Pink / Sarah McLachlan Duet

This Sarah McLachlan/Pink duet on "Angel" at the 2008 AMAs (that I missed) was quite excellent. Pink mostly does harmonies, but she gets a solo verse in by herself, and she nails it.

New David Cook

I’ve been listening to the new David Cook CD for a bit, and I’m digging it so far. However, I don’t think the first single, “Light On,” is the best track – I’m much more a fan of “Heroes” and “Declaration” (and a few others). I also found it pretty cool that David Cook wrote “Declaration” with Goo Goo Dolls lead singer Johnny Rzeznik (and Greg Wattenberg).

MP3: Heroes – David Cook
MP3: Declaration – David Cook

Grab Your Turkey Very Tightly

I love this commercial. I just hope this isn't the scenario tomorrow!

Floyd Madness

So what are you thankful for? Pink Floyd? But of course! So here's a recommended video from Pete. It's PF rocking out "Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2" on The Wall tour, circa 1980, and it also appears to be with original sound. And check out David Gilmour cutting heads a bit with "Surrogate Band" guitarist Snowy White on some guitar solos at the end. Nice. No jive, turkey.

The Fireman...

Electric Arguments, the new album by the experimental duo The Fireman (a collaboration between Paul McCartney and producer/Killing Joke bassist Youth) has just been released. And the first single is a bluesy, Zeppelin-esque stomp with Paul getting his "Helter Skelter/Why Don't We Do It In The Road" vocals on. None of that overly sugary stuff there. Kinda interesting.

MP3: Nothing Too Much Out of Sight - The Fireman

Threefer

YO JOE: Cracked gives us the 20 Stupidest GI Joe Vehicles Evah – I think I may have had a few of these bad boys myself, including the Devilfish!

PIX: The Smithsonian Magazine photo contest closes December 1st, so get your entries in!

CLOUDY: Forget Crystal Pepsi, now they’ve got…Pepsi White (apparently we missed Pepsi Ice Cucumber). A.V. Club sets us straight with a taste test here

Pink Floyd - "Young Lust" Live

It's a busy week, but here's a video of Pink Floyd on The Wall tour performing "Young Lust." Pretty cool. And it's got the original audio, as opposed to having the CD audio being swapped in, which often times is done.

Wrestling, Rourke, and Springsteen

One of my favorite directors, Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem For A Dream, The Fountain) has got a new movie coming out (The Wrestler), and the trailer just hit the net. Mickey Rourke's performance as a down-and-out, washed-up wrestler is generating very strong critical buzz so far, and I'm always interested in whatever Aronofsky puts out there - even though his last movie, The Fountain, was a disappointment. Anyway, Mr. Springsteen has contributed the title track for the The Wrestler, which you can hear in the trailer above.

This One's On Axl

Well, kids, it appears that Dr. Pepper will be fulfilling its promise of free soda for all if GnR actually drops Chinese Democracy in 2008.

They'll be putting up coupons good for free 20-oz sodas on their website beginning this Sunday after 12:00AM. Coupons will be available for 24 hours.

A Case of the Fridays

It’s been freaking cold outside all week. So why not get warm by rocking out at a few shows? Let’s kick things off with The Gay Blades’ track “He She Says.” The lead singer’s got a vaguely English 80s vocal thing going, and he really hits his stride in the chorus, where the beat takes over from the angular guitar riffs and things get quite catchy. And as bonus, I give you the Dmerit remix of “O Shot” – the funky synth lines and beats really give the song a kick. If you like what you’re hearing, catch them live at DC9 Monday, November 24th.

MP3: He She Says – The Gay Blades
BONUS MP3: O Shot (Dmerit Remix) – The Gay Blades

And we close out things with “Cinders” by Meow Vs. Meow. It’s pulsing indie rock with buzzing, jagged guitars and drums coursing through its veins. If you like what you hear, they’ll be at the Velvet Lounge Friday, November 21st.

MP3: Cinders – Meow Vs. Meow

This Is What Freedom Sounds Like

Not quite sure yet if you want to accept (or purchase) Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy when it drops? So go stream it over on the GnR myspace site here. Now.

Careful With That Axe, Eugene

It's been a busy week, and I've been a naughty blogger...or rather a negligent one. I've had to catch up on my backlog of television shows (which I'm still in the process of doing), and my time has been slipping away. But here's something nice and psychedelic to carry you through until tomorrow's picks of the week - Pink Floyd live at Earl's Court (5/18/1973) performing "Careful With That Axe, Eugene." Check out the freak-out and pyrotechnics at the five-minute mark.

New GnR - "Better"

Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy is dropping in less than a week, and a second official single, "Better," has been released - you can stream it over here, along with the album's title track. I'm not impressed, and I actually like "Chinese Democracy" better, at least at first listen.

Watchmen

In case you haven't seen the new Watchmen trailer...watch it.

An Acoustic Evening w/ Marah @ Jammin Java Sunday

Marah 2008 @ Balenya – Body from Paul Murff on Vimeo.

One of my favorite bands, Marah, will be coming to town this Sunday for a show at Jammin Java in Vienna, VA. Well, to be precise, it’s actually just lead singer Dave Bielanko and keyboardist Christine Smith, along with a touring bassist.

The band has been severely wounded by line-up changes in the past year, parting ways with their rhythm section and lead guitarist. And Dave’s bro Serge has been spending time in Utah with his wife and new baby. So this may be all of Marah I get to see for awhile. But I’ll take it.

Anyway, above is a video of Dave, Serge and Christine performing a beautiful stripped-down version of “Body” in Belenya, Spain earlier this year. And if you want to reminisce, here’s Marah at full electrifying force, rocking out on “It’s Only Money, Tyrone.” Those quick cuts in the IOMT video however, are a bit seizure-inducing.

CORRECTION: Gaslight Society @ Dahlak, Not The Gaslight Anthem

CORRECTION: It's Gaslight Society that's at Dahlak this Saturday at 1771 U St. NW in DC, not The Gaslight Anthem, as I previously posted. Gaslight Society brings a bluesy style of rock to the table, and is fronted by Janet Pinkham and some very powerful vocals.

In The Flesh....Live

I've been listening to a bunch of Pink Floyd recently...mainly The Wall. Unfortunately, there's not much in the way of video options of PF performing certain songs from it. But here's a pretty good Roger Waters solo version of "In the Flesh."

CORRECTION: The Gaslight Anthem NOT @ Dahlak Saturday

I just started listening to North Jersey’s The Gaslight Anthem, and I’m really liking what I’m hearing. They’ve got a no-frills Springsteen-esque rock sound, but with a bit of a kick - with a bit of an edge. Reminds me a bit of Marah.

MP3: Great Expectations - The Gaslight Anthem
MP3: Miles Davis & The Cool - The Gaslight Anthem

The Return of Opie

Opie makes his return to the blog, as I give my new Rebel XTI a workout...

In The Pink

Hopefully you're not working, kids. Anyway, Pink's got a new CD out, and supposedly it's quite good. And she can bring it in concert, too - here she is performing one of my favorite tracks ("Who Knew") from her last album at a live AVO session.

The Black Kids - Twelves Remix

I’m really digging the the Twelves remix of The Black Kids’, “I’m Not Gonna Teach Him How To Dance With You.” The song was great to begin with, but it’s even made even more giddily kinetic on the remix with blips and beats, plus Lil Wayne drops a verse to give it a little added umph. Nice. You can download the whole Kickmix Mixtape here.

MP3: I’m Not Gonna Teach Him How To Dance With You (Twelves remix, f/ Lil Wayne) – The Black Kids

Def Leppard/Taylor Swift

CMT had their Crossroads with Taylor Swift and Def Leppard this past Friday (see Hysteria above) – if my local cable TV provider still had CMT I might actually have watched it. But I’m forced to view it through Youtube videos. Anyway, you can check out the set here:

Def Leppard Tracks:
-Pour Some Sugar On Me
-When Love and Hate Collide
-Photograph
-Hysteria

Taylor Swift Tracks:
-Should’ve Said No
-Teardrops on My Guitar
-Love Story
-Picture To Burn

Conor Oberst @ 9:30 Club Monday

Conor Oberst will be at the 9:30 Club this Monday (11/10). Though his eyes appear slightly less bright, he’s now got the crack Mystic Valley Band backing him up to put a little rock in his Dylan-ish folk. And that’s OK, stay out as late as you want - Tuesday’s Veteran’s Day…

MP3: Valle Mistico – Conor Oberst
MP3: Get-Well-Cards – Conor Oberst

Bouncing Round The Room - Live

It's the end of the week, so celebrate with a little live Phish - here there are performing "Bouncing Round The Room" live at the Shoreline Ampitheatre back on 8/29/1992. Those interlocked vocals are pretty impressive live!

A Case of the Fridays

The music rolls on, and first up this week we’ve got a “Trans-Am” from Boulder, CO’s Rose Hill Drive. It rocks, power trio-style, with fuzzy, distorted guitar and some nice chugging riffs, and it’s perfect for channeling the 70s. If you like what you hear, Rose Hill Drive (above) will be at DC9 in DC Wednesday, November 12th.

MP3: Trans-Am – Rose Hill Drive

And we close out this week “Walkin’ Cane” from Robert Earl Keen. It’s an alt-country blues, played to perfection, alternatively jangly and searing, with and lyrics that make no excuses. Robert Earl Keen brings his Texas brand of alt-country to the 9:30 Club Wednesday, November 12th.

MP3: Walkin’ Cane– Robert Earl Keen

Photo by Lisa Siciliano

Crossroads Featuring Taylor Swift/Def Leppard

CMT’s Crossroads has thrown some interesting country/rock artist combinations together, and Friday’s upcoming show is no exception. Country artist-of-the-moment singer-songwriter Taylor Swift will be bringing her teen angst on stage with with 80s pop metal gods Def Leppard. Wondering what that will sound like? Here’s an advance video of them performing Def Leppard’s “Photograph” together.

It's A Bird - No It's A Freaking Monster!

The guys from Birdmonster were just over at WOXY in Cincinnati and treated listeners to an on-air stripped-down live session of new and unreleased material. Check it out here, and the track listening is below…

Track Listing:
-Concrete Lights
-I Say What I Want (new/unreleased)
-The Only One
- interview
-Born To Be Your Man
-My Love For You
-I Am The Wind (new/unreleased)

Photo by Greg Crane

What The Kids Are LIstening To

A couple of guilty pleasure radio tracks have gotten stuck in my head as of late. First up, Metro Station’s “Seventeen Forever.” The verses are are not overly memorable, but that’s OK, since there isn’t many of them – it’s the many choruses where the song earns its money, erupting into shimmering, bouncy goodness.

And second, I’m really digging Katy Perry’s new single, “Hot N’ Cold.” The track sounds like an up-tempo Pink knock-off, but I mean that as a compliment – it’s high-energy, gritty vocals, and an oh-so-hooky chorus that gets under your skin, in a good way.

MP3: Seventeen Forever – Metro Station
MP3: Hot N Cold – Katy Perry

"Nobody's Fool" (Live)

Here's a pretty cool video of the underrated Cinderella performing "Nobody's Fool" from back in the day. That Tom Keifer has got some pipes! And the rest of Cinderella is pretty tight, too.