Burn Down the Mission: On Fire or Burnt Out?

Burn Down the Mission is an R&B tinged pop rock band, named after an Elton John song. Listen to the song “Run” below:

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My first thought was that only band I could think of who really fuse pop-rock-R&B this way was a band I saw open for Plain White T’s several years ago called The Hatch… hmmm, whatever happened to The Hatch? Apparently they changed their name… to Burn Down the Mission! Sneaky!

Burn Down the Mission’s debut album (under that name, at least), Caroline, was produced by Warren Huart (Kris Allen, Augustana, The Fray) and mixed by Mark Needham (The Killers, Metro Station).

Edited: January 23rd, 2010

Priestess ‘Prior To The Fire’ Finally Drops in October!

Montreal’s Priestess will release its sophomore album, “Prior To The Fire”, on October 20. Well, in Canada at least. But that’s good enough! Priestess is one of the best metal bands of the decade that non-metal fans can really get into, but they’ve still managed to stay out of the mainstream (which in this case is not good, because that’s what left them in limbo). The 11 tracks on the effort are:

01. Ladykiller
02. Raccoon Eyes
03. The Firebird
04. Murphy’s Law
05. The Gem
06. Communicating Via-Eyes
07. Lunar
08. It Baffles The Mind
09. Sideways Attack
10. We Ride
11. Trapped In Space And Time

The long overdue follow-up to 2005’s “Hello Master” was recorded in fall 2008 in LA with producer Dave Schiffman (SYSTEM OF A DOWN, NINE INCH NAILS, MARS VOLTA). Americans who want the album legally will still have to wait until early 2010. (Blabbermouth)

Edited: September 6th, 2009

Rivers Cuomo Explains Weezer’s “Raditude” Problem

When Weezer announced Raditude as the title of their upcoming album, music nerds far and wide had a serious Raditude problem and thought the band needed a Raditude adjustment. We don’t know what fans expected… this is a band that has released not one, not two, but three eponymous albums so far, the last of which featured their fearless lead Weez-er in a cowboy hat and mustache on the cover. Tongue-in-cheek is the name of the game and album titles are just another place for Weezer’s silliness. Face it: long gone are the heart-on-sweater-sleeve days of Pinkerton.

Nonetheless, Rivers Cuomo explained just where their Raditiude came from in an interview with a Spin… and it turns off The Office’s Rainn Wilson, Cuomo’s sometime collaborator, had a hand in it: “He has a super-rock persona,” Cuomo said. “When it came time to find a title for the Weezer album, I asked him what he thought the ultimate album title would be and he said ‘Raditude.’”

“The sound of Raditude is fun, high energy pop rock,” Cuomo said. “‘I’m Your Daddy,’ has an up vibe with the same, heavy Weezer guitar riff but with a little electro influence. And ‘The Girl Got Hot’ — that’s kind of a witty, party jam.”

Raditude strikes October 27.

Edited: August 21st, 2009

John Hughes Dies: Director of ‘The Breakfast Club’ and ‘Sixteen Candles,’ Dead at 59

It’s a cruel cruel summer… John Hughes, director and screenwriter of 80s films that did more for teens’ self image than prozac, died today in New York of a heart attack.

While most pop culture of the 80s have become things of nostalgia, Hughes’ contributions like “Sixteen Candles,” “The Breakfast Club,” “Weird Science,” “Pretty in Pink,” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” continue to be as relevant as ever, clearly due to their wholly REAL characters portrayed by very real actors like Anthony Michael Hall and Molly Ringwald. In fact, the only one who didn’t seem like someone you might actually find in your school was Kelly LeBrock in “Weird Science” – and she was a computer simulated Frankenbabe!

The letter at the end of “The Breakfast Club” sums up best what people will always love about John Hughes’ films (omg spoiler alert?):

…You see us as you want to see us… In the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain and an athlete and a basket case, a princess and a criminal.”

Edited: August 7th, 2009

Band of Skulls: Twilight’s Latest British Import?

Band of Skulls and Robert Pattinson may have more in common than just nationality and disheveled hairdos. The British indie rockers can join the dashing teen idol in thanking Twilight for the generous boost into US stardom. Band of Skulls will join other UK powerhouses Radiohead and Muse on the soundtrack to New Moon which is sure to be pumping in every teen girl’s Prius this fall.

Band of Skulls are far from their epic, high-concept Brit brothers Radiohead and Muse. The most obvious comparisons will be drawn to The White Stripes, with a touch of the Yeah Yeahs Yeahs, and even bluesy overtones that bring to mind The Black Keys or Cage the Elephant. Their challenge will be to maintain some of their distinctly UK atmospheric tone and not become complete clones of the stateside indie blues scene.

All in all, a very deliciously unexpected addition to Twilight… but even if you’re not a sucker for bloodsuckers, suck up some of Band of Skulls “Blood” and don’t hold their vamp ties against them:

Band of Skulls – “Blood” (MP3)

Edited: August 5th, 2009

Weezer Covers MGMT + Lady Gaga

Remember when Nirvana covered “Dreamlover” & INXS covered “Heaven is a Place on Earth,” & Led Zeppelin covering “Kung Fu Fighting”?? No? That’s because they never did!  Pre-Youtube, cover songs weren’t meant for contemporaries… there were rules!  Covers were reserved for:

-Modern bands introducing a new generation of kids to a classic hit

-Modern bands giving an ironic homage to something they never actually listened to themselves

-Full on tribute bands, cover bands, weddings bands, etc. who make a living off imitation

But all the rules changed with on demand online video.  Music videos at our fingertips meant artists had to go further to deliver exciting video content, and covers do just that, and artists are looking no further than the current Billboard charts for inspiration.  Choosing other NEW artists’ field-tested hit singles ensures a built-in audience and double (or triple!) searchability in video site search engines.

Which brings us to Weezer… who covered MGMT’s “Kids” with a dash of Lady Gaga’s “Pokerface,” an entertaining fusion and also a keyword cocktail!  Check it out:

Edited: May 18th, 2009