this week's Roundtable (10/06)

Will Rees from Mystery Jets, A&R whiz James Endeacott and Robin Ince join Lammo on this week's Roundtable

1. Major Lazer / La Roux - 'Lazerproof' - this has to be one of the weirdest collaborations I've heard. (then again, my ears have not feasted on the FFires mystery collaboration promised in this update. so who knows).

I feel bad for Elly Jackson. as of late, she/her mgmt have been canceling dates left and right and understandably, the fans are upset and taking it out on her. while it can't be easy to schedule and plan for a tour, it does get people mad when you're cancelling a ton of dates with no real good reason. or for 'promotional reasons' (b/c don't the mgmt know that a cockamamie reason like that causes fans to hiss and chase you around with pitchforks?)

2. Janelle Monae / Big Boi - 'Tightrope' - I don't hate it, but I don't love it either. I prefer VV Brown.

3. Tired Pony - 'Dead American Writers' - oh no, the twangy guitar in faux country rock. not to mention this band has to have one of the weirdest line-ups ever (according to Wikipedia):

Gary Lightbody, Richard Colburn, Iain Archer, Jacknife Lee, Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey and Troy Stewart

4. Tokyo Police Club - 'Wait Up (Boots of Danger)' - it's all right. I dunno, I guess this is sort of like the Strokes? everyone's gasping over the Strokes (err...the Venison's) no-so-secret one-off gig last night in London, and I'm like...meh. it don't move me. sorry.

haha, I think me and Will are on the same exact wavelength. we've disliked the same albums on tonight's show!

5. Mark Ronson's new one, which is the winner ironically! - I missed this. from what it sounds like, Will didn't like. hence I doubt I would have.

6. Shout for England - 'Shout' - there is really no reason to bring out several memorable songs from memory to try and make a England World Cup song. oh noooo!

7. the Drums' debut album including 'Me and the Moon' - I'm on the fence about the Drums. all their songs kind of sound the same, but everyone thinks they're the bee's knees. man, this moon song is annoying as heck!

big fish in a small pond

it's amazing who I've met through music. and I'm talking about before my days as a blogger.

last night I hung at the Broken Bells / Morning Benders with C, who I've known for 8 years (her estimate, based on the a-ha fan party she hosted at the Harrington years ago when our mutual friend S was in town from S. Carolina). she brought along her friend K, who I've never met (or never met officially, as apparently she was at the Keane gig we all went to at DAR last year - PW review). it's just fun hanging with friends at gigs b/c so frequently I'm by myself 'on the clock'.

James Mercer (and well, the whole band) was fabulous last night. funnily, as we waited in the queue outside before doors, Dangermouse (aka Brian Burton) came out of the club to go into their bus, amidst cheers. James Mercer came out later, accosted by this woman I recognise at gigs but don't like b/c she's always smoking and somehow I'm always downwind from her (yick). she wanted to get his autograph 'for her son' on her ticket. I don't know if anyone told her before she went in that the 9:30 Club takes everyone's tickets at the door. a bit later James and Brian got off the bus and into this white van, presumably to get some dinner yummies. ah, the rock star life.

sucker for sentimentality

I saw this on VH1 a long while ago. normally I regard anything by Colbie Caillat as pure rubbish (the duet of 'Lucky' with Jason Mraz the one exception). yet this one hit me in the gut.

as you can imagine, 'I Never Told You' is a song about regret. oddly, no one in the video suffers from this fate.