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New Releases, Laura Gibson, Big Pink, Shins, Doors, Lion |
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Tuesday, January 10, 2012 - 08:00 AM Posted by: Karl
FANFARLO shows off "Shiny Things" in advance of Rooms Filled With Light. NEW RELEASES from Expensive Looks, Run Dan Run, Garnd & Nobel and more are streaming this week at Spinner. LAURA GIBSON is advance streaming La Grande. THE BIG PINK is advance streaming Future This. THE SHINS drop a "Simple Song" ahead of Port Of Morrow. THE DOORS: "She Smells So Nice" is the first completely new and unreleased song from the band in 40 years. BLACK DICE unleash "Pigs" ahead of Mr Impossible. TUNE-YARDS played "Bizness" and "You Yes You" on Fallon in time for Twofer Tuesday. NEBRASKA: Springsteen's stark solo LP turns 30 this month. DAVID BROWNE talks to The Nervous Breakdown about his latest book, the '70-centric Fire and Rain. (Thx, LHB.) COACHELLA 2012 lineup is announced, festival-goers. RETROMANIA: Critics Ann Powers, Carl Wilson and Daphne Carr to participate in a Bookforum roundtable on the provocative Simon Reynolds book. THE DESCENDANTS: Finally got around to Alexander Payne's latest, a dramedic meditation on the legacies we leave. The story here is not as strong as those in Election or Sideways, but the film nonetheless bears most of the tonal qualities of a Payne film. There will be talk of George Clooney getting an Oscar nomination -- and he is quite good -- as Matt King, who has a multiplicity of family issues to address. But Shailene Woodley, as his first daughter Alexandra, has a breakout performance which will take her beyond The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Also, don't let Clooney lie to you in the opening narration -- while he promises that Hawaii is not a paradise, the cinematography suggests otherwise. BEYONCE & JAY-Z: Lenox Hill Hospital denied the couple took over an entire floor for the birth of their child, but parents complained they were blocked from visiting their babies in neonatal intensive care. EVAN RACHEL WOOD & JAMIE BELL are engaged. CHARLIE SHEEN says that last year's headline-making antics are indeed a thing of the past. LISA LOEB and husband Roey Hershkovitz will welcome their second child in June. SNOOP DOGG was busted in TX this weekend after a drug-sniffing dog uncovered marijuana on his tour bus. KRISTY McNICHOL comes out. TERROR in the USA: Authorities charged Sami Osmakac, a Kosovo-born naturalized US citizen, with planning a terror attack on various targets in the Tampa Bay area, including public areas and bridges. IRAN's top nuclear official announced this weekend that the country was on the verge of starting production at its second major uranium enrichment site, in a defiant declaration that its nuclear program would continue despite new international sanctions restricting its oil revenue. PAKISTAN: Fmr Pres Musharraf said he will return to Pakistan at the end of the month; Senior Special Prosecutor Chaudhry said Musharraf would be arrested upon his return. AFGHANISTAN: Pres Karzai's spokesman said that the Taliban must agree to a ceasefire before peace talks can proceed. Karzai's spokesman also said the government would not cede provinces to the Taliban. LION vs TODDLER: Who you got? THE BRANDING VILLA in South Gosforth, Newcastle, is now selling a special beer designed for dogs so that drinkers' four-legged friends can also enjoy a tipple at the same time. It is also serving a Sunday roast covered in cat-flavored gravy. GOAT-RIDING MONKEY Raids Farm. A DOG was rescued from an Idaho mine shaft. MAGPIES & BEARS mourn the death of Kim Jong Il.
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2760 Reads |
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Kathleen Edwards, Craig Finn, La Sera, Of Montreal |
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Monday, January 09, 2012 - 08:00 AM Posted by: Karl
ROME: Jack White provides the vocals for Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi on "Two Against One." KATHLEEN EDWARDS is advance streaming Voyageur. HOWLER -- whose music brings to mind The Strokes, Guided by Voices, The Jam and The Buzzcocks -- is advance streaming America Give Up. RAE SPOON is advance streaming I Can't Keep All Our Secrets. CRAIG FINN (The Hold Steady) drops "Honolulu Blues" ahead of Clear Hearts Full Eyes. LA SERA: Vivian Girls' Katy Goodman drops "Please Be My Third Eye" in advance of Sees The Light. Yum! OF MONTREAL drops the not-dour "Dour Percentage" in advance of Paralytic Stalks. Reminds me a bit of classic Todd Rundgren, with a dash of Prince in his psychedelic phase. DAVID BOWIE turned 65 yesterday and is profiled in semi-retirement at The Guardian. That essay notes his long streak in the 70s, so let's enjoy "Queen B^tch" from the OGWT. BEST COAST: Bethany Cosentino tells Pitchfork she hopes to shed her old image through the band's as-yet-untitled sophomore record. 25 ALBUMS TO LOOK FORWARD TO, according to Paste. ETTA JAMES, who is terminally ill and battling leukemia, is out of the hospital. BOB WESTON, the British guitarist who played with Fleetwood Mac in the ‘70s, has died. He was 64. TOM ARDOLINO, longtime NRBQ drummer, is dead at 56 after a long illness. WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: The Devil Inside tops the chart with 34.5 million -- absolutely blowing away predictions of 8-10 million. Made for less than a million, it made twice that on Thursday night showings, possibly launching another franchise in the mold of Paranormal Activity. That opening, btw, is bigger than any weekend enjoyed by the second-place Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, which brought in another 20.2 million (which still beat the predicted 15 million). Tom Crazy now has 170 million in the US and almost 300 million overseas. Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows shows with 14 million; it didn't start as big as the reboot, it has been pretty leggy here, if a bit disappointing in overseas markets. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is fourth with 11.4 million and the best hold on the chart, again underscoring the stupidity of a Christmas release for this one. Alvin and the Chipmunks rounds out the Top5, but makes only 9.5 million on a 42 percent drop. Below the fold, War Horse struggles a bit in sixth place (as does Tintin in eight), while We Bought a Zoo recops its 50 million budget in seventh place. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy gained mometum from a near-wide release and landed in ninth with 5.8 million and 1 10.4 million total (plus 25 million abroad). The ball drops on New Year's Eve as it clings to the bottom rung of the Top 10. TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY: The film adaptation of the John le Carre Cold War classic may not be as good as the Alec Guinness-led mini-series, as the amount of condensation necessary makes the thriller that much more difficult to follow. Given the difficulty of the task, the screenplay mostly rises to that challenges, but the real strength of this film is the performances. Gary Oldman is almost always excellent and his take on Smiley is no exception, possibly resulting in an Oscar nod. But the rest of the cast is also very good from Colin Firth to Benedict Cumberbatch (The new Sherlock on Masterpiece Theater) to Tom Hardy (though he walks a fine line toward overdoing it as Ricky Tarr). I sometimes wonder whether young viewers might be put off by the chilly tone and relative lack of "action" in this kind of film, but I credit all involved for resisting the temptation to tart it up. BEYONCE & JAY-Z welcomed a baby girl named Blue Ivy Carter in New York City on Saturday. SIENNA MILLER and boyfriend Tom Sturridge are expecting a child. JOHNNY DEPP's long term relationship with Vanessa Paradis is on the rocks, according to RadarOnline. SCARLETT JOHANSSON's mom claims she is cash-poor and can't obtain a mortgage in a real estate dispute that offers a rare peek into the finances of a stage mom and her famous daughter. PAULA ABDUL and her boyfriend, record label owner Jeff Bratton, have called off their romance. KAT DENNINGS is dating her 2 Broke Girls co-star, Nick Zano. ROBERT DOWNEY, JR., is being courted to play Geppetto in a live action take on Pinocchio. TERROR in the KINGDOM: The Saudi government has begun the trial of 16 al Qaeda operatives, including 14 Saudis, a Pakistani, and an Afghan, accused of killing a policeman and plotting attacks against military and government sites. The operatives are also accused of supporting and financing terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq. EGYPT: Islamist parties won more than two-thirds of the seats in the parliamentary elections, according to preliminary results. IRAN: The UK threatened military action if Iran attempted to close the Gulf of Hormuz. Western nations prepared contingency plans in case Iranian oil supplies are cut off. Iran prepared to move uranium enrichment into underground bunkers. A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Don't bungee-jump over croc-infested waters. EBENEEZER the DONKEY has his own calendar, website and even his own street sign in Grandview, MO. A WILD BOAR that has wreaked havoc for about a year in the back woods of a dog track in Melbourne, FL - and totaled two cars - was captured Friday. A GIANT RAT was found in a Foot Locker in the Bronx.
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2741 Reads |
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Hollies, New Order tribute, Sallie Ford, Dinosaur Jr, Pig & Pug |
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Friday, January 06, 2012 - 08:00 AM Posted by: Karl
THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE: ...with THE HOLLIES! Circa 1969, post Graham Nash, promoting The Hollies Sing Dylan. Selections include "Carrie Anne" (w/strings instead of steel drums), "Just Like A Woman," a medley of "Just One Look," "Bus Stop," "On A Carousel" and "Sorry, Suzanne," "Quit Your Lowdown," "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight," "Help Me Brother," "Stop Stop Stop," a cover of "A Taste of Honey," Peter, Paul & Mary's "Stewball," "The Mighty Quinn," and "Blowin' in the Wind." NEW ORDER Stream the Power, Corruption & Lies tribute LP. (Thx, LHB.) SALLIE FORD & THE SOUND OUTSIDE visit World Cafe for a chat and mini-set. TINARIWEN plays a Tiny Desk Concert at the offices of NPR. DINOSAUR, JR.: Lou Barlow shares an EP from Deep Wound, his pre-Dino band with J Mascis. ZEITGEIST 2011 is posted at the ol' HM. LANA DEL REY: "National Anthem" and "This Is What Makes Us Girls" have leaked online. THE YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS THEME: T.G.I.F. CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG talks to Pitchfork about conjuring the ego, the differences between performing for a camera and an audience, and what her late father would think if he could see one of her shows. LAURIE ANDERSON is interviewed by The Believer, and vice versa. THE 50 GREATEST GUITAR SOLOS, according to NME, plus selections from a range of musicians. FOO FIGHTERS' Dave Grohl is collaborating with members of... Ratt? (For those keeping score, that's this week's second Ratt reference.) CUTOUT BIN: From Marshall Crenshaw to OMD, from Mason Williams to Devo, from Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings to Devo, plus The Jam, Jefferson Airplane, Guided by Voices, Merrilee Rush and more -- this Friday's fortuitous finds are streaming from the Pate page at the ol' HM. NOW SHOWING: This weekend's wide release is The Devil Inside, which -- shocka -- was not screened in advance for critics. DREW BARRYMORE is engaged to Chanel heir Will Kopelman. MARC ANTHONY moves on from Jennifer Lopez with a 24-year-old Venezuelan model. KATY PERRY & RUSSELL BRAND: The moving vans show up at their L.A. home. And here's unfounded, yet entertaining rumors about their split. KERI RUSSELL gave birth to a daughter on Dec. 27. ARNOLD & MARIA: Not reconciling. THE KARDASHIANS: Available soon in stores? ALBERT BROOKS talks to ComingSoon about Drive, Judd Apatow, his novel and more... STAR TREK: Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, The Hobbit) has been cast in a lead role in the next JJ Abrams voyage. WHY, DAVID FINCHER? He explains. THE 25 GREATEST HORROR FILMS You've Never Seen, according to Den of Geek. (How did they know?) IRAN is mounting an aggressive campaign to fuel anti-American sentiment in Afghanistan and convince Afghan leaders that a robust, long-term security partnership with Washington would be counterproductive, Afghan officials and analysts say. IRAQ: Attacks against Shia pilgrims before the Arbaeen holiday have killed over 60 civilians, the deadliest being a suicide attack against a security checkpoint that killed 44 and wounded dozens more in Nasiriya. The government's support for an Iranian-backed, militant militia, which only just swore off violence, has opened new sectarian fault lines in Iraq's political crisis while potentially empowering Iran at a moment of rising military and economic tensions between Tehran and Washington. AFGHANISTAN: Pres. Karzai said he welcomed the Taliban's announcement that they planned to openly pursue negotiations with the US by setting up an office in Qatar... but he's not wild about the idea.
PIG & PUG, playing together...Mass hysteria! DON'T HASSLE THE HOFF: UK scientists have found prodigious numbers of a new crab species on the Southern Ocean floor that they have dubbed "The Hoff" because of its hairy chest. A GIANT TUNA fetches almost 750K at auction. THE SQUIRREL THREAT: A militant rodent gets it on with a T-Rex. Bang a gong.
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4664 Reads |
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Civil Wars, Yo La Tengo, Pearl Jam, Dog Chair |
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Wednesday, January 04, 2012 - 08:00 AM Posted by: Karl
IRON & WINE: "Godless Brother in Love" dropped in October, but is getting unexpected blog love now. THE CIVIL WARS play a session at Laundro-Matinee, including a cover of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean." YO LA TENGO: NYC Taper has not one, but two of the band's Hanukkah shows at Maxwell's. (Thx, Chromewaves.) DUM DUM GIRLS play Morning Becomes Eclectic in this turn-of-year encore link. PEARL JAM: The previously unreleased demo, "Chinese," thanks to Cameron Crowe. CURSIVE drops "The Sun and Moon" in advance of I Am Gemini. SAD BABY WOLF, a Shins side project, drops "8th Level." R.E.M. covers ABBA's "Does Your Mother Know?", circa 1984. THUNDERCLAP NEWMAN: Because there's "Something In The Air." And you know that it's right. THE PITCHFORK READERS' POLL: Best Albums, along with the Underrated and Overrated (many of the latter are also Best Albums). KATHLEEN EDWARDS talks to Salon about her upcoming Voyageur and her music evolution while staying at her parents' tranquil farmhouse about four hours from Toronto. CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN: Ithsmus alerts me to a fabulous post by David Lowery about hitmaking and "Take the Skinheads Bowling" I missed in July. MUSIC SALES were up by a whopping one percent in 2011, according to preliminary figures. THE DRUMS frontman Jonathan Pierce chats to FasterLouder about inner-band tensions, getting away from that ‘surf band' tag, and dropping the song that helped them hit the big time. (Thx, LHB.) BREAKOUT ARTISTS of 2012, according to PopMatters. BRADGELINA: Jolie bought Pitt a waterfall; he plans to build a house over it with the Frank Lloyd Wright stuff. The pair visited Lloyd Wright's 1939 masterpiece Fallingwater, which was built in Pennsylvania on a similar piece of land, in 2006 (when the above pic was taken). LINDSAY LOHAN is ramping up security after asome random dude turned up on her doorstep. DEMI MOORE & ADAM BRODY will play Gloria Steinem and Harry Reems in the Linda Lovelace biopic. EWAN McGREGOR chatted with GQ about Haywire, fatherhood, fantasies, and the other three movies he's in this year. DAVID TENNANT tied the knot with fiancée Georgia Moffett; they met on the set of Doctor Who. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK's opening sequence, recreated with old movie footage. ROGER EBERT's theories about declining box office receipts. MOROCCO has a new, Islamist-led government. IRAN test fired "long-range" shore-to-sea and surface-to-surface missiles. AFGHANISTAN: A delegation of the Hezb-i-Islami of Afghanistan (HIA) led by former jihadi leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, held "beneficial" talks with Afghan government officials, an HIA member said on Tuesday. IRAQ: Looking to step back from the brink, Iraq's fractious political blocs are working on short-term solutions to cool a crisis that threatened a slide back into sectarian strife, but fundamental differences may be left to smolder. A DOG eats in her chair. AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: Thousands of dead herring on a beach in Norway. HYBRID SHARKS discovered Down Under. PIG RACING: A high-stakes world, some of it in bridal wear.
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2633 Reads |
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