"Bands such as the Cockney Rejects, the Angelic Upstarts – Marxists from South Shields managed by a man [journalist/manager Garry] Bushell colourfully describes as 'a psychopath – his house had bars over all the windows because people had thrown firebombs through it' – Red Alert, Peter and the Test Tube Babies. It briefly stormed the charts. The Angelic Upstarts followed the Cockney Rejects onto Top of the Pops, while Splodgenessabounds made the Top 10 with the deathless Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps Please. But today, if the general public have heard of it at all, they tend to agree with the assessment once offered by journalist and broadcaster Stuart Maconie: 'Punk's stunted idiot half-brother, musically primitive and politically unsavoury, with its close links to far-right groups.' It is, asserts [English nationalist/television critic who once tried to get a comedian banned from live broadcasts because he made a joke about fisting the Chancellor of the Exchequer Garry] Bushell, 'without a doubt, the most misunderstood genre in history'."
—There's a delightful history of the Oi! genre in today's Guardian which I think you'll rather enjoy. @1:00 PM 15
The Words Get In David Byrne's Way @10:15 AM
In a wide-ranging post that begins with the mention of a collaboration between David Byrne and St. Vincent, Byrne discusses the process of writing with other musicians (including, naturally, Brian Eno). The whole thing is worth your time, but this part jumped out at me. READ MORE 13
The new Pavement retrospective/best-of gets a Pitchfork 10, despite the mandatory disclaimer: "To be sure, it's all very much of its time and no band aside from perhaps Guided By Voices better epitomizes the sound and style of 1990s indie rock, but the material transcends its era as much as it defines it." @9:45 AM 10
Erykah Badu Sings "Window Seat" On Jimmy Fallon @10:40 AM
Erykah Badu brought her top hat and silver swim cap to Jimmy Fallon's show last night to sing her new single "Window Seat" with old friends the Roots—who, you'll remember, made much of the music on her first album, Baduizm, way back in 1996. She also wore a tan leather jacket over a very tight Wonder Woman costume that showed very much the shape of her body. But don't say anything about that because she is awesome. 13
Meth, Ghost And Rae, "Criminology 2.5" @11:40 AM
I remember people saying, back when the recession started, one good thing that could maybe come out of it was it could save music from its dismal state. Not the music industry, which was already pretty much doomed whatever happened, but music itself. Because of the commonly held belief that bad times make for good music. I guess because of the famously fertile early '70s? That is probably my favorite musical era. But maybe that's because that's when I was born. Do people have a built-in preference for the music that was made around the time they were? Do the first sounds we hear, even before we're fully conscious of it, become the ones our tastes gravitate to? Pandora should do a study. Anyway, I was skeptical. And I guess I still am. It's always hard to see the relative quality (if it's even valid to assert such a thing) of current art without the benefit of a couple years' hindsight. But I'd offer the resurgence of the Wu-Tang Clan as evidence that something good did happen during the recession. READ MORE 22
It's the setlist for the first show of the Pavement reunion! This will be very meaningful to some of you. @12:50 PM 14
Old Person Excited About Old Record, Using The Word "Cocksucker" @12:50 PM
One of the best albums of all time—the New York Times once called it "rock 'n' roll's version of the Great American Novel," which makes no sense because its creators are English!—is getting reissued. Come May 18th, Exile on Main Street will be released in an expanded version (with ten new, or newish songs.) There is also a DVD, says the Times, "of a new Rolling Stones documentary, called 'Stones in Exile,' which uses footage from an earlier, unreleased Stones film whose name we cannot print here. (The second part of its title is “Blues.”)" We can print it! It's "Cocksucker!" "Cocksucker Blues!" I'm deliriously happy! 33
Drink Only When Drunken To: The Indie Totems, Mission of Burma @4:11 PM
I have this problem with not wearing earplugs at shows. I can't get a bead on exactly what it is; some long-held childishness about needing to "authentically experience the music," which is probably just a cover for not wanting to look like "that guy" ("that guy who wears earplugs"?), or maybe just a willful and teenage-defiant attitude about the glories or total bodily desecration? READ MORE 29
I Don't Care About Your Band Name @2:35 PM
There are not enough band names to go around! So says the Wall Street Journal, which notes that
The last decade's digital revolution not only transformed the way people listen to music, it changed the way bands establish identities. In the past, identically named acts often carved out livings in separate regions, oblivious or indifferent to one another. Now, it takes only moments for a musician to create an online profile and upload songs, which can potentially reach listeners around the world.Lawyers say that has raised the stakes in trademark disputes, which almost always hinge on which band first used the name commercially, and where.
This seems remarkably unlikely to me. I mean, how hard is it to come up with a unique band name? READ MORE 23
Love me 'til I'm dead: Here are 6 folk-oriented covers of Talking Heads' "This Must Be The Place." @1:30 PM 10
Yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of the Smiths' Meat is Murder. Stereogum got a bunch of musicians to reminisce about it. @11:35 AM 5
No, I Didn't Mean That At All! This Is Why I Don't Care About Your Band @12:10 PM
Last weekend, I didn't watch the Super Bowl either. But it was neither political nor an aesthetic preference for the alternate programming made available by the NFL's hydra-like presence and counter-presence in our broader culture. I had just come off the crippling debilitation of an internet-fast brought on by some malware thing, and I really just plum forgot! Reveling in the ability to stream things off the Internet, trolling YouTube, burning Camels with Teddy Pendergrass, I was bathing in the life that had felt so neglected lo those many (couple of) days. READ MORE 38
"When I’m going through a particularly savage break-up, I want Raymond Carver. I want Liz Phair. I want the number one greatest break-up song in the world. Give me specifics. You drink too much. I cheated. I hate your family. You find my personality repulsive. I don’t want to hear about how love is what makes us consider one another as human beings (which is true) or about how love is stepped on and denigrated but it’s actually the greatest thing in the world (also true). Right now all I want to do is fuck you and hate you and just be with you for one more day no matter what it takes. Because that is pathetic. And love is not pathetic."
—About love, and the proper way one should use a break-up song (in this case, "Under Pressure"). You'll have thoughts on this one. @3:20 PM 20
The Only Three Female Musicians, According to Many Male Music Critics @2:56 PM
In this February issue of Fictional Indie Music Magazine, we’re celebrating! We’ve finally reached the bottom of our winter promo pile, and oddly enough, all of the remaining promos are by female musicians. This is purely coincidental! And there is no correlation between this and the fact that there is only one female music critic working in this office and we can’t remember whether her name is Heather or Jennifer. READ MORE 28
Here is a voice-and-ukulele version of Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. You will either be horrified or delighted, depending. [Via] @2:05 PM 7
"Record company EMI has reported an annual pre-tax loss of £1.75bn in the year to 31 March 2009." @3:30 PM 9
The NFL has licensed Arcade Fire's "Wake Up" for use during the Super Bowl, "with 100% of the licensing proceeds benefiting Partners In Health's Stand With Haiti relief efforts." It upsets me to no end that I now think of this as "the Wild Things song." @3:10 PM 7
A New Design? A New D. R. Adams Theme Song @1:45 PM
Our hiatus-taking videogames columnist D. R. Adams just sent over a brand new theme song for us, to update our previous. This is pretty much the only thing getting us through this sleep-deprived day. READ MORE 28
Everything Your Facebook Friends Said About The Grammys Is Probably Wrong @4:23 PM
Last night's Grammys caught up to Time's Person Of The Year declaration from 2006 and so they were all about You. You had the opportunity to cover Lady GaGa's "Poker Face" or Beyoncé's "Halo" and appear as a member of a YouTubeMosaic. You had the power to select which song Bon Jovi would exhume from its well-worn back catalog. You had the opportunity to watch the shaggy-haired founder of a cool blogging platform that You might use cover the awards, even if he wasn't 100% clear on who would be amenable to a red-carpet question about his service. And, most crucially, You were able to watch as the artists that You might enjoy were honored by the telecast—provided that the songs and albums You liked had come out before August 30. READ MORE 29
Waiting for Erykah Badu @5:08 PM
Seth Colter Walls: Do you have your stream-capture program of choice fired up and set to tap into Firefox for the new Erykah Badu track release? Update: Finally up!
Choire Sicha: Hello, Wire Tap Studio.
Seth: Pfft.
Choire: That shit WORKS, dog.
Seth: Audio Hijack all the way.
Choire: Sigh. Is she tardy? Is it 3:33p.m. yet? Or is she in another time zone? Seth, I have a question. Is there a Straight White Man Time? Is it like… the real time?
Seth: Huh? READ MORE 43
Erykah Badu Album Not 'Dropping' Or 'Leaking' Today; Just a Track @2:52 PM
IMPORTANT ALERT. Famous upcoming 3:33 p.m. Erykah Badu leak, as promised by her Twitter, is merely a single bonus track. (We'll happily take it, of course.) 8
How Can I Wait Four More Hours Until 'New Amerykah Part 2'? @11:11 AM
Four. And. A. Half. Hours. Until. Erykah Badu. Leaks. Her. Own. Album. (I'm interested in a business discussion of her process??? Can you even call this a leak? But also OMG, I can barely think.) UPDATE: just a track. Sigh. 11
Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj, "Up Out My Face" @2:30 PM
Just in time for Valentine's Day: Matching Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj softcore robot Barbie sex-dolls. Again, Nicki Minaj kinda weirds me out with the Marcel-Marceau stuff. But, in this track that came out early this week and has, unexpectedly, been growing on me ever since, she doesn't shrink an inch next to Mariah and her rhymes are good. And then, at the end, the video's director, Mariah's husband Nick Cannon, pays homage to his starmaking turn in 2002's Drumline. Hammy stuff. But… oddly and inexplicably? I like it. 11
Here is a mixtape about pronouns and antecedents. (Although, oftentimes, it turns out, in the popular music, "it" stands for sexual intercourse and/or genitalia.) The author notes, regarding the music of today: "I'm sorry, you want it what way? What is the this that's not it? Wait, what exactly won't you do?" @12:30 PM 6
"People on the Internet Like to Argue About Music More Than They Like to Enjoy Music": Maura Johnston and Seth Colter Walls on Genre, 2009 and Pazz + Jop @4:20 PM
Seth Colter Walls: Maura! You have an excellent essay in the Voice this week, which accompanied this year's Pazz + Jop music critic's poll. Since you and I both submitted ballots for that—and since music critics like nothing more than to talk about what they've done and said—I naturally thought we should talk about what we've done and said! Let's start out by telling the people about your essay?
Maura Johnston: Well, ha. I don't like to start off with self-promotion, but let's give it a go…
Seth: It's called "Down With Music Racism," your piece. That's very provocative. READ MORE 38
Understanding Rainbow Bridge (And Getting Ready for 2012) @10:25 AM
Earlier this week, we posted a gorgeous new video for a song called "Big Wave Rider" and we speculated about the origin of the name of the new psychedelic rock duo Rainbow Bridge. I guessed that they'd taken it from the famous Jimi Hendrix concert movie. As is often the case, I was wrong. The group's drummer/keyboardist, Bridget Smith, has now explained all to us. READ MORE 30
Zachary Woolfe: Another Long Vampire Weekend @10:50 AM
It’s easy to know that a band is good, and harder to know what they’ll mean for people. In 2006, I knew, as did a bunch of Columbia students and some folks on the Internet, that Vampire Weekend was good. I knew this only because I happened, at the time, to be dating a friend of two of the band’s members. In this capacity I would go to their shows, one of those relationship tasks that would have been pretty annoying if the band didn’t put on really good shows. READ MORE 32
New Video: Sade, "Soldier of Love" @10:10 AM
Here's the brand new video for the Sade song that came out last month, for the album to be released next month. We of course expected this new single to have the word "Love" in its title. One might have expected it have a video like that of Madonna's "Frozen." We did not expect it to remind me so much of Quantum of Solace or to see Sade swinging a lasso over her head. But, hey, it's Sade. She can do whatever she wants. (Except, apparently, Twitter, because what we thought last week was her new, real Twitter account has since been suspended. Sigh.) 7
The roots of Krautrock—or, if you prefer, motorik—examined. 6
