Watch Video For Passion Pit’s “Little Secrets” (The One With All Those Kids Screaming “Higher and Higher! Yay!”); Video Looks a Lot Like Tron, But Not Nearly As Good (It’s Only Marginally Better Than Tron Legacy) [Youtube]
Someone Decided a Sleigh Bells/Weezy Mash-Up Was a Good Idea; We Bring You “Fireman on the Ground,” Which is Terrifyingly Abrasive. Elsewhere, Check Out Our Pictures of Sleigh Bells Playing Our October Feature Show [Prefix]
Stream Brooklyn’s Crystal Antlers Covering Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue,” Which Is Great In a We-Sound-Like-High-Schoolers-Covering-Dylan Kind of Way [Fader]
Your Favorite Post-Collegiate, Post-Ironic, Afro-Bombastic Pop Band Vampire Weekend Announce Winter US Tour; Contra, In All It’s Fantastically Despised Glory, is Released January 17; Elsewhere, Stream New VW Track “Cousins,” Which I Despise Fantastically [NME]
King Khan and BBQ Show Issue Statement About the Band’s Arrest; All Interested Parties Remain Unphased and Unsurprised by Fact that These Guys Keep a Good Stock of Shrooms in Their Tour Van [Pitchfork]
Stream New Beach House, “Norway,” off the Upcoming LP Teen Dream, Released January 26 (I Know, Usually, at the Very Mention of Beach House, I Would Imply How Boring They Are. But, This Song Quite Gorg……. – Whoops, Fell Alseep Again (Kidding, It’s Really Good) [Gorilla vs. Bear]
Watch Possibly Seizure Inducing Video For Beyonce and Lady Gagas’ “Video Phone;” I Know You’ve Always Wanted to See Beyonce and Gaga Wield Enormous Guns…Give Into That Urge [Spin]
NME Releases Hilariously “NME-Esque” List of Their Top Albums of the Decade; Top Ten Includes the Strokes (at Number 1), Libertines (Number 2), Primal Scream (Number 3), The Streets (Number 9)…Well, You Get it. They Like Brit-Rock. A Lot [NME]
compiled by Max Sebela
July 24, 2009
Grovesnor | “Drive Your Car”
ART OF SONG
Grovesnor
“Drive Your Car”
Drive Your Car
2008 | Greco Roman
Let me start this off by saying that I learn about a lot of great music from my friends. If your friends don’t influence your music taste, I have three words for you: find better friends. Trust me, you’ll be better off in the long run.
My friend Chris listens to electro. I generally see it as great to have around for dance parties, but overall something I don’t really sit down and listen to. He recently compiled an excellent mixtape called “Midnite Lazer Vol. 1”, meant to bring about an 80s, pastel t-shirts and ridiculous sunglasses, palm trees, coked-out kind of vibe, I gave it a listen and kind of forgot about it. I’m in New York City, when am I going to be riding in a convertible with a Member’s Only jacket and neon tights?
Then I talked to my friend Ryan, who had also traveled on Chris’ sonic journey (I’m hoping in a DeLorean). He told me he couldn’t get over this one song, called “Drive Your Car.” See, kids? Listen to your friends; they have your best interests at heart.
Grovesnor, the band behind the track, was formed by ex-Hot Chip drummer Rob Smoughton. Now a full six-piece band (for live purposes), their next show is September 4th in Venice. It’s not Vice City, but it’ll do.
The song starts out with a catchy synth line that seems to move you back in time as it picks up, getting you right where it wants you. It brings in the echo-y drum machine noises, a must on any 80s influenced track, and what I fervently wish is a keytar. It’s not, but a girl can dream.
More on Grovesnor | “Drive Your Car”
Live Nation Offers “No Service Fee Wednesday” Today [Brooklyn Vegan]
Kanye West and Lady Gaga Announce Fall Tour [Idolator]
Perez Hilton Says Christina Aguilera is Recording With Le Tigre [Spin]
Live Nation and Ticketmaster Merger Challenged as Monopoly in UK [NME]
Phoenix and Passion Pit Play Central Park Summerstage [Brooklyn Vegan]
Devendra Banhart Remixes Oasis [NME]
Patrick Wolf Arrested and “Almost Shot in the Face” in San Francisco [Pitchfork]
New Roots Album How I Got Over Announced; Roots May Be Busiest Band in Universe [Prefix]
Stream Sunset Rubdown’s New Album Dragonslayer on NPR [NPR]
Touch & Go’s DIY 70s Punk Zine Becomes Really Nice Book [The Tripwire]
compiled by Max Sebela
Weekly Review
Last week was the week of the magnanimous major-label musician. Everyone, it seems, is either streaming their album in full online, or giving away their music away entirely. Perhaps they’re following the lead of some and trying to prevent the people from taking piracy into their own hands. Perhaps Busta, Eminem, Amos, and Richie really do care about appeasing their fans. Or perhaps they all got wind of this study.
Last week was also the week of the indie-music marketing mongers. The Dodos’ “Fools” is being used by Miller, Passion Pit is pushing sales for Nike, Stereo Total has a spot in the new laptop ads for Dell, Matt & Kim are selling Bacardi Mojitos, and New Young Pony Club has been enlisted by Nissan. I guess the little guys have been doing their research as well.
It’s a crazy, convoluted sort of capitalism in which commercial artists are handing out their music for free and independent musicians are the ones doing car sales.
Ah, whatever, it’s Sunday. Let’s all go pop open a couple of Miller Chills.
by Elana Jacobs
Williamsburg Music Scene Massacre! (On Law and Order: Criminal Intent) [Prefix]
MGMT Forgives the French [NME]
Imogen Heap Gives Preview Performance in Gramercy Park Hotel [SPIN]
Mika Miko’s Kate Hall Directs New Deerhoof Video [The Tripwire]
New Passion Pit “Moth’s Wings” MP3 [Prefix]
Creed’s Comeback [Rolling Stone]
Vampire Weekend Hard at Work on New LP [Pitchfork]
Hulu Ousting YouTube? [The Tripwire]
compiled by Elana Jacobs
October 18, 2008
Record Review: Chunk of Change
Fresh Baked:
Passion Pit
Chunk of Change
2008 | Frenchkiss
A-
Audiences’ reaction to less mainstream music is gradually changing, most noticeably in their movement. This might be due to the music that’s being released and that’s been released over the last several years. Where once there was an audience that merely smoked cigarettes, wore scarves throughout the seasons and bobbed their heads to live music, there are now fans uncrossing their arms and dancing, shaking their heads like sharks clutching chunks of meat. And when it comes to dancing, Passion Pit’s Chunk of Change sets out to illicit a similar reaction.
More on Record Review: Chunk of Change
