NEW Transformers 2 Trailer

Amazon Daily Deal: Grouper's "Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill"

You can download the full mp3 album free of DRMs for only $1.99 at AMAZON. It's a steal. I didn't know too much of Grouper aside from the wicked Phaseone edit of "Heavy Water" that was floating around some months ago, but as I listen to it right now, I have a feeling this could end up being a go-to album for me. It's a bit of a dense mess of lo-fi haze and magnetic hiss, but this album seems to be more of a multi-sensory experience rather than just what you can take in on a purely audio-level. I guess I would say it's about as close as you can get to the marriage of ambient music and (shoe-gaze) pop. Really beautiful stuff. Feels like I'm lost in the woods in November, but with this siren's voice so near I don't really seem to have any desire to find my way out.

The Felice Brothers: "Run Chicken Run"

If Bob Dylan was drunk, on a farm, still virile, and listening to just a little bit of zydeco...

The Felice Brothers - "Run Chicken Run"

Lemonheads Playing the Abbey Pub in Chicago on June 19, 20

Who's in?

Gael Garcia Bernal, Stealing My Style

I've never been shy about my mancrushes. Just not ashamed of them whatsoever. And I've always been pretty forward about my love for Gael Garcia Bernal. But in a strange turn of events, it seems the actor has become infatuated with me, wearing black thick-framed glasses alarmingly similar in style to my own as well as brandishing a ukulele, which is sort of my thing that I do. I'm flattered, but not surprised. It was only a matter of time before my flawless sense of style broke through to the Hollywood tastemakers...or should I say tasteTAKERS?

Interesting Take On Distribution of Music

- via Lefsetz's tweet

More New Passion Pit! "Moth's Wings"

Listen over at P'fork. It's a bit different than the last few tracks I've posted. Less falsetto. Leaning a little bit towards balladry. Leaning a little bit away from dance. Still really great.

Jesse Baylin the Laundromatinee

This is KOL drummer Nathan Followill's fiancee. I would like this song even if that weren't the case, but it certainly doesn't hurt.

Jessie Baylin~See How I Run from LaundroMatinee on Vimeo.

Just love everything from Pixar.

New French Kicks Video: "Abandon"

It's been over a year since this track first hit the information super highway, so I'm not sure why there's been such a delay in giving it the video treatment. Regardless, it really is a spring-to-summer track and always reminds me of Chicago, so for me it comes at an extremely opportune time. The video starts out a little odd, but by the time the claps set in, it's a proper party. Chicago, here I come.

French Kicks "Abandon" from THE FEAR on Vimeo.

New Passion Pit: "Little Secret"

You can stream it by clicking HERE. As in "The Reeling," the children's choir makes another appearance ("higher and higher and higher"). This track doesn't quite reach the euphoria of "The Reeling," but it's still a quality track and points to Passion Pit's debut full length "Manners," out in May, being even more packed with falsetto-dance-jams than I had hoped. Hazaa!

Desmond may need to chill out a bit.

Little Boots Covers The Virgins: "Rich Boys"

Not quite as good as the original, but the space-disco elements here make it pretty enjoyable.

Little Boots - "Rich Boys"

New Kings Of Leon: "Devil's Song" (tentative title?)

A glimpse into a direction the band might be taking some of their sound?

New Booze Alert: NUVO

So this is the craziest review I've ever read for an alcohol, and I WANTS ITS.

Read it HERE.

New Devendra Banhart

S'gum snagged this video from a Devendra show in San Francisco. Reminds me a bit of Little Joy (S'gum thinks the Strokes). Me likey.

Grrrrreat New Hood Internet

the hood internet :: dead prez vs. grizzly bear | two weeks of hip-hop

Lolla Lineup

HERE

Lykke Li Remixes KOL LIVE on Carson Daly

TV on the Radio Do "Crying" on Leno

This was my favorite song off of this album. Doesn't sound as full live (or at least at this studio), but still pretty legit.


- S'gum

New Passion Pit Video: "The Reeling"

Really cool video. Very papery.

Man vs. Ferrell

In what might be the greatest act of synergy ever, Bear Grylls will be bringing Will Ferrell (as part of some sort of tie in to Ferrell's upcoming "Land of the Lost" flick) to the far north of Sweden, where they will rappel down frozen waterfalls, tandem-abseil off a helicopter, and attempt to stay warm overnight in subzero temps....and drink they're own urine. Ferrell called the stint a "thrill of a lifetime, even though I did get urine-drunk, which is sad." Not sad. Happy.

The video for Passion Pit's latest single "The Reeling" will debut on MTVu tomorrow. I'll post it as soon as I can find it.

Making Bread...

So is this how y'all usually cook at home? I think I've been doing it wrong...

New Phoenix Video: "Lisztomania

So pumped for this album. Just pre-ordered my vinyl today.

Onion Interviews Will Arnett (GOB Bluth)

Phoenix US Tour Chicago Stop: June 13, Park West

Way to go JAM!! I will be going to this show for sheezy.

KOL Make It To The Cover Of Rolling Stone

HOLLER

So, against my better judgment and with many misgivings, I decided to get up on this twitter nonsense. While I don't think I have anything particularly important to update the world with on a daily basis (nor do I really think most people have anything particularly important to say that I really need to know about), it seems that twitter is the (new) best way to stay connected to a lot of my favorite bands. I just twat for the first few times today and last night, and it already seems to be working. I found the Bat For Lashes cover of the KOL song that I posted last night (I got the drop on Stereogum!), found out that Mike Skinner (aka the Streets) will be releasing three songs he's working on via twitter over the next week, and then I also found this new bro, Deastro. Don't know much about this one man electronic act, but this song is pretty durn catchy. Maintains some M83 size synths at times, some playful Postal Service electropop at other times. Give this song a listen.

Spritle

Bat For Lashes Covers Kings Of Leon

Natasha Kahn's breathy vocals and organ take on KOL's (soft-rock) arena anthem.

Bat For Lashes - Use Somebody (Kings Of Leon Cover)

On Repeat: Hood Internet's "Good Ol' Fashion Rump Shaker"

This Matt & Kim / Beastie Boys mash is the BEST. I think it's because the BB's have always maintained an aspect of playfulness to their music (with lines like "I'm the most mackinest"), and M&K's kewt piano line and "ahs" really compliment that well here.

hood internet :: "good ol' fashion rump shaker"

Yeah Yeah Yeahs On SNL

"Zero"

"Maps"

On Repeat: Hammarin & Robin's "Hell Knows I'm In Love"

Found this jam the other day on Fluxblog. Despite it being a fairly straightforward pop song with no real surprises as far as rhythm, melody, chord progression, or lyrical content, it's got some of the most unabashedly emotive lyrics I've heard in a long while, which allows for listen after listen after listen after listen. Sounds a little like Antony Hegarty on Prozac.

Hammarin & Robin - “Hell Knows I’m In Love”

M83 Video: "We Own The Sky"

I believe Anthony Gonzalez, who operates under the M83 moniker, had one of those "fans make the video" contest for the truly beautiful track "We Own The Sky" off of his excellent album Saturdays = Youth. I've seen a couple of them, and this is my favorite so far.

M83 - We Own the Sky from David Altobelli on Vimeo.

New extremely 80's Magistrates song/video can be found HERE. Me likey.

New Man Man Video: "Rabbit Habits"

This video is so great. So great.

Man Man "Rabbit Habits" - watch more funny videos

New Streets Video: "The Edge of a Cliff"

This is one of my favorite tracks of 2009.

New Conor Oberst

Conor Oberst And The Mystic Valley Band - "Nikorette"

Thieves Like Us Video: "Your Heart Feels"

I really like this video (which I believe is pieced together from scenes of an existing movie) and song.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs To Play SNL This Saturday

Zac Efron hosts...can't win 'em all.

- P'fork

Phoenix On SNL -> So Good

"Listztomania"

"1901"

"Too Young"

Local Natives

This is the first I've heard of these cats, but I'm enjoying it a bit for the time being. They've been described on the blogosphere as being similar to a pretty wide array of bands, including the Kooks, Grizzly Bear, Fleet Foxes, and the Format, among others. I dunno about all that. But give a listen and decide for yourself.

World News

Airplanes