He’s already conquered basically all other forms of social media, from Tumblr to Instagram, so it was only a matter of time before we’d find Barack Obama on Spotify. Vulture has posted the president’s complete playlist, and since it was most likely compiled (or at least approved) by a committee of PR specialists, we can probably infer from it a whole lot about the image he’s hoping to project. So, after the jump, we’ve grouped what Obama’s listening to based on who he’s trying to reach, from progressives to Middle America to his own wife.
Jay-Z and Kanye West only play “Niggas in Paris” like 158 times at every performance, so there’s been some speculation as to why they’ve taken so long to make a music video for it. Now, it seems like they may have delayed the concert footage-heavy clip simply to build our curiosity about what it’s like to see them do the song live. So, was it worth the wait? Well, that depends on how you feel about strobe lights, Gothic architecture, Will Ferrell interludes, big cats, and feeling like you’re trapped inside a kaleidoscope with the rappers and their hot-girl entourage. Watch and decide after the jump, but first a word to the wise: That epilepsy warning at the beginning of the video is no joke.
People always joke about the member of the band who plays the tambourine, but think about it: Where would live music be without the back-up dancer, the ludicrously outfitted hand-clapper, the guy whose sole job is to amp up the crowd by shouting, “Hoookayyyy!” over and over? Not only can they be critical members of rock bands and rap crews, but it’s also a role that can lead to a solo career — both Jay-Z and Tupac started out as hype men. Below, we’ve collected the best representatives of the most underrated role in music.
There are love songs, of course. There are break-up songs. And then there are songs about relationships that don’t fit into either of those categories — the ones about love affairs that aren’t ending, even when something has gone seriously, perhaps irreparably wrong. Romantic crisis anthems, if you will. The newest of Montreal album, Paralytic Stalks, which is out this week, is all about a relationship in peril; the band’s mastermind, Kevin Barnes, recently told Spin, “The general theme of the whole record is trying to keep myself together when I’m faced with all this madness, trying to keep my relationships together.” It struck us that we don’t hear these stories told in song nearly enough — and since Valentine’s Day, with its perfectionist conception of love, is around the corner, this seemed like a good time to compile them.
Children of the ’90s, do you remember Real Audio? How about Sonicwave, the world’s first Internet radio station, and the first time you heard the word “podcast”? As Sonos reminds us in an attractive and educational new infographic, these milestones are all a part of the 120-year history of radio, which kicks off with Nikola Tesla in the 1890s and stretches all the way through to today, with services like Turntable.fm and Spotify. Give yourself a crash course in the medium after the jump.
Today’s a day for Flavorpill central to get excited about music, and not just because it’s the day the new of Montreal album comes out. February 7th also sees the re-release of A Trip to Marineville and Jane from Occupied Europe, the two studio albums that represent the career of hugely underrated UK post-punk band Swell Maps. For whatever reason, the post-punk era seems to have bred a great number of bands whose music was miles ahead of its time and whose output remains largely overlooked, even in 2012. So in honor of Swell Maps’ prescient output, here’s our selection of some other great post-punk bands who really deserve the attention of music lovers. Did we miss anyone?
In a year full of amazing albums — and specifically amazing albums by female artists — we somehow didn’t fully absorb St. Vincent’s inventive, subversive, and beautiful Strange Mercy until recently. It struck us as strange that in this time when practically every day brings another Internet controversy over one female artist or another, the obviously feminist themes of this excellent album have gone unmentioned. Hopefully this video, in which those motifs are on full display (no pun intended), will stir up that discussion. Though it was probably filmed awhile ago, the video’s exploration of how being made the object of constant scrutiny can destroy you feels particularly relevant after weeks of arguing over the minute details of a certain woman’s self-presentation. St. Vincent is an artist who transcends what society thinks of her appearance to constantly challenge their listeners — and we’re hoping she’ll keep up the good work.
Flavorpill’s favorite post-hardcore band releases its fifth annual Chinese Zodiac single, Year of the Tiger, today. The 15-minute track is as epic in scale and ferocious in delivery as its animal namesake, with Fucked Up showing absolutely zero signs of creative fatigue after releasing one of the best albums of 2011, David Comes to Life. Of course, Damian Abraham and co. did have some help — none other than Jim Jarmusch makes a guest appearance on the track, along with Austra and Annie-Claude Deschênes of Duchess Says. You can listen to “Year of the Tiger,” along with all four other zodiac songs, after the jump; then, be sure to pick up a copy of the 12” single, a portion of the proceeds from which will benefit the Save the Tiger Fund.
Unusual projects by familiar names seems to be theme of this week’s most compelling stream-able albums: We’ve got a new half-hour of soundtrack music by Air, a live record from Wire, and an unabashedly cheesy covers record by the one and only Paul McCartney. But don’t let all the novelty distract you from the pair of promising studio releases that are also free to preview this week — Shearwater’s Animal Joy and Band of Skulls’ Sweet Sour both seem destined to delight listeners this month. Explore your newest options for gratis at-work listening after the jump.
Today, Axl Rose, the king of wailing, bandanna-wearing hard rock, turns 50 years old. It’s been an eventful five decades for Rose, who’s busted up more cars, relationships, and video shoots than most of us will ever see. We’re resisting the urge to pile on the Guns N’ Roses frontman, who has recently taken a beating in the media for everything from his bizarre statements to his appearance, in favor of celebrating with a list of little known Axl trivia, from his crucifix collection to his favorite books. Rock on.
