Electro-rock is alive and well in 2011 thanks to bands like Cansei Der Ser Sexy also lovingly known as CSS. Their latest, La Libreacion, is, quite simply, a slab of danceable electro goodness. For those of you who love the video game aesthetic of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, La Liberacion is for you. If you love Ladytron but wish they weren’t so serious all the time, La Liberacion is for you. Album number three starts off the best way […]
Monthly archive August, 2011
Blerd Radio Episode 9: Holy Crap! The Summer’s Over
And here’s the latest podcast from the lovable Mike and Jesse in which we discuss….what did we discuss again? There was a lot of Sesion Dark Lager consumed. Oh yeah! We talked (Ok, Mrs. Jesse talked about) about the UK’s Special Needs invading NYC on Labor Day as well as 8.24 new releases, a preview of the upcoming RHCP album, and some more debating on the always infuriating Big Box exclusives argument (We’re looking at you, Hov). We also gave […]
Spin Cycle: Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks’ “Mirror Traffic”
The Indie Rock ‘Splosion of the 1990s brought us plenty of great music, and Pavement was at the forefront. After the band’s acrimonious split in 1999, frontman Stephen Malkmus wasted little time staking out his solo identity: his first solo album was released in 2001 and three more followed in quick succession before the band improbably reunited last year to cash in on the reunion fever that swept the alt-rock world. But the Pavement reunion was limited to touring. Malkmus […]
Killer Sounds from a Killer Band (Hard-Fi come back hard!)
The UK’s Hard-Fi are somewhere in the realm of The Clash and Big Audio Dynamite mixed with The Police. They definitely bring the groove with some horn and synth flourishes but overall, Hard-Fi just rock. Their third album, Killer Sounds, is out this week and it is well worth the 4-year wait. Teaming up with producers Stuart Price (Madonna, Seal, The Killers), Greg Kurstin (Lily Allen), Alan Moulder (NIN) as well as production from frontman Richard Archer, Hard-Fi have managed to […]
Spin Cycle: “Newermind”
Nirvana’s breakthrough album turns 20 this year (we can’t believe it either). Although the official commemoration won’t occur until the anticipated reissues this fall , culturally we’re already reflecting on the album’s music and impact. Much like it’s celebration of Prince’s Purple Rain two years ago, Spin magazine’s latest edition has a feature on Nevermind that includes stories behind the album and reflections from a veritable who’s who of rock on what Nevermind means to them. Also included is a free download of Newermind, […]
The Viewfinder: “When The Night Falls” by Chromeo
If you haven’t picked up Chromeo’s Business Casual album yet, you are missing out on some serious dance-pop goodness. These two Canucks make music that takes listeners back to the glory days of post-disco dance pop. It’s got a 1983 flavor, with a little bit of 2011 irreverence thrown in. The year-old project has gotten a new life, including the announcement of a tour with them and kindred spirit Mayer Hawthorne, and a video for the single “When The Night […]
bLISTerd: Happy Anniversary, MTV!: The Best Videos of the ’00s (20-11)
Beyonce shakes her tailfeather, Erykah Badu reminds us what the inside of a wrecka’ sto’ looks like, and Stacy’s mom has got it going on here (AKA #21-#30). Now we’re in the Top 20. Any idea what’s gonna be #1 yet? 20. “Float On” | Modest Mouse (2004) Underground darlings for years, Modest Mouse broke through to the mainstream with this uncharacteristically peppy ode to floating through your troubles. Tons of underwater imagery (a theme that would become even more apparent […]
Chart Stalker: Throne Maintained; Weezy & Drake’s Domination
This week’s Billboard album chart has a familiar ring to it: Jay-Z and Kanye West hold the #1 spot for a second week with Watch The Throne. Featuring the hit single “Otis”, the hip-hop superstar summit rings up another 177,000 units in sales this week. It sells more than double the quantity of the week’s #2 album, which is–looky looky–Adele’s 21. Now riding the wave of a second hit single (“Someone Like You” hits the Top 40 this week), Adele’s […]
Blerd Appreciation: Remembering Aaliyah-10 Years Later
The day was Sunday, August 26th, 2001. Me and the person I was dating at the time were returning from a trip to the Cape. It was my first visit to the state that, in a few years, would become my home. We were fairly near New York, because I remember that we’d switched the radio dial to Z-100, NYC’s Top 40 station. They were playing “Back & Forth” or “One In A Million” or one of those Aaliyah songs […]
Pass the Popcorn: Fright Night
Whatever happened to the Nosferatus of the world? Sometime between that 1921 masterpiece of gothic horror and today, vampires ceased to become cold blooded monsters and started to become the creepy fixation of adolescent girls (not to mention soccer moms) everywhere. The modern day vampire is brooding, sexy, and urbane, more interested in passionate affairs with young, bored women than with devouring the life blood of peasants. The gnarled, bird-like face created by F.W. Murnau has somehow transformed into the […]
