Cannibal Cheerleader

Hey all, just popped into melt your face off with this cool guide to Boris. They’re still on their North American tour and they’re still the best metal band working today. Check em out if you already haven’t! Remember, REAL updates start again next week!

I’m thoroughly disappointed in myself. You see, a quartet of Ivy-League grads forming an indie-pop band and singing about upper-crust life on the Cape and tender college romances sounds like the exact thing a guy like me throws a trashcan through a window and starts a riot about. But still, I’ll give these guys credit; they sounds like a twee-tinged Spoon, a teenage and unconcerned garage band who nonetheless seem smarter than their average listener (white college age indie crowd) in their obvious play on the whole WASP-y, polo shirt wearing schtick. The band seems to subvert the upper-crust from within, picking apart the whiny romances and ridiculous concerns of those with nothing to be concerned about. I’m not saying the band deserves to be in MRR, but they remind me of that Dynamite Hack video for “Boys in the Hood”. Here’s hoping we see a video of these boys rolling through the ghetto soon.

Hopefully the three readers of this site will forgive this week’s quickie updates as they probably know (being close friends) that I’m busier than ever! That said, here’s the video for the Mountain Goats’ excellent first single of their new album Heretic Pride! Check it:

Bought Jukebox over the weekend and let me just say, the disc, as I said before, is really a grower. Check out Rolling Stone’s 4-star review. And preview all of the tracks on this handy widget:

It’s been a super slow week on the blogs so I figure I’d do a quick update on a few of my favorite artists. Now there’s the indie ‘blog favorites’ and then there are real indie bands trying to make it so I’ll preview a couple of bands that I feel are really worth talking about but I don’t see on any blogs.

This 6-piece Morristown, New Jersey post-hardcore band sounds like a bizarre mixture of Gym Class Heroes and the Blood Brothers with more musical stones than either band. Lofty claims but Trophy Scars manages to pull it off with style to spare as lead singer/self-promoter Jerry Jones barks and raps over needly guitar lines with obscure and lyrical lyrics, meshing influences of backpacker rap with post-punk hooks.

Their fanbase is particularly rabid and they’re known for maintaining an intimate relationship with their fans via their Myspace. Do check them out!
************************************************************************************

A two piece, all female doom-metal band named after an infamous female Apache warrior, Lozen from Tacoma, Washington tragically hasn’t gained much of a following outside the Pacific Northwest, which is a tremendous shame because considering all the more masturbatory elements of modern metal (obsession with nerdy fantasy lore, Zeppelin worship) it’s refreshing to see a band rip a page from Sabbath’s black tome. This band pulls no punches when it comes to being loud and in your face and was one of the few unknown bands at SXSW ‘07 that actually got me out of my chair. The band really has to be heard to be believed so crawl on over to their Myspace and give them a listen. Ciao until tomorrow all!

NEW ARCADE FIRE (INTERACTIVE) VIDEO
Canadian indie-rock gods and goddesses the Arcade Fire have just put up a video for their single “Black Mirror”. Reminiscent of the “Neon Bible” video with the interactive Win Butler, only now with more locations (but still equally creepy!)
*************************************************************************************
BLOC PARTY GUITARIST IN NEW BAND PIN ME DOWNThat’s right, Russell Lissack (of Bloc Party fame) is hard at work with indie songstress Milena Mepris on a new two-person, electronica influenced band called Pin Me Down, says Pitchfork. The tunes on their Myspace sound really promising, with Lissack providing the guitar-noodling instrumentals and Mepris shelling out the sharp vocal hooks. Sounds like a promising combo.
Two part update here, as news on Pin Me Down first dropped when their song was found on the new Kitsune Maison Compilation 5 LP. This new dance-centric compilation throws together such CC faves as M.I.A., Digitalism, and the Friendly Fires, so definitely pre-order a copy now.

Tokyo Police Club Announce Debut LP
That’s right, finally, after two awesome EPs, the fearsome foursome known as Tokyo Police Club from Canada will release Elephant Shell in late April on Saddle Creek. Check out their website here and if you haven’t checked out this band yet, definitely listen to a few tracks on their Myspace. TPC – a mixture of sci-fi imagery, new-wave instrumentation, and Julian Casablancas-like vocals.
*************************************************************************************
My Chem Gets ‘Punky’
My Chemical Romance has announced their newest LP (their fourth effort after 2006’s excellent The Black Parade) will return to the ‘punkier’ sound of records past. While we here at CC didn’t mind the Queen worship on TBP, any press release that says a band is gonna get ‘punkier’ definitely gets our attention. Here’s hoping for a mixture of Bad Religion and Freddie Mercury.
*************************************************************************************
Cat Power Finished with New Album (Already!)
In a recent online interview with Rolling Stone Chan Marshall of Cat Power announced she has long since completed her next album of all original material. Click above for the full story and check out some of the rad videos RS has to offer.
my chem, cat power police club

LIARS’ FRONTMAN INJURED – TOUR IN JEOPARDY?
Just a quick update today, Liars‘ frontman Angus Andrew (former Karen O. squeeze and inspiration for the song “Maps” for you trivia nuts) has apparently injured his back leaving his band’s tour on uncertain terms according to this Pitchfork article. Here’s hoping they don’t cancel their Mohawk show on Feb. 16th.
***************************************************************************************
BYOP ANNOUNCE GET AWKWARD TOUR, FORGET TO PLAY SOUTH
CC faves Be Your Own PET have announced the beginning dates of their Get Awkward Tour and so far they’re avoiding Texas entirely. Still, considering their 2006 show at Emo’s with Whirlwind Heat and local faves the Faceless Werewolves took the cake for show of the year, I’d say that destiny will have to bring the foursome back down. Link to info here.

Prey for Sleep recorded their new music video over the weekend and the feel on set was ‘apocalyptic’ according to lead singer Hunter Townsend. Check out these rad pics of hellfire and brimstone and be sure and read the Austin Chronicle’s glowing review of the band’s new LP here.***************************************************************************************
The official Coachella lineup was announced today and sad to say it’s seeming a little lackluster compared to last year’s reformation of Rage Against the Machine and the Jesus and Mary Chain. Still though, heck yeah, Portishead (and CC faves Crystal Castles!) Check out their website for more info.
***************************************************************************************
As it was MLK day the music industry seemed to take a brief break, but so as not to leave you hanging, here’s a link to a free copy of the Cold War Kids Mulberry Street EP. Definitely worth a listen.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs website has undergone a complete transformation and this new, cleaner look to the site comes with the welcome announcement that the band is hard at work on a new album. With rumors of the band’s breakup afoot and the dearth of live tracks that haven’t been committed to studio, the outlook for a new LP looked bleak until now. Here’s hoping the album is as rocking as the last two for my favorite working band (and here’s a live version of the b-side “Sealings” for your enjoyment).

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Sealings” (Live at the Filmore, San Francisco)
*************************************************************************************
Personal heroes and the greatest snot-nosed high schoolers to ever revive punk rock, Be Your Own PET has just put four new songs from their upcoming sophomore LP Get Awkward on their band Myspace. Definitely check them out (as well as this video for their single “Bicycle Bicycle”).
*************************************************************************************
Local awesome music venue Mohawk has been named the #1 Bar in America by Esquire. Just goes to show what combining a friendly bar staff (looking at you Emo’s) and an excellent stage for music will do for a new club. I’m particularly looking forward to the Feb. 16th show with Liars and No Age. Check it out!
*************************************************************************************
CC faves Ringo Deathstarr have finally posted their music video for “Some Kind of Sad”. Check out that hot balloon action! See everyone tomorrow!

Check out this video: SOMEKINDOFSAD

Add to My Profile | More Videos