7/30/09

Don't miss: BURNING BRIDES @ The ECHO



Burning Brides is a relentlessly driven rock band whose opened for QOTSA, Melvins and Royal Trux. But, even with a Guitar Hero song, has never received their just accolades. While you can

See them at the small venue The Echo for a small venue price tag.

Burning Brides
Thursday, August 13th @ The Echo

Official site: http://www.burningbrides.com/home.php
The Echo's site: http://www.attheecho.com/


VIDEO: Burning Brides - 'Lovesick'

Troy Van Leeuwen interview - QOTSA news!



In a DunlopTV interview, Troy talks about what got him into guitar playing and also some new Queens of the Stone Age plans including a tour supporting the self-titled re-issue where they play the older tracks-

7/26/09

On the subject of Animal Collective...



Music and social grouping is funny - the thing meant to unite is also a seperator and deflector.

It seems Animal Collective has become one of those bands that can end a friendship. Not because someone doesn't 'get it' (though this may be the cause albeit, not severe enough to split friends) but, because they just don't dig it.

I'll say it - Animal Collective is not the sonic-sculpting power house that along with the disciples (who could convince you Panda Bear, Geologist, Deakin and Avey Tare were at the Last Supper), everyone whose heard 'Summertime Clothes' twice make them out to be. Merriweather Post Pavillion (agreeably their most accessible release) is not a Pet Sounds or Loveless type album though it may sport lush, woozy Beach Boy melodies.

Understand this isn't an attack on AC as a whole or individually. I just think that the avant-garde tag gets thrown around as much as the ill-fated 'indie' label. And, the projected greatness on a band that isn't 'great' kills it.

Nonetheless, Noah Lennox, Brian Weitz, Josh Dibb and David Portner are excellent at what they do. Perfect looping and sampling is a fucking art and these dudes can do it live while dropping the jaws of several Phish fans on a jam-band stage with nary a 'traditional' instrument in sight. In a sense, this band is too gifted not to stray from the sampler more - 'Fireworks' off the Water Curses EP should be evidence enough - particularly the live version.

Animal Collective is a band that at times, I feel guilty for not liking more but as I said, I think that feeling stems from the projections and faux-confidence of (mainly) two-track fans to try and 'fit-in' by not fitting-in to fit-in.

Again, I don't dislike AC. Quite the contrary, I actually have and actively spin the entire discography including Merriweather Post Pavilion which I have listened to several times - a perfect album for the 95+ degree days of an LA summer.

I look forward to this band's future - specifically Mr. Lennox (Panda Bear). His most recent solo offering was 2007's stellar Person Pitch which was sensational and well-deserving of a spot on many reviewers end of year lists. As well, the new Atlas Sound single 'Walkabout' featuring Lennox is a garage-pop tease that only makes me excited for the the Logos release in October and Panda Bear's next album.


VIDEO: Animal Collective - 'Fireworks'

7/25/09

Arctic Monkeys - 'Crying Lightning' (video)


(thanks to Stereogum for the vid)

I think that with the sound of the track and visuals, it's also important to point out that they went into the new album recording process with Josh Homme looking like this-



and emerged from recording with new press photos like, well-



as a QOTSA junkie, stoked for this album :)

7/22/09

LA peeps: Yeah Yeah Yeahs @The Greek - just announced!!



Your favorite Beastie Boys slot-filler just announced a show at the Greek Theatre w/ a 'special guest'.

You're welcome :)

YEAH YEAH YEAHS
Plus special guest

Thu, September 17 at 8:00 PM

The presale is available from:
Thu, Jul. 23 at 10:00 AM until Fri, Jul. 24 at
10:00 PM, or while supplies last.

Enter Code: ZERO for presale tickets!

7/20/09

@The Getty - 'Saturdays Off the 405'



This summer, the Getty Center in Los Angeles has started a program called 'Saturdays Off the 405'. Basically, they have a couple bands or DJ sets and a cash bar. The museum and grounds are open until 9pm giving you ample time for music and art.

This Saturday, Cut Chemist is the featured performer.

*Parking is free after 5pm and no admission (as always).

7/17/09

Thom Yorke/Atlas Sound+Panda Bear/Monsters of Folk

some great new tracks courtesy of the awesome-duo Stereogum+P4K-

Thom Yorke offers a solid, electro-cover of Miracle Legion's track as his contribution to Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy"

Thom Yorke - "All For The Best"

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Dreamy and lo-fi? Bradford Cox and Panda Bear?

Really good.

Atlas Sound ft. Noah Lennox (Panda Bear) - "Walkabout"

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Let's not forget the supergroup here :)

I must admit, the track is better than I was expecting - I'm glad. On the first listen, you know who's soloing with his flying V...

Monsters of Folk (Jim James, M. Ward, Conor Oberst) - "Say Please"

7/8/09

Update: Internet radio gets new 'deal'

Well, I'm happy Pandora will still be around for now :)


From BusinessWeek.com-

by Ian Paul

After almost two years of back and forth, there is finally a deal in place that will guarantee the future health of Internet radio. If you haven't heard, Internet radio services like Pandora, Blip.Fm, and Last.fm were in trouble because the royalty fees imposed on them in 2007 were more than double what they were paying previously and threatened to drive Internet radio into extinction. Royalty fees are paid to copyright-holders for the right to broadcast a specific piece of music.

The songwriters, recording companies and performers who own the rights to these recordings feel they should be compensated since many Internet radio stations make money simply by playing music without live hosts, news breaks, and other expenses of traditional radio. This method of broadcasting is also known as "pureplay."

Under the new deal, Internet radio stations will pay about 40 percent less than the 2007 rates, ensuring a fair deal for everyone. Or is it a fair deal? Internet radio is still the hardest hit from royalty fees; satellite radio is next, and of course conventional radio stations have paid minimal royalties for years. So how is this fair?

Let's take a look at the three major radio models we have today:

Traditional Radio

The oldest form of radio out there, traditional radio stations on your AM and FM dials have been playing music with minimal royalty fees for close to a century. Radio stations do have to compensate songwriters for playing their songs, and under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, radio stations have to pay royalties for making their live broadcasts that include music available online.

To make money, these stations charge for advertisements based on their popularity with the listening public. In its heyday, broadcast radio was the only game in town to connect an artist with listeners. As a result, radio stations didn't compensate artists, since it was believed that radio exposure lead to increased album sales for the performers.

That premise has been basically true over the course of radio's history, but now that new forms of radio are developing, traditional radio is on the decline. But still the old business model persists. Now, a movement called musicFIRST is trying to change that model, but their success is still in doubt.

Compounding the problem is the fact that traditional radio's advertising revenue is on the decline, yet these stations still reach as much as 90 percent of Americans on a weekly basis, according to a Stanford study reported by Reuters. So, while traditional radio is as popular as ever, its revenue base is still declining.

Satellite Radio

Using digital signals beamed in from satellites orbiting the planet, satellite radio allows you to take your favorite radio stations with you wherever you go. Satellite radio is a subscription-based service and usually consists of commercial-free specialty stations for every kind of music imaginable.

Unlike traditional radio, satellite stations have to pay royalties that are based on their revenues from subscription services.

Internet Radio

Internet radio has the least advantageous royalty arrangement compared to the other two forms of radio, and has a more complicated formula for shelling out payments. But Internet radio is also a fast-rising star with a lot of potential.

Internet radio usually works by having you select some of your favorite artists, and the radio service then shapes a "station" according to your musical preferences. The Internet radio model gives you a little more choice than conventional radio, and is closer to satellite radio in that regard. However, you typically don't get to flat-out pick your playlists like you do with a RealPlayer subscription.

In my view, you're just as likely to be exposed to new music thanks to Internet Radio as with traditional radio. In fact, you may actually have a greater chance of finding new music online since the potential for hearing new music is practically limitless. Traditional radio stations typically play the current top hits intermixed with the same few hundred songs they've been playing since 1996.

Not So Radical Suggestion

Internet radio says it will survive, and so will satellite radio, while traditional radio is in decline. So where do we go from here? I have to admit, I'm a traditionalist and I'm just not buying the music industry's argument that they need to charge royalties to Internet radio, or any radio for that matter.

I honestly believe that radio in any form exposes an artist to new audiences, and this exposure can lead to increased album sales, concert attendance, and so on. Internet radio is an ideal channel for exposing listeners to new music, since Internet radio is all about finding music that you may not have discovered on your own. It's an innovative setup that owes a lot to early pioneers like Pandora.

But if the music industry pushes for more and more royalties the next time Internet radio agreements are up for review in 2015, it must be careful not to drive this emerging medium out of existence.

Sure, if Internet radio disappears you can always sell albums on your own Website or post videos on YouTube, but even in this fragmented digital age you still need to have those mainstream channels that users gravitate toward. So as Internet radio grows up, it may turn out that artists need Internet radio just as much as Internet radio needs their music.


VIDEO: Ambulance LTD. - 'Primitive (The Way I Treat You)'


7/3/09

Beck's record club, future releases


(photo courtesy of douche on Flickr)

Looks like Pitchfork is going to keep updating with the vids/songs from Beck's record club project so, you can head over to the good folks there for future video/song postings from the man with the devil's haircut.

The third vid went up on Beck's site today, 'Femme Fatale':

Record Club: Velvet Underground & Nico "Femme Fatale" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.