Neko Case

The 10 Best Songs We Heard This Week: The Julie Ruin, Neko Case

It’s Friday, which means we are contemplating the weekend ahead and also, as ever, rounding up the best songs we’ve heard this week. This week saw the release of the first tracks from new albums by No Age, Neko Case, The Julie Ruin, and Hunx and His Punx, all of which are most excellent indeed. Elsewhere, there’s cerebral instrumentals from Anna Meredith and Shigeto, a new track from Wise Blood, a super-creepy and curiously compelling video to go with Slava’s new single, and the entire new After Dark 2 compilation, which you can download for free. Click through and get a-listening! … Read More

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Neko Case Releases Trailer for Her New Album

A trailer for an album seems pretty ridiculous, no? I mean, isn’t it just a short music video? But let’s… Read More

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10 Egregious Omissions from VH1′s ’100 Greatest Women in Music’

We recently took VH1 to task for including some fairly undeserving — and a few just plain awful — acts on their countdown of the “100 Greatest Women in Music.” So, who do we think would have been more deserving? We’re so glad you asked! Although it’s lacking in many categories, female rockers were especially slighted. We’ve attempted to point out some of the most egregious snubs, keeping two rules in mind: 1. VH1 has limited itself to the past 20 years, so it’s only fair to follow suit. 2. It’s not realistic to expect a mainstream TV network to acknowledge the existence of performers as obscure as, say, Carla Bozulich — so, while we certainly think she’s great, she’s not on this list. See who we would have included after the jump. … Read More

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TV Shows and the Musicians Who Were Born to Soundtrack Them

In case you were wondering why fans of both The Hold Steady and Friday Night Lights have been losing their shit all week, here’s what happened: the band’s frontman has announced plans to release a solo album called Clear Heart Full Eyes, an homage to the show that was recorded in Texas and whose title is a play on FNL‘s most memorable catchphrase (“Clear eyes, full hearts can’t lose”). The news got us thinking about how wonderful it would be if our favorite programs were scored by bands we love, which led us to compile the following wish list of TV shows and the musicians who were born to soundtrack them. Add your pairings in the comments. … Read More

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What’s On at Flavorpill: The Links That Made the Rounds in Our Office

Today at Flavorpill, we wished that the world had more adorable skydiving grannies like 82-year-old birthday girl/lifelong daredevil Judy Wade. We discovered that Mad Men screenshots and Arrested Development dialogue go surprisingly well together. We couldn’t believe that ABC thinks that they can replace Roseanne Barr with the likes… Read More

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Middle-Aged Indie Rockers We Wish Had Been Our Parents

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

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The Top 10 Indie Rock Hissyfits

A few days ago, Neko Case hilariously flipped out on a concert-goer after a jewel case of her own album was thrown at fellow New Pornagraphers’ band member, Carl Newman. Although Neko only upped her street/comedy cred and failed to come across as the Bill O’Reilley of indie rock, this episode still got us thinking of some more hot-blooded hissyfits that have sprouted up amongst our favorite indie celebrities. Below, we have gathered our ten favorite so click through and watch when the Etsy bought mittens come off and your favorite stars of indie rock have most likely Pabst fueled moments of… Read More

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10 New Women in Music Who Should Be on Your iPod

Girl power has never looked (or sounded) as good now that these 10 ladies have arrived on the scene. From the synth-pop stylings of Class Actress to the dancehall beats of Lady Chann, we’re bringing you a list of our favorite new female-fronted music acts, along with a few free downloads. As always, we made a few comparisons to help give you an idea of what each sounds like — and point you toward the ones that you’ll want to have on your iPod stat. … Read More

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What’s on at Flavorpill: Links That Made the Rounds in Our Office

Today at Flavorpill, we were excited to learn that Elizabeth Banks will be playing Alec Baldwin’s love interest on 30 Rock — but does she really have to channel Sean Hannity? We discovered that Tom Cruise was the original voice of Captain Planet. We wondered why anyone would be curious enough to drop… Read More

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