My Poproks

“speaks for itself. It says ‘n*gger’ real loud.”

I guess I have to complete the series. “Flashing Lights: The Trilogy”?

Kanye is just out of control. Yet another video for Graduation’s “Flashing Lights,” and this  is crazy.

*Sorry for the lack of posts of late. Will be back into the swing of things next week. A short New Releases post for the week is on the way…

The first song from Sigur Ros’ upcoming album, Með suð í eyrum við spilum, is completely different from any thing the band has done before. I think I hear what could be considered a chord progression on an acoustic guitar. Crazy.

Cool cover?

Listen: “Gobbledigook” by Sigur Ros

An official second version of Kanye’s “Flashing Lights” - does not involve Kanye getting his guts mashed up by a shovel, yet still this is the version we “weren’t supposed to see.”

Hmmm…..

• Alicia Keys talks with Rolling Stone about a possible collaboration with the White Stripes
• Madonna confessed that Pharrell made her cry during the recording of Hard Candy
• Kanye West, Common, Method Mad and Redman were sued by the family of jazz musician Joe Farrell for using samples without permission
• The cast of the new Biggie film Notorious speaks about the film on Hip Hop DX

It’s been a busy weekend. I’ve spent the last 4 days asking people if they’ve seen the new Weezer video, followed by a showing on Youtube. Which is funny, because this video is about youtube. It’s not really that funny. Anyway, I’m late on this but it’s just so lovable - I had to post it.

Pretty self explanatory; “Say Goodbye to Love” Remix with Lupe Fiasco off Kenna’s latest, Make Sure They See My Face. Remember when Kenna used to be really depressing?

Listen: “Say Goodbye to Love” by Kenna - Remix Feat. Lupe Fiasco

Common’s new album Invincible Summer is already sounding like a whole different artist. “Universal Mind Control,” the album’s opening track and first to make it onto the web, is produced by the Neptunes and features Pharrell. The sound is completely different from the Kanye heavy Finding Forever, but still works just as well. Invincible Summer is due in July. Thanks Gilmore Boy.

Listen: “Universal Mind Control (U.T.C.)” featuring Pharrell - DJ Skee Premier

Last week I told you about New York City singer-songwriter Jaymay and her Blue Note debut LP, Autumn Fallin’. I am proud to announce that a signed limited edition 7” vinyl of her UK only EP, Sea Green, Sea Blue, is the prize for My Poproks very very first contest!

If you’d like to enter to win, please respond to this post with your favorite song lyric of all time and the name of the artist. I’ll either pick a winner at random, or be biased and choose based on the one I like the most!

A winner will be chosen in 3 weeks (June 12th). Oh, and please make sure I can contact you!

Gorilla vs Bear posted some amazing Radiohead pics from the Dallas show, the final stop on this leg of the tour. Had to share:

More…

The first music has surfaced from the Beck produced Danger Mouse recording sessions (otherwise known as Modern Guilt). The track, called “Chemtrails,” is yet another completely different sound for Beck, adding in some psychedelic soundscapes (reminds me of the production on the DM produced The Good the Bad and the Queen album). The track is streaming via the boombox up top on Beck.com. No official release date is set yet for the album.

Listen: “Chemtrails” by Beck

According to many many sources, it appears that Nas has officially canned the Nigger LP title thing. However, the album will be released untitled and this is apparently already old news (and somewhat expected).

The album will still get it’s July 1 release date, but Nas isn’t losing the name completely…this track made its way on to the blogs today (coincidence?). Don’t worry Nas. We know what’s up.

Listen: “N.*.G.G.E.R. (Slave and Master)” by Nas

M83 is kicking off their US tour tonight in L.A. in support of their album Saturdays=Youth. The album’s single “Graveyard Girl” is sure to be on the 2008 Playlist. Dates below:

5/20 Los Angeles - Echoplex
5/21 San Francisco - Great American Music Hall
5/23 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
5/24 Vancouver - Richards on Richards
5/25 Seattle - Neumos
5/28 Minneapolis - Triple Rock Club
5/29 Chicago - Empty Bottle
5/30 Toronto - The Mod Club
5/31 Montreal - Cabaret Music Hall
6/2 Cambridge, MA - Middle East Downstairs
6/3 Brooklyn - Music Hall of Williamsburg
6/4 NYC - Bowery Ballroom
6/6 Philadelphia - First Unitarian Church
6/7Washington, DC - Black Cat

Foxboro Hottubs Stop Drop and Roll
Did anyone not know that this was Green Day from the get-go? This is a monumental departure from their political art punk-ish of late. Straight up 3 chord, catchy, old school, garage rock.

Islands Arms Way
After an amazing debut (and some awesome Unicorns albums), Nick T and co. return (minus Jamie Thompson) with more elaborate pop songs and a weird album cover.

Mudhoney The Lucky Ones
Subpop release of the Seattle band’s 9th album, recorded in less than 4 days “from the rhythm up” and as rawly as possible. This sounds like it could be the band’s first garage tape. Not sure whether or not I think that’s a good thing.

Dresden Dolls No, Virginia
This has been pretty impressively anticipated for a b-sides collection. This album features outtakes and rarities from the Yes, Virginia sessions, as well as some new tracks recorded earlier this year. You can hear one of those new tracks, “The Kill,” up on the myspace. More details here.

The National Skin a Night & The Virginia EP (DVD & CD)
The documentary film A Skin, A Light by Vincent Moon shot during the making of Boxer (one of the best albums of 2007), as well an EP of b-sides, demos and other rarities. I haven’t seen the film yet, but the trailer is incredible.

Scarlett Johansson Anywhere I lay My Head
As I’ve already said many times, the David Sitek produced Tom Waits cover album (plus one original written by Sitek and Johansson) is a lushy lost-in-translation-soundtrack-ish record that transforms these songs (with Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Nick Zinner & Brian Chase…and um BOWIE), and I quite enjoy it. Scarlett’s deep raspy voice is totally likable (though only by me, apparently). “Falling Down” is one of my favorite tracks of the year so far.

Check out a complete list of releases for tomorrow at Newmusictipsheet.com and Largehearted Boy.

Though this is from the 2007 Keep a Child Alive Black Ball (a fundraiser in NYC that honored Bono for his work for AIDS awareness in Africa), it just recently made it’s way on to the web via someone who apparently “just discovered Youtube.” This is a special performance of Alicia Keys and Gwen Stefani doing “Sunday Bloody Sunday.” Now i just need to find the “What You Waitin’ For” duet.

Dis real pretty.

Artist: Holliewood
Track: “Brooklyn Keeps on Takin It”
MP3

The debut single from Brooklyn’s Holliewood is hella old school, and it’s not just the Fresh Prince haircut and boombox. “Brooklyn Keeps on Takin In” is a practical homage to classic hip hop, with shout-outs to KRS-One, and pretty much every neighborhood in BK (”We got Fort Greene, we got Red Hook, We got Carnasie,” etc.). This is an awesome track.

One more video before the day is out?

Tokyo Police Club’s Elephant Shell is super cute. How is it possible for an album to be super cute, you ask? I don’t really know, but it is. One of my favorite debut LP’s of the year so far (barely a debut though, as the band’s released 2 acclaimed EP’s prior), and one of my favorite songs from the record, “In a Cave”….Look up.

I don’t know if this link will last, but this is supposed to be the new Coldplay video for “Violet Hill” that doesn’t officially premier until Monday…

And we all know what a little bitch EMI is.

This morning on the today show, the New Kids on the Block performed a medley of “Step by Step,” “Hangin’ Tough,” “Please Don’t Go Girl,” and “The Right Stuff.” I saw this girl with a black, pink and green New Kids hat that I used to have. Why did she keep that? Why is she wearing it now? So many questions…

I swear, this happened today.

The band’s new single, “Summertime,” is out now.

The Cure are doing their own Cooler-than-a-regular-old-boring-album-release-thing, and are releasing 4 singles (starting in May, and one each month to follow) before their new album, [not yet titled], comes out September 13th. The first came out this past Tuesday, “The Only One,” and here is the official vid.

Classic. Can’t go wrong.