am/fm

OK Computer!

2008-05-12T19:27:54Z

For those of you following the saga, my computer is now back up. Super.

eh.www.amNY.com

The System is Down

2008-05-12T18:30:29Z

I have no love for my computer, nor it for me, as it is totally NOT WORKING today. At this point, it's only mildy stressful, but I did a lot of work for tomorrow's paper last night and now I cannot access it. I'm not doing that junk again.

So I'm hoping Kraftwerk can spread their "Computer Love" and turn my unweildy paperweight back into a functioning analytical engine.

Oh, yeah, and the song may sound familiar because Coldplay sampled the main riff on "Talk."

eh.www.amNY.com

No, I am Iron Man

2008-05-11T20:36:57Z

So I saw "Iron Man" this weekend.

Suicidal Tenancies, "Institutionalized"

Apparently Tony Stark is a punk fan. The movie has him listening to this song while he's working on his cars down in his workshop. Nice.

Also, because I know you care, I like that Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts has freckles. I hope she wears sunscreen ...

eh.www.amNY.com

New Gnarls Barkley Video

2008-05-11T18:06:35Z

"Going On"

Scifi-licious!

I love the supersaturated picture with the '70s-style titles. Neat video, neat song. Yes, there's nothing on "The Odd Couple" as ear-wormy as "Crazy," but I think the album as a whole is stronger than "St. Elsewhere."

If you still haven't heard it, download a backwards version here. And then ...

eh.www.amNY.com

Commercial Watch: Garmin

2008-05-11T17:03:15Z

This Garmin commercial aired during the Super Bowl this year, but I was among the five people in the U.S. who didn't watch (I don't like football OR commercials, so it seemed the telecast had nothing to offer). Anyway, this song sounds a heck of a lot like Plastic Bertrand's "Ça Plane Pour Moi" ... but it isn't.

Listen.

(Here's a Red Hot Chili Pepper cover)

The Garmin song, I believe, is a jingle written especially for the commercial. Full lyrics here.

(Also, the horn part sounds like an inversion of "March of the Swivelheads" from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" (Listen), which itself is a remix of The English Beat's "Rotating Head.")

eh.www.amNY.com

Mothra vs. the Office

2008-05-08T17:21:08Z

We have moths. In our office. Thank goodness it's our Friday. With any luck, by the time we get back on Sunday they'll be gone.

In the meantime, here are some insect-inspired songs for ... well, us, really.

Jethro Tull "Moths"

Tiger Moth

Psapp "Rear Moth"

Black Moth Super Rainbow "Sun Lips"

They Might Be Giants "Bee of the Bird of the Moth"

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks "Dragonfly Pie"

Adam Ant "Goody Two Shoes"

So much more, after the jump ...

The Buggles "Video Killed the Radio Star"

Papa Roach "Between Angels and Insects" (That one's a twofer!)

Oingo Boingo "Insects"

The Flies "High"

Sheila and the Insects "Clever As You"

XTC "I'm Bugged"

Tom Waits "Army Ants"

Dave Matthews Band "Ants Marching"

The Beatles "Help!"

The Bird and The Bee "Again & Again"

Bishop Allen "Butterfly Nets" (The moth's prettier, but no less buggy, cousin)

Crazy Town "Butterfly"

Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass "Spanish Flea"

David Bowie "Ziggy Stardust" (OK, the Spiders From Mars, are arachnids, not insects, but Bowie gets a two-leg margin of error)

Elbows "Picky Bugger"

Bette Midler "Glowworm"

Ricky Gervais bonus! Man-moths!

Add your own in the comments.

eh.www.amNY.com

Siren Fest acts announced

2008-05-07T17:13:24Z

The Village Voice Announces Initial Lineup for the 8th Annual Village Voice SIREN MUSIC FESTIVAL™ at Coney Island

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Broken Social Scene, The Helio Sequence, Beach House, Times New Viking, Jaguar Love, The Dodos, Annuals, Film School, Parts & Labor, Dragons of Zynth, These Are Powers and more to be announced!

I totally heart Stephen Malkmus. I guess if you've been reading this blog for a while, that's pretty obvious.

eh.www.amNY.com

Well, it's official ... kinda

2008-05-07T16:25:37Z

Nasty Little Man, Beck's PR firm, just sent out a release that confirms rumors that Beck's as-yet-untitled forthcoming album will be out this summer, months ahead of the original fall release date.

Having met a few years ago, Beck and Danger Mouse had planned to work together at some point, finally convening last December to do a few songs. Encouraged by the results, they decided to make an entire record and over the next few months recorded extensively, with the goal of using only 10 pieces in the end.

Yay! I'm excited. I won't hear anything bad about either of these two. Anything they touch separately turns to gold, so I'm sure this project will be ... well, gold-plated gold.

eh.www.amNY.com

JazzFest @ New Orleans Fairgrounds, April 27, 2008

2008-05-06T21:58:30Z

I don't know if you know this, but it freaking RAINS in New Orleans. And as much of the city is below sea level, when it rains, it floods. We forded our (rental) car through some major water on our way down ... and while we freaked out, local residents did not bat an eye. This is all to set up our rainy Sunday spent at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

But first, though it had rained heavily the day before and the ground was quite soggy, we arrived to sunny skies and stopped in the gospel tent to hear Paulette Wright & Volume of Praise. The ensemble was dressed radiantly all in white, and from their volume (ha!) it sounded like there were far more people on stage than there actually were: Ten singers plus a small backing band. They were joyous and fun. We sat for one song to churchify the start to our adventure, but on the way out, they started in on "Tell Me Something Good," and we had to go back. I don't think the Rufus and Chaka version was talking about Jesus, though. But with a little tweaking, it actually works well as a song of praise.

When we finished up there, we headed across the hot concrete to catch Mamadou Diabate -- a man with a group hailing from Mali in west Africa and Brooklyn -- in the blues tent. Even their warm up was fun and bouncy. Diabate plays the kora, a traditional west African instrument that looks like a giant sitar mated with a gourd (also, the drummer played something that looked like a nerf ball). The music was largely instrumental, although there were a few songs with lyrics, both in French and English.

Not that I've ever seen anyone play this instrument before, but Diabate wailed on the kora. His virtuoso fingers danced over the strings and he's obviously a master of the instrument. The music was both challenging and soothing, structured like jazz, with a main beat giving way to each band member's solo. While the structure of the music is complex and rhythmically intense, the melody just washes over you. It was cool.

It was during this set that the storm clouds gathered and let loose. We were under a tent, so it was mostly alright, although at a certain point, the water crept up under the tent and covered the ground (up to about half an inch). It was the last time my shoes would be dry all day.

more after the jump...

We braved the rain, bought cheap ponchos and caught the end of a set by Davell Crawford. Cool New Orleans jazz.

Next up was Elvis Costello and Alain Toussaint. The pair has been working together since Katrina, and it's been a very fruitful collaboration. They have a great chemistry between the two of them, and very easily slip from genre to genre together, creating something new and exciting.

Costello came out with "Peace, Love and Understanding." He's no longer the skinny, dorky kid he was when he wrote that song, but he still can play. By this time the rain had let up a little, so we were all dancing out in the open air. It was a fun set.

They were backed by a strong horn section and walked the line between rock and jazz. Costello and Toussaint shared the mic and they switched between their separate catalogs like the were born singing each other's music.

We left Elvis early, however to go see Al Green. There was a bit of a hold up to the start of his set, but then, promising a night of magical entertainment, Al Green emerged, bearing roses. Let me tell you, that man is a ham, in the best way possible. Green threw roses to the ladies in the audience throughout the set, smiling it up and dancing like a goof. His voice has really held up, too. He hit those high notes like they were nothing.

His set was really as much a Performance as a concert. There's a lot of hyping of the crowd and waggling around the stage. He had the support of some really talented singers, who were actually handling the bulk of the vocals while Green strutted around the stage. Which is not to say he wouldn't pull out some amazing vocal pyrotechnics himself.

As a TKO, he pulled out "Amazing Grace," "Let's Stay Together" and "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart." And we were done. He wasn't done, but we had been wandering around wet and muddy for hours, so it was time for us to call it quits on an amazing day.

You should have been there.

eh.www.amNY.com

Who is this Santogold?

2008-05-06T20:12:44Z

She just opened for Gnarls Barkley at Highline Ballroom, she's playing Summerstage in July and she's reportedly good friends with indie grimster M.I.A. Her name has been tossed around by cool kids all over, and her recently released album has received rave (albeit qualified) reviews.

Yeah, but what does she sound like? Well, listen for yourself. Downtown Records is offering an unreleased track for free download here. It's pretty good. "Your Voice" is a chill reggae-inspired ramble, and while we're talking voices, Santi White (that's her real name) has a beautifully unadorned one. She recalls an early Gwen Stefani with less affectation. This song is a good summer jam for when it's too hot to move but smooth beats are the order of the night. Don't sleep.

eh.www.amNY.com

Out there

2008-05-06T17:03:58Z

• Spinner has a list of 20 bad songs by good bands. For the most part, it seems they just picked notable singles by bands we've all heard of and arbitrarily anointed them bad. Because Blondie's "Rapture" (no. 20) is awesome. As is Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" (no. 12) (I have an uncle Gus, so as a child, me and my sisters found endless amusement in this song). I'll give them Weezer's "Beverly Hills" (no. 16) and Madonna's "American Life" (no. 4), though.

• Idolator has a shorter and more accurate list of Five Bad Album Titles.

• Are you sick of Britney yet? Me neither! Here are some unreleased tracks. Apparently, she tried to go a funkier, R&B route ("Baby Boy") and was denied.

• The Mountain Goats, John Oliver, Rock Plaza Central, Dave Hill and more in one show? Yes, please. Brooklyn Vegan has the details on this benefit concert for AIDS Walk NY.

• Stereogum has news of a new single by Miles Kurosky. Who's Miles Kurosky, you ask? Why, the ex-lead singer of Beulah, of course. Who's Beulah, you ask? Oh, honey. You're missing out ...

• Over at 17 Dots, they're explaining the "Brooklyn Scene" to a baffled Minnesotan. Go add your voice.

• New Beck! Maybe soon!

eh.www.amNY.com

No comment necessary: Mexican Radio

2008-05-05T23:11:59Z

eh.www.amNY.com

Something for everyone

2008-05-05T18:19:39Z

I missed this while I was away, but here's the video for ScarJo's cover of Tom Waits' "Falling Down." When on road trips, listening to music and staring out the car window, I always think that that POV would make a great music video, which is what they're doing here. Turns out, if it's not you that's doing the actual traveling, that view is pretty boring. The song itself is alright, but I still like her "Anywhere I Lay My Head" better. (Get some real Tom here. It's everything great about the man.)

People.com has a preview of New Kids on the Block's new single "Summertime." It's not any worse than any of the other pop crap that's out there.

Trent Reznor (whose old house I saw in New Orleans; it's currently owned by John Goodman) is offering the latest Nine Inch Nails album for free download.

eh.www.amNY.com

Whatever happened to: Marcy Playground?

2008-05-04T20:10:09Z

• Did they have other songs besides "Sex & Candy"? Yes, three whole albums worth.

• Have you heard any of those other songs? If you saw "Cruel Intentions," "Simply Irresistible" or "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," you did.

• Are they even still around? Yes! Their last album was "MP3," released in 2004. Lead singer John Wozniak is also trying to get a solo career off the ground.

• Are they touring? Evidently.

• What's their website like? Down.

eh.www.amNY.com

Jelly NYC Pool Parties

2008-05-04T20:01:55Z

I like this concert series the best of all the free summer shows, even though I rarely get to see any of them, because they're all Sunday afternoon (when I am busy working to bring you Monday's paper). But anyway, Pool Parties has let the word out that this year's schedule will include: The Breeders, MGMT, The Hold Steady, Liars, Aesop Rock, Black Lips, Deerhunter, Fuck Buttons, Matt & Kim, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Team Robespierre, The Loved Ones, Panther, King Khan and His Shrines and Ting Tings.

It's gonna be a great summer. I can just feel it.

eh.www.amNY.com