Is this for real? Willie Nelson and Snoop Dogg teaming up for Nelson’s Superman in (where else?) Amsterdam.
I really don’t think anything else needs to be said.
(Props to The BoomBox.)
(Note: Visuals start after 28 seconds.)
Category Archives: video
New Mates of State video: Get Better
Mates of State have released a video for the new track Get Better, which comes off its forthcoming album re-arrange us, due out May 20 on Barsuk.
It’s a pretty cool video, but it certainly looks a lot like this Bat for Lashes video – people in animal masks riding bikes. What does it all mean?
Yo! MTV Raps 20th anniversary
I’ve been pretty absorbed the past couple days with MTV’s online presence celebrating the 20th anniversary of Yo! MTV Raps. And on Tuesday night, I saw an interview on MTV’s Sucker Free with De La Soul.
It’s always a tad hazardous to reminisce about hip-hop’s “golden age” of the late 80s/early 90s because it’s easy to overlook some of the great artists of today. But I certainly feel lucky to have developed a taste for hip-hop in that time. And there’s no doubt watching hours of Yo! MTV Raps can be thanked for that. (I feel sorry for you if you’ve never seen the Ed Lover Dance.) And I think you’ll notice a lot of the entries in the I Used to Love H.E.R. series reflect the importance of the time.
Without launching into some thesis on the Importance of Yo! (MTV has that handled), it’s fair to say that the show gave rap/hip-hop the mainstream outlet it deserved and offered suburban white kids (me) a bit of a voyeuristic view into the culture.
I’d highly recommend delving into the classic music videos page MTV has offered as a primer.
Below is one of my favorites, Buddy by De La Soul (and friends).
Alejandro Escovedo + Bruce Springsteen:
Always a Friend
Alejandro Escovedo recently signed a deal with Bruce Springsteen’s management company, but that doesn’t make a cameo by Escovedo at a sold-out show in Houston by the Boss on Monday any less exhilarating.
The pair teamed up for Always a Friend, a song from Escovedo’s forthcoming Real Animal record, due out June 24 on Back Porch Records.
Escovedo is also on the just-released Austin City Limits Festival lineup.
Human Giant: Desert Island Discs
Beck’s Odelay finally comes in handy. I love this show.
Incoming: Sea Wolf, May 17 (Tucson)
My punishment for choosing to see Born Ruffians/Cadence Weapon on March 17 in Phoenix over Nada Surf/Sea Wolf in Tempe is this: driving two hours to Tucson on May 17 to see Sea Wolf. Could be worse: Alex Brown Church and Co. could not come to Arizona at all on this first headlining tour for the band.
The show, which kicks off the tour, takes place at Plush, one of my favorite venues in the state, and tickets are scant $7 (buy here). That’s the good news. The bad news is that’s the same night as Cave Singers at Modified. Sigh. Reports from the Sea Wolf show in Tempe were high with praise, so that’s going to be a tough call.
Here’s the video for the fantastic song You’re A Wolf, from the 2007 record Leaves in the River, which, on a drive to Flagstaff, my mom proclaimed is “cool.”:
The Muslims: Extinction (video)
I raved a bit about the Muslims recently and their track Extinction, a breakup song if ever there was one.
It figures the video, directed by Russ Finkelstein, would be black and white, a nice match the lo-fi punk-ish style of the group.
Remember: The Muslims play Hollywood Alley in Mesa on April 25 with the Night Marchers.
Incoming: Erykah Badu with the Roots, June 14
How did I miss this? Thanks to Jose for the tip.
Frankly, I’m a little shocked that the Roots aren’t the headliners for this show, June 14 at Mesa Amphitheatre. But the tour is called the “New Amerykah Tour”: Erykah Badu with the Roots. Tickets ($33 prices not announced) go on sale Saturday via Ticketmaster.
Ah, but nothing beats an outdoor show in the middle of summer in Arizona. For the Roots, I’d do just about anything. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen them live – back when they were big enough only for clubs. Their “Hip-Hop 101” portion of their live shows should not be missed.
They are on tour in support of Rising Down, due out April 29.
Here’s the video for 75 Bars (Black’s Reconstruction). (And, yes, I’m totally biased in terms of who I want to see at this show):
Elbow: One Day Like This (video)
We’ve already seen the Grounds for Divorce video from Elbow’s latest, The Seldom Seen Kid (due out in the U.S. on April 22), and now we have another one, this time for One Day Like This.
This video is pretty masterful in its simplicity. The visuals – a single-camera shot of a kid slowly, then triumphantly, spinning a condos-for-sale sign – complement the song instead of dominating it. At first, you sort of feel bad for this kid – working this menial task on a drab corner. But then by the end of the video you’re rooting for him because you can relate to him. And the song’s slow, hopeful build drops your guard.
Even a cynic like myself manages to get chills at Guy Garvey’s writing on this one:
“Someone tell me how I feel
It’s silly wrong but vivid right
Oh, kiss me like the final meal
Yeah, kiss me like we die tonight
Cause holy cow, I love your eyes
And only now I see the light”
I’d be shocked if this song – and album – don’t wind up among my favorites of the year. Seriously, this band keeps getting better.
(Apologies for the Yahoo! embed with short ad in beginning, but Universal annoyingly disables embedding on all its YouTube videos.)
Zach Rogue: Lake Michigan (acoustic video)
Imeem catches Zach Rogue with a little bedhead to record video of the Rogue Wave frontman performing Lake Michigan in his hotel room at SXSW.
I’m undecided on whether this awesome or intrusive. Maybe both?
Remember: Rogue Wave at Rhythm Room on April 24 with Grand Ole Party.