Odd Future Slaps Freelance Photographer Amy Harris

Photo provided by Amy Harris

We put up with their homophobic lyrics. We put up with their degradation of women. We put up with their self-hyped teenage bullshit because, that’s what it was: teenage bullshit. Odd Future, the rap group including superstars Tyler the Creator and Frank Ocean, is something of an anomaly in the progressive world of 2011. In a day and age when we’re taking great strides in terms of equality, there are some who’d like to settle back into the dark ages of racism.

Damien Rice – One

I’ve already posted Jack White’s cover of “Love Is Blindness” for the U2 cover album AHK-toong BAY-bi. But after hearing Damien Rice’s stunning version of “One,” I couldn’t not share it.

you can’t be holding on to what I’ve got when all I’ve got is hurt

Beautiful. Haunting. Emotive. Perfect.

Damien Rice – One (U2 cover)

Metallica & Lou Reed – Lulu

Today’s New York Times article about the album begins: “The three titans of rock put down their sushi and unleashed a Babel of gush. Lounging in a luxury hotel suite 26 floors above Lower Manhattan…”

There’s so much about those opening sentences that makes me cringe. But am I surprised? Is it strange that the once long-haired, eternally-drunk, speed metal demons are now eating sushi and “lounging in luxury hotel suites?” Not really. Ever since the Napster debacle, when Metallica revealed their true colors as money grubbing rich bros as opposed to down and dirty metal rockers, the band’s sound and success has been a stagnant languid endeavor.

The Black Keys – Lonely Boy

The Black Keys have done it again, this time with a hilarious video for the first single off their forthcoming album El Camino. Just watch.

The Black Keys – Lonely Boy

 

Foo Fighters – Bridge School 2011

The Foo Fighters are one of those fantastic live bands that translates beautifully to an acoustic setting. Their set from Sunday night’s Bridge School Benefit show displays just that.

The sound gets a little muddy when the Foos turn it up, but this is definitely worth a listen. Grab the entire show here, or stream the tracks below.

1. Skin and Bones
2. My Hero
3. Walk
4. These Days
5. Times Like These
6. Everlong

M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

There’s a sense of youth that permeates M83s forthcoming album Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. Stemming from each song seems to be not just a yearning for the glory days of one’s youth, but an actual recapturing of those days and moments. Anthony Gonzalez and his bandmates were able to capture that sentiment in the form of an expansive exploratory double album which soars and delights. And despite the times when the songs sound like third-rate Phil Collins knockoffs (which somehow isn’t as bad as it sounds), the album can only be properly described as an epic-indie-power-pop-soundscape, without the annoying ironic, emo, or sad-bastard tendencies that today’s state of indie rock normally falls under.

Jack White – Love Is Blindness

Jack White is ruddy brilliant. Vocally. Instrumentally. Interpretationally (sic). His cover of U2’s “Love Is Blindness” for the album AHK-toong BAY-bi, a cover album of of Achtung Baby, celebrating the seminal album’s 20th anniversary.

Thanks to Consequences of Sound for posting the track, and be sure to check it out below, as well as a live version of the U2 original.

Jack White – Love Is Blindness

U2 – Love Is Blindness

behind every beautiful thing, there’s been some kind of pain

The weather has begun to turn. The leaves are changing colors and beginning to drop from the trees. New England has a pleasant beauty this time of year, which is not lost on me. There were times that I was worried I’d never see the beauty of life again; the music would forever be in mono. But life continues, and time numbs the pain and opens us up to beauty once again.

But what gets me now is that there is beauty that Gilad will never see. He will never see the majestic panorama of the Charles River in early October. He won’t get to see Avital grow up. He’ll never hear the heart wrenching beauty of music again. Why do the rest of us get to experience beauty, but Gilad does not? Shouldn’t the world be stripped of beauty without him here?

I was listening to a recording the two of us did a few years back, complete with two part harmonies. Now, I’m not much of a singer, and I’m even worse at harmonizing than I am at singing solo. But for some reason, I could always harmonize with Gilad. Whenever we sat down with our guitars and began to play and sing, something always clicked musically and vocally, and we were always able to weave our voices together.

And while I miss this with all of my heart, and have a difficult time believing the fact that we’ll never sing together again, it also gives me a bit of comfort – because with Gilad gone, so went this beautiful thing that we had together. A bit of beauty and art and music has been erased from the world.

Gilad, the seasons are changing again. Life is going on, and you’re not here anymore. And it rips my heart to shreds every time I think about it. But the world is still beautiful, and that’s ok – you would’ve wanted it that way. Yet, I’m somewhat comforted that you were able to take a bit of beauty away with you; that without you in the world, there are some things that will never be perfect or completely beautiful.

I miss you and love you.

Ryan Adams – Dirty Rain

Rest in Peace, Steve Jobs

It was only appropriate that I found out about Steve Jobs’ passing on Twitter. Jobs basically revolutionized the world of technology, and it was only fitting that we all found out about it with the only social network that is going to be deeply integrated into iOS5.

Jobs’ greatness goes beyond computers. Jobs reinvigorated a struggling Apple in the early 2000s with the introduction of the iPod. At the time, it seemed like a ridiculous idea. Who in their right mind needed 20GB of music with them? Most people were content with carrying around a Discman and a small CD-sleeve (though some of us would carry the CD-books that held hundreds with us everywhere we went); who could need that much music with them at once?

What Steve had, and what the iPod represents, is vision about music and how people relate to it. Jobs was able to see that people wanted to be able to take all of the music with them, and he wanted to make it as easily accessible as possible. I have no idea what the New York City subways looked like in the 90s, but in the 2000s, you would’ve been hard-pressed to be in a subway car without seeing four or five people with those iconic white earbuds in their ears.

No longer was it just the music geeks who walked around the city with headphones in – now it was everyone. And while the music of the masses may not always agree with me, that the masses were always listening to music was a good thing and revolutionized the music industry.

So to a great innovator, a brilliant visionary, and a damn good computer scientist – this one’s for you. Rest in peace, Steve.

The Rolling Stones – Shine A Light

T.I. – I’m Flexin’

T.I. was released from his post-prison halfway house on September 29th and released “I’m Flexin'” the very next day, featuring Big K.R.I.T.

T.I. – I’m Flexin’ (feat. Big K.R.I.T)