One Last, Strong Shot of Anti-Haterade

I don't usually do single-song posts, but this was too perfect an opportunity to pass up, considering the subject matter of Saturday's entry. Honestly, the Killers are so reviled by the Pitchfork crowd and yet so strangely beloved by me that I almost posted the shitty-quality live rip of "Neon Tiger" (one of the tracks off the band's upcoming album), just cause the post didn't seem right without these guys. Well in a typically (for me, at least) ironic coincidence, a studio version of their official first single for Day and Age just leaked, so I figured I had to tack it on to the previous entry.

What is it about The Killers that I like so much? I really can't say. It could be that I'm a cheap mark for cool synths, but if that were the case, this site would be nothing but a bunch of drugged-out Australian dance shit. It could be that I love dark subject matter, but if that were the case I'd probably worship Morrisey, which I most certainly don't. It could be that I would legitimately go gay for Brandon Flowers.....actually that may be it, especially considering that he's shaved all the Sam's Town pubes from his face. Whatever the real reason, I'm glad I do love this band, because that love will always force me to stay just short of "cool". And that's fine by me. The new track is titled "Human", and abandons the much-chided (though, to be fair, everything these guys do is chided by the blogosphere) Springsteen-esque Americana of the band's last few years in favor of a "Mr. Brightside" style return to synth-pop. Some of the band's darker elements are also missing here, but I have no doubt they'll return with some of the album's deeper cuts. For now, I'm just happy to have my favorite (only semi-)guilty pleasure back in the game. Day & Age comes out November 25th.

The Killers - "Human" (right click to save)

Hating on the Haterade

I find it interesting that as summer ends and we change seasons, trendsters move from one fad to the next with mathematical calculation (not that I'm entirely removed from this phenomenon, but I digress). It's not enough to just adopt a new love, however. These folks seem intent on destroying the things they used to love that are now over-exposed or what have you. In music terms, this of course means slamming a former freshman buzz band's sophomore effort without really listening to it, ripping a one-named female singer-songwriter because the trend apparently died with Duffy (another unfairly maligned artist), or a host of other casual acts of cruelty. Sometimes the hate is justified, but often it exists just because certain people have nothing better to do with their time. I don't claim to be any better than these people, but I do at least disagree with the status quo on a number of these acts:

The level of disdain some people have for the new Cold War Kids album isn't that surprising, considering how their backlash started before their first full album was even released. Complaints ranged from "Nathan Willett thinks he's black" to "they've got hidden Christian messages in their songs" to "their melodies are too simple". Interesting that the most common complaint I've heard over Loyalty to Loyalty is that it's not melodic enough. Whatever. Even without the small surge of folks now suddenly jumping to praise the album, I'd have no qualms about liking it. I think the band has proven that the main reason some don't like them is because they simply don't understand them. The songs on this LP are dark, complex and deceptively meaty. The kneejerk reaction hipster critics have had to them are almost comforting, because it proves this is a band that's not just riding a wave of popularity til it fades away; The Cold War Kids are here to stay, and if you don't believe me, check them out live THIS WEDNESDAY at the Music Box (my favorite venue in Hollywood) for the new album's launch party. I'll be there (but I'll probably be drunk and singing along, so don't talk to me).


Cold War Kids - Mexican Dogs

Chances are, if you live in LA, you will have heard the next song I'm about to post about 50 times on the radio already. But recent events have compelled me to write about it nonetheless. Pitchfork, the indie music "tastemaker" for all the blogosphere, went and pissed someone off again. Usually, I wonder what the point of it all is, considering that beyond posting cool performances from Juan's Basement and posting exclusive news, Pitchfork's about as relevant as a cranky old uncle. Their reviews have ceased to be useful, and now exist merely as a catalog of obscure references arranged to bash whatever they're talking about, if what they're talking about is known to more than 5 pretentious fucks in Williamsburg. And if something is known just a little too well before they get their grubby paws on it (especially if, god forbid, it doesn't fit the trendy mold of the moment), well they go just a little bit overboard. If you've been in the know this week, you of course realize that I'm speaking about the 1.6 out of 10 that Pitchfork gave The Airborne Toxic Event's debut. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I think this band is beyond overrated. After all the hype I heard, their live show mostly disappointed me, and lead singer Mikell Jollet's lyrics often sound like the livejournal rantings of a high school outcast, but a 1.6 is obscenely harsh, and combined with the misguided review, amounts to little more than a cruel publicity stunt. Jollet fired back passionately, and made all these points in a far more pointed, eloquent fashion RIGHT HERE. The fact is the band may not be a trendsetter, and the album has some serious filler, but there's enough good stuff here to enjoy overall, and there's no brighter spot than the smash single, "Sometime Around Midnight", which made up for much of the lukewarm Spaceland show I attended by being one of the most incredible songs I've ever witnessed live. So mainly, I guess this one's for my friends in other states, who have yet to hear this damn song hijack your radio. Make up your own mind before you listen to certain critics. Except me. Always listen to me.


The Airborne Toxic Event - Sometime Around Midnight

Unwarrented hatred from a source I usually depend on occurred yesterday on Jonesy's Jury, the version of Jonesy's Jukebox that airs every Friday on Indie103. Basically, Steve Jones (of the Sex Pistols) plays a song, then he and his guests of the day vote on whether it should make rotation on Indie or not. One song they mercilessly tore apart was singer-songwriter Meiko's new single, "Boys With Girlfriends". The guests of the day chided that it sounded like songwriting by committee, was over-produced and lacked any real emotion. "She's not singing about anything meaningful" whined one of them, before adding, "If she's listening......I don't know. Try again, honey". All this criticism, of course, would be perfectly valid, if the guests in question weren't motherfucking OK GO! Correct me if I'm wrong, but outside of shooting a damn Youtube video, what the fuck have these guys ever contributed to anything? The fact that the conversation on the air then turned to fart stories for ten minutes should be telling. And I'm not just defending this Meiko chick because she's from Georgia (though that helps). I'm defending her because she wrote a fun pop song that makes me want to hear more of her stuff, which is already more than I can say for OK Go. Good lord. Jonesy, I love you, but get guests with a modicum of talent for the future, please. Or guests that Indie would actually play. Like this girl:

Meiko - Boys With Girlfriends

Alright, I've thought up various defenses to build for Dr. Dog, but the reality is there's not a whole lot to say. Critics accuse that they're blatantly ripping off the Beatles all through their new LP, Fate. On this point, I guess I agree, though the fault is mainly with the mixing, not the songwriting (and let's face it, almost all pop rock songwriting could be labelled derivative of the Beatles). I'd love the see these guys live, as all the songs on the album are strong enough to stand on their own, without the blatant Fab Four-style production holding them down. This song's the most blatant from a production standpoint - and possibly the best overall - of the bunch. It's not quite a guilty pleasure, but it's more than a cheap thrill. After this experiment, I'd be very curious to see where the band goes from here, as the talent is most certainly in place.

Dr. Dog - "The Old Days"

And now we come to the most controversial song of the week - which had bloggers throwing rocks just from its (non-Jack White approved) use in a 30 second Coke Zero ad. Some have called it a mess, some have said it's not propulsive enough to be a Bond theme (um.....has anyone ever heard the theme to Goldfinger?), and some just don't like the fact that Alicia's on it. Maybe I'm biased, as I believe Jack White can do no wrong, or maybe I'm just having an unusually happy week, but I think it's fucking great. I leave it to you to disagree. Oh yeah, it's a foreign radio rip, so just be forewarned that there's some weird chick whispering in Italian all through it. Whatever. All I know is in any form, this song whets the appetite for what better be one baddass film.


Jack White feat Alicia Keyes - "Another Way to Die"

So there you have it. I meant to round things off today with defending the new Kings of Leon album that everyone hates.........but yeah, it pretty much fucking sucks. Those dudes are soooooo 2005.

Fall Attacks!

My favorite season is upon us, and my mood has picked up considerably as a result. While many see Fall as the time things sort of die, feeling a chill in the air has always had the effect of subtly kicking me in the ass and giving me motivation. Motivation to do what, you ask? Uh........well.......post these Fall-esque songs, that's what! So sit back and get ready for melancholic introspective goodness. Fuck yeah.

Let me start off with the best song of 2007 that I didn't discover until 2008, which would be "Cold Days from the Birdhouse" by Scottish shoe-gazey (yet REALLY fucking loud) foursome, The Twilight Sad. The boys just released a new EP named "Here, It Never Snowed. Afterward it Did". The title alone immediately endeared this pathetic Burton fanboy to the band, and I gave the EP a listen, only to discover it's a collection of (excellent) B-sides to an album released last year. Once I got ahold of that, I realized that this was one of the best discoveries I've made in a while. 2007's Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters is one of the most impressive debut LPs in recent memory, and the aforementioned opening track is a mini-masterpiece all by itself. One more warning: it starts slow and quiet, but if you crank up the volume at the beginning of the song, your eardrums will be violently destroyed halfway through. Both the the band's LP and newest EP are available now on i-tunes, and come with my highest recommendation.


-------------Song of the Week----------------


The Twilight Sad - "Cold Days from the Birdhouse" (right click to save)






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In further proof that Scotland is so hot right now (are Zoolander references still permitted?), Frightened Rabbit has released a blockbuster sophomore album that stands alongside Fleet Foxes' debut as one of the year's finest new-folk albums. "The Modern Leper" opens the album modestly enough, before flexing its startlingly nuanced muscles as the song goes on, adding left turns and layers of sound. It's a charming slice of a very rich album. Album. Album Album. Sorry, it's late and I don't have a Thesaurus (or spell-check). The Midnight Organ Fight is available now, and if you're a fan of The Decemberists or again, Fleet Foxes, you should give it a full listen. It's mature without being dense, and while some of the songs are slow, they're far from dull.


Frightened Rabbit - "The Modern Leper"

Before going any further, I may as well admit that I plan to post on New York "baroque pop" act Ra Ra Riot as often as possible, thanks to their girls, one of whom is cute as can be, and one of whom may be the hottest girl in indie rock (save your jokes; there are too many to pick from in that last sentence). Overall, the band looks like what might happen if the CW cast "Arcade Fire: The Early Years", yet sounds like something far more difficult to pin down. Their long awaited debut LP, The Rhumb Line, came out last month, and the songs are all over the place in tone and tempo (mostly in a good way). Ra Ra Riot made major news earlier in the year when their drummer, John Pike, tragically passed away, yet the band rebounded with a record that stands as a testament to Pike's songwriting in action. The Rhumb Line fun record from a band whose future is bright.

Ra Ra Riot - "Suspended in Gaffa"





Bonus: Click HERE to check out the music video for "Too Too Too Fast", and just try to argue that the brunette chick isn't hot as fuck. As in, "Fuck", the noun.

Of course, any Fall-themed post wouldn't be complete without a nod to Halloween, my favorite holiday, so here's a spoookay treat from LA's most exciting local band (and one I've been on the bandwagon of for quite a while), The Deadly Syndrome. Keep up to date on their live show schedule, as if you haven't seen them yet, you owe it to yourself to do it. They command the stage like their lives depend on it, and without giving anything away, they've always got a few tricks up their sleeve....

The Deadly Syndrome - "I Hope I Become A Ghost"





........okay fine, if you want one of these "tricks" ruined, click the video below to check out what's usually the band's grand finale (ignore Aoki & the Cobradouche clinging to the stage if you want full enjoyment). Yeah, like I said, they're pretty fucking awesome:

It's The Mother-Effing Remix

First off, email me your preference for flash player if you even have one. I'm experimenting with the Yahoo one this week, as the Google player doesn't seem to be working for everyone. It's a tad less sleek, but hopefully it's a bit more versatile. Anyway....is it a bad sign when my right hand starts going numb from typing too much? Is that bad? That's that carpal tunnel shit, right? Hmmmm.........well regardless, I have more songs to post, so away we go. Consider today's post simply a companion piece to Monday's cover list, nothing cute to connect the dots. Just some of the best remixes of the past year.

So first up is one doozy of a track. French DJ duo Justice is one of the hottest acts in all of music right now, and I can say from experience that their live act earns every bit of buzz they've garnered. Last week, they debuted a 20 minute electro epic called "Planisphere" to accompany the Dior Homme show in New York. If you haven't heard it yet, you can stream the whole thing at their Myspace Page, and you can certainly find a downloadable version if you search hard enough. But the bottom line is, if you're a fan of the French electro thing, you'll want to listen to this asap. The boys knocked it out of the park on this one, and one could easily argue it's the best thing they've ever done, "Waters of Nazareth" included.


Anyway, less than 24 hrs after releasing it to the net, buzzworthy DJ Immuzikation (who hails from ATHENS, FUCKING GA, a town very close to my heart) condensed it to 7 minutes and mashed it up against various re-mixes of Daft Punk's "Harder....", including of course the one released by one Mr. West last year. As inspiration goes, it may be a bit obvious, but it mashes up predictably well, and ranks altogether as one of the hottest floor-bangers of 2008........phew. Got all that? Well enough bullshit, here it is:

Justice - "Fortisphere"(Immuzikation Re-mix of "Planisphere")

Note: I have no fucking clue why, but for some reason I can't get this song to play in either flash format, so click it straight on to preview, or you can right click to download as usual.

From the hottest DJ act in Europe to the hottest DJ act in America, we come to Girl Talk (aka Pittsburgh's Gregg Gillis) , who released a mash-up masterpiece over the summer, but had time earlier to release his signature kind of remix for Grizzly Bear's standout, "Knife". Now I generally pride myself on being able to recognize all the shit this guy samples, but if you have any clue where the hell he got the sick organ thing that plays for the last minute of the song, let me know, because that's a song I want to own.

Grizzly Bear - "Knife (Girl Talk Remix)"

Moving on from one Bear to another (see what I did there? nice, smooth transition), Panda Bear (Animal Collective founder Noah Lennox) had one of 2007's most beautifully bizarre songs with album opener "Comfy in Nautica". Trippy chanting gives way to Lennox' even trippier vocals, and before you know it, you feel like you just hit an invisible bong HARD. DJ duo Turbostation (Philly's Steven Bloodbath & Johnny Woods) give the song the barest of make-overs: they add a drum machine, a couple of bleeps and extend the opening by about 30 seconds. But sometimes the simplest touches can seriously alter a song's purpose. With Turbostation's touch, "Nautica" is suddenly ready for "da clubz". Or at least ready to be someone's bad-ass pregame song.

Panda Bear - "Comfy in Nautica (Turbostation Remix")

XXXchange (the slightly less saucy half of Spank Rock) did a remix of Santogold's LES Artistes a few months ago that nearly garnered as much attention as the original. After hearing a weird, slowed down perversion of the mix playing in a tragically hip clothing boutique, I managed to track it down on imeem from a random user named "Charlee". I then ripped it, and decided to deliver it to you good people. The end.


Santogold - L.E.S. Artistes (XXXchange Slow Edit)

Swedish breakout Lykke Li has made a serious splash on the indie scene this summer, while last summer's indie darlings The Black Kids have crossed over to the mainstream (tell me a place where you can escape "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance" these days, and I'll meet you there). They're not letting commercial success get in the way of their scenester status, however, and recently banged out a remix for the sexy siren's Fuck Off anthem, "I'm Good, I'm Gone". It's pretty bold to muffle the claps in a song where the clapping's the star attraction, but the track quickly surprises you with the direction it takes. It's less danceable than the original, but sometimes it's ok to just nod your head.

Lykke Li - "I'm Good, I'm Gone (Black Kids Remix)"

Hot Covers

So initially, I had planned for today's update to cover the VMAs in some way, whether it be trying to find half-decent songs that the nominees or performers were involved with, or even coming up with an "Anti-VMA" post filled with the best videos of the year, along with their mp3s. After catching the show this morning, however, I can honestly say I have no desire to dedicate shit to MTV. Other than a couple of good Russell Brand moments, the show topped every previous VMA in both irrelevance and inanity. In fact, at this point, the quality seems to get exponentially worse each year. An obvious factor is the network's growing distance from playing, well, you know, music, thus finding itself woefully out of touch the one night a year it's supposed to put music on a pedestal, but when the show can't even wrangle decent surprises or show-stoppers from the mediocre talent it actually books, you know there's something greater at work. EX: The most talked about moments of the show 6 years ago were Madonna making out with Britney Spears and Guns n Roses reuniting (kind of). The most talked about moments of this year's show are Russell Brand offending teenage virgins, and fucking PINK delivering the only decent performance of the show (go figure). Figure your shit out, MTV. The youth needs you.

With that rant aside, I'm too lazy to come up with another theme today, so I'll simply hit the proverbial snooze button and throw a bunch of cool covers your way, since everyone likes those....

"Hospital Beds" is by far my favorite song from Cold War Kids' debut LP, and one of my favorite songs of the past several years. It's haunting, angry, and remorseful, with bizarre sexual undertones running through it. New "one woman band" from the UK, Florence and the Machine, has gone and covered it, and it's something to behold. Nathan Willet's piano chords may be gone, but Florence's voice makes up for it, and the song remains as powerful as ever. In fact, had she included my favorite segment ("Vietnam......Fishing Trips, Italian Op-er-aaah!"), I might have put this right on par with the original. As it stands, however, it's at least the best cover I've heard this year, and a memorable debut for the band.
--------Song of the Week-------------


Florence and the Machine - "Hospital Beds" (Cold War Kids cover)


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From a one-woman band to a one-man one, Thomas Söderlund aka Covex (the speech device thing attached to old computers), is a Swedish DJ who crafts "high energey, romantic Gameboy pop". In other words, he's on the 8-bit electro trend that's all the rage these days. His body of work is not incredibly distinct from other artists in the genre, but he put out a pretty bitchin' cover of Kraftwerk that really deserves a listen or three. And to answer the inevitable question that at least one person will pose, Coldplay sampled the original song, not vice versa.


Covex - "Computer Love" (Kraftwerk cover)

Honestly, I think acapella groups can be pretty retarded 80% of the time. Am I supposed to be impressed that a chorus of people going "badoo-bo-bop-e-doo" is replacing the guitar chords on "Living on a Prayer"? And what exactly leads these people to get on stage and do this in the first place? What purpose does it serve? All these questions aside, 20% of the time, you forget how stupid it is and just get swept away in the sheer goofy fun of it all. This song puts you squarely in that 20% zone. God bless the music nerds of U. Penn: Somehow they make Courtney Love's "Fuck you, LA" masterpiece even more brutal by making it even prettier.

Off the Beat - "Celebrity Skin" (Hole cover)

The Last Shadow Puppets is merely the side project of Arctic Monkeys' scary-talented lead singer, Alex Turner, but has carved nearly as much success as the Monkeys themselves over here, due to a well received LP and some savvy marketing. One of the group's best tracks, however, comes from their first EP. It's a David Bowie cover that's not only superior to the original, but sounds like it could came from the same time period. Clever trick from a clever band. You can buy both the band's EP and LP on i-tunes, and can actually catch them on their US tour this Fall.

The Last Shadow Puppets - "In the Heat of the Morning" (David Bowie cover)

And finally, something that would have been an unfunny disaster, had it been done with anything less than the upmost seriousness: The Kooks take on Ace of Base.


The Kooks - All That She Wants (Ace of Base cover)

........okay, fine. On the subject of the VMAs, here's one video that's superior to anything that was nominated last night......

M83 - "Kim and Jessie" from Saturdays = Youth

Fedoras Are Just For Outcasts Again

By now you may have heard the rumors that Amy Winehouse has brain damage, due to a recent 36 hour pot binge (yes, it can happen. I think my old college roommate is further proof of this), thus further endangering the career of the Neo-Retro poster-child, and further killing the trend that she & Mark Ronson helped stoke last year. That's right, it's another nail in the coffin of the retro style "revival". Does this mean that wearing a fedora can finally be considered weird and geeky again? Hopefully so. I for one, am glad the hipsters are starting to abandon the Mod look and are back to looking like they got dressed pulling from a Goodwill pile while being beaten across the head with a neon pipe. Now I can wear my Ray-Bans and cardigans out of the house without fear of being part of a movement. Or maybe I got it wrong; now I'm the guy who everyone thinks just missed the memo and am fashionably behind........regardless, as the trendy music has also marched forward, I present examples of artists with no connection whatsoever to Mark Ronson who are still dabbling in retro-funk and soul, or were simply doing it before it became cool. By the way, you're not wrong. Today's post is actually quite pretentious.

First up is perhaps my favorite hidden gem of the past ten years, and a song that was released about five years too early (or forty years too late) to be a radio smash. British duo McAlmont & Butler released two full LPs and a disconnected single (to a still-unreleased album) before going on an indefinite hiatus (Butler has a new band called The Tears, McAlmont is.....well, I have no idea). The sound is exactly the kind of stuff that drove Brits crazy all of last year, but it's slightly more genuine. The production isn't intentionally scratched-up or made to feel old; the songwriting and performance themselves make this one feel like it's from another era:


McAlmont & Butler - "Different Strokes" (right click to save)

A great one-two punch of a concert is hitting LA soon. On Sep 29th, Jamie Lidell and Janelle Monae play The Avalon. Lidell has made a strange genre shift mid-career from Electro-Pop to New Soul, and while he's no Al Green, he's certainly a cut above the Robin Thickes of the world. PS: I'm grateful to be able to post this song in good conscience after New Orleans lucked out yesterday. Otherwise this would be a tad awkward...

Jamie Lidell - "Hurricane" (right click to save)

As for Janelle Monae, well she's a different story altogether. Hailing from my glorious hometown of Atlanta, GA, Monae is like a cross between a young Grace Jones and Andre 3000 (whom she's previously collaborated with). She's also inexplicably signed to Bad Boy Records, thus standing as the only hint that somewhere in Diddy's brain lies the ability to recognize and nurture genuine talent. On top of that, she's cute as a damn button, and has more charisma than 90% of other young female artists right now. Here's a track from her EP:

Janelle Monae - Sincerely, Jane (right click to save)

Even the Germans are up on the retro stuff. Considering they were too busy starving behind a giant wall for the 60s & 70s, they have a right to celebrate the decades now....

Jan Delay - Klar (right click to save)

And finally, here's the genre's tragicomic heroine herself, proving why she became a star in the first place, Ronson and gimmicks removed:

Amy Winehouse - Love is a Losing Game (Live at the 2007 Mercury Awards) (right click to save)