTunes, but I bet you can find it somewhere else if you look hard.
At last Fountains of Waynehave confirmed that they will be releasing a compilation of b-sides entitled Out-of-State Plates, due out June 28. The two-disc set also features two new songs, "The Girl I Can't Forget" and "Maureen".
4.18 - The Juliana Theory - The Basement 4.19 - M. Ward (solo) w/ Norfolk & Western and DeVotchKa - Little Brothers 4.20 - m83 w/ Ulrich Schlauss (feat. the Moog documentary prior to performance) - The Mershon Black Box 4.21 - Clem Snide w/ The Sure Things, Langhorne Slim and Marbles - Little Brothers 4.21 - Damon and Naomi w/ The Black Swans and Brian Straw - High Five 4.26 - House of Heroes w/ New Republic - Little Brothers 4.27 - Mute Math w/ Mat Kearney - Little Brothers 4.27 - MTU Campus Invasion feat. Muse w/ Razorlight - Promowest Pavilion 5.04 - The Wedding Present w/ The Organ and Tiara - Little Brothers 5.04 - Electric Six w/ VHS or Beta - Skully's 5.07 - The Decemberists w/ Willy Mason - Little Brothers 5.08 - The Books - Wexner Center 5.13 - Mae w/ The Academy Is... and Jamison Parker - Little Brothers 5.15 - Andrew Bird w/ Antenna - Little Brothers 5.17 - Stereo Total w/ Les Georges Leningrad - Little Brothers 5.27 - The Killers w/ Hot Hot Heat - Promowest Pavilion 6.08 - Modest Mouse - Promowest Pavilion 6.13 - Iron and Wine - The Newport
On Wednesday, the Recording Industry Association of Americafiled lawsuits against 405 students at 18 different colleges and universities around the country for illegally sharing copyrighted music files. The students were using Internet2, a super-fast high-speed internet service used primarily for educational and research purposes. This very new technology is not available to the public, but students at these universities were able to receive access to the server. They then used the application i2hub to download and share nearly one million music files.
For those of you who were here two years ago when Ohio State had Direct Connect, the idea of this is very similar, just kicked up a few knotches. Internet2 is much faster that ResNet, the internet service provided in the residence halls, and much faster than the server those students used to run DC. While I was able to download a movie in about five minutes with DC, the students using i2hub on Internet2 were able to do the same in 30 seconds. At speeds like that, you could easily download an album in a few seconds.
As you can probably imagine, Ohio State was one of the schools listed in the lawsuits filed on Wednesday. According to the Lantern, OSU's student-run newspaper, the RIAA filed lawsuits against 25 OSU students. The Motion Picture Association of America also filed a lawsuit against one student. As far as I know, I don't think I know anyone who was named in the lawsuit.
But there's shady business involved. First, the RIAA didn't even inform the CEO of Internet2 that they were planning on filing these lawsuits until Monday night. Second, the RIAA has yet to explain how they were able to monitor Internet2. The Internet2 organization insists that the situation was not caused by a breach in security, but one has to wonder with information like that.
I'm a bit torn on this issue. As you should all know by now, I'm a fan of piracy. I have currently stopped sharing and downloading files using applications like Soulseek and Kazaa, but I still accept albums on AOL Instant Messenger, although I have decided to stop making my music and videos available over the share file feature since I worry about the security of it. That having been said, part of me thinks that these students may have gotten what was coming to them. Access to Internet2 is very limited and requires a binding contract that includes an agreement to refrain from using it illegally. That having been said, I've had to accept many Terms of Agreement from different programs that I have used illegally in the past. What makes me any different? I'm not sure. I support file sharing, but something of this magnitude I don't think I would either support or partake in unless file sharing became legal. Then again, I did use Direct Connect. I just don't know what to think about it.
In other news...
I can't get over how long this Bravery vs. Killers war of the words has been going on. Just when I thought they had finally shut up about everything, Brandon Flowershas some interesting things to say to Arjan. Among his many claims, Flowers insists that The Bravery were offended by being compared to The Killers and that they should be more appreciative of the fact that The Killers "cultivated this road for them." Once again, I get the feeling that Flowers has delusions of grandeur. Sure, The Killers may have helped some. So they gave them a tour bus. That's great. But to take all the credit for another band's success? That's a little pompous.
A new war of words is being waged against Oasis, and it's not just fans who hate the band's new single, "Lyla." While Noel Gallagher insists again that this album is their best yet, a story which I believe we've heard a few times before and have been sadly disappointed, young brit-rockers Bloc Party are taking their first baby swings at Oasis. Insults include calling them "lazy" and "unambitious." Isn't it cute? It's their first public ridicule of another band. Someone grab the camera.
Noel's actually throwing a few punches as well, but not at Bloc Party. He likes to go for bigger bullies, like Sony Records. Apparently the band didn't want to have "Lyla" for their single, but Sony insisted on it. As much as I want to feel sorry for the guy, I keep feeling like he's just blaming another failure on someone else because he's tired of taking it himself. I didn't think "Lyla" was awful, but it wasn't great, and when the lead singer is heralding this CD as his best yet, it leads me to believe that maybe it's just wishful thinking.
Hopefully David Grohl isn't of the same mentality. The Foo Fighters frontman is going on record again to say that In Your Honor is the best album they've ever made. He even goes as far as to say that you'll tell your children to buy it someday. Sometimes it worries me when people say their album is super great before it's come out. It might be just a big PR stunt to hype the album, or it might be him trying to convince himself that the album is great, or maybe he's right. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
While The White Stripes aren't exactly heralding their new arrival, Get Behind Me Satan, their fans certainly are. Straight from a New York listening party, The Modern Agegives a complete review/preview of the album, song by song, to give you a difinitive look at what you can expect. From the looks of things, it's pretty darn good.
You don't have to wait to find out whether the "new" Figurine album is any good. All you have to do is pick up a copy of The Heartfelt and you'll understand. According to Music For Robots, the Jimmy Tamborello (a.k.a. Dntel, of Postal Service fame) side project is planning on re-releasing the album. This is a good thing, because it's one of my favorite albums from Jimmy Tamborello. I highly recommend it.
4.18 - The Juliana Theory - The Basement 4.19 - M. Ward (solo) w/ Norfolk & Western and DeVotchKa - Little Brothers 4.20 - m83 w/ Ulrich Schlauss (feat. the Moog documentary prior to performance) - The Mershon Black Box 4.21 - Clem Snide w/ The Sure Things, Langhorne Slim and Marbles - Little Brothers 4.21 - Damon and Naomi w/ The Black Swans and Brian Straw - High Five 4.26 - House of Heroes w/ New Republic - Little Brothers 4.27 - Mute Math w/ Mat Kearney - Little Brothers 4.27 - MTU Campus Invasion feat. Muse w/ Razorlight - Promowest Pavilion 5.04 - The Wedding Present w/ The Organ and Tiara - Little Brothers 5.04 - Electric Six w/ VHS or Beta - Skully's 5.07 - The Decemberists w/ Willy Mason - Little Brothers 5.08 - The Books - Wexner Center 5.13 - Mae w/ The Academy Is... and Jamison Parker - Little Brothers 5.15 - Andrew Bird w/ Antenna - Little Brothers 5.17 - Stereo Total w/ Les Georges Leningrad - Little Brothers 5.27 - The Killers w/ Hot Hot Heat - Promowest Pavilion 6.08 - Modest Mouse - Promowest Pavilion 6.13 - Iron and Wine - The Newport
After having so many technical difficulties last week, and despite the fact that I've spent ridiculous amounts of time campaigning and haven't done any homework yet, I'm going to post anyway. I've got the time. This entry will be a combination of old and new since I've missed a few days.
So here's the news...
Hot Hot Heat is dispelling rumours that they are on the rocks. The band explains that they were merely testing out the tracks for the new album when they played a week of small shows in the UK recently. Somehow, people took this to mean that they were breaking up. I don't exactly understand how people could jump to that conclusion, but anyway, this one has left the rumour mill. In addition, the aforementioned new album, entitled Elevator, will be released tomorrow.
I think that for the next twenty minutes my favorite living human being will be Wilco's Jeff Tweedy. In a recent interview with the BBC, Tweedy explained how his band has used mp3s to its advantage, actually improving album sales with every free download made available on the band's website. Tweedy also encourages fans to bring recording equipment to shows and post it on the internet. He really gives me a lot of peace about the state of internet downloading right now. And like he says, people worried before that the radio would kill the music industry, and then the cassette tape, and so on. Hopefully he's right in saying that this will all just blow over. I'm sorry, RIAA, but I refuse to believe that Metallica is suffering because I downloaded Bloc Party's new album. Their problem is that they're a bunch of big babies. Jeff Tweedy, I salute you.
File this one under "the strangest album titles I've ever heard." As a direct reference to an incident in the Bible involving Jesus and Peter (I believe you can find it in at least the book of Matthew, if not some of the other gospels), The White Stripes have titled their new album Get Behind Me Satan. As I've mentioned before, the single for it is "Blue Orchid," which is another strange title. I'm not sure what to expect. I do know that I can expect to see it on shelves on June 7th.
Here's something I wanted to put in my last post but the internet was not on my side. Deerhoof is finally releasing a new EP, entitled Green Cosmos. You can check out the tracklist here.
Amazon.com.uk has available for pre-order the Belle and Sebastian biography entitled Belle and Sebastian: Just a Modern Rock Story. As Chromewaves recalls, the release of the book was supposed to be accompanied by the release of a new album. Hmm... makes one wonder, doesn't it? The book will be come out on August 1st, so be on the look-out.
Paste Magazine has a tribute to the last twenty years of Yo La Tengo. The three-page article is probably one of the best written articles I've read in a while, and the topic of choice is clearly a wise one.
If you're in the mood to see some Franz Ferdinand, you're in luck. Well, that is, if you live in the UK. Despite being firmly established in the United States, their summer tour will not take them stateside. Tragic, isn't it? Oh well, there will be other times, I'm sure.
This is also something I wanted to talk about last week but couldn't. The Killers' Brandon Flowers, who recently attempted to deflower The Bravery, has once again run his mouth at the expense of audiences, John Mayer, and even himself. Of course, this latest batch of insults and injuries was instigated by a Q&A done by Rolling Stone Magazine (thanks a lot, guys). The highlights include a description of his run-in with Jay-z, a thumb to the nose at both US and UK audiences, and a glorious rip by David Bowie that Flowers seems to have taken the wrong way. The latter is by far the funniest, as it appears that Bowie totally insulted The Killers, and Flowers actually appreciated it? I don't understand.
Two down, 48 to go. Sufjan Stevens has finished up his latest album, Illinois, a follow-up to his last album, Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lakes State. Both albums are part of his larger "50 states project," in which he plans to make one album for every state. I have my doubts about it, but I like him enough to keep up hope. The album will be released on July 5th (my birthday, guys!), and will come in CD and vinyl formats. The tracklist is available here.
4.19 - M. Ward w/ Norfolk & Western and DeVotchKa - Little Brothers 4.20 - m83 w/ Ulrich Schlauss (feat. the Moog documentary prior to performance) - The Mershon Black Box 4.21 - Clem Snide w/ Langhorne and Marbles - Little Brothers 4.21 - Damon and Naomi w/ The Black Swans and Brian Straw - High Five 4.26 - House of Heroes w/ New Republic - Little Brothers 5.07 - The Decemberists w/ Willy Mason - Little Brothers 5.08 - The Books - Wexner Center 5.15 - Andrew Bird w/ Antenna - Little Brothers
Daily Downloads Oh my gosh... five days of stuff to catch up on. Check it all out.
Blogger wasn't working on Thursday and Friday, and consequentially, there have been no posts. Thursday's problem was that they were implementing a new authorization security feature. You basically have to sign in to the network like you would at a computer lab. It's designed to better track the illegal download of mp3s via p2p networks. I don't exactly know how signing in to use internet explorer gives you any information about file sharing, but regardless, it's been implemented. It took them a good 12 hours to put it in place, and throughout that entire time the internet was going in and out in three minute intervals. It was painful.
Yesterday my attempts to blog were foiled by some... I don't know, unexplainable flagrant error. I don't know if anyone else had the same difficulty, but yeah... it was annoying. Anyway, that's my excuse.
That all having been said, I'm not sure when I'm going to be able to blog in the next two weeks. I'm public relations executive for the Ghandakly/Knapp 2005 Undergraduate Student Government Presidential/Vice Presidential Campaign, and most of my free time will be spent passing out free ramen, t-shirts, buttons, stickers, and flyers; chalking sidewalks; going to debates and meetings and hanging out with the campaign volunteers. I will still attempt to blog at least some each day, but as I said, it will be very difficult to do. If nothing else, my blog will be back up to full speed on April 25th. Please come back and check it anyway because you never know when I'll find a free moment.
As summer approaches, just about everyone's going on tour. Today, a ton of tours were announced.
First, over at Tiny Mix Tapes, we have Mates of State touring the US and the UK starting today and going through the middle of June. The closest they will be getting to us is Colorado, so it's a no-go there.
The Shins began their tour today in support of their album, Chutes Too Narrow. Of course, the closest they'll be getting to here is Chicago. It's always Chicago. Once again, no show for us.
Maybe we'll have better luck with Eels. Oh, no... wait... no. No luck. They're touring the UK this summer. Columbus, we're 0 for 3. What the heck is wrong with this picture?
Finally, we get one! The Black Keys will kick off their tour on Friday and are playing at Promowest Pavilion on Saturday at the supposedly sold-out 101st day celebration sponsored by CD101. So, good news I suppose if you got tickets... and if you actually like them. As for me, I'm still unfulfilled.
One last chance, and it's... a no. Starflyer 59 are hitting the road at the end of the month, but still no shows for us.
In conclusion, Columbus gets shafted.
In other news...
Brit rockers Franz Ferdinand recently played their first show of 2005 at the London Royal Albert Hall, and there they debuted a few new songs that will likely make it to their new album, slated for release later this year. Meanwhile, band member Alex Kapranosspoke to Xfm about the album and where they're headed. Kapranos cited Bob Dylan and David Bowie as two of their inspirations for the new album. Still no track listing, especially since it is probably still in production, and no release date.
MTV recently interviewedDanger Mouse and Damon Albarn, frontman of Gorillaz, about the band's new album, Demon Days. I particularly like the fact that the subtitle to the article is, "Each deflects interview questions, deferring to the animated musicians."
Prefix Magazine posted part one of their two-part interview with The Decemberists. Topics up for discussion incude John McEnroe, touring Europe, and writing children's books.
And now, news from the not so indie.
Well... I take that back. I guess this is indie. Paris Hilton has been cast opposite Jason Mewes in a new indie film, Bottoms Up, produced by Paul Walker. Sounds like just one more movie to add to my "never ever see" list.
The rumours are true? MTV's Kurt Loder took it upon himself to find out whether Tool member Maynard James Keenan actually accepted Christ as his Lord and Saviour. His response: Yes.
Ah, the memories of my adolescence when I had no taste in music are flooding back to me. Travis Barkerhas reportedly stated that Blink 182 is no more. No official word, but if it's true, expect it soon.
Upcoming Columbus Shows
4.07 - Copeland w/ Lovedrug and Acceptance - The Basement 4.09 - Aesop Rock w/ Hangar 18 and Metro of S.A. Smash - Little Brothers 4.19 - M. Ward w/ Norfolk & Western and DeVotchKa - Little Brothers 4.20 - m83 w/ Ulrich Schlauss (feat. the Moog documentary prior to performance) - The Mershon Black Box 4.21 - Clem Snide w/ Langhorne and Marbles - Little Brothers 4.26 - House of Heroes w/ New Republic - Little Brothers 5.07 - The Decemberists w/ Willy Mason - Little Brothers 5.08 - The Books - Wexner Center
As the headline suggests, there's really nothing huge happening today. I scoured blogs to find something that was headline-worthy, but was left unsatisfied. And so, today you get a bunch of little news tidbits. Enjoy.
The Buffalo News has some staggering information: The Postal Service is successful. No! Who would have thought?! Seriously, now, when you hear a band in the background of a commercial for a new TV show (I forget which one, but I assure you, I heard it), you have to think maybe they hit the big time. Anyway, if you don't know much about The Postal Service, the article is worth reading, but if you're already a fan or already know their story, then it's just the same old same old. One tidbit of information they did include is that, if there is a new album, it is at least a year away. I guess that new song on the EP was not a sign of things to come in the near future. Sorry, guys.
Sigur Ros is going on tour! Don't get your hopes up, though. The tour is through the month of July and will not be making it to the shores of our lovely continent. Someday... someday...
The Olivia Tremor Control is reuniting? Well, yes, but not for long. The Elephant 6 band is making three appearances in the US and UK, but as for recording a new album, chances are not good.
Fans of Ratatat who haven't seen them live can live vicariously through Jay Guillermo of Prefix Magazine. Today he gives an account of a show at the Knitting Factory in New York. I find it interesting, though, that it's on the front page even though the concert took place in 2003. Oh well, it's still a show. Read 'em and weep because you weren't there.
Let's take a break from music news for something very peculiar I found today. I remember my freshman year of college when my friend John and all of our really sexy guy friends started popping their collars. I'd never seen people do it before, and I thought they were the coolest thing. Would you believe that now the "popped collar" has not only made it to the NCAA Tournament, but it has also made it into slang, and it doesn't mean, "to pop ones collar." Weird. I always knew my friends were trendsetters, but dang. This one's gone too far.
In somewhat music news, the life of everyone's least favorite pop star, Britney Spears, is about to be put on display for the world to see (like it wasn't already). That's right. Move over, Nick and Jessica. Not to be outdone, Brit and hubby Kevin Federline are staring in their very own identical newlyweds show. The funny part: It's on UPN. I bet it will play between Charmed and Buffy the Vampire.
Alright, back to stuff that's more important. My boyfriend. He loves Boards of Canada. He loves Beck. He's going to have his face rocked off when he hears that Boards of Canada has remixed the song "Broken Drum" for the two-disc version of Beck's recent album, Guero. And just when he thought that was enough, his face and socks will be rocked off when he finds out that he can listen to it right here. Surprise!
Oh man, his life is going to get even better because there's a website called Sunsquashed and it's basically every Yo La Tengo fan's dream. It houses all sorts of mp3s and torrents of live shows, rareties, you name it. Let the downloading spree commence!
Clem Snide's tour started today. Look for him here in Columbus on April 21st with Langhorne Slim and Marbles (featuring Robert Schneider of Apples in Stereo). If you are going, I will see you there.
Wasn't Xiu Xiu supposed to release a 7", like, forever ago? Well, looks like they're really going to, finally, on the 15th. The tracks were recorded while they were on tour with Devendra Bonhart. Not only will they release this, but their website hints at an album of live tracks and b-sides called Life and Life. No tracklist or release date to announce for that one, but I'll keep an eye out.
Upcoming Columbus Shows
4.07 - Copeland w/ Lovedrug and Acceptance - The Basement 4.09 - Aesop Rock w/ Hangar 18 and Metro of S.A. Smash - Little Brothers 4.19 - M. Ward w/ Norfolk & Western and DeVotchKa - Little Brothers 4.20 - m83 w/ Ulrich Schlauss (feat. the Moog documentary prior to performance) - The Mershon Black Box 4.21 - Clem Snide w/ Langhorne and Marbles - Little Brothers 4.26 - House of Heroes w/ New Republic - Little Brothers 5.07 - The Decemberists w/ Willy Mason - Little Brothers 5.08 - The Books - Wexner Center
That is the question I ask myself every time I try to use my stupid blogger. So... yeah, someone fix this thing, because I'm tired of trying to get onto the site for a half hour. Friday's post went up missing because the site sucks. It was a good post, too. I don't remember it anymore, though, so you're out of luck. Anyway...
Something else that is to be -- or maybe not to be -- is Lollapalooza. As I stated in my last blog, the City of Chicago had, as of Thursday, not given the go-ahead for the weekend celebration. Today, however, the official Lollapalooza website was launched, announcing that the concert festival will be happening on July 23 and 24 in Chicago's Grant Park. The site will soon be offering advance ticket sales, starting on thursday.
This would be all fine and dandy... that is, if it were true at all. Both the Chicago Sun Times and the Chicago Tribune confirm that, without a doubt, the concert does not have the permission of the city yet. In fact, they haven't even applied for the permit. Capital Sports and Entertainment, the company attempting to put on the concert, it appears is going solely on optimism, which may or may not be a good thing, especially considering the Chicago Parks District has a history of turning down huge concerts. I'll continue to cover the story as the saga continues.
In other news...
The legendary Neil Youngis still recovering from last week's brain surgery. The brain aneurysm was discovered shortly after his March 14th appearance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, where he experienced vertigo and blurred vision. Being the trooper that he is, he spent the time between then and the surgery recording in Nashville. Young is expected to make a complete recovery.
To conclude the previously reported Snow Patrol fiasco, the band has announced the addition of Paul Wilson as the new bassist and Tom Simpson as a full-time keyboard player.
The Raveonettes have their new single, "Love in a Trashcan," available for stream on their website. I really like this song. Go take a listen.
The Detroit News has a short but sweet article about Seattle's indie rock princesses Smoosh. Though there's really nothing said in this article that hasn't already been said about them (they're sisters, they're young, and they are taking indie rock by storm), I do have to mention that older sister Asya makes it abundantly clear that the duo is planning on continuing their musical career. That makes me very happy.
As sad as it is that the Unicorns have gone extinct, it is even more peculiar that Th' Corn Gangg has emerged from the ashes. What started out as a hip-hop side project has turned into a full-time group. If you're like me and you were a huge Unicorns fan but don't particularly like hip-hop, the prospects aren't good, but a recent Corn Gangg concert review on Pitchfork may lift your spirits a bit. The review gives a little more insight into who Th' Corn Gangg is and what they sound like. I was surprised to find out that they actually perform some of the Unicorns' big hits like "Ready to Die," only kicked up a knotch. I guess that means that, if they make it to your area, I suggest going to see them at least for the experience of it. You never know. You may actually... like it.
I gotta support the local scene. Tiara, my favorite local band, has just posted a ton of rarities, b-sides, and outtakes on their website. The link is in the downloads section.
This is my bunny monkey. My boyfriend gave him to me on Easter and that day I named him Bunky.
This is also Bunky. I found out this weekend that they are an indie rock band in San Diego, California, and they're really good! There are mp3s in the downloads section. I don't like the first song, but the other two are great. Go listen!
Upcoming Columbus Shows
4.07 - Copeland w/ Lovedrug and Acceptance - The Basement 4.09 - Aesop Rock w/ Hangar 18 and Metro of S.A. Smash - Little Brothers 4.19 - M. Ward w/ Norfolk & Western and DeVotchKa - Little Brothers 4.20 - m83 w/ Ulrich Schlauss (feat. the Moog documentary prior to performance) - The Mershon Black Box 4.21 - Clem Snide (w/ Robert Schneider of Apples in Stereo) - Little Brothers 4.26 - House of Heroes w/ New Republic - Little Brothers 5.07 - The Decemberists w/ Willy Mason - Little Brothers 5.08 - The Books - Wexner Center
