My Poproks

I’ll take a lifetime supply of those.

In keeping up with my quarter year list for Q1, I present my official quarter year list for Q2 (April - June). You’ll notice Maths + English on this list, as I’ve stated that I am officially counting this as a 2008 release (came out digitally in ‘07, as well as officially in the UK). You may also notice Coldplay’s #2 spot (deal with it), and as hard as it was to leave off The Black Keys release, these titles just stood out to me a bit more in the past couple of months.

1. Portishead Third
2. Coldplay Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends
3. Lil Wayne Tha Carter III
4. Sigur Ros Meo Suo i Eyrum Vio Spilum Endalaust
5. Santogold Santogold
6. Duffy Rockferry
7. N.E.R.D. Seeing Sounds
8. The Cool Kids The Bake Sale
9. Dizzee Rascal Maths + English
10. Jim Noir Jim Noir

Despite the very believable rumors that Kanye West was going to attend anger management, Kanye has again used his blog to refute rumors (much like he did about his 5am set at Bonnaroo and his Angel self portrait - which I think has been removed). Below is the post Kanye wrote today in response to the latest rumor.

Now the media is saying I’m going to anger management something or ‘nother. I have never had any conversations about anger management. If anything, I need anger enhancement!! lol! I get off the plane in Hawaii today and the world is saying my management team said blah blah blah… SIIIIIIGGGHHHH! I told the media you can’t make up lies about me because I have a media outlet myself. Oh and sidebar I don’t know if everyone has realized this yet but I don’t do interviews if there’s anything I wanna say I’ll say right here on my own blog.

Check this out…I took a quote from my rant and used it as my headline.. just like a real media outlet would… hahaha

I love making lists more than I love sunshine.

Gorilla vs. Bear brought this to my attention. It’s a list idea started by this guy to name your favorite album from each year that you’ve been alive. You can either fill this out as you would today, or as you would have then. I am going to go with a little mix of both, and also see if I can possibly spend less than 8 hours on this. As it goes now, I’ve already spent 10 minutes on 1983. Damn, that’s a tough one. No matter what, I absolutely narrowed it down to one for each year (with only, like.. 3 exceptions. OK, 6. OK, I fixed it. 2). I try not to cheat on lists. 2000 is by far my toughest.

Here goes…

1983 U2 War
1984 Prince and the Revolution Purple Rain
1985 The Replacements Tim
1986 Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill
1987 The Smiths Louder Than Bombs
1988 The Pixies Surfer Rosa
1989 Madonna Like a Prayer
1990 Depeche Mode Violator
1991 U2 Achtung Baby
1992 R.E.M. Automatic For The People
1993 A Tribe Called Quest Midnight Marauders
1994 Nirvana MTV Unplugged in New York
1995 Radiohead The Bends
1996 Weezer Pinkerton / The Fugees The Score
1997 Radiohead OK Computer
1998 Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
1999 Moby Play
2000 Radiohead Kid A / At the Drive-In Relationship of Command / Coldplay Parachutes
2001 Jay-Z The Blueprint
2002 Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
2003 Sufjan Stevens Michigan
2004 Arcade Fire Funeral
2005 Kanye West Late Registration
2006 Gnarls Barkley St. Elsewhere
2007 Kanye West Graduation
2008 *Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend

*Pending year-end approval

Yeah, this will definitely quiet the critics who think Kanye’s ego is the size of the moon. That was sarcasm. Either way, this new Absolut vodka commercial/infomercial parody for “Be KANYE” tablets is pretty amazing.

The tiger really makes the whole thing come together.

As a big thank you to Oasis’ Noel Gallagher for his comments about Jay-Z headlining Glastonbury (jea-lous), Jay opened up his peformance with a cover of “Wonderwall.” The video above leads into “99 Problems” and “Encore.” By far, rocks harder than anything Oasis has done since 1996.

He also did a verse on Estelle’s “American Boy.”

“Ladies, show me your knickers.”

This has been floating around lately and I thought it was pretty interesting. It appears that David Lee Roth recorded a track in Portuguese without Van Halen. The song is called “Take Sarava” and was recently put up on this site, the home of NYC based guitarist Jeff Falkowski. The site also features other tracks with former Mars Volta drummer Blake Fleming (who also played on Omar Rodriguez Lopez’ first solo album). According to Falkowski’s myspace, he is also David Lee Roth’s guitar teacher.

Listen: “Take Sarava” by Jeff Falkowski with David Lee Roth

If you’ve read much about Bonnaroo this morning, you’re sure to have come across a rave review of Sigur Ros’ set, calling it the best show ever in the history of shows. Well, I find that very easy to believe, considering that I am still recovering mentally and emotionally from seeing them almost 6 years ago. By far, the most intense musical experience of my life. Sigur Ros are one of those bands that have the ability to save your life, and I hope everyone at Bonnaroo enjoyed and/or dreaded the experience appropriately. Above is the official taping of their new song “Gobbledigook.” Dave Matthews, meet Bjork. I know you’ll get along swimmingly.

I apologize many times over for not posting this immediately after viewing. Originally posted on Colin Greenwood’s W.A.S.T.E. Central page, this cover of Portishead’s “Rip,” one of the many amazing songs on their new record, comes across eerily like a Radiohead original.

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…

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.

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.

Topless female astranunts and Kanye? You know you wanna see more of this sh*t…

Parlophone posted a little sneaky of the new Coldplay video for “Violet Hill,” and I am officially excited for Viva la Vida.

Don’t hate. Full vid on Monday.

Are they up to #11 already? The latest episode of Lost, “Cabin Fever” answered about half of the amount of questions that it raised (as does every episode ever). Another highly amusing contribution from Brooklyn’s Previously on Lost, the song “Move It”…

Back to boatside, the cap at last reveals the rat
Feeling so fine, until he squished his ankle flat
Keamy grants a freebee though he’d rather pull the trigger but the
Pistol was jammed
THE PISTOL WAS JAMMED
But hope is racing back, hijacked the zodiac, to lend a nautical helping hand
Crippled vision, a cabin built before his eyes
A mathematician, a map is where his body lies

A baby born into a family torn, was quickly tossed away
He crashed into this world, and crashed onto our island much the same
Good times havin found the cabin, now off to pick Jacobs brain
Destiny (fickle) prevails, (bitch) again

Locke’s assistants, share snacks while the grownups talk
The resistant captain gets sacked with the doc
As a lad he had to pick which things belonged to him but are you sure about the knife
NO NOT SURE BOUT THE KNIFE
never good enough for special school locke locked in lockers played the fool, he felt doomed to an uncool life
passed up chances to go to Portland to fit in
no school dances, the girls will only laugh at him

Couldn’t be the prom king, superhero nor the quarterback
From an incubator you’d become the leader of the pack
Grown to be the chosen one to save your soil from attack
Ya gotta moooooooooooooooveeee your island

Listen: “Move it” by Previously on Lost

“Wake Up”…..

Michael Showalter is blogging for SPIN now, and I have to say, his first entry is pretty damn funny:

First Album:Astral Weeks by Van Morrison (stole it from a library)

Second Album:Mudslide Slim & The Blue Horizon by James Taylor (stole it from my sister)

Third Album:Synchronicity by the Police (bought it with cash money, yo!)

Favorite Band of All-Time: U2 (can you tell what decade I was teenager in?)

Least Favorite Band of All-Time: The Grateful Dead (Date-rapey dudes and rich girls in tye-dyes, smoking bongs that look like roller coasters at Great Adventure. Not cool.)

Best Song to Do “The Rock Lobster” To: “Rock Lobster” by The B-52’s

Second Best Song to Do “The Rock Lobster” To: N/A

Best Strokes Solo Project: Albert Hammond Jr.

Second Best Strokes Solo Project: N/A

Third Best Strokes Solo Project: N/A

Best Dry Humping Song: “99 Luftballons,” by the German chick who sings that song.

Best Kick A Rusty Can & Contemplate Suicide Song: “Wave of Mutilation” by The Pixies

Fourth Album: Al Jarreau’s Best Of (file under: “Michael Expands Musical Horizons.”)

Second Least Favorite Band of All-Time: Guns & Roses (One good song. I’m sorry but it’s true. Please send hate mail to: Michaelshowalter@GNRSUX.com)

Best Band That Was Once Uncle Tupelo: Wilco

Worst Band That Was Once Uncle Tupelo: Sun Volt

Best Slow & Sleepy Fuck Music: Sade

Best Really Fast & Socially Conscious Fuck Music: Fugazi

Best Off-Key Hyper Lead Singer Fuck Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers

Worst Fuck Music: Weird Al Yankovic

Second Worst Fuck Music: Insane Clown Posse

Third Worst Fuck Music: Eddie Murphy’s first solo album

Best Cover of Phil Collins’ Song “Against All Odds” by Quirky Indie Band: “Against All Odds” by the Postal Service

To My Knowledge, the Only Cover of Phil Collins’ Song “Against All Odds” by Quirky Indie Band: “Against All Odds” by the Postal Service

First CD:3ft High and Rising by De La Soul (stole it from college roommate)

Second CD:Spike by Elvis Costello (stole it from Tower Records got caught and had ass-kicked by security outside of store in full view of onlookers)

Favorite Band That Is Radiohead: Radiohead

Favorite Band That Sounds Like Radiohead: Doves

Least Favorite Band That Sounds Like Radiohead: Keane

Entertainment Weekly, Kanye West’s Glow in the Dark Tour review by Chris Willman:

When 2001: A Space Odyssey came out, it was famously advertised as ”the ultimate trip.” For his headlining chunk of the Glow in the Dark Tour, Kanye West also takes fans on a galactic voyage, folding his hits into a wacked-out space opera that’s the ultimate ego trip. Normally, that’d be an insult, but with West, who’s made an art form out of dramatizing both humility and hubris, it’s mission accomplished.

On opening night in Seattle, West began by standing in front of a giant LED screen full of star fields. Soon, marooned on what the screen depicted as a desert planet, he reviewed his weaknesses back on earth: his pride (in the form of the fiercely self-mocking ”Can’t Tell Me Nothing”), harpies (his cautionary ”Gold Digger”), and the popular materialism/sex combo platter (”Good Life”). These produced in him a spiritual malaise that even a rendition of ”Jesus Walks” couldn’t lift. So his only companion, the disembodied voice of his talking spaceship, Jane, tried some brownnosing: ”We need the brightest star in the universe — you, Kanye! Only you can bring us home. You can glow in the dark!” Cue the rousingly Nietzschean ”Stronger.” In space, no one can hear you scream, but if you’re West, everyone will hear you self-actualize.

Okay, so he’s a nut. Still, West’s commitment to communicating inner passions and identity crises is so consuming it nearly redeems any conceptual hokeyness. Eschewing hip-hop’s buddy system, West is his stage’s sole visible human, and he’s become a riveting soliloquist. Crouching on one knee, broken up, during ”Hey Mama” — or pacing like a prizefighter during every other number — he gets you caught up in his journey to the center of the id and pulls off something rare: an intimate spectacle.

West may not allow other folks on stage during his set, but he’s generously assembled the most potent opening lineup in recent touring history, even if they don’t all maximize their potential. Lupe Fiasco has the material to make good on his ”next Kanye” status, though he suffered from rapping to studio tracks (and ”Kick, Push” deserves more than a reduced medley slot). By contrast, N.E.R.D. rocked out with their full-band set; Pharrell Williams is no great singer, but he’s a great party starter. The glam Rihanna provided respite from all this testosterone and packed an undeniable string of hits into her half hour, moving smoothly through light choreography. But her should-be slam dunk, ”Umbrella,” felt off, with the rain-gear-wielding backup dancers working harder to sell the smash than she did. Maybe what Ri-Ri needs to ramp up the charisma is a good pep talk from West’s chatty spacecraft. B+

“Fuck Entertainment Weekly I’m Sick of Yall Shit” by Kanye West:

Yo, anybody that’s not a fan; don’t come to my show. For what?! To try and throw ya’ll two cents in? Ya’ll rated my album shitty and now ya’ll come to the show and give it a B+. What’s a B+ mean? I’m an extremist. It’s either pass or fail! A+ or F-! You know what, fuck you and the whole fucking staff!!! I know I shouldn’t dignify this with a comment, but the reviewer threw a jab at all the artists. I just wanna know when was the last time you enjoyed yourself. If you can’t have fun and lose yourself at this tour it’s a good chance you’re a very miserable person. I actually feel sorry for you guys. Your job forces you to not have fun anymore. Grab a drink, holla at some nice girls, and party bitch!! You don’t know shit about passion and art. You’ll never gain credibility at this rate. You’re fucking trash! I make art. You can’t rate this. I’m a real person. I’m not a pop star. I don’t care about anything but making great art. Never come 2 one of my shows ever again, you’re not invited and if you see me…BOW!! This is not pop, it’s pop art!

Yes, you read that right. A leak via a video game. Welcome to 2008. “War is Necessary” from Nas’ upcoming album, Nigger. This snippet is taken from the new Grand Theft Auto 4 game. I’ve already read a few unfavorable takes on this track, either for the message (which seems pretty complex) or the beat (which seems pretty, uh…awesome). Love. It.

Some video of my favs, Portishead and The Verve at this weekend’s Coachella Festival.

Whoa. Is it 1995?

The Verve “Sonnet”

Portishead “Mysterons”