On paper Band of Horses seems like it would be a hideously boring mess: mid-tempo rock drenched in gratuitous reverb all with more than a hint of twang. But Ben Bridwell’s idiosyncratic execution of such a simple formula catapulted his band to the upper echelon of Sub Pop’s prestigious roster, alongside The Shins and mentors […]

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Well, as promised, and previously mentioned, The Cassettes Won’t Listen (free) EP featuring re-imagined covers of tracks from the early ’90s No Alternative Compilation. The cover of Pavement’s classic Cut Your Hair is worth the price alone. Download away!

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You Ain’t No Picasso‘s 12 days of Mixmas features a mix from Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond, among others. As a huge fan of My Brightest Diamond, it’s interesting to see her selections and explanations.

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(via The Music Slut)

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I recently read that the new Magnetic Fields album, Distortion, was recorded in less than a month and was based on Stephin’s desire to make an album of songs that all sounded the same but weren’t “boring,” like a Jesus and Mary Chain album or an album “more Jesus and Mary Chain than the Jesus […]

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Reason #324: Featuring Mark Gonzales in the video for your song West Coast. In Germany. From 1998. (via simsie)

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If merely lying down with them is cause enough for fleas, then those who – of their own volition no less – agree to lip synch to one of the worst songs by one of the biggest, mangiest bitches since Cujo deserve nothing less than the beheading of their first born by spoon and their […]

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The group singing is called The Beatnix, a Beatles tribute band from Australia. Kind of amazing.

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I freakin’ love Depeche Mode, but honestly, I never cared all that much for “Personal Jesus.” It’s flimsy little guitar riff (wait, someone in Depeche Mode owns a guitar?) is too cheap and choppy, and it’s trite, blues-like progression makes for one of the weaker cuts off Violator. And Mr. Gore, just how exactly does […]

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Amazingly cynical site devoted to predicting the death of troubled, drug-addled crooner Amy Winehouse. Guess the correct time and date of death and the reward is an iPod Touch. A pre-condolence box is thoughtfully supplied, while the site itself is adorned with photographs of Ms. Winehouse looking less than pampered and ready to face the day. […]

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Taking an ungodly-for-them three weeks to record the 47 minutes and 44 seconds found here, newly relocated power duo The White Stripes (Jack’s in Nashville with his pregnant supermodel wife; Meg’s off being reclusive somewhere in L.A.) have delivered their longest long-player since 2003’s Elephant. Here’s how the new guy stacks up, track-by-track:

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After an unexpectedly popular first season of its dryly understated HBO series, Flight of the Conchords, the New Zealand comedy duo comprised of Jermaine Clement and Bret McKenzie has a full-length LP in the works with Sub Pop, who released a teaser EP, The Distant Future, back in August. Billboard is reporting that all of the songs expected to […]

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What the ass is this? According to the press release, the TV spot for In Rainbows‘ 01/01/08 release is supposed to promote recycling, but it’s beyond lame. Did the band approve this? Is this what happens when you drop your label?

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I had no idea that Wes Anderson directed these horrible AT&T spots. ew. What is he thinking?

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Dave Gahan just has one of those voices that not only makes you overlook less than clever lyrics but also makes you trust that the angst he’s on about is something rightly serious. There’s not an ironic bone in his body- never has been. But what he lacks in irony he more than makes up […]

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In the wake of all the Led Zeppelin mania this week, I couldn’t help but pull out the self-titled DVD, which features this stunning performance of “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” off the band’s 1969 debut as a bonus feature. It’s from a rare Danish TV broadcast in front of an audience that had no […]

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Never one to shy away from political haughtiness of his own, folk-punk troubadour Billy Bragg has chimed in on the Morrissey “not a racist” PR scandal via The Guardian’s editorial pages. Bragg lightly slaps Morrissey for stirring up drama when the former Smiths singer knows good and well everything he said was caught on tape. Morrissey contends […]

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Yes, I know I just wrote about DetektivbyrÃ¥n the other day, but I just stumbled upon this video and wanted to share. It’s Friday. (free mp3 here, too.)

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Cassetts Won’t Listen – covering Pavement’s Cut Your Hair. (apparently soon to be made available as an mp3 here.)

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My favorite Swede, Jens Lekman recently stopped by Spinner to play a quick set. (podcast available as well) via The Music Slut (which is currently my favorite music blog if you can’t tell already).

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