Pitchfork Music Festival 08 Line-Up Announced

Pitchfork Music Festival 2008

Pitchfork has announced the initial lineup for their hipster shizz fest taking place in Chicago’s Union Park on Friday, July 18, Saturday, July 19, and Sunday, July 20. Interestingly, while this year’s Coachella crowd is getting a dose of classic-rock courtesy of Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters performing “Dark Side of the Moon” in its entirety, P-Fork has Public Enemy offering up the full version of their classic hip-hop album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. Check out the lineup after the jump!

Read the rest of this entry »

Andrew W.K. Pens Song Inspired By The McLaughlin Group

Andrew W.K. John McLaughlin

Andrew W.K. draws musical inspiration from a wide variety of sources - like partying, partying, and…um, political shoutfest The McLaughlin Group. Although host John McLaughlin only makes Hypeful think of Dana Carvey (“Wrong!!!”), AWK put together a song for Fair Game with lyrics drawn from the following strange exchange that occurred between McLaughlin and Pat Buchanan:

MCLAUGHLIN: Question: Does Romney’s endorsement seal the deal? Is McCain now the inevitable Republican nominee? I ask you, Pat.
BUCHANAN: John, absent celestial intervention, I think he’s going to get the nomination.
MCLAUGHLIN: Absent what?
BUCHANAN: Celestial intervention.
MCLAUGHLIN: Well, it happens, Pat. May he rest in peace, Paul Wellstone. John Heinz was killed in an airplane crash.
BUCHANAN: Well, let’s not speculate on it.
MCLAUGHLIN: Death comes in the night on cats’ paws, Pat. You never know.
BUCHANAN: On little cats’ feet. That’s the fog, John, that comes in on little cats’ feet.
MCLAUGHLIN: I changed it to cat - Sandberg be damned.

You can listen to Andrew further explain why he is so inspired by Mclaughlin’s artistry/poetry here, or just listen to the song below. Someone should totally put together a “Wrong!!! Remix”…

MP3:
Andrew W.K. - “McLaughlin Groove”

Madonna Inducted Into Hall of Fame; Covered by Iggy Pop

Madonna Music Hall of Fame Justin Timberlake Iggy Pop

Madonna was inducted into the Music Hall of Fame over the weekend with the bizarre assistance of Justin Timberlake and Iggy Pop. In his induction speech, Timberlake related how Madge personally gave him a B-12 shot while the pair were working on her forthcoming album Hard Candy. Madonna opted out of performing at the ceremony, instead asking Iggy Pop and The Stooges to perform on her behalf. The group obliged Madonna’s request with covers of two of her legendary singles - “Burning Up” and “Ray Of Light”. The induction of Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie was so strange, it’s almost easy to over look that this year’s inductions also included John Mellencamp, Leonard Cohen and the Dave Clark Five.

MP3:
Iggy Pop & The Stooges - “Burning Up / Ray of Light”

VIDEO:
Iggy Pop & The Stooges Perform “Burning Up” & “Ray of Light”

New The National - “Around the Bend”

The National band

While playing a live show at BAM a couple of weeks ago, The National took the opportunity towards the end of their set to debut a brand new song called “Around the Bend.” If you’re a National junkie like Hypeful (or a fan of good music), this new song is just the fix you need while waiting in the long, long interim for their new album to be released. (Via The Music Slut)

MP3:
The National - “Around the Bend”

The Honorary Title Covers Alicia Keys’ “No One”

Jarrod Gorbel Alicia Keys The Honorary Title

Before releasing her double Grammy-grabbing single “No One,” Alicia Keys explained that the song was about her decision to retreat from the obligations of stardom when she found out a loved one was in need of care. Backed by just his acoustic guitar, The Honorary Title’s Jarrod Gorbel recently recorded an emo-folkie cover of the song. Obviously recognizing the fine line between his painful R&B source material and emo, Gorbel goes all earnest on the track and amps up the original’s sore heart lyrics. What? You wanted another cover of “Umbrella”?

MP3s:
The Honorary Title - “No One” (Alicia Keys cover)
Alicia Keys - “No One”

VIDEO: