New Coldplay CD!!!

Coldplay is giving away a brand-new LIVE CD, called LeftRightLeftRightLeft, to all concert-goers from now until the end of 2009!!!

Don't have tickets? Coldplay will be releasing the CD for free download on their website on May 15th.

Save the date!!!

No need to thank me...

Here it is - get Dave Matthews Band's newest FREE single "Funny The Way It Is" HERE!!!!!

And, while you're at it, pre-order their new album Big Whiskey & The Groogrux King!!!!


It's only available for a week, so hurry young grasshoppers!


P.S. I just listened to it, and I LOVE it!!!

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs on SNL

...were AMAZING.

Video should be up soon...check it out!


Read my review of their lead single "Zero" off It's Blitz! here.


Did I mention they were FANTASTICALLY AMAZINGLY AWESOME?

Free Music!

I'm still checking this out, so I can't give a 100% positive testimonial, but it's a pretty awesome idea...


"New Website Offers 5,000 Free Downloads That Don't Suck!

from Spin Magazine Online - by Matt Kiser

Few options exist when it comes to free and legal one-stop shops for MP3 downloads. But thanks to the newly launched Free Music Archive – bankrolled by the New York State Music Fund – that void is being filled.

Curated by renowned independent radio powerhouses WFMU (Jersey City), KEXP (Seattle), and KBOO (Portland, OR), the FMA provides public access to a treasure trove of rare, live, and new material by bands in a way that's "designed for the age of the internet." Think of the FMA as the blog version of each station's record library, but you get to play DJ!

While you won't find that new 311 MP3, you can download Daniel Johnston's Phoning It In, a live set that was recorded over the phone in 2005. Or, try out the SPIN-approved Vivian Girls' live set from their performance at WFMU.

All tracks have been pre-cleared for download, sampling, and remixing via Creative Commons licenses (trust us, you don't want us to explain what that means), so there's no need to worry about the RIAA's lawyer paying you a visit. Plus, you don't have to register to download, and the absence of advertising makes the entire experience incredibly friendly.

Heck, the site is so artist-first in its approach that if you like a song you can "tip" a performer, sending a donation directly to them via PayPal. Now that's purrty sweet.

Head over to the Free Music Archive and have a listen. We think you'll be pleasantly surprised. The site is currently in Beta, so expect loads of new features coming soon."

-from Spin magazine online

No Line On The Horizon Review

As a casual fan of the quote-unquote “World’s Biggest Band,” I have to admit I’m impressed U2 are still releasing quality music. I mean, how many other 80’s bands are still together and still recording (Duran Duran, I’m sorry but Red Carpet Massacre does not count as music). With that in mind, I bought No Line on the Horizon with a certain amount of skepticism, but some excitement, as I loved HTDAAB. Plus, I bought it off of Amazon for three dollars, which has got to be one of the best new ideas in a while…cheap music while it lasts. Props, Amazon.

Anyway, this album is…decent. I was extremely off-put by their first single “Get On Your Boots” (read scathing review here), and I’m a little surprised they’re still playing it so often in the media blitz. Thankfully, it’s not very representative of the album as a whole, and I will admit that I have come to like this song a little more since it first came out. It’s still a pretty crappy single, but maybe not quite as crappy as I first opined. I’ll call my own bluff and update my rating to a 6/10.

Songs like “Stand Up Comedy” and “No Line On The Horizon” are fairly good cuts; again, I must remind you: I am not a U2 disciple. I am a child of the 90’s, I did not grow up on U2. All of this is coming from a relative outsider of the U2-niverse. With that in mind, the two aforementioned tracks are relative rockers – “NLOTH” in particular sounds like it would sound fantastic in an arena full of 60,000 of your drunkest best friends. Great opportunities for sing-a-longs here.

The best song on this album (and second single) is “Magnificent,” the only (as far as I can tell) truly joyful song on the record. The rest of the songs feel conservative, and this one too feels somewhat restrained, but Brian Eno seems to have coaxed a little extra from the boys on this track – his work on this track is unmistakable and definitely welcome.

I also like the track “Breathe” a lot, particularly the sung-spoken vocals, but I’m kind of disappointed with duds like “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight,” which is decidedly NOT as crazy as the title would suggest. The other tracks are just boring – they’re not good or bad, they’re just…there. I can’t work up any enthusiasm for “White As Snow” or “Unknown Caller" either.

The refrain on this album seems to be Bono’s plea “Let me in the sound,” which is odd to me – I could have done with MORE sound on this record. For all intents and purposes, this is a very sparse record…I would have liked to see Eno bring more of the soundscapes he crafted so perfectly for Coldplay on VLV, and U2 really cut loose on this album.

The Bottom Line: I definitely don’t think this album is worth the rave 5 star review Rolling Stone gave it, but that’s why I started this blog in the first place. It’s good, not great, and deserves a listen.

Download: “Magnificent,” “Breathe,” “No Line On The Horizon”

Rating: 7/10

mood: sleep? what’s that?
tunes: halloweenhead – ryan adams – easy tiger

Zero Review

Finally, a decent single!

"Zero" is the first single off the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' third upcoming album, It's Blitz!, and the track is nothing short of a blitzkrieg on the ears...but in the best way possible. Not only is this the most ebullient that YYYs have EVER sounded, but it's good, which is perhaps the most surprising thing about this track. "Zero" is definitely a departure from their previous sound - they've ditched the stripped-down sound in favor of heavy dance beats, pulsing synths, and graceful strings. Karen O is especially in top form on this song - she sounds joyful and completely non-nasal, which has really bothered me in the past. It's a perfect, bouncy, blissful ode to losers trying to get attention in clubs, and it's one of those rare tracks that you never want to end.

The Bottom Line: Hey, Every Band Ever, this is what a first single is SUPPOSED to sound like. Take note, please.

Download: Do it NOW! And then preorder It's Blitz!

Rating: 9/10 (loses points for a so-so opening minute, and really creepy album artwork)

mood: excited to see you're welcome, america tomorrow on broadway...be jealous...
music: desire - ryan adams - demolition

Any CYHSY Fans Still Out There?

If there are any of you Clap Your Hands Say Yeah fans left out there in the universe, head over here for a free mp3 of the song they played on Jimmy Fallon last night (it's called Statues; I haven't listened to it yet, but I'll let you know what I think soon).

As always, you're welcome!

mood: way too much to do.
music: who the f**k are arctic monkeys? - arctic monkeys - who the f**k are arctic monkeys? ep

Tonight: Franz Ferdinand Review

Tonight: Franz Ferdinand is Franz Ferdinand's 3rd album, following up their 2004 eponymous debut and 2005's You Could Have It So Much Better, both of which quickly established the Scottish quartet as a sort of post-punk revival dance indie rock group, if such a thing exists. T:FF doesn't really expand on that niche - you can dance to every single song on this album - and there's not a whole lot new here. But their formula of catchy, danceable indie punk rock still works five years after their debut, and they're certainly milking it.

This has been touted as a "concept album," following the band through a wild night out on the town and ending with a bittersweet, slightly painful morning (connecting hard-partying "No You Girls" with sweet album closer "Katherine Kiss Me")...but Arctic Monkeys did the same thing on their debut Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, and they did it better, too. For a concept, it isn't exactly much of an earth-shattering one. I would have liked to see them put a new spin on the wild night out thing and give us something new.

First single and album opener "Ulysses" is catchy, but somewhat cold, and a little strange (see full review here). The rest of the album follows suit, for the most part. Likely second single "No You Girls" is the basis for Apple's newest iPod Touch commercial, and finds Alex Kapranos & Co. experimenting with a twangy, blues-y riff (and apparently using human bones as percussion) - it's easily the catchiest song they've put out since 2004's "Take Me Out." Other standouts include the space-y "Dream Again," the synth-y "Twilight Omens," and the 80's-tastic, stomp-y "Can't Stop Feeling."

The best song on this album, though, is the eight-minute epic "Lucid Dreams." FF released a version of this on iTunes as an early single a while ago, and it's really nice to see that they've completely re-tooled it into a space-y, hard rocking track complete with a four-and-a-half minute synth dance breakdown/jam session. I would have liked to see more songs like "Lucid Dreams" on the album, to fulfill the "reinvention" promises, but this song is a perfect enough gem for now. It's a really strange, nonsensical song - a rock song that melds into shamelessly danceable club music...but it works.

The Bottom Line: T:FF perfectly blends retro with cutting-edge with futuristic, and while it's not quite the sound overhaul we were promised, it's still a great third album and shows enough innovation to entice new fans while staying true to diehards. Like catchy, dance-able, well-produced, high quality, amazing music? Get this album NOW.

Download: The entire album if you can, but the key tracks are "No You Girls," "Ulysses," and "Lucid Dreams." (Available on iTunes)

Rating: 8.5/10

mood: it's sleepytime...or at least i wish it was
music: here i come - the roots - game theory

FREE MUSIC ALERT!

Here are a few tips for some new, legal, free songs courtesy of the interwebs:

Pete Doherty - New Love Grows on Trees

Mark Ronson does Kings of Leon

Our ratings:

The unfailingly immature Pete sounds surprisingly mature and sophisticated on this new solo track. Sounds...kind of like Oasis, actually. Rating? 7/10.

Mark Ronson does his thing yet again on this early KoL cut (from Aha Shake Heartbreak). Gotta love that tambourine. You may already have this track though - it was a bonus track on Ronson's album Version. Rating? 8/10.

Have more tips for free music? Leave 'em here.

mood: confused...
music: straight lines - silverchair - young modern

so sorry...

i'm so sorry i've been m.i.a. recently...to say that the last two weeks have been crazy would be a complete understatement.

i promise to be back up and running soon!


p.s. ...snow tomorrow? definitely a fan.

mood: way too busy.
tunes: radio nowhere - bruce springsteen - magic

Top 36 Songs of 2008

Here, belatedly, are my favorite songs from 2008 (note: these are not in order of preference). Enjoy!

1. Mr. Hurricane – Beast – Beast
• This iTunes freebie is easily one of the best they’ve given away, from a band I’ve never heard of. Plus, I’m pretty convinced it’s about Grendel (from the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf…read it sometime). And I’m a huge fan of any literary music.
2. Hiroshima – Ben Folds – Way To Normal
• Not only does it ape Elton John, it also happens to be the best Flight of the Conchords song not written by Flight of the Conchords. I laugh everytime I hear this song.
3. Talons – Bloc Party – Intimacy
• A stellar, beautiful song off a woefully underrated third album, this track is both techno-fantastic and amazingly danceable. It also contains the most to-the-point lyric of 2008: “When did you become such a slut?”
4. Glass of Water – Coldplay – Prospekt’s March
• A pretty standard Coldplay arena-filler, but even that’s still better than most of the crap out there. I just wish it had been on Viva La Vida to begin with. (Read a full review of Prospekt’s March here)
5. Lost+ - Coldplay – Prospekt’s March
• Lost! was a great song to begin with, and the Jay-Z rap just makes it that much better. (See link above for full Prospekt’s March review)
6. Violet Hill – Coldplay – Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
• “Viva La Vida” may have won all the Grammys, but my favorite track off VLV is still this politically-charged song, which is probably as close to rock as Coldplay will ever get.
7. I Will Possess Your Heart – Death Cab For Cutie – Narrow Stairs
• The indie rock band sticks it to the man with a lead single that’s creepily fantastic, heartbreakingly beautiful, and eight minutes long.
8. Headfirst Slide Into Cooperstown On A Bad Bet – Fall Out Boy – Folie à Deux
• I’m not really a Fall Out Boy fan at all, but I love this track, mostly because it sounds like nothing they’ve done before. It’s got great horns, a badass chorus, and a great uncharacteristically pretty bridge.
9. Cassius – Foals – Antidotes
• Another literary song (Anyone? Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar? No? Fine.) made awesome by the jumpy math rock beats and more stellar horns. Why hasn’t Kanye sampled this song yet? Foals is so the new Daft Punk.
10. Constructive Summer – The Hold Steady – Stay Positive
• Definitely the best Bruce Springsteen song never written/performed by Bruce Springsteen.
11. Another Way To Die – Jack White & Alicia Keys – “Quantum of Solace” Soundtrack
• I originally hated this song (okay, maybe I was still just mad that Amy Winehouse couldn’t get her **** together to do it with Mark Ronson – now THAT would have been true badassery), but it’s grown on me. The juxtaposition of Jack White and Alicia Keys is off-putting at first, but ultimately what makes this song so awesome.
12. Love Lockdown – Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak
• I’m still undecided about how I feel about Kanye’s new non-rapping persona, but I really like this track. It’s unexpected, weird, and cool all at the same time.
13. Spiralling – Keane – Perfect Symmetry
• Say what you will about Keane, but the production on this song is off the hook. It sounds like Duran Duran meets the Thompson Twins…and nothing like Keane, which is definitely a plus.
14. Spaceman – The Killers – Day & Age
• Brandon Flowers’ alien-abduction saga is easily the most catchy single since “Mr. Brightside,” and thankfully completely lacking sexual puns.
15. Crawl – Kings of Leon – Only By The Night
• You’d be hard pressed to find a better fuzzed-out guitar riff of 2008 than the one in this song – Jack White should take note. Check out their performance of this song at Glastonbury 2008 on YouTube – it’s nearly as awesome as Jay-Z’s Oasis taunting.
16. Sex On Fire – Kings of Leon – Only By The Night
• I’ll admit the music video is pretty creepy, and some of the lyrics are cringingly bad (“Head while I’m driving”? Really?), but this is still one of the best songs of the year, and will forever be remembered as the song that introduced America to Kings of Leon…after their fourth record…This song also gets bonus points for being on the first album in a very long time where I love every single song.
17. See The Sun – The Kooks – Konk
• Easily the best album opener of 2008, this song is crazy catchy, beautiful, heartbreaking, and danceable all at the same time. Also proof that Luke Pritchard really can write tunes, even if no one ever pays attention.
18. The Age Of The Understatement – The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement
• Okay, I’ll admit these guys do win for worst band name of the year, but you can’t deny the awesomeness of this spaghetti-western-ish track from the debut album of Alex Turner and Miles Kane’s side project. If this is any indication of what the next Arctic Monkeys album is going to sound like, I’m counting down the days.
19. Meeting Place – The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement
• A surprisingly pretty ballad that manages to not be annoying and properly utilize the Owen Pallet-directed London Metropolitan Orchestra, winning the prize for Best String Arrangement of 2008 and Best Collaboration With A Sometimes-Member of Arcade Fire.
20. Highly Suspicious – My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
• I still don’t understand this song at all (at first I thought I had downloaded the wrong song by mistake) – are they serious? But it’s that intrigue that makes me keep listening to this song.
21. I’m Amazed – My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
• A politically-conscious, socially-hopeful ballad that, to MMJ’s credit, sounds absolutely nothing like #20.
22. 1,000,000 – Nine Inch Nails – The Slip
• A little melodramatic for my taste, but proof that Trent Reznor’s still got that magic touch that makes industrial rock so catchy…and, best of all, it’s free.
23. Discipline – Nine Inch Nails – The Slip
• Easily one of the best singles of 2008. Hopeful, thoughtful, depressing…it’s everything that’s best about NIN in one, unassuming slice of perfection.
24. Bag It Up – Oasis – Dig Out Your Soul
• I’m not completely sold on this album, but this is easily one of the hardest rocking songs they’ve put out since SOTSOG. The lyrics make characteristically no sense (what exactly are hee-bee-jee-bees?) but it doesn’t matter – the tune is one of the best of 2008.
25. The Shock of the Lightning – Oasis – Dig Out Your Soul
• The “Rock ‘N Roll Star” of this decade. Another of the best singles of 2008.
26. My Drive Thru – Pharrell Williams, Santogold, & Julian Casablancas
• Although it’s less art than a key part of a Converse ad campaign, that doesn’t make it any less badass of a collaboration. These three music icons definitely need to get together again…soon.
27. Supernatural Superserious – R.E.M. – Accelerate
• Although I’m not really an R.E.M. fan at all, I like this song. That is all.
28. Oh, La – Ra Ra Riot – The Rhumb Line
• In my opinion, every band should have a resident violinist and cellist. This song is beautiful and catchy – a gem from a band that is way under-recognized.
29. Black & Gold – Sam Sparro – Sam Sparro
• A fabulous, soulful iTunes free track. Definitely check it out.
30. L.E.S. Artistes – Santogold – Santogold
• I’d put this song in here just because she’s from Philly, but this is one of the best tracks off one of the best albums of ’08. DAMN YOU GRAMMYS!!!
31. Take Back The City – Snow Patrol – A Hundred Million Suns
• This is pretty standard Snow Patrol, but it’s still better than most of the pop that’s out there right now. For fans of Eyes Open.
32. Great DJ – The Ting Tings – We Started Nothing
• This song proves that the Ting Tings aren’t just another one of those iTunes bands-of-the-week flukes. These guys are for real.
33. Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa – Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
• The best Paul Simon song not written by Paul Simon. Plus, bonus points for rhyming “Louis Vuitton” with “reggaeton” with “Benetton.” That pretty much sums up this band.
34. Love Is Noise – The Verve – Forth
• I have some issue with the Alvin & the Chipmunks backup vocals, but this still a ridiculously awesome track from a band that no one expected to get back together (at least, I didn’t). “Bitter Sweet Symphony?” What’s that?
35. Pork & Beans – Weezer – Red Album
• Less subtle that Death Cab’s label taunting, this perfectly crunchy single contains some of the funniest and cleverest lyrics of 2008, and gets 1000 bonus points for an equally hilarious music video (Coke & Mentos!!!!).
36. Whatever You Like – Weird Al Yankovic – Whatever You Like (Single)
• Weird Al proves he’s still relevant with a timely and hilarious parody of T.I.’s hit single. Now with iTunes, Weird Al can release even more parodies in a much more timely fashion…I’m definitely a fan.

mood: happy!
music: remember me - british sea power - the decline of british sea power


*Agree? Disagree? Respond below!

...actually, Lily, it IS you...

I’ll admit it right now, I’m not a huge Lily Allen fan. In last year’s Lily vs. Amy war, I was rooting for Amy every second. Superior voice, superior writing, superior tunes. But since Amy’s too busy getting hospitalized in St. Lucia to put out a new album, Lily’ll have to do for now. Disclaimer: I did my best to go in to this review with an open mind.

Lily decides in this record to tackle big girl issues rather than flaky boys in clubs, with mixed results. Album opener “Everyone’s At It” seems to present the thesis that the whole world is on drugs. Now, I’m neither a doctor nor a statistician, but as a member of the educated public, I have a bit of a problem with this assertion. I know lots of people that are not on drugs. Hell, I’m not on drugs, but I might consider them if this album gets much worse. I understand that she’s exaggerating, but this song would have worked a lot better if there was a sense of humor about it all rather than faux sincerity. Plus the techno beats on this song piss me off.

“He Wasn’t There” is a cheesy “I have Daddy issues” track with an equally tacky beat (why why why WHY did she not re-hire Mark Ronson?); “I Could Say” sounds like it was written in about 1998, and I counted eight different and equally painful clichés, ranging from “the whole wide world is my stage” to “I’ve been let out of my cage."

Lead single “The Fear” sounds, thankfully, like the old Lily – I love the dance beat and the opening lines: “I want to be rich and I want lots of money/…/I want loads of clothes and ****loads of diamonds.” But the whole thing takes a turn for the worse when, first of all, she feels the need to explain the joke, that’s she not actually one of those celebrities…do you get it? Do you get it? Huh? YES. We get it. I’d almost like her better if she didn’t deny being a, as she puts it, “weapon of massive consumption,” because this new-found conscience is kind of a drag. The lyrics for the rest of the song similarly walk the line between clever and tacky, but as soon as she feels the need to start explaining the jokes and taking herself seriously, all the fun is gone and you’re left feeling annoyed. Not good. Plus, "Who'd Have Known" has similar chord progressions to "The Fear," which is just lazy.

The unnecessarily profane “F*** You” is another one of those just annoying songs wherein Lily Allen pretends to know what the hell is going on in the world. Really? A song about George Bush? Is that, well, irrelevant? Guess what, Lily, your dream came true…LAST NOVEMBER. No one cares. Plus, you’re British. You live in England. I’ll admit that my personal politics tend towards the left, but it really, really pisses me off when non-Americans feel they have the right to criticize our president. We know he is (was) bad, we don’t really need your opinion. So shut up already.

The point is, the reason her last album was so much fun was because it was about things that people could actually relate to, like crappy boyfriends and being hit on in clubs, and it kept up a certain even tone of exasperated good humor. “Smile” was one of the best breakup songs in years, and it still makes me happy every time I listen to it. There’s another thing – the songs off her last album were memorable, especially gems like “LDN,” “Friday Night,” and “Knock ‘Em Out.” Truth be told, I’ve listened to nothing but this album for the past three days and I still can’t tell any of the songs apart. Maybe it’s because the production is seriously lacking – I was extremely surprised that she didn’t go with Mark Ronson for a second time, considering that he was a major reason her first album was such a success. This time around, Greg Kurstin’s production pushes her more towards a dance direction (understandable, really, it seems that’s where every pop artist is going these days), which doesn’t really do much for her pretty average voice. Combine this with her newfound determination to tackle big world issues, well, it’s just a little too much coming from, as Perez Hilton puts it, a celebutard. Leave the philosophizing to bigger and better bands, Lily. You’re just no fun anymore.

The Bottom Line: A disappointing second album from an artist who seems unsure who she is anymore (is she the new Amy Winehouse? The new Kate Nash? The New Lady GaGa? Or the new Paris Hilton?).

Download: Alright, Still (her first and the superior album). If you’re already a fan, get her version of the Kaiser Chiefs’ “Oh My God,” off Mark Ronson’s Version, a fantastic track. Already have that? You’re on your own.

Rating: 5/10

mood: productive!
tunes: T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S. – the hives – the black & white album


*Have a different opinion? Leave it in the COMMENTS!

proof that coldplay are annoying, yet oddly adorable

In case you missed it Sunday night on 60 Minutes before the Grammys (who watches that, anyway?), here's the proof you've been searching for.








[Image via Coldplay]

A Friendly Public Service Announcement

So I've known about this for a while, but I was just re-watching an episode today and thought I should share...

Go on iTunes and download the Gonzo podcasts with Zane Lowe. He's a British (actually a New Zealander) DJ with an absolutely amazing, hilarious, random, brilliant show on MTV2 in the UK where he manages to interview all of my favorite bands (Arctic Monkeys, QOTSA, Foo Fighters, Franz Ferdinand, Kings of Leon, We Are Scientists, Oasis, The Libertines). Especially check out the Noel Gallagher and the Queens of the Stone Age interviews, I guarantee they're both the funniest and most interesting videos you've watched all week (if you like lots of profanity, heavy British accents, and general music geekdom).

A warning though...when iTunes says they're explicit, this time they really mean it - don't watch if you don't like profanity, especially the older podcasts. The newer ones are cleaner.


You're welcome!!!

more...

9:43 – Oh my God, what is M.I.A. wearing? And what happens if her water breaks on stage? Oh my gosh it’s like reality TV. And why is the broadcast in black and white? Is it just me?
9:44 – Way to go, Grammy producers. Get that color back, stat!
9:45 – This is actually kind of excellent, this version of “Swagga Like Us”
9:55 – DAVE GROHL ON DRUMS!!! YESSSSSSS
9:56 – Can someone please explain why they keep zooming in on…the stuffed wolf on the amp?
10:00 – Jack Black, way to make it a family affair. Also, rockin’ that hat.
10:02 – Best pop vocal award tooooo…John Mayer? Really? Another disappointing Grammy. And where’s Jennifer Aniston? Bor-ing.
10:04 – Jay Mohr, go away. Just…go. Why are you still here? You’re not funny.
10:10 – Adele, you need to surrender to Amy Winehouse. She’ll be back, once she’s done being a crack addict in St. Lucia, and she’s gonna kick your ass. So watch out.
10:15 – Gwyneth Paltrow, why are you wearing those ugly tights?
10:16 – OHMYGOD THIS IS AMAZING. And Thom Yorke is definitely rocking that haircut. I’m definitely a fan…but not of the dancing. No dancing, Thom Yorke.
10:18 – You know what would have been awesome? If they broke into Tusk. I probably would have wet myself.
10:20 – That drummer on the end is so excited right now. He’s probably going to wet himself.
10:21 – Is there any point in me watching the rest of this? I can’t come up with anymore not-funny jokes or pithy remarks. And all I really wanted to see was Radiohead. I think it’s about bedtime.

Night night.

more grammy nonsense

9:22 – Craig Ferguson is AMAZING. Way to just corrupt Marisa Tomei’s small child.
9:23 – GIANT FRUIT ATTAAAAACK!!!!!
9:23 – Katy Perry, where is your hat? I think you’re missing a hat. But nice sensible flats.
9:25 – OH SNAAPPPPPP!!!!! Did Katy’s back-up dancers just totally diss Miley by making the scandalous Asian-eyes? OMG SCANDALLLLL
9:27 – What’s up with Kanye’s Lionel Richie hair? This song is amazing, though.
9:42 – Record of the year goes to 2007 and Robert Plant + Alison Kraus again. That’s two points for time travel.

Grammy Live-ish Play-by-Play continued

8:41 – Duffy and Al Green are singing…why? And why does she feel the need to compliment him on his singing?
8:42 – Who is this “Jason Muh-raz” character, Al Green?
8:43 – Whaaat? Coldplay for song of the year? Snap. And is that Joe Satriani I see exploding in the corner? Poor guy.
8:44 – Aaaand it’s time for another snack break. I don’t do Kid Rock.
8:48 – It’s been 48 minutes, and they’ve only given out two Grammys. It’s gonna be a loooong night.
8:50 – Who doesn’t want gum out of Chris Brown’s back pocket? That’s what I want to know.
8:54 – Gee, Miley, you couldn’t even be bothered to put on a dress?
8:59 – SERIOUSLY????? That album came out in 2007. What the hell? Why should this song be winning a Grammy in 2009????!?!?!?
9:00 – Aaaaand, she’s back, ladies and gentlemen. Remind me why she didn’t win American Idol? Oh, that’s right, she has an Oscar. Never mind. Who won that season anyway?
9:01 – Too echoey! Ew! Shouldn’t the music awards have better acoustics?
9:03 – Awwww, J-Hud.
9:08 – Newsflash: you can’t jam with a blind person. And stop yelling “Hey Steve-ayyy!!!”
9:10 – I think Kevin Jonas forgot/flubbed the lyrics to “Superstitious.” I hope he cries when he gets home.
9:16 – Coldplay again? Alright. And why the constant references to Paul McCartney?

Grammy Live-ish Play-by-Play

8:00 – Here we go…the Grammys!!! And the opening act is…U2?
8:02 – They’re lip-synching. Oh well.
8:05 – Hey Whitney: Why. Are. You. Talking. Like. This? But your legs are amazing, so we’ll put your possible intoxication behind us.
8:07 – You know, Jennifer Hudson, you could have left your purse at your seat. Really, hon.
8:08 – What is the Rock doing here? And why is he painfully unfunny and kind of creepily intense? And why does he like Katy Perry?
8:09 – Katy Perry is officially adorable for crossing her eyes on camera.
8:10 – The Rock as a stand-up comedian = FAIL.
8:11 – Justin Timberlake as a stand-up comedian = DOUBLE FAIL.
8:13 – Wait, I’m sorry, Justin, where are you again? I didn’t hear you the first eight times you screamed “What’s up Los Angeles?”
8:21 – Oh look, it’s Simon Baker. I wonder if they were just like, oh hey, let’s get someone with a funny accent to introduce more people with funny accents.
8:23 – JAAAAAAYY-ZEEEEEEEEE!!!!
8:24 – So is this song “Lost?+” ? How does one pronounce that?
8:24 – Awkward hand-jive, Chris Martin…
8:25 – Okay, I take back everything I’ve ever said about Coldplay. This is pretty badass. But Chris Martin seriously needs a longer shirt or something. No one wants to see his bacon strip.
8:27 – Carrie Underwood’s sleeves are going to eat her! Oh no!!!
8:30 – Too…much..country…brain…shutting…down…I think it’s snack time.
8:31 – I think the girl guitarist is falling asleep.
8:34 – Okay, this Sugarland chick is drunk. Almost as drunk as the person who did her hair.

coming soon...

I should have up pretty soon a few things, actually - I'm working on my review for Tonight: Franz Ferdinand and Working on a Dream, and I'll see how terrible the new Lily Allen record is once that comes out. Also, my Grammy thoughts, musings on whether or not I should cancel my U2 preorder, and possibly a rant on how much I hate Morrissey (I don't care what anyone says, he can't sing).

More records to look forward to/be terrified for (that only applies to Michael Jackson):

DMB
Aerosmith
Blur (!)
The Gossip
Michael Jackson
Muse
OK Go
Pearl Jam
Amy Winehouse

until then...

Grammy Countdown!!!

It's one and a half hours until what has become one of the most parochial awards shows airs live - the Grammys! I know, you're excited. I feel the waves through the computer screen. Regardless, here are my predictions.

Record of the Year: Viva La Vida - Coldplay
-One of the most played and recognizable tracks in recent history, this vaguely-religious, vaguely-political Coldplay standard is just formulaic enough to get a nomination, and just different enough to win. And, overall, they deserve it. It's a decent track, despite that annoying iTunes commercial and a downright terrible music video (check out the Anton Corbijn video...definitely superior).

Album of the Year: Tha Carter III - Lil Wayne
-I'm not really a huge Lil Wayne fan in general, but I think he's got this category pretty much on a lock. In Rainbows and Raising Sand are both technically from 2007, and shouldn't even really have been nominated. Lil Wayne's likeable enough, and is still running on good reviews and strong sales. Plus, his appearance on Letterman doing the Top 10 List was kind of adorable, albeit in a really gangster way.

Song of the Year: Chasing Pavements - Adele
-Personally, I don't see the appeal, but I have a feeling the Academy's going to go for Adele. It should go to Estelle's clever and charming "American Boy," but I doubt that'll happen. And "I'm Yours" and "Love Song" aren't really serious contenders in this category. Better luck next time, Estelle.

Best New Artist - NONE
-Seriously, Recording Academy???? This is the best list you could come up with for new artists??? What about Lady GaGa? Or Foals? Or Santogold? Or The Ting Tings? Or Vampire Weekend, or MGMT? This list is pathetic (Adele, Duffy, the Jonas Brothers, Lady Antebellum, Jazmine Sullivan). So I'm hoping that maybe the Grammy won't go to anyone. I'll let you know how that goes.

Random Other Categories That I Actually Care About / Random Comments:

Best Dance Recording: Black & Gold - Sam Sparro
-This is a tough category, with some serious contenders. "Disturbia" and "Give It 2 Me" are great tracks, and it was nice to see Hot Chip and Lady GaGa get nods. But I'm hoping it goes to Sam Sparro and the fantastic gem "Black & Gold," which no one would have known about if iTunes hadn't given it away for free last summer (further proof that Apple controls the universe). Oh, and "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" is from 2001. What the ****? Why don't you just admit that the only reason anyone knows this song is because of Kanye, and give the Grammy to him? I'm sure he'll take it off your hands.

Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group:
Why the hell is "House of Cards" doing in this category? That's not rock, that's just Radiohead being weird. Just because Radiohead used to be a rock band does not mean that everything they do is rock, and doesn't mean this song should have been nominated. It's kind of a crappy song to begin with. Here's hoping Kings of Leon get some love, though - it's about time America started taking notice of their own bands.

Best Rock Song:
This is the wimpiest bunch of nominees I've seen in a while. The best they could scrounge up for "rock" was Radiohead, Death Cab, and Coldplay? Kings of Leon are great, but I would love to see the Grammy go to Bruce for "Girls In Their Summer Clothes," which blows all the other nominees out of the water.


Here's hoping it doesn't suck!

mood: procrastinating...
tunes: I Don't Care - Fall Out Boy - Folie a Deux

(Almost) Free Stuff

Cancel your iTunes pre-orders!!!

Lily Allen's new CD, "It's Not Me, It's You" will be sold for $3.99 through Amazon from its release next Tuesday until February 16.


I don't know about you, but there's nothing I love more than cheap music.

Check it out...

Get On Your Boots Review

The lead single off U2’s forthcoming album No Line on the Horizon, “Get On Your Boots,” is being touted as the follow-up to HTDAAB’s “Vertigo.” However, this one is far from the pure joy that was “Vertigo.” It’s got a great riff from the Edge, heavy drums from Larry Mullen, superb vocals from Bono…what’s not to love? The track has enough sparkly sheen to blind a monkey courtesy of Brian Eno’s production (hey, it worked for Coldplay – they got seven Grammy nominations), and overall, it’s a decent cut. But there’s something missing. It sort of sounds like Bono doesn’t believe what he’s singing, like they were trying for a chart-topping, cash-in hit rather than (God forbid) art, or even music. And it shows, too: it’s getting its ass handed to it on the charts by Kelly Clarkson’s career revamp single “My Life Would Suck Without You.” Seriously, U2? You’re one of the best rock bands in the world (not an opinion, just a fact) and you’re getting kicked out of the charts by a reality TV show winner???

WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO???

The Bottom Line: If this is the best representation of NLOTH, I’m thinking about canceling my pre-order from iTunes. Come on, U2. You can do better than this.

Download: Only if you have 99 cents to spare.

Rating: 4.5/10

mood: sleepy-weepy
tunes: the world we live in – the killers – day & age

there's always next year...

Was I honestly expecting anything else?

Way to go, Eagles.




Hey, at least there's one Pennsylvania team left...


GO STEELERS!!!

r.i.p. speed-the-plow

It hasn't closed yet, but I'm pretty sure it's on the way down...

Even though it's gotten tons of press because of Jeremy Piven's mercury-flavored premature departure, and despite now boasting a substantially more qualified cast (Norbert Leo Butz (originated Fiyero in Wicked) took over for Piven, and William H. Macy will be taking over for Butz later), it's been selling about 50% of its tickets.

Ouch!

Check the numbers...

iTunes screws us over...again...

good job, guys.

Ulysses Review

On the first single from their upcoming album “Tonight: Franz Ferdinand,” Franz Ferdinand debut another stark, cold, danceable groove. As a devoted FF fan, this doesn’t sound like much of an evolution in their sound to me, but then again, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. They’ve found a formula, and it works. I will say that this seems to be a much darker track than their previous singles – the lyrics are notably stranger and more, to quote Alex Kapranos, “sinister” than in the past. This isn’t an invitation to dance, this is an invitation to sell your soul.

The Bottom Line: This is a great new track from Franz Ferdinand – if the rest of the album is this dark, it’s gonna be one hell of a dance party.

Download: Yes! (Available on iTunes)

Rating: 7/10

mood: chillin’ like a villain (oh yes I did just write that)
tunes: red dress – tv on the radio – dear science

Prospekt's March Review

This is the biggest cash-in I’ve ever heard (well, maybe not the biggest, but it's up there...), and frankly more evidence of Coldplay’s sheer mediocrity. I have a love-hate relationship with Coldplay, in that I keep buying their albums but am then constantly disappointed, so I have to cheer myself up, so I listen to one of their albums…it’s a vicious cycle that ultimately ends in the ingestion of Cake, just to get those songs out of my head. I’ll concede that Coldplay knows how to write tunes, sure, but they’re so goddamn formulaic and pretty and BORING that I can’t imagine why anyone would care. There’s nothing edgy or remotely different about this band…and yet I buy their albums anyway. If someone can explain that to me, go crazy.

And now for the actual review…

Life In Technicolor II is not actually a new song, but rather a continuation of the first Life In Technicolor (Life In Technicolor I?). There are some average lyrics, more sweeping strings, blah blah blah YAWN. Another disappointment: Lovers In Japan (Osaka Sun Remix), which as far as I can tell is exactly the same as the first Lovers In Japan, except without the Reign of Love hidden track. Plus, those of us who pre-ordered Viva La Vida from iTunes already have Lovers In Japan (Acoustic Version), so now I have THREE versions of a frankly mediocre song (plus a music video from Prospekt’s March), which is extremely frustrating.

Rainy Day, with its spiky strings and jumpy, jumbled vocals, is a decent cut, as is Glass of Water, a by-the-books big Coldplay arena-filler (although major props for writing the chorus in 7/4) . Both would have been great tracks for the original album, but perhaps that would have been too risky (gasp!) for Coldplay. Other than these two tracks, there is NOTHING here. Lost+ contains an amusing and vaguely entertaining rap interlude from Jay-Z, but what pisses me off the most is that it’s the EXACT SAME TRACK as Lost! (a great song nonetheless). If Coldplay were a real band, they would have given the track to Jay-Z to remix instead of just splicing in an awkward verse. Even the music video is the same, for Christ’s sake! This is a great idea with a pretty average result.

Postcards From Far Away is a waste of forty-eight seconds of your life (it’s just a little bit of twinkly piano…separating...little bits of twinkly piano…), and Prospekt’s March/Poppyfields and Now My Feet Won’t Touch The Ground are just plain weird.

The Bottom Line: When you boil down this record, there are only actually 5 new songs (well, really 4, because Postcards… should not ever count as a song) out of 8. And, unless I missed something, that’s not enough to charge eight dollars for, even if you’re Coldplay.

Download: Glass of Water, Lost+, Rainy Day

Rating: 4/10

mood: busy busy
tunes: use somebody – kings of leon – only by the night

hola, bonjour, and salutations

Hello, and welcome to this, my inaugural big girl blog. The proposed format: album reviews, gig reviews (as they come), and other tidbits. And the proposed response: constructive criticism, comments, amusing anecdotes, etc.

Enjoy…?

mood: sleepy
tunes: straight lines – silverchair – young modern