"Feel It In My Bones"

T+S+Tiesto from Tegan and Sara on Vimeo.

Hear it HERE...It's killer!

Thank you Les Paul

Today the world lost an amazing innovator and musician. The creator of the solid-body electric guitar, multi-track recording, and arguably rock music itself has passed away at 94.
Paul's first electric guitar prototype was a four-by-four piece of wood strung with steel strings, which he put together in the mid to late 1930s. He deemed his creation "The Log."
"I went into a nightclub and played it," Paul told the Associated Press. "Of course, everybody had me labeled as a nut." He eventually attached the body of an Epiphone guitar to his invention, making it look more like a normal guitar.
In 1952, Gibson Guitars began production of the Les Paul guitar. Pete Townsend of The Who, Steve Howe of Yes, and Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page all made the Gibson Les Paul their guitar of choice.
From the 1940's-the 1960's he earned 36 gold records and 11 No. 1 pop hits, including "Vaya Con Dios," "How High the Moon," "Nola" and "Lover." with his wife Mary Ford. Many of their songs used overdubbing techniques that Paul had helped develop.
Without Les Paul rock music probably would not have happened. Can there be a more influential figure in music? Without the electric guitar there would be no Beatles, no Stones, no Jimi Hendrix. Without multi-track recording technology there would be no White Album, no Pro-tools, no Hip-Hop and definitely no independent musicians that could go into a cabin in Wisconsin and put out an album considered to be one of the best of last year...(I am talking to you Justin V! Say thank you!)
I can not imagine what the world would be like if Les Paul had never existed...it just seems empty. Thank you Les Paul for well...Everything.

Kaki King dips into to visual art...

About three months ago, the New York-based guitarist Kaki King invited her fans to create artwork using blank guitars as canvases. The theme of each piece would be the title of one of her songs. Sixteen people were eventually selected for the project and their art will be shown at an event, titled 'The Exhibition,' which opens this Friday at Littlefield, a performance and art space in Brooklyn, New York.
At the opening, King will participate in the exhibition by placing pink paint on her fingertips and performing 'Playing With Pink Noise' on her well-known blue Ovation guitar, which was used in the 2004 music video for the song. That guitar will be later put up for auction with the money going to VH1's Save the Music Foundation, which funds music education in public schools.
The artists for the project were found through Myspace, Facebook, and Twitter and once the artists were chosen, King shipped blank guitars, donated by Ovation. Whether 'The Exhibition' could possibly expand into a traveling show depends on a number of things, such as selling the art or the responses online.
Doors for 'The Exhibition' open at 7 PM ET. Admission is free. Meanwhile, folks can check the progress of the guitars, including the final pieces, here.

Don't fear the Twitter

This is a spontaneous video made on July 1, 2009 in Hermosa Beach CA. Amanda Palmer had gathered a bunch of folks by announcing a "ninja beach gig" on her blog & twitter. Lots of people came, Amanda played ukulele for a while, there was a big group photo shoot. AFP decided it was a fine day for a music video.

Bobby McFerrin gave a powerful demonstration on humans natural reaction to the Pentatonic Scale at the 2009 World Science Festival. The "Notes and Neurons" segment of the festival asked the question is our response to music hard-wired or culturally determined? Is the reaction to rhythm and melody universal or influenced by environment?
Look at this and be the judge.

World Science Festival 2009: Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale from World Science Festival on Vimeo.

The Pentatonic Scale is a musical scale with five pitches per octave. The Pentatonic Scale is very common and is found all over the world, including but not limited to Celtic folk music, Hungarian folk music, West African music, African-American spirituals, Jazz, American blues music and rock music.

Jigga WHAT!

"Run This Town", the new Jay-Z/Rihanna/Kanye West track from The Blueprint 3, leaked this morning. Oh my goodness it's a banger...Yet another reason to follow @Questlove...

Sainthood

A little late to report but I was waiting for a track list that doesn't seem like will exist for another month or so...

Tegan and Sara announced that the new record "Sainthood" will be out October 27th. They recorded Sainthood with producers Chris Walla and Howard Redekopp (The New Pornographers). Walla produced the bands last LP The Con, while Redekopp worked with T+S on 2004's So Jealous. Walla plays bass on the album, while Death Cab For Cutie's Jason McGerr played drums. Touring guitarist Ted Gowans also contributed to the album. Sainthood was recorded at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, Calif. and McGerr's Two Sticks Audio in Seattle.

Sainthood (not Thainthood) from Tegan and Sara on Vimeo.

This week...

Heavy Rotation for the week...

Like the deserts miss the rain...

It’s amazing how hearing a song can transport you to another time and place from your past.
While working on a mix for a friend(and by mix I mean a 2G flash drive), I found myself getting nostalgic for the mid-90's/early-00's.
Lets take a trip in the Wayback Mr. Peabody!

This Week...

Heavy Rotation...comment and share your top five for the week. If you missed HR last week check it out here...

Happy Pride

June is Gay Pride Month so I thought this would be an appropriate time to take a look at some of my favorite modern queer musicians...

Tegan and Sara-
Tegan and Sara Quin are singer songwriters from Canada. At fifteen they picked up guitars and started recording music. By the end of the 1990s they had signed to Vapor Records and had begun to tour with fellow Canadians like Neil Young and the New Pornographers.


The Gossip-
The indie rock band, Gossip, was formed in the late nineties in Arkansas. They are now based in Portland, Oregon. Gossip is made up of singer Beth Ditto, drummer, Hannah Blilie, and guitarist, Brace Paine.


Peaches-
Peaches is the stage name of Canadian electro-punk musician, Merrill Nisker. She now resides in Berlin and has been called the reining Queen of electro-punk.


Uh Huh Her-
Camila Grey is a former member of the lo-fi rock band Mellowdrone and she had played bass and keyboards for a variety of artists, such as Dr. Dre, Melissa Auf der Maur, Busta Rhymes, and Kelly Osbourne. Leisha Hailey was formerly in The Murmurs and Gush and is also a successful actress.


Rufus Wainwright-
Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is a Grammy-nominated, Canadian-American singer-songwriter. He has recorded five albums of original music, several EPs, and numerous tracks included on compilations and film soundtracks. He has also completed an opera originally commissioned by the Met.


Sleater-Kinney-
Sleater-Kinney was an American rock band formed in Olympia, Washington with members Corin Tucker, Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss . They were a vital part of the riot grrrl and punk scenes in Washington, although they later relocated to Portland, Oregon.

R.I.P. MJ

So this wouldn't be a proper music blog without mentioning the death of Michael Jackson...He was an immense talent and changed the course music forever. I will now pass the mic to the always amazing Carrie Brownstein who summed it up the best...

As you know by now, because you read about it or saw it on TV, because someone sent you a text message, or called you, or because your fellow employees have sent out countless email tributes and are now playing "Billie Jean" over the loudspeaker: Michael Jackson is dead.
Those are frightening words to write. They are more scary than any paparazzi photo of Jackson's nose crumbling to pieces; stranger than images of his faceless children wearing shrouds while shopping at the mall; creepier than his rumored skin disease, the burnt hair, the molestation allegations and trial, his chimpanzee confidante and Neverland combined.
Michael Jackson is dead, and now we have to come to terms with who he was and what it means to have him gone. For many of us of a certain age, Michael Jackson's Thriller was the album. The music contained therein wasn't relegated to the turntables we played it on. (These were our first turntables, usually part of some crappy combination stereo system that featured dual cassette players, a giant roving stereo dial and cheap speakers barely better than megaphones.) No, those songs on Thriller informed more than our musical taste; they taught us our dance moves, gave us a sense of style and transformed what we saw on television and in the movies.
Michael Jackson was our first superstar. He was masterful and mysterious and glittery. He invented pop as we know it today, the blown-up-and-about-to-burst version of pop. We obsessed over him before there were even the proper technological tools to aid in our obsession. But he was easy to find, because he was everywhere and everything: He was our soda, our videos, our radios and our bedroom floors. It was a thriller, no doubt; the man was pop and the man was king.
These were big times, the 1980s: big business, big hair, big stars. There was Michael Jackson and Madonna, Duran Duran and Prince, and all of our love could be stored in and directed upon these giant and alluring vessels who wanted to be adored, or so we thought. But eventually -- as it often does -- our love for these artists waned, and we directed our affections elsewhere. Most of these pop stars disappeared for a while or began practicing the arts of resuscitation and reinvention.
But Michael Jackson was different; his star never wholly faded, nor was it born anew. His light remained aglow, fueled both by his astronomical accomplishments and by our own eager imaginations. And we kept looking in his direction, out of pure love for his music, but also because the glimpses into his life were getting more shocking and bizarre. The glare kept coming back to find him, sometimes out of reverence, but also revealing to us a distortion of the man we thought we knew; an ugliness, a freakishness, a changeling.
Certainly there was a disconnect in our minds between the brilliant artist whose songs made us dance -- whom we exalted, and whom we gave credit for changing the landscape of music -- and Jackson's clearly troubled and pained personal life. For many of us, there were two different Michael Jacksons: the one whose life we watched like a circus, and the artist who had turned our ordinary lives into an extravaganza.
And now Michael Jackson is gone -- not just the part of him we loved and worshiped, but also those parts we never quite understood. We're left with a confounding and massive emptiness. Personally, I'd like to thank him for an immeasurable contribution to music, for his moves, and for transforming the word "pop" into both the confetti and the knockout punch. May he rest in peace.

[Carrie Brownstein is a writer and musician. She was a member of the critically acclaimed rock band Sleater-Kinney. Her writing has appeared in 'The New York Times,' 'The Believer,' 'Pitchfork,' and various book anthologies on music and culture.]

Lets get to know each other better...

In an attempt to force myself to keep up to date with this I am starting a new segment here on the mixtape...Heavy Rotation.

Here I will share the top five songs I have been obsessed with this week and I hope you will comment and share yours...

1- Los Campesinos "We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed"


2- Against Me! "Thrash Unreal"


3- Jenny Owen Youngs "Last Person"


4- Sleater-Kinney "All Hands on the Bad One"


5- Tegan and Sara "Soil,Soil"

The return of Lilith

The main page of Lilith Fair's website just reads "Returning in 2010". My mind immediately wanders to a large stadium in the blistering summer filled with women of all things! I attended Lilith Fair in 1998 and 1999 and had my mind BLOWN! While Lilith was the punchline of the nineties it changed the way I thought about music forever. Unfortunately it did not change the industry in the long term.
Record labels scrambled to snatch up any "Chick with acoustic guitar" or "Angry chick with acoustic guitar" acts to ride the "Year of the Woman" wave and like all waves it eventually broke.
As the 00's progressed manufactured pop music took over followed by the "Dirty South", club-banging, pseudo-rap phenomenon. There was no room for women in music unless they were part of a danceable "girl-group" or a solo pop/dance act. Clear Channel took over the airwaves, MTV became stale and "reality" oriented and it seemed there were no more riot grrls, no more introspective singer-songwriters, and definitely no more all female billed tours.
People still giggle when Lilith is mentioned and I have no idea why. In 1997, Lilith Fair garnered a $16 million gross, making it the top-grossing of any touring festival that year. Among all concert tours for that year, it was the 16th highest grossing. The overall quality of the roster has not been matched yet in my opinion, and it's tent city/multiple stage model has been copied by every major festival that goes on today. It was responsible for helping to launch the careers of dozens of artists that might not have been heard if not for it's existence.
In the past few years there has been another shift in the industry...digital content. There has been an explosion of independent labels and artists touring, selling records and gaining a strong fan base without the assistance of a label. Labels are running scared attempting to stay relevant while the music has evolved into a free medium where collaboration and experimentation are praised not discouraged. There is now a clear battle going on between the business of art and the art itself. This climate seems to be perfect for a reemergence of Lilith Fair. Lilith had an anything-goes feel where musicianship was respected and artists felt free to join others on stage and truly engage the audience which is so rare in a large festival atmosphere. With the radio and television no longer the fan's main source for music maybe this time Lilith will help to cement a place for women in the music business.
For those of you who did not attend the original Lilith here is a sampling of the artist rosters from 1997-1999...

Unsigned artists at the time they performed...
Tegan and Sara
Christina Aguilera
Nelly Furtado
Lori McKenna
The Murmurs


Main and Second stage:
Fiona Apple
Sheryl Crow
Indigo Girls
Emmylou Harris
Jewel
Lisa Loeb
Sarah McLachlan
Suzanne Vega
Dar Williams
Tracy Chapman
Erykah Badu
Cowboy Junkies
Missy Elliott
K's Choice
Me'shell Ndegeocello
Heather Nova
Sinéad O'Connor
Joan Osborne
Liz Phair
Queen Latifah
Bonnie Raitt
Dixie Chicks
Luscious Jackson
Martina McBride
Monica
Mýa
The Pretenders
Aimee Mann
Medieval Baebes
Bif Naked
Beth Orton
Susan Tedeschi

So what do you think...can the general public stop snickering at the possibility of an all female tour? What artists would you like to see at Lilith in 2010?

Hello again...

Forgive the lack of attention it's not you its me... I hope these can make up for it...
OK so a dozen roses aren't your thing...how about a dozen great songs?...I thought so...

Screw you Easter Bunny!

RECORD STORE DAY IS COMING!

April 18th is the one day this year that all of the independently owned record stores across the country and around the globe come together with artists to celebrate the art of music. Special releases and promotional products are made exclusively for the day and hundreds of artists in the United States and abroad make special appearances and performances. Festivities include performances, cook-outs, meet & greets with artists, parades, djs spinning records and on and on. Metallica officially kicked off Record Store Day in San Franscisco on April 19, 2008 and Record Store Day is now celebrated the third Saturday every April. This beats the pants off all those other April holidays!

To find a record store near you... go here

The Mentalists on iphones...

I love technology sometimes...

Oh Kanye...

This weeks "South Park" consisted of an extended bit on Kanye West's inability to understand a joke involving fishsticks made at his expense. It was funny in pretty much all the dumbest ways possible. And, of course, it was only a matter of time before Kanye blogged a response. Kanye has his statement up now, and it's sort of embarrassing, if only because nobody should ever admit that an episode of "South Park" hurt his feelings. Especially Kanye...Also he spells "Lil Wayne" like "LITTLE WAYNE"...whatever...808's was good though.

It's Blitz!

This album definitely has my vote for best album art of the year.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have grown up with their third album It's Blitz!. While some fans will possibly be turned off by the synth driven "Zero" and the haunting "Skeletons" I am enjoying the YYY's new sound. This is probably one of the most underrated bands out there and It's Blitz! just might make everyone sit up and take notice. I cant wait until number four.





Just in case you did not hear the YYY's before version 2.0 here is a taste...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Something to get you in the mood...

It has been a while but...

I am still attempting to settle in to my new surroundings but I had to pass this on to everyone who missed it.




For more info on An Horse check them out here...

Also check out my Bands to Watch in 2009 here

What are you missing?

A young man in a baseball cap positioned himself near a trash can at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried off.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the hat and without stopping continued to walk.

A few minutes later, a man leaned against the wall to listen to him, but quickly looked at his watch and started to walk again.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother pulled him along, but the kid stopped to stare at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He had just played some of the most intricate pieces ever written on a violin worth about $3.5 million dollars.

Joshua Bell played incognito in the metro station as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people organized by the Washington Post. The questions the experiment asked were: in a common environment at an inappropriate hour do we recognize beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context/environment?

In this modern society if we can not take a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing some of the most beautiful music ever written, how many other things are we missing? Have we lost the ability to recognize raw talent or appreciate beauty?

The Village Voice captured a moment like this when Kaki King played in a New York subway station as part of their "Possibly 4th Street" series.
For any of you who might not be familiar with Kaki King...In February 2006, King was named as a “Guitar God” by Rolling Stone Magazine, becoming the first ever female to make this list in the history of the publication. Also Dave Grohl is quoted as saying: “There are some guitar players that are good and there are some guitar players that are really fucking good. And then there's Kaki King." in front of an sold-out audience that included Jimmy Page. She then joined him on stage and made him look like an amateur and he knew it.

Here is Kaki King's subway performance:



Just a reminder to stop, look, and listen. You never know what might be right in front of you.

Oasis...

Amanda Palmer has become quite a popular subject on this blog recently...


AFP is at odds with her label yet again. After the "Leeds United" video scandal her label is at it again. This time they have some help from the media outlets in the UK.
This is a direct quote from an e-mail sent to AFP from her label, Roadrunner Records.

"I just thought I'd let you know that we have been met by fierce opposition on the Oasis track. Which is disheartening, as combined with the video, we all felt it was a great promotional tool and track. All our TV outlets have refused to play the video due to it "making light of rape, religion and abortion". This is the audio as well as visual. Many of the stations... NME tv, Scuzz, kerrang, MTV, Q, the box... like the track, and even the video but are bound by strict broadcasting rules."

Seriously? When did the UK get so uptight? Does anyone remember these guys?
To be fair maybe I am overestimating the general public. Are we that sensitive? This is the video in question...

When I first saw this video a few months ago I appreciated the brilliant depiction of a teenage girl trivializing a traumatic event. I have seen it growing up and I am sure I am guilty of it at some point as well. I did not see someone making fun of rape and abortion I saw it for what it was...a caricature of reality. Amanda Palmer is a survivor herself so I doubt that she of all people would make light of a life changing event such as this. Most great comedy is borne of tragedy. When we laugh at Richard Pryor telling us about him lighting himself on fire while freebasing or killing his car are we insensitive to drug addiction or domestic disputes?
AFP herself has been responding to the "controversy" most recently on The Huffington Post . She also addressed it as only she could at The Electric Ballroom in London.
(I have to give a "shout out" to Marchingstars for the video. She takes great concert vids! Always HQ which as we all know is rare on Youtube.)



So what do you think? Is it wrong to use art as a way to discuss subversive issues or do we just need to listen to the godfathers of dark humor and look on the bright side?

Some time off...

I will be back after Dilla Month...Maybe a few updates here and there but no regular posts...sorry guys
Here are a few things for your viewing pleasure:





Please don't discuss the fact that they broke up...I am still in denial

Both of these performances are part of the Burn to Shine series. Burn to Shine was created by Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty and filmmaker Christoph Green, and is a DVD series of live music events shot in buildings that are going to be destroyed. Bands that are chosen set up in the building for one day and each perform one song for the cameras alone. By the time you see the footage the structure no longer exists. I highly recommend this DVD series.

The Grammy Awards...

I lost faith in all awards shows after the Metallica fiasco of 1988.
Strangely this year I was excited for the Grammys. Some of the nominees seemed promising. The fact that artists like M.I.A, Robyn, The Mars Volta, Janelle Monae and The Moldy Peaches(by way of the Juno soundtrack) were considered was great.
Yet again the Grammys have let me down. I have a sinking feeling that Punxsutawney Phil also picks the Grammy winners. Six weeks of winter and Robert Plant & Alison Krauss take Album Of The Year!
I do not have anything against Raising Sand. It was a good album and I saw Robert Plant & Alison Krauss live last year and loved it. The problem I have is that again and again it seems like decent album+old rock legend=Grammy.
Here is a look at how I would have voted if I would have picked up a groundhog suit in time...

Record Of The Year
Grammy: Please Read The Letter-Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Shuffle(Shuffies?): Paper Planes-M.I.A

Album Of The Year
G:Raising Sand-Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
S:In Rainbows-Radiohead

Song Of The Year
G:Viva La Vida-Coldplay
S:Honestly I didn't even agree with the noms on this one...rough picks this year. In the spirit of the exercise I say, ANYONE but Coldplay.

Best New Artist
G:Adele (At least it wasn't the Jonas Brothers)
S:Jazmine Sullivan

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
G:Chasing Pavements-Adele (Thank you for not continuing Katy Perry's reign of terror)
S:Mercy-Duffy

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
G: Say-John Mayer
S: Another rough one...How about Closer-Ne-Yo just to see the look on Macca's face

Best Pop Vocal Album
G:Rockferry-Duffy
S: I will agree with this one

Best Electronic/Dance Album
G:Alive 2007-Daft Punk
S:Robyn-Robyn

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
G:Still Unforgettable-Natalie Cole
S:Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall-Rufus Wainwright (if you haven't heard this and you dig classic Judy you need this now!)

Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance
G:Gravity-John Mayer
S:Girls In Their Summer Clothes-Bruce Springsteen

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
G:Sex On Fire-Kings Of Leon I found this an odd choice. I really thought this one was going Eagles or Coldplay but KoL pulled it out.
S:I'll take that

Best Hard Rock Performance
G:Wax Simulacra-The Mars Volta
S:Fine by me

Best Metal Performance
G:My Apocalypse-Metallica This was not the time! 1988 was the time and they got beat out by freaking jazz flute! Metallica has not been Metal in YEARS!
S:Tie between Under My Thumb-Ministry and Nostradamus-Judas Priest

Best Rock Song
G:Girls In Their Summer Clothes-Bruce Springsteen
S:I Will Possess Your Heart-Death Cab for Cutie (sorry Boss)

Best Rock Album
G:Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends-Coldplay OK 1) I thought they were a pop band, 2) Are we not over Coldplay?
S:Consolers Of The Lonely-The Raconteurs

Best Alternative Music Album
G:In Rainbows-Radiohead
S:Narrow Stairs-Death Cab For Cutie I love and respect Radiohead for all that they do but DCFC edges them out on this one.

Best Urban/Alternative Performance
G:Be OK-Chrisette Michele Featuring will.i.am I don't even believe this belongs in this category
S:Many Moons-Janelle Monae

Best Rap Solo Performance
G:A Milli-Lil Wayne Everyone is on the Lil train and I just cant get into it. If someone can change my mind please let me know.
S:Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)...-Jay-Z If anyone would like to get me a present throw me a Super Sweet 16esque party and play this when I enter...or you know just when I enter a room.

Best Rap Song
G:Lollipop-Lil Wayne Featuring Static Major
S:Superstar-Lupe Fiasco Featuring Matthew Santos

Best Rap Album
G: Tha Carter III-Lil Wayne
S:Nas-Nas The fact that The Roots Rising Down was not nominated is a shame. The fact that one of the best poets in existence lost to LIL WAYNE is a sin.

Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album
G:Raising Sand-Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
S:All I Intended To Be-Emmylou Harris

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Story Telling)
G:An Inconvenient Truth-Al Gore OK WE GET IT!
S:When You Are Engulfed In Flames-David Sedaris

Best Comedy Album
G:It's Bad For Ya-George Carlin R.I.P. George
S:Flight Of The Conchords-Flight Of The Conchords

Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media
G:Juno
S:They got this one right! Congratulations to Kimya Dawson.

So what do you think? Did they get it right(more importantly did I)? Do you love Coldplay and want me to shut up? Let me know!

Check out all the nominees and winners here...

Everyone should know...

Aleksandra Campesinos!, Ellen Campesinos!, Gareth Campesinos!, Harriet Campesinos!, Neil Campesinos!, Ollie Campesinos!, and Tom Campesinos! are... Los Campesinos!




With a glockenspiel, violin, hand claps, boy-girl harmonies, and an exclamation point that totally fits, Los Campesinos! create highly addictive, hook-ridden, frenetic Indie-pop. They released two great albums in 2008 and have been touring all over the US and Europe. Highly recommended for long drives, dance parties in your living room(possibly by yourself), or any other time you want to get a bit amped up without the aid of chemicals!

Please someone stop this woman!!!

OK so the Tom Waits covers were...interesting. Scarlett Johansson strikes again covering Jeff Buckley's "Last Goodbye". He's Just Not That Into You is a new movie that I will not see but kudos to the music director for the soundtrack consisting of My Morning Jacket, Talking Heads, Wilco, the Replacements, and others. One of those others happens to be Scarlett Johansson??? Well I know when I think of quality music with wit and soul I think Scarlett Jo! Can someone please stop her before she goes after another music icon! I know!
Zooey vs. Scarlett the double threat cage match of the century! My money is on Deschanel.

Happy Birthday J. Dilla part 2

On a lighter note from the last post...


From the album "Chrome Children" Directed by Daniel Garcia and Mixtape Club, it's totally worth at least one watch.




This video features Common, Will.I.Am (Black Eyed Peas), Black Thought (The Roots), Frank N Dank, Talib Kweli, and Dilla's brother John (Illa J) as the MC. The video was done as a tribute to Dilla after the release of the critically acclaimed album, "The Shining".

Happy Birthday J. Dilla

For those of you that haven't discovered Dilla's music you need to.
Unfortunately J Dilla passed away on February, 10th 2006 after suffering for over three years with an incurable blood disease, and he had also been diagnosed with lupus.
After his death the battle over his estate began. Although Dilla's will stipulates that all assets be divided among his mother, his two daughters, and his brother the family have not received anything. One major issue facing the estate is that so many people are using Dilla's beats without permission. Dilla would often create beat CDs and hand them out to friends. The executors of his estate are tying up any payments to the family because of a tax issue as well as attempting to collect royalties on beats they believe were used without permission. While they fight their legal battles in the name of "securing" J. Dilla's music and legacy his mother, known as Ma Dukes, has lost her house. The estate also sent out cease-and-desist letters to various entertainers as well as people throwing events in Dilla's name-including his mother.
Anyone can support the family of J. Dilla with the purchase of a specially designed tribute t-shirt (pictured above). Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey, is also suffering from Lupus, and while struggling with the disease, she has seen her son’s estate be taken from her. The t-shirt, designed by Parra, was produced in collaboration with Stones Throw Records. Pick one up at any of the stores listed below. All proceeds will go towards Ma Dukes.

Turntablelab.com (+NY/LA Stores)
Giantpeach.com
Digitalgravel.com
Undergroundhiphop.com
Fatbeats.com (+NY/LA Stores)
HHV.de
Kingunderground.com

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Love melancholy, shoegazer pop songs??? So do I!



This four piece from New York has mastered the art of dreamy pop music. Their self-titled album is out now.

Clash of the Titans

The annual battle for supremacy has begun...
Coachella VS Bonnaroo

The battle breakdown:

Lineups:
Bruce Springsteen (Bonnaroo) vs. Paul McCartney (Coachella)
Who's the Boss?
Advantage: Bonnaroo

Phish (Bonnaroo) vs. The Cure (Coachella)
I love The Cure but they headlined Coachella in 2004 and they have been touring constantly since then. Phish have not played together on a public stage since 2004 and although I am not the biggest fan I have seen them perform back in their glory days many times and I would love to see what they can pull off.
Advantage: Bonnaroo

David Byrne (Bonnaroo) vs. Morrissey (Coachella)
If this were a Talking Heads vs. The Smiths argument then it might be a different result. As solo artists David Burns Morrissey.
Advantage: Bonnaroo

Bon Iver (Bonnaroo) vs. Conor Oberst (Coachella)
While these sensitive guys would probably hug it out instead of battle, Justin crushes Conor on this one.
Advantage: Bonnaroo

Paul Oakenfold (Bonnaroo) vs. Thievery Corporation (Coachella)
Thievery Corp. might as well be another word for “Lounge,” Oakenfold is the undisputed Lord of the Trance. This is definitely a question of preference on this one.
Tie

Snoop Dogg (Bonnaroo) vs. N.A.S.A, Peanut Butter Wolf, K'naan etc. (Coachella)
I will take quantity and quality over one Doggfather any day.
Advantage: Coachella

Elvis Costello (Bonnaroo) vs. Leonard Cohen (Coachella)
Not even a question.
Advantage: Coachella

Nine Inch Nails (Bonnaroo) vs. Throbbing Gristle (Coachella)
Nine Inch Nails have an amazing live show but Trent is but the grasshopper to the Master of Genesis, Cosey, and Peter.
Advantage: Coachella

Kaki King (Bonnaroo) vs. Amanda Palmer (Coachella)
While these two have different musical styles they are both powerful solo performers. I absolutely love Kaki King. She is one of musics immense talents but I don't know how much I would enjoy seeing her at an event such as Bonnaroo. A slight edge for AFP on this one.
Advantage: Coachella

Location:
Manchester, Tennessee (Bonnaroo) vs. Indio, California (Coachella)
Coachella and Bonnaroo are both hot but dry desert heat is better than sticky oppressive southern heat. Coachella is in the middle of nowhere which makes getting to the festival a bit more difficult than Bonnaroo. It also means its just you and the other festival goers. There are plenty of people that don't make it in to the 'Roo because of the amount of police presence looking for the flood of "hippies" invading their small town.
Advantage: Coachella

Ticket Prices:
In this time of economic crisis both festivals have implemented a staggered payment option if you don't have the funds right now. Bonnaroo is $249.50+fees and Coachella is $269.00+fees. There isnt really too much of a difference between the two so it would normally be a draw but for $99.00 you can pick up a day pass to Coachella and get a huge amount of music for your dollar.
Advantage: Coachella

Other:
Bonnaroo has become more than just a music festival. They have a comedy tent and plenty of other activities going on all weekend. Coachella is really all about the music. Depending on what you want when you attend an event like this the winner could go either way.
Tie

And the winner is...
Coachella (6-4-2)

What do you think?

These are a few of my favorite things...

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens be damned!

Amanda Palmer + Tegan and Sara=Awesome



Not bad for her first time playing Like O, Like H live (even T&S cant get it right sometimes). She really fits so well with the song and I hope she continues playing it. I would really like to see how it develops.

Just in case Tegan or Sara reads this (its not narcissism its preparedness) may I offer a few suggestions if you wanted to return the favor to AFP...
Tegan- Girl Anachronism or maybe Guitar Hero
Sara- Astronaut:A Short History of Nearly Nothing or Half Jack
Or just solve the "what song should we do" dilemma by writing something together...you know whatever works for everyone.

When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad

Sky Larkin is...

The kind of band that I would have played over and over cranked up to 11 in my bedroom as fourteen year old. I am so happy people are still out there making music that can excite my inner teen...I wonder if I can still skateboard???

The death of Mixwit

So my original idea was to make you a mixtape every week or so but with the very unfortunate shut-down of Mixwit I will have to find other means...

In the mean time this is awesome!

First Aid Kit covering Fleet Foxes.

As is this!

2009 Preview and the Vampire Weekend Effect

Everyone has already made their predictions on the bands to watch in 2009. I have always found this to be an interesting subject because I feel it becomes a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy. If all the major media outlets (read:"music-nerd" sites) say that a band will be a breakout artist this year they will (you're welcome Vampire Weekend). It is the whole if you build it they will come thing. This is not solely based on the talent of the artist...It's HYPE. Many of us get wrapped up into the excitement of something new and will go and seek out something because we are supposed to. We live in fear of losing our "indie" cards if we don't have the "A-Punk" mp3 at least a month before the album comes out.
None of this is necessarily a bad thing. I love the age of Internet buzz and blogging. I remember when you had to look to the liner notes, T-shirts, and interviews of bands you liked to see who they were listening to in order to find new music. I grew up in a rural area where we didn't even have access to MTV (the music television station not the reality network) so I appreciate the good work of everyone over at Pitchfork Media, Stereogum, NPR, etc...I am happy that all of the fifteen year-olds in central VA can discover the same music as the music critic in LA or the kid with the asymmetrical haircut in Williamsburg.
In the spirit of discovery (and hopefully generating some hype) here is my list of bands and albums to watch for in 2009...

An Horse
Their full length album Rearrange Beds was available on iTunes as of December 2008, and is due to be released in stores in March. I discovered this Australian duo of Kate Cooper and Damon Cox thanks to their opening slot on Tegan and Sara's 2008 Out Of Hibernation Spring US tour. I LOVE this band.

Florence and the Machine
A lot of folks are predicting that Florence Welch will be huge in 2009 and I have sipped the smooth, art-pop Kool-Aid on this one. The album is due out in May.

Bon Iver
Everyone fell in love with Justin Vernon's voice and songwriting last year on the amazing For Emma, Forever Ago. This month he released the Blood Bank EP. I had the title track on repeat for almost an hour before I moved on to the other three tracks...

La Roux
Singer Elly Jackson and synth player Ben Langmaid are La Roux. They are making playful, fun electro-pop tunes. Sometimes you just need to dance...

Sound of Arrows
Speaking of dancing the duo of Oskar Gullstrand and Stefan Storm are a necessary addition to every party shuffle this year.

Animal Collective
Merriweather Post Pavilion...for serious.

Madlib
Beat Konducta Vol. 5-6: A Tribute to... is a 42-track piece dedicated to the late, great J Dilla. The entire Beat Konducta series is a great ride. The ability to convey the spirit of the mixtape passed among friends is captured in each volume. The album is due out in February.

Sometimes you should believe the hype...happy listening.

All quiet on the Mixtape front...

I will be back soon...