Spinner

fun., 'All the Pretty Girls' -- Video of the Day

Adam Horne — 2009-11-26T18:00:00+00:00

Artist: fun.
Video: 'All the Pretty Girls'
Highlight: The classic 'swarm-of-girls-chasing-the-band' trope gets a hipster makeover.

Music Appreciation: Dianna Agron

Benjy Eisen — 2009-11-26T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Music Appreciation

Dianna Argon's character in the television series 'Glee' is knocked-up cheerleader Quinn Fabray. We never learn Fabray's taste in music beyond glee club, but outside the show, Argon is an avid fan of indie rock. When 'Glee' finished filming, she caught Passion Pit and several other shows in a hurry. "I like music a lot," she says. "I had to catch up and, hence, five concerts in two weeks."

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Potent Quotables: Carlisle's Not-So-Cool Past

Kim Davis — 2009-11-26T13:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Potent Quotables

"'I wasn't very popular, I was the class clown." --Belinda Carlisle

The Go-Go's singer and self-professed "bad girl" admits that while she "wanted to be cool and be in with the whole football/cheerleader crowd," but never fit in.

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Peaches Flattered by Imitators like Lady Gaga

Shelley White — 2009-11-26T12:30:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Electronic, Exclusive, Canada

Peaches has always known how to push buttons. She started out on small, sweaty Canadian stages with strap-on dildos and stage blood. She let her pubic hair run really wild in her 2001 video for 'Set It Off,' donned a full beard for her 2003 'Fatherf---er' album cover and now she performs on stage with a, quote-unquote, "pussy light."

"I'm breaking down the rock cliches and breaking down the fashion cliches, breaking down the stereotypical sexual cliches," Peaches tells Spinner. "I'm breaking down what you're used to seeing a woman onstage doing -- and for that matter, used to anyone onstage doing."

In the near-decade since she released her first album, 'The Teaches Of Peaches,' Toronto-born Merrill Nisker has carved a path of iconoclastic outrageousness and left a trail of highly successful female artists in her wake.

Luke Haines Ditches the Grimace for Retrospective London Gig

Stephen Dowling — 2009-11-26T11:29:00+00:00

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, UK

Luke Haines was never supposed to be cheerful. As one of Britpop's most unlikely leading lights in his role as the Auteurs frontman, Haines seemed to spend much of the decade wearing the kind of frown most people only pull when investigating whether the milk has gone off.

Now, nearly 15 years on from the high water marks of Blur vs Oasis, Haines is still with us; a little thicker round the middle, a little less thatch on top, but much less grumpy, it seems.

Haines was an always an acerbic and off-kilter frontman, and Auteurs gigs were rarely full of urbane story-telling or jokey bonhomie. But on Thursday night at Kilburn's Luminaire, he seemed in positively rude good humour.

Graham Coxon Hopes for More Blur Activity

Richard Moore — 2009-11-26T07:24:00+00:00

Filed under: News, UK

Following last summer's successful Blur reunion, guitarist Graham Coxon has said that he's hoping for more from the band in 2010.

Speaking in an interview with NME magazine the Coxon said he was up for the prospect of another get together. "Everyone has gone back to their day jobs from the Blur thing," he said. "Damon's really involved with Gorillaz stuff, so that's obviously taking up a lot of his time and energy. But I'm open to suggestions as far as next year goes."

Legendary London Venue Set to Close

Julian Marszalek — 2009-11-26T07:11:00+00:00

Filed under: News, UK

Legendary London venue The Halfmoon is set to become another victim of the current harsh economic climate. According to the its owners, the venue will cease promoting gigs after Jan. 31 next year.

The venue's sound engineer Redvers Bailey spoke of his affection for the venue saying: "I can't think of many venues I've been to which can cater for professional touring bands and rising unsigned bands and are willing to treat the two no differently."

Florence and the Machine to Start Second Album in January

Richard Moore — 2009-11-26T06:56:00+00:00

Filed under: News, UK

After a hugely successful 2009 Florence Welch can't wait to usher in 2010. The singer is planning to start the New Year in a recording studio -- with her band Florence and the Machine -- in order to begin work on the follow up to her breakthrough debut 'Lungs.'

The south London singer told BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat that everything is pretty much ready to go: "We're recording the second album in January. Got the plan, I just want to start recording as soon as possible."

Florence and the Machine wind up 2009 with 'Lungs' one of the best-selling debuts of the year and a UK tour in December, their biggest to date. They head off to the US and Australia in the spring for more live engagements.

Bluebrain, 'Bring Out Your Dead' -- Free MP3 of the Day

Mike Spinella — 2009-11-26T06:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Free MP3 Download of the Day

Artist: Bluebrain
Song: 'Bring Out Your Dead'
Album: 'Cult Following EP'
Sounds Like: TV on the Radio, Boards of Canada

Download: 'Bring Out Your Dead' (MP3)

[Get Winamp] [Download Help]

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Comedian James Corden Duets with Snow Patrol

Julian Marszalek — 2009-11-26T05:49:00+00:00

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, UK

'Gavin and Stacey' writer and actor James Corden has followed in the footsteps of Martha Wainwright and Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole by becoming the third vocalist to sing with Snow Patrol for 'Set The Fire to The Third Bar'.

He joined the band for the song at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Tuesday night (Nov. 24) after Snow Patrol front man Gary Lightbody heard Corden singing drunkenly in a bar.

Speaking to the BBC, Corden explained, "Gary and I were drunkenly singing together in a bar the other night and he said I should come and sing with them at the Albert Hall.

Jamie T Wants to Form Live Covers Band

Stephen Dowling — 2009-11-26T05:29:00+00:00

Filed under: News, UK

Jamie T is following his recent UK album charts success with something a little more humble, apparently -- a live covers band.

The singer-songwriter told BBC 6 Music he wanted to play shows covering other people's material.

He's not the first to undertake such a project this year. Supergrass offshoot Hot Rats have also been playing cover-only live sets.

"I seem to spend a lot of time talking about starting a covers band at the moment, which I'm thinking of doing with a couple of friends."

Sir Paul McCartney to Take the Fireman on the Road?

Julian Marszalek — 2009-11-26T04:34:00+00:00

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News

Having been at the centre of speculation earlier this week as whether he's going to be appearing on the 'The X Factor' final or not, former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney has hinted that he might be tempted to take his Fireman side-project on the road.

Speaking to the Quietus at the launch of his new live DVD, 'Good Evening New York City,' McCartney said: "We might well have to do a special venue and say, 'We're only doing Fireman stuff tonight and nothing else!' and if people went for that then we'd have something."

McCartney went on to reveal that working with ex-Killing Joke bassist and producer Youth under the Fireman banner afforded him an artistic freedom that he might not necessarily get recording under his own name.

Orba Squara, 'The Trouble With Flying' -- Video of the Day

Adam Horne — 2009-11-25T18:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Video of the Day

Artist: Orba Squara
Video: 'The Trouble With Flying'
Highlight: A series of rapid-fire photographs documents a road trip across the US.

Best Songs of 2009

Spinner Staff — 2009-11-25T18:00:00+00:00

Filed under: The Hit List

This year has been fantastic for well-established superstars, but the year also saw more eclectic singles bubble up and find mainstream success. A number of indie bands struck a chord with weird yet accessible tunes. At the same time, several artists who have been kicking around for a while worked up songs that drew from their past but somehow managed to feel fresh. And that's what it's about, really: staying ahead of the curve while keeping in mind the past. Here's our list of the 25 best songs of 2009.

25. 'Alligator,' Tegan and Sara

This Canadian indie-pop sister act has figured out a winning formula: Use the nasality of their twinned voices for good, not evil. On 'Allligator,' they take this feature and put it to a mid-tempo beat to spread the notion that alligator tears are something that actually exist.

The Chum Bucket: Beatles Doc From the Future + More

Adam Horne — 2009-11-25T17:00:00+00:00

Filed under: The Chum Bucket

'Scottie Pippen was an original member,' and other fun, completely false facts about the Beatles. [Gawker]

DJ/producer Paul Van Dyk counts down his favorite records. [AOL Radio]

Here's former Secretary of State Colin Powell doing his finest Michael Jackson pose. [Best Week Ever]

Hot off the release of her debut solo EP, Lissie stops by the KCRW studio for an intimate performance. [KCRW]

Monk and the Baroness: An Interview With Documentarian Hannah Rothschild

Tad Hendrickson — 2009-11-25T17:00:00+00:00

Filed under: All About Jazz

Hannah Rothschild talks about her new documentary, 'The Jazz Baroness,' to be shown on HBO2. Check here for show times.

Jazz has always had its fair share of characters. Usually they are musicians, but occasionally nonmusicians enter the story thread. Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter was the pre-eminent patron of the New York City jazz scene back in the '50s and '60s bebop heyday. Though the "bebop baroness" was part of the rich and powerful Rothschild dynasty, she left the genteel life of European castles and servants to hang in New York with jazz musicians, most notably Thelonious Monk, to whom she was a constant companion for the last 28 years of his life.

Her generosity extended to other musicians, as well, providing food, safe haven and money to get pawned instruments back. Her apartment on Manhattan's ritzy Fifth Avenue was an after-hours place to hang out and jam until she was asked to leave after Charlie Parker died there. Many musicians have paid tribute to her generosity with songs dedicated to her in name or spirit (e.g., Monk's 'Pannonica' and 'Bolivar Blues'), but many in her own family had no idea who she was. Enter Hannah Rothschild, a grandniece who met her great-aunt as a young adult after tracking her down after a chance look at her family tree. Hannah went on to a career as a documentary filmmaker and mother, only now (the baroness died in 1988) creating this most personal film about Pannonica the person and the much-speculated relationship between her and Monk. Rather than a review of the film, we'll allow this articulate filmmaker to discuss her documentary in her own words.

What's been the response to the film?

It's been fantastic. If everything I did had this kind of response, life would be very sweet.

What's been the family's response to this film?

It's been great. By the way, there is no massaging of facts. This was a remarkable woman who has every right to hold her head high and be counted among the best of them.

You have done other documentaries. How does this one relate to the others?

This one is very different. This one took so many years, and it's a very personal project. It's about [family] relations and it's a personal detective story. I'm never in the films I make, so this is the first time that I've done that. It's more of a voyage around my family.

Count Five: Jello Biafra's Problems With Health Care, Politicians and Media

Dan Reilly — 2009-11-25T16:00:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive, Count Five

Jello Biafra has never been one to mince words when he sees a problem. During a recent interview about his latest musical project, Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine's 'The Audacity of Hype,' the former Dead Kennedys mastermind told Spinner about what annoys him about politicians, health care, the media and American culture these days. Here are his five best rants.

1. Health Care: [What annoys me is] the audacity to exploit a desperate people who are desperate for real change and who are overwhelmingly in favor of universal health care complete with -- call it what you will -- a public or single-payer option. The coin-operated people in both Congress and the White House are blocking the will of a large majority of the population. Obama even said repeatedly during the campaign that people read into him what they want to read into him -- he was never as progressive as a lot of people think he was. The trouble with branding yourself with hope and change and then turning around and hiring Bill Clinton's economic team that screwed up the laws in the first place and allowed our economy to collapse, that's slamming the door on a large number of the people who voted for you. As lame as most coin operated Democrats are, I fear that if Obama continues to blow the healthcare opportunity that we're going to have another off-the-wall Republican Congress after the 2010 election.

Passion Pit Stay Busy on the Road

Charley Rogulewski — 2009-11-25T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, Exclusive

"I farted," Passion Pit keyboardist Ayad Al Adhamy says midway through an interview with Spinner. This is ironic, primarily because it's been seven months since Passion Pit released their full-length debut, 'Manners.' The album was born from frontman Michael Angelakos homemade 2008 'Chunk of Change' EP, a valiant poor man's Valentine's Day_thumbnail.gift to his former girlfriend that caught blog wind thanks to the hyper-catchy single 'Sleepyhead.'

There is no denying the Boston-based electro-pop band is on fire. Passion Pit have just completed their second sold-out US tour, which has been coupled with back-to-back trips to the UK and Europe this year alone. That's not too shabby considering Passion Pit has only been playing together for a year and half.

Jason Boesel Learns Songwriting Skills From Conor Oberst

Benjy Eisen — 2009-11-25T14:00:00+00:00

When Jason Boesel went down to Mexico in 2008 with Conor Oberst, his objective was simple: play drums. That's one thing he knew he could do. After all, Boesel had been hitting the skins for Oberst both in Bright Eyes and the Mystic Valley Band and others such as Rilo Kiley for 15 years. But as recording sessions for Oberst's self-titled solo disc unfurled, Oberst increasingly looked to his band for collaborative support, loosening up his role as a solo artist and even giving the group their own name -- the Mystic Valley Band. For Boesel, the experience proved to be cathartic.

"I've learned so much from Conor over the last five years," Boesel tells Spinner. "Being able to observe his songwriting process over the course of a few records has been really inspiring. I've been a big fan of his songs for a long time now. I've always really liked his intense passion for words and what they mean, and how they can mean many things at once."

Warped Tour Founder Wants Eddie Vedder and Ting Tings on Lineup

Steve Baltin — 2009-11-25T13:30:00+00:00

Over its 15-year history, the Warped Tour has played host to the likes of Bad Religion, Blink-182, Katy Perry, Ice-T, NOFX, No Doubt and on and on. In fact, it's pretty much a rite of passage for every punk band -- and artists who embrace the punk spirit -- to hit the asphalt with Warped at least once.

But even with the literally thousands of acts have played the festival in past, Warped founder Kevin Lyman still has a wish list, albeit a very small one, he'd like to get out there in the future. "Sadly those are mostly bands that people have died in and they'll never be there. Joe Strummer was supposed to do the Warped tour the year he passed away," he tells Spinner, noting that there are still a few living acts he'd hold a spot for. "I don't think it'll ever happen but it'd be interesting to see if the Ting Tings would do good on the Warped tour. I think they'd do fantastic out there. I think the Ting Tings would be awesome on Warped Tour for some reason."