My Conundrum: SexyBack

I’ll be honest: I didn’t understand why the world was going absolutely crazy over Justin Timberlake’s latest pop smash. That was until I heard it for the 487th time in my car last night and just said to myself: “Ok.. This song is damn catchy.” In a quest to figure out why I didn’t understand this pop phenomena until recently, I had a conversation with my musical counterpart in New York – Emily.

nathanielxc: thoughts. on sexyback. go.
p0serific: love it. electroclash.
nathanielxc: did you like it at first?
p0serific: yes!
nathanielxc: damnit. i hated it until last night.
p0serific: i like a strong beat. girls are biologically wired to love sexyback.
nathanielxc: ok, so it’s due to a dismal amount of estrogen in my bloodstream. fair enough. so i guess this makes him appealing for being a boy band heart throb turned dance floor sex panther?!
p0serific: he is just very sexual in kind of a raw way. it’s like… he’s a bad boy who looks good. he’s bad because he wants to be. i don’t know.
p0serific: what a fox.
nathanielxc: haha. aside from my biological makeup, i think it was the fact that his voice (which i actually like) is incredibly distorted and he just talk/raps for most of the song. plus, does anyone else not find it strange that a guy just pulled the line, “i’ll let you whip me if i misbehave.”
nathanielxc: does that not seem weird to anyone but me?! that’s the sort of line found on shirts that 13 year-old girls buy from wal-mart.
p0serific: hahaha. no, confident guys will say things that excite them & their partners. and no one said anything because everyone loves justin. duh.
nathanielxc: but..
p0serific: justin is cocky, but boyish. girls love that.
p0serific: justin can dance. girls love that.
p0serific: justin finally got a synthesizer. girls love that.
p0serific: just give in.
nathanielxc: fine. the whip line still gets -2 points.

While I wasn’t “biologically wired” to love “SexyBack” it took some time for me to come around to the pop smash. It wasn’t like Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” where it was instanteous adoration followed by 439875 covers from every band on the planet. While I’ve yet to hear a cover of “SexyBack”, I’m gonna bet there’ll be a slew of them popping up in no time. Until then – there is only this terrific parody sparked by the Britney-Justin relationship that is guranteed to make you laugh.

[MP3] Moron Life – BritneyBack
[MP3] Justin Timberlake – SexyBack

More Moron Life song parody’s on their MySpace.
Buy FutureSex/LoveSounds – it really is a great album. No matter how much estrogen you have.

Exclusive: Sean Lennon Animation

As Stereogum notes, it’s been 8 years since you didn’t buy Sean Lennon’s debut Into The Sun. Many claim the album to be “vastly underrated” and “unfortunately overlooked” but in a few days none of that will matter anymore. Friendly Fire (due Oct. 3rd), Lennon’s first album since his 1998 debut, is a timid albeit powerful record, not surprisingly recalling the work of his late father as well as the soft melancholic nature of Elliott Smith, also a notable Beatles habitué.

When Capitol asked us if we’d like some “exclusive Sean Lennon content” for IGIF, we were antsy but skeptical…what could Capitol dole out to some shitty music blog like this one? The answer was simple. VERY simple actually: a five second animation of a hand squashing a giant bug that Sean made, presumably sometime during the eight years he took off between his first album and Friendly Fire. Necessary? Hardly. Pointless? Maybe. Cool? Depends. What is cool, however, is if you look at it from the following perspective: Sean Lennon didn’t make this animation, John Lennon’s freaking SON did!. Eh? Ehhh? Yeaaahhh, that’s pretty sweet. Here’s the clip:

I know, I know, that’s not very satisfying. How about the new music video for “Dead Meat,” the first single from Friendly Fire:

Remember: Friendly Fire hits shelves next week on October 3rd. Check out the links below for his websites, MP3s, and merch info:

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Official Site | MySpace Site | More MP3s | Buy Friendly Fire

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Rob Blackledge

For those of you that think Nashville is good for nothing but banjos, cowboy hats, and country music – think again. While I am not innocent of believing in such stereotypes, I’m quickly revising my notion of “country music capital” to “a great city.” With many (great) acts hailing from Nashville, it’s becoming harder and harder to deny the flipside of their well established music scene. Acts residing in Nashville such as Oh No! Oh My! and Be Your Own Pet have established a well-beaten path from independent obscurity to moderate success for artists like Rob Blackledge.

By way of Mississippi originally, Blackledge has called Nashville his home for some time. A graduate of Belmont and lover of all things music related, Blackledge has found his own sound amongst a sea of aspiring Nashville artists and listeners have recognized. With influences such as James Taylor and Stevie Wonder, his sound is a melodic blend of relaxing acoustics and upbeat jazz. Although his sound is very appealing, it’s Blackledge’s vocals that help him transcend other independent acts.

[MP3] Rob Blackledge – One Step Closer
[MP3] Rob Blackledge – If You Laugh
[MP3] Rob Blackledge – Beautiful Mistake

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Official Site | MySpace Site | LIVE! On Tour

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Thursdays and Covers

[MP3] Ben Lee – Float On

I’ll admit this is a big step up from the enchanting Kidz Bop version. Ben Lee takes the electric happy of Modest Mouse and bring out the acoustic mellow hidden beneath the song. It would be nothing but bizarre to see Isaac Brock perform a song this soothing.

[MP3] Ben Folds – Golden Slumbers

This is a cover most of you may know since it was featured in the motion picture, I Am Sam. Whether you have it or not, I love it for a few reasons. One – it’s off one of the greatest album sides ever made. Two – it’s one of my top Beatles’ tracks. Beatles songs are always hard to cover, in my opinion – mainly because there is very little room left for improvement. Folds does justice to a McCartney gem.

[MP3] Dave Grohl – Tiny Dancer (Live)

Grohl has a hard time doing wrong in the musical world and he isn’t screwing that up with this cover. Former grunge drummer covering a gay pianist? Yes, try to wrap your brain around that one. Not only is his rendition of Tiny Dancer unique and fun, but this live recording shows his shrewd humor, love for Almost Famous, and great audience interaction.

[Bonus MP3] Ben Folds Five – Champagne Supernova (Live) – A country classic, right? Have a listen.

Snowglobe

Snowglobe is a great band from Memphis that every blogger and their mother has described as “breezey indie pop” with a touch of NMH and Elephant 6 trumpeteering and storytelling. It’s good stuff to be sure. Their most recent album, Oxytocin (named for a neurotransmitter/hormone involved in orgasms), just hit stores a few weeks ago.

The story behind the band and this album is slightly unusual. To be completely honest, apparently the band is officially broken up, yet they continue to put out albums. Each album is the product of one individual member of the band (think KISS back in the 70’s), and the rest of the band still “backs it” under the Snowglobe moniker. Oxytocin just so happens to be Brad Postlewhaite’s project, and it’s the first of their solo project series. MOKB suggests it’ll be hard to surpass, and I have to agree.

[MP3] Snowglobe – Happy
[MP3] Snowglobe – Rainbow

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Official Site | MySpace Site | More MP3s | Buy Oxytocin

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Help! Rogue Wave Benefit

Like a moderately successful alternative rock band needs more money, right? Well this isn’t about profits or corporate rock scenes, but possibly life and death. Rogue Wave’s drummer, Pat Spurgeon, is living with a faulty kidney. Normally, this type of thing wouldn’t be that big of deal since you have two kidneys and need only one to live. The situation Pat and Rogue Wave face is not good. Here’s the deal:

Pat was born with one kidney and it failed. He had his first transplant in 1993, which served him well until now. After 13 years, it has started to deteriorate. He has been on dialysis since April and is hoping desperately to find a donor. Some of their friends have gotten tested to see if they are a match, but Pat has yet to hear good news. Provided he finds a donor, there will be an enormous amount of costs that both Pat and his donor will incur.

What’s a band to do when one of it’s members faces life threatening complications? The only logical thing – play music. On September 30th – Rogue Wave will be hosting a benefit concert that will feature sets by Rogue Wave, Ben Gibbard, Matthew Caws (Nada Surf,) Ryan Miller (Guster,) John Vanderslice, and other special guests.

Anyone that has ever seen or met Rogue Wave will probably need no explanation on why you should help out the band. They make some amazing music, put on great shows, and are some of the most humble musicians in existence. For those that are interested in helping (which is nothing more than attending a kick ass show) here are the specs:

Sept. 30
The Independent
628 Divisadero St., San Francisco, CA 94117
Doors: 8:30 PM; Show: 9:00 PM

Get tickets!
If you’re not in CA – read how you can help.

[MP3] Rogue Wave – Postage Stamp World

Exclusive: We Will Build, "Greece, Finally"

If you’ve been reading IGIF for a while, you’ll know how much we love We Will Build. It all started when they won what essentially ended up being a battle of the bands contest that we hosted. Since then, they’ve been hard at work on their debut album, experimenting with all sorts of new instruments, sound effects, and even vocals (which in all honesty is what they needed). The result is a great step forward for the electronica duo, who had already mastered the instrumentation and production aspects of music-making.

WWB’s Dan and Zach have decided to give IGIF and you all a sneak preview of their upcoming album with the song “Greece, Finally” – their first song with vocals. Keep in mind that’s it’s probably not exactly the version that will end up on the final product, but it’s damn close. Check it out:

[MP3] We Will Build – Greece, Finally

If you’re new to WWB, you can get acquainted by downloading the following songs, all available free from WWB’s official site:

[MP3] We Will Build – 1214
[MP3] We Will Build – White Furniture
[MP3] We Will Build – 3D Classic
[MP3] We Will Build – Dirk
[MP3] We Will Build – I’m Feeling Very Unsatisfied
[MP3] We Will Build – Eugene
[MP3] We Will Build – Out Of These Doors Inside
[MP3] We Will Build – It Will Always Be On Repeat
[MP3] We Will Build – Rain And Sun
[MP3] We Will Build – Pleasant
[MP3] We Will Build – Haselnuss Cat

Stay tuned for more news on WWB’s upcoming album and more, I’ll post more when I know more.

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Official Site | MySpace Site | More MP3s

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Linkity Links

Idolator and some shitty blog call out our friend MOKB for some ill-advised wiki-plagiarism. I’ll admit, I’ve pulled some info from wiki a few times, but just to be on the safe side, I’d stick to avoiding copy ‘n paste as much as possible. (thanks Ryan)

Oh wait, Idolator’s got beef with Said The Gramophone too? While I don’t necessarily agree that all STG posts are “surreal and absurd” (unless that’s what they’re going for?), but I’ll admit that many of their posts are pretty abstruse…and sometimes I wonder if there’s even a bottom line at all. Or maybe I’m just not smart enough.

WOXY is back in business!!! It took only about a week, but everyone’s favorite savior of rock radio found some funding and will be back on the air soon. (thanks again Ryan)

Matador pokes fun at Victory Records with “staff letter.” In the wake of all the hubbub about Victory head Tony Brummell’s public plan to sabotage other releases, “Tony Matador” publicized a staff letter satirizing Drummell’s shenanigans. Here’s a portion of the notice:

“…strong first day numbers for Yo La Tengo’s I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass, as expected, what with that fucking whirly-bird contest and all the good press we paid for. But before you dislocate your shoulders patting yourselvess on the fucking back, keep in mind that we’re still fighting a losing battle at the big boxes, where this album is still pretty hard to find….

American Watercolor Movement

It seems that people either can’t get enough of American Watercolor Movement, or they can’t stand them. Their either too post-punk, or not enough. They either hit the nail on the head, or catch the nail in the eye. Regardless, I’m loving their new album It Takes Fifteen To Tango In My Book, What Book Do You Read?. It’s funny and sorta strange too, because I’m not sure exactly what I love about it. I can see both sides of the love it/hate it argument. Check out this song and let me know what you think, I’ll have more after the jump:

[MP3] AWM – Sweet Thursday

I really love the repetition of phrases, like “I don’t know when that is,” and “It takes fifteen to tango in my book, what book do you read anyway?” (from the title track). The music is essentially post-punk, with both high end and low end guitars plucking back and forth like the string of a bow that’s just been snapped. The tone is fairly Coldplay-ish, you know that whole “everything will be ok” shtick (which is actually infuriating at times), but it’s not as overdone or crammed down your throat as it is with Coldplay and the like. Speaking of “Coldplay and the like,” here’s a song that could easily be U2’s next single:

[MP3] AWM – She Danced Like A Demon

Anyway, the album’s not for everyone obviously, but I wager it’ll strike a chord with some if not most of you… or have I completely lost touch? Let me know what you guys think, I’m curious!

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Official Site | MySpace Site | More MP3s | Tour Dates

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The Who: Live In Chicago

The Who were are a pretty kick ass rock group. It all started in 1964 with Townshend’s distinctive power chords, Moon’s explosive drumming, and Daltrey’s powerful vocals. Today, it continues with Townshend and Daltrey rediscovering the limits of how hard they can rock.

Last night, The Who entered the stage as a duo. Townshend and Daltrey – the only two living members capable of reminding the world why they’re one of the best bands of history. Aside from their typical awesome rock act, there was something different about the duo. Perhaps it was still being able to perform in front of sellout crowd at the United Center? Maybe it was their incredible setlist? Or having new material releasing soon? I can’t really put my finger on the exact cause for their energy, but I can say that Pete Townshend stole the show.

Right before seaguing into their famed “My Generation”, Daltrey’s voice gave out as he was having trouble breathing. Daltrey exited the stage and Who-fanatics were perplexed. Townshend came to the mic, “Rog is having some trouble breathing, so he is going to get some oxygen. As much as we’d hate to do this next song without him .. we’re gonna try anyways.” It was during this song that Townshend overcompensated, and uncaged one of the finest performances I’ve ever seen at a concert. “My Generation” wasn’t just some nostalgic ballad that took everyone back to 1965, but became a soundtrack of who Townshend and his audience are now. The 61-year-old rocker turned the now infamous line, “Hope I die before I get old,” into a chant of defiance. “I can’t die … We can’t die … There are too many of us!”

Daltrey returned for a lengthy encore and hearing him scream during “Won’t Get Fooled Again” was a sound that an entire arena welcomed. Many people say that drummers are interchangeable, but Keith Moon isn’t just a drummer you replicate. The presence of Moon’s rapid and powerful drum beats have been sorely missed by The Who, but drummer Zak Starkey is very suitable and talented replacement. Being the son of Ringo doesn’t hurt things, but Starkey’s talent was reaffirmed when Moon gave him his first drumming kit as young lad. Instead of the typical audience moaning when a band plays new material, these fans applauded (and rightfully so). While they only played segments of their new tracks, nearly all of them displayed growth and promise to an eager audience.

Through Daltrey’s microphone swinging, Townshend’s swinging arm guitar playing, and a lingering odor of 60’s tobacco amongst the fifty-something crowd – it was as if two decades changed nothing more than clothing style and stage displays. At the end of the show, Daltrey and Townshend looked more than content for a show performed by 60-year-olds. They looked refreshed, touched, ready to rock for another hour, and ultimately reminded entire generations of music fans why they still rock as senior citizens.

[MP3] The Who – Pinball Wizard

See them live – while their still on tour!
Read about The Flaming Lips encounter with Townshend.