Paramore New Shit

Oh snap, it looks like everyone's favorite female-led pop-punk band is back at it. They've just announced that their third studio LP will be titled Brand New Eyes and will come out September 29th. It will come out on Fueled by Ramen, the same label they've been signed to since the beginning. Rob Cavallo will be the producer on this album. And for anyone who actually regularly reads this blog, you may recognize that name as the man who produced every Green Day until the latest piece of trash. But at the same time, he's produced Paris Hilton's album, Avril Lavigne, David Cook, and so on. But Paramore's last single, "Decode" off the Twilight soundtrack was Paramore's first work with Cavallo. If the album sounds like that, all should be good.

Paramore has also stated that the first single off Brand New Eyes will be "Ignorance," which will be available on iTunes and Amazon and other digital retailers July 7th. That's also the same day you can begin pre-ordering the album on Paramore's site.

Track listing:

1. "Careful"
2. "Ignorance"
3. "Playing God"
4. "Brick by Boring Brick"
5. "Turn It Off"
6. "The Only Exception"
7. "Feeling Sorry"
8. "Looking Up"
9. "Where the Lines Overlap"
10. "Misguided Ghosts"
11. "All I Wanted"

Clipse Kinda Like a Big Deal Video

The return of the hardest rappers alive.

Clipse has released their latest video, for their single "Kinda Like a Big Deal." The track and video features Kanye West, which is unfortunate, but whatever. The video is a generic hip-hop video, honestly, nothing special, but because it's Clipse, it warrants a post.
The new album from Clipse, Till the Casket Drops, drops September 8th. Unlike their past two (three, really), this album isn't produced solely by The Neptunes. Instead, Clipse is following in the steps of Lil' Wayne by having the game's biggest and best producers on the album. Everyone from Swizz Beatz to Timbaland to Kanye to Rick Rubin have a hand in the production.

Read more at RollingStone.com.

HBO's The Pacific

It is my firm believe that the greatest thing ever put to film is the ten-part miniseries Band of Brothers. Produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, who also gave us Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers told the story of Easy Company of the 2nd Infantry of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment during World War II.
Now, we have the trailer to the not-really-a-sequel, The Pacific. While Band of Brothers focused on the Army's role in Europe, The Pacific deals with the Marines in the Pacific, duh. Also, most of the filming took place in Australia. It's said that the entire project created 4000 jobs in Australia and generated nearly AUD$180 million for the Australian economy. With a budget of $150 million, it's the most expensive series ever filmed in Australia. The Pacific is adapted from two memoirs: With the Old Breed by Eugene Sledge and Helmet for My Pillow by Robert Leckie. These memoirs include the battles at Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, Peleliu, Okinawa, and Iwa Jima, so it's very likely these will appear in the miniseries.

Look for it on HBO in the US March 2010.

Fuck the Bureau, I'd Rather Be Spending Euros

My List of what's "big" in Italy right now:

1) Partying:
The summer has arrived here in Rome, which means that all types of tools are roaming the streets in search of a party. Luckily, my neighborhood is home to Rome's finest night spots, so I get to see the cream of the crop. For instance, say you are raging at the river banks club, La Maison, with Fat Joe, when you feel the urge to take a dip. Well you're in luck because this club has not only one but two swimming pools for you to swim in, suspended safely above the revolting waters of the Tiber. No joke here, this pic is from my own cell phone.


2) Weird Hideous Velcro Designer Shoes
Don't really get the "look" behind this one. Somewhere between a nun's orthopedic and a weird spaceman slipper, I'll let the Euros rock this one, too bad their Air Max's cost $300.

3) Dime Piece Models

Italy has a rep for its young fillys, and this is NO JIVE

New Album Releases

In the past few weeks, a lot of new albums have come out from a wide range of artists.

dredg - The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion
First, one of my favorite local bands independently released their fourth album. Dredg comes from Los Gatos, CA and until recently was signed to Universal and Interscope. However, they were dropped from their label and decided to release their new album, The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion on their own Ohlone Label. Like their other albums, this album is inspired by high-brow art. While El Cielo is inspired by Dali's Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening, The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion is inspired by Salman Rushdie's essay "A Letter to the Six Billionth Citizen." Additionally, bassist Drew Roulette describes the album as "a rock and roll record, filled with experimental journeys and eccentric jousts." Yeah, that sounds like dredg. Anyways, it's a damn good album, so I recommend you all go check it out.

Street Sweeper Social Club - Street Sweeper Social Club
Surely, the biggest album to come out recently was Street Sweeper Social Club's debut, self-titled effort. And it is an absolute banger, as if there was any doubt. Tom Morello and Boots Riley, 'nuff said. It's nice to hear Morello's riffs against some angry leftist, revolutionary lyrics again. And might I say that Boots Riley is a much more angry and Marxist individual than Zach de la Rocha. Morello says of the album, "Revolutionary party jams. It's got huge steamroller riffs combined with depth, charge, funk, while Boots unloads clip after clip of incendiary rhymes rich with satire and venom." Boots Riley adds, "This is a time when the working class is being fleeced left and right. More families will be homeless and more people will be jobless. They'll need something to listen to on their iPod's while storming Wall Street."

Now if only someone can make a SSSC/One Day as a Lion mashup. It's half of Rage, the best half at that. They could call it One Day as a Street Sweeper. I came up with that myself, but you can use it.

Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
The third album from the Leicester-based quintet is titled West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum. Guitarist Sergio Pizzorno has called the 52-minute album to "the soundtrack to an imaginary movie." Also, Rosario Dawson appears on track 7 "West Ryder/Silver Bullet." Apparently, West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum was a loony bin in England nears Leeds in the 19th century. And that's where the title comes from. I just wish they used the album cover from the "Vlad the Imaler" single:

Mos Def - The Ecstatic
This is the fourth solo album from Brooklyn-based rapper Mos Def. The title likely refers to the ecstasy that Obama induced in America. The first single off the album, "Life in Marvelous Times," is an Obama track. Anyways, Mos Def has been called the best lyricist alive. Esquire magazine has this to say about Mos Def and his second single, "Quiet Dog Bite Hard," "Because there is no better lyricist (or deliverer of lyrics) in music. Not hip-hop. Music." So, yeah. Well, the production is incredible, but what do you expect from J Dilla, Madlib, Oh No, and Chad Hugo. Somehow, with so many different producers, each track still sounds uniquely Mos Def. Given Mos Def is one of those crazy black guys with conspiracy theories about the government, his lyrics are incredible and his album is solid.

Other albums this week include Wale's new mixtape Back to the Feature, Incubus' greatest hits/b-sides compilation Monuments and Melodies.

Flyer Than the Rest of Them

Finally...delayed a couple months, Wale's new mixtape is finally coming out today. You can pick Back to the Feature up, probably around 7 PM Eastern at WaleMusic.com.

Ah, free music, it's better when it's legal.

Scorsese Returns: Shutter Island

This October my favorite director, Martin Scorsese, will return with his first major feature length drama since 2006's The Departed. Shutter Island is a suspenseful mystery, which follows the journey of a young detective investigating the disappearance of a patient at an island prison for the criminally insane. The slick 1950's art-deco-y look of the movie is right up my alley, and the proven chemistry between Scorsese and lead actor Leo DiCaprio is sure to make for must see cinema. Marty hasn't really delved into the suspense/mystery genre since his remake of Cape Fear, which is actually one of my favorite Scorsese movies. So naturally, when I first heard about Shutter Island, I was pretty excited. Just today, however, I saw the trailer, and I have to say it looks awesome. Combine Scorsese's incendiary vision and DiCaprio's skill as a cop in a mysterious 1950's setting, and I think you have a pretty unbeatable setup. Anyway, the movie looks unreal, a must see (hopefully they will have it Europe somewhere in October), so be sure to check it out. Until then you can see the trailer here.

Also: keep an eye open for some new updates chronicling my life as I begin my summer job as a Vatican City tour guide LOL

Wale - Chillin

Wale (The King of the DMV) still hasn't put out that new mixtape with 9th Wonder. He claims it will come out next week, but that's when his LP is supposed to drop as well. My guess is that the mixtape comes out sometime next week, but the LP won't come out until next month. At this point, Wale is just taking his sweet time with releasing new music. But he did have time to make a video for his latest single "Chillin." The track and video feature Lady Gaga, who still confuses me. I don't know if she's hot, and this video does nothing to help me decide. It's those weird bangs she has. But apart from Lady Gaga, there are a lot of DC cameos, including Ben's Chili Bowl, Universal Madness, Slim Charles, Bun B, and Young Chris. Wale also hit up Bodega, the shoe store behind the Snapple machine, for the video. Too bad that shop's actually up in Boston, not in DC. Wale's also been on tour these past few months, promoting his album on the Attention: Deficit Tour. His last East Coast stop was in DC, at the 9:30 club. Check out footage from the show below:

New Hilltop Hoods

For any of you who have listened to our show, you've probably heard our favorite Australia hip-hop group Hilltop Hoods. Well, they've come out with their first single in three years, with a new album next week as well. The new single is entitled "Chase That Feeling." Check out the video here. Also, for anyone who's heading to Australia this summer (winter for them), be sure to check them out when they tour. Not only that, but Hilltop Hoods is touring with Classified, our favorite Canadian rapper. If only I had an excuse to go to Australia, I imagine it's exactly like that Jackie Chan movie. Tour info here.

311 - Uplifter and Other News

Check it out! 311 released their latest album yesterday, entitled Uplifter. And if their first single "Hey You" is any indication, this album should be pretty solid. 311 stated ahead of the release that this, their 9th studio album would be their heaviest yet. I have yet to listen to it, but I'll update this post once I do later today.

Update: This album is definitely not the best thing 311 has put out. Probably not in their top 5 albums (Soundsystem, 311, Transistor, From Chaos, and Evolver in no particular order). But it's still decent alt-rock with a twist of dub and reggae, classic, average 311. Some tracks would be perfectly at home on other, older albums (i.e. "Something Out of Nothing"). This track has heavy guitar and bass lines and a harmonized, nearly nonsensical chorus that is the band's trademark. The lyrics are generically forgettable, but if you are listening to 311 for insightful poetry, you are an idiot. This is easy-to-enjoy summer music. And wow, look when they decided to release it!

Over the years, what 311's been best at has been creating one sound that merges so many different genres: rapping, rock guitar riffs, reggae steel drums, and dub echo and reverb. It's almost formulaic on some tracks, but that comes with having mega-producer Bob Rock on your album. For reference, he's the same guy who's worked with Simple Plan, Metallica, Bon Jovi, and Motley Crue. He produced St. Anger, Slippery When Wet, and The Offspring's new album Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace. Take that as you will.

Yet, one aspect of Uplifter that separates it from past 311 albums is its acceptance of the indie sound (see "Too Much Too Fast"). It sounds like 311 channeling Weezer (new Weezer unfortunately). Too poppy for me. That being said, this album is definitely heavy on the whole, just like their older albums (pre-Soundsystem). I honestly think this album would be much more well received had it been released between 1995-1999, instead of now when alt-rock is more acoustic and melodious than powerful and groovy. What's interesting to see is how much 311 and Incubus have diverged in recent years. While both began as reggae-loving, alt-rock, funk acts in the 90s, Incubus has embraced a more mellow sound, while 311 has stuck to its angsty, almost punk-chanting sound. Sure, 311 has it's lighter moments (i.e. Amber, My Heart Sings, Love Song), but on the whole, it's a much more heavy and groovy band than most out there. For evidence of this, check out the new tracks "India Ink" and "Never Ending Summer" that is some powerful stuff. I love these tracks, but some of the other tracks sound too generic, but it's all definitely better than Don't Tread on Me. Needless to say, the funk abides, and P-Nut dominates. Just look at the silly bastard...
Overall, it's a bunch of 3-4 star tracks, nothing spectacular. The best tracks are "Hey You," "India Ink," "Never Ending Summer," and "Jackpot."


Other News:

• Arctic Monkeys New Arctic Monkeys on August 25th! And if you didn't know, the third album from the British quartet is produced by QOTSA frontman Josh Homme, with the help of James Ford. That's some heavy shit. You can find more info here at CoS. The album has no title yet, but it has a track list:
1. My Propeller
2. Crying Lightning
3. Dangerous Animals
4. Secret Door
5. Potion Approaching
6. Fire & The Thud
7. Cornerstone
8. Dance Little Liar
9. Pretty Visitors
10. The Jeweller’s Hands


• High Fidelity BU My boy Garrett is sitting in his apartment in Boston these days with little to do, so he's decided he will be updating his blog 3-5 times per week this month. Let's see if he keeps it up. Check it out here.


• Asher Baby! Asher Roth, fresh off his debut album has already gotten big enough that he is headlining his own tour. Of course, he's bringing some friends along, including Kid Cudi, B.o.B., Pac Dic, and 88 Keys. So, along with Lollapalooza and opening for the blink-182 reunion tour, Asher is going to headline "The Great Hangover Tour." I'm pretty excited about seeing Asher, Cudi, and B.o.B. in great small venues. I just wish I was back in DC to see them at 9:30. So, check out tour dates and other info at CoS.


• Dr. Dre for Dr. Pepper Like Dr. J and Dr. Love (Gene Simmons) before him, Dr. Dre will now appear in a Dr. Pepper ad campaign. So, instead of finishing Detox, Dre has decided to put out crap like Relapse and to make Dr. Pepper commercials. Oh and to continue taking steroids. Great. At least we get a short preview of some new Dre beats in the ad's background. Check it out below:
  
  


• Pearl Jam Recently, Pearl Jam has announced that their new album Backspacer will be sold exclusively at Target. You'll also be able to pick it up at "independent retailers" and from Pearl Jam's site. Not only that, but the band played a secret show in Seattle a little while back and filmed it with director Cameron Crowe. The shoot will apparently be a part of a new Target ad campaign just as Christina Aguilera had done with her last album. Not only that, but for the first time in 20 years, Pearl Jam is without record label, so it's safe to say that without Target's partnership, this album would probably not see the light of day. You'll be able to pick up a copy of the album in Fall. For now, Pearl Jam premiered a new song, "Get Some," on Conan on Monday. Check it out below: