Hey, happy New Year and shit. Wasn't 2009 grand? It was if you liked reality TV breakups, sports star affairs and a sagging economy. Well at least we can now start referring to the aughts, which ought to get you super pumped for the decade soon-to-be-known as the twenty-tens ... or something. Anyway, we don't believe in resolutions, which is exactly why we make 'em. Woot! 1 Master the boob enlargement tool in PhotoShop. 2 See more movies. [...]
As we round the corner on another year and prepare for the the dawning of a brand new decade, we thought it appropriate to take a look at some songs focused on years - or at least songs that reference them in their titles. We left out some obvious choices - "Summer of '693 by Bryan Adams, "19793 by Smashing Pumpkins and "19993 by Prince for example - since they didn't seem to need the exposure. But that still left plenty of great tunes for this, our tenth podcast (ten podcasts in five years - go us!), which spans 73 [...]
From pitchmen to punks to poets, 2009 was the end of the line for some amazing entertainers. Without Les Paul, the electric guitar would be downright boring. Imagine Slash under that top hat, cigarette in mouth, playing a Strat. Without John Hughes, a generation of teenagers would have never had a voice - and would never have known the pleasures of Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall. And without Billy Mays, late night TV viewers might have no other choice but to watch Carson Daly. And then there's Michael Jackson, a larger than life entertainer even in death, who lasting [...]
Who doesn't love year-end lists? From best dressed to worst pop culture websites, the end of the year is always riddled with list after list of ranked reasoning, further explored this year as the decade comes to a close. To help you sort through the miasma, we've rounded up 10 sites that list of all the various lists. Does your head hurt yet? Books and music blog Largehearted Boy has dueling lists - and both include an exhaustive list of year-end lists, one for books and one for music . [...]
Say what you will about Detroit rap duo Insane Clown Posse , but there's no debating they've built an incredibly loyal fanbase. And they did so the old fashioned way: They earned it. Without radio play, big time record deals or the support of MTV, Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope built themselves a cottage industry on the back of black and white face paint, flavored sodas and a fanbase who call themselves Juggalos . Which leads us to our latest round of Fun with Flickr, wherein we troll the photo site's archives in search of the best [...]
For the last quarter decade, NOFX have been cranking out classic punk rock records and influencing an entire generation of bands weaned on their sound, from Blink-182 to Fall Out Boy. And perhaps the only thing the band likes writing about more than booze, drugs or politics are their friends, families and made-up characters who often appear in their songs. Sure, getting a NOFX song written about you may not be on quite the same level as, say, being the Alison that inspired Elvis Costello or the Mandy who inspired Manilow, but it's an honor all the same. And besides, [...]
It's winter, which means it's probably getting cold where you live. At some point over the next few weeks, odds are good you're going to dust off your sweater collection in hopes of keeping warm through the cold holiday months. V-necks, turtlenecks, cardigans and crew - oh, the variety! Let's just hope that your trusty fave is half as cool as the 10 woven wonders below. So without further ado, we present the 10 awesomest sweaters on the Internets. Motorcycles are awesome. So are helicopters. But together on a sweater they are divine. Top them off with a [...]
JOHN K. SAMSON - "City Route 853 (Anti-) John K. Samson, singer/songwriter/guitar player for punk laureates The Weakerthans, has dabbled with solo recordings previously, but they were low budget under-released affairs with material equal to that of the recording quality. But his latest EP, a 73 for Anti-, the label he records for with the Weakerthans, is a batch of solo material finally worthy of space alongside his band material. The three-song EP, rumored to be the first of several 73s about roads in Samson's hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, begins with "Heart of the [...]
While on the Warner Bros. lot this week, a friend of YuppiePunk World HQ sent us the above image after trying to view the site in between meetings. Alongside an image of Sylvester J. Pussycat, Sr., aka Sylvester the Cat, aka gringo pussy-gato, is written: THE PAGE YOU HAVE REQUESTED HAS BEEN BLOCKED BECAUSE IT MAY CONTAIN CONTENT INAPPROPRIATE FOR THE WORKPLACE . Apparently we're the Tweety Bird of the Internets. And though we'd like to think we make merrie melodies, apparently they're too edgy for some places of employ. We are flattered to have been called out by [...]
1 GG Allin bobblehead Covered in feces and urine and wearing his trademarked EAT ME jockstrap, this effigy - effi-GG if you will - boasts a lifelike resemblance to the Scumfuc. But get yours now - the run is limited to 2000 pieces. | Link 2 Chuck Klosterman's "Eating the Dinosaur" Klosterman's second collection of essays is a lot like his first - stream of consciousness rants on a wide berth of pop culture subjects, from Rivers [...]
YuppiePunk is a lot like an art gallery. Except we don't have crisp walls, bright lights, loyal patrons or a well-thought out aesthetic. Also, we don't sell paintings. But aside from that, we're almost exactly like an art gallery. Which is why we've curated this group show from a collection of contemporary artists who have nothing in common but a whole lot of awesome. So take a looksie and enjoy the complimentary wine and cheese. And if you ask us a question about something you see, we promise to be ultra-pretentious. These are from Eric White 's [...]
Frank Turner is a one man army. Like an old school troubadour, the 27-year-old singer-songwriter has been crisscrossing the globe playing his acoustic punk anthems to appreciative audiences everywhere. And his current string of dates with the Gaslight Anthem, the Loved Ones and Murder by Death is no exception. Though he's first on the bill, he's far from a warm-up act. Armed solely with his acoustic guitar, booming voice and low-key demeanor, Turner has been wowing crowds one show at a time. He first gained attention as the singer for the melodic hardcore band Million Dead [...]
The Obamas may not be the hippest married couple ever to live in the White House - but they're not completely out of touch either. And though they had acts like Beyonce, Sheryl Crow and Bruce Springsteen at their inaugural celebration, the first family likes to bang their collective head whenever they can. Need evidence? Look no further. On the cover of VOGUE, Michelle Obama shows her love for Cradle of Filth on the DL, though the inset photo proves she isn't always quite so guarded about her love of all things extreme metal. [...]
Rhett Miller may front one of alt-country's biggest bands, but that doesn't mean he's not down to Earth or unwilling to talk frankly about his life as a musician with a rinky-dink website. We talked to Miller just prior to his gig at Seattle's annual Bumbershoot festival, which we reported on here , but the conversation was larger than just Seattle and three-day rock fests. The Old 97's frontman, who in recent years has been carving out his own niche as a solo artist, dished on the band's song-choosing methods, the economics of being a solo artist and [...]
Rhett Miller may front one of alt-country's biggest bands, but that doesn't mean he's not down to Earth or unwilling to talk frankly about his life as a musician with a rinky-dink website. We talked to Miller just prior to his gig at Seattle's annual Bumbershoot festival, which we reported on here , but the conversation was larger than just Seattle and three-day rock fests. The Old 97's frontman, who in recent years has been carving out his own niche as a solo artist, dished on the band's song-choosing methods, the economics of being a solo artist and [...]
Here’s a look (and listen) to some records that have been cluttering up our desk and inboxes here at YuppiePunk World HQ. Though none of these titles inspired us to write 3000-word soliloquys, we figured we could at least muster 50 and an MP3. BANNER PILOT - "COLLAPSER" If Fat Wreck Chords had a well-defined sound throughout the '90s, the label is rapidly defining its sound for the next generation. The addition of Minneapolis quartet Banner Pilot to the label continues that trend, with a sound inspired by Jawbreaker - or [...]
Right, so you read the coverage of Bumbershoot's first day on the site and now you're seeing coverage of its last. "But where is day two," you're probably (not) asking yourself right about now? The answer: We don't work on the sabbath. Okay, so that's not really true, but it did rain a lot. And we were tired. And our feet did hurt. Also, we're in our 30s. But day three of Bumbershoot started out how every day should: With a little disinformation from a dude with a gnarly Afro. [...]
Well, it didn't rain. Not much anyway, which is a great way to start Bumbershoot , Seattle's annual music and arts festival, which happens every year over Labor Day weekend at Seattle Center. Another great way to start the festival is to eavesdrop on the people behind you in the press line: Dude #1: This probably already exists, but what do you think emo rap would sound like? Dude #2: The Streets? Dude #1: If it were an actual genre, what would it be [...]
Maybe its country music's long history of songs about heartache, or perhaps the sheer ratio of married couples in the genre, but there's something about a slight vocal twang and a male-female duet that seems to go hand in hand. Whether it's a couple fighting - slinging insults back and forth between the grooves of a record – or a romantic ode to a long-time lover, here are a bunch of our favorite twangy duets. And leave your favorites in the comments. Best Kissers in the World - "Hungover Together" This ballad from [...]
Lame content alert! This is what happens when we get bored and don't have any better ideas. But hey, it's free, what do you want? You try running a website, jerkface. Besides, "Mad Men" and "Project Runway" are back on the tube. Who's got time to write? We promise to have better ideas tomorrow. Or the next day. Or when this season of "Mad Men" is over. Until then... [...]
YuppiePunk | Adventures in Middlebrow
Cher’s “Woman’s World” is Now on iTunes, Finally
Listen to Eminem’s new song, “Symphony In H”
Escucha el ruidoso regreso de M.I.A.
Two’fer Tuesday – Trouble Will Find Me (If I Don’t Fall Asleep First)
Deer Tick – “The Rock”
