BuzzSugar

What to Download: New Music on iTunes

BuzzSugar — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:30:11 PDT

Tuesdays are big in entertainmentville: Not only do all the new DVD releases hit Netflix, but new music also pours into stores, including iTunes. So I take a spin through each week's iTunes music releases and pick out some albums and tracks worthy of a download. In addition to the songs and albums below you can now download a second volume of the Sex and the City soundtrack. Here are today's selections:

Let's Rock: The new Kings of Leon album, Only By the Night, seems like a pretty straightforward effort by the band in all its arena-rock glory. I've already been digging the track "Sex on Fire," and I think "17" sounds interesting. I'm looking forward to giving it a whirl.

When I grow up I might not listen to this stuff anymore: First of all, I have to tell you that I laughed out loud when I laid eyes on this cover. It appears that the middle Pussycat Doll lost her shirt on her motorcycle ride. But I digress. I don't think I'll ever buy an entire Dolls album but will admit I've succumbed to their catchy dance tunes in the past. The song we've all heard a lot already, "When I Grow Up," is of course included on their new album as is an obligatory song featuring Snoop Dog called "Bottle Pop," and what I bet is the next song none of us will be able to get out of our brains, "Halo".

Two more picks up next so

Reflecting: Oh, wow, I really like Cold War Kids and I'm totally digging their new album Loyalty to Loyalty. I read an article about what inspired this new album and discovered that the lyrically mesmerizing track, "Every Man I Fall For," is written about a female's perspective of relationships. I'm really enjoying the song "Relief" as well but I'll likely download the entire thing.

"Down-home Dixie-fried home-grown..." Those are some of the fun, spirited lyrics from the first track on the Old Crow Medicine Show's new album Tennessee Pusher. The banjo-plucky album has more of the OCMS's super-Southern country-folk tunes. In fact, it's like a fond love letter to the South, from the energetic "Alabama High-Test" to the much darker "Motel in Memphis" and title track "Tennessee Pusher."

Link Time! 7/22

BuzzSugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:30:08 PDT

Cinematical wonders if male movie reviewers are sexist when it comes to reviewing Mamma Mia!
GiveMeMyRemote has a clip from the recent Daily Show episode in which Ed Helms made a reappearance.
Stereogum tells us about a new track by Cold War Kids, "Something Is Not Right With Me."
According to MTV Movies Blog, Val Kilmer claims he invented Austin Powers's "Mini Me."
Katie Couric has said that sexism is more common than racism, and Brooke Hogan is not helping this matter at all; CitizenSugar has the scoop.
Popwatch says that fake book, Love Letters of Great Men, actually will be available in bookstores soon.
TV With MeeVee continues to investigate all the seasons of The X-Files in anticipation of this weekend's new movie.
Pitchfork's "review" of the latest album by Black Kids cracks me up.

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

Free Downloads! Six Covers by the Cold War Kids

BuzzSugar — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 06:56:37 PST

Cold War Kids already won me over with a stellar debut album, Robbers & Cowards, and the awesome interview the band did for BuzzSugar. But now, the boys from Long Beach have done something even cooler: They've posted free MP3s of six cover songs that the band played at a recent breast-cancer benefit show.

The very eclectic set includes CWK's version of songs by Fiona Apple, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, and more. You can download the songs on the Cold Ward Kids web site.

Song of the Day: Cold War Kids, "Hang Me Up to Dry"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 08:33:00 PST

After posting my interview with Cold War Kids, I couldn't resist featuring one of my favorite tracks from the band's 2006 album, Robbers & Cowards, as today's Song of the Day. On "Hang Me Up to Dry," the musicians build an ultra-catchy pop song with fishing-reel sound effects and almost frighteningly awesome riffs.

Band Interview: Cold War Kids

BuzzSugar — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 05:31:51 PST

No band in 2006 benefited from the power of the Internet like Cold War Kids. On Downtown Records, the same label that brought us breakout hit Gnarls Barkley, the band got so much praiseworthy press early on that it was playing Lollapalooza before its first album even hit stores.

Remarkably, the album, Robbers & Cowards, totally lives up to the hype, with a collection of storytelling songs that blend rock and roll with noise collages. The guys-including frontman and piano man Nathan Willett, drummer Matt Aveiro, bassist Matt Maust, and guitarist Jonnie Russell-recently stopped by the Sugar Publishing offices on their way back home to Long Beach, Calif., for an interview.

I talked to the band about everything from the music they're digging now - including the new Tom Waits album and Cat Power - to the authors they love (David Foster Wallace is a group fave). To see what the Cold War Kids had to say about their newfound fame and what comes next,

First, how did you guys come up with the band name?

Maust: I was traveling through eastern Europe with my bro, and when I was outside Budapest, they had taken out all these statues and just dumped them outside of cities. You could visit them and climb on them and kick ‘em, and my brother and I had like a picnic on Stalin’s foot. I thought, we couldn’t have done this in the '70s.

How did you get hooked up with Downtown Records?

Maust: They took us to a really nice breakfast and wooed us with omelets.

Willett: They had the right balance of small and new enough, but they also had the gusto enough to do the things we wanted to do.

Tell me a bit about how the album caught fire online.

Willett: About eight months ago, our friend Matt O’Brien, who is a big blog guy, was talking to us about bloggers, and he showed us how we had a review on a blog of our EP. When we put out the second and third EPs, we decided to send them out to some blogs, like Stereogum and My Old Kentucky Blog.

Maust: At first, I was a little scared getting all this press; I was like, we gotta get an album out, guys.

Willett: The more you don’t have music that’s available to buy and people are talking about it, the more that you’re really living up to expectations. You’d rather let the music speak for your band than the hype.

How do you come up with ideas for songs?

Nathan: We just write music together. We’ll all be together in a room, and someone comes up with an idea they like and everyone else just grabs onto it.

Maust: Matt (Aveiro) might come with more of a hip-hop beat, and I come to the table from more of a punk-rock standpoint, and when those things mesh, you get a song like “Saint John.”

Aveiro: Sometimes we don’t have the biggest space that we play in, so we’ll have things laying around that we can pick up and bang on.

Most: Wine bottles, fishing reels, chairs being scooted around ...

Now that you're done with touring for a while, what's up next for you guys?

Nathan: We did some recording at the BBC a few weeks ago, including a John Lennon/Yoko Ono song called “Well Well Well.” It was in Peel Studios, a 4-hour session, and they set up lots of pianos and keys in big room, and you just get to play a bit.

Aveiro: It’s pretty much the modern equivalent of the Peel Sessions.

I can't wait to hear the band's new songs, but for now, I'll just sustain myself on Robbers & Cowards. Tune in later today to hear one of my favorite Cold War Kids tracks.

Do You Dread the Ice Cream Truck?

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 11:32:52 PDT

The sound of the ice cream truck playing its song is synonymous with Summer - as is the sound of kids crying when their parents say, "No. No ice cream before dinner." It's an age-old problem, and one that most mamas simply consider par for the course with parenting. But in the progressive neighborhood of Park Slope, Brooklyn, the moms are waging a war against ice cream peddling. On a popular message board, one frustrated mom wrote:

Along with the first truly beautiful day of the year, my son and I had our first ruined day at the playground. Two different people came into the actual playground with ice cream/Italian ice push carts. I was able to avoid it for a little while but eventually I left with a crying 4-year-old.

A chorus of moms quickly chimed in with their own accounts of fending off tots who screamed for ice cream. The angry mothers ultimately called for a ban on the sale of the ice-cold treats in their popular park, with one saying, "I should not have to fight with my children every warm day on the playground just so someone can make a living!"

Others argue that it is the parents' responsibility to simply say "no" to their kids every now and then, and the ice cream vendors shouldn't be penalized. What do you think?

Source: Flickr User Kazz.0

The Office, "Last Day in Florida": Best Lines of The Night

Lizzie Fuhr — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 07:28:08 PST

After my dream came to fruition - a cold open starring Creed - the rest of this week's episode of The Office does not disappoint. Robert California comes back into the picture, and while it was brief, I was happy to have him around. The Girl Scout cookie wars between Toby and Darryl are amazing, Kevin and Meredith kids, and I enjoyed Dwight and Jim battling it out in the hallway.

And on top of all that quality comedy, I have some happy plot developments to report. It ends up that Dwight will be returning to Scranton, Packer gets fired, and Andy is going down to Florida to try to win back Erin. Here are my favorite lines of the night:

"I'm the gentleman. Suck it!" - Dwight, yelling to Robert across the golf course
"Yes. My pretty hardest." - Jim, answering Pam's question if he tried his hardest
"Baby if you're watching this you're not chubby, you're beautiful. Daddy's trying to sell some cookies." - Darryl, in case his daughter is worried about what he said
"Oh yeah, I'm talking triple digits." - Kevin, on how many boxes of cookies he's good for
"Thought you checked my Tumblr." - Ryan, on why Andy wasn't aware of Erin's big move
"I refuse to be another man's horsie." - Toby, refusing to give Kevin a ride to the break room

Photo courtesy of NBC

What to TiVo: Monday

BuzzSugar — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 23:59:00 PDT

8:00 The Bachelor (new, season finale)
10:00 The Bachelor: After the Final Rose (new)
12:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live (new, with guests Ryan Phillippe and Mila Kunis)

8:00 How I Met Your Mother (repeat)
8:30 Mad Love (new)
9:00 Two and a Half Men (repeat)
9:30 Mike & Molly (repeat)
10:00 Hawaii Five-0 (repeat)
11:35 The Late Show With David Letterman (new, with guests Charles Barkley and Cold War Kids)
12:37 The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson (new, with guest Lewis Black)

8:00 House (new)
9:00 The Chicago Code (new)

8:00 Chuck (new)
9:00 The Event (new)
10:00 Harry's Law (new)
11:35 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (new, with guests Jane Lynch, Chris Matthews, and Avril Lavigne)
12:35 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (new, with guests Tyra Banks and the Chieftains)

8:00 90210 (repeat)
9:00 Gossip Girl (repeat)

More TV to watch when you

9:00 Intervention (new)
10:00 Heavy (new)

8:00 Pretty Little Liars (new)

10:00 Bethenny Ever After (new)

11:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart (nwe)
11:30 The Colbert Report (repeat)

10:00 Skins (new)

10:00 All About Aubrey (new)

11:00 Conan (repeat, with guests Adam Sandler and Donald Glover)
12:00 Lopez Tonight (repeat, with guests Mila Kunis, Dr. Drew Pinsky, and Chrisette Michele)

8:00 Basketball Wives (new, season reunion)
9:00 Wedding Wars (new, series premiere)
10:00 Beverly Hills Fabulous (new, series premiere)

2011 Coachella Lineup: Kanye West, Arcade Fire, and Kings of Leon Headline

BuzzSugar — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 11:33:53 PST

Coachella's 2011 lineup has been announced, and when the three-day festival kicks off in April, Arcade Fire, Kings of Leon, and Kanye West will each headline a day. Other acts I'm excited about? The Black Keys, The Strokes, Best Coast, Cee Lo Green, The National, Sleigh Bells - just to name a few!

Coachella takes place on April 15, 16, and 17 at The Empire Polo Field in Indio, CA. Check out the full lineup when you

The headliners are bolded.

FRIDAY, APRIL 15: Kings of Leon, The Black Keys, The Chemical Brothers, Caifanes, Robyn, !!!, 12th Planet, Afrojack, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, A-Trak, Beardyman, Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears, Boys Noize, Brandon Flowers, Brandt Brauer Frick, Breakage, Cee Lo Green, Clare Maguire, Cold Cave, Cold War Kids, Crystal Castles, Cut Copy, Emicida, Erick Morillo, Excision, Flogging Molly, Glasser, G.Q., Gypsy and the Cat, Here We Go Magic, Hurts, Interpol, Jakes, Kele, Klaxons, Kyle Hall, Magnetic Man, Marina and the Diamonds, Monarchy, Mount Kimbie, Moving Units, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Nosaj Thing, OFWGKTA, Omar Rodriguez Lopez, Ozomatli, Sander Kleinenberg, Sasha, Scala & Kolacny Bros., Skrillex, Sleigh Bells, Tame Impala, The Aquabats, The Drums, The Morning Benders, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Titus Andronicus, Warpaint.

SATURDAY, APRIL 16: Arcade Fire, Animal Collective, Mumford & Sons, Bright Eyes, Alf Alpha, Andy C, Big Audio Dynamite, Bomba Estereo, Broken Social Scene, Cage the Elephant, Chuckie, Cults, Daedelus, Delta Sprirt, DJ Hype, DJ Kentaro, DJ Marky, EE, Elbow, Electric Touch, Empire of the Sun, Erykah Badu, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Fedde Le Grand, Foals, Francis and the Lights, Freelance Whales, Gayngs, Gogol Bordello, Goth Trad, Jimmy Eat World, Joachim Garraud, Laidback Luke, Lil B’ and the Based Gods, Mariachi El Bronx, Mary Anne Hobbs, One Day as a Lion, Paul van Dyk, Phosphorescent, Raphael Saadiq, Ras G, SBTRKT, Scissor Sisters, Shpongle, Steve Angello, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, The Felice Brothers, The Henry Clay People, The Joy Formidable, The London Suede, The Kills, The Love Language, The New Pornographers, The Radio Dept., The Swell Season, The Tallest Man on Earth, The Twelves, Trampled by Turtles, Two Door Cinema Club, Wire, Yacht.

SUNDAY, APRIL 17: Kanye West, The Strokes, Duran Duran, The National, PJ Harvey, Death From Above 1979, Angus and Julia Stone, Axwell, Best Coast, Caspa, Chromeo, City and Colour, CSS, Delorean, DJ Zinc, Duck Sauce, Eliza Doolittle, Ellie Goulding, Fistful of Mercy, Foster the People, Fun., Good Old War, Gord Downie, Green Velvet, HEALTH, High Contrast, Jack Beats, Jack’s Mannequin, Jenny and Johnny, Joy Orbison, Kode9, Leftfield, Lightning Bolt, Lorn, Los Bunkers, Mala, MEN, Menomena, Nas & Damian Marley, Neon Trees, New Pants, OFF!, Phantogram, Plan B, Ramadanman, Ratatat, Riva Starr, Roska, Rye Rye, She Wants Revenge, Sven Vath, Take, Terror Danjah, The Bloody Beetroots, The Presets, Thunderball, Trentemoller, Tinie Tempah, Tokimonsta, Twin Shadow, Wiz Khalifa, Yelle, Zed Bias.