Apartment 41

SETLIST: Apple, Spotify...and my fan club idea :(

2011-03-07T02:18:00.001-05:00

Calm Down, Apple Isn't Starting a Real Streaming Music Service - Which of the behemoths will get into the streaming music business first...Google? Apple? It's true, streaming subscriptions would eat into iTunes sales.

Spotify Signs EMI Music to U.S. Deal | AllThingsD - I finally got some proxy access to Spotify (here in the states)...so far, so good. Can't wait for it to be official.

Mozes launches mobile technology to let musicians sell merch at live events | Los Angeles Times

You’ve Got a Fan Club? Network and Mobilize It | New York Times - Great idea...that I had a few months back but was too slow and inept to act on. I will be interested to see how fan club develop in the digital age.

“Can you put food on the table with music? Probably not. I see music as a really great hobby for most people in five or 10 years. I see everybody I know, some of them really important artists, studying how to do other jobs.”

– Cake lead singer John McCrea talking to NPR, via Digital Music News. Showroom of Compassion, Cake’s most recent release, is the lowest-selling number-one album of all time.

SETLIST: Unique Releases (Radiohead, Flaming Lips)

2011-02-15T14:01:00.003-05:00

Radiohead Readies King of Limbs, the ‘World’s First Newspaper Album’ | Wired.com - Besides my obsession with the music of greatest band ever, I'm also quite interested in Radiohead as attempt new models of distribution and marketing. Is the King of Limbs an LP...an EP...or maybe the first of a recurring, monthly music subscription (ala a newspaper model)?

The Flaming Lips Release Song via 12 YouTube Videos

Roqbot Is A Jukebox On Your iPhone

Get your MUSIC GroupON

2010-11-22T21:28:00.000-05:00

Another day and yet another way to promote digital distribution of music. Today's Grouponicous Groupon is pushing a full download of Rihanna's new album, "LOUD", for $5 (50% off). While the record sales may be losing money from the discount, the very popular daily deal site sends such deals via email to millions of subscribers so in essence that money comes out of the marketing budget (see the $11 million Gap Groupon story). It will be interesting to see how many more album sales this adds to Rihanna's first week. A similar price-scheme for Arcade Fire's last album on Amazon led it to be #1 on the charts in its opening week.

Small Bands & Big Concert Growth

2010-11-19T18:34:00.001-05:00

"The great power of digital distribution is that it’s much easier to discover and listen to new bands. Back when we had to hunt down physical albums in stores, our rate of new artist discovery was much, much lower. That means a new band can build a widespread following much more efficiently than back-in-the-day, and can therefore do a world tour a lot earlier in their career, whereas huge, popular acts like U2 and Rolling Stones are already big as ever, and won’t benefit from this additional digital distribution."

Songkick.com has started to comb through its user-generated database of over 1.8 million concerts to pull out some interesting data. I've been a big fan and user of the site to keep track of shows that I've gone to and be alerted to shows when they get announced so it's great to see them point out some interesting trends. I agree with their point that widespread digital distribution makes it more efficient for small bands to develop a following and to put on a world tour...but I'm sure the devil's advocate might say that these bands are more affected by the piracy of digital distribution and need to do more shows in order to make up for that lost revenue. Related to this idea of efficiency, GigsWiz is a service that generates social media analytics for bands to see where their biggest followings are so that they know exactly what cities to play in. Conversely, the service can also be used by venues to book bands that are popular in their area. Interesting idea...

SETLIST: Kill the Walkman

2010-10-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

Sony Kills The Cassette Walkman On The iPod's Birthday [GIZMODO] - Sony stops making cassette walkmens finally and it turns out to coincide with the iPod's 9th Bday...yeah, I had no idea they were still making cassette anythings. It was a good 30 years Walkman...I'll never forget you bulky yellow version!

Live Nation to Power Concert Listings, Ticket Sales in iTunes 10 [TECHCRUNCH] - Makes sense that these two massive corporations would get together. I didn't mention it above but the social network will also have concert listings/recommendations.

We don't need no stinking instruments

2010-10-20T17:44:00.001-04:00

What do you do if you all your band's instruments get stolen? Buy 4 iPhones I guess. Pretty good song considering the circumstances...

I'm sure they won't be the last to use the iPhone as their instrument but I'm also glad to read about the new Rock Band 3 that's coming out next week and actually teaches people how to play a REAL guitar:

"You're actually playing the real notes, which is amazing in the sense that you can go and play that song after you're done learning it on your console." [Gizmodo]

Follow the link to watch a video demo of the new 'more than just 5 buttons' guitar.

Belle and Sebastian with the Best Music Promo Ever (so far...)

2010-10-05T16:04:00.000-04:00

Inside every copy of Belle and Sebastian’s new album Write About Love is a unique code which you will enter here and then write 300 words about love, in any sense of the word. Why you love. Who you love. What you love. Where you love. Anything. Just write about love.

Then Belle and Sebastian will pick a winner (henceforth referred to as “Lucky”) and Stuart Murdoch will fly out to Lucky’s hometown, hang out with Lucky for an afternoon, and write and record a song about Lucky which will then be released on an exclusive Belle and Sebastian 7″ later in 2011. [Matador Records]

Awesome and creative. I'm sure we'll see more and more bands do things like this to get people to actually buy music.

How Do You Teach Boy Scouts About Downloading Music? By Pretending It Doesn't Exist

2010-10-03T04:43:00.001-04:00

How Do You Teach Boy Scouts About Downloading Music? By Pretending It Doesn't Exist:

"So how can Scouters teach ethical behavior related to music downloading? One way: Set a good example. When you haul around Scouts in your car, for example, only play CDs that you've purchased. If you play CDs that you've burned-even if they're legal-your Scouts may not recognize the difference between those and the pirated CDs friends have given them." [Gizmodo]

Is Video Killing the Concert Vibe? [WSJ]

2010-09-27T01:59:00.002-04:00

At most concerts these days, when the houselights go down, the tiny glowing screens go up. As more fans mark the moments with smartphones, cameras and pocket-sized video recorders, a new kind of digital divide is emerging. Music lovers who try to document and share the essence of concerts are squaring off against those who think that just defeats the purpose. The debate is drawing participants from both sides of the stage. [WSJ]

John Jurgensen's recent WSJ article touches on an interesting debate that I've had with myself on a number of occasions. I love concerts and I love photography, so yes, I'm often one of the 100 people at your show taking pictures and some video of your band up on stage. Am I the guy that takes a thousand images of the same basic shot? No. Am I the guy that takes pictures of himself in front of the band as they play to prove to his friends that he was there? Definitely not. Nor am I the guy that takes a picture and then has to show it to all the people around them. Each of those things is FRIGGIN' annoying...everyone agrees. But beyond the affect on the people around you, if you are too busy with your camera, you are missing out on enjoying the show. Mind you, at least in LA, I'd say there are about a good 40+% that aren't there to listen to the band...but that's another post for another time.

In the past, I've found myself so consumed with capturing the moment (for my own memory) that I was no longer enjoying the show for the show itself. I wasn't living in the moment, I was living in the 10 moments in the future when I'd look at those pictures. I now realize that's not worth it. So what I do now...and what I propose to all amateur concert photographers...let's do what the pro's do. You always see professional photographers for music mags or music blogs (like Sung from LosAnjealous or MySugarSpun) taking their shots for the first 3 songs or so...then they are escorted out of the photographer's pit. I now limit myself to pics from the first few songs...and maybe 1 video. Then I put the camera away, and focus on building my own memory of the band, the music and the people and not the aperture of my Canon s90.

Google Instant-ized iTunes

2010-09-21T00:42:00.001-04:00

Stephen Ou, a 15-year-old developer from the Bay Area, whipped up iTunes Instant as an alternative, and it's pretty much perfect: streamlined, minimalist iTunes searching and absolutely nothing else.

[Gizmodo]

SETLIST: iTunes' PING, Google Music Hiring, Ashes

2010-09-02T02:59:00.002-04:00

Ping, a Social Network for iTunes [LA TIMES] - Pretty interesting new edition of iTunes is out today. Biggest change is its' music-centered social network, PING. Basically its a Facebook-like feed of your friends and followees music purchases, reviews and recommendations. Has potential to be a very important new music recommendation service for people and will definitely be huge for Apple as any new music your friend likes, can easily be purchased within iTunes. One cool feature is a sidebar that aggregates the top songs purchased/liked by people in your "network". This probably is not good for one of my favorite companies, Last.FM.

[UPDATE: Scratch that...Ping will die. Just found out it only takes into account music you purchase via iTunes. I can easily say that less than 1% of my collection has come via the iTunes Store]

Live Nation to Power Concert Listings, Ticket Sales in iTunes 10 [TECHCRUNCH] - Makes sense that these two massive corporations would get together. I didn't mention it above but the social network will also have concert listings/recommendations.

Why the Music Business Needs a New iTunes [ALL THINGS DIGITAL] - Universal Music Group saw sales continue to drop in Q2 (-2.8%) despite increasing digital revenues. Go share some UMG bands with your friends on Ping and make them less sad.

Google Goes Hunting for Music Boss [ALL THINGS DIGITAL] - Oh to have a job combining my love of music and Google. Too much pressure and too many expectations though...Lets hope they find someone good.

When Drinking Means You Formed a Band [HOLIDAY MATINEE] - I have always been a fan of using a half empty beer bottle as a musical instrument...dying to see what this musically demarcated bottles really sound like. Could be the most amazing or most beautiful night at a bar if every drunkard was harmonizing.

Ashes to Vinyl [GIZMODO] - I now know how I want my remains taken care of when I die. Not even joking, I am SO doing this. Great Grandchildren...prepare to listen to OK Computer as heard through my ashes. (I was going for humor but that actually gave me chills...the good kind)

Ticketmaster is trying to make friends...

2010-08-28T21:28:00.000-04:00

Looks like Ticketmaster is trying play ~~nice~~ nicer. Not only are they now BLOGGING (not sure who gets to do that job...or who came up with the blog name, Ticketology) but they have also started a few practices that they are alleging to be "for the people". First off, those hated TM fees that we all hate will now be included right off the bat in the very first ticket price you see when looking for tickets. This would lessen the instant hatred that erupts every time we see that ticket price grow as we proceed through the purchase...but its still there! Additionally, some shows will have an interactive map that allows you to select your exact seat. That will be nice but only really useful with shows that are slow sellers...no way would I take my time handpicking a seat to a Radiohead show that would sell out instantly. The third and last change is rather interesting. Apparently they are now offering a 3 day window for you to return your tickets (provided its not less than 1 week before the show). This will be interesting to see how scalpers play with this. Who knows if any of this will benefit the consumer but at least its a nice change to see them even seem concerned with the audience.

Music: 1990 vs 2010

2010-08-26T21:42:00.000-04:00

One more way Ticketmaster could screw you...

2010-08-22T19:31:00.000-04:00

Haha..."Fine Ticketmaster, you win"

YOUR BRAIN ON COMPUTERS [NY Times]

2010-08-18T20:20:00.003-04:00

YOUR BRAIN ON COMPUTERS [NY Times]

It is a debate that has become increasingly common as technology has redefined the notion of what is “urgent.” How soon do people need to get information and respond to it? The believers in the group say the drumbeat of incoming data has created a false sense of urgency that can affect people’s ability to focus.

Matt Richtel raises an interesting question...are we better or worse off today with the deluge of emails, cellphones, and digital everything? Like every philosophical question, I'm sure the answer is a very complicated yes and no. I guess two steps forward and one step back is better than no steps forward though, right?

Related to this, I've wondered how us music lovers are staying afloat among all this "free" music that is so easily accessible. First off, there has to be more music out there since its easy for just about anyone to create and distribute these days. That probably just means more crap to wade through. Then of course the ease of collecting music means my iTunes library is getting increasingly bloated. I probably currently have 90+ GB's of music and I'm sure a quarter of it I've yet to hear. But I'm not complaining. Despite all this noise, I definitely feel more satisfied and totally happy with too many options and too much music. And the benefit to the artist? Increased revenue from all these concerts I'm into thanks to world wide webosphere.

SETLIST: Pitchfork, Live Nation, Azoff Tweets

2010-08-17T03:48:00.001-04:00

How Pitchfork Struck a Note in Indie Music [Time] - I definitely agree that Pitchfork has become a force within the Indie Music scene...yet I hardly ever read any of their stuff. My outside view is that alot of fans find their reviews either uber-critical or too gushing. Either way, Taste-makers like Pitchfork are clearly getting more and more important.

Live Nation posts a second quarter loss on sagging ticket sales [LA Times] - Uhoh, maybe the revenue from live shows won't save the music industry. Then again, this is for the quarter leading up to the end of June. Perhaps the 3Q Summer numbers will be more telling. I still feel like they should be reporting Shell Oil kinda numbers with all those damn fees they rape us with.

OMG! Ticketmaster head Irving Azoff throws down a Twitter gauntlet [LA Times] - I love when old people try out new technology and totall embarrass themselves :) You have to give it up for old Irving. He's worked hard and built quite a nice little empire there for himself. Nonetheless, seems like a total a**hole. If you want to read more about the rise of Irving and behind the scenes of Ticketmaster/Live Nation monster, check out David Segal's article from the NYT, Calling Almost Everyone's Tune.

A Big Fat Thanks to Record Execs

2010-08-16T14:26:00.000-04:00

[more at icanhasinternets]

Lifehacker's Streaming Music Roundup

2010-08-14T03:59:00.000-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

Very comprehensive article over at Lifehacker giving you all the details of the major music streaming services (Spotify, Rdio, Rhapsody, MOG, Napster, Grooveshark, Pandora, Last.FM, Slacker Radio). Their top recommendations?

"The Best Services For:
• Global availability: MOG and Grooveshark
• Pricing per track available: MOG
• Multi-platform availability: Spotify and Pandora
• Offline availability: Spotify and Rdio—though without knowing the limits on Rdio's offline syncing.
• Most offered for free: Grooveshark, Last.fm, and Slacker Radio
• Ease of use: Pandora"

Battle of the Streaming Music Services [Lifehacker]

Double (In) Rainbows

2010-08-06T16:26:00.000-04:00

Image by Rick Rey via Flickr

Bloggers Ordered to Take Down Radiohead Songs That Were Once Free

So can you actually steal something that was once free? In most cases, yes. One commenter summed it up nicely, writing that posting songs that were once available for free but now aren't, is a bit like "a shop giving away a free drink with a sandwich as a special offer one week, and then you go in and shoplift the same drink a week after the promotion has ended."

I'm an American, I want Spotify

2010-07-30T18:53:00.000-04:00

Spotify Reboots U.S. Label Negotiations [Billboard.com]: Regarding the licensing status, Parks said “We are in fact in a good place with our label negotiations. We’re confident in our U.S. launch later this year.” This quote comes after news that the company had to restart its negotiations with the US labels. I have yet to try or even see Spotify in action but I'm eager to test it out. Will the over-hyped music streaming service disappoint or is this what the future of music looks like? Think of it as iTunes except you can stream much more than just the 30 second snippets. I'll be trying out the freemium ad-based version but if its good, I would definitely pay to stream. While I'm not a fan of Rdio, I do recommend Grooveshark in the interim. I may even buy a Grooveshark T-shirt (*w/ 1 yr free!).

Conan O’Brien’s Love/Hate Relationship with the Internet

2010-07-28T23:48:00.001-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

Conan O’Brien’s Love/Hate Relationship with the Internet [Techcrunch]:

Nice overview of Conan's SF Sketchfest Tribute and Q&A by Techcrunch. Conan digs into the shake up of all traditional media thanks in part to the Internet. As Sarah Lacy writes, "If it hasn’t happened to your industry yet—wait. It will." Actually, I can't really think of an industry that it has begun to re-invent.

"'Those men behind the curtain—the great and powerful Oz—are scared shitless right now,' O’Brien said, adding that the chaos is so high that anyone in the audience could just as likely be running a major network in a few years. O’Brien opened by saying he was choosing to see opportunity in the volatility in his business, but over the next few hours it was clear that it wasn’t that simple."

Slow down that Inception Score

2010-07-27T03:03:00.000-04:00

Should ISPs Pay for Music Piracy?

2010-07-16T03:18:00.000-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

Should ISPs Pay for Music Piracy?: "if ISPs and broadband providers are going to provide consumers the means to pirate music content—and the problem will only get worse as available bandwidth increases—ISPs need to either curtail piracy by “wising up” their pipes to prevent transfer of illegally distributed content, or “pay a fair price” for the copyrighted material traversing their networks."

The Leaky Music Faucet

2010-07-14T23:14:00.000-04:00

How Artists Deal with Music Being Leaked Online - TIME: "'Even just a few years ago, you had to know where on the Internet to go,' says Eric Garland, founder and CEO of media-analysis company BigChampagne. Whereas would-be downloaders once lurked primarily on peer-to-peer file-sharing programs like Limewire or BitTorrent, 'now,' says Garland, 'it's like, eh, just Google it.'"

Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood works on new Bryan Ferry album

2010-07-13T15:25:00.000-04:00

Jonny Greenwood via last.fm

Bryan Ferry is working on an album with an full lineup of contributors that included Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, and Chic singer Nile Rodgers. Ferry's new album Olympia hits October 25.

Admiral Radley at Hammer

2010-07-06T04:07:00.001-04:00

Looking forward to this Thursday's "Also I Like to Rock" concert at the Hammer Museum in Westwood. Admiral Radley and The Happy Hallows perform starting at 8pm.

Damien Rice - Sofðu unga ástin mín (w/ Lára , Glen Hansard & more)

2010-07-03T16:45:00.001-04:00

From an amazing day of bands in the beautifully cold country of Iceland
for Inspired by Iceland

Thom at Glastonbury 2010 (Harrowdown Hill)

2010-07-02T20:22:00.001-04:00

Glad to see Thom expanding his use of the sampler/looper to play some more tracks off Eraser

Ed: Next Radiohead Album Due THIS YEAR

2010-06-20T18:59:00.001-04:00

AtEase has notes from Ed's interview on Adam Buxton’s show on BBC 6 Music today.

“We’re in the heart of the record. It’s genuinely exciting. It’s very different from what we did last time. It’s really nice to be doing this. It’s so good to be making music with the band that you feel is still as good as it’s ever been.”

“No, Ideally it would be great if it came out sometime this year. It has got to. I hope so. We’re at the finishing line.... But yeah, hopefully it will be a matter of weeks.”

Radiohead Covers: Idioteque on a Ukulele

2010-06-12T20:58:00.002-04:00

Amanda Palmer (of Dresden Dolls) brings us her first track off her upcoming covers album. Check it out over at her website:

AmandaPalmer.net

Regina Spektor covers No Surprises

2010-04-28T00:57:00.003-04:00

Hi! On Tuesday April 27th, iTunes will release a cover i did of a Radiohead (i LOVE them, and thank them for donating their proceeds too!!! they are the best!) song "No Surprises". The proceeds will go to Doctors Without Borders Emergency Relief Fund. -Regina

Ticketmaster Joins Live Nation, and an Industry Quakes - NYTimes.com

2010-04-27T02:16:00.003-04:00

Ticketmaster Joins Live Nation, and an Industry Quakes - NYTimes.com

"For a man who sits atop one of the most feared corporations in the music business, Irving Azoff seems surprisingly proud of his middle finger. Images of it, raised high and defiant, are hard to avoid in his home, a 12,000-square-foot mansion in one of the richest neighborhoods in this city."

Long article, but gives good insight into the man behind the monster and the ticket monopoly that continues to dominate.

Scott Pilgrim Movie [Beck.com]

2010-03-31T20:39:00.002-04:00

Beck has contributed songs to the upcoming film “Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World”, based on the Bryan Lee O’Malley comicbook of the same name. Starring Michael Cera, Jason Schwartzman, and Anna Kendrick, Beck’s contributions centered on writing songs to be performed by Pilgrim’s (played by Michael Cera) band, “Sex Bob-Omb.”

Slated for release on August 13, there will also be a soundtrack album featuring the Beck-penned tracks along with other songs by Broken Social Scene, Metric, and Cornelius.

The film is being directed by Edgar Wright and scored by Nigel Godrich.

The Notorious xx–Biggie/The xx Mashup [Losanjelous]

2010-03-31T14:54:00.001-04:00

The Notorious xx–Biggie/The xx Mashup: "
Grab Wait What’s mashup of Biggie & the xx now for free before a cease & desist kills it.

Wait What | The Notorious xx

Jonsi Covers MGMT

2010-03-31T03:06:00.000-04:00

Jonsi - Time to Pretend [Audio Muffin]

Guest DJ Jonsi Of Sigur Ros

2010-03-29T14:00:00.001-04:00

Guest DJ Jonsi Of Sigur Ros on NPR: "
What do Iron Maiden, Billie Holiday and castrato singer Alessandro Moreschi have in common? Answer: Sigur Ros frontman Jon ('Jonsi') Thor Birgisson lists them among his favorite artists. On this edition of All Songs Considered, Jonsi talks about his new solo album, Go, and shares some of the songs that have helped shape his own music.

Catching up...

2010-03-26T19:44:00.001-04:00

New Doves off their upcoming Best of...

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Oh No Ono covered Radiohead's Weird Fishes/Arpeggi [Stereogum]

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New song of upcoming album by The National: BloodBuzz Ohio [Driftwood]

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Meet Admiral Radley...half Earlimart, half Grandaddy...EXCELLENT show the other night at the Bootleg Theater. This acoustic version from SxSW is even better live with drums.

New Thom Yorke [live] from Cambride 2/2010

2010-02-27T02:54:00.000-05:00

Bat for Lashes Cover Radiohead's All I Need

2010-02-27T02:50:00.004-05:00

Bootleg of Radiohead for Haiti Show

2010-02-11T01:07:00.005-05:00

A lovely bootleg of the show from Ateaser Edgar from the balcony...with lovely cover art courtesy of Ateaser Verity.

Mp3:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=NRP399PU
http://www.sendspace.com/file/9hhigb

01 Faust Arp
02 Fake Plastic Trees
03 Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
04 The National Anthem
05 Nude
06 Karma Police
07 Kid A
08 Morning Bell
09 How To Disappear Completely
10 A Wolf at the Door
11 The Bends
12 Reckoner
13 Lucky
14 Bodysnatchers
15 Dollars & Cents
16 Airbag
17 Exit Music

Encore #1
18 Everything In Its Right Place (Thom)
19 You And Whose Army?
20 Pyramid Song
21 All I Need

Encore #2:
22 Lotus Flower
23 Paranoid Android
24 Street Spirit (fade out)

Radiohead for Haiti @ The Fonda [Jan. 24 2010]

2010-01-25T03:25:00.010-05:00

3/5ths Radiohead in LA at Hotel Cafe!!!

2010-01-20T01:34:00.007-05:00

[The only pic I could get of Thom Yorke at Hotel Cafe]

MY POST FROM ATEASEWEB.COM: Its 2:30am and I can't sleep cuz I just had probably one of the greatest nights in my life. I was with my two friends at Hotel Cafe in LA to hear some bands (Dios! - very good) and listen to Gaz and Danny of Supergrass DJ a few sets inbetween. The night started out well as we got to chat with Gaz as we were walking in. Super nice guy. Then after a few drinks and listening to a couple bands and Gas/Danny's first DJ set, I saw Nigel (who actually was scheduled to DJ with them and was the reason why I wanted to show up). My friends were giddy having met Gaz so this was my chance to meet one of my idols. As we hung out near the bar about 5 feet from him...waiting for the best chance to say hi but not to bother him...I noticed a familiar haircut behind my friend AnnMarie. Holy Crap...its Thom Yorke! I immediately told my friends and texted my girlfriend. I could not imagine a better situation: a dark, half empty venue and pretty much nobody notices that Thom is here. As I waited patiently to speak to him...again, not wanting to bother him...I notice another familiar face - Colin! And another...Ed! Man, Ed is WAY taller than I thought. Guess I'm used to looking up to him on stage, not in person. I heard that Colin was SUPER nice and approachable so I was excited to talk to him...alas he was busy chatting and I didn't want to interrupt. We hung out around all of them for almost 20+ minutes (included me taking a secret pic of Thom while he was waiting to get a drink at the bar by himself). I knew Thom wouldn't be up for a pic in the dark venue so we waited near the entrance/exit in case we could grab one with him outside. Honestly, I didnt care about a picture...I just want to chat with him and sincerely let him know how much I appreciate Radiohead's music. When the moment arose, my friend Tony asked if we could take a pic. He said he'd rather not at which point I asked if at the very least I could shake his hand as I was a huge fan. He happily obliged (and gave me a somewhat drunken smile) before he stepped outside with Nigel and Ed. I hoped they had just gone out for a smoke but when I went outside a few minutes later, they were gone.

After seeing them numerous times upclose and from afar in concert, I'm so excited to finally have met Thom and see Ed and Colin face to face...yet at the same time I wish I could have had a better chance to chat with them. I can't believe there were only a few of us that recognized them. So cool to see them in LA on this rainy night. I will sleep with a very big smile on my face if I can ever fall asleep. Just wanted to share with you

Perdidos! (con radiohead)

2009-12-13T18:05:00.001-05:00

Spanish LOST promo...with music by Radiohead - See ya' Feb. 2nd!

Dinner with the Band [IFC]

2009-12-12T18:59:00.002-05:00

DINNER WITH THE BAND [IFC]: I think anything '...with the band' is a great idea, ESPECIALLY dinner. I just caught the end of the Les Savy Fav show (where the lead singer finished the song by getting in the shower). I have no idea what food they make but i like the idea in theory. Brooklyn-based Chef Sam Mason hosts the band in his loft where they cook up something and play some music.

Please help my friends finish their music documentary!

2009-11-10T21:21:00.006-05:00

Two new friends who I've become close with over the past year, have taken our passion for live music to the next level by putting on intimate concerts in people's backyards, filming the concert & interview and posting the performance online for all to share. I attended my first Garden Party a few months back in Venice and it was a really special show and a really fun evening.

As Wayne and Jeff continue to let the Garden Party Series grow over the next few months, the guys are also working on finishing a full-length documentary they shot of a pair of our favorite Garden Party musicians, Catherine Feeny and Sebastian Rogers (aka The Challenge of Feral Green). The film follows the duo on a 2 month long tour across the U.S. playing their music in the living rooms of fans, friends and strangers they meet along the way. In order to finish production, they've set up a fund-raising drive on kickstarter.com, a new online fundraising platform for artists to raise funds for their projects.

Check out their project, entitled Remember Where You Are, and how the funding works @ KICKSTART

Its a pretty cool way of funding projects...you pledge funding but that pledge is only collected once an overall goal is met by the deadline (in this case, pledges will only be cashed in if they raise $5000 by 2/7/2010). And depending on the level of funding, the guys will send you a CD of the live concert, DVD copy of the film, a invite to the premiere, or some other incentive.

No pressure, but of course the bottom line is that I'm asking anyone who feels like supporting independent artists like my friends Wayne and Jeff to help out and pledge some support. Do it for them, do it for me (it is my birth month!), do it and tell your friends you invested in a big time Hollywood movie. You can give as little as $5 or up to $2500+ (be sure to invite me to the free concert you'll get at your house). I've been working with these guys on trying to get the word out on the Garden Party the past few months and they are really great guys. So please, help us out if you can! No amount is too little.

Please feel free to forward this along to any friends that might be interested in helping out!

THANKS!

-eric

Super Sized Kasabian Guitar Hero

2009-10-28T02:12:00.002-04:00

Check out these five footballers playing a supersized game of Guitar Hero by shooting soccer balls at sensors made from torn apart Guitar Hero controllers. 76% accuracy aint too shabby...

Glen Hansard Outside Fingerprints

2009-10-27T02:52:00.004-04:00

Man...how come nobody told me Swell Season was playing at Fingerprints in the LBC? Or how come I didn't go get $1.25 fish tacos at the LBC Rubio's that day...either way it would have been sweet to be waiting in line and have him come out and sing to us. Glen rocks...

For more, check out I Am Fuel, You Are Friends

Miike Snow (and no Jack Penate) @ Spaceland

2009-10-09T04:47:00.006-04:00

Yeah...kinda freaky huh? Thankfully the shy Miike Snow removed their masks about 2 songs in an performed a very powerful set to the packed (and mostly annoying) crowd at Spaceland. I love taking pictures at concerts too (see above picture) but come on...seriously...do you really need 15 shots in a row of one of the guys for every song they sing? Yeah I'm talking to you guy in the brown leather jacket. I'm starting to miss the days when security would shut you down for sneaking your camera in. With the cameraphone being so ubiquitous its clear that venues have pretty much given up on patrolling the trigger-happy crowds. I don't mind it in small doses but when it turns into more of a photography clinic than a concert, you got a problem. And I wouldn't be surprised if the band finds it a bit disrespectful that you are posing in front of the stage so your buddy can take a picture while the band is playing a fairly intimate song behind you.

As for the music, the guys of Miike Snow put on a very intense and amazing show. My only disappointment came at the end of the show when their last (15 min.) song turned Spaceland into a techno club. Sadly, with the delayed and thusly late start (10:45pm), I ended up having to leave before Jack Penate went on. I was actually looking forward to them more than Miike Snow but will have to just wait for the next tour. Come back soon Jack.

Miike Snow - Animal (mp3) - courtesy of Music for Kids Who Can't Read Good

Jack Penate - Tonight's Today (mp3) - courtesy of LazyComet

Nick Hornby reads 'Juliet, Naked'

2009-10-07T19:14:00.009-04:00

I was fortunate enough to find out in time that my favorite author, Nick Hornby, was in town last night to read some excerpts from his new book, Juliet, Naked. The Cambridge-educated North Londoner, who's adapted screenplay An Education is in theaters this week, read a couple of chapters from the book, answered questions for about 30-40 minutes and finally signed books for the 300+ fans that showed up at the Skirball Center.

As the author opened his mouth to speak to the audience for the first time, my buddy and I both worried that his voice would not fit our idea of what Nick, or at least the narrator that we imagine in our heads as we read, would sound like. Thankfully Nick didn't disappoint us like I'm sure David Beckham did for most Americans the first time they heard him speak. (not exactly a soccer godlike voice). He spoke in a much deeper voice than I had imagined. I thought to myself, if someone asked me to describe it, I would have to go with either a codgy old dodger or a dodgy old codger. I'm not sure which is the correct version or if either are in fact actual sayings...nor do I know what they mean.

Juliet, Naked is about a 'reclusive 1980s rock star forced out of isolation when the re-release of his most famous album brings him into contact with some of his most passionate fans.' Much like High Fidelity and most of Hornby's works, music again plays a central role in the story (hence my appreciation for his writing). During the Q+A, Hornby spoke a bit about music. As most fans know, Nick is a huge Springsteen fan (recently took his young sons to see the Boss at Arsenal's stadium) but also loves the J. Geils Band. Oh yeah, he also said he loves the new Elvis Perkins.

After describing his usual daily schedule (which includes lots of procrastinating and lots of looking for music on the internet), he mentioned his love of music blogs and recommended one that I too have down as a favorite. I've followed the I Am Fuel, You Are Friends blog for a while now having shared a similar taste with its author (the blog is named after a PJ lyric) and am quite happy to know that my favorite author also read's Heather's posts.

More exciting music news (that I hadn't heard about) from Nick...he is currently writing lyrics to accompany some Ben Folds-penned music for a collaboration to be released in the near future. He's also doing some reggae-themed comedy thing for BBC apparently.

Check out Nick's NY Times 2008 Playlist

Elvis Perkins in Dearland - Shampoo (mp3)

Thom Yorke @ The Orpheum (Night 2 - 10/5/09)

2009-10-06T04:40:00.007-04:00

Another great performance on Night 2 at the Orpheum...my notes:

Crowd was way more into the show than last night...this was evident by the very long and raucous ovation given after the insanely amazing live version of Harrowdown Hill.
Thom said that the ?????? Band was down about their time together being over...but also mentioned doing some more stuff together. Not sure if that meant shows or music.
I'm not totally clear, but I think Judge, Jury & Executioner was written by the ?????? band...as opposed to a Thom penned song for RH. Interesting...
Colin was in the crowd once again and I missed him once again. Damn bladder. Those who got to meet him briefly said he was the gentlemen that everyone says he is.
Glad to hear Skirting the Surface live for my first time as it replaced Open the Floodgates tonight.
I waited in the back alley with my girlfriend for Thom to come out but according to the security guard he snuck away in a black Prius. There was like 20 of us...how could we miss him!? Minutes later as we left we pulled up next to Flea and his wife (?) in his Tesla. Gotta love Thom and Flea keeping it real (green) with their hybrid/electric cars.

SETLIST:

11 Skirting the Surface
12 Super Collider

Encore w/ band:
13 Paperbag Writer
14 Judge, Jury & Executioner
15 The Hollow Earth
16 Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses

Vampire Weekend to rock Visalia!

2009-10-06T04:11:00.007-04:00

Sonicliving.com just let me know that Vampire Weekend will be doing a fairly odd tour of California in November (the greatest month out of all 12!). Closest LA shows are in the LBC and Lomita (which I just found out is near Torrance). Way random places...always makes for a good time. Check the list of venues below. No word on ticket info (or maybe there is). VP will surely be playing songs from their forthcoming LP...songs like Horchata! (mmm mmm mmm...I recommend Vodka and Horchata, a little something I call the 'White Mexican').

Vampire Weekend - Horchata (.mp3)

TOUR DATES:

Nov 02 2009 - The Art Theater - Long Beach, CA
Nov 05 2009 - Pappy and Harriet's - Pioneertown, CA
Nov 07 2009 - Town Hall Theatre - Lafayette, CA
Nov 08 2009 - Catalyst - Santa Cruz, CA
Nov 09 2009 - The Cellar Door - Visalia, CA
Nov 10 2009 - Downtown Brew - San Luis Obispo, CA
Nov 12 2009 - Chencho's - Bakersfield, CA
Nov 14 2009 - VFW Hall - Lomita, CA

?????? (aka Thom Yorke's side band) at The Orpheum - Night 1

2009-10-05T04:19:00.003-04:00

Thom, Nigel, Flea, Mauro and Joey took the stage for Night 1 at the Orpheum tonight and played most of the same set as Friday at the Echoplex. The audience, which sat for the first quarter of the show until Thom reminded us that he wrote the Eraser to dance to, got all the greats from the album as well as a few news songs and the recent single release. Thom danced his ass off even more than usual as I believe that he and Flea are practicing for some sort of competitive dance-off :) It was awesome. I have never seen Flea perform before but he was clearly mad for Eraser and vice-versa. His monkey-dance bass playing is a perfect sidekick for Thom's freakout dancing. Judge, Jury and Executioner was a particular favorite among the new stuff that looks to be future RH material. Colin was in the crowd as were a number of PROFESSIONAL cameramen (as opposed to the 100s of amateur camera LCD's that popped up throughout the show).

SETLIST:

01 The Eraser
02 Analyse
03 The Clock
04 Black Swan
05 Skip Divided
06 Atoms For Peace
07 And It Rained All Night
08 Harrowdown Hill
09 Cymbal Rush

Solo encore:
10 Lotus Flower (Moon Upon A Stick)
11 Open The Floodgates
12 Super Collider

Encore w/ band:
13 Paperbag Writer
14 Judge, Jury & Executioner
15 The Hollow Earth
16 Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses

New Thom Yorke/Radiohead: Lotus Flowers, Skirting on the Surface + Open the Floodgates (live at the Echoplex)

2009-10-03T04:49:00.014-04:00

Lotus Flowers by Thom Yorke (Live at Echoplex .mp3)

(ripped from video by echoparkrecords)

Skirting on the Surface by Thom Yorke (Live at Echoplex .mp3)

(ripped from video by jahmbo)

Open the Floodgates by Thom Yorke (Live at Echoplex .mp3)

(ripped from video by noPro3lem)

Judge, Jury & Executioner by Thom Yorke (Live at Echoplex .mp3)

(ripped from video by ??)

(pic by eatmeatnow)

Harrowdown Hill + Lotus Flowers at the Echoplex [video]

2009-10-03T02:16:00.001-04:00

Thom Yorke Superband at Echoplex right now [Twitter-review]

2009-10-03T01:05:00.013-04:00

The first twitpic of Thom, Flea and company at the Echoplex right now. Wish I was there but I'm also content being at home, following the excitement via twitter and text messages and watching the Dodgers come back in the 7th inning (better not strikeout Manny). The Echo/Echoplex is my favorite venue but I'll patiently wait for the Orpheum shows. Word on the twitter street is taht rick rubin, ellen page, daft punk, kim gordon from sonic youth, zack de la rocha and muse are in the house. This is my first major event that I'm using Twitter to follow (besides the last earthquake and the sonic boom in SoCal)...cool cuz its real time, bad cuz its mostly people just saying "I wish I was at Thom Yorke" I wish there was a BS filter so I can just get good twitpics, setlists, etc. Get on that Internets!

Sweet...Manny strikes out again. Good job buddy.

[UPDATE: Some audio...via twitter! Not bad...thanks random dude! Harrowdown Hill]

SETLIST:

1. The Eraser
2. Analyse
3. The Clock
4. Black Swan
5. Skip Divided
6. Atoms For Peace
7. And It Rained All Night
8. Harrodown Hill
9. Cymbal Rush

Encore #1 [Thom solo]

10 Open The Floodgates
11 Lotus Flower
12 Skirting On The Surface
13 Judge, Jury, Executioner

Encore #2 [with band]

14 Paperbag Writer
15 The Hollow Earth
16 Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses

Pearl Jam @ Gibson Ampitheater (LA Night 2 - 10/1/09)

2009-10-02T01:17:00.004-04:00

Pearl Jam played the same kind of show they always do Thursday night...EPIC. I've gotten slack recently for loving the PJ...not sure why. Too old school? Too mainstream? I don't know but if you don't like Pearl Jam then you have never seen them live. Not only do they put on one of the most passionate performances you will see, the fans are usually diehard. PJ takes care of their fanclub by giving them the best seats in the house. That means I was surrounded by people that were singing and dancing to every song...and whether you know every song or not...its infectious. And I don't think anyone can beat Eddie Vedder as the leader of such a chorus. The man's voice and spirit are just amazing. I realize yet again that I want to be Eddie Vedder.

Set List: (Interstellar Overdrive)/Corduroy, Severed Hand, Got Some, Do The Evolution, Dissident, Given To Fly, Johnny Guitar, Amongst The Waves, I Got Shit, Daughter, Jeremy, Unthought Known, Small Town, Driven To Tears, The Fixer, Rearviewmirror

1st encore: Just Breathe w/string quartet, The End w/string quartet, Lukin w/string quartet, Red Mosquito w/Ben Harper, Jazz Odyssey, Better Man/(Save It For Later)

2nd encore: Gonna See My Friend, I Believe In Miracles (Ramone, Ray), Once, Alive, Yellow Ledbetter/(Star Spangled Banner)

Pearl Jam is still Alive

2009-10-01T17:52:00.003-04:00

Pearl Jam plays night 2 at the Gibson Amphitheater tonight and they ALWAYS put on a great show. Looking forward to getting some merch too as apparently this tour they are personalizing all the shirts for the local sports team. Last night was a dodgers theme and tonight is apparently Lakers. Bummed I missed out on the Seattle poster with my favorite 'father to 9 children by 8 women'/NBA player, the ReignMan Shawn Kemp. eBay is looking a bit pricey on this one. Darn.

who's going to see Thom next week?

2009-09-30T03:23:00.008-04:00

I know what I'm doing on Oct. 4th and 5th. And you will too on Oct. 6th when I post video (i hope!) of Thom, Nigel, Joey, Flea(!) and Mauro(?) High anxiety this morning hitting refresh on Ticketmaster. TM has been the mortal enemy of all concert-goers more often than not but my experienced fingers (and those of my friends) were able to score Orchestra seats. The scoreboard now reads Eric/Friends 1 - Ticketmaster 1,541. Victory!

Here's a TM tip: For the most part I've noticed that you don't have to get the reCAPTCHA words spelled correctly...just make sure you have the same # of letters and spacing down

Thom Yorke - Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses (.mp3)

We the Living - Black Swan (cover) (.mp3)

Frightened Rabbit and the Kiddies

2009-09-24T19:44:00.005-04:00

In honor of me wasting my tickets to the Frightened Rabbit show at the Knitting Factory last Sunday I post this video of my favorite song Head Rolls Off (fun wedding in Catalina = too tired for concert). I had never seen it before...and its actually kinda cute. Reminds me a bit of La Blogotheque's Menomena takeaway show where a lil french boy passing by spontaneously breaks into dance. I propose a new blog series where indie bands play in classrooms with little kids. We already have the TakeAway shows in France, the Black Cab sessions in the UK and of course the Garden Party, so lets start up Kindergarten Kuts!

Age of Stupid Premiered w/ Thom Yorke

2009-09-22T22:39:00.007-04:00

Attended the 64 country "world wide satellite premiere" of Age of Stupid last night at The Bridge theater. More on the message of the movie soon...but for now check out the trailer as well as the performance of Reckoner by my favorite environmentalist, Thom Yorke, which was part of the live post-screening festivities.

BlakRoc

2009-09-21T01:15:00.000-04:00

Just another reason for me to love November...The Black Keys will release an album's worth of collaborations with some Hip Hop icons (RZA, Raekwon, Q-Tip, Mos Def, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard to name a few) on Nov. 27th. Looking forward to the BlakRoc project. Apparently its 11 artists on 11 tracks recorded in 11 days...

Total Eclipse of the Chart

2009-09-15T19:44:00.009-04:00

My buddy Glen often sends me links to the site FlowingData.com which he hearts for its entertaining use of charts and graphs to describe just about anything. I have to say, their post of a Total Eclipse of the Heart flowchart (by Jeannie Harrell) might be my favorite. That is, until I made my own alternative version...with lyrics by The Dan Band:

Just saw The Dan Band at Club Nokia on Saturday night (Thanks LosAnjealous.com!) and they were hilarious. I highly recommend seeing their next show in town on Nov. 6th. And of course, go rent or rewatch Old School, Starsky & Hutch, Hangover, etc.

Office Charts Realized

2009-09-14T17:18:00.005-04:00

Each time Thom posts them, I'm gonna try to translate his Office Charts into something we can listen to...

Check out Thom's 'office chart for grey dewy mornings'

Hull Drum and Bass by Ceephax from Exidy Tours
Huyendo Pt.2 by Alex Cortex from Huyendo EP
Bad Organs by Hate Hello Darkness/Bad Organs
Becalmed by Brian Eno from Another Green World
J&W Beat by Floating Points from J & W Beat
very 2 (bonus) by Lucky Dragons from Dream Island Laughing Language
L'Ascension: IV. Prière Du Christ Montant Vers Son Père by Messian / Marius Constant
Estampes, L. 100: I. Pagodes Pascal Rogé/ Debussy

Sounds like Thom loves his Drum n Bass with a topping of Classical on grey dewy mornings in Oxford.

Tiesto feat. Jonsi of Sigur Ros [Pitchfork]

2009-09-14T14:35:00.004-04:00

I'm a HUGE Sigur Ros fan so I wanted to help promote a new Tiesto track featuring lead singer Jónsi Birgisson. Of course I started this post about 2 min. into listening to it and like most 'techno-esque' songs, I still had 5 1/2 minutes to go. Now that doesn't mean its horrible...it just means that its a techno song, which at my age is starting to get less and less interesting. Jónsi's part is of course wonderful and perfect for this type of collaboration but I don't know if I can handle 7 1/2 minutes of boom-ist-boom-ist-boom-ist...I am interested to hear the other tracks from Tiesto that feature Bloc Party's Kele Okereke and Metric's Emily Haines. I will be seeing Metric and Phoenix at the Greek Wednesday night! Tiesto's album will be on iTunes tomorrow.

Last.FM/(CBS) to Launch HD Radio Stations

2009-09-11T22:54:00.007-04:00

One of my favorite music websites, Last.FM, which was bought by CBS a couple of years ago, will start broadcasting on HD Radio in NY, LA, SF and Chicago on Oct. 4th. The appeal of the music streaming site to me is that it's software tracks what songs users play (via your iTunes, Winamp, etc.) and shows you who your favorites are, who your friends favorites are, suggests new music and a whole bunch more.

Last.FM radio will apparently "feature an eclectic mix of music aggregated and influenced by the service’s user-generated weekly charts, combined with live performances and interviews". It would be really cool if once in awhile they chose individual users playlists to broadcast almost like satellite radio's XMU station and their blogger DJ'd programming or the old Indie 1031 Coup D'etat. Even though NOBODY is gonna buy an HD Radio at this poing, its good to know there is an alternative to the serious mess that is crappy commercial radio in LA. I will be listening online and my cellphone.

Division Day Bleeds Azalean

2009-09-11T17:52:00.005-04:00

New (and fairly gross) promo video from Division Day (on my fav Dangerbird Records label). Azalean is one of my favorite songs right now and already has a place secured on my upcoming Fall sampler CD :) Division Day put on a great show last week at Spaceland with label mates Bad Veins.

Swell Season: Tiny Desk Concert (NPR)

2009-09-09T02:26:00.005-04:00

Well I'm about 4 weeks late on this but Glen and Marketa of Swell Season stopped by to play an acoustic mini-concert at the desk of NPR's Bob Boilen. Thanks to podcasts, my ipod and a recent roadtrip up to Monterey, I've become a big fan of NPR's All Songs Considered. In this edition, Swell Season showcase six new songs off their upcoming album, Strict Joy...one I'm really looking forward to getting on Oct. 27th. If you haven't seen them live (or the movie Once), I highly recommend. Great musicians and very sincere people.

Swell Season will be at the Wiltern Nov. 18th (tickets) and elsewhere

New Thom Yorke 12"

2009-09-03T17:05:00.007-04:00

New vinyl singles coming from Thom (via deadairspace):

"FeelingPulledApartbyHorses is written & played by Jonny and I and is a radical rework of an old tune thats been kicking around without a home since 2001? i think.

The Hollow Earth is a bass menace that was born out of the Eraser period but needed a little more time."

Pre-order now at WASTE before the 9/21 release

---

And from Jonny Greenwood...a small interview on MP3 digital recordings in the New Yorker:

SFJ: What are your favorite and least favorite aspects of the MP3 age?

JG: The downside is that people are encouraged to own far more music than they can ever give their full attention to. People will have MP3s of every Miles Davis’ record but never think of hearing any of them twice in a row—there’s just too much to get through. You’re thinking, “I’ve got ‘Sketches of Spain and ‘Bitches Brew’—let’s zip through those while I’m finishing that e-mail.” That abundance can push any music into background music, furniture music.

Mew @ The Troubadour [9.01.09]

2009-09-03T03:41:00.004-04:00

Comforting Sound - Mew (courtesy of mysugarspun)

Third time seeing Mew and they are still my favorite Danish band that likes freaky, abstract background videos of mutant animals and children. Of all the bands that go that extra mile by making their shows just as much of a visual experience as a musical experience, Mew are by far the freakiest. Perhaps this is just how the worlds 'least corrupt' country (2008) lets out its repressed rage. Mew is opening for Nine Inch Nails this week in its last 4 shows in Los Angeles.

The National @ The Wiltern (08/29/09)

2009-08-30T23:07:00.005-04:00

Another amazing soldout show at The Wiltern last night as The National came back to town. They played lots of favorites off of Boxer as well as the highlight of the night when Matt Berninger meandered through the crowd while singing Mr. November. [Thx to kosbo1 for the upclose and personal video above]

Setlist:

The runaway
Start a war
Mistaken for strangers
Brainy
Secret meeting
Baby we'll be fine
Slow show
Vanderlylle cry baby
Squalor Victoria
Abel
All the wine
Available
Ada
Apartment story
Blood buzz Ohio
Fake empire

Encore:
Green glove
Mr November
About Today

Twisted Words: 1st live performance [Radiohead]

2009-08-23T22:17:00.003-04:00

Frequency Fest 09 (Austria)

Nike Skate: Today Was a Good Day

2009-08-05T21:03:00.002-04:00

Nike still putting out the great 'commercials' - more love for LA. I had no idea Vince from Entourage was a skater :) Keep an eye out for some cameos too...

NEW: Radiohead's Harry Patch [Stream]

2009-08-05T18:11:00.000-04:00

As Harry himself said
"Irrespective of the uniforms we wore, we were all victims"

Buy it here...for charity's sake: WASTE

Human Giant + Reno 911 Cinemash Point Break

2009-07-28T22:19:00.002-04:00

Elbow @ The Wiltern

2009-07-23T20:10:00.003-04:00

Elbow put on a pretty amazing show last night at the Wiltern. Very few voices top Guy Garvey's. Good crowd that was definitely into it...especially the two young fans that got Courteny Cox'd on to the stage for this song. Thanks again to my buddy mysugarspun for the ace video. I'm sure Elijah and Dom would be proud.

New Flight of the Conchords LP

2009-07-23T19:16:00.001-04:00

I Told You I Was Freaky

out 10/20

1 Hurt Feelings (mp3)
2 Sugalumps (mp3)
3 We’re Both In Love With A Sexy Lady
4 I Told You I Was Freaky
5 Demon Woman
6 Rambling Through The Avenues Of Time
7 Fashion Is Danger
8 Petrov, Yelyena & Me
9 Too Many Dicks (On The Dance Floor) (mp3)
10 You Don’t Have To Be A Prostitute
11 Friends
12 Carol Brown
13 Angels

Visit Flight Of The Conchords on MySpace.

Wu-Legos: Da Mystery of Chessboxin'

2009-07-23T18:13:00.001-04:00

Wu-Tang Lego: Da Mystery of Chessboxin' from davo on Vimeo.

(500) Days of LA

2009-07-21T18:22:00.009-04:00

So it turns out all I need to like a movie is good music, good writing, good setting and good Zooey...and that's what I got in (500) Days of Summer. While I was most excited about the role music-played in the movie, I was happily surprised to see how much love (500) Days had for DOWNTOWN Los Angeles. Nothing too epic, but as a lifelong Angeleno, I thought they did a good job of showing of some of Downtown's more interesting angles. The Bradbury Building, Angels Knoll, The Redwood Bar, to name a few, all got some screen time. Can't wait to see more movies use the real Downtown as a setting with all the changes going on. No, I'm not talking about LA LIVE: The Movie - just stuff around the lofts and Arts District maybe?

Grab the soundtrack and take a walk downtown for yourself with the (500) Days of Summer Downtown LA Map...did I miss anything?

View (500) Days of Summer in a larger map

Regina Spektor - Us (.mp3)

Concert Week: Pains of Being Pure of Heart @ the Echo

2009-07-20T19:49:00.006-04:00

July's concert week kicks off with Pains of Being Pure at Heart at the Echo (my fave venue). Care to learn nothing about them? Check out LAist's random questions for the lead singer. Going to 2-3 shows this week with my prego friend...lets see what band makes her pop!

UPDATE: Great, fun show...friggin' hot though. I grew a moustache out of sweat every few minutes. They played a really good NEW song, caught here by my buddy mysugarspun:

Thom Debuts a New Song: Present Tense

2009-07-20T00:34:00.003-04:00

Thom Yorke - Present Tense (.mp3)

Brains + MRI + MIDI = Music?

2009-07-06T15:08:00.004-04:00

This seems completely pointless to me but I guess its a great way to blow some grant money and get some press. What they need to do is MRI-music of musicians. I would buy a CD's worth of Thom Yorke's brain soundtrack.

The ADHD Mega-MashUp-Mix it Up-Mix

2009-06-19T23:05:00.004-04:00

In the past 3 months I've had to drag my 33 yr old body into annoying, crowded, loud and annoying 20-something-filled clubs in Scottsdale, AZ and Las Vegas (my least favorite part of most bachelor parties). On both occasions it became quite apparent that the generations that have followed mine (X? I don't even remember my label)...the generations where every kid was allegedly afflicted with Attention Deficit Disorder...are now DJing in the clubs of America. I have nothing against the sonic collage that is the Mashup but come on! Don't people like to dance to a full song or atleast half a song anymore? The club mix was literaly 10-15 seconds of a popular chorus or intro or lyric and then on to the next clip. It was like the DJ went into the iTunes store and made a 5 hr long mix out of the 30 sec samples. My friends would get excited to hear the start of some classic early 90's hip hop only to have their joy crushed as it was immediately spliced into Beyonce or Queen or some other random genre. But the old guys were alone as the kids continued to dance around us.

Having said that, I will now recommend the "free" CD of mashups, Torn Up by E603 for 2 reasons. First, the mashups are quite inventive, spanning some great songs with some pop songs with some old songs with some stuff I don't even know if I heard correctly. Please don't go playing it in your club...just listen to it and play name that tune like the old radio contests. Second, the guy is taking the "free or pay what you want" model to the next, creative level. You have varying options from $0 to $1000 with more swag and what not thrown in the more you pay. What does $1000 get you?

live at my house for a weekend, and compete in a badminton competition with me.

Awesomeness. If only I was that rich...and he was a girl...and hot...and I was single. Cuz lord knows I do love the badminton. Check this blog for a more detailed review "I feel like a kid in a crystal meth shop"

E-603 - Lights Out (.mp3)

Glasvegas @ The Hollywood Forever Cemetery Masonic Lodge

2009-06-15T12:51:00.005-04:00

Glasvegas - Daddy's Gone @ The Masonic Lodge (courtesy of mysugarspun)

Never been to a show at a cemetery before...guess I can check that one off the list. Friday's Glasvegas show at the Masonic Lodge inside the Hollywood Forever Cemetery was a good time for many reasons. I'm not goth enought to be THAT excited about just being in a cemetery but I have to admit it was quite peaceful and beautiful and not spooky at all. The sun had already set but there was still some light over the trees while we ate our takeout food (Mario's Peruvian!) and drank a large pale ale wrapped in its brown paper bag (classy!) in my phonebooth of a car before the show. After debating pouring out some of the brew for our new dead homies (RIP Katz! You must be loved to have a full picture of yourself carved on your tombstone) we wandered up to the Masonic Lodge. The caretaker must have been busy diggin ditches as about 7 of us walked right in without anyone taking our tickets. Score! (even though we already had paid $25 each, it still felt like a surprise freebie)

The Lodge itself was really quite cool. Don't think of a lodge...think more like a 1920's movie stars Hollywood hills home with its garden courtyard surrounded by long, lighted palm tree trunks and a stairway that leads up to the "antechamber". We grabbed a Newcastle (or wine...both $5) and walked up to said antechamber where we found the small soldout crowd waiting to be let in to the main performance hall. The large, old room with its woodfloors held a fireplace on one side, groups of chairs strewn about for people to relax and a table of merch apparently being sold by Geraldine herself (the star of Glasvegas' most popular song). Not sure why she gave up the social worker gig. I should've asked. After not too long we were welcomed into the darkly lit main hall where we took a comfortable seat along the side of the room and waited for the Glasvegans to start.

As we waited, it dawned on me how excited I was to be seeing a band I liked in a new venue in Los Angeles. Not that I've been to every theater and hall in Southern Cal, but I've been to enough to make this one feel special...almost to the point that I thought I was in a new city. Definitely reminded me of when I moved to NYC and I got to try out all the venues I had heard about from afar. Plus, I'm a sucker for concerts taking place in unique venues and/or old (semi-) historic buildings...just adds to the ambience. I believe this was the 3rd concert they've had at the Masonic Lodge (Lykke Li and Iron + Wine played in the past few months).

Glasvegas turned out to be just the Glas- part of the band as only half the quartet (James and Rab) played a very mellow set for us. I was perfectly in the mood for the quieter Glasvegas but there were a few angry fans who eventually left when the guys started playing the normally upbeat favorites (Geraldine, Daddy's Gone, etc) in the same somber tone. Good riddance...I can understand disappointment but you're still there to see the band perform THEIR songs the way THEY choose. Maybe they didn't want to wake the Ramones or George Harrison...or melt the ice sculpture. Don't worry though...they'll be back with the full band sooner or later. And when that day comes and you are watching them from the last row of the Nokia Theater you'll wish you were back in the cemetery.

Setlist:

'S.A.D Light'
'A Little Thing Called Fear'
'It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry'
'Flowers & Football Tops'
'Stabbed'
'Geraldine'
'Cruel Moon'
'A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like A Kiss)'
'Daddy's Gone'

Fee Free Wedensdays via Live Nation

2009-06-01T15:13:00.003-04:00

"No Service Fee Wednesdays," kick off June 3 at 12:01 a.m., offering fans some of the lowest prices of the summer with no ticket service fees on any LiveNation.com-ticketed amphitheater show, and only at www.LiveNation.com.

Awesome...if you happen to want Lawn Tickets...and your show is at a Live Nation venue...and it just happens to be a Wednesday when you are shopping...you TOO can save yourself from those bullsh*t fees. Well anything helps and ditching those fee's in principle alone is nice.

Live Nation dropping fees on lawn tickets Wednesday [BV]

Waiting for new SIGUR ROS!

2009-05-28T16:05:00.006-04:00

"Sigur rós have been at work in their sundlaugin studio in álafoss the past few weeks recording a full length album, which is now nearing completion. the recordings have been going very well and that the album is taking form as a slower and more ambient record…. he also describes the music as melodic but much less noisy and more “out there” than previous albums. the album does not have a release date set but is expected to be released sometime next year."
-sigur-ros.co.uk

Wow! Didn't realize that they were back to work so fast...excellent news! I sorta enjoy the Riceboy Sleeps album (Jonsi's bf's) - talk about AMBIENT! But I am looking forward to Jonsi's solo work. Man those Icelandic people keep busy...

Flight of the Conchords 8-bit Video Game!

2009-05-19T02:14:00.004-04:00

Mr./Ms. BadAtom, whoever you are...you are one awesome mofo. 8-bit Brit + Jemaine travel throughout NYC battling Sugalumps, Epileptic Dogs and Mel among many other things. Murray and Dave make appearances and there is even a New Zealand level when the guys get deported back to the Lord of the Rings countryside. Word is that Jermaine has this on his computer. Download the game, soundtrack or poster over at BadAtom.com and check out the youtube clips for hot FOTC8B action.

Waiting for new Radiohead [of course]

2009-05-18T14:39:00.003-04:00

"We've just started work [in the studio] last week," Colin told NME.COM. "It's really cool and everything is sounding great. It's early days and it is a bit like having a scrapbook at the moment because everything is up in the air, but it's good to be back in the studio."

Waiting for new Lightspeed Champion

2009-05-11T15:10:00.007-04:00

I think Lightspeed Champion's next album is my most anticipated release of the new year. It should be interesting to see if he can match and surpass the first album...from the small snipets you can hear, I think it has a shot. Too bad I'm not gonna be in NY for Dev's upcoming June shows. I wonder if Lostie Dev will venture to Prof. Thom's bar to watch the LOST finale on Wednesday night. Check out his other in-studio vid's on YouTube.

Lightspeed Champion - Tell Me What Its Worth [.mp3]

Sigur Rós Play Endlessly [Pitchfork]

2009-05-10T14:57:00.003-04:00

ONE WEEK ONLY: Sigur Rós: We Play Endlessly

The Icelandic band play with a full orchestra, weather a tornado scare, and rock out to the "Numa Numa" song in this 2008 behind-the-scenes feature. The 48-minute piece is presented in its entirety.

Watch it now over at Pitchfork TV

Boxer Rebellion

2009-04-21T16:21:00.006-04:00

Excited to go see Boxer Rebellion at the Troubadour tonight...too bad nobody else is. Solo show! Check em out on KCRW.

UPDATE: Thought the show at the Troubadour was excellent. Didn't realize it but it was the band's US debut. BR is based out of London but according to the KCRW interview, their lead singer Nathan has only lived there about 9 years after moving from Tennessee...i.e., he has a pretty interesting accent when he speaks. Overall I thought their sound was just as good live as it is on their CD and I was quite content that they played all of my favorites. Check out Soviets and Semi-Automatic if you can find them (not currently on their myspace). Definitely one of my favorite CD's right now along with Metric's Fantasies.

All Star Weekend

2009-02-13T15:07:00.001-05:00

Indie1031 Petition

2009-02-02T15:50:00.002-05:00

LetIndieLive.com

I'm not very optimistic about the resurrection of Indie103.1 but a little petition signing can't hurt can it? LA radio is dead, long live KCRW.

(speaking of which...don't forget about the Winter Pledge Drive)

Phil Selway Sings

2009-01-07T15:00:00.005-05:00

Phil takes the lead...vocals!

Enjoy the Phil written and Phil sung Family Madness from the first night of the new 7 Worlds Collide project in Auckland, New Zealand. Ed also joined him along with Neil Finn, Liam Finn, Wilco, KT Turnstall, Bic Runga and more.

And check out Jeff Tweedy + the band doing Fake Plastic Trees

So Long 2008...

2009-01-03T19:17:00.002-05:00

a lil Mammoth, Lightspeed Champion, March Madness weekend, lots of goodbye to the NYC and all my friends and roomies, snickerdoodles, karaoke, yankees game, New Mini, DS Camping, back to NYC for Radiohead, 1st nephew Nate, Radiohead at the Bowl, Show Reeni LA, pPa, Joose and Beck with Ryan, Sigur in SD, family at the (Neil) Diamond, Cubbies+Dodgers, my music Jaimies, Macgruber+Goulet, Frightened Rabbit/pre-Obama bday, UCLA tailgate, New music friends @ Travis, High School Alumni game, NEW ZEALAND, Montieth's Brewery, Nate's 1st Xmas

Lebron's Nike Chalk Commercial

2008-12-30T19:07:00.005-05:00

Another great Nike commerical with some nice beats courtesy of

Cornershop - Candyman (.mp3)

[courtesy of ScissorKick]

LOST: Jan. 21, 2009

2008-11-19T14:06:00.003-05:00

LOST returns 1/21/09!

Slim Smith and The Uniques
My Conversation (.mp3)
[reggaehitthetown.com]

Stumble Upon...Broadcast 2000

2008-11-19T03:11:00.006-05:00

I was stumbling around on the old Hype Machine tonight listening to some Broadcast when my stumbling lead me to Broadcast 2000 (the new improved Broadcast?? No). It seems the debut "mini-album" Building Blocks just came out this past August and was created, recorded and mastered by multi-instrumentalist Joe Steer in his North London flat. I could make meaningless comparisons to other groups that will just bias and disappoint you but I won't. Just listen to the first song I found and you'll see why I'm pretty excited to hear more from Broadcast 2000 and see 'em if and when they make it to the States.

Andrew Bird 2008/09 Tour

2008-11-18T17:32:00.005-05:00

Andrew Bird (on Myspace):
Feb 18 - The Orpheum Theatre
Los Angeles, CA
Doors: 7 - Show: 8 - 16+
with Loney Dear

• $27.00 - 32.00 Day-of-Show (plus 2.00 Facility Fee)
• MusicToday presale - ($4.40 scg) - on sale Nov. 18 (TODAY...GO!)
• Ticketmaster.com - ($8.65 scg, $3.75 hand) - on sale Nov. 22

Other tourdates...

Andrew Bird
Scythian Empires (.mp3)
[slackworks.com]

Ed & Phil in New Zealand for new 7 Worlds Collide

2008-11-18T01:39:00.005-05:00

From Dead Air Space...

Ed and Philip will rejoin Neil Finn in a follow up to the acclaimed Seven Worlds Collide project at the end of the year. Together with members of the original line up and other artists, the ‘supergroup’ will record an album of entirely new material in support of international development organisation Oxfam.

The original Seven Worlds Collide line up was Neil Finn, Ed O’Brien, Phil Selway, guitar supremo Johnny Marr, Soul Coughing bassist Sebastian Steinberg, songwriter and violinist Lisa Germano, and Liam Finn. Other artists joining the project include Jeff Tweedy, John Stirrat, Glenn Kotche and Pat Sansone from Wilco, and New Zealand songwriters Bic Runga and Don McGlashan. Behind the mixing desk will be master recording engineer Jim Scott. More names will be added to the lineup in the coming weeks.

The album will be recorded over the next few months in Auckland and is due for release in 2009. Like its predecessor, the project will also see a series of concerts featuring many of the artists included in the line up. The shows will take place in Auckland early in the New Year. Details will be announced soon.

Neil Finn said “Seven years ago I invited a few friends and fellow musicians to do a special series of concerts in New Zealand under the banner Seven Worlds Collide. The concerts were an amazing experience for all of us and we are delighted to have found an opportunity to gather again, this time to expand the concept and the line up too. What will make these sessions particularly meaningful is that all the proceeds of this recording will go to support the continuing great work of Oxfam International.”

Sweet!! I've always known that RH and I were soulmates....now I have concrete evidence. Not 3 weeks after I booked my December trip to New Zealand do we get word that Ed and Phil will be in town recording with Neil Finn and friends for the newest in Finn's Seven Worlds Collide project. Fan-F'ing-tastic! This trip gets better and better. Now I wonder where I'll run into them...sledging in Queenstown? Hiking the Franz Josef Glacier? Kayaking around Abel Tasman? Drinking wine and surfing in Gisborne? Ah who am I kidding, I'm not gonna run into them (come on reverse psychology!!) Check out the clip of their rehearsal from the first project back in 2001...

Travis @ Troubadour - 11.11.08

2008-11-14T04:50:00.001-05:00

Travis @ Troubadour Montage (courtesy of mysugarspun)

Man I had forgotten how good Travis are live...their just so nice and so much fun on stage (or off stage like when Fran sang Falling Down from the audience). And I'm trying to think of a better couple of guitar solos than Andy's in As You Are and All I Wanna Do Is Rock (at least in the 'alternative' genre). All in all just a really great show by a relatively big band (they used to sell out the Universal Amphitheater right?) in a great small venue (good to be back at the Troubadour after my year plus absence). Highlights included the band honoring both the US electing Obama ("Europe and the world are in awe just like when you guys put a man on the moon first") and Nick Harcourt who really helped the band get big and is soon to depart KCRW. All I Wanna Do Is Rock was punctuated with Andy's one handed solo while climbing the side scaffolding above us...ah to try to be young again. I like Andy but dude looks like he's lived a rockstar's life for certain. Good for him.

The crowd was great...not only did they sing and dance to most of the songs but some very nice new friends I met are going to hook me up with tips for my upcoming trip to New Zealand and told us the best 3 hour long Morrissey story you'll ever hear. :)

SETLIST:
1. CHINESE BLUES
2. J. SMITH
3. SOMETHING ANYTHING
4. WRITING TO REACH YOU
5. LONG WAY DOWN
6. RE-OFFENDER
7. LOVE WILL COME THROUGH
8. AS YOU ARE
9. SIDE
10. SONG TO SELF
11. SING
12. DRIFTWOOD
13. FALLING DOWN
14. ALL I WANT TO DO IS ROCK
15. GOOD FEELING
16. CLOSER
17. BEFORE YOU WERE YOUNG
18. TURN
_______________

19. I KISSED A GIRL (Katy Perry cover)
20. THIRTEEN (Big Star cover)
21. FLOWERS IN THE WINDOW
22. SELFISH JEAN
23. WHY DOES IT ALWAYS RAIN ON ME?

Apartment 41

SETLIST: Apple, Spotify...and my fan club idea :(

SETLIST: Unique Releases (Radiohead, Flaming Lips)

Get your MUSIC GroupON

Small Bands & Big Concert Growth

SETLIST: Kill the Walkman

We don't need no stinking instruments

Belle and Sebastian with the Best Music Promo Ever (so far...)

How Do You Teach Boy Scouts About Downloading Music? By Pretending It Doesn't Exist

Is Video Killing the Concert Vibe? [WSJ]

Google Instant-ized iTunes

SETLIST: iTunes' PING, Google Music Hiring, Ashes

Ticketmaster is trying to make friends...

Music: 1990 vs 2010

One more way Ticketmaster could screw you...

YOUR BRAIN ON COMPUTERS [NY Times]

SETLIST: Pitchfork, Live Nation, Azoff Tweets

A Big Fat Thanks to Record Execs

Lifehacker's Streaming Music Roundup

Double (In) Rainbows

I'm an American, I want Spotify

Conan O’Brien’s Love/Hate Relationship with the Internet

Slow down that Inception Score

Should ISPs Pay for Music Piracy?

The Leaky Music Faucet

Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood works on new Bryan Ferry album

Admiral Radley at Hammer

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