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15 Hilariously Negative Early Reviews of Classic Albums

By Tom Hawking on

Everybody likes reading a really nasty review every now and then, but sometimes critics get it wrong. Here’s a look at misguided reviews of albums that’d go on to be acclaimed as… Read More

Music

10 Internet Music Sensations That Are Actually Worth Your Time

By Tom Hawking on

So, Kreayshawn’s debut album Somethin’ ‘Bout Kreay was supposed to come out this week. But, what do you know, just last week it was pushed back to September 18th. This is no surprise, given that in the year since “Gucci Gucci” was released, she’s already experienced the entire cycle of rapid rise to fame/backlash/naked photos/post-fame slump into “whatever happened to Kreayshawn, anyway?” status, and the record almost feels like an afterthought. The whole thing is a salutary example of how hyper-accelerated and transitory Internet fame can be. Still, it doesn’t have to be that way — there have been some enduringly worthy musicians who got Famous On The Internet and/or have been responsible for bona fide internet sensations over the years. Here are ten of our favorite such artists — as ever, let us know if we’ve missed any. … Read More

Music

10 Bands That Really Need to Call It Quits

By Tom Hawking on

We greeted the prospect of listening to Oceania, the new album by Billy Corgan and some people who he’s calling Smashing Pumpkins, with the same trepidation shown by pretty much everyone else who grew up in the 1990s. Quite why Corgan insists on calling his band Smashing Pumpkins these days is unclear — when the classic line-up of that band split in 2000, Corgan formed a new band under a new name — but he chose to exhume it in 2006, and with the departure of Jimmy Chamberlin in 2009, he’s the only remaining original member. Frankly, we wish he’d stop it and move on to something new — and he’s not the only one, as you’ll read after the jump. … Read More

Music

Magnificent Musician-Inspired Nail Art

By Judy Berman on

We’re not sure exactly what’s behind the recent nail art explosion, but as long as it continues to produce amazing pop-culture tributes on a tiny, personal scale, it has our attention. Last week, we brought you the blood-flecked fingertips of a Dexter groupie and some Arrested Development Mr. Banana Grabber press-ons in our roundup of amazing TV-inspired nails. Before that, we went highbrow with literary nail art paying tribute to everyone from F. Scott Fitzgerald to Harry Potter. Now, nail art superfans, are you ready to rock ‘n’ roll? Today’s haul of musician-inspired nail art includes a dazzling riff on David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane, a set of crazy Nicki Minaj claws, and even a perfectly executed Daniel Johnston manicure. … Read More

Design

Classic Album Covers Get an Anime-Inspired Makeover

By Nicole Rallis on

In her CD Covers Tribute series, Amsterdam-based illustrator Elena Lloveria pays homage to famous bands by recreating record cover art with a twee twist. The seven-piece collection commemorates beloved covers such as The Beatles’ A Hard Days Night, Michael Jackson’s Bad, and Bjork’s Homogenic, depicting the musicians as doe-eyed anime characters with oversize heads. While Lloveria’s chibi-inspired style complements some of the artists in the series, Marilyn Manson and Prince look creepier than ever after their kawaii makeovers. Check out the covers, and decide whether you’re charmed or repulsed, after the cut. … Read More

Music

The Most Consistently Inconsistent Musicians of Our Time

By Christine Jordan on

Consistency is the watchword in the world of music criticism. We as listeners love it when a band is at its best, but we aren’t truly happy until the musicians prove their worth again and again and again. And then maybe just once more still, after the lead singer emerges from a nasty coke habit and the band hasn’t been in the same room for three years. Of course, we forgive our favorite bands for the blemishes in their legacies every single day, because the statistics majors inside all of us understand that consistency is no small feat. But what of the bands whose discographies are marked by the exact opposite — those alternating, dramatic peaks and valleys in album and even song quality? Why, we’re glad you asked! We’ve compiled eight musical wildcards that have kept us on our toes with each note they’ve produced they put out after the jump. Be sure to join us in some collective head-scratching by giving us your own suggested additions to the list in the comments. … Read More

Music

Watch Weezer and the Flaming Lips Perform “Jelly”

By Caroline Stanley on

Remember those side-by-side concerts that we told you that Weezer and the Flaming Lips were doing? Well, the first one took place last night at New Jersey’s PNC Bank Arts Center, and as River Cuomo tweeted, “Rolling in the bubble was a dream come true for me.” Thanks to a tip from Vulture, we’ve got footage of both bands playing “She Don’t Use Jelly,” with Cuomo taking the lead vocals. Click through to watch it now, but be warned: you might find yourself wishing you’d bought tickets to see them play tonight at Jones Beach. … Read More

Web

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

By Caroline Stanley on

Today at Flavorpill, we were freaked out by this owl imprint which was supposedly left behind after the bird crashed into a window in the UK. We watched Mario climb a vine for an insanely long amount of time — but not the full 10 hours. We found out a few… Read More

News

The Morning's Top 5 Pop Culture Stories

By Caroline Stanley on

1. The Flaming Lips and Weezer are planning to play two New York City-area shows together — as in side by side, trading off songs back and forth for the entire length of each concert. We don’t know about you you, but we’d love to see this trend catch on. [via Brooklyn Vegan]… Read More

Books

Literary Mixtape: Alexander Portnoy

By Emily Temple on

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: Philip Roth’s lusty bachelor, Alexander Portnoy. … Read More