Archaeological evidence suggests Jackson is immortal
Evidence was discovered Friday, by a group of tourists wandering the Field Museum in Chicago, that suggests Michael Jackson may actually be an ancient Egyptian. Further investigation is being undertaken to confirm the theory, but striking features such as the cartoon like eyes, narrow lips, and lack of nose have led most to conclude beyond a doubt that this artifact is a burial carving intended to adorn Jackson's coffin. Museum officials declined to comment at this time.
Everyday should be Tuesday
Every Tuesday like clockwork the record companies deem us worthy of receiving the latest in rock ’n’ roll technology.
… And we like good sheep gobble it up.
This week we are force fed the long awaited / feared Pharrell Williams solo effort, In My Mind. Pharrell tries to become Kanye, when what really Pharrell should be focusing on is just being Pharrell… Unless this is Pharrell being Pharrell… in which case he should try to be Kanye. Producers will never stop getting greedy and trying for the spot light… but they should at least try to stop releasing solo albums.
Old School obsessees Jurassic 5 bring us another platter of “Real” hip-hop called Feedback. Of course by "real" they mean dated sounding…
Today also sees the domestic release of The Knife’s excellent Silent Shout which has been pumping its gooey electro goodness through my iPod for a few months now.
Noise “rock” artists Excepter give us Alternation yet another collection of completely incomprehensible and incomparable “music” that is about as far from ‘common’ as you can get.
If you’re a fan of artists old enough that your dad saw them when he was 16, then you, my friend are going to have a hell of a day as well. First off is Tom Petty’s Highway Companion, his first solo album in twelve years, and it’s steeped in southern rock goodness. Also today a reunited New York Dolls give us One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This a follow up that was 32 years in the making. And still sounds exactly like the New York Dolls.
The lamest thing to happen to boardgames... ever...
Engadget is reporting thatMonopoly has gone plastic... at least in the UK.
Stores have cut the price on the traditional version with its colorful "Monopoly Money" in order to clear out stock now that they've introduced the new electronic version.
VISA struck a deal with Parker Brothers to brand the mock debit cards... so now instead of bright orange $500 dollar bills everyone gets this:
You're not in a truck...
Andrew Raff has posted a song on his MySpace page putting Senator Ted Steven's description of the internet as a "series of tubes" to song.
The page was taken down then re-instated after a article on Wired pointed out that MySpace's cancellation email cited trademark and copyright violations when no copyright laws had been broken.
I know I'm a little late to the ball game on this one, but go enjoy the song and remember
"the internet is not something you just dump something on. It's not a truck.
It's a series of tubes."
The top 5 most depressing songs ever
Hello my blog reading public. I realize I am a day late in posting this, yesterday was a little on the hectic side, my job had me stuck in Stamford, Connecticut for half the day.
But now I am ready to bestow upon you my top 5 most depressing songs ever! These are the songs that take you from self pity to utter despair and can ruin any good mood.
5. The Streets – Dry Your Eyes
Mike Skinner, yes the guy that previously brought you such somber tracks as “Fit But You Know It” and “The Irony of It All”, gets all sorts of miserable on “Dry Your Eyes”. Originally the chorus was to be sung by Chris Martin of Coldplay, but Skinners voice cracking just makes the whole track more convincing. This vivid first person description of being rejected would make even the most hardened cynic get all misty eyed.
She brings her hands up towards where my hands rested
She wraps her fingers round mine with the softness she’s blessed with
She peels away my fingers, looks at me and then gestures
By pushin’ my hand away to my chest, from hers
4.
Ben Folds Five – Brick
Common sense would say that a song about taking your girlfriend to get an abortion could never be a hit. Common decency would probably also prevent you from sharing such an experience with the world… thankfully Ben Folds does not listen anything “common”. We’re walked through the day, the experience step by painful step.
They call her name at 7:30
I pace around the parking lot
Then I walk down to buy her
Flowers
And sell some gifts that I got
Cant you see
Its not me youre dying for
Now shes feeling more alone
Than she ever has before
3. Nirvana – Where Did You Sleep Last Night
An old blues song, originally recorded in a jail cell, being performed by a whiny white suburban guy has no right to be this convincing or this heart breaking. A life time worth of pain and frustration is captured, not in a lyric, or in a note, but in a breath. Right before the last line of the song everything stops and Kurt Cobain draws one last breath in preparation for the last screeching gut wrenching line.
2.
Billie Holiday – Strange Fruit
Based on a poem by Lewis Allen about lynching in the south, “Strange Fruit” will
make you feel ashamed; for your country and for ever complaining about anything… ever. The metaphor only serves to make the image even more disturbing, reminding us that they weren’t even human in many peoples eyes.
Southern trees bear strange fruit,
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root,
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze,
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees.
1.
Bruce Springsteen – The River
There are more tragic fates in this world than a mundane predetermined existence, but you’d be hard pressed to think otherwise while listening to “The River”. Springsteen’s lyrics capture the desperation of the daily grind and the trappings of small town life better than anyone ever has, and he delivers them with the conviction of someone who is intimately connected to the lifestyle.
Listening to this song is the best argument that just being another cog in the machine is a fate worse than death.
Then I got mary pregnant and man that was all she wrote
And for my nineteen birthday I got a union card and a wedding coat
We went down to the courthouse and the judge put it all to rest
No wedding day smiles no walk down the aisle
No flowers no wedding dress
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A distraction from the Mideast crisis
Another new music Tuesday is upon us.
And another slow one at that…
July 18th, 2006 brings us a number of releases to make us go “heh”.
First up is Method man, with 4:21 The Day After. Apparently after reading some disparaging reviews of Tical 0: The Prequel Meth decided he had to rethink his whole approach and come at us with a “Clear headed… Street” record. The only thing that gives me hope that the entire thing isn’t complete crap is the fact that the RZA is back behind the boards on a few tracks.
MSTRKRFT, the indie worlds second favorite remixers, release The Looks. I won’t pretend to be completely in the know about these guys, but from what I’ve heard they sure do like Daft Punk a lot… but I do enjoy the quip in their press release that states “they play parties not shows..”
Brooklyn based French Kicks continue to struggle against the stigma associated with having been a 2rd tier neo garage rock group by sanding down their rough edges (they were never really sharp to begin with…) with harmonies and pop polish on Two Thousand. If you’re interested in perfectly pleasant, and completely forgettable pop rock that sits somewhere between the Strokes and Phoenix, the French Kicks will be appearing at the Virgin Records in Union Square.
Lilly Allen is poised to be the second coming of Annie and The Streets… though to me she kinda just sounds like the second coming of Nelly Furtado… and its all thanks to a little place those in the know call MySpace. Allen has been uploading radio friendly originals and covers to The Space and through viral marketing has landed a #1 in the UK with “Smile”. Her debut album Alright, Still comes out today and despite strong endorsements from Pitchfork, Pop Tarts Suck Toasted, Mojo, Q I think I’ll hold off on picking this up… perhaps I should finally get around to actually checking out her MySpace page.
Technorati Tags: new releases, music, indie, pop, myspace, lilly allen
Office Webisodes!
10 part online only Office miniseries available here
World Series of Pop Culture
In case you haven't seen it yet the World Series of Pop Culture on VH1 is fucking awesome...
I'm completely addicted.
Technorati Tags: pop culture, vh1, world series, TV
Top 5 Solo Breakthroughs
The release of The Eraser yesterday got me thinking about solo albums. I decided to compile a list of the best break out solo albums. Basically I was looking for albums from artists who had established themselves with successful groups then shed their hangers on and released substantial albums.
5. Ryan Adams – Heart Breaker
With Heartbreaker Adams set himself free of the alt-country trappings he had helped popularize with Whiskeytown. Heart Breaker's more folksy sound won him critical aclaim. Though sales were slow at first it is now considered a landmark album. Sure it was all a pretty swift decline from here, Gold, Demolition, Winona...
but for one album Adams was able to strike pure emotional gold.
4. Ice Cube – AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted
Ice Cube left NWA immediately following their breakthrough Straight Outta Compton. Ice Cube got help from the bomb squad and released a clostrophobic hyperaggressive masterpiece. Cube spits in the face of everyone, Easy E, the police, the government, and white people in general, and the whole time it only makes you love him more.
3. Lauren Hill – The Miseducation of Lauren Hill
Lauren Hill won the Grammy for best new artist despite haveing been around with the Fugees for a few years. Hill took the the more socialy concious, soul lovein elements of The Score and built a whole world. The Miseducation of Lauren Hill isn't just an album, its a legacy.
2. Brian Eno – Here Come the Warm Jets
Makeing his second appearance on one my lists, is Brian Eno. Eno left (the highly overated in my mind) Roxy Music and jumped head first into a solo career, delivering a disc dense with fuzz and ambient tones, packed into neat pop-song'esque packages.
1. Michael Jackson – Off the Wall
Sure Jackson had released solo singles before, and even did the soundtrack to Ben. But Michael Jackson's first real solo release is Off the Wall. Jackson was young, hungry, and agressive. Haveing to prove that he could carry an album without his family obviously made him put forth all the effort he could muster. The result is a blast disco bliss.
Technorati Tags: top 5, solo, music
Technorati Tags: top 5, solo, music
RIP Syd Barret
Syd Barret has died.
Syd Barret was a founding member of Pink Floyd, and the main creative force behind the landmark Piper at the Gates of Dawn.
Barret was forced to leave the group in 1968 due to his increasing mental instability. But continued to serve as an inspiration not just for the other members of Pink Floyd, but many other musicians as well, including David Bowie.
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New Music Tuesday
I should have posted this earlier… but its been busy round here.
But as always you can expect me to post something about my favorite holiday.
Today is the first New Music Tuesday in a few weeks that I’m genuinely excited about. Today we see the release of Thom Yorke’s first solo album. The Eraser. Rolling Stone praised the album, Pitchfork pissed on it, Stylus holds it on a pedestal, and Tiny Mix Tapes and Entertainment Weekly seem unimpressed… I’ve heard half the album and I must say I’m thrilled.
Sufjan Stevens releases The Avalanche: Outtakes And Extras From The Illinois Album. Most artists outtakes collections don’t intrigue me at all, but Sufjan is such a prolific artist with such a singular vision that he could record the sound of him making a PB&J sandwich and I’d probably at least download it.
Jimmy Tamborello continues his infuriating compulsion to create new monikers by releasing Mistake, Mistake, Mistake, Mistake today under the pseudonym James Figurine, which is maddeningly close to just plain Figurine, one of his many other projects…
The album was supposed to be Tamborello’s take on minimalist German techno in the vein of Kompakt, but Tamborello admits that the album fails at this landing much closer to the Postal Service than Justus Kohncke.
Featuring guest spots from Jenny Lewis, Erlend Oye and John Tejada Mistake, Mistake, Mistake, Mistake is sure to make electro loving indie fan-boys/girls wet their little panties with delight.
Other releases this week include Peaches contender for least witty album title of the year Impeach My Bush, Muse’s latest album of bloated electro-rock Black Holes And Revelations comes out today trying even harder to become Radiohead for the frat boy set by enlisting producer Rich Costey who previously has worked with Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave. Soul Asylum releases a new album today… I think that in and of itself is fucking hilarious.
Technorati Tags: new releases, music, Thom Yorke, rock, Sufjan Stevens, James Figurine
Bubmershoot lineup
Hey Seattle, leave some acts for us!!
Bumbershoot has announced its complete lineup:
Saturday, September 2:
The Gossip, Blondie, Jamie Lidell, Deerhoof, Lady Sovereign, the Blood Brothers, NOMO, Badly Drawn Boy, Hawthrone Heights, Yellowcard, AFI, the Thermals, the Can't See, Po'okela Street Band, Dub Championz, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Erase Errata, the Epoxies, Korby Lenker, the Swains, Mark Pickerel & His Praying Hands, Laura Veirs, Alejandro Escovedo, Shooter Jennings, Derby, Slender Means, Halou, Rogue Wave, Of Montreal, Rik Wright, p:ano, the Living Jarboe, PK & What Army?, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, the Lonely Forest, the Lonely H, the Purrs, Daylight Basement, Sirens Sister, Cloud Cult
Sunday, September 3:
Kanye West, Spoon, the New Pornographers, Mates of State, Zero 7, Jose Gonzalez, Vashti Bunyan, Blue Scholars, Dengue Fever, Jeremy Enigk, Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, Rishi Rich Project, Common Market, Gokh-Bi System, Tor Dietrichson with Mambo Cadillac, As I Lay Dying, mewithoutYou, 3 Inches of Blood, the Fall of Troy, Great Big Sea, Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson, Matt Costa, Sonya Kitchell, Electric Shades of Blue, West Valley Highway, Crystal Skulls, the Like, Mon Frere, Jim Knapp Orchestra, Kelley Johnson Quartet, Floyd Standifer, John Bishop Group, Deadbeat, Lusine, SynthClub, Thee Emergency, New Fangs, Velella Velella, Romance
Monday, September 4:
A Tribe Called Quest, Feist, Atmosphere, Steve Miller Band, Metric, CocoRosie, the Veronicas, Nouvelle Vague, Sparta, Copeland, the BellRays, the Subdudes, Particle, the Village Green, the English Beat, Yerba Buena, Breakestra, Cancer Rising, Olympic Sound Collective, the Briefs, Speaker Speaker, Bettye LaVette, Sera Cahoone, Brett Dennen, Randy Oxford Band, Rocky Votolato, Mountain Con, Bitter:sweet, Jacqui Naylor, the Transmissionary Six, Johanna Kunin, Kane Hodder, the Hollowpoints, Go Like Hell, the Invisible Eyes, Izabelle, the Saturday Knights, Macklemore, Abyssinian Creole
Technorati Tags: Bumbershoot, seatle, festivals
Cursive and my tired Tuesday
In case any one out there is not aware… Mondays are bad nights to go out…
I’m falling asleep in my cubicle.
Cursive was awesome last night, just thought I’d share for those of you who couldn’t be there. Despite my general indifference for the group I found my self thoroughly entertained and engaged. Tim Kasher has the worst case of verbal diarrhea of any front man I’ve ever seen… he just could not shut up.
The openers were less enthralling. La Salle, from Michigan, bills themselves as “post-rock balladeers”… I don’t know what exactly they think “post-rock” is… but I’m pretty sure it is not occasionally scotch taping pieces of Breeders songs to pop emo tracks.
Tim Kinsella of Joan of Arc followed with one of his many projects Make Believe. Tim Shuffled awkwardly around stage looking like a fidgety child with downs syndrome while his companions played what sounded like a high school jazz band tuning their instruments. It is easily one of the worst performances I have ever seen.
Cursive came out however and made everything better, blowing through what seemed like a pretty brief set, but packing ever precious second with uncontainable energy and passion. The replacement Gretta has some serious cello chops, and gets some fantastically grating noises out of that thing.
I haven't seen a show at Bowery in a while... I forgot how great the sound is... makes every other venue seem like shit.
Summer concert fun continues!
Belle and Sebastian's 4th of July show, for those of you that missed it was incredible.
Gothamist coverage, The Modern Age coverage, and Brooklyn Vegan coverage.
I was slightly concerned by the prospect of the show getting rained out... I mean... they're from fucking Scotland for christ sake... if they can't deal with some rain damn it...
Yesterday was the inagural event at McCarren Park Pool, the newly opened mid sized venue in that hipster haven of Williamsburg / Green Point. Les Savy Fav headlined putting on one hell of a show for those of us who were able to stay away from the world cup.
Tim Harrington paraded around in his underwear and got sweaty for us as usual.
Turn out was lower than I expected... but thats because I'm in the dark and didn't realize the final game of the world cup was yesterday until I was watching temporary soccer fans run around flailing Italian flags.
Tonight I'll be going to see Cursive sans cello, plus horn section...
It will be interesting to say the least I'm sure.
Then on Thursday you have your choice, Okerville River at Castle Clinton, Yo La Tengo (performing the Sounds Of Science only) at the Prospect Park Bandshell.
Then Saturday is Siren with Tapes n' Tapes, Art Brut, and Man Man... hopefully I can get there early enough to catch those crazy bastards in Man Man...
Technorati Tags: NYC, New York, Concerts, indie, music, Les Savy Fav, Belle and Sebastian, Summer Stage, Siren Festival, McCarren Park Pool
little feedback?
Just wondering what peoples opinions of the newly redesigned In the Buzz are.
leave some comments and let me know.
Top 5 Sunday Morning Albums
As a tribute to my past slaving away on Sunday mornings assembling the New York Times in the back of the Village Shoppe and a tribute to my friends still slaving away back there I present my top 5 Sunday morning albums.
5. Boards of Canada – Geogaddi
Geogaddi is like a good breakfast blend of coffee, mellow, sweet, warm but robust enough to snap one to attention. Mind numbingly repetitive tasks and the absurdity of day break grind just become part of the music. The rhythmic washes of synthy goodness take over and you forget that for the last 2 hours you’ve been collating news paper.
4. Radiohead – Kid A
Just like Geogaddi, Kid A takes the synthesizer and turns it into a warm and absorbing framework to build Thom Yorke’s pleas for… well I’m not even sure half the time. I think Thom Yorke is perfectly happy having things to complain about, he mourns the cold soulless world as much as he revels in it. It’s a bizarrely contradictory and self fulfilling sort of mindset that all clerks secretly identify with… they may complain, but many harbor a secret love for their lot in life.
3. Manitoba – Up in Flames
Horns, strings, and marching drums all come together to create one of the most ‘organic’ sounding electronic albums in recent memory. Where many DJs and pastiche musical artists live for the worn vinyl clicks that remind you you’re listening to repurposed music Dan Snaith makes it his goal on Up in Flames to do make you forget the dusty grooves and possibly long dead musicians that are playing melodies you’re enjoying.
2. Yo La Tengo – I Can Hear the Heart Beat as One
I Can Hear the Heart Beat as One is the perfect soundtrack for just about everything really… From the opening 1,2 punch of Return To Hot Chicken and Moby Octopad to blissfully idealist My Little Corner of the World, Yo La Tengo create an album to accompany any task and make it more tolerable.
1. Velvet Underground and Nico – S/T
It’s the only thing that can really prepare you to sell lotto to some one who is already drunk at 7am and on his way to church…
A report for the 4th
So today is once again new music tuesday, however since it is the 4th of July almost nothing new is actually being released. Cex is releasing his latest batch of... well whatever it is he thinks it fucking awesome... its a shame most of the rest of us don't.
This week has been show crazy, Friday I attended a wonderful free show at Prospect Park with Voxtrot, Mat Pond PA, and TV on the Radio. Brookly Vegan has some fantastic photos here to check out.
Voxtrot write some nice songs, but it just didn't come off live... perhaps it was the venue, perhaps it was their sound man (the 1st 2 songs didn't seem to be anything but drums and vocals from what I could tell) or maybe its just that Voxtrot suck live...
Mat Pond PA were boring as fuck as well, though the prospect of a torrential downpour drove them off the stage a little early which was nice...
Finally TV on the Radio came out and suffice to say, tore the roof off that mother sucka... ok so there was no roof to tear off... but still.
It was my first taste of the new material, and I am excited to hear the album. Antibalas Afro Beat Orchestra served as temporary members of the band, fleshing out arrangements with horns and percussion. It was an all around amazing performance from one of the best live bands out there... I keep thinking about about how far they've come since I first saw them open for the Secret Machines at Northsix... They were a fucking mess, and now they're filling ampitheaters and parading around like rock messiahs... and quite convincingly I might add.
Sunday was a night for noise. Webster hall was packed with geeky asian boys and their reluctant girlfriends for a stellar performance by the Boredoms.
Lightning Bolt opened the show, setting up in the middle of the floor as opposed to the stage, by trying to destroy as many ear drums as possible. Thankfully I staked out a place to side of the stack of amps and cabs that allowed me to hear with out suffering permanent damage to my hearing. After Lightning bolt treated us to blasts of fuzzy bassy goodness and spastic drum bursts it was time for the Boredoms to do their thing.
Eye opened by playing what I can only describe as light bulbs. He used his whole body to control the sound, flailing his arms and contorting his torso. I also learned that being a Boredom is exhausting... I was tired and dehidrated just watching them. The worlds most awesome drum circle is an unstoppable force. They burned through complex poly rythms barely pausing for breath before moveing on to the next excercise in percussive interplay. 3 drummers in complete lockstep, playing off of each other like a well seasoned orchestra is certainly a sight to see...
later today I shall be attending a free show at Battery Park by Belle and Sebastian, curtesy of my pal Pat over at pop tarts suck toasted who held a contest to rid himself of 2 extra tickets that he either thakfully or greedily got his hands on... the perspective I suppose lies in whether or not you managed to snag your self one.
