The Dark Knight

It's the weekend, so I'll keep this short.

I finally saw it last night, and I have to say, the new Batman movie is pretty damn awesome.

Go see it. On a very big screen, with a very good sound system. Like The Moolah.

Can. NOT. Wait!

There are some TV shows that make life worth living. This is one of them.



Here's the Season 4 teaser!

Czech This Out: Miou Miou

Usually when I hear the words "French pop," I immediately imagine scenes of Japanese girls with green hair having brightly-colored martinis in a space-aged bar at the edge of the universe.

Anyone who has ever listened will know why. For those of you who haven't it's because ... it's just ... so spacey. Airy. Background music, but still listenable and irresistibly charming; even if you don't know French. Or maybe because you don't know French.

So it's a surprise to me to find a group making lush French pop to the beat of a different drummer; a far cry from Dmitri from Paris' outlandish sound, Miou Miou brings a more provincial, earthy feel; likely due to their Czech Republic upbringing.

It's even more evident in the utterly adorable video for "A l'été de la Saint-Martin '68."



Miou Miou Online:
http://www.miou-miou.cz/news.htm

MiouSpace:
http://www.myspace.com/mioumiou

Momma's Gotta Squeezebox

It was the summer of 1994; ah, I remember it as though it were yesterday. The sights, the smells ... most importantly, the sounds. One of the biggest hits that summer was Warren G. and Nate Dogg's "Regulate," and I knew it forwards and backwards; or so I thought. There was this one line that always troubled me ... I thought it was:

"I can't believe they're taking Lawrence Welk."

As it turns out, the lyric is, "I can't believe they're taking Warren's wealth." Which makes perfect sense, seeing as though he's talking about getting jacked.

In any event, today's videos come as a personal challenge from a friend to expand my reader demographic. The first is what Tom sent to me, a quite impressive performance by Myron Floren leading the band with his accordion in a 1967 episode of The Lawrence Welk Show.




To dispel the myth that the squeezebox is for golden oldies; however, I present a video of probably the most prolific female accordionistas of our time, Ms. Jenny Conlee of The Decemberists.




While the video quality isn't great, you can tell this girl is far more than skilled. I saw them in the Duck Room back in 2005 and she is by far the most impressive performer on stage; probably largely due to the fact that she's of a very dainty frame and only stands about 5' tall, giving her the appearance that she's wrestling the accordion rather than playing it.

While The Decemberists widely appeal to, well, pretty much only band and theatre geeks ... Jenny's proof positive that rocking out on the accordion isn't a thing of the past.

It's just still pretty uncool.

Who doesn't like a good Puppet show?

Does anyone remember the Arctic Monkeys?

Alex Turner, the frontman of said Britrock outfit is back with the London Metropolitan Orchestra and Rascals' Miles Kane in the form of The Last Shadow Puppets with the album The Age of The Understatement. The only understatement here is that this is really good stuff.

Here's the video for the album's title track:

CD Release Alert!

Dr. Dog is back!

Fate is in stores starting today (apparently FYE may have some autographed copies available online) and samples from their MySpace are very promising. Oh how I can not wait to see them next Wednesday! It'll be my first Bluebird outing. Report surely to follow.

In the mean time, please to enjoy this track from 2007's We All Belong, courtesy of Park The Van records.

Dr. Dog - My Old Ways




Also, fitting as it is Discovery Channel's Shark Week this week; the golden voice is back! (Alright, she has been about a month, I've just missed it until now).

My Brightest Diamond has recorded yet another spooky, beautifully orchestrated album, A Thousand Shark's Teeth. A sample track is available on MBD's MySpace:

http://www.myspace.com/mybrightestdiamond

Okay, I'm Sold.

I've finally tired of the buzz surrounding the newest "synth-pop" group that sounds just like all of my favorite 80s bands of old. The newest review mentions of their sound's resemblance to the likes of Robert Smith and Morrissey ... so, fashionably late as usual, I just checked out the Black Kids.

I think you should too.

Particularly "I'm Not Going To Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You." It's Cure-tastic. In fact, here's the video:



I am a total sucker for a good pop song. It's true.

Hit up their MySpace for other songs:

http://www.myspace.com/blackkidsrock

Double Threat

Zooey Deschanel.

You love her or hate her. I'm of the former category; even though she's not the world's best actress (she obviously plays only one character in any given role, and hunch has it its "herself"), I've always thought she was cute, dry and quasi-talented enough to be girlcrush-worthy.

Here's a new reason: her musical project with M. Ward, She and Him.

Which, of course, I stumbled upon in Vol. #79 of Magnet. It was just an advert, but it was the full-page back cover which, oh I don't know, kind of demands your attention; and seeing as though I was interested enough to roam to MySpace to check out Scarlett Johansson's (pathetic) attempt at musicianship, I figured one more actress-turned-song stylist dab wouldn't hurt.

Stream the music at their MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/sheandhim

And often.

... shouldn't it be the "Old Foges on the Block"?

Coming soon to an arena near you, the New Kids on the Block!

Seriously, is anyone going to attend the shows on this tour? Who is interested? People like me, whose 10 year-old selves adored them above God way back when? Are they taking their kids along? Is there a new album?

This, along with the announcement of the "new" 90210 (with Shannen Dougherty, Jennie Garth and Joe E. Tata rumored to be involved) seems so hopelessly sad and desperate. I just have no idea what kind of an audience this seriously appeals to; as far as I can tell, this only applies to the "morbid curiosity" sector in which old fans have in has-beens.

Which, while it's certainly not enough to actually purchase tickets to a mega-theatre concert; it probably is enough to the CW this fall ... if for no other reason but to see just how bad Shannen and Jennie look compared to the new teen class.