F

Flavorwire

John Darnielle

Music

10 Musicians You Should Be Following on Tumblr

By Tom Hawking on

There have been a gazillion things written about Daft Punk and Random Access Memories over the last week or so, but one of the best of them appeared this morning on the Tumblr of Montreal-based musician James Brooks, aka (formerly) as Elite Gymnastics. Brooks’ take on the record is well worth reading, and if you’re not already following him on Tumblr, you really should be. And he’s not the only musician who’s using his blog in a compelling way; here’s a selection of other music makers you should be following on Tumblr. Get to it! … Read More

  • 3

Music

The Best Musician Appearances on ‘The Colbert Report’

By Tom Hawking on

Iggy and the Stooges were in cracking form on The Colbert Report last night, making them the latest in a long line of bands who’ve appeared as guests on Stephen Colbert’s long-running satirical chat show. Of all the late-night hosts on TV, Colbert seems to get the most amusing interviews and performances out of musicians; here are a selection of The Colbert Report‘s very best musical moments. You’re more than welcome. … Read More

  • 0

Music

A Selection of the Flat-Out Weirdest Careers in Music

By Tom Hawking on

As we noted yesterday, we’ve been going quietly gaga about the new Scott Walker record ever since we got a copy of it a few weeks back. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Bish Bosch is that, weird as it is — and, mark our words, it’s really fucking weird — it’s still not as strange as the career trajectory of the man who made it. Walker’s journey from the fresh-faced MOR pop idol of his Walker Brothers years to the experimental maverick who’s just made what’s arguably his best album yet at the age of 69 is one of music’s most unlikely stories, and got us thinking about other unusual career trajectories. We’ve put together a selection of our favorites, so click through and let us know what you make of it all. … Read More

  • 0

Books

10 Books to Impress the Music Snob in Your Life

By Emily Temple on

Lester Bangs? Only the most famous music critic ever. Chronicles: Volume One? Who hasn’t read that? David Byrne’s How Music Works, which hits shelves today? Well, now we’re getting somewhere. Obviously, we’re joking — both Bangs’ criticism and Dylan’s autobiography are fantastic and essential — but today we thought we’d put together a list of books just a little further from the beaten path, and likely to score you some serious points with your resident music snob. But of course, everyone’s tastes (and snobberies) run differently, and this is by no means a complete list of the best books on music out there. With that in mind, click through to check out our choices, and let us know what you’d add in the comments. … Read More

  • 0

Music

Your Favorite Musicians’ Unexpected Favorite Records

By Tom Hawking on

You may have read recently that Mitt Romney Paul Ryan is the world’s most unlikely Rage Against the Machine fan, and the spectacular WTF-ness of his inexplicable declaration of fondness for left-wing agitrock will endure as one of the stranger moments of the 2012 campaign trail. The whole strange business also got us thinking: well, there are plenty of features around wherein artists have been asked to choose a selection of their favorite albums or songs. Surely there are some wacky choices in there? We got reading, and yep, there are some real winners to be found… so here’s a selection of such choices that we found particularly interesting — either selections we’d never heard of, or selections we just wouldn’t have expected. Who’d have thought that Bradford Cox was the only person in the world to like the second MGMT album, or that Frank Black was into weird faux-Greek music, or that both Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull were experts on reggae? Read on for more… … Read More

  • 0

Music

Ranking Springsteen Wannabes from Best to Worst

By Tom Hawking on

At some point during the early 2000s, the world of indie started to re-embrace the Boss — a welcome development for those, like us, who’ve always appreciated Bruce Springsteen’s songwriting talents. Springsteen’s always been more interesting than his popular image dictated — anyone who just knows him as the “Born in the USA” guy might be surprised to know that he frequently covers Suicide’s “Dream Baby Dream” and sang on Lou Reed’s magnum opus “Street Hassle” — and over the last decade or so, a steady stream of contemporary musicians have started to make decidedly Bruce-influenced tunes. Of course, as with anything, there’s the good ones and the bad ones — so in celebration of the release of latter day Bruce-alike Craig Finn’s debut solo album Clear Heart Full Eyes, here’s our verdict on Springsteen wannabes over the years, starting with the best and working progressively down the totem pole. … Read More

  • 0

Music

Your Favorite Musicians’ Favorite Musicians

By Emily Temple on

Here at Flavorpill, we’re into music. And like any group of music nerds with access to the Internet, we like garnering suggestions from people we trust about the best bands out there. So who better to suggest some great musicians than, well, some great musicians? After all, they should be experts on the subject. Here, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite musicians’ own favorite musicians for your listening — and obsessing — pleasure. After all, if you live, breathe and sleep Frank Zappa (as yours truly admits to doing for a spell in her teenage years), now you know which bands to listen to, just to, you know, complete the experience. Of course, just like us mortals (and probably even more so), musicians’ favorite bands change with their mood, the season and what they ate for lunch, so consider the following a snapshot, or in at least one case, just what John Darnielle would say in front of a firing squad. Ah, obsession. … Read More

  • 0

Music

Middle-Aged Indie Rockers We Wish Had Been Our Parents

By Zoë Leverant on

Many kids dream of growing up as someone else — in a royal family, on a distant planet, or as a movie star. But such aspirations don’t sound quite as fun in the long run as having amazing musicians for parents. By the time most rockers hit 40, they’ve calmed down enough to make a family and have years of experience to draw on for wisdom and guidance. And it’s not just any experience — the music industry often throws curve balls at its participants, and any parent who has had to contend with predatory label reps or getting their gear stolen on tour knows a thing or two more about overcoming obstacles than the average mom or dad does. Living in one of these seven artists’ households means a great record collection and a creative atmosphere to keep you company — even when you’re grounded. … Read More

  • 0

Music

Daily Dose Pick: The Extra Lens

By Judy Berman on

Mountain Goats main man John Darnielle teams up with sometime band mate, solo artist, and Nothing Painted Blue songwriter Franklin Bruno for their first Extra Lens (formerly Extra Glenns) album in nearly a decade.

Undercard, the first release that represents a true creative collaboration between Darnielle and Bruno, won’t hold many surprises for Mountain Goats fans: These are spare, well-written songs with smart, sad, literary lyrics. (The song title “Rockin’ Rockin’ Twilight of the Gods” just about says it all.) If anything, the Extra Lens tracks are less jagged and more polished than the average Mountain Goats release, perhaps because the pair recorded the album on an uncharacteristically relaxed schedule. … Read More

  • 0