Jimmy Fallon Is "Putting It On The Roof"

Note: "Putting it on the roof" is slang my friend Ben told me for stepping your game up so much: you put it on the roof. He may or may not have made it up.

Talk show host and world's most frequent laugh-er Jimmy Fallon has never been one of my favorites. For some reason though, I actually enjoy his talk show. I've gotten used to the awkwardness, the bits are semi-funny, the guests are usually awesome, and The Roots are the best band in Late Night.

Late Night, since the very beginning, has been giving spots to indie acts in music and comedy, and this week they had two of their best acts/performances so far.

Sunny Day Real Estate, in the midst of their reunion tour, stopped by to play "Seven" off their classic 1994 release Diary. The band is as tight as ever, although the full lineup hasn't played together in 15 years. Dan Goldsmith is still one hell of a drummer and Jeremy Enigk still has the voice that made them what they were. Here is them playing "Seven" from last nights show:

Sunny Day Real Estate - "Seven"

Dirty Projectors, album of the year candidate, and Bjork and David Byrne collaborators also stopped by Fallon recently to play a new song that blew Jimmy, the audience, and The Roots away. ?uestlove even tweeted and Twitvid(?) a video of DP playing in The Roots dressing room, absolutely amazed at what he heard. The song, "When The World Comes To An End" features some of the coolest harmonies you'll ever hear. Here it is:

Dirty Projectors - "When The World Comes To An End"

Weekend News (Elementary Edition)

Remember when you were growing up, attending grade school, watching ABC's TGIF line-up (Hangin' With Mr. Cooper/Boy Meets World combo was TV gold), and then writing on big, thick olive-colored paper at your desk on Monday mornings, describing your weekend adventures? ...Just me? Here's the NMTM version of what happened in the world of rock 'n' roll this weekend:

Over the weekend, Jared from Black Lips got in a scuffle with Nathan from Wavves in a New York City bar. Or so one side says. Afterwards, they both released semi-legitimate press releases about the incident, chock full of indie rock hatred and F-bombs. What a bunch of bad kids. More here. "I had fun. It was fun."

Passion Pit & Phoenix played two shows in Central Park. Jim’s brother attended the Saturday show. Oh man, I’m just thinking - they all could’ve gone and joined the Black Lips/Wavves brawl once the show was over. I guess they realized their age. More here. “I had fun. It was fun.”

Morrissey’s album cover for Swords was released. What’s he running from? A US tour date was announced, too, but all the shows are on the West Coast. Lame. “It was fun. I had fun.”

And finally, we updated this very blog with a post about our 25th show. Check it out! (You don't need a link, it's underneath this post.)

Black Lips - "Bad Kids"

And now, recess…

September 25, 2009 (Playlist)

September 25, 2009 (Playlist):
"Our Twenty-Fifth Show!"

Pearl Jam – The Fixer
Built To Spill – Center Of The Universe
The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition
Julian Plenti – Fun That We Have
*”Allen Reed Memorial Cover Of The Week”: The Books (Feat. José González) – Cello Song (Nick Drake Cover)
Fionn Regan – The Ballad Of The Toad Eaters
Vampire Weekend – Ottoman
Cold War Kids – I’ve Seen Enough
Jenny Lewis – See Fernando
St. Vincent – Marrow
The Airborne Toxic Event – Sometime Around Midnight

The Thermals – When I Died
*”Punk Trunk!”: Nirvana – Breed
The Dead Milkmen – Punk Rock Girl
Dirty Projectors – Cannibal Resource
Santigold – L.E.S. Artistes
Rogue Wave – Fantasies
*”The Mighty Mighty Boss-Tune”: Bruce Springsteen – The Wish (Live)
(Indie News): New Moon OST, Ben & Zooey Marriage, Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall Of Fame Nominees, Birthdays (Bruce Springsteen, Santigold, T.I., Tegan & Sara, and Will Smith)
Pixies – Wave Of Mutilation
Arcade Fire – Wake Up

*Background music consisted of various cult classic tunes from the 1980s. They ranged from The Beastie Boys to Van Halen, from cheesy to epic, covering multiple genres.

Our second show of the semester (25th in total) came and went this past Friday, but not before we tore it up with some great alternative tune-age. I took the board and Jim took the main microphone. With our powers combined, we put on one epic edition of NMTM. Again, our show was dominated by fresh music; this week featured songs from Pearl Jam, The Temper Trap, Julian Plenti, St. Vincent, Dirty Projectors, and more. A lot of the music we played was released in the month of September, varying in years of course, but still, we thought it would a be nice way to send off the month and the summer. Get this: we've added 2 new segments!: ”The Mighty Mighty Boss-Tune” and ”Indie News”. Four segments in a two-hour program might be a little too much for any college radio show, but we're not just any ordinary duo! Sound effects and introductions for these segments are coming soon. ”Punk Trunk!” hit you hard with the likes of The Thermals, leading into Nirvana and The Dead Milkmen. Then finally, we closed up shop with The Pixies and Arcade Fire. Our phones were working once again and we thank our numerous callers. If you didn't get on the air this week, we assure you, that you will next week. Tune in next week for more new music, some more of our witty banter, and of course: another great set!

Pearl Jam - "The Fixer"


Santigold - "L.E.S. Artistes"


Arcade Fire - "Wake Up"

We Knock Up 25 Tomorrow!

Your favorite college radio hosts are ready to rock the airwaves for our 25th installment of Never Mind the Mainstream tomorrow night, only on 88.3 FM KUR. First of all, a big thanks to all those who tuned in to our semester premiere last Friday; that was tops. But we're only just getting started! New music from Pearl Jam, The Temper Trap, Julian Plenti, Jenny Lewis, Dirty Projectors, and Jamie T hit our airwaves. And don't forget about our special segments: "The Allen Reed Memorial Cover Of The Week", "The Punk Trunk!", and "The Mighty Mighty Boss-Tune". All of this and much, much more TOMORROW, 6-8 PM!

Web-streaming LIVE @ kur.kutztown.edu. Call us @ (610)-683-4058 or IM us @ KURRequest.

Pixies - "U-Mass"

This Day In Rock: 9-24-91

Nirvana's monumental, breakthrough record Nevermind, came out on this day in 1991. Three people made that record; they were Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, and Dave Grohl. Even though the record is legal now (18 years old), there are still some unsettling questions about the grunge era and the band itself. What if kids weren't turned on by this movement? Where would the world of popular music be if Kurt was still alive? Would MTV still play music videos? What kind of music would be popular? What about alternative rock? And what about the future of the band? Would there be a Foo Fighters, Hole, or politician Novoselic? This record changed the face of rock music history and it will forever be one of my own (and many others) favorite albums of all time. Rest in peace, Kurt.

Nirvana - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"


Nirvana - "Come As You Are"


Nirvana - "Polly"

New Moon OST Tracklist Revealed

This may be the most anticipated soundtrack of all time, let alone, 2009. It may have (500) Days Of Summer beat. I like to think it's because some of the biggest names in alternative rock are releasing brand new, never-heard-before music on this CD. And it points out what a pivotal moment we're in for indie rock. Our favorite artists are once again on the fence, teetering over the edge, and potentially falling into the dreaded mainstream, where haters will swarm every blog and bash them with their posts. This will be a very commercial CD, no doubt about that, but it's already facing some with pitchforks and torches for certain artists touring Hot Topic outlets around the nation, promoting the release. However, though there is a need to fret a tad, there's so much to be excited about. The music is promising by roll call alone: Death Cab For Cutie, Thom Yorke, Lykke Li, The Killers, Muse, Bon Iver & St. Vincent, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Sea Wolf, Grizzly Bear, and Editors. Now that's a star-studded cast. Those working behind the soundtrack must have really persuaded these artists to get them to agree to such a thing; or maybe they all just really like the books, movies, and the subject of vampires in general? (We know Death Cab does).

We've talked about Death Cab's song before (they've been popping up on our blog in one form or another for quite some time now, with weddings and whatnot), but all this other new music is starting to make my head spin. It's a good kind of motion sickness, like being on an amusement park ride. I'm sure you can all find the music somewhere on the web and/or download the torrent someplace, but for me, I'm going wait and purchase this CD when it's physical release hits the shelf. I'm really going think about it. Really, really think about it. I guess my main concern is, what does such a commercial compilation mean for alternative rock in 2009? It's a decently-sized query. The music will do half the answering, I'm sure. The rest is up to how we handle it.

Here's the tracklist:

1. Death Cab For Cutie - "Meet Me On The Equinox"
2. Band Of Skulls - "Friends"
3. Thom Yorke- "Hearing Damage"
4. Lykke Li - "Possibility"
5. The Killers - "A White Demon Love Song"
6. Anya Marina - "Satellite Heart"
7. Muse - "I Belong To You (New Moon Remix)"
8. Bon Iver & St. Vincent - "Rosyln"
9. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - "Done All Wrong"
10. Hurricane Bells - "Monsters"
11. Sea Wolf - "The Violet Hour"
12. OK Go - "Shooting The Moon"
13. Grizzly Bear (Feat. Victoria Legrand) - "Slow Life"
14. Editors - "No Sound But The Wind"
15. Alexandre Desplat - "New Moon (The Meadow)"

The Twilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack is out 10/20 via Atlantic.

ClevverTV sheds some light on the OST...and then fans sing

Casablancas, Editors Got Some New Tunes

Yes. Yes they do. And they both sound futuristic. Julian Casablancas was the frontman of The Strokes until that ship sank (I'm not optimistic about a fourth record). His new song, "11th Dimension" is receiving a barrage of negative comments on YouTube. And I may have to agree with the community; it's going to take a while for this one to grow on me, if it ever does. But how typical is this? A band like The Strokes made similar music and similar-sounding records for most of the early half of the decade, so it seems natural that Mr. Casablancas would want to try and be creative with his first solo effort. You be the judge:

Julian Casablancas - "11th Dimension"

Phrazes For The Young is out October 19th, via RCA.

And then we have Editors. Great to hear from them again. They've got a new record coming out in a little while and we, the fans, have been introduced to their latest: "Papillon". YouTube comments range from "New Order!" to "New Order?" and many more of that sort. The video itself is something I love because it's just people running! And I am a fan of the epic sport known as foot-racing. However, this seems more like a guy frantically running across town to erase a voicemail on his girlfriend's answering machine, because just his luck, his car's engine is shot. I like this one right off the bat. I'm interested in seeing what else the new record can offer.

Editors - "Papillon"

In This Light And On This Evening is out October 12th, via Kitchenware Records.

Happy Birthday, Bruce Springsteen!

New Jersey's own Bruce Springsteen, The Boss, turned 60 today. Oh how we love him.

"You've always got to remember, rock and roll's never been about giving up. For me, for a lot of kids, it was a totally positive force...not optimistic all the time, but positive. It was never--never--about surrender."

And so I guess now is as good a time as ever to announce a new segment for our show: The Mighty Mighty Boss-Tune! (Clever, right?). We'll be playing a Springsteen song, EVERY SHOW, throughout the remainder of the semester. So that is definitely something to tune in for, along with our already significant line-up of great rock 'n' roll music.

Here are some music videos in honor of one of the coolest dudes in rock music history.

Bruce Springsteen - "Surprise, Surprise"

Bruce Springsteen - "Born To Run"

Bruce Springsteen - "Thunder Road"

Happy 60th, Bruuuuuuuuuce!!!

I Have Some Bad News...

I'm not sure if you care or not, but as you can see by my previous Pela post, I certainly do. But it turns out Pela is no more. They decided to call it a day, and what a day it was. There's nothing I can say that they haven't so I'll just show you what they wrote about the split and I promise to start blogging more once I get over my favorite band breaking up:

It is with great sadness that we write you today. Pela’s collective journey has come to an end.

Over the past 2 years we’ve faced tremendous obstacles. We recorded an album twice, had a falling out/legal battle with our old label, fired 2 managers, had a big record deal fall through, and Billy had a hand injury followed by a foot injury.

We’ve worked tirelessly to get our music out of ourselves and into your ears. We worked endlessly to make the music and our live show the best we could. At the end of the day we had to start dealing with some realizations.

We will never be able to thank you enough for your support. For those of you that drove and flew hours just to see a show, we thank you. For those of you who wrote us and gave us the opportunity to get to know you, we thank you. For those of you who told us to keep soldiering on, we thank you. Words can’t really describe how we’re feeling about this difficult decision, but we want you to know that it’s the healthiest decision we could make.

Your lovely faces are etched into our memories. Looking at the Crowd Project videos says it all.

Please keep in touch, we’ll promise to do the same.

xoxo- Nate, Billy, Tom, and Eric

Pela - "Rise Ye Sinking Ships/Lost To The Lonesome"

The Flowers/Butler Connection Get Pretty

...in Pink. Honestly, The Killer's frontman Brandon Flowers falters a bit in the chorus on this rendition, but redeems himself throughout the rest of the number. But it was nice to see him and his band grace the stage with the legendary new wave band, Psychedelic Furs. This went down a few days ago, the 16th to be exact, at the Hollywood Bowl. The Happy Mondays played, too, just a little bit earlier. I like to think it was a unique coming together of two worlds. The Furs still rock and The Killers add a little modern flare to the performance. Here's the video which features Jimmy Kimmel doing his best Kanye impersonation which is apparently all the rage now. And for fun, we'll toss in the music video made for the movie back in '86.

Psychedelic Furs & The Killers - "Pretty In Pink"
Psychedelic Furs - "Pretty In Pink"

(Photo courtesy of Andrew Youssef. More at Stereogum.)

Thurston Moore... Author?

Add that credential to his resume! Thurston Moore, lead singer/guitarist of Sonic Youth and publicly-expressed Gossip Girl fan, is contributing to a book all about grunge rock. He's doing the text for it, though pictures (which is what you really want to see anyway) are taken by Michael Lavens. According to Pitchfork, "This will be the fourth book that Moore has co-written, following No Wave, Punk House, and Mix Tape: The Art of Cassette Culture." So the man's got some history with publications. And let me add that I'd love to apart of that rock star family he's got with band mate/wife Kim Gordon. Oh, also: tickets are sold out left and right for their tour with Dinosaur Jr. I'd give my right hand to be at the next show in New York City.

Sonic Youth - "Silver Rocket"

Grunge is due out on bookshelves on October 15th.

Moz, Corgan: New Release Plans

More releases! Is your head exploding yet? Classic alternative rock legends are coming out to play this month, I swear.

So Billy Corgan, ex-frontman of ex-real band Smashing Pumpkins, will drop a whopping 44 songs for FREE! The set is called Teargarden By Kaleidyscope and it's comprised of all unreleased Pumpkins tunes. They'll start coming out, one by one, at the end of October. It's free, so why not get it? More information at Pitchfork.

Moving onto Morrissey. He's announced that he's releasing a compilation set of B-sides. Some of them are live tracks. It'll be called Swords and it should be one many Moz fans will be dying to get their hands on. Here in the good ol' United States (America, you are not the world...), the compilation drops November 2nd. Again, more information, including the track list, is at Pitchfork.

Two of the biggest frontmen in two of the biggest alternative/indie bands of all time, releasing new material. We live in a beautiful world.

Morrissey - "Munich Air Disaster 1958"
Smashing Pumpkins - "Stand Inside Your Love"

Ben & Zooey: Argh! They Be Married Now

Yup. Somewhere in Washington. Sometime yesterday. Death Cab band mate Chris Walla tweeted it. And now every lovestruck fan-boy of Miss Zooey Deschanel, or should I say, Mrs. Zooey Gibbard, is now heartbroken, and holding onto his favorite She & Him record tightly, as if it could bring about Zooey's divine intervention to assure you, "It's not real, we can still be together!". But it is. And life sucks. Okay: end scenario. Congratulations to the new couple. Best of luck in your new lives together, you awesome newlyweds.

Do you think it was anything like this?

Death Cab For Cutie - "Cath..."

New Thom Yorke, 3 New Songs

Get a load of this. I take one weekend off from blogging (after our show's semester debut on Friday night) and all of a sudden, I get more news than I know what to do with. How convenient. But the great thing about all of this is that everything I'm reporting on is really positive. We'll start off with one of our favorite frontmen in modern rock: Thom Yorke of Radiohead.

Remember his solo record, The Eraser back in '06? I do, because it was a touching record and it was uber cool to see him do his own thing away from the boys in the band. Well low and behold, he's doing solo things again. And just when you thought he was going to chill out or lay low after working on the Wall Of Ice EP, he's releasing new songs. First off, we have to discuss his Mark Mulcahy cover track for the upcoming tribute in his honor. The song, "All For The Best", is one that many Miracle Legion fans hold near and dear. But fret not those fearing any blasphemy to the legacy of MM, because Yorke and his little brother, Andy, do the track justice. Here's the video:

Thom Yorke (Feat. Andy Yorke) - "All For The Best (Miracle Legion Cover)"

As much as I enjoy this, I still wish more Polaris tracks made the cut onto the CD. Maybe on the B-sides? Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy comes out September 29th.

Up next, the physical release of his latest personal work. And for the record, let's just throw it out there and say we, as the music fan community, should no longer be shocked by out-of-the-blue Thom Yorke releases (despite having a month's notice on the latest two songs). Because they are just going to happen whenever. Is it a bad thing? Absolutely not.

"Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses" is side A, "The Hollow Earth" is side B. Together, they make for one fascinating Thom Yorke release. "Feeling" reacquaints us with a "Reckoner"-type style. As it should, because according to Stereogum, "'Reckoner' was said to be born out of the coda to the song, a six-and-a-half minute sketch that pairs a funky, repetitive bassline with Thom's heavily echoed, reliably cryptic poetry." The striking percussion stands out immediately, followed by Yorke's spacey vocals, and then coated with a repetitious, jungle excursion-themed bass (or at least that's how I can describe the image that comes to mind when I close my eyes). And after 7 minutes, you have felt definitely been through something; maybe not a painful death via wild horses, but definitely something.

Thom Yorke - "Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses"

"The Hollow Earth". I'm high on the vocals. Also the ticks and taps on this make me move a little more than it's A-side. And the return of the "House Of Cards" atmospheric moans are welcomed back with open arms. The song, as a whole, feels very schizophrenic and unstable, but who says giving into the urges is so bad? It's the B-side, so take it as you will.

Thom Yorke - "The Hollow Earth"

Both tunes are available via TBD from w.a.s.t.e.

What is going on inside the mind of Thom Yorke? No one knows. But the music that comes of it sure is special.

September 18, 2009 (Playlist)

September 18, 2009 (Playlist):
"Our Twenty-Fourth Show: Never Mind is Back!"

Phoenix – Lisztomania
Wilco – Wilco (The Song)
Passion Pit – Til Kingdom Come
Bloc Party – One More Chance
The Antlers – Bear
Neko Case – This Tornado Loves You
Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks
Mumm-Ra – She’s Got You High
The National – Lit Up
Arctic Monkeys – My Propeller
Pavement – Gold Soundz

Sonic Youth – Sacred Trickster
The Mountain Goats – See America Right
Weezer – The Good Life
*Punk Trunk: Wreckless Eric – Whole Wide World
Less Than Jake – The Ghosts Of You And Me
*"Allen Reed Memorial Cover Of The Week": Radiohead – The Headmaster Ritual (The Smiths Cover)
Kings Of Leon – Manhattan
Built To Spill – In The Morning
Blink 182 – Stockholm Syndrome
Pela Interview Snippet
Pela – Tenement Teeth
Talking Heads – Once In A Lifetime

*Background music consisted of various cult classic tunes from the 1980s. They ranged from Blondie to Wang Chung, from cheesy to epic, covering multiple genres.

Never Mind the Mainstream is officially back! The show came back to Kutztown University Radio Friday night and it rocked so hard. Our first show of the semester was dominated by new music from some of the greatest underground artists today: Phoenix, Wilco, Passion Pit, Arctic Monkeys, Sonic Youth, and more. We also premiered one of the newest features of the show: "The Punk Trunk!" Punk rock rightfully deserves a segment on our show, and for the first edition, we spun Wreckless Eric, followed by Less Than Jake. (Happy Birthday, Dee Dee Ramone.) And speaking of special segments, we've revived the "Allen Reed Memorial Cover Of The Week", with Jim presenting Radiohead's rendition of a Smiths classic. Throw in some tunes by artists we experienced this summer (Neko Case, Weezer, Blink 182) and some classic jams (the newly reunited Pavement, Talking Heads) and that was our program in nutshell. Some sad news, however, other than the fact that our phone line was on the fritz, was that minutes prior to the show, Jim discovered his favorite band and fans of the show, Pela, had broken up. We paid our respects to the dismembered Brooklyn quartet by letting a snippet of our interview run, followed by their song "Tenement Teeth". Jim and I have not skipped a beat since last April and are once again ready for a new semester of great alternative and indie rock 'n' roll on 88.3 FM KUR. Tune in next week for more new music, our witty banter, and another great set!

Phoenix - "Lisztomania"

Mumm-Ra - "She's Got You High"


Pela - "Tenement Teeth"

Set A Course For Adventure: SHOW TONIGHT!

I know there's a lot of great indie music news-related stories to comment on but...

We are just 3 hours away from the semester premiere of our college radio show, "Never Mind the Mainstream" on 88.3 FM KUR. We have an amazing line up of great alternative and indie rock tunes for you all and we're taking requests all show long. Call us @ (610)-683-4058 or IM us @ KURRequest. Start your weekend off right with the best college radio on college radio. We're back!

Talking Heads - "Once In A Lifetime"

New Album(s) Tracklists; YYY's Roll On Conan

Tegan And Sara will release their sixth studio album, Sainthood, on October 27th, via Sire. Here's the track listing:

1. Arrow
2. Don't Rush
3. Hell
4. On Directing
5. Red Belt
6. The Cure
7. Northshore
8. Night Watch
9. Alligator
10. Paperback Head
11. The Ocean
12. Sentimental Tune
13. Someday

Vampire Weekend is getting ready to release one of the most highly-anticipated albums of the year... but in 2010. It's called Contra, and it's coming out January 12, via XL.

1. Horchata
2. White Sky
3. Holiday
4. California English
5. Taxi Cab
6. Run
7. Cousins
8. "Giving Up The Gun
9. Diplomat's Son
10. I Think Ur A Contra

And lastly, Yeah Yeah Yeahs played "Heads Will Roll" off their latest, It's Blitz! on Conan last night. Karen O looked like a cross between a long-lost Ramone cousin and a cartoon mutant from the 90's X-Men cartoon. Enjoy:

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Heads Will Roll"

Pavement To Reunite!

We usually don't report on rumors (yes we do) but since Brooklyn Vegan reported this yesterday and Pitchfork and Stereogum have posted it, we figure if it's false blame, it can fall on those guys. However, the word on the 'nets is quintessential 90's indie band Pavement is reuniting for possibly 4 shows, although the first one wouldn't happen until this time next year.

After releasing five studio albums in the 90's (including two of the decade's best with Slanted And Enchanted and Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain) the band officially split in 2000. Ever since, fans have been clamoring for a reunion, even The National mentioned it in the lyrics for their 2009 track "So Far Around The Bend" ("You've been humming and I think it's forever/praying for Pavement to get back together"). Now it seems it has actually come true.

Let's just hope The Smiths are next.

Pavement - "Cut Your Hair"


Pavement - "Gold Soundz"

Never Mind is Back!

New year, new poster. Same rock 'n roll greatness.

It has been quite a while since we've reigned supreme on the airwaves of Kutztown University Radio. The summer was long, hot, and actually - mostly rainy - but now we're a week away from Autumn, we're back in school, and KUR student specialty shows have begun. And there's no show more special than Never Mind the Mainstream!

So mark your calendars: 88.3 FM's legit source for the best of yesterday's, today's, and tomorrow's alternative and indie rock returns THIS FRIDAY, 6-8 PM. NMTM and it's hosts, Jim Adair and myself (Mike Pop), return for another semester of epic, awesome college radio. We've got a great show lined up for all our listeners: Check out new music all show long from Grizzly Bear, Neko Case, Phoenix, Sonic Youth, Wilco, and more. And what would the show be without paying tribute to the classics? So we're throwing in some Talking Heads and other genre-defining artists into the mix. And perhaps the most important aspect of the show - you get to hear Jim and I talk all about our summer adventures, concert trips, and more!

Tune in and feel free to either call into the studio (610)-683-4058 or IM us @ KURRequest. We're stoked. We hope you're stoked. It is going to be great.

Here are the many ways you can hear us:

88.3 FM, 1670 AM, Service Electric Channel 24, Hometown Utilicom Channel 28, and streaming online @ kur.kutztown.edu!

*NEW: on iPhones by searching for "Radiolicious" and downloading the free application. And as a live feed on any telephone by calling (610)-465-7860.

Sonic Youth - "Sacred Trickster"

New Death Cab - "Meet Me On The Equinox"

We've talked about this one not too long ago. But now you're actually excited. Like, really excited. "I am?" - Yes, you are. Because Death Cab is finally giving the world a listen to their Twilight soundtrack bound tune. It's called "Meet Me On The Equinox". How science-fiction-y. If you give it a quick listen like I did, you'll understand it's about two people coming together. And luckily for us, it doesn't mention Dracula or any other vampires. The chorus is the mighty force of the song, and it packs a punch. But then, all of a sudden, the 3:39 track ends abruptly. Truth be told: "everything, everything ends." I just thought some instrumentals would linger. And I hope Ben Gibbard's talking about the Twilight saga itself. Oh shit - even I know there's one more movie to be made.

Death Cab For Cutie - "Meet Me On The Equinox"

It premiered last night on MTV.com while Kanye "Gayfish" West scaled to the top of the Twitter searches when he stole Taylor Swift's puppy. And speaking of whatever the hell we witnessed last night, how about that Muse? Pretty amazing. Here's the video of that:

Muse - "Uprising"

You can pre-order theTwilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack on their website here. And Muse's The Resistance is out tomorrow, via Warner Bros.

"2009 VMAs", Meet My Thoughts

I surprise myself. I didn't think I'd make it through the whole show. I thought my head would explode and you'd have to listen to our automation setting of jazz and oldies on KUR this fall. Somehow, I survived. And the awards show was interesting. We all secretly love a little drama, don't we? Here are my thoughts. I commented religiously during this extravaganza and here are my uncensored and rude remarks:

8:59 – Who’s this English VJ?

9:01 – Here we go. “Michael Jackson”. Okay already. Madonna, it’s about The King of Pop, not you.

9:02 – Nice cut to Pete Wentz falling asleep during Madonna’s speech.

9:04 – Once again, Madonna – this is not about you.

9:07 – Hey Jimmy Fallon’s here. Sweet cut to vintage MTV launch clip.

9:08 – MJ Tribute with a shit ton of dancers. Special effects on “Thriller” video look great.

9:11 – Crowd is going nuts for “Scream”. Holy shit here comes Janet. Is she lip-syncing?

9:12 – Cool dance number for Janet.

9:13 – Katy Perry is the sexiest woman alive. What’s up with Joe Perry’s white hair streak? They do “We Will Rock You”. Are they related? I’m just thinking about that now.

9:14 – Russel Brand is in the house.

9:16 – “This night is dedicated to great music videos.” Shouldn’t MTV always be dedicated to music videos? Kill me.

9:18 – This guy is getting no laughs.

9:19 – Lady Gaga scares the shit out of me.

9:21 – Pink’s still relevant? Will.I.Am’s singing.

9:22 – Shakira, at 38, is hot as hell. Their spiel is awkward.

9:23 – Lyrically, the worst written song I’ve heard all year: Kelly Clarkson’s “My Life Would Suck Without You”. Please let best female go to Katy or Taylor.

9:24 – Taylor is a deserving artist. She’s probably the most natural woman nominated. PA local (I hear she’s about 10 minutes from here).

9:25 – KANYE WTF ARE YOU DOING?!?

9:26 – HOLY SHIT. THIS AWARD SHOW JUST GOT MAD AWKWARD.

9:29 – The Buried Life looks cool.

9:33 – People on Twitter flipping a shit about Kanye.

9:34 – BEST ROCK VIDEO, HERE WE GO. Jack Black and Leighton Meester. She’s slammin’. Way to mention shitty bands, Leighton. Coldplay’s got this in the bag. I think.

9:36 – Kings are getting a great roar. Paramore makes me want to drown myself.

9:36 – Green Day wins it. “21 Guns”. I liked the video. I wonder if they still hate America. Fall Out Boy’s starting to cry.

9:37 – BILLLY JOE, YOU ARE REDEEMED FOR SAYING MTV SHOULD PLAY MORE VIDEOS.

9:38 – Hey, it’s the loser of the original Shot of Love with Tila Tequila. Taylor Swift’s in a subway, trying to get as far away from Kanye as possible. Feelings have been hurt.

9:40 – Taylor Swift is angelic. All the extras in this performance look nervous and awkward as hell. This performance is pretty cool, though.

9:42 – Holy shit, their playing Major Lazer.

9:47 – So glad 3Oh!3 weren't at the Warped Tour is Oceanport this summer. Pete Wentz and dude from Cobra Starship just made out backstage.

9:49 – Lady Gaga? What the hell is this.

9:52 – I heard somewhere that Lady Gaga is a beast on the piano. Why wouldn’t she exploit that?

9:53 – We’re back to Will.I.Am., and what’s he doing to “Viva La Vida”?

9:56 – I’ve always been a fan of the 5 Gum commercials.

9:58 – Daughtry’s coming to the Sovereign Center in Philly. I will not be attending.

9:59 – For shitty nominees, text MTVBLOWS to…whatever.

10:00 – Lady Gaga is sitting down now, covered in a cherry Fruit Roll-Up.

10:02 – The Hills makes me want to die.

10:03 – Best Pop Video. I hope Cobra wins. That song is addicting. Nelly Furtado, shut the hell up with your Spanish.

10:04 – I thought Britney Spears died. Megan Fox reminds me of Jennifer Connolly in Career Opportunities. Remember The Clash? My mind wanders…

10:05 – Green Day’s on the stage now. Are they going to burn an American flag?

10:08 – I remember when Green Day didn’t wear eyeliner.

10:09 – Good luck singing with a bunch of idiots in your face. All I can hear is “OMG I LOVE YOU.”

10:13 – I need a beer.

10:15 – Can they stop doing Real World challenges? What’s the music concept?

10:16 – Twilight preview? Vampires? This sucks. Get it?

10:20 – Ne-Yo and some dude from Gossip Girl introduce Beyonce. Awkward intro.

10:21 – See, this is how a female pop artist should dress. Gaga, take notes. Beyonce is classy and sexy.

10:24 – Can she sing Sweet Dream instead?

10:27 – Announcer says Muse, “the band everyone will be talking about tomorrow”. Ha.

10:31 – Puffy! People boo Kanye’s name, chant Taylor’s.

10:32 – Best Male Video. God Eminem is so lame. I hope Jay-Z gets it. T.I. wins.

10:34 – Guy from 300 introduces Muse. Here’s some justice. Their playing “Uprising”.

10:37 – The crowd over there loves it. As they should.

10:40 – Great performance. We’re treated to more Tracy Morgan and Em trying to get people to text their votes for Best New Artist. Surprise cameo by Cyndi Lauper. Who remembers when Tom Green did this back in the day? Hysterical.

10:47 – What the hell is on the dude from All American Rejects’ chest? J-Lo is still alive.

10:48 – Best Hip Hop Video. “Love Lockdown” was actually a good music video. I don’t care who wins, just no Em, please. Or Asher Roth. I heard he was the biggest loser in West Chester.

10:49 – Shit. Slim takes the moon man. He looks like Sinead O’Connor right now. He shows signs of maturity on stage. Maybe I got this guy all wrong. …Don’t think so.

10:51 – Overall, horrible production quality of this show. DJ AM is remembered.

10:55 – Where The Wild Things Are trailer is played in the commercials. Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up” seems fitting.

10:59 – Lady Gaga wins the Best New Artist Award. God, she’s creepy.

11:00 – Pink hits the stage. I think I’m going to go to the bathroom.

11:03 – Didn’t someone else wear a tassel like this at the VMA’s a few years ago? I remember it being very awkward. For the love of Christ, she’s on a trapeze.

11:11 – I’ll make a wish: I wish Kanye West gets his ass kicked.

11:12 – Fallon and Sandberg love Boyz II Men. Video Of The Year is up now. Here’s the big one.

11:13 – Beyonce wins it for “Single Ladies”. Happy Kanye?

11:14 – SHE INVITES TAYLOR OUT! OH THE HOOPLA! Now “she gets her moment”. They’re both in red. Gaga is shown with a nest around her face.

11:15 – Taylor took this whole thing in stride. But even Beyonce knows what Kanye did was so dick.

11:22 – Jay-Z arrives. Alicia Keys will be performing with him. Brand calls him the “mayor of New York”. I liked Alicia Keys in the Common music video for “I Want You”. My mind is wandering again.

11:26 – This is a big pro-NYC performance.

11:29 – What is this, a MJ movie preview? I think everyone at this show owes a huge debt to The King of Pop for paving the way. Oh, Michael Jackson’s This Is It.

11:31 – Brand says peace and we are done.

Overall – it was a typical MTV awards show in the later 00s. Take that as you will. Music videos are dead. Kanye West sucks. Goodnight.

UPDATE: That guy I said was "Will.I.Am.", is actually some guy named Wale. My bad. Also Kanye apologized to the world for what he did, but that still doesn't redeem himself.