M.I.A. Calls Out to Oprah

M.I.A. recently had some comments to make towards Oprah, and the power that she holds and how it could be put to use. M.I.A. could have been a little more sophisticated in her approach, but when you’re really as cool as M.I.A., who cares? Also, I don’t think Oprah will be surfing Myspace anytime soon. 

According to a post on M.I.A.’s MySpace blog:

“SHE SAID SHE LIKED MY JACKET FROM THE MAGAZINE (THE ONE MY BROTHER GOT FOR ME FROM THE SIDE OF THE STREET AT SXSW 09) SHE SQUEEEEZED MY HAND SO HARD, I WAS CONVINCED SHE CARED. MICHELLE OBAMA GAVE A SPEECH AND THERE WAS MAD SECRET SERVICE IN THE AIR SO I DIDNT GET TO THROW A PAPER PLANE AT HER SAYING ‘STOP THE BOMBING OF THE TAMILS IN SRI LANKA’”

“I MET MANY MORE PEOPLE , SOME KNEW ME , SOME DIDNT ……. I WASNT SURE ABOUT MY INFLUENCE BUT……..IF I DO HAVE ANY INFLUENCE, I WISH I COULD GET THE MEDIA TO SPOTLIGHT THIS:,” Which she then linked to  a Channel 4 News story about the horrifying conditions in Tamil refugee camps in northern Sri Lanka.

“OPRAH CAN YOU DO SOMETHING BOUT THESE CAMPS PLEEEEEEEEEEASE?”

via Pitchfork

Dirty Projectors to Release Bitte Orca on Cassette

Don’t throw away that old stereo/boom box/cassette player just yet! It appears that Dirty Projectors have plans to release Bitte Orca on cassette (in addition to vinyl/CD/MP3.) In fact, Domino Records has already offered a pre-order for the different forms of offering. The cassette is very limited, so pre-ordering is suggested. Included with both the record and cassette will be a unique downloadable MP3 code. Tracklist as follows:

Side A
01 “Cannibal Resource”
02 “Temecula Sunrise”
03 “The Bride”
04 “Stillness Is The Move”
05 “Two Doves”

Side B
01 “Useful Chamber”
02 “No Intention”
03 “Remade Horizon”
04 “Fluorescent Half Dome”

Simian Mobile Disco's 'Temporary Pleasure'

Remix masters Simian Mobile Disco are prepping their follow-up to 2007’s smash hit Attack Decay Sustain Release with Temporary Release, a full-length LP via Wichita Records. The album boasts numerous guests such as Gossip’s Beth Ditto, Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys, Yeasayer’s Chris Keating, Jamie Lidell, and Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor. Full Temporary Pleasure tracklist below:

Temporary Pleasure:

01 Cream Dream [ft. Gruff Rhys]
02 Audacity of Huge [ft. Chris Keating] 
03 10000 Horses Can’t Be Wrong 
04 Cruel Intentions [ft. Beth Ditto] 
05 Off the Map [ft. Jamie Lidell] 
06 Synthesise 
07 Bad Blood [ft. Alexis Taylor] 
08 Turn Up The Dial [ft. Young Fathers] 
09 Ambulance 
10 Pinball [ft. Telepathe]

More Info on 'Dark Night of the Soul'

Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse’s Dark Night of the Soul is set to release this summer, and included with the album will be a book highlighting the artists featured on the album, and I’m sure some dazzling photography. Dark Night of the Soul is being released via powerHouse, and features artists: Flaming Lips, Iggy Pop, Frank Black, the Strokes’ Julian Casablancas, Jason Lytle, and James Mercer of the Shins.

In addition, there will be a Dark Night of the Soul exhibit that is focused around an art installation premiering May 30 and running through July 11 at L.A.’s Michael Kohn’s Gallery. The exhibit consists of two rooms and includes music from the album and photo images from the book.

Kid Cudi Working with Ratatat

Ohio up-and-coming rapper Kid Cudi is prepping his debut release Man on the Moon, which is set to drop August 25th.  In other related news, Cudi stated on his blog that after Man on the Moon releases, he plans to create a new album that consists of all collaborations.

Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon only features two collab’s with Common and Kanye West. Cudi says he invited Andre 3000 and Lilly Allen to work on the album, but they politely rejected. Viewing this as a positive thing (he doesn’t want his debut album to be flooded with collab’s, eventually leading to less focus on himself), he has now decided to start working on an album solely consisting of collab’s. On top of that, Cudi will be releasing a collaborated album with Ratatat which he claims to “PROLLY REALLY BE THE BIGGEST ALBUM I WILL EVER CREATE.”

In closing, Kid Cudi stated: “FYI. THINKIN ABOUT CHANGIN THE TITLE OF MY DEBUT ALBUM TO “SHUT THE FUCK UP” CUZ THATS WUT ALL THE HATERS WILL NEED TO BE DOIN WHEN IT DROPS”  We’ll see.

Wayne Coyne Backs Out of Arcade Fire Squabble

A few months after Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips dismissively labeled the Arcade Fire as “a bunch of pricks” for not caring about the fans and stage crew, he has decided to redact these statements, trying to offer more clarity on the disagreement. 

“I didn’t necessarily mean it about the people in the Arcade Fire,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “I meant it about the guys that were running their stages at a couple of festivals. I wish whatever had been said wouldn’t have been taken as such a defiant statement from the Flaming Lips, because it wasn’t. I just assumed it was a joke.”

Upon being asked if he would like to apologise to the band, Coyne said, “I would. I really feel bad about it. I like enough of their music. The idea that I’m somehow against them… I’m not!”

How the press could misinterpret Coyne’s statements towards the Arcade Fire and the stage crew is beyond me. Unlessss, someone is backing out? We’re all aware that Coyne is a very fluent trash talker. Either way, the Lips are prepping to release their new album entitled Embryonic this September which should call for a rather mediocre celebration, but still noteworthy.

Interpol's Lead Singer Flying Solo

Joy Division aficionado, and lead singer of Interpol, Paul Banks is set to release an album of solo works on August 4th via Matador Records. The album is entitled Skyscraper, and will see Banks under the moniker Julian Plenti which he has performed as for several years. The album is described as having a “cocky, sexy feel, with tracks that sound similar to Interpol, as well as some straight-ahead guitar rock songs.” 

Radiohead Would Be No More...

If listening to their manager. Apparently Radiohead’s manger Brian Message, representing Courtyard Management, suggested that the worlds best Rock and Roll band split up. The best part of it was that the statement was suggested before In Rainbows was even released! Thank god the boys possess something called a mind. How would we of passed the time in 2008? 

The Irish Times had this to report:

“Two years after leaving EMI Radiohead were still no closer to recording an album. The songs were written but the band couldn’t achieve the sound they were looking for in the studio. Courtyard felt maybe it was time to call it a day. Surely professional managers shouldn’t encourage their most profitable act to split up?

‘I’ve been lucky to work with some great artists and Radiohead are a once in a generation act,’ says Message. ‘But you have to be honest if it’s not working. You have to have passion about what you do. I’m an accountant but I love music and I’m passionate about the artists I work with.’”

Cat Stevens Claims Coldplay Ripped Him Off

The battle over the roots of Coldplay’s 2008 smash title track, “Viva La Vida” is never ending. First Joe Satriani claimed that Coldplay ripped off his 2004 instrumental track, “If I could Fly”, now Cat Stevens is claiming that Coldplay didn’t rip off Satriani, rather they ripped off his 1970’s track, “Foreigner Suite”. The similarities are there in the melody, but how many countless songs have sounded similar to others before them just by chance? Plenty. Oh the politics of rock and roll.