Britney Spears - "Till The World Ends"

Hate all you want to, this is a banger.



In the words of Ms. Funai, a legend in her own right, "B has a house with 12 rooms in it, and 6 of them are full of wigs that she snatched off of haters.  Legend."

Love it.

Death Cab For Cutie - "You Are A Tourist"

Death Cab For Cutie released their newest single, "You Are A Tourist", last month and told us to expect something different from them with this new album.  Keeping in that same vein, DCFC announced that the video for their newest video would be filmed in one take and it would be broadcast live while it was filmed.  Check the video below.



I'm not sure how to feel about this new album.  I'm a huge fan of Ben's writing, with his love of the extremes and upbeat sadness.  The uncertainty comes from the fact that BG isn't really sad anymore.  For those unaware, he's married my personal crush object Zooey Deschanel since the release of their last album (don't worry, I've already worked through the pain), so he has absolutely nothing to be depressed about.  Here's how Sad Ben felt about marital bliss before:




"You said your vows and you closed the door on so many men who would have loved you more"

Amen to that.

We won't know for sure if he can still muster those emotions until Codes And Keys is released on May 30, but here's to hoping for the best.

Paolo Nutini - "Last Request"

This song is really speaking to me right now.


Paolo Nutini - Last Request (US version) from shmor on Vimeo.

Blogger Will Oliver of We All Want Someone To Shout For wrote this really short essay that picks at a thought that I as both a music lover and psuedo-blogger have been toying with for a while: when is too much music too much?  It's kind of an oddly disturbing thought to me.  At exactly what point is too much enough, especially when it's something you love?  And how much longer can we keep going before we hit that point?  Check it out.

Read here.

And for good measure, take this upbeat music video.  It'll make me feel better.


The New Pornographers: Crash Years from Rockonlelkek Staff on Vimeo.

Cults - "Go Outside" (MTV Supervideo Version)

In an attempt to end over-told jokes about there no longer being a need for the M in MTV, they've created Supervideos.  SVs take songs by, at least so far, artists that MTV doesn't play and hires actors and directors to make music videos for them.

I suppose I appreciate the sentiment:  using the actor's star power to attract people to hear new music.  But there are a few problems.  First of all, the "stars" that they used for the video to Cult's fantastically dreamy-but-playful "Go Outside" are Emma Roberts (Julia Robert's neice of Disney channel "fame") and Dave Franco (James Franco's brother of Greek "fame" [seriously, no one watches that show] and also one of the new cast members who ruined "Scrubs").  The other problem is that the video kinda sucks.  Hard.  Watch below.

MTV Shows

Favorite part: when they run because they see a Mexican.  Yea, that's what I do too.

Apparently the band agrees with me, because not only did they not promote the SV at all, but they went as far as to tweet that the real video is coming soon and that this is "just an MTV show", completely writing it off.  Burn.

**BONUS** - Also worth checking out, but this time because not only is the song dope but the SV features cutie Anna Kern: LCD Soundsystem's "Pow Pow".

Stream Radiohead's "The King Of Limbs"

Radiohead is always full of surprises.  About a week ago, Yorke and company announced that not only was their new album completed, but they would be releasing a digital copy to anyone who pre-ordered the album on Saturday.  As in, tomorrow.  Awesome.

People buzzed about how cool it was that we would all experience a simultaneous eargasm (I'm paraphrasing) when everyone listened to the album at about the same time; something that is rare these days thanks to the inception of album leaks.

Then, just to prove they're no one's bitch (my words, not theirs), they sent out the digital copy a day early.  Needless to say, the album spread across the internet like wildfire.  And, quite conveniently, you can stream the whole album here.  Who loves ya, baby?

 Radiohead - The King of Limbs by ThePEAK

Bonus!  With the early release of the album, the ban also released a music video for the first single, "Lotus Flower".  It has Yorke doing awkward white boy dances.  You're welcome.



God bless you, Thom Yorke, you magnificent, wonky-eyed bastard.

Coldplay - "Strawberry Swing"

This video makes me very happy.  Go ahead and get all the inevitable "You know how I know you're gay" jokes (why is that still happening, anyway?) out of your system.  I fucking love Coldplay.


Coldplay - Strawberry Swing from Hatem Zekri on Vimeo.

Erykah Badu - "Gone Baby, Don't Be Long"

Erykah Badu is an artist who has been praised the world over for her music, but because of her post-1994 Afrocentricity and penchant for weirdness, I feel like people overlook one other thing:  she's damn pretty.

General rule of thumb:  Never question Three Stack's judgment.

See her new video for "Gone Baby, Don't Be Long" below.


Erykah Badu - Gone Baby, Don't be Long from beeple on Vimeo.


Badu's latest album New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh is a phenomenal addition to her catalog.  For good measure, here's the controversial music video to my favorite song from the album, "Window Seat".


Erykah Badu "Window Seat" from triggerhappy on Vimeo.

Toro Y Moi - "New Beat"

If you troll the indie music blogs even casually, you've no doubt seen the unsettling (at least to me, it is) album cover for Toro Y Moi's Underneath The Pine.  Despite the barrage of hype, the album actually doesn't come out until the end of the month, which speaks to how good the tracks that have been released already actually are.  Here's the very recently released video for the newest track "New Beat".


Toro Y Moi - "New Beat" (Official Video) from Urban Outfitters on Vimeo.

Does this remind anyone else of those pictures of STDs they showed us back in Health class?

Be sure to check out Underneath The Pine when it drops on 2/22.

**EDIT** - Thanks to Urban Outfitters, you can stream the album in it's entirety here.  Love it.

GANT Spring/Summer 2011 Living Lookbook

Some of these styles are a little hit or miss (varsity jacket with giant baseball player graphic on the back is a no-no), and I swear that Bastian has been trying to sell that same pair of $2000 destructed khakis for the last 3 years or so.  I mainly just like the whole idea of the living lookbook.  Meh.

Lykke Li - "I Follow Rivers (Dave Sitek Remix)"

For the uninitiated, Lykke Li is an indie goddess.  Li's new single "I Follow Rivers" got the remix treatment from TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek.  Listen/download below.

Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers (Dave Sitek Remix) by Pretty Much Amazing

Also check out a couple of older Lykke Li tracks that made her debut Youth Novels one of my favorites.  First, there's "Little Bit", a fantastic song about the vulnerability you feel when you realize that you just fell in love.  (Also great: the line "For you, I'd keep my legs apart".  Yes please.)

 Little Bit by LykkeLi

Second is "I'm Good, I'm Gone", which is her refusal to be set back by love.  I love the sentiment.  Watch the vid which has Lykke doing weird dances and female bodybuilders playing the drums for no discernible reason.


Lykke Li - I'm Good, I'm Gone from Lykke Li on Vimeo.

And be sure to check out Lykke Li's sophomore album Wounded Rhymes on March 1.

Love this bitch.

Fiona Apple covers Elvis Costello's "I Want You"

I can't believe that this hasn't come up before, but aside from Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis, Fiona is my musical goddess.  The angst, the power, the glory; nobody does it like Fi.  She does no wrong.

Now, I'm not a huge Elvis Costello fan, so I wasn't familiar with the original version of this powerhouse ballad before hearing Fiona's take on it, but I know for a fact that his couldn't hold a candle.  The raw emotion in her voice is astonishing.  Visceral.  I can say that this is definitely my all-time favorite cover, if not my favorite song.



I can't say any more that I love you. Everything else is a waste of breath.

She & Coco & Him sing "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"

Conan O'Brien is a ginger God.  There's a million reasons to be happy he's back on the air, but my favorite one is his pull with indie artists and his penchant for doing things like this with them:



I love Zooey Deschanel.

(I don't really have anything else to say about that, I just though it would be a nice excuse for a picture.)

The Most Serene Republic - "Heavens To Purgatory"

Great song with a great video (and, *ahem*, title).  That's right, this is my blog's namesake.  A fun little pop gem that uses the word "gadzooks" in the chorus without flinching.  Enjoy.

The Most Serene Republic - Heavens To Purgatory from Arts & Crafts on Vimeo.

Apollo Run - "Stars"

Dope video.  Hadn't heard of Apollo Run before, but they're pretty mellow and their album is titled Here Be Dragons, Vol. 1, so I'm pretty sure I'm gonna do some exploring.

Apollo Run - Stars - OFFICIAL VIDEO from Alex Fischer on Vimeo.

Thanks for the randomly awesome suggestion, Vimeo!

TV On The Radio - Golden Age

Not gonna lie, I really just wanted an excuse to post this picture, so take this awesomely batshit insane video.


TV on the Radio "Golden Age" from drew king on Vimeo.

Arcade Fire - "The Suburbs"

No matter how hard I try, I cannot stop listening to Arcade Fire's latest album "The Suburbs", and I'm pretty positive that I'm not the only one, as it's sure to hover around the top spot of just about every music blog's AotY list.

The title track, in particular, gets me every time.  The instruments lure you in with this upbeat tune as lead singer Win Butler laments about a world that just isn't as bright anymore.  It's beautiful.  Watch the Spike Jonze directed video below.

'Neil Young' & Bruce Springsteen cover Willow Smith!!!

Fuck the what!?  On last night's Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy, dressed as Neil Young, covered Willow Smith's "Whip My Hair".  That's all well and good.  The part that makes this really noteworthy is when he's joined by THE Bruce Springsteen.  Not really sure how to feel about it.  Watch for yourself below.



I really just have one question in mind: Is there anyone who dare deny that Jimmy Fallon has sold his soul to Satan?  I mean think about it.  First, he managed to get hip-hop demigods* The Roots as his personal house band and now he gets Bruce Springsteen to humiliate himself on his shitty late night show.  Come on.


*The statement excludes ?uestlove, because you would have to be a full blown deity to work a bass drum the way he does.  Seriously, listen to the end of "You Got Me".  There's no way the dude's ankles aren't pneumatic.

Mike Relm - "Harry Potter and the Remix of Death"

In honor of the release of the new Harry Potter flick this weekend, Mike Relm, who happens to be one of my favorite DJs, has made this crazy track, "Harry Potter and the Remix of Death" that is oh so dope.  Watch the vid below.

True shit.

Gnarls Barkley - "Who's Gonna Save My Soul?"

Old, but still dope.


Gnarls Barkley - Who's Gonna Save My Soul from Chris Milk on Vimeo.


I still haven't gotten around to listening to "The Lady Killer" yet, but I've been listening to a lot of GB in anticipation.  I always love thinking about a particular interview that Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse did not long after St. Elsewhere came out where a reporter asked them to comment on how Charles Barkley felt about there name being an obvious play on his and they both looked at him with blank stares and pretended like they didn't know who he was.  Classic.