Rock Band 2 – Drummer’s Delight

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I’m quite the Rock Band junkie and have pretty much appointed myself house drummer.  Play with me and you’re relegated to vocals or guitar, but drums are off limits.  Not that I don’t like to share and all; it’s just too painful to watch a newbie flail around on the drum pads, and only a matter of time before they inadvertently pause the game mid-song by whacking the XBox menu button instead of the pad.  Grrrrr.

I started to seriously drool when Adam forwarded me this post from Gizmodo about this new third party Ion Drum Kit available with the impending release of RockBand 2 in September. This isn’t the drum kit shipping with Rock Band 2, you’ll have to pay $300 for this one.  But my, isn’t it pretty?

There’s also a new crop of songs coming with Rock Band 2 to get excited about.  But until then, we’ll be rocking out to the best Rock Band song EVER!

Boston/Foreplay-Long Time

The Morning Benders – Talking Through Tin Cans

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Artist: The Morning Benders
Album: Talking Through Tin Cans
File Under: Indie Pop
Recommended if You Like: The Shins, The Kooks, Brian Wilson
Featured Track: Boarded Doors

The Bay Area’s very own indie pop rockers have released their debut album, ‘Talking Through Tin Cans’, and…I’m liking it!  I had to sit with it for a while because…nah, I couldn’t like a pop band, could I? But there’s something about the groups’ sunny California sound – catchy hooks and melodies, jangly guitars – along with their collegiate youthfulness that makes this an irresistible summer album.  That and I may be a bit nostalgic to the fact that they happen to be my little boy’s first official concert.

To add to my momentary love affair, they’ve just compiled an album of covers called, ‘The Bedroom Covers’, that they are releasing for free download.  The EP features 11 tracks from artists such as Velvet Underground, The Smiths, Fleetwood Mac and more.  Here’s a good sample from the Talking Heads:

Pull Up The Roots (Talking Heads)

Maybe I’ll look back on this as a summer fling or passing trend.  But until then, I plan on working this album for the summer, like my white jeans.

Get this album free via eMusic’s 50 Free MP3 Promo

buy it at insound!

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Music on Cassette Tape Still the Bomb…If You’re in Prison

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Okay, more notes on a theme here, but I couldn’t resist poaching this hilarious post from Gizmodo today. See full post here, or read on:

“Los Angeles mail order catalog Pack Central may have found the last untapped pocket of consumers willing to pay retail for their music on physical formats—the cellblocks of our great nation’s prisons. And not just any format—turns out, music on cassette is the only way to get tunes that isn’t screened out as a potential deadly weapon. Wait, they still sell new music on cassettes?

Apparently so. Weezy’s “Tha Carter III,” Usher’s “Here I Stand” and Mariah Carey’s “E=MC2” are all among Pack Central’s current best selling tapes. If you’re man enough to rock the new Mariah Carey on cassette in the slammer, my hat’s off to you—I only feel comfortable singling you out from the safe confines of the internet.

Anyway, CDs are apparently too easy to splinter into a shiv (for disciplining the dude who laughed at your Mariah tapes), and the company even has to remove the metal screws from their tapes before shipping them out to get by the screeners (you guys make a good point below, though—I guess the cassette shivs are not as worrisome). The guy who keeps all those 20-year-old Walkmen in operating condition must be swimming in bartered cigarettes.”

CASSETTE FROM MY EX – The Heart of the Mixtape

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“They were into you, so they made you a tape. Today you don’t have a cassette player, but you still can’t toss that mix. We share the stories and the soundtrack to your earliest loves.”  

–Manifesto from CASSETTE FROM MY EX

Now that’s what I’m talking about! This site is all about people who searched for the deeper meaning of the mixtape.  It features mixes and the stories behind them from random and notable people, like Claudia Gonson – the drummer of The Magnetic Fields (have I mentioned I have an obsession with female drummers?)  I love it.

the OCMD Mixtape – Best Covers

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Lately, I’ve been obsessed with cover songs.  And nostalgic for the mixtape.  I miss the mixtape, frankly, and wish it would come back. Mix CDs are great and all, but the ‘drag and drop’ medium doesn’t require the same amount of effort, thoughtfulness and dedication as making a mixtape did.  It’s one thing to find the right songs and arrange them…but to actually time the songs so you didn’t run out of tape?  That’s an art form.  

And in that sense, they seemed more meaningful too.  I just can’t recall anyone today being particularly impressed by a mix CD they were given.  But remember when someone gave you a mixtape in the day? That was…WOW.

It’s been far too long since I’ve made or have been given a mixtape.  But I’m changing that today with my first mixtape to you (albeit digital) – a collection of my favorite indie cover songs.  There will be more to come.  So if you like this and want more, you’ll have to subscribe to my Mixtape Podcast to receive them.

the OCMD – Best Covers Mixtape

1.  Cryptacize – Peg (Steely Dan cover)
2.  Johnathon Wilson – La Isla Bonita (Madonna cover)
3.  Midnight Movies – Mes Reves de Satin (Moody Blues cover)
4.  Japancakes – Only Shallow (MBV cover)
5.  Sonic Youth – Superstar (Carpenters cover)
6.  Grizzly Bear – Owner of a Lonely Hearts (Yes cover)
7.  We are Scientists – Hoppipolla (Sigur Ros cover)
8.  Jose Gonzalez – Teardrop (Massive Attack cover)
9.  Marissa Nadler – No Surprises (Radiohead cover)
10.  St. Vincent – These Days (Jackson Browne cover)
11. Cat Power – Ramblin’ (Wo)man (Hank Williams cover)
12. Vampire Weekend – Exit Music (for a Film) (Radiohead cover)
13. Sons and Daughters – Killer (Adamski cover)
14. The Cloud Room – Blue Monday (New Order cover)
15. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – Another Satellite (XTC cover)
16. The Paper Scissors – I can’t Go for That (Hall & Oates cover)

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Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid

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Artist: Elbow
Album: The Seldom Seen Kid
File Under: Brit Rock
Recommended if You Like: Radiohead, Coldplay, Rob Dickinson, Peter Gabriel
Featured Track: Grounds for Divorce; The Bones of You

“I’ve been working on a cocktail called Grounds for Divorce…,” is the opening line from the rockin’ single, ‘Grounds for Divorce,’ off Elbow’s fourth and arguably best release to date, The Seldom Seen Kid.  The song is immense, snarling with emotion and emblematic of the theme of the album – the joys and sorrows of everyday life.

I’ve been obsessing over this album since it’s release in April.  Definitely one of my top albums for 2008.  I’m in love with Guy Garvey’s voice, which reminds me of Peter Gabriel at times and Rob Dickinson at others.  It’s beautiful and melodic, regardless. Especially the track, ‘The Fix’, in which Guy collaborates with another British crooner, Richard Hawley.

Elbow is one of those Radiohead-esque English bands that emerged from the wake of The Bends and OK Computer in the 90s.  For whatever reason, Coldplay was the band the masses glommed onto while Elbow remained in relative obscurity, despite their abundance of critical accolades.  Lucky for you, you now know better. 

Get this album free via eMusic’s 50 Free MP3 Promo

buy it at insound!

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Pandora Ranks as Top iPhone App

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Techcrunch reported that Pandora is currently the fourth most popular free app on iTunes (behind Apple’s Remote, AIM, and WeatherBug), and has reportedly been seeing a new listener every 2 seconds. Usage over the weekend hit an all-time high for the service, with 3.3 million tracks streamed to iPhone listeners alone. Perhaps more impressive is the retention rate of listeners, who are averaging over an hour of listening per day.

The Pandora music stream is great on the new iPhones with the 3G and Edge networks.  Between the iPhone and Sonos Digital Music System, music lovers are no longer tied to their computer to enjoy the benefits of Pandora’s personalized music recommendation service.  Rock on.

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Crystal Skulls | Crystal Stilts [Black Crystal Bands, Part 10]

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The final post in the Black Crystal Band series features Seattle Indie pop group, Crystal Skulls and Brooklyn-based indie rockers, Crystal Stilts.  

In 2006, Crystal Skulls released their debut album ‘Outgoing Behavior‘.  Featured is the track, Hard Party.

 

 

 

Crystal Stilts released their self-titled debut this year. They have a stripped-down, moody, garage rock sound that is heavily influenced by groups like Velvet Underground and Jesus and Mary Chain. And who isn’t these days?  

Featured is the track, Crippled Croon. 

 

 

So what did I learn from all this? in retrospect, I’d say my preconceived notion of ‘Black’ bands as a dark and moody rockers holds water.  The Crystal set as all Indie pop rockers?  Not so much.  Whatever the case, it’s clear that – just like people – bands can fall into the trap of naming trends.  

Get this album free via eMusic’s 50 Free MP3 Promo

buy it at insound!

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