Daily Headlines! Beasties, Pumpkins and more

Adam Yauch (MCA) of the Beastie Boys

Tomorrow, you'll get some a few pieces from me on Capgun Coup and Cursive, both of which told me interesting stuff that doesn't fit in the paper.

As for today, how about some headlines?

• Rolling Stone has a list of albums snubbed by the Grammys.

• Animal Collective's Deakin is trying to go to Africa. If you you help him out, he'll give you a limited edition CD.

• Here's an interview with one of Saddle Creek's newest additions: Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson.

• Smashing Pumpkins (yeah, Billy Corgan is apparently still trucking along with their 44-song album) put out a new song today: "A Song For A Son." Pitchfork called it "epic." I'd say it's just OK. In my opinion, "Cherub Rock" wins out any day.

• Does anyone else think that new Theory of a Deadman song , "Hate My Life," sounds like parody of every other Creed-ish, Nickelback-y song every made? It sounds like every terrible alternative rock clone mashed up into one. Too bad Theory of a Deadman isn't in on the joke... They're apparently serious with this song, but it's still hilarious. As is their frontman's soul patch.

• Billboard names its one hit wonders of the decade. These bring back some terrible/great memories and also keeps making me thing, "What happened to that guy?"

• Adam Yauch (MCA) of the Beastie Boys talks about his fight with cancer. Glad the guy's doing OK. I wish I could have seen the Beasties instead of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Lollapalooza this year. (The YYYs were terrible.)

• Last month's Paste had all of its best of the decade stuff in it, but my favorite piece was the "Evolution of the hipster." I guess other people liked it too: Paste said today that the story has more than 1 million views.

• Girl Talk (Greg Gillis) is putting out the Night Ripper album on limited edition, 180-gram, pink vinyl. For $100. The expense is because it's for charity. The vinyl is supposed to be up at the Illegal Art store soon.

• There's a new version of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" And it's sung by comedians. And it's therefore pretty funny.

Grammy noms coming tonight

Grammy nominations are being announced this evening.

I, for one, don't really care. It's a nice honor for someone to be nominated or win one of the statues, but I find it no more important that winning an AMA or a VMA, to be honest. Music awards, in particular, seem to have less and less meaning considering how many ceremonies there are every year. If you're a country artist, especially, you have about nine opportunities a year to win an award. I wonder how many Taylor Swift will rack up in 2009 alone...

Robert Plant & Alison Kraus, Coldplay and Adele took home the major trophies Did you remember who won? I had to look it up. Last year, I was much more interested in the performances than I was on who won the awards. And they were quite impressive.

This year, the most talk I've heard of is the controversy over whether Lady Gaga can win the best new artist Grammy. First, she can't. Thems the rules, kid. Second, who cares?

As a major-label artist, it doesn't seem like a big deal to win. Hell, it's certainly not that honorable to be nominated any more. John Mayer has won about six. He's been nominated for thirteen. Hell, even Kid Rock has been nominated five times.

When it happens to an indie, it's a lot more interesting. Why? Well, because the indie bands and artists are folks that are bucking the system and to be recognized by the people running the system is impressive. It doesn't seem to happen that often.

But if Katy Perry gets to put another trophy on her shelf, I won't care that much.

As for me, let me know when they announce the performers. (Side note: I hope the Jonas Brothers aren't on the list this year...)

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Anyway, the one-hour nomination special airs on CBS tonight at 8 (central).

Leather Gum Drops

Every week, Stereogum drops a new free mp3.

This week, it's from Omaha-based (Phoenix-born) band Digital Leather.

Usually it's an original tune from an upcoming album or something, but Digital Leather did a cover of MGMT's "Time to Pretend."

Shawn Foree explains that "Stephen and I were talking about synths one day. He mentioned that MGMT used the same machine on 'Time To Pretend' as I did on 'Modern Castles.' ... We decided to cover it. You know, just for fun."

I happen to love the MGMT original and this version is damn good. It's pretty faithful, from the aforementioned synths to the hand-claps in the background.

PHOTO: Sherry Cardino (I don't want Digital Leather to "fucking kill me.")

Daily Headlines! Pixies, Paramore and Muppets

Today, I got the new Animal Collective EP and finally got a chance to hear Jay-Z's "Blueprint 3" (it came out months ago... I'm a little behind).

I also spoke to Trent Dabbs from Nashville music collective Ten Out of Tenn and singer Jeremy DePoyster from metal heads The Devil Wears Prada. Tomorrow, I'm talking to Chris Carraba from Dashboard Confessional.

Enjoy some music news headlines:

• Sigur Ros is going to score a new film.

• iTunes is offering up a new section of live material. Looks like there's a connection with Live Nation-owned venues.

• Spin checks out the inside of Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig's apartment.

• Spinner picks its best songs of the aughts.

• The Strokes did a new album.

• The Pixies have their own shoes. I'd rather have these shoes without all the Pixies stuff all over them, but that's me.

• Blender examines why bands that never did festivals before are now flocking to them.

• Blender also talks to Art Alexakis of Everclear. Remember them? "Father of Mine," "Everything to Everyone," "Santa Monica" and about 12 other songs were 90s radio.

• Check out Paramore's new video for "Brick By Boring Brick." Hayley Williams looks like she went blonde.

• And for my favorite link of the day: The Muppets do "Bohemian Rhapsody." Hells yes.

From the "fake news" dept.: Nation's Music Snobs Protest Predictable Use Of Metallica, Pantera To Torture Prisoners

Jason Segel is really funny and talented

That headline makes it sound like I have a crush on the guy, but it's honest.

I'll admit to watching How I Met Your Mother every week and having seen Forgetting Sarah Marshall more times than is probably healthy. But they're both great.

To show that he is even more awesome, Segel showed up at a Swell Season concert this week and took the stage. He joined Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova of "Once" and sang a song about using his celebratory status to make love to a Swell Season fan; bringing a lesbian friend to his "swanky Los Angeles mansion;" his, uh, personal endowments and even offered up his phone number to the crowd.

In case anyone is wondering, it's 1-315-329-6673.

Anyway, enjoy the video:

Daily Headlines! Adam Lambert, Animal Collective and more

Spent today writing about Christmas, music, Christmas music and trying to get and interview with Anthony Daniels (he's the guy that played C-3PO in the Star Wars movies for all you non-nerds out there).

Anyway, here's today's music headlines:

• Big news of the day is Adam Lambert's racy performance at the American Music Awards. He made out with his (straight male) keyboard player (photo above), grabbed his crotch and did a bunch of other stuff. I didn't see it because I turned off the TV before that. Taylor Swift won the top award. The LA Times blog grades the performances (none of which I thought were very good).

• Spoon changed its album release date, announced a new single and tour dates.

• Scott Stapp from Creed answers questions about leather pants, the band's reunion, his fist fight with 311 and a bunch of other stuff.

• Speaking of Creed, Paste compares the band to the character from "The Office."

• My Morning Jacket was on "American Dad" last night.

• Some Michael Jackson stuff at auction, including the white glove, raised more than $2 million.

• The Avett Brothers have a new music video and a spring tour. And they still won't be in Omaha... Grrr... (I missed them when they were here a few months ago, dammit.)

• Animal Collective has a new mp3 out from their new EP.

• Paste's best of the decade stuff continues on (I think their roundups are much better than Pitchfork's from a few months ago, but that's neither here nor there) with a look at the best movie soundtracks.

Today's Mail: "Just Like You" by Alison Israheta ("American Idol" runner up)

Photo from the Associated Press.

The List: Top 5 Unintentionally Funny Music Videos

Hey folks! I'm starting a new weekly feature called "The List." It's going to be a Top 5/10/20/whatever-number-I-feel-like list that will pop up once a week.

Have any suggestions for what I should cover? Post in the comments, find me on Twitter or Facebook or send an e-mail.

I'll be doing anything from "Top 5 punk albums" to "Top 10 books about music" to "Top 8 Eagles songs that make you want to claw your eyes out."

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For the inaugural list, here's the Top 5 Unintentionally Funny Music Videos.

These aren't from the Foo Fighters or Beastie Boys or Weezer, groups that make music videos that are supposed to make you laugh.

Nope, these ones were supposed to be serious, but end up coming off as ridiculous.

Enjoy...

5. "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" by Poison

Weren't the '80s awesome? Maybe at the time, but watching this video makes me laugh.

Shots of a mostly-naked Bret Michaels sleeping next to some half-naked woman spliced in with backstage video and Michaels in an empty room playing acoustic guitar with a cowboy hat and aviators on.

I guess the video and song are supposed to show that Poison's life was really hard, what with the millions of dollars they were making and good looking women they were with. Favorite moment is Michaels getting his ankle wrapped after a failed rock kick from the drum riser. Real rock 'n roll, buddy.

Poison |MTV Music

4. "The Dope Show" by Marilyn Manson

Is this supposed to be freaky or something? The only thing freaky to me is that Marilyn Manson has boobs and apparently no genitalia.

I'm not even sure what the premise for this video is supposed to be. Marilyn-with-boobs gets examined by scientists, then does a press conference in a dress while cops in pink riot gear make out? Yeah, ok.

Marilyn Manson |MTV Music

3. "Video Phone" by Beyonce

She's trying to look cool and it's just not working for her. I mean, the song's pretty laughable by itself, but every time she appears in a new outfit, its just silly. I mean, when Lady Gaga is dressed less ridiculously than you in a video, it's time to re-evaluate.

The dance moves are straight out of a Paula Abdul video. I started laughing out loud when she shoved her ass in the face of one of those men with camera heads and he kept trying to grab it.

Beyoncé |MTV Music

2. "Opposites Attract" by Paula Abdul

Yeah, the one where she dances with the animated cat (his name is MC Skat Kat, if you're wondering). I guess her "opposite" is an cartoon that can dance.

Coming a year after the live action/cartoon mix of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," the video shows Abdul dancing with the cat, rapping with him and wearing everything from a suit to pajamas to some sort of dress/pants combo. What the hell?

On a related note: this video caused MC Skat Kat to go on and release an album. Seriously.

Paula Abdul |MTV Music

1. "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" by Meatloaf

What. The. Hell? It's not enough that this song is more than seven minutes long, but Meatloaf is some kind of weird vampire? Yeah, sure.

He kills a few cops, creeps through the woods, stalks a hot chick who's hanging out at his deserted mansion's fountain, croons from his throne, hides from above-mentioned hot chick when she enters the mansion, creepily stares at her while she sleeps, watches as his vampire maidens sex up the hot girl, smashes mirrors and then runs from the cops with the girl.

Exactly what is it that he "won't do" for love? Be uncreepy, perhaps? Refrain from sexually assaulting and/or killing people? You got me.

Mercy Rule is back

It's been about 10 years.

Back then, Mercy Rule was one of those names you heard a lot if you were into local music. They played a lot of live shows and did two CDs on Relativity Records (they were called "God Protects Fools" and "Providence" for anyone keeping track).

After that, they got picked up by MCA records, but in one of those "screwed by a major label" stories, their A&R guy got fired and then they were dropped.

After buying back their already-recorded CD from MCA, they released it on Lincoln label Caulfield Records. It was called "The Flat Black Chronicles."

After Mercy Rule's era ended, Jon Taylor and Heidi Ore created Domestica with Boz Hicks.

Anyway, they're back and playing shows again even though the group's members are now in their 40s. Along with SPEED! Nebraska friends Ideal Cleaners, Wagon Blasters and Jake Joyce McCoy, they're doing a set at O'Leaver's on Saturday (check out the poster above). $5 gets you in, as always.

Check out their band bio page at SPEED! to hear a song sample.

Headlines! Cleveland, I'm slacking and more

I've been slacking on the headlines lately. It's actually something I'd like to compile every day, but I honestly haven't done it for a few weeks.

Well, headlines are back!

• Hall & Oates are going to be on the Cleveland Show this week (Family Guy spinoff). Excellent.

• Blender has an awesome post about the top 8 songs used as Facebook status updates.

• Vampire Weekend's new video for "Cousins" has been all over the Internet today.

• Rod Stewart likes Arcade Fire. Count me surprised.

• The guy from Hot Chip talks about the group's new album and how Susan Boyle was an influence. I don't believe him.

• Speaking of Susan Boyle, her new album is the biggest pre-order in Amazon.com's history.

• Like music? Thinking of it as a career? Go work for Spin magazine as an intern. I couldn't think of too many internships that would be cooler.

• Bonnaroo set dates for 2010. Ticket sales start Nov. 27 (seems a little early, doesn't it?).

• The Decemberists have turned their last album into an animated film.

• This isn't really news, but I've been listening to the new Avett Brothers record a lot today and checked their tour schedule. They're not coming to Omaha, and I don't like that.

• Motley Crue explains how they wrote "Girls Girls Girls." I'm not sure why, but I find this fascinating.

• The MTV Woodies were last night. Does anyone care?

Today's Mail: Brandi Carlile's "Give Up the Ghost" and Dashboard Confessional's "Alter the Ending"

Monsters of Folk: Unoriginal?

I got my copy of Paste Magazine in the mail today. It's always a treat, mostly because of the CD sampler they always send along that, month after month, features awesome music.

What caught my eye this time though (aside from the bevy of "best of the decade" lists in the mag) was a simple letter to the editor. In it, an astute reader points out that the foursome of Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Dave Alvin, Tom Russell and Chris Smither put out an album and toured under the name Monsters of Folk in 1998.

That's a full 11 years before Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes, Jim James of My Morning Jacket and M. Ward of She & Him (as well as his own solo career) used the name on its album this year.

Here's a Rolling Stone article about the original folks from '98.

There doesn't seem to be any controversy, aside from the Paste letter to the editor and, to my knowledge, no one is getting sued or anything. It's nonetheless interesting.

Was the name used before? It certainly appears so. Does it really matter? I don't think so. You could call the Oberst-Ward-Mogis-James combo Bright Morning Jacket & Him and I still would like the songs on it.

Oddly enough, the foursome themselves make fun of their own name in a previously-published Paste Q&A:

Oberst: Really, when you think about it, band names are so ridiculous. I mean, I can’t think of a good band name.
Ward: I like Led Zeppelin. That’s the only good band name.

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Speaking of the Paste sampler, mentioned above, three Omaha-related tracks made it on the disc (a first as far as I know).

First is "Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)" from the Monsters of Folk. This isn't much of a surprise to me, considering the MoF have been getting lots of write-ups and praise all over the place.

Second is "The Sound" by Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson from his impeccable release on Saddle Creek Records. He's not from O-town, but SC is, so it counts, right?

Third is "Ari Are We" from Capgun Coup off of the Omaha group's recently-released disc "Maudlin." This is pretty wide exposure for a band that still feels like a local band. What I mean there is that while their record is out on Team Love, they still feel like the local group playing local venues and house parties at Hotel Frank. Probably what Cursive seemed like 10 years ago.