Web Toolbar by Wibiya Bears and Bullets: 2009-09-13

Friday, September 18, 2009

Friday Bears: New Thom Yorke Video - All For the Best (Mark Mulcahy Cover)

A couple month's ago Thom Yorke premiered his cover of Mark Mulcahy's (former frontman for Miracle Legion and Polaris) single "All for the Best" for Mulcahy's tribute album Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy.

Today Rolling Stone premiered Melinda Tupling directed video of the cover, which, not surprisingly, doesn't actually feature the Radiohead frontman. Check out the video here.

Ciao My Shining Star is scheduled for release September 29 also features covers from Michael Stipe, The National, and Frank Black among others.

Bonus!: On September 21 Yorke will release his “FeelingPulledApartByHorses”/”The Hollow Earth” along with Yorke's contribution to the New Moon soundtrack (announced tomorrow)

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Pavement Confirmations

Continuing with yesterday's story, the skepticisms about whether Pavement will actually reunite next year can really be put aside. According to Stereogum, the band will be reuniting for a "one-time-only tour in 2010."

Matador, also in the article, notes; "this tour is not a prelude to additional jaunts and/or a permanent reunion." Next year's September 21 show at Central Park Summerstage still remains, but there is still no word whether there will be any festival appearences, but at this point considering the choice of words from Matador there are doubts.

Via Matador:

"A pre-sale begins at 10:00 AM EDT on Friday, September 18, 2009 (tomorrow). The password for the pre-sale is ZOWEE . The general on-sale is slated for 10:00 AM EDT on Friday, September 25, 2009. Please note that tickets will be available without surcharges from the Nokia Theatre box office in Times Square and from Earwax at 218 Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg."

Ticket link here.

Thursday Bears: Atlas Sound Covers Everly Brothers

Atlas Sound recently did a rousing, fuzz-fused rendition of the Everly Brother's "So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)" complete with Cox-esque echoed vocals and slow-strummed backing rhythms that have become joyously common with Bradford Cox's work.

Atlas Sound - So Sad (Everly Brothers Cover) - MP3

MP3 Courtesy of Aquarium Drunkard

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Phoenix, Muse, and Others Do Talk Show Rounds

Here's a couple performances from talk shows earlier this week, including Phoenix gracing the Tonight Show stage and Muse singing about whatever on Later... With Jools Holland.

Phoenix - 1901 (Live Conan)



Muse - United States of Eurasia (Live on Later... With Jools Holland)



Florence and the Machine - Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up) (Live on Later... With Jools Holland)



Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - Home (Live on Letterman)

Wednesday Bears: A Real Pavement Reunion?!

Today's headline on Pitchfork's news feed reads, "Holy Shit: Pavement Reunion is Real!" finally giving hopeful fans word that isn't just a useless rumor. According to an unidentified source (Pitchfork, via Brooklyn Vegan did not reveal the name) 90's indie-rock pioneers Pavement will be performing a benefit show September 21 next year at Central Park Summerstage.

The Brooklyn Vegan article (since confirmed by Stereogum) posted yesterday states that, "According to reliable sources, it's finally happening in 2010! There will be multiple, possibly four, nights of shows at NYC's Central Park Summerstage in September of that year."

From there it goes on suggesting a possible tour, an appearance at next year's ATP NY Festival, and maybe Coachella in April, but nothing beyond the Central Park Summerstage has been anything close to confirmed yet.

Stay tuned in for more developments in the story.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Monday Bears: Kanye

Last night the Twitter and Facebook landscape went absolutely insane with incessant post after post of last night's MTV Video Music Awards debacle involving Taylor Swift and Kanye West.

According to MTV News;

"The rapper stormed the stage just after the first award, for Best Female Video, was presented to Taylor Swift. He cut the teen singer off, grabbing the mic and protesting in support of Beyoncé."I'm sorry, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time," he proclaimed as B looked on from the crowd, stunned.His protest against Swift, however, was not well received. West stood briefly on the stage after his comments as the crowd was silent. Audience members then began to clap in support of Swift after West left the stage.According to reports from inside the house, once cameras cut away from the action, West flipped off the crowd and returned to his seat. Wale then said to the crowd, "You can't blame a man for speaking his mind." His words were met with boos, and Wale then said, "Kanye, I tried." During the next commercial break, Pink walked by the rapper and appeared to shake her head in disgust before security escorted her away."

Since the event, West has apologized to Swift on his blog per usual in all caps;

"I'M SOOOOO SORRY TO TAYLOR SWIFT AND HER FANS AND HER MOM. I SPOKE TO HER MOTHER RIGHT AFTER AND SHE SAID THE SAME THING MY MOTHER WOULD'VE SAID. SHE IS VERY TALENTED! I LIKE THE LYRICS ABOUT BEING A CHEERLEADER AND SHE'S IN THE BLEACHERS! ........................ I'M IN THE WRONG FOR GOING ON STAGE AND TAKING AWAY FROM HER MOMENT!................. BEYONCE'S VIDEO WAS THE BEST OF THIS DECADE!!!! I'M SORRY TO MY FANS IF I LET YOU GUYS DOWN!!!! I'M SORRY TO MY FRIENDS AT MTV. I WILL APOLOGIZE TO TAYLOR 2MRW. WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD!!!! EVERYBODY WANNA BOOOOO ME BUT I'M A FAN OF REAL POP CULTURE!!! NO DISRESPECT BUT WE WATCHIN' THE SHOW AT THE CRIB RIGHT NOW CAUSE ... WELL YOU KNOW!!!! I'M STILL HAPPY FOR TAYLOR!!!! BOOOYAAAWWWW!!!! YOU ARE VERY VERY TALENTED!!! I GAVE MY AWARDS TO OUTKAST WHEN THEY DESERVED IT OVER ME... THAT'S WHAT IT IS!!!!!!! I'M NOT CRAZY YALL, I'M JUST REAL. SORRY FOR THAT!!! I REALLY FEEL BAD FOR TAYLOR AND I'M SINCERELY SORRY!!! MUCH RESPECT!!!!!"

Still, the apology (because they've become essentially meaningless in modern culture, especially modern celebrity culture) made a little dent to those that were offended in the first place.

Talent show winner and recent obesity consultant Kelly Clarkson ripped into Kanye on her blog, asking him "What happened to you as a child?" and "It's absolutely fascinating how much I don't like you."

Pink, who someone decided is still relevant in this world, twittered "Kanye west is the biggest piece of shit on earth. Quote me."

And, predictably, fans were generally outraged, mostly referring to him as an "asshole" or "douche," for what he did to "poor Taylor Swift."

So what's the relevance here? I actually did not witness the event live because I'm not 13 anymore and I didn't watch the VMA's. West has caused controversy before at numerous award shows, and is well-known as a popular artist that will always try to speak his mind. Sure, this case seems to trump all of Kanye's prior outbursts (except for this), but somehow public outrage reached an ultimate last night.

Here's the thing; I don't care what he did. He pulled a dick-move, so what? I've heard people say that they took all of Kanye's songs off their Itunes, and others told him he's going to Hell. Really people, really? Hell? I'm not saying he doesn't deserve criticism for what he did, but calm down. People are acting like he killed Swift.



And for clarification's sake, West's music absolutely trumps almost every attendant at last night's VMA's, so I give him a little breathing room for things like this.