BuzzSugar

What to Download: New Music Today

BuzzSugar — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:30:59 PST

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. Here are today's selections:

Live and well: You know who I haven't been able to catch live in a while? My Morning Jacket. So I was pleasantly surprised to see that iTunes has a special live performance EP that was recorded at The Palms in Las Vegas. I love hearing songs like "Tonight I Want to Celebrate With You" live, and there's even an unreleased track included titled "Dear Wife" (it's pretty!).

B.I.G. is back: The Notorious B.I.G biopic will hit theaters this week (stay tuned for my review) and today the flick's soundtrack is out. The album includes rare recordings of songs from Biggie's demo tape given to Bad Boy Records including "Microphone Murderer" and "Guaranteed Raw." There's also a remix of "One More Chance" that features Biggie's son Christopher (who also appears in the movie) rapping along with his dad - adorable and heartbreaking.

One more up next so

File under spooky: Fever Ray is the name of the solo effort by Karin Dreijer Andersson who is better known as one half of the Swedish duo The Knife. Her album features a seriously spooky track titled "If I Had a Heart" (the video is one of the creepiest things ever) and a song I've listened to twice already, "Seven." She's not for everyone, but it's definitely something a little different to check out.

The New My Morning Jacket Video Is Melting My Heart

BuzzSugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:30:28 PDT

Awww! Talk about cute overload. The video for My Morning Jacket's "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream Pt. 2" (which is on their latest album, Evil Urges) is so insanely adorable and fits so well with the song, I can feel the cold cockles of my heart gradually warming. The video follows a super cute, wide-eyed fuzzy-wuzzy as he chases fireflies around the forest, trying to capture them for himself. But then he finds out what happens when someone wants to take away all the light.

I was just talking about my favorite videos of the year earlier today, and this one is definitely joining the ranks. This video actually makes me like this song a lot more. You should watch it, especially if you're in need of a sweet little pick-me-up, so

The addition of LOLspeak is mine.

Link Time! 6/24

BuzzSugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:36:48 PDT

Think you know all there is to know about Gilmore Girls? Take GeekSugar's Gilmore Girls tech quiz and find out if you remember some of the gadgets used on the show.
Popwatch has another installment of America's Next Top Doll, and this one's so funny, it'll "gut" you. Yuk, yuk, yuk.
You Ain't No Picasso has My Morning Jacket's entire three-hour Bonnaroo set available for download. What are you waiting for? Go!
Everyone's atwitter over Jason Bateman's latest comments regarding the Arrested Development movie (apparently it's happening for real and will be released in 2009).
TV with MeeVee has a long interview with Denis Leary of Rescue Me.
Stereogum alerts us to new tracks by Beck, now streaming on iLike. My take? I like. A lot.
TV Squad pitches five funny Angel/Buffy spinoffs.
Can't get enough of Entertainment Weekly's Top 1000 issue? Neither can Vulture, which points out 10 head-slapping pairings on the various top 10 lists.

What to Download: New Music on iTunes

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:31:44 PDT

Tuesdays are big in entertainment-ville: 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.

Today, Alanis Morissette has a new album out, and I'll be giving it a full review later on, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, here are the rest of today's selections:

Weird, but in a good way: I've been anticipating the fifth album release from My Morning Jacket for awhile now, and it's finally here! From what I've heard so far, the band has taken some huge experimental risks and I think it paid off. There are as many typical MMJ down-home tracks like "Librarian" on Evil Urges as there are, as Rolling Stone put it, "wtf moments" (check out "Highly Suspicious" for one example). I just downloaded the entire thing.

The country queen: Emmylou Harris' new album is sad and heartbreaking and beautiful - everything you want and expect from this singing legend. The songs I can't get enough of right now include "Gold", a lovely duet with Dolly Parton, and her quiet cover of Tracy Chapman's "All That You Have is Your Soul". Also, can someone tell me what this lady is drinking that makes her the woman that time forgot? She looks and sounds amazing at age 61!

Two more to sample so

A little hip-hop with your Summer?: N.E.R.D.'s third album is pretty fun - but it's not for the faint of heart. There is a lot going on here, and tracks like "Spaz" make me feel like I just slipped and fell down the rabbit hole. It's kind of hilarious (in a good way) when the guys slow it down, like on "Love Bomb" when they sing, "We don't need another love song, we need a love bomb." Who doesn't love love bombs?

No longer a Wallflower: Jakob Dylan, son of Bob, strikes out on his own again and sounds more like his pops than ever. His voice sounds great in the earthy "Will It Grow" and on "Something Good This Way Comes". He's no longer in top 20 radio hits territory (i.e. "One Headlight") and he's not breaking new folk ground, but it's lovely nonetheless.

BuzzSugar's Must Haves for June

BuzzSugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 07:00:02 PDT

Most of my must-haves this month are highly anticipated albums, though I'm also jonesing for the latest seasons of a couple of my beloved TV shows. And check out which funny memoirist is back with a book that's getting all kinds of raves. To see what I'm adding to my shopping cart this June, just hit "Start."

Rewind: This Week's Buzz

BuzzSugar — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 08:00:00 PDT

In addition to ABC's Thursday night lineup returning from the strike-induced break, the CW got its teen (and slacker) drama on with the return of Gossip Girl and a new episode of Reaper. One magazine even crowned GG the best show ever, but what show do you think reigns supreme over all teenage dramas?
Guess what? I'm off to the Tribeca Film Festival and am so excited and curious to see some of the movies I've been previewing all week, including a film with Mariah Carey in it. She's everywhere!
If you're planning a wedding these days (or helping a friend) I came up with a couple of tips for choosing music and some playlists that might be helpful including some oldies, a few indie dance songs, some '70s and '80s hits, and a couple of slow jams. And another tip: Here are some movies you definitely should not watch if you're about to head down the aisle.
In TV, news Alicia Silverstone is going to play a mom on an ABC pilot and J. Lo (oopsies, Jennifer Lopez) is getting a reality show. And um, is Cashmere Mafia canceled? Because Lucy Liu's got a new gig. Someone I really want to get a job is Lauren Graham -what role should she tackle next?
If you missed How I Met Your Mother, I've got you covered with a clip of "Sandcastles in the Sand". Speaking of cheesy '80s flashbacks: I'm recasting Hey Dude!
OK, American Idol plus Andrew Lloyd Webber officially equals a bad idea. How painful was that night? Were you surprised by who went home this week?
There was a lot of good music leaking onto the web this week, too, including more of Scarlett Johansson's Tom Waits covers, a song from My Morning Jacket's upcoming album, and the whole Madonna album on MySpace!
We reached the end of the line for The Life Before Her Eyes. Stay tuned for the announcement of my May book club pick!

Song of the Day: My Morning Jacket, "Evil Urges"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:30:18 PDT

Despite a rambling explanation of how much they love opening up - and smelling - a brand-new CD or vinyl record, My Morning Jacket has put online the title song off their upcoming album Evil Urges. They describe how old-fashioned they are when it comes to not wanting the entire album to be available online, but then they quote Tom Petty ("The waiting is the hardest part") and posted "Evil Urges" for all to enjoy.

And it is enjoyable. "Evil Urges" gets a little jam band-y in parts but it's not tiresome, and I always really like lead singer Jim James' high-pitched vocals. There's a dreamy vibe to it that makes me want to save this track for the summertime, maybe for a poolside barbecue. And actually, the album's release date of June 6 might be a really good time for just such a soiree.

To hear "Evil Urges" and tell me what you think,

Buzz News Roundup, 4/14

BuzzSugar — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:31:59 PDT

Having recently taken on Gossip Girl books and Dancing with the Stars, The New Yorker now turns its attention to The Hills.
300 director Zack Snyder is set to direct an animated film adaptation of Guardians of Ga'Hoole, writes ComingSoon.
Variety reports that the romantic comedy HangingOutHookingUpFallingInLove has just added an ensemble cast which includes Janeane Garofalo, Jenna Elfman and Rita Rudner, among others.
Kristen Johnston will join Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway and Candice Bergen in Bride Wars, writes Hollywood Reporter.
Meanwhile, Danny DeVito has been cast in When in Rome alongside Kristen Bell and Will Arnett, reports ComingSoon.
And, some TV casting news: TV Guide reports that Albert Brooks will play Nancy's dad on Weeds, while Variety has news that Six Feet Under mom Frances Conroy has joined the cast of a CBS comedy pilot.
Lifetime will adapt two of bestselling author Patricia Cornwell's novels into TV movies, Zap2It reports.
Billboard has news that My Morning Jacket will make their SNL debut on May 10, and will perform material from their upcoming album Evil Urges.
Apparently, The New York Times reports, many people who call to vote for American Idol can't get the numbers right and bother off-duty notaries and the like instead.

Source

Coachella Music Fest Lineup: Hipsters, Start Your Engines!

BuzzSugar — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 07:30:56 PST

While the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival has become a giant, crowded experience that has gone increasingly Hollywood over the years, the festival still continues to book some pretty excellent bands. At first glance, this year's lineup, announced Monday at a press conference in Mexico City, has some folks feeling underwhelmed. Still, there's enough good stuff planned for the three days of fun in the Southern California desert that music fans like myself will still want to get busy mapping out the bands they want to see from April 25 to 27.

The big news this year is a performance by Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, who will re-create Dark Side of the Moon, as well as a Portishead reunion, according to the LA Times. The festival organizers also confirmed what had been rumored for months: They're bringing a Coachella-style music festival to the East Coast. On Aug. 8 to 10, the first All Points West Music & Arts Festival will take place at Liberty State Park in New Jersey. This might be a good option for the not-so-outdoorsy music lover, because it won't have camping a la Cochella.

For more information about how to get tickets and to hear about some of the bands from the 125-act lineup that caught my eye,

Tickets for Coachella will go on sale at 10 a.m. this Friday, Jan. 26. Three-day passes are $269 plus taxes and fees, and single-day tickets are $90 each. More info is available here.

It's pretty hard to top the earth-shattering Rage Against the Machine reunion from last year; however, there are some pretty cool recently united bands performing this year, including the Verve and the Breeders. I'd love to see Death Cab for Cutie, My Morning Jacket, M.I.A., Fat Boy Slim, and Rilo Kiley. I'm also really curious about how bands like Vampire Weekend sound live.

As festival season continues to ramp up, there will be a lot more news out of Coachella and other music festivals, including more details on ticket sales and lineup for All Points West, so stay tuned!

Source

Honoring Elvis: Three "Suspicious Minds" Covers

BuzzSugar — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:29:35 PDT

Today marks the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death, and it seems wrong not to honor The King with a musical interlude. I got a little depressed browsing the photos of late-model Elvis - man, did he look rough in the end - so I'm cheering myself up with one of my favorite Elvis songs, "Suspicious Minds," which is widely credited with fueling his 1968 comeback.

The high-energy anthem has been covered an astounding number of times in myriad different ways. As a kid, I loved the Fine Young Cannibals version (hey, I'm not ashamed; my parents had the CD), so I thought I'd share it. I also discovered two very somber versions today on My Old Kentucky Blog: one by My Morning Jacket and another by the Flaming Lips. To listen to all three,

Fine Young Cannibals, "Suspicious Minds"

My Morning Jacket, "Suspicious Minds" (Live)

Flaming Lips, "Suspicious Minds" (Live)

Source