BuzzSugar

What Is the Best Indie Album of 2009?

BuzzSugar — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:30:08 -0800

Some of these gifted artists may be bigger than what you consider "indie," but they all captured the spirit of the genre in '09. It's hard to pinpoint why they're just so cool, but they make it seem effortless. Personally speaking, I've been listening to Wolfgang Amadeus by Phoenix and It's Blitz! by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on a repeat loop, but there were plenty of other albums to choose from. Which one is your favorite?

Don't forget to check out the rest of my best of 2009 polls and Best of the Decade community group!

What to Download: New Music Today

BuzzSugar — Tue, 26 May 2009 11:30:56 -0700

Tuesdays are big in entertainmentville: not only do all the new DVD releases hit Netflix, but new music also pours into stores. So I take a spin through each week's music releases and pick out some albums and tracks worthy of a download.

Something sweet: Mandy Moore's new album is titled Amanda Leigh, which is also Moore's given name. It's a title that seems to signal that perhaps these new songs are, compared to the rest of her repertoire, the most representative of who she is. Her voice remains sugar-sweet and easy on the ears, but it lacks some emotional depth, which hurts the album as a whole. But there are some strong, stand-out tracks, including "Merrimack River," "Everblue," and "Bug."

Brooklyn's calling: I'm pretty pumped for the new album from Brooklyn-based Grizzly Bear. Veckatimest is getting pretty stellar reviews, and from what I've listened to so far, it's the perfect laid-back indie-rock album for sunny Summer days and road trips (although, for what it's worth, this video literally gave me nightmares). Check out "Two Weeks," "While You Wait for the Others," and "Cheerleader."

New Department of Eagles Video Is a Work of Art - Truly

BuzzSugar — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 13:30:56 -0700

This week, Department of Eagles duo Daniel Rossen (of the band Grizzly Bear) and Fred Nicolaus debuted their new video for the song "No One Does It Like You" at New York's Museum of Modern Art as part of the museum's ongoing PopRally series of events. The video's creators were on hand to chat about this amazing video with a sold-out crowd.

The director, Patrick Daughters, is also the man behind Feist's "1,2,3,4" video, so it's not totally surprising to find some impressive choreography sprinkled throughout. However, the overall effect is far from uplifting. The Civil War-themed clips are extremely haunting and, at times, totally creepy. The Department of Eagles' stirring (and awesome) pop song is only enhanced by these disturbing Tim Burton-esque images. A warning for the faint of heart: There is an amputation and blood. Lots of blood.

Ready to take a dive into the surreal side and watch for yourself? Just read more.

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Link Time! 12/30

BuzzSugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 12:45:54 -0800

Ten entertainment Davids who deserve kudos this year. - The TV Addict
Time to vote on what was the worst of 2008 TV (including "Worst Claire Wig": Claire Bennet of Heroes or Claire Littleton of Lost). - Watch With Kristin
Nine of the least-wanted TV neighbors. - TV Squad
Check out some first images from the next Transformers movie. - Cinematical
Did you see any of these 20 great concerts of '08? - Stereogum
Oooh - Whitney Port talks about The City and drops a bit of a Hills scoop. - Popwatch
Speaking of which, relive the year in Hills drama! - PopSugar
Hear Grizzly Bear remixing Feist's "My Moon My Man." - You Ain't No Picasso

Live Clip: Feist Sings "1 2 3 4" with Grizzly Bear, AC Newman and More on "Letterman"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 11:28:40 -0700

Monday's "Late Show with David Letterman" turned into a veritable convention of indie rockers when the musical guests took the stage. Feist dropped by the show to perform "1 2 3 4" from The Reminder, and she brought with her a full backing chorus - including AC Newman of The New Pornographers and members of Grizzly Bear, Broken Social Scene, The National and Mates of State.

As if it wasn't enough just to see them all sharing the stage, they also dressed in matching white outfits with sparkly armbands. Can you even handle the cuteness? To watch the performance, read more

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Concert Review: Feist and Grizzly Bear at the Fillmore, 6/27/07

BuzzSugar — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 16:17:34 -0700

Never having seen Feist perform live before, I wasn't sure quite what to expect from her live show this week at The Fillmore in San Francisco. Though I loved the "I Feel It All" video she did for the DL show, she didn't really take command of that tiny room, so I really wasn't sure how she'd do in front of a sold-out crowd.

To my delight, however, Feist had stage presence to spare at the Fillmore, laughing at her own forgotten lyrics, enlisting the crowd in a sing-along, and even hopping on top of the piano to croon the Broken Social Scene song "Lover's Spit" with the band's Kevin Drew. And yet the vibe never veered too far toward rock star; it was more like an insanely talented, yet still down-to-earth friend of yours had decided to bring her guitar by your living room for an evening.

The night began with opening act Grizzly Bear, who wasted no time captivating the audience with a set of mellow but richly layered songs that quickly drew the crowd in from the hallways. They were a worthy appetizer for the main event, so read more

Though she was backed by a full band that was heavy on the percussion, Feist's sometimes husky, sometimes soaring voice was clearly the centerpiece of the show. Her performance of "One Evening," from her first album Let it Die, was sultry and sexy despite - or maybe because of - her reliance on a tattered piece of cardboard bearing the lyrics. On the other end of the spectrum, uptempo rockers "I Feel it All" and "1 2 3 4" from this year's The Reminder felt breezy and beachy, more reminiscent of a summer festival than a smoky cafe.

The show's one downfall was the flow between Feist's wildly different styles, which sometimes felt a little rocky. Granted, it was her second night at the Fillmore, and she could have been trying to mix things up for the fans who'd bought tickets to both shows (of whom, judging from the crowd reaction when she asked who'd been at the first show, there were many). Whatever the reason, Feist saved many of her best songs for later in the show, and at one point, instead of paying attention to what was happening on stage, I found myself trying to figure out what her encore would be.

Luckily, it was an encore worth waiting for, containing both her piano bar-style rendition of "Lover's Spit" and an especially rollicking take on "Sealion" with the members of Grizzly Bear providing the backing vocals and hand claps. She then eased the crowd down from that high with a stunning "Let it Die," a perfect closer to a very good evening of music.

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Song of the Day: Grizzly Bear, "Graceland"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 12:51:09 -0800

Grizzly Bear's second album Yellow House is a beautifully textured, trippy, and mellow piece of folk. On this cover of Paul Simon's "Graceland," they apply the same formula to an entirely different sort of folk music for a sound that's at once warm and chilling and very novel. Listen below and let me know what you think.

Buzz In: What's the Best Music Festival You've Been To?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 10:30:55 -0800

The Coachella Music and Arts Festival just announced their 2010 lineup. Jay-Z, Muse, and Gorillaz are serving as headliners, but the list of supporting acts is just as noteworthy with everyone from LCD Soundsystem to The Dead Weather to Phoenix. The big event isn't until April 16-18, but I'm already trying to figure out if I can swing it.

I've been going to the Treasure Island Music Festival for the past three years, and it's only continued to get bigger and better over time. But Jay-Z? I would love to see him at Coachella. My personal favorite festival experience was when I caught him at All Points West last year. It rained for most of the day, so the entire crowd danced in the mud to Vampire Weekend and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. By the time Jay took the stage to close out the night, people went nuts. I was caked in dirt when it was all over - gross, but a blast.

How about you? What's been your favorite music festival?

And for the full 2010 Coachella lineup (it's a good one!), read more.

FRIDAY APRIL 16: Jay-Z, LCD Soundsystem, Them Crooked Vultures, Vampire Weekend, Deadmau5, Public Image Limited, The Specials, Grizzly Bear, Passion Pit, Echo and the Bunnymen, Benny Benassi, Fever Ray, Grace Jones, She & Him, Erol Alkan, The Avett Brothers, Calle 13, The Whitest Boy Alive, The Cribs, La Roux, Yeasayer, Lucero, DJ Lance Rock, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Proxy, Ra Ra Riot, Deer Tick, Wolfgang Gartner, Aeroplane, Iglu & Hartly, Sleigh Bells, P.O.S., Baroness, Hockey, Little Dragon, White Rabbits, Wale, Kate Miller-Heidke, As Tall as Lions, Jets Overhead, Alana Grace, Pablo Hassan.

SATURDAY, APRIL 17: Muse, Faith No More, Tiësto, MGMT, David Guetta, The Dead Weather, Hot Chip, Devo, Coheed and Cambria, Kaskade, 2Many DJ’s, Major Lazer, Dirty Projectors, Gossip, Z-Trip, The xx, John Waters, Les Claypool, The Raveonettes, Mew, Sia, Camera Obscura, Tokyo Police Club, Porcupine Tree, Old Crow Medicine Show, Aterciopalados, Bassnectar, Frightened Rabbit, Dirty South, Flying Lotus, Corinne Bailey Rae, Pretty Lights, Shooter Jennings, RX Bandits, The Almighty Defenders, Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros, Craze & Klever, Zoe, The Temper Trap, Portugal. The Man, Band of Skulls, Girls, Beach House, Steel Train, Frank Turner.

SUNDAY, APRIL 18: Gorillaz, Pavement, Thom Yorke(?), Phoenix, Orbital, Spoon, Sly and the Family Stone, De La Soul, Julian Casablancas, Plastikman, Gary Numan, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sunny Day Real Estate, Yo La Tengo, MUTEMATH, Deerhunter, Infected Mushroom, Club 75, Matt & Kim, The Big Pink, Gil Scott-Heron, King Khan and the Shrines, Florence and the Machine, Yann Tiersen, Little Boots, Miike Snow, Talvin Singh, Ceu, B.o.B., Babasonicos, Owen Pallett, The Glitch Mob, Mayer Hawthorne, Local Natives, Rusko, The Middle East, Hadouken!, The Soft Pack, Kevin Devine, Paparazzi, Delphic, One EskimO.

What to TiVo: Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 23:50:33 -0800

ABC has Rudolph's Shiny New Year, a repeat of Scrubs, and is new with Better Off Ted and 20/20
CBS has a repeat of NCIS and is new with Kennedy Center Honors
FOX has The Benchwarmers
NBC has repeats of Parks and Recreation
The CW has repeats of 90210 and Melrose Place
Bravo is new with Tabatha's Salon Takeover
MTV has repeats of South Park and is new with Teen Mom
VH1 has 100 Most Shocking Music Moments and is new with For the Love of Ray J 2
Late-night highlights include Ellen DeGeneres, Eva Longoria Parker, Kobe Bryant, and Carlos Santana on a repeat of Lopez Tonight on TBS; Penelope Cruz and Dolly Parton on a repeat of The Jay Leno Show on NBC; Robin Williams and Ashley Greene on a repeat of The Late Show With David Letterman on CBS; Jamie Foxx, Jason Alexander, and Grizzly Bear on a repeat of The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien on NBC; William Shatner on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC; Harry Connick Jr. on a repeat of The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson on CBS; Fred Armisen and Carey Mulligan on a repeat of Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on NBC; and Emmy Rossum on a repeat of Last Call With Carson Daly on NBC

What to TiVo: Friday

BuzzSugar — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 23:50:00 -0800

ABC has Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
CBS has repeats of Ghost Whisperer, Medium, and NUMB3RS
FOX has 'Til Death
NBC has a repeat of Saturday Night Live Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas
The CW has a repeat of Smallville and Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
AMC has National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
E! is new with Maxim Hometown Hotties 2009, Forbes Most Bankable Stars, and The Soup
FX has Home Alone and Deck the Halls
MTV has repeats of South Park and Real World/Road Rules Challenge, and has Men in Black II
USA has Elf
VH1 has The Jacksons: An American Dream
Late-night highlights include Jenna Bush Hager, Laura Bush, and The Dan Band on a repeat of The Jay Leno Show on NBC; Robert Downey Jr., Martin Short, and Kris Allen on a repeat of The Late Show With David Letterman on CBS; Megan Fox and Louis CK on a repeat of The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien on NBC; Anika Noni Rose on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC; Snoop Dogg and Mary Steenburgen on a repeat of Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on NBC; and Grizzly Bear on a repeat of Last Call With Carson Daly on NBC