Sacrilege or Mildly Funny?

(Alternate blog title-  ”Should everyone be allowed to use computers?”)

Neutral Milk Hotel taken far too literally…do I like this?

Against Me! New Album in June!

Against Me! have a new album coming out June 8th!

The band teamed up with legendary producer Butch Vig once again for “White Çrosses”

I can say without hesitation that Against Me! kick more ass live then most other bands out there today. Every show I have ever attended was just a lesson in sweaty, angry, passi0nate, no-holds barred punk-rock with a purpose.

The band have never been afraid to speak their mind on the politics of the world…

(“From Her Lips to God’s Ears” -Democratic election under Marshall law./An Iraqi president out of control of our choices.After all this death and destruction/Do you really think your actions advocate freedom. / The presidents giving a speech in Georgetown/To remember the voice of a slain civil rights leader,/ Do you understand what the martyrs stood for?/ Oh Condoleeza do you get the fucking joke?”)

…and the music industry.

(“Piss & Vinegar”-I’ve heard the hype about your band, Ive seen your video playing on the TV./ Publicity photos in magazines, no none of it makes me feel anything. /I would be lying to you if I did not say something. /That would make me feel like a politician. /A middle of the road opinion that no one finds offensive or challenging.I’m not interested. /The stage is not a pedestal…”)

But that’s not to say it’s all politics with Against Me! With songs like “Born on the FM Waves of The Heart” Against Me! (with a little help from Tegan Quin of Tegan & Sara) show that they can sing about love and loss of love as well. If you ask me, this is the modern, pill-popping punk rock version of “Summer Nights’” (yes I did bust out a “Grease” reference…whatever, you know you all like “Grease”

Of course I would not feel right without adding a vid of one of their older songs.

This is from 2003s “As the Eternal Cowboy”

PS this is one of my favorite song titles of all time,

“Turn Those Clapping Hands Into Angry Balled Fists”:

New “White Crosses” album pre-order and more info here:

http://www.againstme.net

Indidginus Remixes The Vanguard!

Indidginus, AKA Michael Martin, didgeridoo player, electronica artist, remixer and DJ from South Africa has done an amazing remix of The Vanguard’s first single, “Both Sides”. Download it for free below!

His deep catalog of  both ambient and dance tracks are quite amazing and his live performances have  taken him from South Africa to the UK and other parts of the world. His collaborations include work with members of The Shamen and The Orb.

For all those unschooled on the didgeridoo, Indidginus is the best I’ve heard and watching him jam out on top of his unique blend of electronica is quite transcendent.

Here’s a taste below and be sure to check out  http://www.deviantdidg.com for all things Indidginus!!!

My Ridiculously Belated Top Ten of 2009…with an excuse for being late

Hey all, ace cub reporter of RPM, Ben Foxx here…for those that care, I am amending/changing my Top 10 of 2009 due to a disease which I’ve developed which made the first list come out wrong…ya’ see, last year brought endless waves of Taylor Swift and Jonas Brothers into my life and the results were quite devastating. Every time I heard these cutie-pie, tweenatic, marketing ploy, “Pop Artists” I felt the need to shelter myself from any new incoming music.

By the way, Taylor Swift, I’m onto you…Singing a duet at the Grammys with one of the greatest Female Vocalists in Rock history, Stevie Nicks? – it was embarrasing, quite frankly. Never heard so many flat notes from an “Album of The Year” winner in all my years!
Sorry you had to go through that Stevie!

Getting back to the task at hand…My disease, Swiftian Jonasplexia, made me slack on really listening to all the albums my Ipod  had been feasting on last year (shameless plug for Apple…wanna throw some Ipads our way?)

Anyway, My original Top 10 was (No Order)

Gallows- Grey Britain, Avett brothers-I and Love and You, The Mountain Goats- The Life of the World to Come, Pearl Jam- Backspacer, Mastodon- Crack the Skye, Other Lives-Self Titled, AC Newman- Get Guilty, Slayer-World Painted Blood, Muse-The Resistance, The Veils- Sun Gangs
Late 2008 entry…Fucked Up- The Chemistry of Modern Life

After some serious listening,  I’m sorry  AC Newman, Mastodon, and Pearl Jam
(Pearl Jam, thanks for pulling your embed codes, may have sealed the deal)…you have all been dropped down to Honorable Mention. Your albums are all amazing but I neglected some other albums, who after great moral reflection I needed to add.

Oh and also I gained the balls to put them in order…

here they are:

1. Wild Beasts-Two Dancers

RPM’s intrepid founder, Bob Berman, got this one right.

Melancholy, beautiful, mysterious, complex, challenging….shit my Thesaurus just broke!
Wild Beasts, welcome to an official RPM blog video repeat!!!

2. Gallows- Grey Britain
absolutely ridiculous punk band from England…safe to say their pissed…

3. The Mountain Goats- The Life of the World to Come
Here’s a really interesting video of lead singer & master storyteller John Darnielle:

4. Other Lives- Self Titled
Most underated album of the year…acoustic version of the opener

5. Royksopp- Junior
Get out your bowling shoes and put your pleasure suit on!

6. Jay Reatard- Watch Me Fall
Yes, I forgot to put him on my original list…yes, I feel terrible about it.
It was the disease, I swear!
Great talent lost…R.I.P. Jay Reatard

7. The Veils- Sun Gangs
Brilliant Songwriting…the most important part of it all…and drums…and a bass rig and a van…

8. The Avett Brothers- I and Love and You
Yeah, I didn’t get it either…I and Love and…oh just watch the vid!

9. Muse- The Resistance
OK, I know they are beyond huge at this point but this new album has full-on symphonies (no for real…in 3 parts!)

10. Slayer- World Painted Black
Really don’t want lead singer, Tom Araya kickin my ass…
He just cancelled the tour for back surgery and I’m pretty sure there’s no vid for the album, so he doesn’t need a pissant like me leaving Slayer off the list.
RethinkPopMusic wishes Tom a speedy recovery…hope his Surgeon has horns and a tail!

OK, so as a reward for taking in my late in the game choice of preferences, I give you another belated video tribute…my Late 2008 entry:
Fucked Up- The Chemistry of Modern Life:
To be that fat and hairy and still take your shirt off at every show you have to be great!
Oh and Moby’s a fan…

Jay Reatard- Homicide?

It is being reported on various websites that Memphis Police are investigating the death of Jay Reatard as a Homicide investigation. This good get dicey, he really knew how to piss people off. Here is a link to more info:
http://larecord.com/news/2010/01/14/mpd-investigating-jay-reatards-death-as-a-homicide/#more-39360

Here are a couple of pictures which were taken a day before his death-posted on his twitter page…pretty strange stuff: