according portishead and my friend brent, humans = garbage.

If you subscribe to the Portishead MySpace blog or have a really bad youtube addiction, you already know some of the things I'm about to tell you. If not, read on:

1. Portishead's new record comes out on April 14th
2. It's called THIRD. how clever.
   
3. "Our world is doomed." let me elaborate:

The New Goldfrapp Video Totally Sucks. Alela Diane's 'The Rifle' Does Not.

Ok, I can't hold back on this anymore. I was pretty disappointed with the new Goldfrapp album and when I saw the new video I was even more disappointed. It sucks, and there's no way around it. I mean...was it done by the same person who did the Bat For Lashes video that ruled so hard? If so, someone should tell that director to try a different tactic. Random leaf monsters just aren't as cool as random bike dancers dressed up in big fuzzy animal costumes. Duh. And while I was considering this fact, my friend sent me this:

# 79.2 - ALELA DIANE - THE RIFLE
Uploaded by lablogotheque

This girl's named Alela Diane, and I'll be honest with you--I'm not particularly fond of your run of-the-mill female folk artists, but it's the video that makes her sound work for me. Want more? download some free tracks via daytrotter.

Sir Benji Hughes Goes Ren-Faire!

If you're looking for something genre-crossing and with lots and lots of hair, say hello to Benji Hughes, the irreverent croon-master who conjures visions of ZZ Top and Rapunzle while singing deceptively simple songs dressed in old school flair.

Citing influences as diverse as "beer, girls, the river, storms, space," Benji Hughes is part-heathen, part-comedian, part-transcendental poet, and all heart. He romances the stone as effortlessly as he kicks out the party jams. The end result is music that's oddly moving, funny and timeless.

Check out his latest video, a mere two days old in its Youtube life, feat. Benji rescuing our very own Kim Talon (of Eagle and Talon) from the clutches of evil. For anyone who misses the halcyon days of Mr. Hughes' packed Fold residency shows during his time in Silverlake (he now lives in his hometown of Charlotte, NC), I hope "Girl in the Tower" will give you the fix you so desperately need. Send $5 in well-concealed cash if you find yourself debating whether to laugh or not...



Directed by Manny Marquez (Ferraby Lionheart and Eleni Mandell).

Listen to more tracks here:
Benji Hughes - MySpace
Hear what Benji has to say about Mel Gibson here:
Benji & Mel - YouTube

Jackson 5 Reunite in 2008: is this a fucking joke?

So if you haven't heard, the Jackson 5 have "discussed" concert dates, and are currently "in the studio." I shudder at the thought that a Jackson 5 reunion tour might be in the works. I mean, seriously, The Jackson 5 was a really cute idea when Michael was like 6 years old and had an afro. Who wouldn't swoon at the idea of a bunch of teen-aged boys, fronted by a kindergartener who sings about getting his girlfriend back? It's freaking adorable.

For the record: I will be the last person to claim that these kids weren't talented and that the Jackson 5 wasn't great, but COME ON! A reunion tour? Could they possibly do anything more embarassing? Let's examine the evidence:

• Jermaine Jackson's stint on reality TV
• Jackie's son calls himself "Skiggy" aka "DealZ"
• I'll let someone else refresh your Michael memory cause I'm not interested in writing tabloids

MY POINT: the only way this won't go down in history as the most shockingly pathetic comeback since, like, THE DAWN OF TIME, is if they've come up with some fan-fucking-tastic new material. Hey, it could happen...

Attack of the Killer Gold Octopus and Smelly Dicks

Something to send you into Turkey Oblivion!

How does one start a post about a crazy chick dressed up in a gold body suit with octopus shoulder pads and dancing and singing about Beyonce and Britney? Her name's Leslie Hall. I stumbled upon this video I'd like to share...




Also I found this dirty gem from my friends myspace page. Her name's Riskay and the song is called "Smell Yo Dick." Need I say more?

Little Orphan C4's Top 3 Music Documentaries

(in no particular order)

1. Looking For A Thrill: An Anthology of Inspiration (2005) dir. Braden King--This documentary was released in honor of Thrill Jockey's 10th anniversary. It's basically a collection of over 100 interviews with some of the greats, in which they describe their own moments of musical inspiration. Highlights include interviews with Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat, Fugazi), Mike Watt (Minutemen, fIREHOSE, Banyan, etc), Steve Albini (Rapeman, Shellac, Big Black, etc), Bjork, and Thurston Moore (who actually got to see Suicide @ CBGB's in '74--not many people can boast about that.) View the trailer:




2. The Last Waltz (1978) dir. Martin Scorsese--This documentary of The Band's last show includes performances by Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Muddy Waters, Van Morrisson, and more. Highlights include Joni Mitchell with The Band, performing Coyote, and the superstar-studded finale:




3. Gimme Shelter (1970) dir. Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin--It was a toss up between this flick & the Rolling Stones' Rock 'n' Roll Circus (1968), but I could probably write for days about Rock 'n' Roll Circus (for reasons such as this performance by The Who), so in the interest of space & time, Gimme Shelter wins. The film chronicles the entire story of the free 1969 Rolling Stones concert that took place at San Francisco's Altamont Speedway and was policed by the Hell's Angels. What could've been a totally rad idea resulted in the death of (at least) 2 (allegedly) innocent fans, and is marked as the concert that "ended the 60's". View the trailer:



I was sorry to leave out: The Devil and Daniel Johnston, and Stop Making Sense.

At the Drive-In - Influential/Famous/Gone

Thanks to Christopher Diers for allowing us to repost his MySpace blog entry about At The Drive In on our site. Reasons why I did it: uh...have you even read it yet?
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The other day I was having a state-of-the-union type discussion about music with a very old friend of mine and through all of the usual babble about this band and that band, your top ten favorite whatever, which group killed that genre, etc we finally got to the one subject that most everyone who enjoys music loves (and to a certain degree, dreads) talking about: Albums and bands who have had a personal impact on your life. While I've always thought that it's a bit of a silly subject (I've never felt that hearing a really good album or going to an amazing show is necessarily "life-changing", unless of course you start a band as a direct result), my answer has always been simple enough. For the last 6 years the only two albums I have listened to on a (somewhat) weekly basis have been Refused's Shape of Punk to Come and At the Drive-In's Relationship of Command. I already did a blog about Refused and for whatever reason I hadn't even thought about doing one for At the Drive-In until I heard myself answer that question out loud.

Cosmonaut - Live at Big Day Out

The Relationship Of Command was actually given to me in my math class in 11th grade by this rich goth girl who sat in front of me. She purchased the album under the pretense that the group was similar to System of a Down and was ultimately disappointed with it. I traded her for a spare copy of Slayer's South of Heaven. Like many records I acquired under what now seem to be strange circumstances, I didn't quite know what to make of it. At the time I had sort of regressed into 80's hardcore, but every aspect of The Relationship of Command captivated me.

Rolodex Propaganda - Live on Later... with Jools Holland

Almost every band I was into for the next two years after absorbing this record somehow audibly referenced At the Drive-In in some shape or form. Even today, 6 years after the fact, a great deal of the newer groups I find myself drawn to were obviously just as impacted by the sheer force and emotion they commanded.

Rolling Stone.com Video Interview

As good as they were on record, nothing can touch the live show. I wish I had been able to see them before they were gone. Thats part of the reason that the band retains such greatness--the fact that they were here and in the public eye for such a short time before they disappeared--probably for good. Much like Refused, the chances of catching these guys on a reunion tour anytime soon seems very unlikely especially when you consider the success of The Mars Volta and the mediocrity of Sparta.

Rascuache (Live)

Monday's Top 3

Ok so I know I tend to get pretty enthusiastic about things, and I've probably said, "DUDE THIS IS LIKE THE COOLEST THING EVER!" about a bazillion times, but here are three things for you to add to the "Little Orphan Carrie's Picks" list I know you're keeping.

1. Sparrow house--Sparrow house is the (usually) solo project of Voxtrot's Jared Van Fleet. His first release under this name is OUTSTANDING. I think my friend and I accidentally put it on repeat one night and fell asleep. It was on for like 5 hours and I'm still not sick of it. Seriously.

2. Daytrotter.com--Daytrotter makes me feel cheated cause it's like one of the best music blogs out there and I didn't know about it until like 3 months ago. They've got [GOOD] free mp3's and recordings that're only available on their site. And the artwork is awesome too. In short: indie-folk-pop paradise.

3. imeem.com--Another social networking site. A mash-up of the greatest hits of YouTube.com, LinkedIn.com, Uber.com,and Pandora.com. And the video quality is better than youtube. I think I've signed up for every social networking site I've happened across in the past 2 weeks, so you should trust me when I say that this is (or, rather, WILL BE) the best one. hands down. imeem rules.

PROOF IN THE PUDDING: i leave you with a sparrow house track from a daytrotter session at SXSW, embedded using imeem.

You're welcome,
c4

"I am The Rhythm Thief. Say goodbye to the beat!"

This video is epic. Don't know who Sparks are? Remember that movie Valley Girl from like 1983? Nicholas Cage played the sexy punk rock boy and the girl who played Dotty in Pee Wee's Big Adventure was the slutty best friend? Ok, good. So remember the part in the movie when that kid goes to this girl's house who has a crush on him, and you think he's going to return her book, but then they make it look like he's boning her mom in the shower, except it turns out that it's really the girl and not the mom? No? Well whatever, the point is that the song playing in the background during that scene is Sparks' 'Eaten By The Monster Of Love.'And it rules. They also have a song called 'Angst In My Pants,' and 'The Fanatic,' both of which also rule.
Good stuff, I tell you.

Back to the matter at hand.
This music video is the title track from their album, 'Lil Beethoven, which, to be honest, is not a spectacular record. But c'mon, seriously guys, how many musicians spend their entire CAREERS trying to make something sound as awesome as awesome as this ONE song?

About a bazillion.
That's a fact.

Just frickin' watch it already.