Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Mashups of the Year (MP3s), Radiohead New Year's Eve Webcast, Look trailer (video), more

Check out this fun selection of Mashups of the Year for 2007. Go to the site above to download the zip, or download and seed the torrent.

Here's a sampling:
Justin Timberlake vs. Michael Jackson (Bille Jean My Love)

Cassie vs. Yazoo vs. Matt Hite (Me & You & Yazoo)

Nelly Furtado vs. Akon feat. Eminem (Smack It Right)
Radiohead New Year's Eve Webcast
Unfortunately, I'm on call on New Year's Eve, so I won't get to see Spoon at Metro or Black Kids at Empty Bottle. Luckily, Radiohead is planning a New Year's Eve webcast on radiohead.tv which will be a "a wee celebration of the release of the physical manifestation of 'in rainbows'".
Look looks like a creepy film. Although it tackles themes previously explored in "Blow-Up", "Peeping Tom", "The Conversation" and "Sliver", it is unique in that the whole film is apparently is shot using only surveillance cameras.
I'm not sure if I'm going to make a top 10 movie list this year; I have a long list of supposedly good films I've yet to see. I'll spend the next week or so trying to catch up. In the meantime, check out these lists: The Onion's A.V. Club | Roger Ebert's list

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

DJMonsterMo | 3:06 PM | View Comments »

Monday, December 24, 2007

2008 Buzz: Eagerly Anticipated LPs (MP3s, videos)

Black Kids
I already wrote about the Black Kids as a charming blend of shoegaze rock, new wave reminiscent of The Cure, and Arcade Fire-esque choral shout-singing. If you haven't heard them yet, you can download their free 4 song EP here!
Black Kids - I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You (MP3)
Black Kids - I've Underestimated My Charm (Again) (MP3)
Black Kids - Hurricane Jane (MP3)
Black Kids - Hurricane Jane (video)
Black Kids cover The Clash (video)
The Epochs
Another Brooklyn band with buzz. So, what's new? Well, the Epochs are a neat blend of electro pop and rock, similar to Junior Boys or tour mates Mobius Band. Their self-titled LP is their second album and will be released in early 2008. "Opposite Sides" is their first single.
The Epochs
The Epochs - Opposite Sides (MP3)
The Epochs - Love Complete (live in Boston)(video)
Kid Sister
Kid Sister is actually the big sister of local Chicago mash-up DJ Flosstradsmus. "Pro Nails" beats out "Lip Gloss" for cosmetic product song of the year, thanks to the catchy beat, an altered jumping Super Mario sound, and a verse from Kanye. I'm not sure what to expect yet from a full LP, but an innovative Missy-ish South Side brand of hip-hop, hyphy, and ghettotech would be nice.
Kid Sister
Kid Sister - Damn Girl (flosstradamus remix) (MP3)
Kid Sister - Pro Nails (MP3, version without Kanye verse)
Kid Sister - Pro Nails feat. Kanye West (video)
Los Campesinos
Combine Art Brut with catchy Vaselines-like melodies and the enthusiasm of Architecture In Helsinki to get an idea about how this Welsh band sounds. Throw in a glockenspiel and you've won my heart. After their fun 'Sticking Fingers into Sockets' EP, fans are eager for more. Their full-length LP, 'Hold on There, Youngster', is produced by Dave Newfeld (Broken Social Scene) and will be released in April 2008.
Los Campesinos
Los Campesinos! - You! Me! Dancing! (MP3)
Los Campesinos! - You! Me! Dancing! (video)
Los Campesinos! - Death to Los Campesinos!
Los Campesinos! - International TweeXcore Underground (video)
Los Campesinos! - We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives (video)
MGMT
MGMT is a fun mix of electronic pop and space rock. The duo got their start while studying music at Wesleyan. Their debut 'Oracular Spectacular' is out on iTunes and the physical CD will be available soon. It's produced by Mercury Rev guitarist and Flaming Lips producer Dave Fridmann. "Time to Pretend" sounds like Pete Doherty's theme song; it's an anthemic ode to the rockstar lifestyle.
MGMT
MGMT - Time to Pretend
Santogold
On LES Artistes, a song about independence and authenticity, Santi White wonders, "I can say I hope it will be worth what I give up." From Philly unknown to opening for Bjork, touring with M.I.A. in London, and a feature on the cover of Fader in January 2008, she's certainly come a long way. There's been significant buzz even though we only have a taste of a few tracks that will be featured on her forthcoming LP. Listening to what she has released so far, she has a unique style that combines dub, dancehall, 80s pop, new wave, and R&B. Her collaborators reads like a who's who of what's hot: M.I.A., Switch, Diplo, Spank Rock, Radioclit, Freq Nasty, Sinden, and the late Disco D.
Santogold
Santogold - LES Artistes (MP3)
Santogold - LES Artistes (live at artscape, Baltimore)(video)
Vampire Weekend
I'm pissed I missed these guys at their recent sold-out show in Chicago. Their Blue CD-R reveals a fresh collection of indie pop tracks seemingly inspired by African soukous, pre 2 Tone ska, Britpop, and Paul Simon's 'Graceland'. Their self-titled debut will be officially released on January 29, 2008.
Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend - Mansard Roof (MP3)
Vampire Weekend - Mansard Roof (video)

Finally, a quick run-through of artists of some interest who have LPs with known release dates:

Be Your Own Pet - Get Awkward
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
The Breeders - Mountain Battles
Cat Power - Covers II
DeVotchKa - Spirit
Destroyer - Trouble in Dreams
Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree
Hey Willpower - PDA
Hot Chip - Made in the Dark
The Kills - Midnight Boom
Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III
Lupe Fiasco - The Cool
The Magnetic Fields - Distortion
The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride
Nada Surf - Lucky
Stephen Malkmus - Real Emotional Trash
Super Furry Animals - Hey Venus
Whigs - Mission Control
Wu-Tang Clan - The 8 Diagrams
Xiu Xiu - Women As Lovers

Looks like an auspicious start to another great year for music!

Labels: electronic, hip-hop, indie rock, mp3, video

DJMonsterMo | 12:08 AM | View Comments »

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Broken Social Scene - Lover's Spit (jingle-ified MP3), M.I.A. - Paper Planes (video), David Byrne interviews Thom Yorke, more

Sick of the same old Christmas music? Jingle-ify (yes, that's a word) your music! That's right. Take any MP3, upload it, and turn it into a Christmasy version with sleigh bells and other festive accompaniment. Here's an example: Broken Social Scene's cheeky tune "Lover's Spit" is even more fun jingle-ified.
Broken Social Scene - Lover's Spit (jingle-ified) (MP3)
M.I.A. - Paper Planes (video)
M.I.A. promised MTV a toned-down, violence-free video for "Paper Planes". The result is a rather mundane video, despite the Beastie Boys cameo. Unfortunately, a version of the video with the notorious gunshots censored-out has been airing without her approval, and she's pissed.
David Byrne and Thom Yorke on the Real Value of Music
David Byrne interviews Thom Yorke for Wired:
It's not about who's ripping off whom, and it's not about legal injunctions, and it's not about DRM and all that sort of stuff. It's about whether the music affects you or not. And why would you worry about an artist or a company going after people copying their music if the music itself is not valued?
David Byrne's Survival Strategies for Emerging Artists
David Byrne also provides some astute observations about the music industry as it is today, how the old distribution model is falling apart, and how artists big and small alike can take advantage of new distribution strategies:
What is called the music business today, however, is not the business of producing music. At some point it became the business of selling CDs in plastic cases, and that business will soon be over. But that's not bad news for music, and it's certainly not bad news for musicians. Indeed, with all the ways to reach an audience, there have never been more opportunities for artists.
=( No more make sexy time: Sacha Baron Cohen retires Borat
New Wall-E Trailer
Unfortunately, this trailer doesn't reveal much more than the previous teaser that was released.
Coming soon: The Hobbit movie!
MGM and New Line will support "The Hobbit" and a sequel as well. Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh will be the executive producers.
Google Zeitgeist 2007
Google summarizes search trends over the past year.