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March 20, 2009

All March Posts

'Anvil! The Story of Anvil': The funniest music documentary of all-time

Mar 19, 2009, 05:41 PM | by Clark Collis

Categories: rock docs

Anvil_lThe return of Behind The Music reminds me that it’s only a few weeks now before the arrival of Anvil! The Story of Anvil which comes out April 10 and, for my money, is the funniest rock doc of all-time. You’ll be hearing a lot more about this movie—which tells the funny, heartbreaking tale of a long-forgotten Canadian metal band named, yes, Anvil—and, indeed, my colleague Karen Valby recently blogged about it’s screening at SXSW. I just wanted to whet your appetite further by pointing out that the film really is a true life This Is Spinal Tap. In fact, Anvil director Sacha Gervasi deliberately modeled his debut movie on Rob Reiner’s classic comedy. “The plan was to actually encourage the similarities” he told me a couple of weeks back during a visit to New York. “So, I filmed a scene where they talk about their first song in a café deliberately so people would go, ‘Okay, this is Spinal Tap'. The whole thing is ridicuous, dude. The drummer is called Robb Reiner, okay? And they wrote a song about The Spanish Inquisition called Thumb Hang whose lyrics are ‘Thumbs will twist/Can you resist/Beware the name’s on the Inquistor’s List.’ I mean, what the f—k? Rather than avoiding comparisons with Spinal Tap we just decided to embrace it. But, remember, Spinal Tap is the photocopy. This is the real thing. This is the real story of rock’n’roll.”

Mickey Rourke stars in... the new John Rich video?

Mar 19, 2009, 04:29 PM | by Clark Collis

Categories:

Mickeyrourke_l For reasons that need not detain us here I once found myself watching country star John Rich pet a rhinoceros at San Antonio zoo. To help you fully appreciate the scene I should probably point out that he was dressed as a chicken (Rich, not the rhino—I mean, that would be just silly). Anyhoo, if nothing else, the experience taught me that the singer is comfortable around large, unpredictable, leather-faced beasts. So, it didn't surprise me one jot to learn today that the video for Rich’s new single “Shuttin’ Detroit Down” features an appearance by Mickey Rourke. The clip for the song—which is the first track to be released from Rich’s new album Son of a Preacher Man, out March 24— was shot in Nashville last Monday and Tuesday and also features the mighty Kris Kristofferson. No word as yet about what the Rourkester does in the video but rare is the Mickey sighting that is not memorable for one reason or another.

More on John Rich:
'Nashville Star': Is John Rich out of control?
John Rich: ''American Idol' infuriates me

John Rich recording solo album

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Vampire Weekend perform new song, talk second album on 'Jimmy Fallon'

Mar 19, 2009, 12:39 PM | by Jeremy Medina

Categories: About Last Night, New stuff, Release Date

Vampireweekend_l As a self-proclaimed, unashamed Vampire Weekend fanboy (backlash be damned!), I have to admit even I was underwhelmed by "White Sky," the new song the preppy quartet debuted on last night's Jimmy Fallon. Now, "new" is a relative term, since they've been performing the song for months now, evidence of which is posted all over YouTube. But this was the song's big national debut.

And "A-Punk" it is not. The track -- which incorporated all of the band's usual elements (violins, cellos, frontman's Ezra Koenig's chipper falsetto) -- was lush but curiously, well, dull. It was also quite low-key, sounding almost like a children's lullaby, and severely lacking chorus-wise. Actually, I'm not even sure if there was a chorus besides the high-pitched "ooh's." While not a total disappointment, the song recalled the same feeling I got after I heard "Ottoman," the band's contribution to the soundtrack of Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist: good but not good enough. And, remember, this is coming from someone who absolutely adored every inch of their self-titled debut.

Regardless, I'm still rabidly anticipating Vampire Weekend's sophomore album. Koenig briefly mentioned they are hoping to release it in the fall. "White Sky" will be included, but $10 bucks says there's zero chance it will even come close to being released as a single. What do you think of the new song? In case you missed it, watch the YouTube video after the jump (before it gets yanked), or head over to Hulu.

Dolly Parton's 'Backwoods Barbie' video: Move over, Bratz!

Mar 19, 2009, 12:20 PM | by Aly Semigran

Categories: Music videos

D0llyparton01_l Dolly Parton is not someone you could accuse of blending in and that's never been truer than in her new video for "Backwoods Barbie" where Ms. Parton colorfully sticks out in a world of gray. The song, which has every potential to be the "Redneck Woman" of 2009, so brace yourself to hear this ad nauseum at bars. "Barbie" will be featured in the upcoming 9 to 5: The Musical (set to hit Broadway on April 30th) and is the fourth single off her upcoming March 23rd album, which is also named Backwoods Barbie (the collector's edition to be sold exclusively at the Cracker Barrel). The fact that the country legend actually looks like a Barbie certainly is accentuated in the video: pinks and leopard print outfits abound. And the clip certainly segues into tacky at times. But you've got to give Dolly credit for owning it.

What did you think of the video? Are you, yourself a Backwoods Barbie?

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Who do you want to see on 'Behind The Music'?

Mar 19, 2009, 10:53 AM | by Clark Collis

Categories:

Lilwayne_l I really enjoy a good rags-to-riches-to-blowing-all-the-riches-on-blow story. Does that make me a bad person? Possibly. Does that mean I’m psyched by the news that VH1 is bringing back Behind The Music? Definitely. My only concern is the far-too-sensible nature of some of today’s music stars. True, the fact that the reliably nuts Lil Wayne has agreed to participate is very promising. But would we really want to see an episode about Coldplay (“I’ll never forget the time Chris almost overdosed on green tea...”)? Of course, if the show’s producers are looking for suggestions then I have two words for them: “Amy” and “Winehouse”. But who do you want to see recalling the time the bass player stole their wife?

School of Seven Bells bring block-rocking beats to SXSW

Mar 19, 2009, 10:46 AM | by Simon Vozick-Levinson

Categories: Concert Reviews, Indie Rock, School of Seven Bells, SXSW 2009

Schoolof7bells_l "Can you hear everything?" School of Seven Bells' Alejandra Deheza asked the crowd at Austin, Tex.'s Buffalo Billiards shortly after midnight last night. Getting more specific, she added, "The beats?" She needn't have worried. Drum machines are present in the mix throughout SVIIB's recent debut, Alpinisms, but they played an even more prominent role at the band's set for KCRW's SXSW showcase, pounding unstoppably away behind them as they "Connjur"-ed shoegazey walls of guitar feedback and high vocal harmonies. It was a sound that could just as easily put you in a reflective trance or make you dance for your life.

The trio has an intriguingly tangled backstory: Alejandra Deheza (pictured, left) and her twin sister Claudia used to be in an experimental act called On!Air!Library!, while guitarist Benjamin Curtis was in Secret Machines with his brother, Brandon. The two sibling-led bands played very different kinds of music for the most part, but they toured together in 2004, and before long Curtis had defected (his word!) to form SVIIB with the Deheza twins. Seeing the new act live made it easy to understand how that happened. The three of them were jet-lagged after flying across the Atlantic earlier that day, but they were having a great time on stage, whispering jokes to one another and taking various technical sound glitches in stride. Musical chemistry like that is just too rare to disregard. It all added up to the best show I saw on my first day in Austin this year -- save for the partial set I caught by St. Vincent, on whom I'll have much more to say this weekend.

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Decemberists debut 'The Hazards of Love' at SXSW

Mar 19, 2009, 05:59 AM | by Whitney Pastorek

Categories: Concert Reviews, Debuts, Decemberists, Photo Blog!, SXSW 2009

Decemberists_l

SXSW '09 kicked off under sunny skies Wednesday as the music industry descended on Austin to see new bands, meet new people, and spend more time milling around a convention center in four days than most people do in a lifetime. Though the effects of the ongoing recession could perhaps be felt in the (blissfully) feather-light weight of the annual swag bag, the lines for wristbands and credentials still snaked long with skinny-jeaned attendees poking at their iPhones, and 6th Street -- closed to traffic a day early, if I'm not mistaken -- hosted plenty of cacophonous day-party-meets-spring-break nonsense well into the early morn.

The de facto main event for Night One was the NPR Music party at Stubbs, where, sitting in the spot occupied last year by a little band named R.E.M., we found the always-ambitious Decemberists setting out to play their new album/rock opera, The Hazards of Love, from start to finish. I purposely did not listen to my advance stream of this, instead counting the days until I could witness Colin Meloy and his able shipmates -- now featuring Lavender Diamond's Becky Stark and My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden -- do it live on stage. I'm so glad I waited: Though I have no earthly idea what the story is about, I've rarely felt so compelled to concentrate on the sounds exploding in front of me to the exclusion of all else (including the drunk guy trying to fall off Stubbs' roof), and a quick glance at the rapt, upturned faces of the backyard crowd confirmed I wasn't alone. There was just something hypnotic about the challege of a performance that swirled together harpsichord and steel guitar and chimes and thunderous drums and a (pre-recorded) children's choir and two gorgeous guest-ladies in costumes as, out front, the newly mutton-bechopped Meloy guided us through with his fairy-tale voice to a climax that swelled to the heavens.

It was a ride I can't wait to take again, and you can take it, too: Thanks to the magic of the intertubes, the whole show will be archived on NPR's site at some point soon. Be sure to tune in for opening sets by the always kick-ass Heartless Bastards and the Avett Brothers. Actually, I wasn't sure what I thought of the latter's Appalachian punk thing at first -- Dave Grohl fronting a jug band? Flogging Molly if there was no electricity? -- but once they quit with the hollering and sang pretty songs, I liked them much better. Anyway. Pictures after the jump!

Fountains of Wayne: Going out of business?

Mar 18, 2009, 06:06 PM | by Clark Collis

Categories: fountains of wayne

Fountains_l No, don’t worry, the band Fountains Of Wayne have not split up. But it is being reported  that the New Jersey store after which the much beloved rockers named themselves is in danger of closing its doors permanently. Fountains bassist Adam Schlesinger—currently on tour with supergroup side project Tinted Windows— confirms that he is aware of the store’s possible closure but doesn't have any updates on the situation (no one was answering the Fountains of Wayne phone at the time of writing). Schlesinger is, however, happy to explain how the band came to borrow the store’s moniker. “I grew up near it” he says. “It's kind of a landmark in New Jersey. They sell stuff for your garden and they always had very extravagant Christmas decorations you could see from the road. We just thought it was a funny name. The owner’s name is Don Winters and went to the store and introduced ourselves. He was always really cool. I think he just wanted to make sure that we weren't doing Satanic death-metal, or something that was going to reflect badly on them. It worked out really well for us because it automatically bonded us to everybody from that area. And, for everyone else in the world, it gave them something to try to figure out.” Schlesinger also admits that the critically lauded but not-exactly-stadium-filling Fountains may not have caused too many fans to become customers of the store: “I’m not sure there’s anything we can do at this point. Maybe if we were Coldplay it would have been a different situation.”

More on Fountains of Wayne and Tinted Windows:
Tinted Windows: A crazy supergroup we're dying to hear
Concert Review: Fountains of Wayne at the Apple Store Soho
Adam Schlesinger's musical resume

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New Jonas Brothers album nearly finished

Mar 18, 2009, 05:02 PM | by Jeremy Medina

Categories: News, Release Date

Jonasbrothers_l_4 The Jonas Brothers' still-untitled fourth studio album, due June 15, is inching closer to completion. Nick Jonas told Billboard.com nine songs have been recorded and the album has been partly inspired by The Zutons, Neil Diamond and the brothers' fellow rocking siblings, Kings of Leon. The album will be followed by the U.S. kickoff of their world tour June 20.

More on Jonas Brothers:
'South Park' saves the Jonas Brothers' souls
Jonas Brothers announce world tour beginning May 19 in Lima, Peru
Jonas Brothers come up short at the box office
Jonas Brothers: Music From the 3D Experience gets a B+

New music reviews: It's Miley (amongst others)!

Mar 18, 2009, 03:51 PM | by Aly Semigran

Categories: New stuff

Mileycyrus_l1 Check out what our critics had to say about the new albums from Miley Cyrus, The Decemberists, Martina McBride, Pete Doherty, Bonnie Prince Billy, Keri Hilson, and Ida Maria.

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