The symbiotic relationship between idol and fan is one of the more fascinating aspects of pop culture. The celebrity cannot exist without the fan, and the fan cannot consume without the celebrity. But rarely do the two meet and collaborate in a creative environment, the way YACHT and YouTube star/YACHT superfan Mitchell Davis did to make the music video for the band’s “I Walked Alone”…
How cool is this? Read more.
You turn around and you don’t know where you’ve been
You look up at the glass dome and the room beings to spin
Let’s go out and find the ocean ‘cause I think we need a swim
Turn around, start it over, let’s begin
Can’t wait to see them again on Saturday
If moods were songs, this is how I’d describe my current state of mind. It might be the summer heat, or a bout of Saturday nostalgia, or the fact that I recently watched a Kurt & Courtney documentary…
Echoes of my teenage years
Not that I need an excuse to listen to the best unplugged set ever recorded.
Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys fame crafted a tremendous soundtrack for the can’t-wait-to-watch-it Submarine movie.
The beautiful melody and sweetly raspy voice are at times overshadowed by Turner’s great writing. Yes, I get big-time writer’s envy when I read these lyrics:
It’s like you’re trying to get to heaven in a hurry
And the queue is shorter than you thought it’d be
And the doorman says “You need to get a wristband.”You gotta live between the pitfalls
But you’re looking like you’re low on energy.
Did you get out and walk to ensure you’d miss the quick sand?Looking for a new place to begin
Feeling like it’s hard to understand
But as long as you still
Keep peppering the pill
You’ll find a way to spit it out again.
And even when you know the way it’s gonna blow
It’s hard to get around the wind.
Robb and I saw The Walkmen last night at Terminal 5, and I loved every minute of their performance.
The Walkmen got started during the New York City rock renaissance of the early 2000s, alongside bands like and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. But its music now sounds just right for a certain recessionary mood: bleary, frustrated, cranky, heartsick and gallows-humored. It could easily accompany the aftermath of a drinking binge following a layoff. Mr. Leithauser, wearing a business suit with no necktie and his white shirt cuffs hanging out, was slouchy and angular by turns, lobbing his vocal lines across the hollows in the music. (Jon Pareles / NYT)
Wish I could have said it as well as Mr. Pareles.
So far this year I’ve seen Gogol Bordello (twice), RJD2, Ratatat, Los Campesinos!, LCD Soundsystem and The Walkmen. I’ll see Drive-By Truckers on the 31st, and, if I’m lucky, Gogol again on Jan. 1st.
KiD CuDi - Erase Me
Not his best work, but there’s something about this song (and video) that puts me in a good mood.
So, when the universes collide,
Son, don’t get caught on the wrong side
I love Gogol Bordello. Always and forever.
André Lodemann - Vehemence Of Silence by Room With a View
Just discovered this amazing track from the rising German producer Lodemann. Enjoy.
