Hey Cannibal Cheerleader faithful, we’re halfway through the year so I figured it was about time to announce the albums, acts, songs, and shows that I feel are the best of the year SO FAR. Below are some tentative lists with the entries in no particular order and I’m not going to comment on these choices because frankly, they could change tomorrow! But I think what follows will be a good template of where we stand here in the middle of June and I believe a good deal of these may join us again in December. So, without further ado, the Halfway There Cannibal Cheerleader lists:
One of our favorite blogs Stereogum is releasing a tribute to Bjork’sPost (a fantastic album in its own right) called Enjoyed and they’ve got some excellent contributions this time. CC faves such as Liars, Bell, and High Places are all represented so check it out in this player or download all the MP3s at their site. Great stuff.
******************************************************************** NEW INTERPOL FAN VIDEO
In what is apparently a more and more regular occurence, a fan-made video for a band has received the act’s approval, as is this case with this fan-made, Interpol-approved clip. Featuring “Rest My Chemistry” from last year’s underrated Our Love to Admire, the video of swirling lights seems incredibly fitting. Here’s hoping they do “Pace Is The Trick” next.
******************************************************************** POSTER SALE IN AUSTIN
Here are some rock posters readers of CC might be interested in! They are from Bryan Keplesky’s (of Misprint fame) personal collection and they include such CC faves as Death Cab and the Wrens. Apparently Bryan will deliver them to your house if you order so call him up and get some!
So, things seem to be tough all over, with many of CC’s favorite artists apparently falling off (or never having been) the indie rock radar and the artists being forced to turn to the fans for support. This is of course yet another sign of the way that the music industry must take on a serious sea change to stay afloat. It seems odd that bands are having to turn back to the fans for support after the labels fail them. Perhaps it’s better for we the fans though, as artists will once again pander to the individual’s tastes rather than all the corporate nonsense.
Up at the top there is perennial CC fave Giant Drag (now lead solely by lead guitarist/vocalist/badass Annie Hardy) who seems to be having it rough after getting dropped from a major label. In order to record her second album Annie is needing all the help she can get, so she’s got a ‘donate’ button on her website and she’s opened up an eBay store. Check it and donate/buy cool stuff homies. ******************************************************************************************************************************** Next up is our friends Trophy Scars who had the rug pulled out from under them on their when their entire UK tour (a venture which required the band members all emptying their bank accounts) got cancelled because of dick promoters. Awfulness indeed but they too have opened up an eBay store and you can check their website for more info about how to help. ******************************************************************************************************************************** Just so things aren’t all gloomy, check out this rad new artist called Also, partial ACL Lineup here. Gnarls Barkley, N.E.R.D., Hot Chip, CSS, the Raconteurs, Del the Funkee Homosapien, etc. Sounds okay but hopefully we’ll get some more than this because there certainly isn’t enough indie here to satiate me (though N.E.R.D. does kinda rule…) ******************************************************************************************************************************** Oh, and here’s the real cover for the new Charlotte Sometimes Album. Looks like it’s gonna be awesome! Can’t wait for the May release!