Archive for January, 2010
Official: Green Day Biggest Sell-Out Ever
I’ve often said that Green Day was the biggest sell-out band of recent years. Unfortunately my argument fell short with some, so I typically let it slide and went on with my Green Day-free life. Finally though, I’ve gotten enough ammunition to prove without the shadow of a doubt that Green Day is no longer the the band of yore. If you go back in time, the progression from punk to pop may have even started with Dookie. Sure, they were still power chord playing, robo-trippin’ kids, but it certainly opened the door for them to jump on the pop bandwagon. At least Dookie contained no signs of mainstream to it when it first came out in the early nineties. The same couldn’t be said for Insomniac and then Nimrod, which really kicked off the descent (or ascent depending on who you talk to). continue reading
She and Him ready Volume Two
In my opinion, Zooey Deschanel can do no wrong.
She’s a terrific actress (Almost Famous, Elf, The Go-Getter, and (500) Days of Summer to name but a few). She’s amazingly cute. She seems like a genuinely kind and down to earth person. And, oh yeah, she’s got a fantastic voice.
She’s shown off her pipes in a lot of the movies she’s been in (remember “Baby, it’s cold outside“?). But she’s really able to let her singing shine in her band, She and Him, which she works on in between her acting gigs. (For a great mash-up between her movies and her music, check out this video she made with Joseph Gordon-Levitt for (500) Days which features one of her She and Him songs.)
She and Him is comprised of Zooey and M. Ward, a prominent indie music guitarist and singer-songwriter.
Their excellent first album, Volume One, was released in 2008. And now, their fittingly titled second album, Volume Two, is set to be released on March 23rd.
Volume Two is likely to follow in the same vein as Volume One, which basically means more of the same warm Sixties and Seventies style folk-rock that I’m guessing for many people in their twenties and thirties might elicit a fond nostalgia for the kind of music their parents probably listened to around the house when they were kids.
The first single from the new disc was released recently. It’s called “In the Sun” and you can check it out HERE. Ward definitely makes his presence more apparent on this track, but it still hews pretty closely to the sound of the first album. Hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
The full track list for Volume Two comes after the jump.
Anything that comes associated with the tag ‘dream pop’ immediately gathers my attention. Upon listening to Teen Dream by Baltimore’s Beach House, I discovered it to be the perfect description. This record takes you through a journey filled with layered delay, synths, electronic and live drums, and cryptic yet enchanting lyrics that ultimately add up to a soothing and well…dreamy experience. The song structures aren’t exactly predictable, but you will find yourself catching on and singing certain segments over and over again. It’s early yet but this album should be a player on several year end lists.
RIYL: Band of Horses, Grizzly Bear, Bear Colony
Jay-Z Gets His #1 Pop Single
Jay-Z finally has his first #1 pop single. It may not be the best track. The lyrics might not be his greatest. And the production work sure isn’t anything we haven’t seen before. But think about it, at some point during this summer, we all rocked out to this track. The track essentially inspired and united us. “Empire State of Mind” is Jay-Z’s first #1 single.
During early production work on the “Empire” track, Jay-Z feared the song would be nothing more than a regional hit. He feared out-of-town radio producers would shun the track due to New York’s outward confidence (I’m from the tri-state area; I can’t call it arrogance). However, in a year where we all essentially hit rock bottom, the track was almost a perfect fit to help the healing.
There’s a sense of good hope throughout in “Empire” regardless of the New York-centric title and lyrics. It screams we’re all going to make it.
The Super Bowl brings forth a bonanza of prop betting each year, and a lot of it has to do with the halftime entertainment.
Last year, a lot of the oddsmakers’ attention was focused on what four songs Bruce Springsteen would be playing during his halftime performance. Bets were even placed on whether Clarence Clemons would have a featured sax solo or if Bruce would reach into the crowd and pull Courteney Cox onstage, a la the “Dancing in the Dark” music video.
Well, a lot of that betting suspense was removed this time around when this year’s halftime performers, The Who, told Billboard exactly what they’d be playing.
According to Pete Townshend, the band will play a “compact medley” of the following songs:
- Baba O’Riley
- Pinball Wizard
- the close of Tommy
- Who Are You
- Won’t Get Fooled Again
That’s a solid set list, but it’s a bit surprising not to see “My Generation” on there. In any case, it’s shaping up to be a pretty good halftime show. Catch it during the Super Bowl on February 7th on CBS.
-Sam
So…about that System of a Down return I got all excited about a couple weeks ago?
Well, the band’s singer, Serj Tankian, is letting everyone know that they probably shouldn’t hold their breath.
To recap how all this hoopla started, bassist Shavo Odadjian posted the following tweet on January 12th: “Are u guys ready for System???”
He then followed that up with a supposed explanatory tweet which did nothing but make the situation even muddier. He wrote: “About my “are u guys ready for System?”. I’m not sayin we are back but, if so? U guys ready? SoRry for gettin u guys amped. I’m just seeing”
What does that even mean? That still leaves both options very much up in the air.
But now Tankian, in an interview with Billboard, has put out a pretty definitive statement. He says:
“We always have offers to play, from festivals and stuff, but we have not decided to do anything as of yet. We’re in touch. We talk. We call it an indefinite hiatus, and that’s how we still look at it. Nothing’s really changed.”
Booo.
Either Serj is telling the truth and nothing really has changed, or maybe the band was just not ready to officially announce the end of its hiatus and is trying to cover up the tracks. That’s probably just wishful thinking on my part though.
In Serj solo project news, he has a CD/DVD set coming out on March 9 called Elect the Dead Symphony, which is an orchestral reworking of the songs off his debut album, Elect the Dead. He recorded it with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in New Zealand last March. Tankian’s also already working on his sophomore album, called Music Without Borders. He hopes to release that sometime this summer.
-Sam
Conan goes out on top
Conan O’Brien has always been the epitome of cool to me.
I haven’t missed one of his shows (Late Night and The Tonight Show) in about five years. The day just doesn’t feel complete without Conan capping it off.
You see, Conan had a way of differentiating himself from some of the other pap that litters late night. He appealed directly to young people who didn’t want to put up with Leno’s dullness or Letterman’s sneering disdain. He made intelligent comedy aimed at the outsider in all of us. His clownish absurdism was never mean-spirited and he was always the first to turn a joke on himself in order to make others feel more comfortable. He was the smartest guy in the room – one who used silliness as the medium for his sharp wit. And granted, a lot of people just didn’t get Conan. His humor definitely wasn’t lowest common denominator stuff like Leno’s. Instead, he realized that some people just want to see a Masturbating Bear regardless of how little sense it makes because, dammit, that’s hilarious.
And, of course, Conan has always been a worshiper at the shrine of music. A guitar player himself, you could always tell how excited he was to hear some of the bands that came on his shows to play. And his shows, particularly Late Night, were usually on the cutting edge as far as new music was concerned. He once told the New York Times:
“Music and comedy are so linked,” O’Brien said earlier, as he walked up and down the halls of his offices, playing one of his many guitars. “The rhythm of comedy is connected to the rhythm of music. They’re both about creating tension and knowing when to let it go. I’m always surprised when somebody funny is not musical.”
He was able to get his friends, The White Stripes, to be his musical guest on his last episode of Late Night. And he got Pearl Jam to play the world premiere of “Got Some” on his first episode of The Tonight Show. But that was all topped last Friday, as he said goodbye to The Tonight Show and television (at least until September) with a sincere, poignant collaboration on Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird” – that classic ode to breaking free from a doomed relationship.
Backed up by the terrific Max Weinberg band and Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top, Ben Harper, and Beck on guitar, Will Ferrell took the vocal duties and invited Conan to strap on his axe and join the band as they made a sweet sendoff. Strumming away, it was easy to see a long-shouldered burden just disappear, at least for a moment.
The song asks, “If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me?” Well, one thing Conan doesn’t have to worry about is his fans forgetting about him. We’ll be waiting right here until he comes back.
Now if you haven’t already seen this rocking rendition of “Free Bird,” check it out:
The Best Punk Albums of the ’90s
Aversion.com has a new feature article worth checking out: The Best Punk Albums of the ’90s. We’ve simplified the list for you and just included the album names. However, I do urge you to head on over to Aversion to read the full feature.
The list, in order of appearance, can be found after the jump. continue reading
Prince is ready for some football
Prince put on one of the more memorable halftime performances of the past decade in 2007 when he took the stage during a downpour in Miami and proceeded to entertain the masses with a series of hits and covers which suitably ended with “Purple Rain.”
And for a guy who loves the color purple and who grew up in Minnesota, it’s no surprise that he is a fan of the Minnesota Vikings.
And if any of you are unaware, the Vikings are playing in the NFC Championship game tomorrow.
But I guess Prince didn’t feel that Brett Favre’s multitude of “hey-everyone-look-at-me-and-my-childish-enthusiasm” teammate ass-slapping was enough motivation for their big game. So he took matters into his own hands and wrote them a new fight song.
It’s called “Purple and Gold” and it’s absolutely atrocious. Have a listen HERE.
A fight song is supposed to get a team and its fans pumped up for a game. This one sounds like some crappy gospel song you’d hear at church on Sunday. Granted, a lot of fight songs are cheesy, and this one is no exception, but it also lacks any semblance of energy. It wouldn’t surprise me if Prince slapped this pile together in a couple of hours and called it a day.
So as if you needed any reason to root against the Vikings tomorrow other than the fact that Brett Favre is the QB, just think that if they lose we may never have to hear this song again.
-Sam
Replacing Steven Tyler
Sounds like a good title for a new movie, Replacing Steven Tyler.
Aerosmith is on the hunt for a replacement lead singer for Stephen Tyler while he takes time off for surgeries and to recover from a painkiller addiction. Speaking to Billboard, guitarist Joe Perry said the replacement gig will be on a part-time basic – didn’t we hear a few weeks back that the band was completely through with Tyler? Hmm.
There’s no timeline set to find a replacement. However, Perry indicated that the band does want to be able to tour in the summer.