Sunday, July 29, 2007

Hey LA--Eastern Conference Champions, Van Gunn For $2 Monday Night

I know we get mad hits from LA, so it's only appropriate that we tell you about our pals at High Voltage Magazine's party Monday night at Safari Sam's on West Sunset in Hollywood:

Based upon the stonker of a party they threw in Austin at SXSW last March, I can vouch that these guys know how to do it right.

RSVP here for $2 admission.

Eastern Conference Champions - "Noah" mp3

Van Gunn - "Pull The Trigger" mp3

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Show review: Pelican, Earth & Priestbird at Bowery Ballroom

Got a welcome chance to hit the Bowery last night for a show featuring Priestbird, Earth and Pelican, aka, enough moody instru-metal to grow me some white-girl dreads. The show was presented by MTV Networks' digital download service URGE as part of their Urge Nights series.

The flyer billed this as "ambient metal" so I set myself up for trancey thrash, a la Dust Brothers meets Massacra, but what I got was even better. I won't even try to dissect the delicate boundaries between the various strains of black/dark/doom/drone/ambient/industrial instrumental hodgepodge. But (deep thought alert), I will say that it was the kind of show where you'd maybe bring steel-toe boots AND a neck pillow.

Priestbird (at right) kicked off the show with an energetic set I'm happy I didn't miss. Imagine my surprise when I found out they're the band formerly known as Tarantula AD! I guess they split up for a while, grew some Jesus beards, and came back infinitely more inspired as Priestbird. Truly great songs, plus the Phil Collins allure of the drummer-singer. Solid opening act.

I felt like a fuddy-duddy because I couldn't groove to Earth like everyone else seemed to... Hard to say exactly why. It's drone music, experimental, very heavy and hard, but surprisingly not bleak and decidedly not "just noise," as I'd feared. The progressions are probably deceptively simple, and might make a nice soundtrack to the Condemned sequel if they ever wanted to (gasp!) sell out. But hearing Earth live?.... A bit of a buzz-kill. Though now that I think about it, that's probably what doom's supposed to be. They closed with the title track from 'The Bee Made Honey in the Lion's Skull' and that was aiight. In my next life I'll get more drugs and Kurt Cobain tattoos and maybe then I'll be able to tell the other songs apart.

Next deep thought: Can a band be both prog and doom? Aren't those antonyms? Am I being too literal?

Pelican (no, not THAT one) was great, a much-needed pick-me-upper. Their sounds are strangely catchy for what's essentially a lingering, powerful, almost sloppy jam session, the kind after-school garage band dreams are made of. The band members project a metric ton of inertia from the stage and are almost comically synchronized in their head-banging, something they passed on to the crowd within about 30 seconds. Their new stuff is a lot poppier (for lack of a better word) than their older stuff, and way more succinct, but they haven't completely abandoned their roots: I clocked a couple of tracks at almost 10 minutes last night, in addition to (did I hear it right?) reprisals from 'Fire in Our Throats..." And, bonus deep thought, the drummer looks like Fidel Castro. What's not to enjoy?

Pelican continues their US tour tonight at Brooklyn's wonderful Luna Lounge and ties it all up in their hometown Chicago in late August. Try to catch them at one of their bazillion gigs between now and then if you can. (Priscilla White)

Pelican - "Far From Fields" mp3 buy

Preistbird - "Season Of The Sun" mp3 buy

Monday, July 23, 2007

Editors Album Giveaway

If you read extrawack! regularly, you know we've loved Editors from the start, and we've hipped you to the new album as well...

Now we'd like to give a spankin' new copy of Editors' new album An End Has A Start to one lucky reader. To win, be the fifteenth email to extrawack@gmail.com with "EDITORS" in the subject line, and we'll have a copy sent to you post haste.

***NOTE: CONTEST HAS ENDED. THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED!***

Editors- "Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors" Video: mov wma

EDITORS NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES:
9/4 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
9/6 - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
9/7 - NY, NY - Webster Hall
9/8 - Montreal, QC - Osheaga Festival
9/9 - Toronto, ON - Virgin Festival
9/11 - Chicago, IL - Park West
9/12 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Cafe
9/14 - Denver, CO - Monolith Festival
9/15 - Salt Lake City, UT - Club Sound
9/17 - Vancouver, BC - Richard's On Richards
9/18 - Seattle, WA - Chop Suey
9/19 - Portland, OR - Berbati's Pan
9/20 - San Francisco, CA - Fillmore
9/23 - San Diego, CA - Streetscene
9/24 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern

Virgin Festival Preview

If you were to glance at the line-up for the upcoming Virgin Festival at Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore without knowing the concert's location, you'd swear it was a European festival based upon the amount of heavy-hitter bands and the relative wide scope of acts.

We were there last year, and of the zillion or so concerts and festivals I've ever been to, that one was the most fun.

The festival is set up with two full sized stages far enough away from each other that sound clash is not an issue, and a gigantic dance tent equipped with surround sound and enough light-show power to flip any club kid's wig. There are also art installations, a sideshow tent featuring fire-eaters, burlesque dancers, & DJ's, and plenty of chill areas, shade tents, and misting areas.

There is also a pretty fantastic area called "The Village", which features an impressive array of booths staffed by causes and charities, enough so that it would be nearly impossible to walk through without having learned at least one easy thing to do to help somebody else, the planet, or yourself.

Honestly, aside from Coachella, when was the last time such a cool & diverse lineup played a festival here?:

August 4:

The Police
Beastie Boys
Modest Mouse
Incubus
TV on the Radio
LCD Soundsystem
Fountains of Wayne
Peter Bjorn and John
Sasha and John Digweed
The Fratellis
Danny Tenaglia
Amy Winehouse
Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals
Sander Van Doorn
Shout Out Out Out Out
Cheap Trick
Felix Da Housecat
Paolo Nutini
Booka Shade
Miguel Migs
Fiction Plane

August 5:

The Smashing Pumpkins
311
Interpol
Velvet Revolver
Panic! at the Disco
The Crystal Method
Wu-Tang Clan
Matisyahu
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Bad Brains
Regina Spektor
Infected Mushroom
Girl Talk
Dieselboy and Andy C
M.I.A.
CSS
Deep Dish (Dubfire + Sharam)
Spoon
James Zabiela
Explosions in the Sky
Dan Deacon
Panic! at the Disco

I've actually seen a great portion of those bands, but the band I want to see most? Cheap Trick. That's right, I said it. Those dudes are old enough to be grandfathers (and they very well may be), but they rock on par with any band I've ever seen. Rick Nielson is still a guitar god, and Robin Zander's pipes have amazingly survived decades of constant touring. I'm psyched.

It's a three-hour drive from NYC, but an easy one, not to mention the availablity of several rest areas with both Popeye's and Cinnabon along the way on I-95, which suit my delicate dietary regimen.

Tickets are available here. Look for me...I'll be the guy with the sunburned nose singing "Surrender" loudly.

Girl Talk - "Bounce That" mp3

Dan Deacon - "The Crystal Cat" mp3

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Opening Line Of The Year - Jason Aldeen's "Johnny Cash"

I'm not a big fan for what passes as country music these days, but you've gotta love the opening line of Jason Aldean's "Johnny Cash":

Siren Festival Wrap-Up

The day couldn't have been more beautiful for Siren yesterday...

I got there early with plans on splitting before it became a mobscene, and I'm glad I did based upon the amount of sunburn I discovered on the F back to Manhattan.

Of all the bands I saw, my favorite was The Twilight Sad, whom I saw for the first time. Loud, noisy, and Scottish...what's not to like?

Dr. Dog also put in a pretty great set, and I really enjoyed White Rabbits, who seemed to be having some trouble with how they sounded on stage, but sounded perfectly fine to me in the front.

White Rabbits:

White Rabbits, Siren Festival, Coney Island NYC, 21 July 07 061

Dr. Dog

Dr Dog, Siren Festival, Coney Island NYC, 21 July 07

Elvis Perkins:

Elvis Perkins, Siren Festival, Coney Island NYC, 21 July 07

The Twilight Sad:

The Twilight Sad, Siren Festival, Coney Island NYC, 21 July 07 037

Line of the day: "I liked Elvis Perkins a lot better when he was known as Clem Snide."

Best marketing swag of the day: The "Hot Rod Super Cool Mustache."

Worst marketing swag of the day: The Linkin Park stickers that could be found discarded throughout both stage areas.

If it's true that this was the last year for Siren, I'd say it was a pretty nice way for the festival to go out.


White Rabbits - "The Plot" mp3

The Twilight Sad - "And She Would Darken the Memory" mp3

Friday, July 20, 2007

Album review: Prosser - "Prosser"

PROSSER - Prosser (Clickpop)

Like a lazy walk through a good friend's summer house in the country, Prosser is relaxed, well-worn and comfortable with its surroundings. Essentially a solo project by Eric Woodruff, Prosser tiptoes around several obvious influences (alt-country, lo-fi) without fully embracing any. Woodruff has clearly listened to a few Eliott Smith songs in his day, but his work is no copycat offering.

Songs are simply produced and delivered in an self-assured style that sprinkles in just enough cello and organ to distinguish the album from every other guy-in-the-basement record ever recorded.

'It's good to be lonesome time to time/It's alright/It's alright,' Woodruff sings in "Get Gone", setting the tone for a trip through the album that returns to themes of depression and melancholy throughout. But the lyrical black clouds are offset by chiming guitars and a gently chugging rhythm. The downer lyrics of "Everything I Do" - 'All alone/Now I see/What you've done to me/What was my heart's an empty cavity' - are hidden amid a jangling guitar that practically screams happy sunny day.

Woodruff's musicianship helps the record stand out from the heap. Playing almost every instrument on the record, with some string help from Dylan Rieck, Woodruff confidently combines layers of acoustic and electric guitar to create a cohesive song cycle that starts strong and remains steady throughout. Never flashy or overpowering, Prosser finds strength in strong songs with craftsman-like construction and smart lyrics. (Rich Schneider)

Prosser - "I Met A Girl" mp3

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Scion Flosstradamus Mix CD Giveaway, Free Ghostface Killah Show Info

The fine folks at Scion want to give ten lucky extrawack! readers a copy of their latest fly mix CD, presented by Vice Records and mixed by Flosstradamus, featuring Bloc Party, Chromeo, Charlotte Gainsbourg and more.

This disc, which I've been pumping in my own Scion xB for the last couple weeks, features this crazy-good track list:



1. FLOSSTRADAMUS - Intro / ZONGAMIN - Bongo Song(Mr. Flash Remix)
2. BLOC PARTY - The Prayer (Does It Offend You, Yeah? Remix)
3. PANTHERS - Long Time Coming
4. THE BLACK LIPS - Not A Problem mp3
5. FAVOURITE SONS - Hang On, Girl
6. SEBASTIAN - H.A.L.
7. VICARIOUS BLISS - Theme from Vicarious Bliss (Justice Remix)
8. CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG - Set Yourself On Fire
9. DJ MEDHI FEATURING CHROMEO - I Am Somebody (Paris Version) mp3
10. JUSTICE - Phantom
11. BOREDOMS - Jungle Taitei (Laughter Robot's H*Mp Mix) Yann Tomita Remix
12. CHROMEO - Fancy Footwork mp3
13. CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG - The Operation
14. 120 DAYS - Sleepwalking
15. BLOC PARTY - Sunday

Hear the Flosstradamus magic here, where the entire mix is streaming free.

To win a copy of this CD, send an email to extrawack@gmail.com with SCION CD in the subject line, and tell us your favorite artist on the track listing. We'll pick ten winners at random at midinght EST Tuesday night (July 24). Contest open to U.S. residents only. Sorry, Belarus!

Speaking of Scion, they are hosting a free Ghostface Killah show at Highline Ballroom on Monday night as part of their Scion Live Metro Tour. I saw Ghost perform at a Scion event at Stubb's during SXSW this past March, and he did indeed kill.

To RSVP for that show, click here.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Spoon In Strangest Cindy Adams Gossip Column Piece Ever.

From today's Cindy Adams column in the New York Post:

"I am full of - now, watch your mouths - information about heavy-duty music makers. Spoon, the indie band out of Austin, Texas? Well, they got a lead singer. Whatever his name is he was at a free South Street Seaport concert..."



Huh??!! She's nuts. That's the kind of job I want...type some nonsense/get paid.

Spoon - "The Underdog" mp3

Friday, July 13, 2007

El-P Saturday Night In-Store Moved To New Location

That free El-P gig this Saturday night that we told you about a while back has now been moved to a bigger Urban Outfitters store "due to popular demand"...

The new location is: Urban Outfitters - 526 Avenue of the Americas, Manhattan

The show starts at 8 PM.

El-P - "Smithereens" mp3 iTunes

Tsui @ Pete's Candy Store Tonight

Because our favorite rock drummer (after Cheap Trick's Bun E. Carlos) is involved, here's some info from Tsui's website:

Tsui will be playing our favorite Williamsburg bar on Friday July 13th at Pete’s Candy Store at 10pm. Please try and make it if you can. Charles Michelet will be banging on the drums and I will be playing a couple new songs that I have been working on lately. I’m hoping to start recording some demos this summer which will-if all goes well-lead to a new record sometime next year.

In other news, ‘Dead Letters’ was recently featured on AOL’s music blog Spinner.com. We have also been getting a good amount of airplay throughout the country which is great news for a little band that had next to no promotion. I am still working on a tour at some point soon and the video for Metal Birds is almost completed. I promise to update the site more with more exciting things in the future. Until then...

Tsui - "Dead Letters" mp3

short movie review: Superbad



Caught a screening of Superbad last night, and I don't think I've heard a theater laugh so loud and so hard ever.

In easily the funniest movie since Borat, Superbad has all the laughs we hoped co-writer Seth Rogan's recent Superaverage film Knocked Up would have had. Michael Cera is terrific as a high school senior only slightly hipper than his nerdy George Michael Bluth in Arrested Development. Rogan and SNL's Bill Hader nearly steal the show as a Reno 911-esque cop partner team.

It's totally fun, totally profane, and features the best usage of Ted Nugent and Van Halen tunes in decades. You'll leave the film wanting to throw yourself a high school makeout party and calling your pals "McLovin".

One of the few movies recently worth every cent of your ticket price.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

extrawack! Baker's Dozen Downloads...Bonus July Edition with Jamie T, Suzanne Vega, Blitzen Trapper, Sam Champion, Damien Jurado, and more.





There's so much good new Summer music out that we had to go to 14 tracks this month. Rest assured they'll all still fit on a CD-R for your cruisin'-down-the-shore pleasure.



Turn them up, hang your left arm out the window like McConaughey in Dazed & Confused, pull your aviators down, and punch it.

Suzanne Vega - "Frank and Ava" mp3

Blitzen Trapper - "Sci-Fi Kid (Principal Participant 'Kingswood' Remix)" mp3

Jamie T - "On Holiday" mp3

Diamond Jim - "Under A Half Moon" mp3

Dubious Ranger - "Slow Day" mp3

Damien Jurado - "What Were The Chances" mp3

Fire Engines - "Meat Whiplash" mp3

Health - "Crimewave" mp3

Crystal Castles - "Mother's Knows Best" mp3

Héctor Lavoe - "Mi Gente" remix (Louie Vega EOL Radio Edit) mp3

Sam Champion - "Like a Secret" mp3

Tiny Vipers - "On This Side" mp3

Gravy Train!!! - "Club Situation" mp3

Chris Bathgate - "Every Wall You Own" mp3

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

The Return Of Ambulance LTD...Sort Of.

Just the other day I was listening to Ambulance LTD's "Heavy Lifting" on my Zune while jogging, and I was wondering what had happened to those guys. I had heard they were in the studio with the Velvet underground's John Cale late last year, but then...nothing.

Today I noticed this MySpace bulletin from them:

A note from Marcus Congleton of Ambulance LTD:

"It's been ages since LTD's been on the musical map and for that I'm
sorry. I'm told there are still subscribers to our site and for that
I feel flattered but also guilty for our prolonged absence. Ambulance
has suffered some unwelcome reality doses in the past couple of years.
Many songs have been written and recorded but legal battles,
interpersonal dramas, and spiritual meltdowns have stilted our
sophomore effort. If there's ever a "VH1: Behind The Music that's
really good but not massively popular" I think our saga would be
perfect. But the good news is we're back in NYC with a bag of new
songs and a damn good record is beginning to take shape. We will post
some demos on this site asap and look forward to returning to the
stage this summer" -M

Check out
Ambulance LTD's MySpace Page for new music.

The new stuff on their MySpace sounds pretty great. Lets hope for another record soon.

Ambulance LTD - "Straight A's" mp3

Monday, July 09, 2007

Siren Set Schedule Announced

Here's the set schedule for the Siren Festival, on July 21:



That's a long day. I'm counting on The Black Lips to give me a second wind to take me through to the Dolls' set.

Black Lips - "Stranger" mp3

Voxtrot - "Kid Gloves" mp3

We Are Scientists - "Inaction" mp3

Cursive - "Sucker & Dry" mp3

Spoon Playing Free Shows at Virgin Union Square Tuesday, Battery Park Wednesday

From the press release:

In celebration of the release of Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, Spoon will be performing small or 'secret' shows this week as well as one big outdoor show in NYC!

Tomorrow evening (Tuesday, July 10) at 6:30 the band will perform in the cafe at the
VIRGIN Megastore in Union Square in NYC.

On Wednesday, July 11, Spoon will be performing in Rockefeller Park in Battery Park City as part of the New York City
River To River Festival.

Later that same evening tune in to CBS'
Late Show With David Letterman to catch the guys playing a hit from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. The show airs at 11:30pm ET, but check your local listings and set your DVR, VCR, magnetic recording devices to be sure to catch what promises to be an incendiary performance!!


Spoon - "The Underdog" mp3 buy

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Best Act at Live Earth? Keith Urban & Alicia Keys.

I can't say that I'm a big fan of either artist, but together their version of The Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" was poignant, exciting, and dead on.



Keith Urban & Alicia Keys - "Gimme Shelter (Live Earth New Jersey)" mp3 removed.

Note (7/9/07):
We've just received word that there will be an album of the best performances from the concerts...surely this track will make the cut...so rather than siphon sales of a benefit album, We've taken the track down.
Pre-order the album here, if you'd like.

Friday, July 06, 2007

Richard Swift Covers Prince, Going Out With Wilco

From the press release:

Richard Swift, who has been busily touring the UK this summer
supporting his recent release "Dressed Up For the Letdown", made a
stop on May 25th at the prestigious BBC program "Later... with Jools
Holland." Wilco - who also happened to be taping a session - was so
taken with his performance that they invited him to tour with them in
the US and Canada starting in August.


All tour dates with WILCO:
08/14/07 Duluth, MN - Bayfront Festival Park
08/15/07 Winnipeg, MB - Burton Cummings Theatre
08/17/07 Calgary, Alberta - Southern Albert Jubilee Auditorium
08/18/07 Edmonton, Alberta - Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
08/21/07 Redmond, WA - Marymoor Amphitheatre
08/22/07 Troutdale, OR - Edgefield
08/24/07 Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre
08/27/07 San Diego, CA - SDSU Open Air Theatre
08/29/07 Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
09/01/07 Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium
09/02/07 Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium

In other news, Swift is putting the finishing touches on the debut
release by his kraut-y, electronic side project called INSTRUMENTS OF
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY. The project has been called a "stark and
stunning picture of his artistic depth and studio wizardry... a
perfect ambient, electronica recording," by Black and White Mag.


Dig Richard's Prince cover:

Richard Swift - "Paisley Park" mp3

And here's his current single:

Richard Swift - "Kisses For The Misses" mp3

Richard Swift's performance of "Kisses For the Misses" on "The Album Chart Show":

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Chromeo Tonight @ Hiro...For Free.

A Chromeo live show is always appropriate.

Catch Dave 1 and Pee Thug tonight at Hiro:



Free with RSVP here.


Chromeo - "Tenderoni" mp3 buy

Chromeo - "Fancy Footwork" mp3 buy

Chromeo - "Needy Girl" mp3 buy

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Van Halen (With David Lee Roth) To Tour In Fall

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

A proposed summer tour by a reunited Van Halen, derailed when guitarist Eddie Van Halen checked into rehab, now looks like it may be resurrected this fall.

Several arenas are holding dates for potential shows, sources said. The tour would feature David Lee Roth, Eddie and Alex Van Halen and Eddie Van Halen's teenage son Wolfgang on bass.


(rest of story here)

Having actually seen the "real" Van Halen with Dave back in the day, I can honestly say that he's by far the best rock & roll frontman I've ever seen. Eddie's kid in place of Michael Anthony? That I'm not so sure about. Anthony's harmonies were a huge part of the Van Halen sound.

All things considered, I'm gonna go.

Here's Van Halen cranking out "Unchained" in Oakland from 1981:

Sunday, July 01, 2007

Robbers On High Street "Grand Animals" Contest!

In celebration of the release of the new Robbers On High Street album Grand Animals, extrawack! wants to give one lucky reader a killer Robbers' Prize Pack, which includes the following:

1) A brand spankin' new copy of the Robbers on High Street album Grand Animals,

2) A classy and swank Robbers on High Street t-shirt,

3) A copy of
Ragged Magazine, which recently featured ROHS in Issue #2,

and 4) A totally-sweet Ragged logo hoodie.

I know, right?

To win this flotilla of riches, send us a photo (or a link to a photo) of a "grand animal". The dictionary defines "grand" as "impressive in size", "magnificent or splendid", "highly ambitious", and/or "of great importance, distinction, or pretension". You decide which grand your animal is. The grandest animal (in our opinion) to be sent to extrawack@gmail.com by 11:59pm EST on Friday 7/6 will bag the swag. Make sure you use the subject line "Robbers Contest", so we don't mistake your entry for weiner pills spam. Contest open to U.S. residents only...Sorry Malaysia!

We're big Robbers fans here, and can vouch for their great live show. Catch them while they are out now with The Redwalls, and double your night-out fun:

07.02.2007
Johnny Brenda's Philadelphia, PA


07.03.2007
T.T. the Bear's Cambridge, MA


07.05.2007
IOTA Club & Cafe Arlington, VA


07.06.2007
Beachland Ballroom and Tavern Cleveland, OH


07.07.2007
The Basement Columbus, OH


07.10.2007
Schuba's Tavern Chicago, IL

07.11.2007
Otto's Niteclub and Underground De Kalb, IL


07.12.2007
The Miramar Theatre Milwaukee, WI


07.13.2007
Triple Rock Social Club Minneapolis, MN


07.14.2007
High Noon Saloon Madison, WI


07.27.2007
The Bowery Ballroom New York, NY
tickets


Robbers On High Street - "Crown Victoria" mp3 buy

That Cute Girl In The Vodka Ads Used To Sing With GusGus


You may have noticed those smart & funny ads for Reyka Vodka featuring an Icelandic cutie touting the fact that despite some people preferring flavored vodka, "Here in Iceland, if you want the taste of banana, you just eat... a banana."

I've learned that the girl in the ads is actually former GusGus vocalist Hafdis Huld, and I've also found out that Reyka is a pretty excellent vodka.

As a fan of pretty much anything Icelandic, I had to give this stuff a taste test. I wouldn't say that I'm a vodka snob, but I can usually tell the difference between top shelf and plastic-bottled frat party juice. I'm pleased to report that Reyka is crisp, tasty, and great with a mixer or straight outta the freezer on the rocks. And at a recent house party here, the bottle (featuring interesting verbage about the brand's origins) was probably the most reached-for drink on the bar.

And as if I needed another reason to choose this drink, according to their website (which features more from Hafdis and some cheeky puffins...), Reyka is a "'green' vodka that is distilled using sustainable and clean energy from geothermal heat." I can't say that about any other drink in my house, that's for sure.

More fun facts about Iceland provided by Reyka:

- 10% of the population of Iceland believes that elves "definitely" exist

- Bjork’s mother fasted for 3 weeks in 2002 to protest the building of a dam

- In 2006 Iceland was ranked as the 4th happiest nation in the world by an independent scientific study

- Traditional Icelandic dishes include: pickled ram’s testicles, putrefied shark, singed sheep heads, sheep head jam, and blood pudding

- Astronauts practiced for their moonwalk in Iceland

- There are only 300,000 people in Iceland, 137 of them are in jail

- All of Reykjavik is heated by underground hot springs

Since I haven't been up there in a long time, all of this has made me want to visit Iceland again. I'm gonna give their Iceland Airwaves Flyaway Contest a shot, since the top prize includes flight, hotel, and tickets to the Iceland Airwaves Festival (this year featuring Bloc Party, Of Montreal, !!!, Mum, GusGus, Bonde de Role, and more) in October for the winner and 9 friends. Soaking in the Blue Lagoon with my pals for free? I'm in. Enter here.

Hafdis Huld - "Ice Cream Is Nice" mp3 buy

Watch Hafdis here:

Three New Remixes From Fields



One of the best albums of the year so far has been Fields' Everything Last Winter. Naturally, we're psyched to be able to pimp your Zune with these pretty excellent new remixes from them:


Fields - "Song For The Fields" (Ewan Pearson Remix) mp3

Fields - "If You Fail We All Fail" (SebastiAn Remix) mp3

Fields - "If You Fail We All Fail" (Badlands Remix) mp3

Fields - "Song For The Fields" (Album Version) mp3

Full album stream here.

And dig the trippy video for "Song For The Fields":