Shakira’s decision to cover the xx’s ‘Islands’ (originally retitled ‘Explore,’ now re-retitled ‘Islands’ again) isn’t exactly a huge shock, having been signposted in the summer with strategically leaked samples and a televised live cover at Glastonbury.
It is rather good, however.
Shakira’s cover is faster and less intimate than the original, laying a thumping club beat below the tropical guitar riff, but it does somehow manage to work.
Zola Jesus is Nika Roza Danilova, a classically trained vocalist and Julliard reject by the age of 10. With this re-recording of the massive “Sea Talk”, which features on the Valusia EP released just today, she continues her proclivity for creating huge, swelling pop songs with a gothic synth twist.
Before detailing the show itself, there is a intricately webbed story behind the recent movement of Glassjaw (most of the following details are with great help of the www.glassjaw.net message board). Back on August 8th, 2010, Glassjaw released the “All Good Junkies Go To Heaven” single and played a coordinating show in the United Kingdom. Soon after, Glassjaw secretly played a small Long Island venue (Vibe Lounge) on September 9th, 2010 that aligned with the “Jesus Glue” vinyl release date. Like the 9/9/10 date, Sons Modern put together a show at Maxwell’s in New Jersey on October 10th, the same date that the “Natural Born Farmer” single dropped. Keeping a consistent pattern, this show was named “Sons Modern Family Gathering feat. Tidal Arms/Happy Body Slow Brain and very special guest.” Once again, this led to mass speculation, specifically that Glassjaw would be playing the bill. Now, the previous three singles were labeled with the numbers 88, 89, and 90 respectively, and a short history lesson allows you to know that Glassjaw have attached themselves to the year 1993, the year the band formed (and a number they are likely counting up to). Putting the pieces together, the writing is on the wall of what is to come. On 11/11/10 and 12/12/10 there will be two more singles and at least two more shows, filling up 91 and 92 in their catalog. However, when Glassjaw play January 1st,…
Weezer laughed off an offer of $10 million to break up, but would it really cost that much?
It helped that it was a slow week, but there was an unusual amount of press attention last Wednesday when Seattle man James Burns boldly offered rock band Weezer $10 million to stop making music.
The concept of paying musicians to retire isn’t exactly a new one, but in this case it reflected a real long-held view among part of the band’s fanbase that, well, maybe retirement wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world. Having spent much of the ’90s and early ’00s as a solid ‘album every two or three years’ band, Weezer have released four in the past five years and the dramatic slide in quality has been noticed by all but the most easily-amused fan.
Whether the petition was intended as a joke or a genuine expression of frustration – more than likely both – the band were quick to laugh it off, with drummer Patrick Wilson joking that “if they can make it 20, we’ll do the ‘deluxe breakup’!” Frontman Rivers Cuomo rather missed the point entirely, reassuring fans that “no petition and no amount of money will stop us from being together!” In any case, spoilsport Burns has since shut the petition down.
It’s a pity – it would have been nice if Weezer had at least have pretended to entertain the offer…
Halloween is coming up in a matter of weeks (one of only 11 Irish festivals, so enjoy it while you can!)
This year, Insane Clown Posse – Michigan’s scariest, most grotesque rap duo since Kid Rock and Joe C. – have decided to mark the occasion with a brand new song entitled ‘This Halloween is Crazy.’ Well it certainly is that.
You thought rainbows were insane? Just you wait for this Halloween – it’s crazy. Magnets… confusing? Wait until it starts raining pumpkins up in this bitch. Spooky, spooky! A witch smacks into a tree? BOOM! Welcome to Detroit, bitch.
Insane Clown Posse – ‘This Halloween Is Crazy’
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In anticipation of their second album Helioscope, tentatively scheduled for February 2011, we’re proud to present the video and full-length stream for Vessels’ new single ‘Meatman, Piano Tuner, Prostitute.’
Vessels fans will notice one new feature on the band’s new single, ‘Meatman, Piano Tuner, Prostitute’: vocalist Stuart Warwick (himself a solo musician) is omnipresent on the track, making it about as close to a standard “pop” track as the Leeds post-rockers have ever made.
Vessels’ debut album White Fields & Open Devices was lauded on Sputnik for its unexpected twists and imaginative way of combining sounds, including a refreshing willingness to use vocals as an extra instrument rather than as focal point or (such is the case with most post-rock acts) just ignoring them completely.
‘Meatman’ is a bit of a departure, then, as Warwick’s singing is very much the central structure. However it’s very much a change that pays off as it allows the group to incorporate more non-rock effects, with shimmering, distorted sounds and corrosive piano effects jarring elegantly with Warwick’s fluid, almost violin-like vocals, and the inevitably explosive release of guitars and drums is all the more electric as a result.
The single is accompanied by a Kira Zhigalina-directed video that is as colourful and distinctive as the song itself.
Vessels — ‘Meatman, Piano Tuner, Prostitute’
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Gold Panda has made available his entire debut album Lucky Shiner for streaming. The album delivers on all the promise shown in singles such as Quitter’s Raga and You, carving out an enticing array of songs.
Lucky Shiner is available for purchase digitally at Ghostly International, with the physical copy releasing October 12th.
With the onset of daylight saving time a mere thirty hours away and a couple of relatively warmer days just gone, the mood of the punters entering Mebourne’s Festival Hall (not so affectionately known as Festering Hall) on this particular Friday night seemed just a little more jovial than usual. Those who arrived early would have been treated to Perth act The Chemist… For this attendee however, it was to be dinner and drinks that would win out, before arriving for the surprisingly well-known international supporting act; Los Angeles alternative rock quartet Silversun Pickups.
It says something about the progression of the Australian music industry when a local band – and not exactly one which the average Joe on the street would even know – can attract such an acclaimed international support. And while there could easily have been a case for this to be a true co-headline show, Silversun Pickups fans would be treated to their own headline slot (albeit at a smaller venue) three nights earlier. On an early trip to the men’s room for yours truly, urinal talk suggested the crowd were rather evenly split as to who they were there for. And even when one already inebriated man was at a loss as to who these “Pickups” were, all was ok when he was told they had a “chick” in the band.
Even on record, Silversun Pickups rely on a fuzzy, distorted sound, so it was a little overwhelming that
Ham SandwicH (there’s no real reason for that capital H – it doesn’t make it look any more symmetrical) released their second album, White Fox, last week (stream here).
To coincide with the release they went on Irish and recorded this oddly brilliant cover of Britney Spears’ slut’s anthem ‘Piece of Me.’
It’s Britney, bitch. Not really.
Ham Sandwich – ‘Piece of Me’ (Britney Spears cover)
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I don’t really know anything about Sound Set aside from what their Facebook and my rudimentary French tells me, which is that they’re a Franco-German trio of DJs and producers with a passion for new wave, house and “The Swedish touch.”
Whatever their influences, they’ve zeroed in on the most important one of all – Butch Walker – and unleashed this beefy remix synced to the original track’s Kung Fu-themed video. Enjoy.
Here’s the deal: Sputnikresident Keelan’s review of Sufjan Stevens’ The Age of Adz is really fucking good. I mean like, really, really fucking good. So much so that I had to write something back at him. But before that I really need to point out that Keelan is the most profound writer on this site, someone who actually takes the time to think through what he’s writing before spilling his digital ink, and anyone else looking to figure out how to do this whole writing reviews thing should read his stuff. Secondly, this is also a roundabout response (not quite review!) to The Age of Adz itself, which is probably one of this years most bewildering records, which, for better or worse, I’d like to share some thoughts on. So with the stream of consciousness button firmly pressed down into my head, let’s keep going!
Let me get this out of the way: The Age of Adz is the mirror image reversal of M.I.A’s /\/\/\Y/\. Calm down. Now, I like/\/\/\Y/\. I wrote an over the top review saying as much. I don’t like The Age Of Adz. Let me flesh this out – Perhaps the most striking resemblance between /\/\/\Y/\ and The Age of Adz is their sheer reliance on affect, with the barest minimum tying it all together: Melodies and sounds will sweep in out of nowhere; for Sufjan, this means fleeting strings and choral lines; for M.I.A. this means glitchy spasms of synth squelches…
As part of my ongoing efforts to educate the masses about an archaic musical genre that nobody really liked in the first place, I’ll be highlighting some of the forgotten classics (i.e. all of them) of the hair metal era. Anybody who had harboured any lingering respect for me up to this point will soon see the error of his ways.
OK, I know I’m ever so slightly breaking my own rules by featuring a parody act, but given Steel Panther are more or less carrying the flag for ball-grabbing hair metal I feel it’s justified. Choosing a track for this edition of the series, I was put in the rather awkward position of not really knowing where to start: Steel Panther only have a handful of tracks and they’re more or less all equally awesome.
Steel Panther began life as Metal Skool, a semi-satirical glam metal covers band that set up residency in LA and regularly featured guest spots from the biggest names in rock, from Kelly Clarkson to Billy Ray Cyrus and all the way back to Kelly Clarkson again. All four members are fully paid-up veterans of the Sunset Strip – frontman Michael Starr was briefly a member of LA Guns and guitarist Satchel played with Rob Halford’s post-Priest project Fight – so they know their source material better than almost anybody.
Steel Panther’s first official album (second album proper) features 12 slices of ’80s rock magic closely modeled on the work of some of…
There’s a sweet spot in my heart for this Sydney four piece – not only do they craft some of the best alt-pop tunes I know, but they do it with a lush grandeur that so few others ever have. On the back of their brilliant and shimmering Dark Strom EP, released yesterday, here’s Mace Spray the first single to be released:
The Jezabels – Mace Spray:
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And just for kicks, and because it’s pretty, here’s the official video for Hurt Me from their second EP:
