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Daily Dots Daily Dots: Silversun Pickups, N.W.A., Judge Judy, Mos Dub, Morrissey, Joy Division, New Order, David Holmes, Kevin Shields, Batman Pr0n Parody

by Joshua Glazer

May 3, 2010 - 4:43 pm

Today’s bloggin best…

- Watch the Silversun Pickups very ’90s alt-rock video for their very ’90s alt-rock music. SPIN

- N.W.A. biopic to be written by Wold Trade Center screenwriter. Prefix

- Hipsters fight over a dead cat on Judge Judy. BPM

- From the creator of Jaydiohead comes Mos Dub. Idealist Propaganda

- Morrissey wrote a poem for a deceased and dedicated fan. Spinner

- People are loving this Joy Division/New Order bootleg blog. Joy Division Bootlegs

- David Holmes unearths an unreleased Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine) remix. Hypetrak

- Porn production quality is dead? This parody of ’60 Batman is perfect. Boing Boing

Music DVD: ‘The Heart Is A Drum Machine’ Asks The BIG Questions About Music

by Joshua Glazer

March 29, 2010 - 10:17 am

“What is music?” is a question that seems to be on the mind (or meme) of a lot of people lately. Last year’s best selling book This Is You Brain On Music took a scientific shot at explaining the phenomenon of rhythm, tone and timbre while indie documentary The Heart Is A Drum Machine takes a far more anecdotal approach to the question. In fact, anecdotal is what defines this film (released on DVD last week), which culls together 70-plus minutes of interview footage with an eclectic assortment of music practitioners and enthusiasts that range from Red Hot Chili Pepper guitarist John Frusciante and actress-turned-rocker Julliette Lewis to comedy team Tim and Eric and scientist Ann Druyan.

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Music Tuesday is the New Friday!

by Christine Spehar

November 18, 2009 - 12:13 pm

Tuesday is the new Friday. Don’t believe me? The lineup of LA Weekly’s 101 Festival at Universal Studio’s Gibson Amphitheater proves it. The bill boasted four diverse musical acts, all of whom got their starts from humble, do-it-yourself beginnings and have emerged as leaders in the indie rock world. Can you say as much for your Friday—let alone Tuesday—night?

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Music Silversun Pickups at All Points West: Absolute Dedication

by Geo Hagan and Kwaku Kufour

August 6, 2009 - 10:22 am

The Silversun Pickups have been called many things: the next Smashing Pumpkins, LA garage rockers, the leaders of a neo-grunge rock movement, etc – whatever tag you give them, know this: these Silver Lake dwellers rock really, really hard. Matt Pinfield, the famous rock savant, came out and introduced them as one of his favorite new bands, and when the group finally came out, they didn’t waste any time in getting down to business.

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Music Bad Veins Break it Down

by Nicole Pajer

July 20, 2009 - 3:25 pm

Benjamin Davis and Sebastien Schultz of Bad Veins have some very exciting times ahead of them. The orchestral-meets-indie pop duo has a self-titled debut album, coming out on July 21, with the radiant Gold and Warm slated to be the first single. Not only are they armed with a well produced album, they also have the support of Dangerbird Records, who has pushed the careers of bands such as Silversun Pickups. Currently on tour across the entire United States, with dates along the way in Canada as well, Bad Veins are fully ready to embark upon an intense promotional journey to bring their music to the public.

I caught the show on Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at the Echo in Silverlake, CA which was part of a benefit for the Pablove Foundation, supporting the fight against childhood cancer. They played a captivating show despite rolling into town a few days before without most of their own gear and having to borrow bits and pieces from friends and other bands. The Echo was packed and the crowd was definitely giving the band some affection.

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Music Silverlake Silversun Pickups Put Out

by Barbie Brady and Matt Brady

May 1, 2009 - 2:03 pm

I fell in love with the Silversun Pickups shortly after Carnavas came out. For me that album takes me back to New York City in a dingy hotel room, with an incredibly hot sexy stranger, and an ipod set on repeat. (ok replace dingy with corporate, and stranger with my husband and that’s pretty much how it went down). However, my emotional memory plays it back as the soundtrack to a torrid affair. And discovering that music, that way, was hot.

So imagine my impatience at waiting for the next installment of the Silversun legacy. Swoon does not disappoint. If you are sick of hearing their sound described as picking up where the pumpkins Gish left off, too bad. It does. But they have also made it entirely their own. The first single, Panic Switch ebbs and flows in perfect time, riding the rails between slow moody melodies and rocking the F out. Thoughtful lyrics and driving rhythms abound on this articulate album front to back. If you listen to it with the lights off, burning a candle, you will see your whole future in front of you (ok maybe that was the kid from Almost Famous – but it applies).

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