Sunday, December 30, 2007

Tunes

30 great songs of 2oo7

30. The Bird and the Bee / How Deep is Your Love (unreleased)
Covering the Beegees, the bird and the bee really allow you to absorb the lyrics instead of the shrill harmonies of "how deep is your love." It's also nice when she goes into her lower register instead of in the rafters.
29. Beck / Soldier Jane (The Information)
It's always nice to hear Beck - this is the best song off of this album, which in my opinion, kindof sank.
28. Battles / Atlas (Mirrored)
Reminds me a lot of the guards' chant in the Wizard of Oz. I like that.
27. Animal Collective / Fireworks (Strawberry Jam)
Loud and amusing - this song is an epiphany of some sort.
26. Panda Bear / Ponytail (Person Pitch)
The Beach Boys' echoes once they have all passed, and their music travels through the realm of death into the realm of reality. A ghostly tune.
25. Britney Spears / Radar (Blackout)
There's some Goldfrapp in here, yet it is mostly Britney and her big old computer voice running the show. It's great.

24. The Arcade Fire / The Well and the Lighthouse (Neon Bible)
I didn't care for this album too much, but this song is reminiscent of the Funeral days more than any of the others.
23. The Rakes / When Tom Cruise Cries (Ten New Messages)
Melodic, Dancey, and British. Perfect.
22. The Shins / Australia (Wincing the Night Away)
Makes You Happy.

21. Bat for Lashes / What's a Girl to Do? (Fur & Gold)
I just can't help but love this song...reminiscent of Jane Birkin in "Je t'aime moi non plus"
20. The Cribs / Men's Needs (Men's Needs, Woman's Needs...)
Frontman Ryan Jarman's screech is endearing in this catchy dance rock song.
19. The Apples in Stereo / Same Old Drag (New Magnetic Wonder)
Trippy harmonies, 90s beat, hot all around.
18. Liars / Freak Out (Liars)
You have to have some noise on a best single list. While this latest Liars album was certainly their most mainstream, and this song is still slightly more melodic then their past hits, it delves back into the roots Liars fans love [i think.]
17. Spoon / My Little Japanese Cigarette Case (Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga)
An all around adorable song.
16. The White Stripes / Conquest (Icky Thump)
What an awesome Patti Page cover! What an awesome song!
15. Film School / Compare (Hideout)
Great stuff from the surfacing Film School. This second album Hideout proves the bad second album curse to be incorrect.




14. Rihanna ft. Jay-Z / Umbrella (Good Girl Gone Bad)
Song of the Summer. Period.
13. Britney Spears / Piece of Me (Blackout)
We might wish that Britney wrote this herself, but a team of 10,000 people helped her - and her voice is slowed down, sped up, and utterly manipulated by a machine. It's SO GOOD
12. LCD Soundsystem / All My Friends (Sound of Silver)
This song is so much fun - and it's nice when a dance/electronic song has a good beat but is also pretty.
11. Deerhoof / The Galaxist (Friend Opportunity)
Inventive, incorporates many a' genre, and is both silly and profound.
10. The National / Mistaken for Strangers (Boxer)
Really great song - I just heard them for the first time a couple of days ago, and this song, with all of its acclaim, has landed the number 10 spot on this list.
9. Blonde Redhead - Dr. Strangeluv (23)
Incredible.
8. Of Montreal / Gronlandic Edit (Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?)
I put this on my Mom's exercise mix, and it was her favorite song. It's a lot of fun.
7. Deerhunter / Strange Lights (Cryptograms)
A really strong song from a really strong album. How vague of me.
6. Daft Punk / Harder Better Faster Stronger LIVE (Alive 2007)
One of the best live tracks I've ever heard.
5. Radiohead / Nude (In Rainbows)
Originally recorded in '93, ghostly vocals, and a beautifully produced level of atmosphere comprises "nude." Tom Yorke, at precisely 3 minutes into the song, holds a note that is so beautiful, it makes you want to cry.

4. M.I.A. / 20 Dollar (Kala)
I love the sampling of Pixies' "where is my mind" - the arrangement is so creative - how could the United States not let M.I.A. in??
3. Animal Collective / Unsolved Mysteries (Strawberry Jam)
I saw this song live, and it was incredible too. Yet another innovative track of the year. Really something.
2. Frankpollis / Malk (FPEP)
Frankpollis, a new band that just recorded their EP in Detroit, (its also being remixed right now for official release,) are going to blow up. I've been fortunate enough to see them live quite a few times, and its mesmerizing. They're playing at Piano's soon, and then they're off to Japan in April.
1. Blonde Redhead / Spring and by Summer Fall (23)
This song changed my life. Not only seeing them do this live, but the vocals, the delicious guitar yelps, the passion emitted from Amedeo, Simone, and Kazu - everything just comes together. The resulting sound is brilliant. The sexuality of Blonde Redhead is also so forthright in this particular song. The melody crawls up your body.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Saturday, December 29, 2007

I'm a Jonas Brother now

Today my friends and I were recognized as the Jonas Brothers, the Disney-manufactured boy group sensation in McDonalds on 57th street.
As of now, Miley Cyrus has chlamydia, and we're our next 5 shows are in New Jersey. Yeaaaah
The Jonas Brothers:



Us:


Yeah.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

guitar hero III


tonights festivities included - "walk hard: the dewey cox story" and guitar heroIII
my favorite to play:
Barracuda - Heart
my biggest failure:



and in honor of Eddie Vedder's comic talent and participation in Walk Hard, here are some Pearl Jam tunes, also from 1993-
try talking to someone and playing guitar hero at the same time

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

One last Christmas message from Liam, Stella, and Mom

Ebenezer: What is your business here?
Spirit of Christmas Past: Your welfare.
Ebenezer: My welfare?
Spirit of Christmas Past: Your reclamation, then. Take heed, rise, and walk with me.
Ebenezer: Are you the spirit whose coming was foretold to me?
Spirit of Christmas Past: I am.
Ebenezer: Who and what are you?
Spirit of Christmas Past: I am the Ghost of Christmas Past.
Ebenezer: Long past?
Spirit of Christmas Past: No, your past.
-Scrooge (1951)
Merry Christmas
Happy Belated Chanukah
From Liam the human being

2oo7 Rewind

Top Albums of 2007

1. Blonde Redhead - 23
key tracks: "spring by summer and fall" / "dr. strangeluv"
2. Radiohead - In Rainbows
key tracks: "nude" / "videotape" / "bodysnatchers"
3. M.I.A. - Kala
key tracks: "20 dollar" / "hussel" / "paper planes"
4. Deerhunter - Cryptograms
key tracks: "strange lights" / "heatherwood"
5. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
key tracks: "unsolved mysteries" / "fireworks" / "#1"
6. Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
key tracks: "the galaxist" / "matchbook seeks maniac" / "believe e.s.p."
7. Aretha Franklin - Rare and Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul
key track: "dr. feelgood [demo]"
8. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
key tracks: "ponytail" / "bros" / "take pills"
9. Daft Punk - Alive 2007
key track: "harder better faster stronger"
10. Britney Spears - Blackout
key tracks: "piece of me" / "heaven on earth" / "radar"


11. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
key tracks: "north american scum" / "all my friends"
12. The National - Boxer
key tracks: "mistaken for strangers" "apartment story"
13. Sharon Jones and the Dapkings - 100 Days, 100 Nights
key track: "tell me"
14. Albert Hammond Jr. - Yours to Keep
key tracks: "in transit" - which i will say came from The Strokes' original release of Albert's song, "obstinate"/ "bright young thing"
15. The Apples in Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder
key tracks: "same old drag" / "energy"
16. Battles - Mirrored
key tracks: "atlas" / tonto"
17. Kanye West - Graduation
key track: "stronger"
18. The Cribs - Men's Needs, Women's Needs...Whatever
key tracks: "men's needs" / "i'm a realist"
19. The Bird and the Bee - The Bird and the Bee
key tracks: "again and again" / "i'm a broken heart"
20. The Darjeeling Limited - Soundtrack
key tracks: "this time tomorrow - the kinks" / "play with fire" - rolling stones


flower and ice rink pictures by Google / others by me - i thought i'd add some flavor to this list.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Techno's newest veteran

Our beloved Goldfrapp has turned to her roots.



Similar to her first album, Felt Mountain, Her newest album Seventh Tree mirrors her original slow pop style. The great thing about it is that we can really hear her beautiful voice - it maintains more than ooh-la-las - but I'm gonna miss the tip toes, trains, twists...number ones. Goldfrapp: go through your Celine Dion phase quickly please. We want more than woman-Barry White.

Listen to "Cologne Cerrone Houdini"...and theres about one thing you should be doing as this song plays, that is, if Burt Reynolds hasn't already played it in Boogie Nights.

Key Track:

Goldfrapp - Cologne Cerrone Houdini

Key Nostalgia:

Goldfrapp - Strict Machine (We Are Glitter Mix)

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Exciting

November Playlist

Hot Chip - Sometimes All I Need
The Hives - Try it Again
Devo - Watch us Work it
The Kinks - This Time Tomorrow
CSS - Knife (Grizzly Bear cover)
Daft Punk - Harder Better Faster Stronger (Alive 2007)
Yelle - Je Veux Te Voir
Radiohead - Nude
Radiohead - Videotape
The Cure vs. Groove Theory - Hip Hop Lullaby

The Killers - Shadowplay (Joy Division cover - pretty good, considering the original's fantastic)
Britney Spears - Heaven On Earth, Piece of Me

Friday, October 5, 2007

I skipped September, didn't I? so much has happened, baby.

Where can I start????

I saw Animal Collective again at Webster Hall on September 30th, and it was great, except for The Scientist's fury at the techies--it was too bassy on stage?? Whatever. Panda Bear was so sweet nonetheless.

I will categorize for your pleasure. The top 3 songs for each mood, as far as September goes. I can assure you that I have been prodigiously leaping from mood to mood in the last month, and I need this consolation badly. Let me know what you think...OH! and it was my birthday on September 19th! Now I can read Seventeen magazine and truly identify with the issues! Jeeeeez

mood 1: Pensive/Maudlin/Sentimental

All Wrong - Black Kites
Lake Michigan - Rogue Wave (no teasing)
Tahiti - Bat for Lashes

mood 2: Crazy/Ecstatic/Happy/Speedy

Money(That's What I Want) - The Beatles
Phantom Lever - Justice vs. Trillville
Gimme More - Britney Spears
Fireworks - Animal Collective

mood 3: Dejected

Just Like Honey - The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Big Fight - Stars
Ghost - Christy & Emily

download theez

and i just heard about Daft Punk playing Las Vegas on Oct. 27th in the middle of the fucking desert for a Halloween party!!!!! I want to go!!!!!

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

I'm At the Beach for the Last Week of August

The Fair Harbor bay at sunset:

I will not be writing for the next couple of days, for I am lounging at the beach on Fire Island (Fair Harbor.) It's beautiful and sunny and perfect for sleeping, eating, catching up on work, and certainly not looking at the clock for any kind of a reminder of a routine [that I am oh so accustomed to in the city.] Although, today at around 4pm, little ant-sized shrimp invaded the ocean. Why? I don't know. This happened a couple of years ago as well, and man do they spoil the fun of a beach day. Hopefully the waves will get rougher and take them away from here.

I lament:

Robert Johnson - Dead Shrimp Blues.

He's amazing. Good for lounging too, too.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Professor Murder in the Washington Post

Check out this article from the Washington Post: They haven't gone away at all!

PROFESSOR MURDER'S KILLER BEAT
Saturday, August 18, 2007; Page C06



D.C. concertgoers regularly get grief for not dancing enough. Maybe the problem isn't that the locals are uptight; they just save their shimmying for worthy acts. Rhythmic rockers Professor Murder, who kicked off an eight-city tour with a show at the Black Cat's backstage Wednesday night, more than fit the bill. There was a whole lot of shaking going on as the Brooklyn quartet delivered a dynamic performance filled with propulsive drum-circle jams.

During most of the evening's eight songs, three of the group's members could be found pounding on something. Professor Murder is a fine name (taken from the cult
HBO comedy "Mr. Show"), but you might as well call them White Man Group. Drummer Andy Craven bashed away on his standard kit, Jesse Cohen handled electro sounds on a drum pad and frontman Michael Bell-Smith took turns on snare, tom, cymbals and cowbell. Instead of blurring into one cacophonous rumble, the beats were perfectly complementary, and the slinky grooves provided by bassist Tony Plunkett held everything together, especially on the standouts "Champion" and "200,000."

Bell-Smith's vocals were mostly chanted, and he broke out a whistle on a few occasions, which only added to the tribal feel. At times it felt more like something you'd hear at a soccer match than a nightclub. There were definite hints of Animal Collective's percussion-heavy folk and the Rapture's energetic dance-punk, but Professor Murder was mostly working with a sound all its own. It was never boring, always funky and, perhaps most telling, made 100 or so folks in the nation's capital dance.
-- David Malitz


I know Andy Craven! I went to a Yankee game with him when I was 9 or 10. Crazy!

Professor Murder - Free Stress Test (always a nice song)

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Daft Punk's Electroma

Ever seen a movie that screams art! {?}
Even though it was what I expected from Daft Punk, I didn't really enjoy it to its fullest potential.



The beginning scene, however, where the two of them are in the company of gorgeous montains and the ranges that go with them, with Brian Eno playing in the background, is fantastic. The camera merely focuses on the cliffs, the shapes of the stringy road, and the rest of the desert with which you might not be entirely familiar.
The movie, in essence, is how the two DP Robots wish to be human. And, they do in fact mold human faces over their robot helmets, and indeed walk around the western robot town that is shown in the beginning-to-middle section of the film.
But to state the obvious if you see it, there is just way too much walking with no talking. Walking and walking and walking and walking in the desert in the house in the mountains in the town in the bored part of my nervous system.
Don't get me wrong though. I would absolutely love to appreciate this movie when I'm in the mood to zone. Seriously.
Daft Punk are still great, whatever.

Friday, August 24, 2007

Last Day at the Office

Today is my last day of work!

pictures of my office on W39th St.
If I turn my chair around, this is what I see.

My beautiful view...and what is that on my computer screen?! It's MY BLOG!
This is dedicated to those who I worked with this summer: Christina, Philip, Molly, Jon, Richard, Yufen, Jaron, and of course Rick.
Thanks for a good summer.

I'll leave you all with this:

WooHoo!

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Songs of the Month

August is ending (it's the 23rd, I know I know,) and I have decided that their should be a list outlining the best songs of the month. The songs of summer will arrive to you on September 21st, the truly last day of Summer. In addition, I will now be posting my own mp3s, despite my meager knowledge of how to do it. I have been trying to submit my blog to The Hype Machine, and I was informed that hotwiring to other people's mp3s is not a very kind thing to do. What have I done? I am now a recovering thief I suppose, so, enjoy these last hotwired mp3s.

To clarify, the songs of August have not been necessarily released in August. (These are merely things that I listened to frequently.)

1990s - You're Supposed to Be My Friend
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Kiss, Kiss
Junior Senior vs. Lil' Jon - Can I Get Low
Roxy Music - Virginia Plain
M.I.A. - 20 $ (below)
The Beatles vs. Fatboy Slim - Trippin' Up
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Christine (there's always room for this song.)

Bye Bye August...

Moby and Q-Tip on dueling turntables

Check out this Village Voice article from this week. (August 22-28):
A quick excerpt:
Alife Sessions, the private concert series that kicked off last year with a counterintuitive pairing of John Mayer and Just Blaze, once again filled the Lower East Side haunt Alife Rivington Club's courtyard over the weekend for Sound Clash—three hours of Moby and Q-Tip on dueling turntables. There were sneakerheads. And booze. And a lotta smoke. Turtle would not have been out of place.
Actually, Entourage similarities aside, it did feel a little bit L.A., due in part to the perfect 75-degree weather and all the smiling—this was one happy bunch of trainspotters. The crowd quickly formed a circle around Little Brooklyn designer Brad Digital when he briefly broke out his b-boy moves. Cheers went up when neighbors, perched on roofs and fire escapes, sent down paper airplanes. New York's urban tastemakers—Jeff Staple, Futura, Ace Boon Kunle, nitro:licious's Wendy L.—happily mugged for the cameras.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Looks and Listens / August 23-29

Courtesy of Time Out NY:

The Pierces play Mercury Lounge on Tuesday the 28th
Camera Obscura play two shows / SoundFix (FREE) and the Seaport (FREE)

The Liars' new album is reviewed (Click on the article, and it will blow up in size.)

The Fiery Furnaces play Socrates Sculpture Park (FREE)



MORE MORE MORE EXISTS TOO

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Doodle

Look at this doodle I did in the office today:

Main Entry:
extraordinary
Part of Speech:
adjective
Synonyms:
amazing, bizarre, boss*, curious, darb, exceptional, fab*, fantastic, flash*, gnarly*, heavy*, inconceivable, incredible, marvelous, odd, outstanding, particular, peculiar, phenomenal, primo, rare, remarkable, singular, some, special, strange, stupendous, surprising, terrific, tough, uncommon, unfamiliar, unheard-of, unimaginable, unique, unprecedented, unthinkable, unusual, unwonted, weird, wicked*, wonderful.


How's that for a description?


This is an amazing song - but not as profound as my old crazy laydee

Hey Hey My My Yo Yo

This seems overdue; so....
What a fantastic dance album, Junior Senior. I'll say.
If one feels nostalgic for a disco daze or yearns for something new to deck his/her dance moves out with, you have Hey Hey My My Yo Yo. I do love Junior Senior. (notice the emphatic "do.)


FIERCE!



The video for "Can I Get Get Get" is posted below...check it out.

Dirty Projectors' new song

Even though I missed The Dirty Projectors' graces at Death By Audio (I think) two weeks ago, I heard a song of theirs on WNYU yesterday from their new album, Rise Above. The song, also titled "Rise Above," is a complex and certainly respectable piece of music. Just when you thought "ART! music" (with a capital A R T and an exclamation point) could go no further, this song somehow steps forward. With hypnotizing fade-ins and fade-outs of background harmonizing vocals, on top of the lead singer's voice doing his Dirty Projector's thaang, you most definitely have something that you may observe, and not listen to casually. In a nutshell, "Rise Above" is like a SoHo art gallery in a song...And the theme of the gallery would be "big fat trip."


Sunday, August 19, 2007

The softer Pixies are back with the Hair, the TV, the baby, and the Band


Imperial Teen just released their new album, The Hair the TV the Baby and the Band, and its like child's play. This, being a backhanded statement, doesn't mean that its great or bad- I actually enjoy it a lot, but compared to 1999's What is Not to Love, or even 2002's On, The Hair... seems somewhat elementary. It could have been Imperial Teen's first attempt at an album in the early 90s, when they first started. Heavily inspired by the Pixies to a certain extent, one could extract from their music. They developed a catchy, slick style over the years, and the only song that seems somewhat evolved from their past stuff is their newest single "Shim Sham." Similar to their hits, "Ivanka" or "Yoo Hoo" it has a beat that you find somehow compelling, additionally packed with all the nonchalante, half-assed emotive vocals you love to hear. The vague enthusiasm that is common in all of Imperial Teen's songs is certainly present in the album as it always has been. In "Do It Better," the band laments about their lack of abilities compared with someone else - show me how you do it better... etc. It's all very cute.

For nostalgia's sake- here's the music video for "Yoo Hoo"-- featured, is Rose McGowan as Courtney Shane-the bitch of the school. It's a cool vid.





Here's some music to listen to:

Imperial Teen - Shim Sham
Imperial Teen - Do It Better
Imperial Teen - Yoo Hoo

Friday, August 17, 2007

Blonde Redhead: The Making of 23



watch them watch them watch them.

Get Get Get Happy

Junior Senior's newest triumph, "Can i Get Get Get"



It's a piece of work. It's nice to see real people in music videos though--similar to Dave Matthews' "Everyday" video with that big guy hugging everyone, or Len's 90s smash "Steal My Sunshine." --Wait, am I wrong with that one?

Film School's Hideout hits in September


What I've heard from people who listened to Film School's first, and not as well recieved Film School, is that Hideout is a prodigious jump in the right direction in terms of their music. Their stuff now is more "Blonde Redhead's 23 / Slowdive / The Jealous Girlfriends' Heiroglyphics"-ish. The shoegaze bomb has exploded all over them, and they are now coated in thick guitar licks, dreamy and slightly filtered vocals, and an overall better rock n' roll sound. In the words of someone I know very well, referring to Film School,

"Have you ever said that you really didn't like a certain band or artist even though you hadn't really taken a real listen to their material, only to find that you might actually be into it? The song was by the band Film School, who I chose to hate a year or so ago."


Their very good now, very good.
mp3s:
And while you're in the mood for this kind of noise, here's a Slowdive song ( a tad more profound than Film School's tracks,) I remembered hearing-but didn't know who it was by until last night!

The NY Times is going to Warsaw


The New York Times is just as excited as we are about Wolf Parade's concert at Warsaw. I'm not going, (it's sold out,) but good for them! It got a star in the listings.


mp3s:
Wolf Parade - I'll Believe In Anything (From Apologies to the Queen Mary )
Wolf Parade - Disco Sheets (From Wolf Parade - EP )

Thursday, August 16, 2007

If I fell in love with you, would you promise to be true?

The Beatle's A HARD DAY'S NIGHT.

I watched this masterpiece again last night for my mother's birthday and I was reminded yet again of the utopia I felt I had entered as a child watching John, Paul, Ringo, and George (my personal favorite as a youngin.) Their rich Liverpool accents, their antics, the fantastic club scenes in London to "All My Lovin'," (something that should be played more often in clubs today,) and everything else. Paul's clean granddad played by the gifted Willfred --I wish I remembered his last name--completely blew my mind seeing it as a more competent human being after being in an acting conservatory for 3 years. He makes it seem effortless. The movie's a classic. The special features on the DVD are quite cool too.






Download these:
The Beatles - Tell Me Why (A Hard Day's Night)
The Beatles - All My Loving (Meet the Beatles)
The Beatles - I Wanna Be Your Man (Meet the Beatles)

"Are you a mod or a rocker?"
Ringo replies: "I'm a mocker"

One more picture: John and Paul composing "If I Fell"

New Rogue Wave song

mp3: Rogue Wave - Lake Michigan
We all remember the likes of "Publish My Love," a favorite of the OC mix CDs that everyone pretended to not like, even though he/she downloaded the majority of their mainstream indie rock collectives found on each album.
The song is mighty catchy. A spacier Third Eye Blind with an independent label.

M.I.A. Buzz

I know, I know, I've been writing about this bootylicious Sri Lankan too much, but what can I say? Kala is getting some of the best album buzz of 2007. Take a look at this review from Time
Out NY:


Sweet jesus, and she's saving the world too.
I'm all over this woman.
Don't anybody take her visa away ever again, otherwise...you don't know the power I possess.

Marvelous
Is
A girl from Sri Lanka who started a music career, and she calls herself M.I.A.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Bowery Presents...Another Club

Terminal 5! The new concert venue/club on 610 W 56th StNew York, NY 10019.

Not an ideal neighborhood, (I work in it every day,) but good lineups. All-age shows --nothing pretentious or exclusive...tra-lalala-lalala-lalala- tralalalala-lalah!

These shows seem like they'd be fun, depending on the capacity of the venue. (Let's pray for small!)


M.I.A.
Friday, October 19th, 2007 / doors 7pm / all ages / tix on sale 8/17. M.I.A. struts her stuff, showing her acclaimed chops from the new KALA, which Rolling Stone gave 4 1/2 stars. Yowza!

M.I.A. - XR2

Justice
Saturday, October 20th, 2007 / doors 7pm / all ages / tix on sale 8/17. Justice blows the roof off of T5 with their bubblegum electro dance rock. d.a.n.c.e., 1 2 3 4 5, stay to the b.e.a.t. get ready to ignite...you are such a p.y.t., catching all the light, justice knows their a.b.c's that's how you make it right... (i think I made half of that up)

an oldie: Justice- We Are Your Friends

The Shins
Tue 10/23 / Doors 7pm /all ages/ $39.50 on sale 08/18 12:00 pm. Yeah Shins!

The Shins - Australia.

I'll be going perhaps.