[CURRENT] The Thermals | "Canada"

       Check out this new track from the Thermals. I have always liked the Thermals, since 2007 but I can never get into their whole albums, just a song or two off each album. I like "Back to Gray" off More Parts Per Million and "Now We Can See" off Now We Can See. I think I might have to dig into some archives and listen to some older stuff. I love the almost lo-fi quality of their earlier stuff though.They are one of those pop-rock bands who is still under the radar and haven't made it big like Fall Out Boy or something along those lines. They are opening for Monotonix at Cat's Cardle in Carrboro on April 13th.

 

[confirmed via VIDEO] THE AVETT BROTHERS

Still on the fence about Bonnaroo?

Bonnaroo Lineup Announced Through Long Drawn-Out Process

       Bonnaroo really thinks highly of itself these days. They aren't just releasing the lineup all at once. Every 6 or 7 minutes they announce one or two acts that will be preforming. I mean, Bonnaroo is arguably the largest festival of the summer here in the states and I will be able to decide today if the acts are worth the price, but this is an arduous process. Stop the gloating and what-not and release them already. Full line-up coming in next 24 hours, if they decide to release all the names before then. I'll go a little Bonnaroo on you and provide a snippet of the list of bands preforming.

Jónsi | "Go Do"

Here is a new song and video from Sigur Rós frontman Jónsi. This soft jumpy video combines breathtaking scenes and outlandish dress. Fantastic.

[download]

R.I.P. Lil Wayne

       No. Lil Wayne did not die in real life. Do not start any rumors of this sort and trace them back to me. But if you look at where he is in the music biz, where he came from and the music that he has produced at these stages, he’s dead. If you have never heard Da Drought 3, the best mixtape ever released, but you have heard Rebirth, his new ROCK album, its two different people. Da Drought 3 features a poetic genius constantly mixing together concoctions of stupefying rhymes (Gremlins & mention, fishes & pigeons). He was the Best Rapper Alive, which he claimed on Tha Carter II in 2005, but here in 2010 this term is commonly referred to as perjury.

       As he has stated in numerous tracks, including but certainly not limited to “Phone Home,” “Me and My Cup,” and “Barry Bonds,” he references his love for codeine (aka Purple Drank, Sizzurp) a prescription strength cough syrup which is also made of promethazine . As stated in a Rolling Stone article in 2009, he smokes marijuana comparable to someone addicted to cigarettes. Although he supposedly doesn’t do anything drug or alcohol related outside of these two, constantly abusing these substances will wreck someone’s psyche and it’s a sad thing to say and he isn’t the first artist affected by abusing drugs, but these habits are flushing him down the drain.

       Learning to play the guitar is not that great of an accomplishment, I’m sure hundreds of people learn every day. Genre-hopping is rarely ever seen and it could very well be a possibility in the future. Lil Wayne’s new album Rebrith showcases the different genres that guitar is used in (metal, 80’s pop, etc…). Michael Jordan is to basketball player as Lil Wayne is to rapper. MJ may have been semi-decent at baseball, but Lil Wayne botched in his attempt at rock.

       It’s hard to see a musician with the audacity to include this:

“And when I was 5, my favorite movie was the Gremlins

Aint got shit to do with this, but I just thought that I should mention”

..in a song just completely lose all musical talent is a travesty. I’m sure he was making dough back in the day when he put out The Dedication and Tha Carter II, but now that he isn’t making comparable quality music I’m sure he is rolling in more money than he could ever spend. And he isn’t producing the same quantity of music either. He had songs coming out faster than anyone could listen to them in ’06, ’07, and the early part of ’08 and now you’ll be hard press to find a new song of his, he is just hurls verses in mainstream pop like he’s an updated Apple product.

       If senior year of high school had a theme song it would have to be something Weezy put out. 2007 and 2008 were all about him. His 2009 mixtape “No Ceilings” was reminiscent of the Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. we all once knew. He was famous for taking a popular rap song to the car wash, waxing and polishing the hell out of it, to make the original artist look foolish. Now it looks like the tables are turned. Don’t be surprised to see him on Dancing with the Stars soon.

[VIDEO][S] St. Vincent

Here is a pretty funny video featuring a few SNL cast members.






This one is a wonderful cover of The National's "Mistaken For Strangers"

[VIDEO] Frightened Rabbit | "Nothing Like You"

Here is a new video from Frightened Rabbit off their upcoming release, The Winter of Mixed Drinks out on March 1st. I just heard about these guys the other week and haven't heard anything that I haven't liked.

[CONCERT] Citizen Cope @ Cat's Cradle

       Despite a large number of blunders, concerts are about the music and Citizen Cope delivered on that end. It’s been a while since I have been to Cat’s Cradle, but I am pretty sure that pat-downs are not a regular thing to get in. Then Clarence Greenwood (Citizen Cope) had the decency to emerge from backstage at 10 PM, an hour after the show was supposed to start. That is the normal time a band with an opening act would come on, there was no opening act. The hour did leave time to check out the merchandise. $25 for a tee is a little lopsided considering the tickets were only $22. Once the five members of the band overtook the stage, the smell of some of their habits pierced our nostrils like Vick’s Vapo-Rub.

       Once the tunes started blaring (and I mean blaring) everything was in its right place. Cope’s stage presence is comparable to a statue. His tranquil persona is displayed through much of his music and it emerges on an elevated platform in front of 600 people. He rarely moved away from the mic and while he was there, very sparse hand motions accounted for 80% of any movement (including his mouth which he hardly opens to sing). A little more engagement with the crowd would evolve him into an entertainer but he is still at the musician stage. He fed off the crowd (singing-a-long and clapping) instead of the crowd feeding from the artist’s energy.

       He did play all of the hits. “Let the Drummer Kick,” “Son’s Gonna Rise,””Comin’ Back,” and “Brother Lee” among others. He also played some new stuff of which I know “Healing Hands.” One song I am presuming is new which started with a keyboard intro that slapped you in the face then built up to a sure to be classic Citizen Cope song.

       None of the instruments really stood out, which is a good thing, because it means they’re all doing their jobs. But, the bass pumped through veins like blood. The cool cat in the leather jacket, scarf, and gold-rimmed shades shook my pants like a maraca. The music was a tad bit loud, not always a bad thing, but I went to bed with ringing ears. It sounded like I didn’t turn my iPod off when I set it down on my desk.

       The encore was the highlight of the show. After catering to his habit, he came back out and performed solo. It included “Pablo Picasso,” (snippet below) “Salvation,” “Sideways,” and a full band kick-ass cover version of Radiohead’s “Karma Police.” My girlfriend saw him in Raleigh last year and he played it there to. So it’s a signature ‘adieu’ at Cope shows but that’s besides the fact, it is a beautiful song.

I would like to thank the incredible Cameron Brown for all the pictures and video from the show. She did a great job.