My Crazy Music Blog

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

CD Review: "New Moon" Soundtrack - Various Artists

Written by: Brian Campbell

Various Artists - The Twilight Saga: The New Moon Soundtrack

For those of you who may have been living under a rock or perhaps in a cave, New Moon, the sequel to the insanely popular vampire romance movie Twilight, will be in theaters soon, and along with it comes this new soundtrack, The Twilight Saga: The New Moon Soundtrack. This 15 track collection is a record full of songs from artists befitting a brooding flick, featuring songs from the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, the Killers and Muse.

The Twilight Saga: The New Moon Soundtrack houses a plethora of bands that would make even the most devout scenester blush. Sure, there are contributions from bands that have had success at the mainstream level like the Killers (‘A White Demon Love Affair’) and OK GO (‘Shooting the Moon’), but it’s the showcasing of perchance lesser known acts that pull the entire affair together. Bands like the Editors (‘No Sound But the Wind’), Sea Wolf (‘The Violet Hour’) and Bon Iver and St. Vincent (‘Rosyln’) make up the majority of the music of The Twilight Saga: The New Moon Soundtrack.

Indie rock heavyweights Death Cab for Cutie kicks things off exceptionally with their offering ‘Meet Me on the Equinox,’ which is following in suit by fashionable outings from Radiohead frontman and brainchild Thom Yorke (‘Hearing Damage’) and modern day prog-rock prognosticators Muse (‘I Belong to You (New Moon Mix’). The soundtrack cruises along until its peak, and one true moment of ultimate clarity, the closing track ‘New Moon (The Meadow),’ an original score composed for the movie by French musician Alexandre Desplat. The tracks’ mood driven piano refrains and gloomy orchestrations ominously linger, harmoniously encapsulating the true essence of emotion the movie is all about.

Believe it or not, The Twilight Saga: The New Moon Soundtrack actually has something for everyone within, and actually packs a punch which more often than not cuts through the emotional air. Chances are, if you are a fan of this series, and are excited for New Moon to hit theatres, this album was already on your radar.

Grade: 7.5/10

Listen to: The Killers – ‘A White Demon Love Affair’

Contest: LMFAO/will.i.am Remix "LALALA" and WIN!

Just wanted to gets in touch with you about Pepsi's Resfresh Studio and the LMFAO/will.i.am remix contest they are running. Users are being asked to submit remixes of LMFAO's song "LALALA", using their own video performances or videos from the Pepsi Gallery (http://www.youtube.com/refresheverything). Will.i.am will pick his favorite performances to create 1 official remix and official music video!

The contest ends this Friday, Nov. 13th, so hurry and create and enter your remix at http://www.youtube.com/refresheverything for the chance to win!

Cobra Starship Debuts "Hot Mess" on MTV

Cobra Starship - New Music - More Music Videos

Is it hot or not?

Monday, November 9, 2009

Dirty Clubs & Gritty Demos, Vol. 4 -Records Are Making a Comeback

Lately I’ve noticed a lot more new releases being offered on vinyl as well as CD and mp3. I grew up with my parents’ records from the 70s and when I was a teenager and my dad got his fancy new stereo system I adopted the amazing Technics stand up record player and the boxes of records that had moved into the spare bedroom closet. Many of the local bands that I was listening to put out 7” and I started to scour garage sales and flea markets to add to my new record collection. Our local record store had a small vinyl section but it was all punk with the occasional mainstream act releasing their new album on vinyl. Slowly those mainstream releases became far and few between until recently, bands have begun pressing their new (and reissued) releases on vinyl.

The punk community never really let go of the record. From a community of individuals that had a history of having to seek out the specific releases they wanted and having to wait for the band to come to their town or having to special order their records we still crave the special limited edition numbered pressings on colored vinyl.

Punk veterans, The Bouncing Souls, have been releasing one song in mp3 format on the first of the month for all of 2009 and issuing quarterly 7” with three of these singles and one bonus track. Each of these 7” come in different colors and press runs depending on if you buy them through mail order, on tour, or in a record store.

This attitude transferred into the mainstream with the bands that also made that jump. Two new Nirvana releases (Live at Reading and the reissue of Bleach) are both offering a vinyl option and Green Day’s new release 21^st Century Breakdown was offered on a double album gatefold and are now offering a collection of 7” in a limited run.

I am always torn about the format that I buy music. If I am at home 9 time out of 10 I will put on a record, but in the car, in my office, on the subway I have my iPod. So usually I opt for the CD out of practical reasons. If I love the band and will invest in collecting all of their records, then I will buy both. I wonder how long until records start coming with a digital copy just as DVDs now do, but until then records will remain mainly a collector’s item.

Two great vinyl resources I just found out about:

Record Store Day is the third Saturday in April. This just started a couple of years ago but their wbsite has a great database of local record stores who participate in Record Store Day – www.recordstoreday.com

Though, I don’t love the internet as a replacement for a physical community this site is great for buying and selling vinyl. This forum provides a community that is like a virtual swap meet, not people selling off their dad’s collection because they need beer money. - www.vinylcollective.com

And last, you can usually find a local vinyl Meetup. - www.meetup.com

Tonight in Rock: El Perro Del Mar @ Webster Hall, NYC at 8pm

Swedish pop band El Perro Del Mar is hitting up the New York City streets tonight. Playing at Webster Hall at 8:00pm, leading lady Sarah Assbring will be opening for a fellow Swedish band Peter, Bjorn and John.

The tour kicks off their newest album Love Is Not Pop, released in the U.S. on October 20th. Slow melodies, coupled with synthesizer extras El Perro Del Mar is a dreamy state of her upbeat counter part, Lykke Li.

The Swedish take over of Webster Hall will be a night of Indie, foreign culture.

Concert Review: Noah and the Whale @ The Mercury Lounge, 11/2

Written by: Dallas Meck

In a dimly lit Brooklyn bar Noah and the Whale captivate the venue with a U.S. farewell.

It’s hard to imagine five band mates that produce the orchestral sounds of their latest album, First Days of Spring. Armed with knobs, pedals, buttons and a toothbrush, instruments are transformed into multidimensional sounds. New richness and texture illuminate heartache and passion, to which this album can be attributed.

The ukulele left behind, along with their usual head bopping folk tunes, the audience experiences a different side of Noah and the Whale. Melancholic lyrics resounded with deeply felt vocals, vibrate the venue with lovesick emotion.

Chris Fink’s serious demeanor gives way in their rendition of Elvis’ “You Were Always On My Mind” and we get a glimpse of his authentic smile.

While the tone is that of a long lost love, the band brings a childlike enthusiasm to the stage. Playfully jousting to the music they feed on each other’s strumming, drumming and keyboarding chords -- only letting on to the audience of their known presence when Fink says, “Its not that I don’t like you, I just don’t have anything to say.”

Self proclaimed as “notoriously mysterious” the eclectic crew of personalities adds differing components to the understanding of their musical composition.

They leave us with a seducing crescendo of frantic violin and an effects showcase. The toothbrush becomes the surprising, centerpiece element of the night. Abandoning their still ringing instruments, band members slowly disappear, and the audience blows a kiss goodbye as they retreat into the shadows of Brooklyn.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Tonight in Rock: Basement Jaxx @ Santos Party House, 11/7

Basement Jaxx, UK’s kings of house music, rose to fame in the late ‘90s with electronic anthems like ‘Red Alert’ and ‘Bingo Bango,’ which could be heard everywhere from south London clubs to Coke commercials. They have been churning out funkified house hits ever since.

The duo (otherwise known as Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe) just released a new album, Scars, featuring an impressive guest performer lineup--Santigold, Yoko Ono, and Kelis, to name a few--that creates a truly diverse selection of dance tacks.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Weekend Picks #53: Top 10 Songs to Check Out

1. Rene Lopez - "Johnny Wants to be a Matador"

2. the Swimmers - "Shelter"

3. Pretty Lights - "City of One"

4. Hotel St. George - "All Those Dancing Stars"

5. The Raveonettes - "Last Dance"

6. El Perro Del Mar - "Change of Heart"

7. Scott Seskind - "I Wonder"

8. Stricken City - "Small Things"

9. The Raveonettes - "The Chosen One"

10. Mass Fiction - "Bad Form"

**BONUS**

Golden Shoulders - "Mountains"

QuietDrive - "Jessica"

Paper Route covers Kid Cuti's "Day N Nite" (yousendit.com)

Githead - "Landing"

Lifehouse - "Halfway Gone" (imeem.com)

Will Stratton Releases Two New Songs

MCMB wanted to share a new song made available for download from NY-area songwriter Will Stratton. It's the song "Your California Sky," off Will's new album No Wonder.

We've been a fan of Will's since first discovering his debut, What the Night Said, which he wrote when he was 19. Now he's finally completed his followup, No Wonder, recorded between his classes at Bennington College. Dedication! Will's music has been called "disarmingly proficient" by NPR, "stirring and hyper-personal yet universally beautiful," by All Music and "pretty damn close to a straight-up masterpiece" by PopMatters.

Download: "Your California Sky"

Download "Who Will"

Sliimy Covers Britney Spear's "Womanizer"

Womanizer in LA hands

Sliimy | MySpace Video

Sliimy’s debut album Paint Your Face (first release on Perezcious/Warner Bros label, Sept. 15, 2009), available now at iTunes and at http://musictee.com/sliimy.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

CD Review: Every Avenue "Picture Perfect"

Written by: Brian Campbell

Every Avenue - Picture Perfect (Fearless Records)

There are those that say the key to winning a track meet is to both start and finish strong, while simply keeping pace in the middle. Well, someone should have told that to Every Avenue and their latest effervescent oeuvre, Picture Perfect.

This record seems to be in a dead sprint to the finish line. Oh, it starts off strong and finishes even stronger, but it doesn’t just pace throughout; this record flat out kills, blowing away the competition in the process. With Picture Perfect the boys in Every Avenue have stepped their game up so to speak and have only gotten better in almost every sense. Listen, Shh..Just Go With It was a great record in its own right and Picture Perfect is just its logical predecessor, or maybe superior works better there.

With Picture Perfect these guys have never been better, which is saying something because they have been damn good thus far. This record is a star-studded affair, packed to the hilt with stunning songs that, if given the opportunity, would all impact at radio. There are 11 tracks in total, all of which could be potential singles for the band. Every Avenue does everything right, including the small things like the bass drop leading to the chorus outro of ‘Tell Me I’m a Wreck.’ It’s things like that (that often go unnoticed), along with some of the more noticeable things, like painfully, painfully relatable songwriting, vibrant storytelling, near perfect song structure and magnificent, soaring hooks, driven home by Dave Strauchman’s significant and understandable vocals. He is an integral part of the bands brilliant sonic aesthetic, but he doesn’t deserve all of the credit for sure. It’s not like his band sucks or anything.

It’s the contrast of Picture Perfect that makes it so special. The band can follow songs with moving piano touches (‘Happy the Hard Way’) with upbeat, cheery numbers (‘Girl Like That’). The album can also get away with a heavy (well, heavy for them) breakdown in the middle of ‘Saying Goodbye.’ Its remarkable how this album can also be as heartbreaking (‘The Story Left Untold’) as it is, then be refreshing and dance floor inducing in the next breath (‘Clumsy Little Heart’). It’s really a testament to the bands abilities than anything else.

Listening to powerpop nowadays is like wading neck deep through muck, while finding a good band among the ilk is more like finding a needle in the haystack. Let’s face it – the entire genre is in the toilet right now. Save yourself the hassle of listening to the rest and just go pick up a copy of Picture Perfect and listen to the best.

Grade: 9/10

Listen to: ‘Tell Me I’m a Wreck’

Free Bebel Gilberto & Mark Ronson Track "The Real Thing"

Originally performed by Sergio Mendes and written by Steve Wonder, Bebel Gilberto and Mark Ronson put their spin on "The Real Thing". The original version is an undeniable disco track, but one would never know from this reinterpretation. Bebel's sultry voice and Mark Ronson's killer horns and percussion reintroduce this classic to a new generation of music fans. "The Real Thing" appears on Bebel Gilberto's new album All In One, out now.

Download here.

In just two weeks, Bebel Gilberto returns from her tour abroad to kick off the North American tour. Kicking off on November 18 in Miami, Bebel will be making her way around America with a couple of stop in Canada. Check out all the tour dates below.

11.18.09 – Fillmore Miami Beach – Miami Beach, FL
11.20.09 – The Loft – Atlanta, GA
11.22.09 – The National – Richmond, VA
11.23.09 – 9:30 Club – Washington D.C.
11.25.09 – Hiro Ballroom – New York, NY
11.27.09 – Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA
11.28.09 – Wellmont Theatre – Montclair, NJ
11.29.09 – L’Astral – Montreal, QC
11.30.09 – Sound Academy – Toronto, ON
12.02.09 – Park West – Chicago, IL
12.03.09 – Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant – Minneapolis, MN
12.05.09 – Ogden Theatre – Denver, CO
12.08.09 – Belly Up Tavern – Solana Beach, CA
12.09.09 – Henry Ford Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
12.10.09 – Bimbo’s 365 Club – San Francisco, CA
12.12.09 – Holocene – Portland, OR
12.13.09 – Showbox at the Market – Seattle, WA
12.14.09 – Commodore – Vancouver, BC

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

"Glee: The Music Vol. 2" Track Listing Announced

Did you buy "Glee: The Music Vol. 1" yesterday? We did. Of course we did. We are in love with this show and the music from it! Lea Michele singing "Defying Gravity" -- oh yes, we bought it.

Now the track listing for "Glee: The Music Vol. 2" has been released. The second album will also feature 17 tracks of solo and choral covers, including “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade.” Release is Dec. 8.

The tracklisting for “Glee: The Music Vol. 2″:

“Proud Mary”
“Endless Love”
“I’ll Stand By You”
“Don’t Stand So Close To Me”/”Young Girl”
“Crush”
“(You’re) Having My Baby”
“Lean On Me”
“Don’t Make Me Over”
“Imagine”
“True Colors”
“Jump”
“Smile” (Lily Allen cover)
“Smile” (Charlie Chaplin cover)
“And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going”
“Don’t Rain On My Parade”
“You Can’t Always Get What You Want”
“My Life Would Suck Without You”

Will you buy it? We are going to!

Bishop Allen's New Video "True or False"

Bishop Allen are currently on tour with Throw Me the Statue and Darwin Deez. Although we cannot promise dancing girls on stage, hopefully “True or False” does provide some inspiration for audience members to shake it at these shows.

TOUR DATES:
11/03/09 Omaha, NE - Slowdown w/ Throw Me the Statue, Darwin Deez
11/06/09 Vancouver, BC - The Media Club w/ Throw Me the Statue, Darwin Deez
11/07/09 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey w/ Throw Me the Statue, Darwin Deez
11/08/09 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge w/ Throw Me the Statue, Darwin Deez
11/09/09 San Francisco, CA - The Rickshaw Shop w/ Throw Me the Statue, Darwin Deez
11/10/09 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre w/ Throw Me the Statue, Darwin Deez
11/11/09 Phoenix, AZ - Modified Arts w/ Throw Me the Statue, Darwin Deez
11/13/09 Austin, TX - Mohawk w/ Throw Me the Statue, Darwin Deez
11/14/09 Ft Worth, TX - Lola's w/ Throw Me the Statue, Darwin Deez
11/15/09 Little Rock, - AR- Sticky Fingerz Chicken Shack w/ Throw Me the Statue, Darwin Deez
11/17/09 Newport, KY - Southgate House w/ Throw Me the Statue, Darwin Deez
11/18/09 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's w/ Throw Me the Statue, Darwin Deez
11/19/09 Washington, DC - Black Cat - Backstage w/ Throw Me the Statue, Darwin Deez
11/20/09 Brooklyn, NY - Union Hall w/ Throw Me the Statue, Darwin Deez
11/21/09 Brooklyn, NY - Bell House w/ Throw Me the Statue, Darwin Deez

NashVegas Stripped - Tuniverse.tv

We have another new column for you on MCMB. Instead of "Folked-Up Friday", we now have Martin Baggs writing a new column called "NashVegas Stripped". This column will feature all the dirty details into the secret lives of Nashville musicians. Check back each week to see what's next...

Written by: Martin Baggs

Nashville is a town of constant musical change especially in the past two years. The national economic crisis has taken its toll on the music industry and the machine behind it. This has allowed for innovation and creative ideas to seep to the surface that once were stifled by big money labels. Enter Tuniverse.tv – a new approach to marketing, promoting, and debuting new artists and established artists of all genres.

The week of Halloween, Tuniverse threw a party that was not to be missed at the world famous Wildhorse Saloon. They rolled out the red carpet for this live HD web recording hosted by MTV Latin America's Charlie Venturi, including musical acts: Restless Heart, Dave Robbins, Michael Logen, Luna Halo, Wide Awake, Due West, Kaley, and featuring Here Come The Mummies. It was a refreshing evening as Tuniverse mastermind, Billy Austin, showcased talent from a star-studded cast. He went big and I think it is going to pay off.

His website, Tuniverse.tv is the first of it’s kind offering music fans of all genres the opportunity to view their favorite Tuniverse artist in full HD quality without the buffering. If you like what you see, there is a simple download process (much like iTunes) where you can buy complete albums or a song at a time. It’s all in one place and it’s all high quality. Sure there is YouTube and other social networking sights of live recordings, but nothing will beat this – full HD and no buffering of concerts, interviews and behind the scenes. I counted seven HD cameras running that night getting angles and views that a cell phone camera can’t compete with. It’s not taking the place of those sights, just adding one more avenue of love for the artist.

The only suggestion I have is making an app for that Billy!

Take a look at Tuniverse.tv.

Artist Spotlight... The Westar

Written by: Matthew Mendoza

The Westar, comprised of Ethan Carlson and Vic Garcia, come together as a largely talented indie and Pop duet. The Westar plays a distinct style of independent alternative that echoes Pop rhythms throughout it’s tracks. Using a variety of instruments, The Westar creates an upbeat rock sound that spits alternating power chords, high tone guitar notes, and Ethan and Vic’s earnest voices.

The Westar, originally named Vic Kingsley, is from Miami where Ethan and Vic met at the University of Miami. Both members have extensive musical experience. Ethan has collaborated with Barry Gibb of the legendary Bee Gees, Vic has toured as a guitarist and keyboard for Latin idol Paulina Rubio, as well as written for Paola Beschin and Alejandra Alberti. The two have since relocated to Los Angeles to foster their musical writing. The band is about to release it’s EP “Turn on the Dark” in the winter. Some it’s songs are reflection of discontent with the world’s media while others are inspired by misfortune and death.

You can check out The Westar on MySpace here.

Remember to Enter to Win Tickets to The Mother Hips @ Joe's Pub

Ticket Giveaway: The Mother Hips @ Joe's Pub on 11/17 in NYC

Get your tickets above!! All you have to do is enter... pretty easy!

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