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Fascinating Photos of Famous Musicians in Their Studios

By Tom Hawking on

We’re constantly fascinated with the creative process here at Flavorwire, and one of the most important components of that process is the space in which it takes place. For musicians, at least as far as the recording process goes, this place is the studio, and as such we thought we’d take a look at the studios of some of our favorite musicians. The contrasts on display are intriguing, from the endearingly chaotic to the pristine and very expensive, from analog to digital, from minimalist to decked out in all sorts of crazy-looking… Read More

Music

12 Notable Music Videos Directed by Famous Filmmakers

By Tom Hawking on

As we reported last week, Gaspar Noé — the man responsible for the French films Enter the Void and, shudder, Irreversible — has directed the video for the rather excellent new Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds single “We No Who U R.” The video is rather restrained by Noé’s standards, but it fits the song beautifully, and it got us thinking about other well-known directors who’ve moonlighted in making music videos. There have been plenty over the years, some triumphant, some rather less so — so here’s a selection for your viewing delectation! Marvel, giggle, shake your head in despair, and then let us know if we missed any. … Read More

Music

10 Great Comedown Songs to Soothe Your New Year’s Hangover

By Tom Hawking on

If you’re like us and basically everyone else in the world — unless you don’t drink, in which case we’re happy for you — you probably greeted 2013 with a fairly sizable hangover yesterday. There’s a surprising amount of complexity to be found in waking up and feeling like shit after a big night out, and it’s a subject that’s been addressed by a host of songwriters over the years. So we thought we’d welcome 2013 with an exploration of musical renditions of the morning after the night before, from the quietly contented to the morbidly, morbidly hung over. We hope the way you’re feeling roughly 36 hours into the new year falls somewhere toward the former end of the scale. … Read More

Web

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

By Alison Nastasi on

Today at Flavorpill, we couldn’t wait to go to the pizza museum in Philadelphia, and then we pondered pizza tacos. We wished recreational vehicle Airstream a happy birthday. We chatted about Natalie Portman’s wedding gown. We compared how the poor and the middle class spend their money. We read stories… Read More

Music

10 Really Weird Inspirations for Popular Songs

By Emily Temple on

This week, we got news that R. Kelly was back in the songwriting business when he posted a new track to Twitter — a new track about his tonsils. Well, to each his own. In any event, R. Kelly’s new song inspired us to think of other strange and unusual inspirations and topics for popular songs, from the bizarrely mundane to the just completely random. Click through to listen to songs about body parts, fish, ice floes, and other things that, as far as we’re concerned, make pretty weird subjects for songs, and be sure to let us know your own favorite songs with bizarre inspirations. … Read More

Music

Mixtape Primer: The Essential East-Meets-West Collection

By Tom Hawking on

Crispian Mills from Kula Shaker nearly ruined it for everyone. But East-meets-West fusion doesn’t have to be a floppy-haired twat with a sitar or The Beatles waddling around Rishikesh in a cloud of smoke. To celebrate Diwali, the Indian festival of lights, we’ve put together another of our monthly mixtape primers. This time around, we’re looking at the phenomenon of cultural crossover, and what happens when Western musicians interpret Eastern sounds, and vice versa. There’s a full Grooveshark playlist at the end – or stick it on a C60 and play it in the car! … Read More

Daily Dose

Daily Dose Pick: The Chemical Brothers

By Doug Levy on

With their seventh studio album, top-tier electronic innovators the Chemical Brothers evolve their music into a multisensory audiovisual experience.

Further finds Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons indulging the more abstract nature of their psychedelic dance-floor anthems, focusing on the overall sonic experience rather than roping in a host of guest vocalists and mining for hooks. Each track is paired with its own video, available on a bonus DVD, all designed by the same artists behind the entrancing visuals of the Chems’ sense-assaulting live shows. … Read More