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Today is Radiohead day...

...if you hadn't noticed already. Thom Yorke's (of Radiohead) solo album (buy) leaked onto the internet, and it's pretty crazy. I'm going to go against the flow and you, know, not bother posting tracks. I'll just lead you to them... Frankly, I'm neither obsessed with Radiohead nor a fan at all of electronic music, so it's not doing too much for me.

There are better things to check out...
  • So last week it was Bob Dylan's birthday, and I was completely oblivious. But other people weren't. Another one of those on-drugs-crazy-cover-posts I keep linking to...this time of one of my favorite Bob songs, "Girl From the North Country." Some interesting information about the song: it was written to the tune of "Scaborough Fair," which Dylan had only learned the winter before (1963) from a British folksinger, Martin Carthy. It was also put on my favorite of Dylan's albums, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.
  • One very fun mix-up of The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" with Guns N' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle"
  • NPR stories on John Stewart (no, not Jon Stewart), the folksinger, and one excellent non-Latino Spanish-singing band. It's pretty awesome. Las Rubias del Norte, anyone?
  • The Sunday Source's list of the best local Jukeboxes. I'm definitely going to try to visit one or two besides the Black Cat's this summer.
  • Islands loses a member...and Pitchfork needs interns for its music festival...talk about a cheap way to get in...
  • Bruce Springsteen is channelling Pete Seeger?
  • The 50 most conservative songs of all time...makes you wonder

And Politics...

  • Hillary "Clinton A Politician Not Easily Defined"??? Can you hear that spun as "Flip-flopper"? I can...
  • So, if you read Wonkette like I do, you know that they all are out to get Katherine Harris...but the staffers seem to have managed to find someone worse...

So, you don't actually have to read this...

...not that you ever did. I'm just posting this one for the hell of it. I have enough material for a real post, but you know, sometimes it's nice knowing that as a "Multicellular Microorganism" I can write really retarded posts and not embarrass myself because practically no one reads my blog.
Lately, I've lost my best last.fm-buddy/blog supporter to his finals, my best guy friend my own age to some intense prom-related awkwardness (we're talking, it's just all really weird), my best friend to asian-parent syndrome (though not really lost, it's just rough)......and I really like to whine. I also recently upgraded from my classical baby to an electric baby (you can figure out what kind of baby I'm talking about) due to insanely wonderful memorial day sales. Way to honor the dead? And school...I still have two late assignments to turn in and the whole "Senior Experience" thing that I'm doing is actually work, which it's really not supposed to be. However, I do only have to go to school for about 2 hours next week, and hopefully the week after...hmm...
That's it. My brain fart. Enjoy.

VH1 and other goodness

This here is me hyping myself, thank you very much. I got linked to by VH1's "Best Week Ever" which has basically increased my number of visitors today to at least three times the usual amount...so far. The original post - it's a prom-themed mix.
So, assuming anyone actually reads this post and doesn't just skim down looking for a download link, here's my question:

Why do you all download Weezer and the Arctic Monkeys...and Sufjan, you french people and hipsters...????? Why?

Why not Brendan Benson? He's catchy and at least a little bit dashing (see the photo on the top left), and "Pleasure Seeker" is a very fun song. For you VH1 groupies who aren't the mp3-blog-hipsters who normally frequent my site, he's now teamed up with the ever-amazing Jack White to form the Raconteurs. Yet another reason to download.

And Supergrass? "Alright" is also a fun song...beginning with the piano...then the base, then the funness just EXPLODES! I mean, it was originally featured on the freakin' CLUELESS soundtrack!

Now, I highlighted these two bands because the rest have slightly less general appeal. But if you like country, may I introduce you to Wilco? (which is more less-depressing Johnny Cash type country than the stuff that currently gets played on country radio stations, which is pretty crappy) "Forget the Flowers" is a classic, with the banjo and all.

Now, Ben Kweller is special. But special in a way that makes you want to keep listening, kind of the way Say Hi To Your Mom or the Mountain Goats are special. And with the chorus of "Wasted and Ready" containing the lines, " She is a slut but her ex thinks it's sexy / Sex reminds her of eating spaghetti" how could you not want to at least try listening to the song?

Now that I've made my case to diversify your downloading, I have confession to make. Considering how annoyingly long it takes to upload songs onto YouSendIt, I want to make the most of my bandwidth, damnit!

Memorial Day...I'll get around to it

So I'll noticed lately I have a lot of French (and French-Canadian) peeps coming to my site looking for Sufjan. I'll post another link...since the last on expired:
the old post
Sufjan Stevens - The Mistress Witch From McClure
and now...Sufjan Stevens - No Man's Land (apparently he had copyright issues with this one because of its repeated references to Woody Guthrie's song "This Land Is Your Land")

HYPING OTHER BLOGS (and non-blogs)

...I said I'd get around to it... Belle and Sebastian - I Fought In A War

Prom

I am surprised to say that I had a great time, despite all the many problems I had getting there. So here's the mix:

The Arctic Monkeys - Bet You Look Good (on the dance floor)
Me First & the Gimme Gimmes - Prom Night
Radish (Ben Kweller's old band) - Wasted And Ready
Wilco - Forget the Flowers
Brendan Benson - Pleasure Seeker
Motion City Soundtrack - The Red Dress
Supergrass - Alright
Weezer - Photograph

I also discovered I am a...Pushover (The Long Winters)
Don't ask, please. It's too embarrassing.

And because I'm all about sharing the love...
Brendan Benson - Alternative To Love

FYI - I can proudly say that for the first time in ages, I'm going to stay in my pajamas until 2 pm. Yes!

Labels:

updates, updates, updates

Blender lists the 50 worst songs ever...my response:

What are they thinking?

  • 48 The Beatles - Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
  • 42 Simon & Garfunkel - The Sound of Silence !?!?!?!?!?!
  • 29 Deep Blue Something - Breakfast At Tiffany's

Thank Goodness! Someone else realizes what a horrible song this is...

  • 35 R.E.M. - Shiny Happy People
  • 28 John Mayer - Your Body Is A Wonderland

...the list becomes more understandable as you get closer to #1

HYPING OTHER BLOGS

Sufjan makes me feel less guilty

So it seems like every time I say I'm not going to post for a while I end up posting. Darn.

Back to Sufjan Stevens...from his Pitchfork interview:

"Pitchfork: How do you feel about that in terms of your own material? Say if someone took "Chicago" and changed the lyrics to be more political?
Sufjan: It's definitely not public domain. I have a publisher and I make money from the publishing of the songs. That's a big part of an income, so I'm not going to pretend that I'm that socialistic about my music. But I'm not so possessive about it that I would sue anyone who misused it. If someone were to sample my work, I would have a hard time seeking payment for that. I don't even have a problem with people illegally downloading that stuff.
Pitchfork: Not at all?
Sufjan: Not really. I don't need to be selling hundreds of thousands of records to have a career. It doesn't really hinder me."


.....YEEESSSS [Sufjan Stevens - The Mistress Witch from McClure (or, The Mind That Knows Itself) which is discussed at some length in the interview]
...and songwriting is is "Plan B"...see the end of the interview


Hyping other blogs...

  • post on Bell X1...Damien Rice's band (with a number of downloads)
  • Giant Drag @ Criminal Records (downloads included)
  • review of Elefant's new album (downloads included)
  • 29 covers of Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart"...now I'm not a big Joy Division fan...but that's pretty impressive...
  • So I like Josh Rouse. Do you like Josh Rouse? These downloads will make you like Josh Rouse
  • so EVERYONE and their monkey's uncle has been posting about Nouvelle Vague lately, and I'm just going to link to another post because I'm such a rebel...

Labels:

hang with me here!

Give me a few more days and I'll return to quality posting, linking, tabbing, corresponding, etc. I have a play and an IB class to finish. I'm working on a complete tab of Steady As She Goes written so that a group of people with the right instruments can get together and actually play it. And at some point I'll maybe start profiling bands. Don't push it, though.

Shows to see

TODAY, May 17 - Matt Costa, the 88, & the Hard Tommorows (Black Cat - $12)
FRIDAY, May 19 - Elefant (Black Cat - $12)
May 21 - Angels & Airwaves (9:30 club) sold out

May 25 - The Walkmen (9:30 club - $15)
The Walkmen - Brandy Alexander

May 26 - The Whips (Black Cat - $9)
May 30 - Pearl Jam (Verison...used to be MCI...Center - $54)

June 3 - *The Stills* w/ Rogue Wave (9:30 Club - $15)
2 songs from "Without Feathers" - I particularly like destroyer

June 11 - Eels (9:30 club - $25)

June 11 - Devendra Banhart w/ **the Magic Numbers** (the Birchmere - $22)
I fell in love with the Magic Numbers after seeing them open for Bright Eyes. They're Scottish, but you would assume that they'd been pulled straight out of the south. Of all the indie bands that incorporate both male and female singers, they seem to do it in a very organic, natural way. It's just there and it works - you don't have to think about it.
My favorite song of theirs: The Magic Numbers - Morning's Eleven

June 15 - Sonic Youth (9:30 Club - $25)

June 15 - ***Vans Warped Tour*** (Merriweather Post Pavillion - $29.75)
The line up includes: AFI, The Academy Is..., Anti-Flag, Armor For Sleep, the Early November, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Less Than Jake, Motion City Soundtrack, Rise Against, Saves the Day, and Thursday

June 17 - *Tilly and the Wall* (Black Cat - $12)
4 downloads

June 27 - We Are Scientists (Black Cat - $14)

June 28 - ***The Futureheads*** w/ the French Kicks (9:30 Club)
1 Futureheads download, 3 French Kicks downloads
I love the futureheads....

July 7 - Taking Back Sunday, Angels & Airwaves, the Subways (Merriweather - $27)
July 8 - *****BELLE AND SEBASTIAN*****, Broken Social Scene, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists (Merriweather - $30 or $45)
July 11 - the Weakerthans (9:30 club)
July 27 - Editors (9:30 club)

Stars (*) indicate how much I want to see a concert. And there's no way I'm seeing Belle and Sebastian, FYI

yes, it's mother's day

In honor of wild party mothers everywhere:
The New Pornographers - Your Daddy Don't Know (what your mama's gonna do tonight)

Gotta love myspace:
  • Michael Andrews...sweet electronic music that you could fall asleep to plus some (2 downloads)
  • Inara George...she has the sweetest of voices, and the rockiness of the music varies in a delightful way (1 download)
  • Spitfires and Mayflowers = Q and Not U +Hot Hot Heat...and I'm lost for description
  • the bicycles - I'm REALLY hooked on these guys. I'm not going to bother describing them because EVERYONE should check them out (2 downloads)
  • the bird and the bee...Inara George's collaboration with Greg Kurstin...I also highly recommend this
Other amusement
  • How some notable mp3 blogs got their names (I Guess I'm floating)...I happened to pull the name of this blog straight out of my ass, FYI
  • The Washington Post laments the end of the West Wing with some profiles of the cast members...and funny stories from the set

say hi to your mom!

I'd post this on mothers's day, but time's a-tickin'
Say Hi To Your Mom (their site) are coming to the Warehouse Next Door in DC TOMMOROW (@9 pm, tickets are probably less than $9)
So go see them, because I can't...

Say Hi To Your Mom - Let's Talk About Spaceships (a classic)
Say Hi To Your Mom - Hooplas Involving Circus Tricks
and the newish Say Hi To Your Mom - Dimensions and Verticals

Hyping other blogs...

Non-blog

I'm sorry. I wish I could make this a more substantial post. So I'll send you off with links and a wish.
  • Proving the Beatles' greatness...thank goodness Said the Gramaphone linked to this post, because it's amazing. Just amazing. I'm relistening to my entire collection now...
  • NPR review of Josh Ritter's Animal Years (I could have a very schoolgirl crush on this guy, "Girl in the War" is such an amazing song)

The aforementioned wish for you:

Stereophonics - Have A Nice Day .... I could use more of those

when the world is puddle-wonderful...

From whence come the title
...Of the many songs in the world about youth and growing up, there are two songs I can think of that manage to capture it without too much hindsight. Both of them have been covered a good deal, so you get not one, but five songs...

Big Star - Thirteen
Elliott Smith - Thirteen (cover)
Wilco - Thirteen (cover) I think I might actually like this better than the original...don't tell anyone
this one's been bouncing around the web a lot lately...
The White Stripes - We are going to be friends
Jack Johnson - We are going to be friends (cover)

And some more (same theme):
Belle and Sebastian - The Stars of Track and Field
Neutral Milk Hotel - The King of Carrot Flowers
Simon and Garfunkel - Kodacrome
The Verve Pipe - Freshmen

Labels:

a day's dashing download dump

It's undeniable. I like alliteration.
  • more from Without Feathers (the new Stills album) - here and here. Buy the album here.
  • MORE new Sufjan Stevens! (Saul Bellow)
  • Feist demos (link courtesy of Largehearted Boy)
  • another mp3 off the Beirut album (here's more)
  • Bloc Party remixes
  • fun with Imogen Heap
  • my latest fall...Sambassadeur...that they have a song with my name on it doesn't hurt things...
  • need a substitute for Q and Not U?...apparently Rahim will do the job...
  • So many R.E.M. covers!...the Dashboard Confessional one is rather lovely, I must say.

Non-downloads: NPR interview with Paul Simon & Wilco's in the studio!

...if I promise to go to church on sunday...

I admit it. I'm fuming. It has to do with a certain insensitive idjit. I was concerned people would pick up on the angry/bitter quality of this post so I thought I should explain...

Green Day - Church on Sunday
  • see the title...will you go with me on Friday night? If you'll live for me I'll die for you and this compromise. HAHAHAHA I get it.

Death Cab For Cutie - President of What?

  • I saw the scene unfold...on a rainy Sunday

Beulah - Sunday Under Glass

  • Whenever I listen to this song, I wonder exactly how Beulah pulled the title out of their asses...but supposedly it's still about Sunday
Morrissey - Everyday is Like Sunday
  • ...everyday is silent and gray...hmm, let me think about this. No, I don't NORMALLY find Sundays to be depressing, nor the rest of the days of the week...I think it's just today...

A.F.I. - Dancing Through Sunday

  • Will you join me in this dance, this dance of misery?

Labels:

a better bob?


So apparently Heath Ledger has replaced Colin Farrell as Bob Dylan in the biopic of him being worked on right now...
Let's consider this:

THE REAL DEAL -

- HEATH, who forever filled our image of the gay cowboy with incredible hotness

and FARRELL, who would have contributed amazing sexy Irish scruff to the role -

newsy-like fun

new Stills song (Destroyer) from their new album...they seem to have departed from their previous coldplay-like mellowness into something more rock-like...this is probably a good thing, as I like the new song very much
Ben Gibbard's many side projects - captured in a single post
Like Girl in the War?...MORE Josh Ritter...the most I've seen in a single post
the sexiest vegetarian? from Indie/Emo/Punk/Metal bands + real celebs, the VH1 kind? This is difficult! VOTE!

Did you miss me?

So when I said I wouldn't be able to post again this week, I lied. Here I am.

Why do I have a picture of Stuart Murdoch dancing? Because Belle and Sebastian are COMING BACK TO DC! They will be at the Merriweather Post Pavillion on July 8 with Ted Leo & the Pharmacists and Broken Social Scene...exciting? Very much so. The pre-sale starts tommorow and the regular sales start...Saturday? I will be unable to attend this epic event because I will be in Belize but you should go! ...if you live in DC that is...
In honor of B&S...one of my favorite songs of theirs:
Belle and Sebastian - A Century of Fakers
Let's hope "everyone" doesn't succeed

Meanwhile...
Sufjan Stevens A to Z (All Things Go), Josh Ritter Recommends Music on Amazon + Good Bands with Bad Names (Largehearted Boy gave the links), The English beat us in yet another area...health, Ramones Tributes and Rarities (Cable and Tweed), Jack White has a baby!

...And I fein political ignorance. There's just too much to talk about. Why not just listen to NPR?

not a good day

Due do certain household occurances and IB exams, the chances of me posting this week beyond today are close to null.

WEST WING: Did I mention that Vinick is going to make the most awesome Secretary of State ever? Because I'm telling you now...

To the music...blogs, that is

Other news:

  • Sonic Youth (@ 9:30 Club 6-15), Wilco, Modest Mouse, Radiohead, Fiery Furnaces (@ 9:30 Club 6-30), and Sigur Ros summer tour dates
  • Post article on YouTube, as it's being used by the conventional media
  • Gotta love that Colbert! (a take on The White House Correspondent's Dinner that makes me happy...)


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