Tuesday, January 31, 2006

McBrokenSocialScene loves Gosling.

A huge hit at this years Sundance was the Ryan Gosling drama Half-Nelson and the film's score consists of 16 Broken Social Scene songs, one for each touring member.

Here's a clip with the song Stars and Stripes in the background.

I still love You Forget it in People after two years of repeated listen, I don't think it's realistic that I'll grow tired of it.

A really good acoustic version of Cause=Time from a French radio session

From last nights Conan O'Brien video of their performance of Shorelines, I count 13 people on stage

Albert Einstein - Violin Gigolo

Our associate science editor forwarded these intersting blurbs from today's Times article A Genius Finds Inspiration in the Music of Another

"Albert Einstein pursued a notably Bohemian life in his youth. His studied indifference to dress and mane of dark hair, along with his love of music and philosophy, made him seem more poet than scientist.

He played the violin with passion and often performed at musical evenings. He enchanted audiences, particularly women, one of whom gushed that "he had the kind of male beauty that could cause havoc."

In his struggles with extremely complicated mathematics that led to the general theory of relativity of 1915, Einstein often turned for inspiration to the simple beauty of Mozart's music. Einstein once said that while Beethoven created his music, Mozart's "was so pure that it seemed to have been ever-present in the universe, waiting to be discovered by the master."

When I needed sunshine I got rain

On June of 1973, during a drunken party, Robert Wyatt fell from a third floor window. He was subsequently paralysed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair. He put out a single, a cover version of "I'm a Believer", which hit number 29 in the UK chart.

"My newly acquired gimmick of going round in a wheelchair was also frowned on in some circles: the producer of Top Of The Pops asked me to sit in a normal chair while singing "I'm A Believer". My wheelchair was not suitable for Family Viewing. I lost my rag but kept my wheelchair. Alfie remembers that the words of the song contrasted dramatically with the look on my face as I sang it. Until that moment, the only really serious problem I'd come across as a paraplegic was that I could no longer clamp a wine bottle between my thighs when trying to open it. The Top Of The Pop Experience was my first encounter with para-prejudice. It was a shock, to be honest. And it was becoming increasingly clear that I just didn't have it in me to put on the required show-biz act."

This song is such a favorite of ours, his cover of
September in the Rain

The cover of the Neil Diamond penned tune.
I'm a Believer

Monday, January 30, 2006

This is a serious post about Scritti Politti

Who here hasn't raised a little roof to Scritti Politti's The Perfect Way or Wood Beez ? Before they got blond highlights they were being championed by John Peel and signing to Rough Trade. Gang of Four/Wire style art-punk, it's pretty insane to think of the complete 360 this band made in five years.

Last year Rough Trade released a comp of the early vinyl-only EPs entitled 'Early'

These songs are really worth a listen:
DoubtBeat
SkankBlocBologna








For you 1986 purists
Perfect Way



Vicar in a Tutu

Super Delicious Engrish Cat, How Are You! Excited!

Indie Label Profile: Amoeba

From last weeks Business Week

In 1990, as music megastores were taking over city blocks and CDs were spinning LPs into relics, Marc Weinstein launched what seemed like the wrong company at the wrong time. Weinstein, who managed San Francisco's legendary Streetlight Records Ltd. for seven years, went ahead and started Amoeba Music Inc., a Berkeley (Calif.) record shop devoting half its inventory to used and rare vinyl

To do that, he and two co-founders pooled $325,000 from loans and savings, then took over a dilapidated 3,500-square-foot storefront used mostly by homeless people. Its first day, Amoeba took in $10,000. "We've been busy since the day we opened," says Weinstein, now 48 Amoeba's success defies the industry's malaise. Its sales grew 6.5% in 2005, to $60 million, even as industrywide album sales fell 7.2%, according to Niel- sen SoundScan.

More than selection distinguishes Amoeba. The company doesn't take retail display allowances from record labels, so the CDs that get displayed are the ones staffers enjoy. Those 520 staffers know their stuff: Before being hired, each one must listen to a random box of CDs, then brief Weinstein on the artists. Employees make between $9 and $20 an hour, with Amoeba paying half their health insurance premiums after six months. After two years Amoeba foots the entire bill.

To launch the record label and Web site, Weinstein and his partners will be trading on their credibility as music zealots. "We can easily make money selling 50,000 units," says co-founder Dave Prinz, because Amoeba will spend much less than the majors on manufacturing, distribution, and marketing. Aram Sinnreich, a partner at Los Angeles media consultants Radar Research, agrees. "The majors have developed an inverse economy of scale," he says. "They are duty-bound to spend and sell an ever-escalating volume." Amoeba's first efforts will be an album of unreleased material by the late country rock pioneer Gram Parsons and works by emerging Gypsy jazz artists.

Sunday, January 29, 2006

Grandaddy to shave beards, call it a day.

The first time I heard Grandaddy was on a Zum Magazine comp in 1998, I really liked that song Ghost of 1672. That was pretty much the extent of my Grandaddy phase.

Saturday, January 28, 2006

I should be asleep

How handsome and well dressed The Zombies are performing Tell Her No & She's Not There

I remember watching the Oscars live way back when seeing Celine Dion performing "My Heart Will Go On" followed by Elliot Smith performing Miss Misery

A favorite of the editors at this blog, Lauryn Hill on SNL singing Ex-Factor

Those crazy Brazilians Os Mutantes - Panis Et Circenses & Fuga




You are not that beautiful France Gall - Laisse Tomber Les Filles & Baby Pop

Friday, January 27, 2006

A Tomb With a View: Drumming for death metal's Nile is a back-breaking job.

You'd think this would be from The Onion but it's from the city Cleveland, possibly The Onion of the mid-west...

excerpts from the The Cleveland Scene (January 25, 2006)

The trouble with being a pharaoh in ancient Egypt was that it was impossible to forget the untimely end of your predecessor. Just ask the dude who succeeded King Tut. George Kollias, the drummer for Nile, finds himself in a similar spot, yet he has willingly assumed death metal's most dangerous throne. After Pete Hammoura enjoyed several years as a godlike figure, worshiped with slack-jawed awe on drum-related message boards, Hammoura's shoulder finally collapsed. "He gave his shoulder to metal," singer Karl Sanders solemnly told Pit magazine.

...he (Kollias) finds the possibility of life after death metal too depressing to ponder. "If something will happen, I will [commit] suicide, because drumming's my life," he says.

Without gaudy distractions, spectators tend to focus on Kollias' mammoth drum set. It's impressive, but not ostentatious -- he actually uses the gong. "My drum kit for Sickening Horror is much, much bigger," he says. "I used to play with 20 cymbals, and now I have 15, because we don't need more."

Love is in the ear

An email from Apple today..."This year skip the flowers, give a Valentine's day gift that lasts"

WMD - Bush officials pass the blame around again.

Fire officials are blaming a 20-pound cat for starting a house fire in the town of Washington near Eau Claire that caused about 25-thousand dollars damage.

Officials say the gray and white cat apparently jumped on an electric range in the basement of a two-story home at about 4:30 yesterday morning and turned on the push-button control. Plastic containers on top of the range smoldered.


A smoke detector alerted at least three people in the home, who were not hurt. The fire damaged part of the basement and smoke damaged much of the residence.


The cat died, likely of smoke inhalation

Thursday, January 26, 2006

Finch

We're big fans of The Finches, a Bay Area acoustic duo. In an ideal world if we could sing, we'd wish it to come out sounding like Carolyn's voice. Carolyn's playing solo this Sunday at the Trash Bar in Brooklyn


REAL Video of Goettingen, Du" performed live on The Finger of the Pulse


Music...
Daniels Song
Tar and Cement

Satan Kitty vs. Jesus Kitty



Watch the battle for your soul

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

I watch , I laugh, I watch , I laugh

My Cat Annie

Make sure to watch the clips 'Halloween' 'Bi-Lingual' and 'Stealth'

Eek A Mouse

About 13 years ago I was outside a club that the reggae artist Eek A Mouse was playing. Eek was wandering around before the show and came up to me and said "The Mouse needs pot, The Mouse needs pot".

Last year the Alabama band Iron Horse recorded a CD of all bluegrass versions of Modest Mouse songs. Their fourth in a series that also includes Ozzy Osbourne, Led Zeppelin & Metallica.
Their not fucking around, it sounds genius

American Music Place has a three minute Real audio sampling of 4 songs.
Short samples from CMH records

Markisobel

We were not sure about this Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan collaboration until we heard a few of the tracks off the upcoming record 'Ballad of the Broken Seas'. Could it be as lovely as the Brangelina or sound sketchy like the Tomkat?



So far from what we've heard we'll give 3 Maddoxs out of a possible 5 Zaharas



Songs posted on My Old Kentucky Blog
and Rbally

Honey Child What Can I do

Ramblin' Man

Saturday's Gone

The Porno-ish Video for Ramblin’ Man




("...er Stevie is Isobel still on the water skies behind us?" "I don't know Stuart, I'm playing the harmonica")

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Bono Bling Bling

I was reading the industry trades this morning and read that "U2 reigns supreme on Billboard's inaugural Money Makers chart" with $255,022,633.35 in 2005. That’s an obscene about of money for a band that reached its creative peak in the year never.

They made more money than the entire NY Yankees lineup ($205,938,439)
More than the GNP of the Kingdom of Tonga ($244,000,000)
They would own over 500,000 shares of Google ($400 per share)
They could buy over 100,000 pounds of Beluga caviar from the Black Sea and Caspian Sea ($2400 per pound)

Lose the Moog

Surprise, the new Stereolab sounds like old Stereolab.
Do you know what this band needs, Thurston Moore on guitar or the dude from Lightning Bolt playing drums.
Two songs from their upcoming March release posted by I Guess I'm floating Blog

Interlock
Excursions Into Oh, A-Oh

Sometimes I think Komeda did Stereolab much better than Stereolab does Stereolab most notably on the album The Genius of Komeda


Komeda on KCRW from 1996

The Track Happyment


Monday, January 23, 2006

No you didn't just name me Webster

Gizmo Will Tear Us Apart

I woke up this morning humming the song “Cry” by Godley and Crème who were originally with the classic band 10cc. The two left the band in the late 70’s to experiment with The Gizmo, a guitar they invented that was able to play violin sounds. Their debut Consequences was a TRIPLE-lp concept album about mankind battling a vengeful Mother Nature. Let’s hear it for LSD.



Take a listen to these two songs, they are quite catchy.
An Englishman In New York
I Pity Inanimate Objects

Feel my, my, my serpentine

Stephen Adler was the original drummer for Guns N' Roses and now he is the drummer in Adler's Appetite, a Guns N' Roses tribute band. I am sad.

Sunday, January 22, 2006

You down with O.B.L

I was watching the news the other night and according to Jon Stewart the top artist downloads on iTunes for O.B Laden were

1. You Killed My (no.3)
2. I have survived
3. Banish the Infidels
4. Death to America #2
5. Death to America #2(remix)
6. Death Cab for Cutie to America
7. In Da Cave
8. Osama 'n' Zawahiri: The Duets
9. Determined to strike in the U.S
10. 72 Virgins (In Shallah)

Just a matter of time before he starts podcasting.

Friday, January 20, 2006

DJ Meowlicous

I'm dj'ing tonight at the SF SPCA's Happy Hour/Singles Night Adoption Party. My set is from 7 - 9:30 pm, Free Admission.

From Alex Blagg's controversial post 'Look, Nobody Cares That You're a DJ' "Everyone's a fucking DJ.'

"I'm DJing right now here in my cubicle. I just segued from Bloc Party's "Banquet" into Kings of Leon's "The Bucket" - isn't that amazing?... Don't you get tired of lugging around 400 pounds of vinyl just to be ignored by bars and clubs full of people who haven't heard of -- and could care less about -- your music collection? Get an iPod, dude."

Frank Fernandez

Drugs


Two-tone cat : A Turkish cat at the Cat House Center in Van, eastern Turkey

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Old Slang


The Shins performing New Slang on Jimmy Kimmel from November 5th of 2004

I just really wanted to post this screen capture.

This years Arcade Fire??

Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band

Their new album got a 9.9 in Pitchfork

Chunklet Funny

Everyone knows that the Georgia based Chunklet Magazine is funnier than The New Yorker.

That one guy who said it wasn't just totally hates people from the South that's all.
I mean just because he’s the singer in Bright Eyes that doesn’t make him a comedy expert…or does it?

Some classic jokes from Chunklet:

Q: What’s the difference between the Danielson Family and the Hare Krishnas?
A: At least you can tolerate the Hare Krishnas’ music.

Q: What do you call a black guy at a Lightning Bolt show?
A: Accidental.

Q: How many members of the Polyphonic Spree does it take to change a light bulb?
A: 23. One to change the bulb and the other 22 to suck my dick.

Q: What’s the difference between bottled water and the Tilly And The Wall record?
A: People actually buy bottled water.

Q: What’s the difference between Helen Keller and Howe Gelb fromGiant Sand?
A: At least Helen Keller couldn’t hear her own bullshit.

Q: What’s worse than dying from AIDS?
A: Enduring the new crop of barefoot hippie-folk music.

: What do Frank Black and Kim Deal have in common?
A: They both have great tits.

Q: Why don’t Mexicans play rock music?
A: They’re too busy cleaning the club’s floors to write songs.

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

The Greatest

Smooth Tunes Blog has the new Cat Power record
http://smoothtunes.blogspot.com/2006/01/advance-cat-power.html

Aziz in da hizouse



Have you seen The Shittiest Mixtape Boombox Blast video

Aziz Ansari is forced to carry around a boombox playing the world's shittiest mixtap


The star of the film is performing comedy at the Punchline here in SF on Monday and Tuesday, it's gonna be sick y'all

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

The Winningest Kitten

Kittenwar rules

The Current Champion is Peno




Peno's record in 81 battles:

Won: 66 (81%) Lost: 6 (7%) Drawn: 9 (11%)

Go To Dallas And Take A Left

I'm a big fan of the rock tour journal, this classic could be my favorite

The official Unwound food diary: A detailed, 11-day account

"All things being equal, in this life there are few sights more pathetic than that of a man eating Taco Bell.

Although I was under the impression that they had officially broken up, I guess if you're in the Pittsburg area or Ontario area you can still see Unwound play around town

Delta 5

A week from today Kill Rock Stars is releasing Singles & Sessions 1979-81 from Delta 5. Isn't your copy of 1981's See the Whirl that you found after two hours in a dank basement with thousands of records shelved in no logical order warped from so much play.

Shadow from To Here Knows When blog

Mind Your Own Business from Bigstereo

Monday, January 16, 2006

You in Reverse



The new Built to Spill song

Goin' Against Your Mind
from An Aquarium Drunkard blog

Posted on their Myspace site






I guess I'm Floating blog has two more songs off the record

pretty pretty

Sunday, January 15, 2006

Mr.Richard


Turquoise Days Blog has two acoustic songs performed by Belle and Sebastian on BBC Radio One in Scotland show from this past week.

Sukie in the Graveyard
Mr.Richard ( Unreleased )

The Ladies are Men

The Ladies is the new project from Rob Crow of Pinback and Zach Hill of Hella.

Zach Hill is the Vince Young of drums.

Rob Crow is the Reggie Bush of Pinback


Temporary Residence will release their debut album on Feb 21st

Here is a Track from it Empathy on a Stick

Lazy Sunday

Fresh Tuna plus Pounces equals crazy delicious.

Friday, January 13, 2006

Jah-anna Newsom


Fuck Yes!

Joanna Newsom ft. Tego Calderon - Bridges and Balloons (P. Neezy reggaeton mix)

+ Bonus

Television Mash Up Television is Crack

Pit bull is destroyed by humiliation from kitty

True.

'Pit bull recovers from cat attack'

Watch the video , a brief commercial first unfortunately

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Downy Mildew



I really miss this band.

I saw Downy Mildew quite a few times live from 1989 - 1991, my friends and I had to get dropped off by my mom at McCabes Guitar Center in Los Angeles to see our first gig of theirs.

The treasures are their first two albums Broomtree and Mincing Steps, although the later records they released did have some moments.

If the musical climate back then was how it is right now, they'd had been the Arcade Fire of then...

A Michael Stipe directed super 8 video for the song Offering

Audio via Real Player

The Kitchen http://www.downymildew.com/broomtree/The_Kitchen.rmj
Purple Parlor
Sally Pt II
Sally Pt III




Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Rhythm and Mews

Jingle Cats

This band's been around for awhile, an eight piece from Los Angeles, their playing at this years All Tommorrows Parties in England sharing the bill with Dinosaur Jr.

The current lineup is Cheesepuff, Max, Binky, Clarise, Petunia, Graymer, Twizzler and Sprocket

Their last album Rhythm and Mews was released in 2002

Secret Agent Man
Over the Rainbow
Star Spangled Banner

Some old classics:

Here Comes Santa Claus
Oh Christmas









(Singer Cheesepuff interviewed by CNN in 1995)

Thinking of me while you are far away...















The Zombies 'Care of Cell 44' is one of my most favorite songs by one of my most favorite bands. Just take a listen to all the drum work in that song or any other Zombies song and hear the subtle genius of Hugh Grundy...far too underappreciated

I thank the wonderful blog Gorilla vs. Bear for directing me to a cover of the song by Elliot Smith

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Dancing with the Stars

Stream Belle and Sebastian's video for "Funny Little Frog" courtesy of the NME.

If the glove don’t fit, you must acquit.

The Victim













The Criminal













After discovering her cat Cody dead under a tree in front of her home in August, Marylin Christian came to suspect Lucky, a German shepherd mix belonging to neighbors Sean and Janet Daryabeygi.When Loudoun County officials dropped the case of Lucky the dog killing Cody the cat, Cody's owner took a cue from television's legal dramas -- she hired a laboratory to analyze D-N-A evidence she collected from her neighbors' pet to prove he was the killer.A lab in California confirmed Christian's suspicions.Officials declined to declare Lucky dangerous, because no one had seen Lucky kill the cat. About 10 days after the cat's death, Lucky was found running loose, and Sean Daryabeygi was fined $116. There have been no problems since
http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/01/09/dna.pets.ap/

Monday, January 09, 2006

The Biggest Loser

Mischief the cat before (L) and after losing weight.













Mischief lost 5kg (11 lb) in nine months and won Britain's pet slimmer of the year competition in 2005. A survey of British vets and owners showed that one in three pets, or 33 percent, were considered overweight and 38 percent of pet owners said their animals put on weight over Christmas.

Taxi Taxi

I know nothing about this band other than they are Swedish and look like they are eight years old.

I love the two songs posted on their myspace page , reminds the staff here at 'I'm so Sorry for this' of Mirah or Coco Rosie