Yup, that's right, folks: Sunday is finally the return of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. They'll be playing at the Scottrade Center at 7:30 p.m. Part of the show will be a run-through of Born to Run in its entirety. And the rest? Well, up to the whims of the Boss. Check back Monday for our review and photos, but until then, here's a video of a very young Boss talking about playing with the Lou's own Chuck Berry.
UK superstars Musereleased their latest album, The Resistance, last week. I wasn't sure this was possible, but it's even more prog, over-the-top and dense than Black Holes and Revelations. (Its title track even sounds like Styx's "Mr. Roboto." Really.) However, "The Uprising" is a great glammy single with plenty of swagger and synth-guitar dirty dancing. Check out this video of the band lip-synching the song on an Italian TV show -- on switched instruments. Vocalist Matt Bellamy hamming it up behind the drums is priceless.
Thanks to our friendly neighborhood calendar editor for passing along this great commercial of Christopher "Kid" Reid -- of Kid 'N Play -- selling suits. He's doing it for the ladies, as always.
I've blogged about these literal videos before, but YouTube user dascottjr has taken these to a new level with a bunch of really great ones. The Bonnie Tyler "Total Eclipse of the Heart" clip was deleted off YouTube (although you can see a snippet here) and this Crowded House one for "World Where You Live" isn't embeddable. But below -- below -- I bring you a great one for Air Supply's "Making Love Out of Nothing At All." Awesome.
In late June, Bruce Springsteen joined fellow Jerseyites the Gaslight Anthem onstage at Hyde Park in London. This super high-quality video just surfaced of them absolutely slaying "The '59 Sound." The GA is here at Pop's with Murder By Death and the Loved Ones on Thursday, September 10, while the Boss is here at the Scottrade Center on Sunday, October 25.
The multi-talented East St. Louis hip-hop duo Scripts N Screwz has a new music video for their song "Brick"entered in MTV U's weekly "Best Freshman Video" contest.
The track is off their debut album, The New Noise, and it's a heavy, wailing underground jam with a dash of auto-tune (think of it as a little sugar to help the medicine go down) in the chorus. The video pretty badass, with kitschy digital animation and an offbeat underwater story set right in the middle of the mighty Mississippi. Screwz and New Jersey-based animator John T. Hill get the production credit. Check it:
A few weeks ago, I was going to post this video of Sesame Street aliens the Yip-Yips discovering radio. But today, my pal Jack posted the following on his Facebook feed, and I'm crying I'm laughing so hard. So, um, Sesame Street's Yip-Yip martians busting a move to M.O.P. Language NSFW, unless you have a liberal workplace.
Having a crush in the digital age is even more confusing than it was before we had Twitter, Facebook, text messaging and email. I mean, if someone doesn't respond to your direct message, is he not interested? That flirty Tweet directed to that one girl in California -- does it mean anything? A cryptic Facebook status update alluding to shenanigans -- are you totally in the friend zone?
Thankfully, I Blame Emily -- who some of you might know as long-time local rocker Adam Reichmann -- understands the heartache, anxiety and uncertainty associated with love and romance in the social networking age. The loping twang of "Facebook Friend" details the longing of a chap who wants to transcend the digital realm and "do some real-life poking." Anyone who's ever wasted time at work on the site will completely relate to the tongue-in-cheek laments of the song's protagonist.
As an incentive to get "Facebook Friend" viral, Reichmann says that if 100,000 people buy the song, he'll donate 10% to the humane society. You can buy it from Amazon.com and iTunes. I recommend watching the video, whose storyline enhances the ridiculousness and dry wit of the song.
As if last week's Rick Astley/Nirvana mashup wasn't good enough, my pal Matt found and posted this fantastic conflation of Metallica's "Enter Sandman" and Bryan Adams' "Run to You." You wouldn't expect that James Hetfield's chipmunk-on-'roids vocals and Adams' epic wintry guitars would mesh so well, but they sure do. Credit goes to Wax Audio for the song and the Reborn Identity for the video.
So, Coldplay is in town tonight at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. And anyone I've talked to who's going to the show is -- shall we say -- sheepish. The phrase "guilty pleasure" has been thrown around quite a bit. Embarrassed blushes and giggles are the rule, not the exception. It's as if liking Coldplay is taboo -- a secret shame. And so I'm going to come out and say it:
I loved Viva La Vida; the CD actually still lives in my car. X&Y's cotton-candy airy pop grew on me big time -- and as for Yellow and A Rush of Blood to the Head, well -- they had me at "every single on there." I realize that some people need more convincing, however, and so here are five lesser-known Coldplay videos that solidify its diversity and irresistible nature.
"Crest of Waves." A B-side dating from the "Clocks" EP, and a song that stands up to any Britpop gem.
Sorry, this should read: The Decemberists destroy Heart's "Crazy on You" at the Pageant on May 31, 2009. Thanks, user xdipndotx, for taking this amazing high-quality video. Review here.
Fresh off the St. Lunatics reunion concert at the Pageant this past Sunday, Nelly has taken his show on the road and people have started to take notice. It would be nice if a new hit single was attracting all the attention, but instead he'll have to settle for a struggling NFL quarterback tossing a few wadded up stinkies into the crowd at a benefit concert for a man currently locked for committing felony fraud.
(Take a second to process that last sentence. Slam your head on your desk a few times. Got it? Good.)
The football player is Tennessee Titans quarterback (and former University of Texas star) Vince Young and the felon is founding Geto Boys member Willie D, in jail for scamming people on Ebay. Here's the video of the concert, which was a "Smash the Mic" benefit that went down in Houston on Monday night. It starts to drizzle right about the 1:40 mark:
The sports blogosphere is blowing up with snarky comments and righteous indignation over the footage. Young is coming off an abysmal season in which he lost his starting job to a 37 year-old reformed alcoholic and he has repeatedly vowed that he's getting his off-the-field act together this offseason.
Tonight, piano-rockers Mae -- one of the more underrated piano-pop acts around -- are playing at Off Broadway with Person L and Barcelona. After the jump, a video filmed at the band's 2006 Mississippi Nights show, featuring an early version of then-new song "Crazy 8s." (I was at that show. I feel old now.)
I saw this linked on many websites last Friday, but figured it was better to save for a Monday. Here's the all-star sing-a-long ensemble ending to last week's 30 Rock, featuring local faves Michael McDonald and Sheryl Crow.
Vanilla Ice. Home Nightclub. Saturday, May 16. The Ice-man has a new CD called Platinum Underground. He also has a blog called -- wait for it -- Vanilla Ice blog. He wins because he calls Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz "Pete Wince" instead (which is just perfect) AND quotes Tammy Faye. Seriously, guys. You know what I'm going to post below.
With all this talk about withering Midwest cities and all, here's something positive associated with one: Superchunk live at Coachella performing a blistering version of "Detroit Has a Skyline." Awesome song, awesome lyrics, blazing performance. Tour, dammit!
Bored tonight and in the mood for some pop-rock? Head to the Firebird to see the French Kicks, the Blind Eyes and One Lone Car. The latter just released a great new EP, EP23, on iTunes a few weeks ago. (More on them in a future blog/time!) Coincidentally, the French Kicks minions sent me a new video today for the song "Abandon." Check it:
I can't believe nobody sent this to me yet: A Spongebob Squarepants version of Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Baby Got Back," as a Burger King commercial. Fabulously twisted.
Incidentally, the SpongeBob mash-ups on YouTube are all shades of hilarious. How about "The Final SpongeDown"?
I called up guitarist and singer Robert Petterson to ask about the tour thus far. Luckily, he was sitting in a van in traffic in Texas somewhere and welcomed the distraction. Petterson, 29, has been to the U.S. before, playing in superb acts, The Vicious and in the Regulations.
Konstantin Sergeyev
Masshysteri photographed on their current tour. Petterson is on the far left.
Courtesy of the band, here's an MP3: "Hatkarlek" (click "Save As" to download), which translates to "Love-Hate."
How has the reception been thus far? It's been really good. It's really cool to be able to come over here and sing in Swedish.
Why does Masshysteri sing in Swedish, when your previous bands have sung in English? It was during The Vicious tour [in 2007] I started thinking about singing in Swedish instead. When English is not my native language -- I can just pretend to sing in English -- I can pull out all the cliches. It can feel all right, but it's not really from the heart. It feels better now too. Less people understand the lyrics, but it's a lot more honest. The feelings are really close to me and to us, and more honest. I might write a song in English, but for now we'll continue [to] write in sing in Swedish.
East St. Louis' finest (and perhaps only) underground hip-hop duo, Scripts 'N Screwz, will take the stage tonight at SIUE's Morris University Center but the performance is barely a blip on the radar in comparison to all the moves the pair has been making lately.
To recap just a few of the multi-talented crew's latest and greatest exploits:
A new mixtape, Sound Cinema, that dropped last week, and is available for free download over on their blog.
The upcoming premiere of Borrowed Time (July 16), the second episode of The Color of Justice, a documentary film series about Reggie Clemons, a death-row inmate who may have been wrongfully imprisoned. The pair co-produced and directed the film with stellar local director Ronnell "Falaq" Bennett, and contributed to the soundtrack.
Pre-production on a Purple Rain-style, full-length, hip-hop film called The Hunger, which stars the duo and is loosely based on the career of famed local group Bits 'N Pieces.
A no-holds-barred marketing campaign for their album The New Noise, which originally dropped last April but has only recently started to get somelove from the blogosphere.
And finally, the release of this kick-ass video for their single from New Noise, "Big City Lights."
I caught up with the pair last night at Skybox on the Landing to find out if they ever sleep -- and get the details on a few of the aforementioned projects. A few choice quotes are after the jump.
A few weeks ago, we told you about Unladylike, the local duo signed to Island/Def Jam.
They duo's new single and video, "Bartender," is getting promoted online, and it was added to MySpace February 27. It's now a featured video on the site.
The video is filmed, partially at least, at Club Casino in East St. Louis.
Throughout the video, the ladies run up a bar tab. Fuck that recession -- by the video's end, they rack up $6,000 in drinks! At the end of the night, they look bummed when they look at the tab -- for good reason: Because they can't pay it off, the pair gets stuck doing dishes at a club. The bartender hands them aprons and they get back to the kitchen -- thus continuing the lighthearted theme that other St. Louis rappers have put forward in their own videos.
Wow. So, in 1984 the Operations Department at the Missouri branch of Six Flags made this very elaborate (and rather professional) video for an employee talent show. I'm sure none of the performers ever thought it would last and see the light of day -- but 25 years later, here it is, in all of its '80s-tastic glory. Fantastic use of the Jermaine Jackson single "Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming." (Michael's in the background, natch.) And a good glimpse of the amusement park back then.
Thank to Roy for pointing out that Neil Young posted a new home video last week, for a song called "Fork in the Road." Watch it carefully -- there are some subtle tricks that make it pretty funny...
The Singer: Discovered by Jermaine Jackson (and later romantically linked with his brother Michael), Stephanie Mills began her recording career in 1974 but didn't find success until the early '80s. Her bright, clear voice was ideal for big, glossy disco numbers, and 1979's What Cha Gonna Do With My Lovin went gold on the strength of the title track. She continues to record and tour, but her legacy was cemented with 1980's "Never Knew Love Like This Before."
The Song: Mills' biggest hit is a bubbly piece of disco-pop, built around a twinkly electric piano and sharp, syncopated guitar. The song earned a Grammy in 1980 for Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance by a Female, and it remains one of the most joyful, effervescent tracks of the era. The song is also notable for providing the template for Madonna's 1984 hit "Borderline" (though, in fairness to Madge, "Never Knew Love Like This Before" is awfully similar to the great Dionne Warwick/Spinners track "Then Came You").
When I'm sick, I fall down the YouTube rabbit hole more often than usual -- which is why last weekend I found myself watching old live footage of 'Til Tuesday, Aimee Mann's '80s band. I made the bold statement on Facebook that TT is better than Mann's solo stuff -- and while maybe that's a bit too hyperbolic, I really identify more with the band's synthpop than I do her more straightforward pop-rock albums. Perhaps it's her badass bass playing, or that her fragile voice meshes so well with the melancholy songs. (Or maybe it's that shock of snow-white hair -- and trademark rat-tail!) For whatever reason, these clips made me really happy -- even if they don't include 'Til Tuesday's best song, a duet with Elvis Costello called "The Other End (of the Telescope)." "Maybe Monday"(Live at the Ritz, NYC, 1985)
All MP3s are posted for sample purposes only, and always with permission from the artist or label. If you like what you hear, go out and support the band/musician by buying their record!
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