The ever-theatrical Cyndi Lauper joined the always theatrical Arcade Fire onstage last week at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Fest for a dose of “The Sprawl.” Make the jump to take a look.

Death Cab For Cutie: The Taxi Has Crashed

Is it crap dressed as art? Or art that sounds like crap?

I tend to side with Antiquiet, who say:

“What’s that you say? You could have made this video yourself by taping a flipcam to your leg and walking around the city all day? How dare you. This is art, man! It’s in the editing! The momentary street sign focus! The underlying impressionism and sociopolitical undercurrents are positively scathing! Who are we kidding? This video is a hot load of bullshit with a grabby name tacked on. Put that on your Che Guevara T-shirt and smoke it.”

It doesn’t help that the song sucks, too.

Seriously, you guys can’t do any better?

Alex Turner (Photo By Kyle Dean Reinford)

Have a lick of the new Arctic Monkeys album, Suck It And See.

Suck It and See was produced by James Ford at Sound City Studios in LA. If you like what you hear, you can pre-O the whole dozen tunes at Domino Records.

Arctic Monkeys, Reckless Serenade by Daniyrselfclean

Boys That Get Pissed Together Usually Get Pissed AT Each Other. Libertines Barat and Doherty in "Happier Times"

So says Carl Barat in the latest issue of NME.

“We are all in very different places,” he said, alluding the irreparable schism between him and band member Pete Doherty. “Right now is not the time for The Libertines. I thought the water under the bridge was under the bridge, but maybe it’s not. It’s a very fucking hard thing. Every time we talk it just brings it back up.”

Not sure the world’s losing all that much, really.

Ronnie Vannucci’s side project, Big Talk, will release their eponymous debut album in July. Make the jump to hear the first single.

Even though Vannucci will be touring behind the album, he’ll be in the studio with his main band, The Killers, starting next Tuesday, to work on new material.

“Tuesday I think we start doing some writing again, he told London’s XFM. We have piles of songs we want to show each other. We’re going to get back in that room and start writing.”

Take a listen to Big Talk’s new single and ping me what you think of it…

Big Talk – Getaways by Epitaph Records

Need a transition from Morcheeba or Dizzee Rascal into, say, John Zorn? Try this on for size.

Morcheeba – Ambiant Lounge

Fantomas – 4/13/05 Wednesday

John Zorn – Rockabilly {From the Golden Boat}

What form! What energy! Have you ever seen someone recline with such workmanlike precision? I should think not! Inspired by Kim Kardashian, hard at work displaying purple in just the right light, I’ve scanned the globe for three perfectly purple pieces of music.

The Violet Lights are a band out of Southern California, who invested their hard earned money into recording a five song EP at LA’s famous Sunset Sound. It’s an excellent record entitled Sex And Sound (coincidentally two of my favorite things, along with soft fuzzy kittens and warm woolen woolen mittens).

Listen to it then go buy it. Here’s band member Amber Garvey, channeling a little platinum into her violet life.

The Violet Lights – Your Love/Not Enough

The King Casuals were founded in 1962 in Clarksville, Tennessee, by Billy Cox and a guitar-playing fellow named Jimi Hendrix. After said guitar player went on to bigger things and better drugs, Chicago bluesman Johnny Jones returned to his Southern home to take over leadership of the band. This version of Jimi’s song got heavy spins in the London R&B clubs of the late 60s and early 70s.

Here’s another picture of Kim working the fabric.

Johnny Jones & The King Casuals – Purple Haze

For those of you who are concerned about the lack of men represented on this page — and the presumed sexism of same — here’s a picture of a guy in a purple Speedo.

Even the girls have to admit Kim looks a lot better sporting the spandex. Now back to our regularly scheduled tasteless lechery.

John Vanderslice is a Florida-born, Maryland-raised, San Francisco based performer and producer. He’s released a dozen albums since 2000, including Mass Suicide Occult Figurines, which included the cut, “Bill Gates Must Die.” When he tried to release the record package like a Windows installation disc, things got a little sticky over in legal.

He’s also the founder of San Fran studio Tiny Telephone, which has hosted session by Death Cab For Cutie, Okkervil River, Deerhoof, Spoon and the Mountain Goats (the last two of which he’s produced).

“Cool Purple Mist” is like the cool, refreshing aura that surrounds Kim Kardashian every day, in every way.

John Vanderslice – Purple Mist

Coney Girl By Jason Stillman

Coney Island girls in the sunshine, a walk down Broadway in the rain, some Puerto Rican girls that’s just dyin’ to meet you…

The brilliant New York singer and songwriter Garland Jeffreys has a great new album on the way called King Of In Between. It’s rock, it’s folk, it’s reggae, it’s clean, it’s dirty. In short, it’s New York. “Coney Island Winter” is Lou Reed’s “Dirty Boulevard” re-imagined with a touch of Springsteen.

After the obvious Lou in position two, the Temptations’ gritty-city vibe of “Cloud Nine” is the right finish to this threesome, allowing us to go in a rock direction (Blues Traveler’s “But Anyway”?) or toward a soul groove (something from the Detroit Emeralds?).

Coney Island Winter by gjeffreysadmin

Lou Reed – Dirty Boulevard

Temptations – Cloud Nine

Take this one to your next party and remember: better chemicals make for better mixes.

See more of Jason Stillman’s art here.

“Hippy Chick”spans the globe for the universal vibe of Hippiedom.

John Braheny was a singer and songwriter whose song, “Warm,” appeared on his one and only album, Some Kind Of Change, which was released in 1970.  He went on to write songs for others, including Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Poneys.

It’s followed by “Make Your Own Kind Of Music,” a song written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and originally recorded by the Will-O-Bees. When Cass Elliott made it a hit, it was added to her Bubblegum, Lemonade and…Something For Mama album and re-released as Make Your Own Kind Of Music.

Hippy Chick closes with Jefferson Airplane‘s later era “It’s No Secret,” featuring Marty Balin.

John Braheny – Warm

Mama Cass – Make Your Own Kind Of Music

Jefferson Airplane – It’s No Secret

“A race of angels, bound with one another…”

Springtime = Steely Dan.

UB40 – Red Red Wine

Steely Dan – Brooklyn (Owes The Charmer Under Me)

Bob Dylan – Jokerman

“Fragmented samples going off in your face. Almost dance-y, once in a while. . . ” So says The New York Times Ben Ratlif about Junk Culture. JC is Oxford, MS, native Deepak Mantena, who draws from a lifetime worth of sounds he’s collected to release his new album, Summer Friends. Ratlif also said it’s “phasey, woozy, wicky wacky.”

Try this on for size:

The Jam – Start!

Junk Culture – Summer Friends

Bob Marley – Chant Down Babylon

“Didn’t we say we had a deal, didn’t I say how bad I feel…”

The Vaccines have announced their debut U.S. tour will kick off in May, in support of Arctic Monkeys. The May 17th date will be at the 9:30 in Washington; their last date will be at the Palladium in LA. In the middle of the tour, Columbia will release their US debut, What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?, on May 31st. The Vaccines will also make their U.S. network television debut on the Late Show with David Letterman on Tuesday June 7.

Try this mix on for size:

The Smiths – Hand in Glove

The Vaccines – Post Breakup Sex

The Rolling Stones – Stupid Girl

May 17 – Washington DC, 9.30 Club
May 18 – Philly, Electric Factory
May 19 – Boston, House of Blues
May 21 – Toronto, Kool Haus
May 22 – Montreal, Olympia de Montreal
May 24 – New York, Central Park Summer Stage
May 26 – Detroit, Clutch Cargoes
May 27 – Milwuakee, The Rave
May 28 – Minneapolis, First Avenue
May 30 – Denver, The Ogden Theatre
May 31 – Salt Lake City, In The Venue
Jun 2 – Pomona, Fox Theatre
Jun 3 – LA, The Hollywood Palladium