Pocket Full of Horses

It's about time I...

2008-06-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

Abandon Ship!

(but first this. Fast track to 4:34.)

produced, edited, shot of and by... kevin porter.

2008-06-17T19:26:00.000-07:00

kevin porter's austin line is up on the orchid site. i love kevin's riding style and i love the city he rides in (empire warehouse!) but the best part about this video is the fact that i can't count how many people would pay money to film for kevin but he decides to shoot his shit himself.

2008-06-16T03:04:00.001-07:00

bruce crisman! where's your hair?

2008-06-01T22:08:00.000-07:00

Oh pumpkin pants.

2008-05-30T12:32:00.000-07:00

I should be shopping for a costume right now.
BUT!

Throw Me The Statue just released a video for the song "Lolita", aka the most infectious and charming indie song I've heard in days. The video reaffirms how much I like this one-man "group" despite the fact that I totally don't understand the ending of this story. But I do understand that cute dresses and exploding cakes are amazing.

This is how it's done..

2008-05-28T19:33:00.000-07:00

Soon, when I work out the heel-to-toe, my moves will be comparable. Fo sho!

[ COMING SOON: A black-metal variation by Andrew S. ]

You and me? Not Lykke Li.

2008-05-24T13:06:00.001-07:00

Lykke Li is everything I could ask for right now. Delicious Swedish pop blessed by a girl's cute accent and really fun Feist-esque piano rhythms. "I'm Good, I'm Gone" is perfect for walking quickly and solidly down the street and making your heels pound out the beat along with the you. "Dance Dance Dance" is fucking sweet, catchy and charming. "My hips they lie because in reality I'm shy shy shy". Simply delectable pop.

>>I'm Good I'm Gone
>>Dance Dance Dance
>>space
>>Video for "I'm Good I'm Gone"

the noise made by people

2008-05-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

It's pretty apparent to most folks right now that there's a lot of experiments happening on the noise terrain. Most artists use layers that are so distortion-laden that they're deemed unlistenable by the majority. The popularized groups & their indie rock run-off also tends to lessen the credibility of the genre in the eyes of critics and mainstream audiences.

However, those who prefer their dissonance shaken, not watered down, need not worry about the approval of the upper crust. This means us. Me, you and anyone with a patient ear who can appreciate the unexpected headway being made by the "free-form" sounds of the outsider. Those who are often satisfied looking like this..

The static right now,

the dreamy :
Fuck Buttons - Sweet Love For Planet Earth

the raw :
Prurient - Live in Detroit 2003

the legendary :
Boredoms - Live @ ATP 2005

& the damn good :
Black Dice - Cone Toaster

Hellicockter

2008-05-20T17:48:00.000-07:00

A recent press conference for chess champion Gary Kasparov* was interrupted by a very special vehicle: A hellicockter. A remote controlled helicopter shaped like a penis suddenly flew in front of cameras, only to be swatted at and stomped on by some very specialized security personal. See the above video and scroll to the 20 second mark.

This is pretty much the best prank I've ever seen, and could only get better if it suddenly became a phenomenon and all sorts of genitalia vehicles started showing up at press conferences and public events. Perhaps the Obama campaign trail could be followed by the Hellicockter? Genius in my opinion.

*I did a google image search of this guy and it's kind of humorous how many variations of this pose he has.

not for those with weak stomachs

2008-05-17T21:08:00.000-07:00

whatthehell?

2008-05-14T14:39:00.001-07:00

Please don't tell me to do the maths

2008-05-04T20:54:00.000-07:00

1. You loved Jock Jams.
2. You loved Star Wars kid.
3. You love this:

("Please Don't Tell Me to Do the Maths" by Los Campesinos!)

welcome to the summer of skills

2008-04-30T17:48:00.000-07:00

Vonnegut probably said it best in the closing lines of Breakfast of Champions, "make me young! make me young!" That being said, out of all the films being released this summer, Son Of Rambow seems to be the one most worthy of hyperactive anticipation. If you haven't realized already...

Here's a taste of two others that are either so absurd (for the mere fact that the project was even accepted into production) or have the potential to be something inescapably sweet, despite the bizarre concept. Still, it goes without saying, they MUST be seen.

Skills Like This
[Clutch usage of The Wedding Present!]

Mister Lonely

new dark night trailer

2008-04-29T11:34:00.001-07:00

"Until then, read the Sears & Roebeck catalog"

2008-04-29T11:23:00.000-07:00

Apparently PFoH doesn't like music anymore. But what we do like are serial killers, and letters from children, and letters from serial killers. Creepy? Oh my god satisfyingly so.

A man named Bill Geerhart apparently posed as a 10-year-old boy in the 90s and sent letters to a large range of sensation "celebrities" including Charles Manson, The Unabomber, Larry Flynt, and even Miss Oprah Winfrey. (Larry Flynt provided the best quote: when asked if Billy should wait until he's 18 to order Hustler, Flynt responds to "Read the Sears & Roebeck catalog" until he turns 18.)

These letter are highly entertaining, and a great reason to buy Radar mag this month. Fortunately, you can get a few of the letters online. Worthwhile: Charles Manson (is frighteningly crazy even in print).

Click here to check them out.

i actually really like this song.

2008-04-27T22:00:00.001-07:00

Since we are on the subject of Garfield...

2008-04-22T10:29:00.000-07:00

There may be nothing funnier to me right now than Lasagna Cat. If you ever thought John was always portrayed in the comic strip as some white dude with a styrofoam afro, imagine him dancing to Tom Jones in front of a green screen. A new brand of unbridled genius, really!

for example:

John's self-prescribed mantras

2008-04-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

There may be nothing funnier to me right now than Garfield Minus Garfield. If you ever thought John was always portrayed in the comic strip as a hopelessly neurotic loner, imagine him talking to himself the entire time. A new brand of unbridled genius, really!

for example:

Bringing new meaning to the term "newsworthy"

2008-04-17T07:51:00.001-07:00

For some time it's been common knowledge that headline goof-ups, particularly CNN's, are highly entertaining, often misleading, and sometimes offensive. So what? I've read a few, thought they were funny, and moved on. Well now a whole blog has been created to illustrate the ridiculous scenarios that CNN finds newsworthy. The blog is eloquently titled CNN is like the worst news source. Ever. and everyday the blogger lists some ridiculous headlines and then chooses to draw a picture for one of them. Here are some of my favorites (click images for larger size):

"Pit bulls kill cancer boy's miniature horse"

"Man wears skirt to mow lawn, breaks law"

"Principal had teens, porn, pot, cops say"

And remember to check out the full blog for more fun with news. I also watched a few of these videos. The one about the man in the skirt is slightly disturbing due to his creep mouth, the term "heat rash", and the image of him sitting on his lawn mower with no panties on (thank you censor blur, thank you).

?

2008-04-16T10:09:00.001-07:00

japanese bruce springsteen ftw!

2008-04-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

six packs to french knacks

2008-04-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

Between La Blogotheque & the timeless chronicling of street performers, the Take Away Shows profile an endless amount of vital artists churning out selected material. Their main focus is on the origin of songs, & their placement in everyday situations. From Scout Niblett & The Black Lips to Yeasayer and Carbiou, and even R.E.M., there is an unlimited supply of sweetness all over this place.

#55.1 takes on The Dirty Projectors, who have already established themselves as innovative & oddly infectious with Rise Above, their re-imagining of Black Flag's classic record Damaged. This lengthy, but totally intimate, performance of "Police Story" is the real deal. Their arrangements blow my mind with every listen &, if you have the time to spare, these two installments are a feast for the starving cerebrum!

#55.1 - The Dirty Projectors - pt. 1

#55.1 - The Dirty Projectors - pt. 2

Sexuality (or should we say sexualité)

2008-04-13T13:57:00.000-07:00

Sebastian Tellier just released this video for his single "Divine" and it's off the wall intentionally weird. This is the first time I've heard of the artist, but apparently he's a huge popstar in France and has been topping the charts for a few years now. His new album (a concept album, I might add) is called Sexuality and it's produced by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo of Daft Punk. Considering there's another song called "Sexual Sportswear", I'm kind of excited. It's ridiculousness packed into well-produced music. If this guy doesn't inspire a thousand fabulous Halloween costumes I don't know what will:

ian shwartz... again.

2008-04-13T06:46:00.000-07:00

gone fishin'. they're claiming this is ian shwartz's 'scrap footage' for the new sunday! video, that video is going to be ridiculous. ian's signature sunday! 2nd wave is about to come out, i've wanted a t-1 barcode since i was 14 (i've been contemplating buying the garrett for the past few monthes) but i think i'm going to have buy a 2nd wave as my birthday present to myself.

united mega tour webvid on defgrip too.

deer tick - these old shoes

I've never even heard of filler.

2008-04-09T14:06:00.000-07:00

For anyone that loves cheesy horror movies, Thor, or just super buff guys with huge hair and sparkly outfits, Rock and Roll Nightmare is a must. Especially the finale (or maybe only the finale, the movie's pretty bad).

Things to note:
  - The one eyed, shouldered penises that come to back up the demon
  - At the 2:10 mark, Thor showing off his ability to look in a dictionary.
  - 4:07, thor has 3 sets of boobs
  - Skip to 4:40 to view his full costume
  - And if you're really in a hurry, just skip to 5:27 where things get pretty epic. Are they playing a Double Dare challenge game here?

el coolest bromea en la ciudad

2008-04-04T13:47:00.000-07:00

From the youthful exuberance of Be Your Own Pet & The Sex comes JEFF. As a two-piece brotherhood, one being the founder of their Infinity Cat record label, they are wired for angular guitar insanity. To be honest, there is virtually no way to do their sound justice outside of this video. BEHOLD, the Tennessee underground!

JEFF - Nooo Sixties

Let's make vibrations in the plains

2008-04-03T23:15:00.000-07:00

In keeping with the trend of overwhelming line-ups of artists (homegirl Caitlin's mention of Outiside Lands) Let's venture to the land of humid winds & overweight baseball fans. Sweet home (really!) Chicago is the place & Union Park is the space.

The Pitchfork Music Festival [July 18-20] is an unmissable experience to say the least. Each year I've been just keeps getting better. & With ticket prices that won't drain your finances [along with a forum that boasts DIY artist booths, a enormous poster art sale & delicious beer] you really can't go wrong.

Throw in the fact that Chuck D & Flava Flav are reuniting as Public Enemy and performing It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back in it's entirety, All Tomorrows Parties style, the odds of a kick-in-the-teeth good time are in your favor I'd say. Other party-starters that are sure to entice include: Animal Collective!!! is reason enough, No Age!! will pierce my cranium like a psychedelic glass of OJ, Dinosaur Jr., The Dirty Projectors, Spiritualized, Boris for christ sake!, M. Ward, the Fuck Buttons, Ghostface Killah & Raekwon, & Apples In Stereo...with way more TBA. Come live the mid-western dream. We'll eat deep dish pizza & Chicago-style hot dogs, and maybe even run into Oprah! What better way to spend your summer?

Here are some steller highlights from 2007's festivities:

Girl Talk - Summer's Smoke

GZA/Genius (Liquid Swords performance)

An ode to the internet. And pregnant men.

2008-04-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

There are very, very few times when I'm upset about not having cable television in my house. Really, I'm not upset that I don't understand jokes referencing The Office and I couldn't care less about watching Americans make fools of themselves and their stylists on American Idol. Even fabulously produced HBO series about serial killers (Dexter) can't persuade me that it's worth it to own a TV hooked up to anything besides a VCR.

But today things have changed. The single most important TV show of my young life is airing today and I am missing it. (And also crossing my fingers for the miracle of yootoob to come through.) To put it simply: our favorite pregnant man, Thomas Beatie, is on Oprah today.

Pretty much every question you had about Mr. Mom will be answered on this show that I will be shamefully not watching. Thankfully, there's something better than cable television. It's called the internet and it's called liveblogging. My favorite blogger ever, who I once dreamed of being exactly like until I realized I simply was not as hilare, adorable, or Jewish as her, is live-blogging the whole show. It's pretty much hilarious, especially the Juno-esque screenshot and the homecoming court picture. If fascination gets the best of you, or you need a little humor in your life, or you like people that I like to pretend to be, I suggest you read a little of Michelle Collins' brilliance. You might even get hooked.

Go to Best Week Ever probably right exactly now if you're at all a decent human being.

UPDATE: Thank you internet. I got the first half and therefore can collect my own screencaps.

She's totally psyched. And probably belongs in a John Waters film.

Let the festivities begin.

2008-04-01T12:05:00.000-07:00

Get it? Because the best music fest evvvvvvs is happening this summer. I can tell from the start that Outside Lands is going to be totally rocker from his skinny jeans and funky hair*. I'm desperate to go so I'll start saving all my pennies now if you join me. Highlights include Broken Social Scene, (who isn't my favorite band or anything so I'm not flipping out at all.), Andrew Bird, Radiohead, Devendra Banhart, Beck, and Regina Spektor. And these are highlights baby dolls, not everyone. Although I kind of feel like I would be an ungrateful child to not be happy with these way too solid acts. Click here for the full lineup.

Alright. Huddle yee readers. You start saving a little bit everyday now. Then come August 22-24 you drive me and accompany me to a few of my dreams come true. The excitement in my anime eyes will be worth it, I promise. Alright. BREAK!

*It was a poor reference to the teenagers. I'm sorry.

Hotel parking lot shooting

2008-03-31T11:13:00.000-07:00

I ran out of good Animal Collective photographs so this old picture of mechanical/organic romance will have to do. Anyways the new Animal Collective EP Water Curses found its way onto the internet a few weeks ago. Like always their shit is worth its weight in gold so here is a 24-k nug of a song.

Water Curses - Animal Collective

The Justice + Diplo show last Thursday hit me like a pile of bricks made of snow filled with dead batteries. The show restored my faith in 1) live music and 2) the French. The best part about the show was that it was hosted by myspace. OMGZ I <3 MYSPACE!!!! Myspace is so much cooler than facebook or livejournal or blogger. yay. So here is a nice track by Midfield General that was produced by Justice. Let my just say that the name says it all.

Midfield General - Disco Sirens

There are a lot of awesome shows coming up, but the one I would a ticket too the most would be YELLE. If you dont know her watch this.

Another cardboard throwing frenzy

2008-03-28T19:44:00.001-07:00

Recommended to me as a band comparable to Shapes & Sizes, The Born Ruffians are another "messy pop" band who I currently can't peel myself away from. Fun, upbeat, but a little bit crazy, The Born Ruffians promise to make late night decorating frenzies alive with even more colored paper than Shapes & Sizes offered up. Plus you'll be inclined to unfold your Indian crossed legs to get up and dance and stomp around your playful mess. Their first album Red, Yellow & Blue just came out and primary colors have never sounded so good.

Here's are some favorite tracks followed by a fittingly high speed music video for their single "Hummingbird".

"Hummingbird"
"Barnacle Goose"
"Little Garcon"

UPDATE: If my analogy weren't already perfect enough, turns out almost all their pictures on myspace are of construction paper cut outs and colorful lines of yarn.

Terrorbird means business..

2008-03-23T18:28:00.000-07:00

Ahh The Mae-Shi. An explosion of unpredictable choral sweetness, right along-side drums of genuine chaos. Their new record HLLLYH was just released on the already legendary Moshi Moshi Records. They're painting the West Coast with rubix cube colors all through the spring. 4/22 @ 21 Grand in Oakland & then again on 4/27 at the Bottom Of The Hill. As it might be obvious by their video for "Run To Your Grave"(to all you tasteful readers of course) it might be a bad idea to just say "bah!" to this one.

You are number 6

2008-03-23T13:08:00.000-07:00

So the new Girl Talk album leaked two days ago. The only catch is that it is not by Girl Talk. Pennsylvania based Speaky released his mixes under the name Girl Talk and that shit spread like vegemite on sourdough. Im sure Greg Gillis is not too thrilled, But this kid has some good stuff piled up in his dorm room.

Drop it - Speaky

And here is a little piece of candy for everyone:

Sexual Seduction - Hot Chip

rocket man.

2008-03-23T11:11:00.001-07:00

for the few readers left who fancy little bikes

2008-03-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

check out the new web vid from mutiny bmx over at defgrip (awesome bmx/design blog.) it knocked my socks off how well it was shot and how good the team is (definitely one of the more underrated groups of riders right now.) it was all shot in austin, tx around new years. waning: loading time is a bitch, but it's high quality (you can even watch it in hd here or download it for you apple tv! ya douche!)
...also, fit dropped shinin' this week.

p.s.
bought my justice/diplo ticket today, who's gonna drive me?

Schwarzenegger wasn't the only one.

2008-03-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

(This has nothing to do with music and I don't care.)

Remember that movie Junior staring Vanny Deanito and Arnold Schwarzenegger where Arnie gets totally preggers? I somehow remember the posters very vividly even though I was only 6 when it came out (click here for a frightening refresher on the movie). Anyways, those of you fascinated by bad movies and weird science will love the fact that it has actually happened. That's right. Hairy bellies never looked so good.

Click here to meet the man behind the miracle, Thomas Beatie.

"Around the World in 60 Seconds" issue #4

2008-03-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

Hello fantasy lovers,
got a big SPECIAL issue of Around the World in 60 Seconds...the 2008(or 2009) comic-to-film preview!!!
First up lets take care of the obvious, and movies you've probably already seen the trailer for:
IRON MAN: May 2, 2008 starring Robert Downey Jr. and directed by Jon Favreau (made, elf) the world of capitalist Tony Stark is underway. While this film will not be dealing with Tony Stark's massive drinking problem, I am ready to be bored with this film, and wait for the sequel so I can see Terrance Howard as War Machine!
DARK KNIGHT: July 18, 2008...I get chills of excitement when i watch this trailer...HOLY SHIT, HOLY SHIT, HOLY SHIT, HOLY SHIT!

Now to some other very promising comic-to-film up-comers. Lets start with those that have trailers:
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army: July 11, 2008. Now for those of you who follow my blog posts you will know I will Hellboy and the Mike Mignola universe...so you know I am going to be super excited for this one:

The Incredible Hulk: June 13, 2008...While I do believe we can all agree and pretend the first HULK film does not exist, this film is a) NOT A SEQUAL and b) Screenplay written by Edward Norton (also starring Ed as Bruce Banner!!!):

and lastly (well I could name several more...) I will leave you with this link, for what I believe will be one of the coolest comic-to-film transfers. And when I say coolest, it will be awesome and better then DareDevil...

http://imdb.com/title/tt0458525/

Issue #5 preview: DMZ TPB #4, Ex Machina, and more...

for all your comic, fantasy, and nerd needs go down to Comicopolis located downtown on Front Street!!! yay for team J-Roy!

you are the last dragon

2008-03-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

2008-03-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

magic spells off of the new crystal castles album. came out yesterday.

In retrospect

2008-03-15T11:18:00.001-07:00

I still have no idea why Shapes & Sizes didn't take the blogworld by storm last year.

Alone/Alive
Head Movin'

These first two songs are simply fantastic, with what I describe as "messy": a catchy riff paired with some drums that go so wild you're left doing a simply uncomprehensible dance. It feels, well, really really good. It's like staying up too late making construction paper cutouts and then at 3am having all of the scraps of paper surrounding you jump up and fly in a messy messy circle all around you. Like Matilda, except things collide.

I actually don't know if it's like that for anyone else, but it is for me, and that's why I love it. Do me a favor and let me know that they are, in fact, fantastic and that I don't actually have bad taste.

Check out Shapes and Sizes' myspace here. Also, both these songs are off their sophomore album Split Lips, Winning Hips, a Shiner

bug fighting = creeps me out!

2008-03-15T03:14:00.000-07:00

...it's all about cat weight lifting.

flight of the non-music-related you tube video!

2008-03-13T19:17:00.000-07:00

what lifts my spirits when faced with far too many essays to write:

" you make me touch your hands for stupid reasons.."

"DING! DING!"

& of course..

"Around The World In 60 Seconds" Issue #3

2008-03-13T11:57:00.000-07:00

WOW! And welcome back to another issue of 'Around The World In 60 Seconds". Well it was a giant week for comic releases and comics I have read. First off, and I'll try to make this quick, last week I read Mark Millar's "WANTED". With an introduction from Brian K. Vaughn (LOST, Runaways, Ex Machina, Y The Last Man) that allows the read to ache to get to the last page, no one is disappointed. I loved this from start to finish, and like the words of B.K.V. the last pages alone will make everything worth it. Mark Millar is the writer of other such amazing comics: "Wolverine: Enemy of the State", Marvel Civil War, House of M, and many others (which if you've read know he is a very smart and face paced writer. Secondly continuing my love for Abe Sapien, this week the second installment to his solo 5-part comic series came out (See Around the World issue #1) and Mike Mignola is still doing a wonderful job at giving this amazing character more space and depth.
And finally....to the juice. This week (well yesterday, 3/11) Robert Kirkham dropped Walking Dead issue #47 titled "Mother and Child". While for those of you who refuse to be angered with waiting for ten page single issue to come out every other month I will not ruin the current standing of the Walking Dead cast, but OH MY GOD!!! I really, as the dedicated W.D. reader know exactly what Kirkham when he started this story arch called: NO ONE IS SAFE!
Okay, well thats all I've go to say for this week, but I can garantee you will see a post shortly about the release (3/11/08) of Brian Wood's DMZ trade paper back #4. I just wish I didn't have any more finals or papers to write...I JUST WANT TO READ MY DAMN COMICS!

p.s. they are coming out with a "WANTED" movie starting James Mcavoy and Jolie, and after I looked into it, the film has almost nothing to do with the comic.

Next Issue: DMZ #4, a preview to your favorite comics and their upcoming films!

i was going to post about sharks and seals

2008-03-12T23:35:00.001-07:00

...but then i got lazy.

I can has power pop?

2008-03-12T11:15:00.001-07:00

If you think that TacocaT is palindrome them im sure that you will enjoy this little Seattle-based LOL CATZ power pop band. Ok, their music has nothing to do with catz, but this song almost made me crap.

Bike Party - TacocaT

myspace.com/tacocattacocattacocat with a URL like that how can you not love them?

awareness test.

2008-03-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

http://www.dothetest.co.uk/

bonus mp3:
MIA - paper planes (holy fuck remix)

Don't stop til you get enough

2008-03-11T01:20:00.000-07:00

The truth is I really can't get enough. I know this band is old news and Caitlin blogged about them ages ago but they are really, really good. The full length is coming out a week from today, they are no longer touring due to a misselaneous "injury" and they really make you want to play kung-fu or super mario bros 2. Please download, please listen and please enjoy.

Untrust Us- Crystal Castles
Love and Caring - Crystal Castles

six days at the bottom of the ocean, one on the shoreline

2008-03-11T00:22:00.000-07:00

The time that I've gone without declaring the illuminating goodness of Beach House is inexcusable. It's clear to me that nearly everyone & their mother may already be aware of how essential their music is, but SCREW IT! Devotion has become quite possibly my favorite record of the year, thus far. Suppose clouds were composed of sound waves with chandeliers hanging overhead, carrying you on a retrospective glimpse of a longterm relationship expressed through abstract stories & visions of unknown faraway lands. That's Beach House. This Saturday they'll be at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco & I think I might buy something nice for a co-worker in order to get my shift covered that night. oh damn.

Something that is for sure is Explosions In The Sky next Wednesday in Santa Cruz with Dan-O & a plethora of killer clowns of the Del Mar/Nickelodeon persuasion. I may fall into a deep sleep from their orchestrated assault but it will surely be amazing regardless. & really when is the last time you heard me use that word?

Sweet sweet layers of feedback >>
- Live @ The Starlight Ballroom
- Live @ The Parish in Austin, Tx

Black Metal Cookies

2008-03-10T14:03:00.000-07:00

I tend to fall in love with women who are idyllic housewives in an altered form. Girls covered in paint who bake delicious pies. Girls who sew halloween costumes like no ones business and then bring you hot tea and blankets. Needless to say, I'm kind of in love with this black metal girl who paints awesome pictures, never stops smiling, and now has a baking blog. Her name? Megan. Her profession? Awesome.*

"Boiled down to its very essence, metal is nothing more than a mixture of molasses and alienation. By that definition, these cookies are black fucking metal. Packed full of grim and evil spices, they will leave you feeling despondent and isolated within their stronghold of flavor. "

If you're not intrigued, you're probably suffering from a severe form of boring personality. If you are intrigued, head over to The Black Oven immediately. And get baking this week!

*We're all aloud cheesy formulaic lines every now and then, right?

I want to post this song for you

2008-03-08T11:15:00.000-08:00

It has been out for awhile but I thought I might as well just do it.

Walk Around - Animal Collective

the guitar and the steer

2008-03-07T15:22:00.000-08:00

This past Wednesday I found myself jumping for opposing forces of joy. My good friend Mia supplied me with a ticket to see the SOLD OUT surprisingly intimate sit-down Magnetic Fields show @ the Hearst Theater in San Francisco, as a part of their legendary reuniting. Their proverbial pop make up the most witty love songs, full of fuzz and heartbreaking noise, to come out of the 80's/90's, hands down. After a pint, or two (I chose beer in the midst of flossed out bohemian wineos), I was lead to my seat by a whispering tuxedo-ed usher & even picked up a couple damn fine exclusive screen prints. It was an awkwardly hilarious, precise and extremely unplugged. Each & every song was like a piece of Stephen Merritt's country heart being thrown to the stage floor, by way of ukulele of course.

Here is a pretty damn clear indication of how far their inspiration reaches:

The Arcade Fire - Born On A Train (live)

i can see colors

2008-03-07T14:11:00.000-08:00

Concert alert!

There are a whole bunch of shows coming up in the next few months that I would like to share with you. First off I already got my ticket to see Justice and Diplo at the end of this month. Dance party? yes.

Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (diplo remix)

This weekend in San Francity there will be two really awesome shows. First off Crystal Castles and HEALTH will be playing at the independant while Mt. Eerie is playing at the Enola Maxwell High School Auditorium. I would personally go with Mt. Eerie but I'm sick in bed so I really don't have any say.

Crystal Castles vs HEALTH - Crimewave
(the Moools cover) - Mt. Eerie

Vampire Weekend and Yacht are also playing later this month but I heard that the show has already sold out. Thats about it for March. Hot Chip is playing at the end of April and Beirut is on Daniel's birthday in May. Hopefully people start coming down to Santa Cruz to say hello.

She & Him make a delightful duo

2008-03-06T08:28:00.000-08:00

Think about this: If all your favorite musicians were besties, you'd probably have hot air balloons full of amazing CDs. Sometimes the most unusual of pairs make the best music together, and sometimes the sweetest of individuals (Khaela and YACHT) team up to make the most fun music evs.

Best new unexpected team: M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel, together known as She & Him. Their album is a delicious mix of an almost country twang and 60s pop music (try "Sweet Darlin'" if you're into the 60s pop). For those of you addicted to covers, there's also a version of "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" as well as "You Really Gotta Hold On Me" by the Miracles. By far, the stand out tracks on the album are "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?", a catchy tune that I love for it's sassy "I like your style" line. The opening track, "Sentimental Heart" is also an excellent song. It's very pretty and an great example of why M. Ward needed to team up with a girl with a cute voice all along.

Although the music is overall excellent, I have one complaint: The lyrics are weak. I don't mean they're bad, they're actually very well written. What I mean is that they tell a story of a terribly weak person. Someone who sits on the shelf waiting for someone (in "Why Do You...") and someone who has trouble overcoming heartache because they're too sappy ("Sentimental Heart").

My one complaint is something that's easy to get over, so I suggest you give it a listen anyways, if only because you have a crush on Zooey D.

>>> Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?
>>> Sentimental Heart

"Around The WORLD IN 60 SECONDS" issue #2

2008-03-05T17:35:00.001-08:00

Are you in the mood for some lobster? I'm not, I don't eat fish. But I am in the mood for some LOBSTER JOHNSON! Mike Mignola (the creator of Hellboy and B.P.R.D.) has now set in motion the Lobster Johnson mini-series that detail his adventures of fighting the Nazis. There are currently two issues out (I do believe only five will be released for now) for this so far amazing story arch "The Iron Prometheus". For any readers of Hellboy or B.P.R.D. we've only had glimpses of this amazing character. So for my first review I absolutely give two thumbs up to this new series that not only gives more depth to the character, but the world that Mike Mignola is so trying to expand this coming year. On a side note of L.J. director of both Hellboy and Hellboy: The Golden Army did not include L.J. in the second (soon to be released) film as was Mignola's wish, but does plan to include him in the third film rumored to be played by BRUCE CAMPBELL!!!
The second comic under review is a one-off story line from The Authority comic book written by John Ridley called "Human On The Inside" which in a contained and rather short fashion moves quickly, well written (in its dialogue and use of the characters), but also the art. And I just love it when it's an awesome super team up against the evil depicted U.S. government. It is definitely worth a read if you are familiar with The Authority (which you should be).

well I've written enough for this week. Again, if you have anything you want me to read - I will. Tell me, and it would also be nice to know what you think of my reviews.
feel free to e-mail me @: arhartman@gmail.com

will arnett is fo-reekay!

2008-03-05T10:40:00.000-08:00

human giant. funny show. download it.

hidden treasures of yore

2008-03-04T01:32:00.000-08:00

I'm sure it's no surprise that we at Pocket Full Of Horses are down right consumed by any sort of revision of nostalgic childhood media. I can safely say that Where The Wild Things is at the forefront of that category. Derek even posted a series of Spike Jonze videos recently out of pure restlessness over its' release. AND NOW, with the film still in post-production, I stumbled upon this beautiful out-of-context clip that was made purely for experimental purposes [as explained in the comments]. Let us revel in its' glory!

The moment we have all been waiting for

2008-03-02T18:17:00.000-08:00

two new man man songs

2008-03-02T14:05:00.000-08:00

above is a live version of big trouble from a show at emo's in austin, tx. below, an mp3 of top drawer, both are on the new album rabbit habits, out april 8th.

man man - top drawer

Newest Obsession: Cassettes Won't Listen remixes

2008-02-28T09:44:00.000-08:00

In this blog trodden world, remixes are a dime a dozen. You can only listen to so many electronic dance tracks before your mind gets trapped in a prison of incessant beats that cause all these "I have a music program too!" tracks to merge into eachother and become a heap of entirely uninteresting material. I know, it's confusing and unsatisfying to say the least. Which is why my new favorite remixes tend to be remixes to originally mellow, pretty, often sorrowful songs. Add a stellar beat and you've got yourself something completely original, something that bands like Her Space Holiday managed to create minus the middle man remixer. A good (scratch that, excellent) example is the Tough Alliance remix of Taken By Trees' "Taken Too Young".

And now, rescuing me from my disillusionment with new indie music, comes Cassettes Won't Listen, who, besides having excellent original work, creates some of my favorite remixes to date out of a broad range of songs that I originally liked quite a bit, but never as much as I do now. My favorite by far is the remix of Midlake's "Young Bride". Simply delectable.

Scoop it Up.

>> Midlake - Young Brides (CWL remix)
>> Pela - Lonesome Hearts (CWL remix)
>> Cassettes Won't Listen - Paper Float
>> Asobi Seksu - Strawberries (CWL remix)

(also, visit Cassettes Won't Listen's myspace to check out tons more songs.)

"AROUND THE WORLD IN 60 SECONDS" issue #1

2008-02-27T21:45:00.000-08:00

Hello PFOH's readers,
My name is Austin Hartman (formerly of Sex In the Break Room) and I read a lot of comic books, so many I spend on average one hundred dollars a week on buying new ones. Yes, I am broke and can only do this because I split rent with someone. But you are probably wondering why I am talking about comic books on PFOH, well its because I am the new comic book reviewer/updater. So, in my first issue of "Around The World In 60 Seconds" I would like to tell you about myself and where I am coming from with my reviews. I make movies, my greatest dream in life is to be able to breath under water, and I look for good sexual, gender, and class politics on comics (also I am addicted to collecting things: action figures, comics, buttons, etc). My favorite comic book writers are: Grant Morrison, Warren Ellis, Mark Millar, Garth Ennis, and Brian Wood. Before I give you this weeks review and update, here is a lot of some of my favorite comics (lists are in no specific order):
TOP 5 Comics (series):
1) Preacher
2) 100 Bullets
3) The Authority
4) Invisibles
5) B.P.R.D.

TOP 5 Comic (single TPB*)
1) Black Dossier
2) Watchmen
3) Batman: Arkham Asylum
4) Filth
5) WE3

...and the x-men is what I grew up on.
So, onto the reviews:
Today I just finished Mark Millars one-off side story about The Authority's original leader Jenny Sparks in "Jenny Sparks: The Secret History of the Authority", and for me, and any other Authority fan, answers all your questions about how it all got started (without reading "Storm Watch"). Secondly, I also just finished Grant Morrison's "Seabstian O", which for how short it is conveys amazing politics, especially sexual politics. Lastly, I also read Michael Avon Oeming's "Cross Bronx", which as many know he is the penciler from the awesome Brian Michael Bendis "Powers" series - and that is where I think he should stay, as a penciler. In "Cross Bronx", the art was good, but in my opinion Oeming should focus on that field.

Take this first issue and a trial run, look at my top lists, and for those who aren't comic book readers maybe start there. Yes, I am a bit of a comic book prude, but over all a friendly hipster GEEK. Keep in mind these are my opinions and you sure as fuck don't have to agree. But if you say word one hating on Warren Ellis or Grant Morrison you might receive a super sonic blast to the face (not really). I would love for your feedback - your opinion on things I've reviewed, things I should read and review, or just how cool I am.

Well thanks for letting my post Issue #1, stay tuned and well read for next week (I am trying to figure out a solid day, Mon. or Wed., to post my weekly review.).

AND REMEMBER BUY ALL YOUR COMIC BOOKS FROM COMICOPOLIS. Team J-Roy rocks my socks off (and if you're reading please HIRE ME!).

cheers,
Austin

p.s. the reviews will get better as we get more serial with it. This first issue is way to long (and I'm a bit tipsy). Also, thank you to PFOH for letting me contribute.

...

2008-02-27T00:41:00.000-08:00

hey bitches.

2008-02-25T21:20:00.000-08:00

the freaks and geeks cast are un-fucking-stoppable! here's the trailer for the new jude apatow $50 million 'weed action movie.'

it's been a long ass time, i'm sorryz... muh badz. so i figured i lay down an entire mixtape of some of the songs from albums i've been into since my last post. expect more posts about these bands in the near future.

break yourself off a little piece of the 'where the fuck have you been?' mixtape...

blood on the wall - sorry sorry sarah
fugazi - afterthought
crime novels - new is new
boris with merzbow - pink (live)
andrew jackson jihad - personal space invader
blood on the wall - the x
boris - となりのサターン
japanther - the gravy
fugazi - turkish disco
why? - good friday
japanther - metal bike

the shit piled up

2008-02-25T02:37:00.000-08:00

I'm avoiding sleep so I can listen to the remainder of this album for maybe the tenth time in the past few days. It's a beautiful thing. Almost as much as sleep...which, we all agree, is for the weak.

Saturday Night Fever

2008-02-23T22:38:00.000-08:00

Note to self: don't stay up till two, work 8 hours shifts 3 days in a row, and drink too much when you've been sick for almost a week.

Note to you: This song is really, well, supersonic. One of the best earworms since the other Supersonic.

Also, side note. Since when is this basic I'm in a Carrows bathroom with too many mirrors special effect the hottest thing in hot music videos? See: Holy Hail video, MGMT music video (which is kind of amazing, bt-dubs)

The bitches of PFoH...

2008-02-14T18:47:00.000-08:00

...wish you a very uncomfortable, slightly awkward, somehow cuddly, 2-headed Valentine's Day.

the dark wizard of egypt

2008-02-14T11:55:00.000-08:00

I was gone. Now Im back and Im back with some Michael Jackson videos. I watched these videos around 200 times when I was a kid. My friend Robbie had a copy of Moonwalker and whenever I would go to his house we would watch it and play street fighter 2. Anyways I've been super sick for the past few days and I had a sick dream about a bunny bound in leather. Weird.
pt. 1

pt. 2

I also have been listening to a lot of hot chip over the past few days. Their new album Made in the Dark dropped a few days ago and there are a few quality tracks. I also have been going back in time to check out Coming on Strong. Here are a few tracks for you to oogle over.

Wrestlers - Hot Chip
You Ride, We Ride, In My Ride - Hot Chip

Destination Love pt. 1: 'We can't be contained, baby. It's you + I vs. the world!'

2008-02-12T13:47:00.001-08:00

For the sake of the unavoidable indulgence of the love coming up (& the important face that dark chocolate is involved!) It's probably not a shock to anyone that valentine's day irritates me almost as much as...well..that junior high punk kid walking down my street that just threw a styrofoam container full of of old burrito on my front lawn. damn hooligans! I wonder how awkward & uncomfortable their valentine's day will be; a potentially traumatizing junior high date, for sure. That's how 8th grade always is.

If I was back in eighth grade, knowing what I know now, I probably would have made the educated decision to take my "valentine" to see The Make-Up!'s brilliant, revolutionary, ass-swervin' live show. Primarily because they are now defuncted & are known to perform like masters, but they also only ever played shows that were all-ages. & though they are gone, their gospel yeh-yeh style lives on!

The Make-Up!
Live in NYC / 95'

or

Tell It Like It Will Be

note: Weird War is what lead singer Ian Svenonius and bassist Michelle Mae are up to. Check it! (if you dare)

Bike-Lash

2008-02-09T17:37:00.000-08:00

Seriously, $140 for running a stop sign? What happened to girls on cute bikes being exempt from ridiculous fines?

Let's Get Hooked on High Places

2008-02-05T14:38:00.000-08:00

Here are a few reasons to love High Places:

1. They sound like a timecapsule of tribal music got thrown into outerspace and turned into awesome electronic indie music. And then they made an alien with a beautiful voice sing along.
2. They write about ultimate human questions and package them in satisfyingly sing-song lyrics. In "Cosmonaut": "I've read a lot of books about the future of the sun and how my great great great great grandfather might've been a monkey's son"
3. They're "putting the cat back in catastrophe"
4. Their myspace says they sound like two dads hanging out.

>>> myspace
>>> "Cosmonaut" via zshare
>>> "New Grace" via zshare

An update on the magic of horses

2008-01-28T19:36:00.000-08:00

Or, a message from the Matriarch.

Pocket Full of Horses the radio show is going amazing. For those of you who are too embarrassed to admit that you couldn't listen because the website's down, I have a special surprise for you: You CAN listen, and eat your cereal too! Go to streaming.kzsc.org and you can hear the fabulous voices of the terrible CH twosome. Next week there might be a guest appearance by Christopher's midi keyboard, meaning that listeners will no longer have to hear me try to make up diddles (?) with my voice. Also, we're looking for artists who might want to perform on-air with us, so if you know of anyone, you know who to contact (me: yogurtdestiny@yahoo.com)

Because you're already tired of Kimya

2008-01-23T16:36:00.001-08:00

Admit it. You listened to the Juno soundtrack once, maybe twice, maybe three times all the way through and you loved it. And then it got old.

So to fill the hollow with more cute low-fi songs by a girl with an adorable voice, here's SoKo. Plus, SoKo will one up your Kimya by being French and beautiful. Unfortunately, her only release is an EP called "Not Sokute" (as if ironically proving the point) which doesn't have her best work on it. Fortunately, you can listen to a bunch of other songs on her myspace that actually play consecutively. You'll fall in love with her when she tells you she wants to look like a tiger with a tail (not a kitten) and when she sings "I will never love you more than Daniel Johnston". Seriously, this girl is amazing.

Here's her current hit called I'll Kill Her. (you can download it, really, if you click the link. You can also watch her sing it like here.) But really, you should just go to her Myspace instead.

And I really need to learn how to write songs.

drums are never dead

2008-01-21T12:58:00.000-08:00

There's not much to say about this flawless display of indisputable cuteness coupled with gold chains. Nothing else could be more perfect to filter through this blog. No matter how much you've already heard of Liars, you haven't heard anything like their new self-titled release. Just get your asses to Slim's in San Francisco this Friday & check der style out!

Liars - Houseclouds

Tune in!

2008-01-18T09:36:00.000-08:00

I just got a new radio show and I think this one is going to go beyond excellent. Two awesome DJs, one awesome name: Pocket Full of Horses. First day is this Monday, 4-6pm and I'll be on every week, same time after that. I suggest you listen if you want to hear some really awesome new music or if you have a friend crush on me or if you're just super cool and want to support non-profit radio. Tune in to 88.1fm or go to the KZSC website to stream the show online. Also, call in. Because I love you.

S is for super, E is for exotic

2008-01-13T10:54:00.000-08:00

Fergie is so far from fresh I'd throw her in a day-old bag. Here's where she stole her hook for Fergalicious. This is delicious and joins the rank of L'Trimm as being an awesome all-girl hip-hop group from the late 80s/early 90s. This is J.J. Fad (Just jammin' fresh and def) with "Supersonic".

happy birthday!

2008-01-10T23:26:00.000-08:00

i feel like the father who's moved out of town with his new girlfriend and has been dodging child support bills for the past few years. then out of the blue he shows up to your bar-mitzvah and ruins everything, even after your mom's friend adam (who you'll never call 'dad' cuz he's not! no matter what mom says!) spent so much money on ebay getting you the xbox 360 you wanted.
here, have some thunderant

Crystal Castles music video: Air War

2008-01-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

Go here now to see the new Crystal Castles music video, which only makes me realize how awesome her style is. And don't forget that you love Crystal Castles thanks to me.

Why won't you recognize how psychedelic I am??

2008-01-03T20:05:00.000-08:00

The newest band to watch is Yellow Fever. Discovered via randomness and washed ashore onto my winter mix, Yellow Fever is led by 2 female vocalists and backed by a satisfyingly solid bass, creating a different yet not totally offbeat sound. Thanks to the cuties up front, the songs are often really sweet with lines like "Why won't you recognize how psychedelic I am and love me??" as well as a sing-song reminiscent of early Blow songs about breaking an iMac (when it comes to computers, who can't relate to the fear of all the ways you could break one of your friends best technological friend?) Yellow Fever quickly won my heart over. Up until I found out that I have to play the waiting game for a full length. I'm crossing my fingers that they won't pull a Voxtrot and screw it up. Up until then, here's some delicious songs to add to your new playlists.

(via z-share)
>>> Culver City
>>> Psychedelic
>>> iMac
>>> Myspace!

Silence of the Lambs in 5 seconds

2007-12-31T11:03:00.000-08:00

I need to rub in the fact that I am the matriarch.

porno-pop!

2007-12-27T15:42:00.000-08:00

So, after confusion about the pregnancy of one of the t.A.T.u. girls, I went to wikipedia to do some research. Guess what I found out? The band was created for all the perverts who like underage pornography. Seriously.

Ivan Shapovalov and his friend/business partner Alexander Voitinskyi developed plans to create a musical project in Russia. Many stories have been told about Shapovalov's purpose of creating the group, and he admitted to the UK's The Sun in February 2003,
"I saw that most people look up pornography on the Internet and of those, most are looking for underage sex. I saw their needs weren't fulfilled. Later, it turned out, I was right. This is the same as my own desires. I prefer underage girls.”
With this idea in mind, Shapovalov and Voitinskyi organized auditions at Mosfilm studios, Moscow in late 1999 for teenage female vocalists.

ew.

He is the cheese to my macaroni

2007-12-25T21:04:00.000-08:00

Juno is absolutely wonderful. I now dare you to not get obsessed with the heartbreakingly cute paste and glue sentiment soundtrack (which includes tracks from Belle & Sebastian, Cat Power, The Kinks, The Velvet Underground, and lots of Kimya Dawson).

(via z-share)
>>> "Tire Swing" - Kimya Dawson
>>> "Vampire" - Antsy Pants (which equals Kimya Dawson plus little kids)
>>> "All I Want Is You" - Barry Louis Polisar

PS: The track stars and their "pork swords"? Should have had a starring role.

I'm gonna love you tender

2007-12-14T21:31:00.000-08:00

And Caitlin's newest mammalian obsession goes to..... Jerboas!!! Basically the picachu of the real world, jerboas are tiny marsupials with gigantic ears (hello, disproportional cuteness!) that literally hop around on skinny little legs. They also have a soops long tail with a nice little pompom on the end.

They're kind of asking to be overbred and sold to cuteness fanatics such as myself.

Now.. time to watch a video of a jerboa hopping right here.

all I want for christmas

2007-12-14T13:35:00.000-08:00

Is to get CRUNK!

we'll keep our veins tangled, like a pair of mic cables

2007-12-13T14:00:00.000-08:00

So, there's a little known label/collective based out of the bay area known as Anticon. For a while now they've been producing pretty mind blowing artists in the realm of experimental hip-hop & lo-fi electronic. The most notable can be easily narrowed down to that of WHY?. The project comes from the mind of Yoni Wolf who, originally from the midwest, started as one of founding members of the Ohio-based ambient masters cLOUDDEAD. When their reign ended, he relocated to Oakland & produced that achingly brilliant album Oaklandazulasylum & became known as an innovator of low fidelity rhymes. His lyrics, sometimes incomprehensible, are obscure & at times inspiring.

My goal now is to find Yoni via the bay area, where I'll be postin' up next month, & reminisce about the midwest. This will lead us to write a sonic opus of a record! Anyone out there interested in playing slide-whistle or glockenspiel you know where to find me.

Some Anticon head-trips:

cLOUDDEAD - "rifle eyes"

WHY? - "early whitney" (remix)

cLOUDDEAD - "pheonix"

WHY? - "rubber traits"

i'm always sick during finals

2007-12-10T23:02:00.001-08:00

this made staying awake longer to study more, just a little closer to bearable.

The bitches of PFOH...

2007-12-10T22:33:00.001-08:00

...wish you a very excruciating christmas season

tracko

2007-12-05T00:29:00.000-08:00

i've tried to always keep the bike talk to a minimum; but between finals, 30 hour work weeks and two bike builds, i've got nothing to post about (unless you guys are into tips on cake frosting or my favorite types of research methods?) well anyways, i'm not sure if this is a trailer or just a well produced internet clip (from the guy who made the cool kids black mags video?) either way check out trackosaurus rex if the clip sparks your interest. anyone know the song in the video? flosstradamus?

check out BLVDxAVE, a friend of mine from san francisco (dynamite de vera) along with his partners from sf/la/philly.

it puts the lotion on the skin

2007-12-02T13:05:00.000-08:00

Let's have a lovefest

2007-11-18T15:20:00.001-08:00

Perfect indie rock has hit me again like a pile of feathers in a pillow fight. Really, I get to experience fun like this again?

Throw Me The Statue draws quick comparisons with Bishop Allen: smart, fun indie music that keeps you satisfied both via hooks, bridges and other tools of construction as well as with interesting lyrics. You're bound to have fun but also to be hooked enough to keep listening even when the bells and hand-claps subside.

If you're ready to have fun, Lolita and About to Walk will keep your boots shining proud*.

>>> "Lolita" (via MediaFire.... like zshare)
>>> "About to Walk"
>>> "Yucatan Gold"
>>> "A Mutinous Dream"
>>> le space

*I've been known to make up my own common phrases. Sorry.

"all of the wood is on fire"

2007-11-13T18:26:00.000-08:00

Finally, a connection between the holy ghost and infectious dance moves has been made. This blows my mind every time. Swedish pop will never die. Preach the gospel!

Familjen - Det Snurrar I Min Skalle

Sigur Ros the movie?

2007-11-08T14:30:00.000-08:00

hmmm... I feel out of the loop. This kinda reminds me of that Metallica documentary that shows how sensitive they all really are. I always thought that Iceland looked more like this:

I love you when you're happy, I love you when you're sad

2007-11-07T17:03:00.000-08:00

Hold on to your heartstrings. This is The Shocking Pinks. The brainchild of ex-Brunettes drummer Nick Harte & one of the most promising new-comers to the DFA collective. Maybe even the best New Zealand import since the sweet potato. And YES there name is taken from the John Hughes classic Pretty In Pink. If that disways you [which it shouldn't!], or the fact that the name may yield some pretty unwanted search results, let me assure you all that his self-titled debut is chalk full of tasteful genre-bending sweetness: the sulking guitar layers of a shoegazer epic, the naked honesty of a lo-fi love song, oh & there's real drums? Way to finally champion the "non-electronic" DFA!

(for lack of any other way to describe it)
Tragedy never sounded so good.. :
>> Shocking Pinks - s/t [stream]
>> Shocking Pinks : Singles + Remixes [stream]

Hands off bitch, he's not your man!

2007-11-05T19:22:00.000-08:00

Saturday night Santa Cruz witnessed the splendor that is Architecture in Helsinki live. Now, I do really like quite a few songs from AIH, but nothing they've recorded anywhere compares to what they're like live. Their live performances really showcase how talented and fun and personable the group is. Kellie Sutherland is the name of the adorable girl from the group that doned a Koala-bear face sweatshirt (see above) with frosting leggings. If you don't know, she makes me swoon. Before the concert I looked her up personally and found an old girl band of hers called Your Wedding Night. Based on how they don't have a myspace or website or anywhere to get their song other than iTunes, I'm assuming they've split up. (although it doesn't help that they have a really common phrase for a band name that sometimes brings up porn on a search)

The reason I mention this defunct group is that they have a really awesome indie pop song called L-A-C-H-L-A-N that makes me way too excited. It's about this super fly guy named Lachlan and all the girls that fawn over him. If you don't trust me that this song is really fun and cute (duhhhhh), check out one of the stand out lyrics: "That boy he can please us like 4 kinds of cheeses"
Uh gahhhH. It actually sounds better when Miss Adorable Girl AU sings it, but hey, I can only do so much with blogger text.

Do yourself a favor and download the hot track via Z-share thanks to yours truly.

In the spirit of being pumped about Where the Wild Things Are...

2007-11-01T23:28:00.000-07:00

"who makes this music anyways?"

2007-10-31T03:19:00.000-07:00

In lite of the pagan new-year/halloween, & the fact that Sweden is the source of so much goodness right now, here is probably the best usage of masks by an artist in the past year. [the visual effects. the song. see for yourself!]

The Knife - Heartbeats (live)

more glorification of the incognito..

animal collective - winter's love (jam)

dr. dog - the girl

Japan... so hot right now.

2007-10-30T14:19:00.000-07:00

Parachute from Shugo Tokumaru's new album Exit. The album dropped in Japan on the 19th with no sign of an American release yet, but if you don't feel like paying import prices keep an eye out for a state side release. Shugo's been busy touring with his other band Gellers (supporting their first album which dropped in Japan in May), making an awesome cover of Peter Bjorn & John's Young Folk's (which you can stream on Pitchfork's Forkcast) and now coming out with a solo folk album and starting touring around Japan for that. Check the mp3s!
Shugo Tokumaru - Clocca
Gellers - Colorado

Wherever you go there will be Love Love Love

2007-10-27T08:42:00.001-07:00

This right here is going to be your new favorite thing. Ukelele, whistle, boy-girl vocals, awesomely styled video (you'll get a kick out of their short-shorts ensemble), and the most infectuous cute songs ever. This is Noah and the Whale, your Winter 2007 replacement of Peter Bjorn and John and your newest Magnetic Fields-esque sweet group.

holding hands with the hood inside

2007-10-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

First, otters in love:

Outside it's fall. The air is getting so blistery at times that even my tolerance from mid-western winters is tested. I'm thinking of taking a lesson from the squirrels and hibernating with a huge stash of nuts and berries. Anyone and everyone should follow my lead!

Among the tunes that warms me up almost as much as apple cider is Will Oldham's ethereal incarnation Bonnie "Prince" Billy. Not only does he find a way to run around the board with every record but he's probably the only known artist whose dominion over songwriting can be traced through a running seven surnames; Matt Sweeney, Will Oldham, Palace Brothers, Palace Music, Palace Songs, Palace.

After riding on some unexpected hype from his recent appearance in R.Kelly's ridiculously entertaining hip-hopera Trapped In The Closet, he'll be releasing Ask Forgiveness on Domino Records under the name Bonnie "Prince" Billy once again. Slated for the a 11/19 release, the record spans a collection of covers that Oldham has crafted with more acoustic eccentricity over the past year or so. Among these tracks are reworkings of Bjork, Danzig, Mary J. Blige and (as credited) Robert Sylvestor Kelly himself. Knowing his uncanny ability to lay out sonic landscapes with unflinching calm and grace leads me to believe that there will be no disappointment!

Other more than notable Will Oldham performances include a lead role in Kelly Reichardt's slow but sure film Old Joy (2006). Though, truthfully, nothing can touch his appearence with Zach Galifianakis in the video for Kanye West's "You Can't Tell Me Nothing", which is far to amazing to describe in words.

Bounce to this! >>>

No more OiNK

2007-10-23T10:44:00.000-07:00

why?
Fuck this shit. I don't want to get out of bed.

Here's to Hibernation

2007-10-12T19:03:00.000-07:00

Great Lake Swimmers - Moving Pictures Silent Films (from Live EP)

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Also this is the best idea ever.

let's start out with a little humor

2007-10-11T17:06:00.000-07:00

hey ev'rybody! i'm derek; i've got a soft spot for japanese game shows now a days, if you enjoy dizzy boxing half as much as i do you might want to check out a few other good ones. nothing like watching people suffer pain and humiliation on a gameshow with the so purpose to make the audience laugh at the contestant's expense and have no real cash prizes. contact your local cable provider, tell them you want more television like this state side.

andrew jackson jihad, the self-proclaimed "raffi who says 'fuck'" just dropped their new album people that can eat people are the luckiest people in the world using the grassroots method of surprising the audience at their september 11th show by releasing it then. the album came as a surprise for andrew jackson fans everywhere because of the combination of how quite they kept it while working on the album and the rather high production quality on there new release. it is quite a different sound from everything i had heard from them before, it no longer just a guitar and a stand up base sound that i've grown to love from this small time arizona band. interesting trivia fact: bryn's old band there's no i in team decepticon opened for andrew jackson jihad in protland oregon.
andrew jackson jihad - let us get murdered (off of there split with ghost mice)

i've been a long running fan of holy fuck from when they came out with their first ep, the combination of raw drum beats and a plug'n play electronic style. they're soon going to drop their third self-titled release with this one being their first full length lp. if you were lucky enough to get a hold of their limited ep that dropped earlier this year (i have it on vinyl,) you're already familiar with most of the songs on the new album but the new songs make it definitely worth picking up.
holy fuck - royal gregory

ghostface killah and man man are playing shows in santa cruz this month, see all you guys then.

p.s.
thank you bryn phillips (mentioned above) for the link to possibly the funniest thing i've seen in a long time...