05-07-10 Footnotes Show 232: Buried Treasures, The New Pornographers Review Listen to the MP3 Stream of this show: (link)
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1 Only 5 months ago Apple purchased the online music site Lala.com, and now they’ve announced it’s shutting down. While it was never clear that a streaming music model would fit into Apples iTunes download model, they did spend over $80 million, so it is a bit of a head-scratcher. As Jim and Greg explain, this move has prompted speculation that Apple will soon be launching its own streaming music site, and just wanted to get rid of its competition. Regardless, it’s clear that soon we’ll all have our head in the “clouds.”
2 Roger Waters, the bassist, lyricist and some might say “brains” of Pink Floyd, recently announced an upcoming tour marking the 30th anniversary of The Wall. He’s now saying that fellow Floyd alum David Gilmour won’t be along for the ride because he’s “completely uninterested.” It’s clear now that we shouldn’t be holding our breath for a Pink Floyd reunion, and according to Jim, maybe we shouldn’t want one. Syd Barrett and Rick Wright are both deceased, and there can be no Pink Floyd without them.
3 Just when you thought there would never be another blockbuster music group in the digital age, The Black Eyed Peas have come along with more proof to the contrary. Their song “I Gotta Feeling” just became the biggest selling digital track in history with over 5.5 million downloads. Their 2009 track “Boom Boom Pow,” is also in the top 5. As Rolling Stone asserts, this is the band of the moment, and they are doing it 21st century style—with lots of viral marketing, digital music sales and corporate sponsorships. Another 21st century force to be reckoned with is Lady Gaga. Her own video for “Telephone,” has become a sensation, all while spawning a number of video viral copycats. The latest comes out of the 82nd airborne division in Afghanistan. Their version of “Telephone” has been viewed over 2 million times, and for Greg, it trumps the original.
Watch the video
4 Every few months Jim and Greg like to shed the spotlight on some underappreciated bands and albums. This is music that doesn’t get a lot of press or mainstream acclaim, but deserves your attention. Enjoy this most recent batch of Buried Treasures:
5 The New Pornographers have a new album called Together. But Jim wonders if the title is ironic. The band includes A.C. Newman, Neko Case and Dan Bejar — all successful solo artists in their own right. And he doesn’t get the sense that they really came together for The New Pornographers record. He doesn’t hear energy or inspiration, and gives the supergroup a super Trash It rating. Greg, on the contrary, didn’t hear anyting patchwork about Together. That’s the band’s great trick. What does hold them back is Newman’s oblique lyrics, which make it difficult to make an emotional connection to the songs. That said, the music is beautiful, exuberant and a Buy It.
Songs Featured in Show #232
The Grass Roots, “Let’s Live For Today,” MCA, 1967
Pink Floyd, “In the Flesh,” The Wall, Capitol, 2009
Black Eyed Peas, “I Gotta Feeling,” The E.N.D., Interscope, 2009
The Big Pink, “Dominos,” A Brief History of Love, 4AD, 2009
Retribution Gospel Choir, “Hide It Away,” 2, Sub Pop, 2010
Lazer Crystal, “2029,” MCMLXXX, Thrill Jockey, 2010
Titus Andronicus, "The Battle of Hampton Roads," The Monitor, XL Recordings, 2010
Titus Andronicus, "A More Perfect Union," The Monitor, XL Recordings, 2010
Dessa, "Children's Work," A Badly Broken Code, Doomtree Records, 2010
Galaxie 500, "King of Spain," Today, Rough Trade, 1989
The Fall, "Mexico Wax Solvent," Your Future Our Clutter, Domino, 2010
The Fall, "OFYC Showcase," Your Future Our Clutter, Domino, 2010
Puerto Muerto, "Drumming for Pistols," Drumming For Pistols, Fire Records, 2010
Dum Dum Girls, "Jail La La," I Will Be, Sup Pop Records, 2010
The New Pornographers, "Valkyrie In The Roller Disco," Together, Matador, 2010
The New Pornographers, "Crash Years," Together, Matador, 2010
Deadmau5, "Some Chords," Some Chords, Play Records, 2010
Kevin Lyttle, "Call Me," Kevin Lyttle, Atlantic Records, 2004
Bjork, "It's Oh So Quiet," Post, Elektra, 1995
The Talking Heads, "The Great Curve," Remain in Light, Sire, 1980
K'Naan, "Waving Flag," Troubadour, Universal, 2009 Live on Sound Opinions
