ad hoc.

[COBRA STARSHIP; Viva la Cobra!]

Also, Bloc Party already have a new single circulating- “Flux“. Didn’t their last album just come out about five minutes ago? Why am I complaining?

2 new good videos from 2 of my faves.

Bloc Party, “Hunting for Witches”; it’s your basic performance video, but they are so fucking cool who cares.

Fall Out Boy, I think their cutesy videos are making them a little bit Good Charlotte-esque, but the song is damn catchy.

The Cribs, “Men’s Needs” I just mentioned their album earlier, and the video is pretty sweet. I think it was banned in some countries. I play the woman in it.

Ted Leo, “Dancing in the Dark” (Bruce Springsteen)

Grizzly Bear, “He Hit Me (and it Felt Like a Kiss)” (The Crystals)

The Killers, “Romeo and Juliet” (Dire Straits)

Fiona Apple, “Sally’s Song” (The Nightmare Before Christmas)

Damien Rice, “When Doves Cry” (Prince)

Bloc Party, “Say It Right” (Nelly Furtado)

Previously: #100-6

#5 Stellastarr*, Stellastarr* (2003)
If John Hughes made a movie about hipsters…
Influential Power 5
Staying Power 7
Cred Power 10

#4 Rilo Kiley, The Execution of All Things (2002)
Unbelievable.
Influential Power 7
Staying Power 8
Cred Power 8

#3 Bloc Party, Silent Alarm (2005)
Worth the hype.
Influential Power 6
Staying Power 7
Cred Power 7

#2 Muse, Origin of Symmetry (2001)
I’ve heard this described as operatic indie rock. Proof that Americans have no taste in music.
Influential Power 7
Staying Power 10
Cred Power 8

#1 The Strokes, Is This It? (2001)
The original essential album.
Influential Power 25
Staying Power 10
Cred Power 8

Well, Bloc Party’s album officially comes out tomorrow. But come on, I’ve had it for like MONTHS already. I’ve seen almost no promotion in the US. Which is typical. US wouldn’t know good taste if it dropped bombs on it. Pitchfork thinks it’s okay, but I don’t listen to them much anymore anyway. I forget where I read it, but Kele mentioned that the songs “Song for Clay (Disappear Here)” was inspired by Bret Easton Ellis’ novels. O really? That is pretty awesome. Except that, inspiring a whole album about them? The characters are extremely shallow and one-dimensional, and that is for the purpose of the social commentary. So I don’t know if deep lyrics are even possible. But, kudos for having a cool inspiration. I can’t BELIEVE I didn’t catch it. Clay is the main character in Less Than Zero and “Disappear Here” is a significant line from American Psycho. And I call it my favorite novel? I should be ashamed I didn’t pick up on it. Back on track, here’s the album. I think it is fantastic.

[BLOC PARTY; A Weekend In the City] [multiply] [yousendit]

Let’s talk about how I want to shoot myself. Bloc Party are playing in New York at the same time I will be in Orlando. ORLANDO people. The city I hate the most. Sigh.

A video from one of the greatest fucking bands on earth have been released. Bloc Party’s “I Still Remember” is not my favorite off the album (I think it sounds like Coldplay), but worth it.

I’ll be home and back to posting tomorrow, but these things could not wait, they are BREAKING NEWS.

KELE OBEREKE COMES OUT OF THE CLOSET. Bloc Party could not be more awesome if they tried. maybe if they were also all Jews.

EWAN MCGREGOR WILL NO LONGER DO ANY NUDE SCENES. And my will to live is gone.

Also, I am utterly and crazily obsessed with Rome. It makes me wish I lived then. Although I’d probably be a scabies-ridden prostitute.

This is noyce. A Danish site has compiled the 50 best music videos of the year. The OkGo video is listed as number one, which is so annoying to me. I’ll post some of the other highlights.

Placebo; “Meds”
Bloc Party; “Compliments”
The Horrors; “Sheena Is a Parasite”

Read the rest of this entry »

Does Bloc Party’s “Hunting For Witches” make anyone else cry uncontrollably? Ok, maybe it is just me.

Turns out, I love it. Thank you Bloc Party

[BLOC PARTY; A WEEKEND IN THE CITY]

yea so I think I just got an advance copy of the new Bloc Party album (due in February). ‘Scuse me while I pass out.

and haven’t heard Bloc Party, then you aren’t living. And obviously don’t know me, because they are my obsession. Luckily, here is a post with all the Bloc Party you will ever need. I just realized a majority of my favorite bands right now are British. Who am I, Andrew?

Bloc Party’s new album will be more hardcore and more violent. Well ok.

Bloc Party Grows Up On Sophomore Album

Jolie Lash, L.A.

Bloc Party will follow its weekend performance at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival by hitting an Irish studio to record the follow up to its 2004 debut, “Silent Alarm.” The set is expected late in the year via Vice/Atlantic.

The band has spent the last several weeks demoing cuts in London with producer Jacknife Lee, and with his help, Bloc Party is hoping shake off the angular rock tags of its debut, says frontman Kele Okereke.

“One thing that we’ve learnt from touring over the last two years is that there are other ways to be powerful whilst making music, rather than being completely full on, 100 miles per hour,” Okereke tells Billboard. “This next record is hopefully going to be a lot more intricate and layered. We learnt so much about the power of arrangements. I know it sound cheesy, but I guess it is going to be a more grown up Bloc Party.”

One place Okereke himself has found inspiration is in the back catalog of David Bowie. Spending months on tour with the British chameleon in rotation on the stereo has had a major impact.

“[Bowie's] had a career where you can actually trace influences and styles. He’s just a real sort of artist in the way a lot of rock musicians now aren’t given the scope to develop,” he says. “That’s something that became really fascinating to me toward the last half of the year. There’s more we can do as a band than being fast, loud and shouty and I think these songs are going some way to explore that.”

Bloc Party also plan to take on weightier topics lyrically. Okereke wrote the lyrics for “Waiting for the 718″ after watching his post-college friends lose more and more of their lives to work, while “Hunting for Witches” was influenced by last summer’s terrorists attacks on London’s transportation system.

“The 30 bus in Hackney, which is just around the corner from where I live, was blown up. [That song was] written when I was just observing the reactions of the mainstream press in [the United Kingdom] and I was just amazed at how easy it’d been to whip them up into a fury,” he notes. “I guess the point about the song for me is post-September 11th, the media has really traded on fear and the use of fear in controlling people.”

Other cuts the band is mulling for the album include “Kreuzberg,” “Cruel,” “Merge on the Freeway” and “Machines” the later exploring the influence of MTV culture on young people around the world.

“When British music magazines say we’re overly serious or po-faced I think it’s actually an indication that the mindset of people right now is to be completely apolitical and not be concerned about what’s happening in the world,” he says. “To try and draw attention to this, you’re labeled as a [political] party person or something and I think that’s sad.”

THe Chemical Brothers- “Believe”, it features vocal from the singer of Bloc Party.

I stumbled across these two celebrity playlists on itunes:

Rupert Grint’s Playlist
Forgot About Dre - Dr. Dre, Eminem & Snoop Dogg
U Got It Bad - Usher
Fit But You Know It - The Streets
White Wedding, Pt. 1 - Billy Idol
Sucker Train Blues - Velvet Revolver
Common People - Pulp
Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
Minority - Green Day
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
I Am Not Your Broom - They Might Be Giants
Stand Up Tall - Dizzee Rascal

Daniel Radcliffe’s Playlist
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) - Arcade Fire
Hope There’s Someone - Antony & The Johnsons
Boredom (Live) - Buzzcocks
So Here We Are - Bloc Party
What I’m Looking For - Brendan Benson
Carrion - British Sea Power
Man Ray - The Futureheads
Life - Jeffrey Lewis
Music When the Lights Go Out - The Libertines
Me Ves y Sufrer - Hope of the States
Gouge Away - Pixies
Buddy Holly - Weezer

like omgz, Minority is my favorite Green Day song too, lol. Clearly Dan is the more hipster of the two. I wonder what Emma Watson likes? I’ll bet Sara McLaughlin and Jewel.

Apparently the Arcade Fire set up shop right in Union Square and started playing. Le snore.

Some tidbits about the Transformers movie. You’ve got the touch….

Pitchfork shits all over the new Matt Pond PA record and the live Mars Volta.

Ok, ok. so now I’ll get to what you came for. Remix albums are huge these days, and I am not sure why. Thw last remix album I bought was the No More Games Remix album. Anyway, these are pretty hot right now.

Bloc party- Silent Alarm remixes. The original was my favorite album of the year, so one would think I would like this. However, I think the original is way better, so why ruin a good thing? Here it is though.

Death From Above 1979 put out another amazing release, but now it is remixed by several “notables” including Josh Homme (do the curtains match the drapes?), and Sammy Danger. Again, this album is not necessary; the original is better. But here it is anyway.

Finally, a remix album worth having- M.I.A. and this DJ guy Diplo remixed a lot of the tracks from Arular to make the labum Piracy Funds Terrorism. Which is an ironic title, I guess, because most of the songs sample some notable pop/R&B stuff. Love it!

In case you forgot, I also posted the new Madonna album.

To do this week:
See Jarhead.

Here they are. The biggies. The ones that matter. My top releases of 2005. I also want to note that there were many new bands that I disovered in 2005, but have not released anything this year. I doubt anything better than these will come out in 2005. Soon I will add some commentary and I will be uploading these gradually so you can make sure you have them in your collection. It was a tough call, but not everyone can be on my best-of list. Better luck next year to all recording artists out there.

Top Tier:

BLOC PARTY Silent Alarm
CAESARS Paper Tigers
LADYTRON The Witching Hour
AT THE DRIVE-IN This Station is Non-Operational
THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS Twin Cinema
MOMMY AND DADDY Duel At Dawn
GANG OF FOUR Return the Gift
FALL OUT BOY Under the Cork Tree
M.I.A. Arular
SAY HI TO YOUR MOM Ferocious Mopes
PLACEBO Once More With Feeling
ATHLETE Tourist
CALLA Collisions
STELLASTARR* Harmonies for the Haunted pass=bedroomstereo
…AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD Worlds Apart
ROYKSOPP The Understanding
SHOUT OUT LOUDS Howl Howl Gaff Gaff
ALKALINE TRIO Crimson
WE ARE SCIENTISTS With Love and Squalor
SONS AND DAUGHTERS The Repulsion Box

2nd Tier:

STATISTICS Often Lie
RAVEONETTES Pretty in Black
BLOOD ON THE WALL Awesomer
SATURDAY LOOKS GOOD TO ME Every Night
THE GO! TEAM Lightning, THunder, Strike
DETROIT COBRAS Baby
MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK Commit This to Memory
OUT HUD Let’s Never Speak of This Again

3rd Tier:

VHS OR BETA Night on Fire
Q AND NOT U Power
SPOON Gimme Fiction
MANDO DIAO Hurricane Bar
NADA SURF The Weight Is a Gift
SOCIAL DISTORTION Sex Love & Rock n Roll
ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS I Am a Bird Now
MADONNA Confessions on the Dance Floor
FRANZ FERDINAND You Could Have It So Much Better

You will note that these are NOT on my list:
Arctic Monkeys
Spinto Band
Oasis
Metric
White Stripes
Dandy Warhols
Wolf Parade
Arcade Fire
Fiery Furnaces
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Weezer (don’t get me started)

Just thought I’d share:
Free Love on the Free Love Highway
Right click and save that bad boy.

Also, Silent Alarm out on March 22. I’m foaming at the mouth.

Pitchfork loves that shit.

Also, the trailer for Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy starring martin Freeman (aka Tim).