With October hosting major music functions in its 31 days – Austin City Limits, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, and the illustrious CMJ – San Francisco’s Treasure Island Music Festival nestles comfortably in between, boasting prestigious acts to grace the island shores as well as maintaining a crowd size that’s not overwhelming or annoying. Good weather afforded people the opportunity to dress up for the occasion and sample the special brownies the guy in the AT&T ballpark parking lot was offering.

Our highlights and lowlights included:

- Witnessing The Streets’ Mike Skinner being adorable: after he opened with “Let’s Push Things Forward,” he reminisced about his last SF experience that left him bruised— a jump off the balcony at The Fillmore. He then proclaimed to the audience below him “I’m gonna jump into the crowd and make love to you all” before punctuating his set with more words of adoration for the city by the bay.

- Missing Passion Pit as a result of waiting to take a shuttle to the island, which we also contemplated swimming to as a result of the delay. When someone started blasted “Sleepyhead” in the parking lot where we were congregating, it was met with “Yeah guys, let’s listen to the band we’re missing as we stand in line. Real smart. Idiot.”

- DJ Krush providing a most excellent soundtrack as we rode the Ferris wheel.

- Having dinner on a pirate ship.

- Girl Talk being all over the place: crowd-surfing during Dan Deacon’s set, jumping around on stage during his own, and then air pelvic thrusting timed to fireworks at the end of his dancetastic set.

- MSTRKRFT still is just two dudes with a laptop.

- MGMT playing “Oracular Spectacular” from start to finish, which is a good idea if the nostalgia factor is there. But having all your singles in the first half of your album – especially the dance-centric ones – guarantees that your audience takes off midway through your show.

- Afterparty with Dan Deacon, who is so rad I just want to hug him all the time.

It’s a strange world when your ex-love’s sister serves you liquor unexpectedly in the beer tent (why, how did you know I needed a beverage for this conversation?). But in all seriousness, at the end of the day when the guy in the penguin suit apologized to me for whacking my ear during Girl Talk’s set, I was glad to be in the company of some fun – and strange – folks. The Treasure Island Festival is fast becoming my favorite out of all the exravangaznas we have to offer, and it’s for good reason: we all just want to have a good time.

The Streets:

Girl Talk:

MSTRKRFT:

MGMT:

Afterparty with Dan Deacon:

Words & photos by Jenn Hernandez

The chill and the overcast came back for the last day of Outside Lands weekend, but it still didn’t stop us from buying cold lemonade and a chocolate chip cookie on our way in from some entrepreneurial eight year-olds. Hey, they figured out since they were cute, they could sell anything. Props to them.

We waddled down to see Oklahoma’s Other Lives as the first act of the day, wanting to see the outfit break out the cello and piano to accompany their dreamy folkpop. At times it truthfully felt like the notes and soft percussions were floating through the trees in the park in a mystical, sort of gorgeous eerie tangle. The weather did impact the energy of attendees in the first part of the day, but seeing the crowd at Matt & Kim later on showed that the sentiment was brushed off by then. And, I’m sure this goes without saying, but seriously: Matt & Kim are two most adorable fucking people on the face of the planet.

Exhibit one: “Ladies, there are two reasons to take off your hootchie hoops. One, when you are about to get into a fight, and two, when you are about to play drums so that your drum stick does not go through.”
- Kim on jewelry malfunctions
Exhibit two: “What the fuck, sun? What do you have better to do?”
- Matt on the weather being a bitch

The two were all super smiles and high energy from start to finish, including a rising version of “Yeah Yeah” that elicited a lot of fist pumping from the crowd, and Kim “backing that ass up” into the crowd later on in the set.

The Dead Weather’s set, as highly anticipated as it was touted as, definitely delivered in terms of precision and a whole lotta bass. Alison Mosshart is a performer in a class all her own, prowling the stage and exuding such an air of confidence mingled with sex and a lot of hair whipping, you forget that she actually has a respectable set of chops on her as well. Jack White, of course, decided to sing during the fourth song after all photographers had already left the pit, prompting a rush the front to snap him and his own hair singing.

While we hoped for a showdown between M.I.A. and Tenacious D, as the rapper expressed her distain for the duo’s last minute addition to the festival roster last week, her performance was actually one of the more disappointing ones. The energy was there but somehow still seemed to fall flat, like the translation from record to live just wasn’t smooth. After passing out plastic bull horns to the crowd to toot along to for “Bucky Done Gun” and sharing details about her experiences in San Francisco (”I got engaged here…I got pregnant here too”), she busted into a Beastie Boys tribute, playing the beginning of “Intergalatic” and “Sabotage” in homage of Beastie Adam Horowitz’s recovery from cancer and subsequent pullout of the band for Outside Lands. At one point M.I.A. did do some headbanger-worthy flips with her hair, which we instantly decided needed to be pitted against Mosshart. It could be a hair whip-off.

As the festival grounds started to turn on their night lights and Tenacious D had a Jack Black stunt double do cartwheels for him, it began to get really cold – but I will still full of admiration for what was able to been pulled off in such a short weekend.

More highlights included:
- Atmosphere’s Slug asking the “beautiful people” in the audience to shut up, and for everyone else to do the index finger salute
- new Morning Benders‘ pretty ballad “Promises” live
- using the phone charging station to give my Blackberry more juice, and being eternally grateful
- receiving an airport hug at the Hug Station, and then a touchy-feeling one (we’ll let you figure that one out)
- eating oysters for the first time (verdict: shellfish-y)
- enjoying Modest Mouse ripping through “Dashboard” on the main stage while eating a crepe
- the crunker dancer dressed in a blue suit and Michael Jackson T-shirt for M.I.A.’s set being wonderfully awkward
- being reminded that festivals, especially ones in set in as majestic of a place as Golden Gate Park, are one of the numerous reasons why I am in love with my city, and then wondering: since Jack Black and Jack White were at the same festival on the same day, did they take a picture together? Have they ever?

Other Lives

Morning Benders

Atmosphere

Matt & Kim

The Dead Weather



(Jack White photo, courtesy of Jennifer McGaffey)

M.I.A.

Tenacious D

Here’s to lucky 2010.

Words & Photography by Jenn Hernandez

The good weather continued for giddy Outside Lands second day concert-goers eager to soak in as much sun as possible while also getting their fest on. As we listened to a smooth Raphael Saadiq croon from the main stage – who started out dressed in a three-piece suit to later strip down to a rolled-up collared shirt – it was worth admiring the diversity in the crowd as well as the lineup we were about to drink in. We had metal time with Mastadon, the most magical five minutes with Bat For Lashes, and rumpshaking with TV On The Radio courtesy of Tunde Adebimpe’s hips, all in the course of one day.

The big news of the night, however, happened at 7:40 p.m. at the Twin Peaks stage. As I got situated in the photo pit, The Mars Volta were into their second song and more or less blowing out my ear drums. My camera was in love with singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala, following him everywhere he went: handstands, spazzing and tossing the mic stand effortlessly into the air. At one point, he dived belly first onto the floor, popped back up, grinded against his mic stand, and then shuffled off to the side of the stage to drink tea out of a white mug.

Bixler-Zavala then grabbed the sign adjacent to the band that spelled out “THE MARS VOLTA” in giant capital letters, hocked it on his back, and then proceeded to kick the shit out of it, breaking it in the middle before nearly throwing everything into the crowd and grabbing another photographer’s camera in the process. All photographers were promptly bounced out of the photo pit breathless, and I was just glad to not have been caught in the crossfire. Best ten minutes of the whole weekend.

Other boring highlights included:
- find out trampolines really are as good as you remember from childhood
- the awkward hug I received at the Hug Station
- the Os Mutantes broken string incident
- TVOTR absolutely dominating “Wolf Like Me”
- Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox not knowing who else was on the festival bill with his band: “Who is Conor Oberst? Is he a singer?” (after being clued in by an audience member: “Oh, you mean Bright Eyes?”)
- eating something called a cookie pie
- nearly getting demolished in the photo pit during The Mars Volta set, but getting bomb Indian food to make up for my near-death experience

Sadly, news of DJ AM’s untimely death the day before had gripped everyone, and lots of people in lines, drinking near each other, or standing near one another in the crowds discussed the tragedy.

Raphael Saadiq

Portugal. The Man

Mastodon

Os Mutantes

TV On The Radio

Deerhunter

The Mars Volta

We came, we saw, we sweated. San Francisco Outside Lands attendees were gifted with a heat wave, sans rash, for the first day of the weekend-long festival, and never before have we seen people more confused (the natives knew this was an oddity). Also, all the indie boys who decided to take off their shirts only upped the hotness factor, considering their torsos served as a light deflector and blinded everyone in sight. Holy whiteness, Batman.

With seven stages situated on two meadows and the main polo field in Golden Gate Park, we have to say that this year’s experience toppled last year’s (you know, where I cried a bunch and then scraped my elbow), with a million tents set up for food, photobooths, prizes, massages, wine tastings, free hugs, trampolines, and even a phone charging station. And while the smaller stages boasted a very impressive knit of indie, electronica, and even hip-hop acts, the main stage line-up felt slightly too 90’s. I do own Pearl Jam’s “Ten” on cassette tape though, so maybe I’m not one to judge.

Highlights include:
- the choice people watching we were afforded as we wandered around the site
- Silversun Pickups and Los Campesinos! slaying their sets
- running around San Francisco at night with no jacket on
- remembering how much we were in love with Incubus’s Brandon Boyd in 11th grade
- Throwing blue lacey underwear at Tom Jones

Day one, you ain’t so bad.

Autolux

Akron/Family

Los Campesinos!

The Dodos

Silversun Pickups

Tom Jones

For new video “Hellhole Ratrace,”  native San Franciscan quartet Girls film themselves and friends drinking, kissing, and having puppet shows with stuffed animals on a wild night out on the town. Slutty hipster girls, pirate swords, slow dancing in diners and watching the sunrise at Twin Peaks? Yep, totally all the city by the bay. Aaron Brown directs.

A limited edition 10″ featuring “Hellhole Ratrace” and B-side “Solitude” will also be available for the Girls’ shows with Los Campesinos! Or, for you antsy types, you can download here.

Hoping to tap a new market in rock hopefuls, Brit personality Simon Cowell is in talks to develop a new music talent show in search of unsigned bands, with winners being gifted the opportunity to record. After enjoying success with shows like American Idol in the States and X Factor in the U.K., it only seemed like a short while until a show like this was pitched. VH1 tried a similar format with short-lived Bands On The Run in 2001.

Though Cowell has not been confirmed to appear on the show himself, notorious “serial band girlfriend” Kate Moss, first with The Libertines’ Pete Doherty and currently with The Kills’ Jamie Hince, has been signed on for the first season. Our question is, how do you win her over? By besting competition in a coke rails competition? Negotiating a reconciliation after she tosses a laptop containing your band’s new album into a pool? We guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Fairytale reincarnations on the big screen seem to be all the rage these days. As pictures for Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland adaption are hitting the interwebs, Harry Potter starlet Emma Watson has just been cast to play Cinderella in a Marilyn Manson-produced musical. The plot is to reflect a “Gothic storytelling of the classic children’s story,” with Watson singing her way into her first motion picture that isn’t Potter-related.

Considering the last installment of HP franchise, The Half-Blood Prince, made $20 million alone for midnight screenings this week, the girl is allowed to do pretty much whatever she wants right now. We’re just curious what the budget for eyeliner is going to be for this movie.

Ryan Gosling’s new project with Zach Shields, Dead Man’s Bones, have signed with Anti- Records, joining ranks with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Neko Case, and Os Mutantes. The duo’s self-titled debut is due out in October and promises to feature tracks about werewolves and “zombies with broken hearts,” and somehow also incorporates the innocent youngins of the Silverlake Conservatory Children’s Choir. The twosome even filmed  a clip for album track “Name In Stone” in a graveyard. How very ghoul-like.

In addition to Outside Lands and Treasure Island Music Festival, San Francisco has a chance to cash in on the ‘grass’ part of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival October 2-4. The free event, which celebrates its ninth birthday this year, boasts some impressive heavyweights and newcomers on multiple stages, ranging from Emmylou Harris and Lyle Lovett to Neko Case, Okkervil River, Old 97’s, Dr. Dog, and Tom Morello. It’s also worth noting that MC Hammer is also slated to perform, as is actor Steve Martin with the Steep Canyon Rangers. STEVE MARTIN, YOU GUYS. HE WAS IN “FATHER OF THE BRIDE.”

Full lineup:
Abalone Dots
Aimee Mann
Allen Toussaint
Allison Moorer
Amadou & Mariam
Austin Lounge Lizards
Barefoot Nellies
Billy Bragg
Billy Joe Shaver
Booker T. & the DBTs
Boz Scaggs and the Blue Velvet Band
Buddy Miller
Charlie Haden
Dar Williams
Darrell Scott Band
Dave Alvin & the Guilty Women
Doc Watson & David Holt
Dr. Dog
Dry Branch Fire Squad
Earl Scruggs
Eliza Gilkyson
Elizabeth Cook
Elvis Perkins in Dearland
Emmylou Harris
Gillian Welch
Guy Clark & Verlon Thompson
Hayes Carll
Hazel Dickens
Jessica Lea Mayfield
John Prine
Jorma Kaukonen
Kevin Welch
Kieran Kane & Fats Kaplin
Kimmie Rhodes
Laurie Lewis
Little Feat
Lyle Lovett and His Large Band
Malo
Marianne Faithfull
Marley’s Ghost
Marshall Crenshaw
Marty Stuart
Mavis Staples
MC Hammer
Mike Farris & the Roseland Rhythm Revue
Moonalice
Neko Case
Nick Lowe
ODC/Dance
Okkervil River
Old 97’s
Old Crow Medicine Show
Pamela Rose
Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys
Reckless Kelly, The Fireants
Red Wine
Richie Havens
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
Robert Earl Keen
Robyn Hitchcock
Rodney Crowell
Roger Knox presents the Aboriginal Country & Western Songbook
Rosie Flores with Jon Langford and the Pine Valley Cosmonauts
Steve Earle & the Bluegrass Dukes
Steve Martin with the Steep Canyon Rangers
The Brothers Comatose
The Chieftains
The Claire Lynch Band
The Del McCoury Band
The Duhks
The Flatlanders featuring: Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore & Butch Hancock
The Knitters
The Tim O’Brien Band
The Wronglers
Todd Snider
Tom Morello
World Party

Today is Michael Jackson’s public memorial at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, which, for local residents, translates to: “Shit, there goes being on time for work.”

The pop star’s post-mortem celebration is planned to be attended by celebrities and fans alike, causing officials in the greater L.A. are to officially freak out about the thousands of fans who are already waiting at nearby Dodger Stadium to pick up their lottery-won tickets or hopefuls looking to buy.

Those scheduled to perform include Mariah Carey, who sang the Jackson 5’s “I’ll Be There” as a cover on her 1992 MTV Plugged show, propelled the song back into the charts. Others who have RSVP’ed for the festivities include Kobe Bryant, John Mayer, Magic Johnson, Martin Luther King III and Bernice A. King, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder.

Scottish electrotwiddler and very tall guy Calvin Harris is starting a new series on his YouTube channel entitled “Jam TV.” Born out of frustration of an experience of his own being filmed whilst unable to open a jar of the sweet stuff, Harris has decided to film celebrities doing the deed. (You can read about Harris’s pleas for more upper body strength on his Twitter.)

Though his first episode features American Idol judge Simon Cowell and British money mogul Philip Green via phone, Harris promises in-the-flesh guests soon, Katy Perry even volunteering her skills for the series. What a friend.

Peep the first episode here.

In between getting our hearts a flutter for Robert Pattinson and his hair last night at the MTV Movie Awards (What? Homeboy is fine), we were quite amused to see that the music channel also isn’t afraid to broadcast a little dude-on-dude action.

Sasha Baron Cohen’s character Brüno was a presenter on the awards show last night, flying in via stunt ropes and with giant angel wings. For those unfamiliar, Cohen’s newest concoction is a gay Austrian TV reporter who goes around exploring fashion, media, and homosexuality, with a movie following these pursuits coming out in July. As Brüno descended towards the stage, his suspension wires “got hold of something,” and Bruno had to be lowered down to safety –- into the crotch of Eminem, his ass in Em’s face and Em’s crotch in Bruno’s…we’re not sure.

The rapper looked none too pleased about being teabagged on national television by a dude in a man thong with a nicer ass than me, and after several seconds had his people pull Bruno away. The moment was almost as good as Forrest Whittaker singing “Dick In A Box” earlier in the program, and with in an opera voice to boot. The facial expressions post-tea baggage with Brüno and Eminem are worth the video alone.

Trent Reznor may be currently performing an act of kindness — after all, raising almost a million dollars for someone’s heart transplant gets you points with the guy upstairs — but in the new issue of UK magazine Mojo, Reznor unleashes some not-so-nice words about former protégé Marilyn Manson.

“I might be happy and engaged, but I’m still a prick,” Reznor says before ripping into Manson. “He is a malicious guy and will step on anybody’s face to succeed and cross any line of decency. Seeing him now, drugs and alcohol now rule his life and he’s become a dopey clown.”

Reznor does acknowledge that things “got shitty” between the two and that he’s not “blameless,” stating his feelings stem between 1994 and 1995, at the same time Manson’s Portrait of an American Family and Antichrist Superstar was released. Reznor co-produced both albums and cites the tours that followed each album as sources of the bad blood, as people close to him dealt with alcoholism and Manson “[pretending] to be fucked up a lot when he wasn’t.”

While the Nine Inch Nails frontman does speak some words of endearment for Manson — “He used to be the smartest guy in the room. And as a fan of his talents, I hope he gets his shit together” — before ending with, “The majority of it though was coming from a resentment guy who finally got out from under the master’s umbrella and was able to stab him in the back.” Jeez. Remind us to never get on this guy’s bad side.

It seems the East Coast-West Coast rivalry is being dug up again, which we’re sure Biggie and Tupac would be amused at. It’s 40 years ago this August that the legendary Woodstock festival took place, which saw electric performances by Santana, Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, The Who, CSNY, and Jimi Hendrix among others. Now, though, the celebration of four decades of influential music is being disputed by San Francisco and New York companies, who are arguing who owns the rights to the name “Woodstock.”

As reported by SF Weekly’s All Shook Down, Woodstock Venture’s Michael Lang is putting out cease and desist letters to all companies, organizations, and groups trying to plan festivities for the iconic festival. Lang, who was one of the co-creators of the original 1969 Woodstock, is trying to stop “any event in the world that plans to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock’” as well as any art or phrase that contains the words “peace and music.” Really? Is the economy that bad you have to limit the use of the word “peace”? Is “love” going to be next?

Veterans of the late 60s festival, including SF former venue owner Boots Houghston, Country Joe McDonald, and Lester Chambers of The Chambers Brothers, rallied yesterday to publicly denounce the idea and do not plan on complying with Lang’s request, citing that nearly 20 bands who played the original Woodstock in Bethel, New York were from San Francisco (Writer’s note: Hell fucking yeah!) (Editor’s note: Go back to Cali you hippie!). A gala scheduled in October to commemorate the 40 years of Woodstock is still being planned by the group. Hopefully these Summer of Love guys can just drop some acid and hug it out.

In what we’re calling our Freakshow Friday video, Grizzly Bear has released the video for “Two Weeks” off their acclaimed LP Veckatimest, which features some warped facial construction on members of the band, glowing mouths, and an explosive finale — literally.

For a song full of lush choir vocal arrangements, pretty piano, and foot-tapping percussion, it’s fun and a little creepy to watch such a warped-looking video for such a gorgeous song. Directed by Patrick Daughters, who’s also lent his cinematic skills for Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Feist, and Interpol videos, the guys in GB sit by their lonesome in church, sing to the camera, and get their faces owned. Our favorite part is at about the 3:02 mark. Watch below.

Grizzly Bear – “Two Weeks”

Sometimes victory does taste sweet, and other times it tastes like $18.3 million. Subtle’s Dax Pierson was severely injured three years ago in a car accident, when his seat dislocated from the rest of the band’s E-350 van. Subtle was starting a tour to support A New White that was to take them through the States and Europe, when their vehicle hit a patch of black ice and flipped over twice in rural Iowa in February 2005.

While the rest of his band mates escaped relatively unscathed from the collision, Pierson suffered enough nerve damage to become a quadriplegic. The accident launched him, still attached in his seat via a seat belt, headfirst and upwards into the roof of the car.

Yesterday, a San Francisco judge found Ford, the car company who made Subtle’s touring van, at fault for injuries sustained by Pierson. According to his lawyers, the 38 year-old, who had played keys in the band, is still contributing to Subtle albums, yet requires 24-hour assistance. The multiple fractures to his spine have left him paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair.

Ford’s counterargument for their product being faulty was that driver Patrick Scott, Subtle’s manager, was driving too fast the night of the accident. The jury, however, sided with Pierson and his lawyers.

“The main problem was the seat,” said Thomas Brandi, a lawyer for Pierson, as quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle

In total, the jury awarded Pierson $12.3 million for medical expenses and lost earnings, and $6 million for pain and suffering. Lots of Bay Area benefits were hosted for Pierson in the aftermath of the tragic events, and we’re so glad to see that the positive thoughts have paid off for Pierson.

It turns out coming in second place for American Idol may not be such a bad thing. For this season’s talent competition, finalists Adam Lambert and Kris Allen teamed up with British luminaries Queen for “We Are The Champions”. Although Allen ended up sweeping the vote to be crowned the next Idol, it turns out guitarist Brian May is open to the idea of more collaboration with Lambert.

“(Drummer Roger Taylor) and I are definitely hoping to have a meaningful conversation with (Lambert) at some point. It’s not like we, as Queen, would rush into coalescing with another singer just like that,” said May to Rolling Stone in an email. “It isn’t that easy. But I’d certainly like to work with Adam. That is one amazing instrument he has there.”

The 27 year-old Lambert would be following in the foot steps of Paul Rodgers, formerly of Bad Company and Free, should May and company decide they’d like a new singer. Rodgers has done vocals for Queen for the past four years until splitting with the band recently. There hasn’t been a steady replacement front man for the group since Freddie Mercury passed away in 1991.

Notorious fusbol player and perpetually drunk rapper Lady Sovereign boggled our minds when three songs, a furry hat, and a bucket of Red Vines later, she walked off stage during a Popscene show (in case you missed our live Tweet of it while it was going down). The English MC cited sound problems as the source of her frustration, constantly cursing at the people who run venue Rickshaw Stop, then vowing never to play there again.

Backed by only pre-recorded music and wearing a hat that resembled a cat’s head, the 23-year old walked around on stage between the three songs she performed, complaining of microphone feedback. At one point she also started handing out Red Vines from a large container to the audience before chucking the whole bucket into the crowd, stating that it might hurt people but she wasn’t “too concerned.”

After stating that her concerns were not being properly addressed, Sovereign then left the stage to return a few minutes later to perform half a song before throwing another tantrum and exiting for good. Outside, we heard concert attendees use colorful language about their disappointment for paying for a show that included 15 minutes worth of performance, which we empathize with.

Sovereign also looked out into the crowd to ask if her “silly cunt” friend was in attendance, which was in reference to a beef she got into with a San Francisco MC who dresses like a donut the last time she was in SF. No sightings of a donut, but you can read all about that jelly incident here.

The rapper also pulled a similar stunt in Seattle last Thursday, where she was scheduled to perform at an in-store at EastEasy Street Records but left the stage after one song, also drunk. What is the deal?

The Boss himself announced last night that he is slated to play Giants Stadium before its demolishment later this year. The venue, where the New York Giants and the New York Jets play home games, is set to be torn down after the 2009 football season with the new Meadowlands Stadium opening early next year.

Bruce Springsteen played neighboring Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J. Thursday when he made the announcement himself from stage. He and backing E Street Band will be back in the fall for their Working on a Dream tour to be the final major musical act to play the stadium. Tickets for the show go on sale June 1 for the September 30, October 2, and October 3 dates.

Does anyone out there know if Giant Stadium is a Ticketmaster venue?

Vampire Weekend’s been pretty busy. In between trying to not sound like Simon & Garfunkel and calling ex-college classmates “Goth” during interviews, the band is also doing a feel-good event tonight in New York City and playing in side projects. Ah the life.

Alongside NYC electro groups LCD Soundsystem and Hercules & Love Affair, the three bands are lending their time for a prom-inspired event called “The Prom You Were Promised” at the Music Hall Of Williamsburg. All proceeds will benefit 826NYC, who helps teach and believe that “strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.”

826NYC is also apart of other 826 programs across the country, which includes locations in Chicago, Seattle, and Michigan to name a few. The first one, 826 Valencia in San Francisco, was founded in 2002 by author Dave Eggers and helps kids from ages six through 18 in their writing skills, critique, and process, while also providing support to educators. All proceeds from tonight’s show at benefit the NYC branch.

In related news, VW’s Rostam Batmanglij and Ra Ra Riot’s Wes Miles are additionally embarking on a “super side project” called Discovery that will have a full length out over the summer. You can hear clips of the forthcoming LP on their MySpace page.

Parisian indie popsters Phoenix are getting the Holy remix treatment from NYC’s Holy Ghost! on “Lisztomania”. The Ghostly duo add heavy influences of some A-Ha here and maybe a little of the Beverly Hills Cop theme there for the electronic jam.

“Are you revisiting the 80’s right now?” my co-worker asked me while I was spinning this track.

“Uh, this song was totally made this year,” I replied.

“Lisztomania” also joins the ranks of “1901” as being one of the most remixed songs of the year, both hailing from Phoenix’s full-length Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. The former song is so heavily remixed (that album was released nine days ago!) that there will be a “Lisztomania” remixes EP coming out soon. Damn, son. Rest them fingers.

Phoenix – “Lisztomania” (Holy Ghost! Loves Paris Remixomania) [via Fairtilizer]

Michael Stipe and Casey Spooner can now add “singing the same song” to the list of things they have in common (which, right now includes the occasional, questionable fashion choice and playing benefit shows together).

New York electronic duo Fischerspooner were blessed by “R.E.M.’s Stipe to cover “Fascinating”, a song related to the latter band’s 2001 release Reveal. “Fascinating” appeared only on the initial master of the full-length but remained a fan favorite. The track will be included on Fischerspooner’s new release Entertainment as a bonus track.

Spooner, the man in the beat department of the duo, spoke with Stereogum about Stipe blessing the two to give their own synth-pop spin. “[Stipe called and] said ‘I think this song would be great for you and I think you guys should record it.’ I love the lyrics and I love the melody, and everything about it just seemed right,” said Spooner.

You can listen to the dreamy Fischerspooner version here.

Oakland’s wallpaper. bring the jams every time. They sing about Trader Joe’s Two Buck Chuck, wear T-Rex costumes and dollar sign beach towels as capes, and constantly talk about mall girls they want to text their love to.

One of the masterminds behind wallpaper., Ricky Reed, also has been busy twiddling knobs doing remix work in between producing content for wallpaper.’s new album, due later this year. Reed’s takes for remixing tend to reside in the vein of funk and soul, as evidenced by his new remix of Passion Pit“s “The Reeling”. It starts out with some Fela Kuti-approved percussion before dipping into a hybrid of Cuban grooves and contemporary electro synth, with the chorus being backed by a nice subtle hint of trumpets. This is a dude after all who spliced a track recently about “I’m at the Pizza Hut/I’m at the Taco Bell/I’m at the combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell,” threw in a brass section, and made it dance-worthy.

According to wallpaper.’s Twitter page, Reed and UK darling Calvin Harris were the only two people approved to do “The Reeling” as a remix, which, we’re not sure is completely true, but hey. Exclusivity, we’re all about it. You can also check out Reed’s other Passion Pit remix of “Sleepyhead”, which may rival “The Reeling”’s popularity, over at Hype Machine.

Passion Pit – “The Reeling” (wallpaper. Remix)

I almost don’t recognize Chris Cornell as he’s accompanied into his dressing room by his intimidating bodyguard: the vocalist has his hair tied up and has a cool demeanor reminiscent of nonchalance. But after grabbing a Diet Coke and settling into a black couch, the former Soundgarden/Audioslave singer, solo artist, and Paris restaurateur eyes me with a signal to begin.

It’s beguiling to know what kind of career Cornell has had, and is continuing to have, from being covered by Johnny Cash during his Soundgarden days, to writing songs for American Idol contestant David Cook. Cornell is widely recognized for his vocal belting technique on stage: a controlled, yet powerful resonance that’s one part belly, one part throat. Later I get to see this tool employed to reach the nooks and crannies of The Grand in San Francisco, where he is playing, even all the way up into the balcony. His backing band look like kids in comparison to him as the show progresses, Cornell flashing smiles in between songs like a true pro while also delivering his vocals with such authority and fervor it’s hard to look away.

I look around when Cornell fetches an acoustic guitar to play “Fell On Black Days” midway through his show: there’s a healthy mix of old and young, post-grunge and emo, smilers and stoners. I’m glad to see that his set list not only includes songs with his last two bands, but also a healthy selection from all of his solo works — “Can’t Change Me”, “Cochise”, “Black Hole Sun” and “Part Of Me” all sit well with each other, despite the fact that there are 15-plus years in between the release of some. I decide I’d even make out with the crusty punk next to me if it meant Timbaland would come out on stage.

Although Cornell acknowledges pre-show during our interview that he won’t forget his roots (when asked if he’d do a split album with Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder — whom Cornell did a duet with at the beginning of his career and still is friends with — the response is “I don’t know if I’d like to do that”), and it’s also evident that Cornell is willing to be a shape shifter to expand his musical palate. 2009’s Scream, executive-produced hip-hop megastar Timbaland, is a venture away from the hard rock and grunge that Cornell has been associated with until previously. It also features select background vocals by Justin Timberlake. That can’t be that bad, right? Read more below on Cornell feeling like Pink Floyd and how we shouldn’t hold our breath for his possible movie career.

I was about your daughter Lillian’s age when I started swiping Soundgarden albums from my dad. What do you think you will tell your kids when they are older about your career?
Oh, they know already. They even tell other people, so they definitely know and are well aware of what I do.

You had a small part in Cameron Crowe’s 1992 film Singles, is that next in your forte to expand?
That was 19 years ago. I think I would have pursued that by now if it was an interest. Besides, there were bigger parts in the movie than mine, lots of cameos.

Timbaland was your partner-in-crime for Scream — he was originally going to remix some stuff but then ended up deciding on working for the whole album. How?
As a producer he is so prolific and focused on songwriting. It just happened naturally and I’m glad it did.

When you were in Audioslave, you guys were the first American rock group to play Cuba. How was that experience for you?
We can’t compare it to anything. It was a four day experience, and the audience didn’t know what to expect. It was a focus on the arts in general, and it was an important role everyone’s daily life that day. Sometimes there are casual fans in the U.S. who just don’t give a shit. My dad isn’t really into art or music, and here everyone was heavily interested and educated in art and art forms. The performance itself was unusual because it was the closest that [Cuba] had to an outdoor festival; 70,000 people were estimated to have been there. And the crowd reaction – a lot of people just – observing. Cuban-Afro music and performances are pretty participatory, and our music [wasn’t] really that way. It’s not music you’d usually clap your hands to and shake your ass to. I felt like were like Pink Floyd in that way, and I’m still stunned we were doing at that point and have a lot of gratitude for it. I don’t think the performance was that well, and we filmed the film part of the experience while I was sick.

Do you think you’d do anything different?
The power for the show was inconsistent, and my vocals kept disappearing. But this huge wave came over us of…I’m not sure. We were all just moved, the feeling of being really the first rock band to do that. Manic Street Preachers also did something similar, I think. Cuban fans also deserve to listen to music as well, and I’m critical of [bands not touring extensively when possible]. Like, why couldn’t a band like U2 play? It’s bullshit, how easy it is to do it. But I would like to go again.

An eighth grader in Louisiana attempted to commit suicide Monday morning after trying to also shoot a teacher, when an altercation arose where the staff member would not praise musician Marilyn Manson.

According to The Daily Comet [via The Daily Swarm], the eighth grader, who police say entered school grounds through a back entrance, entered seventh-grade teacher Jessica Plaisance’s class around 9 a.m. before beginning to shout swear words and that that everyone in the room move to the floor. When students in the class — who recounted the events to police — chose to stay in their seats, the eighth grader tried to get another classmate to accompany him before demanding that Plaisance say “Hail Marilyn Manson.” When the teacher did not comply, the eighth grader aimed his gun at her to fire. The first bullet misfired, while a second bullet went above Plaisance’s head into the wall. Students then recounted that the eighth grader walked out of the room, and that they heard a third gun shot, which was later confirmed to be self-inflicting. The eighth grader is now in critical condition.

Thus far, Manson — the musician also cited as a source of inspiration for 1999’s Columbine tragedy in which two Colorado high school students shot 21 people and killed 13 more — has yet to comment.

The school in Lafourche Parish, approximately 80 miles southeast of Louisiana’s capital Baton Rouge, went under lockdown for several hours before allowing parents of the students to pick up their children. The school plans to re-open today with extra police presence and the installation of metal detectors at the school entrances. Why the eighth grader chose Plaisance’s class is still unknown, but a suicide note was discovered, in which details of how he had planned to commit suicide after killing others was found. The eighth grader obtained the firearm used in the incident from his father.

Our hearts go out to the eighth grader, his family, and the community of Lafourche Parish as this incident is dealt with.

This weekend’s one-off Libertines reunion may a precursor of things to come, as Carl Barat recently told NME about the potential for the group to re-band and perform again. He, Pete Doherty, and drummer Gary Powell reassembled on stage to play a six song set for highly enthused fans (which you can see here).

After doing a gig at Rhythm Factory over the weekend in London in honor of Johnny Sedassy -– who passed away earlier this year –- Barat commented that he wouldn’t mind “[getting] on stage with Pete at some point soon,” and that he didn’t rule out playing with the whole group once again. Bassist John Hassall was out of the country for the Rhythm Factory gig.

Barat also mentioned that though he intends to work on his own solo material plus tour, “Next year is a new year, [and] we’ll see what happens.” We’ll also see what happens with Doherty’s criminal record, but we’re happy the idea is there.

Read the full interview here.

A short 27 hours, three minutes, and 44 seconds put Canadian producer and musician Gonzales as the new record holder of the longest solo concert in the Guinness Book of World Records over the weekend. Starting Sunday shortly after midnight, he played selections from such luminaries as Beethoven and Britney Spears, performing 300 pieces in total on the piano. Guinness did allow the 37-year old short breaks in between songs and 15 minute rest periods every three hours so that the man’s fingers would not fall off.

Gonzales’ first breakout was producing fellow Canadian Feist’s 2004 Let It Die full length, as well as doing remix work for Placebo, Daft Punk and Jamie Lidell. The record-breaking show, which was performed at Paris’ Cine Theatre 13, was streamed live via his website, which we recommend checking out if you would like to stay on top of the latest French Canadian ruffle shirt fashion. [via The Daily Swarm]

Yet as impressive as Gonzales’ feat was, he is no match for Masanobu Sato. At this year’s Masturbate-A-Thon (yes, a real event) in San Francisco (of course), Masanobu beat (pun intended) his old record and jacked it for 9 hours and 58 minutes. And as if to one-up Gonzales, no breaks are reported to have been given to Masanobu so that his fingers (or other extremities) would not fall off. [via dlisted]

In what’s sure to make Britpoppers around the world break out their army jackets and Cockney accents, three out of four members of the U.K.’s Libertines reunited on stage late Friday night at London’s Rhythm Factory for a tribute show for promoter Johnny “Rhythm” Sedassy. Pete Doherty and Carl Barat, who’ve popped up here and there at each other’s gig in between fighting with each other, were joined on stage by drummer Gary Powell for the first time since the band’s dissipation five years ago. Bass player John Hassell, sadly, was out of the country.

The six song showcase, of which you can see “Can’t Stand Me Now” which can be viewed in its entirety on here, has been rumored for some time now, leaving many to wonder if this will lead to more shows for the band. Only time will tell.

Us Radiohead fans are a rabid bunch; any mention of “Radiohead” and “new” together, and we think the second coming of Christ is here. Hell, Thom Yorke could crook his pinky at us and we’d break out into hives trying to interpret it.

It turns out there is a valid reason to freak out: Radiohead are back in the studio, and again with longtime producer Nigel Godrich. There’s no word if it will be released a la In Rainbows, via your local record retailer, or from the moon, but the Oxford five piece is indeed recording. Bassist Colin Greenwood spilled the beans over the weekend to BBC’s 6 Music, saying that the sessions “[S]o far [are] very noisy and chaotic and really fun.”

“It’s at the stage where we’ve got the big Lego box out and we’ve tipped it out on the floor and we’re just looking at all the bits and thinking what’s next?” he said.

Greenwoood, who was a speaker at the Great Escape Music Festival over the weekend in Brighton to assist the debut of a new music journal named Loops, also spoke about touring with Kraftwerk for the two bands’ jaunts through Central and South America. You can read the full article here and proceed to your regularly scheduled Radiohead drooling.

What is with thugs right now stealing shit from rock stars? First news of Pearl Jam’s bass player being assaulted, and now Maximo Park guitarist Duncan Lloyd is also reporting that a treasured guitar has been stolen.

The Newcastle boys are currently at the start of a sold-out UK tour as well as are celebrating the release of new full length Quicken The Heart, which is now bittersweet considering the instrument theft. The guitar, a 1979 brown and gold Gretsch Country Gent purchased from 80s pop band Belle Stars, was also previously was played by The Clash’s Joe Strummer. It is currently being sought out for reunion with Maximo Park. The band promises a “significant reward” for the guitar’s safe return (a life time supply of bowler hats, maybe?). If you have any information to the whereabouts to the stolen guitar, please e-mail maximopark[at]warprecords.com.

Amidst working on a new Pearl Jam record and headlining major music festivals this summer, it’s been discovered that bassist Jeff Ament was attacked outside the band’s recording studio at the end of April. The assailants made off with over $7,000 in assets and left Ament with a head laceration that was medically treated.

According to Rolling Stone — who obtained the police report filed — three perpetrators each wielding knives as weapons and wearing masks ambushed Ament and a band employee as they pulled up to the back of recording studio complex Southern Tracks in Atlanta. The trio destroyed the windows of Ament’s vehicle before chasing him around and knocking him on the floor, leaving the laceration.

As reported, the thieves made off with $3,000 in cash and over $4,000 worth of goods, as well as a Blackberry and Ament’s passport. While the attack was recorded on a nearby surveillance camera, no arrests have been made, and the band has yet to comment. We wish a pox on these horrendous individuals and wish Ament a speedy recovery.

Ticketmaster continues its ultimate sashay of douchebaggery with Bruce Springsteen once more, as the ticket conglomerate oversold the musician’s Washington, D.C. show next week through its resale sister site TicketsNow. To try and save face, the company is trying to call people to offer refunds as well as alternate pairs of tickets to the May 18 concert, most of which are located much further away from the stage than the original ones. How did they think a 1970s phone tree-style system is going to be successful?

This isn’t the first time The Boss has had some issues with Ticketmaster; when the current leg of his tour to support Working On A Dream was first on sale earlier this year, fans who attempted to buy specific tickets on Ticketmaster were given a “purchase unavailable” screen. The system failed to offer alternative face-value tickets still available for the show, and instead rerouted fans to TicketsNow, where a pair of coveted tickets for the Springsteen tour can reach double or triple the amount. According to the Associated Press, “Springsteen’s camp and fans alike were understandably miffed, and accused Ticketmaster of deception and conflict of interest.”

According to HitFix, Ticketmaster CEO Irving Azoff issued an “open letter of apology to Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau and the entire Springsteen Tour Team… to make sure there is no misunderstanding in the future, we also publicly state that we will never again link to TicketsNow in a manner that can possibly create any confusion during a high-demand on-sale. Specifically, we will not present an option to go to TicketsNow from Ticketmaster without the consent of the artist and the venue.”

They better not, lest The Boss whips out that fancy handkerchief for some serious show-down time.

Ex-Genesis and supreme solo act Peter Gabriel has been announced to receive the Swedish Polar Music Prize this summer, recognizing his works within the industry.

In addition to delivering gems like “In Your Eyes” and “Sledgehammer”, Gabriel also is one of the founders of the World, Music, and Dance organization (WOMAD); Real World music label; and On Demand Distribution, which aims to increase revenues of music sales while keeping costs under control. He is also the co-founder of thefilter.com, an entertainment news and talent site.

Gabriel will be presented with the award at the end of August by the King of Sweden. Damn, those Europeans sure know how to spice up an awards ceremony.

The new John Lennon exhibition “The New York Years,” which opened yesterday at The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex in NYC, just got a bit more somber. One of the new features for the exhibit, which runs through the end of the year, will be the clothes Lennon was wearing the night he was murdered — blood and all.

As reported by BBC, the clothes will be contained in a paper bag for inclusion in the show, which celebrates Lennon’s life during his residency in the Big Apple in the 1970s. Other items on display include handwritten lyrics, his trademark black wire frame glasses, and personal letters that describe the struggle with a possible deportation (his green is card pictured above).

Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, said the consideration to include Lennon’s murder clothes was hard: “I know it’s a kind of a sad and very poignant kind of paradox, I think, that he loved this place so much and this where he was killed.”

The Beatle was shot and killed outside his apartment building The Dakota in 1980 at the age of 40. Let’s hope that Ono has finished mailing those acorns.

“I like to see lady drummers. It’s fucking cool,” says one of the security guards at Popscene as The Whip plow through their soundcheck. The Manchester quartet are in town to open for fellow UK outfit Late of the Pier, but in two short hours the Mancs will blow their contemporaries out of the front door and onto the alleyway outside of the club.

“What was the name of that first band? They were so. Much. Better,” I overhear while standing in line to use the ladies’ room.

And it’s true. Cousin to The Faint with a dash of Daft Punk knob-twiddling, the four friends from college now known as The Whip are able to deliver more songs to grind to then their headliners. The most success comes from songs like “Blackout”, which carries a sexy bass line with a light Nintendo synth, and “Muzzle #1”, a rhythmic foot tapper that sort of sounds like what The Horrors would be if they went dance-punk. And while the band doesn’t talk much in between songs, opting to end their short set with lead single “Trash”, the venue breaks into continuous cheering at the end.

Both bands are sharing the green room, where I’m whisked into for The Whip interview pre-show, and the scene is somehow serenity-meets-frenzy. There are lanky Brits from both bands falling over themselves trying to reach the riders while I plop down onto a black vinyl couch, and even though the vibe is at a calm tone, everyone is talking to one another — and not me. Never before have I had to keep track of my interview subjects until now, as various members of The Whip actually leave the interview mid-thought to answer a phone call, talk to a manager, or huddle up next to a LOTP member.

It’s somehow not rude, though — it genuinely feels like all the people smashed into this tiny ass room want to hang with one another, and I even find myself floating from person to person to spark a conversation. “I love this song,” says Daniel when Bloc Party’s “Banquet” thumps outside, and we talk about the influx of British bands to hit America in recent years.

The whole setting resembles a cozy house party, which is both endearing and neat. I end up speaking with drummer Fiona Daniel and keyboardist Danny Saville the most while sitting on the couch, as vocalist Bruce Carter and bass player Nathan Sudders to my right are distracted at various intervals, but piping in when given the chance. Most of our conversation centers around their hometown of Manchester (both Sudders and Carter are tickled to know about the goth night I went to while there a few months back: “I actually know the owner for Satan’s Hollow!” says Saville), and what some goals are (Carter: “Ride a cable car”). As I leave, all four extend their hands to shake mine warmly, offering to hang out if we all were ever in their hometown at the same time. This cordiality is again replicated as I join Sudders outside for a cigarette post-interview.

“Please, MySpace us if you decide to join us in Manchester for grad school,” he urges. I’m amazed he remembered that small detail from our conversation amidst the ringing cell phones and chatter about doing shots back in the green room. “Maybe I will,” I reply. “You lot seem to be really good folks.”

There seems to be the common theme of “fucking shit up” when people talk about your music. Is this accurate?
Fiona Daniel: Fucking shit up? Really? [laughs]

Danny Saville: Well, I mean, I think that’s a good thing. Right?

Nathan Sudders: Oh, wow.

“Trash” is the opening song on your album, and has been the one garnering the most attention. Are you afraid no one is going to be listening after that first song ends?
FD: You know, people don’t have to dance if they don’t want to. I mean, we want it to happen as naturally as possible.

Bruce Carter: I think we did a great job on the album as a whole.

You’ve cited having older siblings and friends who got you into the Manchester scene. What particular interaction stands out most?
DS: I got my foot in the door with that scene from an older friend [who gave me a cassette of music]. I remember the tape cover was a yellow and black picture/painting of sorts with some vandalism-looking writing. There was the FAC 51 symbol in it and Bigfoot was prancing around. So weird but very cool.

I fell in love with Manchester when I was in England over the winter. I saw the Hacienda apartments and it’s so sad what they look like now. Is it weird something so historical like that is now defunct in your own hometown?

DS: I used to live right across the street from the Hacienda. I used to break in and play there before it was torn down to be converted. It’s a bit of a shame that it wasn’t saved but what can you do? And now it’s like any other neighborhood in the area. There’s weed on the corner.

There’s always seems to be a Manchester/London comparison that happens.
FD: True. But when you consider how many amazing bands that have come out of our humble little area, it’s quite impressive.

DS: And it’s all about the sizing, really, too. Birmingham is bigger, but in Manchester you can still bump into people. London is just too big for us. We might not have been able to succeed if we had decided to move there first instead of sticking to where we started.

BC: In any case, it’s obviously not as cool as here. [grins and points to his surroundings]

How many sexual innuendos have you gotten in reference to your band name?
DS: What, you mean like bondage or S&M-type stuff? None. None at all. [smiles]

Yusuf Islam (nee Cat Stevens) played the El Rey in Los Angeles Monday for an acoustic, invite-only show. Most of the tracks played live were off his new full-length Roadsinger, the singer’s second release in thirty years.

According to Yahoo, a May 3 date in New York was dashed before Islam took the stage in L.A. earlier this week. The NY show cancellation was credited to an undisclosed work visa issue. Islam converted to being Muslim 32 years ago and was placed on the U.S. suspected terrorist list in 2004, prompting his deportation and accusations that he was funneling money into groups that supported terrorist acts. His last show in NY in 2006 was a rarity as well.

Islam’s set list included “Peace Train”, “Where Do The Children Play?” and “Father And Son”. No word if he played “Foreigner Suite”, which Islam is suing British band Coldplay for plagiarism. Coldplay’s song “Viva La Vida” — as we’re sure everyone and their mother is aware of — is also under scrutiny from Joe Satriani in terms of stealing guitar riffs and shit, like the line “I used to rule the world.” Very valuable.

Islam quit music at the end of the 1970s to focus on his faith and family before returning to live performances several years ago.

Prefuse 73’s Scott Herren has posted a sweet treat for all of us freeloadin’ and downloadin’ folks via the band’s blog. A mix of over 30 songs, produced and compiled from Prefuse’s 2003 tour, are now available to right-click and save. The one-of-a-kind artwork that accompanied the mix CDs, however, are not available for download.

Says Herren:

“I did O.G. artwork for each one with acetate, pencil and marker. This drove my entire touring party insane because I was working on them all day in the back of the tour bus. My friends were coming up with various ways to kill me.”

Herren also mentions that he and John Herndon from Tortoise also made some “SICK” hand-stitched covers together. How cute and very domestic. Do you think they used a BeDazzler?

Click the MediaFire link under the artwork listed here.

Canada has some good exports going on: beer, nuclear fuel, bacon. Ontario’s Junior Boys fall right in line with these tasty acquisitions, releasing 2006’s wistful and unadulterated So This Is Goodbye to critical acclaim and a world tour that followed suit.

Such a praise is hard to draw from with the duo’s newest release Begone Dull Care, which truthfully is fairly saddening to stomach. The tracks on the eight song album reflect more of a transitory approach and sometimes lose focus on nailing a hook, the Boys wading a bit in their keys trying to find a clear path.

Starter “Parallel Lines” employs lite Depeche Mode industrial congos, also being a bit slower in beat but still harboring a nice change in pace for an opening song. This attitude also spills into “Work”, which induces a more downtempo feel instead of the Boys’ usual upbeat tactics.

There are proud attempts for more dancefloor tracks, however. “Hazel” is most successful, and I want so badly for this to be more of the album, as it integrates a fantastic pop element, hook and feel to compliment singer Jeremy Greenspan’s breathier vocals, which finally break away from his more quieter moments to make an appearance here. “Bits and Pieces” offers synth slightly reminiscent to Sega’s Sonic 3, but Greenspan’s singing here again is lined up much sexier and stronger, evocative of last album’s “The Equalizer.”

But songs like “Sneak A Picture” and “Dull To Pause” don’t tell me anything new, and sound like rehashing from an old studio session. Closer “What It’s For” lays the album out flat as a finale, dry and abandoned. The album cohesively seems muddled, and while gems like “Bits and Pieces” seem like a step in the right direction, it’s hard to distinguish how the guys even feel about the album themselves. It seems like the Junior Boys are swimming a bit to try and regain footing in the striking element that made both Last Exit and So This Is Goodbye such gorgeous albums to strap your headphones on for.