Lizzyville

Video | Foreign Born - "Early Warnings"

Link Love | Rihanna's Honesty, Owl Service v. Postal City, Jim O'Rourke Interview, the Bono Wall & More

Jim O'Rourke

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Owl City has to talk about the Postal Service for at least three questions. Cue joke about Harry Potter's Owl Post.

Link Love | Gaga's Favorite Music Is Her ... Fans, Is Chris Owens for Real?, Baditude, Some Songs Considered & More

Let this be the last time you have to look at this image.

Photos & Show Recap | Florence and the Machine - Bowery Ballroom - 10.27.09

Regret the Error: Corrections to Other People's Music Writing

You know, like in the "Corrections" section of a newspaper.

In "Inside The Monster Ball: Lady Gaga Reveals Plans for Ambitious New Tour" (Rolling Stone, Oct. 26, 2009), the singer was incorrectly quoted as saying, "The design of the [tour] is very, very forward, very, very innovative." The correct quote is: "The design of the [tour] is very, very, very forward, very, very, very innovative." We regret the error.

Due to space constraints, in the article "Ex-Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher to start a new band" (NME, October 26, 2009), the singer was cut off by the interviewer. The singer has requested that the entire interview be printed on our website. To the question, "Do you miss Oasis?" Gallagher responded, "I'm always going to miss Oasis. It was my fucking thing, you know what I mean? It's who I am. But it's only a name. [Begin redacted section.] I mean, who the fuck came up with that name? Who the - FUCK. Did you fucking do this? [gestures to used tea bag on coffee table] FUCK THE FUCKING GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE." We regret the demise of print media.

Due to a printer error, an article on the rehearsals for Chris Brown's new music video, "Watch Chris Brown Rehearse for Powerhouse Concert," (MTV.com, October 26, 2009) featured the following unedited paragraph:

"Throughout rehearsals, a yellow Bumblebee mask from the "Transformers" movies sat on a desk nearby. As "Transform Ya" began to play, Brown and his dancers stood in a straight line, their heads bowed. A line from 2007's "Tranformers," delivered by Optimus Prime, played over the speakers: "They're a young species. They have much to learn."

The correct paragraph should read:

"Throughout rehearsals, a bumblebee swarmed around the room. Brown and his dancers stood very, very still. As "Transform Ya" began to play, Brown began to cry. It was unclear whether he was crying about the bumblebee or his violent victimization of his now ex-girlfriend. Brown and the other dancers bowed their heads. The bumblebee approached Brown from behind, landing on the middle of the back of his neck on his topmost vertebra. Brown, not realizing that the sting of the bumblebee is mild and uneventful and that the bumblebee is a troubled species, began to scream, retrieved a toy Transformer from his backpack, and swatted at the bee until it was weakened into submission, lying on its back on the floor of the dance studio. The CD of "Transform Ya" started to skip. Brown brought one limited-edition Nike sneaker down upon the bumblebee and killed it. "They're a primitive species," Brown declared to his backup dancers, several of whom appeared distraught by the incident. "They have much to learn."

Due to an editing oversight, "U2's 360 Tour Returns to U.S. in June!" (Spin, October 26, 2009) incorrectly featured an exclamation point and other uses of hyperbole, including a description of the band as "the gang" and a play on the name of the band's latest album ("There's no horizon in sight.") We regret U2.

Musician Reactions to Obama's Nobel Peace Prize Win

Well, many people have privately and publicly remarked on just barely President Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Most musicians appear to be keeping mum (i.e. not tweeting) about it, but over the weekend I trawled the feeds and found a few nuggets.

Alicia Keys said, "I'm proud of our Pres 4 receiving the Nobel Peace Prize!I feel he is a good man who will continue 2have a major positive impact onthe world!"

M.I.A. feels differently. "Obama winning the nobel peace PRIZE? he should give it back like john Lennon sent back his MBE."

Asher Roth's opinion spilled over into several tweets. "Didn't know you could win the peace prize by just talking shit...," he said, adding, "I'm all for "hope" and "progress" but people have been dedicating their lives for peace - actions speak louder than words - my opinion only." And later, "Has nothing to do with "Obama" and everything to do with the "Peace Prize" - change starts with us, the people - who's gon wake up first?"

Finally, the fiery Matthew Good called the award a "popularity contest" on his blog. "The President was inaugurated less than two weeks before the February 1st deadline for nominations, his name added to a list that included 204 others, among them Hu Jia. How he could be seriously considered, given that he’d only been in office for less than two weeks, is beyond me."

Link Love | How Paper Magazine Has Survived 25 Years, Tribute to a Brooklyn Arts Maestro, Are There Startups in NYC?

In the first of a series of blog posts, Elie Seidman, a veteran startupper who just started Oyster Hotel Reviews, gives some background on her career and lists a series of provocative questions and statements about startups for future posts, including, "Choose your market carefully" and "Are you building an asset or a company or both?" (Thanks to friend, co-worker and travel writer Sarah Amandolare for tweeting!)

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Forbes does a nice analysis of how Paper Magazine has survived in the magazine industry for 25 years. (Thanks F.A.Y.)

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Zach Baron of the Village Voice pays touching tribute to Suzanne Fiol, who founded the Brooklyn (once itinerant but no longer itinerant) event space/series Issue Project Room and just passed away after a battle with cancer. Issue Project Room just secured more than $1 million in funding for its new venue at 110 Livingston Street from the Brooklyn borough president. 

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Breakups! It's a sad day for Jay. Or is it? Not sad for the band, that's for sure.

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The Financial Times on smoking employees. Sure, they may eventually pass on due to complications from their grimy pastime, but my, they're a nice lot (via PopMatters).

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Attend the Future of Music Coalition Policy Summit in D.C. remotely.

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Spinner counts down "Rock's Biggest Quitters: 20 Musicians Who Walked Away From Fame" (from September but I just noticed it today).

Fever Ray | Webster Hall, NYC | 09.28.09

Kind of all you need to know. But I'm sure these guys or this guy and no doubt this guy will have recaps imminently.

Here's misterellwood's quite lovely video of "Coconut" (watch in HD!):



Photo by Colin Clark via his iPhone

Video | Fever Ray - "Seven"

An elderly witch/deposed duchess version Karin Dreijer Andersson sings in a barn with lambs for backup vocalists, sort of.

[Via RA and R.fm]

Hear, Here | Mp3s from Girls, Choir of Young Believers & DM Stith

Here's my new free mp3 feature. Don't ask how often it'll run. It was inspired by reading Greg Kot's Ripped: How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music, subsequently writing "The (Indie) Music Industry Is All Right" for my PopMatters column, Backslash (top article on the site for two weeks!), and subsequently reading Nick Hornby's "The thrill of it all," about mp3 blogs, in The Guardian (read it now!)

Choir of Young Believers - "Action/Reaction"

DM Stith - "Pigs" feat. Jefferson Street Band

Girls - "Hellhole Ratrace"

On Your Shopping List:

Choir of Young Believers - This Is For The White In Your Eyes (Ghostly, 8.18.09)

DM Stith - Thanksgiving Moon EP (Asthmatic Kitty, 11.3.09)

Girls - Album (True Panther Sounds/Matador, 9.22.09)

Photo courtesy of Girls

Photos: Lia Ices at Sir | Fashion's Night Out | 09.10.09

Lia Ices performed at Sir's Williamsburg store last night as part of Fashion's Night Out. (Unfortunately, I photographed her using a crap point-and-shoot.) She's really catching fire following the 2008 release of her debut album, Necima. She's put out a few videos, did an acoustic performance for Fader recently, and will be playing Joe's Pub on October 20. When I emailed her people about press coverage of that show, she responded herself. Let's just say that by this time next year, she won't be answering her own e-mails. This virtuosic Vermonter is one of the most talented singer-songwriters I've heard in awhile.

Woodstock 40 Years On

AP

[via findingdulcinea]

My piece today for FD on Woodstock. Why so important? What historical events surrounded it? How do the founders feel today? What do the critics say? Includes links to some cool old articles.

New Lizzyville Song - "Maybe"

This is sort of a weird combination of two songs, so it's not totally "new," but the other version of "Maybe" was shite. This an ungodly six minutes long. Highlights include me forgetting a lyric and some seemingly 10-mile-away reverbed backing vocals. Anyway, that said, I'm really digging it. What is it about? It's about unsuccessful love, success in love, and wanderlust in life. Thanks for listening.

Lizzyville - "Maybe"

RIYL/inspired by: This stunning live Grizzly Bear performance of "Ready, Able" on the Spinner Interface. GOD THESE GUYS.

Listen to more Lizzyville on MySpace.

Alexandra Patsavas Is the Bomb

Photo: Stefano Palteras/AP

I'm reading Greg Kot (of the Tribune)'s Ripped: How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music, which contains a loving chapter about Death Cab for Cutie and their insertion into a certain teen/YA television program. Not sure I love Death Cab as intensely as I once did, in the summer of 2004, when my Wesleyan summer-resident-in-arms Eric introduced me to about 20 indie rock bands and essentially and unwittingly set my career in motion. The following fall I was plopping down on a couch with five to ten other people once a week to watch The O.C.'s second season after spending lazy summer nights working through the first season.

Alexandra Patsavas emerged as the ingenue behind the show's music choices, which were doing something revolutionary for indie bands, as Kot observes. Patsavas has also (and perhaps just as famously) worked on the music for Grey's Anatomy and more recently, an impressive slew including Mad Men, Chuck, Gossip Girl and the movie Twilight. Previously she was the music coordinator or supervisor for a number of hilariously titled B-movies, according to her MySpace page: Caged Heat 3000, Piranha 2, Bucket of Blood...

But she started as a rock promoter, which is also something Kot highlights: her generation evolved with the Internet, and its members now work to promote the underground music scene in an entirely different way. Not only do special sites from the TV shows' networks allow fans to figure out what they just heard; Patsavas and her team are using the Web to uncover their choices. They're curators, and getting indie music out to a wider audience in a Paper-Planes-on-the-Pineapple-Express-soundtrack kind of way, even at the cost of groans and eyerolls from hipsters ("I was listening to 'Paper Planes' in the summer of 2007!!!"), is well worth it.

Fellow curators RCRD LBL interviewed Patsavas last year.

Lizzyville Has a New Song

Yes, it's true, some new songs are going to see the light of day with the help of MySpace.

"48 Hour Mystery" was rattled off after watching some terrible episode of the show of the same name and having a bad dream about it: an intruder, a weapon, a strange conversation. So it's a little raw but you'll get the idea.

Me - "48 Hour Mystery"

Lizzyville on MySpace!

Ellie Goulding

London's Ellie Goulding makes highly remixable electro-pop songs, including "Starry-Eyed" and "Wish I Stayed" feat. Frankmusik, her male compatriot. Videos of Goulding's performances are so far sorely lacking, but MySpace features some surprisingly high quality streams. Check out the Stina Nordenstam-like sweet vocals and guitar on "Guns And Horses" or the original "Starry-Eyed" via Disco Dust.

Video | Lily Allen - "22"

Great concept. Lily looks like Christina Ricci. It's interesting how much more appealing this song becomes now that is has this video.

[Via Stereogum]

Florence + The Machine

"Kiss With A Fist," the Florence + The Machine single that many of us heard long before her debut, Lungs, dropped, was nothing to speak of. It's a White Stripes song. It's a Hives song. It's a rock song. Placed on the end of the lengthy Lungs, which at 13 tracks features two covers - "You've Got The Love" and "Girl With One Eye" - and 11 originals, "Kiss With A Fist" makes little sense, because the rest of the album is all Patrick Wolf, Annie Lennox, a smidge of Neko Case and a lot of gospel influence. There's definitely some Hayley Williams in there but I'll refrain from referencing solely other redheaded singers. It's a heavy album. It's a loud album. Florence Welch's voice will pierce your eardrums. You won't always love its consistent need to shout and get the feelings out, but the melodies for the most part make up for it.

At 22, she's a young lass. She hails from Ireland and as the story goes, was discovered in a club bathroom while singing in the stall. She had been writing songs for some time, but didn't do anything with them. That bathroom trip did wonders. So did getting into the studio, where the results seem to be just what Welch likes: the power of a "big, fat choir": big drums, vocal layering, heavily manipulated keys and the occasional (and unnecessary) guitar. Her lyrics are quite accomplished, which you'll observe in the track I've included below. She sings about "guilt," according to one interview, about love, about "air," about a bird that does something wrong and then bequeaths his guilt to the human who eats him.

Her own songs are never timid, never cute, and never without reference to countless forebears. Blame the producers: Welch is on Island Records, which hired Paul Epworth (Muse, Bloc Party, Goldfrapp, Annie...the list goes on) and James Ford (Mecury Prize-winning Klaxons album Myths Of The Near Future, a member of Simian Mobile Disco, and currently the drummer for The Last Shadow Puppets) to work their magic. The result is that there are some clear hits on this album and some clear non-hits. Drowned In Sound's early track-by-track assessment is worth reading to see what kind of "huh?"s the overproduction inspires.

Do not listen to the craptastic and lazy reviews that have listed Kate Bush and Tori Amos as influences of Welch's as if those two women are the only creative female singer-songwriters in the history of mankind. Also as Bat for Lashes said in a recent Pitchfork interview - why do women musicians have to be compared with women musicians? Awful. Those reviewers never should have been hired (inevitably on the basis of one capable piece of writing) and I'm not even going to grace them with a link.

Explore the intense vocal power in the video for "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)":

Now here's a track, my personal favorite:

Florence And The Machine - "Cosmic Love"

Video | Dirty Projectors - "Stillness Is The Move"

Silliness Is The Move.

In the event that you haven't visited Pitchfork or several other music blogs yet today...or if you prefer my soothing black-and-white color scheme and extreme selectivity.

[Via Pitchfork, I might add]

Video | Marina and the Diamonds - "I Am Not A Robot"

Fabulous.

But who is she? you ask.

Video | The Commercial for "The Girls' Guide to Rocking" by Jessica Hopper

[Via SFJ's New Yorker blog.]

Jessica's blog

"Falling Down a Shit Spiral" | Chris Weingarten a k a @1000TimesYes at the 140 Characters Conference

No explanation required, except what Rob Harvilla said:

his "brief remarks on the future of music criticism (it has none) are vivid, sardonic, and incredibly profane, to the crowd's unending delight. Indicative phrases: "gilded geekazoid," "falling down a shit spiral," "people have awful taste," and "Fleet Foxes fuckin' sucks." During that last bit Chris ascends to Bill Hicks/gospel-preacher heights of divine fervor. Love the hat, too."

"Crowdsourcing killed indie rock...you know why? Because crowds have awful taste. People have awful taste."

He is basically saying that Twitter is all about the WHAT. Critics provide the WHY, but seem to think that Twitter leaves no room for whys.

"That's what we're missing in a world without music critics...the because."

AMEN.

Here is Chris on Twitter.

Learn more about what he is doing here.

Foreign Born - "Winter Games"

At turns, Foreign Born's LP Person to Person reminds me of The Constantines, James, DeVotchKa - a mainstay of Park Slope's Tea Lounge during my tenure - the Arctic Monkeys, the Shout Out Louds, even the Verve. In other words, they remind me of years gone by, and that's not a bad thing. The band hails from L.A. and has previously released an album called On the Wing Now and two EPs. They are allegedly a favorite of Edward Droste of Grizzly Bear. Here is my fave track (so far) from their new album, which is out June 23 on Secretly Canadian:

Foreign Born - "Winter Games"

Find out more via their MySpace page.

Hey, Nice Lady | A Mini-Tribute to St. Vincent

Photo: Kirstie Shanley for PopMatters. Read her review and see more pics of SV's Chicago show.

For all you haters who said her short haircut looked bad (I am one of them), take a look at this pic and be forced to retract your statement! She is stunning! The hair is amazing! The lipstick is perfect! If you need a good reason to continue to wear the 50 SPF sunscreen you bought last week, this is it! That Brooke Shields commercial where she reveals her skin damage is another!

St. Vincent aka Annie Clark recorded her latest album, Actor, on freaking GarageBand in a hotel in Paris. Need I say more. GarageBand rules (once you learn you can alter the master track to a setting called Slick Pop). Here's the video for the title track:

Read a recent interview with Annie in the Village Voice.

John Vanderslice - "Too Much Time"

John Vanderslice in the bathroom of Union Hall, Brooklyn

What did I do when I was living an a sweltering hot city in a room the size of an ironing board in an apartment that had a (working) washer and dryer in the garden but no window in the kitchen? I got a job at Ralph Lauren and wore uncomfortable heels to the encouraging delight of my much older, more monied co-workers. I also listened to John Vanderslice every day for weeks, including during the off hours in Ozzie's Cafe on 5th Avenue in Park Slope where I wrote a novel inspired by the beautiful places of my childhood.

What is this, a diary? John Vanderslice is being featured as one of five summer artists to listen to obsessively in a feature I'm writing for findingDulcinea (read this summer reads article in the meantime). In my research I found myself on Largehearted Boy, who I think was one of the first people to ever link to Lizzyville who wasn't my friend or relative or place of work ("Top Albums of 2006," I believe it was). I found his A to Z Guide to Music Downloads, which in the "V" slot features none other than John Vanderslice, who features a hefty amount of his back catalog as free downloads on his website.

I first heard about John Vanderslice in Jane magazine, another reason why that magazine never should have folded. Below is "Too Much Time," which might be the most straight-forwardly pretty song he's ever written. It's available FREE on his site, which is where I got it from. Enjoi!

John Vanderslice - "Too Much Time"

[via JohnVanderslice.com]

John is stopping by the MHOW tomorrow night 6/12 and Bowery Ballroom on Saturday 6/13. Tickets.

Micachu's Second Mixtape, this time with XL Artist Kwes - "Kwesachu"

The busy Micachu of Micachu & the Shapes has a new mixtape out with the young producer and recording artist Kwes. Titled "Kwesachu," which sounds like a sneeze, this is another free gift from Micachu following last year's "Filthy Friends."

Discovery - "Orange Shirt"

I have gone there. Partly because this cover is so pretty and partly because I find this man (Wes Miles) to be a great inspiration in how to use the voice you've got as I go about recording some special little ditties that I will share with you one day soon.

Discovery - "Orange Shirt"

For all you betes out there, this band is Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend plus Wes Miles of Ra Ra Riot plus contributions from Angel Deradoorian of Dirty Projectors and Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend.

Discovery on MySpace

Album coming out on XL on July 7.

Up North, Chantal Kreviazuk Composes Beautiful Songs for Herself & Others

Having Canada in my genes and a few years of living there in my memory, Chantal Kreviazuk holds a special place in my list of favorite singer-songwriters. She has written songs for Gwen Stefani, Avril Lavigne, Kelly Clarkson and many others, and has released several albums of her own. She's been active for over a decade, has kids with husband Raine Maida (lead singer of fellow Canadian staple Our Lady Peace), and emphasizes in the below videos for Frequency TV that following trends in songwriting is a mistake; following trends is one thing, but "educating yourself" is quite another.

Thanks Ann, CEO of Holier Than Now, for the tip.

One Day Only, One Day Only, That's All Live Nation Has to Spare*

Look at that face! Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino

According to Billboard, Live Nation is unveiling a one-day mega-sale in which all service fees will be eliminated from tickets to amphitheater shows it produces. Says Billboard, "The 24-hour sales event is being billed as the biggest ticket promotion ever, which would be hard to dispute."

Upon further inspection, Live Nation is actually offering some sort of similar sale every Wednesday for the rest of the summer. Live Nation staff explained that service fees are usually about one-third of the ticket cost. But it feels like so much more.

So on June 3, buy tickets via Live Nation and cry a few less tears once you reach your shopping cart.

*UPDATE: According to CNN, Live Nation is still charging fees on its inaugural no-fee Wednesday. Learn about the b&#@^it fees that are still being charged here. Thanks @writesites for the tip.

"Idiot Heart" Is Neither Here (Sunset Rubdown) Nor There (Wolf Parade), Just Amazing

Photo: Anna Bauer for Fader

Sunset Rubdown's Dragonslayer will be released on Jagjaguwar on June 23, about a year after Wolf Parade's inconsistent but primarily addictive At Mount Zoomer. Zoomer felt far more Dan Boeckner than Spencer Krug, and Boeckner just released one of 2009's best albums with Handsome Furs' Face Control, the most Boecknery of all. Sunset Rubdown's music is often quieter, its structures more organic and fluid, and its lyrics more poetic and cryptic. But on "Idiot Heart," the first single off Dragonslayer, something stunningly different is happening.

As the second track on the album, "Idiot Heart" suggests the rest of the album will be similar: bold, energetic, adventurously rocking (guitar-heavy), with sharp but sparse vocals and maybe more of the tinselly keyboard that appears in this song's chorus. The guitar's melody is the centerpiece here. It's melodically innovative, with curling little phrase-end accents and a sturdy, powerful rhythm that holds the experiments in line. The lyrics are straightforward, if metaphorical, with standouts like "I've never been much of a dancer / but I know enough to know you gotta move / your idiot body around" and the kicker:

I hope that you die
in a decent pair of shoes
you got a lot more walking to do
where you're going to

Sunset Rubdown - "Idiot Heart" (via Pitchfork)

They only gave it a 6/10 but this is a rare, rare occasion when I don't agree.

Song of the Day | So Cow - "Halcyon Days"

So Cow hails from Ireland. He is cute, witty, and plays the guitar. RIYL Billy Bragg or the Arctic Monkeys. I love the first and I liked the second's first album and Mr. Cow is really growing on me. His album, "So Cow," was recommended to me by the band Mr. Dream, whose sound is a little more raging but in the same general realm. Today I give you "Halcyon Days," full of the modesty and nostalgia and candor that Bragg brings to simple, pared down punk.

So Cow - "Halcyon Days"

His album is available on Tic Tac Totally.

Check out his very minimal but useful website or this video:

Song of the Day | Maxïmo Park - "Let's Get Clinical"

Pretty much the only good song on the Mercury-nominated old post-punk fellows' new album, "Quicken The Heart." (Read my review of it on TMT.)

Maximo Park - "Let's Get Clinical"

Song of the Day | Metric - "Twilight Galaxy" plus special bonus from Matthew Good

Emily Haines at SXSW 2007.

I heard this song in Club Monaco (?) the other day and thought I must have passed off "Fantasies," the band's upcoming LP, too quickly, because it's quite lovely, and reminded me of the Matthew Good song "Pledge of Allegiance," which I've also posted below. Hey, they're both Canadian. Emily Haines also released a solo album with her band, The Soft Skeleton, in 2006 (I reviewed it on Stylus). Her father had just died and the songs are quite personal and depressing, but beautifully composed. Metric are louder and shinier, and I prefer "Twilight Galaxy" because it's...not.

Metric - "Twilight Galaxy"

Matthew Good - "Pledge of Allegiance"

Video of the Day | Fragma - "Toca's Miracle"

Reminds me of Spring Break 2000 - Bermuda. Those were some good moped-riding times. The song just got an update with the highly popular (on iTunes) Inpetto Remix.

Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOP Features the 10 Most Predictable DJ Playlists Known to Man from 10 "Super Cool Music Experts"

GOOP - Nourish Your Inner Affect

I hate to jump on the Gwyneth Paltrow-hating bandwagon, but hell, anyone who names their child Moses and has a husband with a song that imagines him in the (burlap) shoes of the son's namesake is worth scoffing at. Then you have GOOP - the throne of Gwyneth resentment. In the latest edition of the newsletter, ten music "experts" provide ten DJ playlists of ten songs each. I'm not sure who these playlists are intended for, but it certainly isn't me, or anyone with an imagination. Example:

“House of Jealous Lovers” – The Rapture
“Paper Planes” – M.I.A.
“One More Time” – Daft Punk
“We Are Your Friends” – Justice
“What We Do” – Beanie Sigel, Freeway & Jay-Z
“Hey Ya” – OutKast
“L.A. Woman” – The Doors
“Feel Good Hit of the Summer” – Queens of the Stone Age
“Heartbeats” – The Knife
“Juicy” – The Notorious B.I.G.

Are you serious? DJ's name withheld to protect their ego.

Gwyneth also calls Samantha Ronson "America's best-loved and most well-known female DJ." "America" of course refers to "Hollywood" which is of course the only part of America that matters. Publishers of magazines such as US Weekly have certainly convinced their readers that this is true.

Someone bring back Gwyneth the actress. She seemed far less obsessed with the shallow social content of an actor's life. In fact, she seemed above and beyond it.

Video | Cat Power Power Hour

Photo: Paper Magazine

I give you (60) 35 minutes of Cat Power. I just read the lady's first biography, "Cat Power: A Good Woman" by music critic and former Blender editor-at-large Elizabeth (sometimes Lizzy) Goodman. Fair & balanced review in PopMatters forthcoming. Let's just say it is the longest PR one-sheet I've ever read and I loved it because I love Chan. Her story speaks for itself. Terrible title though. Embarrassing to read on subway.

BEFORE YOU WATCH ANYTHING ELSE: Watch the Cat Power AOL Sessions here! 5 videos. If you haven't already, that is. The Lady Gaga sessions are also incredible.

"The Greatest" live on "Later With Jools Holland."

The video that started it all: "Cross Bones Style."

"He War"

THE ICING ON THE CAKE: "Maybe Not" live on Letterman.

New York Times interview from 2006.

"Nude as the News" (OLD SCHOOL).

"Love and Communication" acoustic.

"Metal Heart" live in 1998.

Ok that's enough.

Song of the Day | Meek - "SPRNG09"

Meek and friends performing in Tunisia in 2007 (Photo: Meek via Flickr)

This electronic artist from Montreal has been putting out stuff independently for nine years. He unfortunately shares his name with a really bad French twee band and his wonderful track "Who's On Drugs?" is seemingly only available on a Six Records compilation that's ... no longer available. But on MySpace you can check out a few of his (very minimalist) recent works and on his website he's given away a few really righteous tracks he's done over the years.

On his MySpace, I'm really fond of the quietly evolving and subtly melodic "SPRNG09," which he's just put up. It makes me want to go back and listen to "Drukqs" ... or continue to hunt around for Meek records that I can actually have and hold.

Meek - "SPRNG09" (via MySpace)

"Song" of the Day | Sound and Safe Playlist - WFMU - 05.04.09

Trent, who DJs for WFMU, created a wonderful playlist last night, one of his weekly "Sound and Safe" series, which runs Mondays from 8-11 pm. It featured a killer remix of "All That She Wants" by Ace of Base, some Little Boots (above), a new song by A Camp (Cardigans singer), Pet Shop Boys' SICK track "All Over The World" from their new album "Yes," a great ABBA track, and so much more!

Listen to it here!

Why Is Samantha Ronson Such a Sought-After DJ?

Back before Samantha Ronson starting approaching a point of oversaturation, took out a restraining order against Lindsay Lohan and banned her from her designer sister's party, this woman was an aspiring musician and professional DJ from a virtual royal family of successful young people including her DJ/producer/performer brother Mark Ronson and Charlotte the designer (of C. Ronson). I remember looking at her MySpace page in 2007 and listening to a rather unpolished song and sort of forgetting about her (music) forever. This is a pity.

Thanks to Lindsay Lohan, her sought-after factor skyrocketed and she became an ubiquitous DJ called upon by everyone from Ellen and Portia de Rossi to high-profile club owners. So, you ask, what exactly does Ronson spin, and could she fare well as a DJ-turned-performer as her brother has? I think so, now that Lohan is done distracting her. The music currently on her MySpace page is rather downtempo and emotional, including her memorable pop song "Built This Way." The other tracks are remixes she's done of songs like "99 Problems," which includes, in her version, the lyrics, "You make me want to pull my hair out." Indeed. If the originals got a kick in the pants from someone like her brother or Eric Prydz or Deadmau5 they could comprise a killer house album, imho. But I bet she's got other tricks up her sleeve that haven't been posted yet.

But what of the DJ sets?

Ronson most often spins 80s hits like Billy Joel, Rick Springfield, Simple Minds, Prince, Aerosmith, and Outfield, according to one Newsday article. She also loves The Hits of Today. In an MTV Canada interview, she discusses this and finds time to admonish clubbers: "Bikinis are not a shirt." She also makes fun of Jamie Foxx.

Verdict: SamRo probably has some great remixes and originals up her sleeve, but she mostly plays what the people want to hear. Perhaps things could have stayed indie if she'd never met Lohan. But the bank account wouldn't be where it is today, and who doesn't like to stock up for a recession? Lohan, of course, was too young and naive to think about that when she started following Ronson to venues and stopped working. But Ronson, who is 30, is clearly mature enough to keep working and have a relationship at the same time, and I'm interested to see what she does now that Lohan isn't around.

Lohan said in that Ellen interview, "relationships can be distracting," but I think that's utter B.S. YOUTH is distracting. NOT KNOWING YOURSELF is distracting. Go Team Ronson.

Song of the Day | Patrick Wolf - "Hard Times"

Patrick Wolf's "The Bachelor" is, more than any of his previous albums, a soundtrack to his life that appears to draw imaginatively from verdant countrysides and films set there, such as "Shakespeare in Love" or "LOTR" or "Braveheart." Many of the songs feature recorders (hard not to think of "My Heart Will Go On") and sweeping string arrangements. I picture Wolf riding on a dragon's back through Middle Earth. Excuse the mixed reference.

The first full track, "Hard Times," is completely different. It's serious and scary and probably the best on the album. While he may actually be discussing hard emotional times (see "Damaris," with the lyrics, "Damn you, Damaris / I really loved you"), it's a perfect anthem to the recession. The tone is hopeful and determined. There are no recorders in sight. The lyrics are:

As these are hard times
We'll work harder, harder
Through these hard times
I'll work harder, harder

Divided nation,
In sedation
Overload of information, that
We have grown up to ignore
Mediocrity applauded

In these hard times
We'll work harder, harder
Through these hard times
I'll work harder, harder
for resolution
Show me some revolution
This battle will be won!

Forced to count the hours
Since two towers
Fell to fiction
Those higher powers
Putting gods to war
Who keeps score?
Ignorance is still adored

And through these hard times
We'll work harder, harder
Give me hard times,
I'll work harder, harder
For revolution
Hard time for some resolution
Time for some revolution
This battle will be won!

Harder, harder, harder, now!

If they only see you with their fear
And they only hear you with their pride
And they only see you with their fear
And they only hear you with their pride
And we'll work harder, harder, harder, harder,
Harder, harder, harder, harder,
Hard times!

Video of the Day | Jump, Little Children - "Say Goodnight"

You are permitted to display your shock. But I am very fond of this song and I found it while sifting through my archives this week. The video is from a concert DVD. Last night I was testing out my new/old headphones remembering how great they are and I just quietly listened to this song, enthralled and mesmerized, staring at my cat or a spot on the wall. It's a punchy, verging-on-recruiting-fans-of-Dave-Matthews pop song, but I looooooove it. Here's the track too. I fear these guys have also broken up and won't mind if I put this up:

Jump, Little Children - "Say Goodnight"

Song of the Day | Can Joann - "Indecision's Way"

This is an oldie-but-goodie, and by that I mean it's from 2006. These guys, who are from Chapel Hill, NC, have since broken up.

Can Joann -  "Indecision's Way"

Video of the Day | Public Image Ltd. - "Rise"

In this weird sort of "Les Miserables" tribute of a video, Johnny Rotten (that is to say, John Lydon), screams at the camera. I can only assume this was hugely inspiring for the men of the British sketch comedy program "The Fast Show."

The song is featured in "The Rules of Attraction," which is this really underrated teen movie based on Bret Easton Ellis's book starring James Van Der Beek of "Dawson's Creek." Ewwww.

It's a great song, except for the "May the road rise with you" refrain.

I have fantasies of Thom Yorke doing a spoof of this.

Dead Prez + Grizzly Bear = "Two Weeks of Hip Hop"

The Hood Internet has put up a mashup by DJ ABX of Grizzly Bear's "Two Weeks," from the forthcoming Veckatimest, and Dead Prez's "Hip Hop." The results sounds a little like Jay Z's "Hard Knock Life," but then so does the original "Two Weeks." It's wonderful, in other words.

ABX - "Two Weeks of Hip Hop" (via The Hood Internet)

There are plenty more mashups where that came from.

*Perhaps more incredible than the actual mashups are the (purposefully) badly photoshopped pictures that try to place two disparate musicians in one photo. e.g. this one of Kaki King and Tupac:

Is Record Store Day a Total Waste of Time?

Record stores are about more than just records. They also happen to be the seat of some of the most unique and exciting musical events, especially on April 18, when this year's second annual Record Store Day is held. Surprising groupings of musicians band together, as Beck and Sonic Youth are doing by "covering each other," Stereogum reported in February. Limited editions of merch and music are sold and general revelry takes place. The old hat independent music store is put up on a pedestal. For one day, revenue models are forgotten.

What some people might find surprising is that, according to Nielsen SoundScan, more long-players were sold in 2008 than in any other year. Admittedly, the club scene around the world is strong. (Would you believe there are other DJs in the world than Samantha Ronson? Well, yes, you would, because you are a Dear Reader of Lizzyville and you are smart and snobby and never read People magazine.) But people are also realizing or remembering that LPs are the purest form of recording there is. CDs are utter crap, but of course they slightly edge out mp3s because their digital quality can be tailored by the user. But don't forget about "Imperfect Sound Forever." LPs are collectors' items and they are wonderful to listen to. Joanna Newsom discussed the simple, organic process of listen to an LP straight through in a Wire interview awhile back. (And it's online! Go read it now!)

The independent record store of legend, I argue in today's Record Store Day feature on findingDulcinea, is a place staffed by attentive and knowledgeable music enthusiasts, curious patrons, listening booths and limited-edition offerings alongside anticipated releases, all encouraging leisurely exploration and education.

But browsing a music store is no longer the preferred purchasing method. Amazon routinely offers deep discounts and free shipping, the blog Technologizer points out. Affordable subscription plans from retailers like eMusic also entice users away from the tactile but more time-consuming process of visiting a physical store. If one digital music store doesn’t offer what a consumer wants, another likely will.

And if a store doesn't, a torrent does.

An interesting discussion on the matter is circling the Web. Idolator and NME's Luke Lewis both argue that, hey, maybe it's not such a bad thing for these stores to die out. Don't we need better representation of artists in organizations like the ERA, record labels, PR firms and (evil) tour companies? Is this a futile cause?

In The Telegraph, the ERA's Kim Bayley called record stores "a heady mixture of unofficial youth club, cultural centre, recruitment agency for musicians and music education centre. They recommend new music and they nurture new artists.”

Guess what? The Internet can do all those things. If influential Web sites such as Pitchfork are any indication, music fans still turn to others—critics and music bloggers—for curated views of new music. We arguably don't need record store employees anymore. Also, some of them are virtually unapproachable, which Luke Lewis kind of hints at. Wired reported extensively on the “Pitchfork effect” in 2006, citing the Toronto band Broken Social Scene as just one band whose success has been significantly bolstered by Pitchfork’s praise. It certainly doesn't hurt that Pitchfork and others organize mega festivals to help boost artists' incomes--and their own, so they can keep paying writers to curate the large promo pile.

“[M]ost listeners still find their music with the assistance of a filter: a reliable source that sifts through millions of tracks to help them choose what they do (and don't) want to hear,” Wired’s Dave Itzkoff said.

I believe the live music scene will be huge, and clearly I'm not the only one. But the trouble is keeping the companies that organize these events above board. They are clearly verging on conglomerate/titan status and it scares the crap out of me. I am tired of paying $20 surcharges to see Neko Case, to dance to a Hercules & Love Affair DJ set, to wave a glowing cell phone at David Byrne, to see David Longstreth and Ed Droste in one place.

But the Internet makes things easy and it makes us stingy.

Read the rest of my article here.

Video | DM Stith - "Pity Dance"

DM Stith- Pity Dance from Asthmatic Kitty on Vimeo.

I am OBSESSED WITH HIM. Last night at Neko Case I even had this momentary reverie where I was like, hm, I wish DM Stith was the opener or was here right now or was playing in NYC this week. He's off to Europe though. COME BACK SOON.

Song of the Day: The Dirty Projectors - "Stillness is the Move"

I know, I know. How predictable. But I just got this album today and it is this wonderfully varied, 90s-inspired, reggae-inspired merry-go-round ride. I love Amber Coffman and Angel Deradoorian's bigger presence on the album, best exhibited on this track. This album is one of the best of the year, easily, easily.

Album Review | Bat for Lashes - Two Suns

Syke! You'll have to read my review (which I began writing in February!!) at Tiny Mix Tapes, where my music criticism has taken up residence for the foreseeable future. CLICK ON IMAGE or here.

Other reviews of Bat for Lashes for comparison purposes!

PopMatters - 6/10 - includes really cute pic of Natasha that perfectly captures the mood of the album.

The Guardian - 4 stars - short and sweet and overly complimentary.

Paste - 84 - the album "demands attention," apparently. I say at least "Siren Song" does.

Song of the Day: Nosaj Thing - "Coat of Arms"

The Fader is currently featuring one of L.A.-based Nosaj Thing's new tracks, "Coat of Arms," which will be on his album "Drift," coming out June 9 on Alpha Pup. He's a pal of Flying Lotus. Listen:

Nosaj Thing - "Coat of Arms"

Check out Nosaj Thing on MySpace.

Photo credit: Buddhabong.com

On This Day in History: Kurt Cobain Found Dead

On April 8, 1994, the body of the 27-year-old Nirvana frontman was discovered in his home, a few days after his suicide. Nirvana epitomized early 1990s post-punk.

Read the rest.