For the sake of everyone who hasn’t seen it. Watch it around 10 times in a row… you’ll see what I mean. Hit the jump for the “Drug Mix”

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Quick one here.

The Flaming Lips are one of my favorite bands of all time. Last year’s Bonnaroo beheld one of the greatest concerts of my young life. The Flaming Lips and their philosophy have changed my life forever, undoubtedly.

I forgot to track down their song from the Good Luck Chuck soundtrack, so now that I have it, I gotta share it, right? The song, like so many of the Lips’ work is a triumphant and joyous piece about “the fucked-up days.” Do I really need to get pretentious on this one? Absolutely not. I love you all.

MP3: The Flaming Lips – “I Was Zapped By The Lucky Super Rainbow”

Check out the Good Luck Chuck OST, it’s pretty good:

Amazon | iTunes

In other Flaming Lips news, Christmas on Mars is finally finished! It’s premiering at Bonnaroo and Sasquatch, so if you have the time and the existential willpower, go and experience it in the context of another world. Hope to see you there! Here are some tracks from the movie, I hope you’re “surprised.”

MP3: The Flaming Lips – “Galactic Melancholy” from Christmas on Mars

MP3: The Flaming Lips – “Syritis Major” from Christmas on Mars

and here’s one of my favorites just because:

MP3: The Flaming Lips – “Enthusiasm for Life Defeats Existential Fear”

For now, all is right with the world.

(Song [AND VIDEO] of the Day – 4/3/08)

Well, the saucy fuckshow that is Pitchfork Media did something nice for me yesterday. While I almost never agree with their record reviews, their news section is a great way to get into the more “industry side” of indie music. Sometimes they even share something of great merit and talent. The Acorn is such a creation.

I heard The Acorn in 2006. Their song “Dents” was just one of those inspired and honest tracks that drew me in. I really didn’t expect their next work to be a mammoth concept project.

If you know me, you know I drool over nasty motion graphics. An aspiring post-production artist, I always love to see someone work hard to make visually stunning companions to great music. It’s obvious a talented and energetic team really exerted themselves here. From what I hear they have done videos for Broken Social Scene and Modest Mouse… so there’s your cred right there.

Here’s “Dents” as well as some MP3’s from their latest album (Glory Hope Mountain). Throw those on your ipod for now. First, watch the video for “The Flood, Pt. 1”

MP3: The Acorn – “The Flood Pt. 1”
MP3: The Acorn – “Crooked Legs”
MP3: The Acorn – “Dents”

Home | Paper Bag Records | MySpace | Hype Machine

Support The Acorn: Paper Bag Records | iTunes | Amazon | eMusic | Insound

THE ACORN IS TOURING: hit the jump for dates and venues…

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Photo by Stephen Lindley

After two album releases under Sub Pop, Band of Horses have decided to part ways with the label. Over the past year, tensions have risen between the band’s lead singer, Ben Bridwell, and Sub Pop’s co-founder Jonathan Poneman, after Bridwell supposedly refused to shave his beard at Poneman’s request. In an exclusive interview with Pitchfork, Poneman goes into detail explaining the situation:

I was hoping that this could stay between me and Ben. He chose to make this public on the band’s blog, which has now forced me to address our differences. Basically, I needed Bridwell to shave, or at least trim, his out of control beard. I love the music the guys produce, but I am also a businessman. I like money. It’s clear that sales are directly proportional to the length of his beard. People like clean shaven now. Just read GQ, 70% of females like men with a smooth face. That means that if Bridwell shaved, we could increase sales by 70%. Besides, he doesn’t even wash the thing. There is literally a plant growing out of his beard (figure 2). I think my request was reasonable. He looks like a monkey.

Bridwell vented about his quarrel with Poneman on the Band of Horses music blog. Here is an excerpt:

“I’m a fuckin’ musician, you know? I’m not the only musician with a beard. Get a grip JP. People dig my beard.”

(figure 2)

Things between the two got ugly at a show Bridwell performed in San Diego July 6, 2007. Rosemary, an avid fan and good friend of Band of Horses recalls, “yeah, that’s right, I was standing next to Jon Poneman at the show. At Ben’s request, I filmed the band playing “The Funeral”, and before I knew it, he was flicking Poneman off. I glanced over at Poneman, and out of nowhere he was holding up a big pair of sheers with an evil look in his eyes. You know, one of those sheers you see business owners use to cut the ribbon outside their store on opening day. I thought it was a joke between the two. It still gives me the heebie jeebies.”

[quicktime width=”320″ height=”240″]http://indiemuse.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/get_video.mpg[/quicktime]

Video shows Bridwell flipping the bird

A credible source tells us Band of Horses is in negotiations with Barsuk Records.

Cease To Begin (2007):

Band of Horses – Ode to lrc

Band of Horses – Detlef Schrempf

Everything All The Time(2006):

Band of Horses: The Funeral

Band of Horses: Wicked Gil

Bonus:

Band of Horses: Wicked Gil (live on the interned)

Site| Tour|Store|Myspace

In this installment of Rediscovering the Video I want to bring to light videos that all have one thing in common: redefining the genre.

I think we can all agree that the impact The Dogs had on music cannot be understated. Bringing to light the issues of addiction, The Dogs foreshadowed songs like Tupacs “Changes” as well as LFO’s “Summergirls.” When the nation needs something to turn to in hard times, look no further than this brilliantly directed video. As the rappers move in an out of a scene so real and vital the viewer is forced to suspend his or her own belief, the tension increases. The video ends with the somber statement of a young girl begging her mother to lay off the crack because it makes the other kids pick on her… I think we can all relate.

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(Song of the Day – 3/28/08)

I was hangin with a friend of mine the other day when he mentioned the new Erykah Badu album (New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War). I realized that I completely forgot. Actually, I’m about a month off…

Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, can let her soul out onto a recording like Badu. Her raw and unfiltered inner voice is shared with every listener creating an intimate, soulful and real connections.
Badu, while definitely holding her place within the music community has released an extremely strong set of albums that have been, in my opinion, grossly overrated over the past 10 years. Since Baduizm, her power as a poet and musician has grown. Badu exudes powerful feminine energy and continues to be a symbol of the strength of her community, be it women, black or simply a child of this world. Listening to her music does not make me feel better as a critic, but rather, it brings me to the level… and the connection is real.

For her latest masterwork, Badu strays away from the live soul setup to favor a studio approach, bringing in a wide variety of talented producers from across the spectrum. Personal favorites like Madlib, 9th Wonder and ?uestlove are joined by trip-masters Sa-Ra to create what is both real and other-worldly all at once. Dealing with “the issues”with such grace and integrity, Badu has it all contained. Never afraid to be progressive, Erykah Badu brings it once again. Syncopation and downtempo grooves flood the deep and layered tracks in such a way that many have been turned off by its esoteric nature, but the more time you spend with it, the more interesting it becomes.

MP3: Erykah Badu – “The Cell”

MP3: Erykah Badu – “The Healer/Hip-Hop”

MP3: Erykah Badu – “Soldier”

ErykahBadu.com | MySpace | HypeMachine

Pick up New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War: BandWear | iTunes | Amazon | Insound

After listening to the album I was truly hooked on her feel, her sound and her attitude once again. Then a friend of mine turned me on to her latest VH1 SoulStage performance I was totally in love. If you can treat yourself to one music-related activity today, hang out with this show. Back again in the live situation Badu explains that recording is “perfecting a moment” while live “is creating a moment.” You can feel the energy and the group is soooo tight that they shift tempo and structure on the fly, all in stride. It is one of the best performances I’ve seen online and makes me want to do whatever it takes so see her live. Please, PLEASE check it out. It is nothing short of beautiful.

If Erykah Badu is proof of anything, it is the power of real, honest music. Enjoy.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3hyDxwJB-4M

Check out the rest of the set HERE.

She is, without a doubt, one of the strongest, sexiest women alive… fake fro and all.

This kid is the future.

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The DC music scene used to be known mostly for its punk in the 90’s, and only those familiar with the city know just how much things have changed. Up and coming bands like These United States are proof to all those skeptics out there that the DC scene is in no way, shape or form like it used to be.

The band’s debut album, A Picture of the Three of Us at The Gate to the Garden of Eden (as used herein, “the album”), deserves your immediate attention. Their soulful alternative, folk album will bring to mind the likes of M. Ward, Devendra Banhart, and Okkervil River. I have listened through “the album” a few dozen times, and only love it more and more upon each spin.

I dig the short Preface at the beginning of “the album;” it starts out almost as spoken word and gets the listener ready to jump into the deep end, with “First Sight,” and “Kings and Acres,” among the most solid tracks on “the album.” I can’t stop listening to “Burn this Bridge.” The African influenced drumbeat is awesome, and the passion in Elliott’s voice makes it one of the most uplifting songs I have heard in a long time. I can listen to every track between “Diving Boards Pointed at the Sky” and “Slow Crows Over” over and over again. They are all fantastic. You really can’t go wrong with any song on “the album.” The instrumentals scattered across A Picture of…”the album” are sometimes so passive that each listen differs slightly from the previous one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhWrxSM9-zo

Jesse Elliott, the lead singer behind These United States is one of the coolest cats you’ll come across. I met up with him a month or two ago, and quickly got a feel for his diversified background. He is creative, funny, and genuinely interested in those around him. I could tell from my modest conversation with him that he knows lots of people in lots of places, which, of course, makes sense after hearing that over 30 musicians from Chicago and DC helped out with “the album.” Just check out the pics on the TUS blog; I feel like you can get a vibe for what kind of guy Elliott is.

David Strackany, aka Paleo, is part of These United States, and may be best known for his 365 songs in 365 days project. Another admirable thing TUS currently has going on is a 33 day US tour where they play with a different local band in every city they hit (a highlight for me is that they are playing with Bon Iver). That’s the creativeness I’m talking about— getting that schedule together couldn’t have been as easy task. These United States’ innovative music is that much more innovative after you check out their site, myspace, and blog; I haven’t found one band that has managed themselves this well. Check to see if they are touring near you, I can’t wait for their return show at the Black Cat on April 13th.

Site | iTunes | Amazon | Amie St | Myspace |Day Trotter | Learn Your Geography

A week ago, I had the chance to see the Toronto band Born Ruffians perform at DC9. I listened through their new album Red, Yellow and Blue (Warp Records) several times throughout the weeks prior to the show, but other than that, didn’t know a whole lot about the band. I was surprised how young all three of the band members are, and they had the physical appearance of any typical high school band. The main difference though is that they played like they have been doing this for a long, long time. I had a great time watching the Born Ruffians perform and encourage you to check out their site to see if they are touring near you.

Clap Your Hands comes to mind when listening to the Born Ruffians, mainly because of Luke LaLonde’s distinct voice, that can at times be comparible to Alec Ounsworth, but I like them more than Clap Your Hands. Their music is some of the best indie rock I have heard recently, and while at first I thought this was an album I would only occasionally listen to, the catchy songs have only been growing more and more on me. With the combination of instrumentals, lead vocals, and doo-wop back-up vocals their music give off a 1950’s vibe that makes them stand out from the masses of indie rock being produced today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMYPiN1qqkk

First music video (Hummingbird)

Even though I am not typically one who particularly likes Pitchfork’s overwrought reviews, I really enjoyed reading their review of this album. Pitchfork Contributor Stuart Berman made some great points:

Arriving in Toronto three years ago from the nearby town of Midland, on paper Born Ruffians seemed antithetical to the prevailing group-hug atmosphere: they boast no auxiliary horn or string sections, no spotlight-stealing guest female singers, no balaclava-clad dancers– just three unassuming kids in standard guitar/bass/drums formation.

It is impressive how much the band has going on at one time, given that there are only three of them. They have a much more simple dynamic than most of the stand-out bands coming out of Canada, yet are able to do so much with the basic formation they have. At the show, my favorite part was watching Mitch DeRosier (bass) and Steve Hamelin (drums) sing back-up vocals. Mitch showed a lot of passion on bass and vocals and was jumping all over the place on the small stage at DC9.

On a side note, I don’t know what has been up with Canada, but one good band after another keeps popping up out of the country. Talk about an act of terror, US! What are we going to do about this? Can we really accept not being the number one country producing today’s best music? We need to up the ante. Any suggestions? All I’ve come up with is improving our music programs, er, bombing Canada.

Born Ruffians – I Need A Life

Born Ruffians – Little Garçon

Site| iTunes | Amazon| Insound| Myspace

Just wanted to remind you guys that the Plug Independent Music Awards are tonight at 8 pm EST. The awards will be hosted by Patton Oswalt and include performances by nominees St. Vincent, Dizzee Rascal, José Gonzalez, and The Forms DiVinci. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is headlining. I was actually supposed to attend the awards, which is being hosted at Terminal 5 in New York City, but had a last minute change of plans. Even though tickets are sold out, you can catch the whole event on a webcast HERE.

The Plug Awards were founded to highlight outstanding accomplishments within the independent music community, and if I’m not mistaken, you still have a little time to vote for various categories via Plug’s website. Michael Showalter, who is one of my biggest idols, also did three really funny promo videos for the Plug Awards which you can see below (click “continue reading” to see last two)

Here are a few songs that are on albums that have been nominated as Best of 2007:

Beirut – Nantes

Band of Horses – Ode to LRC

Radiohead – Reckoner

Justice – D.A.N.C.E.

The National – Fake Empire

My Predictions:

Album of The Year: Radiohead – In Rainbows

New Artist of The Year: Justice

Female Arist of the Year: Emily Haines (have to admit I’m not sure)

Male Artist of the Year: Andrew Bird

Indie Album of the Year: Band of Horses – Cease to Begin

Song of the Year: Justice -D.A.N.C.E. (though if up to me, The National – Fake Empire)

Live Act: Of Montreal

Music Video: Justice: D.A.N.C.E.

Record Label of the Year: Sub Pop

Music Website of the Year: This is close. Between Pitchfork, Daytrotter, and Hype Machine. I’m going with Hype Machine.

Music Blog of the Year: Brooklyn Vegan

Online Radio Station: Either KEXP or KCRW. I’m going with KEXP.

What do you think about my predictions? Make your own in the comments!

[vimeo 685295]

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