W♥M (Archive)

This Day In Led Zeppelin

This app is designed for both iPhone and iPad $2.99 Category: Music Released: Jan 17, 2011 Version: 1.00 Size: 86.2 MB Language: English Seller: This Day in Music Apps LLP © This Day In Music Apps 2011 Rated 12+ for the following: Infrequent/Mild Mature/Suggestive Themes Infrequent/Mild Alcohol, Tobacco, or Drug Use or References Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.2 or later

Much like those documentary-type books, such as Queen Live: A Concert Documentary and The Smiths: The Visual Documentary, the iOS application, This Day In Led Zeppelin, is chock-full of details about the band, courtesy of This Day in Music Apps. While this kind of trivial information is cool for fans of Led Zeppelin and trainspotters alike, I find that if you have little or no interest in the band, that this application will be completely useless to you. If you love this band, keep reading:

The pricing is perfect, considering that this is a universal application for both iPhone and iPad. Although I will admit that the iPad option wasn't really thought out, that this application was really designed for the held-held iPhone or iPod Touch. Some clues: this application doesn't do landscape and images are still pretty tiny, with no option to expand to a larger version. The larger images isn't going to be deal breaker, in fact, I can understand why they'd want small images, because I'm assuming there are about 365 images (which could explain why the application is a large 90mb download). I do like that the images are randomly displayed.

As for the meat of the product, you get a trivia about Led Zeppelin based on the day, broken down by various years. For instance, this day in Zeppelin (January 31^st), LZ played their first of two nights at the Fillmore East in New York in 1969 and in 1975 they played Detroit Michigan (with the set list information). The nice thing about this is that you can skip around, so if a particular day is important to you (like, say, your birthday), you can read what LZ were up to that day.

As I previously mentioned, some of this data is a little far-fetched, like do I really need to know the birthday of Deborah Bonham (sister of the late drummer John Bonham)?

But wait, there's more, you get a few extras with this application: Trivia, Quiz, Song Notes, Store and Extras. The later two will take you out of the application, so I'll just only briefly mention the first three. The Trivia are basically recycled data from the "On this Day" information, I think in random order. The Quiz is fun, you aren't told what the right answer is and it's only in session of 10 questions per quiz (also random questions). The highlight is the Song Notes for me. Much more information than any liner notes, this drills down from album details to facts about each song. Of course, I looked up "Stairway to Heaven", which is their most popular song in the US (despite having never been issued a single in the states). The song was so popular that it was played on terrestial radio over three million times. Just to put that in perspective, they said that if you played all three million back-to-back, it would run for 44 solid years.

Anyway, a delightful program, This Day In Led Zeppelin is recommended if you like Led Zeppelin. It is doing well in the iTunes UK and I'm holding out for a This Day in The Smiths.

vu () ♥ ledzeppelin.com

AMOS LEE – MISSION BELL

It’s been a good week for Amos Lee.  His fourth album, “Mission Bell” debuted at number one on I-Tunes.  I heard his single, “Windows Rolled Down,” on the radio, which I chose not to do, being that it’s the middle of winter.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, working with a record label more known for jazz and collaborating with country musicians like Willie Nelson and Lucinda Williams, Lee is an interesting musical mix.  He has a firm grasp of the foundations that have built the American musical experience, easily slipping between rock, country, blues and soul.  He also infuses his latest with a healthy amount of gospel, whether directly on, “I want to drink from your cup of sorrow” or subtly, “When I look in your clear blue eyes, I could cry, I could cry.”

Many of the songs on “Mission Bell” are of a man searching, even appealing to the savior in “Jesus”, a blues-filled cry for redemption.  “Learned A Lot” is a little more laid back and soulful, which may be closer to Lee as a person walking the earth.  But that’s one song.  Each of the twelve tracks is a particular snapshot of a particular person, whether a bitter lover, a wounded soldier or a neglected child. 

Lee hits his stride with “El Camino” as he reflects on the transient nature of a musician, asking how one can hold on to a moment or person when constantly moving down the road. 

My favorite is “Violin,” Lee’s weary look at his bleak urban landscape, wishing, as written in the liner notes, “for my life to be rich and full,” as he dissipates the song into an ethereal mist.    

 

Dave

 

Friday Treats

Morning kids!

Just wanted to deliver a few treats to keep your Friday lovely and help you to slide into what should be a brilliant weekend.

New music: Oh Mercy

Check out the trailer for the upcoming video from Melbourne outfit Oh Mercy. Stay Please Stay is the first single to be taken from their upcoming, highly anticipated album Great Barrier Grief.

 

New music: Julia Stone

Half of the keepers of the #1 JJJ Hottest 100 tune, this clip in which Julia Stone produces artwork, music and film that shows her ability to create an intimate microcosm soundtracked by soothing, dulcit tones. This track, taken from the subtly released 2010 solo album The Memory Machine, is the perfect example from the album.

 

Festival Reminder: Playground Weekender

Playground Weekender is weheartmusic's summer festival of choice this year (unfortunately without Doves) and is happening from the 17th to the 20th of February. Get on board the awesome train for the most relaxing festival you'll ever attend and come along - don't forget your fancy dress costume!. Tix here.

Tonight: GO/NO-GO ‘Lost In Berlin Single Launch - Sandringham Hotel, Newtown, Sydney

Get down there to celebrate the release of their latest single 'Lost in Berlin' and the amazing filmclip shot in Berlin! Helping them with their fine tunes on the night will be Community Radio, Great Apes and Baby X.

Click here for something: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=154241354626518&index=1

Happy weekend!

Sally 

[email protected]

Tahiti 80

Tahiti 80: Darlin (Jimmy Edgar Remix)

French pop band, Tahiti 80 are coming back to the US with a brief tour in March, mostly for SXSW 2011. They also have a new EP called Darlin, to be released January 31^st, to be followed by an LP called The Past, The Present & The Possible out on February 15^th. They have released a free B-Side, "Darlin" remixed by Jimmy Edgar, which you can download for free at about.com.

Here is the full track listing for the Darlin EP:

1. Darlin' (Adam & Eve song)
2. Darlin' (John Talabot's Obscuro Baile Remix)
3. Darlin' (Jacob And The Appleblossom Remix)
4. Darlin' (Jimmy Edgar Remix)
5. Darlin' (Arandel Remix)

Reading their website, it looks like more tour dates are to be added, but in the meantime, here are the confirmed dates so far:

02/26: Bangkok Thailand 03/09: Chicago, IL @ The Abbey 03/10, New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge 03/13: San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop 03/14: Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour 03/16: SXSW Austin (US) 03/17: SXSW Austin (US) 03/18: SXSW Austin (US) 03/19: SXSW Austin (US) 03/20: SXSW Austin (US)		03/22: Liquid Room Tokyo (JP) 03/23: Club Quattro Osaka (JP) 03/24: Metro Kyoto(JP) 03/26: Bay Hall Yokohama (JP) 04/07: Le Bataclan Paris (Fr) 05/02: Chelsea Wien (A) 05/03: Ampere München (D) 05/05: Karlstorbahnhof Heidelberg (D) 05/06: Comet Berlin(D) 05/07: Mondial Club Hamburg(D)

vu () ♥ tahiti80.com

Best versions: Dead Space 2 and RED

Jason Graves: Isaac, Are You There?

Can you believe that today (January 25^th) marks W♥M four years? It's hard to do something for that long and not get too burnt out.

To take a little break, here are some items that's not necessary music-related.

DEAD SPACE 2
The original Dead Space was really scary, and it's one of those games that I played until the end. The ending was interesting, I didn't expect it to end that way, but it also didn't surprise me like it blew away some people. That asteroid section took me AGES to get through...

Well anyway, I picked up the sequel yesterday. The best version you can pick up right now between the three platforms (Xbox, PS3 and PC) is the PS3 version. It comes with an extra game: Dead Space: Extraction (which was previously available as a Wii-only game). Anyway, if you decide to go all-out, Dead Space 2: The Collector's Edition is the one to get. The extras are lame though: the replica gun is a dumb trophy to have on your shelf and the "rare lithograph" is even lamer. Really? That tiny print is a feature?!? The only thing worth-while is the soundtrack by Jason Graves, which is exclusive to the Collector's edition.

Not much to add, except that I'm really early in the game. I've only picked up my laser cutter and got killed...

RED
This movie is based on a comic book, and as a comic fan, I did check out the movie. I wasn't all that impressed with it, unlike other movies like Wanted and Kick-Ass. Red stars Bruce Willis as a "retired, extremely dangerous" CIA agent. I kind of wish the movie was more serious, but it plays out sometime comical that you're taken out of reality.

Anyway, there are several version of the movie you can get: the DVD, "movie-only" Bluray, and RED: Special Edition. However, if you're looking for the ultimate version, you need to get the Best Buy version, it's a combination Bluray and DVD disc (Bluray on one side, DVD on the other) and it comes with a mini-comic book called "Red: Marvin". The comic is shrunk down to fit within the Bluray case, making this ideal for storage (I've often bought books or comics that came with the Bluray only to have it clumsily fit on my shelf).

The sticker retail price is a whopping $34.99, but it's on sale this week for $19.

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Aussies + Kiwis

Ruby Frost: Moonlight

One day, one day, I'll be on holiday in Australia.... since we just wrapped up our Australian show, below are some bands from the general area you might want to check out:

RUBY FROST
myspace.com/rubyfrost

I have to confess: I really love "Moonlight" by New Zealand's Ruby Frost. The song is catchy and with a touch of electro dance and it's also a very good pop song... which probably shouldn't surprise you to find out that the song was produced by Chris Zane, who did some work with Passion Pit and Asobi Seksu.

I did stalk Ruby a bit, it seems her real name is Jane de Jong and that she is very young. She also seems to have a thing for costumes on stage, looking at her live photos.

Some dates:

01/28/11 Parachute 2011 Hamilton, Waikato, NEW ZEALAND
01/30/11 Parachute 2011 Hamilton, Waikato, NEW ZEALAND
02/03/11 1885 Auckland City, Auckland, NEW ZEALAND
03/05/11 bFM Summer Series Auckland, City, NEW ZEALAND

Stereoflower: The Cocaine Bebop

STEREOFLOWER
myspace.com/stereoflower

As you know, we do like our Oasis and Stone Roses, so I was excited to check out, "The Cocaine Bebop", from this four-piece band called Stereoflower, out of Perth, Australia.

It's not bad, a little too epic rock for my taste, but you can definitely hear lots of John Squire influences on this song.

The single is doing pretty well, doing the rounds on Triple J and Triple R, and it is the first single from their debut album, It's Alright, It’s Ok, Satellite Commander (released April 2010 via Walking Horse Music).

Upcoming events:

02/05/11 Norfolk Basement, Perth, WA, AUSTRALIA
02/19/11 "Sam" EP Launch @ Amplifier Perth, WA, AUSTRALIA

KIDS OF 88
www.kidsof88.com

From New Zealand, this duo is playing, what Kristen dubs "cool kids" and "trendy music", so expect a lot of electro and dance beats. Sure enough, Kids of 88 are self-described as electropop... and the band's done well - having opened up for big successful acts like Ke$ha and Scissor Sisters.

They have a US debut EP called Just a Little Bit, out now via Dryden Street and SonyMusic Independent Network (SIN), and as a special celebration, you can download their song for free and possibly win a new iPod from mybandcards.com/kidsof88:

Download "My House" by the Kids of 88. All you have to do is enter your email address. By entering your email address you will also be added to the Kids of 88 email list - which you can unsubscribe to at any time. You're also entered to win an Apple iPod. The drawing will happen on March 31, 2011. We'll notify the winner via email so be sure the email address you give us is one that you check. Thanks for downloading!

"My House" is Kids of 88's first platinum-selling single, and what a deal that it's free.

PENDULUM
pendulum.com

With their third album, Immersion coming out tomorrow on Atlantic Records, this ex-Perth band (currently based in the UK) is set to do a national tour with Linkin Park (and later headlining tour in late February).

The band was recently mentioned by Spin.com:

Meanwhile Pendulum, originally from Perth, Australia, made one of the better cases of recent years for another major mainstream dance/rock crossover, a la the Prodigy. Like those English greats, this six-piece marries dance beats with rock attitudes and textures (and the beginning of Pendulum's "The Vulture" sure seems indebted to "Smack My Bitch Up").

Tour details below:

01/25/11 Joe Louis Arena Detroit, MI* 01/26/11 United Center Chicago, IL* 01/28/11 Xcel Energy Center Saint Paul, MN* 01/29/11 Sprint Center Kansas City, MO* 01/31/11 Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia, PA* 02/01/11 TD Garden Boston, MA* 02/04/11 Madison Square Garden New York, NY* 02/05/11 Irving Plaza New York, NY^ 02/07/11 Bell Centre Montreal, QC* 02/08/11 Air Canada Centre Toronto, ON* 02/10/11 Verizon Center Washington, DC* 02/11/11 Mohegan Sun Arena Uncasville, CT*		02/13/11 U.S. Bank Arena Cincinnati, OH* 02/16/11 Ogden Theatre Denver, CO^ 02/17/11 In the Venue Salt Lake City, UT^ 02/19/11 Showbox Sodo Seattle, WA^ 02/20/11 Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, BC^ 02/23/11 The Filmore San Francisco, CA^ 02/25/11 The Wiltern Los Angeles, CA^ 02/26/11 House of Blues Las Vegas, NV^ 03/25/11 Ultra Music Festival Miami, FL^ * supporting Linkin Park ^ with Innerpartysystem

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

W♥M102: Keyboard Cats

W♥M102 (57min: archive/podomatic)

Another really long show, this runs for about an hour. I wanted to cut more out, but they were all so laugh-out-loud that I kept most of it in.

Kristen, the guest of honor, does most of the talking, about her travels and future plans. Sally and Vu also there. Some of the things I learned:

Australians shortens everything. Derros and Povvos and such...

Kristen stalking Nick Banks and walking around Sheffield and Idlewild in Camden Town

Gorillaz and Damon DJing in Sydney

M.A.G.N.U.S. via britishpopsongs.co.uk

Playground Weekender 2011: Doves might cancel? Kool & The Gang's Rosanna Joanna. Rockabilly vibe. Midnight Juggernauts.

Keyboard Cats T-Shirt: a combination of Keyboard Cat and the Three Wolves T-Shirt

New vs Old Belle & Sebastian

Kristen's future tour plans: Holy F***, Primal Scream, Roxy Music, and Belinda Carlisle

Sydney Festival: Live: An intimate video study of the art of performing

Bonus material includes: Broadcast singer Trish's recent death, shopping in England, and The Wonder Stuff & Levellers.

Below are some photographs, courtesy of Kristen:

Damon Albarn

Nick Banks' pottery shop

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Archive of this show at archive.org. More information on mypodcast.com

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

JAZZ NOTE # 10 – BABY IT’S FREAKIN COLD OUTSIDE

Baby, It's Cold Outside

The other day I took out the garbage.  And as I headed inside, I noticed a mound of snow, which had been piling since early December, was now over my head.  I took this as a bad sign.  If Punxsutawney Phil lived in Minnesota, he would certainly wait until July before moving to Mexico.  The weatherperson verified this sentiment the other night.  She said that spring will be delayed because the endless acres of fallen snow will act as a giant fridge when warmer winds appear.  But that’s many days away.  Today its four degrees above zero.  Like Vu, I find January to be about survival. 

“Baby, it’s Cold Outside,” a song that toggles between love and frostbite, is an appropriate song for this time of year.  I knew it was a popular ballad, but I was surprised how many people have recorded it.  At I-Tunes I found artists as varied as Tony Bennett, Dean Martin, Lady Antebellum and Jessica Simpson.  For being a song about two lovers there is some strange pairings.  After all, can you mentally picture Norah Jones making out with Willie Nelson?  How about Zooey Deschanel and Leon Redbone?  Then there is the talk show host, Regis Philbin and The Dukes of Hazzard actor, Tom Wopat.  (No, they didn’t sing the duet together. They just appeared in the search.)

Then there is Louis Armstrong and Vilma Middleton with a live rendition on “Satchmo at Pasadena.”  Teamed with his All Stars like Jack Teagarden, Barney Bigard and Earl Hines, Armstrong seems to be more in the mood to entertain than to demonstrate his technical virtuosity.  And although the concert took place on January 30^th, 1951, I don’t think there is anything remarkably brutal when it comes to winter weather in southern California.  No matter.  Armstrong’s jovial tit-a-tat with Middleton and his band mates is a fun time.  Take a listen.  It's pretty funny.  It sure beats being stuck in a snowdrift. 

Dave  

EZ EPs IX: Ladytron, Cex, Generifus

Ladytron: Ace Of Hz (Punks Jump Up Remix)

HZ SO GOOD
I remember the first time I heard about Ladytron, it was for "Discotraxx" and it really introduced me into what's called electro-clash. I picked up 604 based on the strong single and followed with Light and Magic, which I also really liked, despite some poor reviews. I got Witching Hour eventually, but by this time, my interest in the band had declined slightly. I never picked up Velocifero, which came out a few years ago, but I am excited about their forth-coming album, Ladytron 00-10... which sounds like a greatest hits compilation.

Well, I got to hear some remixes of "Ace of Hz" via Nettwerk's Soundcloud, and I have to say, I liked what I heard.

The five-track Ace of Hz features the album mix, along with five other remixes. What you won't find on the EP if you bought it, or download it via amazon, is Hermanos Inglesos' remix. You may remember this band, because of this amazing music video.

As for Punks Jump Up Remix, it's available as a free download via the vowels-hating website rcrdlbl.cm.

CEXXXY
Coming out next week, January 25^th is a digital EP called Megamuse from Cex, from his forth-coming album Tiny Creature. The EP is mostly remixes, so I'm assuming the remixes are just a little taste of what's to come.

Tigerbeat6 Records was kind enough to let me preview the tracks, which I have to say is very "DJ", based on the flagship song "Megamuse". Lots of sample and incomplete beats and warps... a little too much going on for my liking.

The Baconhead remix of "Secret Monog" brings it down a bit, but somewhere in the song it sounds like a video game. If you listen with 5.1 sound, there is a bit in the mix that feels like it's moving around your head.

It's definitely not really my cup of tea, but if you like that sort of DJ mix music, you should check this out for free on soundcloud.com. The best song on the EP is "Trumpetflower", mostly because I enjoy the vocal samples.

KERRIFIC
Our favorite K Records's K Singles Zip-Pak is a weekly singles club, all for $35 a year, that's less than your Xbox gold account.

This week is Generifus, aka Spencer Sult, which is supposed to sound like Karl Blau and LAKE. Reading the small bit of information, apparently, "My Cave"/"I Know" was part of the International Pop Underground series of 7” phonograph records (which actually isn't available for purchase until April), but as a special singles member, you can hear "I Know" as well as three new songs: "Die Together", "Some Days", and "Good Graces". Remember, this is exclusively for singles club members.

Before you get too excited about the exlusive tracks, it seems that the three songs were all recorded live Northern on October 11^th, 2009.

Track listing:

1. I Know
2. Die Together
3. Some Days
4. Good Graces

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

The Wonder Stuff

Wonder Stuff - Unbearable

I just installed 2 gig of RAM in my computer, so hopefully I won't get any more of those "low memory" alerts anymore. I was hoping that the extra RAM would make my computer run faster, but I haven't noticed the difference. Maybe I'll see better performance if I upgrade to Windows 7? We'll see if that happens.

Anyway, seeing as Kristen and Sally are scheduled for a new Britpop podcast, I did brush out some Britpop bands, courtesy of a four-disc retrospective compilation called The Brit Box, which was released in 2007. It is a bit expensive, but seeing the led lights on the old-style red phone booth is worth it!

One of the bands that the box set spotlight on is The Wonder Stuff. Surprisingly, the band's still around, despite having broken up back in 1994.

I was always under the impression that The Wonder Stuff, with their long curly hair and baggy clothing, that they were all into drugs (for some reason, I've always thought "the wonder stuff" refers to some mind-altering substances). Of course, it didn't help that the band was grouped together with all those other Crusty bands, and I'm sure they don't care about it.

The song used was "Unbearable" and it's actually really good. It was their first single, after signing to Polydor in 1988. The song is very loud and fun and makes you want to take a holiday with these guys.

They are going to be on tour with The Levellers this 2011:

20 Jan 2011 Stratford-upon-Avon Cox's Yard* 21 Jan 2011 Eastney The Cellars* 04 Feb 2011 Grantham 90 Degrees* 05 Feb 2011 Cambridge Man on the Moon* 09 Feb 2011 Guildford The Boileroom* 11 Feb 2011 Bournemouth Champions* 12 Feb 2011 Hebden Bridge The Trades Club* 18 Feb 2011 Buxton Opera House 25 Feb 2011 Liverpool Rhodewald Suite* 26 Feb 2011 Coventry Kasbah* 04 Mar 2011 Liverpool O2 Academy+ 05 Mar 2011 Cambridge Corn Exchange+ 06 Mar 2011 Lincoln Engine Shed+ 08 Mar 2011 Bournemouth O2 Academy+ 09 Mar 2011 Bristol O2 Academy+ 10 Mar 2011 Leeds O2 Academy+ 11 Mar 2011 Glasgow Barrowlands+		12 Mar 2011 Nottingham Rock City+ 13 Mar 2011 Newcastle O2 Academy+ 15 Mar 2011 Southampton Guildhall+ 16 Mar 2011 Norwich UEA+ 17 Mar 2011 Birmingham O2 Academy+ 18 Mar 2011 Manchester Academy+ 19 Mar 2011 London Brixton Academy+ 15 Apr 2011 Sudbury The Quay Theatre* 16 Apr 2011 Swindon The 12 Bar* 23 Apr 2011 Pateley Bridge Harefield Hall* 13 May 2011 Aldershot West End Centre* 14 May 2011 Stamford Voodoo Lounge* 15 May 2011 Derbyshire Bearded Theory Festival* + supporting The Levellers * Miles and Erica

vu () ♥ thewonderstuff.co.uk