Santogold Live on Conan

My girl Santi White AKA Santogold, blew up the stage for her first TV appearance on Conan O'Brien Monday Night. Check her out playing her latest single "LES Creator."

Live Review - The Verve @ Theater at MSG

"It's a new decade!" spouted Richard Ashcroft as soon as he and his band mates took the stage for their second and final New York appearance on their small North American reunion tour. It has been a decade since I have wanted to see this band, the last time they played New York they were headlining the Madison Square Garden Arena with Massive Attack and the show was cancelled due to the bands split. However, after 10 years of soul searching, working things out and writing, the band is back and better than ever. Only playing five cities on this tour, I was lucky to be standing front row watching one of the band's that changed my views about music when I was a teenager. The Verve were not only on point and ready to show their fans that they were back, but they were there to prove to their fans they deserved to be back. Playing a majority songs off their 1997 breakthrough Urban Hymns, they even broke out songs from their very first record, the very obscure A Storm in Heaven. Ashcroft even joked about the bands psychedelic beginnings "We took acid on a Wednesday then wrote, recorded on a Thursday, the album was out that Monday, moral of the story musician's should not record when on acid." While the old songs like "Sonnet," "The Drug's Don't Work," "This is Music," and of course "Bittersweet Symphony," gave the crowd chills, it was the new songs that had everyone in awe. Playing two song's from the bands still untitled forthcoming release, The Verve showed they can still be radio friendly but also create something that can change the landscape of rock again, like they did a decade ago. The new songs sound like a hybrid of Depeche Mode laced beats with a flair from The Music. The record is expected to be released in August after being pushed back from this April. This concert was a decade in the making of waiting and hoping, after witnessing what myself and other's did last night, The Verve are back and are better than ever. In fact if their card's are dealt right, they will be bigger than ever.

Coldplay Album Cover and NEWS!!

Here it is, the cover for Viva La Vida or Death and all His Friends...Jumping on the bandwagon giving music for free (hey, I for one am not complaining)...starting tomorrow for ONE WEEK ONLY the single "Violet Hill," will be released for a free download on the bands website www.coldplay.com . Also, be on the lookout on the band's site for contests to win tickets to private promo concerts the band has lined up in New York and London.

Playlist

The last time I tried this I had a great streaming playlist, however, I got so many complaints that the stream does not turn off. So with that, I am going back to the old fashion list and you can check out these songs if you want.

- R.E.M. - "Living Well is the Best Revenge"
- Santogold - "LES Artistes"
- Robots in Disguise - "The Tear's"
- Muse - "Map of the Problematique"
- MIA - "Paper Planes"
- Crystal Castles - "1991"
- Raine Maida - "Careful What You Wish For"
- Billy Bragg - " I Keep Faith"
- Langhorn Slim - "English Tea"
- Eddie Vedder - "Society"

Radiohead Live On Conan

Radiohead did a live feed from London for a Conan Earth Day Special...Thom Yorke explains it all...

Quick News

Jane's Addiction is set to reunite (again) at this years NME awards taking place it LA. This is the first time the band has played together since their split in 2003 and the first time the awards are taking place in the States since the mid 80's.

Trent Reznor is giving it all away now. First it was the album he produced for Saul Williams, then it was Nine Inch Nails all instrumental record Ghosts I, now it is the bands latest single. You can get it at the band's website www.nin.com

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played their first concert since the death of keyboardist and founding member Danny Federici. The band resumed their tour in Tampa last night, opening the show with "Backstreets," and having a spotlight on the keyboard Federici once played.

Verve Tix Available

There are tickets available for the Verve's performance at the Theater at MSG next week. Some tickets are even half off!! Definatly something you do not want to miss, this is only 1 of 3 cities they are playing in.

Indy Watch

Check out the latest still from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull!! It's so close, I can taste it...

Gnarles Barkley on SNL!

Check out the dynamic duo on SNL from this past weekend!
http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x522re
by Get-Me-Bodied

Quick News

After just announcing he will be joining Linkin Park and The Bravery among other on this summer's Project Revolution Tour, Chris Cornell is currently in the studio with mega producer Timbaland working on his third solo record. The album is expected to drop September.

Sparta's Jim Ward has been doing solo gigs for about a year now (no the band has not broke up), but has finally finished his record under the same Sleepercar. Check out the album West Texas in its entirety on his myspace page http://www. myspace. com/sleepercarwesttexas.

Friday be sure to tune into Good Morning America as The Swell Season will perform songs from the films Once! Nice way to cap off the end of the week.

The Office Is Back!

Indy Watch

It is official, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will open this years Cannes Film Festival at the end of the month.

Live Review-Hot Chip @ Terminal 5

In my next lifetime I am coming back as a nerd from London and starting a electro-band and touring the world. After last night's concert at Terminal 5, these five men from across the pond who look like a 21st century Devo, know how to get a party started. Terminal 5 turned into its predecessor, NYC hot spot Exit last night for a fist pumping, ass shaking, foot moving good time. Hot Chip took the stage to not only put on a concert, but command and compel the crowd into what they were doing. Playing songs mainly from their latest Made in the Dark, the tracks became much more tangible and explosive with the band doing live remixes and jam renditions of their work. Starting off the show with "Shake a Fist," they had each member switch off between percussion to keyboards to guitar, while the crowd danced in awe. There was literally not a person standing still all night, it was in fact virtually impossible to do so. Hot Chip delivered a set of global anthems and at certain points while I was in the crowd, I thought I was at a rave rather than a concert. For the closing of their first set, they ended with their single "Ready for the Floor," rocking and remixing for an intrepid ending. While the band is huge in Europe, it has only been the last year or so where they have began to make a impact of music here. This was the biggest show the band has ever done in New York, and I know for a fact, it will only get bigger and better.

Coldplay Tracklisting!

Reason number 564984654985 why Sicily is awesome. While Chris is in New York with Gwen, the rest of the band is vacationing in my mother land and have officially released a date and track listing for Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends. The Brian Eno produced record comes out June 17. Check out the track listing below.

01 Life in Technicolor
02 Cemeteries of London
03 Lost!
04 42
05 Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love
06 Yes
07 Viva la Vida
08 Violet Hill
09 Strawberry Swing
10 Death and All His Friends

Langhorn Slim Live On Letterman

Folk rocker Langhorn Slim delivers his network TV debut on The Late Show, performing the song "Restless."

Rising Artist-Paper and Sand

Paper and Sand is a side project for Fireflies guitarist Will Farr, who takes over as front man in this group, and also features Fireflies alumni Adam Christgau on drums, this band a force to be reckoned with. As Paper and Sand themselves put it they sound like "your heart skipping a beat and then realizing you are experiencing a massive coronary." A cross between Modest Mouse and Hot Hot Heat, Paper and Sand, straight out of New York City, are beginning to get the buzz they deserve in the five boroughs and beyond. November saw the release of their debut self titled album and was one of the featured albums on iTunes when it was released. They are very harmonious and adventures in both sound and lyric. Paper and Sand are currently working on a follow up to their self titled record, in between Farr touring and recording with his main band. It may take a bit for this record to come out, however in the meantime check them out via Myspace at http://www.myspace.com/paperandsand.

Movie of the Month-Mean Streets

I simply love this film. I can not think of a better way to start this off than that. This month marks the opening of Scorsese's documentary Shine a Light, with the Rolling Stones. 1973's Mean Streets was the first time we herd of Martin Scorsese, his love affair with the Stones and a little actor named Robert DeNero. This was the first feature film of Scorsese's own design, his previous two works, Who's that Knocking on my Door and Boxcar Bertha were a student film and a project handed to him, respectively. Mean Streets is a semi-autobiographical film about Little Italy and its love for swallowing people in and not letting it be easy for them to come out--alive or dead. We follow the character Charlie (Harvey Keitel) as a bookie for his local mob boss uncle. Charlie is a haunted by his love of the Catholic church, his responsibility and is two bit, degenerate friend Johnny Boy (DeNero). Johnny Boy cannot pay off the thousands of dollars in debt that he owes to local lone sharks, so he has Charlie clean up and do his dirty work for him. While Charlie does this, he is having a secret love affair with Johnny Boys cousin Theresa. As Charlie's ambitions within the local mob begin to rise so does his love with Theresa and more importantly he becomes torn between a gangster lifestyle and the church. As these issues swell in Charlie, Johnny Boy becomes more and more self destructive and more negligent to those around him. Backed by one of the best soundtrack's ever in a film (and never released), Mean Streets plays like an opera set in a dynamic urban landscape. Using real lingo and real life event's Scorsese saw growing up in that neighborhood, and a little unknown actor, DeNero, in his first feature film role (and who steals the show), Mean Streets is one of the best films you will ever see.

Underrated Classic-The Clash "Sandinista"

Unquestionably the most debatable album as far as

recognition goes. Some critics argue that the triple album, a 36 song collection of punk anthems that is 1980's Sandinista is way too long and drawn out. Other's compare this daring work as to what the White Album did for mainstream audiences and changed music, Sandinista did it for The Clashes audience. Called the "Album of the Year," in 1980 by the Village Voice and Rolling Stone calling it one of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time," Sandinista has something to offer everyone, yet is still one of the least recognizable Clash albums to date. Unlike the punk anthologies that were The Clashes first self titled album, London Calling and Combat Rock, this record of epic proportions was recorded and mixed in three different countries and incorporating a variety of different types of music. Recorded in London, Jamaica and New York City it struck a chord with many listeners through its plethora of sounds and styles. Like London Calling it combined dub, punk, reggae, ska, rockabilly and even hip hop fused with political angst. It certainly was the band's most ambitious album ever, yet in many ways tends to get overlooked due to its lack of singles here in the U.S.The single "The Magnificent Seven" could even possibly the first-ever British hip hop single and as one of the first rap singles by a white band. In retrospect what Sandinista did was influence ears and audiences world wide. Without Sandinista there would be no MIA, without Sandinista there would be no Sublime and without Sandinista there defiantly would have not been 311.

Kanye West / Chris Martin Homecoming Video

One of my favorite tracks from Graduation gets the video treatment.

Live Review-Raine Maida @ Mercury Lounge

On a warm spring night a formidable crowd sprung up in front of New York's Mercury Lounge for a sold out show featuring the voice of Our Lady Peace, Raine Maida. On his first solo trek to the states in support of his latest record The Hunter's Lullaby and last stop of his tour, people cam from far and wide to cram into this tiny club to see poetry in motion. In front of me was a couple from South Carolina, in front of them was a group of friends from Canada and behind me we're more fans from the tri state area taking the voyage to the East Village for a very intimate 200 person show. Raine, along with his band mates drummer Randy Cooke, cellist Joseph Karnes and famous Canadian singer (and Maida's wife) a very pregnant Chantal Kreviazuk pounded through tracks from Hunter's Lullaby. It was a vast departure from when I saw Maida last, he was fronting his namesake in support of Healthy in Paranoid Times in the fall of 2005. What garners the attention of Our Lady Peace right away is his voice coupled with early U2 meets Nirvana. His solo effort now is a much more stripped down, yet still powerful, acoustic hybrid of folk/spoken word/ and even hip hop, sounding more like Johnny Cash fronting Joshua Tree-era U2. It is very deep, very personal and above all else very political. Maida, always known for his socially conscious lyrics truly pushed the envelope and emotion on Hunter's Lullaby. The songs became much more three dimensional in concert than on disc. Unlike his namesake again, I do not think these song's could have done correctly had they been done by his claim to fame, yet doing them on his own they work like magic.
Opening for Maida and Co. was UK singer-songwriter and Renaissance man David Ford. Ford was (with no pun intended) a one man army. Doing live mixing and looping while playing percussion, singing, guitar, piano - you name it. He is incredibly entertaining and highly talented and one sarcastic mother fucker, but it made his set all the more enjoyable. Also, making a surprise appearance was Providence poet Jarred Paul. One of the most inspirational and motivating men on the planet. This was the second time I saw Paul, and both were accident and loved every second of it. I last saw him in the winter of 2005 opening for Sage Francis and I was immediately hooked. Paul later joined Maida up on stage for "Less I Know," and was certainly the highlight of the program. The tour that was Maida's solo trek I would call a success, it was certainly a great night for art and music and was done in the perfect place--New York's East Village.