Tuesday, February 15, 2011

HIPSTER RUNOFF

HIPSTER RUNOFF

Arcade Fire wins the British version of the Grammys. Has UK indie gone UK mainstream?

Posted: 15 Feb 2011 03:14 PM PST

Link: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2011/02/15/brit-awards.html

arcade fire brit awards
U thought it was a big deal that the Arcade Fire won 'album of the year' Grammy? What if I told u they flew across the world and won another "Best Album" award from the British version of the Grammys? Apparently the Brit Awards are another sillie international music awards show, and the Arcade Fire won "Best Album" and "Best International Artist" because the UK is really protective of their music, so they don't want their bands competing against international bands, because UK bands are always worse than bands from other parts of the world.

Wonder if this is really a 'big deal' and it can inspire tons of blog posts abt indie 'going mnstrm' or do yall know if the UK is already a place where indie goes mainstream on the reg?

Arcade Fire continues to scoop in the acolades, taking awards for best international group and best album for The Suburbs.

The Montreal band won best group against competition that included Black Eyed Peas, Kings of Leon, The Script and Vampire Weekend.

In his acceptance speech, lead singer Win Butler thanked some of his early influences — British bands the Smiths, the Clash and David Bowie.

The Suburbs earned Arcade Fire a Grammy Award for album of the year in Los Angeles on Sunday night in a win that took the U.S. music industry by surprise.

Can't believe they took down sweet ass bands like the Black Eyed Peas, the Kings of Leon, and even The Script. U really had 2 think that The Script was gonna bring this 1 home, but props 2 Win 4 The Win. Don't know if the Junos (the Canadian Grammys) have happened yet, but really need to bet a lot of money on the Arcade Fire 2 unfairly sweep (even though Win Butler is from Texas).

Here is some hefty man with a sillie British accent introducing them and acting like they are the #1 band in the world right now or something. Band definitely is acting like 'hot shit' x1000 now that they have mad swag awards.

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They performed "Ready to Start" and hid Regine on drums in the back again instead of letting her sing "Sprawl II (Grammys beyond Grammies)."

Are the Brit Awards 'legit'? Do they even matter?
Which matters more: Pitchfork Awards, The Grammys, the Junos, or The Brits?
Has an indie band ever 'dominated the world' like this?
Are the Arcade Fire officially 'the next U2'?
Do yall know if indie bands usually win Brit Awards or is this a new thing?
Will the XX ever win a Grammy?
Are the Arcade Fire 'overexposed'?
Is the UK music landscape sorta like America, except 1-4 years late?

Michael Cera gets a neck tattoo, rebrands as a hardcore bro

Posted: 15 Feb 2011 02:22 PM PST

Link: http://www.buzzfeed.com/melismashable/hardcore-cera

Michael Cera hardcore tattoos lip ring
As yall know, Michael Cera is a mainstream alt celebrity who is in a lot of critically acclaimed, yet commercially unsuccessful films and television shows. It seems like he recently joined the hit buzzband Mister Heavenly to help them get press, but now he is done with that, and probably looking for a new 'niche' in society/the world.

Really can't believe this new picture of 'Hardcore Michael Cera.' A lot of ppl loved him because he looked like a little boy that u can 'dominate' whether you are a male or female, but now he seems to have gone 'hardcore.' Neck tattoos. Lip ring. Those big thingies in ur ears that people who want to be unemployed forever get.

U gotta wonder how this is gonna impact his career. He probably needs to gain a lot of muscle mass and try 2 become an action star. Props 2 him for 'finding himself' and breaking free from the role he always plays (himself).

Do u like the new look?
Do u dig 'plugs' / 'gauges'?
Do yall have sleeve tattoos?
Is Michael Cera admitting that his career is over?
Is he 'doomed' to working at ur local mall?
What is the 'career ceiling' of a bro with a hardcore personal brand? Manager at Hot Topic/Black Fly/Best Buy?

Death Cab tries 2 steal spotlight from Arcade Fire & Radiohead by announcing new album but no1 cares

Posted: 15 Feb 2011 12:49 PM PST

Link: http://pitchfork.com/news/41552-death-cab-for-cutie-announce-new-album

death cab for cutie cool dads
I just read that the Death Cab for Cutie band has some new album coming out called Codes and Keys. They announced an official release date, but it isn't within the next 7 days so no1 really cares. It is pretty obvious that they are just trying to piggyback off the Arcade Fire's Grammy win, and try to overshadow the new Radiohead album, because very few people take Death Cab for cutie seriously, especially Grammy voters. They just want to be like "hey we're indie, too" even though they aren't fresh any more, and ppl probably still confuse them with the Decemberists at this point.

Here is some interview with a non-Ben Gibbard member of Death Cab where they try to really brand the album as 'experimental' bc there are no guitars.

The BBC radio host Zane Lowe recently interviewed guitarist Chris Walla and learned that the first single will probably be called "You Are a Tourist". Walla told Lowe that legendary My Bloody Valentine producer Alan Moulder is mixing the record and that the band is experimenting with synths and reverb rather than relying as heavily on their usual strummy guitars. Check out the video of the interview below.

Cmon bro. No1 cares dude. Yall had ur chance to win a Grammy, but all yall got were a bunch of overground + lamestream fans. Owl City probably has a bigger market share than DCFC at this point.

Just gotta hang it up.
Admit the Arcade Fire 'beat u' and u let the #1 'indie' brand slip out of ur grasp due to a series of mediocre albums and poor branding decisions.

Will Death Cab sell 'mad albums'?
Will this album rlly be 'experimental'?
Will this album sound exactly like every other recent Death Cab song?
Is Benjamin Gibbard 'past his prime'?
Will Zooey Deschanel 'dump him' if his album doesn't debut at #1?
Do u know that ur officially a lamestream band when you give an interview and claim to make an 'experimental album' just because u don't use synths?

Win Butler's Brother and the Ginger Bro in the Arcade Fire vent about their place in the band

Posted: 15 Feb 2011 11:33 AM PST

Photos via SPIN by GRAEME FLEGENHEIMER

will butler richard reed perry
We're just 2 white dudes
sharin' a microphone
because 2 bros
are better than 1

As yall know
most white ppl music sounds better
when as many ppl as possible sing it
Which has been an important tool 4 our success

I know what ur thinking...
Regine Chassagne and Win Butler are the 'main ppl' in the Arcade Fire
but where would they be without us?
They'd be just another couple in the Suburbs buying diapers at Costco

I know u see me
and think 'he has red hair and plays zany instruments'
but I'm a human, dammit
and I contribute to the band

And how about me?
Do u know what it is like 2 be Win Butler's lil brother
Always in his shadows
He used to kick my ass in basketball in our driveway
and now he is the frontman of our band
and most ppl don't even know we're related

I actually had a crush on Regine first
and then Win stole her from me
Do u know what that feels like?
Do u know what it's like 2 tour with a brother who ruined ur life?
Do u know what it is like to GIVE AWAY money that we earned because ur brother is married to a woman from Haiti?

Oh god, another Regine accordion solo
Hurts me so deep inside

I'm happy we won a Grammy
but at the end of the day
no1 rlly knows who we are
but the band would be NOTHING without us.

Maybe it is time 4 us
to 'go solo'
or even 'go duo'
and prove that Win isn't who u think he is...

Sometimes I think
Regine is what keeps us 2gether
But Regine will be
what finally tears us apart

Oh Regine...

Do yall sense some 'innerconflict' within the Arcade Fire now that they are more famous than ever?
Do u think Richard Reed Perry (Ginger Bro) and William Butler deserve 2 be more famous?
Is Will Butler cuter than Win Butler?
Should Regine have picked Will Butler?
Who is ur fave member of the Arcade Fire?

Fuck 1, Kill 1, Marry 1: Win Butler, Will Butler, Ginger Bro

The guy who uploads indie mp3s into Shazam gets an NYTimes Profile piece

Posted: 15 Feb 2011 08:24 AM PST

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/14/technology/14shazam.html

shazam indie bands
Shazam is a popular 'app' that you have on ur phone, and when u hear a song playing and u wanna know what it is, u turn on Shazam, then u let it listen to the song, then it tells u which song it is. It works 'like magic.' One minute, u don't know who a buzzband is, then SHAZAM!... u know exactly who it is...

But have u ever wondered how they are able 2 catalog so many rare indie buzz mp3s? Sure it is easy to find mainstream and classic songs... but how do they stay on top of the rapidly evolving indie buzzosphere?
What if I told u that there was one man 'behind it all' who uploads rare indie buzz mp3s into the Shazam system?

Sure, Shazam, the popular music-spotting cellphone application, can identify that Rihanna track. But what about the new song from the Sandwitches, a Bay Area folk-rock band?

Before the Shazam service can find a song, Mr. Slomovitz or another sourcer must locate and input the recording. That is where Charles Slomovitz comes in.

Mr. Slomovitz was roaming the aisles of a record store here recently when he spotted a flame-haired clerk. It was Grace Cooper, one-third of the Sandwitches, which had just put out a single that was getting attention on music blogs.

“She’s got that sound that’s getting to be big,” he said as she handed him a copy of the song, “so I’ve got to have it.”

S00 jealous of Charles Slomovitz.... Wish I had his job... #alt_dream_jobs

So ur telling me there is a job out there where I can basically scan the Hype Machine and MP3 blogs and then upload them into Shazam, and I will be a 'relevant part of the music tech industry'? Feel like my parents would be proud of me if I worked for a 'startup' that was 'shooting for an IPO in _ years.'

The article really tries to take the angle like 'The music industry has totally changed yall [via technology]'

Mr. Slomovitz, a music industry veteran, spends his days tracking down hot new artists — but not for a big record label. Instead, he works for Shazam, maker of the application of the same name that can figure out what song is playing in a bar, a clothing boutique or a TV commercial.

“It’s like a scavenger hunt in real time,” said Mr. Slomovitz, 42. “It never stops.”

Mr. Slomovitz’s job is one of the more unusual in the new digital music era, as he and the dozen or so other “music sourcers” at Shazam try to ensure that any songs the app’s users might want to identify are ready and waiting in the company’s database.

Do yall listen 2 'internet mix tapes' and 'college radio'?

At Shazam, the music sourcers’ challenge goes beyond just getting a copy of the latest single from Kanye West. Shazam also wants the latest club tracks, Internet mix tapes and whatever is playing on college radio, anything that might inspire curious listeners to pull out their phones and fire up the app.

It seems like this job is rlly hard. Do yall think u have what it takes?

The hunt keeps Mr. Slomovitz on his toes. Every morning, he skims dozens of music blogs, checking for new releases he might have missed, as well as the iTunes, Amazon.com and Billboard charts, and blog aggregators like the Hype Machine.

Most weeks he also goes to local record stores to see if there is something in stock he has not heard of, or if older albums are being remastered or reissued. And he listens to local radio stations, especially near universities.

Really feel like this job fits in perfectly with my current lifestyle... Really angry at this Bromovitz bro.

Do u listen to mp3s + bootlegs that are way too alt 2 be Shazam-able?

Shazam executives say their mission is to catalog every song in the world. But it would be impossible to feed the machine with each and every song released by a tiny label or a bedroom studio.

Instead, Mr. Slomovitz has to try to think like a music tastemaker, guessing which songs might get attention and potentially stump Shazam’s servers.

“They’re our A.& R. to find anything that might be played,” said David Jones, a vice president at Shazam.

Is Shazam the ultimate entry level music discovery tool?
Has Shazam always found the bands ur looking for, or does it consistently let u down because ur too underground?
Do ur friends call u "Shazam" because you are able to identify every mp3 in the world?
R u more alt than Charles Slomovitz?
Do u think this bro is 'hella legit' or does he only listen to overground crap?
Does he deserve a New York Times profile piece, or should they save those 4 world leaders?
What do yall use 2 discover music?
What do u have to major in to work for Shazam? Do u think they drug test or can u blaze hard while u discover indie mp3s?

James Murphy looks awkward and nervous on the Colbert Report

Posted: 15 Feb 2011 07:49 AM PST

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James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem just went on the Colbert Report to get more famous even though he is quitting/retiring from being a relevant electro overground buzzband. Not sure what this whole swan song gimmick is all about, but if ur serious abt retiring, u really need to just 'walk away' and not try 2 sell out a huge arena + do 5 shows + go on a media tour before u go. Anyways, James Murphy shaved his usual 5 o'clock shadow to be on TV, then he was all nervous because of Steven Colbert. He tried 2 be all funnie, and
james murphy colbert report

Did James Murphy 'crush it' in this interview?
Is Steven Colbert the ultimate overground/cool dad comedian?
Is the Colbert Report 'more alt' than both Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien because they interview the buzzbands?

Then they play the song "I Can Change." U can tell the band is really not into it, because they are probably mad pissed that Murphy is 'pulling the plug' on their income stream as a 'touring band' for the next 5-10 years.

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Feel rlly bad for the AZN girl... Hope she goes solo...

Did James Murphy 'crush it' in this interview/performance?
R u glad LCD Soundsystem is dying?
Does n e 1 need tickets to the last LCD Soundsystem show? I have a few if yall wanna buy them at above market rate [via scalping]
Is James Murphy 'making a huge mistake' by retiring and leaving millions of buzz dollars on the table, or is he just accepting that he is 41 years old and tired of being tossed around like a buzz meme in the blogosphere?

Best Coast releases new song abt how it is unchill 2 "traffick humans"

Posted: 15 Feb 2011 07:16 AM PST

Link: http://pitchfork.com/news/41563-best-coast-does-anti-trafficking-songvideo/
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As yall know, Best Coast usually writes songs about weed, cats, boys and Sunny Delight California Style... but what if I told u she was exploring a new side of herself + writing songs abt things she felt passionate abt. As a tween, it seems like 1 of the issues nearest and dearest 2 my heart is human trafficking. At first I thought it was like 'website traffic' [via humans visiting websites], but then I realized that there is an entire industry of modern enslavement going on, even in our own USA.

Do yall like this new Best Coast song abt how human trafficking is totally unchill.

Human trafficking is the illegal trade in human beings for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor, a modern-day form of slavery.

Here is an INFOGRAPHIC abt what u can do with a human while u r trafficking them

Do yall know the difference between 'polygamous marriage' and 'human trafficking'? [via domestic servitude]
R u worried about the 'Misc' section of this graph? [via darkness beyond prostitution]
If u work in agriculture or in a factory in Asia, r u basically a modern day slave?

Do yall think Best Coast got blazed watched this Lifetime movie 2 'do research' 4 what human trafficking is like?

Increasingly inescapable Best Coast frontwoman Bethany Cosentino has lent her vocals to "When Will I Feel Love", a new song and video that aims to raise awareness of human trafficking. It's an effort from MTV EXIT, MTV's global anti-trafficking initiative

Sometimes I will be tempted to purchase prostitutes off craigslist, but then I get scared that I will some how end up in a really dark human trafficking ring.

Do u have any human trafficking stories 2 share?
When a buzzband is on tour, are the humans that are trafficked around the country?
Do yall think that Best Coast 'really cares abt human trafficking' or is she just trying to break into AZN/Chinese markets?
best coast trafficking mtv human
Do u wish all humans can get along?
What is the difference between 'being trafficked' and 'working in a cubicle'?
What is 'free will'?
R u glad that Best Coast is finally getting away from the fuzzy buzzy and writing some piano jams so she can go mainstream?
Every time u purchase an illegal drug, r u supporting terrorism, human trafficking and other 3rd world evils?

"Stop trafficking other bros, yall. Check out indie buzz tunes instead."
-MTV + HRO