The Smiths are kind of like the Justice League, I guess...

Someone ( and by someone, I mean Shawn Demumbrum) is turning songs by The Smiths into a comic strip.  I don't know what we're in for but my answer is this:  Fuck Yeah.  For those of you who don't know, The Smiths "Frankly Mr. Shankly" is among my most favorite songs ever, if not at the top of the list -- because the list is constantly changing, but it is top three most days.  Just to be clear, I am not sure exactly why Mr. Demumbrum wants to create this strip, what the stories will be about, or if he even has the means to create such awesomeness.   But it's worth a try.

More info at Spinner.

Morrissey
Image by Justin Thomas-Empics/PA

Song Du Jour

Ride on a White Horse

By Goldfrapp

For those of you who haven't heard, Goldfrapp has been around since the late 90s and is currently working on a 6th studio album.  "Ride on a White Horse" is the 3rd single of the album Supernature, and, as you may notice, has a neo-disco vibe.  I thought it would be a nice change from the 80s hair band, Dare, that I featured yesterday.  Goldfrapp has been a consistent perveyor of electro synthpop awesomeness, so if you like bands like Little Boots and have a soft spot for glam rock, this is for you.  Other songs of note off this album include "Ooh la la" which was featured recently in the Will Ferrell comedy "The Other Guys," and my personal favorite, "Satin Chic," which combines cabaret elements with the ambient electronica for which the band is known.

Review: The Ettes

Wicked Will

by The Ettes

Impression:  The Ettes are a Nashville-based band that has been around since about 2004 and has gotten much more recognition overseas than here in the States.  Wicked Will is their fourth studio album.  The Ettes are considered "as good as modern-day garage rock gets" and I am inclined to agree.  The lyrics are pointed -- sweet and short -- in fact, almost too short because the whole album (which has 12 songs on it) took me only about 30-minutes to listen to....probably less.  I was definitely wanting more.  As far as sound goes, a likely comparison could be made to the girl-driven groups of the early 90s and possibly all the way back to the days when The Runaways ruled the airwaves-- a quality that was a welcome addition to the Whip It soundtrack.  Coco Hames' voice is incredibly sweet in contrast to the dark backdrop of the music, recalling the days of 60s songstresses like Leslie Gore and Nancy Sinatra (old favorites in my book).   Overall, I liked it and recommend you give it a listen over at Spinner.

If I had money, I would buy:  I really would like to buy the whole CD...it's been short-listed, as a result.  Usually, I would list a bunch of songs I like and would buy but the number in this case makes it impractical to buy every song separately.  I think you should check out "One by One," "Teeth", and "The Worst There Is" if you want to guage their sound before considering a purchase.

Sounds Like:  Fuzzbox-driven indie rock with the occasional Southern twang

Where You can buy it:  Amazon and iTunes

Check out more:  The Ettes website

Happy Birthday, MTV

If you didn't know, MTV turned 30 on Monday (Aug. 1st).  Yeah....that sounds a little bit too old to me too, especially since they've devolved from showing music videos 24/7 into the reality television bohemoth it is today and produced such monsters as "Teen Mom" and "Laguna Beach."  Now, even though I have a horrible addiction to ridiculously bad reality tv, I haven't watched much of the MTV shows (with the exception of My Super Sweet 16).  My first roommate at University loved that stupid Laguna Beach show and, you guessed it, hijacked my TV whenever it was on --which, weirdly enough, was all the time.  Seriously, how can one season have like 72 episodes!!!!?  Needless to say, I read a lot of books my freshman year.  Regardless of how you feel about it's metamorphasis, MTV is a part of music history, without which we might not have gotten the privilege of seeing Beyonce's "Single Ladies" video which is--as everyone knows -- the greatest video of all time.
Read more at the LA Times

Song 'O' the Day

Don't Need A Reason

by Dare

Who doesn't love the show "Wonders of the Universe"?  In particular, I am enthralled with Professor Brian Cox and his tangents on physics because -- well -- they are amazing, especially when he starts getting all philosophical.  Anyway, Brian Cox -- before getting a PhD in high energy particle physics -- was the keyboardist in a couple bands.  One was an 80s hair band called Dare (see video above) and the other was a 90s party/dancewave band called D:ream (no, I do not know why the colon is necessary.)  I was feeling whimsical and thought I'd share this little gem with you.  Personally, hair bands aren't at the top of my musical favorites list but they do fascinate me as "artists of fame," perfecting gender-bending fashion trends and generally serving as precursors to Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Adam Lambert, and their ilk.  And, let's face it, The Prof can do no wrong in my eyes.

Song 'O' the Day

Jenny Says

By Cowboy Mouth

I'm done being angry and political.  Sorry about that...yesterday was just really stressful and I've been super down lately.  Anyways, Today's song du jour is by Cowboy Mouth, one of my absolute favorite bands.  They are from New Orleans (which, if you remember, is one of my favorite cities) and they are the definition of Southern Rock.  They mix blues, country, and good old-fashioned rock &roll and put out what can only be described as amay-za-zing music.  I have had the pleasure of seeing them play live (in El Paso) and they are fantastic!  The singer/drummer, Fred LeBlanc, can rile up a crowd like nobody's business and Regina Zernay is an incredible bassist but she has since left the band.  She has been replaced by Casandra Faulconer, continuing the bands string of awesome female bassists.  Check them out more if you are interested.  My favorite Cowboy Mouth song:  "Hole in my Heart."  The raw power of the lyrics will blow you away.  Trust me.

Song 'O' The Day

Uprising

by Muse

::WARNING: ANGRY, ANGRY TANGENT::

I am in a really f*cking bad mood today....but not just any bad mood.  I am in an indignant, idealistic, pissed off at the entire world kind of bad mood. I try to keep this blog politically neutral but, honestly, if you're not mad at what is happening, you must be living a lovely fantasy world.  It pisses me off that Congress can't put on their Big Boy Pants and avoid an economic disaster when the entire country is yelling right in their ear.  It annoys me when people working in law enforcement are fatasses who can't meet the fitness requirements but are employed anyway.  I find it difficult to comprehend how a bunch of lunatics with no concept of history hijack the system so they can force their bigotry and airheaded schemes onto everyone.  It infuriates me that, of all the useless programs we are funding, the legislature thinks we should make cuts to education, which would essentially make this country even more elitest than it has already become.  And, yes, it really fucking pisses me off that billionaires are getting a proportionally bigger tax breaks because policy maker's don't understand that trickle-down economics is a f*cking fairy tale!  In short, f*ck you, Congress.  I'd write a letter to my congresswoman but--considering she was one of the only good elected officials--she was shot in the head. 

I hope the revolution comes soon 'cause I'm about to start kicking asses and taking names.