Blog: am/fm

By eh Robot Jones has some preview tracks from the Decemberists' "The Hazards of Love." It feels like a long time since we heard anything new from Colin Meloy and friends ("Crane Wife" was 2006), so I am excited for this. "Wanting Comes in Waves" feels way rockier than anything else they've done (as in rock and roll, not tenuous). Though the band has kept the old fashioned, baroque sound in tact. Also, Meloy sounds a lot like Robyn Hitchcock , something I've never noticed before. [...]

A reader tip: yoyo am/fm blogger krock switched to 92.3 Now... they're doing the top 40 hits format switched at 5p More here .

By eh First there was "Happy Up Here," and now two songs in two days from Röyksopp's forthcoming "Junior" have made their way to the internet. Miss It So Much (ft. Lykke Li) - Röyksopp And The Girl and The Robot feat. Robyn Sounds like fun. The album drops March 24. Also, there are already a billion [...]

The funniest thing about this video is that I think that interviewer Josh Horowitz has genuinely no idea that what Rudd and Segel are doing is quoting Billy Joel. In fairness, though, Segel sets him up with a bad quote. He says: "I just want someone I can talk to. We love you just the way you are. I don't want clever conversation. I just don't want to work that hard." But "I just don't want to work that hard" is followed by "I just want someone I can talk [...]

By eh Sufjan Stevens' "Come on feel the Illinoise" was the freaking bee's knees when it came out in 2005, but in 2009 it is too twee by half. To fix this, Montreal-based DJ Tor has remixed the album with the likes of Big Daddy Kane, Outkast, Aesop Rock and others. I had recently decided that remixes are the hipster's way of appreciating pop music that they otherwise couldn't like by providing an ironic layer of distance -- and that kind of is what's happening here -- but I [...]

By eh So my favorite moment of this year's Grammys, of course, was Radiohead's performance with the USC Trojan Marching Band. Well, last week the USCTMB posted a pretty cool behind-the-scenes look at putting it together. Below is the version up on YouTube (you can see an expanded HD cut here ). I like how that one kid calls out U2's performance as mediocre. And I love Thom Yorke jamming out to the band's pre-performance warm-up.

By eh So from the description, this seems like it could be exploitatively funny, but watch it -- it's just plain funny. Scrapple.tv produces this web show, in which three old folks discuss current music over at a Philly diner: "Breakfast at Sulimays." Verdict: They like Young Jeezy, although one of the guys expresses concern at the damage gangsta rap might be doing to the African-American community. But they unanimously hate Animal Collective. (So do I!)

By Scott A. Rosenberg After a week in New York City last week celebrating the release of its latest album, U2 yesterday announced that they will return to the area on Sept. 24 for the culmination of their much-anticipated world stadium tour. The 360 Degrees Tour will kick off its in Barcelona, Spain, on June 30, and wrap up at the hallowed grounds of Giants Stadium, where bands such as The Who, The Rolling Stones, Metallica and Aerosmith have conquered. "U2 has always been at their best when surrounded [...]

By eh I can't find the quote, but Karen O has been saying about this new album that she forbade Nick Zinner from playing guitar. 'It's Blitz!' is YYY's electronic offering. This is the first single, "Zero." Very eighties sounding. Maybe I like it? The video itself is fun.

What? This September (09/09/09, if you care), Rock Band is releasing an all Beatles version of the game. It's true . This is currently blowing my mind. Although Beatles songs are among the only things I can actually play on real guitar, so I'm not sure how I feel about this. Adding to my trepidation is the fact that this weekend I realized that when I hear power ballads, I now automatically picture those streaming paths of colored buttons. I don't want my favorite music to become just a video game to me. [...]

Andrew Bird with Mucca Pazza - "Fitz & The Dizzyspells"

By eh I skipped Fallon last night, because I just don't care, but David Byrne on Colbert? I'll watch that. The Colbert Report Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c David Byrne Pt. 1 Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Joke of the Day [...]

By Ed Condran Special to amNewYork • Marcy Playground is at Blender Theater at Gramercy Tuesday. 8 p.m., $20. After a few beers John Wozniak admits that he'll do just about anything. While hanging at a bar in his Toronto neighborhood, the leader of Marcy Playground was prodded to sing his band's lone hit, "Sex and Candy," during a karaoke set. After downing a couple of brews, Wozniak delivered the song in front of a handful of bar flies. "It was good for a laugh," Wozniak says. [...]

By Hal Bienstock Special to amNewYork • At The Filmore at Irving Plaza on Sun. and Mon. Hall & Oates | MTV Music After 30 years of performing together, Daryl Hall and John Oates have cemented their reputation as the most successful duo in rock history. Yet before a resurgence during the past six years, there was a long period when the band could barely get arrested. "The grunge era was a time of almost anti-music [...]

• An 8-bit cover of MGMT's "Kids"? Yes, please. • A Lily Allen and Lindsay Lohan collaboration? Hmm ... • Yoko does "25 Things"? More interesting than yours . • OK Go (aka that treadmill band ) doing weddings? Only in the movies .

By eh I'm a big fan of endurance challenges, so of course I am totally on board with this guy . He's in the midst of attending 100 shows over the course of 100 days. What he's learned so far (he's about a month in): "People fart at shows." You can keep up with his schedule here .

The new video for "Happy Up Here." It is quite happy. I like the Space Invaders.

By eh The band Blame Ringo has made this cute time lapse video of a day in the life of Abbey Road, the zebra crossing made famous by a little band called the Beatles. I'm surprised how many people try to mimic the shot with not four people. But I guess you have to work with what you have. I visited London with my family a few years ago, and we did this. You just have to. Oh yeah, the song: It's [...]

By eh I was a little underwhelmed by the White Stripes performance on the last ever episode of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" when I watched it Friday. I like it a little better now. But I still think it's an odd choice. "I can tell that we are gonna be friends" is a nice little ditty, but I always thought it was kind of a minor Stripes song. Given that this was the Conan send off, I expected something a little more grand. Maybe a [...]

By eh Oh, yeah! The Decemberists have a new album coming out! "The Hazards of Love," March 24. And they play Radio City June 10. Here's a fan made video for "The Rake's Progress": You can hear the title track streaming on the band's MySpace page. I like it a lot. It kind of reminds me of CSN(Y), specifically this song: I'm going through a minor CSN(Y) revival in my own home, so [...]