Oh Crystal Castles, it’s been too long! How are you? How’s the new record? Why, you say you’ve got a new single? Why, it’s album-standout and one of my favorite tracks of the year “Courtship Dating”! Awesome! And you’ve just released your self-titled debut in the UK? Rad! And you have a new video?
That’s awesome as well and really captures some of what it’s like to see you guys live. Thanks for the obligatory update guys! ******************************************************************** SCARLETT JOHANSSON VIDEO
First there was the music, now Scarlett Johansson’s foray into the world of Tom Waits’ covers has a music video. Not on YouTube yet so check it out here. Little self-indulgent but frankly, this album is still getting an A+ from me! ******************************************************************** LONG BLONDES VIDEO
Clearly it’s video day here at Cannibal Cheerleader – so why break the streak? Here’s one from UK new-wavers the Long Blondes, whose new album Couples is out soon. Looks and sounds rad!
******************************************************************** CRUISERWEIGHT VIDEO
And just to prove today’s video day wasn’t an excuse to be lazy here’s a video I edited for Cruiserweight who played during Dynamite Boy’s reunion show last Saturday. Check it!
It’s true, today I am blogging to you faithful Cheerleader followers from under my covers. I’m feeling a little down in the dumps as well as under the weather (heck throw in ‘feelin low’ while you’re at it) so I figured I’d do a little update on my favorite “under-the-covers-feeling-blue-with-headphones-on” music. Of course Cat Power falls into that mix and here’s an update she posted to her Myspace today offering apologies for missing.
“THANK ALL OF YALL WHO DIDN’T HOLD A GRUDGE FOR ME HAVING TO CANCEL MY SHOWS CUZ OF THE CALLOUS.
I AM DOING A LOT BETTER AND CAN ACTUALLY TALK WITHOUT SOUNDING LIKE A TRUCKER. HEADING TO MEMPHIS IN A COUPLE DAYS FOR THE BEALE ST. FEST, THEN TO MEXICO CITY AND BOGOTA, REAL REAL HAPPY TO GET BACK TO WORK! I CAN’T TELL YOU HOW UPSETTING AND FRUSTRATING IT WAS TO NOT HAVE MY HEALTH/VOICE FOR YOU ALL.
I CAN NOT TELL YOU HOW UPSETTING.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, I ALWAYS FEEL BLESSED BY YALL’S LOVE FOR ME, I CARRY YALL ALONGSIDE.
XX C”
As a bonus here’s a little b-side I found floating around the Internet a few years back of a Cat Power original. It’s definitely apt to the normal Chan Marshall state of mind. Obviously this track is from Chan’s “short hair days”, thus the old-school Cat Power pic!
NEW BAND CHEER – WHISPERTOWN2000 Continuing on our ’sad country music’ update is Whispertown2000, a smokey, country-tinged, female fronted act from LA. Helmed by Morgan Nagler and well-connected with groups like Blake Sennet’s the Elected, Rilo Kiley, and Jenny Lewis’ solo work, Whispertown recalls them all at young, tender, and impressionable age.
Bands like Whispertown remind me of how I feel about country music and how I perceive it. Not as the barn-storming “All My Rowdy Friends” crowd, not as the redneck-proud “Larry the Cable Guy” crowd, but as the empty bottle of whiskey lonely boy and girl crowd. Whispertown2000’s great for those lonely nights buried under the covers (like tonight!). Definitely check them out. ******************************************************************** MY MORNING JACKET ON THE COVER OF SPIN
No seriously, the band that once penned the alt-country sleep The Tennessee Fire, the one and only My Morning Jacket, is on the cover of Spin Magazine. Here’s the article from the magazine, complete with a video of the cover shoot. Go check it out now and be sure and get pumped for Evil Urges, which I have been spinning like mad lately. ******************************************************************** DYNAMITE BOY VIDEO – PHOTOGRAPH To end today on an up note, here’s a preview of the videos to come this week from the Dynamite Boy/Cruiserweight show this last Saturday. Check it out!
The phrase ‘this band could be your life’ is weighty to say the least. To have a band you could so devote yourself to as to become a permanent fan of all their work is almost impossible in this modern age, with consumers so inundated with a million bands, each sounding basically the same as the next. However, in the case of both Dynamite Boy and Cruiserweight, both of these bands could be your life. These bands make you remember what it was like to first fall in love with punk rock, to spin ‘Dookie’ sitting alone on your bed, wasting the hours away.
It’s lucky that the band’s have so much to do with each other, else one might find oneself having to choose between the two. Needless to say during their respective sets at Emo’s this past Saturday both bands traded off singing duties with the other band. Sean from DB and Stella from CW8 played in each other’s sets, both of which seriously ruled, with enough moshing, stage diving, and antics as could be had. If you missed this show you definitely missed out
What’s great however is your intrepid Cannibal Cheerleader crew recorded the show and we’ll be posting videos at the end of the week and throughout the month. The video looks great and the audio sounds beautiful so definitely get excited when we premier some videos this Friday on CC! ******************************************************************** HEARTSREVOLUTION VIDEO – C.Y.O.A.
Here’s a new video from Heartsrevolution showing just how strange this band really is. This song is from their Crystal Castles split EP and is probably my favorite by them, but don’t forget their awesome Switchblade EP is out now. Check it.
******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER – FOOD FOR ANIMALS
Here’s a band I’ve just heard about that really deserves some attention. Whether you’re into the underground hip-hop scene or not, one can appreciate Food For Animals, a band that changes the template and fuses different elements into one unique genre. Experimental music creator/DJ ‘Ricky Rabbit’ has hooked up with some DC emcees and created a group that combines classic hip-hop flows with distortion-heavy beats and wicked, bizarre loops to create a package of dissonances and danceability. Ultimately Food For Animals fits into what has become Cannibal Cheerleader’s favorite new musical genre, as created initially by our heroes Crystal Castles: Thrash. Thrash, as it refers to extremely chaotic electronic music (Crystal Castles, Heartsrevolution, etc), is the reformation of a basic computer model into a machine of boundless ferocity, chaos, and energy. FfA definitely fall into the Thrash category and their page is definitely worth checking out. ******************************************************************** COOL SHOWS THIS WEEK
And guess just who will be filming this Tacks show! That’s right! Stay tuned for Tacks footage as well! Readers of CC are getting the benefit of my portfolio-building without having to pay a cent – amazing!
Any comments guys on the goings on of CC over the weekend?
Japanese metal gods Boris are set to tour the US again this summer, riding the wave of their awesome (if bizarre) new LP Smile. Check out the dates here and notice that they’ll be coming to Mohawk here in Austin June 28th. You know we’ll be there. ******************************************************************** EVIL URGES LEAKS
It’s official, My Morning Jacket’s latest LP Evil Urges is on the Internet in its entirety. So how is it? The best description I can give is imagine attending the Church of Jim James and him playing the character of an eccentric Baptist preacher wailing to the ceiling. Except he’s evil. VERY evil. I am reminded of the Flaming Lips is they were to take on R&B and soul music. This album’s going to be contentious but let me be one of the first to say this album rules, it’s a natural progression from Z, and no one can touch Jim James. Five out of five bloody pon-poms. ******************************************************************** TERROR THURSDAY: ONE DARK NIGHT
Yet another Terror Thursday this week and it was the hilarious One Dark Night (comes with like fifty different titles there according to IMDB, yikes). You can definitely tell this was made during the height of 80s fashion and despite its PG rating it had some pretty serious gore going on with the walking dead. Not really gorey enough though at parts and groan-inducing with its bad dialogue/acting through most of the movie. Overall, two out of five bloody pon-poms. Maybe worth the rental if they don’t have The Car from last week! ******************************************************************** HEARTSREVOLUTION SWITCHBLADE EP OUT NOW
Our last ‘cheered band’, Heartsrevolution, is finally releasing their Switchblade EP and check out how cool that thing looks up there. Pick up a copy right now at the band’s Myspace. This EP includes one of my favorite tracks of the year “Wolves and Libertines” so give it a whirl if you’re into the Crystal Castles-like artists we’re always talking about here. ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: TINY VIPERS
While not necessarily ‘new’, I was reminded of Seattle female singer-songwriter Tiny Vipers by my friend Michael of Balmorhea recently and just how awesome she is. Mike recommends everyone view this YouTube video that features Vipers on the Burn to Shine DVD collection. Check it out and swing by her Myspace for more info.
Sorry about the sporadic updates this week. What with Internet troubles it’s hard to find the solution at 5 in the morning. Next week will be more on time though. Hope everyone has a good weekend and stay tuned for Cruiserweight and Dynamite Boy videos next week!
CRYSTAL CASTLES LEGAL TROUBLE While I heard rumblings of trouble with the above apparently ’stolen’ image of punched-up Madonna (which graces many Crystal Castles releases, tshirts, and even serves as the inner booklet for their debut LP) a couple of months ago, it appears everything has come to head between the original artist and CC, so says this Pitchfork article. At this point it all sounds like he-said she-said, and while I’m probably a Crystal Castles apologist, it seems that since they’re willing to pay the artist for the image, he’s just causing a ruckus to gain publicity. Read all about it and hope that this gets sorted out soon (and enjoy the idea of socking it to Madonna). ******************************************************************** RINGO DEATHSTARR LAUNCH WEBSITE
While it’s not altogether different from their Myspace Ringo Deathstarr’s brand new website still shows that the band is getting their footing and gaining ground, soon to explode onto the indie scene with their brand of shoegazey-pop. Check it. ******************************************************************** STEREOGUM EARLY EVALUATION OF EVIL URGES
Stereogum is giving really positive reviews to My Morning Jacket’s new release in their Early Evaluation of Evil Urges. Definitely worth checking out, if just for a description of some of the tracks and the realization (that a lot of us have already come to) that MMJ isn’t your typical old Southern’-rock band and that branching out can lead to great things. This is definitely worth a read.
Also, word on the street is this album has leaked. Get to downloading kids. ******************************************************************** ARCADE FIRE THINK BARACK ROCKS, COVER BOWIE
I think I like the Arcade Fire a lot more now that they’re overtly political and overtly Barockers. Here’s a video of AF performing David Bowie’s “Heroes” at an Obama rally earlier this year. Clearly if you like your music awe-inspiring (and your politics the same way), there’s no better combo than Butler-Barack (’08!!).
Sorry again about the delay readers! I promise this is the last night of this bull – tomorrow I’ll go wait outside Starbuck’s if my internet refuses to work! Comments?
Tonight’s Converge show at Red 7 here in Austin definitely renewed my faith in the hardcore scene. You can get bogged down in lame, crust-punk bands with no sense of integrity or unity to the punk ethos, but then you see great bands like these tonight (Converge, Red Chord, etc.) that really show the intellectual depth of bands such as these. When anger is this awe-inspiring people begin to take notice of what kids are so angry about. From opener “Plagues” to closer “Jane Doe” the Converge crew proved they’re the thinking man’s hardcore group once again. Here are some pictures from the gig. Converge The Red Chord Genghis Tron Coliseum The Network ******************************************************************** CONOR OBERST RELEASING SOLO ALBUM
As we previously reported Conor Oberst and his Mystic Valley Band may be releasing an upcoming album. Turns out they ARE releasing an album, a solo Conor Oberst one, so says this press release. Conor Oberst, as the album will be called, is set to be released 8/5 and here’s a tracklist. We’ll definitely be picking this one up before we see the Bright Eyes frontman at ACL this year.
01 “Cape Cañaveral” 02 “Sausalito” 03 “Get-Well-Cards” 04 “Lenders In The Temple” 05 “Danny Callahan” 06 “I Don’t Want To Die (In The Hospital)” 07 “Eagle On A Pole” 08 “Moab” 09 “NYC – Gone, Gone” 10 “Valle Místico (Ruben’s Song)” 11 “Souled Out!!!” 12 “Milk Thistle”
Also here’s one more, super upbeat solo track recorded live this past December for your enjoyment!
******************************************************************** CAT POWER SHOWS RESCHEDULED
Check out the Cat Power Myspace for more details, but the Austin Stubb’s show is rescheduled now officially for October 11th. The date’s already circled on my calendar!
However, I know everyone gets tired of Cat Power updates lacking content so here’s a bside that’s been floating around the Internet for a while!
******************************************************************** CRYSTAL CASTLES ON NME COVER?
Check it out! How cool is that? Apparently they’re now a ‘hype band’ that we should be watching out for! Read more about it here. Of course, astute readers of CC already know the deal with these guys. ******************************************************************** ARCADE FIRE ROCK (AGAIN!) FOR OBAMA
The Arcade Fire will be playing in support of presidential nominee (hopefully future president) Barack Obama in North Carolina on May 1st and 2nd in anticipation of the upcoming NC primary (story here). Basically, if you like rock and roll at all you’ll vote for this guy. C’mon people, I think it’s required now if you’re reading this blog. ******************************************************************** SCARLETT JOHANSSON SITE FOR WAITS’ ALBUM
Apparently there’s a site up now to cover the release of the new Scarlett album of Tom Waits’ covers. Luckily if you swing by you’ll be able to hear six tracks from the album and, as I’ve said before, it’s pretty darn good stuff. Definitely worth checking out.
Sorry this took so long to update readers! Internet troubles plague music blogs worldwide I’m sure, it’s just lame when I feel like it’s a really good post. If you like what you’re seeing comment peoples!
According to this Pitchfork article, that picture up there featuring a mustaschioed Rivers Cuomo might just be the official cover of Weezer’s Red Album. Seeing as all the press photos we’ve been seeing of our favorite antithetical rock frontman lately have had him sporting a strange hairdo (see this soccer photo), it’s only fitting that he be as strange on his latest album cover. The tracklist was also posted:
The Red Album Troublemaker’ ‘The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)’ ‘Pork and Beans’ ‘Heart Songs’ ‘Everybody Get Dangerous’ ‘Dreamin’’ ‘Thought I Knew’ ‘Cold Dark World’ ‘Automatic’ ‘The Angel and the One’
Bonus Disc for US Release
‘Miss Sweeney’, ‘Pig’, ‘The Spider’ and ‘King’
Ten songs, classic Weezer action. This album seems to be making the ‘return to rock’ a reality for the Weez machine, especially given the sound of their first single “Pork and Beans“. Also, it looks like fan favorite “Pig” was relegated to b-side status, which is fair enough as everyone has heard it more than enough since it leaked a few years ago. Of course if you haven’t heard it yet, here’s what it sounds like!
Can’t wait for this album! ******************************************************************** SALLY SHAPIRO – REMIX ROMANCE VOL. 2
If you’re like me you’ve been spinning Sally Shapiro’s Remix Vol. 1 constantly since it came out last week. The tracks maintain a dancey edge reminiscent of old-style disco tracks without ever becoming to campy or ridiculous, meaning normally hardcore rock and roll fans (cough cough) can hide in their rooms and listen to it on their headphones, bobbing their heads to the beat approvingly in private. The techno infiltration of the likes of Holy Fuck and Junior Boys on Vol. 1 makes the original tracks interesting in new ways and Vol. 2, with remixes by the likes of Dtnel, promises to be no different. Here’s the first track from this album which will be released in June, and go pick up Vol. 1 soon!
******************************************************************** SCARLETT JOHANSSON – NEW TOM WAITS COVER SONG
Last week I posted what I felt was a ‘bait and switch’ when I told everyone that a new Scarlett Johansson track from her upcoming Tom Waits’ covers album (entitled Anywhere I Lay My Head) had been posted online, though it had already been taken down by the time I wrote the post so no one got to hear it. Well, thanks to “>Falling Down” from Big Time, and like the last track, it’s shoegazey wonder and completely different from the source material. Still, as a big fan of female vocalists, shoegaze, and Tom Waits, I can’t help but to enjoy myself when I listen to it. Definitely will be picking up this record. ******************************************************************** CRYSTAL CASTLES’ PITCHFORK ARTICLE
While most people read Pitchfork probably for the overwrought album reviews, people should know they have articles down in the lower right hand corner. And while the weekly Puritan Blister isn’t as good a series as say Poptimist, it’s always good to read a piece like today’s PB article where the author explains in detail his absolute obsession with Crystal Castles. Read it to find out what I’ve been going through for over a year myself! I especially like the part about trying to figure out the lyrics, finding out they’re about suicide, violence, and death and thinking they’re all the cooler for it. Check it out if you don’t mind relatively pompous and way too self-referential music journalism. ******************************************************************** COOL SHOWS IN AUSTIN THIS WEEK
Converge tomorrow at Red 7! There will be blood@! There will be pictures! Dynamite Boy reunion this Saturday! Cruiserweight show this Saturday! Fun times to be had by all enjoyers of rock music this week.
That’s it for this update – comment away folks, it makes me uber happy!
One of our favorite local Austin bands Ringo Deathstarr has posted a new video on their Myspace. This is obviously just an inkling of what’s experienced at a Deathstarr show but stay tuned for more videos from this awesome band (hopefully from yours truly!).
******************************************************************** NEW M.I.A. LIVE VIDEO
Today we’ve got our favorite UK rapper M.I.A. live from Philadelphia with her signature crazy on-stage antics. M.I.A. will be in town May 1st at La Zona Rosa so be sure and check her out if you haven’t yet.
******************************************************************** WHO IS CONOR OBERST AND THE MYSTIC VALLEY BAND?
Of course we all know who Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes fame is, but after it was announced that it was his new band is playing this year’s ACL festival, we wondered who’s this Mystic Valley Band and what do they sound like? First, check out this post by Hypeful and you’ll get a lot more information as to what Oberst’s new project is all about. They are rumored to have recorded a new album and from the sound of the tracks on Hypeful, it has a more upbeat, singalong vibe than last year’s dark (but excellent) Bright Eyes release Cassadaga. Here’s a few tracks to wrap your brain around.
******************************************************************** NOTE FROM CHAN OF CAT POWER
Chan Marshall, the artist more commonly known as Cat Power, had a brief message posted on her Myspace that I thought was so damn touching that I would repost it. Here it is:
“yeah, phoenix ear nose and throat doctor said i should take a week off of singing, if i want to continue touring for the rest of this year, also, if i don’t want to risk ruining my vocal chords permanently, as i have a callous on the right side of my vocal chords, and a hint of a new one on the left.
to say yesterday was a very depressing and upsetting day for me and my band is to say the very least.
i sincerely apologize for any inconvenience that this has imposed on anybody.
all i can do is apologize.
i would not wish the way that i felt yesterday on anybody.
if you need gas money for all that long distance driving to last night’s phoenix show, maybe i can send you a western union wire for all your gas, or you could just pawn my c.d. or throw it out the window for that matter, how about that, sound fair? x
with love, frustration, feeling misunderstood and unplugging myspace page, yours, chan human”
Let it be known that the band’s Myspace has said that the cancelled US dates will probably be rescheduled for October, and while that’s a ways away they also said they’ll honor all the previously bought tickets (like mine up there). So you can bet I’m hanging on to that sucker and I’ll be seeing Chan and the gang then. ******************************************************************** CANNIBAL CHEERLEADER ON MYSPACE
Today’s update is super long (which is a good thing I think!) and that’s mainly because I have no Cat Power show to attend! That said, I have been doing a lot of other stuff with the Cannibal Cheerleader brand as of late. I made the logo you see up there (probably temporary but I think it’s cool nonetheless), I registered on Last.fm (last.fm/cannibalcheer), and I finally got up the Myspace page! The URL is myspace.com/cannibalcheerleader and if you like what’s going on here you should friend me!
With all this updating going on, I really should reemphasize to any readers out there, that one of my main passions of this blog is to open up some windows for shooting live rock and roll. I love it, it’s my passion, and I think I’m pretty good at it too! If your band or any band you know of needs some filming done, tell them to get in touch, I’d love to help them out! I’m an independent videographer right now and would love to make a living out of this so just get in touch with me (cannibalcheerleader@gmail.com). Of course, if you just have news tips or something similar for the blog, let me know! Hope to hear from people soon!
On a lighter note, here’s Cannibal Cheerleader’s new mascot (besides the chainsaw of course) – Claire from Heroes, haha! Save the cheerleader, save the *music* world!
It seems that our favorite chanteuse of the South Cat Power will not be joining us in Austin this Sunday, which sucks because I totally had a ticket. That said, tickets for the old show will be honored at the new one. Check out all the details here, here, and here. Sorry about all the mini-updates today. Seems like you go through a whole slow news week trying to fill space and then BAM, busy Friday, haha!
Check it out at the My Morning Jacket site. Free download of “Evil Urges” from the new album of the same title! It’s incredible stuff so make this the soundtrack of your weekend and give in to your urges people!
