Skinny Puppy - Worlock (video), NIN - Gave Up (video), DJ Shir Khan

For those of you celebrating early (or celebrating every day until 10/31), Happy Halloween! Caution: you might feel like the barfing pumpking up top if you watch the videos below.


• Skinny Puppy - Worlock (video)
  This video is a horror fan's wet dream. It's an eye-popping (pun intended) mish-mash of horror movie clips and deleted scenes. I love the Dario Argento clips. I don't think the video was ever officially released due to the gratutitous copyright infringement. NSFW. Strong stomachs only. This is the highest quality version of the music video on YouTube.
  
  
• Nine Inch Nails - Gave Up (video)
  This is NOT the MTV video. It's part of the infamous unreleased "Broken Movie". There are rumors that it was investigated by the FBI for its gruesome realism and suspicion of being a snuff film. You will be thankful for the poor video quality. Definitely NSFW. Don't say I didn't warn you.
  
  
• In the spirit of Halloween, I'll treat you to two of my favorite ghost photos:
  The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall | The Story
  The Wem Town Hall Ghost | The Story
  
  
• I don't really have any idea who DJ Shir Khan is, except that he is a DJ from Berlin with a heavy arsenal of electro and ghettotronica who makes some ass-shaking mixes that demand your attention. If you like Uffie, Tiga, and Mylo, give it a listen.
  
  
  • DJs Anonymous 05 Shir Khan - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
    Featuring Uffie, Peaches, Rick James vs. Basement Jaxx, and Klaxons.
    
    
  • Shir Khan - Live at the Peepshow
    Features The Knife, Lo Fi-Fnk, and remixes of DJ Shadow, Sonic Youth, and Missy Elliott.
    
    
  • Shir Khan - I Can See Your Tigerstripes
    Starring Daft Punk, Mylo, Basement Jaxx, Tiga, and Uffie.
    
    Full tracklisting in the comments.

Labels: video

Gwen Stefani - Wind It Up (MP3), Top-Earning Dead Celebrities, Lily Allen - Littlest Things (video)

• Gwen Stefani - Wind It Up (MP3)
  If I were to make a list of most unlikely sample sources, 'The Lonely Goatherd' from The Sound of Music would be in the top 10. While the typical Neptunes-produced track is no stranger to daring ideas, this song crosses the thin line separating fun from ridiculous. The rest of the song is ok, but the yodeling is cringeworthy. [via]
  
  
• Apropos to Halloween: Forbes published its list of Top-Earning Dead Celebrities. I thought Elvis and Lennon would be raking in more than Cobain. Let the Courtney Love conspiracy rumors re-circulate.
  
  1. Kurt Cobain
  2. Elvis Presley
  3. Charles M. Schulz
  4. John Lennon
  5. Albert Einstein
  6. Andy Warhol
  7. Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel)
  8. Ray Charles
  9. Marilyn Monroe
  10. Johnny Cash
  11. J.R.R. Tolkien
  12. George Harrison
  13. Bob Marley
  
  
  
• Lily Allen - Littlest Things (video)
  This video appears to be influenced by Bergman's 'Persona' and noirish chiaroscuro. Unfortunately, it's also rather dull, but Lily looks lovely with her hair down.

Labels: mp3, pop, video

New Shins - A Comet Appears (MP3), Diving with Andy (MP3s and video), Borat MP3s

• The Shins - A Comet Appears
  This song has a very "Oh, Inverted World" feel. However, I find the familiarity to be inviting rather than uninspired. Speaking of comets, I feel like it has been a Halley's Comet-like interval since their last album. Their new LP "Wincing the Night Away" is due in January 2007 (finally). Based on my initial listen, it will be well worth the wait. I'm particularly excited about the song "Australia", which I may post another day. This is a silly analogy, but the LP may be for the Shins what "Twin Cinema" was for The New Pornographers, a fresh re-invention of a musical approach that already worked. On the new LP, one can hear elements of XTC, Elephant 6 collective type stuff, and the Magnetic Fields, but the sound is distinctively the Shins'.
  
  
  
• Diving with Andy consists of Juliette Paquereau (vocals and lyrics) and Rémy Galichet (keys and arrangements). I can't avoid comparing them to Mazzy Star and Camera Obscura. The vocal resemblance to Tracyanne Campbell is uncanny.
  
  Diving with Andy - Andrew
  This song really blows me away. The emotion in her voice is stirring; it has to be for you not to laugh when she sings "f*cking prick" with her lovely French accent.
  
  Diving with Andy - October in May
  
  Diving with Andy - Andrew (video)
  Not your typical low-budget indie fare. It captures the mood of the song beautifully.
  
  
• If you don't like Borat, you either have no sense of humor or you're from Kazakhstan. Not to be confused with Beirut and their slightly more refined alt-gypsy rock. Borat is a close second to Ali G among my favorite Sascha Baron Cohen characters, but the new movie may put Borat on top. Ees naice!
  
  Born To Be Wild
  
  In My Country There Is A Problem
  
  You Be My Wife

Labels: indie rock, mp3, pop, video

Lady Sovereign ft Missy Elliott - Love Me or Hate Me (remix)(MP3)

Lady Sovereign ft Missy Elliott - Love Me or Hate Me (remix), uncensored MP3
You may have heard recently that Lady Sov hit #1 on MTV's TRL. I'm excited for her and Def Jam, but I'm not sure it's that meaningful as a popularity benchmark. Maybe it's not grime's foot in the door to the mainstream, but at least it shows that the TRL-watching crowd is receptive to something other than the same old garbage. As for this remix, it is vintage Missy. It's a shame she only has one verse; her attitude and delivery is right at home on grime tracks.

Flashing back to grime's origins with a classic 2-step track: Artful Dodger - Movin' Too Fast

Labels: hip-hop, mp3

Jay-Z - Show Me What You Got (video), Love is All (MP3), Atmosphere (MP3), Lily Allen vs. Stones Roses mash-up, more

• Jay-Z - Show Me What You Got (video)
  This video really gets old with more than one viewing. Despite the unimaginative sameness of the tune, I still like it, recycled Rumpshaker riff and all. I guess it's good that HOV is back, because this has been a slow year for rap.
  
  
• I love the frenzied horns in this fun Yoko Ono cover: Love is All - Kiss Kiss Kiss (MP3)
  
  
• I don't think I've posted Atmosphere here before, but chances are you're already familiar with Slug. Tracks like this renew my faith in underground hip-hop and hip-hop in general. Atmosphere - Say Hey There (MP3)
  
  
  
• Lily Allen vs. The Stone Roses - Waterlilly
  This is a chill mash-up of LDN vs. Waterfall.
  
  
• Just in time for Halloween: Monster Mash-ups!
  There is a nice selection of scary mash-ups here. Tracks from dj BC, Essexboy, Cheekyboy, Divide & Kreate, and Solcofn are usually safe bets. Mirror.
  
  
• Teddybears - Cobrastyle (NSFW Director's Cut video)
  Topless and doing lines.
  
  
• To celebrate the Bears' amazing 6-0 start, I bring you this classic: Super Bowl Shuffle

Labels: hip-hop, indie rock, mash-up, mp3, video

The Battle of Band Cover Art, Scarlett & Dita in Flaunt, more

• Motion graphics = the art of using graphics to create the illusion of motion. The following is a mograph of the following concept: The Battle of Band Cover Art. It is quite possibly the coolest and funniest thing I've seen all year: The Battle of Band Cover Art [via]
  
  
• Scarlett Johansson & Dita Von Teese in Flaunt Magazine (NSFW)
  Oh Scarlett.
  
  
  
• Just in time for Christmas
  This is so wrong. I can't believe the estate approved this.
  
  
• The Changes - When I Wake
  For some reason, I thought of My Bloody Valentine's "When You Sleep" when I saw the title. With it's clean indie pop sound, it shares nothing in common with the classic MBV tune, except the upbeat tone. But maybe this Chicago indie pop outfit can still win you over. Myspace link.
  
  
• Jet: Shine On: Pitchfork Record Review (NSFW)
  This Pitchfork review of Jet pretty much speaks for itself.
  
  
• Guinness World Record for most T-Shirts worn at one time
  This is dumb, but I watched it nonetheless. Seems like one of the easiest ways to get in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Labels: mp3, pop, video

Eminem - You Don't Know (MP3)

• Eminem - You Don't Know feat. 50 Cent, Cashis, Lloyd Banks
  New track from his forthcoming album 'The Re-Up'. Sounds like a step backward for him.

Labels: hip-hop, mp3