Thursday, June 18, 2009

Live Music: Jenny Lewis at Bonnaroo '09

There's a ton of content from Jenny Lewis' Bonnaroo performance, but my favorite was "Jack Killed Mom". How is there a music video for "Black Sand" (mediocre song, boring video), but not for this song? Awesomeness this song is.

Video: Courtney Love announces Hole "reunion"

Oh Courtney, you crazy bitch. You know I love you, and yet you continue to screw me over. Apparently Courtney is re-editing her probably shitty solo album that's been brewing for around four years and calling it the fourth Hole album. Melissa Auf Der Maur's coming back to do some bass and backing vocals, and apparently that's enough to bring back the old name. Goddammit Billy Corgan, this is all your fault. Look, I'll follow "Live Through This" and "Celebrity Skin" to the ends of the earth and worship everything having anything to do with those albums, but Love has done nothing worth praising in the last 11 years, and at this point I can't imagine her releasing anything that won't fuck up Hole's near-perfect(at least in MY mind)discography.

Also, there's no Eric Erlandson, which officially makes this a 100% hollow, exploitative, Pumpkins-style non-reunion.

Here's a ten minute video where Courtney announces Hole's revival with new guitarrist Micko Larkin. She really is kind of amusing to listening to, especially when she gets to the bit about one-armed strippers towards the end. She also claims that Apocalyptica is coming in to overdub their cellos onto some of their tracks, and I'm not sure whether or not we should believe her yet.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

New Music: Gossip's entire "Music For Men" now streaming

Go here to listen to The Gossip's new album in its entirety:

http://www.spinner.com/new-releases#/1

It's alright. I felt like "Heavy Cross" is the only truly kinetic song on the whole album, at least on the first listen. Beth and Co haven't completely lost their charm yet, but I feel like I'll never think about this album again after their next album is released.

"Heavy Cross" video. Pretty cool.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Covers: Arctic Monkees > Amy Winehouse

I forgot that I found this and loved this forever ago. Arctic Monkeys owning the shit out of "You Know I'm No Good". Re-live it and re-love it.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Covers: Santigold/Santogold does Adele's "Hometown Glory"

Told ya I'd accomplish five posts this week. I'm gonna get better at this, I swear.

Here's the thing about this version. You have to completely forget about the existence of the original, and only then can you appreciate how quietly, quirkily beautiful this cover is. She took the simplest drum/bass arrangement manageable and truly, genuinely made this song her own. Only recommended for Santogold fans; Adele fans who could give a shit about Sant(i/o)gold will get absolutely nothing out of this.



I don't care what the lawsuit says, she'll always be SantOgold to me.

Remixes: Franz Ferdinand Vs Kelis

File this one under "flawed in a lot of places, but still entertaining as all hell":

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Acoustic Covers: Of Montreal do David Bowie's "Starman"

I did done fucked up yesterday and there was no post, so tomorrow there'll be a double post, because this time I AM COMMITTING TO THIS GODDAMMIT.

Anyway.

"Starman" is a genius piece of songwriting, so if you put anyway competent, likeable band behind it, I will probably love it, even if it doesn't have Bowie's flair backing it up. Of Montreal's covers of this song are fun, because they have their own individual quirky charm that captures the original's eccentricity without even coming close to doing a Bowie impersonation. Like in this acoustic version, Barnes does guitar and main vocals while his bandmate just stands there and actually makes the "DUH-DUHDUH-DUH-DUH" pre-chorus sounds with his voice, and then does some backing vocals for the chorus. And then goes back to just standing there. Weirdly awesome.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Music Videos: Newish Regina Spektor

I'm a few weeks behind on this, but I'm posting it now because I'm just now starting to come around on this song. It's "Laughing With" by Regina Spektor, and it did next to nothing for me at first, but it's been growing me on me so much lately.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Live Covers: Amanda Palmer does Ben Folds

My issue with Ben Folds was that I always had all the respect in the world for him as a songwriter, but I never could get that far into his music because his voice didn't do much for me. So here's Amanda Palmer performing the song in Boston. Problem solved for me! It's interesting, Amanda Palmer's voice isn't even that "nice" in the conventional sense in this video; it's probably about as rough as Ben's is in the original, but this just totally works for me so much more. Who knows why.

The Return of Audioclash

After a nine-month hiatus that will be left mysteriously unexplained, we're back full-time. For real this time.