War on Radio

Mashable has a piece here on how the album is dead. Or has been killed. Or whatever.

What does everyone think about this?

My biggest problem with Limewire and Kazaa, et al is that the sharing of single files has helped destroy the album. Whenever I buy a new CD, I try my hardest to listen to the thing the whole way through. I realize it’s pointless to buy something with a ton of trashy songs on it when you only want one or two, but it still bothers me that people have such little interest in full albums these days. I really enjoy listening to full CDs and I still listen to them the whole way through after the first listen. Now maybe that’s just me. But I do feel a sense of maybe sentimental frustration that the album is just so abused and dying in mainstream music these days.

So, thoughts?

Edit: This is unrelated, but in watching convention coverage today I was absolutely horrified by the music choices. Really terrible.

Also, for those of you who twitter, I give you: War on Radio, twitter style! For those of you who write for this blog and want to update or add comments to the twitter page, let me know!

This Trailer for the new Okkervil River album is pretty cool. You’ll notice in the related features that they’re also doing a thing where various artists are doing solo covers of the new album’s songs–they’ve got Will Sheff dueting wth AC Newman on “Lost Coastlines” and Bon Iver on “Blue Tulip,” which are my favorites so far.

There’s also this not-that-great-sound-but-passable audio track of the studio version of Lost Coastlines, which is a great song.

Okay, I’m a day late. But in my defense, I’m sick in bed AND gearing up for the third last-minute cross-country move of my lifetime, so it’s been sort of a weird period. And in reflection of that weirdness, some weird (and not so weird, I guess) tracks:

Watch Me Disappear by Augie March, from Watch Me Disappear [BMG, 2008] // Download for Free Here
It’s interesting that Glen compares this track to “There is No Such Place.” Hearing them back to back, I’d almost be hesitant to believe it was the same band at first–that song is so quiet, unsure of itself (in an endearing, good way), where this one swaggers and snakes forward (I was going to say it reminded me a little of Hall & Oates until I realised most people would take that as a pejorative). But there is that same sense of mystery and intrigue somehow suffused into this thing. I am desperately excited for the new album.

I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight by Ida, a cover of Richard & Linda Thompson [1974, Island]
As far as I know, this track is unreleased, which is why I’m not able to post to a link to it anywhere. I’m not even sure how I stumbled across it, but I love it–it’s a stripped down, acoustic rendition of the song. The singer’s voice doesn’t have the burdened humanity that Linda’s does, but her fragility and the removal of the blues element from the setting make her seem more like an innocent trying to see those bright lights for maybe the first time.

Random Rules by Silver Jews, from American Water [1998, Drag City] // Listen on Youtube
I dunno what’s up with that video, but it’s a great song, full of great David Berman lines like “I know that a lot of what I say has been lifted off of mens’ room walls.” It’s one of those songs that’s sad, but in a subtle, difficult to penetrate way, like a memory sinking in for the first time on a car ride home. It’s a great driving song, especially for the twilight of summer.

I know that’s not much for right now, but the Augie thing has me pretty excited and I’ll have more to post when I’m feeling better.

Yeah, this piece is pretty rad. I’m unsure as to why people take the time to get so worked up over the Jonas Brothers. It’s vaguely reminiscent of the whole Jonas Brothers/Tokio Hotel fan war sweeping the internet a few weeks ago. But I love people who write angry letters. I don’t know the reason behind why I like this, but it’s always made me laugh.

WTF! you only gave the jonas brothers 1.5 stars?! You little!!!!!!! I hate Chicago Times! That’s why no one will ever read this crap because the Jonas Brothers deserve so much more. And NO sex DOES NOT SELL! It’s purely dirty and not appropriate for teenagers/tweens. Besides, they wear purity rings because they believe in it. Not just so they can get attention. Honestly the Jonas Brothers aren’t like that. Posing seductively in front of Rolling STone cover? They were simply posing. It wasn’t seductive so get over it. MOFO!

This is awesome. Sex is purely dirty and and “MOFO!”?

The duality of, “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all” and then ad hominem attacks that make up so many of the pissed off letters ever written… Man, you just can’t make up anything that good!

Yeah, looks like it. No one’s quite sure of the label yet, but they are leaving Geffen. Sonic Youth’s always amused me this way, because they’ve been signed to Geffen for, like Pitchfork said, around 20 years! I could see a fit for them on Matador, but I’m actually unfamiliar with Domino.