Uma, Oprah? Say what you will about Ke$ha, she’s done one thing Uffie hasn’t been able to do in five years of Cobra Snake-documented hipster queenhood: record a full-length album. (Well, and have a hit single.) Nevertheless, in the interest of public service, it’s important to note it’s Uffie who deserves the credit for Ke$ha’s “Tik Tok” — a track whose verse melody and cadence straight-up rips off the Uffster’s shining moment, her Justice collaboration, “The Party.” (Also important to note: “The Party” is totally a clever, subtle brush-off to an ex rather than a hedonism-for-sorority-sisterhood’s-sake club banger.) Go on, compare ‘em after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

[svgallery name="2010-01 Pepper Rabbit"]

All photos by David Greenwald

Most bands are terrible with tape loops. What sounds great on record is often difficult to reproduce in a performance, and though a number of solo acts — St. Vincent, Andrew Bird, Owen Pallett — use it as an essential element of their repertoire, it’s rare to find a musician outside of consumate performer Jon Brion who ever makes tapping that pedal look easy. Yet Pepper Rabbit, a trio based mainly on keyboards, bass and drums, stitched in their live looping seamlessly on Tuesday night, fleshing out their gloomy psych-pop with clarinet, ukelele, harmonies and whatever was at hand in their surprisingly cluttered stage. It was precocious stuff from a wet-footed live act, but the songs were as sharp as their instrumental sureness, gaining a boldness and volume on stage that recalled Grizzly Bear’s promising early days. Head down the rabbit hole with these guys soon — before it becomes the Palladium. [Hi-res photos on Flickr] Update: You can watch pretty much the whole show on YouTube.

Pepper Rabbit – “Red Wine”: mp3

More: Concert Photos | Camera Obscurist

Photo via Twitter

Per Rock is a Girl’s Best Friend, Thom Yorke’s Haiti charity appearance last night at the Roosevelt was a DJ gig, as he has been doing frequently during his months in L.A. — not a performance. And contrary to Twitter rumors (*shakes fist*), Beck didn’t play, but, uh, Maroon 5 did. Sigh. Still crossing my fingers for some Record Club magic. (Thanks to Ariel)

Update: Radiohead is playing a charity show at the Henry Fonda on Saturday. Really! Get yr tix via auction tonight at 8 p.m.

Haven’t done a news round-up in a while, but it’s a busy day for Rawkblog heroes:

* The good news: three new Dan Bejar/Destroyer songs! The bad: nine new A.C. Newman songs. But the New Pornographers will also be joined by St. Vincent and Okkervil River’s Will Sheff on Together, due May 4, so, you know — potential.

* Franz Nicolay, fancy keyboardist, has left the Hold Steady.

* Thom Yorke and Beck (!) played an impromptu Haiti benefit show at the Roosevelt last night (where Thom’s been DJing lately), according to a number of Twitter reports. Send photos/video links if you’ve got ‘em. When’s the inevitable Beck/Radiohead Record Club coming?

Photo by David Greenwald

Do not underestimate Thom Yorke ????, or as I’m calling them, The Thom Band. As confirmed by EW.com, the Radiohead frontman is bringing his solo act (with Flea, Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, Joey Waronker and Mauro Refosco) to Coachella. While time hasn’t been kind to Thom’s solo effort, The Eraser, playing it live has — at his trio of L.A. gigs last fall, the onslaught of live percussion and synthesizers ballooned the songs to nearly Radiohead-sized epics. I had the pleasure of hearing the act in action on October 4, 2009; after the jump, you can, too. Read the rest of this entry »

Pitchfork has compiled four (obviously!) great-sounding performances of new Newsom songs. (More J-News at Rawkblog Joanna Central.)

Coachella 2010: Pavement! As expected and feverishly rooted for, the reunited indie-rock gods will be playing the festival on Sunday, with Gorillaz (really?) heading up that night and Jay-Z (yes!) and Muse (blech) headlining Friday and Saturday, respectively. There’s a number of winners in the lineup: Thom Yorke’s solo project (the best show of ’09), Grizzly Bear, Phoenix and Dirty Projectors are the big ones, but also, Sly and the Family Stone, Yo La Tengo and Sunny Day Real Estate — all playing Sunday! Let’s just cross our fingers Pavement plays a secret show in L.A., My Bloody Valentine style, to make up for the lack of headliner status.

Coachella will be held from Friday, April 16, through Sunday, April 18. More updates to come in this space.

Previously: Coachella 2009: Saturday | Friday

Photo by David Greenwald

A full concert video via Grandcrew.com, a month before the Mountain Goats played Los Angeles, after the jump. Front goat John Darnielle is his usual manic, cheery self. Read the rest of this entry »