I posted about Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist awhile back when the movie first came out, and I just rented it again tonight. I still love it and think it's such a cute movie. The story is really sweet, the cast is very funny, and the soundtrack is awesome. Rent it!
More >
Nick & Norah Redux
Nico Stai
I'm a huge Alexandra Patsavas fan (she's the music supervisor for Grey's Anatomy/The O.C./Gossip Girl/Chuck) and I think she has awesome taste in music. So, when I heard she was teaming up with O.C.-mastermind Josh Schwartz for an web series about a music club called "Rockville, CA," I was pretty excited. At this point, I've seen all the webisodes and the writing is extremely inane, as expect...
More >
Archive.org
I'm a big fan of live recordings, especially for groups like Wilco, My Morning Jacket, or Grace Potter- artists and bands who sound and play with much more feeling and verve on stage. One of my favorite sources for downloading live sets is Archive.org. The live music archive portion of the site counts thousands of live sets from bands ranging from Against Me to Umphrey's McGee. Not to mentio...
More >
Tinted Windows is Not A Joke
When people first got wind of Tinted Windows, the "super"(?) group featuring Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne), James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins), Bun E. Carlos (Cheap Trick), and Taylor Hanson (yes, of Hanson). This seems like the most absurd combination of people until you take in the power-pop leanings of every member. Then it becomes slightly less absurd. Plus, I am a huge Adam Schlesing...
More >
Phoenix
My friend Eve is a HUGE Phoenix fan and counts their last album, "It's Never Been Like That," as one of her all-time favorites. Since our taste overlaps a lot, I've listened to that album countless time, but I've never really clicked with it. However, the first songs off of their upcoming album, "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix," are amazing. I love both of them completely, and they've inspired me ...
More >
Googling Myself
I used to not show up at all on Google, but now if you google "half a person blog" I'm the second entry, and if you google just "half a person" I'm on the second page!!! I've made it to the big time, indeed.
More >
The Avett Brothers
I think it's fair to say that my desert island genre is alt.country. I'd choose a Wilco, Neko Case, or Uncle Tupelo album over Death Cab any day. I just think that it is such a pure form of music. There is usually limited production (in terms of fake drums, etc.), a lot of strong songwriting, and I think that if the country business weren't a machine, it would value artists such as those lis...
More >
New Live Wilco!
The countdown to the upcoming Wilco album has commenced! The band not only posted the track list of the as-yet-untitled record online, live MP3's of some of those tracks have been found! In addition to the studio version of the wonderful "Wilco (The Song)," which the group performed live on The Colbert Report in December, I'm looking forward to "You and I," which is a duet with Feist. Yes, F...
More >
Loney Dear
Loney Dear is one of those bands that I've read a lot about but never listened to, for God knows what reason. They were even opening for Andrew Bird, one of my favorites, and I didn't think to look into them. What a fool I was. Anyway, today I finally got around to listening to some Loney Dear tunes and I must say, I have been missing out a looooot. Here are some top tunes from the Swedish ...
More >
New Peter Bjorn and John
Peter Bjorn and John's last album, "Writer's Block," spawned two of my favorite tracks of the year, "Object of My Affection" and, of course, "Young Folks." "Lay It Down" and "I Want You!" are the first tracks I've heard off of their upcoming release, "Living Thing." Based on these tracks alone (especially the super-infectious hook of "Lay It Down"), the album should be close to perfect.Lay It ...
More >
New Gomez: "Very Strange"
I've been a fan of Gomez since their 2006 ATO release "How We Operate." They make catchy rock for fans of Pete Yorn and DMB but with a slightly Britpop twist. They've got a new album, "A New Tide," out Tuesday. Here's the first single, titled "Very Strange," as well as "Little Pieces," which was featured on Grey's Anatomy this week.Very Strange- GomezLittle Pieces- GomezGomez is also a reall...
More >
The Most Fun Way to Waste Time Today
This keyboard drum machine is almost TOO fun.CLICK.
More >
YAHOOOOO!!!!!
As you, my millions of readers, may have noticed by the previous post, I have figured out how to add a media player to the page, so...now I'll be posting MP3's for you to listen to/download! Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah!!!
More >
Under the Covers
I've been listening to a lot of covers lately, so I thought I'd post some good ones here. Click to play/download.Time to Pretend (MGMT cover) by Gareth Pearson- This cover could not be more different from the original. Rather than a trippy synth-heavy disco, Pearson unravels a flowing acoustic strain bearing no resemblance to MGMT's jam save for the melody.Time to Pretend (MGMT cover)- Gareth...
More >
The Killers Cover Bright Eyes. No, Really.
Wowza. This is one cover I never would've predicted. The Killers do David Bowie? Sure. The Killers do Springsteen? Yeah, fine. The Killers do U2? Duh. The Killers do Bright Eyes? Whhaaaa?!??!?!?Yeah. Brandon Flowers & Co. have recorded a cover of Bright Eyes's "Four Winds." Let me rephrase: The Killers, who make epic disco rock, covered the song "Four Winds," by Bright Eyes, who mak...
More >
R.I.P. Blender Magazine
Serving as another sign that paper/print media will be obsolete in mere hours, the Maxim-run music magazine Blender is dead. I never subscribed to Blender, but I bought copies every now and then. It always had funny lists, cool features, and, in my opinion, covered the largest range of music of any magazine around. I think Blender was probably the only rag to be well-versed in the discograph...
More >
Ashes of American Flags
With Wilco being my favorite band, I will buy pretty much anything they release. Next month, "Ashes of American Flags," the concert documentary chronicling Wilco's 2008 winter tour (including their two dates at DC's 9:30 Club that I could not go to because they were on school nights even though one was the night before a half day so it wouldn't have even mattered if I were tired. Hi, parents....
More >
"Be My Gun" by The Ropes
Upon first listening to "Be My Gun" by the Ropes, the female vocals reminded me of a much more distressed Mates of State. On second pass, I realized that's not an accurate assessment at all. The only thing The Ropes have in common with Mates of State is the female vocalist. "Be My Gun" is a slowly rolling number with atmospheric layers of vocals and noodled electric guitars, a driving bass l...
More >
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE TRAILER WOWOWOWOWOOWOWOWOWOWOW
I have been following the roller coaster ride of this film for quite some time now. I'm a huge Spike Jonze fan (and I actually got to interview him earlier this year for my school's paper. It was as cool as you would think it would be) and I love the Maurice Sendak book. FINALLY, there is a trailer. And it is incredible. Truly amazing wonderful mind-blowing wow perfect everything. The vis...
More >
