Video of the Week - Neil Young & Paul McCartney: "A Day in the Life" (live from Hyde Park)

I'm not really sure this clip needs any setup. It's two musical giants playing one of the most iconic songs ever written. Is there any way the result wouldn't be amazing? Probably not.

I will say that having experienced Paul McCartney headline Coachella two months ago, the dude can certainly still do all his old Beatles songs justice. Throw in the frenetic guitar stylings of Neil Young, and "A Day in the Life" becomes about twice as loud as you've every heard it before. There's also nothing quite like being in a crowd where everyone is singing their hearts out to a song that has touched all of them in some way or another. Pretty damn special. Enjoy.

[Found originally on The Daily Swarm]

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Video of the Week - Q-Tip: "Move"

For all those people who wished somebody other than Justin Timberlake (i.e. a black person) would pick up the torch dropped by Michael Jackson, Q-Tip has answered the bell on his new album "The Renaissance." It was barely released last week and already I can tell that it's going to stay on repeat in my iPod for the next couple of weeks. That's because Q-Tip does a fantastic job of inserting his smooth lyrical flow into a kaleidescope of Hip Hop beats, Soul melodies and Jazzy grooves on every single track.

On "Move" we hear Q-Tip summoning his inner Curtis Mayfield, while the accompanying video is an unmistakable homage to Michael Jackson's video for "Rock With You." Tip may have foregone the sparkled sequined getup, but he kept the campy green light and smoke machine effects. It's a fitting tribute from an artist who owes much of the music on his album to the funky jams of Off the Wall. Now I just hope Q-Tip doesn't let this stuff get to his head and ends up recreating Moonwalker.

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Video of the Week - TV on the Radio: "Dancing Choose"

Some of you may have noticed my effusive praise for the new TV on the Radio album didn't include any songs for you to enjoy. That choice was a conscious one, as I wanted to force you to seek out the songs yourself based on my glowing praise.

There's always the idea in the back of my mind that when I post full songs many readers will just scroll straight to the bottom to listen and might never even bother with reading the words. Since my review of Dear Science was so glowing, I felt my words would be persuasive enough to provoke you guys into visiting TVOR's MySpace page, where you can stream the entire album. But since I am a man of the people I figured I should throw you a bone and post their latest video for your mindless consumption.

BTW, I apologize for the 20 second MTV promo at the beginning of the clip, but their version of the video is much better quality than the YouTube clip.

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Video(s) of the Week - Trent Reznor, Peter Murphy & TVOR: "Final Solution" & "Bela Lugosi's Dead"

[photo courtesy of the Official Nine Inch Nails Flickr photostream]

This week I am taking another opportunity to showcase the most fan-friendly and technologically savvy musician in the business, Mr. Trent Reznor. Why another post about Trent Reznor? Because I got floor seats to see Nine Inch Nails (with opener Deerhunter, YES!) tonight and I am pretty excited. Also, I wanted to prove a point about how free music actually benefits the music industry. While Reznor has been kind enough to release two full-length albums free of charge and free of strings attached, it's only fair that fans such as myself pay back the favor and use our cash to see him live and in person. See how that works, RIAA. A band/artist uses music for marketing themselves (and not necessarily as a profit stream) in order to generate ticket sales at the box office. It's not a hard concept to wrap your head around.

I decided to give you two videos because I couldn't decide which one of these I liked better. Filmed during a NIN sound check two years ago in Washington, DC, we see three exceptional acts letting loose to play two of their favorite songs. Peter Murphy hangs in background (at least mostly, since Murphy is too much of a ham to stay silent forever) to let Reznor take the reigns of his most recognizable song, "Bela Lugosi's Dead", while TV on the Radio lay down the backing music. On the next song Murphy takes center stage as the three acts pay homage to Pere Ubu's classic (and one of my favorites) "Final Solution." Both songs are executed flawlessly and I hope I get to see a similar surprise tonight at The Forum.

Trent Reznor, Peter Murphy and TV on the Radio - "Bela Lugosi's Dead"


Trent Reznor, Peter Murphy, and TV on the Radio - "Final Solution"

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Video of the Week - Stereolab: "Neon Beanbag"

Stereolab might be the simplest band to figure out. Their music follows a pretty consistent formula, with lounge-y melodies built upon Moog atmospherics and layered with cheery vocal delivery (although often time they are singing about leftist politics, the French lyrics and accents certainly sound cheery). You always know what you're gonna get with Stereolab, and that isn't an indictment of their sound. On the contrary, Stereolab has built a career of perfecting a sound that has managed to stay unique for nearly 20 years, so it would be foolish to penalize them for sticking so close to their guns when they practically invented it to begin with.

Their signature sound is showcased once again on their latest album, Chemical Chords. Like the last several albums before it, it isn't a giant leap forward musically, but is a compelling listen nonetheless. That's because over the years Stereolab has become more of a comfort band for me than anything else. That is, while they may not occupy a constant spot on my regular rotation of music, their music always comes in handy whenever I feel the need to listen to something light and fun. They never disappoint in satisfying that urge and their latest single "Neon Beanbag" achieves the goal just as good as anything else in their back catalog.

Not surprising, the video is simple and to-the-point. It's nothing more than a collage of bright colors and mod aesthetics set upon a backdrop of music that shares the same qualities. It's something that reminds me of Summer and helps take my mind off the fact that my favorite season is quickly drawing to a close.

Neon Beanbag
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Video of the Week - Truckasauras: "Fak!!"

When I was a little kid the WWF (er...sorry...WWE) was probably the most important "sport" in my life. I remember always being disappointed whenever I couldn't convince my parents to pony up the cash to order Wrestlemania on pay-per-view, as if any amount of persuasion on my part would ever convince them to waste money on something so silly.

But when you're a kid it's hard to understand why anyone wouldn't like pro wrestling. I mean, the biggest and strongest "athletes" in the world are risking their lives to beat the hell out of each other, so what's not to love? And what about the buffoonish story lines, staged action, blatant racist overtones, and homo eroticism? My mind was too young and impressionable to process such things.

Thankfully Seattle electronic group Truckasauras made a video that points out how stupid this shit looked back then. This one focuses on the epic "Champion vs. Champion" match between Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior at Wrestlemania VI, with lots of clever editing to make all the gay innuendo as blunt as possible. Oh, and there's also a few cameos by Stallone, Travolta and Estevez.

[via Pitchfork.tv] >>>Continue reading "Video of the Week - Truckasauras: "Fak!!""

Video of the Week - Public Enemy: "Rebel Without a Pause" (Live from the Pitchfork Festival)

So, there was this little music gathering in Chicago over the weekend called the Pitchfork Music Festival. Maybe you've heard of it? Anyway, aside from having a stacked lineup that included Ghostface and Raekwon, Spiritualized, Spoon, Boris, Cut Copy, King Khan, Dinosaur Jr., and many other super awesome bands, the organizers at P4K and the brains behind All Tomorrow's Parties Don't Look Back series joined forces to bring festival attendees something extra special. How special? Try Public Enemy performing It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back in its entirety special.

For those of us who couldn't make it to Chicago, at least P4K was kind enough to record some of the performance and share it with the world. I've been lucky enough to see PE live a couple of times, and they truly are one of the few hip hop acts whose style translates well to the stage. And even after all these years Chuck D, Flavor Flav (reality TV show embarrassments notwithstanding), Terminator X, and the S1W's can obviously still bring the noise with the best of them.

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Video of the Week - Radiohead: "House of Cards"

It was bound to happen sooner or later and what better band than Radiohead to have the distinction of being the first to receive "Song of the Day" and "Video of the Week" honors for the same song? As you may recall, I have quite a fondness for this track and believe it is one of the strongest found on In Rainbows. Where the song stood out mainly because of its simplicity and intimacy, the accompanying video is distinguished by its technological originality.

Created without the use of cameras or lights, "House of Cards" employs a combination of structured light and Lidar laser-enhanced scanners to create a real-time 3D model of Thom Yorke's movements. I really have no idea what most of that means, except that it sounds real cool and it's not surprising that Radiohead would be receptive something like this. Check out the video after the jump and read all about how it was made in the latest issue of Creativity.

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Video of the Week - Nine Inch Nails: "Echoplex" (Tour Rehearsal)

[Photo courtesy of the official Nine Inch Nails flickr page

Trent Reznor is on fire. Pure and simple, the man has been reborn ever since he was emancipated from his record deal and decided life as a musical free agent suits him well. Not only has his musical output exploded, but in a matter of months he's become the most web-savvy musician on the planet. NIN.com has evolved from a mere band website to the model for how to fully take advantage of all the latest social media and Web 2.0 (I hate that term, BTW) has to offer; and not in that square peg in a round hole type of way that so many make the mistake of doing. Indeed, you can tell that Reznor and his web developers carefully plan the digital content he offers to fan to ensure that it is always useful and informative.

When he created a social network for fans to interact he made sure it was more than simply a glorified message board and instead offered fans the opportunity to remix Nine Inch Nails songs and share them with fans across the world via podcasts, MP3 downloads and playlists. Now that he is preparing to launch a world tour with his NIN bandmates, Trent has also made keeping track of the band's travels a fan-friendly experience. Besides cutting scalpers out of the loop during ticket presales, he's released a free tour sampler EP with tracks from his band and the various opening acts throughout the tour (which includes Deerhunter, A Place to Bury Strangers and Crystal Castles), created fan pages on Facebook and other social media networks, and even made it easy to add tour dates to your Google Calendar.

And just recently he collaborated with Pitchfork.tv to offer fans three exclusive high quality videos showcasing the band rehearsing for their upcoming "Lights in the Sky" tour. I thought I would share my favorite one with you, if for no other reason than it totally makes me crazy go nuts in anticipation for when I see them play at the Forum on September 6th (I got floor seats, baby!).

Nine Inch Nails - "Echoplex" (tour rehearsal)
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Video of the Week - Touchscreen Turntables in Action

Final Technology // User Testing from Scott Hobbs on Vimeo.

You may recall that I hailed video mixing the next frontier of turntablism, but what I neglected to take into account was the possibility that the turntable itself might be in store for its own redefinition. As this video shows, soon turntables won't even have to spin anymore. Instead, they could be manipulated with touchscreen interfaces and software, thus creating an entirely different way to interface with your music collection.

The prototype shown in this video is called ATTIGO TT and it works by allowing the DJ to use a touch interface to manipulate graphical waveforms in exactly the same way they would with vinyl records or CDs. As the demo shows, this ability to see a song or sample in a visual waveform affords the DJ unprecedented control over how they can manipulate sounds. It also seems to be much easier than scratching records, which requires more of a trained ear then a trained eye.

Truthfully, I have no idea how I feel about this. As a novice DJ myself, I get excited about the possibility of being able to spin and scratch music like a pro, but I can also see how this takes much of the skill out of being a good DJ. Plain and simple, blending and scratching with wax is much harder than this, and it takes a certain degree of talent to do it right. Though, I guess if Serato Scratch hasn't killed the vinyl DJ (in fact, many of the legends have incorporated it into their repertoires), then touchscreen turntables might not either. What do you guys think?

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Video of the Week - Flight of the Conchords: "Ladies"

Bret. Jemaine. Rollerskates. Porn mustache. Do I really need to say anything else?

For those of you who don't already watch HBO's Flight of the Conchords, either because you don't have HBO (you can always download it via Bit Torrent), or never bothered to give it a shot, or you just have a horrible boring sense of humor, then please watch this video and enjoy the wonder that is The Fourth Most Popular Folk Parody Group in New Zealand.

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New Portishead Song! (AKA, Video of the Week Bonus)

This week must be when all the 90's electronic heavyweights make their return to the music scene. First Bomb the Bass unleashes their first new material in...well, forever, and now comes the first new Portishead song in nearly a decade! All we need is for Leftfield to make a new album and the week will really feel like I've stepped into a time warp.

Luckily the nostalgia trip doesn't extend to the sound of the music, which is markedly different than Portishead's previous output. "Machine Gun" shows Portishead embracing industrial noise more than ever before as Geoff Barrow blends metallic-sounding drum machines with Kraftwerk-esque synthesizer loops to create something that sounds like a soundtrack to a robotic death march. Of course, the mere presence of Beth Gibbons' dark angelic voice is enough to get me on board with the direction Portishead is going for here.

While it may not be as rhythmic as classics like "All Mine" or "Glory Box", the aim of the appropriately titled "Machine Gun" is seemingly to plaster the bands' 'trip hop' past full of bullets. Since they've made no secret about their disdain for that term, don't be surprised if this song is indicative of things to come throughout their long overdue album Third (out April 26). I, for one, cannot wait!

Portishead - "Machine Gun" (From the forthcoming album, Third)

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Video of the Week - Bomb the Bass (Ft. Fujiya & Miyagi): "Butterfingers"

I stumbled upon this gem while browsing The Daily Swarm (as must-read for me everyday, btw) yesterday and imagine my surprise when I read the words Bomb the Bass under the section that showcases new music. Bomb the Bass? Are they even still around anymore? I mean, their last album came out 14 freaking years ago! Where the hell have they been all these years?

Actually, the name Bomb the Bass may have disappeared over all that time, but Tim Simenon, the brains behind the operation, has kept himself busy running his own record label (Electric Tones) and with producing/remix duties for many well-known artists. In late 2006 he dropped a note on his MySpace page announcing a new Bomb the Bass album was being record, which went largely unnoticed. Then, in January a name was revealed (Future Chaos) and a release date (sometime in May) was announced. Now comes word the first proper single is about to be released, which is a collaboration with Fujiya & Miyagi called "Butterfingers."

The song itself is very simple, with a heavy reliance on Minimoog synths and syncopated blips and bleeps, but its impact is greatly enhanced by the accompanying video. Produced by Perish Factory, "Butterfingers" depicts an animated Minimoog anthropomorphized into a living organism as it plays the song 'live' exactly how it would be played in real life. Watching the knobs twist, the keys get pressed and the buttons light up in perfect smiling harmony goes a long way to illustrate the impeccable timing and rhythm that goes into making such a seemingly simple song. 

Apparently, this is a taste of what the remainder of Future Chaos has in store for listeners, as Simenon has described its sound as "basically a Minimoog album with vocals on it." If their prolific past is any indication, that description hardly paints a clear picture of how good the music really is.

Bomb the bass - Butterfingers
Uploaded by le-pere-de-colombe

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Video of the Week - Hot Chip: "Ready for the Floor"

The first Video of the Week of 2008 comes courtesy of London's Hot Chip and it totally has me excited for the release of their new album Made in the Dark (out February 5th). If you are already familiar with this band, you know that their music is nothing but a big heaping bowl of fun. If not, then go buy The Warning and listen to it NOW. Don't worry, I'll wait around until you are done.

Ready? Good. Now you can watch this video and put some faces to all that wonderful music. The first thing you'll notice is that Hot Chip could not look any dorkier than they do in this video. It's not an act. When you see these guys live (as I had the pleasure to do last year) it looks like the high school math team putting on a talent show. Except these nerds are way more talented than you (or I) are and they could not possibly be enjoying themselves more. It makes them more endearing and more "cool" than most hipster bands I've seen. I wish more bands looked as happy to do their job as these guys.

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Video of the Week - Snoop Dogg: "Sensual Seduction"

WOW! This video is like 10 different kinds of awesome! Mr. Broadas (sounding a little like Royksop for some reason) channels his inner Super Freak (with a little Earth Wind and Fire and Kool & The Gang thrown in there too) to create a homage to classic funk, soul and disco videos of the 70's. And may I add, he does a superb job recreating the over-the-top cheesiness with low-budget special effects, ridiculous costumes and a keytar. Basically, it is the best thing Snoop has done in like 10 years.

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Video of the Week - Radiohead: "The Headmaster Ritual" (Smiths Cover)

I don't think there is a band on the planet on a bigger roll right now than Radiohead. First they ditched the major record label apparatus and released their eagerly anticipated seventh album via their website under a pay-whatever-you-want price point. Then they sign a cushy record contract with a completely independent label. And now they have kept the viral marketing buzz alive by treating their fans to a live webcast on the new Radiohead.tv site.

If you have the chance to check it out, I strongly recommend that you do. There's a nice little mix of nonsensical messages and video clips, along with footage of Thom Yorke DJ'ing the likes of M.I.A. and !!!, a short video for "15 Step" and some live studio performances. Among the live studio gems was a cover of one of my favorite Smiths songs, "The Headmaster Ritual." Thom does a nice job of channeling his inner Morrissey without copying him outright. In fact, if I didn't know this was a Smiths song I would have no problem believing that Thom wrote it himself.

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Video of the Week - SNL: "Iconoclasts: Bjork & Charles Barkley"

It's been two weeks since the last time I posted a Video, so I guess this means I owe you two this week. Today's treat was the last sketch of the most recent episode of Saturday Night Live (hosted by Jon Bon Jovi, who was surprisingly good) and probably the funniest of the night (although the "People Getting Punched in the Face Just Before Eating" digital short was funny times as well). If you've ever seen the series Iconoclasts on the Sundance Channel, then you know that some of the pairings seem to come out of left field (Renee Zellweger and Christiane Amanpour come to mind). If you haven't then you should still find Kristen Wiig's excellent Bjork impression entertaining.

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Video of the Week - Daft Punk: One More Time/Aerodynamic Live @ The Wireless Festival

This week's Video of the Week is basically a shameless plug for Daft Punk's forthcoming live album/DVD Alive 2007, which comes out 11/20 on Virgin Records. Why the shameless plug? Because if you haven't had the pleasure of witnessing the spectacle that is a Daft Punk live show, then you need to know what you are missing.

This clip was taken from the French duo's performance at London's Wireless Festival early this Summer and can be found on the official Alive 2007 YouTube channel, which hosts other live clips and all of their music videos. What makes it so great is that it illustrates how much of a multimedia experience it is watching these guys perform. From the robot costumes to the giant UFO pyramid to the laser lights, Daft Punk does a masterful job of transforming whatever venue they are playing into an intergalactic space future party. It seems bizarre and not make much sense, but it's best not to ask such questions and instead just shake your ass until your heart's content.

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Video of the Week - Buddy Rich vs. Animal Drum Battle Royale

When I was a kid I used to watch reruns of The Muppet Show religiously. For me this show was like watching a G-Rated version of Saturday Night Live, except often times the special guests were just as good as their late night counterparts at 30 Rockefeller Center. Especially the musical guests, which included legends like Shirley Bassey, Paul Simon, Debbie Harry, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, Dizzy Gillespie, Elton John and Diana Ross.

While doing a little YouTube searching for old Muppet Show clips, I came across this little gem featuring a drum battle between Animal the Muppet and Buddy Rich (perhaps the greatest jazz drummer ever). The clip definitely reminds me of all the fun times I had watching The Muppet Show and also illustrates how talented Jim Henson and his puppet artists were at creating compelling kids' TV programming. I also wonder if anything this good is being made for kids today or if kids would even like something like this. My assumption is that The Muppet Show would be dismissed by today's TV executives for not being easily digestible for its target audience. All I know is that when I have kids I am definitely going to buy The Muppet Show DVD's so they can see what great kids' entertainment used to look like.

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Video of the Week - Digitalism: "Idealistic"

Seriously, who doesn't love puppies? Only a sick bastard would ever see a puppy on the street or at the park and not have the urge to pet it or play with it. German dance duo Digitalism knows this, and they shamelessly use it to their advantage in order to win the favor of music fans across the world in their new video. Even though I see right through their plan, I can't help but love this video anyway (I guess I am a sucker for puppies). The stop-motion photography and creative editing serve as a perfect compliment for Digitalism's familiar blend of rock textures and techno rhythms. Who knew combining pets with technology could yield such fantastic results? I'd like to see cat lovers try to do better.

Music Videos - Idealistic >>>Continue reading "Video of the Week - Digitalism: "Idealistic""