Don't know if you've heard, but we're hosting our first CMJ showcase on Tuesday, October 18th. We've got a bunch of awesome bands - Penguin Prison, Body Language and Electric Guest just to name a few - set to grace Dominion NY's stage next week. One group we're particularly excited about are Brite Futures . Believe it or not you might actually know about these guys, back from when they slayed as Natalie Portman's Shaved Head. After a brief legal spat these cool cats are back and ready to take the world by storm with their upcoming [...]

Inspired by the band's obsession with sharing random images from the 1940s, 50s and 60s on their Tumblr account , Brite Futures (formerly known as Natalie Portman's Shaved Head) gives us the video for "Too Young To Kill." The video features the band playing the roles of The Beatles, Audrey Hepburn, Nirvana, Marilyn Monroe, Orson Welles and many other film and music references. Brite Futures is set to drop their new album, Dark Past , on November 1st. Watch the video and see how many pop culture references you can spot.
![[Listen/Download] – New Song By Felix And Volcano! – "Got Luv Fer Now"](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/3696082_lg.jpg)
Tweet Sam Ueda's synth pop brainchild Felix And Volcano! returns more than a year after releasing their fantastic first "Grow Rich EP" . The first single "Got Luv Fer Now" is what Ueda says is the beginning of more music, with Ms. Sydney M. Bilodeau rejoining the band and the possibility of a longer length release (cross your fingers) and a tour (now on the other hand) on the horizon. Recorded live, the single again brings to mind LCD Soundsystem [...]
![Joel's Summer/Birthday Mix 2011 [Calvin Harris, LMFAO, Empire of The Sun, Lady Gaga, and more...]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/3568473_lg.jpg)
Ahhh the wonders of summers. A time for great tunes, butterfly's, unicorns, puppies, summer flings, confetti birthday cakes, cookies and all your favorite things. Maybe most importantly, they're for Getting Nurdy and Party Rock Shuffling your faces off. This special time of year begs for a soundtrack. So, I thought, what better day to post something as monumental and life altering as my summer mix, then on the most important day of the year. MY BIRTHDAY! Enjoy. For more jams or by any of these artists use the 'tags' links [...]
Or, at least she didn't want the sexed-up funksters in local electro-pop band Natalie Portman's Shaved Head appropriating her steez anymore. In turn, the former Sound Off! champs have moved in a new direction, changing their name to Brite Futures . I like it, it fits their groove. Luckily, the band was able to-ahem-reconcile with the Hollywood starlet about the whole fiasco, which you can witness below. FWIW, I feel like Natalie comes off a little harsh on the doe-eyed gang, but, hey, this is show business and sometimes things get nasty. [...]
No fears, indie lovers of Natalie Portman's Shaved Head! They're not going away forever, just saying goodbye to their namesake. More like it: FROM THE NEWS NEST: M.I.A. hates on Justin Bieber and more. FROM THE NEWS NEST: Slipknot bassist dead at 38 and more. FROM THE NEWS NEST: Sublime reunites for 4-20 and more.

When I compiled my original Best Of 2008 list last December, it was a snow day. The sky dropped about a foot, maybe a foot and a half of fluffy white stuff and we lowly sub-compact drivers could go nowhere. Between ranking albums and locating album art, I took a stroll around town with my camera. The above image comes from that trek. Overall, I was pretty happy with last year's list but, in revisiting all the albums from 2008, I now see quite a few that I left out. [...]

For the last 30 days I like many other blokes, have been tentatively growing shoots of hair atop my upper lip in the vain hope of becoming more masculine and most importantly to raise funds and awareness for the Irish Cancer Society's Action Prostate Cancer . Prostate cancer affects one in nine men in the UK and Ireland. The whole month has been defined by seeing other dudes on the street and mates with ginger, novelty, funny, binman and curled taches. It's been a fun experience. With thanks to 15 Movember donators, I have raised €275 so [...]
"These guys are going to f**k you hard and you're going to like it", is how Perez Hilton introduced Semi Precious Weapons. Lead vocalist, Justin Tranter, rushed the stage wearing a skimpy dress and high heels, which didn't hinder him from doing extreme high kicks and the splits. They were full of frantic energy, with their bassist bashing around and amazingly still slamming the right notes. Semi Precious Weapons looks like glam-rock but sounds of cock rock in Tammy Fay Baker mascara.

As much of a twat Perez Hilton is, he puts together a rad tour. Yes, I just said rad. Rad is common slang of the 80s, and last night made me feel like I'd jumped back into the 80s, with the tweaky intros Perez put together and the synth-heavy music all night. Well, Semi-Precious Weapons weren't synth-heavy, based on lead singer Justin Tranter 's outfits, one could see why I felt like I was in 1986. I hadn't heard much of them before last night, and I was pleasantly surprised how [...]
(Seein' the Scene is a weekly photographic presentation featuring images from some of the best local rock concerts Minnesota has to offer. These images are captured through the lens' of local rock photographer Mike Minehart. We welcome comments. More images from these shows can often be viewed at www.mikeminehart.com.) Link - Ari Herstand Link - Tyrone Wells Link [...]

I don't know if the meltdown of Ida Maria had anything to do with this, but their loss is our gain. Drink up! Natalie Portman's Shaved Head- [mp3] Ladyhawke-Paris is Burning (Cut Copy Remix) [mp3] From the offices of AEG : Perez Hilton has graciously made his show FREE This FRIDAY NIGHT (9/25) at The Bluebird Theater! This awesome lineup feat. NATALIE PORTMAN'S SHAVED HEAD, LADYHAWKE, & SEMI PRECIOUS [...]
photography by benjamin hoste The Ting Tings and Natalie Portman's Shaved Head performing at Club Nokia on August 4, 2009.

Monday of Bumbershoot: I would have been completely happy with two days, but no - Seattle handed me a third to enjoy. All the music, the rain, the moshing, and everything else that came with the biggest gathering of music in Seattle over Labor Day weekend could not have been the same without the thousands of people there to enjoy it all. Monday started quite differently than the previous two days. I couldn't find parking anywhere, but determined as I was, I drove around a 12-block radius for 20 minutes searching [...]

Arriving in the Seattle Center on Sunday proved that people don't give a shit about the weather when good music is involved. It reminded me of a movie I recently saw – "Taking Woodstock," where the famous Woodstock festival was almost put to a halt because of a terrible rainstorm. We're Seattle, it doesn't affect us much. But in defiance of the sky's will, the rain did stop and start during various times during the day – the most ironic one actually was during the [...]

Another busy Bumbershoot. Lots to see and do. Songs will be linked to a video when possible. We started our weekend with Natalie Portman's Shaved Head . A crazy, fun Seattle band. Best song? Check out Sophisticated Side Ponytail . Luke Smith Claire England Shaun Libman [...]
Matt & Kim ::: Photo by Marcella Volpintesta for Sound on the Sound [ Editors Note: Bumbershoot 2009 marks the first time a new photog has been on assignment for Sound on the Sound (since Josh was taking pictures for Stereogum), and Marcella Volpintesta was gladly recruited as our second photog for the task. We couldn't [...]

Dyno Jamz Horn Section The first day of Bumbershoot started early at 12:30 with an indoor set by Dyno Jamz . An up-and-coming funky hip-hop act from here in Seattle, they recently won the EMP Sound Off Competition , an under 21 battle of the bands now approaching its 8th year. Supported by the grandeur of the EMP Sky Church's enormous lighting rig, the band ripped through a solid hour long set filled with some new material and a few spoken word moments as well. [...]

Seattle was asking for it when they named the music and arts festival "Bumbershoot." I mean, it means umbrella, so it's almost inevitable that there will be at least one drop of rain at one point during the weekend. Thankfully today, Saturday, it only rained for about 15 minutes. But even the rain could not stop the upbeat feel of Bumbershoot on this day. Saturday's main stage lineup included Katy Perry , the All-American Rejects and Sheryl Crow , probably the three most popular artists of the festival. So naturally, the Seattle [...]
Fuck Katy Perry and Sheryl Crow—I have rarely seen a band more suited for playing to soggy people on a sunny Saturday afternoon than Natalie Portman's Shaved Head. These party-rock synth kids got some damned lucky breaks to be playing for crowds this big, and they were appreciative, giving and smiley, their keyboardist-cum-bassist-singer wearing a Delicious Vinyl t-shirt and yachting cap like a man steering his hometown crowd towards the shores of Par-Tei. They did all the hits—at this point, they have nothing else to play—and after song after catchy song about sideways ponytails and Bis-esque beard lust, I realized [...]