Entertainment - Wednesday, December 10, 2008 8:13 - 19 Comments
Bon “B-Pain” Iver Uses Auto-Tune, White People to Find a New Excuse to Hate T-Pain
In case you are one of the literally billions of people who haven’t heard, indie-folk favorite and all-around white dude Justin Vernon—aka Bon Iver—has opted to use something that sounds suspiciously like auto-tune on his new song “Woods” from the upcoming Blood Bank EP.
Bon Iver first garnered attention (from white people) late last year/early this year for the cripplingly emotional sounds of For Emma, Forever Ago, which was allegedly recorded by Vernon in a cabin or some shit. Though he hasn’t totally ditched the au naturale sound for Blood Bank, there are some amps being used, as well as hip-hop’s favorite plug-in. Continue…
Entertainment - Monday, December 8, 2008 13:01 - 6 Comments
Fall Out Boy’s ‘Folie à Deux’ Is A Dream Come True
The best thing about Fall Out Boy’s recently leaked new album Folie à Deux—due out next Tuesday, Dec. 16—is imagining the four boys from the Chicago suburbs sitting around dreaming the whole thing up. “What if we got Elvis Costello to sing a line?” Pete Wentz must have wondered.
“Ha! That’d be amazing,” Patrick Stump probably responded. “Imagine if we could get Lil Wayne, though. Or Pharrell. Or Debbie Harry!”
Mission accomplished.
Entertainment - Tuesday, November 18, 2008 17:29 - 10 Comments
Petition to Bury Rihanna’s “Good Girl Gone Bad”
“Rehab” is the eighth single from Rihanna’s 2007 album Good Girl Gone Bad. The first, of course, was the greatest song of all time, “Umbrella,” and in between we’ve seen a hodge podge including the ballad with Ne-Yo and that one inspired by a Shia Labeouf movie. Judging by this MOR video—despite featuring JT and being co-written by Timbaland—we need to call it an album. Continue…
Entertainment - Tuesday, November 18, 2008 14:39 - 1 Comment
Coldplay and Jay-Z Do Not Ask For Directions
Already one of the biggest bands of the year by default, Chris Martin and co. will be releasing the Prospekt’s March EP next week. The cornerstone of the 8-song EP is this remix of “Lost” which apparently has a video (above) and features Martin’s now frequent contributor Jay-Z in surprisingly solid verse about how hard it is to be famous. The video comes complete with crowd noise and quick-cut concert footage, except for Hov’s 16 bars, which he spits against a plain white backdrop.
Now, Kanye West is prone to hyberbole, but there’s one story of his that I’ll always remember. Continue…
Entertainment - Thursday, November 13, 2008 15:31 - 1 Comment
Lil Wayne’s “Dedication 3″ Drops Today
Lil Wayne is back on his mixtape grind today as we brace for the release of Dedication 3, the next installment in DJ Drama’s Gangsta Grillz series. Expect a lot of verses from weed carriers and even more auto-tune. “A lot of syrup, a lot pills and a lot of weed.” Keep your eyes peeled.
Entertainment - Monday, November 10, 2008 15:38 - 4 Comments
We All Missed Justin Timberlake
Since it’s re-introduction into the music world circa-2005, the auto-tune has been a topic of constant debate. Some listeners (ahem, Kanye) herald the auto-tune as hip-hop’s most innovative instrument while some refuse to acknowledge its legitimacy. Still others don’t understand what all the fuss is about. At times, these debates grow to be so convoluted that they begin to overshadow the music itself.
But every couple of months or so, a song comes along that simply forces people to listen. Lil Wayne’s “Me and My Drank” is an arresting ode to Wayne’s alcoholic concoction of choice, Kanye West’s “Coldest Winter” is a beautiful rendering of Tears for Fears’ “Memories Fade,” and as of four days ago, it brings me much pleasure to add the following song to the Rolodex of auto-tune laden masterpieces: T-Pain and Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Believe It (Remix).” How much do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Continue…
Entertainment - Thursday, October 30, 2008 11:52 - 8 Comments
You Are Officially Allowed To Think Hillary Duff Is Sexy
Though it has been a long time coming, it’s still a little bit jarring to see Lizzie McGuire writhing around and begging me to touch her. But that’s exactly the premise of “Reach Out,” Hillary Duff’s re-imagining of Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus.” I’m going to go out on a limb here, acknowledge that a lot of girls will hate it, and say she pulls it off.
Entertainment - Thursday, October 30, 2008 5:41 - 1 Comment
M.I.A. Got Pregnant, Unretired, Dropped “Shells”
Ms. “Paper Planes” herself told us this summer that she was retiring. Her and Hova both, because as it turns out, Maya was just busy getting knocked up as the rest of the world realized Kala had a hit buried within. Continue…
Entertainment - Thursday, October 9, 2008 11:15 - 0 Comments
Fall Out Boy Still Believe Long Song Titles Are In, Drop Second Single
The band’s new single is called “Headfirst Slide Into Cooperstown On A Bad Bet” and is available now on the internets (or probably iTunes or wherever all of you buy your music). And although this is supposed to be the second single from the band’s upcoming album Folie a Quarte, due out on Election Day, I haven’t heard a peep from these guys since that Closer song.
The first single was allegedly called “I Don’t Care” and didn’t take off like the band would’ve hoped, but did I just sleep through this? No Gossip Girl cameo, no Verizon ad tie-in—looks like someone’s marketing department is fucking up.
Entertainment - Thursday, October 9, 2008 2:45 - 1 Comment
Spinnerette Pop “Valium,” Still Freak Out
Do you know The Distillers? If not, you should.
Feminist alert: singer Brody Dalle is the deepest, throatiest, rawest gal in punk right now. She roared at the helm of The Distillers from 1998 to 2006. Since the L.A. band’s breakup, Dalle has joined an impressive lineup of musicians to form Spinnerette. Dalle and her Distiller bandmate Tony Bevilacqua team with Jack Irons (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam) and Alain Johannes (Queens of the Stone Age)—the resulting sound is a gnarlier Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Continue…
