Okay, obviously we're not calling the shots on EELS' singles, because if we were, they wouldn't keep avoiding the RAWK like the plague. Seriously, Hombre Lobo is a raucous, fun affair, and yet the band seems intent on continuing to push the uber mellow "In My Dreams" as the current face of the EELS.
Combine that with the fact that it's not just a mellow single, but the video is a cutesy montage of a (presumably) young Mr. E walking about the forest. Come on! Really?
Shit baby - give us "Fresh Blood" any day!
mp3: EELS - Fresh Blood
Sunday, July 5, 2009
New EELS Video - "In My Dreams"
Blur Play It Safe At Hyde Park Reunion - Setlists
We've been getting psyched up for Blur's reunion for months now, and despite the fact that there have been numerous warm up and festival gigs, for some reason it seemed like this weekend's Hyde Park gigs were truly the "real thing". As such, we were psyched to track down the setlists, although in the end we would have liked to have seen things turn out a bit differently.
Not that there was anything wrong with the setlists per se: by all accounts both gigs were totally monumental, and we haven't heard a peep of disappointment from any party that was in attendance. However, from the outside, it seems that the band played it very conservatively.
The sets leaned heavily on older material, with the only newer material being singles. In fact, most of the set was a greatest-hits run through. Now, granted, when you haven't played for almost ten years as a unit, you do have to do a certain amount of head nodding to the past. That being said, one of our favorite bits of Blur is the experimental conflict that arose in the second half of their career.
We're all for poppy goodness (and lord knows Blur are the masters of it), but we have to admit we would have liked to have seen a little bit more of their edgy material. That, and the fact the setlist was identical both days, I mean - come on. Not even a variation for the encore? Still, as they say, beggars can't be choosers, and when it comes to a Blur reunion, we are most certainly that.
Blur At Hyde Park July 2nd and 3rd - Setlist
1. She's So High
2. Girls And Boys
3. Tracy Jacks
4. There's No Other Way
5. Jubilee
6. Badhead
7. Beetlebum
8. Out Of Time
9. Trimm Trabb
10. Coffee And TV
11. Tender
12. Country House
13. Oily Water
14. Chemical World
15. Sunday Sunday
16. Parklife (with Phil Daniels)
17. End Of A Century
18. To The End
19. This Is A Low
--
20. Popscene
21. Advert
22. Song 2
--
23. Death Of A Party
24. For Tomorrow
25. The Universal
New Doves Video: "Winter Hill"
It's been three months since Doves dropped Kingdom of Rust, and the band is still going strong on its release. Case in point: the latest single/video from the record, "Winter Hill".
We love the tune (especially live), so we're certainly not putting up a fight. That being said, we are moderately flummoxed as to why the video focuses on a trick BMX rider. Nonetheless, that shit be cool to watch, so again, no arguments.
In other news, the band's website was apparently hacked recently, which has left them relegated to a temporary blogger domain for the time being...stupid hax0rs!
mp3: Doves - Jetstream
Thursday, July 2, 2009
The Heavenly States Playing Free Gig Tomorrow Night @ The Uptown
It's been a while since we caught The Heavenly States in a live room, but word on the street is that they've been diligently working away on new material, and are set to record a new album entitled HE LP! in the coming months. Tasty.
Lucky for us, the Bay Area natives have decided to do all of us a solid with a free show tomorrow night at The Uptown in Oakland. Given that it's the opening night of everyone's favorite summer holiday weekend, the band has new material to play, and it's free, we ask you: Can you really go wrong?
The answer, friends, is "no".
mp3: The Heavenly States - The System
Pixies Play "Bone Machine" At Minotaur Launch Party - Video
Yesterday we mentioned the Pixies box set on tap for this fall, Minotaur. Well, apparently the band saw fit to celebrate the set well in advance of its ship date, as this video demonstrates. The band played a set at London's Village Underground, and it included this killer version (video above) of "Bone Machine".
Look, we'll just come out and say it: are all these break ups and reunions really necessary? Can't we just get Pixies all the time? Please?
mp3: Pixies - Debaser
Jason Falkner's I'm OK You're OK Targeted For US Release In August
After reading this interview with Jason Falkner, we were absentmindedly perusing his myspace, and stumbled upon a pleasant surprise. You may recall that last year we picked up Falkner's latest release, I'm OK You're OK, while in Japan. The record is, in our opinion, his strongest to date. It features artfully crafted melodies, and the distinctive brand of power pop that is very exclusively Falkner's. It's really a travesty that in the two years since it's release, it hasn't managed to see a US release. Fortunately, that's all about to change.
Via an announcement on myspace, Falkner has confirmed not only that the record will hit the US in August, but that it will feature two new versions of songs on the Japan version, and will be released on vinyl. On top of that, Falkner voiced intent to release another new record before the end of the year(!), and tour in support of both. Needless to say, if you are a Falkner fan (and you really should be), it could turn out to be a very good second half of 2009.
If you're not a Falkner fan yet, we couldn't push you more emphatically in that direction. On his records, he manages to create perfectly crafted pop songs that reward in both melody and instrumentation. To be fair, the records aren't exactly easy to find, but we promise it'll be worth your time. And if our rec isn't enough for you, the list of Falkner's admirers should be: he's done studio work, and toured with, the likes of Beck, Paul McCartney, and Air. That being said, given that we've been loving his solo work going on ten years, we're pretty damn psyched to see the man back in charge and ready to deliver some solo records. August here we come!
mp3: Jason Falkner - Hurricane
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Pixies Box Set Minotaur To Have Surround Sound
We're sure by now you've probably heard all about the forthcoming Pixies box set, Minotaur. Amongst other things, there will be two editions of the set, and a host of artsy extras. Depending how much dough you're willing to cough up, you could wind up with CD's, DVD's, Blu Ray Discs, one of two art books, vinyl pressings, and much more. It's all very exciting.
However, what you may not have noticed is that the box set will also feature 5.1 surround mixes of the record. We here at HAD are unabashed surround-lovers, and we couldn't be more excited about this revelation. While the format is unquestionably on the decline, we still love it, and thankfully innovative bands like The Pixies, Bowie, and Flaming Lips are managing to keep it afloat. Cheers to that.
In addition to all this box set goodness, the band is also planning a tour based around the anniversary of our favorite Pixies record, Doolittle. While all of the dates are currently relegated to Europe (boo!), we're keeping our fingers crossed that it will make it to the US sooner rather than later. We could really use us some Debaser show-opener style.
The Minotaur box set drops in late September.
mp3: Pixies - Debaser
New Yo La Tengo On The Way - Popular Songs
It's been three years since Yo La Tengo has had a new record on the market (okay, not if you count Condo Fucks), so we were psyched to hear that their latest, Popular Songs, is on tap for September. The first released track from the record is the decidedly-retro "Periodically Double Or Triple".
While the track certainly holds its own, it frankly feels a bit thin for the typical level of quality we've come to expect from the band. The arrangement is stark, and uses a repetitive organ line to drive a simple, cutesy melody. The song holds together well enough, and we dig the organ solo - it just feels a bit like the band called it in.
That being said, Yo La Tengo records are typically an album-spanning affair, so we'll keep the snap judgements to ourselves until we hear the whole thing. After all, "Mr. Tough" is damn cutesy, but in the context of I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Kick Your Ass, well....it just works. Seems we'll just have to wait and see.
Popular Songs drops On September 8th
mp3: Yo La Tengo - Periodically Double Or Triple
White Rabbits - "Percussion Gun" Video
Given that we've been loving White Rabbits both live and in the studio, we were surprised to see that the official video for "Percussion Gun" slipped right past us. The video is a clean take on the band's live performance, and uses visuals to put emphasis on their highly synchronized instrumentation. On top of that, the cinematography's nice and arty, with an emphasis on spinning lights. A nice touch, but dare we say, not one for the epileptic crowd?
mp3: White Rabbits - Percussion Gun
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Phoenix Played KCRW - "Lisztomania" Video
While Phoenix actually played eight songs for yesterday's KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic show, there's only one video (above) that's surfaced thus far. It's the band playing their now-standard "Lisztomania". However, we can't recommend more strongly that you also check out the stream (below) of the whole show. The band really tear into some fantastic versions of tunes from the breadth of their catalog. The set includes "Lisztomania", "Long Distance Call", "Consolation Prizes", "Lasso", "Girlfriend", "Rome", "1901", and "Too Young". It's muy tasty.
Stream: Phoenix Live On KCRW
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