2010-02-28
Flaming Lips - Watching The Planets
Artist: Flaming Lips
Song: Watching The Planets
Album: Embryonic (2009)
The Flaming Lips came from Oklahoma City, emerging in 1983 with their strange sound almost fully formed. Since then, the Flaming Lips have come under the almost singular leadership of singer Wayne Coyne and done magical things with alternative rock. In the early 1990s they made a commercial splash with "She Don't Use Jelly," showing the world their madcap pretzelling of pop music - a tumultuous…
The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne has bared all on their new promo for 'Watching The Planets'.
The video features Coyne being stripped naked by a gang of nude people in a forest.
Passing through these photos of the Flaming Lips' naked-bicyclist video shoot confirmed that yes, Wayne wasn't playing coy -- he wanted to videotape young things who knew how to ride bikes and also were comfortable being framed in perpetuity as naked sylvan nymphs in a Flaming Lips video. But those pics didn't suggest the biggest revelation, that being the big reveal of Wayne's coyne. Yep he gets naked, just like the rest. "Killing the ego" indeed. (Or, inflating it. Depending on your angle. And his.) If you've seen the Lips during this summer or beyond, when they've been playing new stuff, you likely remember their stage entrance through those psychedelically undulating vaginal lips. Well those make an appearance too, in spirit, and Wayne takes a terrible old Truly Tasteless Joke -- you spend nine months of your life trying to get out, and the rest of your life trying to get back in -- to its illogical extreme.
Directed by Wayne Coyne and George Salisbury
2010-02-27
Doomtree Crew Record - Drumsticks
Artist: Doomtree Crew Record
Song: Drumsticks
Album: Doomtree (2008)
Doomtree is a hip hop collective based in
We work the mics and rehearse the lines that life furthers
And curse the vines that you might have heard your rumors from
Like it's me verse a vice or vice versa
Then I returned to the life that Christ nurtured
Come come now
You're feet first in ice water
We're feet first in fire
We reversed the modern and earned the checks
From the check one-two's
The three-four-fives
And the right to watch the sun on the eastern seaboard rise
[Mictlan]
Pack up the bags, eat
Sleep for a second
Then it's back in the van
Listen to beats for the record
Feel like it's all that I ever knew
Convenient procedure
All for the revenue
Leave at my leisure
So coming soon to a college town near you
DTR here we are
Holla atcha rap group
Incorporated so of course it's hated
Write, record, order it, re-order it the more we make it
[Dessa]
This is not a promise it's a threat
The cigarette to your balloon
Cue the gossip roll the tape I rock the room
Say it's a nose job
As in she got it cause she knows somebody
I'm paying dues in red blood and borrowed money
Son me if you can
Lemme see your grand plan
A low-budget production bandana glamour on a handcam
Here let me sign your poster strike a poser
Sleeping in my armor while you're sleeping on your holster
[P.O.S.]
It goes get money waste
Rather take money from a thing we need to a thing we see
Jake honey nothing's free
True indeed
Open the seam
Scribble the bleed
Agitate seed to leaves
Conceive Doomtree
Blood brothers
Close shutters
They don't need to see this beast
Prose sputters free
Those other Joes peddle cheap
And shody work'll bruise your body purple
Some folk'll never lose a toe, but then again some folk'll
[Sims]
You say that hell is human
I say you break it you buy it and make the shell-toes move in on self-improvement quicker that you could sell the movement
Make the circuits mash across the circus act
Two-thousand-something moving circa that
Turn off the screwdriver
Ghostwriter for hire
Tie up the wires
I am the fire supplier of inspired rap
Burn the empire back
It's Doomtree live through the wiretapa
Music video for "Drumsticks" from the Doomtree Crew Record, in stores July 29th, 2008. Directed by Brady Kiernan, Director of Photography: Wilson Webb, Additional Camera Operator: Dave Underhill, Assistant Director: Shannon Schaefer
2010-02-26
The Grave Architects - The Bike Song
Artist: The Grave Architects
Song: The Bike Song
MySpace
THE GRAVE ARCHITECTS- We all fell over in amazement on first hearing this incredible new act- and I was actually already reclined so dunno how that occurred. I think I actually stood up in a falling down way. Any rate , the offbeat humour of a Jonathon Richman, the kookiness of early Pavement, the tunefulness of Loaded era Velvets , yet very English and eccentric ….The ghost of Syd Barret’s also in the house, there's psychedelic passages with kind of posh rapping over the top. Which bizarrely sounds a bit like Caravan in places! So this is really quite interesting, but more importantly great fun! Their opus about bikes [er, 'Bike'] is kind of Queen by The Monks via De La Soul. A single out on Fortuna Pop. Buy/steal/blag- but see them play now!
2010-02-16
Prayers For Atheists - Bike Song
Artist: Prayers For Atheists
Song: Bike Song
The first video from PFA's self-titled debut EP, available now at strangefamousrecords.com here:
Directed and edited by SFR labelmate Prolyphic and Sandrine Silverman.
2010-02-14
Beach Boys - Do You Like Worms?
Artist: Beach Boys
Song: Do You Like
Album: Smile ???
Recorded October 18th, 1966
October 21st, 1966
December 21st, 1966
This song, also known as "Roll Plymouth Rock," "Do You Dig Worms?," or simply "Worms," is a mostly uncompleted Beach Boys song originally composed and intended for the ill-fated SMiLE project. The original raw recording (as heard in the Beach Boys compilation box set Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys) was a mix of the lead vocals and instrumental track (recorded October 18, 1967) and the background vocals (recorded the following December of that year). The 2004 arrangement adds new lyrics written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks.
In its original version, the song is in the form ABABCB'. The A sections feature a short instrumental section where the melody is carried by the timpani, then the lyrics "Rock, rock, roll, Plymouth Rock roll over" in two part harmony over the bass guitars. The B sections consist of the "Bicycle Rider" theme played on harpsichord. At the end of the song, the B' section, the harpsichord breaks down, only to start up again. The C section has Brian singing fake Hawaiian lyrics over backing vocals by the rest of the band and a sparse backing track.
The instrumental track for the A and C sections of the song were recorded on October 18, 1966 at Western Studios. Brian also recorded some of his vocals at that session.The Beach Boys vocals were recorded at Columbia Studios, on December 21, 1966. The B sections of the song were recorded during sessions for "Heroes and Villains".
'Do You Like Worms?' is one of the most interesting songs from the original SMiLE sessions. The song never had words written for it, besides 'rock, rock, roll, plymouth rock roll over'. The harpsichord bits on this track soon became the music of the chorus of 'Heroes and Villains'. Brian said the bits of this track represented certain songs on SMiLE. He also said it was amazing because "when you're stoned, 30 seconds of music seems like 2 hours of music."
Rock, rock and roll
Plymouth rock, roll over
Rock, rock and roll
Plymouth rock, roll over
Bicycle rider, see see what you've done,
To the church of the american indian ...
Rock, rock and roll
Plymouth rock, roll over
Rock, rock and roll
Plymouth rock, roll over
Wa halla loo lay
Wa halla loo lah
Keeny wok a poo lah
Wa halla loo lay
Wa halla loo lah
Keeny wok a poo lah
Wa halla loo lay
Wa halla loo lah
Keeny wok a poo lah
Wa halla loo lay
Wa halla loo lah
Keeny wok a poo lah
2010-02-13
Trunk Boiz - Scraper Bike
Artist: Trunk Boiz
Song: Scraper Bike
The Trunk Boiz are one of the first rap groups to attain commercial success from the burgeoning scraper bike scene of the Bay Area of California. Their first hit, Scraper Bike, introduced mainstream America to scraper bikes, a distinct type of bicycle (inspired by the scraper car style) ridden in predominantly African American communities near or within Oakland, California. Many of their rhyming schemes are quite unconventional and some might even say groundbreaking. For instance, in the hit song Scraper Bike, they rhyme words with themselves, such as "retarded" with "retarded". They also rhyme the plural version of a word with the singular version of that same word such as with "bikes" and "bike".
Young Champ, J Dub, and B-Janky rap in the song. Beat produced by NB.
About Scraper Bike
Bikes that are nicely spray painted, and feature aluminum foil wrapped around sets of spokes…
I'm movin' on my scraper bike
I'm cruisin' on my scraper bike
My scraper bike go hard
I don't need no car
Smashin' on my scraper bike
Scraping on my scraper bike
Scraping on my scraper bike
On my scraper bike [x4]
I like Huskies, Mountains, Pacifics and
Schwinns
Ghost ride my bike is here to win
I go stupid, dumb, AT retarded
Scraping my bikes looking hella retarded
But it's good, cause I'm ridin' on 4's on my scraper bike
Like I'm in the pros
And you know, I go on the hater of the scraper bikes, girl you know
I'm the king of the scraper bikes
I'm not just nice
I got
They go hard, hard to the fools in every
part[?] and if you get out of line, you might just fall
Or I might just push ya
Go AT Dummy yeah they call me The Pusha
Only if you knew just how I do
I ride the scraper bikes with me and my crew
I'm movin' on my scraper bike
I'm cruisin' on my scraper bike
My scraper bike go hard
I don't need no car
Smashin' on my scraper bike
Scraping on my scraper bike
Scraping on my scraper bike
On my scraper bike [x4]
You might see me ridin' two wheels scraper bikin'
Smashin' downhill, like I came from hiking
Pull a lesbo, get away from dykin'
From the block to the booth, yeah I'm always ridin'
Two toned D-BO's red and black
You might see me with champ ridin back to back
Yellow, green, orange with bling, scraper bikes is on the scene
Trunk Boiz drill, that's my team, got a fire red bike just like the bean
Pull that blue thing out and you know it's through
Pro pallin in the street, bro, what that do
Got rims on candies, slappin' too
Don't think I'm finished, I'm only halfway through
Might spin another rack, or maybe two
Don't hate I got a bike that make your mama choose
I'm movin' on my scraper bike
I'm cruisin' on my scraper bike
My scraper bike go hard
I don't need no car
Smashin' on my scraper bike
Scraping on my scraper bike
Scraping on my scraper bike
On my scraper bike [x4]
What is this?
What do we have here?
Handlebars? I don't even have to steer
Scraper bike, oh so hype
15 deep, man I wish you (I won't!)
Movin' fast, real swiftly
With something you've never seen
Oh so spiffy
Scraper bikes was invented in the towns
By a champ who loves to get around
When we come around, they know who we be
Touch slappin' the 15, promoting our CDs
On the bike, and even in the car
Still pullin' bras, lookin' like a star
It got TV's on it and he got slapped
"Wait a minute guy are there spinners on that?"
We always comin' out with something new in the O
Contagious trends and ideas that go
I'm movin' on my scraper bike
I'm cruisin' on my scraper bike
My scraper bike go hard
I don't need no car
Smashin' on my scraper bike
Scraping on my scraper bike
Scraping on my scraper bike
On my scraper bike [x3]
On my scraper bike [x4]
Video edited by Spencer Fortin & Robb Silverstein.
Rough cut of the music video for "Scraper Bike" by the Trunk Boiz.
Starring:
Young Champ, J-Dub aka Alexander Tha Grate, and B-Janky. Beat produced by NB
2010-02-11
VV. AA. - Holiday Matinee, Vol. 3: Composed on Bicycles
Artist: Various Artists
Album:
This is part of Holiday Matinee's Compilation series.
Holiday Matinee is an indie-minded, San Diego-based marketing and promotions company that's done work for everyone from Death Cab for Cutie to the San Diego Padres. Composed on Bicycles is the third volume of its compilation series; it brings together work from both clients and pals. There's some great stuff here. Up-and-comers like Reubens Accomplice and Maquiladora contribute inventive takes on brash, heartfelt indie rock and drifting, expansive Americana, respectively, while vets Superdrag put in the straightforward alt-rock of "I Can't Wait" and the Jealous Sound tingling emo hearts with "Bitter Strings." Dntel takes the comp into indie electronic territory with the glitchy "(This Is the Dream) of Evan + Chan"; Rocky Votolato's "Crabtree and Evelyn" is a clever, gorgeous piece of singer/songwriter-y acoustic jangle; and the Gloria Record's "Good Morning, Providence" is a swirling masterpiece of melody. Strong work also appears from Ill Ease, the Dropscience, the And/Ors, Aberdeen, and Track Star. ~ Johnny Loftus
| song title |
| 1. Good Morning, Providence - The Gloria Record |
| 2. Colour - Waxwing |
| 3. Liason - Kill Me Tomorrow |
| 4. Something To Do - Track Star |
| 5. Cantsitstill - Inner |
| 6. Leave The City - Reubens Accomplice |
| 7. I Can't Wait - Superdrag |
| 8. What I Built Last Night - The Casket Lottery |
| 9. Cities & Buses - Aberdeen |
| 10. Hardly Accounted For - Kill Creek |
| 11. Ritual Of Hearts - Maquiladora |
| 12. Sit And Stare - Gogogo Airheart |
| 13. (This Is The Dream) of Evan + Chan - DNTEL |
| 14. Do You Want To Go Faster? - The Dropscience |
| 15. Rana - Ilya |
| 16. Jackie On Acid - Ill Ease |
| 17. Loft Life - The And/Ors |
| 18. Bitter Strings - The Jealous Sound |
| 19. Crabtree and Evelyn - Rocky Votolato |
| 20. I Promise Not To Notice If You Promise To Pretend - Ides Of Space |
2010-02-08
Noahjohn - Tadpoles
Artist: Noahjohn
Album: Tadpoles
Though originally a stage moniker for surreal singer/songwriter Carl Johns, as he felt uncomfortable seeing his name on promotional material, Noahjohn has come to incorporate a revolving coterie of 25 members since
Not easily falling into any subgenre under the banner of alternative country, Carl Johns and ten friends have crafted a highly eclectic collective effort that wears his wry songwriting stamp prominently. Utilizing a voice that falls somewhere between Stephan Malkamus and Gordon Gano, Johns shares the Pavement frontman's penchant for writing lyrics gloriously out of meter, but making up for the fact with quirky alliteration. The foreboding cello of the opening "Standing on a Snake" has an exhausted, world-weary feel that colors much of the songwriting here, though the songs certainly don't communicate a defeatist tone. The loosely chugging "Slow Bear," the only track not written by Johns, is a fancifully swinging old-timey country workout, featuring the expert pedal steel that figures so prominently in the NoahJohn group dynamic. The almost comically tragic cousins of misfortune in "Clubfoot John" and "Old Ham," which is wrapped in perfect banjo and mandolin, are indicative of the sly wit and humor that many of these tracks carefully mask. Even as the wild punkabilly of "Educated Dummy" is driven by a garage band engine, there seem to be no weak cogs in the NoahJohn collective, with many arrangements even being unpretentiously sophisticated. Frequently combining the spiritual and the profane, tracks like "More Like Jesus" reveal a songwriter who is comfortable incorporating the most traditional themes into his impressively distinct aesthetic. Overall, a gloriously rough, tough, literate, honest, sweetly innocent, and nearly perfect set of songs from a much needed different voice. ~ Matt Fink, All Music Guide
If you love the great new music coming out of the USA at the minute (Wilco, Ryan Adams, Lambchop etc) you should own this album. Although 'Had a Burning' is a more fully realised effort, this is an astonishing debut. It ranges from heartbreaking melodies (Tadpoles), to old fashioned country stories (Old Ham, Clubfoot John).
It has reaffirmed my faith in modern music proving that looking back does not mean retreading old melodies but shows that you can use tradition to move forward. Noahjohn's music owes as much to punk and rock as it does to country.
Nearly every month I discover a fantastic new American band which puts the rather pitiful British music scene into shame. Noahjohn are one of the best of the moment and I fully reccommend buying both of their albums to date.
2010-02-07
Beach Boys - You Still Believe In Me
Artist: Beach Boys
Song: You Still Believe In Me
Album: Pet Sounds (1966)
The Beach Boys are known as one of the most influential pop groups ever, and are especially renowned for their masterpiece album Pet Sounds, which is often considered the greatest pop album of all time. Led by Brian Wilson, they initially had success extolling the virtues of California, surfing and sunshine with obviously commercial pop songs. But Wilson went on to develop ambitious artistic ideas… Read more
Every piece of Wilson's masterwork is reverentially placed back together. The bicycle bells on ''You Still Believe In Me'', that strange underwater guitar on ''Pet Sounds'', the forlorn soundtrack of barking dogs and passing trains that concludes ''Caroline, No''. ''Let's Go Away For Awhile'' retains its elusively unhummable melody while the opening bars to ''God Only Knows'' bring audience members to tears. Rather than being denigrated, the legend emerges enhanced perhaps even more powerful and poignant in this new context. Over a generation later and these songs still retain their magic.
This was the first song on Pet Sounds to which Asher wrote lyrics. The lead vocal was sung by Brian Wilson. The song was originally titled "In My Childhood" and a bicycle horn and bell from "In My Childhood" can be heard at the end of the song because they could not be edited out of the final track. This song "compositionally embodies the unique manner in which Brian writes his music. In a sense, Brian created a new way of using the scale. His progressions are always going up, then pausing before they go up again, like they're going towards God."[1]
In the original mono version of the song, the lead is shared by Brian and Carl Wilson. The 1997 stereo version, due to inability to locate the source material for Carl's vocal overdub, has only a single-tracked lead by Brian.
To achieve the unique sound in the introduction, Tony Asher explains that "one of us had to get inside the piano to pluck the strings, while the other guy had to be at the keyboard pushing the notes so that they would ring." Brian in 1966 explained that this song is "A little 'Boys Choir'-type song with me doing the soprano. Very, very spiritual."
I know perfectly well
I'm not where I should be
I've been very aware
You've been patient with me
Every time we break up
You bring back your love to me
And after all I've done to you
How can it be
You still believe in me
I try hard to be more
What you want me to be
But I can't help how I act
When you're not here with me
I try hard to be strong
But sometimes I fail myself
And after all I've promised you
So faithfully
You still believe in me
I wanna cry . . .
2010-02-06
Jack's Mannequin - Sleazy Wednesday
Artist: Jack’s Mannequin
Song: Sleazy Wednesday
Album: The Glass Passenger – extra tracks (2008)
Formerly known as the frontman for Something Corporate, a West Coast punk-pop quintet that garnered a modest following during the early 2000s, Andrew McMahon is also the piano-playing songwriter behind Jack's Mannequin. Utilizing the talents of numerous friends and collaborators (including Mötley Crüe percussionist Tommy Lee), McMahon began work on the collective's debut following Something Corporate's hiatus in 2004. The resulting Everything in Transit, a sunny pop/rock "concept album exploring his alienating return to the hometown he left to pursue his music," was released on Maverick… Read more
Following the critically acclaimed debut album, Everything In Transit, Andrew McMahon returns with his Jack's Mannequin entity for The Glass Passenger. McMahon calls The Glass Passenger 'a record about getting through something that was negative and getting to something that was positive.'
The Glass Passenger delivers, really, an era's worth of music spanning post-cancer Andrew. The four b-sides for this album: Cellular Phone, Doris Day, At Full Speed, and Sleazy Wednesday are all great songs that really could (and probably should) be on the album. Couple that group of songs with the 14 songs spanning almost a full hour on the actual record, and well, you have an era's worth of music after a long, eager wait for The Glass Passenger to arrive.
We're all so glad you came
Attacked me in the lame way
In this town you don't get nowhere unless you're on a bicycle
So hip and out of touch
Parked out on a speedway
Just trying not to move; it's only getting harder now
We can engineer a wall that couldn't fall with all this time
My life in Technicolor
Can you check the shutters someone get my mother on the phone
She oughta know what I'm up to
Out here in Hollywood you don't need a sweater 'cause the sun feels better in slow motion
I'll ride the wave back home
Welcome to your next life
We hope you've come prepared
We all wish you the best life
For questions leave a message
We'll call you back, of course we will
So dive in and dye your hair
Yeah, baby, it's the new you
Stitching up your style
But I'm not too concerned with fashion
We could wait for rain to fall but it would only waste our time
2010-02-05
Roger Miller - England Swings
Artist: Roger Miller
Song:
Album: All Time Greatest Hits –
American singer Roger Miller is best known for his humorous novelty songs, which overshadow his considerable songwriting talents as well as his hardcore honky tonk roots. After writing hits for a number of artists in the '50s, Miller racked up a number of hits during the '60s which became not only country classics, but popular classics as well. more
Roger Miller had a hit record with "England Swings", which presented a stereotypical picture of England, with lyrics such as "Bobbies on bicycles, two by two."
England swings like a pendulum do
Bobbies on bicycles, two by two
Westminster Abbey, the tower of Big Ben
The rosy red cheeks of the little children
Now, if you huff and puff and you fin'lly save enough
Money up to take your family on a trip across the sea
Take a tip before you take your trip
Let me tell you where to go
Go to England, oh
England swings like a pendulum do
Bobbies on bicycles, two by two
Westminster Abbey, the tower of Big Ben
The rosy red cheeks of the little children
Mama's old pajamas and your papa's mustache,
Falling out the window sill, frolic in the grass,
Tryin' to mock the way they talk, fun but all in vain,
Gaping at the dapper men with derby hats and canes.
England swings like a pendulum do
Bobbies on bicycles, two by two
Westminster Abbey, the tower of Big Ben
The rosy red cheeks of the little children
England swings like a pendulum do
Bobbies on bicycles, two by two
Westminster Abbey, the tower of Big Ben
The rosy red cheeks of the little children
music
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
