Elephant 6: Target-ed

As Stereogum, so astutely noted in a recent post, not one, but two songs by Elephant 6 bands have been used in commercials by Target. Normally it's a pretty cliche/fruitless endeavor to debate the merits and consequences of "selling-out" (for lack of a better term). However the convergence of Beulah AND Apples in Stereo licensing their songs for the same corporation has got me wondering which band spawned by the masterful psych-pop collective will be next. Something tells me fans of Neutral Milk Hotel shouldn't worry. I don't think the world is ready for Jeff Mangum to sell them discount designer dishware.

In case you're wondering what songs were used:
Go - Apples in Stereo (live)

Silver Lining - Beulah

pretty self-explanatory

I really don't have much to say about this, but if you're exceptional at chemisty (and hate migraines!), you might know.

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals - The Drugs Don't Work.mp3 (live Verve cover)

Aesop Rocks; John Darnielle Raps

Well, maybe he doesn't exactly rap, but still, the head Mountain Goat himself drops a verse on literate rapper Aesop Rock's upcoming album None Shall Pass out August 28th. It's really interesting to hear his yelping vocals placed over throbbing hip-hop beats, and somehow the half-spoken/sung passage makes for an unlikely collaboration that totally works. Check it out at the 3:17 mark.

Coffee - Aesop Rock (ft. John Darnielle)

In other tMG/hip-hop news (I can't believe I just started a sentence with the words "In other tMG/hip-hop news") check out this blog post on Popsheep that likens R. Kelly to JD. One of the most hilarious things I've read in ages.

"It only looks like a laser gun that kills people"

If you like songs that contain a killer robot who threatens to kill the singer alongside spacey electro-pop synths, you'll adore Andrew Thompson's "We're in Business" (off the now out of print Egad!). Yes, it's ridiculous, over-the-top, slightly gimmicky, but the part where the robot coyly states "It only looks like a laser gun that kills people" gets me every single time. If you're looking for a laugh, look no further.

We're in Business - Andrew Thompson

the unrequitABLE crush

The sad truth about being married is that it does not kill your ability to have crushes on other people, particularly younger coworkers. *cough* In the spirit of not unrequited but unrequitABLE crushes (and other love events that are simply not meant to be--but you feel OK about it!), I provide the following selections to jam out to:

Biz Markie - You Say He's Just A Friend.mp3
Well, no. But there is something horrible about the feeling of meeting someone for the first time--seeing in their eyes they already like you--and then mentioning you've just gotten back from your honeymoon. Ouch. You sort of feel like a bitch, but you have no regrets. Fuck, you just got married to the man of your dreams. No apologies for that.

Handsome Boy Modeling School (feat. Cat Power) - I've Been Thinking.mp3
A discreetly sexy, slinky song, and an absolute perfect pairing of musicians here.

Touch & Go - Would You...?.mp3
The ultimate in awkward proposals. A feisty, punchy jazz tune.

Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor.mp3
"Stop making the eyes at me I'll stop making the eyes at you." This generation's version of loving the one you love (you know, as opposed to just the one you're with). This song was such a fantastic hit a year or so ago that if you haven't scooped it up by now, shame on you.

Reefer Madness: The Musical! - Romeo & Juliet.mp3
Speaking of Montagues and Capulates (as mentioned in the last song) and other fated loves that just not meant to be, these two chirrupy kids are just so darned happy about their doomed love!

Just in case you need a refresher course:

ROMEO: If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this;
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
'To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.

JULIET: Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,
Which mannerly devotion shows in this;
For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,
And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss.

ROMEO: Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?

JULIET: Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.

ROMEO: O! then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;
They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.

JULIET: Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake.

ROMEO: Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take.
Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged.
(they kiss)

Bob Dylan - Most Likely You Go Your Way And I'll Go Mine.mp3
The best resolution one can hope for, in the most upbeat and optimistic way imaginble.

There's Nazis In The Bathroom, Just Below The Stairs

Speaking of Green Day covering songs they really have no business covering, you may have heard their take on John Lennon's "Working Class Hero." To say it makes my ears feel somewhat sad is like saying stepping on a rusty spike makes my foot fell somewhat sore. The song has been taken from the recently released "Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur." The album, which consists entirely of Lennon covers, has good intentions to be sure, and some of the tracks sound promising. The Flaming Lips' take on "(Just Like) Starting Over" being a case in point. But then we have offerings like (I shudder) Avril Lavigne covering "Imagine," like (I quake) Christina Aguilera covering "Mother," like (I gag) Aerosmith covering "Give Peace A Chance." And let's not forget the God awful Green Day cover, or the Black Eyed Peas trying their hand's at "Power to the People."

And so, I offer you here, ten Lennon covers that I actually like. That do not make me want to jam needles into my own ear drums at the mere thought of them.

Jason McNiff : Tommorrow Never Knows
An acoustic rendition of the spazzed out psychadelic Revolver closer. The lyrics are incredible, and perhaps come across more here without that amazingly crazy music to compete with.

Willy Mason : Nobody Told Me
Not hugely different to the original. More restrained perhaps. I just really like Mason's voice.

Jim Reid : And Your Bird Can Sing
Where the original was light and fun, this version is gothic and creepy and really quite sinister. "Look in my direction, I'll be 'round" takes on a different kind of meaning here.

Joseph Arthur : Look At Me
A fuller, more echoey kind of sound. It plays up the drifting, floating quality of the original. Which, actualy, is a favourite of mine, so I'm going to upload that one as well. The original.

Exit Clov : Working Class Hero
Ethereal female vocals, soft at first but that slowly build up into a huge and beautiful climax. Creepy and haunting, this is everything the Green Day version is not.

Feeder : Beautiful Boy
Makes the sweetest (and saddest, given that he recorded so close to his death) Lennon song sound like a pop billboard hit. By rights I should hate this one, but I really, really, don't. It lacks the intimacy of Lennon's original, but it has its charms.

Mark Malcahy : She Said She Said
A minimalistic take, with a delicious kind of dead pan humour suggested by the vocals.


The Painted Faces : A Day In The Life
Awesomely distorted, sounds like its drifting down to you late at night through a barely found station on the am band. Chilling stuff.

Kubb : Mother
Soft, almost hesitant. Instead of trying to emulate the throat tearing intensity of the original's ending, here it is almost a triumphant, stadium like sing a long.

Jeff Mangum and Chris Knox : Mother (live)
And here they do try and match the ending. They don't even come close to the pain and emotion Lennon achieves, but they try their gosh darn hardest, bless them.

D'oh!

Anyone want to tell me why Green Day is covering The Simpson's Theme song???

Bowerbirds!

I am quite thrilled that the Bowerbirds are opening for the Mountain Goats on their upcoming Fall tour. Those unfamiliar with the North Carolina trio are missing out on the group's all too lovely harmonies, warm acoustic strumming and stark, skeletal melodies. There latest album Hymns For A Dark Horse is exactly that - natural and gothic, yet tinged with light.

Olive Hearts - Bowerbirds
(Just wait 'till the stomping musical buildup kicks in at the the 1:57 mark)

In Our Talons - Bowerbirds

Happy Birthday, Rufus Wainwright!

From Wikipedia, because I would make is bio 13 pages long:
"Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright (born July 22, 1973) is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter. He is the brother of Martha Wainwright, the half brother of Lucy Wainwright Roche, and the son of Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle. Since 1998, he has recorded five albums of original music, several EPs, and numerous tracks included on compilations and film soundtracks."

Despite another's opposition, I maintain that he is the most talented person in his family, Martha's soul-haunting verses be damned! But don't take my word for it:

Oh What a World.mp3 (from Want One)
Hometown Waltz.mp3 (from Want Two)
Rebel Prince.mp3 (from Poses)
Careless Whisper (live).mp3 (with Ben Folds! And Yes'm, that's a Wham! cover)

2,742 Mashups!

I've just stumbled upon a motherload of mashups at GoodBlimey.com. There are literally thousands of creative bastard-pop songs to choose from. (Click at your own expense, you'll be perusing and streaming the site for days.)

While I've only listened to a handful, I am currently enamored with a pretty brilliant hybrid of Joanna Newsom's "Bridges and Ballooons," Missy Elliott's "One Minute Man," and The Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever." All three disparate songs co-mingle in loopy, musical bliss. I can also recommend Snoop Dog and the Flaming Lips pretty funky mashup as well. Let us know which ones you like!

Fitter, Happier, More Productive

Adjusting the Volume Knob on Walter III

Announcing the birth of Walter III with two fitting, computer-y songs:

Sufjan Stevens - Dear Mr. Supercomputer.mp3 (from The Avalanche)
Radiohead - Fitter Happier.mp3 (from OK Computer)

White Rabbits on Letterman

It's always interesting to see what happens when a buzz-y, blogworthy band gets exposure on a national late night television show. I seriously am being to think Letterman and Conan are the only outlets (with the exception of commercials which carry the burden of mega-sellout baggage) in which indie bands can gain acceptance, or at least a modicum of visibility into the mainstream. The latest example of this would be the White Rabbits' performance of "The Plot" on Letterman. I am totally digging their hats, along with the hardcore tambourine playing.

Additional factoid - all six bandmates supposedly live with one and another in a New York loft. How cute.

VIP, Drinks on me

Transformative covers never cease to amuse me.
Leave it to this guy to bring Sexy Back in a romping Americana fashion.

Rock Plaza Central - SexyBack (Justin Timberlake cover)

Art Brut Heart Harry Potter!

But honestly who doesn't? Ok, so June doesn't, but she's a freak. (I kid, I kid)
Anyways, enjoy oogling the adorableness of this photo, shot July 11 when both Daniel Radcliffe and Eddie Argos & company appeared on Conan O'Brien:

June on short haitus

Walter II, you will always be loved...

We are gathered here today to remember my beloved 12" G4 PowerBook, Walter II, which passed away two nights ago. As the collector of live cuts, cover songs, and rarities, and the production unit to four novels, he provided me with endless hours of amusement (as long as he was plugged in).
He was almost four years old.

He was much beloved by me, as I have known him longer and have spent more time with him than my actual husband. He leaves behind a 30G hard drive space that was positively overflowing with delicious music.

He is survived and, hopefully on Friday, will be replaced by Walter III, his 13" G4 MacBook successor with more than four times the hard drive space with which to fill up with fabulous new music to be shared by all.

Let's have a moment of silence, please, for my anguishing 5 days without iTunes.

Old and New Blitzen Trapper

Portland's genre-defying Blitzen Trapper have been getting a lot of indie publicity lately, but it hasn't always been that way. I hate to toot my own horn, but yours truly was one of the first individuals outside the Pacific Northwest to heartily endorse the band's free-wheeling approach to alt-country-psych-pop-rock brilliance. Check out this review I wrote nearly two year before Pitchfork bestowed the band with a Best New Music honor.

Anyways I could make comparisons to bands as disparate as Wilco, Pavement, The Shins and Of Montreal but none would feel right, nor give you a complete sense of BT's sound. And while I've yet to give their latest album a proper listen, it's probably because I'm still so obsessed with their 2005 album Field Rexx. The album contains sublime freak-pop, forays into bluegrass, lo-fi shambolic psych-rock freakouts and a lot of sounds in between. To quote myself "some might say the album lacks consistency, but it never lacks focus. Every song is fully formed and played agilely. This is a band of artists at ease with their ability to traverse genre and form, and in the process they continue to remember that melody is a quintessential to making memorable music. And maybe that’s why it will always make me smile."

To illustrate my point check out these three tracks and try -just try- to remember they are all off of the same album. Quite a feat if you ask me.

Asleep For Days - Blitzen Trapper

Concrete Heaven - Blitzen Trapper

Love I Exclaim - Blitzen Trapper

And one from their latest album Wild Mountain Nation:

Wild Mountain Nation - Blitzen Trapper

It was also recently announced that the boy of Blitzen Trapper just signed to Sub Pop. It couldn't of happened to a more deserving band.

Calling all Neutral Milk Hotel Fans living in Nashville

Anybody going to this tomorrow? Despite my distaste for a capella, I'm willing to make an exception for the beauty of this event. After all, the power of In the Aeroplane is something more strongly felt, than sung. Plus free pudding. Almost makes me wish I lived in Tennessee.

"Do you know why you get feelings in your heart?"

I adore, adore, adore Richard Hawley. His raspy British croon, his melancholy lyrics and sumptuous arrangements all make me swoon. If you are unfamiliar with the singer, please check out his latest video for "Tonight the Streets Are Ours," quite possibly his poppiest and most optimistic song to date. Watching it was probably the happiest thng to happen to me today. Those of you fortunate enough to live in the UK can get your hands on his upcoming album Lady's Bridge August 20th. Those of us in the States will have to wait until October 2nd. You have no idea how bummed this makes me.

2005's Coles Corner was probably that year's most underated album. Brimming with sorrow and strings and solitude, it's the perfect soundtrack to the candle-lit evening for one where you hope on a whim a special someone will show up, but you know in your heart they never will. Yeah, I spent a lot of time with this gem of a record. Check out the stunning title track and a live version of "Hotel Room":

Mountain Goat Covers, Part 2

Here are all those tMG covers I promised:

No Surprises - The Mountain Goats (Radiohead cover)
This one seems apt given all the attention being awarded to OK Computer's tenth anniversary.

Cut Your Hair - The Mountain Goats (Pavement cover)
Another indie anthem gets the John Darnielle treatment.

Two-Headed Boy - The Mountain Goats (Neutral Milk Hotel cover)
JD is definitely aware of the risk he's taking covering a song by a band that's saved more people than Jesus. Before he even starts to sing he states "I know there are a few of you out there living and dying with this one". Indeed, count us among them.

Reel Around the Fountain - The Mountain Goats (The Smiths cover)
The audio quality on this one's not the best, but oh I can deal with the static to hear Mr. Darnielle sing some of the most uber-romantic lyrics ever written, Fifteen minutes with you, well I wouldn't say no Neither would we.

In case you missed some of the more unconventional songs covered by tMG (including songs by such musical geniuses R. Kelly and Ace of Base), be sure to check them out here in my earlier post.

Winter in July + A Tribute to Radiohead

And how could we forget Radiohead?

This might be the one time in Thom Yorke's career where he actually sounds like he could be smiling.
Winter Wonderland - Radiohead

Oh and while we're on the subject, check out Stereogum's stupendous tribute to OK Computer, which features contributions from John Vanderslice, My Brightest Diamond, the Cold War Kids and many more.