It's the end of the aughts, so I'm baring my entertainment-loving soul to you — first, I revealed my favorite movies of the decade, then my TV show picks, and now it's time for the aural revelation. What albums was I addicted to from 2000 to the end of 2009? Check out my slideshow to see my favorite music of the last 10 years.
We're about a month away from Vampire Weekend's sophomore album Contra (on Jan. 12), and the songs keep on coming. I was already excited for the release since I've had "Horchata" stuck in my head for what seems like forever, and now there's "California English, Pt. 2." which is being touted as the b-side to "Cousins."
"Pt. 2" is not your typical Vampire Weekend fare. The guys appear to be experimenting with their sound, using an effect that sounds like a record skipping and lots of synth. The result feels a tad more lethargic than their usual jumpy songs, so I'm curious to hear what die-hard VW fans think of this one — I like it! Take a listen for yourself when you read more
Bad news, Buzz readers (and America): Apparently, we have all been suffering from a crisis of uncoolness for some time now. And the worst part is we didn't even know it (or, at least, I didn't)! This is all according to the British music magazine NME — but there's good news, too, since NME has now managed to find 25 American bands that are making us cool again!
To quote the press release, the new issue is celebrating "the 25 American acts who are whipping up a storm on both sides of the Atlantic — signaling the re-birth of the US music scene!" Which is good, since I've had nothing to listen to for years now when I want to support the good ol' US of A!
Sarcasm aside, I'm glad the magazine is recognizing some great bands that started here — but this is kind of dramatic. I mean, did you know our music scene had died? I thought things were going pretty well, even before Vampire Weekend showed up.
Anyway, I may not agree with NME's sensational declarations, but I am OK with these bands representing America's fine musical taste abroad. I'll share the list of bands after the jump, but I'm also curious what acts gave our friends in the UK such a sour feeling about American music before now. If they really thought we were suffering, they could have just asked, and I would have been happy to point them to some great music!
To see the 25 bands that have helped us reclaim some cool points and let me know your thoughts, read more
"Oxford Comma" is one of my favorite songs off Vampire Weekend's self-titled album because it's catchy and laid back and perfect for summertime. The lyrics are funny, too, what with the rebellious stance the band takes on caring too much about Oxford commas (otherwise known as the serial comma. . . sorry, that was nerdy).
Anyway, the video for the song is cool and they shot it in one long, single take (took them 17 tries). Also, it could just be the font style, but this video kinda feels like a Wes Anderson film. To check it out for yourself, read more
As much of America learned Wednesday night from a caller's question on American Idol, this Saturday is Record Store Day, a time to celebrate independently owned record stores and, as the organizers put it, "the culture and unique place that they occupy both in their local communities and nationally."
The day is an attempt to raise awareness about the value of the in-person perusing and purchasing experience that is currently in danger of extinction as the existence of many independent stores is threatened by the download. All kinds of fun stuff is planned for Saturday, including exclusive track releases from bands like Death Cab for Cutie, Vampire Weekend, Built to Spill, and R.E.M. and in-store performances and events occurring all over the country.
I've asked you before what your first album was, and I'm guessing most of them were purchased in actual stores. Do you get nostalgic thinking about that experience, and are you worried that the little record store down the street could close down? Do you ever buy your music in person anymore?
Tons of people, from famous directors to music legends, have weighed in on what record stores mean to them. To check out some of my favorite quotes and watch a clip of Regina Spektor talking about why she's excited for Saturday, read more
I picked up the March edition of Spin Magazine only to find Vampire Weekend on the cover and immediately thought, "Wasn't it about a minute ago they were one of my bands to watch?" I was far from the first to write about them, but I still figured it would be a while before they were on newsstands everywhere.
Vampire Weekend didn't spend much time on anyone's "favorite little unknown band" list and sped straight to the bigtime. But that kind of sudden spotlight can shine even on established artists — take Feist, who released a couple of albums to a small but devoted fan base before an Apple ad made her a breakout star. When your favorite musicians go mainstream, does it ruin them for you? Or are you generally happy for good little bands that make it big?
