Moon Duo is the San Francisco twosome of Sanae Yamada and Wooden Shjips’ Erik Johnson. It’s not surprising they mention Suicide, Silver Apples, and Royal Trux as influences. As the last name in that series hints, they’re also into soulfully noise and jazzed-out experimentation (Coltrane, Rashied Ali show up in their one-sheet). They recently released […]
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Dominique Young Unique – “Show My Ass” Video
Posted on 11 March 2010
I’m into different kinds of music for different reasons. Not everything goes down easy, so it’s a treat when something’s as unabashedly catchy and straight-up fun as 17-year-old Tampa rapper Dominique Young Unique’s “Show My Ass.” And it’s a plus when a summer jam involves this much (actual) personality and skill. The video was shot […]
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Oh No Ono – “Eleanor Speaks (Caribou Remix)”
Posted on 11 March 2010
If “Odessa” has you impatient for Caribou’s Swim, which is a perfectly rational position to assume, then jump in on Dan Snaith’s similarly liquid, techno-stroked reworking of “Eleanor Speaks” by Danish indie-psych outfit Oh No Ono. For fans of Caribou’s new Whitest Boy Alive dance moves: Oh No Ono – “Eleanor Speaks (Caribou Remix)”
ONO’s Eggs […]
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Strokes Confirm Lollapalooza 2010, LP Coming September
Posted on 11 March 2010
We knew the Strokes were working on their new LP, but it looks like plans are firming up: Julian Casablancas says his band will headline Lollapalooza in August, and will have the new LP out in September. Their fourth album will be out nine years after This Is It. As Casablancas points out in a […]
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311 Fans Get Hyped ‘311 Day’ Fan Party In Las Vegas
Posted on 11 March 2010
One fan threatened to quit his job in order to come.
By Matt Elias
311’s Nick Hexum (file)
Photo: Dana Nalbandian/ WireImage
LAS VEGAS — It might have been the day before 311 Day, but the festivities were already in full swing Wednesday night at the Jet nightclub at the Mirage Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The official 311 Fan Party at Jet served as the epicenter for die-hard fans from all over the country to converge — and converge they did.
Fans packed the line in droves even before the doors opened at 9 p.m. Jet let its usual formal dress code slide for the night, allowing fans to show their true colors in 311 T-shirts, hats, and plenty of tattoos. By 11 p.m., the line of fans stretched all the way to the entrance of the Mirage. But you didn’t have to
see them to feel their presence — their chants of “311!” could be heard all the way to the blackjack tables.
Inside the club, 311 music was blasting on the speakers — and that’s where MTV News’ guest correspondents Dave Kosin and Lauren Black, winners of the 311 Day contest) were hard at work. The pair were meeting old friends and new ones from all over the country: ecstatic fans from Lauren’s home state of Texas to a local Las Vegas couple who booked a hotel room to take part in the activities.
But it was a fan from across the pond that proved just how die-hard 311 fans are. He told Dave, “I had to threaten to resign from my job to be allowed to come.” For him, a week without pay ended up being a small penalty for his first-ever 311 Day.
He could hardly contain his excitement. “In England they never play a 311 song, so even tonight, it’s just wow! It’s amazing — tomorrow is going to be the best day of my life,” he said with a smile.
MTV News will have much more from 311 Day for the rest of this week!
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311 Talk Plans For ‘Ultimate’ 311 Day Show In Las Vegas
Posted on 11 March 2010
Thursday’s show in Las Vegas celebrating the band’s legacy could last as long as five hours.
By James Montgomery
311’s “P-Nut” Aaron Charles Wills
Photo: John Shearer/ WireImage
Are you at work today? You totally shouldn’t be. After all, it’s 311 Day, which is practically a national holiday at this point.
Ever since March 11, 2000 — when 311 decided to perform an extended 46-song set at New Orleans’ State Palace Theatre — celebrating 311 Day has become an annual tradition for the band’s diehard fans. And every other year, the band gets in on the act as well, throwing an elaborate, certifiably epic concert that also doubles as a fan convention, party, and de facto rite of passage for 311 obsessives.
This year, the band has taken over Las Vegas for a three-day extravaganza, the centerpiece of which is Thursday (March 11) night’s performance at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. (MTV News has two fans on the ground in Sin City.) In anticipation of the show — which, rumor has it, will last five hours — we spoke to 311 bassist Aaron “P-Nut” Wills, who was already preparing himself for the looming marathon.
“I don’t think we’d be able to physically play a show like this, not even once a month. But I’m ready. I’m trying not to think of it as this huge thing, because, if you think about it, the people who attend most rock shows are on their feet for the same amount of time,” Wills said.
“It helps to see it from that side of things. We’re the entertainment, but of course the fans are going to be there with us the whole time. Then again, [frontman] Nick [Hexum] does do marathons, so I know he’s going to be ready. We all are, because we think of this as a huge opportunity to do something special, to play the ultimate show every two years for our most fanatic fans. It’s perfect.”
And while Wills wouldn’t reveal any of the surprises the band has in store for fans at Thursday’s show, he did say that things are most certainly going to be epic. It’s only fitting, after all.
“It’s just going be as big as it gets for us. It’s going be nuts,” he said. “I’ve only seen some of the sketches of what our set is going to look like, and it’s amazing. Our front-of-house guy designed it, and he’s kind of a nutcase, but we trust him.”
And while the idea of playing the ultimate show before their ultimate fans is inspiring, what really drives Wills, and the rest of the band, is what 311 Day represents. It’s a gathering, a community, a chance for both the band and its fans to share the love.
“It’s a great experience for our fans and for us. It’s a rite of passage. So we know we’ve got to bring it,” he said. “I know we will, too. This will be the best of the best, both from our fans and from us. And I know that at the end of the set, we’ll probably want to play even more. We’re out to chop heads off. Unless we’re playing reggae, then it’s a different vibe.”
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‘American Idol’ Report Card: How Did The Men Do?
Posted on 11 March 2010
Michael ‘Big Mike’ Lynche shined, while Aaron Kelly gets an ‘unsatisfactory’ grade on this week’s ‘Idol’ report card.
By Eric Ditzian
Aaron Kelly performs on “American Idol” on Wednesday
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images
Yesterday we gave “American Idol” producers props for reducing the show to one hour instead of two. Today we feel like tossing the judges in detention for their shenanigans this week, from Tuesday’s awkwardly forced lap-sitting incident between Simon Cowell and Ellen DeGeneres to Wednesday’s infantile Simon/Kara DioGuardi flirtation.
But this is a singing competition, isn’t it? So on to the contestants. The evening took off with strong performances from Lee Dewyze and Alex Lambert and U-turned into Snoozeville at a certain point, before blissfully blasting away with an injection of Michael Lynche-provided power. Who surprised us, who disappointed us and who’s in danger of going home? Let’s take a look at the top eight men’s report card. (And don’t miss Jim Cantiello’s recap of their performances in the MTV Newsroom.)
Excellent
Michael Lynche: First things first. While Big Mike’s take on Maxwell’s version of Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work” was the highlight of the evening, it was nowhere near the waterworks-generating territory that Kara’s tears suggested. That being said, Lynche keeps surprising us. Last week he ditched the guitar and brought an ear-pleasing soul sound to the stage. This week he busted out a falsetto during a butter-smooth channeling of Maxwell that showed off an impressive vocal range and convinced us that Big Mike is in the upper tier of “Idol” contestants.
Good
Lee Dewyze: Owl City’s “Fireflies” was by far the smartest song choice Dewyze has made during these lives shows. The emo rock vibe seems to be a comfortable niche for him, and we were almost able to dismiss his rampant pitch problems. Almost. Dewyze is like a poor man’s David Cook. And when you consider that we’ve never had a very high opinion of the seventh-season “Idol” winner, you can imagine what we think of Dewyze’s long-term prospects. No matter, he did well for himself on Wednesday and is a lock to make the top 12.
Alex Lambert: The kid keeps impressing. The judges seemed to think he’d reverted back to a jelly-legged newbie. Not us. His tone on Ray LaMontagne’s “Trouble” was compelling, his vocals generally soft yet powerful. We don’t buy for a second that the only thing standing in the way of his winning “Idol,” as Kara suggested, is his lack of confidence — ever heard of Crystal Bowersox? — but we’re digging Lambert’s growth from week to week. “Trouble been dogging my soul,” he sang, and ya know what? We believed him.
Casey James: Has any contestant this year been so lovingly framed and lit on the “Idol” stage? The crooning cowboy’s rendition of Keith Urban’s “You’ll Think of Me” was a step up from last week’s sub-par Southern rock number and nowhere near as magical his take on Bryan Adams’ “Heaven.” James keeps delivering confident, calm, passionate performances and he’ll keep doing it for a long while.
Todrick Hall: Todrick narrowly nabs a Good grade because of his sheer enthusiasm. It’s the most clichéd “Idol” explanation ever, but he really was up there just having fun. His performance of Queen’s “Somebody to Love” might well belong on a Broadway show version of “Idol” rather than the actual competition, but that’s a show we wouldn’t mind taking in. Hall’s in big trouble this week, but what may have been his last performance was certainly his most enjoyable.
Satisfactory
Tim Urban: Has Urban’s God-fearing adorableness run its course? Will the judges start to honestly evaluate his singing talents rather than concentrating on his dimples? Those were the questions heading into Wednesday’s show, and the answers were made clear when Ellen jetted out of her seat to hug the kid. His version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” was the essence of just-all-right-for-me-dog dullness. And yet Urban is not going anywhere this week. His Christian music vibe and his all-American niceness will win him a spot in the top 12.
Andrew Garcia: In choosing “Genie in a Bottle” by Christina Aguilera, Garcia announced himself as a gimmick artist, a one-trick-pony novelty act. He takes pop tunes and reworks them with a mildly funked-up acoustic guitar arrangement. Anything else he tries doesn’t deliver. What we took for amazing artistry after his rendition of Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up” was in actuality a sort of creative tunnel vision. Garcia has gone from front-runner to in-danger-of-going-home contestant. We don’t think it’s going to happen, mind you, but he’s not nearly the top-12 lock we once assumed he was.
Unsatisfactory
Aaron Kelly: Oh boy. We don’t like tearing apart the efforts of a 16-year-old. But what are we to do when voters keep sending him through week after week? His take on Lonestar’s “I’m Already There”? Pitchy beyond belief. It’s not just because he was the youngest kid onstage that we think he’s a boy amongst men. He just can’t belt with the front-runners. We’d keep asking how this kid is still here, but continually asking the same question and expecting a different answer is the definition of insanity, right? Right?!
What did you think of the men’s performances? Who killed it? Who blew it? Who is definitely making it to the top 12? Let us know by leaving your comments below.
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Jessica Simpson Jokes: John Mayer ‘Gave Away My Game’
Posted on 11 March 2010
Simpson laughs with David Letterman about John Mayer’s remarks in Playboy, Tony Romo’s butt.
By Jocelyn Vena
Jessica Simpson
Photo: Mark Davis/ Getty Images
Jessica Simpson stopped by “Late Night With David Letterman”
on Wednesday night and chatted a bit about her ex-beaus Tony Romo and John Mayer. And even when Letterman’s questions got a bit personal, Simpson laughed off the interrogation and even dished a bit about her relationships with the two superstars.
“Tony is great, still a dear friend of mine,” she told Letterman when she stopped by to promote her new show “The Price of Beauty.” “My dad introduced us. I told you that we’re big Dallas Cowboys fans. I’m still a fan. I still look at his cute butt in the outfits … uniforms.”
While she went on to describe Romo as “a fine breed,” she had a less positive review of her other ex, Mayer, who very famously revealed details about their sex life in Playboy. “Normally, you would think that somebody you care about would keep those intimate details to themselves, It was definitely compliment … in a way. But I don’t really want people to know that about me. It’s like, I’m the good girl, and then that happens. That’s the thing I am, but he gave away my game [details about her sex life].
So, does she still talk to any of her exes? “No I have not talked to him since. I will always care about him, but I was disappointed about the article,” she said about Mayer, adding, “I will always adore Tony. He’s going to be one of my friends for life.”
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- A Look Back: Jessica Simpson & Tony Romo
- A Look Back: John Mayer And Jessica Simpson
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Here We Go Magic – “Collector”
Posted on 11 March 2010
In its initial form, Here We Go Magic was the 4-track project of Luke Temple. Since then, he’s surrounded himself with a few friends — Kristina Lieberson, Michael Bloch, Jennifer Turner, and Peter Hale — who you’ll eventually hear playing together on the band’s second album Pigeons (out 6/8 on Secretly Canadian). For now, get […]
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Travis Barker, A-Trak Rock Hollywood Gig With Kid Cudi, Lil Jon
Posted on 11 March 2010
Duo played second-ever live show Wednesday night.
By Kelly Marino
Travis Barker and DJ A-Trak perform in Los Angeles on Wednesday
Photo: MTV News/ Kelly Marino
LOS ANGELES — On Wednesday night, Travis Barker and DJ A-Trak played their second-ever public show together — and although the set was quick, it did not disappoint, featuring guest spots from Lil Jon, Kid Cudi and Kid Sister.
Performing in front of a sold-out crowd at Hollywood’s Roxy Theatre, the duo hit the ground running the minute they took to the stage. With a set that lasted a little under an hour, the duo treated fans to a medley of songs that included remixes by A-Trak (who also serves as Kanye West’s concert DJ), Barker’s own remixes and new material.
Though there wasn’t any interaction with the fans, the crowd didn’t seem to mind. Instead they stood and watched in awe as Barker and A-Trak opened the show with Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” and continued to please the crowd with remixes of Nas’ “Made You Look,” Kanye’s “Stronger” and Snoop Dogg’s “I Wanna Rock.”
And just as the energy was peaking, fans were treated to a guest appearance by Lil Jon, who took to the stage with his signature sunglasses halfway into the set, performing his song “Outta Your Mind.” But as just as quickly as he appeared on the stage he was gone, teasing fans and leaving them wanting more.
As the night went on Travis Barker and A-Trak continued to perform an array of tunes, adding a little more of a rock feel to the show with Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls on Parade,” Beastie Boys “Sabotage” and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Heads Will Roll.” Each song lasted for only a few short minutes before spilling into the next. The set then transitioned into more dance-oriented material, with songs like Prodigy’s “Smack My Bitch Up,” and Daft Punk’s “Robot Rock.”
Not surprisingly, the set ended with a bang: opening act Kid Sister returned to the stage, with Barker playing drums and A Trak spinning behind her. Wearing ’80s-inspired attire, she pumped up the crowd with some booty-shaking moves while performing her hit “Pro Nails.”
But when Kid Cudi took the stage, the crowd exploded. Performing “Pursuit of Happiness,” fans sang along at the top of their lungs while Cudi jumped around the entire stage, hi-five-ing fans lucky enough to be standing in front.
The show ended just shy of midnight with DJ A Trak waving to the crowd thanking them and Travis Barker handing his drums sticks off to a screaming fan before walking off stage. As fans scattered to the exit doors, VIPs headed backstage — including Amber Rose sans Kanye West.
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