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”

MTV said today they had pull back on the shot of Seth Rogan and James Franco smoking pot (real or otherwise) at the last minute in yesterday’s MTV Movie Awards because, “It would lead to good times had by all and a further desire to watch music videos and/or put in an old VHS cassette of Beavis and Butthead.” It continues, “It would be a sad day for MTV and a sad day for all the young kids reliant upon MTV for the encouragement of binge drinking and unsafe sex.”

Um, so… They didn’t really say that. And who cares whether they showed Seth Rogan and James Franco smoking weed anyway? Certainly, if I cared, I would have been watching. Here’s the clip if you care to watch it:

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?”

When I get bored or stressed out I like to watch old video games on YouTube. I find the simplicity of the gameplay and music makes the world seem small and conquerable. So every Friday, I present you with a different gem from the past.

This week’s game: Bubble Bobble. Enjoy!

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)

Maybe Saturday Night Live should stick to doing ONLY parodies of The Office from now on because, seriously, the two Office parodies they’ve done recently, have been two of the best things they’ve done, since, I don’t know, when Will Ferrell left?

Both feature Jason Sudeikis and Kristen Wiig as Jim and Pam, respectively, who do a great job mugging for the cameras. And Kristen Wiig, who has become a star since Rainn Wilson’s SNL, does an amazing Japanese-Pam-laugh. Kenan Thompson does Stanley justice in both, and Bill Hader steps in for Rainn in the Japanese version. I think, though, that seeing Steve Carell say “That’s what she said” in Japanese (I’m pretty sure that’s what he said towards the beginning with Pam) puts “The Japanese Office” over the top — and having Ricky Gervais in support doesn’t hurt either. But either way, they’re both classic moments from SNL.

Watch Steve Carell and Rainn Wilson on SNL After the Jump