Contrast Podcast recently asked music bloggers like myself to submit our favorite 50 songs of the year for their annual "Festive 503 podcast. Our selections were then compiled into a shortlist and now we've been asked to recruit votes to narrow it down. For the curious, I've bolded the 10 songs I personally voted for. I really, really want "Nice Very Nice" by Kurt Vonnegut & Dave Soldier (from their album Ice-9 Ballads ) to make the final list. Not only because it's my favorite song of the year, from my favorite album of the year, [...]
Matter of Time mp3 The Leisure Society The Sleeper ..... ..... buy it Well, now this is getting interesting... Over at the Contrast Podcast , Tim's solicited everyone for their favorite 50 songs of 2009, remember? From all the responses he's compiled the top 155. I'm very impressed with the list! If you didn't submit your faves yet, you've still got a chance to get in the game at this point! Help us out, eh? (I"ve highlighted my top 10 in blue) Here's [...]
I don't know if you've seen these already, but the brilliant littlepixel has remade an entire set of album covers as classic penguin/pelican books. Go here to see them all, really brilliant I must say, and all great re-imaginings of some truly classic albums. Now, for two unrelated, but thematically linked songs, get it? The Rakes - Open Book Born Ruffians - Knife (Grizzly Bear Cover)
by cheryl santa maria When British post-punk quartet The Rakes announced their split in late October, I, like others, was shocked. As a starving writer who's been busting her ass for seven days a week for a one small breadcrumb of recognition, I cannot understand why a talented (and successful) group like The Rakes would just up and walk away from the notoriety that they've worked so hard to achieve — and right before the start of a tour, no less. [...]
Pat Graham Yeah, I know that I probably keep closer track of British bands than some (but certainly not as much as others), but I still get confused as to who's who sometimes. Particularly when it comes to outfits comprised of skinny, shaggy-looking lads wielding guitars and perhaps scowls, and whose names are some combination of the definite article and a random noun, sometimes pluralized. The Rifles ? They're the ones who're trying to channel The Jam (and doing a pretty good job of it). The Rakes ? They're [...]
I was wondering how long it was going to be before we had an official piece of mail about our dear Mr. Vincent Turner (aka Vincent Frank, aka Frankmusik )... I was trying to avoid posting anything on my own because I recognize the preferential treatment he gets on this blog lol.. ...so I was thrilled to see this message from British musical institution Ninja Tune about an unreleased King Cannibal remix of Frankmusik's classic "3 Little Words"! I was surprised to see this [...]
Toronto - Everybody's favorite band based on a coding language - Pas/Cal apparently has broken up. I think a single tear just went down Vik's face. Fans of the poppy Pas/Cal sound need not fear though, as members of the band have formed a new band - Computer Perfection . With a new band, comes new songs, and here is one of them, it's called Able Archer . The debut album We Wish You Well On Your Way To Hell is out on Le Grand Magistery Check it out. [...]
Thursday, November 12, 2009 Joan Osborne, Holmes Brothers and Paul Thorn at BB King's Rob Thomas, Onerepublic and Carolina Liar at Beacon Theatre Rakes at Highline Ballroom Mavis Staples and Marshall Crenshaw at Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown NY Penn & Teller at Gramercy Theatre Drivin & Cryin at World Cafe Live, Philly Kyle Hollingsworth (x-String Cheese Incident) at Sullivan Hall Aster Pheonyx and Mash McLain at The Saint Radney Foster, Mark Erelli and Matthew Ryan at Living Room [...]
É sempre difícil lidar com expectativas e a produção do Planeta Terra parece ter entendido ao longo dos seus três anos de existência. Em 2007, o festival era a cara nova que deu certo apostando em infra-estrutura, pontualidade, preço baixo e num line-up sem headliner, mas com escolhas bem feitas como Rapture e Devo. A boa fama do primeiro ano e um line-up sensacional (Animal Collective, JAMC, Spoon, Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party, Foals, Breeders!) fizeram uma a segunda edição um evento divertido, mas que já não lidava tão bem com o tamanho do seu público (filas quilométricas e problemas no [...]
É sempre difícil lidar com expectativas e a produção do Planeta Terra parece ter entendido ao longo dos seus três anos de existência. Em 2007, o festival era a cara nova que deu certo apostando em infra-estrutura, pontualidade, preço baixo e num line-up sem headliner, mas com escolhas bem feitas como Rapture e Devo. A boa fama do primeiro ano e um line-up sensacional (Animal Collective, JAMC, Spoon, Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party, Foals, Breeders!) fizeram uma a segunda edição um evento divertido, mas que já não lidava tão bem com o tamanho do seu público (filas quilométricas e problemas no [...]
Para el que tenga la fortuna de vivir en Los Mochis, sintonice su receptor en el 94.3 de frecuencia modulada hoy viernes y mañana sábado por la noche — 20:15 horas, y reciba la mejor música de la galaxia, garantizado... Estreno del playlist 114 de Silent Roy para Friday Night... Galaxy fm ® Renaciendo el espíritu del sonido eterno™ Playlist 114 Galaxy 94.3 fm 110 mp3 6/7 noviembre 2009 www.myspace.com/galaxy_fm www.twitter.com/galaxy_fm [...]
Echo and the Bunnymen @ Mercury Lounge ( more by Bao Nguyen ) If you caught Echo and the Bunnymen at Mercury Lounge last month , well, you aren't just lucky for getting to see the UK band in such a small venue, you're lucky for getting to see them at all! They say that the IRS has some rule that bands needed to pay a lot of the money if they already toured here within 30 days. Due to this unforeseen restriction, Echo can no longer make [...]
Zowie, another great weekend of music with lots of choices. On Thursday, unfortunately the UK band, Heavy scheduled to play at Great Scotts has cancelled their tour so if you were planning on checking them out, sorry. But don't fret, there's an awesome show at the Lizard with Jenny Dee & the Deelinquints, the Rudds and Brett Rosenberg. Friday starts a big weekend for the Plough and Stars which is celebrating its 40th Anniversary with a plethora of bands playing and it's free! Friday night has Andrea Gillis , The Family Jewels and others at the Plough. If that's not [...]
Zowie, another great weekend of music with lots of choices. On Thursday, unfortunately the UK band, Heavy scheduled to play at Great Scotts has cancelled their tour so if you were planning on checking them out, sorry. But don't fret, there's an awesome show at the Lizard with Jenny Dee & the Deelinquints, the Rudds and Brett Rosenberg. Friday starts a big weekend for the Plough and Stars which is celebrating its 40th Anniversary with a plethora of bands playing and it's free! Friday night has Andrea Gillis , The Family Jewels and others at the Plough. If that's not [...]
For reasons that seem to confuse a lot of Irish people, Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving a full month and a half before their neighbours to the south. While Americans celebrate their own peculiar foundation myth – the coming together of English settlers and Native Americans for a spot of dinner at Plymouth – Canadians celebrate not being American. It's why Canadians are sometimes perceived as being a little smug, but it's a mindset we Irish should understand completely: time may be a great healer of colonial wounds, but we'll always secretly hate the British for being bigger and stronger than us, [...]
If you've been keeping up with my Twitter feed , you may have noticed that I've been incredibly busy as of late. I just can't seem to catch a break with finding time to blog now that I currently work two jobs. Of course, those who have been keeping up have come to expect lengthy periods of inactiveness, at least on my part. Mentioning any kind of worthwhile albums from the past three weeks is just a meaningless task, as you can just take a peek below to see the excellent amount of releases at [...]
by Bill Pearis DOWNLOAD : Diehard - Karaoke King (MP3) DOWNLOAD: Small Black - Despicable Dogs (MP3) Free Energy Philadelphia's nostalgic party rockers Free Energy are playing The Bell House next Tuesday (11/10). This is the band's first NYC show since a pretty successful CMJ run: This group's laser-guided desire to be the go-to Dazed [...]
[Dirty Projectors...] [w/ the vivacious Tune-Yards opening] Monday November 2 Over the Rhine w/ Katie Herzig @ Soiled Dove The Epilogues w/ Alan Baird Project @ Marquis Theater Andy Davis w/ Jason Vigil @ Walnut Room Awesome New Republic @ Hi-Dive The Ohioan w/ Ah Holly Fam'ly @ Rhinoceropolis Tuesday November 3 El Ten Eleven w/ Little Brazil @ Hi-Dive Bouncing Souls w/ Bayside @ Gothic [...]
Look, I was on holiday and missed this, right? Luckily, The Guardian Guide repeated the story for a laugh. The Rakes split up the other week. It's a bit of a pity. They were quite good.
Back in 2004/2005, the UK charts were seemingly dominated by a plethora of emerging guitar-led bands, very few of whom lasted the course beyond the debut LP. One of my favourite records from the period was Capture/Release, the debut LP by The Rakes . Now I'm a bit of an avid reader of blogs, but I haven't read too many pieces that have mentioned far less praise this particular record. Which is a bit of an oversight in my humble opinion..... And now I'm kicking [...]
Vampire Weekend - Cousins
WKND PLYLST!! This has nothing to do with NEW MOON!
Bobby B's Top 50 Albums Of The Decade (#25-21)
Tila Tequila NSFW UStream Freak Out (Video)
HOT CHIP TAKE another crack at IT and I’m IN
