If you live in or will be traveling to England anytime after January 7 of 2010, you might be able to purchase your favorite classic (or new wave for that matter) album in stamp format. So there’s a cheap souvenir! Albums that look to be a part of the collection at this point include The Clash’s London Calling‘, Led Zeppelin IV, Power, Corruption & Lies by New Order, Primal Scream’s Screamadelica, Let It Bleed by The Rolling Stones and yes, A Rush of Blood To The Head by Coldplay. Good thing it wasn’t Viva La Vida, or Joe Satriani’s face would have been legally obliged one tenth of the stamp. We kid. (Via: NME)

Are You Reading This?

I don’t know if I would be.

In 2009, how does one offer an over-saturated musical blogosphere another column worth reading? How does one differentiate themselves from the legions of blogs offering the same imitated or emulated musical opinions as the next? Can we expect a Darwinian effect that will see the demise of websites and blogs that have no sustainable reason for their existence? Or can we expect a continued influx of under-qualified and over-spoken neophytes wanting their own site on Wordpress? I voiced my online-existential anxieties to Stuart Berman (of Pitchfork Media and Eye Weekly) a few months ago. “Where is there left to go? What’s left to offer when there’s already a Pitchfork, already a Rolling Stone, already a BBC, etc.?” I asked, knowing full well the impossibility of actually addressing such inquiry in a casual discussion. He was unbothered. “Honestly, good writing is good writing. At the end of the day, that is the stuff that will make it.” Touché, Stuart. Cynical Me wanted to say, “Well, easier for you to say when a part of wildly reputable organization with a cult-like following.” Reasonable Me stops Cynical Me from actually saying it.

I talk to Derek about this.

mcranston: How does a music blog sustain itself?
derek: realistically, or theoretically?
mcranston: both …
derek: theoretically, it’s through ads and sponsorships, etc
derek: but realistically, it’s traffic
mcranston: isn’t that more realistically?
mcranston: theoretically, i think blogs sustain themselves through constant updates, contemporary relevance, and expositions of new bands.
mcranston: realistically, it’s obviously just about money.
mcranston: and site traffic is intrinsically linked to money.
derek: yeah, i agree
derek: ultimately good content will bring people in
derek: or i should say, keep them there
derek: but honestly, that’s not so true
derek: it’s really about luring them in
mcranston: Exactly.
mcranston: and that’s the question I’m trying to ask.
derek: it can also mean a big exclusive story or MP3
mcranston: okay …
derek: the first site to post an Animal Collective MP3 is going to get a ton of traffic, so it’s a game a little bit. bit then a pfork or fader they have a built in audience, so they can kind of expose new people and not worry about whether they have enough “big” content on their site.

We don’t get very far and my queries subsist. How does any music blog sustain itself? Berman’s right: patience, trust in quality writing, patience, a unique voice, patience and some sort of cohesive/organized body. Granting these elusive qualities, what then is the ultimate aspiration of the Music Blog? Perhaps to present a mode of thinking that allows the reader of any genre to appreciate a sound or style to which he or she may not commonly gravitate (I guess?). Successfully articulating why an artist is worth listening is no easy task. Most websites don’t accomplish this feat, and few writers come close. Besides, this presupposes the reader is willing to read past the rating.

Being Jaded Is Easy

The torrent of information has already flooded and we’re bored and stagnant. The stories on Stereogum take two minutes to read. Pitchfork’s precise numerical grading system renders a careful reading of the actual review completely extraneous (i.e. an 8.1> is worth getting when you have time, an 8.8> should be downloaded within the day). Hipster Runoff is the absolute pinnacle of a frighteningly self-aware (and self-referential) media that has come to realize the ridiculousness of its environment. It’s like a fish being aware he swims in a fish tank. William Bowers, under the Puritan Blister pseudonym, recently explored Twitter’s insidious effect on the written word. To synthesis his article (though his distinctive prose should encourage a close reading): Bowers worries about the ADD of today’s technological culture and its affect on aesthetic taste (and cerebral development). Is the 140-character limit Twitter all we have to say? Whereas Bowers worries about the macro state of reading and writing, I worry about being read at all. Sure, I post the occasional link on my Facebook page when an album is really fucking good, but familial support via social networking sites only goes so far.

It’s tough not to worry I’m the journalistic equivalent of a Pitchfork echo. What am I to offer other than further confirmation that Animal Collective reign over indie-rock, or that TV on the Radio are the celebrated post-Dubya era band, or that Joe Satriani is suing Coldplay? Hell, even further, how do I strive to not become a Pitchfork-related derivative while simultaneously lauding Deerhunter, Fucked Up or Okkervil River?

Attracting Readers

I’ve given great thought how to attract more readers to The Tripwire, particularly in the vein of new sections. But most of my suggestions were predicated on sensationalist or dumbed down journalism: giving a ranking system to our album reviews, offering 250-word controversial opinions that would at least “get people talking” or just writing trivial details on our favorite bands (you know, like, who Sufjan’s dating). Inevitably, the question comes down to site credibility and reputation. Do we want to be the Perez Hilton of music journalism? After all, Hipster Runoff is as nauseating as it is funny. Actually no, the question comes down to attracting a large and consistent reader-base. How do I get you to read our site more? Is it a matter of venerability?

mcranston: okay, so with the sites that don’t necessarily have the fortune of a “built-in audience,” how do they establish one?
derek: that’s the “game.” one is persistence. doing something well and doing it over time. the other, which is easier for sites that specifically post news (like us and Daily Swarm) is SEO-friendly titles and the kind I like to consider “yellow journalism” that help lure people in
derek: but yes, also having a unique angle like hipsterunoff
derek: oh, and social networing assets, but that’s a whole other conversation

I can only hope it’s venerability. After all, my blog created this past summer, In The Gnar, joined the landfills after just one entry (but what an entry it was).

Effable Solipsism

Can I talk my shit again?

I suppose it takes the most vain (and dubious) of solipsists to open a column with self-referential concerns. It’s very Klosteran-esque to be reviewing oneself in the first place, let alone with such scrutiny. But my considerations are not ill founded. I honestly don’t know if you’re reading his. I don’t receive feedback. I don’t know how many of you there even are.

mcranston: Puritan Blister by William Bowers of Pitchfork is one of the best columns I’ve read on a music website
mcranston: he’s wildly erudite. his prose is unique. he’s complicated. a very fascinating read,
mcranston: so why do you think his column isn’t a staple among p4k readers?
derek: you just answered it
derek: he’s wildly erudite. his prose is unique. he’s complicated.
derek: people want simple and easy to understand
derek: Filet Mignon is amazing, but more people eat MacDonalds
derek: I guess what I’m getting at is it’s so broad and generalized (his topic that is) that people don’t really understand what Puritan Blister is until you delve into it
derek: which is why it’s so great
mcranston: Yes.
mcranston: so with that in mind, what lessons do we take for this column here
mcranston: – simple idea?
derek: I think the answer is talking to these people who’s opinions we take as “experts”
derek: because that allows you/us to delve into these very broad and expansive topics under the veil of a very simple concept

Or maybe I need a change of scenery. Writing in Starbucks is too cliché, too rom-com-esque, too “You’ve Got Mail”-ish. I need to start smoking, and get a type-writer, and probably grow a better beard. I bet that’s how Pitchfork does it.

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.

Coldplay has said enough is enough with all the copy-catting banter that has been circulating around their song “Viva La Vida”. As we previously reported, both Cat Stevens and Joe Satriani have accused the pop-rock musicians of ripping off their music. The band has adamantly denied the accusations and now Will Champion, the band’s drummer, has a message for them both: “there are only eight notes in an octave and no one owns them.”

In an interview with Hamptonroads.com, Champion was insistent that Coldplay was innocent, and had no intention of having “Viva La Vida” sound anything like either Satriani or Stevens’ songs. He also added that pop song writing is relative, and it is undeniable that some songs are going to use some of the same chord progressions as others. (Thank you Champion for reiterating our point.)

In a statement Champion said: “It’s tough when people accuse you of stealing something when you know that you didn’t. We accept that it’s part of the territory and know it is only for some reason the successful songs that seem to be the ones that are accused of being stolen. So you go figure it out. There are elements of our music that I’ve heard in other people’s music, but a very difficult thing to define. There are only eight notes in an octave and no-one owns them. There are probably about 12,000 songs that feature the exact same chord progression. I think it [plagiarism] lies on an intent to steal, which we certainly have never done and never would. It’s unfortunate but it’s the way people are. That’s that. We’re confident we haven’t done anything wrong.”

Chris Martin and co. seem to have mastered the art of the generic pop-rock song when they wrote the title track for their last album Viva La Vida. Why else would the British alt-rockers keep finding themselves under scrutiny from other musicians accusing Coldplay of ripping them off? First it was Joe Satriani, claiming the foursome stole the melody for “Viva la Vida” from his song “If I Could Fly”, but now Cat Stevens has joined in on the drama, claiming the band actually ripped off the melody from his song, “Foreigner Suite”.

Unlike Satriani, Stevens has not said he will take legal action against the group, but the musician told The Sun that he is the real inspiration behind Coldplay’s music. Though this claim might seem a bit more plausible than the Satriani case, (can’t you envision Chris Martin rocking out to Cat Stevens over Joe Satriani any day?) we have to say, it is probably one more instance in pop song writing, where a generic melody takes the shape and sound of some other melody that was already written. It is the risk you run when in pursuit of writing a three-chord hit, too bad Coldplay just found a bit more success than their accusers while doing so.

This is not the first time Stevens has been a victim of song writing copy cats. In 2003, Stevens and The Flaming Lips agreed to split the royalties from the Lips’ song, “Fight Test” after it was said to be too similar to Stevens’ 1970 song, “Father and Son”. Even though Stevens doesn’t seem interested in pushing legal action against Coldplay, let this be a note to Chris Martin while in the studio: Just let Jon Hopkins and Brian Eno write all of your songs.

Back in February we told you Chris Martin and his Coldplay pals were planning to give fans a ‘thank you’ present for still buying tickets to shows, despite the state of the economy. The blueprints were drawn and the plans are now solidified, as Coldplay confirmed they will be giving away a live album to fans at their upcoming tour dates and as a free download from their website.

The nine-track live album, LeftRightLeftRightLeft, will be given to all fans that attend any of the dates on their Viva La Vida tour, and fans will also be able to download the album for free off of the band’s website, starting on May 15. In a statement, the band said “Playing live is what we love. This album is a thank you to our fans — the people who give us a reason to do it and make it happen.”

LeftRightLeftRightLeft track listing
01. Glass Of Water
02. 42
03. Clocks
04. Strawberry Swing
05. The Hardest Part/Postcards From Far Away
06. Viva La Vida
07. Death Will Never Conquer
08. Fix You
09. Death And All His Friends

To what degree is it absurdly patronizing that I didn’t take Laura Marling seriously because she’s a 19-year-old British female-folk/pop singer? Let’s call a spade a spade here: if you’re a young artist, you’re afforded little respect. If you’re a young woman, you’re afforded even less. These are entrenched stigmas in critical culture. It doesn’t help Marling’s cause that her songs are anchored on tales of failed or unrequited love. To sum it up: good-looking blonde teenager sings songs about her ex-boyfriend. Play coy all you want, but we both know transcending that persona on a critical level is pretty fucking tough. But we’re not talking about the Jonas Brother or Miley Cyrus here — we’re talking about Marling, who exudes a unique maturity in interviews; she is comfortable in the spotlight and admirably reticent. She doesn’t play to the camera; she plays to herself. She dismisses compliments about her maturity saying such self-analysis is unnecessary. And truthfully, she has little to nothing to do with her youthful contemporaries, but more with accomplished artists like Leslie Feist or Lykke Li.

So Marling wins points on personality, but points on songwriting? Definitely a few, but there’s plenty of work to do. She sings acceptable, innocuous folk songs. Lead single “Ghost” is Marling at her best with vulnerability on full display. But all the songs showcase this emotion to some degree, and they all basically sound the same: finger-picking guitar, accompanying piano or lead guitar, verse-chorus structure, gentle vocals. It’s tough to pretend like these songs differentiate from one another. Not to say they aren’t enjoyable, none are unbearable and none irritating — a listening experience not dissimilar to Coldplay — but ultimately, the listening experience is akin to a 38-minute coffee-shop performance. Alas, I Cannot Swim’s 12-tracks trot by without a change in momentum or character.

Marling’s touted maturity comes from her poetic maneuvering. She is clever and self-deprecating, but not self-pitying. Though unfamiliar hearing a 19-year-old dish existential advice, “don’t cry kid/ you’ve got so much more to live for,” she redeems herself often. It’s hard not to be charmed in the title track (hidden at the end of the disc) when she quips, “there is a boy across the river/ but alas, I cannot swim.” Her vivid imagery of ex-boyfriends is so accomplished that I can hardly believe they were written by someone so young: “At one in the morning the day has not ended/ by two, he is scared that sleep is no friend/ by four, he will drink but cannot feel it.” The best tracks bookend the album with “Ghost” opening and “Your Only Doll” finishing – both admirably earnest moments.

While the Avril Lavigne’s of the world claim to circumvent the “Label-Creates-the-Star” paradigm by maintaining personal autonomy, they reek of artificiality more than the Miley’s. But there is a real feeling Marling has nothing to do with them; she’s a talented bedroom musician being taken along for the corporate ride. Alas, I Cannot Swim is a satisfactory beginning; with character in check, and a knack for lyrics that feel ten times her age, Marling’s young career will hopefully evolve into something musically-original and artistically-engaging.

Astralwerks

They announced their formation barely a month ago and their debut album doesn’t come out for another five weeks, but apparently the buzz around “supergroup” Chickenfoot is so great that they’ve managed to sell out all nine road-test shows they had planned for the month of May.

Maybe it’s a fascination with that weird name, maybe it’s faith in the group members’ collective history (Van Halen, Red Hot Chili Peppers, suing Coldplay) or maybe it’s just the desire to fork over large sums of money to see bands whose music you’ve never even heard. We can’t really be sure. All we know is that from Seattle to Toronto to Philly, Chickenfoot tickets were a hot commodity.

In fact, tickets for the shows were in such high demand that the band has laid down a strict anti-scalping policy, requiring each ticket to be presented with ID at the door of each show. Apparently members of the band’s fan club were even shut out. (Fan club? Based on what? We know.)

Their debut album comes out June 9, and they’re promising fans they’ll be back on the road at bigger venues in August and September for a major North American tour. You can also check out a very informative introductory video here.

Sold-out Chickenfoot dates
05.14.09 – Seattle, Wash. (El Corazon)
05.15.09 – Vancouver, BC (Commodore Ballroom)
05.17.09 – San Francisco, Calif. (The Fillmore)
05.19.09 – West Hollywood, Calif. (The Roxy Theatre)
05.22.09 – Chicago, Ill. (Park West)
05.24.09 – Toronto, ON (The Mod Club Theatre)
05.26.09 – Cambridge, Mass. (Middle East Upstairs)
05.28.09 – New York, NY (The Fillmore)
05.29.09 – Philadelphia, Penn. (TLA)

Jon Hopkins came back to New York for the first time since his Madison Square Garden show opening for Coldplay, and the scene this go around was much different. I tried to catch him at the Museum of Natural History where he performed with Four Tet, but he was late in arriving, so we rescheduled to do the interview in our offices the day after he performed an intimate show at Pianos.

The composer, pianist and self-taught producer has worked with Brian Eno, Herbie Hancock, David Holmes and the previously mentioned Coldplay, yet few on our shores know of him — except for maybe the song he wrote for Coldplay’s Viva La Vida album, “Light Through The Veins”. His range of ambiant to trance to movie scores is nearly as impressive as his resume, which is just one of the reasons I wanted to talk to him.

Fully display on his upcoming record, and first in four years, Insides [May 5, Domino], Hopkins abilities represent the work of someone who has spent long hours honing his craft. Yes, Insides does include his version of “Light Through The Veins”, but it also includes a thorough representation of someone who is quickly becoming one of the best young producers of our era. As his bio states, Hopkins transcends genres, melding digital coldness with subtle, bucolic textures; veering from skewed elegance to strange, unsettling depths.

They denied it to their fans, they denied it to the press and now they’re denying it to the judge — Coldplay went on the record in federal court with their stance that no part of “Viva La Vida” was copied or borrowed from guitarist Joe Satriani’s “If I Could Fly.”

In a response filed in Los Angeles on Monday, attorneys for the band argued that any similarities between the two songs “weren’t enough to warrant damages.”

The response states that Satriani’s song “lacks originality” and should not receive copyright protection. Satriani’s lawyer, Howard E. King, said that the Coldplay response was fairly standard for a copyright infringement case, and that he thought the matter could have been resolved outside of court.

After the momentous success of last year, All Points West is back for another go at the festival scene, and even though we won’t be seeing Radiohead back on the stage for another round of jaw dropping performances this year, the line up is pretty stacked, having Coldplay, Tool and The Beastie Boys headlining the three day event at Liberty State Park in New Jersey. 

The festival will take place on July 31-August 2, and along with the three headliners, MGMT, Fleet Foxes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Gogol Bordello, Crystal Castles, and Echo & The Bunnymen are all part of the loaded line up. The festival is also taking a Coachella-like turn this year, axing the Queen of the Valley stage, and instead creating a tent to house comedy, DJs, and electronic acts, as reported by Brooklyn Vegan. 

If you went to the festival last year, you might remember the woes of traveling to and from the park, but don’t cringe too soon. This year the festival heads have tried to revamp the transportation system, to ensure more frequent ferry rides from Manhattan, and free Light Rail travel from Jersey-side travelers. One other major improvement has been made to the festival as well — the beer garden area will have shorter lines, more beer and will have views of the stage, so what more could you ask for? 

Tickets for All Points West go on sale on April 3rd, and further information about the festival will continue to be updated at the All Points website.

All Points West Music & Arts Festival line-up
Friday, July 31
Beastie Boys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend, The National, Fleet Foxes, MSTRKRFT, Q-Tip, The Pharcyde, Organized Konfusion, The Knux, Ra Ra Riot, Seasick Steve, Telepathe, Shearwater, Heartless Bastards, Flying Lotus, College Humor Live, Arj Barker, Eugene Mirman and Bo Burnham.

Saturday, August 1
Tool, My Bloody Valentine, Gogol Bordello, Arctic Monkeys, Neko Case, The Ting Tings, Yelle, Crystal Castles, St. Vincent, Tokyo Police Club, The Cool Kids, Kool Keith, Cage the Elephant, Chairlift, White Rabbits, Electric Touch, The Postelles, Black Gold, College Humor Live, Tim & Eric, Judah Friedlander and Jim Jeffries.

Sunday, August 2 
Coldplay, Echo & The Bunnymen, MGMT, The Black Keys, Elbow, Silversun Pickups, Mogwai, We Are Scientists, Ghostland Observatory, The Gaslight Anthem, Etienne De Crecy, Lykke Li, Akron/Family, Steel Train, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, College Humor Live, Janeane Garofalo, Michael Showalter and Todd Barry.

Dedicated to those songs that I can’t stop playing, humming, or thinking about; the 4+ minutes you fall head-over-heels in love with. Past instances have included The Groovie Ghoulies’ “I’m Doin’ Fine,” Electric Six’s “Improper Dancing,” and Tender Box’s “Spectacular Spider-Man Theme.”

I don’t buy music every week, so when I go shopping I often pick up more than one album at a time. This is great and stupid, because while the one-stop shopping is an economic use of my time, I end up unfairly comparing two unrelated, dissimilar albums. If I’d purchased The Velvet Underground’s first album on its own without the accompanying purchase of Van Halen II, I have a higher opinion of it today. When I bought the pair — for whatever reason — I couldn’t get into the trippy stylings of the Velvets because I was head over kicked heels for VH II. Since then I have grown and adapted from my initial impression, realizing it was unfair: Not only is Velvet decidedly overrated and more than a little dated, but the run of the final three songs of VH II (”D.O.A.,” “Women in Love” and “Beautiful Girls”) are better than anything Lou Reed could pretend to care about writing. Velvet Underground can’t touch VH II’s ass-less chaps.

This comparison trend of mine was tested again when I received the dual gift of the Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible along with The Faces‘ A Nod Is As Good as a Wink… To a Blind Horse, and if I’d been placing bets, I would have put it all down on the boozy bar rock of Rod Stewart and Ron Wood. Chuck Berry covers, dirty riffs, sexism… Wink is like a Stones cover album and should have swept me off my feet. I promised myself I’d listen to both albums all the way through once before allowing myself the privilege (or the handicap) of repeated listens. Wink won the first listen of the pair (which was chosen at random — I try to do these things fair since I understand my own psychosis better anyone).

But then I moved on to Neon Bible, which started with “Black Mirror”, and I forgot all about rooster hair cuts.

“Black Mirror” — in fact much of Neon Bible — is a fantastic musical creation forged from the qualities I find annoying in bands I don’t usually enjoy. The overt sincerity of U2, the airy musicality of the Talking Heads, the sing-it-to-Saturn of Bruce Springsteen, the symphonic back-up of Coldplay. Maybe it’s a ratio thing: I can’t get past these annoying bits with these bands because their music seems to offer little else. If things were more evened out, maybe I could actually manage to get through Achtung Baby. But somehow when these qualities join together in this Arcade Fire configuration, it sounds like the kind of noise that could consume the world.

At the risk of outing myself as a hack, “Black Mirror” is a classic example of an album launcher. Some Track One’s start an album only to get out of the way, and others announce the album’s presence and tell everyone to get on board fast. “Black Mirror” possesses an unrelenting drive, feeling at once out of control — like a stagecoach headed by rocket elephants — yet fully aware of where it’s heading. It may be aiming for a cliff, but it knew that from the start. The Arcade Fire have a major Bowie thing happening with most of their work, and that would be a hindrance if they didn’t wear it so well. One review of “Black Mirror” compared it to a reworking of the “Suffragette City” riff, but that misses the point. The song may cosmetically sound a little like “Suffragette”, but the culmination of all those textures brings intensity, depth, darkness and hope along with them. If anything, it feels like “Heroes”. Bittersweet, heartsick and romantic.

On the rare occasion I don’t repeat “Black Mirror” and actually allow another song the daunting task of following up, I half expect to hear Radiohead’s “The National Anthem”. This would theoretically fit the mood, but where Kid A is an experiment in anti-music, “Black Mirror” is about music-music. It’s as pro-music as you can get. Kid A is clinical and shattered, Neon Bible is lush and voluptuous. Radiohead tends to write music to comment on music itself, but there’s no barrier separating you from the emotions and excitement of The Arcade Fire. Neon Bible gives a million of these kinds of emotional payoffs, but “Black Mirror” demonstrates them in the kind of way that tells you everything you’d ever want to know about the band, or hope to find.

Tension runs through the entire song, and it’s never released, only eased. The singing, instruments and song entirely build up to a cliff before “falling” into the chorus once again. Each verse is a remount back up that hill. The best example of this comes right in the middle. We build and build with the lyrics, and that familiar piano lick trickles in late enough to remind us it’s there and to keep us climbing. Then the lyric doesn’t lead directly into the chorus, but takes us to the “That curse is never broken” section, and it doesn’t get broken for many measures after. Win Butler suddenly breaks into a French version of the titular chorus, deftly giving the song a plateau but still no free-fall into the dark waters beneath. The backing vocals rise to the forefront after the full orchestra takes us through the chorus once again. “The kiss is never broken,” and neither is this rhythm. Butler talks to his mirror as everything seems to crescendo until we finally hit the water and gasp for air.

Individually as pieces, the music isn’t complicated at all. It’s a simple rhythm guitar lick, straight-forward drums, bass line, piano lick. That’s where the true power of the song originates: it’s not inventing new wheels to play with. It’s using all the wheels we already knew were available in a way we could only hope to achieve. The placement of these elements shows mastery. “Black Mirror” is one of those songs that is so good and so consuming and so powerful and so magnificent that you can’t imagine a single person in the free world who wouldn’t enjoy it. This is the curse of music loving — of course there’s someone out there who won’t like it, and even worse there are some who will simply dismiss it as, “Yeah… that’s alright.” I can understand not liking something completely, but when a song like this demands the kind of respect and attention it so obviously does, a mere dismissal like that would result in glove-to-face slaps in a more gentile era.

“Black Mirror” marks a year’s worth of Greatest Song at This Moment articles, and I’m thrilled beyond words that I can continue to enjoy this song without having to uphold my self-imposed moratorium on each artist I consume. If anyone wonders about the thesis of this project (i.e. “Trying to answer WHY these songs are so great at these moments”), I have no better answer concerning “Black Mirror” than I would for Van Halen II. The answer is: They’re the best.

Watch the “Black Mirror” video.

It looks like Bruce Springsteen is making his way through the festival circuit this spring and summer. It was rumored just last week that Mr. America himself might possibly be headlining Bonnaroo Festival, but now Bruce will be making his way over to the U.K. for the Glastonbury Festival, where he will be the Saturday night headliner as well.

While we’re a little curious as to how “Born In the U.S.A.” will pan out over on the other side of the pond, the sold out music festival — which will take place on June 26-28 — and the its organizers are very excited to have Springsteen grace their stage. “I’m so pleased that Bruce Springsteen has agreed to come to Worthy Farm for the first time,” said festival chief Michael Eavis. “He’s one of the all-time rock legends and I’m confident that this will be one of our best shows ever.”

Just last week, Emily Eavis, who helps run the festival, dismissed rumors that The Rolling Stones and U2 would be headlining the festival, but said “I’m knocked out that we’ve managed to get Bruce to play. It’s the icing on the cake of this year’s bill, which I’m sure will take everyone’s breath away when we announce the full details.”

So far, only a hand full of acts along with Bruce have been confirmed for the festival, including Bon Iver, Lilly Allen, and Franz Ferdinand. Among other artists rumored to play are Neil Young,Blur, Coldplay, and Oasis.

Last night’s BRIT Awards saw Kings of Leon follow up their first Grammy with their first (two) BRITs, while Grammy darlings Coldplay were totally snubbed in favor of alt/indie/prog rockers Elbow.

Soul singer Duffy was the big winner of the night, taking home the award for British Female Solo Artist, Best British Breakthrough Act and Best Album for Rockferry.

Next in line with the most awards was, ironically, the very un-British Kings of Leon, who took home the BRITs for International Group and International Album for Only By The Night. American Katy Perry also got a little English love, winning the award for International Female Solo Artist. The male equivalent went to Kanye West.

But the biggest upset of the night (at least by our standards) was the award for Best British Group. The nominees were Radiohead, Coldplay, Girls Aloud, Take That and Elbow. Particularly with Radiohead and Coldplay having released two of the year’s most critically acclaimed albums in In Rainbows and Viva La Vida respectively, it’s a bit surprising (and refreshing, might we add) to see Elbow come out on top.

You can check out the full list of winners here.

While the Coldplay crew might be hopping aboard the free-music train this summer, fellow U.K. musicians Portishead will be too busy heating their swimming pools to give away their new album.

Chris Martin isn’t be the first person we would expect to give away an album for free, but the Coldplay front man announced that the band is working out plans to give away a free live album to fans who attend their shows this summer. “We are trying to work out a way that, when you hand your ticket in at the door, you get given the recording,” said Martin. “It would be such a cool thing to do.” Martin noted that during this recession, giving the live album to fans for free would be  a gift. Thanks Chris, for thinking of us little people in such times of economic hardship. You’re a real pal.

Portishead on the other hand, is not so economically conscious of the little guy, and instead is taking a polar opposite stance to their oh-so-generous, fellow Brits Coldplay. The band, who is currently free of any sort of recording contract, said they have lots of options for releasing their upcoming record, but it is very unlikely for them to release it for free.

“I don’t think that we’re into giving out music away for free to be honest.” said Geoff Barrow, on the band’s MySpace blog. “It fuckin’ takes ages to write, and we have to heat our swimming pools!”

We’ll see how warm Portishead’s swimming pools get when fans inevitably end up illegally downloading the album off the internet for free.

Kudos to The Daily Swarm for keeping track of Fox News for us. We tend to shy away from their brand of muckraking because we like to think of our tastes as a bit more couth and less sensationalistic. But we couldn’t pass up on another bit of news surrounding the whole Joe Satriani Vs. Coldplay fiasco.

As you should already know by now, Coldplay has been accused of ripping the melody for “Viva La Vida” (for the second time) from Satriani’s “If I Could Fly”.

Well, according to Fox, Satriani and his lawyers have been trying to bring the case to court, but claim that Coldplay has dodged being served. And where, when and how do his lawyers propose to catch the rascally band? To quote: “The Grammys are the easiest forum at which to strike while the iron is hot.”

While Satriani has stood by his claim that Coldplay lifted his 2004 instrumental, the band has vehemently disputed this, issuing a rebuke on their website. But that hasn’t stopped Satriani or his attorney Howard King of King Paterno et al. King has promised “a fleet of process servers lined up to dog the band everywhere they go this weekend in the hopes of serving them” and also warned Coldplay’s British lawyers that they with have camera crews roaming around with the process servers to get the whole thing on tape.

Finally, something exciting to look forward to at this year’s Grammys.

As we reported just about a week ago, Coldplay and producer Brian Eno are at it again; taking some time off to record new material, after the combo’s success on 2008’s Viva La Vida. Front man Chris Martin will not be part of the equation though; at least not for another few weeks.

Martin announced during a solo, acoustic performance for the London based radio station Absolute Radio today that Eno encouraged the band to step into the studio without Martin, saying in a letter that “Viva la Vida was good. But I know that you can do better.”

The band will be in the studio sans Martin for the next two weeks, working on material with Eno. For the time being, Martin will have to hang solo, saying “This should be interesting… I’ve never tried this before.”

We’ll have to wait and see how Coldplay makes out at the Grammy Awards next week, where the group is up for seven nominations for their work with Eno.

Coldplay and The Killers must have made New Year’s Resolutions to be more like Bono — they’re hitting Shepherds Bush Empire in February for a one-night-only charity gig to benefit War Child. Mostly all we know so far is that it’s supposed to be super intimate, with you and 2,000 of your best friends. All good deeds and charities aside, they need to take a hint from Morrissey on how to make a show intimate.

Tickets for the February 18 gig are £50 each, and they’ll be available for very lucky fans through a lottery system. The lottery opens for entries at 9 a.m. tomorrow (that’s 4 a.m. EST), through the War Child web site.

War Child works to protect children in war zones. The concert actually celebrates the charity’s 15th anniversary and the release of the album Heroes, which is out on February 16 and features tons of big names (Hot Chip, TV On The Radio, Elbow, etc.) re-recording tracks to benefit the organization.

Of the gig, Coldplay said: In our eyes, War Child is one of the world’s most important charities, and The Killers are one of our favourite bands, so playing this concert is an absolute pleasure for us.

Not to be outdone, The Killers added: Coldplay were one of the bands that gave us hope when we were just four boys in a garage. To share the stage with them for the War Child cause is an honour.

After much commercial success with Coldplay’s fourth studio album, Viva la Vida, it sounds like Brian Eno will be heading back into the studio to collaborate with the British foursome once more. Or is that sound a tweet?

Eno recently wrapped up work on U2’s new album, No Line On The Horizon, and will be joining Coldplay in the studio before they gallivant off to Tokyo in February for the start of their world tour.

Though Eno received some slack for his last go with Coldplay, fans and critics most likely won’t be crying this time around, after the news of Coldplay’s seven Grammy nominations and 4 BRIT nominations for their work with Eno on Viva.

In total, Coldplay has received four Grammys to date, including Record Of The Year in 2004 for Clocks. Perhaps the Eno-magic will help rocket U2 to such success with their new album as well.

Coldplay might have topped the BRITs nominations list with four nods, but our choice for best week ever goes to blues man Seasick Steve. He not only became the oldest artist ever nominated for a BRIT award this week, but also announced he’s getting ready to work with Jack White.

Seasick Steve made the announcement at the BRITs nomination party. Of course, he also admitted that prior to being nominated he’d actually never heard of the BRITs. At 67 years old he takes the cake for oldest ever nominee, shortlisted in the Best International Male category. Poor Steve is up against Beck, Kanye West, Jay-Z and Neil Diamond. But apparently he tests well with the British, and has for a while now — he won the 2007 MOJO award for best breakthrough act — so we have our fingers crossed.

Other than Steve, Coldplay pulled a Grammy repeat, scoring four nominations. They tied with soul songstress Duffy (whose album beat them out for best-seller in the UK in 2008) at the top of the heap, with Adele, Elbow and Scouting for Girls close behind at three nods each.

Radiohead, Girls Aloud, Estelle and the Ting Tings grabbed two noms each, with Radiohead and the Ting Tings competing against Coldplay and Elbow for best British album.

The nominees for both the best international group and best international album awards are AC/DC, Fleet Foxes, the Killers, Kings of Leon and MGMT. The best international female category (the counterpart to Seasick Steve’s nomination bunch) features Beyonce, Gabriella Cilmi, Katy Perry, Pink and Santogold.

The BRITs are also bringing back the award for best producer, last given at the ceremony in 1998. The nominees — Bernard Butler, Brian Eno and Steve Mac — will find out their fate a little sooner than everyone else, as the award will be presented at the Music Producers Guild Awards on Feb. 12.

The rest of them will be handed out on February 18 in London. The only artist who can count on taking home a trophy is Florence and the Machine, who is the winner of the 2009 Critics’ Choice award, chosen annually by a media panel. Well, her and the Pet Shop Boys, who will be recognized in the outstanding contribution to music category. You can check out the full list of nominations here.

U2, the Pet Shop Boys, Kings Of Leon, Duffy and Girls Aloud will perform at the awards ceremony.

With no rhyme or reason, our editorial staff chooses the top 10 biggest music-related news stories of 2008. Coming in at #4: Coldplay Accused Of Ripping Off “Viva La Vida”.

Ironically, on the same day “Viva la Vida” lands on our top singles list, this seemingly never-ending saga about Coldplay’s “inspirations” behind the song lands them on our biggest news stories list. Accused twice of plagiarizing the song, the latter of which actually resulted in rock guitarist Joe Satriani suing. Satriani’s copyright infringement suit, filed in L.A. federal court, alleges that “Viva La Vida” features “substantial original portions” of his 2004 instrumental track “If I Could Fly”.

Read the full story and compare the two songs here.

40 Year Old Virgin called them gay and the BBC said they induce narcolepsy, but Coldplay’s triumphant “Viva la Vida” is a current testament to their monstrous fame. From the insistent string section that opens the track to the anthemic “wo-ho-ah-ho!” harmonies that end it, “Viva la Vida” refuses to let go of our attention for even a second. Chris Martin sings loud and firm, better than ever before, telling a story of royalty that might well be his own: “I used to rule the world,” but like all royalty, his Kingdom fell. Not about rebuilding it, the song is about moving away from it. Say what you will about Coldplay or their perpetual mediocre albums, but to deny this song’s prowess is to deny deserving music based on foolish preconceived notions of what is cool, and what isn’t. Oh, and they didn’t steal it from Joe Satriani.

Coldplay – “Viva la Vida”