Stop Okay Go

'Do A Coldplay'

++Video for the song Too Young To Love by The Big Pink, who will be opening for Muse:  Don't know exactly what is happening in this video that is causing them to look confused and the room to spin. Maybe they just got done watching The Joy Behar Show? Happens to the best of us, I guess.

Big Pink are from London but this song sounds vaguely like distant bagpipes on a foggy Scottish highland to me. Combine that with the pale and pouty fashion-shoot insouciance of the video and it all adds up to the big fat WIN of this week. Feelin' it! (Slightly NSFW.)

++Scientists have come up with a way to make ambient music out of brain waves by hooking MRI's to Midi players. Not surprisingly, the patterns of people with schizophrenia make much more interesting music. This is a real coup, making up for and saving some huge face for brain scientists after that whole squid debacle earlier this month.

++Bradford Cox/Atlas Sound's second album titled Logos comes out next month. In this interview with the AV Club, he models the latest in winter headwear and talks about doing all-age shows in small towns with Dan Deacon. Because hey, people of all ages should get the chance to experience this.

++Buckcherry. Nickelback.

It's A Family Affair

So this video, again from last year, isn't much in terms of an actual video. Just merely wanted to post this neo-bossanova song that could be sung by Astrud Gilberto herself...possibly in the next Sex and the City movie. (Urgh.) The lyrics remind me of the kind of Romantic poetry taught in high school:

I've travelled far to find your kiss...

Without you I'd be adrift, in the sea of love I feel safe upon your ship.

Zeep have a new album coming out next month called People & Things and a *huge* cast of players.

Zeep: Dreams.mp3

Crossed Signals

Not since Kool Moe Dee's Wild Wild West has there been such an enjoyable juxtaposition of urban beats and Western twang-age heard in this song from last year by Morgan Page.

When I first watched this video I thought that Morgan Page was the name of the girl singing. No, that's actually Rock Island Illinois songstress Lissie who brings some clearheaded heat and yearning to liven up the minty cool track. Morgan Page (pictured up top) came up with the song, and, to add to the confusion, this is actually a remix by Apple store flash mob kingpin Deadmau5. Good stuff.

Did I Do That?

Ugh, I have this old New Jack Swing on my song stuck in my head. Specifically the part where the guy bellows out "Here We Go Again!" like some sort of deranged circus ringleader in a horror movie. That's what Britney should've done; made the Circus theme more creepy and macabre.

Oh but then agaaaain.

This song is still hellsa classic, though. Portrait haven't done much since this song came out. They briefly had a big release in Asia before fatefully appearing on an episode of Family Matters with evil Hollywood mafia magnate and crusher of dreams, Jaleel White. Come back, Portrait.

Origin Story

++Will Ferrell can also hit those really high notes pretty well. The Grohl should do more of these types of low key songs. (Video is slightly NSFW.)

++Something tells me that Weezy is behind this? (I kid but seriously, Weezy is always getting women pregs.)

++Seasoned performer Marianne Faithfull will be bringing her special brand of drama to UCLA's Royce Hall on October 3rd. Methinks she'll probably tell some great stories.

++Sissy Spacek's daughter Schuyler Fisk will be performing at Hotel Cafe at 10 p.m. on October 1st.

++The comments on the Stop Okay Go You Tube page have gotten hilariously out of hand, bordering on fan fiction. Dan Auerbach's fans write rapturously of him and deservedly so. Note: If you are a band and have an *easily uploadable* video, send it this way. I like catchy poppy songs and creative/crafty videos (just heard Rosie O'Donnell say the word Decoupage)that tell stories. Even simple and cute is appreciated in these parts.

Dust, Bro

From the inbox: fans of Dr. Dog might find something to their liking in the alterna-countrified sound of The Dustys. In this song, Dangerous Little Signs, from their new EP Sticky Things they manage to mix sweet, sinister, easygoing and urgent. How dey do dat? The Dustys will be touring in support of the Bravery all through October and November. Tourdates after the cut.

The Dustys: Dangerous Little Signs.mp3 was here.

Re: Re:

I was thinking about the post I did on Falsetto the other day and how I was trying to come up with an example and really there's no one who does falsetto like 'of Montreal's Kevin Barnes. And while poke fun of him all the time, not only does he have an incredible vocal range but the way he puts sounds together (even if it doesn't always work out) make him the Brian Wilson of our time. Here's an example of those heavenly high notes.

of Montreal : Gronlandic Edit.mp3

Undo the Do

There's an article in this month's Wired Magazine about Tyondai Braxton of the band Battles. His album Central Market comes out sometime this month(?) fall and to record it he connected traditional instruments to "pitch shifters, modulators, and looping pedals." He also enlisted the help of Wordless Music Orchestra. Should be fun to hear when it all comes out. Here's a peeksky at his stuff from 2 years ago:

American Public Media

Two things stolen straight from today's broadcast of NPR's Marketplace.

++ Eminem is suing Apple and Aftermath Records. Can't keep track of how the whole system works, myself. Is Dr. Dre still responsible for any part of Aftermath and if so, will this mean he and Eminem will have beef? Did he forget about Dre? 

++Pittsburgh record store Jerry's Records has over 1 million vinyl albums. An aficionado of girl groups, shopkeeper Jerry Weber played a little bit of a record by his favorite girl group for the NPR reporter. The song? Who Do You Love (above) by the Sapphires. Really 'doe, when a guy with a million records picks one song to play, reckon it might be worth a listen. Trivia: The Sapphires are not be confused with Cuban doowop group The Zafiros.

Thieves Like Us

Uh oh, someone's been geekin' out over Holy Ghost(!).

Info about HG!, Arthur Baker, New Order, Nancy Whang, and Madonna wannabes along with mp3s after the jump.>>

Crazy/RightNow

So finally some live footage, courtesy Brooklyn Vegan, of this year's much ballyhooed act Japandroids in Seattle and it doesn't disappoint. Their 9/24 show at NYC's Mercury Lounge is sold out and with good reason. They are feelin' it more than the guy in the Gary Go video!

Japandroids: Wet Hair.mp3

Watch It Now Watch It

Inbox time: These two gentlemen make up Awesome New Republic and they have an album coming out on October 27th called Hearts. It's the followup to their well-received debut 'ANR So Far'. Hailing from Miami, AMR have no fear of that 3rd Rail of music for men, nay, the powered up hair dryer next to a running water faucet of music: Falsetto. It is dangerous, to be sure, (see Tragedy) but it pays off.  I appreciate anyone who brings something new to the indie table. Sample the pop goodness below:

Awesome New Republic's: Alleycat.mp3 was here.

Quickies

++There are a few things getting in the way of Damon "Badly Drawn Boy" Gough's next comeback; mainly kitchen renovations. In this interview, Gough talks about the 10 years that have passed since he won UK's Mercury Prize and ribbing the band Elbow.

++New Reality Show Idea.

++The Keith Richards' Hands Switch.

++The Dave Matthews Band plays weddings?

++Shaq recommends a band called The Lovemakers.

++ Look out Wavves, there's another someone else who has tricked out and customized his nom de plume with two repeating letters. This video by Miike Snow is obscenely pretty and another great illustration of a perfect marriage between music and visual.:

The Air Up There

Bob Hilburn, when not sitting down with Chuck D or watching The Baader Meinoff Complex, is recommending the new Roseanne Cash album The List in which she duets with a few of my favorites: Rufus Wainwright, The Boss, Jeff Tweedy and Elvis Costello. It comes out October 6th. (There have been a lot of pictures with people looking up at some unknown thing these days.)

Sweating Diamonds

People Mag has a small write up hyping British Chris Martin sound-a-like Gary Go, seen above doing a cover of Lady Gagag's Just Dance. Best part of the video are the facial expressions of the guitarist next to Go (:37.. Feelin' it!). His more popular song Wonderful can be seen here.
 
Go has been making many appearances on several television news outlets showing how to make music with your iPhone; unfortunately there's not yet a way to record the songs he creates. Get your caboose off the Segway and make this happen, Kamen.
Gary Go's debut album is out now.

The Sound of Summer

Oy, the Inbox, she is a wanton insatiable wildebeast. She don'teth stop and she dont'eth quit....

Here's something interesting, a book for a change:

Matthew Specktor's debut novel is called That Summertime Sound about a 19-year-old's trippy and fictional rock and roll adventures in L.A. and America's heartland.

Specktor has been able to enlist some heavy hitters to do recorded readings of his book, including Jeremy Irons, James Franco, G.Paltrow and James Mascis of Dinosaur Jr.  Here is Sara Quin of Tegan and Sara doing a reading, and click here for Specktor's list of recommended jams.

Sara Keirsten Quin: The Way I Felt Right Now(Reading From the Book)mp3 was here.

Quickies

++So what's our good buddy Mike Patton been up to lately? Yeah, that's about right.

++Preview two new tracks from Josh Ritter's upcoming album. Beeyootiful.

++I had a John Mayer-esque idea this morning: A Mariah Carey Insult Generator in which you enter someone's characteristics and she tells you how to call them an ashy chicken bathing in Windex, etc. From the 'Hootchie Mama perspective', as they say in the circles of academia. Because the Jerk Store line is getting kinda played out, frankly.

Your Feelings Are Showing

Unfortunately I'm going to have to get uncharacteristically slobbery over this new band, The Generationals, from New Orleans. It won't be pretty, because I've been doing this for a long time and it's rare I like a band's sound enough to listen to not one but two of their You Tube videos. 

Generationals have tweaked and made anew their version of the Wall of Sound, and instead of going for layered cerebral CSNYish harmonies, there are a few lines in which they and their posse are refreshingly singing the same batch of notes together, as one, Motown style.

Okay, so maybe Generationals are not technically new on the scene.  Ted Joyner and Grant Widmer,above, were both members of Eames Era. I'm frankly surprised they don't have more of a following.
Here's the song by them, released last year, that makes me ((swoon)):

Generationals: When They Fight They Fight mp3 was here and I LOVED IT.:)

More....

Sophisticates

++Somehow, Macy Gray is going to be doing Dancing with the Stars and playing Moscow,
after she comes back from Romania. She says in Ohio she's bigger than Brad Pitt right now. The hair is, that's fo shore. Might actually cover Ohio. That's at least Tri-State coverage hair right there. Then again she's got nothing on the guy from Tokio Hotel.

++ Ooh just love the animation in this video that was dropped into the inbox a few days back. The song Flaming Arrow by New York's Jupiter One is effortlessly melodic and cheer inducing. The video, directed by Lithuanian animator Robertas Nevecka matches the feel of the song perfectly. (i.,e., the part where the song stops and explodes along with matching footage of an exploding oil barrel.) It appears the video is supposed to be from the viewpoint of a Peeping Tom, who is lucky enough to be watching the band and lazy black cats. I have a friend whose view is that of a man partial to indoor hammocks and impartial to clothing. Not something they tell you in real estate property descriptions.

Anyway, download this catchy Shins-like song..Jupiter One will be touring in support of Regina Spektor in the months to come and their album Sunshower came out today.

Jupiter One: Flaming Arrow.mp3 was here.

Pics Or It Didn't Happen

 

Short post today..I went to see Kelly Clarkson give a free concert at Hollywood and Highland (for both Jimmy Kimmel Live and Samsung) last night and like a good music blogger, forgot my camera. She's the little dot above the woman with the blonde mushroom haircut. Free isn't such a great bargain for seeing singers but if it is the backs of fro'd cameramen you are after, buddy, are you in luck.

Kidding aside it was a tremendous show. I've been to a lot of concerts but Clarkson was by far the best singer I've heard. She can belt like no one's business. Powerhouse. Operatic...are some of the words that come to mind. I would say she reminds me of Kate Smith but no one reading this would know what that means. Anyway, I'd highly recommend catching Kelly to anyone who is even just a passing fan. It was the last concert of her tour for Samsung and she didn't phone in a single second of it and had the whole crowd in the palm of her angry little hand. (She joked that "I write a lot of angry girl songs.")(You had to be there.) (Behind a cameraman.)