3.27.2009

yes?

So.

Official word of a vinyl format for 'Yes'...which costs a mere
£300.00.

11 LPs - a track per side with the instrumental [exclusive, of course] on the b-side - in a ridiculously nice box. This isn't an album, it's a piece of art. Full info at the Vinyl Factory.

I was hoping for something a little more...affordable.

My birthday is May 6th, by the way - not long after this one is available - for those that might need a gift idea...

3.26.2009

nostalgia

Remember how important Radiohead used to be? How much their music used to mean?

Not to be stuck in the past - though I probably am on this one - or to be "like that", but even 'Pablo Honey' [as good as it really is, the weakest of the first three LPs] blows anything they've done since 1998 out of the water.

*sigh* Such is the cost of 'OK Computer', I suppose.

3.25.2009

boo etc.

The UK singles for "Love etc." come packaged in card sleeves.

:(

On top of that, there's still no news of a vinyl format for the single.

:( :(

There are rumors of an LP pressing of 'Yes' coming in July...perhaps concurrent with the second single release, a la the vinyl release of 'Fundamentalism Vol 2' / the "Minimal" single release? Hrm...

[The single is also available on US iTunes today.]

3.24.2009

it's official

I think it's safe to say now that it's not going to get better with further listens.

I will go on record saying I hate 'Dark Days / Light Years' by Super Furry Animals. It makes me impossibly sad to say - well, type - that, but it's true. What a steaming pile of a record.

It is a sad day indeed.

On the other hand, I do not hate the new studio recordings of Jane's Addiction's "Whores" and "Chip Away". Ho-ly shit are things things fucking a-mazing. Get yourself over to the Jane's Addiction website to get yourself a free copy, because good lord they're fucking ridiculous. They're part of a sampler that also contains two Nine Inch Nails and two Street Sweeper tracks, but really who the fuck cares? Jane's Addiction rockin' 2009 like they never went anywhere - who saw that coming?

3.19.2009

I'm so excited [and I just can't hide it]

I love nice surprises...and after a pretty crappy winter, I could use a few.

This one tops the list though. You'll probably remember me gushing about how amazing Lorraine - and specifically their single "When I Return To The World" - are/were/will always be/whatever. [Joe, I will always be in your debt for this one.] So then they up and disappeared, right? Or so you thought...

Apparently they reappeared last fall as Black Room with the never released Lorraine album 'Pop Noir' ready to go. It is out in Japan - because, you know, all the best pop is HUGE in Japan even when no one else loves them, see also Gloss - and on iTunes in other parts of the world. Including the US.

It's basically the "Heaven", "I Feel It", "Saved" and "When I Return To The World" singles with five or six new songs - "I Feel It" appears to have been re-recorded - but whatever. It's fucking ace and you should go buy it right now. There's also a Japanese only 7" - how elite - with "Confetti" as the b-side [that marks the third time it has been used as a b-side for those keeping track]. And "Italian Girlfriend" is apparently a Japan-only b-side, but you've already got it on the "I Feel It" single, right? It's on iTunes as well, so no worries.

Anyways. Go to their myspace for previews since there's pretty much nothing on Youtube. Potential album of the year material here.

3.17.2009

crushed

As a general rule, very little gets me as excited as a new SFA album. So yesterday being the digital release date of album 9 'Dark Days/Light Years' was overall a pretty good day. I had troubles connecting to the site in the afternoon when it first became available, however by the evening things had calmed down and I was able to log in and grab it.

First thought: the artwork is less of a collaboration between Pete Fowler and Keiichi Tanaami and more the shoving together of the artwork for 'Phantom Power' and 'Hey Venus!'. Very lazy and disappointing.

Second thought: the album is not very good. At all. Teaser single "Inaugural Trams" was decent - not their strongest, but a step up lead single wise from "Show Your Hand" I'd say - but it is sadly the best thing on here. The rest is either SFA-ish but really underwhelming ["White Socks/Flip Flops", "Inconvenience"], a good idea executed poorly ["Cardiff In The Sun", "Mt.", "The Very Best of Neil Diamond"], or really just shit ["Crazy Naked Girls" is so fucking awful I'm shocked].

I suppose a bad SFA album was bound to happen eventually.

3.10.2009

something awful

So, this is apparently the new Tori Amos album cover then.

Terrible. Horrible picture [she is WAY too made up], wretched font. The tracklist is out there, but all you need to know is it is made up of 17 songs and probably twice as long as it needs to be.

'American Doll Posse' was a step in the right direction after the mis-steps of, oh, everything else she's release this decade. Hopefully this continues in that direction, but I'm not exactly holding my breath.

Something better - the Pet Shop Boys have put up a 10-minute megamix preview of 'Yes' on their site and it's fab. Also, the new SFA single out there and it is also wonderful if not quite as impactful as previous lead singles have been. I realized the other day that both of those albums come out on the same day - in the UK and the wide world of the internets respectively, that is. In the US, they both join 'Sounds of the Universe' on April 21. It's a super synthpop Tuesday!

3.03.2009

US marks destination

In an exciting turn of events, The Whip are doing an actual, honest to goodness US tour this spring in support of "X Marks Destination". [On a side note, apparently it comes out today in the US with 4-bonus tracks - including the previously digital only Shinichi Osawa remix of 'Blackout'. Huzzah!] According to their myspace, if you're in one of these cities on one of these dates, you'd better get your dancing shoes on and get ready to get down:

20/3- Austin

21/3 - Austin @ La Zona Rosa (official showcase) with Pendulum, The Crystal Method, Diesel Boy, Kaskade

24/3 - New Orleans @ House of Blues with Pendulum, The Crystal Method

27/3 - Miami Ultra Music Festival @ Bicentennial Park with Bloc Party, Santogold, Ting Tings, more!

30/3 - Atlanta @ The Earl with Deadmau5, Late of the Pier

01/4 - New York @ Bowery Ballroom with Late of the Pier

02/4 - New Haven @ Yale Afro-American Cultural Center with Late of the Pier

03/4 - Brooklyn @ Studio B with Deadmau5, Late of the Pier

04/4 - Philadelphia @ TLA with Deadmau5, Late of the Pier

07/4 - Washington DC @ 930 Club with Deadmau5, Late of the Pier

08/4 - Boston @ Paradise with Deadmau5, Late of the Pier

09/4 - Montreal @ Les Saintes with Late of the Pier

10/4 - Toronto @ Kool Haus with Deadmau5, Late of the Pier

11/4 - Chicago @ Congress with Deadmau5, Late of the Pier, Crookers

14/4 - Seattle @ Chop Suey with Late of the Pier

15/4 - Portland @ Dantes with Late of the Pier

16/4 - San Francisco @ Pop Scene with Late of the Pier

20/4 - Los Angeles @ Spaceland

21/4 - Los Angeles @ Cinespace

I shall see you in Toronto, boys and girl!

Blackout, blackout:



I fucking LOVE THIS RECORD.