Back on one of those other block rockin' beats!

Beck-Motorcade

Quote of the Day!

Reuters:

Noting the music industry's complaints that illegal downloading means people are getting their music for free, he said, "Well, why not? It ain't worth nothing anyway."-That cool motherfucker known as Bob Dylan

I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself!

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Where did this video come from and why am I just now seeing it in the summer of 2006. The White Stripes album Elephant is one of the best albums of the 2000's hands down. A modern day classic with old school flourishes. Check out this video for I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself [a rollicking Burt Bacarach cover] starring Kate Moss, all sultry and seductive in black and white. Come for the tune, stay for the pole dancing. Best part? The end when she slides down the pole as the guitar buzzes and fades out. It sounds dirty but it ain't.

I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself


And another thing. How did we get by without YouTube? Everyone complains about the lack of music videos on MTV and the like but who cares when music/music videos you truly care about are readily accessible anytime on a daily basis? God bless you YouTube.

Right Here's The Spot

Are you sitting down? Really? Well prepare to get on the floor and shake that ass because the supersonic duo that is Basement Jaxx have decided to be really generous, offering up the entirety of their new album Crazy Itch Radio in stores September 12th for all to stream for free on myspace and their website. Sure placing music online before it is released can lead to illegal downloading, but true fans buy albums, and there is nothing worse than spending money on an album that has two to three good tracks. God bless streaming and pre-scanning. But then again I am not worried about Basement Jaxx's new album. It will be a soulful/booty-go-thump affair.

Stream the album here:

Basement Jaxx's official website

Basement Jaxx's Myspace stream

Big Ups Pete!

That's right Pete, get excited for it seems that you and your peter have reason to celebrate. According to aol.com you have come out on top when it comes to online searches for nude pictures. That places you above both Pamela Anderson and Paris Hilton who came in second and third place respectively. Dance, dance Pete. You deserve it!

It's all the way live!

Lists. The new black for 2006. If you ain't blogging and/or crafting a mixtape, you're crafting a list of some sort. Spin magazine is no stranger to all things list and in their latest issue they give us this, the 25 Greatest Live Bands Now!


1. U2
2. The Stooges
3. Arcade Fire
4. Red Hot Chili Peppers
5. Radiohead
6. White Stripes
7. Green Day
8. The Hives
9. Prince
10. The Dirtbombs
11. Queens Of The Stone Age
12. Turbonegro
13. My Chemical Romance
14. Yeah Yeah Yeahs
15. Riverboat Gamblers
16. The Flaming Lips
17. The Roots
18. My Morning Jacket
19. Art Brut
20. Gogol Bordello
21. Against Me!
22. LCD Soundsystem
23. AFI
24. The Mars Volta
25. Comets On Fire

Not bad. That's the first thought that comes to mind. Remember I said first thought, before I take the time to analyze. Upon first glance I say not bad. Before you get all angry this list isn't just about which band kicks ass on wax, no, this list is which band kicks ass on wax, and then brings it on stage with the sound, the visuals, the charisma, and most importantly the entertainment and consistency. [None of that time to go to the bathroom shit as is the case at a Madonna show when she straps on a guitar.]That is the main reason why U2 is at the top, cause they bring it and they pace it well.

That still doesn't mean I would put them at the top. Granted I have not seen them live, in fact I have only seen five of the 25 acts [Radiohead, The White Stripes, The Hives, Prince, and The Roots] but thanks to the wonders of Youtube, award shows and the like I know who brings it live and that is why I can respect the acts that I need to see but haven't who are on this list. [Yeah Yeah Yeahs, My Morning Jacket, The Flaming Lips and Queens of the Stone Age.]

Now let's look at that top ten again. That needs to be rearranged and/or worked with no? [I'm past the first glance not bad stance now] Without adding my own bands and working with what they provide my top ten would look like this:

1.Arcade Fire -from what I hear the band to see live. Known til play til they can't play no more. [literally the instruments come apart, strings go this way and that, etc.]
2.The White Stripes [Jack White knows how to perform and you'll be surprised how two people can remain so fresh and raw for nearly three hrs.]
3.The Hives [Cocky, balls to the walls power-pop punk with hints of Screamin Jay Hawkins, James Brown, and Mick Jagger in frontman Howlin Pete. Did I mention the matching suits, perfect stage lighting and giant Vegas like name plate in the background?]
4.The Flaming Lips [Bringing out the inner kid in us all one concert and psychedlic leaning at a time.]
5.Yeah Yeah Yeahs [Frontwoman Karen O has more persona in her eyelashes than most of her male and female counterparts have in their entire body. And Nick Zinner is a sight to behold for such a nimble little being.]
6.Radiohead [Like a bottle of fine wine...Thom Yorke and company finally seem comfortable with the fact that they have fans who know all the words to their songs. And it shows, particularly in the way they'll play all night if they need to.]
7.U2 [The voice. The hits. The christ like leanings. The size. The capacity. The fans. The screams. The organization.]
8.My Morning Jacket [Finally a band that knows how to jam, groove, move, and entertain an audience. Cop the live album. In stores soon. You'll see what I am talking about. They ain't big on the Bonaroo like circuits for nothing.]
9. Prince. [See U2.]
10. The Roots [Live hip hop (and straight up music for that matter) at its finest. Known to always accomplish that much sought after role of appearing polished and refined while at the same time seeming off the cuff and completely spontaneous.]

And now, the omissions:

1.Wilco. Hands down the first band that comes to mind. Come on now. Are you kidding me? The last two albums were especially crafted to be played live and when they are OH MY GOD. Amazing. Cop the live double album Kicking Television and you'll see what I am talking about.

2.David Bowie. Sure he ain't touring everyone goddamn year like a rolling stone or a madonna, but when he hits a stage [as he did at Area 2 a few years back] he still has it. Handsome, vocally secure, and willing and able to masterfully mix the old with the new. Good times had by all.

3.Peaches. Yeah the schtick should be old by now, but it ain't. Especially when you match the antics to the beats. Too much.

4.The Sounds. Not as popular as they would like to be, but if you get a chance to catch this band live, [all synths and in your face sexuality from frontwoman Maja Ivarsson] you will not be dissapointed. Maya and Karen O, hands down, two of the best frontwomen around right now. No joke.

5. The Hold Steady. You ever go to a bar or some dive and there's a band playing that just gets its audience? The band just knows who they are playing to and treats everyone like bff's along for the ride that is watching them perform.

6. Le Tigre. These girls know how to get down AND get a message across without beating you over the head with it. Nuff said.

That's all for now. But all in all not bad Spin, not bad. But seriously no Wilco? Come on now, come on.

Oh I Wanna Dance With Somebody!

Not a New Yorker, but I just assume that the NY Post is New York's USA Today or a National Enquirer with more news, less gossip [or the right amount], all razzle dazzle, snap, crackle, and pop; Large print, crazy photographs, headlines and covers so large they nearly smack you in the face and ask who's your daddy. Take today's cover story which manages to combine two totally different social and newsworthy phenomenons and make them one:



Go further inside the mag(?)[newspaper ?] and you're hit with this:

Osama bin Laden has more on his mind than just the destruction of the United States - the world's most wanted terrorist is obsessed with Whitney Houston, so much so that he's even mulled a hit on her hubby, Bobby Brown.
Kola Boof, 37, the Sudanese poet and novelist who claims to have once been bin Laden's sex slave, writes in her autobiography, Diary of a Lost Girl, which is excerpted in the September Harper's: "He told me Whitney Houston was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen."

Boof - who wrote for the soap opera "The Days of Our Lives" until she was axed last month - continues, "He said that he had a paramount desire for [Houston] and although he claimed music was evil, he spoke of someday spending vast amounts of money to go to America and try to arrange a meeting."

Boof says bin Laden couldn't stop talking about his favorite singer and had lofty plans for her. "He said he wanted to give [her] a mansion that he owned in a suburb of Khartoum. He explained to me that to possess Whitney, he would be willing to break his color rule and make her one of his wives."

But bin Laden's murderous side also emerged in his fantasies about the pop superstar.

"[He would say] how beautiful she is," Boof claims, "what a nice smile she has, how truly Islamic she is but is just brainwashed by American culture and by her husband - Bobby Brown, whom Osama talked about having killed, as if it were normal to have womens' husbands killed.

"In his briefcase, I would come across photographs of the Star [magazine], as well as copies of Playboy. It would soon come to the point where I was sick of hearing Whitney Houston's name," Boof writes.


I wish I was making this up. I truly have no witty banter or hard hitting commentary for this one. I'll just let the words speak for themselves. Yeah I don't even know where to begin or how to touch this one. Kudos NY Post. I'm totally flabbergasted.

The Union Forver

I forget where I was exactly, but not too long ago I was scanning some indie rock blog and amidst all the up to date info on Snakes on a Plane, Killers bashing from fans, and anything Gnarls Barkley [your new favorite band even if you don't know it yet]I ran across a post that simply said something along the lines of 'I miss the White Stripes'. The writer had no new news or anything to report on the Stripes, he just posted a collection of great photos of the duo and longed for the not too far gone days where they were a force to be reckoned with and The Raconteurs were just an idea. [Not that I don't love me some Raconteurs. Best start and end songs on a disc this year: Steady as she goes and Blue Veins respectively.] I was angry I didn't come up with the idea first cause I do miss the White Stripes, and their Get Behind Me Satan tour was kickass. [Grab a performance of The Nurse and you'll see what I am talking about.] Word on the street is the "band" is just on hiatus which is good news to my ears. And later on this fall you can catch them on an episode of the Simpsons, which is apparently a dream come true for drummer Meg. Thank God they're still kicking.

That's Hot!

It's here. In two days anybody who chooses to do so can get their hands on a copy of Paris Hitlon's debut album. And you know what, it ain't half bad. Yeah that's right, I said it. Call her what you want, but when it comes to marketing the brand that is Paris Hilton, she ain't stupid.

I say this because when Paris decided to set her sights on moving from singing with a brush in front of her mirror to singing with a mic in a recording studio, she knew she had to surround herself with producers and songwriters that could work well with her and get it right. And guess what, she did.

For six of the 11 tracks Scott Storch is on board, housing Paris' vocals in the club thumping soundscapes not too distant from those he provided for Chris Brown and others. Turn You On, one of the best tracks on the album, outlines a typical night for Paris where she dances on the table top and attracts stares from guys and girls alike, but who can't blame them cause she's sexy. Sexy enough to cover Rod Stewart's old school hit Do Ya Think I'm Sexy and actually not fuck it up. I kid you not.

Across the board, Paris aims to dip her feet into whatever genre works for her, or is present on her Ipod. Lead single Stars are Blind, gives a little reggae, a little Blondie, and a little Stefani. Heartbeat passes itself off for a Time after the Time for the two double O 6, while Jealousy [a peak into her "feud" with Nicole Richie perhaps?] out alternative rocks Lindsay, Hillary, and Ashlee Simpson's latest single by merely being catchy and smartly put together.

Yeah she probably wrote none of the songs on this disc. And her voice may be layered. And we may have to wait til a live performance to see if she is as passionate about this as she wants us all to believe. And yeah it's no album of the year. But all that aside, this disc is good for what it is: 35 minutes of head bobbing, ass shaking, catchy pop music. I'm not sure I am ready for Paris the pop starlet, but I am always down for some good pop music. And I'm cool with the whole Stacy Q vibe for 2006.

Key Tracks: Turn You On, Do You Think I'm Sexy, Screwed


*Now normally I would not waste my time writing a review of a Paris Hilton album but said screw it when I saw that the NY Post gave it three out of four stars and made some strong points that I totally agree with. Check it out:

NY Post's review of Paris

SSSSSS!!! Fire baby!

Yeah I know. Not really a music post, but I felt that I, along with everyone else in the world of blogging, had to weigh in with my two cents and you know what, this movie is, and I quote, "all that and a bag of chips." Drama, suspense, comedy, it's all here and there's a fine balance of laughing with the cast and crew and laughing at them. Another great surprise is the large influx of 'that guy' characters, as in 'that guy is in this movie?' For example this movie has that guy from Will and Grace and Happy Endings, that guy from UPN's One on One, that chick from Clueless the television show, and that guy from Anchorman. [And Kennan from Kennan and Kel is in it doing his usual funny Kennan schtick.] And the glue holding it all together? That would be Samuel L. Jackson who gives a performance that is neither tongue in cheek or over the top, he just brings it and when that infamous line comes near the end you can't help but clap your hands and cheer. [At least that's what I did along with my fellow SOAP audience members. Props must be given to Julianna Marguiles of ER fame for also turning in a fine performance.]Drunk*, stoned*, or sober you will enjoy this movie. Destined to be a classic. And make sure you round up the troops for this one. Definitely one of the best social outings to come along in quite some time.


*If you find yourself drinking before the flick just make sure you actually make it to the theatre. I have friends who bought tickets in advance, who were waiting for quite some time to see the flick. Then Friday rolled around and copious amounts of alcohol were consumed resulting in a fun drunken night that did not include Snakes on a Plane. But don't fret, they did manage to get their money back.

MIXTAPE FRIDAYS!

It was the last week of school. The upcoming Wednesday was the last day of classes. I had two dance classes: Advanced Technique and Advanced Reperoty and Performance and I had three academic classes: my senior seminar, Visuality and Ethnicity in Contemporary Art, Modern Art, and my pass/fail zero level Chemistry class that I needed to pass in order to graduate. [Did I mention it was my last semester of college?]

It was also the week following Ivie's weekend. For those who don't know Ivie's weekend is pretty much a four day excursion at Bowdoin [for others a week] into debauchery. You drink and drink and drink, morning, noon, and night from Thursday through Sunday. And if the weather is nice, [as it was this year] you do so on the quad with your nalgene full of liquor, your cooler, a moon bounce, some couches, and live performances. [this year we nabbed OK GO].

The Sunday following Ivie's I caught the flu. A bad case of it. Sucks for me. Fortunately it was the last week of classes so sleeping through many of my classes and work was ok. Unfortunately I had a 15-20 page paper due for my seminar and a final for my Modern Art class on that Weds when classes came to an end before Reading Period.

For my seminar we had to pick an artist and do an in depth paper on their works as well as a presentation for the class. It was not to be a biography piece, but, as stated before, and in depth look, an exploration if you will into the life, times, and works of the artist. I went with African American artist David Hammons. A visual/contemporary/performance artist whose works deals a lot with African Americans, their histories, and conditions and often utilizes found objects such as hair collected from barber shops in Harlem, empty night train bottles, and used, greased chicken bags. I had a ball diving into his creations and opinions on American life. Once I started typing, the idea of stretching his and my thoughts into 15-20 pages wasn't so scary as it was at the outset and things were okay. [As evidenced by the high grade I eventually recieved on the paper and in the class.] Check out some of his work here:

Works of David Hammons

It also happened to be a week after the last dance show of my Bowdoin career. My Advanced Dance class did a moving 15 minute modern/contemporary piece set to four songs from The Rodeo Eroded album by the Tin Hat Trio. Seeing as how the it was only a week after the show I found myself stuck with the Tin Hat Trio's songs in my head quite often and listened to them quite a bit as I crafted my paper on David Hammons/studied for my Modern Art final/battled the flu.

One song from the album that stands out is one of the few with vocals titled Willow Weep For Me. It's a gorgeous orchestral number featuring sweeping vocals from none other than Willie Nelson. We had danced to it in class but I had no idea it was on the Tin Hat Trio's disc til I got my hands on a copy following the show. Immediately I knew I had a new favorite song and the one way to guarantee continued listening was to craft a playlist around it. I had the flu and was knee deep in art; It was on the brain like whoa, hence the title of the playlist:

David Hammons

1/Blue Veins/The Raconteurs
2/It's A Man's Man's World/James Brown
3/Willow Weep For Me/Tin Hat Trio feat Willie Nelson
4/Porcelain/Red Hot Chili Peppers
5/Ode To L.A./The Ravonettes feat. Ronnie Spector
6/Satisfied/Prince
7/Waves/The Elected
8/Subterranean Homesick Blues/Bob Dylan
9/Long Haired Child/Devendra Banhart
10/Gone/Kanye West feat. Consequence and Camron
11/29/Ryan Adams

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, I'm floating in a constant heaven!

Earlier this week we saw shots of Kate Moss and Pete Doherty in a London bar drinking guiness, giving an impromptu acoustic performance, and having a good time. We all secretly hoped that they would play it safe and the buck would stop there. Especially Mr. Doherty. And then, this:

Breitbart.com reports that today Pete Doherty was chraged with not one, not two, not three, but seven, count em seven (!) counts of possessing drugs including cocaine and diamorphine. Seems Britain's favorite lush was stopped by police in the London streets on suspesion of drug possession. And there suspicions proved correct. So much for that whole rehab stint and implant to stop the cravings, or whatever it was for.

For the moment Kate Moss seems to be in the clear leaving Pete all alone with his charges, asking the bobbies, "how come everytime you come around my London, London Bridge keeps going down?"

Murder Was The Case That They Gave Me

A while back Beyonce dropped her first single and video for her upcoming sophomore album B'Day. Many people did not and still don't care for either. But I like both of them. Her second single however did not grab me right away and on first listen I didn't care for it. But I held out hope; a video was sure to be next and hopefully Beyonce could whip up something that could in turn warm me up to the song.

And guess what? She did. [God what did artists do before music videos? Oh yeah they made good music that stood on its own for the most part. But I digress...]

Ain't gon lie. This video showcases some of the best acting B has ever done. She plays the wealthy wifey scorned cause her boo has found someone else to throw chinchillas and shit at well. Those scenes of her in what appears to be the big house over looking the water are straight up chilling for the mere fact that the lyrics come to life in her facial expressions, gyrations, and urgency. It's one of those rare times when the visuals force you to listen to what is coming out of the artists's mouth cause obviously she is pissed. There's also a "mmm hmm sister girl" Texas bitch you don't mess with tone to it all and I'll be damned if anyone wants to cross Beyonce when she's like this.

And who doesn't like the nod to Basic Instinct and the artistic close up of the bright red lips parting to smile at the end. It seems B is vindicated at the end of it all, but exactly what did she do? The mystery is chilling.

Beyonce : Ring the Alarm

And now a few words [again] from Justin Timberlake

Today is Thursday August 17, 2006. Justin Timberlake's new album Futuresex/Lovesounds doesn't drop til Tuesday September 12th meaning we got a whole nother two and half of weeks of Justin shedding his Mouseketeer image and reveling more in the life and times of Dirty Pop. So once again, Justin Timberlake has something to say [this time to Fashion Rocks, a fall supplement to Vanity Fair] in hopes that you are listening and will in turn, cop the album.

On dating Spears:
“I dated Britney half my life, but I don’t know that person anymore. I’m not sure I knew her before. If I was writing an article about her, I would not be able to fight the urge to write every dirty thing about her.”

On his ’80s-inspired album, Future Sex/Love Sounds:
“I wanted it to look to a time when everything was really sexy. Maybe everybody was coked up, but who cares? It was hot. It was all about sex.”

On smoking weed:
“I remember the first time it was reported that I smoked pot. I was like, Y’all don’t? that’s why I sort of respect Kate Moss. I think you lose once you start trying to analyze what people like. So I’m like, I hope you like how I live, but if you don’t, you don’t.”

Oh and word on the street is baby boy doesn't

want Lindsay Lohan showing up at his album release party.

In the words of 50 Cent, "HAHA..daaammmmn homie!."

Oh Hell No!

Boy am I mad that I missed out on this:

According to Janet Charlton's Hollywood:

Just another wild night out with Paris Hilton. Thursday at Hyde, Paris's music producer Scott Storch hosted her and a Jenna Jameson and Brandon Davis at his booth. Paris was chugging right out of a Grey Goose vodka bottle and getting wilder by the minute- she and Jenna started pawing each other and smooching and dancing provocatively. Paris leaped to dance on the table for maximum exposure. Christina Aguilera and her dancers were at the next table (It so happens Scott Storch produced HER album too!) and when they saw Paris table dancing they leaped on their own table for a dance off. The dance contest- without benefit of a dancefloor- lasted until the girls collapsed in a sweaty heap.

I hope they doused those tables in cleaner or bleach after all was said and done. I wonder who out "danced" who? Christina and her troop from the Dirrty video or Paris and Jenna Jameson's clan. I could see it now. One group all dirrty and chiseled with multi-colored extensions and assless chaps, while the other group is all pretty in pink, scantily clad, and making out...under a black light.

For the record: Scott Storch did not produce anything on Back to Basics though he was approached. He did produce nearly a 3rd of Stripped. Yeah he and Baby Jane ain't really on good terms as previously noted. [Back to Basics has a track titled F.U.S.S. which includes the spoken line, "Guess I didn't need you/ Still got the album out"]

Bottle of Blues

I'm not gonna lie, I fucking love this asshole. He always looks dishelved or as if he just finished a handle of jack and a pack of cigarettes. And such a persona comes across on record. And we all know a few Ryan Adams'. You know, the guy with the haircut, and the jeans, and the tiny t-shirt. Thin and hip too cool to talk to you, but he will cause somehow you wound up in his circle. Lucky you.

At the same time your Ryan can be slightly emotional, somewhat vulnerable, and just damn sad. [which will, more times than not be mistakened for apathy.] Just more to love.

Word on the street is Ryan plans on releasing a mountain of cd's again this year trying everyone's patience and pocketbook, but somehow in the midst of it all he has found the time to get his Jack White on and produce an album for a country/folk legend. Be on the look out for Willie Nelson's Songbird, produced entirely by Mr. Adams himself and backed by his new pet project the Cardinals. Several of the tracks are covers [including the obligatory cover of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah.]and are sure to be nothing short of stellar. If all goes well, it could be this year's Van Lear Rose. Stay tuned.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

Hey druken frat/indie/gay/scenster/punk/regular old guy! If you thought Kelly Clarkson was to only recieve points for having one of the best singles to be released in the last five years, boy were you wrong. Check out this video where Kelly makes a bid to become your new bestfriend.

Kelly Clarkson goes wild in Hollywood!

Oops... I did it again!

Brintey Spears on baby #2:

"It just kind of happened..."


Britney Spears on pregnancy:

"I feel like I've been pregnant for 10 years!...It is now starting to get a little tiring, holding (Sean Preston), but the whole pregnancy I've done it a lot because he's very attached...It makes me feel needed and wanted, so I like it too."

Britney Spears on getting pregnant again:

"I'm going to wait a while for the next (one)!"

Britney Spears on Kevin Federline:

...

More, More, More

This just in from the folks over at What Would Tyler Durden Do. It seems Jessica Simpson was previously married to a man with less than stellar equipment below the waist. She is quoted as saying in Times Magazine:

"Nick didn't pack too well if you know what I mean, but I got over it."

And then she kept on running at the mouth about Mr. Lachey's unit this past weekend:

"Nick's small package was a problem sometimes, like the first time we had sex, to tell you the truth, I didn't really feel much, I faked the whole thing, I really felt sorry for him, I still loved him though."

Now if she is indeed going around saying all of this then that is just wrong. I am sure Nick Lachey is biting his tongue when it comes to discussing life with Jessica Simspon because well it's nobody's business but their own. [Actually we all know Nick bites his tongue. Go back and watch an episode of Newlyweds.]

But then again I am not surprised by such comments. Jessica has a new album coming out August 29th, a week after Paris', and two weeks after Christina Aguilera's. Ashlee is getting more attention than her these days. People didn't warm up to the first single [unfortunately. I dig it.]or the star studded old school video that accompanied it. She can't snag a man and her hairdresser [who is in a relationship with a man so he's off limits]seems to be the only man in her life at the moment.

Meanwhile Nick Lachey is back in the game and doing fine. Sucks to be Jessica.

Stop (!) In the Name of Love!

Kate Moss. Pete Doherty. North London. Surprise performance in a bar. Pint of Guiness. Some cigs. Play it safe kids. Play it safe.