Happy Halloween, everyone! On this (one of my favorite holidays), I give you a SWEET video from my favorite scary Chicago punk band, Hot Lips Messiah.
By the way, if you’d like to check them out yourself, Hot Lips Messiah will be playing the Reeling Film Fest’s, Eat Your Brains Gay Zombie Night party on November 9, at the Lakeshore Theatre.
Posted by Garvey
This last Tuesday, I had the pleasure of seeing Australia’s An Horse perform at The Abbey Pub in Chicago. Americans got their first equine experience when An Horse toured with Tegan and Sara last spring on their EP, Not Really Scared. Since then, they have signed with new boutique label, Mom & Pop, and last week released their debut full length album, Rearrange Beds. Currently they are touring across the country with Ohio Indie rocker, Jessica Lea Mayfield, and are converting American show-goers to horse lovers one show at a time.
Kate Cooper and Damon Cox rocked The Abbey Pub, to put it simply. The unassuming pair bring an almost surprising energy to the stage when they play and their hilarious banter between songs helped to create a fun, comfortable environment. Cooper is tiny in stature, but as soon as she hits the first note, her presence engulfs the stage. I love their new album (will be reviewing it soon) and I love, love, love the lyrics that Kate Cooper writes. By the end of the show, I was harboring a secret desire to sit down one on one with Cooper and hear her thoughts on everything in the world. Instead, I went home and went to bed.
The only complaint that I had was that An Horse’s set was just too short. I would’ve liked for them to play all night long, but when you only have 10 songs to your name, I guess that limits your show length. They are touring with Mayfield through the end of November. Definitely check them out if they hit a city near you (schedule below).
Oct. 30, 2008 8:00 PM Mad Hatter Covington, Kentucky
Nov. 1, 2008 8:00 PM The Basement Nashville, Tennessee
Nov. 2, 2008 8:00 PM Local 506 Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Nov. 5, 2008 8:00 PM Opolis Norman, Oklahoma
Nov. 6, 2008 8:00 PM Rudyard’s Houston, Texas
Nov. 7, 2008 8:00 PM Hailey’s Denton, Texas
Nov. 11, 2008 8:00 PM The Echo Los Angeles, California
Nov. 12, 2008 8:00 PM The Independent San Francisco, California
Nov. 14, 2008 8:00 PM Kilby Court Salt Lake City, Utah
Nov. 19, 2008 8:00 PM Diesel Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Nov. 20, 2008 8:00 PM The Wonder Bar Asbury Park, New Jersey
Nov. 21, 2008 8:00 PM Maxwell’s Hoboken, New Jersey
Nov. 22, 2008 8:00 PM The Bell House Brooklyn, New York
Posted by Garvey
Against Me! founder, front man, and songwriter Tom Gabel released his first solo album, Heart Burns, yesterday on Sire Records. This seven song EP is a return to the folk-punk early days of Gabel and Against Me!, and the open honesty and passion in Gabel’s lyrics make this album one of my favorites of the year. The glaringly overriding theme of the music is our current political and cultural climate and he writes with a combination of hope and frustration that actually moved me when listening. One day into obsessively listening to this EP, my favorite tracks are Random Hearts, Cowards Sing At Night, Amputations, and 100 Years Of War. Check it out, you will not be disappointed.
Posted by Garvey
Week two of the MixTape Showdown features ghoulish Halloween mixes to terrify you, give you nightmares, and possibly make you pee your pants!!! Muwah ha ha ha ha!!!! Okay, not really. Just our version of Halloween music. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite! Loser has to eat skinned grapes, cold wet noodles, and raw pumpkin innards while blindfolded (we’re hardcore here at earbudz).
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The polls have officially closed and our final numbers are in. Winning MixTape Showdown Week One by a very narrow margin…. (drum roll please)…. Garvey!!!!!!! On her win, Ms. Garvey had to say, “I have no idea what happened. I’m guessing some sort of hanging chads error…”
As previously stated, for losing the MixTape Showdown Week One, Cooper had to shotgun a beer and run down Halsted Street naked. It was a miraculous site. Here is a clip to give you an idea…
No it’s not Mickey or Danger, the genius behind the Grey album. It is Joel Zimmerman from Canada. The 27 year old goes by Deadmau5, pronounced dead mouse. In the course 18 months, he has changed a breed of music that has not had much new except the progression from vinyl to cds to computers. He says the age of the DJ is dying, but DJ’s from all genres love and drop his tunes, along with universal accolades. His tracks are called progressive house, trance, techno, electro, minimalist. It doesn’t matter what category you put them into, because his songs fill up the dance floor and make you bop your head.
He is not a DJ. He is a performer, donning a huge mouse head with strobe light eyes. He is a producer, remixing everyone from Kaskade to Daft Punk and recently released his first artist album, Random Album Title. He is a computer geek that works on complex algorithms to allow a platform to create his beats.
You can hear his style being copied by artists everywhere. Fueled by cases of regular Coke, he credits his crazy rate of production and progression from the drive to not be the same. Beatport.com lists dozens of tracks and remixes in a time span of less than two years. It was his tune Faxing Berlin, that has been downloaded more than any other track in the website’s history (over 30,000 times) that initially started the buzz that would lead him towards being named the artist and producer of the year for two years running.
Random Album Title (hmmm wonder if the acronym RAT is intentional?) is a smattering of his works and includes his two biggest singles to date, Faxing Berlin and Not Exactly, plus a song he did with Kaskade, I Remember. It is a nice package, but I recommend finding the singles you like and paying by the slice. His track Brazil (second edit) is a nice example of his progression.
I love electronica!!! My first forray into dance music was with BT and Everything But the Girl, in the middle 90′s. Admittedly, the stylings have not changed much, although Mr. BT was always a step ahead. Deadmau5 seems to be the next generation. The first time I heard Faxing Berlin I was hooked. Some called his style 1/8th note, because it adds an extra bop. Whatever it is, dance music being turned on it’s big mau5 ear.
On a sidenote: Deadmau5 is debuting a special Halloween version of the head, black with orange eyes. He is wrapping up the North American part of his tour in November. Set a trap and catch him if you can.
posted by: cooper
Caffeinated. Talented. Feisty, fidgety, fast strummer. Appreciates and advocates alliteration. Not as angry anymore. Has some great lyrics, but needs to talk less. Tiny body, big experiences. Recovering. Brave. Wish she could get her dream band together to give her more dimension and spread out her energy.
posted by: cooper
My sophomore year in college was my first hit of 90210. The original show had the Peach Pit and David Silver as resident DJ. The acts on the original show were the early predecessors of myspace band fodder, reaching out for new ways to be heard. I have not seen the new show, nor how Brenda’s bangs and Kelly have evolved, but frequently check out the latest playlists from the show to fuel my addiction of music. Today, I was trying to palette the new Kings Of Leon album, I respect it but I couldn’t take more than one bite. To help with the aftertaste I looked at the “new” 90210 playlists and found a refreshing musical elixir….Lykke Li. I tend to have a sweet tooth and realize that my musical tastes are similar. Lykke is like a swig from box of nerds, chased by pixie stick. Maybe that is why they call it pop. I didn’t get that crash though. Her album, Youth Novels, was produced by Bjorn (of Peter, Bjorn and Jon, of “young folks” fame). She has a voice that is familiar and to use a quote from another review is both “youthful and novel.” She has baby doll vocals with an ecclectronica background. I went and pressed the “buy album” button on itunes, a signal of commitment in this day of singles. Check her out and let me know when Dylan comes back to Beverly Hills to pay a visit to son. Discuss: Couple Lykke with a free Dr. Pepper from the new GNR album and I wonder if Mikey would bite?
Click these: Breaking It Up, Little Bit
posted by: cooper
posted by: cooper
Andy Samberg has me hooked. Ever since the viral video hit Lazy Sunday Afternoon (Mr. Pibb plus red vines equals crazy delicious.) i anxiously await his interpretations of today’s music scene. Brilliant doesn’t begin to cover it. Thank God for Hulu, SNL and NBC are not squashing these gems any more. He won an emmy for “Dick In a Box” with Justin Timberlake, on of the funniest things I have ever seen. He did a song with Adam Levine on Iran. Recently, he had Marky Mark’s tighy whiteys in a wad, about a skit called “Mark Wahlberg, talking to animals.” He has mocked flattered everyone from Jack Johnson, to James Blunt and even the new aussie band Empire of the Sun. Not only is the kid funny, he digs deep into new music. Musicians are not his only targets, David Blaine and Chuck Norris can’t escape his comedic mettle, but it seems to me, music is close to his wit/heart. Check out Hulu.com to catch up on his digital shorts, because you will need to be checking yours after watching.
posted by: cooper 
Earlier this year, Dr. Pepper released a statement saying that if Axl Rose released Guns N’ Roses’ new album, Chinese Democracy, by the end of 2008, then they would give a free can of Dr. Pepper to everyone in America! Minus Slash and Buckethead. Sorry, guys.
The long-awaited Chinese Democracy (an album that has been in the works for over a decade) is set to be released on November 23, 2008. According to Billboard.com, on that date, interested fans will have the opportunity to go to Dr. Pepper’s web site to register for their free can of pop. They then have to wait about 4-6 weeks to receive it. 4-6 weeks. For a can of pop. I feel the same way about this can of pop as I do about Chinese Democracy – It had better be the best damn thing I have ever experienced.
P.S. – Dr. Pepper, I will gladly give up my free can of pop if you can either get Slash to re-join GNR or Axl to lose the braids.
Posted by Garvey
