Blog: War on Radio

So, now that school has calmed down a bit, I have a chance to update again, and I think I'd like to begin doing so by musing on one of the apparently hip names to drop these days: Odd Future/OFWGKTA/whatever. I'll be the first to admit I'm not an expert on the subject. I first heard of them when someone I know posted a message board link to Tyler, the Creator and Hodgy Beats doing "Sandwitches" on Fallon . Since then, I've heard the Radical group effort and Tyler's [...]

I was thinking this morning that I never did do a "Best of..." list for either 2009 or 2010. It's a bit of a daunting task the way I do it, but in anticipation of doing that, I put together a list of 25 songs from last year that I really enjoyed, and I figured I might as well share that, six months late be damned. The rankings are rough at best, but give a general idea, and it'll be a nice preview for the album list if I ever get around to that. Because this is gonna [...]

The Antlers - Burst Apart (2011) I Don't Want Love French Exit Parentheses No Widows Rolled Together Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out Tiptoe Hounds Corsicana Putting the Dog to Sleep What Is It? The fourth album by Brooklyn trio The Antlers (counting the self-released Uproot ), and follow-up to their breakthrough-of-sorts, 20092s death-chronicle Hospice [...]

Did you know Hugh Laurie just recorded a blues album? Cos he did. Check it out: I'm listening to it now and it's really pretty good, actually. It makes sense, since Laurie's always been a pretty solid musician-see: his awesome songs during the Fry & Laurie days. But it's making me think of other actors that have had successful forays into the world of recorded music. I figured I'd share a couple, yeah? Rick Moranis - The Agoraphobic Cowboy Dude is not exactly on the list of [...]

I haven't forgotten about this blog, I promise. I'm just busy dealing with some stuff. Specifically, Moving in with my boyfriend: Trying to find work for the summer: Finishing the school year out: Etc. Will try to be regular about updating, but no promises for the next month or so.

To be listened to during while chilling by the window or on the grass during the next warm spring sunset, possibly while sipping on a beer.

Polaris - Music From the Adventures of Pete & Pete (1999) Hey Sandy She is Staggering Waiting for October Saturnine Everywhere Ivy Boy Summerbaby Coronado II Ashamed of the Story I Told As Usual Recently The Monster's Lose What Is It? In case you're too young (or old, I suppose) to remember, [...]

So, somehow I missed it, but back in September, Pitchfork reported that Robert Schneider from Apples in Stereo invented a MIND CONTROLLLED INSTRUMENT. No, this is a real thing. Seriously. As if that wasn't cool enough (and I cannot, at present, think of anything that is actually cooler than that), he also teaches you how to make your own, which I am ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY going to do: As if THAT weren't cool enough, it comes with a bonus. [...]

So according to a facebook video posted today , I think, there's some Smashing Pumpkins news that might actually be of interest. In case you don't want to watch Billy Corgan talk for four minutes, here's the gist: in addition to a new Teargarden By Kaleidyscope song ("Otawa") out in a few days, SP 3.0 are going into the studio to record an "album within an album," which is to say 9-11 songs on a release called Oceania that are part of the TBK 44-song project. More interesting is the [...]

It's apparently been obvious to other people for the better part of two decades, but I totally just noticed this: Huh. Might be a real post later today, depending on how many pages I get written about the historical sources of Arthurian legend.

So, Kate Bush is as weird as ever. Robbie Coltrane's along for the ride too: I actually really do like the reworked version of this song. Makes me a little excited for Director's Cut . But I'm more excited about the new music she's supposedly working on.

I don't really have time or energy to do a real update today. So instead, here's this. It's fun and a good performance of the song. I'll get back to doing real updates soon, after the papers I have to write this week kick my ass.

I'm tired this morning but, in the interest of keeping the updates coming at an at least semi-regular pace, I thought I'd point the way to a few things. First, via Pitchfork and Playful Prairie , you can hear 2 songs from the Flaming Lips' Gummy Skulls usb drive. They're about what you'd expect from a band that would release music via a life-size human skull made out of gummy. Via Stereogum , another new track from the forthcoming Death Cab for Cutie album is available to stream, "Some Boys." "You are [...]

Q and Not U - No Kill No Beep Beep (2000) A Line in the Sand And the Washington Monument (Blinks) Goodnight Fever Sleeves Hooray for Humans Kiss Distinctly American We Heart Our Hive Little Sparkee The More I Get, the More I Want Y Plus White Girl Nine Things Everybody Knows Sleeping the Terror Code [...]

I've seen some elaborate packaging in my day, but Flaming Lips' forays into gummi aside, this really has to take the cake. Death-metal dudes Morbid Angel are releasing their first album since 20032s Heretic , loftily (and in proper metal fashion) titled Illud Divinum Insanus . You can pre-order the CD here for about $20, but if you scroll to the bottom of the page, you'll see another, far more ridiculous-but-awesome option for $200: And just [...]

Traffic - The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys (1971) Hidden Treasure The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys Rock and Roll Stew Many a Mile to Freedom Light Up or Leave Me Alone Rainmaker What Is It? The fifth studio album by the Steve Winwood-led group and arguably the best of their second phase, one of their best overall. I'm not sure what else I can say about it [...]

This was posted on Pitchfork today and it's just too weird not to repost. It's not the greatest cover, but the integration of the Bukowski poem is really pretty brilliant. Titus Andronicus covers They Might Be Giants I really like the Undercover series as a whole actually, there are some really interesting entries. Because I feel like it, here are a couple of my favorites from last season's iteration: Patrick Stump covers The Wedding [...]

I'm obsessed with this song right now and this is a great performance/video of it, so I thought I'd share it. I like how they fuzz it out a bit toward the end.

Say Hi - Impeccable Blahs (2006) These Fangs Snowcones and Puppies Blah Blah Blah Sad, But Endearingly So She Just Happens to Date the Prince of Darkness Prefers Unhappy Endings Angels and Darlas Not as Goth as They Say We Are Sweet Sweet Heartkiller The Reigning Champ of the Teething Crowd What Is It? Say Hi, or Say Hi to Your Mom as the band was known at [...]

Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - Scandalous (2011) Livin' in the Jungle I'm Gonna Leave You Booty City Black Snake She's So Scandalous Messin' Mustang Ranch You Been Lyin' Ballad of Jimmy Tanks Since I Met You Baby Jesus Took My Hand What Is It? The second proper album from an Austin, TX collective, inhabiting that space funk, soul, blues and good ol' rock 'n [...]