Monday, February 11, 2008

Arctic Monkeys Fans Rejoice

The Arctic Monkey's lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter is going solo. Not permanently of course, but Alex Turner has announced his intention to do a solo album with friend Miles Kane (from The Rascals) and producer James Ford. How excited am I for this "sixties-y" release, which Turner says will have "... a lot of orchestration and stuff." Sounds vague but promising; seeing as the sixties did for music what the seventies did for feminism. There has been no other decade to equal it musically. At least not yet.

Although super shy, Alex has always struck me as an extremely down to earth individual. He obviously cares passionately about the music he's making (being only one year older than my 20-yr old self), and has so far avoided all the stereotypical behaviors/indulgences of the celebrity elite. The Arctic Monkeys support up and coming bands by attending local nightclubs and still attend football games in their hometown of Sheffield, England, where currently Alex lives with friend and fellow musician, Jon McClure, head of Reverend and the Makers.

There has also been some buzz about a possible Arctic Monkey's collaboration with Justin Timberlake. I'm not sure how I think their sounds will blend together yet, but both artists keep amazing me, and not just with their pretty faces.

Good Luck Alex, I can't wait to see the final product!
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A Monday Music Wrap-Up

Instead of the usual mixtape, I wanted to wrap up a little of my overflowing music plate. It's been a big month for music, movies, and the arts in general. Heres a few of the major happenings this week and the not so distant future.

The Hype Machine's list of popular mp3s is being dominated this week by the lovable, sweater-vest wearing Vampire Weekend. "I Stand Corrected," "A-Punk," and "M79" are currently their most popular tracks - that is to say the most commonly posted and/or talked about. This puts a smile on my face; for once a new band honors the hype. And they're coming to the El Rey in LA this March!


Del the Funkee Homosapian has a new track spinning called "Workin' It." His new album, Eleventh Hour drops March 11, and is already getting some much deserved promotion. Del has been producing hits since 1991, loved by fans and critics alike. His distinct vocals and imaginative lyrics made him a hip hop legend. Currently Del is more well-recognized as part of the alt hip-hop group, Gorillaz. Their smash 2005 album Demon Days was a huge success, and recently the group released D-Sides, a compilation of new, rare, and remixed tracks.


Heres a special treat: Live from the 50th Grammys, its Kanye West and Daft Punk's collaboration. The awards aired on CBS this past Sunday. If you haven't seen the list of winners, heres a quick breakdown. Amy Wineho = blah, blah, blah, too many awards. Kanye wins Best Rap Album (finally), Herbie Hancock pulls in Best Album of the Year, Foo Fighters take home Best Rock Album, White Stripes get Best Alt Album, Flight of the Conchords win Best Comedy Album (sweet!), and Mark Ronson gets Producer of the Year. PS. How fucking badass does Kanye look onstage? Its the stunner shades for sure. I think I found my next Halloween costume...
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Other popular tracks include hits from Hot Chip, Radiohead, and Amy Winehouse (To borrow from Michael Bluth: her?) Okay so she swept a few Grammy's up, but jinkies, haven't we beat this coke horse into the ground yet?

The News

First off Tim Fite, rapper extraoridnare, is gearing up to release a new LP entitled Fair Ain't Fair. Last year I was amazed by Over the Counterculture, a release that Tim offered for free off his website. I even named "Camoflage" one of 2007's best songs here. The new LP will be released May 6; independently or under a label I do not know. But I'm psyched. Check out the track list here.


My exit wounds make record execs goons swoon
I've been shot so many times the bullets had to make room
Raised up out the dust like bloodlust phoenix
It seems the more bullets that I catch I gets the greenest...
If I hadn't been shot I would have never got paid,
Never got signed, never got laid
I would have never known how lonely it gets at the top,
Would never've been shit if I hadn't got shot...
22 caliber salary

A hilarious commentary on hip-hop culture today, including the glorification of gang violence.

Also, in a more locally significant announcement, Tegan and Sara are coming to the Glass House in Pomona! Tickets just went on sale Saturday, Feb 9 for $25. Part of the proceeds from tix sales will go to the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, an amazing organization that "provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians who are facing illness, disability, or age-related problems." Check out their website. Buy tickets for the great music and to support the cause! Show starts at 7 pm.


The Media

NEW MOVIES! Sorry I got a little excited there. Check out some new trailers from films that I will have a front row seat for.

Smart People (Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church & Ellen Page!)


Son of Rambow (A bunch of English ppl you don't know)

There's also a teaser for Star Trek now up, but it's so short and too true to the JJ Abrams' give-absolutely-nothing-away trailer style (i.e. Cloverfield) that I thought it pretty useless. The movie stars Chris Pine (so pretty) as Kirk, Simon Pegg as Scotty (YES!), Zachary Quinto as Spock (Double YES! for the Heroes fans), Winona Ryder as Amanda Grayson, and Eric Bana as Nero. I'll post a decent trailer as soon as I see one...

USS Enterprise Out.
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