Weezer is doing this Hootenanny thing where fans (still?) get to play along with the band. Unfortunately, they forgot one thing: There is a reason most fans playing and singing is confined to late night drinking binges in dorm rooms and karaoke bars (Hint: they sound AWFUL.) I mean, it’s very, like, Web 2.0 of Weezer and all, to hang out and sing songs with their fans, and “share the love,” etc. and then have someone post the video to Vimeo, not force them to take it down Prince-style, and then watch more love filter in. BUT SERIOUSLY. Is this really what we want from our performers these days? Not to hear them, but to hear us?

Girl Talk, the brainchild of electronic musician Greg Gillis, is releasing their next album “Radiohead style” sometime later this week via the Illegal Art website. Greg Gillis explains to Pitchfork,

First of all, there’s a lot of current pop and hip-hop sampled on the album, and I wanted to get it out there as soon as possible.

. . .
So for this one, I feel like I’m in a fairly lucky situation to have people who want to hear it already before even hearing it. That much is a rare thing in my career so far. I think what we went for seems like an obvious game plan now, just because as soon as it hits the internet, anyone who reads the internet can get it for free if they want to. So why not tap in and let them actually take a step back and think about it, and maybe offer some money? It seemed to make sense, especially because kids who listen to my music are probably fairly attached to the internet and can get it for free if they actually want to.

*Insert applause here*

Girl Talk YouTubery after the jump

6. Dashboard Confessional, “Vindicated”

There’s something extra sad about getting pumped up by a song from a superhero movie, especially when the movie features a guy swinging around in tights. Still, this is a great pop song. And even though Dashboard Confessional is nowhere near as good as indie rock emo peddlers Death Cab For Cutie, have they ever rocked this hard?

Continue Reading: “Guilty As Charged: 6 Songs I Should Hate, But Don’t”

The first single off Jessica Simpson’s forthcoming country album, “Come On Over,” has leaked to the internets. As you might expect, it sounds AMAZING. (And by amazing, I mean really generic and slightly less annoying than her previous work.) Shocking, I know. But here’s why it “works”:

Jessica Simpson has always been a country star posing as a pop star. She never had the pipes or big city swagger of Christina or the goofy girl next door kookiness (now craziness) of Britney. No, Simpson is the embodiment of the country music star model: Big boobs, Texas roots, low IQ — like Toby Keith, but with less chest hair.

So what does this have anything to do with saving the good ol’ US-of-A?

Continue Reading: “Why Jessica Simpson’s Country Album Will Save America”

If you haven’t seen the Weezer video for Pork and Beans yet, essentially, it just puts Weezer (and Rivers’ cool moustache) together with a bunch of YouTube celebs.

Everyone seems to like the new Weezer video. Especially internet people. Not me.

This song/video is exactly what’s wrong with Weezer.

Continue Reading: “Weezer’s Video For ‘Pork And Beans’: Will It Blend?”

Video of people being punched in the face (via Waxy)

Compilation of Steve Carell saying “That’s what she said” (via Kottke)

Photos of TV (via Buzzfeed)

Ten Colbert clips you probably haven’t seen (via TV Squad)

Old guy attempting beer pong slam dunk (via Deadspin)

Michael Showalter is so indie (via Videogum)

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” on the Wii (via Waxy)

What. The. F*ck. Has Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo completely lost it? Rivers has been putting together a song based on fan submissions from YouTube piece by piece. It seems mad. But it’s incredibly funny, and actually a sort-of brilliant idea. It’s likely this song will be better than half the stuff on the last four albums (including the new one). Below is the clip of Rivers putting together the bridge and talking like a chipmunk.

(via Stereogum)

Fergie visited The Today Show this morning in order to prove that sexiness begins before the kids go school. Mmm. Think of all the awkward silences around the breakfast table. (Ok, I realize no one actually sits around the table for breakfast anymore, but just bear with me for a minute.)

And then to see Fergie not only butcher Heart’s Barracuda, but writhe around making sex noises in front 10 year old boys dragged to the show by their mothers hoping to get a whiff of Meredith Viera’s perfume. Barra-cooties, anyone?

(via A Socialite’s Life)

As anyone who follows me on twitter knows, I have recently fallen madly in love with Billy Bragg. And one of my favorite songs is “Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards.” I found this video of Billy playing the song last year at SXSW via The Current, which is an awesome public radio station out of Minneapolis. (They have an excellent weekly podcast as well.) Mr. Bragg is always tweaking the lyrics to this classic. Here are some choice lyrics in this version:

“The Cold War now is over / But the stakes are getting higher / I’m frightened of collateral damage / And of friendly fire / And I don’t believe we can defeat no Axis of Evil by putting smart bombs in the hands of dumb people.”

Seriously good stuff people.

Check out the video of Billy playing live at SXSW after the Jump

It looks like Scarlett Johansson got caught on video trying to “sing” some Tom Waits songs recently. Someone even recorded her doing it as prank and are putting it out as an album — a non-standard celebrity oops (a little refreshing, actually).

For the record, my money is on Zooey Deschanel as best starlet singer. She’s like a sweet little wet puppy with those big round eyes of hers — what is known as a PILF in some circles — and having M. Ward right there beside her makes for a formidable team.

Continue Reading: “Who Would You Rather: Scarlett Johansson or Tom Waits?”