Video

New Video “VCR” From The XX

Adam Kearney :: Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 4:35 pm

You can see the new video from the XX over on Stereogum. It’s directed by Marcus Söderlund, a Swedish director previously known for his work with Jens Lekmen. The black and white video shows a budding teenage romance in the basement of some possibly abandoned building. Fires are lit, chandeliers look trippy, the two kids write messages to each with marker on a building wall and then rip the paint off. She holds up a lantern and the world turns color.., then they smash it, emblazoning a giant, flaming XX on the wall. It cuts to plants, a tiny monkey, and they are both crashed out.

Witch “Mutated” Video Premiere, New Album Releases

Adam Kearney :: Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 3:35 pm

Hard-rock J. Mascis side project Witch have a video available for “Mutated” off their sophomore album “Paralyzed.” It is shot in HD, in the newest Witch member Graham Clise’s living room. Mario Rubalcaba of Earthless sits in for J. Mascis on drums. The video is shot by director William McConnaughy, who has also worked with Band of Horses and Mudhoney. MORE »

Public Image LTD Reunited For Coachella

Adam Kearney :: Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 2:45 pm

Without a US show in 18 years, the members of PiL will be back to play the opening day of Coachella on April 16, 2010. John Lydon, former front man for Sex Pistols, along with Lu Edmonds, Bruce Smith, and Scott Firth have already played seven concerts in the UK before their upcoming return.

2010 has added significance for the band, as it marks the 30th anniversary of their first US tour and their first appearance on American Bandstand. They have 30 years of music to draw upon for Coachella, and some surprises are also in store.

New York Times To Charge Frequent Readers

Adam Kearney :: Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 2:05 pm

The New York Times has decided to begin charging repeat visitors to the website before the beginning of next year. This is likely to scare off some of the less frequent readers, so they have designed a plan where regular visitors would need to pay a subscription price, but those finding articles on search engines would be able to read for free, and keep generating advertising revenue. MORE »

Everybody Was In The French Resistance… Now!

Adam Kearney :: Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 12:40 pm

Eddie Argos, lead singer from English/German indie outfit Art Brut, has a side project devoted to rewriting pop songs in order to correct the mistakes of music history. The name of the group is Everybody Was In The French Resistance… Now! and the album is called “Fixin’ The Charts: Vol. One.” The first single, “G.I.R.L.F.R.I.E.N (You Know I’ve Got A),” is now up on his MySpace page. It’s an Avril Lavigne rebuke, revising her song “Girlfriend” to realistic standards. “Avril Lavigne is a bitch,” says the band in a communique, “…she is attempting to steal men from loving happy relationships… Do not worry. Everybody Was In The French Resistance… Now! have the “motherfucking princess” in their réticule.”

Q&A with Frightened Rabbit

Adam Kearney :: Tuesday, January 19th, 2010 6:00 pm

I talked today with Frightened Rabbit’s front man and creative force Scott Hutchison about his new album “The Winter of Mixed Drinks,” due out in March.

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The “Winter of Mixed Drinks” is a very nautical album. Do you have any history of sailing?

[Laughs] None, whatsoever. I guess that’s why it’s mostly about swimming and drowning. No, I was fucking terrified of going on boats for quite a long time, when I was younger, so, no, I wasn’t heavily into that. MORE »

Surfer Blood debut with “Astro Coast”

Adam Kearney :: Tuesday, January 19th, 2010 2:40 pm

Spraying the world with the fine, ocean breezes of their first album “Astro Coast,” Surfer Blood stand poised to deliver the sounds of the Reef to the ears of an indie generation thirsting for good vibrations.

‘Astro Coast” begins with swaggering guitar chords and drums on “Floating Vibes”, anticipating the throwback to some warm, nostlagic era. Those expecting straight up surfer rock will be surprised by the modern, shoegazy sound tsunamis interspersed with the usual melodic pop hooks. MORE »

Lindstrom & Christabelle: Real Life Is No Cool

Adam Kearney :: Monday, January 18th, 2010 5:40 pm

Lindstrom & Christabelle are Hans-Peter Lindstrom, an established electronic producer, and Christabelle Sandoo (aka Solale), the damsel vocalist. They combine to create the newest pop disco album out of Norway.

Lindstrom’s structured electronic compositions find new life with Christabelle’s largely improvised vocals, and a contrast is created between the order of the music and the chaos of the lyrics. MORE »

Mass. Debacle: Dems Face Supermajority Loss?

Adam Kearney :: Monday, January 18th, 2010 4:30 pm

The Democrats have been done everything they can to secure a “supermajority” in the Senate, and they’ve held it with 60 seats to the Republican’s 40, since Al Franken was sworn in as the Senator for Missouri on July 7, 2009. But since Sen. Edward Kennedy passed away, the Democrats have been scrambling to secure the seat for their party in the Massachusetts special election. President Obama made a plea for Democrat Martha Coakley during a speech Massachusetts yesterday, following Bill Clinton’s arrival last Friday. However, early survey results show the Republican Scott Brown leading 51 to 46. MORE »

New From Smashing Pumpkins: Widow Make My Mind

Adam Kearney :: Monday, January 18th, 2010 3:35 pm

The Smashing Pumpkins have released the second track, “Widow Wake My Mind,” from the series collected under the upcoming album “Teargarden By Kaleidyscope.” The track is available exclusively on Myspace today, and then will be on the Pumpkins‘ website where it will be embeddable to stream from any website. MORE »

New Music From jj nº 3: Download “Let Go”

Adam Kearney :: Monday, January 18th, 2010 2:50 pm

In anticipation of the March 9th release of jj nº 3, the follow-up album to jj nº 2 (with blue pot leaf album cover), the single “Let Go” can be downloaded now for your listening pleasure. It’s a mellow passage with harmonica lead-in, twinkly synths and demure vocals.

jj, who are Swedish though recently signed to Secretly Canadian records, derive their name from the French film Jules et Jim. They will begin touring with the British band the XX beginning in March. MORE »

Medical Marijuana in NJ, Legalization Movement on West Coast: Everybody Wants Their Hands In The Pot.

Adam Kearney :: Monday, January 18th, 2010 1:55 pm

New Jersey has now become the 14th state to legalize medical marijuana, although lawmakers stress that the availability is going to be nothing like California’s. Only patients suffering from chronic conditions such as cancer and AIDS will be allowed the medication at this point, although the door has been left open for the state health department to add more diseases to the list.

Marijuana, even for medicinal use, is still illegal according to federal law, however Obama’s announcement in October that the FBI would no longer be prosecuting those following state laws has lent some cred to the legalization movement, which is not passing up the opportunity to advance their agenda. MORE »

Obama: The Musical

Adam Kearney :: Monday, January 18th, 2010 12:40 pm

At a time when many Americans are becoming jaded once again by the political process, after a crippling recession, a bitter battle over public health insurance, and a continued war on terror overseas, we can look back to the inspiring moments of Obama’s 2008 election campaign through a musical in Germany titled “Hope- The Obama Musical Story.”

Set in Chicago, in the 20-year period leading up to the election, the story begins with Obama as a community organizer and follows his journey to becoming the first black president, focusing primarily on the 2008 campaign and his historic slogan “Yes we can.” MORE »

Rodrigo y Gabriela Announce Spring Tour

Adam Kearney :: Thursday, January 14th, 2010 11:35 am

The global phenomenon known as Rodrigo y Gabriela are beginning touring in late February to support their latest album, 11:11. The Mexican power duo each play acoustic guitars, but in such a heavily stylized and virtuosic manner that it sounds like a six-piece band.

11:11, their second full-length album following their self-titled debut, blew the minds of fans and critics with its sheer power and majesty. Listening to the record is like riding a pyrotechnic rollercoaster through space. And their live show is just as thrilling. MORE »

Kings Of Convenience Set To Tour In Feb

Adam Kearney :: Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 3:05 pm

In support of their latest album Declaration of Dependence, Kings of Convenience will begin their first North American tour in five years in February. The Norwegian acoustic-pop duo, who have drawn comparisons with Simon and Garfunkel, left the audience in awed silence at their recent performance at the Bowery Ballroom in New York. Their gentle, lulling guitar melodies and hypnotic, harmonizing vocals make entering a trance almost irresistible. The Venture, CA band Franklin For Short will be opening for Kings, and a West Coast leg of the tour is in the works. MORE »