Covers Friday - War Child Heroes edition

So I got this new album and its pretty freaking awesome. It's called War Child Heroes, and the proceeds collected from each album go to the children of war torn countries. you can go Here for more details on that. However the even cooler thing is that This is a covers album where they asked 15 bad asses to pick one of their favorite songs, and then pick an artist that they thought was carrying on their torch to cover it. How cool would it be to get the call from the likes of Paul McCartney or Dylan or Bowie, and have them say "I'd like you to cover one of our songs"

Because the CD is for a good cause,I'm only gonna stream songs. here are a few of
the highlights...

So Sir Paul McCartney gets Duffy to sing "Live and Let Die"... not quite the guns and roses cover, but I liked it. Of course I like duffy

Listen, Duffy - Live and Let Die (Wings)




No, its not MIA's "Paper Planes"... its Lily Allen covering the Clash "Straight to Hell"

Listen: Lily Allen - Straight to hell




Then there is the song that started music as we know it today, "heroes" by David Bowie, done by TV on the Radio

Listen: TV On the Radio - Heroes



and finally, there is the musical genious of Beck, covering the musical genius of Dylan, "Leopard skin pillbox hat"


Listen: Beck - Leopard Skin Pillbox hat

The Walkmen ...surpisingly with absolutely nothing to do with the 80s

It's a sweater! ....seriously don't they look like El Guapo's men in this pic.

The Walkmen out of NYC have been around for a little bit, and I flirted with the idea of them being on the Top 130 last year, because that's when their latest album, You & I, was released, but I hadn't had enough listens yet. I do like these guys... they have balls... their previous album was a song for song cover of Harry Nilson's PussyCats , and they show they have the range to do the instrumentals or smooth indie, or even some garage rock.

I bring you one of the more mellow songs from their latest album

Mp3:
The Walkmen - Four Provinces

and then off their second album, Bows + Arrows, my favorite Walkmen song ever.

Mp3:
The Walkmen - The Rat

Winter Gloves ...still in style

It's Wednesday, and that means its time for a Boon pick. Today we will be exploring Winter Gloves, a Montreal based band... btw I really want to visit Montreal.. and St Catherines street... but I digress...



The new album is called About a Girl, and they've currently been touring with the likes of Tokyo Police Club lately, so it won't be long till they are on the radar. It's hard to describe the sound... it's synthy but not electronica, nor near the new rave movement that is MGMT... its got some guitar riffs, and a bit of pop sensibility. It's more 90s style sythh than 80s style like what seems to be the trend these days. The lead singer Charles F also has a voice like David Garza, which is also a plus in my book. Not to mention they have beards and moustaches.

MP3:
Winter Gloves - Factories


BTW, I'm having a little bandwith issues. so the older posted music might not work for the rest of the month. the new post s will, and everything will be back to normal come next week.

Freezepop .. a tasty treat.

Freezepop is quite possibly one of the happiest sounding bands I have ever heard, and were synthpop when synthpop wasn't cool. In fact, they are so cool, they are probably the only band ever to have songs on Both Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution. out of Boston Mass, the band consists of Liz Enthusiam, the duke of dutch pancakes, and the other Sean T. Drinkwater (who incidentally is a clone of the original Sean T. Drinkwater according to the band), and they have a new EP out calld Form Activity Motion.

Here's a new track from it.
Mp3:
Freezepop - Moons of Jupiter

and just for shits and giggles, they did the theme song to a character named Phillipe in the Achewood comic. Its so happy. Huuugs!

Mp3
Freezepop - Here comes a Special Boy

Oscar Hangover

The Academy Awards have came and went, and they weren't all that fabulous. Lots of singing and dancing, but only a few moments of real comedy... the Tina Fey/Steve martin Bit was good, and the Ben Stiller acting as Joaquin Phoenix bit was amusing. All in all, it was a little meh. And I feel sorry for Mickey Rourke having to lose to the ass clown that Sean Penn has become, but seriously when you wear a suit like this, they aren't gonna let you get on stage.



Regardless, I decided todays post would be movie related. .. here we go..

Lets start out with Nada Surf ... ok this song is a bit of a stretch, but I'm still doing it
Mp3:
Nada Surf - the film did not go round


Then we got a little Clem Snide (who's new album is released tomorrow) talking about movies that will never win an oscar... or an Emmy for that matter, but they will star Valeri Bertaneli. BTW, speaking of shouldn't be at the oscars, what the hell was Jennifer Grey doing there? I'm hoping they stuck her in the corner. For irony's sake.
Mp3:
Clem Snide - Made for TV Movie

... and that brings me to the red carpet... oh the paegentry that is the "Movie Star". Tell them Cracker.
Mp3:
Cracker - Movie Star


"Our life is not a movie or maybe" says Okkervil River. Which is true unless you are Harvey Milk, or any of the documentary subjects.
Mp3:
Okkervil River - Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe

Ok this is gonna be fun...
Have you read this book? Oh "this Book is a movie" by Spoon you say?
Mp3:
Spoon - This Book is a Movie

Yeah, "He Took Her To a Movie" ... but so did I.. We went to go see that one.
Mp3:
Ladytron - He took her to a movie

We went to the "Twin Cinema" .. It was pretty fabulous. The building that is... the movie kinda sucked...
Mp3:
New Pornographers - Twin Cinema

It was nothing special really... it had the typical "Movie Script Ending".
Mp3:
Death Cab for Cutie - A Movie Script Ending ( Acoustic Version)

I honestly couldn't wait for them to "Roll the Credits". which incidentally was the best part
Mp3:
P,B & J - Roll the Credits

because they had this awesome "Exit Music (for a Film)"...It was a Radiohead song, but it was done by Vampire Weekend.
Mp3:
Vampire Weekend - Exit Music (for a Film)

Covers Friday - Disney Girls gone Wild Edition

Ah, remember the days when the most scandalous thing about Disney actresses was the size of Annette Funicello's cans. Now we have these little lolitas running around flashing beavers, heading in and out of rehab, shaving all their hair off, peeing themselves on stage. They used to actually wait until their contract with Disney was over to go nuts, but now they are still doing it under contract... Girls like Miley Cyrus and Vannessa Hudgens can't wait to get naked and cause a stir.
So here is my salute to disney girls gone bad. Unfortunately not a lot of them ended up with really good songs...



So, we are starting off with the duchess Fergie, probably the oldest MMCGGW on the list... here she is doing "Barricuda" by Heart.
Mp3:
Fergie - Barricuda

Then of course there is the queen of insanity, Britney Spears. It's amazing but no matter how crazy she gets, she still sells. Here's Lily Allen doing a cover of her latest hit... "Womanizer"
Mp3:
Lily Allen - Womanizer (from sterogum)

and then we Yael Naim... a french israeli singer doing "Toxic" I like this version.
Mp3:
Yael Naim - Toxic

Who would have thunk Christina Aguilera would have been the least dirrty of them all. Not me... but here is the Zutons doing "Beautiful"
Mp3:
Zutons - Beautiful

Then there is Billy Ray's little girl who is destined for playboy.
Here's the Mai Shi doing Miley's "C u again"
Mp3:
The Mai Shi - See you again

and just for a little contrast, another Mickey Mouse club member, who is starting a successful acting career, has a great golf game, kills on SNL, and who's only blemishes are dating Brit, and exposing Janet's Boob. Here's the young Australian singer Gabriella Cilmi doing JT's "Cry me a River". Btw, I like this chick.. thx to Kellie for giving me the heads up on her.
Mp3:
Gabriella Cilmi - Cry me a River

Sometimes Trojans fit Nicely

So yeah, I've been meaning to post Radiohead performing "15 Step" at the Grammy awards with the help of the USC Trojan marching band. The Trojan Marching band is no stranger to stardom... One of the greatest Trumpet players of all time Herb Alpert is an alumni, They've been guest stars on "How I met your Mother" playing a marching band... but perhaps what started it all was performing with Fleetwood Mac on the title track to their double platinum album, Tusk.

Regardless, It's not often that a trojan makes things better, but they rocked the house with Radiohead...
Here's the Video and mp3

Video:


Mp3:

Radiohead - 15 Step (w USC Trojan Band)


and then here's the Fleetwood mac mp3 and video.

Mp3:

Fleetwood Mac - Tusk


Video: