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Archive: May 2009 (91-100 of 150)

May 12 2009 08:45 PM ET

Extended Play: 'Next to Normal' original cast recording, Jeremy Enigk

by Whitney Pastorek

Categories: Extended Play, Reviews

NexttoNormal_l

Welcome to Extended Play, a weekly feature here on the Music Mix wherein our intrepid staffers review albums and album-related products that didn’t fit into the magazine. The location of these reviews online should not diminish their importance in your eyes, Mixers. In fact, their proximity to Facebook should just make them even more relevant. Don’t forget to stream the “Download This” selections while you are reading the reviews…

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This week: Next to Normal (Original Broadway Cast Recording); Jeremy Enigk, OK Bear.

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May 12 2009 08:20 PM ET

The Killers: Possibly awesome after all?

by Whitney Pastorek

Categories: The Killers

Dear The Killers: Gosh. Your performance on Letterman last night was outstanding! And you couldn’t bring that kind of heat at Coachella… why?

I defy you to name one thing that isn’t better with an orchestra, Music Mixers. But I’m sure if there is such a thing, you’ll let me know in the comments.

May 12 2009 08:00 PM ET

Regina Spektor: Stream her new single, then read her thoughts on her adventurous new album

by Jeremy Medina

Categories: New Stuff, Q&A, Regina Spektor

Reginaspektor_l Four albums into her blossoming career, Russian-born chanteuse Regina Spektor told the Music Mix she was ready to step outside of herself for her next album, Far, due June 23. That meant working with four famed producers: Jeff Lynne (E.L.O., Tom Petty), David Kahne (her producer on Begin to Hope), Garrett "Jacknife" Lee (U2, Weezer), and hip-hop producer Mike Elizondo (Dr. Dre, Eminem). Collectively, Spektor says they pushed her down new roads she otherwise wouldn't have tried (one of which apparently includes the alien concept of "jamming.")

With legions of new eyes and ears won over by 2006's Begin to Hope (and its hit single, "Fidelity"), Spektor represents that rare, beautiful thing in music: an off-kilter indie favorite who serendipitously crosses over into the mainstream. Over the phone, Spektor exudes a giddy energy that's easily identifiable in her music (and especially present in "Fidelity.") But Far's lead single, the somber and serious "Laughing With," is a radical turn in the other direction. (Listen to it below.) Click through the jump to read why Spektor thought the song was a good lead single, why she compares the new album to a Twilight Zone episode, and what it was like for her to work with four "amazing" producers.

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May 12 2009 07:10 PM ET

New Lily Allen song: "Why"

by Leah Greenblatt

Categories: Lily Allen

Aww, sad flower! Brit-pop bad girl Lily Allen’s usual naughty, filter-less backtalk is nowhere to be found on the new B-side from February’s It’s Not Me, It’s You. "Why is my phone full of so many numbers / And why doesn’t anyone call? / Maybe they think I’m always too busy / Or maybe I’ve no friends at all," she sighs mournfully over plinking strings and sweeping orchestra swells. Listen below:

Tell me, Mixers, doesn’t it sound like one of those forlorn little ditties that lonely animated Disney heroines sing to their only true friend, a tiny dormouse/hermit crab/bluebird, before the prince/sultan/beast-who-is-really-a-prince-or-a-sultan swoops in to the rescue? (Minus, perhaps, the reference to ingesting massive quantities of ecstasy?)

Do you like the more vulnerable Lily, showcased here and on certain softer bits of INMIY? Or do you prefer it when she sticks to the alpha-girl sauce, on numbers like "Never Gonna Happen" and "F— You"?

More on the Music Mix:
The Strokes’ drummer’s side project, Little Joy: An EW video exclusive
Amy Winehouse’s ‘comeback’ gig: Trainwreck alert!
Even MORE heartbreaking songs: Moby weighs in!

May 12 2009 06:56 PM ET

Barenaked Ladies get new Ben & Jerry's flavo(u)r. We solicit better ideas.

by Whitney Pastorek

Categories: Barenaked Ladies, Things Nobody Asked For

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In the grand tradition of Cherry Garcia and Phish Food, the Barenaked Ladies were honored this morning with their own Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavo(ur), becoming the first Canadian band to achieve that status. Titled “If I Had 1,000,000 Flavours,” the creamy delight is a mix of vanilla, chocolate, peanut butter, almonds and chocolate chunks, and it would be super awesome if this was 1995, and/or Steven Page was still in the band. (Congrats on getting those drug charges dismissed, btw!)

But so we got to thinking: We’re all for B&J’s support of the music industry, but is there perhaps a more current act or artist deserving of being memorialized in dessert? A quick scan of the staff churned up the following:

Death Cab for Tofutti
Red Hot Chili Pepper (cinnamon-based?)
U2-T-FRUIT-T
Butter Pekanye West
Bruce Sprinklesteen (though that does not sound good)
Black Eyed Peach
Wilco (the ice cream)
Eminem

Your turn…

May 12 2009 04:17 PM ET

Buy R. Kelly's bar!

by Clark Collis

Categories: What the...?

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Have you ever dreamed of partying like R. Kelly? Actually, perhaps that’s not the wisest question to ask, all things considered. Seriously, if you have, we don’t want to know. What we are interested in finding out is how much you would pay for this (pictured) bar, which, according to its Craigslist posting, was "custom made" for the star. The repository of booze has a Looney Tunes theme and features the images of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Jessica Rabbit. And it’s got real leather trim!

The asking price is $2,000 or best offer. Would you may more? Less? Absolutely nothing at all? Let us know.

May 11 2009 10:02 PM ET

Even MORE heartbreaking songs: Moby weighs in!

by Clark Collis

Categories: Moby

I recently interviewed Moby about his forthcoming CD Wait For Me, and will be posting about that later in the week. But at one point in our conversation the electronica overlord ruminated about what he considers to be among the saddest tunes ever written. Given the huge response generated by our list of the 50 most heartbreaking songs of all time and the seeming oddness of Moby’s choice, I thought you might be interested to read what he had to say on the allegedly heartbreaking qualities of…Johnny Nash’s "I Can See Clearly Now."

Moby: “One of my favorite songs, and I think one of the saddest songs ever written, is “I Can See Clearly Now.” It’s routinely seen as this happy song. They’ll have an ad for, like, Fabreze and they’ll license “I Can See Clearly Now” and someone will be the opening curtains and the sun is coming in. But whenever I hear “I Can See Clearly Now” I envision a 52-year-old secretary having her birthday by herself with her cat. Because nothing is more depressing than someone who is depressed but who is doing everything in their power to not look in the mirror and see the depression. That’s the dark night of the soul.”

Is Moby right? Check out Johnny Nash’s performance of the song (as well as his unarguably amazing outfit) below and tell us what you think.

May 11 2009 08:58 PM ET

The Strokes' drummer's side project, Little Joy: An EW video exclusive

by Leah Greenblatt

Categories: An EW Exclusive!, Indie Rock

Strokes superfans who threatened to hold their breath until the louche New York rockers followed up their last record, 2006′s First Impressions of Earth, either asphyxiated months ago, or (happier result all around) have turned their attention to Little Joy – drummer Fabrizio Moretti’s excellent, L.A.-based side project-cum-main-gig with Los Hermanos guitarist Rodrigo Amarante over the last year or two.

And though the the former band’s MySpace page now promises they’re hard at work in the studio, we’re happy to keep steeping ourselves in the sunny, lo-fi jangle of LJ’s self-titled debut from late last year — and specifically, the new video we’ve got for Music Mix readers exclusively here; it’s like a two-and-a-half-minute Brazilian vacation, minus the passport hassles and duty-free bug spray. Watch it below:

More on the Music Mix:
Brian Williams interviews Deer Tick. No, we’re not joking
White Stripes’ reunion "won’t be too far off", sayeth Jack
Amy Winehouse’s ‘comeback’ gig: Trainwreck alert!

May 11 2009 06:09 PM ET

Fergie says she will 'definitely' make a follow-up to 'The Dutchess'

by Simon Vozick-Levinson

Categories: Black Eyed Peas, Fergie

Fergie_l The Black Eyed Peas have been holding down the No. 1 spot on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart for over a month now with "Boom Boom Pow." Never before have they reached so high — at least, not as a group. The Peas’ Fergie, however, has already been to No. 1 not once but three times before with singles off her 2006 solo debut. Which raises a question: How soon can we expect her to record a Fergalicious follow-up? "I definitely will make more solo music," she tells the Music Mix. "That’s for sure. That I can tell you. I just don’t know when."

The reason Fergie can’t get more specific just yet is that she’s busy preparing for the June 9 arrival of the Peas’ The E.N.D. Between promotional appearances and touring for that album, she estimates it’ll be at least a year and a half before she’ll have a chance to prioritize her solo career. "All I’m about right now is living and breathing The E.N.D.," she says. "At the end of this run, I’ll probably want to take a month and lay out by my pool and barbeque and hang with my dogs and my husband, and then after that, I’m going to see what is the next step."

How does that sound to you? Are you happy to wait a while for Fergie’s next solo move, or are you feeling impatient? Let us know.

May 11 2009 05:58 PM ET

Brian Williams interviews Deer Tick. No, we're not joking

by Clark Collis

Categories: What the...?

Do you remember Dan Rather’s emotional report on the break-up of the Smiths? Or Walter Cronkite’s award-winning special about the making of Pavement’s Slanted and Enchanted? Or Tom Brokaw interrupting scheduled broadcasting to hail the Libertines as "the most rockingest band I’ve seen since early Jesus and Mary Chain"?

No, of course you don’t. That’s because network anchors have mostly declined to involve themselves in the arena of indie-rock (except, of course, for the notorious "embedding" of Katie Couric into the Brian Jonestown Massacre. Only joking, I made that one up as well.) What I didn’t make up is that NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams has a new web series called, somewhat unfortunately, Bri Tunes, which according to Williams will feature "great music being created every day, by talented musicians who wouldn’t dream of doing anything else." On the first episode of Bri Tunes (really? BRI TUNES?) he interviews Providence, Rhode Island, outfit Deer Tick. You can see this unlikely confab below. Suffice it to say that while the Music Mix congratulates Williams on his support of such a non-mainstream act, we could have come up with some more exciting questions than "What have iTunes done for Deer Tick?" (Mr Williams, give us a call if you want a few tips. We’ve also got some awesome queries you can put to Tim Geithner about his economic plans).

But what do you think about Williams’ new venture? And who would you like to see him interview on Bri Tunes? And should he change that name to The World in Rock with Brian will.i.ams?

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