Partydog’s new digital zine Lamezine is available now for whatever you want to pay! It could even be free! But I would recommend paying something, because there’s about 50 pages of Microwave Planet and 80 more pages of guest drawings and comics, and even a song! A lot of stuff. Good stuff. Great stuff.
It’s pretty rare that I see something I feel compelled to share with everyone I know, but this music video completely stunned me. It’s set to a song by Fleet Foxes, directed and co-animated by the lead singer. And it is amazing and jaw-droppingly beautiful, sort of what I would expect from a modern incarnation of Fantasia.
It’s about seven minutes long, which I know is a stretch on the internet, but put it in fullscreen mode and enjoy. If you don’t love it, I’ll eat my hat.
Picture, if you will, Jack White and some of his friends hanging out at a late-night diner. They're throwing ideas around, and the topic turns to funny-but-apt mash-ups. After a few suggestions, from amidst a sea of giggles, one of them says, "Someone should mash up ICP with, uh, that really obscene Mozart song. 'Lick My Arse.'"
When the raucous laughter finally subsides, Jack White turns to them with a completely straight face. "This needs to exist. We need to make this exist in real life."
You can listen to the full track at the Third Man Records site. As you may expect, the song contains impolite language. Proceed with caution.
It's been pretty funny to see the Third Man Records fan community completely flipping their lids over this release -- people are furious that Jack White would dare to taint his public image by working with a rap duo known for its large but widely-disliked fanbase, profane lyrics, and generally poor craftsmanship. While the Insane Clown Posse's widespread popularity is a complete mystery to me, the things most people ferociously hate about ICP are what make them the perfect choice for a weird novelty record rapping alongside an operatic performance of "Leck Mich im Arsch."
I'm inclined to take the whole thing as an expensive prank on White's notoriously finicky fans (come on, the title translates idiomatically to "kiss my ass"), but it's not hard to spin it as an art project. Marrying high and low art to make a statement is nothing new.
A near-perfect translation of a cat's thought processes. Potentially unsafe for work due to cusses (use headphones if you're around kids or your boss).
I know most of my readers probably don't follow developments with Third Man Records (Jack White's record company/store/music venue) as closely as I do, so maybe you haven't yet heard about the Rolling Record Store.
It's basically a bookmobile decked out as a makeshift branch of the Third Man Records Store, which makes its home in Nashville. The Rolling Record Store is making its premiere at SXSW in Austin right now, but after that, it will be driving around the country, setting up shop in cities and towns all over the States.
But that's not why I'm posting today (even though the Rolling Record Store is pretty damn cool). I just wanted to show you the video of the Rolling Record Store's grand opening yesterday, which featured performances by Jack White and a new Third Man recording artist, three-string bluesman Seasick Steve, who is fantastic. Please enjoy.
Hey guys, I heard Absofacto had some new music up. This time it's a limited-edition 7" vinyl single. And it's awesome. Go listen and/or buy.
Pretty much all of my friends are probably at least somewhat familiar with this guy's music because I mention it on a fairly regular basis--besides making really awesome music, Jon is an acquaintance of mine and a really cool guy. Aside from the physical merch, the music on his site is pay-what-you-want. If you find you like his work, you should buy it!
I'm an introvert. Some of my college friends don't believe it--I suspect that's in part because they spent nearly all their time around me after I had discovered the social benefits of alcohol--but it's true. I take a long time to warm up to people, and I require time alone. In high school I was puzzled at accusations that I was "stuck up" or (a comment I remember specifically) "a jerk." I was a little relieved, reading this blog post by Jennifer de Guzman, to find out that it's a common sort of accusation to direct at introverts: we don't immediately engage, so we must think we're "too good" for everyone else. That is absolutely not the case, but it's a common line of thought for extroverts, I guess.
My friends--introverts and extroverts alike--may also find this essay to be of interest. If you are an introvert, it will be resonant. If you are an extrovert, you may find it enlightening.
It's surreal and disorienting to remember that we live in a world where Michael Jackson is dead. Just watched This Is It the other day. I'll be posting a review on Sunday, but until then here's a little something to help you remember why the world has been a darker place since June of 2009:
