Steve LampirisSo in case you didn’t already have reason to doubt to the so-called facts that have been spouted off by the RIAA and MPAA in reference to piracy, lemme give you one. There’s this TED talk wherein Rob Reid (humorously) discusses the figures cited by those two bodies for the supposed losses they suffer from internet piracy. As it turns out, the numbers are more or less bullshit. Reid points out at the beginning that…
So Bruce Springsteen put a new single out this morning
It’s called “We Take Care of Our Own,” and you can hear it via a lyric video he uploaded to YouTube. You can stream it below. The song is the first single off of his forthcoming record Wrecking Ball, which is due out on March 6. In typical Boss fashion, it’s got not-all-hope-is-lost working-man lyrics, chiming guitars, and an anthemic chorus. So, yeah, it’s a Springsteen song.
Refused to Reunite, play Coachella
So on the heels of hearing about a reunited At The Drive-In, we hear that fellow ’90s punk icons Refused are getting back together and are schedule to play at music festival giant Coachella in April. As for the explanation behind the reunion, there’s a wordy explanation (just like the explanation for the break-up back in ’98) on their official site. Besides personal reasons, they claim: We never did “The shape of punk to come”…
Two big pieces of Mars Volta-related news
First: After two and a half years – an eternity within TMV’s world – we will finally have a new record this year, their first since 2009’s Octahedron. (Which I loved, by the way). They have yet to make a bad record, so this is something to get excited for. Second: Even while TMV are prepping a new album, At The Drive-In are GETTING BACK TOGETHER. The announcement came in the form of a Tweet:…
“Sexy and I Know It” is the number one song in the U.S. (Or, how LMFAO created the biggest troll in Billboard history)
Americans like stuff, right? They like capitalism and democracy and friends and love and fast food and coffee. Right? Polls show that Americans like stuff, so they must like stuff. It’s simple logic. And it further stands to reason that because they like stuff, they know what kinds of stuff they like. So here’s the thing: If Americans, as a friend put it, “want cake, give them cake,” then you’ve effectively given Americans exactly what…
Quickie album review: The Black Keys, “El Camino”
The album probably shoulda been called “Tighten Up,” considering that’s what Danger Mouse helped the Keys do for the songwriting of this record. Funny thing “Tighten Up,” too: If that was the band’s attempt at a pop song (within a retro-soul record), El Camino, and especially lead single “Lonely Boy,” is their attempt at a pop record. And, of course, since it’s Danger Mouse and it’s on a major label, the hooks aren’t happenstance like…
More new Black Keys to stream
So after the hilarious video for “Lonely Boy” (great song, too!), the Black Keys would like you to hear more of their upcoming album, El Camino. All ya gotta do is head over to the Keys’ site for the album and enter in some info – namely: email address, zip code and country. (If you detest getting pointless emails from the band or Warner Bros, you can simply unsubscribe right after.) Pretty simple, right? And…
New Billboard rule: Albums sold under $3.49 don’t count
Billboard announced a new rule about SoundScan counts: if your album is sold for under $3.49, it doesn’t get counted toward your Billboard ranking. Everyone seems to be assuming that this has something to do with the 2-day, 99 cent sale of Lady GaGa’s latest, Born This Way, which went platinum in a week. Critics argue that a large part of such chart domination was largely because it was sold as such a low price…
(Semi-legitimate) study: Nickelback not helpful in getting you laid
So, for all the shit that I’ve given Nickelback over the years, apparently it has been warranted – at least a little bit. A blog calling itself Tastebuds.fm has named the Canadian rockers the “number one musical turnoff.” Tastebuds, a similar site to Last.fm, did their research thusly: Each user was allowed to specify up to 12 acts that turned them off. Nickelback – regularly lambasted by the music press – came out on top…
Stream Oneohtrix Point Never’s “Replica”
So the pseudonym of Dan Lopatin has a new record out on November 8, but you can hear it right now over on Soundcloud. It’s about the most bizarre album you’ll listen to this year. It also has the best album art in a long, long while. Replica finds OPN experimenting with samples and TV clips. Any given song is a paranoid, claustrophobic mindfuck in itself, and the album as a whole may make you…