The Friday Thing: A-Punk by Vampire Weekend (+poll results)

I remember back in early 2008, I saw previews for a Jools Holland episode with Vampire Weekend and The Kills as guests. I ended up tuning in a little late so the only thing I saw in that episode was the last performance which was "A-Punk". I had never heard anything at all by them before that moment, so when I did I was completely enthralled and couldn't believe how good they really were. I loved them so much that I went out the next day and bought their album strictly on this performance-now, 2 years later, I finally will be going to see them.


A-Punk

POLL RESULTS:
In January I put up a poll to see what you guys liked most about what I offer on this blog, and an overwhelming amount of you (3 of you) have voted. Based on the results, I will start trying to post more news items and music reviews. Also, I'm thinking about stopping these Friday things, or making them more infrequent. Next week, I'm going to a show, so I won't have a Friday Thing, but I will have a concert review! Opinions?

The Friday Thing: Planet Telex by Radiohead

I like Radiohead. I really do. On that note, I've listened to a lot of them this week, and I felt that it'd be nice to bring their performance from that Coachella movie to you. This is one of their older songs and their performance is very good. With Jonny Greenwood bouncing around and Thom Yorke's awkward goofy smiles: it's hard not to enjoy. Give it a chance.


Planet Telex

New Video for Giving Up The Gun by Vampire Weekend

Well, the title says it. Vampire Weekend have released a video for their Contra song "Giving up the Gun" today. I feel confused yet happy: It stars a Jonas brother and Jake Gyllenhaal, respectively, who play a girl in a tennis match. Other than that, the band look cool, and the over all feel of the video fits that of the amazing song.


Giving up the Gun

(I feel so violated posting a video by someone named "FanaticForJonasB")

MGMT and Congratulations cover and other information

This is the cover art to MGMT's supposedly very different Congratulations which is due out on April 13th in the states. This is gonna be a weird album-the fact that there are flutes, a 12 minute song, the song titles, and the album art means that it's not going to be normal. The only way it could be more bizarre is if they make the actual songs conventional.


Track Listing
01 It's Working
02 Song for Dan Treacy
03 Someone's Missing
04 Flash Delirium
05 I Found a Whistle
06 Siberian Breaks
07 Brian Eno
08 Lady Dada's Nightmare
09 Congratulations

The Friday Thing: Tenuousness by Andrew Bird

From the Basement is a fantasic show shot by Nigel Godrich where they take a band and have them perform with no audience. Recently, I've been getting into Andrew Bird, so I decided to watch his set from the episode he was in. He is a one man show-he loops his violin, he whistles, plucks a guitar, and sings-and words cannot properly describe how beautiful the violin looping is. There are so many layers that are perfectly placed together. Andrew Bird is a genius, and if you didn't know that, watch this performance of "Tenuousness"-you'll understand!


Tenuousness

Jamie Lidell is...Compass!

Soul-singer/electronic(ish) Jamie Lidell is releasing his 4th album "Compass" which is due to be released May 17th in the UK and May 18th in the States. For those who don't know, Jamie Lidell is a very talented soul and electronic artist. His previous album "Jim" was a very soulfilled, bright effort, but now it seems with "Compass" he's moving into the more experimental zone; apparently even the likes of Beck and Feist helped with the record. Be sure to pick it up when it comes out!
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Go here to hear the title track "Compass"

Possible MGMT Release Date?

It's been known for awhile now that MGMT are due to release an album entitled "Congratulations" this year, but nobody has any idea when it'll be released...until now. On MGMT's website they have a countdown going which will end on Tuesday, April 13th. It's pure speculation, but Vampire Weekend's countdown led to Horchata, so this may just lead to a song or an album. You never know.

Go here to see for yourself: MGMT's Official Website

The Friday Thing: Cousins, Have I The Right?, California English, Walcott, Horchata, and A-Punk by Vampire Weekend

This week, Vampire Weekend did a set of songs for a small audience for La Blogotheque. It's a very intimate setting, with the four of them playing amongst a small group of people sitting around them, which makes it such a great performance. Their nerdyness and quirks come out to an extreme, and the acoustic-versions are very nice to hear; they make California English bearable! The energy is great, and if you have 23 minutes to spare, you won't be disappointed.


Cousins, Have I The Right?, California English, Walcott, Horchata, and A-Punk