Takin' You Back
Harry Chapin tells his Greatest Stories.
Modern singer-songwriters and acts like Iron & Wine, Conor Oberst and Damien Rice owe quite a bit to the people who came before them. Without guys like Paul Simon, James Taylor and Neil Young, it’s highly possible that some of the more popular acts in indie rock would never have gotten started. One of the greatest singer-songwriters ever was Harry Chapin, whose only song most people know is “Cat’s in the Cradle...
Posted by Cory Roop on Feb 16, 2009 @ 7:00 am
Sonic Youth Announce New Album: The Eternal
Noise-rock nerds everywhere expected to freak the F out on June 9.
I don't know about any of you, but Sonic Youth was one of those bands that made me realize who my friends were ten years ago. As illustrated in the horrifically cliche Juno, some people think "it's just noise." Others of us, however, built entire social circles around thinly-veiled Pagan worship of Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, and the rest of the crew.
If you're like me, my friends from college, and Jason Bateman, then you should first turn off your noise-cancelling earmuff headphones, put out that cigarette, and get ready to smile more widely than Rob Gordon in the final scene of High Fidelity: Sonic Youth have announced their new album.
Matador Records will drop Sonic Youth's latest work, The Eternal, on June 9. It will inevitably be a vigorous romp through soundscapes and walls of melodic noise, as we've seen the band fail to ever slow down. And we can't think of a better title for such an iconic band than The Eternal. They've also promised special bonus material if you buy the album through their Buy Early Get Now program.
Tracklist for The Eternal:
Posted by Mark Steffen on Feb 12, 2009 @ 8:00 am
The Valentine's Day Mixtape
Because giving a mixtape is about as cliche as flowers.
This weekend is the biggest commercial holiday based on an emotion, hormones and the fear of boyfriends around the world. Yes folks, Valentines Day is upon us. A day of overpriced candy, excess of flowers and, for the single world, just another reason to feel like the third wheel in a group of married or attached friends...
Posted by Lisa White on Feb 12, 2009 @ 12:00 am
Xiu Xiu Hits the Road, Gets Crafty
Creepster Superstar Jamie Stewart wants to sell you music. And chocolate.
For someone who frequently writes about some of the most horrific stuff I've ever heard - think Jonathan Safran Foer meets Hellraiser - Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart sure is a crafty guy. Not only will he be embarking on his first solo tour since 2003, but he's taking pictures of every single person who attends every show. What says "not actually creepy" better than "I want to have a picture of your face on my wall?" Am I the only one who thinks
He's also selling homemade chocolate these days and hand-packing each CD that he sells... and including leaves in the wrapping? Oh so indie.
Check him out on his solo tour:
04-02 Greenville, NC - The Spazzatorium
04-03 Norfolk, VA - The Boot
04-04 Richmond, VA - The Triple
04-05 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
04-06 Brooklyn, NY - Monkey Town
04-09 Durham, NH - The Stafford Room
04-10 Chicago, IL - Ronny's Bar
04-11 Grinnell, IA - Gardner Lounge (Grinnell College)
04-14 Seattle, WA - The Vera Project
04-15 Portland, OR - Backspace
04-17 San Francisco, CA - Cafe Du Nord
04-18 Los Angeles, CA - Echo Curio
04-19 Tucson, AZ - Solar Culture
04-21 Austin, TX - Salvage Vanguard Theater
04-23 Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder
04-24 St. Augustine, Florida - Cafe Eleven
04-25 Atlanta, GA - Wonderroot
And read the whole story here.
Posted by Mark Steffen on Feb 11, 2009 @ 12:00 am
Andy Samberg Picks T-Pain
The Lonely Island are on a Boat with more auto-tune than ever.
What do a couple of skinny white dudes and giant hat toting T-Pain have in common? Nothing really, unless you count the fact that they’re all on a boat, bitch! Normally I don’t particularly like T-Pain, but this new single by The Lonely Island (of Saturday Night Live fame) earns him points in my book. Never would I have thought to hear anyone sing “Flippy-Floppys” with auto-tune. T-Pain has now made that dream a reality with his recent collaboration.
The single “I’m on a Boat” has The Lonely Island (Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone and Andy Samberg) bragging about being on a boat while T-Pain provides his always auto-tuned vocals for the background. The combination is super ridiculous and brings light to the fact that being on a boat is the shit!
Not too long after the song made it to the interweb a video debuted on last week’s SNL, and that only adds to the hilarity. The Lonely Island also released an album today (February 10) that features artists such E-40, Natalie Portman, Norah Jones and Justin Timberlake.
Watch the video here
Posted by Andrew Macnider on Feb 10, 2009 @ 7:00 am