Pitchfork

"That's That" is basically exactly what you expect from an MF Doom song: Two minutes of frantic free-association over a chopped-up elevator-music loop, with no chorus and a quick burst of unbelievably hoarse Biz Markie-esque soul-singing at the end. But given that Doom, who just changed his name to (seriously) DOOM, hasn't released an album in about three years, it's no longer possible to take for granted this sort of blasé lunacy. DOOM's voice is a little more ragged than I remember, but otherwise his totally singular style remains absolutely unchanged. The beat is the sort of distracted violins-and-organs stutter he's been slapping together since Operation: Doomsday, and the lyrics are so utterly random that it'll take multiple listens just to get some handle on what the hell he's saying.

If this one's any indication, DOOM has progressed beyond even talking about how dope he is, rarely even bothering to make sense: "Cornish hens switching positions, auditioning morticians," "Found him, drowned in cow's dung, crowns flung." Still, if you listen close, "That's That" has a few wicked punchlines: "Give a MC a rectal hysterectomy/ Lecture on removal of the bowel, foul technically." Yup, this guy is still weird.

[possibly from Born Like This; expected in 2009 on Lex]

When I saw Beck live last year, he didn't seem too crazy about performing. He stood there, played some new songs competently, looked embarrassed during a bunch of older songs, and then left. This clip for "Replica" is the video equivalent of that show. Filled with black-and-white footage seemingly shot by an experimental film freshman during a photo shoot for Modern Guilt, it's a placeholder and nothing more. This artsy bore wouldn't fly if it came from some C-level indie band, but coming from Beck it's especially disheartening. I mean, remember when a Beck video was an event? "The New Pollution", "Devil's Haircut", "Lost Cause"-- all stone classics. Here, he shows up cloaked in shadow for about half a second, but he needn't have bothered. 

Video:> Beck: "Replica"
[from Modern Guilt; out now on Interscope]

New Black Lips album 200 Million Thousand, which Pitchfork's Jason Crock awards a 7.3 today, veers off into echoey oddness just when you might've expected the Atlanta garage-rockers to take their critical acclaim and start cruising toward Main Street. As the Byrds-tinged "Short Fuse" shows, though, Black Lips still have a way with catchy songs that bring a sardonic 21st-century perspective to sonic touchstones from previous eras (something tells me the new Star Trek movie isn't going to include anything like this song's cheesy sci-fi sound effect). The song's intense-- and intensely fun-- animated video also looks to the past without losing sight of the This Very Second While You Are Reading This Post, Including These Specific Words of This Post. Yes, These Words, Too. Says a VBS.TV commenter with a Pabst Blue Ribbon can for an avatar and the screen name "baberhamlincoln": "my dome is blown." Party time, excellent.

Video:> Black Lips: "Short Fuse"
[from 200 Million Thousand; due 02/24/09 on Vice]

"There never really was a plan to do a second album." That's Ben Gibbard talking to Rolling Stone's Rock & Roll Daily a couple of months ago about the Postal Service. Sweden's Miike Snow-- a trio of "Toxic" producers/writers Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg, plus Fires of Rome front guy Andrew Wyatt-- do a credible job of going Postal 2009-style in their remix of Vampire Weekend closer "The Kids Don't Stand a Chance". Ezra Koenig's perky, precocious vocals bounce around over bubbly electronics and a thumping kick drum, his words distorted and distended a bit, sort of like when Fatboy Slim wanted to "Praise You". But the overall feel is more post-Alan Braxe electro-house than early-millennium laptronica. It definitely stands a chance with the kids. Me, I'm not ready to Give Up on a new Postal Service parcel just yet. (via RCRD LBL)

MP3/Stream:> Vampire Weekend vs. Miike Snow: "The Kids Don't Stand a Chance"
[original version from Vampire Weekend; out now on XL]

"Freaks and Geeks", Milk, and Pineapple Express actor James Franco wasn't nominated for any statues at last night's Academy Awards. But he had some kind words to say about Pitchfork contributor Carl Wilson. To be exact: "I'm reading a great book right now by this guy named Carl Wilson," Franco tells MTV News in this video. He's talking about Wilson's discussion-prompting book about Céline Dion's Let's Talk About Love for Continuum Books' 33 1/3 series (to which-- full disclosure-- other Pitchfork writers have also contributed).

Video:> James Franco on Let's Talk About Love

French pop sophisticates Phoenix have posted a new song on their website. If you liked 2006's widely underrated It's Never Been Like That, you should like "1901", off of forthcoming follow-up Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. The last album dirtied its tailored suit in the Strokes' dingy downtown; this track goes closer to where that bands' peers like Yeah Yeah Yeahs have ended up since, Phoenix's catchy and subtle soft-rock sounding decidedly new wavey. And you don't even have to hand over some fake e-mail address. Rock us like Falco, Amadeus.

MP3:> Phoenix: "1901"
[from Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix; due 05/25/09]

Or nod, anyway. Yeah Yeah Yeahs take over the dancefloor with "Heads Will Roll", the second track (um, unless you count the full album leak, for which heads will no doubt roll) to emerge from forthcoming third album It's Blitz!. Like the previously posted "Zero", it's got plenty of synths and Karen O charisma, although this time the reference points are more New Order than Blondie. With production from longtime associate (and TV on the Radio member) Dave Sitek, the track has Nick Zinner's guitars sounding pretty nice, too-- from iridiscent high notes to chugging power chords. "Off with your head/ Dance 'til you're dead," O begins and ends. There's a reason dancing is a sin, folks-- be careful out there, Steve Wozniak. (via Kanye)

MP3/Stream:> Yeah Yeah Yeahs: "Heads Will Roll"
[from It's Blitz!; due 04/14/09 on Interscope]

Last week the original line-up of Jane's Addiction played an unannounced club show at the Echoplex. The following day, Trent Reznor posted a note on the Nine Inch Nails website singing the band's praises and speaking of a forthcoming NIN/Jane's tour, and all of a sudden it felt like 1991 all over again. We'll see what happens with that, but in the meantime, Jane's Addiction has provided Pitchfork.tv with a special treat-- video of six songs from that performance last Monday. If you care about Jane's Addiction you know them all-- "Whores", "Mountain Song", "Ocean Size", and more.

"Whores"

Pitchfork.tv page with embed code is here.

"Ain't No Right"

Pitchfork.tv page with embed code is here.

"Had a Dad"

Pitchfork.tv page with embed code is here.

"Mountain Song"

Pitchfork.tv page with embed code is here.

"Ocean Size"

Pitchfork.tv page with embed code is here.

"Stop"

Pitchfork.tv page with embed code is here.

Last night was Conan O'Brien's final night hosting "Late Night" before he takes over for Jay Leno on "The Tonight Show", and the White Stripes helped to send him off with this slow and spare version of White Blood Cells' "We're Going to Be Friends". Check Ryan Dombal's brief overview of the Stripes/Conan history here. (via Culture Bully)

Earlier this week, indie label Touch and Go announced that they were scaling back their operation. In tribute, we're running a recap of some of our features from the label's 25th anniversary back in 2006, which provide a nice historical overview of the legendary imprint. And over on Pitchfork.tv, we've got a live document from one of their defining artists, the Jesus Lizard. Directed by Chuck Prefontaine and taped October 4, 1994, this show finds the Chicago band playing dangerously. Almost too dangerously.