It goes without saying that Damon Albarn is an effin musical genius. I take that back, cause I want to make sure everyone knows: Damon Albarn is an effin musical genius. Not only would I bone him, but I would also PHONE him! If only I had his number. But seriously folks, Damon is a grade-A artiste, which is almost as tasty as grade-A beef! Everything he touches turns to critical gold, if not popular culture gold. The sorta-still front man of Blur is actually having more success now with his Traveling Wilburyesque side projects than he did with his ye olde fab foursome, aka the bestest thing to come outta England in the 90s, besides me and a case of Walker’s Salt & Lineker crisps. DA is like the Quentin Tarantino of the music world, digging up luminaries of days past and making them shine again. On the last Gorillaz joint, Neneh Cherry and Ike Turner were given new life and with Damon’s latest project, the band without a name, although everyone calls them The Good, The Bad & The Queen, Clash bassist Paul Simonon and Afrobeat founder Tony Allen get their due over.
As an album TGTB&TQ is a spirited and all around beyond solid effort. As a concert, tits exactly like listening to the album, since the gang play it from song one til song end (+ a B-side & and unfinished ditty), but it is not such a rock and/or rolling affair. Those looking to jump around would probably have to wait another night when the Fab Faux take up residency. TGTB&TQ’s show was more like a performance than a concert, which is purty much how I felt about the Apollo Gorillaz showslast year. One blizzoger said it breast, ‘The crowd was more impressed with who was on stage rather than the music itself.‘ Regardless of the rump shakenlessness and sorta-lameness of the crowd, the show ruled, juss like it’s ringleader. Can’t wait to see what Alban has up his sleeve next go around cause I’ll be there with bells on and cows on and most likely cowbells on!
Remember, I’m a movie snob, not a music one, so my top picks are pretty much the only albums I listened to this past year. I’d rather be adventurous when I order out for Chinese, not when seekin out hot new artists that every other blogger cross the globe wastes their time leg humpin on. But why should I explain myself when I basically launched Lily Allen’s US career, right?
Les Breastest Albums of 2006 To Hug Denim In Closets To (I just don’t know hot to quit using this image)
1) Matthew Friedberger – Winter Women (but NOT Holy Ghost Language School)
2) Lily Allen – Alright, Still 3) Jean-Benoit Dunckel – Darkel
4) The Flaming Lips – At War With The Mystics 5) The Sounds – Dying to Say This to You
6) The Streets – The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living 7) The Who – Endless Wire 8) Kasabian – Empire
9) The Blue Safari – The Bluegrass Tribute To Air 10) Ghostface Killah – Fishscale 11) Keane – Under the Iron Sea
Concerts That Were More Procerts Than Concerts
Wu-Tang Clan @ Phil’s Electric Factory – Feb 11 Gorillaz @ The Apollo – Apr 2 & 6 (Opening/Closing nights) The Sounds @ Irving Platz – Apr 12 Ladytron @ Irving/Webster Hall – Apr 14/Sep 28 Keane @ Bowery – Jun 23 The Streets/Lad
y Sov @ Webster Hall – Jun 27 The Raconteurs @ Lolla – Aug 4 Chris Isaak @ The Beacon – Aug 18 Roger Waters @ Jones Beach – Sep 15 The Who @ MSG – Sep 18 Lily Allen @ Hiro Ballroom – Oct 10
+ two mos painful shows I sat thru Charlatans UK @ Webster – May 16 Radiohead @ MSG Theatre – June 14
Tuneses For Toonces
Amy Winehouse – ‘Rehab’ [d] Beck – ‘Think I’m In Love’ [d] Beirut – ‘Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)’ [d] Charlatans UK – ‘When The Lights Go Out In London’ [d] Chris Cornell – ‘You Know My Name’ [d] Christina Aguilera – ‘Candyman’ [d] Darkel – ‘TV Destory’ [d] DMC w/ Sarah McLach ‘Just Like Me’ [d] Edie Brickell & The New Bos – ‘I’ll Wear You Down’ [d] Fanfare Ciocarlia – ‘Born To Be Wild’ [d] Fiery Furnaces – ‘I’m In No Mood’ [d] Flaming Lips – ‘It Overtakes Me’ [d] Ghostface Killah & Ne-Yo – ‘Back Like That’ [d] Gnarls Barkley – ‘Crazy’ [d] Gnarls Barkley – ‘Gone Daddy Gone’ [d] Good, The Bad & The Queen – ‘Herculean’ [d] Jack White – ‘What Goes Around’ [d|vid] Jarvis Cocker – ‘Cunts Are Still Running The World’ [d] Justin Timberlake – ‘My Love’ [d] Kasabian – ‘Shoot The Runner’ [d] Keane – ‘Is It Any Wonder?’ [d] Leperchaun’s Hot Dogs – ‘Where The Gold At?’ [d|vid] Lily Allen – ‘Friday Night’ [d] Lily Allen – ‘Knock Em Out’ [d] Lily Allen – ‘LDN’ [d] Matthew Friedberger – ‘Her Chinese Typewriter’ [d] Moby & Debbie Harry – ‘New York, New York’ (Armand Van Helden remix) [d] Paris Hilton – ‘Stars Are Blind’ [d] Raconteurs – ‘Steady As She Goes’ [d] Red Hot Chili Peppers – ‘Dani California’ [d] Sean Lennon – ‘Friendly Fire’ [d] Sounds – ‘Painted By Numbers’ [d] Streets – ‘Hotel Expressionism’ [d] Who – ‘Not Enough’ [d] Wigwam – ‘Wigwam’ [d] Wolfmother – ‘Woman’ [d] Wu-Tang Clan – ‘9 Milli Bros’ [d] Zutons – ‘You’ve Got A Friend In Me’ [d] • think this year’s blazzles blew burrito chunks? Czech out the ’05, the ’04, and the ’03’s moist choices!
and before we jet outta here, lettuce pay due respeck
Peace The Fork Out to the man who really needs no introduction other than bein the Godfather of Soul James Joseph Brown, Jr.
I was lucky to have seen the man perform twice in my life. The first time was the mos memorable, although I was 10 and I can’t eggzactly prove that I was there. Anywho, the event was a six-hour Vietnam Vet tribute concert entitled Welcome Home, and was held at the now deceased Capital Centre, in Landover, MD. The bill was chock-loaded with the likes of Crosby Stills, & Nash, Richie Havens, Linda Ronstadt, et al, but one act stood above the rest: James Brown. I didn’t understand why he kept on playing, even after endless pleas for him to stop came from a stagehand, but years later I found out that is was all a par
t of his act. What a true showman. A showman who’s talents (and hair) will never equalled. Hopefully Papa’s got a brand new bag and whatever else he desires in that big Apollo Theater in the sky
Edgar Stiles will never go outta style: the EGGSclusive promo to his Life’s A Pizza flick AND a soon to be dad AND husband (wait, are they both preggers?)!!
Oh, so that’s what that is: Sometimes I’m a bit behind on things. This go around I owe it to the fact that I rarely watch the Grammy’sLame-y’s or listen to anything by Linkin Park (ok, anything besides ‘The End’ [d]). But I may have changed my tune as my ears have been glued to dat Jay-Z/Linkin Park mash-up ‘Numb/Encore’ [d | WMvid] ever since I fingered out dat dat is the song featured on dem Miami Vice trailers. Jan Hammer [d] who? Btw, I’m totally jazzed for this flick. I think it has mad po-tense-hole, hispecially with CH on board, who’ll also be seen in Noah Baumbach’s 2007 joint
And cause you probably didn’t click on that Corky link above: Life Goes On‘s Chris Burke has a band, and yes, they’re touring. And yes, I have already marked 9/17 on my calendar. And yes, I’m not joking cause CORKY RULESS!!!
Sarah McLachlan’s music saves lives: see Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels‘ for proof. The two even dueted on DMC’s ‘Cats In The Cradle’ remake ‘Just Like Me’ [vid]
Dry your sweat, mate: Mike Skinner, aka the world’s effin greatest artist that’s a year younger than me, signs up for the NY Marathon
Is it football season yet?: No, but it’s almos futbol season!! And if yer an American rooting for some other country, go eat Hedwig’s dick and die die die! You Talibanistical jerknuts!!
More shocking than Jeremy Shockey: Methinks I have unraveled the ‘inspiration’ for the American Idol theme song [d]. Listen to it 1st, and then listen to the guitar and crowd cheering at around 1:26 on the Utah Saint‘s ‘Something Good’ [d], featuring Kate Bush. Hmm, guess nothing about that show is original
I no that known of you click the links that hide beneath the Photochop Phryday mastercheeses, so: Rate My Poo [NSFW]
STOP THE PEREZES: PARIS HILTON SONG LEAKED (and for a shitty lil pop numba, it’s really not THAT bad, and I even kinda dig the Wendy Carlosish Clockwork Orangeee opening), and…
and who gives a flyin fjord who wins and who loses in women’s tennis, juss as long as the hotties keep sproutin up. Say hello to my new lil Slovakian friend whom I’d love to slowfcukin’in all night shlong, Daniela Hantuchova
+ meat my new hero: a San Franciscan boy has until Friday to raise 7k+ in order to land a date with chavilicious Lady Sov, who recently agreed to take part in this geniusessness of internetsing, but if and only if all the money is raised and spent like so
Lady Sovereign – ‘Cha Ching’ (cheque 1-2 remix) [d]