There is a DVD of the Justin Timberlake Futuresex/Loveshow tour that was filmed at MSG this past August. I’ve seen it. Somewhere buried in the haze of memories that is my holiday gift shopping; I saw it. It had a black cover, and a picture of Mr. Superfly himself in a white suit (damn, he’s cool).
I remembered it, because I wanted it. Bad. I don’t know if you’ve seen the HBO special that originally aired 4 months ago, but I hadn’t until this week. Because I’m an asshole. Because I have no sense of priority. I digress. I passed because I had already bought too many “me” presents when I was supposed to be buying “other people” presents. So, my aunt who can always be trusted for a Virgin Megastore gift card came through again this year. I spent an obscene amount of time walking around not one, but two Megastores today. I wanted that DVD. I could smell it; like it was near. All that futuresex. Lovesounds. Etc.
Long story, short; I couldn’t find it. Anywhere. I asked employees who were completely baffled. They would walk me to the “Music DVD” section and show me the “T.” I’d say, “I already looked here,” and then we would go to the computer together and there would be nothing. “How could we not have that DVD?” one employee said to me. I don’t know. You should be effing ashamed, though. I didn’t say that.
I come home, and I check Amazon. It’s there. Dozens of copies; none officially for sale through the site, though. All Marketplace. Copies going for $40-$50. Why? I saw this DVD. I saw it. Next, I go to the website of every store I went shopping in on the day that the King of Pop in all his glory slipped through my fingers. Finally, I found it.
Yes, it’s only available at Best Buy. I don’t know why, but it is. I feel like I should have known this. Here’s the proof on the official Justin Timberlake widget. I love that word. Widget. In November, the DVD was released exclusively to Best Buy, and I can’t seem to find any plans of it being released to other vendors. I’m confused, yet relieved.
I thought the Futuresex/Loveshow DVD was a phantom. A figment of my imagination. I thought I would never again see JT paint the stage with his sexyback. Rock his body. Cry me an effing river, and so on. Alas, it is real. Unlike the performance of “What Goes Around.” Cause that shiz is unreal.
Be Your Own Pet’s self titled debut was, to say the least, a big deal. It didn’t, ya know, rock my world, but that Bicycle Bicycle song was pretty rad. Their big sophomore release Get Awkward is set for a March 18 release on Thurston Moore’s Ecstatic Peace label, and it’s going to be a post-punk party…with Zombies, and stuff.
Guitarist Jonas Stien (age 7) told Billboard that this album will be more dynamic than the first. “It was simple before when we first started writing music, but now this album has taken a darker turn. It’s more aggressive is also puts all of our tastes together.”
Lead singer Jemina Pearl (Age 9) said that she had some writer’s block for lyrics on this record. She admitted to writing songs about movies; “Bitches Leave,” for example, inspired by Robocop.
Get Awkward tracklisting:
01. Super Soaked
02. Black Hole
03. Heart Throb
04. Becky
05. The Kelly Affair
06. Twisted Nerve
07. Blow Yr Mind
08. Bummer Time
09. Bitches Leave
10. You’re a Waste
11. Food Fight!
12. Zombie Graveyard Party
13. What’s Your Damage
14. Creepy Crawl
15. The Beast Within
Check out the “Wrap Up” of their Oct/Nov mini-tour…
And, ok…I lied. They’re almost 20.
Filed under: News
It seems only fitting (at least according to this blog) that we’ll all be able to ring in the new year with yet…even more…Radiohead.
Al Gore’s Current TV will broadcast a never before seen performance of the entire new album, In Rainbows, on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in it’s entirety with no interruption. Ed O’brien also said on ateaseweb that there may be a few more covers involved in the broadcast.
“This is a wee celebration of the physical manifestation of In Rainbows,” says Thom Yorke on Dead Air Space. The new record comes out next week on TBD Recordings/XL Recordings/etc.
Current TV
December 31:
9 pm PST / 12 am EST
10 pm PST / 1 am EST
January 1:
5 am PST / 8 am EST
6 pm PST / 9 pm EST
Radiohead.tv
December 31
7 pm EST/ 12m UK
It appears that pretty much everyone is well aware of the dying machine that is the recording industry. Not only are artists like Radiohead and Madonna changing the way they release their music, but we now have the first major executive step-down; H to the izo.
When Jay-Z’s contract expires at the end of this year, he will step down as President of Def Jam Music Group. Mostly…because he’s smart.
“Going in hard making records with artists and throwing those records into a system that’s flawed is not exciting for me,” Jay-Z told Billboard earlier this month. “It’s not the music; people ingest music the same way. It’s just that the model of selling CDs has changed, So doing things the typical way is not in the best interests of anyone and not exciting for me.”
Along with the announcement that was made yesterday, Universal Music Group did mention that HO-VA will continue to record on his Def Jam label, Roc-A-Fella.
Britney’s right, there’s panic in the industry; and frankly, Jay doesn’t need ‘em. The notion that he would stay on the label may be wishful thinking on Universal’s part.
Next?
Well, maybe some could, but gosh, I’m so clever.
It’s happened already. The Michael Jackson’s Thriller 25th Anniversary bonus remixes have leaked onto the web, and…they’re not that bad. Really.
Will.i.am’s takes on “Beat it” and “The Girl is Mine” are by far the superior tracks. “Beat It” gets a pretty mild make-over when compared to the total hip hop revamp of “The Girl is Mine,” complete with a whole new hook; “She mine, she like the way I rock.” This could probably be a single to promote this record (is anyone else excited to watch Thriller’s sales get a boost? They’ll have to give it it’s own category).
My Poproks is pretty much a stubborn biased bitch when it comes to Kanye West, but…his “Billie Jean” remix is just OK. It’s not much else but “Billie Jean” with the tempo cut in half. Will.i.am’s “P.Y.T” is sort of just there, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Akon’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Something” is actually pretty good. Akon can be irritating, but his whole..thing; it kind of grows on you ::shrugs::
I suppose, considering it’s effing Thriller, these could not have possibly lived up to expectations. Ma Ma Se, Ma Ma Sa, Ma Ma Coo Sa? Yeah.
Filed under: New Videos | Tags: Ashlee Simpson, Outta my Head (Ay Ya Ya)
Oh crap. She’s back. Maybe this time she won’t be quite so annoying (thanks to some Timbaland production a la Nelly Furtado’s Loose). Do I kind of like this? Her new album Bittersweet World is due in March, also has some production by Pharrell, Will.i.am, Chad Hugo (ugh, sounds likable)…
This may have been the trickiest year end list I’ve done in a long time. Not only was I stuck staring at a list of over 20 albums that needed to be narrowed down to 10 (I don’t fancy a top 50), but I almost made a last minute switch for the #1 spot. There seemed to be a lot of great albums this year that were amplified by hype alone, but a good majority of them actually deserved it. Much of this list consists of big releases, because that tends to be how I like it. There are no live albums with rarities by bands that broke up 5 years ago (I’m looking at you, Pitchfork). This is Poproks, after all.
Close calls:
As I am Alicia Keys
Writer’s Block Peter Bjorn and John
Finding Forever Common
Wincing the Night Away The Shins
Songs About Girls Will.i.am
10 The Reminder Feist
2007 was Canadian singer/songwriter Leslie Feist’s year. Not only was “1234” the most talked about Ipod commercial theme since U2 debuted “Vertigo,” but it gave the song a ridiculous boost in the charts (peaked at #8 on the Hot 100) and also caught the attention of The Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (the Grammys, I mean). The song’s video made VH1’s Best Of countdown for ’07, and Blender Magazine named it one of the Best Indie Albums Ever. Etc. etc. etc. Everyone loves this album, and they should. Feist’s folky artistic style coupled with her pop sensibility make it hard to believe that 2004’s Let it Die wasn’t just as popular (though it did pretty well in Canada). There’s not much to elaborate on. It’s a simple record about simple ideas, and it’s beautiful.
9 Favourite Worst Nightmare Arctic Monkeys
Here it is, the album I least expected to see on my Top 10…The band that I love to hate…The band whose debut made it’s way to #5 on the NME Best British Albums Ever list (ahead of London Calling and Revolver, mmk?). The band that is bigger than Jesus. Well, I just can’t help but love this band, and I just can’t help but love this record (in fact, it’s probably better than the #5 Bestest Ever debut, and that scares me). Arctic Monkeys are just fucking fun with a lot of fucking attitude. And they make me want to break things and say “fucking” a lot. Possibly with a British accent. This is simply infectious as hell. Make no mistake, Arctic Monkeys are as good as everyone says they are (well, almost everyone).
8 The Cool Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco’s oddly un-concept-like concept album, The Cool, is a late comer that shot up to this list upon first listen. What with thought provoking subject matter, an UNKLE sample that rocks the universe, and choruses that would be at home on a Radiohead record, it’s pretty hard to listen to this without being impressed. Even the most hardened hip hop foe would walk away from this record with a new favorite rapper. Lupe pushes the envelope on all sorts of levels, and leaves you wondering if you can even catagorize this as a hip hop album.
7 Boxer The National
I don’t think The National will ever release a record again that doesn’t sore to the top of every critics’ list there is (except Rolling Stone, what’s up with you guys this year?). Boxer is another perfect record from one of the most under-rated bands in music. Matt Berninger’s dark and sorrowful lyrics match his dark and sorrowful voice all too well. You wouldn’t want an angel watching over/surprise, surprise they wouldn’t wannna watch/another uninnocent, elegant fall into the unmagnificent lives of adults.” Berninger’s exceptionally unconventional, original, and thought provoking words mixed with flowing piano and guitar highlight every last track. It was impossible to even pick a favorite (but will settle on the opener, “Fake Empire”). On this, their forth album on Beggars Banquet, every aspect of the band’s songwriting only gets better. I’m excited just thinking about their next.
6 Panic Prevention Jamie T
From the first second that you hear that half-assed drunken guitar lick kick-start Jamie Treay’s Mercury Prize nominated debut, it’s very hard not to love it. The 21 year old South London native was hailed as a One Man Arctic Monkey by NME (hardly ever hyping anything worth the hype), who tripped over themselves to award him the Best Solo Artist award only 3 weeks after the album’s January release. You won’t know what it is that you love about Panic Prevention, but you’ll love it none-the-less. Many young artists of the UK music scene work tirelessly to appear to not give a fuck, but Jamie T is not even trying. He’s not even thinking about trying. He truly doesn’t give a fuck and it transpires wonderfully through this record. The music and vocals are a bit sloppy at times (and seem to be mostly first or second takes), but only just enough so that you understand that nothing on this record is an accident. Take that however you’d like.
5 American Gangster Jay-Z
This record is a staple in hip hop; one of the best rappers ever making the kind of record that he was born to make. Jay-Z is an American gangster. Every song on this album is perfectly produced, every string effect and drum sound complimented with impeccable flow that only Jay could deliver. Between The Neptunes, Diddy, and Nas, everyone else who managed to be a part of this release is at the top of their game, giving Jay-Z’s 10th #1 record an overflow of 5 star tracks. Jay’s best album ever? I’m not sure yet (The Black Album just won’t let go), but it’s a definite possibility.
4 Neon Bible Arcade Fire
This record is incredible. I almost want to just leave it at that (of course I won’t). While it’s not quite the masterpiece that their debut Funeral may have been, Neon Bible would have been the breakthrough record of the year had it not been the dreaded “sophomore follow-up.” It’s hard to put your finger on the band’s sound; as it’s not blatantly or obnoxiously “indie,” and at times sounds more like the best of Springsteen or Bowie. And even though Win Butler arguably lacks the cool of these acts, something about his nervous quiver of a voice and his larger than life presentation on stage make this band seem much bigger than the sum of it’s many parts.
3. Kala M.I.A.
Nobody else makes music like this. Fortunately, that’s only one of a million reasons to love M.I.A. At first listen, I favored her debut Arular. But the more I listen, the more I start to change my mind. This album may quite possibly combine every genre of music that there is – and hardly within the confines of pop genres (though, they’re all in there); From an indie driven Clash sampled hip hop anthem, “Paper Planes” (one of the best songs of 2007 – if not the best) to the Bollywood-style techno of “Hussel.” I don’t really know what this is, and I dare anyone to try and box it. World-techno-afro-rap-indie-electro? Fuck labels. M.I.A. is beyond it…and she’s, coincidentally, a badass mofo.
2 In Rainbows Radiohead
What can you say about this record that hasn’t already been said? Forget the Pay What You Want Self Release That Shook the World, this record would have shaken the world regardless. The long (long) awaited follow up to 2003’s Hail to the Thief was…and I hesitate…well worth the wait. Granted, you were able to get your theoretical hands on this theoretical album just days after it’s release was announced (not to mention boxsets and webcasts and codes, oh my) , but between Yorke’s solo project and Greenwood’s avant-garde film scores – this album was “anticipated” for quite a while. Again, it was worth it. The catchiest pop of The Bends meets the creepiest moods of Kid A, and the combination is somehow as good as both. It was hard not to make this Album of the Year, but…
1 Graduation Kanye West
It would seem typical that I would pick this as my favorite record of the year (seeing as the logo for this blog is the image from the cover of Kanye’s Can’t Tell Me Nothing mixtape), and…well…I guess it is pretty typical. Honestly, I don’t see how you can put another record above this and have a valid reason for it (Edit #1: OK, maybe Rainbows). This was the biggest and best album of 2007, hands down (Edit #2: It was close). Show no mercy. Every word, even when placed awkwardly, is placed just so for a reason; Every sample transformed into Louie Vatan Don perfection. I doubt Kanye will have any award snubbing to bitch about next year…and rightfully so. This isn’t even his second best, and it still takes my Album of the Year nod by a landslide (Edit#3: a mild landslipe). Who cares how cocky you are when you are this good?
Rolling Stone reports that Beck will release a 2 disc Deluxe Edition of his 1996 classic Odelay. The second disc will include b-sides, compilation tracks, and remixes by Aphex Twin and U.N.K.L.E. The disc will also come with two previously unreleased tracks, “Inferno” and “Gold Chains,” produced by The Dust Brothers (who also produced all of Odelay, including the hits “Where It’s At” and “Devil’s Haircut”).
The 2x platinum album is often hailed as one of the best records of the 90’s (and one of the greatest albums of all time, for that matter). The deluxe edition is set for a January 29th release next year.
That was a good drum break.
So…um, the new Mars Volta album, The Bedlam in Goliath, is cursed by a Ouija Board from Jerusalem.
No, seriously.
After studio floods, disappearing tracks, and other creepy stuff that they believe to be part of a curse, the band buried the board that guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez got in Jerusalem at an undisclosed location. It even drove away the engineer of the project, and lead singer Cedric Bixler-Savala says he almost quit himself.
Of course, they put a lot of the experience into the lyrics for the album; “This album is the tale we were told, our interpretation of it, and what all was happening to us,” says guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. After all, this is the band that made a concept album about being in a coma.
Does anyone remember At The Drive-In? Things were so simple then.
Apparently, MTV cut up this video. M.I.A. wrote on her blog that it was “sabotaged,” and posted this version, featuring the gunshots from the original track and a cameo by the Beastie Boys. One of the best effing songs of the year.
Filed under: New Releases
It seems a major John Lennon re-release has been pushed back to Dec. 27th (everything from Live Peace in Toronto 1969 to Double Fantasy). Cash Money Millionaires and Three 6 Mafia release new ringtones (I mean albums), and a few others…
Lupe Fiasco The Cool
One of the most anticipated releases of the year (for me, anyways). Features the single “Superstar,” easily one of the Best songs of 2007, and production by U.N.K.L.E. (James Lavelle)
Mary J Blige Growing Pains
Mary J follows up the biggest album of her career with this, her 8th studio album. Though too late for the Grammy’s or the Year end lists, keep an eye on next year’s. She’s so good, she would be rewarded just for breathing.
Rivers Cuomo Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo
Rivers’ favorite home demos from ’92-’07, includes never before released material for “Songs from the Black Hole,” his unfinished rock musical, and much more. 18 rarities for those of you who need your Weeze.
Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Soundtrack
Tim Burton’s film adaptation of the musical that won a Tony Award for everything. It’s Johnny Depp. Singing. Need I say more?
Chingy Hate It or Love It
A little over a year after his critically acclamined album Hoodster, Chingy releases his first record under Island Def Jam.
Check out a complete list of releases for tomorrow at Newmusictipsheet.com.
8
While it’s not A) a Top 10 Album of the Year, B) Better than Yankee Hotel Foxtrot or A Ghost is Born, or C) particularly mind-blowing in any general way, Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky is still lovable. “Impossible Germany” is one of the Best Songs of 2007, and Tweedy continues to write beautifully and be incredibly simple and complicated at the exact same time. It’s one of Rolling Stone’s Readers’ Picks of the year (#3 to be exact), and it’s sure to end up on the top of a few more lists. Wilco is just a beautiful band, never doing too much or too little. This album is…well, lovable.
It’s official, and yeah…Madonna is in. And yeah, she deserves it.
The inductees:
Little Walter
The Ventures
The Dave Clark Five
Leonard Cohen
Kenny Gamble
Leon Huff
John Mellencamp
Madonna
Story at Rollingstone.com…
It’s not exactly weird to have a Beatles song pop into your head at any given moment. In fact, I consider it completely normal. However, I have had easily the oddest of Beatle songs pop into my head constantly for the past month and a half. I don’t know how or why or when it even started. The reason it’s so odd is because it’s the instrumental track “Flying” off of Magical Mystery Tour.
Like, what?
There is some chanting in the end, which is usually the part that I end up humming to myself for roughly 6 hours a day…but it’s still technically an instrumental track. I wanted to know more about it since it’s honestly never stood out to me, and I’m not some asshole that is going to sit here and tell you that the instrumental track off Mystery Tour is my favorite Beatles song. After some light wiking (I’ve created this verb – but I probably didn’t), I discovered that this is only one of two Beatles instrumentals, the first of which being a sort of mock song that John and George wrote in 1961 to parody the British instrumental band The Shadows. It was released on Anthology 1, which I’ll have to go listen to after I’m done with this random thought.
“Flying” is the first track to be credited as being written by all four members of the band, and features John on a mellotron keyboard, Paul and George on guitar, and Ringo on percussion. I also thought it was pretty interesting that the clips in the film Magical Mystery Tour that are playing during “Flying” are outtakes from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Actually, I’m just gonna go ahead and say that’s the coolest random fact I’ve ever heard.
Anyway, it’s subconsciously become the soundtrack to my life…and I’m OK with that.
Britney still looks pretty out of it, but this is probably the best song on the record…and sorry, the record is pretty good.
So, I put together a playlist of all of my favorite tracks of 2007. If the album the song was on wasn’t released this year, then the single was (i was careful). From Gwen Stefani to The National, these are all of the tracks that stood out from the many great releases this year (only 40 tracks, had to stop myself at some point). OK, 41.
Play, download, and share the tracks on this playlist at Projectplaylist.com.
The Tracks:
“Umbrella” by Rihanna
“Intervention” by Arcade Fire
“Superstar” Feat. Matthew Santos (Clean) by Lupe Fiasco
“Closer” by Travis
“LoveStoned / I Think She Knows Interlude” by Justin Timberlake
“Phantom Limb” by The Shins
“Clumsy” by Fergie
“Back To Black” by Amy Winehouse
“Calm Down Dearest” by Jamie T
“Gimme More” by Britney Spears
“Magic” by Bruce Springsteen
“Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)..” by Jay-Z
“Impossible Germany” by Wilco
“Sunday Morning” by K-Os
“No One” by Alicia Keys
“It Will Find You” by Maps
“Everything I Am” by Kanye West
“Reckoner” by Radiohead
“Drivin’ Me Wild” by Common feat. Lily Allen
“Fake Empire” by The National
“Dream” by Alice Smith
“Foundations” by Kate Nash
“It’s Not Over Yet” by Klaxons
“Grace Kelly” by Mika
“Hostile Gospel” by Talib Kweli
“Dance Tonight” by Paul McCartney
“I Got It From My Mama” by Will.i.am
“Up Against the Wall” by Peter Bjorn & John
“Apologize” by Timbaland Presents OneRepublic
“Sweet Escape” by Gwen Stefani
“Stop Me” by Mark Ronson feat. Daniel Merriweather
“Smile” by Lily Allen
“Wake Up Call” by Maroon 5
“Last Night” by P. Diddy
“Off The Grid” by Beastie Boys
“Release The Stars” by Rufus Wainwright
“Paper Planes” by M.I.A.
“All My Friends” by LCD Soundsystem
“Int’l Player’s Anthem” by UGK feat. Outkast
“Do Me A Favor” by Arctic Monkeys
“1234″ by Feist
As much as I loath The New York Post (c’mon, they’re so trashy and agenda-like), this has to be one of the funniest headlines I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s a lost art, really.
EMI is having a bad year.
After watching it’s biggest band release the most talked about album of the year by themselves (of course, I mean Radiohead), they are now being bad-mouthed in the UK Times by Sir Paul. “Everybody at EMI had become part of the furniture. I’d be a couch; Coldplay are an armchair. Robbie Williams, I dread to think what he was,”
Paul said that he wanted to release records quickly, and that EMI would tell him that they needed at least 6 months to promote. “Couldn’t some bright people do that in two days? Look boys, I’m sorry, I’m digging a new furrow.” Good move, Paul. Apparently, the industry is clueless.
Imagine waiting another 6 months for the new Radiohead record (Did I just mention them again?)? McCartney’s latest album Memory Almost Full, which was released on Starbucks’ Hear Music, was the best selling first week of his career. Everyone waits patiently for the industry to implode.
Sir Paul is receiving a special BRIT Award next year for outstanding contribution to music
Coldplay posted a cover of The Pretenders’ “2000 Miles”(one of My Poproks Top 10 Christmas Songs, YAY) on their site.
Chris Martin writes: “We love Christmas songs, but everytime we try to write one it’s awful so we often cover them well once or twice infact the song I would most like to have written is ”Fairytale of New York” by de bloody Pogues of Ireland.” There’s also a little Christmas tree scribble going on.
The cover is cool and all, but they will never top themselves after last year’s gift….
