It pains me as much as it does you that I’m not at Coachella snapping away right now (or seeing what sounds like an epic Paul McCartney performance — he closed with “Hey Jude!” C’mon!), but luckily the photogs of the Flickrverse are there doing their thing. Above and below, shots of Friday’s jams by MickØflex. And if you’re there, don’t miss our still-current hour-by-hour guide to Coachella.
From Mr. Michael Bay himself: A bromantic scene between Shia LaBeouf and Bumblebee (spoiler: The Beef makes a grown robot cry), Megan Fox undressing, and a sizzle reel’s worth of ridiculous-looking action shots. I’ll be honest, I was a big fan of the first Transformers. It was a big-budget popcorn movie done right: Giant robots, explosions, a goofy young star and moments of laugh-out-loud legitimate comedy amid the Autobots-fueled property destruction. All that and the most nonsensical plot imaginable, but in a movie about cars that can turn into robots… from space!, I’m willing to suspend my disbelief. Judging by these clips, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen embraces the same goofball Shia/explosion ratio as its predecessor. Sold! The film is due June 24.
13-year-old Seth Rogen, circa 1996, jokes about Jews: Grandparents, summer camp and constipated Biblical figures. The last part’s in song! Dude’s humor has changed a bit over the years, but he’s surprisingly sharp for a kid (and he looks a bit like McLovin). [Via Vulture]
Sigh. I am not going to Coachella today and am totally bummed about it, but such is life and work scheduling. (Plus, I’m still recovering from last night’s My Bloody Valentine ear/mind obliteration.) But as with last year’s hour-by-hour guide, I’ve put together a handy schedule for you (in case you don’t already know which bands to see, you tasteful Rawkblog reader, you) after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
American Music Club’s Mark Eitzel performs at Largo on Saturday. What follows is the second in my two-part look at the band’s ’90s heyday. Part 1, on Everclear, is here. Update: The show’s been canceled! But the review stands.
American Music Club’s follow-up to the lauded Everclear came in the wake of the grunge explosion. Mercury was recorded in 1992 as Nirvana and Pearl Jam took over the charts and released the year after; it was also the band’s first major-label release, finding them joining Mudhoney on Reprise Records. That influence certainly permeates the album: the guitar tones are harsher, the songs are faster and more rhythmic, and singer Mark Eitzel — never a shrinking violet — revels his band’s newfound muscularity on songs such as “Keep Me Around.” Read the rest of this entry »
Ryan Adams Calls His Fans “Dulled Masses”: Could be worse. We could be huddling. He also name-drops his favorite authors and discusses his love of New York in a pre-marriage interview on Shelf Awareness. [Via @Scottgum]
A gem from the French Kicks’ undersung Swimming, an album that will certainly be on my 2008 Albums of the Year list if I ever get around to finishing it. (Odds on that: 3:1). More bands should play surrounded by colored paper streamers — if only they’d done it when I saw ‘em. [French Kicks photo by David Greenwald] Video after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
American Music Club’s Mark Eitzel performs at Largo on Saturday. What follows is the second in my two-part look at the band’s ’90s heyday. Part 1, on Everclear, is 
Ryan Adams Calls His Fans “Dulled Masses”: Could be worse. We could be huddling. He also name-drops his favorite authors and discusses his love of New York in a pre-marriage interview on 
A gem from the French Kicks’ undersung Swimming, an album that will certainly be on my 2008 Albums of the Year list if I ever get around to finishing it. (Odds on that: 3:1). More bands should play surrounded by colored paper streamers — if only they’d done it when 
