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05 Jul 2010 21:05

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Music: The “Sound Strike” Arizona boycott list gets a little more diverse

  • Also: Conor Oberst wrote a pretty killer letter. A few weeks back, we criticized the Rage Against the Machine-led boycott of the state of Arizona for having a fairly weak deck of cards. Now, it’s a little bit better, having added a number of A-list artists, including Nine Inch Nails, Pitbull (who is Cuban-American), Maroon 5 and Chris Rock. No Coldplay yet, but Maroon 5 is kind of a biggie. In other news, Oberst (he of Bright Eyes and Monsters of Folk) wrote a passionate open letter to powerful tour promoter Charlie Levy, with this key statement: “We cannot play on as if nothing is wrong.  This is not just about Arizona.  I am not just skipping a tour date.  This is not going to be easy for anyone.” Well-put. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 4 Comments • Permalink

31 Oct 2009 16:52

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Music: Our Saturday Mixtape’s decade-in-review lands in 2005

  • 1. Between this and The Walkmen’s “The Rat,” you have two of the three best songs of the decade right here. (The third is coming in the next few weeks.) A surreal, beautiful, simple song, Antony deserves the high praise this song (and album) earned.
    2. The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn is a walking Wikipedia entry on the city of Minneapolis, something that straight-up defines the sound of “Your Little Hoodrat Friend,” a four-minute explanation of why this band is so awesome to people not in the know.
    3. Sort of a ying to The Hold Steady’s yang, Art Brut’s Eddie Argos is nearly as self-referential as Finn is. On “Emily Kane,” Argos counts down to the second when his first relationship ended. And not surprisingly, the whole album is this clever.
    4. People seem to give Conor Oberst crap for being too pretentious for his own good, but for one shining moment this decade, he was able to get past all that and create a truly shining piece of work, “I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning.” “Land Locked Blues” is our favorite highlight.
    5. Perhaps the best story to come out of 2005 was the long-gestating return of Vashti Bunyan, a former Andrew Loog Oldham protégé who released a spectacular, unheard album, “Just Another Diamond Day,” in 1970, only to disappear for 35 years. Thanks to Devendra Banhart, Animal Collective and other hipster fans, she returned with “Lookaftering,” an amazingly assured victory lap. “Wayward Hum” doesn’t even need words to be a highlight.source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 4 Comments • Permalink

22 Jul 2009 20:54

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Music: Conor Oberst ≠ Bright Eyes. In fact, Bright Eyes might just die.

  • I think that’s his line of thinking at this point — closing the chapter on that moniker. I think he feels like Bright Eyes has a certain association, for better or worse. I think he’s trying to distance himself a little bit from what that means to people.
  • Saddle Creek Records President Robb Nansel • On Conor Oberst’s desire to retire the Bright Eyes name once and for all. Nansel says that Oberst plans to record a final album as Bright Eyes for the label (which Oberst co-founded, by the way) next year. But while you’re waiting, don’t forget about the Monsters of Folk, the supergroup he’s co-founding with like-minded indie guys M. Ward and Jim James (along with fellow Bright Eye guy Mike Mogis). They release an album in September. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 5 Comments • Permalink

12 Jun 2009 20:42

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Music: The kings of mopey strummer music create their own supergroup

  • The quartet, which calls itself Monsters of Folk, will release its self-titled debut September 22. Usually we’re against supergroups, but these guys have way more pedigree than Tinted Windows. (But fewer hit singles.) source
  • Because, seriously, who can dispute the awesomeness of an indie rock supergroup that actually calls itself Monsters of Folk? It’s like the Justice League, except it’s gonna put you to sleep and make you a little sad. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 May 2009 03:00

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Music: Conor Oberst ain’t feeling the critics’ love from Pitchfork

  • 4.9 their rating of the Bright Eyes dude’s latest, “Outer South” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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