Gotye

It’s Time to Retire the Grammys’ “Best Alternative Album” Category

The annals of music history are filled with once-specific genre names that are now functionally meaningless. “Indie rock” and “EDM” are some recent examples, but back in the ’90s, it was “alternative” that got so overused as to become meaningless. In fact, these days it’s a term whose non-nostalgic use is largely limited to various music awards shows — including the Grammys, whose 2013 nominations were announced last night. Perhaps more than ever before, this year’s crop of “Best Alternative Album” picks raises the question: What does “alternative” even mean in 2012? … Read More

What Were the Most Popular Songs of 2012?

This past week, Spotify released a list of the most popular songs of 2012 — or at least the most popular songs on the streaming music service. In a semi-surprising upset, Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” beat out the much-parodied “Call Me Maybe,” and Justin Bieber didn’t make the top ten. That said, we find this list — which includes two Flo Rida songs — a little depressing, if only for its homogeneity. We had thought this over-produced pop phase would be over by now, but alas, it was not to be. Then again, we genuinely like a couple of these songs, so who are we to judge? See the top ten after the jump, and let us know what you think these songs say about the state of our culture in the comments. … Read More

“Somebody That I Used to Know” Played By A YouTube Orchestra

We’ve all seen a million and one parodies and covers of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” — and turns out, so has Gotye. Inspired by Kutiman’s Thru-You project, Gotye (aka Wally De Backer) put together a master remix of his hit track, and surprisingly, it’s actually pretty interesting to watch. ”Reluctant as I am to add to the mountain of interpretations of “Somebody That I Used To Know” seemingly taking over their own area of the internet,” he writes, “I couldn’t resist the massive remixability that such a large, varied yet connected bundle of source material offered.” We’re not sure what it says about the artist that he created a master cover of his own song based on fan YouTube videos — it could probably be viewed in a more cynical way, but we’re going with appreciation for his fans and a general love of playing with music. Click through to watch the video, and let us know what you think in the comments. … Read More

Is “Somebody That I Used to Know” the Inevitable Song of the Summer?

It seems like as soon as temperatures begin to top 70 degrees, everyone’s got an opinion on what the song of the summer should be — Flavorpill included. And while no one loves a good critical conversation (or backyard bar argument) more than us, we’re also curious about which track is actually getting… Read More

Exclusive Infographic: The Best-Selling Duets of All Time

Duets seem to be everywhere these days, folks. Partly because ABC recently debuted its reality singing competition, Duets, but mostly because we can’t walk ten feet without hearing Gotye’s and Kimbra’s “Somebody That I Used to Know.” After learning that the hit has already sold upwards of seven million copies worldwide and is pegged to be the best-selling single of the year, we decided to take a trip through time to check out other record-breaking singles featuring two vocalists. To our surprise, every song on our newly compiled top 10 list is from the past decade, except for the number one best-selling duet. (We’ll give you a hint: “Catalina Wine Mixer.”) After the jump, check out our illustrated infographic chronicling the top-selling duets of all time, and take note — since “Somebody That I Used to Know” doesn’t lend Kimbra equal billing, we also included songs that feature guest artists. Which means, unfortunately, that the songs on this awesome list of top duets were displaced. But, that doesn’t mean we won’t still send you here and make your day a little weirder. Enjoy! … Read More

Literary Mixtape: Lady Chatterley

If you’ve ever wondered what your favorite literary characters might be listening to while they save the world/contemplate existence/get into trouble, or hallucinated a soundtrack to go along with your favorite novels, well, us too. But wonder no more! Here, we sneak a look at the hypothetical iPods of some of literature’s most interesting characters. What would be on the personal playlists of Holden Caulfield or Elizabeth Bennett, Huck Finn or Harry Potter, Tintin or Humbert Humbert? Something revealing, we bet. Or at least something danceable. Read on for a cozy reading soundtrack, character study, or yet another way to emulate your favorite literary hero. This week: D.H. Lawrence’s most controversial heroine, the lovely Lady Chatterley. … Read More

The Morning's Top 5 Pop Culture Stories

1. Forbes has released its Fictional 15, an annual list of fiction’s wealthiest characters. This year’s winner is Smaug, the dragon from The Hobbit, whose “personal fortune jumped 16% from last year to $62 billion after wyrm watchers crafted a more detailed analysis of his massive hoard of coins, jewels and antiques.”

2.… Read More

The Best and Worst of Last Night’s ‘SNL’ With Josh Brolin

Last night’s episode of Saturday Night Live, hosted by everyone’s favorite scowl, Josh Brolin, and featuring musical guest Gotye, was a pretty solid evening of sketches, with no enormous flops and no immediate classics, either. Brolin was sorely underused, his talent shining in the few bit parts he did get, but largely missing from the festivities — Gotye, on the other hand, got an entire digital short (the second digital short of the episode) about how much Andy Samberg and Taran Killam love him. All in all, it was an enjoyable evening. Click through to watch the best and worst sketches of the episode, and let us know if you agree with our assessments, or think we’re totally off the mark, in the comments. … Read More