Kings of Leon Leaked All Over My Internets

So uh... yeah Only By the Night seemed to pop up last night whilst scanning the 'sphere. I know, I couldn't believe it either! Rest assured the kids will begin rapidly sharing tracks post haste. The actual release date is 9/23 and the iTunes pre-order comes with a CSS remix of The Bucket which I'm anxious to hear.

They've been trotting out a few of the tracks on the road recently and I'm totally boutabout 'em.

Peep the first ever live performances of "Sex on Fire" & "Manhattan" from the APW fest last month.



(I'm completely in love with this one)

along with oldie "Milk"



They somehow shoehorned 20 tracks into their "opening" slot before Radiohead took the stage and sounded phenomenal. If the KoL swing by your town (and even if they don't) on the current tour pick up tickets - you won't be sorry.

Also props for making the first single free for all.

Kings of Leon - "Crawling"

(and to 12mc for still hosting)

And in case you need more they Kings are putting up a series of home movies via their YouTube Channel all month (well until the "actual" release date.)

late-

Get Smart (Review)

When updating classic TV shows there is usually a formula that is followed – short intro quickly placing characters in their respective rolls followed by the bulk of a ridiculous plot featuring where possible cameos from people associated with the original show. This film thankfully does not follow this formula. Instead Get Smart takes the Casino Royale (apropos) origin story and overlays it on one Maxwell Smart.

The film opens with a quick montage then its off to the Spy Museum in DC (again - nice touch) with Steve Carell carrying a stack of papers that is just slightly to large for him. We hear a tour guide mention that C.O.N.T.R.O.L. has been defunct since the end of the Cold War and then a smirk show’s up on Carell’s face as he enters the secret entrance. But Maxwell does not start out the film as an international super-spy. No, he is only a lowly analyst awaiting his Field Agent’s test results. Anne Hathaway’s Agent 99 isn’t even introduced for a half hour! After a leak exposes most of C.O.N.T.R.O.L.’s agents its up to rookie 86 (Smart) & a facially reconstructed 99 to take on K.A.O.S. and their attempt to get their hands on a stock pile of nuclear weapons… and fall in love along the way. Carell plays Smart somewhere between the unconfident Andy of 40YOV and Michael Scott’s bumbling never admit your wrong attitude on The Office. While this feels like a retread for the first ½ of the film, once he starts to become Agent 86 (about the time he first utters the famous line “Missed it by that much”) the film become an effortless piece of summer fun. They even take some time to lampoon Entrapment to hilarious results.

(Listen to the classic theme)

The acting is mostly top notch. Alan Arkin re-teams with his Little Miss Sunshine co-star and he is again great and the back office shenanigans between tech-geeks played by Masi Oka & Nate Torrence and sidelined field agents Terry Crews & David “Whammy” Koechner fill the b-story gaps nicely. The only disappointments in the cast are the bland Dwayne Johnson and the surprisingly uninteresting Terrence Stamp who seemed to be phoning in his role as Siegfried, head of K.A.O.S. There are also a boat load of cameos including James Caan (President), Geoffrey Pierson (Veep - demoted from 24), Kevin Nealon & Larry Miller (CIA), Patrick Warburton and Bill Romanowski (Air Marshall). Bernie Kopell – Siegfried in the original show makes and appearance as does Leonard Stern, writer and exec. producer of the series. The only cameo that didn’t work for me was an odd turn by Bill Murray as Agent 13 who spends his entire scene inside a tree and is desperate for attention (was Agent 13 aways like that?).

As one who has only ever caught a few episodes snippets of the show from Nick at Nite I’m sure there are a ton of geek out moments that I missed (shoe phone makes an appearance at the end). I also didn’t have much of an attachment to the series or characters and was not expecting very much from this one but in the end Carell’s turn as Maxwell Smart won me over. The film is fun, mostly solid and an excellent addition to his career, which I thought was headed downhill after last year’s output.

B

Viva La Vida or Big Brother Is Watching You

So as a denizen of the blogosphere you already know about the "record company destroying" leak of the new set from Coldplay last week. (Legal Listen) But there is also the little business of their US tour fiasco with production delays forcing postponement by almost a month - and now the kick off is in LA? Philly deserves better. (j/k - let them work the kinks out on the left coast).

I did however win tickets to the free live show up at MSG on the 23rd (jealous?) which as of yet has not been bumped. This means it should be a nice little productionless fan/band/jam in the most famous arena in the world. When checking the inbox today I found this:

This is your order number for your pair(2) of tickets to the Free Coldplay show
at Madison Square Garden on June 23rd, 2008.

Doors are scheduled for 7:00pm. Showtime is scheduled for 8:00pm You will learn your seat locations when you receive your tickets in the mail. Tickets will be mailed via US Mail - Delivery Confirmation. Tickets will be mailed on or before June 13th, 2008. They will be mailed from Musictoday in Crozet, VA. You will receive a white bubble padded package in the mail. Be on the lookout!

You will also receive a shipping confirmation email on the day that your tickets ship. We know we've told you before, but we're going to tell you again.

DON'T SELL THESE TICKETS.

We're watching and we'll catch you. Trust us!

If you can't make it, email or call us. We'll find some other fan who
will go in your place.

Thanks again. We'll see you at the show!

Ya just have to laugh at this. Not sure who is behind the watching but i'm keeping my blinds closed till next Tuesday just in case. I don't plan on selling these but I fear they might catch me in some kind of compromising position (NSFW). Can't wait for this and the eventual "big show" when the tour stops by the Wac... wait minute - they are playing at the Wachovia center. Wachovia/WatchOvaYa... I feel like Agent Mulder, or Nic Cage in those Indy rip off movies.

Late-

Bonus MP3: Bloc Party vs. Coldplay - Hunting for Witches In My Place

And now... Music!

OK, enough with the movies for a bit time to drop a few new tracks as I've not done that yet this year.

Let's start with the return of N*E*R*D! The Neptune boys are back after a 4 year hiatus with their pocket protecting entourage and they have a nice funky new single that drops today. You can buy it at iTunes or if ya wish download it right there:

N*E*R*D - Everyone Nose (All the Girls Standing In the Line for the Bathroom)

Video is not yet out but you can see a sneak peek as well as some behind the scenes clips:




Catch 'em on tour at Kanye's Glow In the Dark Tour.

Next up is a triple hitter from Welsh rockers People In Planes. Out to conquer all media with the first single off their sophomore set (Due 6/24) they have tossed out a assault on your eyes, ears and index fingers. The track about suffering in silence comes with with a stylish video from the Walter Robot directing team:


Of course they are giving away the anthemic piano rocker away on their website:

People In Planes - Pretty Buildings (The b-side acoustic version is available as a 2-fer-1 deal on iTunes.)

And finally just to make sure you can't escape they've rejiggered an addictive flying game (naturally) from Net-Games with the track. Head over to play Metro.Siberia Underground: People In Planes Edition and see how far you can get. Got to past 2000 on my 3rd try.

Now, in their promotional tour they played an in-studio set in Chicago. Here is the first track from that set:

People In Planes - Mayday (Maidez) [Live in Studio at Stray Dog Recording Co. for BFN Networks Podcast]

Click here for the other full podcast episode with 2 more live tracks and interviews.

Kewl, that should keep ya busy for a bit. Enjoy!

The RIAA is Naughty and DFA Records Is Nice

Happy Holidays all, here are 3 more trax from DFA Records:

Hurcules and Love Affair - "Hurcules Theme" (my favorite of the bunch, nice disco/funk track, anticipating their debut disc in '08)

Shocking Pinks - "I Want U Back"

Prinzhorn Dance School - "Realer, Pretender"

And also I have an a$$ load of cards leftover from the Starbucks/iTunes Song of the Day promo that expire on the 31st. Since the RIAA has now decided everything that you've ripped from the cd's you bought constitutes an illegal use of the songs you should grab as many legal ones as you can, but please leave a comment letting others know which ones are used. These can also be used to open accounts in the UK, Canadian, French, Dutch, Japanese or Australian iTunes stores (all of which have weekly free tracks to check out) without a local credit card.

John Fogerty - "Gunslinger"
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Emily King - "Moon"
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Gloria Estefan - "90 Millas"
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A Fine Frenzy - "You Picked Me"
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John Legend - "Show Me"
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Patti Scialfa - "Looking for Elvis"
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Herbie Hancock - "Maiden Voyage"
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Annie Lennox - "Dark Road"
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Angie Stone - "Happy Being Me"
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Brandi Carlile - "Turpentine"
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Alice Smith - "New Religion [ƒ Pauletta Washington]"
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Rogue Wave - "Lake Michigan"
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Alice Russell - "Hurry On Now [ƒ TM Juke]"
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Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds - "Grace Is Gone"
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Bitter:Sweet - "Heaven (Nicola Conte 'West Coast Vibes' Remix)"
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Greyboy - "Got to Be a Love [ƒ Sharon Jones]"
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Spanish Harlem Orchestra - "Sacala Bailar"
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Rissi Palmer - "Country Girl"
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Raul Midon - "Pick Somebody Up"
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Joss Stone - "Tell Me 'Bout It (Live from the Bowery Ballroom)"
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Federico Aubele - "Maria Jose"
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Sara Bareilles - "Love Song"
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Hilary McRae - "Consider Me Gone"
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John Mayer - "Dreaming With a Broken Heart"
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Galactic - "I Got It (What You Need) [ƒ Lyrics Born]"
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Bebel Gilberto - "Um Segundo"
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Suzanne Vega - "Frank & Ava"
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Sia - "Day to Soon"
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Paul McCartney - "Only Mama Knows"
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Enjoy!

Control (Review)

If its fall it must be biopic time!

At least the arc of this one is different than most. Control is based on a book written by the wife of Ian Curtis and details his life and their relationship from 73 to 80.

The story of the band and the times in which they lived is part of the mythical annals of rock by now. The band was formed after the legendary Sex Pistol's show at the Manchester Lesser Free Trade Hall in '76 and went on to sign with Tony Wilson's Factory Records and became the kings of Manchester. Two years later their debut album was released and two later again the band was done and Curtis dead by his own hand.

Much of this was already committed to film in 24 Hour Party People, an outstanding piece, but the tones of the two couldn't be more different.

The film is the first feature from Anton Corbijn, iconic photographer (U2, Depeche Mode) and music video director ("Heart shaped Box," "One - European Version") who has first hand knowledge of the people, scene and music in the film. The picture of Curtis portrayed in the film is much different than that in 24 HPP. He is a romantic poet who marries at 18, works contentedly for the British employment service whist not with the band and until his first grand mal seizure is a fairly upbeat person. Once he begins having fits though things turn south. His wife becomes pregnant and they grow distant while his is on the road where he meets another woman. He is also placed on a potent cocktail of medication in a (failing) effort to stave off the fits. Finally when faced with divorce and shame over his condition he hangs himself in his kitchen.

As one would expect from Corbijn, the film is in high contrast black and white and the composition of every shot is beautiful. What I didn’t expect (though perhaps should of) were the vast amounts of dry British sarcasm and dark humor that make up most of the film. The only time queues are at the beginning and end of the film but for the most part Corbijn keeps the pace strong and steady until the last act where we see Curtis falling apart. And as Curtis, Sam Riley (who also had a part in 24HPP) is stunning. He’s cool and tortured all at the same time and knocks out the vocals with eerie likeness.

Of course, the music (iTunes) though is the real highlight. JD’s tracks sound great and they are all performed by the actors themselves. Bowie, Iggy Pop, Sex Pistols, Velvet Underground, Buzzcocks, Roxy Muxic & John Cooper Clarke all make appearances and New Order (the 3 remaining members of JD) provides original scoring pieces as well.

A tragic story but a great film.

A/A-

___________________________________________________________________

Check out the cast doing "Transmission" live from the soundtrack. (MP3)

No Country for Old Men (Review)

Everyone has said it but...The Coens are back.

After two attempts to the mainstream the Coen brothers go back to their roots and ironically will likely get the BO success they so desired. But don't expect to be blown away by this film. It's been hyped way to much for that. This is a solid cat & mouse, western set in 1980 but it lacks the jaw-dropping moments of flash shown some of their earlier work. The Coen signatures are present again including a blacker than pitch vilian stunningly pulled off by Javier Bardem. He is after Josh Brolin who has stumbled upon a satchel of cash lost in a literal mexican stand-off. Brolin is also in top form as is the old cop on the case played by Tommy Lee. Aside from a fairly tired turn from Woody Harrelson the acting is top notch.

Of course much of that is due to the lines the are given. The script is vintage Coens. Though I don't know how much was in the source material, the dialogue is like west Texas's wet dream of it's quirky self... and the black humor that comes from much of it is priceless. Of course there is that ending, or lack there of. Much will be made of this - indeed the screening was closed with quite a few whiskey, tango, foxtrots - but I found it satisfying in a way that the sentimentality of 3:10 to Yuma was not.

Like Fargo reinvents the Noir (Film Blanc anyone?) this film takes a western and dresses it up in 80's K-Mart threads and Ford Broncos and it works just fine. They make the case that the west of the 1980 was bloodier and more frightening than that which had come before... echoing the times that we live in, especially here in Philly.

A+
____________________________________________________________________

The Electric Soft Parade - Appropriate Ending

Free DFA EP

Click on the banner above for a 3 track digital EP from DFA Records featuring an 8 minute video of LCD Soundsystem doing Us v Them live in Manchester (Vermont?) along side tracks from Prinzhorn Dance School & Shocking Pinks.

Die Poletzei (hope thats spelled right)

My boy Joe is a supervisor and one of the people under him wanted to make sure he wouldn't be expected to do any overtime 2 thursdays ago. Why? Because he also works security at Citizens Bank Park where the Police were playing that night. Joe assured him that he wouldn't and the guy asked if he needed any tickets...he took 2, bailed on picking out china patterns for his wedding next year, called me up and we were off to the show.

Due to massive traffic we missed the openers but picked up the tickets at will call (cheap side view) and got in just as Sting and the boys were going on. We quickly found Joe's friend and he slipped us wristbands and tickets for the field, 30 or so rows back from the stage...sweet!

Twas a fantastic show. They definitely still got "it." Copeland was possessed, Summers shredded it up and Sting... well he's Sting what else can you say. They did all the hits over 2.5 hrs save "Canary in a Coalmine" and played 2 encores closing with "Next to You"

Check the vids:

"Walking in Your Footsteps"

"Next To You"

___________________________________________________________________

A track now from the new Robbers on High Street set that came out last month. The title is that stern old ride that looks more like a police car than a police car - why did the cops never realize this when sitting by the side of the road in their unmarked?

Robbers on High Street - Crown Victoria

Party at the (Moon) Tower

Well so much for the pundits... but the Sopranos ending was great - fuck the haters. (Sorry, this post shoulda been up weeks ago.)

Caught 2 great shows earlier this month. First was Bloc Party at the Tower.

Kele & co put on an energetic show last Tuesday in Upper Darby. The Tower is definitely my favorite venue in the city.

The first opening act was a band called The Maccabees from (as all their press says) Brighton - via South London. Despite that affectation they sounded pretty good. Really good in fact. They looked as though none was old enough to drink in this country and this was their first night joining the tour due to some visa issues yet the sound was confident. The lead singer's voice has a peculiar quality to it, very British but it also contains a kind of haunting vocal tremolo. Add to that catchy riffs (Hot Hot Heat, Futureheads, other Brit post-punk style) and solid harmonies and I think these guys could really take off sometime soon. Check their website which is really good lookin'. It's a middle class art school thing. Click for a listen or dl below. Then pick up full length as it is "off the hissey."



The Maccabees - Latchmere (Buy)

Next up was The Noisettes another band from London town (no via on their bio) but this one was pretty crap. Actually check that, next up was a 30 minutes mic check that required the help of the entirety of roadie nation. Seriously it was comical - and they still didn't get it right. Maybe this was the reason The Noisettes sucked. Maybe it was just that their songs were bad and the singer chick was all over the map - in a bad way. Bits of blues, jazz, garage, punk, indie, and others all boiled and mashed and stuck in a stew. Didn't taste too good but the presentation was decent.

Finally, the headlining Londoners (East for the record) made their appearance - and with much less down time than The Noisettes.

Energy through the roof on these chaps and the crowd (at least the ones around me) responded in kind. Blistering set, 2 encores and a lotta Kele's big smile. At one point he took off up the isle of - this is the second show here where this happened, gotta get a center isle seat next time. Here are 2 vids that I took during the show:

The main set was closed with "Like Eating Glass" - in crispy black and white!

and wrap the first encore with "Helicopter" - I think I like the B&W better though.

Bloc Party does indeed rock.

www.flickr.com

And finally check out the YRock takeover BP did whilst they were in town.

Up Next...LCD Soundsystem's free show.

Summer Burn is Back

Just got an email from the funkjunkie crew announcing the return of the Summer Burn fun. If you didn't see the post last year (wow, has it been a year already?). It's basically a global, summer themed, mix-tape trading community. Unfortunately I never sent the post-card to register last year and didn't participate but Bigthoughts posted his thoughts on it. I have a postcard ready to go and it'll be in the mail tomorrow. Here are the steps and click the link above or on the right to register.

1. Signup with your address details using the form below (don't worry, we're not some nasty spamming site and we won't do anything other than use them for this)
   
2. Send us a postcard with both your username and confirmation code on it, clearly marked and legible please. To confirm your involvement you must send us a postcard including the confirmation code which we'll send to you when you first sign up. If we don't get a card from you before the 21st of June, you won't be taking part.
   
3. Burn 2 CDs of your favourite summer tunes.
   
4. On the first day of Summer you'll get an e-mail from us telling you who you should send 2 CDs to.
   
5. Post them off to the addresses you receive from us you have within a week of receiving the e-mail.
   
6. Sit back and relax, and wait for yours to come through the post from the people that have been selected to send you one!
   
7. ... and thats it! You get 2 new CDs full of music to while away the summer heat to. Great innit?
   
8. We might even do a prize for the best postcard again, so try to make it a good one.

iTunes has beed giving Kanye's new vid away for free this week and I'm kinda let down (though not by a free video).



First of all Hype has fallen off. When Kanye mugs hard for the camera its just laughable. And as Steriogum pointed out a few days ago (and should be obvious to anyone who digs music videos) the imagery is a hip-hop rip on Chris Cunningham's piece for Madonna's "Frozen." Here's that one as well:



Aside from slagging Hype which is old hat by now, the track itself is really flat. Production is decent but Kanye's performance seems to lack any shred of energy, the Young Jeezy samples add some off putting and out of place hype in the background, and worst of all - the rhymes are lame. But hey, its Kanye so I'm not letting one uninspired track with an uninspired vid turn me off from all of Graduation Day.

Caught Silversun Pickups a couple weeks ago and was quite impressed with the opening act and Dangerbird label mate Sea Wolf (yes, another wolf band - this will make 4 on my iPod). They have the sound similar to Doves, Travis, Trashcan Sinatras, Bright Eyes Check it out:

Sea Wolf - "You're a Wolf" (Buy)

Sea Wolf - "The Garden That You Planted" (Buy)

Silversun review and hillarious video of when things go wrong forthcoming.