I'm trying out a new segment tentatively called YESTERDAY IS HISTORY. I'm not too fond of that title but this was a spur of the moment decision, so other title suggestions are welcome!

Anyway, yesterday was a bit slow but there's always something going on. Animal Collective released their first single, "Today's Supernatural" from their upcoming album Centipede Hz (9/4). They told us that this next album would be nothing like the superb Merriweather, and that they'd be going back to their roots for this one. I don't know a lot about early AC but I like the anger in this new song & look forward to the rest. You can also stream their live Sunday night radio mixes on their website.  On Sunday's first live radio show, Panda Bear debuted two new instrumentals of his, "Principle Real" & "Soft Serve Rip Curl".

Ellie Goulding announced some very exciting news. Her next album, Halcyon drops Oct 9. The video for the first single "Anything Could Happen" hits the web August 13. She's asking fans to submit Instagram photos to be part of it. Earlier this month, Ellie covered Active Child's "Hanging On" and beautifully so. This, I gather is the direction she's going with the new album-dark and broken. I do hope she gives credit to Active Child (not just contractually speaking) but some big love.

Stream the Fleetwood Mac tribute album, Just Tell Me That You Want Me over at NPR. Buy the album August 14.

Also, a twitter friend told me that Ruth from Chromatics said the vinyl for Kill for Love will be available this week which just gets me all tingly inside.

Also, I hate that this is representing Texas.

FILM REVIEW - THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2012)

As of this post, I've seen THE DARK KNIGHT RISES 4 times (opening day, twice on Sunday the 22nd, once on Monday the 23rd).  The first was at the IMAX.  If you were there and saw people having entirely too much fun with stickers, that was our group.  The last three have been at two different Drafthouses.  Lauren has seen it three times.  We are big fans of this movie.

I walked into the first screening a blank slate.  I refused to read reviews or spoilers or watch any clips.  I just wanted to be surprised.  Contrast that with the Avengers, I was reading everything and watching and rewatching every clip.  Granted the Avengers plot is more simplistic, so it's not like there were any spoilers.  You knew that Earth was gonna be invaded, you knew that the heroes would rally, and you knew they'd win.  The fun was the execution and not so much the plot.  I read the reviews because I wanted to see the praise for Joss Whedon's masterful work.  With Nolan, you knew it would be masterful, and the fun was both the plot and execution.

WHIPPED CREAM OF THE WEEK

• The Sea and Cake- Harps 

• SBTRKT- GLOSS

• Flying Lotus ft. Earl Sweatshirt & Captain Murphy- Between Friends

• Crystal Castles- Plague

• RAC- Something About Us (Daft Punk cover) 

• Tame Impala- Elephant

• Bat for Lashes- Laura

• Balmorhea- Pyrakantha

NEW MUSIC: CRYSTAL CASTLES "PLAGUE"

Crystal Castles is back with a new single "Plague", and I must say that it makes my head spin (in a good way). It's got a doomsday feel to it like it should've been played during one the scenes in TDKR. Alice's voice sounds so ethereal and lovely. I've always been a general fan of the band but if this is the direction they're going I'll probably listen more intensely. You can download the song now for free. 

Crystal Castles - Plague by Crystal Castles

NEW MUSIC: THE PASS "WITHOUT WARNING"

It's been a minute since these guys from Kentucky have released anything. But The Pass are back with a new album, Melt and its first single. The track is just as good as I'd hoped with fun beats & synths all around. Listen below. 

NEW MUSIC TUESDAY

Stream then buy these gems that hit the shelves today. 

1 Purity Ring- Shrines

2 The Antlers- Undersea

3 Passion Pit- Gossamer

BAT FOR LASHES: NEW MUSIC & ALBUM DETAILS

Up above is the album cover for Bat For Lashes new album The Haunted Man. The album drops in the U.S. October 23. Watch and listen to the first single, the beautiful "Laura". She's only announced UK/Europe dates for now.

WHIPPED CREAM OF THE WEEK

• Marina & The Diamonds- Obsessions (oOoOO Remix)

• Tyler, The Creator & Toro Y Moi- Hey You

• Storm Queen- Let's Make Mistakes (Club)

• Nine Inch Nails- Survivalism (deadmau5 remix)

• Two Door Cinema Club- Sleep Alone

• Kendrick Lamar- Swimming Pools (Drank)

• Rick Ross ft. Dr Dre & Jay-Z- 3 Kings

THE FIRST 'MAN OF STEEL' TRAILER (BOTH VERSIONS)

This is the first MAN OF STEEL trailer. I've heard that it isn't currently playing before the Dark Knight Rises. (No trailers played during my IMAX viewing.) There isn't much to see, but it hints that something HUGE is coming. There are two trailers that show the same thing, but one is with Jonathan "Pa" Kent's (Kevin Costner) speech and the other is (Superman's biological father) Jor-El 's (Russell Crowe) speech.

Jonathan Kent

"You're not just anyone.  One day, you're going to have to make a choice.  You have to decide what kind of man you want to grow up to be.  Whoever that man is, good character or bad... He's gonna change the world"

Jor-El

"You will give the people an ideal to strive towards.  They will rise behind you.  They will stumble.  They will fall.  And in time, they will join you in the sun.  In time, you will help them accomplish wonders."

ELLIE GOULDING "HANGING ON" (ACTIVE CHILD COVER)

Download the track here.

MUSIC VIDEO: HOT CHIP "LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE"

MOVIE TRAILER: OZ THE GREAT & POWERFUL

NEW: THE XX "ANGELS"

MUSIC VIDEO: JACK WHITE "FREEDOM AT 21"

"SURVIVAL" BY MUSE... THE OFFICIAL (TERRIBLE) SONG OF THE 30TH OLYMPIAD

I like Muse.  Well, I liked Muse.  I still like their first four albums.  I still like MANY of their songs.  But their last album was filled with entirely too much meaningless, soulless bombast and overproduction.  I like a little of that sometimes, sure, but it was all just... too much. Too many songs with too many different stages to be enjoyable.

And they haven't really looked back from this approach.  This is the official song of the Olympics.  It is ridiculous.  It's painfully ridiculous.  I mean, the main part is okay.  That part is simplistic and anthem-ic.  And Matt Bellamy doesn't sing too much.  Everything else is just... Yikes.

These are the lyrics. These are really, really bad.

Race, life’s a race 

And I am gonna win 

Yes, I am gonna win 

 And I’ll light the fuse 

And I’ll never lose 

And I choose to survive 

Whatever it takes 

You won’t pull ahead 

I’ll keep up the pace 

And i’ll reveal my strength 

To the whole human race 

Yes i am prepared 

To stay alive
I won’t forgive, the vengeance is mine

And i won’t give in

Because i choose to thrive

I get what he's going for for most of it, but..."Vengeance is mine?"  

JACK VS. ALFRED HITCHCOCK: THE ESSENTIALS COLLECTION

So, randomly, I had this weird craving to watch a bunch of Alfred Hitchcock movies. I have not seen ANY Hitchcock movie. I haven't even seen the crappy Hitchcock movie remakes. I'd just heard, all my life, that he was a master filmmaker, and I wanted to finally watch his movies. Fuck, if I review and critique films, I should have some knowledge of classics, right? (This is somewhat similar to last year when, all of a sudden, I wanted to watch a bunch of Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns.) I'm on classic-movie binge lately. I finally watched and loved Casablanca. And it made Hot Shots: Part Deux that much better for me. I also realized that the reason those spoofs work is because they riff and reference classic movies. Modern, shitty spoofs (All the _____ Movies) riff already-shitty movies... but I digress.)

 Jack somewhat live blogs his reactions to class Hitchock movies after the break...

CHARLI XCX: "YOU'RE THE ONE" MUSIC VIDEO + ODD FUTURE THE INTERNET REMIX

Listen to the remix here or down low. Charli XCX ft. Mike G - You're The One (The Internet Remix) by FAUX (of emtheories.com)

BEST OF MUSIC 2012, SO FAR

The year of 2012 has been blasted with great tunes. I'm not going to spend too much time talking about each album (we'll save that for the end of the year) but wanted to make a list of what you should be listening to if you're not already. With a staff of two, we can't listen to everything, so if you think we missed something, let us know. Happy half way through the year!


ALBUMS


1/ Beach House- Bloom
2/ Chromatics- Kill For Love
3/ Hot Chip- In Our Heads
4/ Grimes- Visions
5/ Porcelain Raft- Strange Weekend
6/ Norah Jones- Little Broken Hearts
7/ Jack White- Blunderbuss
8/ Burial- Kindred EP
9/ John Talabot- fIN
10/ Bear In Heaven- I Love You, It's Cool

SONGS


Grimes- Oblivion
Scissor Sisters- Shady Love
Purity Ring- Obedear
Chromatics- Lady
Mac Miller- Angels
Beach House- Myth
Twin Shadow- Five Seconds
Diamond Rings- I'm Just Me
Marina and The Diamonds- Power & Control
Ellie Goulding- High For This (The Weeknd cover)
Yeasayer-Henrietta
Schoolboy Q ft. A$AP Rocky- Hands On The Wheel