Video of the Day: King Khan and the Shrines, “Land of the Freak”
Possibly the best soul revue working today, and naturally they’re from Berlin and led by a Canadian of Indian descent. As Ben Fong-Torres says, “Crrrayzay.”
Static, Episode 10: Erin Austin
Interview
“We All”
“You Let Me Down”
“Home”
Random 10 for April 20, 2009
Sorry for disappearing for a week — I was embroiled in that toxic phenomenon known as a “working vacation.” Now I’m at work and resting comfortably, as they say euphemistically in the medical profession.
1. Abe Vigoda, “Don’t Lie.” No, not actually Abe Vigoda, unless he’s gone completely bat guano crazy and started a cacophonous but melodic noise-pop band in Los Angeles.
2. The Clientele, “E.M.P.T.Y.”
3. British Sea Power, “Childhood Memories.”
4. VHS or Beta, “We Could Be The One.”
5. Andrew W.K., “Party Hard.” In addition to producing Lee “Scratch” Perry, Andrew has started a new band with Matt Sweeney and Don Fleming called The Brill Sisters. They’re supposed to play several dates this spring, and there’s no immediate indication whether the music will be this pile-drivingly and refreshingly annoying.
6. Fear of Pop, “Fear of Pop.”
7. Kelis, “Milkshake.”
8. Colin Munroe, “Lost Cause.”
9. Lily Allen, “The Fear (acoustic).”
Duffy - Rain On Your Parade
10. Duffy, “Rain On Your Parade.” Duffy got lost in all the Adele adulation at the Grammys this year — only one white British soul revivalist at a time, luv.
Video of the Day: St. Vincent, “Actor Out of Work”
The enormously talented (and Tulsa-born) Annie Clark returns with the first single from Actor. The new disc arrives May 5.
Random 10 for April 11, 2009
Electric Feel
1. MGMT, Electric Feel.” Producer Dave Fridmann and our heroes get all soul-boy on us, meshing Quincy Jones disco with 3/4-time psychedelia. It will make you wanna dance, but you’ll probably break something with that waltz time signature driving the funk.
2. Hot Chip, “Down With Prince.”
3. Wale, “The Kramer.”
4. New Order, “Exit.”
5. Animal Collective, “My Girls.” The closest these Brooklynites have gotten to a pop song — ever. From Merriweather Post Pavilion, the collection that showed that Animal Collective could be accessible while still blowing minds.
6. Beanie Sigel feat. Jay-Z vs. Ratatat, “Glock Nines.”
7. The Connells, “Over There.”
8. Dean and Britta, “Night Nurse.”
9. Maria Taylor, “Lady Luck.”
10. Lily Allen, “Not Fair.” Lily uses her “Rawhide” number as an excuse to send up ’70s country music television. If that isn’t Porter Wagoner, it’s a remarkable simulation.
Static, Episode 9: Aron Holt
Interview
“The Siren”
“Wind on Sea”
“I’ll Do It Again”
Music Review: Bat For Lashes, “Two Suns”
Rating: 86
Bat For Lashes’ “Two Suns” is immediate confirmation that Natasha Khan is not simply a costumes-and-theatrics heir to Kate Bush. Khan’s exoticism is backed up by rich, sumptuous songcraft on this sophomore collection, fulfilling the promise of 2006′s “Fur and Gold” and its great Goth-pop single, “What’s a Girl to Do?” And while comparisons to Bush might be inescapable for Khan at the moment, they have never been more apt: the first single, “Daniel,” is Khan’s “Running Up That Hill,” a haunting percussion-and-viola fueled ballad whose chorus contains possibly the most penetrating musical hook of 2009.
Improving on the uneven but beguiling “Fur and Gold,” “Two Suns” is filled with such dramatic moments. With its thundering gospel choir and droning strings, “Peace of Mind” finds an unprecedented middle ground between Southern spirituals and Khan’s Pakistani heritage. “Siren Song” begins as seduction and escalates to a threat as its heroine promises adulation before admitting to madness and “evil.”
Khan finds her match toward the end of “Two Suns” when she duets with progressive pop legend Scott Walker on the “The Big Sleep,” her ethereal soprano intertwining with his vibrato-soaked, vampiric baritone. Each song is carefully formed and worthy here, heralding Bat For Lashes as the new standard-bearer for mystical, romantic art-rock — crack open a Bronte novel and plug in the headphones.
“30 Rock,” “The Office,” “Parks and Recreation” and “Southland” Rescheduled
Due to coverage of the fires last night, most network programming was pre-empted. While covering such events is essential for the affiliates, NBC and KFOR were especially impacted given that two episodes of “The Office,” “30 Rock” and the debuts of “Parks and Recreation” and “Southland” were affected by the fires.
According to KFOR’s Christie Jones, the station will broadcast the NBC Thursday lineup in its entirety from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday night. The program changes will go out soon — don’t know how this affects Cox DVR and TiVo updates, but at any rate, just record whatever shows up on the grid, correct or not, and you should be good to go.
As for me, I bought the whole schedule from Amazon Video On-Demand this morning. Forever the impulse buyer.
Bad Billy Bob
Umm… Billy Bob Thornton decides to jump in the Christian Bale/Joaquin Phoenix throw-down of who can be a bigger jackass.
– Chase
Video of the Day: Datarock “Give It Up”
Shamon!
