I Was a Terror Since the Public School Era

Honestly, this is just an excuse to listen to “Party in the U.S.A.” without losing all credibility, even if Miley admitted she hasn’t even heard a Jay-Z song.

MP3: Miley Cyrus vs. Notorious B.I.G. – “Party and Bullshit in the U.S.A. (Hathbanger Mash-Up Remix)”

Love,
Zack

After All That We’ve Been Through

Here is the thing. I am normally a big fan of covers. I really enjoy hearing well-known familiar lyrics in a different light. But ever so often a song comes along and I think to myself, “Not this one. Please don’t mess with this one.”

And with that being said, Solange Knowles please get your hands off Amber Coffman’s vocals immediately.

WHAT.THE.HELL.

Look. Naturally “Stillness is the Move” has these great R&B overtones so I understand why an R&B artist would want to jack this and try to make it their own. But to turn a song that is so inherently special and unique and wonderful into something that is so standard and typical and just “maybe okay”? Solange Knowles WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS?

Coffman’s glorious range is the driving force here and let’s face it; Knowles’ voice simply is no match. Essentially, this cover is stripping the song of all its beauty.

And I do have to offer a sincere apology to Solange because I know that she is probably trying to pay reverence to a form of music that she enjoys. I’m not ignoring this fact and I’m super psyched to see artists attempting to cross genres.

BUT IF IT AIN’T BROKE DON’T FIX IT.

I mean, seriously. (Just not this song. Leave this song alone.)  [Ed. Note: The XXplosive sample in the Solange version is, however, totally fucking awesome.]

MP3: Solange Knowles – Stillness is the Move
MP3: Dirty Projectors – Stillness is the Move

xo,
Linds

I’d Like to Keep It a Secret So I’ve Got Something Left to Give

Update: Hey!  It looks like they have plans to get back together, whenever that may be.  So I guess this is just supposed to tide us over until then.

It’s strange how sometimes you only start caring about things once they’re gone.  I was never a huge fan of The Starting Line while they were around, but after listening to frontman Kenny Vasoli’s latest work with Person L pretty much non-stop recently, I’ve become intrigued by the former pop-punk giant’s past.  As a result, I’ve learned a lot about the band beyond their first single, “Best of Me,” and discovered the goodness that is their last album, Direction (a strong departure from their sugary pop-punk beginnings to a bit more indie-leaning albeit catchy rock sound).  I guess it’s only appropriate that the guys in TSL just posthumously released Somebody’s Gonna Miss Us, a CD/DVD covering the band’s final show and tour.  Although I haven’t gotten my hands on a copy of it just yet, I have seen a few clips of it online.  The band talks plenty about their tumultuous relationship with MCA/Geffen, so those of you interested in seeing how bands and major labels interacted in the heyday of pop-punk should definitely give the DVD a spin.  Of course, It’s also worth getting for the music.  The band did a good job of picking out the best songs from their repertoire for their last show.  You can check out their last performance of “Something Left to Give” above (featuring some of the bros from Steel Train and Four Year Strong), as well as the audio for the awesome track off Direction below.

MP3: The Starting Line – “Something Left to Give”

Love,
Adrian

Right Now I Could Believe in Anything

I’m not going to lie to you. When I heard the Harlem Shakes broke up, I went through all five stages of grief.

Denial – “IT’S NOT TRUE! Oh wait… it’s on Brooklyn Vegan.”

Anger – “What the… but they JUST released Technicolor Health! I hate them! I’m not listening to any of their solo albums! They are OFF my year-end lists!”

Bargaining – “Well. Maybe they’ll get back together.”

Depression – “I DON’T UNDERSTAND.”

Acceptance – “Hm. I suppose I COULD take one listen to Todd Goldstein’s project ARMS. But just one!”

Now that I have come through the other side of my intense disappointment (Although seriously boys. I wish you could have given each other another chance! Technicolor Health was really outstanding!) I am willing to fully embrace Goldstein’s project.

And I’m quite happy I’ve gotten over it, because… Todd Goldstein is a fairly amazing musician. I loved watching him play on stage (his facial expressions are quite priceless) and his new LP Kids Aflame is real solid. His vocals have sort of a lazy quality about them…. actually, lazy is not really the right word. Perhaps laid-back is better? Look. I’ll level with you. It sounds like he smoked a whole lot of weed right before recording and I absolutely 100% dig it. His lyrics are thoughtful and poetic without the usual sadness that typically accompanies such introspection.

Overall, he might have changed my mind. Instead of missing the Harlem Shakes, I’m now looking forward to seeing ARMS perform live.

MP3: ARMS – “Shitty Little Disco”

xo,
Linds

I Watched Your Hair Grow From the Root to Tip

Happy Sunday y’all.  Upon waking up this fine morning I came across this video. I was quite surprised to see that my boys (or boy, considering Forrest Kline is the only original member left) in Hellogoodbye had done some growing up since their early Drive Thru days.  The band’s latest single, “When We First Met,” screams indie power-pop rather than the synth-drenched electro-pop of “Call and Return” (which I still maintain is one of the greatest songs ever.)  Those of you who tossed them aside after hearing the over-played “Here (In Your Arms)” should definitely give HG another go.

MP3: Hellogoodbye – “When We First Met”

Love,
Adrian

Cold as Ice – Bastille Remix

C’mon now… who can honestly say, with a straight face, that they don’t love Foreigner. I most certainly cannot. Eighties hair metal gives me a boner. But you know what really gets me hot and bothered? House music remixes of eighties hair metal, specifically “Cold As Ice” by Foreigner. This remix by Bastille, two young bad asses that hail from LA and love the eighties (and make sweet dance music), is sure to get you hard (or maybe just me because I’m a creep).(Ed. Note: ATG does neither condones nor condemns boners.)

MP3: Foreigner – “Cold as Ice (Bastille Remix)”

Lets Dance,
Nick

New Grizzly Bear Video – Ready, Able

Ah Veckatimest. It’s really the album that just keeps on giving isn’t it? Without a doubt one of the shining highlights of the 2009 music year (and I say this as someone who is currently compiling all her year-end lists), the boys of Grizzly Bear continue to seek out new heights of creepiness with their video for “Ready, Able”.

It’s directed by artist Allison Schulnik and my first thought upon viewing was simply, “YAH, CLAYMATION!” followed by a prompt, “What the…?”

However, if you keep the lyrics in mind, the haunting vision of disappearing interspersed with the desire to create a home, I suppose it sort of makes sense. One character is vanishing into the river, all his tracks erased, while the other is clearly headed home in that spaceship after morphing into someone new.

Right?

I don’t really have an explanation for those little green guys though. But you know, whatevs. It’s beautiful and sinister in a totally enthralling way.

xo,
Linds

Sleigh Bells Ring (Are You Listening?)

I’ve already written about this group at length over at PI + CS but I love them so much that I wanted to feature them here on All Things Go as well.

Sleigh Bells is what you want to put on when you’ve had a really bad day and need to blast all disruption out of your head. I mean, it’s really flippin’ LOUD MUSIC. Which is exactly why it is awesome. It’s just guitar player Derek Miller and singer Alexis Krauss. I suppose that’s one of the reasons why I am held in such awe of these songs. (How do only TWO people make all that noise? Mystifying.) Anyways, the pair produce this infectious sound that will creep into your brain and reside their for a week minimum.

I’d be lying if I didn’t say a major part of the attraction wasn’t the fact that Alexis Krauss is a total bad-ass frontwoman.

She reminds me of Alison Mosshart (The Kills/The Dead Weather) just a bit, but she is gritter than Mosshart even, as she doesn’t need a Jamie Hince or Jack White. She holds her own thankyouverymuch. Secretly, I wish I were either of these ladies. I harbor hidden desires to hop up on stage and scream into a microphone whilst wearing a leather jacket and smoking from a pack of Marlboro Reds.

MP3: Sleigh Bells – “Crown on the Ground”
MP3: Sleigh Bells – “Infinity Guitars”

xo,
Linds

I Wish All the Pretty Girls Were Shaking Me Down

Say hello to the happiest band in the world.  My mourning over the Format’s death has officially ended with the release of fun.’s video for “All the Pretty Girls.”  This is the first video and single off of the band’s wonderful debut album, Aim and Ignite, and hopefully it will be the first of many to come.

MP3: fun. – “All the Pretty Girls”

Love,
Adrian

Tackle All the Fences in Your Neighbor’s Yard

A recent radio interview with Matt Embree of the infallible Rx Bandits pointed me to one of Dave Davidson’s latest projects, Cast Spells.  You may know Davidson from his main gig, Maps and Atlases, who are known for their unique brand of up-beat, quirky prog rock.  Relatively speaking, Davidson takes a hell-of-a-laid back approach with Cast Spells.  His six-track EP, Bright Works and Baton, forgoes sporadic guitarwork, replacing it with a more cheerful mix of instrumentals.  The new musical context also gives Davidson’s recognizable voice a welcome relaxing quality.  Check out “Potted Plant” below and you’ll see what I mean.

MP3: Cast Spells – “Potted Plant”

Personally, I’ll always be a bigger fan of Maps and Atlases.  Can’t let you walk away without giving ‘em a try.

MP3: Maps and Atlases – “Every Place Is a House”

Love,
Adrian