Have a wunnerful holiday weekend, American friends.
Non-American friends, have a wunnerful regular weekend, and sorry everybody’s off today.
I love how The King is more into the music than into putting on a show for the crowd in this performance of Mickey Newbury’s classic “An American Trilogy” — during that final post-flute breakdown, he looks like he’s just about to pop.
It’s been a couple of years since The Horrors first hit these shores, so I was pretty excited when they finally released their second full-length in May.
As you might recall, their first album was some superfun Gorey horror punk — it sounded like … well, hell, like this:
Awesome, right? So I put on the new album, all excited to hear some more shouting and guitars, and what do I hear? Moody keyboards and a beat that sounds more like a drum machine than a drum. Gird yourself for disappointment, Mr. V.
Anyways, if you’ve been around Hello Vegetables for any length of time, you know I don’t spend this kind of space talking about music I don’t like, so you’ve probably guessed the ending: the new Horrors album sounds totally different from their previous one, but it’s really good — plucking the best dark and trancey sounds from the 70s and 80s.
I’m going to miss the old Horrors (and am anxiously awaiting the next generation of that sort of band), but the new Horrors is pretty sweet (and probably has more ladies at their shows).
[SF locals: The Independent 10/3]
The Horrors - Do You Remember from Primary Colours
Bonus Flashback Freakout
The Horrors: Sea Within A Sea
This is a tune I’ve had stuck in my head ever since Ida put it on a mixtape for me about fifteen years ago.
I think of the 523 Vegetables we’ve had so far, this one is the most fun to sing (except for maybe “Live Undead”).
Henry Parsons - Quit That Ticklin’ Me from the greatest-cover-of-all-timed Hollerin’
This joint’s been a real nostalgia rag lately, but much like today’s subject, I’m only channeling.
Today’s reminiscence concerns (again) something I miss now that the Internet exists. I miss not having any idea who the opening band was until they started playing.
Lately I’ve tried to recreate that lack of access to information as much as [...]
After last week’s pretty much bummer news, I’m sure we could all use a little rump-shakin’, sexy-slither, bounce-me up today.
That’ll come courtesy of Hot Chip’s new double-length mix in the Bugged Out series. Disc one is a techno & house affair, in the vein of their DJ-Kicks installment from 2007. I like it and find [...]
[Yikes, two obituaries in a row -- but you can't put this sort of thing off.]
Michael Jackson meant many things to many people: god, criminal, joke. A person who is that ubiquitous has a way of affecting your life whether you invite it or not.
My Michael moment came the day I realized that for all [...]
A belated farewell to Bob Bogle, who whammied his way into the hearts of the world and helped create a whole new kind of rock.
Until Bogle’s passing prompted me to do a little reading, I knew nothing about the Ventures other than the classic 60s songs. But a little research learned me that the Ventures [...]
The title track of the The Avett Brothers’ upcoming I And Love And You is available for free over at Spinner. (Sorry Dad, it’s another slow one.)
Check it out!
The last time I gushed over Okkervil River was a couple years ago, with the release of The Stage Names, an album that fully blindsided me and still makes me ache. (Go get it. Really. Please?)
Today my gush concerns 2005’s Black Sheep Boy, an album that was much gushed-over upon its release, but didn’t stick [...]
I was about as exited as a bee at a bee party when I got the first Scissor Sisters album and this track came bumping out. I still think it’s the best song they’ve done, and I’m hoping there will be at least one with this kind of vibe on their next album.
I mean, sh’mon!
Scissor [...]
