Ice Choir

Kurt Feldman is one talented dude. You may know him as the drummer of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, but he was also the mastermind behind the exceptional and gone-too-soon 8-bit-dream-gaze band, Depreciation Guild. And now, his latest (one man) band to conquer pop is called Ice Choir. Man, I love Ice Choir. They're just going '80s light station FM pop all the way with no regrets and no turning back. This is Tears for Fears "Everybody Wants to Rule The World" meets Spandau Ballet's "True" meets George Michael's "Careless Whisper" meets The Cars "Drive" all the way.

And those are four amazing songs. Ok, the "Careless Whisper" saxophone solos fall into what I call "a grey area," but otherwise they're all pretty much pop perfection.

Start with Ice Choir's song "Teletrips" and tell me you aren't hearing what I'm hearing. And what are we both hearing again? Oh, that's right: the soft pop perfection of 1983-1985. Get the Ice Choir's full-length debut on Underwater Peoples (one of our very favorite labels).

http://www.ohmyrockness.com/bandbio.cfm?bandid=38110 Selengkapnya...

Linkin Park Debut New Song, “Lies Greed Misery”

Linkin Park have just unveiled the second single for their upcoming fifth studio album, Living Things. Listen to “Lies Greed Misery” below.
In a recent interview, frontman Mike Shinoda state that Living Things would be a far more personal album than other recent efforts. “On the last few records we’ve had an interest in global issues and social issues and those things are still around,” he said, “there are certainly traces of them, but this record is far more personal.”
Living Things is due out June 26.


http://www.revolvermag.com/news/linkin-park-streaming-new-song-lies-greed-misery.html Selengkapnya...

Electric Youth

Toronto retro '80s synth-pop duo Electric Youth is singer Bronwyn Griffin and producer Austin Garrick. They take their name from a Debbie Gibson album (!) and their most famous song is "A Real Hero." That was the perfect pop collaboration with College that ultimately made it onto the "Drive" soundtrack (the final scene, no less! you know, that super crucial part when Gosling is getting all weak and he shuts his eyes and... well, never mind since I forgot to start this with "spoiler alert").

Anyway, "A Real Hero" is one of the best pop songs of the last five years. That's not hyperbole; that's truth. And yes, Electric Youth have a lot of other super solid jams besides that one. You could spend hours and hours on their SoundCloud page listening to all the good stuff they've done. I know because I've done it and I suggest you do it too... if you like good retro '80s synth-pop. But you do. What kind of a monster doesn't like good synth-pop?!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm about to recreate that final scene in "Drive" in this parking lot down the street. BTW, does anyone know if ketchup can pass for blood? How about Hawaiian Punch? In my refrigerator I have ketchup and I have Hawaiian punch. Hopefully one of them will make the grade.

http://www.ohmyrockness.com/bandbio.cfm?bandid=42789 Selengkapnya...

Infinity Shred shred

Is that not the coolest band name in the world, or what? And it's new, too. These two guys used to be known as Starscream, but they had to change their name due to something dumb like "the law."

But no matter what they're calling themselves these days, this Brooklyn band has been pretty damn awesome for a while now. Along with their pals Anamanaguchi, Infinity Shred is one of the leading 8-bit bands cruising around in magical 8-bit land. (8-bit: it's more than just "video game music," kids.)

Infinity Shred's drawn-out, space-y songs take their sweet time getting into their groove; but once they get there... look out because you've just been hooked. Did you ever like those early Trans Am albums from way back when? I did. Infinity Shred kind of reminds me of those couple classics... meets Com Truise... meets Fang Island... meets I almost made it through without mentioning Nintendo.

Basically, Infinity Shred makes jams that'll take you to Mars, man.

http://www.ohmyrockness.com/features.cfm?articleid=2297 Selengkapnya...

Report: Bridge from Chili Peppers' 'Under the Bridge' Identified in L.A.

Tunnel in MacArthur Park may have inspired the band's biggest hit

 The bridge that inspired Red Hot Chili Peppers' classic hit "Under the Bridge" is located in Los Angeles' MacArthur Park, Vulture reports.
Writer Mark Haskell Smith used clues provided by Anthony Kiedis in interviews and his memoir, Scar Tissue, to determine the bridge in question. In 1992 Kiedis told Rolling Stone that the bridge was in downtown Los Angeles, but he insisted that "it's unimportant. I don't want people looking for it." In his book, Kiedis wrote about the rock-bottom period that inspired the song, and noted that he would often walk to Sixth and Union Street in downtown L.A. from his friend Kim Jones' house.
Smith ruled out several bridges in this area before determining that it is most likely that the singer was referring to a small pedestrian tunnel underneath Wilshire Boulevard cutting through MacArthur Park, which was a major drug spot in the late Eighties. Smith shared a photo of the bridge as it is today in broad daylight. It doesn't look particularly seedy, but it's not too hard to picture it in a more grim period of the park's history.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/report-bridge-from-chili-peppers-under-the-bridge-identified-in-l-a-20120525#ixzz1vw2UqwgG

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Lady Gaga Won't Tone Down Show, Says Manager

Troy Carter rebuffs protesters after canceled concert in Indonesia

Lady Gaga's manager Troy Carter said the pop star will not tone down her act, even if that prevents her from performing in certain cities during her Asian tour, the Associated Press reports.

Indonesian newspaper The Straits Times reported today that Carter said that Gaga is not "provocative for the sake of being provocative," and that she "plays the show as it is."

Carter's statements come a week after Gaga was denied a permit and forced to cancel a sold-out concert in Jakarta, Indonesia, following protests from Islamic leaders and conservative politicians who feared Gaga's performance would corrupt the youth. With threats of physical violence coming in, police said they were usure they'd be able to guarantee safety and recommended that the permit for Gaga's show be denied.

Indonesia isn't the only country where Gaga has faced pushback as she embarks on her Born This Way Ball tour. At an April show in Seoul, South Korea, similar protests from Christian groups forced authorities to make the concert adults-only. And last Sunday, the singer arrived in Manila to protesting members of of a group called Biblemode Youth Philippines.

Protest leader Ruben Abante told the AP, "She declared a distorted view toward Jesus Christ and for us Biblical Christians it is offensive . . . Her music and everything about her is different from what our values are."

Gaga has addressed the protests on Twitter, though her tone hints that she's taking the backlash in stride. On Tuesday she Tweeted that if the Jakarta show does go on as planned, she will perform alone. Later she wrote, "And don't worry, if I get thrown in jail in Manila, Beyoncé will just bail me out. Sold out night 2 in the Philippines. I love it here!"

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/lady-gaga-wont-tone-down-show-says-manager-20120525

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