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Wednesday, July 23, 2008
It's more like a short film set to music, but Gnarls Barkley's "Who's Gonna Same My Soul" just might be the best music video of the year. It's cerebral, visual, emotional and surprisingly funny.
And they get props for the casual use of interracial love. "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" is one of my favorite songs from Gnarls Barkley's sophomore LP 'The Odd Couple' which is in stores now on the Downtown/Atlantic label. I was super lucky to be able to see The Books for their very first show after they released 'Lost and Safe'. My band opened for them. *Yeah I'm tootin` my own horn here but that's not the point.* Their music is so good and their ability to merge their music with film is amazing too. Take the video below for their track "Take Time" for example. The narrative seems to be stripped because of the randomized clips presented in the video. But interestingly, the music takes over in telling the story. It's not at all like a lot of popular music music-videos where it seems like two stories are unfolding; the song and the acting. The Books seem to really put in the effort to present one idea instead of two. And so what happens is the viewer digests both the music and video, and not just isolate one or the other.
So check the video for "Take Time" and also "Classy Penguin" after the jump. Peep this clip of a bullfight gone awry. The event took place in Planadas, a provence in Colombia. A bunch of the spectators were injured when the stands collapsed. No casualties have been reported.
I like how people still manage to get the hell away from the bull. The video for "Number One" by Sweden's Pacific! looks like Ah-Ha's "Take On Me" versus Prince's "Raspberry Beret." The song sounds like The Beach Boys if they were a 1980's Synthpop band.
"Number One" is from Pacific!'s album 'Reveries,' which is out now on Dolores Records. I'm probably wrong for liking it, but Jazmine Sullivan's Missy Elliot-produced single "Need U Bad" is a perfect Summer groover. The Reggae/Soul vibe really reminds me of Lauryn Hill circa Summer 1998. "Need U Bad" is out now on J. Records, and I suppose a full-length is due to follow soon enough. The other songs on her MySpace aren't quite as dope, but whatever. Tuesday, July 22, 2008
I was a lot slower to fall for Canadian Post-Punk band Tokyo Police Club's debut full-length 'Elephant Shell' than I was their first EP 'A Lesson In Crime.' But frontman Dave Monks' endearing whine and insistent basslines are irresistible, and songs like "Graves" are fucking catchy, so it happened eventually.
'Elephant Shell' is in stores now on Saddle Creek Records. LA-meets-UK super-duo Neon Neon delivers the space sexy in the new video clip for "I Told Her On Alderaan." They even put their money where their mouth is by throwing in a Har Mar Superstar-assisted epilogue featuring their track "Trick for Treat."
Both "I Told Her On Alderaan" and "Trick for Treat" (which also features Naeem from Spank Rock on vocals) are from Neon Neon's 'Stainless Style' LP, which is out now on Lex Records. Peep this clip of Matt Mahaffey of many bands including one of my favorites Self, rocking out a one-man version of ACDC's "Back in Black".
Seriously... if you don't own anything this guy has done or been a part of, you're really missing out. It says right there on the right of the screen If you read the blog, download the MP3s, listen to our podcasts, and generally love us, do yourself, and us, a favor and leave a comment. We know you're visiting. We know you're reading. We know you're downloading. We know you're listening. The only thing we don't know is what you're thinking. So by all means, leave a comment and let us know! We promise we won't even make fun of you.Yet you still don't leave us comments. It's important for us to know if we're awsome or if we suck. The best way you can do that is to leave us comments. We DO know that you're reading imageyenation.com; our ratings are through the roof. So again, let us know what you're thinking. I mean, check out what some of the numbers Imageyenation's favorite blogs get on a daily basis.  Do I need to start posting like this again in order to get y'all to comment? Geesch... Monday, July 21, 2008
An recent article on Slate discussed how there's been an emerging trend of musicians covering other musicians/bands songs as a way to mock them. The most recent/notable instance of this is Jay-Z's performance of Oasis's 1995 hit "Wonderwall" at this years Glastonbury Festival. The Slate article made reference to a few other covers including Ben Gibbard's cover of Avril Lavigne's 2002 release "Complicated." I could sense that Ben Gibbard has been growing exceedingly cocky with his attitude towards his music and his critique of others ever since The Postal Service flung him into commercial success. But mocking a teenage pop song when it's already obvious that it's predictable and trite goes beyond the boundary of good taste. Here is audio from Ben Gibbard's live performance of "Complicated." As you may have noticed, Gibbard stops frequently during the song to laugh and then gather himself to chastise the crowd for not taking the song seriously, this fuels the crowds laughter as well as Gibbard's. What I find particularly ironic about this is that Gibbard himself is guilty of writing trite and predictable lyrics for his own songs. Death Cab for Cutie's 2003 release, 'Transatlanticism' was the bands fourth LP although it seemed more like their sophomore slump. Throughout the album the listener is bombarded with predictable and shallow lyrics that only serve to stroke the singers ego. In the song "Title and Registration" Gibbard scrapes the bottom of the barrel and croons out a metaphor about a cars glove compartment. I know that there have been plenty of reviews that tear this album apart so I won't continue to beat you over the head with it. I just find it ironic that Ben Gibbard mocks Avril Lavigne for something he's just as guilty of doing. Only it's worse because he's an adult matching wits with a fucking child! What a douche... Here's Death Cab's "Title and Registration." What do you think? Sunday, July 20, 2008
  Could be Michael Mararian's Inky Dreadfuls have been around forever, but I've just seen them....and they give C&C Music YAKtory's Things That Make You Go Hmmm something to talk about. These pieces make you want to laugh and then feel like the worst person on the face of the earth for laughing. I mean, what kind of decent human being could laugh at a baby who is about to be swallowed up by wolves? Not funny. Downright disgusting, if you don't ask me. Shame on you, Inky Dreadfuls. I'm going to shower and shake off your bad vibe...and laugh a little more. Friday, July 18, 2008
I think I have a new music industry crush. It's on bespectacled cutie Heidi Donnelly, vocalist, bass player and programmer for Hexes & Ohs, a co-ed duo from Montreal, Canada. I discovered her (and her band) via the video for their song "H-H-Highschool." "H-H-Highschool" is the first single from Hexes & Ohs' new full-length 'Bedroom Madness,' which hits stores September 2nd on Noise Factory Records. Thursday, July 17, 2008
I was going to make a joke about how maybe Saul Williams is originally from Australia in connection to this post about the video for his track "Convict Colony". But then I wondered how many people would get it.
The video is very colorful yet dark and sinister. Very much like the song itself, which is definitely one of my faves off of 'The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!'. While I appreciate the low budget quality, it's not as impressive as some of his other videos. Though the couple that I've seen as of late haven't really been favorites of mine. But then again, what do I know? 'The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!' is out now.  I thought I'd recognized the most bogus invention ever made when I recalled the Finger Pop toy of the 70's (which was just a cylinder piece of foam that you flick), but this is ridiculous. The Shit Box is the brainchild of Mr. Richard Wharton. Fabulous. In a world full of economic tragedy and conflict, the Shit Box reminds us that if we still have approximately $24.86 USD left in our pockets after paying the light bill, we can shit in a eco-friendly box Mr. Wharton, you must've read my mind. Who's here to save us? Apparently, Little Jack (Shit) on the cover of the box is head of the Emergency Deuce Department and he's here to save OUR asses. Is this really what we've come to? Paying money to poop in a box? Thankfully, it's expandable and you can tote it around just about anyplace. Basil chicken gone bad at dinner? Pull into the nearest urban city alley and see how far you get with this bad boy. Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Little Pictures. So good. I'm talking "Oh my face" goodness. I'm serious. Hit up their Myspace page and just listen. Their debut album 'Owl + Owl' is available on Lil' Chief Records right now so go get it suckas! Stick this on your iPod/Zune/Whateva to hold you over: Little Pictures "This House Can Fit Us All"
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