One of Kateg's favorite label, Polyvinyl, is offering a free 16-track album at polyvinylrecords.com/mentalmath. The sampler includes a ton of bands we've previously covered: Architecture In Helsinki, Mates of State, Asobi Seksu, Headlights - just to name a few.
Incidentally, one of those band, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin are on tour:
- 12/02/09 Outland* Springfield, MO
12/06/09 Binghamton University Vestal, NY
12/07/09 Bell House Brooklyn, NY
12/08/09 Summit Columbus, OH
12/09/09 Bishop Bloomington, IN
12/12/09 Outland Ballroom Springfield, MO
01/13/10 Maxine’s Pub Hot Springs, AK
01/23/10 Gallery Sounds Collective Springfield, MO
01/28/10 Schubas EARLY ALL AGES SHOW Chicago, IL
01/29/10 Courtyard Cafe Champaign, IL
01/30/10 Mojo’s Columbia, MO
01/31/10 Jackpot Lawrence, KS
* SSLYBY 10th Anniversary show with Brian Azevedo and Lamentia
I got a download sample and press release for this band's latest "double a-side single" for Simple Pleasures/Like Dat. Generally, I am not accepting singles, remixes, or demos, but since I did enjoy their previous single for "Your Music is Killing Me" and "You've Got To" (especially the Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim remix), I did give these two new songs a listen.
What can I say ? I really dig the old-school punk intro, followed by this weird 80s pop singing, then some rasta-thing. Not really sure what to classify the whole thing, except that it's quite dancey. As for "Like Dat", I wasn't keen on this as much. Perhaps it's the rap song is such a stark contrast to the other song... but that's probably why people like Young Punx.
Currently, I think you can only get Simple Pleasures/Like Dat on iTunes. If you want to wait, I think these two songs are going to be available on their upcoming album, Mashpop & Punkstep, due out in 2010.
Anyway, since this is the "free" post, you can head over to their official website under theyoungpunx.com/../mp3, you'll find a ton of free mixes and oddities. My favorite are any remix of "Juice and Gin".
Also, some random thoughts: I survived Black Friday. I have never seen so many people out in force at 5am. The parking lot at Wal-Mart was completely full, thankfully we got news alert from other shoppers that we went to Wal-Mart at the last stop. Deals were everywhere, it was the worst at Target (which also reflected people flocking to there). One of the item I bought was the Matrix 10th Anniversary Bluray, which comes in a nice book-format, for $12.99. It's normally $29.99 suggested retail price. My impulse buy was S.T.A.L.K.E.R. PC game for $5.... it couldn't be helped.
I spent most of my vacation catching up on reading and TV shows. TV shows comes in the form of Hulu and Netflix - via the Netflix Instant Streaming disc for PS3. Compared to Xbox's "Gold Membership" which costs $50 a year, PS3's free streaming is a much better deal.
The Netflix streaming is dependent on your internet connection, I have a semi-decent connection at 5 megabit, so the video starts instantly (less than 30 seconds). Compare this to Playstation's own HD digital rental services, you have to wait at least 30 minutes to start the video, while it download the rest of the file. It's probably fast if you just drove to the video store and rent your movie.
Quality-wise, again depending on the connection, was pretty amazing for me. According to 1up.com, the streaming is in HD (however, I think some titles are only available in standard definition).
My gripe is that most of Netflix's titles are only available on DVD, the digital portion is probably less than 1% of their titles (it is only a guess since their selection is so poor). Also, there's no searching via the streaming disc. You can browse the recently added in various genres, but older titles, you will have to search and add to your "instant queue". Kind of lame, I hope they fix this problem in future updates.
If you don't have a PS3, most newer television and bluray player will come with instant Netflix, so this company is quite smart in getting their hands on all devices. Think about it, if you bought a Bluray player with Netflix, you will probably sign up for an account. Anyway, if you have a PS3 and a Netflix account already, you can request the free Bluray disc for yourself at netflix.com/ps3.
12/01/2009 00:16:50 ♥ vu (
) ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com
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The King Khan & BBQ Show ♥ Triple
Tour Dates
Rock Social Club, Minneapolis (11/29/09)
12/01/09 Mad Planet Milwalkee, WI
Read More
12/02/09 Logan Sq Auditorium Chicago, IL 12/03/09 Northside Tavern Cinncinati, OH 12/04/09 Lees Palace Toronto, ON 12/05/09 Babylon Ottawa, ON |
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Fans lining up outside ♥ The Triple Rock Social Club, Minneapolis (11/29/09) |
So, if you need to catch up on The King Khan & BBQ Show (myspace), they are an interesting modern band with minimalistic setup and plays a weird mixture of 50s doo-wop and Surf music. They've got a ton of fans, who lined up hours before the show.
I got the story between King Khan's on stage antics and Jessi Darlin that prior to showing up in Minneapolis, that they were delayed and detained at the Canadian border (I think they had spent the last few weeks touring throughout Canada). This resulted in two things: "Unnamed peed in his pants" and last night's show to be slightly delayed (the doors weren't opened to the public until 9:30pm).
Some notable details about the stage costumes: BBQ uses his foot to tap the tambourine and Khan has a fox's head over his crotch. They dedicated "I'll Be Loving You" to "all the Orientals in the audience", which probably only account to myself.
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Nikki Darlin ♥ The Triple Rock Social Club, Minneapolis (11/29/09) |
They started off dirty with "Fun Stix Party" with naughty lyrics like "I'll bring the p****, you bring the d***", followed by "Wild One". They also played fan-favorites like "DUI or Die" and "The Whole Damn Thing" (aka the Chicken Song).
Their cover song, "Shakin' All Over", was their last song on the set... which actually went pretty crazy. See the last half of the song in the video.
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Jessi Darlin ♥ The Triple Rock Social Club, Minneapolis (11/29/09) |
PS, Those Darlins' only male member, drummer Linwood Regensburg tried talking me out of buying their "Gay" V-Neck T-Shirt. He said that he made those V-Necks because someone had suggested it. Apparently they weren't very successful as they only sold a few of those shirts. So, as of this writing, I am one of the six people in the world that owns that V-Neck Darlins shirt.
11/30/2009 04:20:18 ♥ vu ()
♥ thosedarlins.com ♥ myspace.com/darlins ♥ twitter.com/those_darlins
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Subscribe to our show at gcast.com (RSS), more information at podcast.weheartmusic.com.
BRITPOPCAST #5: Q MAGAZINE'S BRITPOP QUIZ
Recorded in the same session as Britpop Top Ten Countdown (which I still consider the best show ever), this super hard quiz was written by some hardcore journalist at Q Magazine, published in a paperback book called Q Quiz Book.
The book is free, along with Q Greatest Rock & Pop Miscellany Book, as bonuses for an annual subscription. I got the book via one of their magazine off the stand.
Some questions are dubious, as far as Britpop is concern, like The Verve question... but overall one of the better quiz out there.
The later part of the show, we talk a bit about The Abercrombie Hotel closing down, Pavement, and Empire of the Sun.
Also, don't forget to see DJ Sal in Sydney at britpop.com.au.
Below are the questions and answers.
BRITPOPCAST #5: Q MAGAZINE'S BRITPOP QUIZ
Some questions are dubious, as far as Britpop is concern, like The Verve question... but overall one of the better quiz out there.
The later part of the show, we talk a bit about The Abercrombie Hotel closing down, Pavement, and Empire of the Sun.
Also, don't forget to see DJ Sal in Sydney at britpop.com.au.
Below are the questions and answers.
| Question | Answer | Points | ||||||
| 01 From which London suburb did The Bluetones hail? | Hounslow | 0 | ||||||
| 02 What was the Boo Radley's debut album called? | Ichabod and I (1990) | 0 | ||||||
| 03 What was the name of Elastica's long-delayed second album? | The Menace (2000) | 1 | ||||||
| 04 What was Pulp's original name? | Abacus Pulp | 1.5 | ||||||
| 05 What was the name of the band fronted by Danny Goffrey's wife Pearl? | Powder | 1 | ||||||
| 06 What was the name of Sleeper's first Top 10 single? | "Sale of the Century" | 0.5 | ||||||
| 07 Who replaced Bernard Butler on Suede? | Richard Oakes | 1.5 | ||||||
| 08 What were Blur originally known as? | Seymour | 1 | ||||||
| 09 Which Ocean Colour Scene song was the theme music on Chris Evans's TV show TFI Friday? | "The Riverboat Song" | 1 | ||||||
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10 Which Britpop supergroup featured both Blur's Alex James and | Me Me Me | 1.5 | ||||||
| 11 How many Brit Awards did the Verve take home in 1998? | 3 | 0 | ||||||
| 12 In which year was Pulp's first Peel Session? | 1981 | 1 | ||||||
| 13 What was the name of Echobelly's singer? | Sonya Madan | 0 | ||||||
| 14 Which Britpop frontman had his shoes stolen by muggers in 1997? | Rick Witter | 0 | ||||||
| 15 Which member of John Power's band Cast also performed with Shack? | Peter Wilkinson | 0 | ||||||
| 16 One of the follow was not a member of Kula Shaker. Which one?
a) Alonza Bevan b) Jay Darlington c) Steve Peck d) Paul Winterhart | C | 0 | ||||||
| 17 Who was the singer of the Seahorses, John Squire's post-Stone Roses outfit? | Chris Helme | 0 | ||||||
| 18 Which member of Dodgy went out with Denise Van Outen? | Andy Miller | 0 | ||||||
| 19 In 1995, with Britpop at its zenith, which three acts headlined the Reading Festival? | Smashing Pumpkins, Bjork, and Neil Diamond | 0 | ||||||
| 20 What item of furniture played a prominent role in the video to Supergrass's Alright? | bed | 1 | ||||||
| 21 What was Marion frontman Jaime Harding convicted of stealing in 2000? | a garden gnome | 0 | ||||||
| 22 Which Britpop outfit were the first to appear on Top of the Pops without releasing a record? | Menswe@r | 0 | ||||||
| 23 How many Top 5 UK albums did Space manage? | 2 | 1 | ||||||
| 24 Gene's 1994 debut single For the Dead came in a limited run of how many? | 1994 | 0 | ||||||
| 25 Which former member of Pulp now runs a ceramics shop? | Nick Banks | 1 | ||||||
| Bonus Questions |
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26 The infamous "Battle of Britpop" - name the two singles by Oasis and Blur that went head to head that same week.
Bonus point: Who won in term of most singles sold. | "Roll With It" vs "Country House"; Blur won the battle (but Oasis won the war). | 1.5 | ||||||
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27 Elastica stole the guitar riff of "Connection" from what 70s punk band?
Bonus point: name the song. | Wire; "Three Girl Rhumba" | 0 | ||||||
| 28 Name Blur's bassist Alex James' unusual hobby? | Cheese lover | 1 | ||||||
| 29 Before Kanye's "I'll let you finish" upstage,
which Britpop maverick danced his way on stage during Michael Jackson's
performance of an award show. Bonus point: name the award show. | Jarvis Cocker; The Brit Award | 1.5 | ||||||
| 30 Name the lead singers of (1) Oasis, (2) Blur, (3) Pulp, (4) Suede, (5) Sleeper, and (6) Elastica. | Liam Gallagher, Damon Albarn, Jarvis Cocker, Brett Anderson, Louise Wener, and Justine Frischmann | 3 |
11/29/2009 20:09:50 ♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com
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12/01/09 Webster Theatre* Hartford, CT
Discography
12/02/09 House of Blues* Cleveland, OH 12/03/09 Bogart’s* Cincinnati, OH 12/07/09 St Andrews* Detroit, MI 12/08/09 The Armory* Rochester, NY with Matisyahu
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This year Hannukkah is from December 11th to 19th,
which is in about a few short weeks.
I don't really know that much about the Jewish religion, other than
that they get like 10 36 gifts for Hanukkah (edit: see updated message below)! So, to take care of two of
your gifts idea, for the music lover in your life:
KOSHA DILLZ
official ♥ myspace
We've previously mentioned Kosha Dillz before, with his collaboration with C-Rayz Walz. Derek said that previous album had "classic hip-hop that rests firmly on a bed of oldskool beats", so missing from Beverly Dillz, Kosha Dillz's latest album (released November 10th on Modular Moods Records), seems to be the "oldskool beats".
Although the album starts off with a surprisingly hip-hoppy "DooDoo" - the rest of Beverly Dillz seems pretty laid back to me. There are a few exceptions like "Jungle" and "Tastes Good" (the best rap song on the album).
Personally, I thought "Puddles" was one of the better song, it's probably because it had Yak Ballz as guest. The song feels really familiar to me, like its bass is from the 80s or something. Speaking of familiar, you'll get that on his single, "Cellular Phone", which features some classic Dilliefied version of "This Old Man" and "Word Up".
Kosha Dillz was recently in the news because he remixed fellow Jewish artist YACHT (aka Jona Bechtolt) for an EP called Swim Club. You can grab the free 8-track EP at Kosha Dillz's website. I didn't listen to the entire 8 tracks, but I can tell you that I spotted some Beastie Boys, New Jack City, and Hansons references!
PS, While there are a lot of "hhheh" Hebrew sounds in "Kol Ha Kavod Lirkod", I believe all the songs on Beverly Dillz are in English.
MOSHIACH OI!
myspace
With the baby picture and my generally association that Jewish musicians tend to be either traditional or modern hip-hop, Moshiach Oi!'s album, Better Get Ready, surprised me with their hardcore punk music. Like typical punk songs, these songs are fast, loud, and brief - like a punch in the face.
The band's singer and found, Yishai Romanoff, actually sings his songs (instead of shouting out loud that you find on hardcore bands). Unfortunately, as religious as some of the songs can be ("I Wanna Learn Torah", "I Wanna Learn Torah", "This Is My G-d", "Hashem S'fasai Tiftach"), I can't help but think that the message will be lost in a loud sea of drums and guitars. The one exception of "I Love Torah", where you can clearly hear the majority of lyrics are "I love Torah, yeah!"
To me, punk bands do not often translate their live energy and performance well on the recorded medium, so to really appreciate a band like this, you sort of have to see them live. They are playing one date - probably to celebrate Hanukkah at: Chabad of Bushwick Brooklyn, New York, on December 12th.
You can pick up both of these albums from Shem Speed Store (the largest collection of Jewish music).
IN MORE JEWISH NEWS
Jewish singer Girls In Trouble (I previously fell in love with her), has a cute live video of "Hunter/The Bee Lays Her Honey" on youtube,
complete with torn stockings and all. The video was previously featured
on YouTube's Music Spotlight for a few days. If you recall, that was my
song of choice when I reviewed the album, citing it as "my favorite
song" easily.
Also, Matisyahu, Yair Dalal & Deleon, among others, are playing the 5th Annual Sephardic Music Festival from December 12th to 19th, throughout New York City.
For a full listing of events, head over to sephardicmusicfestival.com, what I can tell you is that Matisyahu is headlining on December 14th, which incidentally is also the most expensive ($35) among all the dates. The rest of the dates are decently priced at $12 or so.
KOSHA DILLZ
official ♥ myspace
We've previously mentioned Kosha Dillz before, with his collaboration with C-Rayz Walz. Derek said that previous album had "classic hip-hop that rests firmly on a bed of oldskool beats", so missing from Beverly Dillz, Kosha Dillz's latest album (released November 10th on Modular Moods Records), seems to be the "oldskool beats".
Although the album starts off with a surprisingly hip-hoppy "DooDoo" - the rest of Beverly Dillz seems pretty laid back to me. There are a few exceptions like "Jungle" and "Tastes Good" (the best rap song on the album).
Personally, I thought "Puddles" was one of the better song, it's probably because it had Yak Ballz as guest. The song feels really familiar to me, like its bass is from the 80s or something. Speaking of familiar, you'll get that on his single, "Cellular Phone", which features some classic Dilliefied version of "This Old Man" and "Word Up".
Kosha Dillz was recently in the news because he remixed fellow Jewish artist YACHT (aka Jona Bechtolt) for an EP called Swim Club. You can grab the free 8-track EP at Kosha Dillz's website. I didn't listen to the entire 8 tracks, but I can tell you that I spotted some Beastie Boys, New Jack City, and Hansons references!
PS, While there are a lot of "hhheh" Hebrew sounds in "Kol Ha Kavod Lirkod", I believe all the songs on Beverly Dillz are in English.
MOSHIACH OI!
myspace
With the baby picture and my generally association that Jewish musicians tend to be either traditional or modern hip-hop, Moshiach Oi!'s album, Better Get Ready, surprised me with their hardcore punk music. Like typical punk songs, these songs are fast, loud, and brief - like a punch in the face.
The band's singer and found, Yishai Romanoff, actually sings his songs (instead of shouting out loud that you find on hardcore bands). Unfortunately, as religious as some of the songs can be ("I Wanna Learn Torah", "I Wanna Learn Torah", "This Is My G-d", "Hashem S'fasai Tiftach"), I can't help but think that the message will be lost in a loud sea of drums and guitars. The one exception of "I Love Torah", where you can clearly hear the majority of lyrics are "I love Torah, yeah!"
To me, punk bands do not often translate their live energy and performance well on the recorded medium, so to really appreciate a band like this, you sort of have to see them live. They are playing one date - probably to celebrate Hanukkah at: Chabad of Bushwick Brooklyn, New York, on December 12th.
You can pick up both of these albums from Shem Speed Store (the largest collection of Jewish music).
IN MORE JEWISH NEWS
For a full listing of events, head over to sephardicmusicfestival.com, what I can tell you is that Matisyahu is headlining on December 14th, which incidentally is also the most expensive ($35) among all the dates. The rest of the dates are decently priced at $12 or so.
Update 11/29/2009 17:51:48:
| jaklumen wrote: Sun, Nov 29, 2009 at 4:23 PM |
other than that they get like 10 gifts for Hanukkah
Eight. There are eight days of Hanukkah, and there's a gift for each day, or there's a number of gifts corresponding to the day (1 gift on the first, 2 on the second...) All I remember well was some Jewish friends of my family said they had to alter things so they wouldn't go broke giving gifts to the kids.
The observance is tied to the Maccabean uprising and references the miracle of the menorah remaining lit for eight days despite a lack of oil.
11/29/2009 04:13:56 ♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com
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12/06/09 Disney Hall Los Angeles, CA
Read More
12/07/09 Casbah San Diego, CA 12/08/09 Detroit Bar Costa Mesa, CA 12/09/09 Cafe Du Nord SF, CA 12/10/09 Humboldt Brews Arcata, CA 12/11/09 Mississippi Std Portland, OR 12/12/09 Media Club Vancouver, BC 12/13/09 Wild Buffalo Bellingham, WA 12/14/09 Chop Suey Seattle, WA 12/16/09 Brookdale Lodge, CA 12/17/09 Cellar Door Visalia, CA 12/18/09 Bootleg Theater LA, CA |
It seems to me that Harper Simon tries his best to not
be associated with his father, going so far as saying that he didn't
learn how to play music from his dad. Even the way he dresses, the type
of music he's making (note: not acoustic harmonizing folk, but more like alt-country). It's
a shame really, Simon sings just like his dad on the acoustic songs, and I
wish he would sing more folk. I suppose he's got to find his own
calling, right?
Most of the set for Simon was pretty mellow. The
most rockiest song was a song I wasn't familiar with. I thought I heard
that the song was written by "Tom Berlin Verlaine" (edit: see updated message below), but I could be wrong.
Shortly after "Berkeley Girl", the guitar tuner guy came on stage to
switch electric with an acoustic guitar.
Songs range from borderline country music to Dylan-type folk. The later is especially true when one of the band member breaks out the harmonica.
They ended their set with "Wishes and Stars", my favorite song from Harper that I've heard. Instead of doing that fake-leaving-the-stage, they just stayed on stage and played some encores. The last song is a cover of "A Message to You, Rudy", who you & I probably know as a ska song by the Specials (but it's originally by Dandy Livingstone).
So this was the last night of their national tour. It sounds like they've been very tired, some even looked relieved, but they were certainly very happy to be playing in front of an audience. The band admitted that this was one of the better crowds, considering that they've played a few shows to "five people".
Trivia: Touring drummer Russell Simins, best known for being in Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, is from Minnesota.
UPDATED 11/26/2009 19:42:54:
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Songs range from borderline country music to Dylan-type folk. The later is especially true when one of the band member breaks out the harmonica.
They ended their set with "Wishes and Stars", my favorite song from Harper that I've heard. Instead of doing that fake-leaving-the-stage, they just stayed on stage and played some encores. The last song is a cover of "A Message to You, Rudy", who you & I probably know as a ska song by the Specials (but it's originally by Dandy Livingstone).
So this was the last night of their national tour. It sounds like they've been very tired, some even looked relieved, but they were certainly very happy to be playing in front of an audience. The band admitted that this was one of the better crowds, considering that they've played a few shows to "five people".
Trivia: Touring drummer Russell Simins, best known for being in Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, is from Minnesota.
UPDATED 11/26/2009 19:42:54:
 | ArtsOrbit wrote: Nov 24, 2009 9:59 PM |
@weheartmusic H. Simon's reference was to Tom Verlaine: the song was Television's "See No Evil." Agreed that H.S. is best with folk music!
11/25/2009 01:12:04 ♥ vu () ♥ myspace.com/harpersimon
This is perfect for the upcoming Black Friday: I've filmed my W♥M Holiday Gift Guide 2009. These are the stuff that I want and/or own. Other like-mind geeks out there here's where you can find these
awesome stuff.
Music: Superdrag - 4-Track Rock !!! 1992-1995 + Complete "Bender" Sessions, Putumayo Presents - Jazz Around the World
Toys: Red Hulk, Grey Hulk, Green Hulk (all are from Marvel Universe 3 ¾" Series)
Games: Dragon Age Collector Edition
Books: Ghost World: The Special Edition (Hardcover), Adrian Tomine's "Summer Blonde" ($5!)
Movies: Star Trek Target Exclusive DVD. Bluray version not available on the crappy target.com website. I would also like to formally lodge a complaint about target search: it sucks. Also: Shaw Brothers Metal Tin: Epic Heroes (4 DVDs and T-Shirt Offer) , this tin case is a great gift for the Martial Arts fan. I already own two of the movies on this collection, but bought this anyway.
So, as you know, I'm a bit of a geek when it comes to pop culture stuff, quite interested in collecting all of the Shaw Brother's movies on DVD. If you like that sort of thing, I'm maintaining a checklist of sorts at movies.weheartmusic.com. They're mostly only being released as DVDs, the only Shaw Brothers to get released as a bluray in the US market is Opium and the Kung Fu Master, and it's brilliant. Image quality is amazing for a 1984 film - much better than some of the dodgy bluray releases (I'm looking at you, Anchor Bay).
I have also been playing Dragon Age, quite slow-moving, but I love it. The best version to get is the PC version, surprisingly. First of all it's about $10 cheaper than the Xbox or PS3 version, and it looks fantastic compared to those console version. Plus you can zoom out for that top-view like those Baldur's Gate games. Love it.
The collector's version comes with some useless junk: in-game items (I hate these digital "extras") and cloth map. The best thing out of this collection is the soundtrack and "making of" DVD. I did watch the DVD features, they're professionally produced. Take the time to watch the strategy feature, there's some great insights on how to create your characters and what's the best weapons & armors in the game.
The soundtrack is composed by Inon Zur, who also previously did soundtrack work for Bioware's Baldur's Gate II and Icewind Dale II. Dragon Age soundtrack has the typical epic orchestral instrumentals, however there are a few songs on the album that features Gaelic-type singing by Aubrey Ashburn (particularly on "Lelianna's Song", "I Am The One", and the main theme song). From Ashburn's description on the DVD interview, it looks like the song writing process had quite a fast turn-around time.
There is one song on the soundtrack that I do not believe actually appears in the game, DJ Killa's remix of "I Am the One". Keep in mind that I haven't finish the game, so the song may be in the game... I was told that 30 Seconds to Mars also has a song on Dragon Age, but I've yet to encounter that either.
Music: Superdrag - 4-Track Rock !!! 1992-1995 + Complete "Bender" Sessions, Putumayo Presents - Jazz Around the World
Toys: Red Hulk, Grey Hulk, Green Hulk (all are from Marvel Universe 3 ¾" Series)
Games: Dragon Age Collector Edition
Books: Ghost World: The Special Edition (Hardcover), Adrian Tomine's "Summer Blonde" ($5!)
Movies: Star Trek Target Exclusive DVD. Bluray version not available on the crappy target.com website. I would also like to formally lodge a complaint about target search: it sucks. Also: Shaw Brothers Metal Tin: Epic Heroes (4 DVDs and T-Shirt Offer) , this tin case is a great gift for the Martial Arts fan. I already own two of the movies on this collection, but bought this anyway.
So, as you know, I'm a bit of a geek when it comes to pop culture stuff, quite interested in collecting all of the Shaw Brother's movies on DVD. If you like that sort of thing, I'm maintaining a checklist of sorts at movies.weheartmusic.com. They're mostly only being released as DVDs, the only Shaw Brothers to get released as a bluray in the US market is Opium and the Kung Fu Master, and it's brilliant. Image quality is amazing for a 1984 film - much better than some of the dodgy bluray releases (I'm looking at you, Anchor Bay).
I have also been playing Dragon Age, quite slow-moving, but I love it. The best version to get is the PC version, surprisingly. First of all it's about $10 cheaper than the Xbox or PS3 version, and it looks fantastic compared to those console version. Plus you can zoom out for that top-view like those Baldur's Gate games. Love it.
The collector's version comes with some useless junk: in-game items (I hate these digital "extras") and cloth map. The best thing out of this collection is the soundtrack and "making of" DVD. I did watch the DVD features, they're professionally produced. Take the time to watch the strategy feature, there's some great insights on how to create your characters and what's the best weapons & armors in the game.
The soundtrack is composed by Inon Zur, who also previously did soundtrack work for Bioware's Baldur's Gate II and Icewind Dale II. Dragon Age soundtrack has the typical epic orchestral instrumentals, however there are a few songs on the album that features Gaelic-type singing by Aubrey Ashburn (particularly on "Lelianna's Song", "I Am The One", and the main theme song). From Ashburn's description on the DVD interview, it looks like the song writing process had quite a fast turn-around time.
There is one song on the soundtrack that I do not believe actually appears in the game, DJ Killa's remix of "I Am the One". Keep in mind that I haven't finish the game, so the song may be in the game... I was told that 30 Seconds to Mars also has a song on Dragon Age, but I've yet to encounter that either.
11/24/2009 00:52:54 ♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com
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Britpop: Jarvis vs Blur ♥ Flyer (12/05/09) |
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Subscribe to our show at gcast.com (RSS), more information at podcast.w♥m.com.
BRITPOPCAST #4: TOP TEN BRITPOP COUNTDOWN
This is the best of the best, and as far as I'm concern, this is the best countdown ever. If you had to listen to just one of our podcast, I think this the one you have to listen to.
Going into the recording, we already knew that it would be one massive recording session that will be split into two parts. So the first part is the countdown, thirty of our favorite Britpop tunes. The second part will be uploaded next week and involves a very hard Britpop Q Magazine Quiz. Seriously, it was hard, even for seasoned veterans like ourselves.
The next show, some ideas: Britpop girl bands ? Britpop band reunions ? If those doesn't sound appealing, let me know what you'd like us to discuss. Otherwise, I can always talk hours on end about stalking Louise Wener.
As for the Britpop top list, these are our preference and not a mean to measure how important a band is to that genre. Also, obviously we all had our Pulp, Blur, and Oasis moment, but the choice in songs are interesting to note. I have always known that my top two are the Blur vs Oasis, it was the other eight that was hard to have placement. I could have easily had a top 20 or 30. Easily.
Some honorable mentions should be sent to Cast, Salad, Charlatans.
If you like what you heard, and you happen to be in Sydney in early December, DJ Sal is doing her bits at britpop.com.au.
PS, stay after the song and you're in for a Buzzcocks treat.
BRITPOPCAST #4: TOP TEN BRITPOP COUNTDOWN
This is the best of the best, and as far as I'm concern, this is the best countdown ever. If you had to listen to just one of our podcast, I think this the one you have to listen to.
Going into the recording, we already knew that it would be one massive recording session that will be split into two parts. So the first part is the countdown, thirty of our favorite Britpop tunes. The second part will be uploaded next week and involves a very hard Britpop Q Magazine Quiz. Seriously, it was hard, even for seasoned veterans like ourselves.
The next show, some ideas: Britpop girl bands ? Britpop band reunions ? If those doesn't sound appealing, let me know what you'd like us to discuss. Otherwise, I can always talk hours on end about stalking Louise Wener.
As for the Britpop top list, these are our preference and not a mean to measure how important a band is to that genre. Also, obviously we all had our Pulp, Blur, and Oasis moment, but the choice in songs are interesting to note. I have always known that my top two are the Blur vs Oasis, it was the other eight that was hard to have placement. I could have easily had a top 20 or 30. Easily.
Some honorable mentions should be sent to Cast, Salad, Charlatans.
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Vu
10. Gene - Sleep Well Tonight
09. Echobelly - I Can't Imagine the World Without Me 08. The Bluetones - Bluetonic 07. Shed Seven - Dolphin 06. Sleeper - Nice Guy Eddie 05. Pulp - Disco 2000 04. Elastica - Stutter 03. Suede - Metal Mickey 02. Blur - Girls and Boys 01. Oasis - Supersonic |
Sally
10. SFA - Ice Hockey Hair
09. Doves - Pounding 08. Teenage Fanclub - Sparky's Dream 07. Blur - Sunday Sunday 06. Suede - Animal Nitrate 05. The Coral - Dreaming of You 04. Ocean Colour Scene - The Day We Caught the Train 03. Dodgy - Good Enough 02. Pulp - Babies 01. Stone Roses - Fools Gold |
Kristen
10. MSP - Motorcycle Emptiness
09. South - Keep Close 08. Pulp - Acrylic Afternoons 07. Oasis - Columbia 06. Wendys-Pulling My Fingers Off 05. Supergrass - Moving 04. Blur - This is a Low 03. Oasis - The Masterplan 02. Suede - Killing of a Flash Boy 01. Pulp - Sheffield: Sex City |
If you like what you heard, and you happen to be in Sydney in early December, DJ Sal is doing her bits at britpop.com.au.
PS, stay after the song and you're in for a Buzzcocks treat.
11/22/2009 12:33:44 ♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com
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THE MOOD SWINGS
official ♥ myspace
People have been asking if I've been hitting the Sauce, so I know this venue on the busy intersection of Lyndale & Lake is getting huge buzz love. I may have to postpone my attendance because I have two flat tires (those reading my twitters will already know this).
So tonight, The Mood Swings will be at the Sauce, at their CD-releasing party. As with previous Susstones showmania, they are cheap ($5, man!) and features a ton of bands (Two Harbors, First Communion Afterparty, and Blue Sky Blackout are also playing). Between bands, Marc the Guv is handling the DJ spins. Anyway, more bang for your buck seems to be Susstones' motto.
Before you go, some things you should know:
THOSE DARLINS
official ♥ myspace
Earlier this year, Those Darlins rolled through town. It was one of their favorite show, loads of people showed up. Heavy drinking were involved.
I will be covering their show next Sunday, post-Thanksgivings and post-Black Friday, it looks like it's going to be a great time. Very interested in checking out King Khan (I like their name).
The rest of their tour dates:
BEBEL GILBERTO
official ♥ myspace
Brazilian Bebel Gilberto is touring the US, starting in Washington on November 23rd. Her latest album is called All in One and I just read is mostly in Portuguese.
We've previously mentioned her with her "jazz" standard, covering Night and Day - but you may know her as the daughter of João Gilberto, who, along with then-wife Astrud Gilberto, made "The Girl From Ipanema" a world-wide hit (and ultimately made bossa nova music famous).
I am keeping my eye on December 3rd for her appearance at the Dakota Jazz Club in downtown Minneapolis.
official ♥ myspace
People have been asking if I've been hitting the Sauce, so I know this venue on the busy intersection of Lyndale & Lake is getting huge buzz love. I may have to postpone my attendance because I have two flat tires (those reading my twitters will already know this).
So tonight, The Mood Swings will be at the Sauce, at their CD-releasing party. As with previous Susstones showmania, they are cheap ($5, man!) and features a ton of bands (Two Harbors, First Communion Afterparty, and Blue Sky Blackout are also playing). Between bands, Marc the Guv is handling the DJ spins. Anyway, more bang for your buck seems to be Susstones' motto.
Before you go, some things you should know:
- Ashley Ackerson is the primary headperson is married to their now-new-bassist Ed Ackerson (see Polara)
- This is their third album, Recessionista, which came out last Tuesday on Susstones Records.
- The Current (a Minnesota Public Radio station) has sponsered this event
official ♥ myspace
Earlier this year, Those Darlins rolled through town. It was one of their favorite show, loads of people showed up. Heavy drinking were involved.
I will be covering their show next Sunday, post-Thanksgivings and post-Black Friday, it looks like it's going to be a great time. Very interested in checking out King Khan (I like their name).
The rest of their tour dates:
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FRI 11/20 PORTLAND, OR Dante's
SAT 11/21 SEATTLE, WA Chop Suey
MON 11/23 VANCOUVER, BC The Red Room
WED 11/25 CALGARY, AB Warehouse
THUR 11/26 EDMONTON, AB Pawn Shop
FRI 11/27 SASKATOON, SK Amigos
SAT 11/28 WINNIPEG, MB Royal Albert
SUN 11/29 MINNEAPOLIS, MN Triple Rock
TUE 12/1 MILWAUKE, WI Mad Planet
WED 12/2 CHICAGO, IL Logan Square
THUR 12/3 CINCINNATI, OH Northside Tavern
official ♥ myspace
Brazilian Bebel Gilberto is touring the US, starting in Washington on November 23rd. Her latest album is called All in One and I just read is mostly in Portuguese.
We've previously mentioned her with her "jazz" standard, covering Night and Day - but you may know her as the daughter of João Gilberto, who, along with then-wife Astrud Gilberto, made "The Girl From Ipanema" a world-wide hit (and ultimately made bossa nova music famous).
I am keeping my eye on December 3rd for her appearance at the Dakota Jazz Club in downtown Minneapolis.
-
BEBEL GILBERTO ON TOUR
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Nov 23 - Washington, D.C. - 9:30 Club
Nov 25 - New York, NY - Hiro Ballrooom
Nov 27 - Boston - Paradise Rock Club
Nov 28 - Montclair, NJ - Wellmont Theatre
Nov 29 - Montreal - L'Astral
Nov 30 - Toronto - Sound Academy
Dec 2 - Chicago - Park West
Dec 3 - Minneapolis - Dakota Jazz Club
Dec 5 - Denver - Ogden Theatre
Dec 8 - Solana Beach - Belly Up Tavern
Dec 9 - Los Angeles - Henry Fonda Theatre
Dec 10 - San Francisco - Bimbo's
11/20/2009 09:31:54 ♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com
THE PRISONER
amctv.com/originals/the-prisoner
I love the original series. Although it got a bit LSD-y towards the end with #1 and there were way too many #2 to keep track of. Still, the #6, played by Patrick McGoohan, maintained his sanity and desire to escape from The Village.
AMC Television remade the show into a six-episode miniseries, which aired November 15th to 17th, tries to capture the weirdness of the original, yet updating it to a whole new audience.
I will start with what I dislike about the new series: the new village is massive (like at time it feels as if it's the size of Minneapolis), the iconic "Columbia" style bicycle is missing, and the Village's icon looks a bit like giving you the middle finger. Ian McKellen, who plays #2, is given too much screen time. To me, #6, played by James Caviezel, is your main focus.
What I like about the new series: people in the village does not remember the world outside and everything from cars and architecture has a weird style to them.
So far, I've only watched the first three episode, and the introduction of #6 to an old man #93, and the Village was handled very well. The "brother" of #6, not so much. Should be interesting to see how the mini-series ends. Until then, be seeing you.
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myspace.com/musicfromglee ♥ fox.com/glee
I did try to get into the Fox series Glee with the pilot, mostly because I thought the show would appeal to me. Think about it: outcasts, geeks, and nerds singing well-known cover songs.
My main complaint is the "reality" documentary style that's popular with modern comedies like The Office and Parks and Recreation. Despite losing me as a viewer, Glee certainly have their fans. Everyone I know that watches Glee tells me that I'm missing such a great show.
As a cover lover, I accepted to review Glee: The Music, Volume 1 simply based on their cover of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" (see also Covering Journey).
I thought all of the 80 power ballads songs works really well, but the more softer solo songs doesn't interest me. I also dug when the song is "reimagined". For instance, Queen's "Somebody To Love" is transformed into a cheery gospel song.
While I do not mind the random pop and R&B songs, they seem to be lumped together in blocks. The block of Kanye West ("Gold Digger), Rihanna ("Take A Bow"), Jazmine ("Bust Your Windows"), and Celine Dion ("Taking Chances") was almost unbearable.
Choice in cover songs goes back to The Supremes ("You Keep Me Hangin' On") to solid 80s hits. I do like the 80s songs, I will have to admit. The best covers are REO Speedwagon's "Can't Fight This Feeling", Heart's "Alone", and Young MC's "Bust A Move".
I feel, as much as some of these covers are pretty awesome, that they remain too faithful to the original songs in certain cases. I also feel that you may have an added value if you have seen the show and may enjoy the songs even more as a result.
Glee: The Music, Volume 1 is available now from Columbia Records. Fans, keep an eye out for Volume 2, out in early December. I was privy to "Lean On Me", which I did enjoy many vocals on it. It made the song sounds bigger than the original. Anyway, can't wait to hear Lily Allen's "Smile".
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abc.go.com/shows/v
I grew up watching the original V. I loved it when I was a child, but re-visiting the show with a recent purchase of $10 for the complete series, I'll have to say that the show does not age well. It's cheesy by today's standards.
When I heard that they were remaking V, I was, of course, interested. I saw the teaser on Hulu, and have steadily watched the first three episodes. I'm hooked.
I like the idea that the visitors were here before they arrived in the sky - so that anyone around you could be a visitor. I also like the idea that the main character is now a woman (she's from Lost), and I suspect their base of operation is now in a church. However, there are some things that I think they could've handled better... like pacing. The reveal of a green person on the very first episode or that one of the main character was a visitor - well that could've been saved until later for that shock moment midway into the series...
Post-9/11, the new series takes on a different meaning from the original series. So far, I'm enjoying it.
11/20/2009 00:04:12 ♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com
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11/18/09 Turner Ballroom Milwaukee, WI
Read More
11/20/09 Lincoln Hall Chicago, IL 11/21/09 Music Mill Indianapolis, IN 12/04/09 Le Poisson Rouge NY 12/05/09 Maxwell’s Hoboken, NJ 12/07/09 World Café Live Phila, PA 12/09/09 9:30 Club Washington DC 12/10/09 Cat’s Cradle Carrboro, NC 12/11/09 Earl Atlanta, GA 12/12/09 Exit/In Nashville, TN |
Cory Chisel said it best last night at First Ave: "We bring you the sad songs, while
Brendan brings the rock and roll." This was a good team-up of music, as
the two bands complimented each other.
Chisel has a few fans in the audience, someone
shouted it that they're from Appleton West, which I actually have no
idea where that is. I mentally picture northern Minnesota as that was
what Chisel said he was from originally.
I thought the best song on the live set was "Born Again". Highlight from the show was when Adriel Harris, remove herself from the keyboard to sing a duet with Chisel.
I think most people know Brendan Benson because
he's a member of Jack White's The Raconteurs, but the truth is, he's
been releasing music way back in 1996. I thought the best song live was
"Cold Hands (Warm Heart)" and "Feel Like Taking You Home".
Surprisingly it was revealed that their current live drummer, Travis (replacing their regular drummer Brad) was a quick learner on tour. I couldn't tell if he messed up, it all sounded in rhythm.
The highlight from the show was at the last encore, where Chisel shows up to help sing their cover of Tom Petty's "American Girl". What's funny is that they printed the lyrics for Benson as he's confessed he doesn't know the song that well.
PS, See the smoke around Benson's head? Yep, he lite and smoked a cigarette on "American Girl". Maybe someone should have told him that Minneapolis has a non-smoking policy.
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I thought the best song on the live set was "Born Again". Highlight from the show was when Adriel Harris, remove herself from the keyboard to sing a duet with Chisel.
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Surprisingly it was revealed that their current live drummer, Travis (replacing their regular drummer Brad) was a quick learner on tour. I couldn't tell if he messed up, it all sounded in rhythm.
The highlight from the show was at the last encore, where Chisel shows up to help sing their cover of Tom Petty's "American Girl". What's funny is that they printed the lyrics for Benson as he's confessed he doesn't know the song that well.
PS, See the smoke around Benson's head? Yep, he lite and smoked a cigarette on "American Girl". Maybe someone should have told him that Minneapolis has a non-smoking policy.
11/18/2009 03:29:20 ♥ vu () ♥ brendanbenson.com / myspace.com/brendanbenson
♥
corychisel.com
