I never thought I’d hear myself say that I wish I lived in Chicago. Not that there’s anything wrong with Chicago…I’ve just never said that.
This line-up for Common’s “Common & Friends” concert for his foundation (Common Ground Foundation) is kind of amazing (Pharrell, Will.i.am, Talib Kweli, The Roots). From the CGF website, “The Common Ground Foundation is dedicated to the empowerment and development of urban youth in the United States.” If you’re in Chicago, I can give you 4 or 5 really good reasons to kill two birds with one stone.
Tickets = here.
I have to.
Lily Allen and Elton John presented together at the GQ Men of the Year Awards in London Tuesday night. Lily Allen reportedly had one too many glasses of wine, and told Elton John to fuck off. Twice. Elton John’s reply of “I could still snort you under the table” is also note-worthy. I immediately scoured youtube for a video of this historic event, but sadly came up empty handed. However, there are now videos galore on the ‘tube! Thanks vdub for the link! Lily Allen is clearly intoxicated, and does in fact tell Elton John to fuck off!
Love them wacky brits.
This weekend’s Outside Lands Festival saw an amazing line-up, with Radiohead, Beck, Wilco, Tom Petty and, of course, Jack Johnson among the headliners.. Here are some of my favorites recovered from an hour of youtubing, including Beck performing “Gamma Ray,” above.
Radiohead “Idioteque”
Cold War Kids “Dreams Old Men Dream”
Regina Spektor “On the Radio”
Lupe Fiasco “Superstar”
Radiohead have announced the four winners of the AniBoom In Rainbows Music Video contest.
16 Tracks Vs. Videotape 2.0 is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. As a matter of fact, they’re all pretty damn awesome.
15 Step V2.0 by Kota Totori, Japan, for the song “15 Step”
16 Tracks Vs. Videotape 2.0 by Wolfgang Jaiser and Claus Winter, Germany, for the song “Videotape”
Reckoner V2 by Clement Picon, France, for the song ”Reckoner”
Transmutation by Tobias Stretch, U.S.A., for the song “Weird Fishes / Arpeggi”
Barack Obama and John McCain both revealed their Top 10 Favorite Songs to Blender, and, perhaps even more amusing, is the analysis that follows by Randy Newman and Girl Talk:
“Why’d they both pick Frankie Blue Eyes?
RN: It says a lot about the long ride Sinatra got out of being phenomenal for two years in the ’40s.”
While Obama’s list is somewhat believable (with the exception of Will.i.am’s “Yes We Can” – Oh, Barack, really?), McCain’s reads like someone made a playlist for their Grandma to show them how to use an iPod and then randomly picked 10 of the songs and put them in any order. I’ll give you one ABBA, but not two. Not two.
When asked who gets the vote based solely on this list, I’ll have to agree with Girl Talk’s response: “If there’s a candidate with Fugees’ “Ready or Not” on his list, I have to vote for him.”
BARACK OBAMA’S TOP 10
1. Ready or Not Fugees
2. What’s Going On Marvin Gaye
3. I’m On Fire Bruce Spingsteen
4. Gimme Shelter Rolling Stones
5. Sinnerman Nina Simone
6. Touch the Sky Kanye West
7. You’d Be So Easy to Love Frank Sinatra
8. Think Aretha Franklin
9. City of Blinding Lights U2
10. Yes We Can will.i.am
JOHN McCAIN’S TOP 10
1. Dancing Queen ABBA
2. Blue Bayou Roy Orbison
3. Take a Chance On Me ABBA
4. If We MakeIt Through December Merle Haggard
5. As Time Goes By Dooley Wilson
6. Good Vibrations The Beach Boys
7. What A Wonderful World Louis Armstrong
8. I’ve Got You Under My Skin Frank Sinatra
9. Sweet Caroline Neil Diamond
10. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes The Platters
The day after their performance at Lollapalooza, Wilco sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the 7th inning stretch at Wrigley Field. Tweedy then proceeds to admit that they lied about sewing those outfits i loved so much, that he doesn’t have time to watch other bands play at a hometown festival (makes sense), and that the #3 on the back of his Cubs jersey is a “magic number.” Overall, it’s an extremely random video. Enjoy.
Sorry for the uber-posting of today, but I spent a long weekend in Philly listening to Lil Wayne and gettin’ money like a motherfu**er. Above is video of Jay-Z’s surprise appearance during Nas‘ set at last night’s Rock the Bells at Jones Beach Amphitheater in New York. Nas and Jay-Z performed their collabs, “Success” and “Black Republican.”
I just wanted to share some pics of Jeff Tweedy’s ridiculously awesome outfit that he wore for Wilco’s Lollapalooza performance on Saturday. I don’t know if that’s Hello Kitty on the side there or what, but I love it. More on ‘Vegan.
Wilco performed a new song, “One Wing,” which you can watch and download here.
Barack Obama campaign spokesman, Bill Burton, spoke out against lyrics to a Ludacris track off of his new mixtape with DJ Drama, The Preview. “Politics” does support Obama, but also mentions Clinton, McCain, Bush, and Jessie Jackson.
“As Barack Obama has said many, many times in the past, rap lyrics today too often perpetuate misogyny, materialism, and degrading images that he doesn’t want his daughters or any children exposed to. This song is not only outrageously offensive to Sen. Clinton, Rev. Jackson, Sen. McCain and President Bush, it is offensive to all of us who are trying to raise our children with the values we hold dear. While Ludacris is a talented individual, he should be ashamed of these lyrics.”
“Politics” by Ludacris
I’m back on it like I just signed my record deal
Yeah the best is here, the Bentley Coup paint is dripping wet, it got sex appeal
Never should have hated, You never should’ve doubted him
With a slot in the president’s iPod Obama shouted ‘em
Said I handle my biz and I’m one of his favorite rappers
Well give Luda a special pardon if I’m ever in the slammer
Better yet put me in office, make me your vice president
Hillary hated on you, so that bitch is irrelevant
Jesse talking slick and apologizing for what?
If you said it then you meant it how you want it head or gut?
And all you other politicians trying to hate on my man,
watch us win majority vote in every state on my man
You can’t stop what’s bout to happen, we bout to make history
The first black president is destined and it’s meant to be
The threats ain’t fazing us, the nooses or the jokes
So get off your ass, black people, it’s time to get out and vote!
Paint the White House black and I’m sure that’s got ‘em terrified
McCain don’t belong in any chair unless he’s paralyzed
Yeah I said it cause Bush is mentally handicapped
Ball up all of his speeches and just throw ‘em like candy wrap
’cause what you talking I hear nothing even relevant
and you the worst of all 43 presidents
Get out and vote or the end’ll be near
The world is ready for change because Obama is here
’cause Obama is here
The world is ready for change because Obama is here, yeah
cuz Obama is here
Hmm….
You can download the entire mixtape for free here.
So, I’ve been hearing that this is the Walkmen’s best album yet. If you’re at all interested, you should download it from Amiestreet.com for $5. All proceeds go to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The album is set for an official release on August 19, but I think you should get it now instead.
Listen to the first single, “In the New Year,” on the band’s myspace.
Filed under: Random Poprok, Top 10's | Tags: Coldplay, Lil Wayne, Portishead, Top 10 Albums Q2
In keeping up with my quarter year list for Q1, I present my official quarter year list for Q2 (April – June). You’ll notice Maths + English on this list, as I’ve stated that I am officially counting this as a 2008 release (came out digitally in ‘07, as well as officially in the UK). You may also notice Coldplay’s #2 spot (deal with it), and as hard as it was to leave off The Black Keys release, these titles just stood out to me a bit more in the past couple of months.
1. Portishead Third
2. Coldplay Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends
3. Lil Wayne Tha Carter III
4. Sigur Ros Meo Suo i Eyrum Vio Spilum Endalaust
5. Santogold Santogold
6. Duffy Rockferry
7. N.E.R.D. Seeing Sounds
8. The Cool Kids The Bake Sale
9. Dizzee Rascal Maths + English
10. Jim Noir Jim Noir
Despite the very believable rumors that Kanye West was going to attend anger management, Kanye has again used his blog to refute rumors (much like he did about his 5am set at Bonnaroo and his Angel self portrait – which I think has been removed). Below is the post Kanye wrote today in response to the latest rumor.
Now the media is saying I’m going to anger management something or ‘nother. I have never had any conversations about anger management. If anything, I need anger enhancement!! lol! I get off the plane in Hawaii today and the world is saying my management team said blah blah blah… SIIIIIIGGGHHHH! I told the media you can’t make up lies about me because I have a media outlet myself. Oh and sidebar I don’t know if everyone has realized this yet but I don’t do interviews if there’s anything I wanna say I’ll say right here on my own blog.
Check this out…I took a quote from my rant and used it as my headline.. just like a real media outlet would… hahaha
I love making lists more than I love sunshine.
Gorilla vs. Bear brought this to my attention. It’s a list idea started by this guy to name your favorite album from each year that you’ve been alive. You can either fill this out as you would today, or as you would have then. I am going to go with a little mix of both, and also see if I can possibly spend less than 8 hours on this. As it goes now, I’ve already spent 10 minutes on 1983. Damn, that’s a tough one. No matter what, I absolutely narrowed it down to one for each year (with only, like.. 3 exceptions. OK, 6. OK, I fixed it. 2). I try not to cheat on lists. 2000 is by far my toughest.
Here goes…
1983 U2 War
1984 Prince and the Revolution Purple Rain
1985 The Replacements Tim
1986 Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill
1987 The Smiths Louder Than Bombs
1988 The Pixies Surfer Rosa
1989 Madonna Like a Prayer
1990 Depeche Mode Violator
1991 U2 Achtung Baby
1992 R.E.M. Automatic For The People
1993 A Tribe Called Quest Midnight Marauders
1994 Nirvana MTV Unplugged in New York
1995 Radiohead The Bends
1996 Weezer Pinkerton / The Fugees The Score
1997 Radiohead OK Computer
1998 Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
1999 Moby Play
2000 Radiohead Kid A / At the Drive-In Relationship of Command / Coldplay Parachutes
2001 Jay-Z The Blueprint
2002 Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
2003 Sufjan Stevens Michigan
2004 Arcade Fire Funeral
2005 Kanye West Late Registration
2006 Gnarls Barkley St. Elsewhere
2007 Kanye West Graduation
2008 *Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend
*Pending year-end approval
Yeah, this will definitely quiet the critics who think Kanye’s ego is the size of the moon. That was sarcasm. Either way, this new Absolut vodka commercial/infomercial parody for “Be KANYE” tablets is pretty amazing.
The tiger really makes the whole thing come together.
