
My friend turned me on to these guys. They remind me of why I like music. Cymbals Eat Guitars...enjoy.
This video was shot on blue screen with only six dancers...
Directed by Patrick Daughters (the guy behind Feist's "1234") and Marcel Dzama; unveiled this week as part of MoMA's 'PopRally' program. Read more here.
My Maudlin Career by Camera Obscura
This album reminds me of Billy Joel. Which is not to say that it sounds like Billy Joel--though, like The Stranger or Glass Houses, MMC is predominately melancholy/bittersweet in tone, broken up by brief intervals of serious, well-polished pop. No, what I mean is: someday, we're all going to be old. Like, real old. Older than the oldest contributers to URFCKD are now. And when that happens, the Adult Contemporary stations on the radio (or whatever music-playing device we'll be tuning in to in the future) will be targeting us (instead of our parents). And MMC is exactly the kind of album that would top Billboard's 'Hot Adult Contemporary' charts (when that happens).
Does that make sense? I hope it does.
Now, I'm not complaining about the fact that MMC is the easy listening of the future. Quite the opposite: I like Billy Joel (note: I'm saying "like" instead of "love" because I want to seem hipper than I actually am). I tend to like accessible albums, and this is that.
Give it a listen here.Brain Cycles by Radio Moscow
I would argue that this album should be played whilst yer sipping 3 fingers of bourbon (straight) and smoking. I don't care what you're smoking, though smoking crack probably wouldn't jibe with this album's energy (that's your call, though.) You should probably also be wearing something made of suede.
This is as much of a review as I'm willing to write. Interpret it as you will.
Listen here.
SUPER AWESOME BONUS!
I've blogged about this before, but 2009 hasn't really been 'the year of music acquisition' for this one over here (aka 'me'). I've been listening, more or less exclusively, to David Bowie, Passion Pit, and The Kinks--mostly because that's about all I can stand these days. But I've been baby-sitting my sister for the past week, and the kid is involved in like, every extra-curricular activity there is, so I've spent a lot of time in cars. Cars that aren't my shitty van. Cars that actually have stereo systems. Which means, I've spent the past week listening to a combination of the radio and whatever my sister has on her iPod.
Which means, I've actually been listening to music. Unfortunately, my sister and I have very dissimilar taste in music; our common interests are few, as evidenced in this here Venn Diagram:
(Candidly speaking: I love the All American Rejects. Shut the fuck up and die if you have a problem with that.)
Anyway. Because I've had just about as much Top 40 radio as I can handle (and because this week's reading isn't really something that requires a lot of attention (and because I needed to find some noise to get Taylor Swift out of my head)), I've actually started looking for new music. Here's what I've listened to thus far: Coyote by El Goodo
Coyote seems like a good transition from The Kinks to The Beach Boys (the latter of which I will start listening to, on repeat, as soon as it warms up a little.) Actually, I'm pretty in love with this album.
Click here to... um... 'listen.'
Outside Love by Pink Mountaintops
I'm still deciding if I like this one or not. But when I put it on the same playlist as Coyote and Fuckbooks and hit "Shuffle", it all goes together pretty nicely.
Click here to 'listen.'
The Floodlight Collective by Lotus Plaza
Moue. (Or "Meh", if you prefer.)
Click here to 'listen.'
Fuckbooks by Condo Fucks
Fuckity fuckity I can say "fuck" fucklevenity fucking times fuck! (That was a joke. I like the word "fuck," and don't hate on people who use it gratuitously.) I'm marginally aware of, and kind of remember liking Yo La Tengo, and I tend to like cover albums, so you'd think I'd enjoy this a lot more... As is, I like it, but overall, I'm mostly indifferent. I think it could grow on me, though.
Click here to 'listen.'
So. There're other albums I've... 'found' online this week, but these are the four I've actually listened to. Also, stumbled across this today; thought some of you might find it worth a listen: "Illinoize is a free remix tape put together by Montreal-based producer Tor, sampling songs from multi-instrumentalist and indie hero, Sufjan Stevens. racks are sampled from his 2005 LP Illinoise, as well as 3 of his other albums, 'A Sun Came', 'Seven Swans' and 'Songs for Christmas', blending Sufjan Steven's acoustic guitar, piano and horns with MC's Aesop Rock, Big Daddy Kane, Gift of Gab (Blackalicious), C.L. Smooth, Outkast, Brother Ali, and Grand Puba."
Download it here.
That's it. That's all I had to say.
I started reading "Neverwhere" today, a task I've neglected for over a year. Not sure how it happened, as I love Neil Gaiman, but there it is. I was about two chapters in when I decided to take a "Daily Show"/"Colbert Report" break. And lo! who should Colbert have on the show but Mr. Neil himself?
The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
Neil Gaiman | ||||
comedycentral.com | ||||
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I was watching this cinematic masterpiece:
(Only watch the first minute or so.)
Timeless.
I've know about the No Cuss Club for a while, but just saw this video:
My favorite part? When the two older gentlemen, after having been scolded by the blaspheme brigade, ask if they can hang with the posse of tweens. Creepy.