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Concert Recollections: Go Team! @ the Great American Music Hall 4/27

Charlie, Hillary and I went to see the Go! Team at the Great American Music Hall last night, despite the fact that the latter two of us were battling some serious exhaustion. Charlie - being the young one - was rested and ready to rock. Now we managed to miss the opening band whose name I forgot - which probably is a good thing, since they didn't even have a website. Dungen, who served as co-headliner, were bringing some solid rock and roll for the first couple of songs before their set became an enormous jam session. I'd actually only heard one Dungen song prior, but I liked it quite a bit and I was looking forward to seeing them open. They didn't have a particularly great stage presence, though, and the set was probably 20% parts with vocals and 80% jamming. How much jamming can you do?

On to the main course ... as I said we were tired, and the Great American packs a few too many people in. That being said, we watched from the balcony and from there, it was a pretty awesome show. It's totally fascinating to hear music that is originally created from samples recreated with a live band. In fact there was no use of samples at all - just a rather large band. Frontwoman/MC Ninja was a total badass, freestyling lines over great Go! Team tracks like "We Just Won't Be Defeated" (my personal fave) and "Ladyflash." The crowd was way into it - and Hillary had a few interesting observations about the fans standing in front. An awesome live band indeed - they'd have to be, otherwise I probably wouldn't have made it through. Not the best venue though ... I would rather have seen them at my beloved Fillmore. But what am I complaining about? I saw the fucking Go! Team and they rocked the house.

::Previously::
1 The Go! Team Bring the Jock Jams to KCRW

So Similar...

Thanks to Charlie for pointing this out. It looks like Nick Lachey is drawing some inspiration from Eugene Levy's character from A Mighty Wind on the cover to his new single "What's Left of Me." I can see how Nick identifies with Mitch, but hopefully his next album cover won't be so dramatic...

Sufjan Album Covers Are the Best

Scoop and mp3 at Stereogum.

So, Neko Case Doesn't Hate San Francisco

I just got back from purchasing our Neko Case tickets for her show Sunday, June 25 at Bimbo's. She was also be playing there the following two nights.

::Video::
"Hold On, Hold On" (live on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno)

::Previously::
1 Does Neko Case Hate San Francisco
2 Review: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood / Neko Case

Strangers With Candy Teaser Trailer

Moby, Linda Perry Want to "Help" Courtney

There has not been much progress lately in our attempt to reunite Hole and package them in a tour with the reunited Smashing Pumpkins. There has, however, been a lot of news lately on individuals who want to work on Courtney Love's next solo record. Linda Perry, who co-wrote and produced songs for Love's solo debut, America's Sweetheart, told MTV, "My dedication right now is to bring back the queen of rock and roll, and that's Courtney Love." Speaking at the "I Create Music" Expo, Perry was rather flattering about Love's talent while remaining un-sentimental about Love's solo work. "That woman is brilliant, and I can't allow myself as a music lover and someone who really respects that artist to go down with America's Sweetheart," she declared. "That record sucked. She knows it. The world knows it. It was a horrible, crap-ass record."

Rumor was last week that Moby, a longtime Love supporter, would be working the boards. "I'm not sure we're working together," he told NME. "The truth is, I actually don't know. I mean, I've known Courtney for a long time, and I find her to be remarkably talented and just a fascinating person, so we might work on something together, but I don't know. It's just been some friendly conversations at this point." Both he and Perry seemed very impressed with the songs Love had written thus far. "She's really focused, pleasure to be around, looks great, sounds great, really great ideas, great songs she's written ... so rehab was really good," Perry said. "My job now is to make that [Love] rock and roll record that everybody's gonna love."

Moby added, "It's actually really well-written songs that are very earnest, very passionate. So I'm sure she'll make a wonderful record. It's got a humble strength to it."

Review: about-face / The Working Title

Four songs streaming at MySpace.

Emo. If I were more of a music snob, I may be able to give you a brief history of the term. All I know was that when I was in high school, I used the term to describe music I liked. Yet now I seem to use the term to describe music I don't. It's probably the onslaught of bands made up of musicians years younger than me who sing about being tortured while collecting paychecks for mega-tours and silly merchandise. I didn't want to rush to judge The Working Title - they look like decent fellows with the cameras in front of their faces, and their album doesn't begin terribly. Ethereal guitar and a dark drum beat characterize the title track. Singer Joel Hamilton's voice isn't spectacular, but he doesn't try and do much with it on the opener. There are hints of talent elsewhere on the album - the opening piano of "Weigh Me Down" and the strings on "Never Run Again." Sadly, in both instances, that is merely a means to segue into a more generic sounding rock song that seems primed for radio. Lyrically, the band seems stuck in high school poetry class with lines like, "Right now, she's dancing in the middle/My heart, is naked for the first time" on "Weigh Me Down." At a certain point, I have a hard time liking a band whose biggest dream seems to be landing a video on TRL.

1.5 (out of 5)

Review: At War with the Mystics / The Flaming Lips

Streaming here

I'm not sure whether it was the EP's (Fight Test and Ego Tripping) or the delays in release date, but I was seriously beginning to wonder just how different a new Flaming Lips' record would sound from their 2002 masterpiece Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. Well, regardless, my doubts were proved wrong the second At War with the Mystics hit my ears, as the trio proves once again to be one of the most fun, creative and innovative groups making music. I cannot think of another band - except maybe Sonic Youth - who has had such a good track record within the major label system; it has now been twenty years since the release of the band's first album, Here It Is).

From the moment the acapella harmonies of opener "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" kick in, it's pretty clear that they're not treading the same territory. The opening is remeniscent of "Bohemian Rhapsody" which, incidentally, the Lips recently covered. New sounds aside, the band is not off on another planet - lyrically, there's still that reliable Lips wisdom ("You cannot know yourself/or what you'd really do/With all your power") and plenty of instrumental interludes that sound like the score to science fiction b-movie. Mostly, songs have a 1970's feel to them whether it be hints of classic rock ("Free Radicals," "The W.A.N.D.") or pure "AM Gold" ("Vein of Stars," "Mr. Ambulance Driver") - all warped with enough eccentric blips, loops, samples and sound effects to set it apart. Though not quite as focused as Yoshimi, yet another dash of brilliance from one of the most reliably bands ever.

4 (out of 5)

::Recent Releases::
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002): 4.5
Fight Test EP (2003): 3
Ego Tripping EP (2004): 3.5

::Video::
"The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" (Quicktime )

Thinking About Pearl Jam ... and the Early Nineties

I don't know what it is but I seem to have a renewed faith in Pearl Jam that I haven't had in, like, a decade. After being impressed with their performance of "World Wide Suicide" on Saturday Night Live, I've been intrigued by what their new album would sound like. The band is getting some major press for this record and it seems poised to be their biggest hit since ___ (insert name of last big Pearl Jam record because Will stopped at No Code). There may even be a music video this time. Rolling Stone has an interview with Eddie Vedder, who explains why the album is self-titled, while Amazon.com has some in-studio video.

Hillary has long been a believer that the 90's will be making a comeback, while former Hole bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur echoed this sentiment back in February. Smashing Pumpkins (in some form) are recording new material, while Rolling Stone reports that Alice in Chains will be hitting the road, with new lead singer William DuVall. This would be a good time to go out and rent Singles - a classic time capsule of the grunge age. Directed by Cameron Crowe, the film features special appearances from Pearl Jam (as Dillon's backing band), Chris Cornell (as the dude at the apartment impressed by some other dude's soundsystem) and Alice in Chains (as a band at a bar).

Concert Recollections: South @ the Independent 4/24

Hillary and I went to see South at the Independent last night - a rather quaint little venue just outside of the Haight Ashbury. Despite my best efforts, I managed to get us there on time - which ended up being a good thing, because opening band Margot and the Nuclear So and So's were quite splendid. Their mix of Conor Oberst-like vocals with the luscious sounds of a band featuring keyboards, guitar, two percussionists and horns was fantastic. And they gave us a free cd afterwards, in addition to playing with both bands that followed. Second act Something For Rockets were not nearly as good, despite boasting a keyboardist with an awesome mustache. I found their sound to be rather generic, with Hillary calling it "indie rock for jocks."

Around 10:50 came the main attraction - the UK trio known as South with two additional musicians for the live set. While they sounded good from the get-go, opening with tracks from the new album before dipping into the back catalogue a bit, I felt like they really hit their stride as they went along. Frequent singer/bassist Joel Cabury gave a promise that they would "play their hearts out" and I say that's a fair description of what happened. A high point came near the end with a rather epic version of "Shallow," after which everyone exited but Cadbury who performed a beautiful rendition of "Flesh and Blood." That experience was marred only by the fact that the sound didn't quite drown out the drunk assholes chatting (why did they even come???). Declaring no encore pretension necessary, the four others returned and concluded the show with a great cover of "Bizarre Love Triangle." Ending at about midnight, we exited the club, hopped in a cab and headed home. I still had to get up rather early for work this morning, but that was a small price to pay for such a lovely evening.

::Previously::
1 Review: Adventures In The Underground Journey To The Stars / South

Snoop Pens Novel ... For the Ladies

Platinum-selling albums, acting in really bad movies, a not-so-funny television show, a Girls Gone Wild video ... that Snoop Dogg really is an entrepreneur. And it doesn't stop there. In October, Snoop will be releasing his first novel, Love Don't Live Here No More through Atria Books. According to NME, "The story follows a young man living a hard life in southern California, whilst struggling to make it in the world of hip-hop." Kathleen Schmidt, the company's vice president and director of publicity, says, "Snoop, by nature of what he does, is a storyteller." She adds, "Books speak more to a female audience than does his music so these novels give him an opportunity to show, particularly his female fans, another side." So, ladies, be on the look out.

Thanks Gilmore Girls, We Needed That

:::::SPOILER ALERT:::::

The following contains serious plot details from the episode "I Get a Sidekick Out of You"

Now, before I go ahead and critique last week's episode of Gilmore Girls, let me first extend a well-deserved thank you to Kay from do it... rockapella!, who solved our mystery of what song played at the end of "The Real Paul Anka." It was "Angst in my Pants" by Sparks, and you can download the mp3 at the Srar.net's blog.

I have been saying for a weeks now that I feel the show has basically reached as far as it can with the "Gilmore" girls. I think it would be far more interesting to see a show about Lane and the band - and last week, we got some indication of what that would look like. The general focus of the episode was on Lane and Zach's wedding, an event so important it meant that Lorelai and Rory managed to talk about someone other than themselves ... for a short while at least. Lorelai still had to still the spotlight with her drunken ramblings, but at least she didn't make out with Christopher, which is where things seemed to be heading. All wedding-related scenes were marvelous - Gilmores in fine form. From the hilariously ill-planned bachelor parties to Mrs. Kim's mom and, of course, Kirk and his team of "yummy" bartenders. It was an interesting clash between the things that have always been wonderful about the show (Star's Hollow and its quirky characters) and the things that seem to be going nowhere (Lorelai and Luke, Lorelai and Christopher, Rory and Logan). I don't really know what to make of all of it. All I can really do is enjoy the good moments ... and for those, I thank Amy Sherman-Palladino.

::Previously::
1 Avant Garde Intro Leads to Better Gilmore Girls
2 Gilmore Girls, Why Do You Hate Us
3 Sebastian Bach, We Love You
4 Gilmore Girls Returns - Triumphantly
5 Gilmore Girls Got That Indie Cred

Streets' Links and MP3s

Isn't this photo awesome.

As you may be aware of, I reviewed the Streets' The Hardest Way to Make An Easy Living on friday, and due to a few time constraints, I was unable to include the supplemental links and fun stuff I normally like to feature with reviews. Well, here you go .... Streets' mastermind Mike Skinner is keeping up his own blog these days - in "The Shed" section of his website. Lately, Skinner has been detailing his frustrations with the car featured on the cover of his new album. Skinner had hoped to use the car on his current tour, yet there was a problem installing the sound system he wanted. He writes, "I was propa (sic) looking forward to caning it through England and Scotland on 3 wheels. If anyone wants to buy a Silver Shadow without sound-system I'm up for offers to be honest." Anyone?

Hardest Way is streaming at Luisterpaal.

Reviews for the new album have been rather positive, though my favorite came from Barbara's Bad Tempered Zombie blog. Entertainment Weekly also gave the album an A-, while it received a 7.0 from Pitchfork and 3 stars from the lame-o's at Rolling Stone.

If you liked Skinner's charming wit, then you should really check out Art Brut's Bang Bang Rock and Roll; if you really liked the hip hop and the beats, you should pick up Dizzee Rascal's Mercury Prize-winning Boy in Da Corner. Skinner and Rascal tour frequently, with Rascal appearing on A Grand Don't Come For Free's "What is He Thinking?"

::MP3s::
"When You Wasn't Famous," The Streets
"Get Out of My House" (MC Remix), The Streets
"Fix Up, Look Sharp," Dizzee Rascal

::Previously::
The Streets' New Single Available Today (in the UK)

::Classic Video::
"Blinded By the Lights"

Hillary and Will Discuss Rian Johnson's Brick

Hillary and I went to see "Brick" on friday, written and directed by Rian Johnson. The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as a quick-witted teen sleuth caught up in the dark underbelly of high school, in search of his missing ex-girlfriend. Nora Zehetner, Lukas Haas, Noah Fleiss, Matt O'Leary also star.

Hillary: Since Will and I had so much fun with the Bettie Page review last week, we decided to do the tag-team thing again. He is a lot more motivated to blog so this helps me to get motivated, too. So, the movie - this is honestly not the type of movie (plot-wise) that I would normally like but I did like it very much. I like a good mystery but I also am automatically cynical about "dead girl" plots. These are when some dude is trying to avenge the murder of some beloved, underdeveloped, idealized female character (the grossest of my "dead girl" subgenre would be anything by Mel Gibson, though that aspect of the amazingTwin Peaks and even my beloved Veronica Mars really grated on my nerves). It just feels like such a cheap, insulting tactic. The dead girl in this movie was played by Lost's Emilie de Ravin. She plays the same character and I don't think she's a great actress. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was incredible, though. I was interested in the film noir aesthetic/writing style and I think that the film really did interesting things with it. Will and I both wanted to see it because it sort of took his idea that he's had for a long time to do a high school film noir. Maybe he'll tell you more about that later. I still think that he can do better with it.

Will: That's true - the high school film noir is an idea I'd had, but this was rather far from mine. It was a noir in story and certainly in dialogue; it was a fantastic script. I love Levitt's tough-guy talk, dropping "She knows where I eat lunch" with all the gusto of a 1950's private eye. Aesthetically, it was more of a gritty indie, but I still enjoyed the visual look a good deal. I agree that "missing/dead girl" plotlines have grown a little stale, but this one at least played around with the story a bit. What I liked most about the film though, and this is probably because of my own miserable high school experience, was that the story was really exploring the complexity of the high school experience. The violence and seedy underbelly was certainly a far stretch from my high school experience (and probably that of anybody's) but the emotions of the characters and importance of the situations resonated with me. I have always sought out similar work - from Buffy and now Veronica Mars to novels like The Basic Eight by Daniel Handler. This is my kind of teen movie - complete without an emo soundtrack.

Hillary: Yes, I loved the writing- the slang the characters use is great. I admit - I think I'd have to see it again to grasp the meaning of all of it. I found myself not understanding everything they were saying, but I think that was the point. The high school + film noir writing was a perfect fit for this movie. I agree with Will, this movie, though hyperbolic, respects and acknowledges that young adults in high school make very difficult decisions and are faced with very real problems and emotions in their lives. The teen experience has been packaged and marketed into a goofy athletes & cheerleaders plot since the 50's or maybe longer. This was always alienating to me and definitely did not relate to my high school experience either. I was really into theater in high school and so it was cool to actually see a stage and set getting more traffic than a football field. The movie disregarded stereotypes, kept me on the edge of my seat and surprised me with its twists and humor. I'm glad we saw it.

Will: I certainly liked Brick and the novelty of the high school setting did not wear off. I do think, however, that the plot wavered a bit towards the end and I didn't find the payoff completely satisfying. Nonetheless, one of the more interesting films this year and I think Johnson has serious potential both as a writer and a director. The overall dark tone of the film was captured so well, through brilliant use of music and select use of quick cuts.

::Trailer::

Review: The Hardest Way to Make An Easy Living / The Streets

Streaming here

When discussing the work of Mike Skinner (aka The Streets), I like to apply a little bit of auteur theory. Auteur theory, introduced by French New Wave filmmakers in the 1950's, defines the director as "author" of the film, while arguing that you can analyze a film in the context of the auteur's complete body of work. While I generally like to judge each album on its individual merits, it's hard for me not look at a new Streets' record in the context of the stories that have been told before, and the common threads that tell a continuing tale. On his 2002 debut, Original Pirate Material, Skinner carved out his voice as the everyday "street geezer" with with bits of social commentary sneaking out through personal accounts of all night parties and observations of urban decay. Two years later, A Grand Don't Come For Free found him caught up in the highs and lows of everyday life, chronicling a continuing distrust of his inner circle, as well as the rise and fall of his relationship.

Hardest Way asks the question of "what do you do" when those thoughts stories bring you fame and fortune? It is more aggressive, more schizophrenic and more hip hop than any Streets record to date. It doesn't have the same focus as the previous two, but that creates a sort of discomfort - part of the argument the album's trying to make. Though celebratory, Skinner seems rather skeptical about all the perks of fame. He defends trashing a hotel room as performance art, expresses disillusion with the music industry ("It's all one big con") and gets hung up on the fact that his drummer moisturizes his hands mid-show. Of course, these aren't your generic tales of bling and the price of fame. Like everything, Skinner approaches these stories with unmatchable wit. "When you're a famous boy/It gets really easy to get girls," he sings on "When You Wasn't Famous." He seems cocky, but becomes all the more human upon realizing that trying to get a girl "whose also famous, too" is rather difficult. In "Memento Mori," he muses, "I never think about money/In fact, I never think about how much money I have," poking fun at lavish lifestyle while also being sympathetic to its appeal.

Of course, could it be a Streets' record without a good cry. This time, instead of a breakup ballad, Skinner speaks to his deceased father ("We Never Went to Church") adding yet another layer of humanity to the story. Skinner's work continues to be unique, always breaking new ground. The problem with obsessing over it is that it becomes increasingly difficult to be totally surprised.

3.5 (out of 5)

::Previous Releases::
Original Pirate Material (2002): 4
A Grand Don't Come For Free (2004): 5

::1 Related Link::
1 Mike Skinner is a cocky little bastard (I mean that in the nicest possible way of course) (Bad Tempered Zombie)

Smashing Pumpkins Make It Official

Continuing our trend of posting about every little detail regarding a potential Smashing Pumpkins reunion, a message has appeared on the band's website:

It's official, The Smashing Pumpkins are currently writing songs for their upcoming album, their first since 2000. no release date has yet been set, but the band plans to begin recording this summer.

No word yet on who will actually be playing alongside Mr. Corgan, though if this stock photo is any indication - it will be no one.

::Previously::
1 The Reuninon You Want to See (UPDATE)
2 The Reuninon You Want to See
3 My Dreams Are Prophecies

Review: Everything All the Time / Band of Horses

Since entering the blogging universe, the amount of music I've required myself to process has gone up exponentially. Occasionally, I get the anxious feeling that I am incapable of giving a record the full appreciation that it needs - which is why Band of Horses' debut, Everything All the Time has sat on my iPod for roughly a month, activated only for repeat plays of "The Funeral" (mp3). There's a familiar sound in Everything All the Time - not in the fact that you may here similarities to My Morning Jacket or Modest Mouse or even R.E.M. Familiar in the fact that - when hearing a song for the first time - it resonates with you as if it had been a favorite for years. There's an accessibility to the lyrics and emotion of the songs, yet a complexity to the music that makes listening quite the experience. Regardless of when the life-altering events have taken place in your life, Everything All the Time feels like the soundtrack. By the time you reach the lovely "St. Augustine," you know you're going to make it through.

4 (out of 5)

FCC Launches Payola Probem + R. Kelly is Sexasaurus + Streaming Video from the Vines

Ever wonder why you hear the Pussycat Dolls EVERY time you turn on the radio. Well, the LA Times reports that the FCC has "launched formal investigations into pay-for-play practices" in what is "the biggest federal inquiry into radio bribery since the congressional payola hearings of 1960." The four companies in question are Clear Channel Communications Inc., CBS Radio Inc., Entercom Communications Corp. and Citadel Broadcasting Corp.

R. Kelly has been rather silent since hitting us with the director commentary for his Trapped in the Closet DVD late last year, but the R&B star delighted a sold-out crowd on Tuesday at Radio City Music Hall, performing a career-spanning set that even included a new song. "It's like Jurassic Park, but I'm your sexasaurus," he sang. "You and me, hopping like two kangaroos. ... You got me locked in your cage of ecstasy, and I don't want to be free. ... I'm your Tarzan, and you're my Jane." I think the R. is stealing my metaphors, and album titles. MTV reports that his next record will be titled Making Babies.

In other news, there's a rumor flying around that Moby will be producing Courtney Love's next record ... while the Brian Jonestown Massacre is lining up some UK tour dates.

For your viewing pleasure, check out a live video Wolf Parade performing "I'll Believe in Anything" and an acoustic version of "Going Gone" from the Vines.

As for me, I made meatloaf yesterday - with quite a lot of help from Hillary; it came out really good, though. I continued editing as well, making steady progress, as well as making arrangements for another video project. We stressed out over the Amazing Race but, thankfully, it was a non-elimination round, and the Giants lost for the second day in a row to Arizona, but I'm hoping we can salvage the series with a win tonight.

Review: Show Your Bones / Yeah Yeah Yeahs

"Something like a phenomena/You're something like a phenomena," sings Karen O (not LL Cool J) over a sassy, blues beat on "Phenomena," the Yeah Yeah Yeahs song currently rocking its way through my headphones. Following their recent success with mainstream alternative rock radio ("Maps," "Y Control"), you may have expected the trio to drop a more pop-friendly, polished record - but that's not what they did ... entirely. Show Your Bones starts off rather strong - the rollicking "Gold Lion" - with possibly the year's best chorus - followed by the dark and subtly experimental "Way Out." The group took a different approach with the recording of the album, as O tells Pitchfork, "We wrote this album on ProTools and that opened up infinite tracks - nonlinear songwriting, you know, to the max." With ...Bones, Yeah Yeah Yeahs have expanded their sound a bit, smoothed over the rougher edges, with O sounding as confident as ever. Yet, something seems missing. "Cheated Hearts" is a near-perfect ballad that sounds straight out of the early eighties; what it lacks is the slightest bit of edgy imperfection. Even "Maps" and "Y Control" distinguished themselves with little hints of distortion, something which is absent from this record. As the second half dives into slower material, it all becomes a little too seamless. The songs are great, but collectively they don't create a great record.

Album: 3.5 (out of 5)
Songs: 4

If you're feeling nostalgic for some classic YYY's, download "Art Star" from their self-titled 2002 EP.

Neil Young Calls For Impeachment + The Only News You Need to Know

Last month, Neil Young recorded the anit-war album, Living with War. Featuring ten tracks, including one entitled "Impeach the President," the record will be out later this year, according to NME. Young's website will make the album available for streaming prior to its release. Young is the latest in a long line of artists recording anti-war material. Billy Bragg recently made his take, "Bush War Blues" available as a free download (mp3), while Michael Stipe, Rufus Wainwright and others took part in the "Bring 'Em Home Now" concert last month.

You know I love Kanye West, but I don't know how excited I am about his next project. The Mission:Impossible 3 soundtrack will feature two West productions - a new song, "Impossible" featuring Twista, and yet another remix of the M:I theme. West tells MTV, "It's not that fast-food shit. You can tell 'Impossible' took hours." Even creepier than that West/Cruise photo is the fact that Katie Holmes finally gave birth ... to a girl. I would have thought that ... impossible. (Will pauses from blogging to laugh at his own joke).

Arctic Monkeys say their forthcoming EP is not a cash-in on all the hype surrounding them. Frontman Alex Turner says, "It's a mission statement, if you like. We want to do things our way, and people think it's arrogance, so it's inevitable some people will get tired of us."

A new study argues that listening to hip hop on a regular basis is hazardous to your mental health. "Before we began the survey, we were studying alcohol advertising, and we noticed rap music and rap performers were being used in promoting alcoholic beverages," said Dr. Meng-Jinn Chen, the lead author of the report. "So we were aware that young people loved rap music, so there are a lot of concerns raised about the impact of the music on them." As for the effect of listening to Tom Cruise .. that has yet to be researched.

Lastly, let's have a warm goodbye for the always nervous Scott McClellan, who resigned from his position as White House press secretary.

As for me, I've been hard at work editing a new project which I will be showing to all of you next week. This is the first time in a long while that I've had a project of my own to work on. Thankfully, the rain has stopped in San Francisco and getting off at 4 has allowed for me to enjoy some of the sunshine. Hillary and I enjoyed a nice dinner at one of our favorite (secret) hot spots Nan King Road Bistro last night, before settling in for the night with Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars. Though my San Francisco Giants lost 7-4 last night, they still sit atop first place in the NL West, and had a rather interesting 10-9 victory on Monday night over Arizona.

Think Darren Daulton's Crazy? You Just Don't Understand Metaphysics (MP3's included)

Darren Daulton was a decent baseball player who had a few good seasons as a catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. It is in retirement, however, that Daulton has found his true place in the universe.

While he's been thrown in jail a few times, and was divorced following charges of domestic violence, Daulton brushes it all off. "Nicole thinks I'm crazy," he tells Sports Illustrated of his ex. "She blames everything on drugs and drinking. But I don't take drugs and I'm not a drunk. Nicole just doesn't understand metaphysics." You see, as of late, Daulton has been having out-of-body experiences and even traveling through time, but his friends just think he's crazy. "When I share my thoughts and experiences with them, I tell them there's absolutely no way their minds can comprehend what I'm trying to relate," he says. "My friends are limited to the five senses." Funny ... my friends have the same problem.

But Daulton is not hogging all the secrets of the universe for himself. Instead, he wants to share them, in a book called If They Only Knew. "Reality is created and guarded by numeric patterns that overlap and awaken human consciousness, like a giant matrix or hologram," he writes. "They are created by sacred geometry -- numbers, the language of the universe, codes of awakening -- such as 11:11, which represent twin strands of DNA about to return to balance. Eleven equals BALANCE."

He explains, "I'll wake up at night and look at the clock and it's 11:11. I'll turn on the TV and see a baseball game tied at 11 in the 11th inning. I'll look out the window and see a car passing with 1111 on the license plate. The car will turn into a driveway with 1111 on the mailbox." Now while these theories seem to hold great importance for the future of humanity, Daulton says he would put them aside if offered the opportunity to manage a Major League Baseball team. It may all sound crazy to you, but it's hard to argue with a man who says, "Whenever my thoughts got totally negative, it would automatically rain." That explains a lot.

(Thanks to Charlie for passing this article along to me).

::MP3s::
"Time Travel is Lonely," John Vanderslice
"Science vs. Romance," Rilo Kiley
"Such Great Heights," The Postal Service

What Baby TomKat Will Look Like (100% Accurate)

The scientists at N&UR (yes, we employ scientists) have been using the latest in digital technology to project what the offspring of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes will look like. I guarantee accuracy and this is totally scientific - I'm sure The Phoenix can back me up. The unnamed TomKat baby will look like ...

OMG! It's rather hideous.

Jack White Sings For Coke

How did you feel last year when you found out Jack White was writing a song for Coke? "I certainly wouldn't want a song that I'd already written to be used on a commercial," he said. "That seems strange. But to be asked to write something particular along one theme of love in a worldwide form that I'm not really used to appealed to me. I've written a song and I wrote it really quickly and it's an interesting commercial that's been made. I was inspired by the commercial." How do you feel about it now? Better yet, how does Neil Young feel?

Commentary: Indie Rockers Cover the Mainstream

There comes a time in the lives of all indie rockers when they must cover a song far more popular than any of there's. They can do this for a b-side, as a live show staple, or maybe work it in as interlude. Regardless of what form it takes, it is a major point of your indie rock credibility. The last decade has seen Travis take on "Baby ... One More Time," the Vines singing "Ms. Jackson," and even Radiohead tackling "Nobody Does It Better." The trend continues into 2006 with indie legend Ted Leo covering Kelly Clarkson's 2005 smash, "Since You Been Gone." Leo opts not for fancy production, instead a few strums of the acoustic guitar. I'm sure he nailed it one take, and the song has a kind of drunk, open mic feel to it. It only waivers when he interludes with "Maps" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It's fun, but you probably won't be listening to it on repeat. For my money, the best cover out right now comes courtesy of Tortoise and Bonnie "Prince" Billy who dip into the pop charts of decade's past. Their collaborative record, The Brave and the Bold includes covers of Elton John, the Minutemen and Richard Thompson, but none is more striking than their take on Bruce Springsteen's "Thunder Road." Slow, cool, bluesy - impossible to recognize aside from the lyrics - it does just what a great cover should; it redefines the song. The Boss is probably very proud.

"Since You Been Gone" (mp3 at Veritas Lux Mea): 3
"Thunder Road" (mp3 at Fuel Friends): 4.5

In related news, the umpteenth Radiohead tribute album, Exit Music: Songs with Radio Heads is out now (streaming here). Stereogum has a pair of MP3s. Review coming very soon!

Black Eyed Peas Sell Out ... Again

Whenever the Black Eyed Peas' credibility is called into question - they get real defensive. "What's so fabricated about live musicians freestyling onstage or MCs doing the same thing?" Fergie asked Paper last year. "Here I am, feeling that this is the most pure thing I've done in my life. And people call it selling out. I've gotten over trying to be accepted by all people. I am what I am. And [the Black Eyed Peas] are what we are." That's what you get though for rappin' "Money is a drug/and MC's is on it," as the Peas did on "Bringin' It Back," and then showing yourselves to be all about the money. The Peas' latest achievement in their shamelessness is a tour called The Honda Civic Tour - which kicked off last month. According to Honda's website, "BEP joined the Civic Tour to promote environmental consciousness with the Civic Hybrid and to perform a series of riveting concerts for their fans." I was totally wrong ... it wasn't about the money - it was about promoting environmental consciousness. My apologies to all the Peas.

::Previously::
1 My Beef with Will.I.Am

Review: Extended Play / Ladytron

Streaming here

Ladytron's Witching Hour was one of 2005's true gems. Often given the electroclash label (mistakenly), the group has been making great records long enough to withstand the rise and fall of trends in dance music. Their new EP, aptly titled Extended Play comes full of remixes from last year's album and some new tracks in a similar vein. If you enjoyed Witching Hour then you may find the new EP complimentary, but otherwise it is hardly exemplary of what they are capable of. The question is really how do you make club anthems out of songs that are already brilliantly equipped for the dance floor? "High Rise" (Club Mix) is dreadfully repetitive, while former Smashing Pumpkin James Iha fares a bit better. His remix of "Weekend" strips away much of the instrument- ation, substituting it with a beat and handclaps, sounding ridiculously DFA. Likewise, "Destroy Everything You Touch" (Catholic Remix) slows down the beat and plays up the darker elements. With the exception of "High Rise," all of the remixes are genuinely fun, but all suffer from the fact that they do not stray far from the original. The three new songs are decent, but not remarkable. "Citadel" and "Tender Talons" are instrumentals that has you impatiently awaiting vocals until the fade out. "Nothing to Hide" is the EP's high point with its dark, sexy keyboards and monologue.

3 (out of 5)

::do yourself a favor and purchase Witching Hour if you have not already. It's one of Hillary's favorites - especially "Beauty 2"

Big Stereo has "Weekend" (James Iha Remix) for your listening pleasure

The CD also comes with a DVD featuring the videos for "Destroy Everything You Touch" and "Sugar" (below)::

Pearl Jam - "World Wide Suicide" on SNL

I thought my days of enjoying a Pearl Jam song were long gone ... but, I have to admit, I kinda liked "World Wide Suicide" when they played it on Saturday Night Live last night. Its got a cool, garage rock feel and it certainly mops the floor with Chilli Peppers singing about California for the umpteenth time. (They're on SNL next week). Thoughts?

Hillary and Will Discuss Mary Harron's The Notorious Bettie Page

On Friday night, Hillary and I went to see "The Notorious Bettie Page," directed by Mary Harron who co-wrote with Guinevere Turner. Following the film - which also starred Gretchen Mol in the title role - we had a rather interesting discussion.

Will: What Mary Harron has done again, as she did so well in I Shot Andy Warhol and American Psycho, is defy expectations and find new and different ways to be subversive. I love the way it references so many genres of cinema, from the film noir opening to the early documentary style to technicolor drama, as well as the use of file footage. It flows from each different style so smoothly, you don't even really think about it until after the film. That's the way her films always seem to work - even though this one seemed far more accessible - there's so much depth, you don't entirely get it until you've thought about it for a while.

Hillary: I totally agree. This is by far my favorite Harron film (and I liked the other two, as well as her Six Feet Under episode). What really gets me about this film so far is the critical reaction to it. I have read a number of reviews (AV Club, NPR, even Entertainment Weekly) that miss the mark entirely. Is it worth mentioning that all of these reviews are written by men? Their main critique is that the film is "wholesome" where the critics apparently expected sex-drenched scandal. The film is a tremendous accomplishment for women in film on so many levels. The most notable breakthrough, I think, is the effective disaffiliation of sex and female sexiness. The critics seem to have pinned their hopes on an extension of their fantasy - a glimpse into the imagined sexual life of one of America's most iconic sexualized and fetishized female characters. The movie glistens with sexy - but there is no sex on screen. In fact, the closest we really come to that is the horrifying entrapment/kidnapping of a young Bettie which leads to an unseen gang rape. The movie is totally humanizing and it exposes a fun, quirky and ultimately mundane behind-the-scenes look at the creation of these famous images.

Will: Good point on the critics; I hadn't read any of the reviews. That to me is a major part of her work - they provoke, and subsequently the reactions they provoke tell us a lot about our society. The film approaches the nudity in the same way it's arguing Bettie did. She didn't feel exploited in the business, nor did she allow herself to be exploited. Furthermore, the photos and films Bettie participated in are looked at not critically (why should they?) but as fun and campy, making the senate hearings intercut all the more humorous. To get back to the old film aesthetic - the dialogue, the characters and how they are portrayed are not striving for realism, but instead are based off the acting and writing styles of that era. This is not a biopic per se - but a period piece, or a film about Bettie Page, based off the aesthetic of her photographs, as well as the aesthetic styles from the era in which the film takes place. In doing so, the film is able to use nudity in the storytelling, but also manages to deny the pleasure of seeing young women naked. The joke's on them, as Bettie (and subsequently Mol) approach the images with a sense of shame-free humor. When Page ultimately stops working as a model, it is simply to move on. "I'm not ashamed," she says. I think Harron pointed out the critic's fantasy of being a voyeur into Bettie's life, with the hope of seeing her guilt upon realization that they were watching. But that just didn't happen.

Hillary: You're right about the form and the aesthetic. I think it is a really effective and clever creative choice. I think that the story of Bettie Page could so easily be cast into the virgin/whore dichotomy and I think it is really hard to disengage from that type of conversation. We all know that American culture and pop culture is so saturated with that mode of thinking. I think Bettie's lack of shame and the fact that for the most part she doesn't see a big conflict between her religious beliefs and her work are really remarkable and poignant decisions. This gentle shattering of madonna/whoreism should productively inform conversations that we have about women today ("wild" girls on spring break, raunch culture, etc.) The absence of any cause-effect argument about the abuse she suffered as a young woman leading to her work in the porn industry is also refreshing. What led to her work in the industry, according to the movie, was nothing more complex than economic necessity and a chance meeting with a photographer. I know many people would argue that a madonna/whore thing is going on since she is so "innocent" as so many have described her. I really disagree with that. She is depicted as a complex human being. I love it - it is so refreshingly authentic. The nympho/sexpot/seductress archetype is not permitted any other aspect of life. That's so flat and boring anyway. The film doesn't focus on her sex life but it doesn't deny it. As Will said, this alleged omission is also in keeping with the film's form and the period in film history that it pays homage to.

Will: She is a complex human being - and even a bit ahead of her time. The first time she is photographed on the beach, onlookers disapprove of the fact that the photographer is black. When her boyfriend sees the s&m photos, he finds them disgusting and wonders who could enjoy such an image. In both cases, she is not judgmental or prejudiced, using basic common sense to find acceptance. Stepping away from the film theory (though that is a blast to discuss), I think it is just a fantastic film. It looks great, and the performances (not just Mol) are delightful - Lili Taylor as no-bullshit, s&m photographer Paula Klaw and David Strathairn in a bit of a role reversal from Good Night and Good Luck as Estes Kefauver. I really need to pick up the soundtrack, as well.

Hillary: Yes, I agree. I loved it and it is definitely my favorite film of 2006 so far and definitely one of my all-time favorites. I just wish there were more women producing and directing films - while they certainly wouldn't all be of this caliber, I know I would have a lot more to look forward to at the box office. I would recommend this movie to anyone, not just fellow film theory weirdos like Will and I.

Awesome Rain Boots

Are these not the most awesomest rain boots ever? Hillary got them today and I think they are pretty fresh.

CMM Proposes to High School Girl, Saves Career

There comes a time in the life of each teen heartthrob where their credibility starts to wear thin. "You just get too old," says a prominent Hollywood stylist, "and the girls move on to younger, more attainable guys." Chad Michael Murray may play a high school student on the hit WB series One Tree Hill, but his real age is 24, and he'll be 25 in August. "What One Tree Hill-watching, braces-wearing, prom-dreaming high school girl is thinking that she can date some guy in his mid-twenties," a publicist to a very prominent Hollywood star tells N&UR. "It is becoming totally out of the realm of possibility that young girls could date Chad Michael Murray, and so they move on to someone else." Yet, CMM has managed to extend his teen heartthrob status with his recent engagement to an 18-year old high school student who works on the show. "This is really the best thing he could have done," the publicist says. "This will give him at least a few more years until she gets too old."

Lenny Kravitz, What the Fuck?

I can't say that I've ever been a huge Lenny Kravitz fan. Then again, he's not awful - and there's a few songs I enjoy. It's hard to exactly pinpoint where he got totally ridiculous - that "Fly Away" song written for a car commercial? That wretched cover of "American Woman"? Maybe the horrible Gap ad with Sarah Jessica Parker? Either way, Kravitz has pushed it that much farther with an awful ad for Absolut Vodka.
Can you see this? He appears to be trying to plug himself into his right nipple. That just looks absurd.

::Previously::
1 Paul McCartney, What the Fuck?

Rewriteable Content Throw a Show, Post the Video + The News From Our Blogosphere

If you have not yet hopped over to Rewriteable Content - one of the hottest music blogs out there - do yourself a favor, and check it out. While we hopefully have San Francisco covered, they're holding it down for the LA music scene, and last week put on an acoustic show in their living room. Sadly, we were unable to attend (given the 8-hour drive) but, thankfully, they posted some performance footage. It looks like they've got some real up-and-comers in there. In other news from our blog universe, Ben Heller has posted tons of reviews ranging from Thomas Dolby to Creedence to Craig David. Sip on those while awaiting Barbara's review of the Streets' The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living.

::1 Related Link::
1 Rewriteable Content at My Space

BJ and Tyler Pull It Out

Maybe you've been watching The Amazing Race this season and, if so, your nerves are probably shattered. Fans of the show know that it can be as stressful for the viewer as it is for the competitors. This season, we've chosen a favorite - BJ and Tyler (bottom left, in the orange pants) - two happy go-lucky "best friends," whom everyone likes to call "the hippies." Did I mention they're from San Francisco? Now these two guys have been just having a good time, making jokes, making friends, and typically coming in first or second place. Yet last night they faced elimination when they made the mistake that has killed many a strong competitor - driving the wrong direction. They were way behind, and it was looking bad - but thanks to their quickness in getting through a task, and the incompetence of Lake and Michelle (in the middle - he's got a yellow jacket), they live to compete another day. Now I wasn't that stressed, because I assumed it would be a non-elimination episode, but no ... when Lake and Michelle reached the finish line last, they were told they had been eliminated. Lake really did himself in at the beginning of the episode, telling his wife, "bitch, shut up."

Review: Adventures In The Underground Journey To The Stars / South

On 2003's With the Tides, London-based trio South conjured up the dark, atmospheric rhythms of Echo and the Bunnymen, creating the perfect moody soundtrack for a rainy day. For the follow-up, Adventures In The Underground Journey To The Stars, it appears that they've been spending some time in the sunshine. Get past the awful cover art and find a record that is at points bright, dreamy, funky, sexy, and rather soothing, powered by a collection of drum loops, spacey strings and piano, driving acoustic and electric guitar rhythms, soothed over with lush harmonies and calls for positive affirmations like, "there must be more to life than this," and "don't beat yourself up." Though different genres are hopped to - sometimes mid-song - and their website describes them as "chameleons," it all feels completely natural, and free of gimmick.

To be more precise, they describe themselves as the "chameleons of pop," a rather fitting title - and Adventures... ranks as quite possibly my favorite pop record this year. Opener "Shallow" sets the brighter tone, with subway sounds crashing into drums and guitar. It's rather similar to New Order, both lyrically and rhythmically - and the same comparison could be made for much of the album. "A Place in Displacement," the record's first single, sounds a bit like last year's "Waiting For the Siren Call" (from the aforementioned influence) - not a bad song to bite. "Safety in Numbers" flips between a sexy retro beat and a dark, harmony-laced chorus, while "Up Close and Personal" jumps from slow rhythms to bouncy indie pop (complete with handclaps) broken up with an aggressive chorus.

The formula of blissful instrumentation and gorgeous harmonies reaches its peak on "Meant to Mean." Complemented by a string section, the track would have made for a better closer than "Flesh and Bone," the only one I find myself skipping.

4 (out of 5)

::1 Related Link::
1 South My Space Page

::Video::
"A Place in Displacement"

The Art of Graham Coxon

Former Blur guitarist Graham Coxon is one of few artists who play a critical role in their album's artwork. In fact, he has painted the album the covers for each of his solo records and singles.


Mixing childlike representations with comic book styles and a little hints of Roy Lichtenstein, Coxon's art is almost as interesting as his musical career. Here's a little video of Coxon discussing the cover art for his latest, Love Travels at Illegal Speeds.
Doesn't Coxon look and sound way cool? He's got that whole early Elvis Costello/Peter Sellars in Lolita thing going on. I used to try and emulate that look, going so far as to wear Buddy Holly glasses, even though I didn't need them. I got tired, however, of having to explain the artistic qualities of wearing glasses you don't actually need and now I no longer wear them.

::Previously::
1 Review: Love Travels at Illegal Speeds / Graham Coxon
2 Review: "Standing on My Own Again" / Graham Coxon

Avant Garde Intro Leads to Better Gilmore Girls

:::::SPOILER ALERT:::::

The following contains serious plot details from the episode "The Real Paul Anka"

For the past few months now, we've been documenting our love/hate relationship with the Gilmore Girls' sixth season. Thankfully, last night's episode moved us a bit closer to the love. It was really all about the opening, though, in which Lorelai recounts a dream to Rory that's rather difficult to explain, but was rather humorous, and featured Paul Anka. I should add that Lorelai also has a dog named Paul Anka ... and that's really what made it funny. Ever since the dog showed up, I was curious if we would see an appearance from the man himself. There was a time I despised Paul Anka - but he's steadily been earning cool points since last year's Rock Swings (which featured an awesome cover of "Wonderwall") , and this guest appearance endeared him to me FOREVER. Beyond the star cameo, the dream sequence was exemplary of what makes Gilmore Girls unlike anything else on television.

The rest of the episode couldn't top the brilliant opening, but it certainly was a step in the right direction, especially with some memorable moments courtesy of Emily and Richard. The guest appearance of Milo Ventimiglia (Jess Mariano) was used pretty heavily in the promotion for this episode, but it ended up only being about two scenes. Nonetheless, Jess seems to have matured a bit since being written off the show, and I personally wouldn't mind seeing him come back a few more times. I am left with a few questions - 1). Am I the only person with a soft spot for Luke's daughter? 2). Where the hell are Sukie and Jackson? 3). Anyone know what that song was at the end? It didn't really fit, but I kinda liked it.

::Previously::
1 Gilmore Girls, Why Do You Hate Us
2 Sebastian Bach, We Love You
3 Gilmore Girls Returns - Triumphantly
4 Gilmore Girls Got That Indie Cred

Gorillaz Post Concert, Declare an Ending + New Blur Potentially Soon

There has been quite a bit of Gorillaz news as of late. Last night's Gorillaz' performance of Demon Days at the Apollo in New York can be seen in full at MSN ... and it looks great. The group released the DVD, Demon Days - Live in Manchester last week, and it currently sits atop of my Netflix Que for what I'm told will be a "very long wait." For those (including myself) who were hoping to catch Murdoch, Noodle, 2-D and Russell on some sort of world tour, it appears Gorillaz are closing up shop for the time being. Frontman and co-creator Damon Albarn tells MTV News, "We're putting Gorillaz back on the shelf after these last few gigs and working on other things for a while. It's been brilliant, and this time it's been a runaway success, so why not just leave it like that? So we're retiring." "El Manana" is the fourth video from Demon Days and is a bit of an ending in itself. It also seems to be the group's most political video yet.

As for Albarn, he always has a number of projects going on, and hopefully the new Blur record has been pushed to the top of the priorities list. Blur bassist Alex James describes their new material to NME as, "the most nasty, dirty, filthy rock music I think we've ever made." Asserting Blur's place in the world of alternative rock, James - who also has a new band called Wigwam - taunts, "Foo Fighters are gonna wet their pants when they hear it."

Barbara Gives Me a Shout Out, Gets a Free Song

Our friend, Barbara - aka the Bad Tempered Zombie gave a little shoutout to the N&UR earlier this afternoon. For those of you who have not read it yet, Barbara was contemplating buying the new Streets' record, The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living and added, "I'm thinking I'd better get the earlier Streets' cd A Grand Don't Come for Free (who taught Mike Skinner grammar anyway?), because Will LOVES it, and he's got good taste." That was way awesome. Thanks so much, Barbara, as we are your biggest fans. In honor of the shout-out, here is the first single from ... Easy Living, "When You Wasn't Famous." And, in case you already had that one, we threw in "Retour a Vega" from the Stills.

Review: Elan Vital / Pretty Girls Make Graves

Streaming here

Losing a key band member is an event that can kill any rock and roll band. With the departure of guitarist Nathan Thelen during the 2004 trek behind The New Romance, Pretty Girls Make Graves lost the dueling guitar sound that had defined much of the earlier work and live shows. They opted to add a replacement guitarist for only handful of live dates, and added a keyboardist (Leonna Mars, formerly of HintHint) for Elan Vital. Contrary to what you might be expecting, the addition of keyboards does not quite redefine the sound. Single and opener, "The Nocturnal House," drives with the same energy of Romance and 1999's Good Health. The bass plays a stronger role (as it does on many tracks), but the screeches of Derek Fudesco's vocals in the chorus clash with and complement Andrea Zollo's. Needless to say, Zollo can't screech like she used to. Instead of putting her voice at risk, Zollo has steadily made alterations, comes into her own on epics "Bullet Charm" and "Pearls on a Plate."

Fudesco tales the lead on "Pictures of a Night Scene." Built around bass and piano - with avant garde horns heightening the drama at the end, it's probably my favorite song on the album. While the moves into a darker direction are quite interesting, attempts at achieving the energy from the previous records ("Domino," "The Magic Hour") do not quite fare as well. "Parade" is a rather dry call for the working poor to "strike." It would probably fit well into the theatrical version of Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed - but doesn't quite fit in here.

3.5 (out of 5)

New Stills' Song at My Space

I feel like it's the winter of 2003 all over again with new releases from The Stills and South - two bands I have Hillary to thank for turning me onto. Both were attractive then with their dark, atmospheric, Echo and the Bunnymen-inspired rhythms. And now it seems both have gotten a beat more upbeat. For the Stills, whose single "In the Beginning" is up for download at their My Space page, this may seem like a bigger leap. "In the Beginning" boasts an opening guitar solo that sounds straight off of an Allman Brothers' record, but once the voice of Tim Fletcher kicks in singing, "This story ends in bloodshed," you know it's still the Stills. I can't say that I'm 100% crazy about it - but I'll reserve judgment until I hear the new record, Without Feathers, which hits stores on May 9.

Review: Love Travels at Illegal Speeds / Graham Coxon

Unbeknownst to some, Graham Coxon's solo career began back when he was still a member of Blur, with 1998's The Sky is Too High. It wasn't until he left the band, however, and released 2004's Happiness in Magazines that he really began to establish himself. While his former bandmates were looking to experiment, Coxon was content to perform his own brand of pop music, mixing late 60's psychedelic rock with late 70's punk. Love Travels at Illegal Speeds, his sixth solo album, continues the trend.

It all starts off fantastic, with the build up of drums and guitar on "Standing On My Own Again." Coxon's never had the greatest range in his voice, but knows his limits, and sounds great on "Standing..." It has everything a great rock single should, easily standing alongside any of Damon Albarn's recent material. (Note: Never say that if meeting Coxon in person - he hates comparisons to his old band). Unfortunately, that's as good as the album gets. The punk songs - in greater abundance this time than on Happiness... - are all a bit rough and formulaic. The highlights come when Coxon steps out of the punk rock mold - the dark ballad, "Just a State of Mind"; the upbeat acoustic, "Don't Believe Anything I Say"; and "Flights to the Sea (Lovely Rain)," which sounds a bit like Stealer's Wheel.

Coxon has always been gifted, and seems to have no problem crafting a great single - he just has not translated that into a great album yet.

3 (out of 5)

::Previously::
1 Review: "Standing On My Own Again" / Graham Coxon

::Video::
Making of "Standing On My Own Again"

Not to be outdone by Pete Doherty

Pete Doherty's first post-Libertines band, Babyshambles, released their debut, Down in Albion, in late 2005 to little fanfare. But Doherty has lacked in radio hits, he's made up for in tabloid headlines. A recent Rolling Stone article painted him as a misunderstood genius whose vices always seem to get the better of him. Mark Binelli writes of Doherty's living quarters, "The room, even more trashed than the hall, looks like a homeless person's squat. The lights are dim, with an orange glow, like a muted campfire. A man in a peacoat, his fingertips blackened -- the indelible ink of a crack pipe -- crouches on an old couch and shoots us a startled, feral look. The only sign of celebrity sits atop a crowded mantel: a trophy from a music-awards show, picked up the week prior. The award was for 'Sexiest Male.'"

Needless to say, when and if Doherty decides to truly get his act together, he has a true rock and roll reputation preceding him - and no publicity machine can top that. But if he were to dissolve his current band, he would leave the music careers of his bandmates in, well, shambles. Taking preventitive measures, sometime Babyshanbles' guitarist Patrick Walden went and got himself locked up on assault charges. Unfortunately, it was for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend which does not make him rock and roll. It makes him a fucking scumbag.

::Previously::
1 KCRW Music Exchange and the Post-Libertines

Mischa Phones in Sick

So, the tabloids have been reporting that Mischa Barton has become rather disinterested with her role as Marisa Cooper on The O.C. So disinterested in fact that she has been showing up late and calling in sick. I had no idea that you could just call in sick if you were an actor. It's not exactly like my job where someone can just cover for you or they can call a temp. Maybe that's how it should be in television - if Mischa calls in sick, one of the other actors has to play her role for the day ... or maybe I can start an actor temp agency. Young stars are so disposable anyway. The New York Post reports that she is "flirting with leaving the show," fearing being typecast. When I broke the news to Hillary, she asked, "She's afraid of being typecast as a bad actress?" The O.C. was once a serious guilty pleasure among all N&UR writers, yet when we stopped watching this season, and began tuning into The Office, we apparently weren't the only ones. The show has seen its viewership drop this season by five million. I'm sure Adam Brody is wishing he never left Gilmore Girls.

Writer's Block

It happens to the best of us - your brain freezes up, hiding your best ideas, leaving you with little to write about. That, and some overtime at work, as well as a pair of video projects have unfortunately kept me away from N&UR this weekend. Needless to say, I will come back so strong this week, the seven nation army couldn't hold me back.

::MP3s::
"The Funeral," Band of Horses
"Standing in the Way of Control," The Gossip
"The Soldiering Life," The Decemberists
"Eve of Destruction," Bishop Allen

A Little Trip Down Memory Lane

For those of you who don't know, the Byrds are my all-time favorite band, and I hope to publish a blog soon expressing my lifelong love for them. You see, I feel that this blog has become very focused on the New records, with very little emphasis on the Used ones. Oh, well, here's one of their classics from 1965, "Chimes of Freedom" ...

The Cuts @ Amoeba Records

Despite putting in some overtime at work this week, I mustered up the energy on Wednesday to catch The Cuts' live set at Amoeba Records. I was not familiar with them up to this point, but the second they started into their opening song, I was hooked. A little bit of Ramones' energy, a little bit of Elvis Costello and the Attractions - garage rock at its finest ... and keyboards!!! Their latest album, From Here on Out hit the record stores recently, and has potential to be a massive hit - if I have anything to say about it. And they're from the Bay Area, so I need to have a little bit of local pride. I spoke with the band and their people afterwards so they're may be some Cuts/N&UR action in the near future. I'll let you know as details emerge. In the meantime, check them out on MySpace.

::MP3
"Demons"

For those in the San Francisco area, Amoeba has some other fantastic free shows in the near future ...

4/11, 6PM: Calexico
4/12, 6PM: James Lidell
4/13, 6PM: Pretty Girls Make Graves

New Flaming Lips Video + More Streams

The new Flaming Lips video - for "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" - is pretty out there ... but would you really expect anything else? I haven't gotten to hear At War With the Mystics (streaming) in its entirety, but as soon as I do, I'll post a review. Let me know your thoughts on the video (Quicktime or (Windows Media) or on the album, if you've heard it. Sadly, I missed Wayne and Co. when they were in town last week for the Noise Pop Festival, but I was fortunate enough to see them open for Beck a couple years ago ... and it was a blast.

Also, because I love y'all and streaming audio, lots of new releases are available for streaming at a very high quality ...

Ringleader of the Tormentors, Morrissey
Vision Valley, The Vines
Love Travels at Illegal Speeds, Graham Coxon
Show Your Bones, Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Rolling Stone Launches Reality Show

Rolling Stone will have their own MTV reality series, where contestants compete for the chance to join their staff. If you wish to sell your soul, you can download the entry form. The show will be taped from June to August in New York City. If you think you have what it takes to work for the fallen pinnacle of rock and roll journalism, give it a shot. Some of us, on the otherhand, will simply enjoy talking shit about everybody. (Official press release - without my commentary - at their website).

Review: DFA Remixes: Chapter One

Streaming here

Known for their production work with the Rapture and the Juan McLean, James Murphy and Tim Goldsworthy have developed a reputation for stripped down, artistic dance music with lots and lots of cowbell. Though Murphy took some time to work on his phenomenal LCD Soundsystem project, the two have managed to maintain a high level of remixes for artists existing both in and outside the mainstream. It'd be pretty hard to top the original version of Le Tigre's "Deceptacon," but they do a pretty decent job at turning it to minimalist disco funk. Minimalism is the word when discussing these remixes - the bulk of which (especially Gorillaz' "Dare" and Fischerspooner's "Emerge") remove layers of instrumentation, highlighting a select few. The results are mixed - I wasn't too pleased to hear Chemical Brothers' "The Boxer" reduced to an instrumental, and given that these tracks are lengthy, they may be better suited to the dance floor, rather than your iPod. Criticism aside, the production duo bring a level of artistic credibility that is somehow lost on most remixers.

3.5 (out of 5)

Gilmore Girls, Why Do You Hate Us?

:::::SPOILER ALERT:::::

The following contains serious plot details from the episode "I'm OK, You're OK"

This season's scheduling of the Gilmore Girls has been as sporadic as the quality of writing. Once the favorite show of 2/3 of N&UR, Gilmore Girls of late has been breaking with their form and is showing serious signs of age. I had previously thought that maybe they had got it all out of their system, as "Bridesmaids Revisited" was one of my favorite episodes of the season. Yet, in the first five minutes of last night's episode, they backtracked and canceled out so much of what had made the previous episode so good. What bothers me most about the current direction of the show is the writers are beating some dead horses - Rory and Logan's relationship is so ridiculously repetitive. If they had broken up for good, things could go back to normal, but once again they have patched things up. The tension between the two of them is obvious, and there is no need to play up Rory's distrust anymore - but that looks to be the subject of the next episode. And the once cute Luke and Lorelai are just getting on my nerves. I was ok with Luke having a daughter he never knew about - but dragging out the engagement and now trying to make Lorelai jealous of the mother ... ENOUGH!

But I didn't hate everything - just everything that involved the Gilmore girls. It is becoming more and more apparent that the show should end and spinoff into a program focusing on Lane and Hep Alien. There was no Sebastian Bach in this episode, sadly, but the rest of the band was there, including an absolutely priceless scene of Zach and Mrs. Kim composing a song. There's still potential in Gilmore land, but - with there insane dragging out of mediocre plots - they are beginning to look like The O.C. Well, not quite, and let's hope it never comes to that.

::Previous Gilmore Posts::
1 Sebastian Bach, We Love You
2 Gilmore Girls Returns - Triumphantly
3 Gilmore Girls Got That Indie Cred

Review: G.O.O.D. Music: The Class of '06 Mixtape / J. Period and Complex

Fonzsworth Bentley is probably best known for once being P. Diddy's personal assistant - or for his trademark fashion and umbrella dance in recent OutKast videos. He's a rather interesting fellow - having been trained in classical violin, graduating from Morehouse College with a degree in biology, attending the Fashion Institute of Technology, all before claiming Diddy as his boss. Now, the next step has come - a rap career, but don't expect anything generic. If "Laid Back" is any indication, Bentley is a keen observer with a unique delivery, that seems to mesh both members of Outkast with Vincent Price. Signed to Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music label with an expected summer release date, I imagine Bentley's debut will be far more groundbreaking than anything ever released by his former employer.

West set up G.O.O.D. Music (short for Getting Out Our Dreams) as part of his contract with Sony, following the dissolution of the Roc-a-fella label. The label's profile was quickly raised with the releases of Common's Be and John Legend's Get Lifted in 2005. The Class of '06 Mixtape celebrates many of last year's hits, mixing them alongside new songs and remixes, showcasing lesser known G.O.O.D. Music artists. With only one song from Bentley, the main focus of the mixtape is on Consequence and GLC, both of whom are familiar to Kanye fans from their appearances on his two albums (together on "Spaceship," GLC on "Drive Slow" and Cons on "Gone" - all included here). Unfortunately, neither quite rises to the occasion. While Consequence reminds me slightly of Lupe Fiasco, and GLC possessess a deep voice and cool delivery, their rhymes come off as rather generic, aided little by West's beats. Trio Sa-Ra, whom West describes as "really sexy" with an "'80's type feel" fare a bit better. Though I can't claim to have been crazy about any R&B release since the mid-'80's, "Hollywood" has enough quirky beats to stand out. "Star Warz," with its Houston-style "chopped and screwed" chorus, is less interesting.

Amidst all these new artists, the real stand-out remains Common. Though many of his hits from last year ("The Corner," "They Say," "Testify") are included, the highlight is a new one - "The Movement," boasting a robotic bass beat. It reminds me, I've been thinking that you could play a drinking game for the number of times Common uses pop culture as a metaphor. For instance, here he knocks "MC's and actors/with no Fear Factor," while noting, "Above the Rim?/I'm above the game."

Those who purchased Kanye's Second Semester mixtape will find some overlap, but there are enough new songs, not to mention the excellent mixing of J. Period, to keep us West-obsessivess happy.

3 (out of 5)

::Previous Mixtape Reviews::
1 Kanye Essentials: First Semester (The Reissue) / Mick Boogie
2 Second Semester: Kanye Essentials 2 (mixtape) / Mick Boogie & Kanye West

::1 Related Link::
1 Fonzworth Finds Worthy Collaborators For Debut LP: Kanye, Andre 3000 (MTV News)