Howeva,
Welcome to my new idea. I've been thinking of ways to make people want to read the crap I write, and I'm trying this one starting now. I figure, the general public doesn't scour sites like Pitchfork, Stereogum, NPR, and Paste like I do, sooooo I'm going to start posting what I find interesting in music news per week. It's going to have a really loose format, hopefully including music news, some music and videos that standout to me in a week, weekly releases, stuff that I've gotten into that week, and I'm going to end each week of with a semi-structured playlist to get you through the day. 123 GO.
News
- Early this week, rap-pop-cartoon supergroup the Gorillaz were rumored to have broken up after news of some heavy internal fighting between front-man Damon Alborn and Jamie Hewlett. However, while the band will be taking a break after a massive world tour that took them through 11 countries and thirty eight shows.
- Festival season is a few months away, and line-ups are finally coming out. This week Sasquatch, Lollapalooza, and Sasquatch at least released when they are going to announce their line-up. Coachella was a few weeks ahead, having already announced their line-up last week. So who's playing? Good question.
-Sasquatch has also released their line-up, and for a smaller festival, it looks pretty incredible. Headliners are Foo Fighters, Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, Wilco, The Flaming Lips, The Decemberists, and Bright Eyes, and undercards include Iron and Wine, Bassnectar, Cold War Kids, MSTRKRFT, Yeasayer, Beach House, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Major Lazer, and Flying Lotus.
- Coachella hasn't released their line-up yet, but rumor has it that Eminem, Foo Fighters, and Muse. Muse would be incredible; the other two are genuinely mediocre to me, but oh well. I guess you've gotta go with what sells tickets.
-And then theres Bonnaroo, my personal favorite, because It is where I'mma be. I've been following inforoo.com pretty heavy the last few days in anticipation of the line-up that is going to come out next Tuesday, and front runners for headliners are supposedly Arcade Fire, My Morning Jacket, Robert Plant, Widespread Panic, and possibly Eminem. Something tells me this years going to have something no one expects, it being the 10th anniversary and all. AC entertainment has said that they have some surprises up their sleeve ever since the festival last year, so I'm looking for some big things to come. More on that next week.
- LCD Soundsystem has announced their final show before their eminent break-up, and it's going to be a dance fest for the ages. The band will play three hours in The Garden with numerous surprise guests and just as many songs they have not played but a few times, if ever. Presale sold out in just a few hours, so I'm guessing it's going to be a pretty huge show. I'm still kicking myself that I didn't stick around for their whole ste at Roo' last year.
- English DJ Jamie xx recently worked on remixing Gil-Scott Heron's critically acclaimed I'm New Here, bbbuutttt there's a catch. They are currently only streaming the album from random radio towers across the nation, aaaannndddd you can only hear it on an iPad or smart phone. Interesting artistic move, or bothersome hassle? Your call.
- Rome, the epic side project of infamous DJ Danger Mouse, featuring the help of Jack White, Norah Jones, and Italian composer Daniel Luppi, is finally coming to light. The tribute to western film soundtracks, recorded in the same studio Ennio Morricone scored The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, is supposed to come out May 17 through Capitol Records. Should be a doosey.
- How bout that Superbowl? Nope, not the sports. The Black Eyed Peas and Christina Aguilera joined hands and took a musical dump on America this past weekend. The Superbowl actually played it smart, setting the bar so low that acts like Tiffany, ICP, or, oh I don't know, a crippled goat would surely be openly praised after the atrocity that was the half time "show" and national anthem. To top it all of, Jerry Jones spent millions of dollars to have four fighter jets patriotically soar over a very closed Dallas Stadium roof right at the peak of Aguilera's screeching "FFFFFFRRRRRRREEEEEEEE". Ain't that America.
- Hipster rockers Yo La Tengo acted out an entire episode of Seinfeld for an audience in Chicago this week, as a part of their latest tour where they have an audience member spin a wheel that determines how their show will be played. Apparently the audience absolutely loved all of it, except for the finale, which everyone hated.
- My Morning Jacket front man Jim James and all around fantastic musician M. Ward have joined culinary forces to create the cremebrulog, a blog critiquing their favorite desert. The first one they do looks like the greatest desert in the world. Check it out.
- Lastly in news this week, MTV is bringing back the popular 90's cartoon Beavis and Butt-Head. No clue on how it's going to work, but props to MTV for sucking a little less hard with this one.
Notable Music
The Strokes are back after a five year hiatus, and they were giving away their first single for a while, but I believed the date on that has cut off. However, you can hear it down below.
The Black Keys make great videos. Their hilarious video for "Tighten Up" made it pretty high on my year end countdown. Though their new video for "Howlin' For You" isn't quite as funny as "Tighten Up", it's pretty dang great, and kind of inspiring seeing as it looks like a lot of work went into it. Check it out on imdb com.
Trippy mastermind Flying Lotus directed this video of Erykah Badu's "Gone Baby Don't Be Gone" with Erykah's head floating through a factory of light; with a theme so simple, only Flying Lotus himself could pull this off so effectively.
Last off in the video sector this week, I really enjoyed this pseudo-documentary of the Local Natives making a video (kind of). It's hard to throw a label on it, but it's dang cool.
Just today I heard this single from Okkervil River, a name I had heard, but never really paid any attention to. I'll probably check em out this week. You can hear the single at pitchfork.
Discoveries
I want a section in here to put stuff that might not be new, but that I have started listening to. So, I'm going to do that.
- First and foremost, I have really been getting into Black Star this week. Amidst scrounging around inforoo.com, I saw everyone freaking out that Black Star was going to be at Roo', but I had never heard of them. When I found them, I fell in love with them. The pair, Mos Def and Talib Kweli rap together perfectly, spitting out way more words than most emcee's can handle. Definition is absolutely mind blowing.
- Outkast is the other group I have played non stop this week. I have heard Stankonia at least 7 times, because it is just that good. Gasoline Dreams put me to sleep the other night.
- "Bang, bang, bang went Frankie's gun. He shot me down, Lucille" Felice Brothers, how have I missed thee?
- I heard the latest album from Oneohtrix Point Never, which is just as brow-raising as the name. I like it, but it is literally carefully constructed noise. Gotta have some patience to stand this at all.
- I love a good funk band, and Fitz and the Tantrums fit the part. The doo-wop rockers have popped up in car commercials through out the year, but the album is definitely worthy of a whole listen. MAYBE, even a purchase.
Notable releases in the coming week
James Blake - James Blake
Esben and The With - Violet Cries
Teddy Thompson - Bella
...Andy You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Tao Of The Dead
P.J. Harvey - Let England Shake
Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
Bright Eyes - The People's Key
Drive By Truckers - Go-Go Boots
Twilight Singers - Dynamite Steps
Yuck - Yuck
MUSIC
Let me know how you like this.
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