If it's good enough for JoJo, it's good enough for emo.

Over the summer we brought you Foxboro's favorite teenage pop-tart launching her comeback with a cover/rework/response to Sean Kingston's "Beautiful Girls," itself a thinly-veiled cover of the Boomer national anthem, "Stand By Me." Stop the presses: now Casey Crescenzo -- formerly of the Receiving End of Sirens, now leading his own band, the Dear Hunter -- has issued his own cover of Kingston's chart-topper.

This, kids, is what emo does best: when emo was still emo, nobody could sing worth a damn. Now that most emo kids can, we end up with pop muzik the way it would sound if Max Martin shopped at Hot Topic. We're sure there are people who still consider this a bad thing, but it sure as hell is entertaining.

Next-levelness? Check the drum-machine breakdown about 2/3 of the way in: if the concept-record thing doesn't work out, we encourage Casey to switch to beatmaking.

DOWNLOAD: Casey Crescenzo, "Beautiful Girls" (mp3) (via AbsolutePunk)

Previously:
BOSTONPHOENIX: Is It In The Stars?: The Rise of Casey Crescenzo's The Dear Hunter (2007)
THEPHOENIX.COM: Dear Hunter Q&A (2006)

10/29/2007 10:47:54 by On the Download | Comments [0] | Trackback 

Spoon, Don't Make Me A Target (Live in Boston)


Spoon, Underdog (Live in Boston)


Spoon, Black Like Me (Live in Boston)

Here, in its entirety, is the set Spoon played to a roomful of about 30 WFNX listeners and friends-of-OTD last week at First Act, prior to their big shew at the Roxy. By now everyone knows the single, but if you listen to only one of these we highly recommend "Black Like Me," which kills and feels like the "What Goes Around" to Underdog's "Sexy Back." Also, we guarantee you've never heard "Target" played exactly this way. Nor are you likely to again.

Random fact we learned: the Boston-based company that does Spoon's website (also Madonna's, Mike Jones's, and ASHLEY TISDALE's) employs, among others, Certainly, Sir's Nick Hubben and a couple dudes from Dear Leader. Sweet!

And as bonus tracks, here's the mp3s from the above set:

DOWNLOAD: Spoon, "Don't Call Me a Target (OTD Alive)" (mp3)
DOWNLOAD: Spoon, "Underdog (OTD Alive)" (mp3)
DOWNLOAD: Spoon, "Black Like Me (OTD Alive)" (mp3)

10/26/2007 11:20:00 by On the Download | Comments [0] | Trackback 

Lollapalooza flick by Carina Mastrocola

In addition to OTD’s Friday, Halloween spirited MPFreeee goodness, here’s another pre-weekend treat: Checking our e-mail this morning and we had a happy message from the folks over at Tourfilter (how do they always know about this shit first?) - M.I.A. will play the Palladium on November 28! It’s not up on M.I.A.’s MySpace, or horrible, neon flashing website yet (we can’t handle the clashing/flashing imagery pre-coffee on a Friday morning), but a quick trip to MassConcerts confirms it - the goddess of dark, daring, chirping, grunting, bumping, Pixies and “Rump Shaker”-thieving awesomeness (pre-In Rainbows, “Paper Planes” was on repeat on our iTunes for, oh, three months or so) will grab Worcester by the balls for a night, with the Illinois-based hip hop duo The Cool Kids. Holy Cross may never be the same. Tickets are on sale like NOW, so get on it!

DOWNLOAD: M.I.A. "Paper Planes" (via The shiny new Hype Machine)
VIDEO: M.I.A. "Bird Flu"

10/26/2007 10:28:45 by Caitlin | Comments [0] | Trackback 

 

Damon & Naomi are calling their current tour “The Roaring Silence Revue,” a reference to the combination of their own subdued-but-steely folk sound and the deep-bass noise-rock of their tourmates, Japanese trio Boris. D&N are working their new Within These Walls (20/20/20), and even though their first CD after the breakup of Galaxie 500 was called More Sad Hits, this might be the saddest yet, inspired, they say, by a year of digging into Frank Sinatra and the weepiest albums of his that they could find — Only the Lonely and No One Cares. Combine Ol’ Blue Eyes’ long, slow breath control and unsparing emotional delivery with D&N’s abiding passion for ’60s Brit folk-rock and you’ve got the picture: by the time you get to Naomi’s album closer, the goth mother-daughter psychodrama dialogue “Cruel Queen,” you’ll be crying in your chai latte. Along for the tour are longtime D&N aides-de-camp saxophonist Bhob Rainey, trumpeter Greg Kelley, guitarist Michio Kurihara, plus cellist Helena Espvall from the band Espers on cello. (All are on the new disc.) And Kurihara — the Neil Young of Japan — will do double-duty in both bands | Middle East downstairs, 480 Mass Ave, Cambridge | October 29 | 617.864.EAST.

— Jon Garelick

10/26/2007 09:53:56 by Will | Comments [0] | Trackback 

DOWNLOAD: Club D'Elf, "Halloween" (mp3)

Not the Misfits song, but instead a setting of the Harry Behn kids' poem, in a musical setting that comes from an odd source: Club D'elf drummer Erik Kerr's mom, who used to sing this tune to him in his romper-room days. With Kerr providing a rare vocal, Mike Rivard's postjazz supergroup vamps it up into a shmooove R&B tune, then assaults the melody with spook-city organ, ominous electronic noise, and a DJ scratching in B-movie horror dialogue. You wake up with this in your crate, you're more stoked than a Stormtrooper-masked seven year old with a bag full of the big candy bars. Happy haunting.

10/25/2007 01:04:00 by On the Download | Comments [0] | Trackback 

If we didn't know better, we'd wonder whether the headline of the Boston Music Awards nomination press release was meant solely to appease OTD: after all, we know for damn sure that nobody else who reads BMA press releases -- i.e., Globe, Herald, Dig, your mom -- gives a shit about Killswitch Engage. How're we supposed to complain about the BMA's when our favorite Mass Metal destoryers get a league-leading seven nominations? (Scroll down for the full list.)

Well, as usual, they make it easy. Let's start at the bottom of the list, which mentions that Bobby Brown and Buffalo Tom are being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Let's repeat that: Bobby Brown and Buffalo Tom are being inducted into a hall of fame. The same one. On the same night. Far be it from us to suggest that Bobby and Buff aren't in the same league with Mission of Burma and Gang Green: we'll leave that to the message boards. But couldn't the BMA's have spared Mr. Whitney the indignity of being inducted the same year as everyone's favorite legacy-altrocking real estate agent? For shame!

This year's announcement also suggests that even the BMA's are beginning to run out of awards to bestow upon Aerosmith: having won every possible award at least twice, the Aeros are now being slotted in for "honorary chairman" (Joey Kramer) and a first-ever "personal achievment award" (ailing bassist Tom Hamilton).

On to our usual departments. This year's winner for most egregious "he slept here once" nominee: John Mayer, with three. Other non-residents include longtime LA girl Aimee Mann, recent departure DJ-C (now in Chicago, though he spent most of the year here), Frank Smith (Austin, but ditto), Isis (LA), Mr. Lif (who knows), and G. Love (Philly, last we checked, which wasn't recently).

The view from 10,000 feet is unchanged: the BMA's spend most of their time trying way (way, way, way) too hard to make the hub-of-the-universe case for Boston's mainstream rock relevance, and end up reminding you of shit that you already knew and wish you could forget (see: Boys Like Girls, five nominations; Click Five, two). And they do far too little to zero in on the up-and-coming bands who're making the most exciting music in town (we predict eight nominations for Drug Rug in, oh, about 2012, after they've moved to Athens or Portland or somewhere that gives a shit about pure awesomeness).

Also: can someone please stop distributing nomination ballots to the people who keep telling us how "great" the Boston folk scene is? It was over in 1968. Get over it.

As far as we can tell, there are exactly three good surprises on this list: Alana V from Medicated Kisses is nominated for Local Female Singer of the Year, which she is; Township are nominated for Best New Rock Band, which they may or may not be but deserve to be considered for; and the Dresden Dolls are nominated only twice.

In other news, the BMA ceremonies are moving back to the Orpheum on December 1: Avalon, of course, is out of business. Tickets are on sale now. Online voting begins Friday.

And the nominees are . . .

Act of the Year          
Boys Like Girls          
Dinosaur Jr.          
Dream Theater          
Killswitch Engage          
Lori McKenna          
Shadows Fall          
          
Album of the Year (Major)          
Boys Like Girls  Self-titled        
John Mayer  "Continuum"        
Josh Ritter  "Historical Conquest of Josh Ritter"        
Killswitch Engage  "As Daylight Dies"        
Lori McKenna  "Unglamorous"        
Shadows Fall  "Threads Of Life"        
          
Album of the Year (Indie)          
Big D & The Kids Table    "Strictly Rude"       
Buffalo Tom   "Three Easy Pieces"        
Converge   "No Heroes"        
Martin Sexton  "Seeds"        
Matt Nathanson   "Some Mad Hope"        
Melissa Ferrick   "In The Eyes of Strangers"        
Patty Griffin   "Children Running Through"        
Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles     "Diamonds In The Dark"      
The Receiving End of Sirens    "The Earth Sings Mi Fa Mi"       
The Slip   "Eisenhower"        
          
National Male Vocalist of the Year          
Aaron Lewis (Staind)          
Brad Parker (Aberdeen City)          
Howard Jones (Killswitch Engage)          
John Mayer          
Josh Ritter          
Kyle Patrick (The Click Five)          
Martin Johnson (Boys Like Girls)          
Matt Nathanson          
          
National Female Vocalist of the Year          
Aimee Mann          
Amanda Palmer (Dresden Dolls)          
Deb Talan (The Weepies)          
Jo Dee Messina          
JoJo          
Juliana Hatfield          
Lori McKenna          
Melissa Ferrick          
Paula Cole          
          
Local Male Vocalist of the Year          
Chris O'Brien          
Eli "Paperboy" Reed          
Jake Brennan          
Pete Kilpatrick          
Ryan Montbleau          
Thom Moran (Bon Savants)          
Tim Blane          
Will Dailey          
          
Local Female Vocalist of the Year          
Alanna V. (Medicated Kisses)          
Anna Price (The Silver Lining)          
Aoife O'Donovan (Crooked Still)          
Casey Desmond          
Heidi Lee (The Snowleopards)          
Holly (HUMANWINE)          
Reva Williams (Gretel)          
Rose Polenzani           
Sarah Borges          
          
Song of the Year          
"Car Crash" (Matt Nathanson)          
"Jenny" (The Click Five)          
"My Curse" (Killswitch Engage)          
"Satellite" (Guster)          
"The Great Escape" (Boys Like Girls)          
"Unfortunates" (State Radio)          
"Unglamorous" (Lori McKenna)          
"Waiting On The World To Change" (John Mayer)          
          
Local Song of the Year          
"Even Rats" (The Slip)          
"I'm on Fire" (The Snowleopards)          
"Moving Forward" (Protokoll)          
"Pleasure Pleasure" (Bang Camaro)          
"Radar" (Dear Leader)          
"Supreme Girl" (The Sterns)          
"Sweetest Goodbye" (Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers)          
          
Outstanding Pop Act of the Year          
Bon Savants          
Boys Like Girls          
The Click Five          
The Everyday Visuals          
The Snowleopards          
The Sterns          
Winterpills          
          
Outstanding Rock Band of the Year          
Aberdeen City          
Bang Camaro          
Buffalo Tom          
Monty Are I          
The Slip          
Township          
          
Outstanding Metal/Hardcore Band of the Year          
All That Remains          
Converge          
Isis          
Killswitch Engage          
Shadows Fall          
The Red Chord          
Unearth          
          
Outstanding Folk Act of the Year          
Catie Curtis          
Chris Pureka          
Chris Smither          
Crooked Still          
Ellis Paul          
Mark Erelli          
Patty Griffin          
          
Outstanding DJ/Dance Act of the Year          
DJ BC          
DJ C          
Eli Wilkie          
Porsches On The Autobahn          
Steve Porter          
The Campaign For Real Time          
UV Protection          
          
Outstanding Punk Band of the Year          
Big D & The Kids Table          
Darkbuster          
Dropkick Murphys          
Piebald          
Street Dogs          
Super Power          
The Unseen          
Vanna          
          
Outstanding Americana Act of the Year          
Dennis Brennan          
Frank Smith          
Girls Guns & Glory          
Jabe          
Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles          
Session Americana          
Three Day Threshold          
          
Outstanding Funk/Jam Band of the Year          
G. Love & Special Sauce          
Lucy Vincent          
Spiritual Rez          
State Radio          
The Eclectic Collective          
Westbound Train          
          
Outstanding Rap/Hip-Hop Act of the Year          
7L & Esoteric          
Akrobatik          
Dre Robinson          
D-Tension          
Letia Larok          
Mr. Lif          
Slaine          
Termanology          
          
Outstanding Jazz Act of the Year          
Club d'Elf          
Dominique Eade          
Hiromi          
Jacques Chanier          
Quartet Of Happiness          
The Blueprint Project          
The Leah Randazzo Group          
          
Outstanding Singer/Songwriter of the Year          
Alastair Moock          
Chad Perrone          
Dennis Brennan          
Ellis Paul          
Josh Ritter          
Kristin Hersh          
Paula Cole          
Willy Mason          
          
Outstanding Blues/Soul Act of the Year          
Chris Fitz Band          
Dwight & Nicole          
Eli "Paperboy" Reed & the True Loves          
Peter Gammons          
Sam Bigelow          
The Silver Lining          
World's Greatest Sinners          
          
Outstanding World Music Act of the Year          
Atlas Soul          
Roots of Creation          
Soulfege          
Spiritual Rez          
The Superpowers          
Westbound Train          
Zili Misik          
          
Outstanding Live Act of the Year          
Bang Camaro          
Dresden Dolls          
Killswitch Engage          
Matt Nathanson          
Robby Roadsteamer          
Session Americana          
State Radio          
The Campaign For Real Time          
The Eclectic Collective          
          
Best New Act of the Year          
Hallelujah the Hills          
Jen Murdza          
Kid:Nap:Kin          
Medicated Kisses          
My So-Called Friend          
The Dear Hunter          
Township          
Zili Misik          
          
Local Producer of the Year          
Adam Dutkiewicz (Killswitch Engage, All That Remains,  Unearth)          
Crit Harmon (Lori McKenna, Martin Sexton)          
Ed Valauskas (Eli "Paperboy" Reed, Peter Gammons)          
Matt Squire (Boys Like Girls, The Receiving End of Sirens, Monty Are I)          
Mike Denneen (Fountains of Wayne)          
Scott Riebling (Fall Out Boy, The Academy Is, My So-Called Friend)          
Zeus (Shadows Fall, Hatebreed)          

10/24/2007 12:23:33 by On the Download | Comments [5] | Trackback 

Michael Potvin of Fantasy Mirrors and the Campaign for Real-Time: "Pat, Check This Out, or, A List of Bass Lines That I Dig"

1. Steve Miller Band, "Serenade"

2. Paul McCartney, "Goodnight Tonight"

3. Justice Vs Simian, "Never Be Alone"

4. Joe Jackson, "Steppin' Out"

5. Chromeo, "100%"

Fantasy Mirrors play Happy Endings' Halloween party at the Paradise Lounge this Wednesday.

10/23/2007 11:54:55 by Will | Comments [0] | Trackback 

The triple-super-secret long-advance torrent site OINK.CD -- perhaps the most advanced music-sharing community since Napster, and certainly the most guarded -- was raided this morning by Dutch and British police following what authorities described as a two-year investigation centered in Amsterdam and Middlesbrough. An unidentified 24-year-old man was arrested. One British website said the investigation was abetted by Interpol, who, by the way, we never liked. The BBC says the Cleveland Police were also involved, which is another reason we're glad we beat the fucking Indians. Don't bother googling for a site cache: it's gone.

On the message boards, one poster summed up the site's status in a single word: "bacon."

Whether this will be another Bay of Pirates or a full-stop shutdown remains to be seen. We mean good lord, man, where are P-Fork readers supposed to go after reading this?

Unlike most file-sharing communities, Oink was far from anonymous. The site kept -- and was in fact built around -- meticulous records of who uploaded and downloaded what to whom (with users required to maintain an average ratio of downloaded to uploaded material) and many usernames were apparently tied to IP addresses, and in some cases PayPal or credit-card accounts. In fact, as we often mentioned, if you were an international law enforcement agency or a record company spook seeking to create the world's greatest filesharing entrapment scheme, you probably couldn't have done much better than Oink. Let the conspiracy theories begin.

10/23/2007 06:48:48 by On the Download | Comments [5] | Trackback