From STEREOGUM — And they do rock. Stereogum has, so kindly, allowed Death Cab for Cutie to take over their blog today. Read all of their “rock-star-ness” and what you should be listening to, after the jump!
Music Madness
for the March Music Madness (Marchy March & the Funky Month) stunt
MarchMonday
Bjork Is Still Keeping It Surreal
As the country’s cultural tastes continue to spiral down the toilet of life, there is one Icelandic wood nymph we can always turn to to keep things up in high brow territory. We speak of course of Bjork, that petite nugget of oddness that’s managed to remain both fresh and borderline insane for her nearly 20 year career. Today we are blessed with Bjork’s latest music video for her song “Wanderlust”, and it’s quite literally the most bizarre and fantastic thing we’ve seen the entire year. To quote Gothamist‘s description (because we really couldn’t quite wrap our brains around it):
It features Bjork surfing down a river winding through a Himalayan landscape on the back of some kind of woolly yak, while a clay doppelganger bursts from her backpack to grapple with her and a quasi-Tibetan demon coaxes her toward the edge of a waterfall. Then things get really far out.
The video was filmed in a 3-D format, though we’re not sure where that can be seen. Still, even in 2-D, this Wanderlust video is a must see. It’s absolutely incredible.
And lucky for you, it’s after the cut.
MarchThursday
CAPTION THIS: R.E.M. Featuring The Transporter
Is this Michael Stipe sporting some stubble while performing at the Apple Store, or a new Jason Statham movie about a modern rock frontman who must fight an entire a legion of concert fans at the same time using only his broken left hand?
The correct answer is: Billy Joel’s head shrunk to half its size
MarchThursday
Axl Rose Responds To Dr. Pepper Endorsement With Surprisingly Non A-Holish Comment
Yesterday, Dr. Pepper announced that they would give everyone in America (besides defectors Slash and Buckethead) a free can of their deliciously undefinable soft drink if Axl Rose finally releases the long-not-really-anticipated Chinese Democracy album this year. The company’s completely out-of-nowhere press release even included humorous, “are they being sarcastic?” phrases like:
“We know once it’s released, people will refer to it as ‘Dr Pepper for the ears’ because it will be such a refreshing blend of rich, bold sounds – an instant classic.”
Today, I was expecting to read a follow-up headline somewhere along the lines of “Axl Rose Shoves Dr. Pepper Executive At Random Benefit He Had No Business Being At,” but instead, Axl, who’s looking more like a fat Alexi Lalas every day, responded with this official statement from his presumably always-updated website:
We are surprised and very happy to have the support of Dr Pepper with our album “Chinese Democracy,” as for us, this came totally out of the blue. If there is any involvement with this promotion by our record company or others, we are unaware of such at this time. And as some of Buckethead’s performances are on our album, I’ll share my Dr Pepper with him.
Axl Rose
This is shaping up as one of the most amusing “wait, what?” stories of ’08 so far, if not for the complete lack of association between a second-tier soft drink and an album that’s been in a constant state of incompleteness for fifteen-plus years, then for Axl Rose’s sudden congenial professionalism.
Next week, John Lydon thanks RC Cola for their support of the long-awaited Sex Pistols follow-up album, while Sierra Mist attempts to coax Jeff Mangum out of estrangement.
(via Stereogum)
MarchThursday
Is a Journey Concert Even a Concert Without Lead Singer Steve “The Mullet” Perry?
Brace yourselves, music lovers: Three of history’s best bands are uniting this summer for the kind of line-up that makes you want to strap synthesizers onto your arms and paraglide over a volcano hole. Because Journey, Heart and Cheap Trick will be spanning the country together for almost three straight months, in what can only be described as “The Perfect Line-Up”.
But before you schedule your mullet tune-up appointment, we must point out the heartbreaking news: Journey, a band we love so, so hard thanks to hits like “Don’t Stop Believin’” and “Open Arms”, will not be complete. Because lead singer Steve Perry will not be reuniting with the band for the tour. Instead, those attending this summer line-up will be presented with the vocal stylings of Arnel Pineda, a Filipino vocalist who was (wait for it) discovered on Youtube.
Now, we were all set to take a huge, angry blogdump all over this new guy, this “fake Steve Perry”, arguing that a Journey Concert without Steve Perry is like going to a church that used to be an IHOP. Until we actually saw and heard the videos of Arnel singing!! He seriously sounds exactly like Steve Perry. Sure, Arnel may look sorta (exactly) like American Idol cast-off Danny Noriega… but maybe that’s a good thing? Especially considering Steve Perry was once quoted as saying he “never really felt like part of the band.”
Watch this New Fake Steve Perry Arnel Pineda sing some tunes after the jump, and then help us decide whether or not to buy tickets to this show. Let’s not forget Heart is also performing. They basically provided the soundtrack to the coming of age movie that was my late teens.
So — worth it? Watch the videos after the cut and judge away.
MarchWednesday
ICYMI: Hip-Hop-icasso Paints To Kanye
I don’t know if watching this “performance painter” Garibaldi guy (who is indeed bald) paint-dance to Kanye West’s “Stronger” is hilarious, or awesome, or both. I guess I’d just call it Hilawesome.
See the clip after the jump!
MarchWednesday
MUSIC MADNESS: Let’s Make A Muxtape!
Since this just so happens to be Marchy March and the Funky Month, I thought I’d share with you guys this cool new site called Muxtape that allows you to quickly and easily upload music to create a personalized mixtape (or Muxtape, as it were) that can be played anywhere and shared with your friends. While there aren’t yet a whole lot of bells and whistles in terms of customization or social networking, this is sort of a simple-but-awesome idea that could be an amazing new way to share and discover music with your friends. Anyway, here’s my Muxtape – no special theme really, just a collection of newer and older songs I’m listening to right now and thought you might like. Check mine out, make your own, and share the link with us in the comments!
(via BuzzFeed)
MarchTuesday
ICYMI: Willie Nelson’s Daughter Roundhouse Kicks Some Drunk Dude Off Rock Stage
I wasn’t aware that Willie Nelson had a daughter who played in bluesy Texas bar band, but even without the tenuous celebrity connection, this video (sent in by Matt Dentler) is still sort of awesome for no other reason than – at about 1:20 in – you get to see some chick kick a drunk dude several feet off a small stage. While the victim was clearly wasted and douchebaggy-looking, it’s unclear what was written on the piece of paper he obsessively kept trying to show everyone. Whatever it was couldn’t have been too good, cause Willie’s little girl gave the guy a foot-pounding that would make Johnny Lawrence feel guilty. But I feel sort of bad for Drunkie McDrunkerson when the rest of the crowd seems to follow suit in the ass-stomping.
Anyway, see the video after the jump.
MarchMonday
ICYMI: Sorry Filipino Prisoners, But You’ve Been Bested By A Woman & Her Walrus
Memo to the Internet: there is a now a video featuring a woman doing a choreographed dance to Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” along with a walrus, and it’s just waiting for all bajillion of you to watch it. Look guys, let’s not waste any more time and just go ahead and make this walrus the viral superstar it deserves to be. Now…GO!
Amazing piece of video (thanks to Katy for the tip!), after the jump!
MarchMonday
This Video Single-Handedly Undoes About Two Thousand Years Of Christian Progress
I recently saw yet another one of those commercials for a Christian Compilation CD — at least, I think it was a new one, their tracklists are all 90% the same (is “Awesome God” like the biggest-selling song of all time?) — but the quick clip of the music video for a song called “God Is In Control” by Twila Paris caught my attention. The video is by no means new or topical, but the ridiculousness of Ms. Paris dressed like an 80s female comedian and twirling around in a blurry forest accompanied by a community dance troupe (in 1995, not 1985, no less) should never be forgotten.
Ever feel like God sometimes watches these things and just silently shakes his head?
