Hey Folks

So I was listening to the excellent new Bowerbirds album and my stream on conscience lead me to think of their fellow Raleigh Americanaists, The Avett Brothers. I knew the bros have been working on a new album with "The” Rick Rubin for the past year but we had to yet to hear a peep from it. So I check out their website and sure enough, as of today, their first single is out and free! "I and Love and You" is a steady growing piano driven ballad that will be not only a perfect introduction to the new album but also to the band it's self, as along with their major label release will come a major amount of new fans. Come the due date of 9/29, it seems to be all but a certainty that this will be the Year Of the Avett. These guys are too talented, too earnest, and just too good to stay under the radar. I and love and you might be three of the hardest words to say but July, August and September are going to be three of the longest months to wait for this album.
Download:
"I and Love and You"

Oh yeah and the Bowerbirds album is really great too. Listen to Northern Lights:
"Northern Lights

Eternal Sunshine on John Malkovich's Mind.

Yes, this movie does look very interesting and clever but I can't help think of writer/director Sophie Barthes thought process when writing the script. 

"What should I write next?... I wish I was Michelle Gondry...  Eternal Sunshine was so great... And so was Being John Malcovich... Wait a second... What if I combined them?... Yes... "Cold Souls" it is:

Higher and Higher

Have you been wondering who those little kids singing on the Passion Pit album are? Well wonder no longer. It's the (internet) famous kids choir ps22 Check out the cute behind the scenes video of the making of "Little Secret" and a bonus one of them doing "Don't Stop Believening".

Little kids singing "Don't Stop Believin" > Every Drunk Guy singing "Don't Stop Believin" at a Kareoke bar.

Chubby-Uni-Brow-Solo-Boy > You at everything.

Know Your Onion!

Obama Drastically Scales Back Goals For America After Visiting Denny's

Anthony Michael Phoenix

I know there's a thousand reasons to roll your eyes at this video but it's just too gosh darn likeable to resist. 

People Come Together

Here's a couple videos of a bunch of people coming together and playing a song. The first one has unknown musicians from around the world. The second video is a bunch of very well known musicians sharing a stage. 

NOW I get why Sharon Jones was on the Dark Was The Night Album. It all makes sense. 

Ra Ra Weekend

While the Vampire Weekend boys are hard at work on their sophomore effert, their producer/keyboardest is getting some on the side. Rostam Batmanglij along with fellow prep pop peer Ra Ra Riot lead Wes Miles have a little super duo together and are getting it on in a big way. Discovery, named after the influential Daft Punk album (I made that up) have no plans for an official LP as of yet, but here's hopin. Check out the snthy results:

Orange Shirt

Forecast

Summer time is around the bend and of course you're wondering "what will the song of the summer be?" All signs point to Boston's own Passion Pitt being this years MGMT (if they already aren't) and all ears will love their latest single "Little Secret" off the upcoming LP Manners. I don't want to put my reputaton on the line but I have a strong feeling this song will be the Indie Cross Over Can't Get Enough Of Then Can't Stand Because It's Everywhere Hit Of Summer 09.

Like it before everyone else does. Follow this link.

Sherlock Holmes Gives Good Poster

Amazing Grace

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

The girl is awesome. The Dad is cool. The Mom is a total bitch.

Bill Simmons, Allaround Guy

EPSN's "Sportsguy" and New England native Bill Simmons is one of my favorite essayist. Though not considered by most in the same league as peers such as the Klosterman's and Sedaris’ of the world, he has offered a compelling, unique and transcendent approaches to sports journalism. I just came across one of his more recent articles describing silly but ingénues ways to subjectively determine the best actors of all time. It's a great read and indicative of why I like Simmons so much; he combines my love of sports and film and makes it all the same.

Article Link

Here We Go

Watch this trailer linked here: Away We Go

Sam Mendes? Dave Eggers? A hand full of great actors? Too good to be true right?

I know this trailer is crushing with a certain sense of Garden State meets Juno stigma and if it wasn't for the pedigree involved my eyes would surely be rolling well into the back of my head. But let's play pretend. Let's pretend we don't know anything. We've never seen Garden State or Juno. We missed American Beauty ten years ago. Never got around to reading "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius". Have never watched The (American) Office (we saw the British one though). We have never heard an Alexi Murdoch song and have never seen cutesy titling before.

Let imagine in this sovereign utopia you just saw this trailer, wouldn't you think it looks great?

Are You Not Wasting Enough Time?

...Well then go to this link and waste the day away (forever):

RON WINTER’S DRUM SET

Spoiler Alert

The academy awards just happened and we already know who wins all the awards next year. Oh well, better luck in 2010, Every Other Movie. 

Are you listening to better music then a fifth grader?

(click pic to see it big)

So this smart guy surveyed college kids to see if their tastes in music had anything to do with how smart they are. He used their SAT scores as the barometer of brains. Looking at the list I have to wonder what came first, The Doing Bad At Your SATS or The Listening To Nickleback.

Swagger Like Them

Let's face it, the Grammy’s are irrelevant. There needs to be a new music awards show that holds the seem esteem as the Grammy’s but actually awards the best albums and songs of the year. The Oscars do well in incorporating the best of mainstream and indie fair, so why can't we have a music award show that does the same? I purpose a music show where the industry leading music critics are the ones who do the voting. They know what's up. Grammy’s are for Grammy’s.

However, there were some high lights from last night's show. First up the Four Best Rappers In The Game all got in stage with a super pregnant MIA and performed 2008's Swagger Like Us. I could never really get behind that song because with those dudes and an MIA sample it should have been the best song ever but it was just kind of OK. Now seeing everyone on stage I get it. This was a great moment is modern music.


And of course I can't forget about Radiohead's holy shit performance of 15 Steps. This was always my least favorite amazing song on their every-song-is-amazing-album In Rainbows. Well, Tom and the gang joined by a big backing band killed it and splashed egg all over my face. So good (so good).

The Curious Case of Brad Pitt

I've been in some Oscar debates recently regarding the merits of Brad Pitt's performance in Benjamin Button. I say he did some incredible work that not only showcased his talent but also showed how beneficial a symbiotic relationship with special effects can be. To others the technology discredits the performance he gave. I hope this interesting video shines some light on what it took for Brad to create the young/old Benjamin and maybe, just maybe you can give him some slack.

Though, I still want to see Mickey Rourke win.

NKOTB

Here's a few new artists I've been listening too that are sure to make some sort of splash this year. Check them out because I know you'll like em. In fact I dare you to not like one these bands. If these bands went to high school with you they'd be like the best friends of everyone. Maybe not the most popular but at least the most liked and they'd all win best personality in the year book superlatives. Seriously, give them a try.

Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele


Timber Timbre


Emmy the Great


See, I told you'd like them.

Happy Man

Here's another one of those great parodies that you just have to hit yourself over the forehead because "why didn't I think of that". I also have to post all things Mad Men, because it's the bes.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Those College Humors kids have gone from making silly distractions to very relevant work in a just a few short years. They might just be the best out there.

The Coolest Guy in Cool Town

That's Ryan Gosling to me. He does whatever movie he wants, djs up a storm and has a weird band. He's not too cool for school, he is school. 

This is said band, Dead Man's Bones:

(Thanks Melissa for the tip)

Conspiracy Theory

So I was checking out the poster for the "He's Just Not That Into You" adaptation and like many of you, I was pleased with the quanity of fresh faced talent. Then I looked further. Everyone is looking to the left. Everyone but three people. And here's where it get's weird, all the actreses loking to the left are named Jennifer (various spellings)! Why are all the Jens (Gins?) looking to the right? This has to be more the coincidence. This has to be something more...something sinister. Now I have to see this movie. Click on the above poster to get a closer look and get closer to being freaked out.

"Oh, that looks good"

You've got to love this trailer. The imposing 60's era voice over, the can't place it but it's familiar song, the multiple syllabled named actors, it's got it all. However the movie seems so likeably quirky that in no time it will be one of “those” movies. You know, you can only like it for a week before it becomes torn to shreds but the cooler then thou. I guess when can just enjoy the trailer for now while it exists in the infant backlash free stage of it’s life.