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Flaming Lips to Cover Dark Side of the Moon
If we had to pick a logical predecessor to The Flaming Lips, could it be any other band than Pink Floyd? Both were underground sensations with a mainstream-audience love affair, both made spacey, freak-out rock and, maybe most importantly, both loved inflatable stage props.... read more
Found in: Music, NewsTwenty Ridiculously Literal Album Covers
Dear Slayer... read more
Found in: Blogs, List of the DayMusic to Commemorate That Giant Leap for Mankind
When John F. Kennedy promised the world in 1961 that Americans would land on the moon by the end of the decade, most people thought the notion ridiculous. But 40 years ago today, Apollo 11 landed on the moon, making good on the presidential promise. The Russians may have their Sputnik and their Yuri Gagarin, but it's the American flag that protrudes from the moon's surface, providing a source of pride for all (well, most) Americans. In celebration, then, this playlist:... read more
Found in: Blogs, PlaylistSeven Bands Named After People Who Are Not Actually In The Band
A couple days ago, someone told us that the frontman for exciting new band Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes is not really named Edward Sharpe. We did not know this, but it seems to be true. And it got us thinking about other bands whose names cause similar confusion. Skynyrd we could explain off the top of our heads. Others, not so much. Anyway, read all about it, and impress your friends—especially if they are nerds—with your newly acquired music-trivia knowledge. ... read more
Found in: Blogs, List of the DayDifferent Songs With The Same Names
There are a lot of songs out there—every artist runs the risk of doubling up on a title or two. Here are some of our favorite songs with the same titles. As you read this list, my fellow editor Steve is writing a song called "Stairway to Heaven" for his band Attractive Eighties Women. And it's not a cover.... read more
Found in: Blogs, List of the DayTales of the Coffin Nail: 27 Smoking Songs That'll leave you Breathless
Aside from that one weekend on the eve of 7th grade, when my parents left me with my older sister, I’ve never been a smoker. When I actually inhaled, it always tore my throat up so bad I couldn’t even finish a whole cigarette. Still, that weekend, a random, inconsequential moment occurred that I still—for some strange reason—remember in astonishing detail. It was the night before the first day of school—late August 1991 in the Atlanta suburbs—and an intense thunderstorm had just rolled through. My sister was already asleep in her basement apartment, so I took my boombox down to... read more
Found in: Blogs, List of the DayNile Songs: My Middle East & North Africa Playlist, Had I Accompanied President Obama to Egypt
President Obama gave a speech at Cairo University yesterday in which he reached out to Muslims, decried extremism and the murder of innocents, and outlined his administration's policies regarding a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. Regardless of your views on the successes or shortcomings of the president's hotly debated speech, I'd bet us diehard music fans can all agree that there are some pretty amazingly cool songs inspired the Arab and Muslim cultures of the Middle East and North Africa.Had I been able to accompany the president on this historic trip, here are a few songs I would've loaded into... read more
Found in: Blogs, List of the DayYou Talkin' to Me? A Survey of Songs by Musicians, About Other Musicians
It's nice when musicians sing songs about other musicians. The phenomenon would seem to compound the sense that pop stars are only interested in their own insular world, but instead it somehow makes artists seem more human—it proves that even they are obsessed with other musicians, just like we are. Hearing a pop song by one artist about another artist is sort of like reading someone else's fan mail (or hate mail). In any case, it can be revealing both about the artist giving the tribute and the artist on the receiving end. Here are some good ones.... read more
Found in: Blogs, List of the DaySoundtracking NASA's new Constellation Program: Great Space Songs You Haven't Heard a Million Times, Part 1
After this year, NASA will officially be retiring the space shuttle. So what's next for America's space program? This week, the National Mall in Washington has hosted an exhibit featuring a mock up of the Orion capsule, which will be NASA's new space vehicle of choice come 2015. Along with the ARES rocket array, the Orion capsule is part of NASA's new Constellation Program, an undertaking as ambitious as the 1960s' Apollo Program that first sent a man to the moon. Eventually, NASA plans for the program to take astronauts back to the moon, and perhaps even to Mars.On April... read more
Found in: Blogs, List of the DayCurrent Events: Ain't No Fortunate Son - Songs for Veterans, pt. 1
Above: "Funeral for a Soldier" by Scott H. Spitzer for USAF (DOD 030403-F-1166S-001, public domain) Tuesday was Veteran’s Day. Newly restored aircraft carrier the USS Intrepid—a ship that saw extensive combat in the Pacific during World War II—was rededicated as a museum in New York at Pier 86 on the Hudson River. In America, and in many countries around the world (where the holiday is known as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day), people took time to remember those who have served in their nation’s military, especially those who lost their lives. The holiday is held on Nov. 11, commemorating the... read more
Found in: Blogs, Playlist
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Blind Pilot - The Story I Heard
B.O.B. - Put Me On
Punch Brothers - Punch Brothers at CMJ
