Another year of perfection

3rd straight National Title
38-0 (102-0 over 3 seasons)

New Music

• White Stripes, "Let's Shake Hands" (not really new, but I think it's only available on the Japanese version of the Stripes' S/T album), The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights (March 16th), TwentyFourBit
• Broken Bells (Danger Mouse and the Shins' James Mercer), "The High Road," Broken Bells (March 9th), Drowned in Sound
• Mos Def, "24 Hours Karate School," no album information, The Smoking Section
  

This week's late night TV lineup

Conan

• Tuesday - Kid Cudi

Jimmy Fallon

• Friday - Snoop

Carson Daly

• Wednesday - The Black Lips
• Friday - Doves

Jimmy Kimmel

• Tuesday - Weezer
• Wednesday - Passion Pit
  
• Thursday - Wolfmother
• Friday -Band of Skulls

The Black Keys had themselves one hell of a decade

Listening to the Black Keys, it's hard to believe that they've only been around since 2002 (they actually met in 2001, but didn't release their first record until the next year). Their songs have the soul, rawness and feel of blues and rock music from the 70's. They've also racked up quite a discography in a relatively short period of time - 10 albums total, which include Dan Auerbach's solo album, Patrick Carney's side project, Drummer, and Blakroc, their collaborative rap/rock effort.

For unknown reasons, I hadn't heard of them until last year. Attack and Release was one of my favorites of 2008 and I remember being dumbfounded when I found out that all of that noise came from only two guys. At the beginning of this year, Dan Auerbach released Keep It Hid which I was a fan of, especially the first three songs. Patrick made constructive use of the Keys' downtime, picking up bass and starting Drummer. They released Feel Good Together in the fall and it's definitely one of my favorites of the year (if you haven't heard "Mature Fantasy" yet, do yourself a favor and have a listen on their MySpace page). And somehow during all of this, Auerbach and Carney were able to find 11 free days to scrounge up 11 rap and R&B artists and record 11 tracks that made up Blakroc's self-titled album (they also posted webisodes on their site chronicling the making of the album). These guys sure aren't lacking in the creativity department.

Word has it that the Black Keys will be releasing a new album in April... looks like they'll be picking up right where they left off in the 00's.

This week's late night TV lineup

SNL - Muse

Kimmel

• Monday - Wolfmother
• Tuesday - Michael McDonald

Conan

• Tuesday - Norah Jones

Carson Daly

• Thursday - Franz Ferdinand
• Friday - Snoop Dogg

Jimmy Fallon

• Wednesday - Raekwon

David Letterman

• Monday - Alicia Keys
• Thursday - Matisyahu
• Friday - Alicia Keys

The Low Anthem - 9:30 Club (12/1/09)

I don't think I've ever been to a concert where I've seen the opening band and didn't stay for the main act. But the ticket was free and the car ride seemed better than the walk to and then ride on the metro at 10pm. I did catch the first few songs of Josh Ritter's set (the headliner) and he's no slouch.

There was a decent crowd for the opening band, the Low Anthem. I think this is the third time they've been through the DC area in the past year and a half or so (unfortunately I missed them the first two times). Pretty full sound from a trio... I'd assume the fact that they are currently touring with 15 instruments might have something to do with that. And 1 of those 15 instruments didn't include the cell phone Knox Miller held up to the mic to create a few seconds of feedback at the end of one song. The Low Anthem impressed. And they got a few sentimental points when Jocie Adams broke out the clarinet (I had a crush on a clarinet player in 4th or 5th grade... bitch broke my heart).

NPR has their set from the 2009 Newport Folk Festival.

One-hit wonders of the decade

Best of the decade lists are in full effect - P-fork, Metro D, AV Club (movies), just to name a few. But sometimes you have to get your hands dirty... stick your hand in the bottom of the barrel, just to see what settled at the bottom. Billboard does just that with their one-hit wonders list. I guess I really don't listen to the radio much... I don't think I've ever heard about half of them.

10. He Loves U Not - Dream
9. Bo Bice - Inside Your Heaven
8. Hit 'em Up Style (Oops!) - Blu Cantrell
7. Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
6. You're Beautiful - James Blunt
5. Laffy Taffy - D4L
4. This Is Why I'm Hot - Mims
3. Butterfly - Crazy Town
2. Lean Back - Terror Squad
1. Bad Day - Daniel Powter

If you want more than that, you're gonna have to click a few more times.

This week's late night TV lineup

Conan

• Wed - Snoop Dogg

Jimmy Fallon

• Tues - Jawbox
• Thurs - Blakroc
• Fri - Snoop Dogg

Carson Daly

• Thurs - The xx

Letterman

• Tues - Blakroc
• Thurs - Tori Amos

Pains worth enduring

I obviously have a hell of a reading backlog, as this is from the Jan/Feb issue of Men's Health. Still some good stuff (full list here). I've experienced many of these... some are good stories, some not-so-good. Either way, I'd like to think I came out of each a better man.

- Going all in, and losing. Your rush will fade as fast as your hopes--and remind you that gambling is actually nothing more than entertainment you can control the duration of. Why hurry?

- Buying a Saladshooter. Even a strong man can succumb to a late-night huckster. The useless plastic doohickey you bought still serves a purpose, though. It's hard evidence that many thing in life really are too good to be true.

- Dating a high-maintenance bombshell. She'll drain your savings and sap your sanity. Then you'll learn why a woman who looks good in sweats and loves Chinese takeout is a keeper.

- Drinking green beer. Yeah, we love St. Patty's, too. But once you try the holiday booze and its novelty wears off, you can move on to a more authentic fare. Ask the 'tender to pull you a Beamish or pour you two fingers of Redbreast. You'll enjoy what you're drinking (for once) and look way more debonair in photos.

- Taking all-you-can-eat wing night literally. Oh, the heartburn! Cramping! Stinging toilet sessions! There's not better endorsement of moderation than a Kobayashi-size food hangover.

- Lying to your mother. If you always told your mom the truth about where you were going, you never would have touched your first breast.

- Training poorly, then competing anyway. Sure, you should have worked up to a taper before that 10-K road race. Probably should have stretched better, too. But there's nothing like being passed in the stretch by that 52-year-old, 14th-place masters-class finisher to motivate you the next time out.

This week's late night TV lineup

Craig Ferguson

• Tuesday - The Swell Season
• Friday - OneRepublic

Letterman

• Monday - Weezer
• Wednesday - The Cribs

Jimmy Kimmel

• Friday - Band of Skulls

Jimmy Fallon

• Tuesday - The Avett Brothers
• Wednesday - The Obits
• Friday - Wale

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel

• Monday - Weezer
• Tuesday -Wolfmother

Craig Ferguson

• Tuesday - Ben Harper and Relentless7

Conan

• Tuesday - Weezer

Jimmy Fallon

• Tuesday - The Pixies
• Wednesday - Mos Def and Talib Kweli

Winter is here!

Imagine my delight when I came across a 6-er of this at the local booze store. I thought for sure this was a post-Thanksgiving release... much to my surprise it's been out for over a month.

From the AVBC website: "Luscious, creamy, smooth, and warming, this medium bodied ale is brewed with caramel and crystal malts to give it a hint of sweetness. It is then paired with a private blend of holiday spice. From the first sip of Winter Solstice Season Ale, your senses will be aroused with the vision of a glowing fire, warming the hearth and home. Each lingering sip will gently warm your soul with thoughts of family and friends gathering around the table for the feast. Winter Solstice Ale is great alone or as an accompaniment to your favorite holiday dish, and it has been known to liven and spice nearly any social event."

Don't just take my word for it:
The Full Pint
Beer Advocate

Pearl Jam on ACL this Saturday

It's been a pretty damn good season of Austin City Limits so far - Ben Harper and Relentless7, DMB, Okkervil River and St. Vincent just to name a few. The fun continues this Saturday with Pearl Jam. And if you happened to miss any of the other episodes (or want to check them out again), you can stream them on the ACL website.

Hump Day Humor

In case you were wondering how REAL pumpkin pie was made. Figured this was appropriate with Thanksgiving just around the corner...

This week's late night TV lineup

SNL - Dave Matthews Band

Letterman

• Thursday - John Mayer

Craig Ferguson

• Monday - Ben Harper & Relentless7
• Friday - David Gray

Jimmy Fallon

• Tuesday - Neko Case
• Wedesday - The Avett Brothers
• Thursday - Obits
• Friday - Elvis Costello

Bono needs to practice more on his rapping skills...

instead of practicing his pickup lines on the LOML. U2 performed "Sunday Bloody Sunday" for the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards (that's Berlin's Brandenburg Gate in the background). Jay-Z came out about half-way through to freestyle a few lines and then, for some reason, Bono thought he could drop some rhymes of his own. Stick to pop, brother.

U2 - New Music - More Music Videos

New music

• Them Crooked Vultures, full album stream of No One Loves Me and Neither Do I (Nov 17th) via YouTube, Prefix
  
• Wale ft. K'Naan (produced by TVOTR's Dave Sitek, "TV on the Radio," Attention Deficit (Nov 10th), Prefix
• Yeasayer, "Ambling Alp," album and release date TBD, The Mad Mackerel
• Tokyo Police Club, "Hands Reversed," Forthcoming (TBD), MOKB
  

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel

• Friday - Huey Lewis & the News

Letterman

• Thursday - The Cribs

Craig Ferguson

• Wednesday - The Swell Season

Conan

• Monday - David Gray

Jimmy Fallon

• Tuesday - Wale
  

This week's late night TV lineup

Craig Ferguson

• Friday - Regina Spektor

Carson Daly

• Monday -Arctic Monkeys
• Tuesday - La Roux
• Thursday - Matisyahu

Conan

• Wednesday - The Bravery

Jimmy Fallon

• Wednesday - Monsters of Folk

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel

• Monday - The Sounds

Letterman

• Tuesday - Florence and the Machine
• Thursday and Friday - Weezer

Craig Ferguson

• Wednesday - Rodrigo y Gabriela
• Friday - Fruit Bats

Conan

• Monday - Wolfmother
• Tuesday - Julian Cassablanca
• Thursday - Swell Season
• Friday - Alice in Chains
  

Finally - a full Them Crooked Vultures tune!

People might want to hold off their "best of" lists until after Nov 17th, when their self-titled album is released. This is killer...

This week's late night TV lineup

Craig Ferguson

• Friday - The Avett Brothers

Jimmy Kimmel

• Tuesday - The Sounds
• Friday - Echo and the Bunnymen

Conan

• Wednesday - Phoenix
• Thursday - DMB

New music

• Vampire Weekend, "Horchata," Contra (early 2010 release), Ultra 8201
• LCD Soundsystem, "Bye Bye Bayou" (Alan Vega cover), digital single (Nov 24th), P-fork
• Julian Casablanca (of the Strokes), "River of Breaklights," Phrazes for the Young (Nov 3rd)
• Mos Def, Jim Jones & the Black Keys, "Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo)," BlakRoc (Nov 27th)
  

All this and a Pearl Jam concert to boot?

So imagine being at a PJ concert and Chris Cornell is on hand to belt out his parts of "Hunger Strike." THEN later in the evening, Jerry Cantrell hops onstage to bang out the guitar solo on "Alive." Only in LA (that's what they say, isn't it?).

No, I wasn't there, but goddamn if I wish I was. Thanks to Jude for passing this on. While the videos leave much to be desired, it's more about the story - and what an f-ing story it will be for those at the Gibson Amphitheater that night!

This week's late night TV lineup

Craig Ferguson

• Thursday - A Fine Frenzy

Conan

• Monday - Grizzly Bear
• Tuesday - The Flaming Lips

Carson Daly

• Wednesday - Phoenix

Jimmy Fallon

• Thursday - Hockey

Jimmy Kimmel

• Monday - Kid Cudi

Boop!

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel

• Tuesday - The Gossip

Jimmy Fallon

• Wednesday - Lenny Kravitz
• Friday - Cory Chisel

Carson Daly

• Monday - Pete Yorn
• Thursday - Joss Stone

Letterman

• Friday - Brett Dennen
  

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel

• Monday - Matt & Kim
• Tuesday - Kid Cudi

Carson Daly

• Monday - Metric
• Tuesday - Wild Light
• Thursday - Arctic Monkeys
• Friday - Yo La Tengo

Jimmy Fallon

• Monday - Dirty Projectors
• Tuesday - Sunny Day Real Estate

Thom Yorke - "The Hollow Earth"

The video isn't official, but the song is available now via the Radiohead website as the B-side to the "Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses" single. Thanks to P-fork.

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel

• Monday - Matt & Kim
• Tuesday - Kid Cudi

Letterman

• Thursday - Snow Patrol
• Friday - The Noisettes

Craig Ferguson

• Monday - Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears
• Wednesday - Arctic Monkeys

Conan

• Tuesday - Monsters of Folk
• Friday - Rodrigo Y Gabriela

Carson Daly

• Monday - Franz Ferdinand
• Tuesday - Mat Kerney
• Wednesday - Amazing Baby
• Thursday - Paolo Nutini
• Friday - Ladyhawke

Jimmy Fallon

• Thursday - Phoenix
  

New music

• The Flaming Lips, "Convinced of the Hex," Embryonic (Oct 13th), live from Wednesday's Colbert Report (also can stream the entire album until Monday, Sept 21st from the home page)
• Julian Casablanca (of the Strokes), "11th Dimension," Phrazes for the Young (Oct 20th). P-fork
• Death Cab for Cutie, "Meet Me on the Equinox," The Twilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack (Oct 20th), P-fork

This week's late night TV lineup

Carson Daly

• Monday - Franz Ferdinand
• Tuesday - Metric
• Wednesday - Pete Yorn
• Thursday - Emily Wells

Conan

• Monday - DMB
• Tuesday - Phoenix
• Wednesday - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Jimmy Fallon

• Monday - Rufus Wainwright
• Tuesday - Ghostface
• Wednesday - Q-Tip

Jay Leno

• Monday - Jay-Z w/ Rihanna & Kanye West
• Thursday - Bruce Hornsby and special guest Epic Clapton

Letterman

• Monday - Cage The Elephant

This week's late night TV lineup

Letterman

• Friday - Kid Cudi

Carson Daly

• Wednesday - The Cure

Jimmy Kimmel

• Thursday - White Lies

The Flaming Lips - Festival Pier (8/29/09)

Not too much to write about this show, as the skies opened up about 30 minutes into the Lips' set. We (the Lips and the crowd) were starting to hit our groove, but shit... or rain/thunder/lightning happens. Pretty badass version of "Fight Test" and the two(?) new songs they played sounded pretty good live. I've tried to explain their entrance to a few people and I think failed miserably on each attempt. Luckily, I found the below clip on YouTube. Don't stare directly at the pulsating vazhïn...

The Black Crowes on Letterman

"Good Morning Captain" from their just released Before the Frost...Until the Freeze. My job would be a lot cooler if I could show up to work wearing Chris Robinson's getup.

New Music

• Jay-Z, The Blueprint 3 (Sept 11th), full stream at MTV
  
• Editors, "Papillon," In This Light and On This Evening (Oct 13th), Ultra8201
• Massive Attack (ft. TVOTR's Tunde Adebimpe), "Pray for Rain," Splitting the Atom EP (Oct 6th), P-fork
• Rain Machine (aka TVOTR's Kyp Malone), "Smiling Black Faces," Rain Machine (Sept 22nd), P-fork

If you want to check out short teaser videos of Them Crooked Vultures tearing it up, head over to Brooklyn Vegan.

This week's late night TV lineup

Letterman

• Monday - Dirty Projectors
• Tuesday - The Black Crowes
• Friday - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Jimmy Kimmel

• Monday - Friendly Fires
• Tuesday - Datarock
• Wednesday - St. Vincent

Carson Daly

• Monday - The Virgins
• Tuesday - Method Man and Redman
• Wednesday - Wale

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel

• Tuesday - Friendly Fires
• Wednesday - Matt & Kim

Letterman

• Tuesday - Jet
• Thursday - Mutemath

Craig Ferguson

• Thursday - Chairlift

Jimmy Fallon

• Tuesday - Manchester Orchestra
• Thursday - Grizzly Bear

Conan

• Monday - Kings of Leon
• Tuesday - Smokey Robinson
• Wednesday - Franz Ferdinand
• Thursday - Matiskahu

Carson Daly

• Wednesday - The Kills
• Thursday - Glasvegas
• Friday - Doves
  

Phish - Merriweather Post Pavilion (8/15/09)

Never thought I'd ever go to a Phish show, but definitely glad I did. The atmosphere in the parking area before the concert was similar to what I'd imagine Jimmy Buffet concerts are like - lots and lots of pre-gaming. When we arrived, there were a few guys unloading their band equipment and setting up in the middle of one of the parking lots. I guess since Phish didn't have an opener, they figured they'd be their unofficial one.

I was surprised to see so many people there without tickets, just hoping that they'd come across someone with an extra that didn't want a kidney for it. In hindsight, I guess I shouldn't have been... hell, they haven't toured since 2004.

When I got in the actual venue, I quickly realized that finding my friends in the lawn was going to be like finding a needle in a very smokey haystack. After a few songs, I decided to completely give up and just enjoy the experience that is Phish. I wouldn't call myself a fan of jam bands (or even Phish for that matter) but "phishing," as the die-hards call it, is truly one hell of an experience. And until you see them in concert, you just won't get it.

Pearl Jam short

Thanks to Product Shop NYC for the heads-up...

This week's late night TV lineup

Kimmel

• Monday - The Script
• Friday - Jack's Mannequin

Carson Daly

• Monday - Ida Maria
• Tuesday - Cold War Kids
• Wednesday - Brett Dennen
• Thursday - Operation Aloha
• Friday - Friendly Fires

Conan

• Friday - The Dead Weather

Jimmy Fallon

• Tuesday - Manchester Orchestra
• Thursday - Grizzly Bear

Craig Ferguson

• Thursday - Chairlift
  

More new music

First things first - even if you're not a big fan of the Black Crowes, LISTEN TO THEIR NEW TRACK! Fucking dynamite... for rizz.

Not quite sure how I missed the first single from the Flaming Lips' upcoming Embryonic (Oct 13th), "Silver Trembling Hands." Now there's a second listen out that's wacky and wild... even for the Lips. Check out "See the Leaves" courtesy of P-fork.

Jack White's got to get a hobby or something because this mofo is cranking out music like no one's business. This time it's him solo in "Fly Farm Blues" out now. Thanks to Stereogum.

And another diddy from Radiohead - "These Are My Twisted Words." It's all over the web, but I saw it first on Ultra 8201.

Hump Day Humor

Even if you've already seen this, it's still funny as hell...

New Music

• Radiohead, "Harry Patch (in memory of)," stream at BBC, purchase at Dead Air Space
• The Black Crowes, "I Ain't Hiding," Before the Frost...Until the Freeze (Aug 31st), listen via Product Shop NYC or download for free via the band's website
• Muse, "Uprising," The Resistance (Sept 15th), Ultra 8201
• David Gray, "Fugitive," Draw the Line (Sept 22nd), I am Fuel

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel

• Tuesday - The Script
• Wednesday - Miike Snow

Letterman

• Tuesday - Elvis Costello
• Thursday - Paul McCartney
• Friday - MSTRKRFT w. John Legend

Carson Daly

• Monday - Black Kids
• Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday - Green Day
• Friday - Foxboro Hot Tubs

Pete Yorn - Ram's Head Live! (7/21/09)

All around quality show. Can't say I was all that surprised either. Pete Yorn's music isn't mind-blowing or experimental by any stretch of the imagination, but it's solid - and that's how I would describe the performance that he and his band put on. The whole feel of the evening was cozy - Ram's Head was, I'd say about 60-75% full so it felt more like an intimate bar setting. About halfway through the main set, the drummer came from behind his kit, sat down on a wooden box in the middle of the stage and whacked his hands on it for a few songs... the only thing that was missing was the campfire. Pete was fairly engaging with the crowd, which was cool. I think the only thing that was missing was "Undercover," which the LOML was a bit bummed about, but you can't win 'em all.

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel

• Tuesday - The Script
• Wednesday - Miike Snow

Dave Letterman

• Monday - Levon Helms
• Thursday - St. Vincent

Jimmy Fallon

• Monday - Incubus
• Tuesday - Arctic Monkeys
• Friday - Julian Plenti

Carson Daly

• Monday - Brett Dennen
• Tuesday- White Lies
• Thursday - Ida Maria
  

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel

• Wednesday - The Sound

Conan O'Brien

• Monday - The Fray
• Thursday - Regina Spektor
• Friday - Ben Harper & Relentless7

Jimmy Fallon

• Wednesday - Passion Pit
• Thursday - Jarvis Cocker

Carson Daly

• Monday - Adele
• Wednesday - Lykke Li
• Thursday - Ben Harper & Relentless 7
• Friday - Crystal Antlers

David Letterman

• Monday - DMB
• Tuesday - Silversun Pickups
• Wednesday - Elbow
• Thursday - Cage the Elephant
• Friday - DMB

Thom Yorke - "The Present Tense"

Thanks to Radiohead At Ease for the heads up and link to the audio of this, "Harrowdown Hill" and "True Love Waits" from his solo set at the Latitude Festival.

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel

• Thursday - La Roux

Dave Letterman

• Monday - Spinnerette

Conan O'Brien

• Wednesday - Mat Kearney
• Friday - De La Soul

Carson Daly

• Monday - Ben Harper & Relentless7
• Wednesday - Cold War Kids
• Thursday - Nico Stai
  
• Friday - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
  

Pearl Jam to close the Spectrum down

Well musically, that is. Lot of memories from this place when I was growing up, but I think we'd all agree (at least those who know that the Spectrum isn't just a range of colors) that it's time to say goodbye to this lovable shit hole. It's not as bad as the Vet was in it's final years, but it's not too far off.

Pearl Jam is scheduled for Oct 28th and 30th as part of a short (warmup, I'd assume) tour in support of their upcoming album, Backspacer (Sept 20th). Tickets go on sale tomorrow bitches.

New music

• The National, "Ashamed of the Story I Told" (Polaris cover), Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy (Sept 29th), P-fork
• Thom Yorke, "All for the Best" (Miracle Legion cover), same album, Stereogum
• Artic Monkeys, "Crying Lightning," Humbug (Aug 25th), Ultra8201
• Yim Yames (aka MMJ's Jim James), "Long, Long, Long," Tribute to (Geroge Harrison tribute out now digitally, Aug 4th hard-copy), Ultra8201
• Spoon, "Got Nuffin," Got Nuffin EP (out now), Ultra8201
  

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel

• Monday - 3OH! 3

David Letterman

• Tuesday - Wilco w. Feist
• Wednesday - Paul McCartney
• Thursday - Grizzly Bear
• Friday - Metric

Craig Ferguson

• Friday - Ray LaMontagne

Jimmy Fallon

• Tuesday - Daniel Merriweather
• Friday - The Dead Weather

Carson Daly

• Wednesday - The Duke Spirit

2009 Wimbledon Champion

Yup, I'm looking at her titles...

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel

• Tuesday - Ben Harper and the Relentless 7
• Wednesday - Franz Ferdinand

David Letterman

• Monday - Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band

Carson Daly

• Tuesday - M83
• Wednesday - Delta Spirit
• Thursday - Nico Vega

Conan O'Brien

• Monday - Death Cab for Cutie
• Tuesday - Andrew Bird
• Wednesday - The Hold Steady
• Thursday - Playing for Change
• Friday - Ray LaMontagne

Jimmy Fallon

• Monday - The Lonely Island
• Wednesday - Amadou & Mariam
• Thursday - Paul Simon
• Friday - Mos Def

The Thermals - Daytripping (Part I)

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel

• Wednesday - Eric Hutchinson
• Thursday - Phoenix

David Letterman

• Monday - Steve Earle
• Thursday - PJ Harvey w. John Parish

Conan O'Brien

• Monday - Green Day
• Tuesday - Jonh Mayer Trio
• Thursday - Neko Case
• Friday - Incubus

Carson Daly

• Wednesday - Little Boots
• Thursday - Robert Francis
• Friday - NASA

Jimmy Fallon

• Monday - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Thursday - Asher Roth
• Friday - Keane

The price is right... especially when it's free

As the summer approached and various festivals were releasing details on their 2009 editions, rumors were surrounding the Virgin Mobile Festival - mainly whether or not it was even going to happen. Well it's happening on Saturday, August 30th, but with a few changes...

• IT'S FREE!!!!
• It will be held at Merriweather Post Pavilion (instead of Pimlico Race Course, where it had been since the festival started in '06)
• It will only be a one-day event
• IT'S FREE!!!!

That's right kids, it's free. Hell, even Ticketbastard is waving their infamous convenience charge if you pick up the tickets at Will Call. While it's not required, Virgin Mobile is asking attendees to donate $5 to youth homelessness through RE*Generation.

I don't think anyone would've been surprised if Virgin Mobile half-assed the booking. But I have to hand it to them, the line-up is pretty solid... Franz Ferdinand, Weezer, the National, the Hold Steady, St. Vincent and Girl Talk to name a few. And a dance tent to boot - count me in!

Tickets were made available this past Saturday and surprise surprise, they "sold" out fairly quickly. Soon after, posts started appearing on Craiglist - those looking to sell the free tickets AND others offering $$ (and other things) for extra tickets. Gotta love it.

For those of you who were unable to get tickets (like myself) you can certainly go the Craigslist/eBay route. Another option is to try back after the 28th. Those who ordered tickets and selected the Will Call option must pick-up their tickets between Aug 21-28. Unclaimed tickets will be released to the public after that.

Wilco Live Webcast - Saturday

Tune in at WilcoWorld.net (or the Wilco iPhone app for you up on technology) this Saturday, June 26th at 9pm EDT for the live webcast of Wilco's show at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA. Might have to have this on in the background while I'm filling up moving boxes...

Beck's Record Club

From beck.com:

We've been working on changes to the website for the last few months. We'll be adding new sections as they're ready. The first one to be added is called Record Club, an informal meeting of various people to record an album in a day. An album will be chosen to be reinterpreted and used as a framework. Nothing rehearsed or arranged ahead of time. A track will be uploaded once a week on beck.com as well as through the web sites of those involved with the project.

First up is Velvet Underground's The Velvet Underground & Nico. Check out the website for their cut on the opening track, "Sunday Morning." Give it to Beck for coming up with a pretty cool idea.

New music

• Yim Yames (aka MMJ's Jim James), "Behind That Locked Door," Tribute to (Geroge Harrison tribute out July 7th), MOKB
• Modest Mouse, "The Whale Song," Autumn Beds (limited edition 7" out now), The Tripwire

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel

• Thursday - Eric Hutchinson
• Friday - Phoenix

Conan O'Brien

• Monday - Pete Yorn
• Tuesday - Elvis Costello
• Wednesday - Wilco
• Friday - Adele

Jimmy Fallon

• Monday - Sonic Youth
• Wednesday - The Roots
• Thursday - Dinosaur Jr.
• Friday - Grizzly Bear

David Letterman

• Tuesday - MSTRKRFT with John Legend
• Wednesday - St. Vincent

Craig Ferguson

• Friday - Chairlift

Band of Horses - Ram's Head Live! (6/12/09)

I'm not really sure what happened here. The conditions were set for a successful evening - the LOML made a rare appearance with me, we've been looking forward to see BoH for a few years and it was our maiden voyage to Ram's Head in B-more. The night even started off on a few positive notes - got rid of our extra pair of tickets without a hitch and had solid dinner/drinks at the newly established J.A. Murphy's. Once we got to Ram's Head, the night didn't go in the crapper, but it sure didn't continue to get better...


First, the venue. It doesn't seem like a bad place to see a concert, but we didn't help ourselves any by showing up to the sold-out show about 10 minutes before BoH came on stage. We chose to head to the second floor and had to bob and weave the whole night to catch glimpses of the band.

Which brings us to BoH. They kicked off their set with three or four slow songs in a row (their set list looked similar to their NY show)... if I could have laid down on the floor and taken a nap, I would have. I'm not sure what I expected from these guys, but they didn't live up to it. They sounded fine but their choice of songs and lack of movement on stage didn't really give the crowd a chance to get into it. It was almost like they didn't want us to get into it...

TV on the Radio - 9:30 Club (6/9/09)

It's been a long time coming for me seeing TVOTR in concert. I had a ticket to see them at the 9:30 in'07, but crapped out for some reason (I still have the unused ticket). When they announced their first go-around of the states in support of Dear Science, I was bummed to say the least... but they were kind enough to include DC as a stop on their 2nd leg. I was more than a little anxious to hear how all of their sounds came across in a live setting. Plus I wanted to see Kyp Malone's afro and beard in person.

Lead man Tunde Adebimpe has what seems like boundless energy. He bounces around the stage and sings every line like it could be his last. The sax player was definitely feeling the music as well. Other than those two though, there wasn't much movement by the rest of the band... but you could still tell that they were giving it their all.

I found myself doing the same thing last Tuesday that I did for the first few months I listened to Return to Cookie Mountain - trying to piece all of their "noises" together instead of taking it all in as one sound. And with all of the different "noises" TVOTR makes, taking them in individually quickly becomes overwhelming (and exhausting). I had to remind myself on a few occasions that night to step back and just enjoy the experience. And once I was able to do that, it just made me want to see them over and over and over again, until I got it just right.

This week's late night TV lineup

Carson

• Monday - Doves
• Tuesday - Diane Birch
• Wednesday - Zee Avi
• Friday - Peaches

Jimmy Kimmel

• Thursday - Ben Harper

David Letterman

• Tuesday - Ian McLagan & the Bump Band
• Thursday - Phoenix
• Friday - The Sounds

Conan O'Brien

• Wednesday - Incubus
• Thursday - Dead Weather

Jimmy Fallon

• Wednesday - Street Sweeper Social Club

This week's late night TV lineup

Dave Letterman

• Monday - Mos Def
• Wednesday - Sonic Youth
• Friday - PJ Harvey w/John Parish

Carson Daly

• Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday - Green Day
• Friday - Foxboro Hot Tubs

Jimmy Fallon

• Monday - Amoadou & Mariam
• Tuesday - Mos Def
• Wednesday - Manchester Orchestra

Conan O'Brien

• Thursday - Neko Case

Pearl Jam - "Backspacer"

PJ performed a new song from their upcoming album (TBD) on Conan's first night hosting The Tonight Show.

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel

• Monday - No Doubt
• Thursday (primetime edition, 7PM EST) - Justin Timberlake and Eminem
• Friday - Asher Roth

Conan O'Brien

• Monday - Pearl Jam
• Tuesday - Green Day
• Thursday - The John Mayer Trio
• Friday - Chickenfoot

Jimmy Fallon

• Tuesday - Paul Simon
• Wednesday - Dave Matthews Band
• Thursday - Doves

Carson Daly

• Tuesday - Ben Harper & Relentless7
• Wednesday - Lissy Trullie
• Friday - Ida Maria

Craig Ferguson

• Monday - Tori Amos

Dave Letterman

• Thursday - Elvis Costello

The National - 9:30 Club (5/25/09)

It seems like the National has been touring for over three years without many breaks. While I’m loving it because it’s given me the opportunity to see them three times, it has to take its toll on the band. They were initially scheduled at the 9:30 for two shows over as many nights, but after both shows sold out in no time, they added a late show to the first night. I had a ticket to see them on the second night… would they have anything left in the tank by the time they got to their third show in two days?

Silly me for questioning these guys. Accompanied by a three-piece horns section and keyboardist, they ripped through all parts of their catalog for over an hour and a half. Lead singer, Matt Berninger was even more engaging with the crowd than I remembered. They even broke out a few new songs - "Vanderlylle," "Blood Buzz" and kicked the night off with "Runaway" (see below - thanks to I am Fuel). It's hard to describe the intensity and sincerity they bring to their shows... it's just something you have to experience.

This week's late night TV lineup

Craig Ferguson

• Wednesday - Amy Smart

Jay Leno

• Thursday - Prince
• Friday - James Taylor

Carson Daly

• Tuesday - The Virgins
• Wednesday - Doves
• Thursday - Methodman & Redman
• Friday - Wale

David Letterman

• Wedneday - The Dead
• Thursday - The Killers

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel

• Monday - Franz Ferdinand
• Wednesday - No Doubt
• Thursday - Busta Rhymes

Dave Letterman

• Monday - White Rabbits
• Wednesday - Grizzly Bear
• Friday - Green Day

Craig Ferguson

• Friday - The Decemberists

Jay Leno

• Friday - Tori Amos

Jimmy Fallon

• Monday - Method Man & Redman
• Tuesday - Iron & Wine

Carson Daly

• Monday - Crystal Antlers
• Tuesday - Keane
• Thursday - The Kills
• Friday - Glasvegas

And some more new music

• Pearl Jam, "The Golden State" and "Santa Cruz," 2008 Christmas Single (just mailed out to PJ Ten Club members), I am Fuel
• Green Day, 21 Century Breakdown stream (May 15th) here, here and here.

New music

• Stream Wilco (the Album), out Jun 30th, Metro D
• White Rabbits, "Percussion Gun," It's Frightening (May 19th), I am Fuel
• The National, "England" and "Vanderlylle Cry Baby," from the Dark Was the Night Benefit Show via I am Fuel
• stellastar*, "Graffiti Eyes" and "Warchild," Civilized (July 7th), Ultra8201

This week's late night TV lineup

SNL - Green Day

David Letterman

• Monday - The Killers
• Friday - Mastodon

Craig Ferguson

• Tuesday - Jenny Lewis

Jay Leno

• Thursday - The Decemberists
• Friday - Kings of Leon

Carson Daly

• Monday - Ben Harper & Relentless7
• Tuesday - Cold War Kids
• Wednesday - Brett Dennen
• Friday - Friendly Fires

Jimmy Fallon

• Tuesday - The Lonely Island

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel

• Monday - The Whips
• Friday - Scott Weiland

Craig Ferguson

• Tuesday - Jenny Lewis

David Letterman

• Tuesday - Franz Ferdinand
• Wednesday - Ben Harper and Relentless7
• Thursday - Animal Collective

Jay Leno

• Tuesday - Robert Randolph & The Clark Sisters

Jimmy Fallon

• Monday - Adele
• Wednesday - The National
• Thursday - Ben Harper and the Relentless 7

Carson Daly

• Monday - Lykke Li
• Thursday - Black Kids
• Friday - Ida Maria

One for One

This company was profiled on an AT&T commercial I saw this morning...

One for One is the mantra of TOMS Shoes. From their website:

TOMS Shoes was founded on a simple premise: For every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of shoes to a child in need. One for One. Using the purchasing power of individuals to benefit the greater good is what we're all about.

I have no idea how these shoes hold up, but they sure do look comfortable. And the fact that you're helping to put shoes on a kid's feet is pretty damn cool too.

A bad music day

I decided while walking to work this morning that new music was going to be the theme for the day. Okay, some of my selections were not-so-new but they were new to me. Problem was that they were terrible... all of them. I can't remember where I read/heard about any of these but I wrote them down for a reason. Maybe I made a list of albums to stay away from? I don't know what the hell I was reading or thinking, but I do know that there's now some extra space on my iPod (about five albums worth). These bad boys don't even get a second listen:

• Tinted Windows - Tinted Windows
• The Sounds - Dying to Say This to You
• Dungen - 4
• Mavado - Mr. Brooks... a Better Tomorrow
• The Dream - Love vs Money

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel

• Monday - Franz Ferdinand

David Letterman

• Wednesday - Manchester Orchestra
• Friday - Bat for Lashes

Craig Ferguson

• Wednesday - Antony & The Johnsons

Jay Leno

• Thursday - Starsailor

Jimmy Fallon

• Monday - Morrissey
• Wednesday - Gomez
• Thursday - Santigold
• Friday - Cold War Kids

Carson Daly

• Tuesday - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
• Thursday - Adele
• Friday - The Duke Spirit

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel

• Wednesday - The Whip

Letterman

• Tuesday - Tinted Windows
• Thursdsy - The Dead

Leno

• Monday - The Killers
• Tuesday - Ida Maria

Jimmy Fallon

• Thursday - Tinted Windows

Carson Daly

• Wednesday - Crystal Antlers
• Thursday - Brett Dennan
• Friday - Whie Lies

Outta here...

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel

• Thursday - Franz Ferdinand
• Friday - Pete Yorn

Jay Leno

• Wednesday - Chris Botti ft. John Mayer

Jimmy Fallon

• Wednesday - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Carson Daly

• Monday - Cold War Kids
• Tuesday - Adele
• Friday - Ben Harper & the Relentless7

David Letterman

• Monday - A.C. Newman w. Nicole Atkins
• Tuesday - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Wednesday - Neko Case

Craig Ferguson

• Tuesday - Brett Dennan
• Thursday - Amy Smart (not performing)

This week's late night TV lineup

SNL - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Tonight Show w/Jay Leno

• Friday - PJ Harvey & John Parish

Late Night w/Jimmy Fallon

• Monday - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
• Wednesday - The Virgins

Last Call w/Carson Daly

• Monday - Little Boots
• Wednesday- NASA
• Friday - M83

Late Show w/David Letterman

• Monday - Razorlight
• Tuesday - Cursive
• Wednesday - Bell X1
• Friday - U2

The Neon Bible Archives

It's nice to see Arcade Fire hooking their fans up during these tough economic times. Until next Friday (April 10th), you can head over to Pfork and check out Mirior Noir, their 70 minute documentary on the making/touring of Neon Bible, for FREE! After that, you'll have to lay some greenbacks down to see it. Sounds like a no-brainer to me.

20 Books Every Man Must Read

From Playboy.com (I don't think they are in any particular order):

• James Ellroy: American Tabloid
• Cormac McCarthy: Blood Meridian
• Franz Kafka: The Complete Stories
• Michael Herr: Dispatched
• George Orwell: Down and Out in Paris and London
• Junot Díaz: Drown
• Frederick Exley: A Fan's Notes
• Nicholson Baker: The Fermata
• Norman Mailer: The Fight
• David Mamet: Glengarry Glen Ross
• William Shakespeare: Hamlet
• Hunter S. Thompson: Hell's Angels
• Ralph Ellison: Invisible Man
• Denis Johnson: Jesus' Son
• Raymond Chandler: The Long Goodbye
• Miles Davis: Miles: The Autobiography
• George Saunders: Pastoralia
• Joseph Campbell: The Power of Myth
• Philip Roth: Sabbath's Theater
• Ernest Hemingway: The Sun Also Rises

"there is solid underlying rationale at work here: In each of these writings
something wonderful was created from a subject that could have come off as
downright bleak. There are plenty of guy reads about war, sex and sports, but
only a handful that transcend those topics. These are books that help a man
discover and define his own masculinity. "

I'm somewhat embarrassed to say that I haven't even heard of many of these... even more so that I've read exactly zero. The closest I've come was Blood Meridian... unfortunately, I just wasn't in the mood to concentrate so I never got into it. I'll give it another go this summer.

They're baaaack...

Okay, he's back. As in Andrew Stockdale with not two, but three new band members (nothing confirmed as of yet). I'll be honest, I wasn't holding my breath when 66.67% of the band rolled out last year. But he kept true to his word and there's a brand new song to prove it. Download "Back Round" for free on their website. I'm a believer.

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

• Wednesday - Les Claypool

Late Show w/David Letterman

• Monday - Adele
• Wednesday - Ray LaMontagne

Late Late Show w/Craig Ferguson

• Wednesday - Ra Ra Riot

Late Night w/Jimmy Fallon

• Monday - Glasvegas
• Tuesday - Gomez
• Thursady- Dr. Dog
• Friday - Cold War Kids

Peter Bjorn and John - Living Things

Stream it on their MySpace page prior to the March 31st release. For some reason, I just want to break out into the chorus of the song below when I listen to "It Don't Move Me." Solid!

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

• Friday - Lil' Wayne

Tonight Show w/Jay Leno

• Tuesday - PJ Harvey & John Parish

Late Night w/Jimmy Fallon

• Monday - Morrissey

Last Call w/Carson Daly

• Friday - Ben Harper & Relentless7

Late Show w/David Letterman

• Monday - BLock Party
• Tuesday - White Lies

Late Late Show w/Craig Ferguson

• Wednesday - Ra Ra Riot
• Friday - The Damned

SXSW performances on NPR

NPR archived various performances from this year's SXSW Festival, to include Blitzen Trapper, The Heartless Bastards, and The Decemberists - who premiered their upcoming release, The Hazards of Love (Mar 24th) in its entirety. Stream them here at your leisure.

Celebración De La Ciudad Natal - April 18th

MMJ is releasing an EP in both CD and limited edition double 10″ vinyl to coincide with Record Store Day on April 18th. Excerpt from mymorningjacket.com (where you can also find a nifty video and list of stores that will carry the EP):

hello friends. we are proud to announce and release a lil live ep that was recorded right in our very own hometown of louisville, ky. a few songs were taken from our in-store appearance at our beloved and fabled record haven “ear-x-tacy” and a few of them were taken from our concert at the fabled “waterfront park.” see if you can guess which is from which. we are excited to make this a special release that you can only get at your favorite local independent record store, as now more than ever we all need to take the time to celebrate what our favorite local record stores and businesses mean to us - the value of community/human to human non- internet related physical and spiritual contact and supporting the hardworking people in your community who strive everyday to keep it unique and keep it local.

This week's late night TV lineup

Late Show w/David Letterman

• Tuesday - Bell X1
• Wednesday - Modest Mouse

Late Late Show w/Craig Ferguson

• Friday - Conor Oberst

Tonight Show w/Jay Leno

• Tuesday - The Soundtrack of Our Lives

Late Night w/Jimmy Fallon

• Wednesday - Vampire Weekend

Last Call w/Carson Daly

• Monday - Adele
• Wednesday - Kid Cudi
• Thursday - Iglu & Hartly
• Friday - The Duke Spirit

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

• Wednesday - MSTRKRFT
• Thursday - The Duke Spirit

New tracks

• Silversun Pickups, "Panic Switch," Swoon (Apr 14th)
• St. Vincent, "The Strangers," Actor (May 5th), Ultra8201
• Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, "Statues," from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon via Product Shop NYC

The Hold Steady - A Positive Rage

Lack of time and internet access has prohibited me from putting together a Hooray Friday post for a few weeks now. So I've decided to catch where catch can (I think that's how the saying goes) and post crap as I find it instead of trying to lump it all together on Fridays.

Some quality releases already this year (details at Metro D and NPR) and definitely some that I'm looking forward to: Doves, Neil Young, Silversun Pickups, Iron & Wine ... and this group of characters, set to release A Positive Rage on April 7th. Good choice for the album title too - as it pretty much sums up them in concert. Thanks to I am fuel and Stereogum for the K.

Radiohead news?

[Reax Magazine]

I'm all about fueling the rumor fire... if only the world hinged on my every move/word.

This week's late night TV lineup

Last Call w/Carson Daly

• Wednesday - M83
• Thursday - Delta Spirit

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

• Thursday - Pendulum

Late Show w/David Letterman

• Tuesday - Razorlight
• Wednesday - An Horse
• Friday - Cursive

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

• Wednesday - Oren Lavie

Late Late Show w/Craig Ferguson

• Thursday - Andrew Bird
• Friday - M.Ward

Last Call w/Carson Daly

• Thursday - Robert Francis
• Friday - NASA

Hooray Friday (a few days late)!

- New music:

• Elvis Perkins, "Send My Fond Regards to Lonelyville," Elvis Perkins in Dearland (Mar 10th), Aquarium Drunkard
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Heads Will Roll," It's Blitz (Apr 14th), Ultra 8201

- A second from AD... Wilco's Jeff Tweedy covers Neil Young's "The Losing End" in 2006.

- And the trifecta... this one a blast from 1974 past. Check out a radio session with Tom Waits that includes interview clips and songs.

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

• Wednesday - Living Things

Tonight Show w/Jay Leno

• Tuesday - The Black Crowes
• Wednesday - Conor Oberst
• Friday - Gaslight Anthem

Late Late Show w/Craig Ferguson

• Tuesday - Adele
• Wednesday - Glasvegas
• Friday - The Knux

Hooray Friday!

- Check out Shearwater perform four songs as part of NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series. Last year's Rook got a lot of high praise, but not from this guy... just couldn't get into them.

- From another concert series, this one over at P-fork. the Hold Steady performs four diddies on Don't Look Down.

- I thought I had figured out our newly installed DVR, but woke up last Sunday AM to find that SNL hadn't recorded (stupid technology). Initially, I was bummed because I wanted to see TV on the Radio perform... especially since they dissed DC in their first set of tour dates. I later saw on quite a few sites/blogs that they sounded like dung, apparently due to SNLs union fetish. Then the world got a little better when I caught their interview/performance later in the week on The Colbert Report. And then the coup de grace... another round of tour dates, this time with DC getting some love. Ahhhh.

- Listen to Antony and the Johnsons perform three songs on MPR's The Current.

Sportsmanship isn't lost

You don't have to be a sports fan for this story to tug at the old heartstrings....

Yahoo Sports: Rivals High

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

• Wednesday - K'Naan
• Thursday - Anya Marina

Tonight Show w/Jay Leno

• Tuesday - Andrew Bird
• Wednesday - Lisa Hannigan

Late Night w/Conan O'Brien

• Monday - thenewno2

Late Show w/David Letterman

• Monday - Willie Nelson w/Asleep at the Wheel
• Tuesday - M. Ward
• Wednesday - Antony & the Johnsons

Late Late Show w/Craig Ferguson

• Friday - The Knux

Hooray Friday!

- Miss Radiohead and the USC Marching Band at the Grammys or just want to see it again? MOKB has the hook up.

- Wanna be depressed? Well then take a gander at the amount of greenbacks that the top musicians made in '08. While looking at this list, a few things:

• How can the Jonas Brothers rake in $62 million? Even if 12 year old girls think they're the bees knees, they don't have much talent. Jealous? You bet your sweet bippy I am.
• $242 million?? I can't even fathom that amount of money. Oh wait, I forgot how much Madonna concert tickets cost.
• I don't want to ever hear any of these characters complaining about the hardships of the music business or life on the road.
• The Jonas Bros??? Seriously??

Thanks to Brooklyn Vegan for the swift kick in the nuts.

- TV on the Radio's been getting a lot of love over the past few weeks, appearing on SNL and the Colbert Report just to name a few. Check out their interview (begins after 2nd line break) and performance (3rd line break) on the Colbert Report website. I'm still waiting for their DC dates to be announced...

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

• Tuesday - The Little Ones
• Thursday - Miksha
• Friday - Rusty Truck

Tonight Show w/ Jay Leno

• Monday - Duffy

Late Night w/ Conan O'Brien

• Monday - Brett Dennen
• Friday - Dan Auerbach (of the Black Keys)

Last Call w/Carson Palmer

• Monday - T.I.
• Tuesday - Adele
• Wednesday - Blind Pilot
• Thursday - The Sounds

Late Show w/David Letterman

• Monday - The Von Bondies
• Tuesday - Heartless Bastards

Late Late Show w/Craig Ferguson

• Monday - Adele

War Child Heroes compilation

I probably won't be available on Friday so here's a mid-week delight...

War Child, a Canadian based charity is releasing a compilation album (Feb 24th) where rock legends choo... choo... choose new bands to cover one of their songs. Pretty cool concept if you ask me and from the looks of the tracklist, the elders really know how to pick 'em. Kudos to P-fork for hooking us up with the stream of the TVOTR track. Honestly, I'm kinda lukewarm about it after only a few listens, but if it's like their other stuff I'm sure it'll grow on me.

TV on the Radio - "Heroes" (David Bowie)
Beck - "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat (Bob Dylan)
The Kooks - "Victoria" (The Kinks)
The Hold Steady - "Atlantic City" (Bruce Springsteen)
Hot Chip - "Transmission" (Joy Division)
Lily Allen ft. Mick Jones - "Straight to Hell" (The Clash)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" (The Ramones)
Franz Ferdinand - "Call Me" (Blondie)
Duffy - "Live and Let Die" (Paul McCartney)
Estelle - "Superstition" (Stevie Wonder)
Rufus Wainwright - "Wonderful & Song for Children" (Brian Wilson)
Scissor Sisters - "Do the Strand" (Roxy Music)
Peaches - "Search and Destroy" (Iggy Pop)
Adam Cohen - "Take This Waltz" (Leonard Cohen)
Elbow - "Running to Stand Still" (U2)
The Like - "You Belong to Me" (Elvis Costello)

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

• Thursday - Kraak & Smaak
• Friday - Benji Hughes

Late Nigh w/Conan O'Brien

• Monday - The Walkmen
• Tuesday - M83
• Wednesday - Cold War Kids
• Friday - Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

Last Call w/Carson Daly

• Tuesday - LMFAO
• Wednesday - Ida Maria
• Thursday - Company of Thieves

Last Show w/David Letterman

• Tuesday - Andrew Bird
• Friday - Gaslight Anthem

Talk about pressure

Even if you're not big into politics, you've probably heard a little of the buzz surrounding today's inauguration. Obama's speech has already been compared to FDR's and Kennedy's, before he's even given it. How about that for pressure? I'd rather be standing on the charity stripe with the game on the line or lining up to kick the game-winning field goal (I'd miss both, for the record).

The LOML+1 would love to be freezing our asses off at the Mall instead of lounging on Big Brown in our living room (seriously), but you can't have it all. Even on the boob tube, it's still pretty f-ing cool to experience.

This week's late night TV lineup

SNL - T.I.

Late Night w/Conan O'Brien

• Monday - Q-Tip

Last Call w/Carson Daly

• Tuesday - LMFAO
• Thursday - Company of Thieves
• Friday - Jash Radin

Late Show w/David Letterman

• Monday - Broken Social Scene
• Thursday - Of Montreal

Late Late Show w/Craig Ferguson

• Tuesday - The Submarines

Jaydiohead

Yup, it is what it looks like. Not crazy about it, but it's worth a few listens. I agree with Stereogum, what the hell took so long?

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

• Monday - T-Pain
• Wednesday - Gabe Dixon Band

Tonight Show w/Jay Leno

• Monday - Iron & Wine
• Friday - Eagles of Death Metal

Last Call w/Carson Daly

• Tuesday - Little Joy
• Friday - Yelle

Late Show w/David Letterman

• Monday - Glasvegas
• Wednesday - Okkervil River