New Music: Arcade Fire: "Burning Bridges" [MP3]
Photo by Ryan Muir
The week before last Arcade Fire's Win Butler had a nice long chat with Amy Phillips about Mirror Noir, the new documentary about the making of Neon Bible and subsequent tour that the band just released in an array of configurations. As part of the promo push for the doc they've just released an mp3 of "Burning Bridges", an instrumental version of a song called "Burning Bridges, Breaking Hearts" that the band has played live for a few years. Just gotta cough up a working e-mail address and it's yours.
MP3:> Arcade Fire: "Burning Bridges"
[Mirror Noir is available now from Arcade Fire]
New Music: Sufjan Stevens: "Good King Wenceslas" [MP3]
Sufjan Stevens and his pals at Sounds Familyre like to celebrate the season with new Christmas music. A new track from the second volume of SF's A Familyre Christmas series, up today at their blog, is also featured on Songs for Christmas Volume 8: Astral Inter Planet Space Captain Christmas Infinity Voyage, the latest small-run privately distributed entry in Sufjan's Christmas music catalogue. And it's electronic! Vocoder, spiky synths, laser blasts, some spazzy beats-- definitely not one to enjoy with the folks, but possibly interesting for a Christmas on Mars.
MP3:> Sufjan Stevens: "Good King Wenceslas"
[from A Familyre Christmas Vol. 2; out now on Sounds Familyre]
Pitchfork.tv: USA for Affluence [ft. Tim Harrington, Moby, Andrew W.K., Will Sheff, Fred Armisen, Carl Newman, and many more]: "BEARDO" Episode 5 - "Cash for Christmas" [Video/MP3]
In this extra special episode of "BEARDO", Tim Harrington of Les Savy Fav brings together fellow musicians to raise awareness of the plight of the super rich during this difficult economic time. Featuring Andrew W.K., Fred Armisen (Trenchmouth), Moby, Nancy Whang and Pat Mahoney of LCD Soundsystem, the New Pornographers' Carl Newman, Ian Svenonius (Nation of Ulysses, The Make Up, Weird War), Okkervil River's Will Sheff, Oliver Ackermann of A Place to Bury Strangers, Ryan Schreiber (Pitchfork founder/president), Gavin McInnes (Street Carnage/ex-VICE), comedian Seth Herzog, plus members of Love as Laughter, Excepter, Cheeseburger, Panthers, some guy in a bright orange wig called Ronald Michael MacDonald, and sundry other pals. Huge thanks to engineer/mixer David Tolomei of DNA Studios.
MP3:> USA for Affluence: "Cash for Christmas"
Pitchfork.tv page with embed code is here.
Pitchfork.tv: Johnny Cash [ft. Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Andy Kaufman, and more]: One Week Only: Selections From the Christmas Specials
In the late 1970s, Johnny Cash hosted a Christmas Special each year, featuring musical performances from him and his extended family as well as other country and pop luminaries. On Pitchfork.tv we have these four highlights for One Week Only. First up is the ancient folk song popularized by Ledbelly (and then Kurt Cobain) "In the Pines", performed by June Carter Cash and her legendary family. Then we get the Million Dollar Quartet (almost) of Cash, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis paying tribute to Elvis with "This Train Is Bound for Glory". A stirring "Silent Night" with a reading from the Bible is prefaced with Cash's word about a visit to the Holy Land. And then the late, great Andy Kaufman applies his spot-on Elvis impression (which the King himself apparently loved) to "That's When Your Heartaches Begin".
"In the Pines" - The Carter Family
Pitchfork.tv page with embed code is here.
"This Train Is Bound For Glory" - Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins
Pitchfork.tv page with embed code is here.
"Silent Night" - Johnny Cash, June Carter, and Family
Pitchfork.tv page with embed code is here.
"That's When Your Heartaches Begin" - Andy Kaufman
Pitchfork.tv page with embed code is here.
New Music: Prince: "There Will Never B Another 1 Like Me" [Stream]
A lot happening in the Purple Kingdom in the last 24 hours. First, Prince debuted some new songs on L.A.'s Indie 103 yesterday, apparently from a forthcoming album. Several are said to be heavy on guitar, and one was a cover of Tommy James and the Shondells' proto-glam classic "Crimson and Clover". And now comes another new song, this one an appealingly simple and stripped-down funk number called "There Will Never B Another 1 Like Me", streaming on the very purple new website MPLsound.com. He's right, you know: there will never be another one like him. (via Rolling Stone)
Video: Of Montreal: "An Eluardian Instance" (Live on "Late Show With David Letterman")
Of Montreal pulled out all the stops on Letterman last night, enlisting their usual parade of fanciful props and costumes from their famously theatrical live shows. Barnes emerges from a curtained litter, decked in regal Prince purples, to perform "An Eluardian Instance" from this year's Skeletal Lamping.
[Skeletal Lamping is out now on Polyvinyl]
New Music: Kanye West: "Love Lockdown (Flying Lotus Remix)" [MP3]
"Love Lockdown" still has some life in it yet. Our #39 track from 2008 is remixed by the guy who issued our #28 album. Interspersing Kanye's robo-croon with his trademark digital crunches, FL's Steven Ellison makes him sound even more alien and distant. (via RCRD LBL)
MP3:> Kanye West: "Love Lockdown (Flying Lotus Remix)"
[808s and Heartbreak is out now on Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam]
Video: Fleet Foxes: "English House" (Live on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien")
As with Bon Iver on Letterman a couple of days ago, Fleet Foxes on Conan is a nice way to wind down 2008. Both have logged some serious miles this year touring behind very strong records. I've been looking for a YouTube of this one but no luck yet (NBC's not a big fan of those). So video comes courtesy of Hulu, which is using pretty harsh compression on the audio here, plus you have to sit through an ad. Still worth a look for this lovely song.
Video:> Fleet Foxes: "English House" (Live on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien")
[original version from Sun Giant; available from Sub Pop]
New Music: Hot Chip and Peter Gabriel: "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" (Vampire Weekend cover) [Stream]
Peter Gabriel/Ezra Koenig photos by Ahmed Klink
"Hot Chip Cover Vampire Weekend With Peter Gabriel?", we asked in a news story back in September. The answer? Yep. Abeano today posted a stream of the song, which they say was once intended for a Vampire Weekend B-side but was shelved. All things considered, it's pretty much exactly what you'd hope for from such a wtf one-off. "This feels so unnatural, Peter Gabriel, too," is followed by "It feels so unnatural to sing your own name." And then somewhere in there he stars wailing like he wandered into "The Blood of Eden". (Abeano, via NME)
Stream:> Hot Chip and Peter Gabriel: "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa"
New Music: Weezer: "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" [Stream]
Recorded for Tapulous' Christmas With Weezer iPhone application, Weezer's version of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" plays it pretty straight. They pump up the guitars but don't mess with the song otherwise, and you can almost taste the figgy pudding. (via Spin)
Forkcast Playlist
Other Recent Downloads
Sun: 12-28-08
Fri: 12-19-08
- Pitchfork.tv: USA for Affluence [ft. Tim Harrington, Moby, Andrew W.K., Will Sheff, Fred Armisen, Carl Newman, and many more]: "BEARDO" Episode 5 - "Cash for Christmas" [Video/MP3]
- Pitchfork.tv: Johnny Cash [ft. Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Andy Kaufman, and more]: One Week Only: Selections From the Christmas Specials
- New Music: Prince: "There Will Never B Another 1 Like Me" [Stream]
- Video: Of Montreal: "An Eluardian Instance" (Live on "Late Show With David Letterman")
Wed: 12-17-08
Mon: 12-15-08
- New Music: Yeah Yeah Yeahs: "All I Want for Christmas" [Stream]
- Video: Bon Iver: "Skinny Love" (Live on "Late Show With David Letterman")
- Video: Kanye West: "Love Lockdown" / "Heartless" / "Pinocchio Story" (Live on "Saturday Night Live")
- On Repeat: Fever Ray [The Knife's Karin Dreijer]: "If I Had a Heart" [Stream]
Fri: 12-12-08
- Pitchfork.tv: Daft Punk: One Night Only: Electroma
- The Pitchfork 500: Pavement: "Summer Babe" [Stream]
- Video: Bloc Party: "One Month Off"
- New Music: Chin Chin: "Go There With You" [MP3]
- Video: Peter Bjorn and John: "Lay It Down"
- Video: Lindstrøm, Ane Brun, and Thom Hell: "Wonderful Christmastime" (Paul McCartney cover)
- New Music: Nodzzz: "In the City (Contact High)" [MP3]
Thu: 12-11-08
- Pitchfork.tv: Tim Harrington of Les Savy Fav in: "BEARDO" Episode 4 - Ghost Writer
- Video: Munchausen by Proxy [ft. Zooey Deschanel & Von Iva]: "Sweet Ballad"
- The Pitchfork 500: The Clash: "The Guns of Brixton" [Stream]
- Premiere: These Are Powers: "Life of Birds" [MP3]
- Pitchfork.tv: Parenthetical Girls: "A Song for Ellie Greenwich" [Video Premiere]
- New Music: Hot Chip [ft. Robert Wyatt]: "Made in the Dark" [MP3]
- New Music: N.A.S.A. [ft. Kanye West, Santogold & Lykke Li]: "Gifted" [MP3]
- Video: Jeremy Jay: "Heavenly Creatures"
Wed: 12-10-08
- The Pitchfork 500: Kate Bush: "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" [Stream]
- New Music: Surf City: "Headin' Inside" [MP3]
- Pitchfork.tv: Crystal Stilts: "Prismatic Room" [Video Premiere]
- Video: Weezer: "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)"
- New Music: Maroon 5: "Goodnight Goodnight (Deerhoof Remix)" / "This Love (Cut Copy Galactic Beach House Mix)" [Streams]
Tue: 12-09-08
Mon: 12-08-08
- The Pitchfork 500: Madonna: "Holiday" [Stream]
- Pitchfork.tv: Lyrics Born / The Explorers Club / The Secret Machines / Dead Confederate / Frightened Rabbit: Archived Video Round-up
- New Music: Reverend Green [ft. Antony Hegarty and Kría Brekkan]: "Be Good to the Earth This Season" [Stream]
- New Music: Jesse Rose [ft. Hot Chip]: "Forget My Name" [Stream]
- Pitchfork.tv: Plants and Animals: "Feedback in the Field" [Video]
- New Music: Common [ft. Cee-Lo Green]: "Make My Day" [MP3]
- Pitchfork.tv: N.A.S.A. [ft. David Byrne, Chuck D, Ras Congo, Seu Jorge, and Z-Trip]: "Money" [Video Premiere]
- On Repeat: Wavves: "Wavves" [MP3/Stream]
Fri: 12-05-08
- Pitchfork.tv: Pavement: One Week Only: Slow Century
- The Pitchfork 500: Joy Division: "Atmosphere" [Stream]
- New Music: TV on the Radio: "Dancing Choose (Prefuse 73 Remix)" [MP3]
- Pitchfork.tv: Fujiya & Miyagi: "Sore Thumb" [Video Premiere]
- Pitchfork.tv: The Dutchess and the Duke: "Mary" [Video]
- New Music: Cotton Jones: "Blood Red Sentimental Blues" [MP3/Stream]
- Video: Blitzen Trapper: "Saturday Nite" (fan video ft. ALF)
- Pitchfork.tv: Mike Bones: "What I Have Left" [Video Premiere] / Bonus remix from Brian Degraw of Gang Gang Dance [MP3]
- New Music: Eminem (prod. by Dr. Dre): "Number One" [Stream/MP3]
- Video: Justice: "Phantom II" (A Cross the Universe excerpt)
- Premiere: El Perro del Mar: "Auld Lang Syne" [MP3/Stream]
Thu: 12-04-08
- The Pitchfork 500: Beat Happening: "Indian Summer" [Stream]
- Video: Pavement: Hyundai Capital ad
- Video: Lily Allen: "The Fear"
- New Music: Cut Off Your Hands: "Turn Cold" [MP3/Stream]
- Pitchfork.tv: Constantines: "Credit River" [Video Premiere]
- Video: LCD Soundsystem: "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down"
- New Music: Hudson Mowhawke: "Velvet Peel" [Stream]
Wed: 12-03-08
- The Pitchfork 500: The Future Sound of London: "Papua New Guinea" [Stream]
- Video: The Raconteurs [ft. Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe]: "Old Enough" (live in studio)
- Old Music: Van Halen: "Hot For Teacher" (vocal track) [Stream]
- Pitchfork.tv: King Khan and the Shrines: Live on "Don't Look Down" Part 3
- New Music: Turk Dietrich of Belong: "Blue Christmas" [Stream]
- Pitchfork.tv: Sin Fang Bous: "Advent In Ives Garden" [Video Premiere]
- New Music: The Raveonettes: "Come on Santa" [MP3/Stream]