Obviously a talented director with an ear for good music, Paul Thomas Anderson has stated that his screenplay for Magnolia was written largely around the songs of Aimee Mann and his upcoming flick There Will Be Blood is scored by Johnny Greenwood. Now comes word from Pitchfork that a short film he made a few years ago with Elliott Smith may be released by Wholphin sometime in 2008. In the film, Elliott plays a (you guessed it!) Rastafarian basketball player. The film allegedly also features musicians Fiona Apple, Brad Mehldau, and “a bizarre and wonderful Bette Midler cameo.” What cameo could Midler have that is more peculiar than Elliott as a Rastafarian basketball player? A Knights Templar flutist? A Galeophobic magician’s assistant?

Because the release of Super Mario Galaxy for the Nintendo Wii, (the first proper Mario adventure since 1996’s Super Mario 64 and very possibly the greatest game in the history recorded time) coincides with the ongoing writer’s strike, the Vulture Blog has assembled an ace list of the Ten Video Games That Should Be Movies (and the Directors Who Should Make Them)! The pitches for Wes Anderson’s Duck Hunt and The Coen Brothers’ Oregon Trail are spot-on, but sadly the list doesn’t include Peter Jackson’s Legend of Zelda (or Donkey Kong, Jackson loves big monkeys!) Any other ideas?

The December issue of Blender is set to declare the 100 Greatest Indie Rock Albums Ever. It’s an interesting compilation that should spark some interesting debate. But before you get too into their head-scratching inclusion of artists like De La Soul and M.I.A. on a rock album list, consider that the same issue of Blender gives credence to the idea of The Hills’ Heidi Montag as a pop star.

100 The Shaggs - Philosophy Of The World
99 Dream Syndicate - The Days Of Wine And Roses
98 Palace Music - Viva Last Blues
97 The Mekons - Rock ‘N’ Roll
96 TV On The Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain
95 The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I
94 Half Japanese - Greatest Hits
93 Big Black - Atomizer
92 Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
91 The Chills - Kaleidoscope World
90 Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
89 Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock & Roll
88 Daniel Johnston - Yip/Jump Music
87 Wolf Parade - Apologies To The Queen Mary
86 Flipper - Album - Generic Flipper
85 The Clean - Anthology
84 Beat Happening - You Turn Me On
83 The Misfits - Walk Among Us
82 The Embarrassment - Heyday 1979-83
81 The Vaselines - The Way Of The Vaselines
80 Feist - The Reminder
79 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
78 The 13th Floor Elevators - The Psychedelic Sounds Of The 13th Floor Elevators
77 Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
76 Le Tigre - Le Tigre
75 Galaxie 500 - Today
74 The Fall - 50,000 Fall Fans Can’t Be Wrong
73 Meat Puppets - Up On The Sun
72 The Mountain Goats - We Shall All Be Healed
71 Stereolab - Refried Ectoplasm
70 Mudhoney - Superfruzz Bigmuff Plus Early Singles
69 Nick Drake - Pink Moon
68 Descendents - Milo Goes To College
67 Hüsker Dü - New Day Rising
66 Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth
65 Various Artists - No New York
64 Cat Power - The Greatest
63 Nirvana - Bleach
62 The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms
61 LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem
60 Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
59 Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
58 Built To Spill - There’s Nothing Wrong With Love
57 Bikini Kill - Pussy Whipped
56 Archers Of Loaf - Icky Mettle
55 Bad Brains - Bad Brains
54 Unrest - Imperial F.F.R.R.
53 Smashing Pumpkins - Gish
52 Bright Eyes - Lifted Or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground
51 Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
50 Rilo Kiley - More Adventurous
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Set to further show that shiftless group Josie and the Pussycats how an animated band should merchandize themselves, Gorillaz are getting both a biography and documentary to expand on the mythology and history of the cartoon musicians. Gorillaz: Rise of the Ogre is a full-color 300-page biography covering the band and it out now for your reading enjoyment. Meanwhile, Ceri Levy (who previously directed a Blur documentary) is set to helm Bananaz, a feature-length documentary that is set to drop on DVD sometime in 2008.

MP3:
Gorillaz - Kids With Guns (Hot Chip Remix)

Sir Paul McCartney has revealed that he asked Thom Yorke to record a duet with him - but Yorke turned him down. McCartney explained that Yorke, who has previously duetted with PJ Harvey and Björk, said he now wasn’t happy working on music other than that made with his own band and his solo material. Yorke’s previous duets have been ace, so perhaps Yorke feared he might end up hawking magic potions with the Ex-Beatle. Check out Yorke’s previous duets below.

MP3s:
Björk (featuring Thom Yorke) - “I’ve Seen It All”
PJ Harvey (featuring Thom Yorke) - “This Mess We’re In”