Now Downloading: New Releases 08.31.10

End of summer doldrums leaves slim pickens in the new release shelf. School's starting up, though, and the debut from the Jenny Lewis/Johnathan Rice collaboration (Jenny & Johnny) has a kind of high school rebellion/innocence to it, while Yo Gabba Gabba covers the preschool/elementary angle (and, more importantly, the parents). Other releases worth mentioning are the latest from The Weepies, My Morning Jacket's Carl Broemel, Radiohead's Philip Selway, Film School, Richard Thompson and an EP from Anthony and the Johnsons.

Playlist: New Releases 08.31.10

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Jenny and Johnny - I'm Having Fun Now
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

Writing songs about relationships is as old as the craft itself, so with the authenticity-minded genre of indie rock, it makes sense that there are so many real life couples collaborating. Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis and Scottish singer/songwriter Johnathan Rice fit into that category, and the songs from their debut, I'm Having Fun Now almost read like couples therapy, with their dirty laundry on full display. "I'll forgive you, if I outlive you," coos Lewis at one point in the fine opener "Scissor Runner." Musically, the duo is like a more amped version of She & Him, with less classic country and more Laurel Canyon, and that is always welcome.

Free AOL Album Stream

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Yo Gabba Gabba - Music Is Awesome, Vol 2
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

Is Nickelodeon finally realizing they have a sellable product now in Yo Gabba Gabba? Even though the series has a frothing (and sometimes high) dedicated fan base, every season the series seems on pins & needles awaiting to find out if it gets renewed. Now they're on a nationwide sold-out tour and raking in ticket sales -- and still awaiting renewal. They at least have their second full length compilation out now, featuring MGMT, Datarock, Weezer, Hot Hot Heat along with more original tracks sung by characters from the show. My 3-year old gives it five tard (he has trouble with his 's' still) and the 5-year old likes to pretend he's too old (but he still can't help dancing to it).

Download: "All My Friends Are Insects" - Weezer [mp3]

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More on the radar (and in the mp3 player) this week:
The Weepies - Be My Thrill / Free AOL Album Stream
Carl Broemel - All Birds Say / Free AOL Album Stream / "Heaven Knows" [mp3]
Anthony and the Johnsons - Thank You For Your Love EP
Film School - Fission / Free AOL Album Stream / "Heart Full of Pentagons" [mp3]
TV Buddhas - TV Buddhas / "Fun Girls" [mp3]
Richard Thompson - Dream Attic) / Free AOL Album Stream
I'm Here - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack / Free AOL Album Stream
The Two Man Gentlemen Band - ¡Dos Amigos, Una Fiesta! / "Chocolate Milk" [mp3]
Ryan Bingham & the Dead Horses - Junky Star
Chucho Valdes - Chucho's Steps
Tracey Thorn - Opposites EP / "Kentish Town (Walls Remix)" [mp3]
Sonny & The Sunsets - Tomorrow Is Alright (Live) / Free AOL Album Stream / "Too Young to Burn" [mp3]
Sahara Smith - Myth Of The Heart

tags: music, album review, jenny and johnny, yo gabba gabba, indie rock, new releases, rhapsody

Spectacle - Show Biz Kids

It should've been my favorite episode, given 2/3 the musical guests, but all together seemed kind of listless... like M. Ward's answers to questions. I really wanted to hear more from Ward, but he was obviously not the attraction, and spent most the time in the shadows.

Ward mentioned John Fahey as an influence, which was someone's clue to edit in a clip, or Costello's cue to have him play something by Fahey (which might very well have happened and was edited out due to time constraints -- either way, we'll provide the love here). Outside of Jenny Lewis' high-waisted blue jumpsuit (or were those just fancy overalls?) my highlight was the lap steel guitar playing on "Carpetbaggers" -- who was that? He was up high in the mix and yet lost in the shadows.

Hearing the 'all star jam' version of "(What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love And Understanding" oddly enough reminded me of the ending to A Colbert Christmas. I mean, how many all-star jamz can you do of that song. It also reminded me, where was the songwriter Nick Lowe this season?

Spectacle: Elvis Costello with... (She & Him, Jenny Lewis, Jakob Dylan)
1. "Showbiz Kids" - Steely Dan - Costello sings as intro to first theme
2. "Change is Hard" - She & Him
3. "Pretty Bird" - Jenny Lewis w/ M. Ward
4. "Carpetbaggers" - Jenny Lewis w/ Elvis Costello
5. "Go Away" - Elvis Costello w/ Jenny Lewis
6. "One Headlight" - The Wallflowers
7. "On Up the Mountain" - Jakob Dylan - performing w/ Costello
8. "Straight to Hell" - The Clash - Costello and Dylan
9. "(What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love And Understanding" - Elvis Costello - all star jam

Ear on TV: Week of 02.09.09

Fresh off their Saturday Night Live appearance, TV on the Radio face off against Stephen Colbert on The Colbert Report Monday night, both standing up playing ("Dancing Choose") and sitting down to get 'nailed' in an interview. (UPDATE: Scroll down for the interview -- lots of giggling and beard stroking, and here's the link for the live performance of "Dancing Choose".)

It's a pretty exclusive club that TV on the Radio joins with the appearance, joining Willie Nelson, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, REM, Wilco and (uh...) Rush as musical guests that have come on the show. And given their leftist lyrics, we can expect Colbert to have cooked up something 'truthy' to spring on them (more than a 'wag of the finger,' to be sure). (UPDATE: scroll down to see the gigglefest of an interview.)

Meanwhile, Spectacle: Elvis Costello with... keeps chugging out fascinating episodes. With Jenny Lewis, She & Him and Jakob Dylan appearing this week, the theme appears to be singer/songwriters who were known for something else before music. Lewis was a child actress (Troop Beverly Hills,) Zooey Deschanel (the 'she' of She & Him,) is of course still an actress and Jakob Dylan is a famous offspring of someone named Bob. Outside of that, I can't for the life of my figure out what Jakob Dylan is doing in this segment. Lewis enlisted Costello's help with a song ("Carpetbaggers") on her last album (Acid Tongue,) so it's pretty much cemented that the song is on the docket for the evening.

And finally, at my kids' behest, I have to mention that They Might Be Giants won a Grammy last night for Best Musical Album for Children (Here Come the 123's,) which my (almost) 4-year old had down as a lock. The transformation of the two Johns from quirky rock fave to quirky kid's music might seem cemented with their win in the category, but another feature of the genre might have already done that. "It's crazy money; those kids are loaded!" joked John Linnell backstage after receiving the award. While the Grammy win seems timely for their appearance on Conan Thursday night, they're likely playing their contribution to the film Coraline, "Other Father Song." But, since my son might be looking in, we've got to pimp The 123's

Playlist: Picks for the week
Monday, January 9
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Adele
COMEDY CENTRAL: The Colbert Report: TV on the Radio
FUEL: The Daily Habit: The So So Glos
FUEL: Check 1, 2: Against Me!
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Duffy
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Brett Dennen
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Sam Sparro
Tuesday, January 10
ABC: The View: Robin Thicke
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: The Little Ones
IFC: The Henry Rollins Show: Robyn Hitchcock (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Levon Helm
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Adele
Wednesday, January 11
FUEL: The Daily Habit: The Henry Clay People
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Blind Pilot
SUNDANCE: Spectacle: Elvis Costello With...: Elvis Costello, Jenny Lewis, She & Him, Jakob Dylan
Thursday, January 12
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: They Might Be giants
Friday, January 13
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Glen Campbell
FUEL: The Daily Habit: ((Sounder))
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Dan Auerbach
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Flobots (REPEAT)
Saturday, January 14
PBS: Austin City Limits: Sarah McLachlan, Duffy

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

TV on the Radio

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Ear on TV: Week of November 3

It's been nearly a decade since his last released album (Amplified,) but it's not as if Q-Tip hasn't been working since. The former A Tribe Called Quest MC at one time bounced between five labels in six years, even finalizing an album (Kamaal the Abstract, 2002) that his label ended up shelving at the last minute, deeming it too un-commercial. All told, he's recorded three albums during this time that never saw the light of day, but that all finally changes with the release of The Renaissance on Election Day, intentionally tying the album to the hope of a new beginning for both America and QT.

Q-Tip is scheduled to perform the lead single in "Gettin' Up" on Letterman Thursday, and that song featured production from longtime friend and colleague the late J Dilla, who passed on nearly three years ago. QT references Dilla several times in the album, but it's the glory days of A Tribe Called Quest that are the big take away here. Not just QT's impeccable timing in rhyme, but also the jazz collages that made an album like Midnight Marauders a hip-hop classic.

Rewinding a bit to Monday, Jenny Lewis appears on Letterman bringing on her more famous sidekick Elvis Costello, who sings on Lewis' "Carpetbaggers". It's nice to see Costello palling around with alt country ladies (he also duets on Lucinda Williams' "Jailhouse Tears",) but on this song he almost seems an afterthought. Still, that tandem could be singing "We Built This City" and I'd watch.

Meanwhile, TV on the Radio continues showcasing 2008's album of the year, this time playing Leno on Friday. Their performance of "Dancing Choose" last month on Letterman took place on a fire escape (video,) which was probably necessary because they were en fuego. Jay Leno might want to take some fire safety precautions in the coming days.

Playlist: Picks for the week
Monday, November 3
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Eagles Of Death Metal
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Jenny Lewis, Elvis Costello
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Sugarland
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: The Decemberists
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Young Jeezy, Nas
Tuesday, November 4
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: My Morning Jacket
Wednesday, November 5
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Chiodos
Thursday, November 6
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Q-Tip
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Cold War Kids
NBC: The Today Show: Elvis Costello
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: T.I.
SUNDANCE: Live From Abbey Road: The Kills, Sara Bareilles, The Fratellis (REPEAT)
Friday, November 7
ABC: Good Morning America: Paul Simon
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Hank Williams III
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: TV on the Radio
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Chromeo
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip (REPEAT)
Saturday, November 8
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Kings Of Leon (REPEAT)
PBS: Austin City Limits: Carolyn Wonderland & The..., Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

Now Downloading: New Releases 09.23.08

My birthday week has historically been kind with great new releases, and this year it's certainly the case. TV on the Radio is the release of the week (year!), but I poached it for last week's post. But there' still plenty of releases to focus on, including a poach or two from next week's releases. New releases this week include albums from Jenny Lewis, Blitzen Trapper, Brightblack Morning Light, Mogwai, Cold War Kids, All Girl Summer Fun Band, KatJonBand, Kings of Leon and the soundtrack to Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. In Rhapsody a week early is the latest collaboration between David Byrne & Brian Eno, Swedish Psych Rocker Dungen, and the 82-track collection of B-Sides, singles demos and alt takes of songs from The Jesus and Mary Chain.

Playlist: New Releases 09.23.08

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Blitzen Trapper - Furr
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

Blitzen Trapper's Sub Pop debut continues some of the restless mixtapery found on their prior release Wild Mountain Nation, creating perhaps sharper collages of 70's hippyish rock. Neil, Dylan and the Dead are all present, and when they turn it up a notch, I even hear some mid-70's Robert Palmer, another branch of the long haired boogie rock of the 70's. Furr, while not as good as Delta Spirit's debut (Ode to Sunshine,) builds on the hippie indie rock sound of Cold War Kids and Dr. Dog, with BT sounding a bit like an Americana version of the retro paisley 90's band Jellyfish. Lots of 70's pop and rock mishmashed together in a manner that's quite pleasing, even if you've heard it all before. When the steel guitar and other alt country leanings creep in is when BT really shines, like on the highlight title track and beautifully lazy "Stolen Shoes and a Rifle."

Free album stream from AOL
Download: "Furr" [mp3]

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Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

Splitting the difference between her gospel-tinged solo debut (Rabbit Fur Coat, with the Watson Twins) and her latest 70's AM radio-like offering with Rilo Kiley (Under the Blacklight,) Acid Tongue ultimately fails to capture the attraction of either. There are plenty of highlights that suggest that this could've been a great album, like the gospel of the title track, the rocking fun of "Fernando," and epic "The Next Messiah." The strangest thing for me is that "Carpetbaggers" actually suffers from having Elvis Costello lending vocals, sounding more like stunt casting than collaboration. It might be that my expectations were unrealistic, but I still can't even make it all the way through the opening track ("Black Sand") without grinding my teeth, and that's never a good thing. It's an album that's sure to have plenty of fans (just not me).

Free album stream from Warner
Download: "Furr" [mp3]

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David Byrne & Brian Eno - Everything That Happens will Happen Today
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

1981's My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, the previous collaboration between David Byrne and Brian Eno, was a landmark recording for many reasons, including it's pioneering use of sampling. It was released with little fanfare, slowly building an appreciation over the years for it's fusion of African rhythms, paranoid funk and voices echoing a cult of personality. 27 years later, they're back, but Everything That Happens will Happen Today shares almost nothing in common with their cult classic. In fact, with the prevalence of an acoustic guitar throughout, it resembles more in mood the innocence and laid back qualities of Talking Heads' Little Creatures. Songs like "Life is Long" and "Strange Overtones" are immediate, feeling effortless and oozing positivity, a far cry from the paranoia of previous collaborations. The few times the duo stray back into the experimental sounds of their previous effort, it doesn't seem to work. The trip-hop of "I Feel My Stuff" feels like an unwelcome left turn when it arrives, and "Poor Boy" just feels wrong for some reason in the context of the album. It is still Eno and Byrne, though, so even the misteps are more interesting than most can offer these days.

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More on the radar (and in the mp3 player) this week:
TV on the Radio - Dear Science (Review last week)
Dungen - 4 (in Rhapsody a week early)
Jack White w/ Alicia Keys - Another Way To Die (single, theme to Quantum of Solace)
Brightblack Morning Light - Motion to Rejoin / "Oppressions Each" [mp3]
All-Girl Summer Fun Band - Looking Into it
The Jesus and Mary Chain - The Power Of Negative Thinking: B-Sides And Rarities (in Rhapsody a week early)
Mogwai - The Hawk is Howling
KatJonBand - KatJonBand / "Bad Apples" / "Do You" [mp3]
Kings of Leon - Only by the Night
Cold War Kids - Loyalty to LoyaltyFree album stream from AOL
Koufax - Strugglers (AOL Stream)
Charlie Haden - Rambling Boy
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Thievery Corporation - Radio Retaliation / Free album stream from AOL
Tracy Shedd - Cigarettes & Smoking Machines / "Whatever it Takes" [mp3]
The Pica Beats - Beating Back the Claws of the Cold
Old Crow Medicine Show - Tennessee Pusher / Free album stream from AOL
Ten Kens - Ten Kens
Max Richter - 24 Postcards in Full Color
Laura Warshauer - Laura Warshauer / Free album stream from AOL
Lights - Lights EP
These United States - Crimes (AOL limited stream)
Starfucker - Starfucker (AOL limited stream)
Ed Laurie - Meanwhile in the Park / Free album stream from AOL

tags: music, album review, tvotr, blitzen trapper, jenny lewis, david byrne, brian eno, indie rock, new releases, rhapsody

Nip/Tuck's Nine Circles of Hell

Legend has it that when Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon set out for the famed Fountain of Youth, he was 40 years old and searching to find a cure for his sexual impotence. On this Nip/Tuck, Sean is making a similar journey at age 42, but instead of sailing for Bimini, Sean is diving into that other legendary utopia, Eden (AnnaLynne McCord). Only this one isn't a garden -- in fact it's evil and barely legal.

Another route to the Garden of Eden lies in Dante's The Divine Comedy, where first you have to go through Dante's Inferno, and his outlined nine circles of hell. Aidan with his 'Dante's Infernal party' -- backed by Joan Jett's "Do You Want To Touch Me?" -- serves as a sort of Virgil for Sean's Dante as he shows him through his own version of hell, Hollywood style. Meanwhile the circles of hell seem represented here, if out of order.

The First Circle is the virtuous pagans, which where I party out most of the time, so let's skip it. Second Circle is those overcome by lust -- Sean takes this one on in the opening scene with Eden, done to Lil' Mama's "Lip Gloss." Third Circle is glutton, which could be Dr. Joshua Lee's daughter Wendy, why else make her fat and allude to it a couple times? Fourth Circle is concern for material goods, which is beautifully represented by the scenes of Kimber shoplifting to Jenny Lewis' "Rabbit Fur Coat." Fifth Circle is sloth, and I'm pinning that on Matt in his dealing with Kimber (and maybe Olivia cowering in the face of their burglar).

Now we descend to the lower part of hell, where the Sixth Circle has heretics trapped in a burning tomb. Seeing Matt lit on fire from his botched Meth cooking attempt fits perfectly here, even more so that it's set to Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart." The Seventh Circle houses the violent, and Julia's kidnapper fits in here, especially when you notice the song playing on the radio -- Roy Acuff's "A Sinner's Death (I'm Dying)." The Eighth circle is the fraudulent, and who better to represent that then Eden herself, and "The Moneymaker" by Rilo Kiley (with Jenny Lewis again) makes for a nice theme song for her ("...she wants to overtake you / you know you wanna make her").

Finally we've got the Ninth Circle, and that is reserved for those who betray a special relationship. Christian and Julia fit the bill here, betraying both Sean and Olivia. It remains to be seen if N/T will take us through the Seven Terraces of Purgatory and onward through the Nine Spheres of Heaven -- but you know I'll be looking.

Playlist: Nip/Tuck - Ep507
1. "Lip Gloss" - Lil Mama - Sean and Eden have sex
2. "A Sinner's Death (I'm Dying)" - Roy Acuff - Olivia and Julia are robbed and then carjacked
3. "Not A Pretty Girl" - Ani DiFranco - Christian performs ‘freshening’ surgery on Kimber
4. "Espiritu" - Palmero Nuevo - Sean and Aidan visit with Aidan’s new-age doctor
5. "Rabbit Fur Coat" - Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins - Kimber makes herself up, shoplifts a fur coat, meets with Ram Peters
6. "Do You Wanna Touch Me?" - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - Sean spots Eden at Aidan's 'Dante’s Infernal' party
7. "The Moneymaker" - Rilo Kiley - Sean plays hard to get with Eden
8. "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" - Bonnie Tyler - Matt tries to cook meth, sets apartment and himself on fire, jumps in hotel pool
Compiled by Avalon at NipTuckforum.com

Previously: Reality Bites (Episode 5.06)

Some quick hits before I'm away

Drake fave Tom Waits has a new box set of odds and ends coming soon (Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards, 11/21) but for some reason that has nothing to do with these four new exclusive tracks getting love from AOL's newly renamed Spinner.com site (dropped the 'indie music blog' tag - good move.)

All of the tracks (three streaming, one a download) are from August performances this year, and are fairly representative of Waits' amazing live shows. Gobble 'em up turky lurkey.

Nellie McKay's Pretty Little Head finally sees it's release after getting the Extraordinary Yankee Hotel Machine Fox Trot treatment from Sony. She ends up releasing it via Spin/Art with a lot less momentum and push behind it. But she does get what Sony wouldn't give her - all 23-songs on 2xCD. It's a smorgasborg of cabaret pop and lounge-meets-hip-hop in a sunny alley that's a lot to digest, but it's in Rhapsody a week early, so you have your chance now to get a (pretty little) head start.

Album: Nellie McKay - Pretty Little Head

And finally, in the 'I've got a child and I'm going to acknowledge it' department, I'd like to throw some love out to D.C.'s Pancake Mountain program, which has had some of the finest acts in all of indie rock grace it's stage. The children's show is low-budget, but big-hearted, and a recent appearance by Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins has me smiling all big and toothy:


Hey, I'm off to Mexico soon, but I've been slaving away setting up posts that will for sure appear on Film.com next week, and hopefully here too (if I get some internet time while in Zihuatanejo.)

tags: music, television, tom waits, nellie mckay, jenny lewis, pancake mountain, indie rock, rhapsody