2009 may just be the year of the Yeah Yeah Yeah, considering their blazingly original third LP It’s Blitz! and the band’s monumentally successful North American tour thus far. Now, not only have we received news that Karen O and company are replacing the Beastie Boys at Austin’s own Austin City Limits Festival, but KO is helming the entirety of the Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack. Check out the video for “All Is Love” below and be prepared to get your yeah yeahs out Austin.
NEW DECEMBERISTS’ ALBUM – THE HAZARDS OF LOVE Tons to talk about this week, as the weekend featured some heavy-hitting leaks that provided all of us dedicated indie-nerds with a plethora of new tracks to download, starting with best of all, the Decemberists‘ new record the Hazards of Love. Coming across as equal parts focused (on the sharp and enticing story) as well as sprawling (massive instrumentation giving the album a feeling of grandeur), HOL might just be the album Colin Meloy and company were brought together to make. Who would have thought that a band so meticulous at the construction of whimsical tales of arcane tragedy and ecstasy could pull off the rock opera? Actually, no one is surprised really, as overblown and fantastical is just what the Decemberists do best, especially on this, their most hard-rocking, anthemic album to date. Check out some tracks below and try to disagree.
The Decemberists – “The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid” The Decemberists – “Margaret in Captivity” ******************************************************************** NEW YEAH YEAH YEAHS VIDEO Lots of Yeah Yeah Yeahs updates these days, but small wonder really, as It’s Blitz!, the band’s third LP, is quickly being hailed as the New York group’s greatest triumph and a classic of the age. We here at Cannibal Cheerleader agree with such sentiments in no uncertain terms, as the album has delivered on all the promises of this fantastic trio, as does this playfully rocking music video for first single “Zero”, directed by Karen O’s boyfriend Barney Clay. Check it out below, it features KO seeming assured and happy as she trots down city-streets, but still with that same vulnerability we’ve come to expect from the “Maps” songstress. Check it:
Bonus! Did you know that there were iTunes-only bonus tracks for It’s Blitz!? Now you do:
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Hysteric (Acoustic Version)” Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Faces” ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: DUCHESS SAYS In the vein of the Karen O crew comes Montreal’s Duchess Says, a face-shredder of a punk/new-wave act with a French-Canadian songwriting repertoire and the self-proclaimed moniker of ‘moog rock’ to back it all up. Seriously, this group surprises and amazes with its blazing sound, that sounds altogether as amazing and alien as it does familiar to us dance-punk aficionados. Check it out below and let us know what you think.
Not sure if this leak was intentional or some fortunate coincidence, but the new single from New York art-rockers the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, “Zero”, from their forthcoming third LP It’s Blitz!, has taken the blogosphere by storm. Featuring vintage synths care of Nick Zinner, an infectious dancey groove reminiscient of TV on the Radio, and the signature Karen O croon (equal parts hot whispered murmurings and fierce spiked shrieks) it’s definitely enough to spark our interest in the upcoming LP (you know how we like our dance-rock here at Cannibal Cheerleader). Give it a listen down below, and ignore the haters who are dissing this track – classic Show Your Bones meets Is Is EP right here.
NEW KAREN O NATIVE KOREAN ROCK VIDEOS Our friends over at The Modern Age managed to capture some excellent videos of KO and the Native Korean Rock crew performing the Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman’s stripped down songs of romance and desire lost at sea.
Here’s there show review:
“The stage was set up like a kid’s school production of “South Pacific”, with a nautical extravaganza situated on the stage. A ship bow dead smack front and center, silver cellophane covering the floor, reflecting the blue and purple clear cellophane positioned by the monitors and drum kit–giving the impression of a dreamy sea. A foamy seascape hung as a backdrop.
When the band came out, they were all clad in white, with little sailor’s caps donning their heads. As the ship’s leader, Miss Karen was decked out in a checked button down shirt, black poofy skirt with pockets, and a captain’s hat with “Native Korean Rock” written in the band.
The subdued, 30-minute set was charming way to spend the evening. The songs were quiet, sweet, and whimsical–perfectly showcasing Karen O’s uncanny ability to sing songs with an intimate vulnerability that always rings true.“
And of course, here are the videos of the songs “Days Go By” and “Comes the Night”. Check it people!
Native Korean Rock – “Rapt” ******************************************************************** SCAR-JO POSTS ITUNES PLAYLIST Our favorite Tom Waits-covering A-list actress Scarlett Johansson recently had her music tastes prodded in the iTunes music store. The 20-song mixtape, which leaned heavily on classic singer-songwriters like Bob Dylan and showmen like Frank Sinatra, featured a few left-field choices as well, including the Arcade Fire and one of our personal favorites, Celebration, of which Johansson states “I love the female vocals by Katherina. It inspired me to explore a new realm for my own vocals.” Come to think of it they do sound pretty similar – perhaps a ScarJo album covering Celebration is in order? You can view the list by clinking on this link or by going to Scarlett’s music Myspace. In other news, Scarlett Johansson has a music Myspace (who knew?)
Scarlett Johansson – “Innocent When You Dream (Live)” ******************************************************************** NEW COLD WAR KIDS There’s a lot going apparently in the world of The Cold War Kids who last we heard were entrenched deep beneath the earth at work on their sophomore LP. Well the Kids have emerged into the sunlight and the result is Loyalty to Loyalty which comes out Sept. 23rd according to Stereogum. They’ve also got a new track up on their Myspace called “Something Is Not Right With Me” which retains the yelping, carnival-esque noodlings of their past sounds but adds a little bit more bounce and a harder edge that we hope hints at an album of soul-shaking rock and roll from these guys. Also, it looks like the troupe will be swinging through Austin on Oct. 24th at Emo’s so be sure and check that out as well. Here’s the tracklist for L2L:
1 Against Privacy 2 Mexican Dogs 3 Every Valley Is Not A Lake 4 Something Is Not Right With Me 5 Welcome To The Occupation 6 Golden Gate Jumpers 7 Avalanche In B 8 I’ve Seen Enough 9 Every Man I Fall For 10 Dreams Old Men Dream 11 On The Night That My Love Broke Through 12 Relief 13 Cryptomnesia ******************************************************************** NEW GNARLS BARKLEY VIDEO Not much to be said about this Odd Couple standout except, why are Gnarls Barkley so damn clever? Great tunes, great videos, great pairing. Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse 4 lyfe.
SOUTHERN DRAMA IN AUSTIN Performing at Austin’s own Beauty Bar last night, Southern Drama managed surpass all our expectations and capture a refreshing slice of retro-country rock with a subversive edge that proved both genuine and engaging. There exists a level of underlying difficulty when playing any version of country music – the danger of the tunes seeming kitsch or even worse, too poppy is ever-present. However, Southern Drama plowed through such criticisms with instrumental virtuosity, care of their brilliant violinist Naomi Cherie, and with the captivating howl of lead singer Clarissa Ysel. With a voice more reminiscent of a riot grrrl act than a gypsy-country band, Ysel brings a level of emotion to songs steeped in evocative imagery, pulling the listener into the band’s complicated world. Worth mentioning is of course the care the band seems to take with their presentation, dressing up in psycho-carnival wares, instantly inviting and absurd all at once, proving to us here at Cannibal Cheerleader that Southern Drama is not only deserving of our close attention for their music but for their whole visual and performance formula. We’ll definitely be keeping up with these ladies, check in for more details this week! Southern Drama – “French Song” ******************************************************************** KAREN O PLAYS NATIVE KOREAN ROCK IN NYC Here’s a little show review by our friends over at the Music Slut in NYC who were lucky enough to be able to attend the debut of Karen O’s side project Native Korean Rock Monday night.
“I was simply ecstatic when word spread last week that Karen O would be debuting her new side project, Native Korean Rock, at one of Brooklyn’s most beloved & miniscule venues. For just about a half hour, she showcased a collection of love songs on par with the latter tracks from Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Show Your Bones (most notably ‘Warrior’ & ‘Sweets’), backed by a quintet comprised of strings, drums & guitars. While we all know and love Karen for her gravelly howls and mighty stage persona, it’s sometimes easy to forget that her demure side is just as impressive & captivating. The stage was adorned quite eloquently with a Korean flag, ample blue cellophane & a partial ship bow (which read ‘Seoul’). Key elements of Karen’s outfit included roses, fringes & a spectacularly detailed navy blue cap. All in all, an immensely beautiful & touching evening.”
Here’s the setlist and encore:
Setlist Ooo. Body. Visits. Beast. Rapt. Sunset Sun. Comes The Night. Day Go By.
Encore Indian Summer. Day Go By [Reprise]
******************************************************************** TV ON THE RADIO REVEAL LP3 DETAILS That’s right, hot on the heels on one of our favorite records of yesteryear, Return to Cookie Mountain, art-punkers TV on the Radio will be releasing their third LP Dear Science, on Sept 23rd according to Pitchfork. Further details such as a tracklist and cover will obviously be forthcoming so stay tuned for further details!
TV on the Radio – “Blues From Down Here” ******************************************************************** BLOC PARTY VS. SEX PISTOLS?? Looks like the battle between post-punk and punk ‘77 is on as Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon became involved in a heated confrontation with Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke over the weekend at the Summercase Festival in Barcelona. You can read all of the details here but apparently things got nasty when Okereke asked the Rotten one if his other former band, Public Image Ltd., would ever get back together, prompting Lydon to apparently go on a racist tirade. Both parties were separated by their respective entourages but details are still blurry as to what was said or inferred by either party. Still, to say that Johnny Rotten isn’t crazy is pretty much a guarantee that you’ll be on the wrong side of the argument, at least, that’s our two cents. Any more news and you’ll be sure to hear about it from us!
KAREN O REVEALS NEW SIDE-PROJECTOver the weekend our favorite art-punk frontwoman Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs revealed her involvement in a new side project called Native Korean Rock. Here’s the announcement from KO from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ blog:
“Native Korean Rock is a side project of mine comprised of a body of love songs written over the last two years, to be performed with a motley crew of NYC natives. Expect high drama, high stakes in two intimate performances.
Does Native Korean Rock have anything to do with Yeah Yeah Yeahs? NO
Are these the leaked demos of years ago? NO“
Check out the band’s Myspace and check the flyer below for the NYC shows. Anyone attending this one want to take some pictures for us? Here’s a few Native Korean Rock tracks to download – fair warning, they’re appropriately lo-fi. Enjoy!
Karen O – “OOO” Karen O – “visits” Karen O – “rapt” ******************************************************************** CONOR OBERST LEAKSHere at Cannibal Cheerleader all the news of Conor Oberst ‘returning to form’ on his new solo, self-titled LP had us a little worried. We loved Cassadaga and we’ve been digging on his overtly political diatribes on the last few records, we’d prefer if our Bright Eyed troubadour stayed on this winding path. Suffice to say, during an initial run-through of Conor Oberst we’re pleasantly surprised that while this singer-songwriter has pared back the lush instrumentation, his penchant for wordy, poetic lyrics and impressive metaphor have been left well-intact. Check out a few tracks and let us know what you think folks!
“MP3s removed by request” ******************************************************************** ONE DAY AS A LION LEAKSDelivering on the promise of last week’s preview on the band’s Myspace, One Day As A Lion self-titled EP not only captures the fire and fury one has come to expect from the Rage Against the Machine MC, but also illuminates an evolution in his sonic palette, as drummer Jon Theodore helps push Zach de la Rocha towards a more dub-oriented reggae sound. Equal parts grime, rap, rock, and drum-n-bass, One Day As A Lion scorches through 5 economical tracks that promise great things in the band’s future. Here’s hoping for a full-length!
One Day As A Lion – “Last Letter” One Day As A Lion – “If You Fear Dying” ******************************************************************** MF DOOM/J DILLA/GHOSTFACE COLLAB SURFACESYes, it’s a day of leaks here at Cannibal Cheerleader but few seem so rare as this posthumous number from the great J Dilla. It’s a collaborative effort, two tracks from Jay Dee’s Donuts (”Anti-American Grafitti” and “Geek Down”) renamed, revamped (to become “Sniperelite” and “Murder Goons”), and flowed over by two master MCs (MF Doom and Ghostface Killah respectively). The end result is Sniperlite and you can hear the mashup of both songs below, in all their glory. Check it and be awed at the production mastery that was J Dilla.
Dilla/Doom/Ghostface – “Sniper Elite & Murder Goons” ******************************************************************** UZI AND ARI GET EQUIPMENT STOLEN The scourge of the indie-rock world has struck again, this time it’s our shoegazey-cum-indie pop favorites Uzi and Ari who have been left ‘out in the cold’ so to speak after their equipment was stolen from their own house! Here’s their Myspace bulletin with the details:
“Hi droogs.
This is really getting old, isn’t it? Reading about the misfortunes of Uzi & Ari. Must be a curse upon us. But, as Christian Bale said last night in ‘The Dark Knight,’ the night is darkest just before the dawn. We hope.
Last night at about 4am, some hoodlums broke into our house, while we were sleeping and made off with the following items:
Roland Juno 106 Synthesizer (black in color) Nord Electro-2 keyboard (red in color) Fender Twin Reverb amplifier Fender Mustang bass guitar (white in color) Boss DD-5 Digital Delay Boss DD-6 Digital Delay Dell Inspiron Notebook Laptop (black in color) Behringer 1204 FX mixer (dark gray in color) Tascam 4 Track (light gray) Korg Electribe ESX1 drum machine (red in color) Ludwig Acrolyte snare drum (matte silver in color)
and various power cords, guitar cables, etc., totalling about 4500 dollars worth of equipment. i’ll post pictures soon.
If you know anyone who might have acquired new equipment like this, please be a good samaritan and let us know. This is just happening too often to bands, it’s crippling. We already make such a meager earning, we don’t even break even. It’s getting harder and harder to justify doing this anymore, it’s just an uphill battle constantly. This is the third time we have been robbed, but this is just ugly, to be robbed in your own home while you are sleeping.
Anyway, I would feel awful to ask for donations again. So many of you were so generous in donating for the vinyl, I know our fan base isn’t huge and you must be exhausted with your own struggle and strife.
We will, however be throwing a sort of benefit show/party in downtown Salt Lake in late August. We’re trying to do it on a rooftop or something cool that a lot of people will want to come to. I’ll post more information as I get it.
Sorry to be such a downer. I posted a new song, ‘Wolf Eggs,’ from the new record, a little earlier than I had planned, to lighten the mood. I don’t want you coming to our page and just feeling bad all the time.
We’ll get through this!
xo ben“
So there you have it folks, if you see any of that equipment out there get it back to the band! Instrument thieves should be shot on sight! Stop destroying our indie-rock idealism! Here’s a video from the band and be sure to check out the band’s new album Headworms which drops Oct. 15th.
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.
If you were anywhere but at the Emo’s inside stage Tuesday night than you missed an incredible hardcore punk show from UK newcomers Gallows. These Watford rockers have a notorious live show and they even managed to turn a hipster Austin crowd into a circle-pit of carnage. If these photos are blurry you probably understand why.************************************************************************************* Perennial CC favorite Karen O (frontwoman of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) is reported (via Pitchfork) to be writing tunes for the Spike Jonze adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are. Her last “collaboration” with Jonze supposedly ended in a messy breakup, but some messy K.O. tunes might actually be a welcome addition. Check out this solo K.O. clip from the K.O. at Home bootleg to satiate yourself until the film arrives.
Karen O. – “Audiotrack 8″ (from the K.O. at Home bootleg) ************************************************************************************* BabyshamblesfrontmanPete Doherty is planning a solo album, or so reports this NME news story. While some think of the wayward Libertine as being a drugged out has-been, we here at CC like to err on the side of ‘Pete’s a flawed genius’ instead. His previous solo work “For Lovers” went to the top 10 in the UK, so here’s hoping for good things. Check out this sample from The Branding Sessions and see what you think of Doherty’s solo abilities (Pete’s reworking of the classic “Can’t Stand Me Now”)
“Scarlett Johansson will release an album on May 6 called “Anywhere I Lay My Head,” andPOP [sic] has learned.
The actress-turned-singer revealed in 2006 that she would be recording a Tom Waits cover album. Her album’s title, “Anywhere I Lay My Head,” is the title of a Waits track from his classic 1985 album “Rain Dogs.””
So there you have it folks, Scarlett is indeed the woman for you if you love drunken piano ballads (God knows I do!). Here’s a few music related Scarlett clips to tide you over until tomorrow:
Scarlett Johansson performing with the Jesus and Mary Chain at Coachella ‘07
Scarlett Johansson in Bob Dylan’s video for “When the Deal Goes Down”
