Jeff Tweedy praises Achtung Baby; disses Pitchfork

So I was checking out the U2 catalogue on iTunes yesterday and for some reason looked at the user reviews for Achtung Baby, when to my surprise, the first review was dialed in by none other than Wilco's Jeff Tweedy. Not only is it an interesting review, it's a great take on the modern-day trend that it's not cool to like U2 in the indie world. Plus, I appreciate the subtle jab at Pitchfork.

here's the review:

"What can I say? In all my life I have never "bonded" with an album anywhere close to the way I did with Achtung Baby. I've listened to it well over a hundred times. I grew up on it...I've gone from loving it to hating it. It's practically a member of my family. The point is, this is *my* album. Never before and never again will I have a this kind of relationship with an album. Sometimes I think the album was conceived as an elaborate, drug-infused dream. Other times I think it's an entirely personal and emotional album. Even other times, it's just a cool rock album. While this may tell you more about me and the album than the album itself, that's precisely the point. This is an album that's meant to creep its way into your life, and stay there.

Zoo Station, One, So Cruel, Ultraviolet, and most of all, Acrobat are among U2's best. Or any band's best for that matter. It's unfortunate to see such an incredible band getting such a big recent backlash in the media. The average 19-year-old indie hipster doesn't know U2 existed before "Beautiful Day." Or, more accurately, doesn't care. After all, Achtung Baby didn't make Pitchfork's top 100, so how great can it really be?"

Vampire Weekend helps La Blogotheque start the new year off strong

Do you hear that? Do you? The hype train is rolling through towns near year for the first time in 2008. Off a solid 2007 EP release, Vampire Weekend has been stalked up until tomorrow, when their debut, self-titled album will drop via XL. La Blogotheque have been devotees the entire time and got to them before the manic frenzy ensues and dates at Terminal 5 are booked. VW were sports enough to grace the take away shows with 3 pieces: "Mansard Roof" (from the EP under the same name), "The Kids Don't Stand a Chance," and the double feature "Walcott/One."

VAMPIRE WEEKEND - Mansard Roof

VAMPIRE WEEKEND - The Kids don't stand a chance

VAMPIRE WEEKEND - Walcott / One

Album of the week

Various Artists
I'm Not There soundtrack











hear: Disc 1: Eddie Vedder, et al. - All Along the Watchtower, Sonic Youth - I'm Not There, Stephen Malkmus et al. - Ballad of a Thin Man, Cat Power - Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again, Karen O, et al. - Highway 61 Revisited, Mason Jennings - The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrol, Jeff Tweedy - Simple Twist of Fate

Disc 2: Charlotte Gainsbourg & Calexico - Just Like a Woman, Yo La Tengo - I Wanna Be Your Lover, Glen Hansard & Marketa Irgolva - You Aint Goin' Nowhere, Mason Jennings - The Times They Are a Changin', Stephen Malkmus, et al. - Maggie's Farm, Marcus Carl Franklin - When the Ship come In, Bob Forrest - Moonshiner

10 Best movies of 2007

1. No Country For Old Men







2. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly








3. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street









4. Once










5. Zodiac









6. Talk to Me










7. There Will be Blood









8. Juno








9. American Gangster







10. (tie)
Blades of Glory








Into the Wild








The Honorable Ten: Control, Delirious, Rocket Science, 3:10 to Yuma, Ratatouille, The Bourne Ultimatum, Gone Baby Gone, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Howard Ford, The Darjeeling Limited, Knocked Up


Decent but overrated: Atonement, Superbad, The Savages, The Year of the Dog, Margot at the Wedding, Dan in Real Life, Hot Rod, Spiderman 3, Across the Universe, Starter For Ten

Is Win Butler even Canadian? He does love Obama.

Arcade Fire may hail from Montreal, but given Win Butler's track record with comments regarding the U.S., you would think he's 100% red, white and blue. Butler is actually a native of good 'ol Texas. And the man does have American passion. Butler(who's also a lapse Mormon btw) always looks as if he's about to desecrate a guitar like he did on Saturday Night Live. This time though, Win is using his words(as my sister tells my nephew to do) to desecrate and also endorse Barack Obama as president. In a statement made on Arcade Fire's website, Win whines and dines about Hillary and the horror of American democracy and gives his full-fledged, unwavering Obama endorsement. Is there anything more predictable than a bunch of indie artists(Oberst, Jeff Tweedy and more) backing Obama? So much for "independent."

This is what Butler had to say:

I am watching Hillary Clinton in her victory speech in new Hampshire...they just threw a bunch of college kids behind her, and had her talk about student loans, and had her daughter come out for a long awkward hug...does anyone actually buy it? Surely young people are too media savvy to be fooled by this kind of shit.

do we live in a democracy so we can just keep electing the same families?
Barack is the first candidate in my lifetime to strip some of this bullshit away, and I just hope we don't blow this chance.
man if we miss this opportunity we don't deserve it...how bad does it have to get?

fuck!!!!!!!!!

Hey, you can diss Hillary but leave Chelsea out of it!

2007 Best ofs: Music-related movies

It's hard to pick a single movie based around music as the best since they are funnel music through a different medium in their movies. Whether it's the Ian Curtis biopic, the Tim Burton musical, the down-to-earth standard drama about the power of music, or the comedic rout, each movie stands out as the best in it's category. yes, there were many movies about the power of music, but Once prevails hands down.

Best Drama about music: Once













Trailer






















Best Biopic: Control

















Trailer























Best Musical: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

















Trailer

Hillary, big sister?

Rad political ad casting Hillary Clinton as "Big Brother," meshed with the classic Apple-IBM commercial that aired during the Super Bowl in 1984. The original commercial has been hailed by some as the best overall commercial of all time. This one comes close.

2007 Best-ofs: Albums

So my top 40 albums for 2007 have been listed on The Echo for the past few weeks. Here are my top 10 - go to The Echo for all 40.

Best Album:

10. The Clientele - God Save the Clientele







9. Explosions in the Sky - All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone







8. Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala







7. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam







6. The National - Boxer







5. Panda Bear - Person Pitch







4. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver







3. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank






2. Battles - Mirrors







1. Menomena - Friend and Foe