The Arcade Fire + Crack Cocaine =

Meet iForward, Russia! (the first "i" is supposed to be an upside down exclamation point, like they do in them other languages). These guys are from Leeds, England, and if you check out their debut album, Give Me a Wall, you'll notice that all the tracks are named with numbers. Here's a secret: they name 'em after the order in which they write 'em.

Anyway, I'd recommend these guys to anybody who are kinda worried that Bloc Party and the Arcade Fire have gotten kinda pussy with their follow-ups. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it is nice to rock out every now and then, right?

iForward Russia! - Nine

iForward, Russia! - Twelve

Elliott Smith lives!

Or so I wish.

Mark your calendars! May 8th, Kill Rock Stars will be releasing a double disc Elliott Smith CD called New Moon. It will be music recorded from 1995-1997. The list of songs is below. I'm sure this won't be the last time we see releases from my true love.

xo J

Disc 1

Angel In The Snow
Talking To Mary
High Times
New Monkey
Looking Over My Shoulder
Going Nowhere
Riot Coming
All Cleaned Out
First Timer
Go By
Miss Misery (early version)
Thirteen

Disc 2

Georgia Georgia
Whatever (Folk Song in C)
Big Decision
Placeholder
New Disaster
Seen How Things Are Hard
Fear City
Either/Or
Pretty Mary K (other version)
Almost Over
See You Later
Half Right

Bloc Party, Live!

NME.com is graciously streaming an entire Bloc Party live show in Bristol from earlier this month. Check it out while you still can because it's probably a safe bet to say that this gem won't be up forever.

Yay-yay.

500 Greatest Songs, Live!

Here's an ambitious endeavor: Coming this May, Smith's Olde Bar in Atlanta will be hosting a ten-day marathon featuring 500 bands, each of which performing one song on Rolling Stone's 2004 greatest songs list. They've already got about 100 bands signed up, and the proceeds go to the kiddies, courtesy of the Songs for Kids Foundation.

Random fantasy question: If you could choose any two or three songs on the list to perform, which would you choose?

I'd want to take a crack at Salt-n-Pepa's "Push It," and maybe follow with the Modern Lovers' "Roadrunner," but yeah, definitely gotta push it real good.

soul brother

Coachella is good and all but when was the last time we talked about some soul on this blog (RIP the godfather)? Since D went and dropped the mother of all neo soul jawns and went MIA, I've scoffed at those trying to take his crown... and when Bilal came on the scene couple year's back I did the same...it certainly didn't help that the WNBA licensed his "Soul Sista" joint to market their league... I figured after he'd drop his little solo joint that he would fall off the face of the earth... but then dude started working with the Soulquarians and all... did some vocals on common's Be joint, produced some of ms badu's music, then he goes and kills "Nightmares" on my #6 album of 2006... and I get to thinking...where is dude's much hyped about second album Love For Sale? well thanks to label politics, its been shelved and prolly won't be offically released evah... but I managed to get the album (shhhh) and well if the label ain't gonna put it out there...then i will cause you NEED this in your lives, here it is: Bilal-Love For Sale. and yea Bilal used to sing backup for D. and yea people at work think i'm crazy when they walk into my office and i got this on blast.

UPDATE// Love For Sale.zip (full album)

Three More for Last Year

I swear, this happens every year. The top ten lists for 2006 are good and done, and all of a sudden, I realize that I missed out on some pretty decent music that would've made one list or another if I had only been paying attention the first time around.

Well, no use whining over missed opportunities. Instead, I'm just gonna share some really bitchin' tunes. And, just so credit's given where it's due...

1. When two coworkers, on completely separate occasions, tell me about the same band, it's probably something worth checking out. The biggest obstacle was getting over the fact that these guys are all technically fetuses.

Kooks - See the World (from Inside In/Inside Out)

2. Fellow fat kid Joyce asked me to send her some Regina Spektor after seeing her open for Keane. After I saw her open for the Strokes four or five years ago, I thought she sounded like a cat being tortured. However, I'll admit the new album is pretty incredible, and this particular song became a favorite for both us.

Regina Spektor - Fidelity (from Begin to Hope)

3. Apple iPod commercial. Thank you, Steve Jobs.

The Fratellis - Flathead (from Costello Music)

Like what you hear? Then check 'em out live. All three artists will be playing at Coachella this year! To quote the great Morpheus: "Something something three bands. I do not see coincidence. I see providence. I see purpose. I believe it is our fate to be here. It is our destiny." By the way, destiny's gonna run you $287.50 after taxes and Ticketmaster's cut. But hey, at least you get your own totally useless Coachella page.

Pretty Girls Make Graves Split

Man, this sucks ass. Nick, the drummer, quit the band, and so the rest of the Pretty Girls decided they will follow suit after their tour in May.

It's bad enough that I'll miss their lush mixture of indie rock sensibility and riot grrl attitude, but what's more disconcerting is that I've yet to figure out if lead singer Andrea Zollo is chubby.

Here are two of their finest to help us all cry ourselves to sleep:

This is Our Emergency (from The New Romance)

Pyrite Pedestal (from Élan Vital)

From One Guilty Pleasure to Another

Just watch from about 2:17 and on. I swear, it's worth it.

Update: Those bastards took it down. You snooze, you lose.

"They're Like The Cranberries If Their Parents Loved Them"

That quoted from my friend Leah Dewolf here in lovely District of Columbia....

Hi everyone,
Juliet here, back for sloppy seconds, live in the basement bar at 930 club (thanks 930 for your free wifi), after drunk dialing Enoch (don't be fooled, I may have a cup of Jager in me, but I still remember everything I say) in the middle of the Camera Obscura show.

This show perfectly fits the bill here in DC, high 20s after the snow last night, everything is icy outside and in might I add with band and crowd. I listened to C.O. music at work last week preparing for this show. Unfortunately to say, that was as good as it was going to get.

Think cuteness to the max minus the puppies and kittens.
Think 60s pop/lounge band with ponytails and bangs.
Think Saddle Creek Records style with their large, six piece ensemble.
Think Rilo Kiley (and might I add, R.K. is one of my favorite bands) but super sedated.
Chris said "girl version of Belle and Sebastian" (the last I checked, Pursuit of Happiness had female vocalists and is something you can dance to)
Think of indie darlings getting married, C. O. is their band in powder blue suits, playing the wedding march with their lovely organ and again at their reception.
Think that if people were to go nuts at their show, they would resemble the Peanuts Gang in Charlie Brown Christmas.
Think of a satisfactory makeout section with no passion, while you are planning your next day...without the dude.

xo J

Okay, I Believe Now