After the success of Lady Gaga, then the success of Ke$ha’s song about partying + being a slut, a bunch of acts from the blog house / shitty myspace rap era are trying to ‘come back’ and release songs that might catch on with mainstream markets. Kinda like how Uffie is ‘freaking out’ since she made crappy rap songs about being a slut more than 2 years go. Must feel bad when a ‘window of opportunity’ passes u by, or you didn’t have the right marketing forces to turn you into a ‘legitimate’ music sensation.
From what I understand, the Millionares are a group from California who ’started a silly myspace profile as a joke’, then ‘caught on’ because they sang songs about boys, getting drunk, and being a slut. These themes are apparently important 2 young females these days. Their newest song/video ‘Stay the Night’ talks about how they will fuck a bro if he decides to sleep over, and the video showcases their California scene personal brands. Is this what every alt girl in California looks like? Do u know what the deal with these girls is? Are they just ‘california sluts’/Mexi alts? Is this band really big in California? what’s the difference between ’scene’ and ‘hipster’? Are minority tweens who go to raves into this kind of music? Is this the female version of Brokencyde? Do u think this will ‘cross over’ and sell as many albums as Ke$ha / Vampire Weekend / MGMT?
Recently, there has been ‘a huge uproar’ abt how Arizona passed some law that is totally messed up cuz they are asking asking brown people if they live in the United States. I feel confused on the issue, because I pay taxes, and from what I have heard, millions of ‘illegals’ are taking the jobs of Americans + overloading our medical system. But I also understand that the USA is ‘mad legit’ and every1 should wanna live here. I guess some people want to ’shut down our borders’ so that ‘filthy foreigners’ stop stealing our American Rights.
American Apparel has branded itself as a very ‘pro-legalization’ company. Not really sure about the specifics, but think they apparently pay above market wages + opportunities for citizenship/legalization for their employees. Seems like this worker Maria is ‘mad pumped’ that Dov Charney is such a chill bro who values immigrants as ‘humans’ instead of just ‘cheap labor mules.’
May 06, 2010 — Maria, a sewer at factory HQ, thanks Dov for his continued support of the workers. LEGALIZE LA! Find out more about Dov at http://www.dovcharney.com/
Is Am Appy about ‘more than just alternative sluts in tight clothing’? Is Am Appy the greatest modern American Company?
Is Dov Charney the greatest American CEO? Did u march for immigrant rights on Cinco De Mayo in ur local community? Does ur local community h8 immigrants & brown people? Should I block the Alt Report for readers in Arizona to ‘protest’ their immigration act? Do people who don’t live in the USA deserve to live in the USA? R u unemployed, and h8 that immigrants have stolen job opportunities from u? Is Arizona ‘full of white ass holes’? Is it more important to ‘legalize gay’ or ‘legalize immigration’?
Just saw this picture of blind musician Stevie Wonder at an Apple Store. Even though he is an old bro + blind, it seems chill that he can still appreciate the design, beauty, functionality, and intuitiveness if Apple products. Feel like this confirms that Apple products are truly ‘the greatest products’ ever designed, since they resonate with people no matter their race, color, education, class, or physical abilities.
Can blind people use iPhones / iPods / iMacs / iPads / Macbooks? Are Apple products the most ‘user friendly’ products ever created? Do u like shopping at the Apple Store? Do u think Stevie Wonder will ever be able to see again, just so that he can see how sleek the iPad is?
I have always wondered how u r supposed to pronounce the names of certain bands when they have phonetically challenging names or when they are from foreign lands. It is so weird existing on the internet, and reading the name of a band so much, sometimes without knowing how 2 say it. Was kinda pumped when this guide came along, but then I realized maybe there’s no right way to pronounce a band name
This article doesn’t seem very helpful. Think they just threw ‘hipster’ in the headline, then used a ’snarky’ voice.
MGMT:
Yes, smart arse, they were originally called the Management, but no more. And, no, it isn’t the same as MSTKRFT. SAY Em-Gee-Em-Tee
Does n e 1 know how 2 pronounce ‘arse’? Confused by British writing/slang.
The XX:
Simple? So the Guide thought until we mentioned them one day and were met with a blank stare. You know … kids, all wear black … went to the same school as Hot Chip. “Ah,” says our clearly much better educated friend, “you mean The 20.” Uh!? “The 20, as in Roman numerals.” Cue, cautious back-tracking. Could she possibly be right? No, laughs the man at XL. SAY The Ex Ex
Lykke Li:
Having assumed, for ages, that “Likely” was the most likely pronunciation of Lykke Li, the Guide was staggered to hear, on Radio 1, that it’s definitively “Licky Lee”. For shame! Corrected by Jo Whiley. Still, could be worse. One online sage had it pegged as “Leaky Lee”. SAY Lick-E Lee
Toro Y Moi:
Here, the chillwave dude combines Spanish (for “the bull and”) with the French word for “me”. As in pretentious, moi? SAY Toh-roh E Mwah
Sigur Ros:
When a band’s official website (sigur-ros.co.uk) includes a pronunciation guide, complete with MP3 tutorials read by their bassist, then, clearly, something has not so much been lost, as vapourised, in translation. If you are still blithely calling them Sigur (rhymes with Tigger) Rós (as in Ross-On-Wye), well get this … SAY See-Uhrr Rose
Not sure if I believe this guide. Gonna keep saying ‘The Dos Equises.’ Gonna keep saying Sigga Ross. Gonna keep saying Too Rooo Why Moy. Gonna keep saying The Managements. Gonna keep saying Rateetattlestat. Gonna keep saying Deaf Cab inside of Kewlies. Gonna keep saying The Shims [via She & Him]. Gonna keep saying Neon Injun.
What are the most difficult band names to pronounce in indie rock? Do u think there is a ‘right way’ to say a band name/word, or is communication open for u 2 interpret? Should more newspaper websites dedicate their journalistic resources to covering buzzbands & hipster bashing? Which indie buzz band has the greatest name of all time? Which indie buzz band has the most confusing name of all time?
I never really knew that Bjork did DJ sets, but apparently she DJed for this Haiti benefit somewhere in a relevant part of Brooklyn. Wonder if she is going to try to tour around the world as a DJ with Daft Punk, Justice, or even DJ Pauly D [via Baskin Robbins]. Maybe she can be one of the world’s first iPad 3G DJs.
Think she just sort of fiddled with an iPhone/iPod touch the whole time. Every1 in the crowd just seems ‘happy 2 be there, watching a relevant artist.’ Think we’re all just searching 4 something interesting to tweet abt. Does this party seem ‘ultra relevant’? Do u find security in knowing that Bjork can be counted on to wear something ‘bloggable’ basically every time she is in public?
Are you still into Bjork, or did she peak in the late 90s? Do u think Bjork’s outfit is amazing or does she look like a crazy grandma because she is getting older? Is Bjork just ‘a poor imitation of Lady Gaga’ or ‘an authentic manifestation of Lady Gaga [via Iceland]‘? Did Bjork’s zany outfits ‘peak’ with her swan dress? IS Bjork most valuable as a musician/artist, an Icelandic ambassador, or as blog meme content? do u know what it is like to have a conversation with Bjork?
Ratatat’s upcoming album LP4 ‘leaked’ last weekend, and it seems like their label XL Recordings has been forced to expedite the album release process. Not sure if ‘leaks’ put a dent in sales, or if they help to build buzz + reach fans who weren’t gonna pay/listen to ur music anyways.
Do u like Ratatat’s new song called “Party With Children”? Does it sound new and exciting, or are they still utilizing the same Ratatat formula?
Wonder if I felt more satisfied the first time I heard this than the first time I heard ‘Drunk Girls’ by LCD Soundsystem.
Is it easy to appreciate Ratatat because all of their songs sound the same in a chill way, or do u ‘want something more’ from them? Do u think Ratatat has ‘album of the year’ potential, or will it just sound the same as every other Ratatat album? Does Ratatat have the opportunity to ‘expand their fan base’ in 2k10, or have they already peaked? Will Ratatat drop any good memes this album cycle, or will they just do the same gimmicks over and over again? Should the make a violent music video to get the blogosphere’s attention?
Phoenix did a ‘remix’ of Grizzly Bear’s hit anthem “Foreground”, but they didn’t really do anything. They basically just asked people who went to their webpage to ‘play these two youtube videos at the same time, then sort of adjust the levels until it sounds okay.’ Not sure if this counts as a ‘real remix.’ I am not sure if Phoenix understands that just because they sold ‘mad crossover albums’ it doesn’t mean that they can just half ass a remix.
A long time ago Grizzly Bear asked us to remix one of their tracks, but we never found the boldness to mess with their beautiful songs. So the other day we figured, maybe if we combine great things together (Grizzly Bear, Eno, chance), it would create something good.
I N S T R U C T I O N S 1. Press play on either player 2. After an indefinite number of seconds, press play on other player 3. You can create your own mix by adjusting the volume on either player 4. If it’s good : enjoy, if it’s bad : try again !
Feel like this is a ‘huge ripoff’ and they Phoenix just wanted an excuse to ‘half ass’ their remix. I don’t really ‘buy’ the ‘We don’t want to ruin a Grizzly Bear song’ excuse, because that’s what makes remixes so exciting: the opportunity to hear a song that was once good get ‘totally ruined.’ Living on the edge makes the best remixes ‘worth it’–the thrill of the chase for a relevant co-branding of authentic buzz artists. It can go s00 wrong, but also s00 right.
A remix basically means ‘free MP3 for ur iPod’, so any time I read a blog headline involving ‘remix’ feel like I need to leave the post with a new MP3 on my computer. Feel like Phoenix ‘really fucked every1 over.’
Is Grizzly Bear too perfect to remix? Do u think Grizzly Bear paid Phoenix and deserves a refund? Is Phoenix saying that Neon Indian ‘ruined’ Grizzly Bear by remixing them? Will Phoenix release a mashup album, except it is just a webpage with youtube embeds? Do u think this was a ‘kewl, fun idea’ or r u ‘mad pissed’? Did u ‘lose respect’ for Phoenix, or will their songs always be ‘poppy’ enough to be liked?
