May/100
Ratatat are rat-tat-tatting away over at NPR
Ratatat are rat-tat-tatting away over at NPR
Fast cars, cheap thrills.
‘Round my circle of friends at least, everyone loves Ratatat. The D.C. duo’s eclectic brand of electronic-based post-rock just seems to strike the right chords with everyone, no matter if they’re an electronica fan, too-cool-for-this hipster, or just a casual listener. So understandably, I’m pretty excited about LP4, the sequel to 2008’s critically acclaimed LP3 (I think you’ve probably caught on to the naming scheme by now). And you should be too, because it’s seriously good stuff. Thankfully, NPR’s First Listen feature is here to wet our appetites weeks in advance of the album’s release. There, you can preview the album entirely free and decide if it’s worth your hard-earned dough or not. Pretty sweet deal, eh?
LP4 will release June 8 on the XL Recordings label.
May/100
The Roots and Dirty Projectors get funky
The Roots and Dirty Projectors get funky
Yeah, that's right.
There’s been plenty of buzz around hip-hop band The Roots‘ forthcoming album, How I Got Over, since drummer ?uestlove (how exactly do you pronounce that, anyway?) Twittered the album’s name all the way back in February of ‘09. Since then, we’ve got hints of collaborations and a tantalizing debut of the title track on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” where the seven-piece moonlights as the house band. But in case you need another reason to be excited, how about a collaboration with one of the most exciting indie bands of the past couple of years?
That’s right: Earlier today, Pitchfork revealed that the girls of Dirty Projectors will contribute guest vocals on at least two songs on the band’s 11th album. And they’ve got a video to prove it. An (incomplete?) track listing also reveals contributions by Jim James of Monsters of Folk, Phonte Coleman of Little Brother, and Joanna Newsom. That year-plus’ wait is looking to be more and more worth it.
How I Got Over is scheduled to release June 22 of this year (hopefully) on Def Jam Records.
Apr/100
China walls off Bob Dylan
China walls off Bob Dylan
人步行必须下來，在您称多少條路他一個人之前?
The People’s Republic of China’s Draconian censorship policies have recently drawn much ire from the Western world, causing Google – among others – to pull out of the country completely. Now, as of yesterday, these policies have alienated one more soul: legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan.
After tentatively scheduling concert dates in Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong for the spring, Dylan was subsequently denied access to the country by China’s propaganda-peddling Ministry of Culture. The denial comes isn’t all that surprising, however, as Dylan is known for his politically-charged protest songs and strong Western-liberal opinions. Surely he and his ilk can’t be very well liked among the Party oligarchy that runs the country.
Too bad, too, since there’s undoubtedly a huge number of people there who could use exposure to something other than Party-approved culture. Would it be too much to ask for Chinese democracy in Dylan’s lifetime?
Apr/100
Slash wants you to make hate to the camera
Slash wants you to make hate to the cameraIf you live in the Los Angeles area, have two days to kill, and are still looking for your 15 minutes of fame, you might want to drop Slash a line. The former Guns N’ Roses/Velvet Revolver ax man is shooting a video for his single, “By The Sword,” this week, and he’s looking for a few good moshers. 75 male and female punk rockish extras are needed, ranging in age from 18 to 22. 12 to 14 hour shooting days will occur on Thursday, April 8 through Friday, April 9. It’s a pro bono gig, but lunch and beverages will be provided.
If you’re interested, send your name, age, photo, and phone number to slashmusicvideo@gmail.com. A little light crowd surfing will be required, so please send at least three mosh pit references in with your resume.
Apr/100
Fast food kills… any hope of Violent Femmes reunion
Fast food kills… any hope of Violent Femmes reunion
I won't even mention what the song is actually about.
It makes your gut stick out. It can give you everything from hypertension to diabetes to e. coli poisoning. It doesn’t taste very good in the first place. But now, fats food has gone one step too far: It’s killed any hope of a Violent Femmes reunion for the foreseeable future.
Back in 2007, Violent Femmes frontman Gordon Gano sold the rights to use the Femmes’ hit “Blister in the Sun” in a commercial for Wendy’s hamburgers. Gano’s perceived sellout angered a lot of fans of the band, as well as former Femmes bassist Brian Ritchie. (Ritchie even sued Gano over the use of the song, claiming – rightfully so – that it damaged the band’s reputation.) Three years later, tempers apparently haven’t cooled.
“There’s no will to do anything creative there,” stated Ritchie in a recent interview with Spinner regarding a possible reunion of the influential folk-punk trio. And regarding the Wendy’s debacle, he had this to say: “I don’t like having my sound misappropriated to sell harmful products, such as fast food.”
Good for him for taking a stand. Too bad I’d almost – but not quite – prefer it if he just accepted a check from Wendy’s and got on with a reunion tour instead.
Mar/100
South by Southwest by South Side (SXSWXSS) – A virtual encore for ‘Burghers
South by Southwest by South Side (SXSWXSS) – A virtual encore for ‘BurghersWell, South by Southwest (or SXSW for the enlightened) is in the books, and if you’re like your average ‘Burgher, you had to rely on pretentious Internet radio mock jocks to get your festival fix. Luckily, the 412 crew is lookin’ out for you. We scoured the Intertubes for… well, minutes, searching for the best unsanctioned concert footage we could find, and slapped together a lil’ virtual SXSW after the fact for your viewing and listening pleasure. Check out all the sets we found below, and don’t say we never gave ya nothin’:
Spoon (@Stubbs)
More tubey goodness after the jump…
Mar/100
Sub Pop gets folk-freaky with CocoRosie
Sub Pop gets folk-freaky with CocoRosie
Believe me, it only gets better from here.
It’s hard to imagine a musical duo stranger than a couple of French sisters whose unique “freak-folk” style incorporates everything from a harp to beatboxing to various children’s toys. But what’s even harder to imagine is that duo gaining any sort of mainstream recognition. Well, check out your window, because there just might be a fleet of airborne pigs scuttling on by.
CocoRosie, the project of Paris-based sisters Bianca “Coco” and Sierra “Rosie” Casady, just announced that their next album, to be titled Grey Oceans, will release on popular American indie label Sub Pop this coming spring. This release will mark their fourth album since 2003’s La maison de mon reve (a title that Babelfish tells me means something like, “The house of my dreams.”) The article also hints that “amazing and diverse musicians” will be appearing on the new album – though what that means is, at this point, anyone’s guess.
Grey Oceans will release May 11 on Sub Pop Records.
Mar/100
Preview MGMT’s “Congratulations” – Now!
Preview MGMT’s “Congratulations” – Now!
hipster.jpg
Just a quick plug, since I know that there’s a ton of MGMT fans here in the ShowClix offices: NPR is currently streaming the Brooklyn quintet’s new album, Congratulations, a full three weeks before its release! Give it a listen and get hyped, boys and girls.