Spinner

Mew, 'Repeaterbeater' -- Free MP3 of the Day

Mike Spinella — 2009-07-05T06:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Free MP3 of the Day, New Music

Artist: Mew
Songs: 'Repeaterbeater'
Album: 'No More Stories...' [iTunes]
Sounds Like: Sigur Ros, Sunny Day Real Estate

Download: 'Repeaterbeater' (MP3)

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Ty Segall, 'It #1' -- Free MP3 of the Day

Mike Spinella — 2009-07-04T06:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Free MP3 of the Day

Artist: Ty Segall
Songs: 'It #1'
Album: 'Lemons' [iTunes]
Sounds Like: Wavves, Crystal Antlers

Download: 'It #1' (MP3)

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Micachu & the Shapes, 'Golden Phone' -- Video of the Day

Adam Horne — 2009-07-03T18:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Video of the Day

Artist: Micachu & the Shapes
Video: 'Golden Phone'
Highlight: The British trio give this breezy tune the visual treatment with bright colors and geometric shapes.

Twisted Tales: Sex Scandal Severs Singing Senators Supergroup

James Sullivan — 2009-07-03T14:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Twisted Tales

This Fourth of July weekend, you might feel moved to cue up Jimi Hendrix's 'Star-Spangled Banner' or the Ray Charles version of 'America the Beautiful.' Maybe Neil Diamond's 'America,' if you're feeling especially swell-chested. But your Independence Day playlist would be a lot longer if the Singing Senators hadn't broken up with such spectacular fireworks.

Formed in 1995 to sing a barbershop-style version of 'Happy Birthday' for fellow U.S. lawmakers, the Singing Senators were four Republican legislators with a shared taste for four-part harmony. Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott sang bass; Missouri's John Ashcroft sang baritone; Vermont's Jim Jeffords sang tenor, and lead vocals were handled by Larry Craig of Idaho.

The Singing Senators quickly made a name for themselves outside politics, performing on 'The Today Show' and with the Oak Ridge Boys. Taking instruction from Guy Hovis, a Mississippi organizer for Lott better known as one-half of Guy & Ralna, one of the more popular featured acts on the old 'Lawrence Welk Show,' the Senators recorded an album, 'Let Freedom Sing,' in Nashville in 1998.

U-N-I, 'Land of the Kings' -- Free MP3 of the Day

Mike Spinella — 2009-07-03T06:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Free MP3 of the Day

Artist: U-N-I
Songs: 'Land of the Kings'
Album: 'Land of the Kings' [iTunes]
Sounds Like: Kid Cudi, 88 Keys

Download: 'Land of the Kings' (MP3)

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Sharon Van Etten, 'For You' -- Video of the Day

Adam Horne — 2009-07-02T18:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Video of the Day

Artist: Sharon Van Etten
Video: 'For You'
Highlight: A series of black and white close-up shots add emotional weight to this clip from the Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter.

The Chum Bucket: Jack White's 'Mars' Movie + More

Adam Horne — 2009-07-02T17:00:00 00:00

Filed under: The Chum Bucket

Apparently Jack White appeared in a campy sci-fi flick called 'Mutant Swinger From Mars.' Is that Oscar buzz we hear? [Corner Shop Studios]

Now Kanye West can add 'director' to the list of things he claims to be the best in the world at. [Rolling Stone]

The 'Rock of Ages' cast, crew and audience broke the world record for largest air guitar ensemble (as well as 'most pointless world record'). [BWE]

Moonwalk competition at the Apollo. Who's in? [Gothamist]

Brad Pitt + Department of Eagles = A wonderfully WTF Japanese commercial. [Pitchfork]

John Doe Balances Punk and Country With X and the Sadies

David Chiu — 2009-07-02T16:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, Exclusive

Several years ago musician John Doe toured with Wilco, who were taking fans' requests of what songs the group should perform onstage through their Website. That gave Doe an idea of doing something similar for his own band, X. So for the Los Angeles punk group's current 'Total Request Live' tour, X fans have the opportunity to vote for their favorite X songs for the band to play in their city. "It's fun," Doe, 56, tells Spinner about the experience. "It's a little bit more work but I have made so many set lists [that] it's not difficult."

On the group's official site, xtheband.com, fans can pick their five favorite X tunes from a list of approximately 40 songs prior to the group arriving at a tour stop. So far, it's led to some interesting picks. "'The Have Nots' was the biggest surprise," Doe says. "Even when we wrote it and released it, we didn't play it that much. Another big surprise was 'Under the Big Black Sun.' We never played that one very much either. It's also a little surprising that each night is very different."

Dredg Aim to Dodge 'Concept' Label on New Album

Benjy Eisen — 2009-07-02T15:30:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive

Dredg frontman Gavin Hayes admits to Spinner that Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon' is such a sick concept album that he remains "quite jealous of it." That might also explain Dredg's predisposition for recording concept albums. Or, at least, thematic ones. Initially inspired by a Salvador Dali painting, the band's stand-out 2002 disc 'El Cielo' dealt largely with sleep paralysis and their latest, 'The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion' was directly influenced by a Salmon Rushdie essay entitled 'Imagine There's No Heaven: A Letter to the 6 Billionth Citizen.'

"The concept unfolded after we had written a few songs," Hayes tells Spinner, recalling that guitarist Mark Engles stumbled across the essay and realized the content was directly applicable to material they had already been working on. "From that point on, we used the essay as an influence and template for the writing and art direction."

Music Appreciation: Prince Harry

Benjy Eisen — 2009-07-02T15:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Music Appreciation

Prince Harry just might be the member of the British Royal Family most likely to go on a Las Vegas bender. It should come as little surprise, then, that he's a fan of Vegas exports the Killers. At a recent concert in London's Hyde Park, His Royal Highness even paid a visit backstage to say hello and meet the band. Reportedly, he smiled like he meant it.

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'Weird Al' Yankovic Has a Love-Hate Relationship With the Internet

Dan Reilly — 2009-07-02T14:30:00 00:00

Filed under: News, New Music, Exclusive

Rather than take the traditional released route with his new EP, "Weird Al" Yankovic embraced the inevitable, titled it 'Internet Leaks' and started putting out the tracks one at a time digitally. "My next album isn't going to be out for quite some time, I'm guessing next year, but I wanted to give the fans something new to keep them excited," Yankovic tells Spinner. "I thought 'you know, there's no point in holding these tracks back' so I decided instead of having them illegally to the Internet, I'll just leak them myself."

After last year's fast food-themed parody of T.I.'s 'Whatever You Like' and last month's Doors-inspired 'Craigslist,' the three remaining tracks from 'Internet Leaks' will be released over the course of the summer. "They're all originals, mostly style parodies of other artists and bands," Yankovic says, refusing to reveal any more about the content. "While 'Craigslist' was a live action video, the other three will be animated. I'm very happy with them and I hope the fans respond to them."

Sound Tribe Sector 9 Try to 'Make it Right' for New Orleans

Benjy Eisen — 2009-07-02T14:00:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive

Sound Tribe Sector Nine are building a house in New Orleans but it's not called the Rising Sun. And they're not building it literally because they'll be too busy hitting all the major summer festivals nationwide, but they are doing their part.

It's part of the band's 2009 'Make It Right' drive in which STS9, who have a long history of social activism and charitable fundraising, are focusing all their energy on just one cause for the year: building a house in New Orleans for residents of the Katrina-torn Lower Ninth Ward.

"After visiting New Orleans multiple times since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, we realized we wanted to try and build a house," bassist David Murphy tells Spinner. To break ground for it, figuratively speaking, the band just released remixes of their most recent CD, 2008's 'Peaceblaster.' Featured remix masterminds on 'Peaceblaster: The New Orleans Make It Right Remixes' include the Glitch Mob, Pretty Lights, Nosaj Thang, Lazor Sword, Bluetech, Telepath and Ott.

Courtney Love Blames Malnourishment on Financial Stress

John D. Luerssen — 2009-07-02T13:45:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Holy Hell

Courtney Love isn't saying she's anorexic, but she concedes she's looking "painfully thin" lately. "I know I've got too skinny," the Hole frontwoman told the Daily Mirror. "I know I need to sort it out."

Love, who looked downright voluptuous a few years ago, says her doctor diagnosed her with malnutrition two weeks ago. "He gave me a massive shot of vitamins and told me to start eating," said the 44-year-old rocker, who reportedly weighs just 84 pounds and is five feet, 10 inches tall.

Celebrate 'Independents Day' With Free MP3s

Adam Horne — 2009-07-02T13:07:00 00:00

Filed under: Songs, Free MP3 of the Day, New Music

As part of an Independence Day tradition, editors at the Boston Phoenix crafted a state-by-state guide to the best emerging bands in America. To celebrate our country's melting pot of independent music, the staff chose one band for each of the 50 states.

It appears we have similar taste. Many of the Phoenix's '50 Bands, 50 States' choices are acts we've also featured in Spinner's Free MP3 of the Day. See where the Phoenix and Spinner cross paths, and help yourself to some free MP3s for your July 4th barbecue soundtrack.

Potent Quotables: Isaak on the Prowl

Kim Davis — 2009-07-02T13:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Potent Quotables

"I'm willing to clean the lawns, wash the cars, I have a decent salary ... I'll even shut up and listen in a conversation and I don't watch sports!" --Chris Isaak

In a recent interview, the crooner, who describes his previous mates as "bright, funny and gorgeous," is looking for someone new. No pressure, ladies.

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U2, 'Get On Your Boots' (Live) -- Exclusive Video

Ashley Iasimone — 2009-07-02T12:30:00 00:00

Filed under: Video, Exclusive

U2 kicked off a world tour in Barcelona this week, and even paid tribute to Michael Jackson by dedicating 'Angel of Harlem' to the late singer, weaving in pieces of Jackson's 'Man in the Mirror' and 'Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough' toward the end of the performance.

But before U2 embarked on their current trek, dubbed the 360° Tour, they played a short string of intimate U.S. gigs in March. One of these performances was at the historic Somerville Theatre just outside of Boston, which houses less than 900 people in its audience. Check out an exclusive video from that evening of the band rocking out to 'Get On Your Boots,' the lead single from 2009's 'No Line On the Horizon.'

Spinnerette, 'Baptized by Fire' -- Video Premiere

Jolie Lash — 2009-07-02T12:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Video, Exclusive

As the frontwoman of Spinnerette, Brody Dalle is used to the attention that comes with her position at center stage. Being the sole human focus of her outfit's videos, however, isn't something she's comfortable with yet. "Yeah, it's weird," she tells Spinner of the new video for 'Baptized by Fire,' from the band's self-titled debut, which features Dalle all alone on a mysterious beach. "I didn't really want to do that."

Originally, Dalle's longtime pal, Spinnerette guitarist Tony Bevilacqua, was set to appear as a "black figure looming around in the background," but he bowed out before the shoot because he "thought it was going to take away from the whole thing," according to Dalle. Under the direction of Brit Chris Hopewell, whose pedigree includes Radiohead's 'There There,' and The Killers' 'Smile Like You Mean It,' Dalle, sans Tony, spent two days in front of the camera on a windy beach in Dungeness, England, earlier this year for the video. "There was like this incessant wind," she says of the chilly shoot. "It was like the coast of England. It's like Kent or some s--- like that and it's like godd--- freezing. It never is not windy."

Michael Jackson to Be Honored With Butter Statue at Iowa State Fair

Steve Baltin — 2009-07-02T11:30:00 00:00

Filed under: News, R.I.P., Holy Hell

The tributes to Michael Jackson will surely keep coming, but we're betting none will top the Iowa State Fair's homage to the King of Pop for surreality. Now, it's not traditional State Fair, um, fare like fried Twinkees or Snickers in deep batter, but it's not far off.

The Des Moines Register reports that the fair is planning to honor Jackson with a butter statue. That's right, a likeness of the King of Pop made of dairy. The statue, which will reportedly sit in a cooler chilled to 40 degrees, will serve a two-fold purpose, and no, it's not for giant french toast. In addition to being a memorial of sorts, the moonwalking Jackson will also pay homage to the 40th anniversary of the moon landing.

George Thorogood Takes MLB Owners to Task Over Steroids

Steve Baltin — 2009-07-02T11:00:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive

''Lonesome" George Thorogood is far better equipped than most to speak about the ongoing steroids controversy in baseball. Prior to being 'Bad to the Bone,' Thorogood was a semi-pro baseball player who, even today, speaks as passionately about Sandy Koufax versus Bob Gibson as the Rolling Stones versus the Beatles.

So, who does the guitar slinger think is responsible for the steroids controversy that has dogged baseball for more than a decade and has implicated such major players as Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens and Alex Rodriguez? "If Keith Richards wrote the number one song of all time back in 1973 and he was mixing cocaine with heroin to do it, what do you think the president of that company and the producer of the record would give him?" Thorogood asks Spinner. "They all understood what was going on. Everybody knew what was going on. Nobody cared because the ball was going into the seats. That thing had been going on for years; somebody was gonna find an edge."

Michael Jackson Names Diana Ross in His Will + More

Zaby Currie — 2009-07-02T10:30:00 00:00

Filed under: News Today, Oh Boy!

Michael Jackson's will has been filed with the LA Courts, with Diana Ross named second in line to care for the King of Pop's children. Meanwhile the DEA had joined the fray investigating Michael's death.

Southern California's Electric Daisy Carnival is giving Coachella's electro-tent a run for it's money. The festival drew over 135,000 revelers, giving artists like Paul van Dyk, David Guetta and Groove Armada their biggest US audience ever.

Kiwi sensation Liam Finn is following up his supporting dates for Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder by releasing a new album, 'Champagne in Seashells' on September 1.

Grizzly Bear, Deerhunter, and Dirty Projectors are among the illustrious line-up playing at Jelly NYC's Brooklyn Pool Parties this summer.

Sondre Lerche is releasing a new album called 'Heartbeat Radio' on September 8.