The nominations for the 2012 Academy Awards were announced today, and Trent Reznor is nowhere to be found. The winner of last year’s Best Original Score had made the Oscar shortlist for his latest effort, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. However, Reznor is not among the five finalists in this year’s category. Instead, nominees include John Williams (The Adventures of Tintin and War Horse), Ludovic Bource (The Artist), Howard Shore (Hugo), and Alberto Inglesias (Tinker Tailor Solider Spy).

Other notable omissions include The National, Zooey Deschanel, and Jónsi, all of who were on the shortlist for Best Original Song. Also missing from that same category is the Golden Globe Winner for Best Original Song, Madonna, whose song “Masterpiece” was ineligible due to a technicality. As it turns out, only two songs were nominated for Academy Awards: “Real In Rio” by Siedah Garrett (Rio) and “Man or Muppets” by Flight of the Conchords’ Bret McKenzie (The Muppets).

You can find the complete list of nominees at the Oscars’ website.

M. Ward is back in April with his first solo album in three years, A Wasteland Companion. As Pitchfork reports, the album spans 12 tracks and features contributions the She in She & Him, Zooey Deschanel, as well as his Monster of Folk collaborator Mike Mogis, Sonic Youth’s Steve Shelley, Giant Sand’s Howe Gelb, and PJ Harvey collaborator John Parish, among others.

In support of the release, Ward will hit the road this spring, splitting bills with Feist, the recently reunited fIREHOSE and Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo. Check out the album’s tracklist and Ward’s tour schedule below.

A Wasteland Companion is out April 10th via Merge.

A Wasteland Companion Tracklist:
01. Clean Slate (For Alex & El Goodo)
02. Primitive Girl
03. Me and My Shadow
04. Sweetheart
05. I Get Ideas
06. The First Time I Ran Away
07. A Wasteland Companion
08. Watch the Show
09. There’s a Key
10. Crawl After You
11. Wild Goose
12. Pure Joy

M. Ward Tour Dates:
03/21 – Paris, FR @ Le Zenith ^
03/22 – Lyon, FR @ Transbordeur ^
03/23 – Lille, FR @ Theatre Sebastopol ^
03/25 – London, UK @ Royal Albert Hall ^
03/26 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo ^
03/27 – Glasgow, UK @ Royal Concert Hall ^
04/11 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore #
04/12 – Santa Cruz, CA The Cocoanut Grove Ballroom $
04/13 – Indio, CA @ Coachela Music Festival
04/17 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom $
04/18 – Flagstaff, AZ @ The Orpheum $
04/20 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
05/05 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre *
05/06 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground *
05/07 – New Haven, CT @ Toad’s Place *
05/08 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues *
05/11 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall *
05/12 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer *
05/13 – Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club *
05/15 – Durham, NC @ Page Auditorium *
05/16 – Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre *
05/17 – Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre *
05/22 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre *
05/24 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue

^ = w/ Feist
# = w/ Jonathan Richman
$ = w/ fIREHOSE
* = w/ Lee Ranaldo

A number of familiar faces are in the running for Best Original Song at the 84th Academy Awards. Some 39 contenders have been shortlisted for the category, including The National for “Think You Can Wait” (Win Win), Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward for “So Long” (Winnie the Pooh), Jónsi for “Gathering Stories” (We Bought A Zoo), and OK Go for “The Greatest Song I Ever Heard” (POM Wonderful Presents The Greatest Movie Ever Sold).

Also on the list are all the nominees (minus Madonna) from the same category at the Globes: Chris Cornell for “The Keeper” (Machine Gun Preacher); Mary J. Blige for “The Living Proof” (The Help); Sinead O’Connor, Brian Byrne and Glenn Close for “Lay Your Head Down” (Albert Nobbs); and Lady Gaga and Elton John for “Hello Hello” (Gnomeo and Juliet). John also go picked for “Love Builds a Garden” from the same film.

The 39 will be whittled down to three to five (it varies) on January 24th, with the award then handed out at the ceremony on February 26th. See the complete list of shortlisted songs and the films they’re from below.

“The World I Knew” from African Cats
“Lay Your Head Down” from Albert Nobbs
“Star Spangled Man” from Captain America: The First Avenger
“Collision of Worlds” from Cars 2
“Dakkanaga Dugu Dugu” from DAM999
“DAM999 Theme Song” from DAM999
“Mujhe Chod Ke” from DAM999
“Rainbird” from Dirty Girl
“Keep On Walking” from The First Grader
“Where the River Goes” from Footloose
“Hello Hello” from Gnomeo & Juliet
“Love Builds a Garden” from Gnomeo & Juliet
“Bridge of Light” from Happy Feet Two
“The Mighty Sven” from Happy Feet Two
“Never Be Daunted” from happythankyoumoreplease
“Hell and Back” from Hell and Back Again
“The Living Proof” from The Help
“Coeur Volant” from Hugo
“It’s How We Play” from I Don’t Know How She Does It
“When the Heart Dies” from In the Land of Blood and Honey
“Ja Nao Estar” from José and Pilar
“The Keeper” from Machine Gun Preacher
“Life’s a Happy Song” from The Muppets
“Man or Muppet” from The Muppets
“Pictures in My Head” from The Muppets
“Summer Song” from The Music Never Stopped
“Imaginary Friends” from Olive
“Sparkling Day” from One Day
“Taking You with Me” from Our Idiot Brother
“The Greatest Song I Ever Heard” from POM Wonderful Presents The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
“Hot Wings” from Rio
“Let Me Take You to Rio” from Rio
“Real in Rio” from Rio
“Shelter” from Take Shelter
“Gathering Stories” from We Bought a Zoo
“Pop” from White Irish Drinkers
“Think You Can Wait” from Win Win
“The Backson Song” from Winnie the Pooh
“So Long” from Winnie the Pooh

Two decades from now, how do you think 2011 will be remembered? As the year we lost Amy Winehouse? How about the year three of music’s most iconic outfits – The White Stripes, R.E.M., and LCD Soundsystem — all decided to call it quits? Maybe Lana Del Rey will prove a sustainable force and then we can all tell our children about the great collagen debate of 2011. Or try to explain to them how two rock and roll hall of famers came together to create the worst piece of music imaginable.

Yeah, 2011 was a fucking weird year. Like, a total mindfuck. We lost some great ones, both literally and figuratively, and we wrote or read about them in between stories about Wayne Coyne’s gummy fetus and Nick Oliveri’s standoff with a S.W.A.T. team. Along the way, we were presented with a legal way to listen to a jazilion songs for free, watched that dude from Nine Inch Nails win an Oscar, and witnessed the return of not just Kate Bush and Tom Waits, but Jeff Mangum as well. Yet, at the end of the day, Lana Del Rey’s collagen lips and Odd Future’s misogynistic tendencies won the award for stories with the longest shelf life on my Twitter feed.

Then again, four weeks from now it’ll be 2012′s turn and who knows what that year has in store. Maybe some scientist will be able to revive Jim Morrison’s frozen head so that we can have a true collaboration between The Doors and Skrillex. Whatever the case may be, Consequence of Sound will be here, 24/7/365, ready to bring you all the major headlines. Until then, though, we remember the last 12 months, categorized by themes, in the pages that follow. And, as always, thanks for reading.

– Alex Young
Publisher

R.I.P.: The Ones We Lost in 2011

Amy Winehouse (1983-2011): The soulful, sultry songstress was the first British female to win five Grammy awards. Unfortunately, she also became a member of the infamous “27 Club” when police found her dead in her London home on July 23rd. An autopsy later confirmed her death as the result of accidental alcohol poisoning.

Clarence Clemons (1942-2011): Founding member and saxophonist of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, Clemons was a larger-than-life figure, and he’ll forever be remembered for his solos on “Jungleland” and “Born to Run”. Clemons died on June 18th from complications caused by a stroke. He was 69.

Bert Jansch (1943-2011): Acclaimed Scottish folk singer who was both a celebrated solo musician and member of the band Pentangle. Jansch died on October 5th following a lengthy battle with lung cancer. He was 67.

Gil Scott-Heron (1949-2011): A celebrated musician, poet, and author who was largely credited as one of the leading influences of hip-hop and neo soul. Scott-Heron died on May 27th. He was 62.

Heavy D (1967-2011): The founding member and leader of Heavy D & the Boyz helped bridge the worlds of hip-hop and R&B in the ’90s before transitioning to a career in film. Heavy D (born Dwight Arrington Myers) died on November 8th reportedly from complications of pneumonia. He was 44.

Nate Dogg (1969-2011): West coast crooner collaborated with Dr. Dre, Eminem, and Snoop Dogg. Nate Dogg (born Nathaniel Hale) died from complications of multiple strokes on March 15th. He was 41.

Poly Styrene (1957-2011): The former singer of X-Ray Spek was described as the “archetype for the modern-day feminist punk.” Styrene died on April 25th following a battle with breast cancer. She was 53.

Trish Keenan (1968-2011): Founding member and singer of British electronic band Broadcast. Keenan died from complications with pneumonia on January 14th. She was 42.

Hubert Sumlin (1931-2011): Legendary guitarist and longtime collaborator of blues icon Howlin’ Wolf is ranked at number forty-three in the Rolling Stone list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Sumlin died on December 4th. He was 80.

Cory Smoot: (1977-2011): Guitarist for the shock rock band GWAR was the longest-serving member to play the character Flattus Maximus. Smoot was found dead on the band’s tour bus on November 3rd; as of December 5th, his cause of death is still unknown. He was 34.

DJ Mehdi (1977-2011): French hip-hop and electro producer was a member of Ed Banger Records and collaborated with Chromeo, Cassius, and Carte Blanche. DJ Mehdi (born Mehdi Favéris-Essadi) died on September 13th when the roof of his Paris home collapsed during a friend’s birthday party. He was 34.

Michael “Würzel” Burston (1949-2011): The former Army corporal served as guitarist for Motörhead from 1984-1995. Würzel died from complications of heart disease on July 9th. He was 61.

Mike Starr (1966-2011): The founding member and bassist of Alice in Chains contributed to two studio albums — including the 1992 classic Dirt — before departing in 1993. Starr was found dead on March 8th, with an autopsy later finding traces of drugs in his system. He was 44.

Suze Rotolo (1943-2011): The former girlfriend of Bob Dylan inspired many of the songwriter’s early love songs and appeared on the iconic cover of his 1963 classic, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Rotolo died of lung cancer on February 25th. She was 67.

Gerard Smith (1974-2011): The TV on the Radio bassist appeared on the band’s celebrated albums Return to Cookie Mountain, Dear Science, and Nine Types of Light. Smith died from lung cancer on April 20th. He was 36.

John Barry (1933-2011): The Academy Award-winning composer soundtracked 12 James Bond films between 1962 and 1987 in addition to Born Free, The Lion in Winter, and Out of Africa. Barry died of a heart attack on January 30th. He was 77.

Mikey Welsh (1971-2011): The former Weezer bassist appeared on the band’s 2001 The Green Album. Welsh was found dead on October 8th. He was 40.

Welcome Back: 2011′s Reunions

Photo by Colin Athens

While 2011 was a particularly harsh year for band breakups (see the next slide), at least Pulp came back. Long a dream on festival message boards, the legendary UK outfit finally reunited in the summer of 2011 for their first live performances in nine years. Our own Frank Mojica was at the band’s comeback show at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound and declared it “an explosive set that cemented Pulp’s status as the essential festival band of 2011 and will be remembered as fondly and regarded as definitive as their Glastonbury 1995 performance.”

However, Pulp wasn’t the only celebrated outfit to return in 2011. Buffalo Springfield — the folk rock supergroup comprised of Richie Furay, Stephen Stills, and Neil Young — reunited after 43 years for a brief West coast tour and headlining performance at Bonnaroo. Wrote our own Carson O’Shoney of their Bonnaroo appearance: “Even those who weren’t familiar with the band’s work were surely impressed. Seeing Neil Young wail on guitar is simply one of the better things in all of music. But the final three knockout punches of ‘Broken Arrow’, ‘For What It’s Worth’, and ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ were what really solidified it as one of the best sets of the weekend.”

Other 2011 reunions:

After inciting a riot during their first live performance in five years at South by Southwest, hard-hitting Canadian outfit Death From Above 1979 played any and every summer festival, including Coachella, Sasquatch!, Quebec City Summer Fest, Lollapalooza, FYF Fest, ACL, and Treasure Island.

Post-punk icons New Order reunited after five years with a pair of benefit shows in Europe.

Mazzy Star unleashed a two-song single, their first pieces of new music in 15 years.

Ben Folds reunited Ben Folds Five for their first new material in a decade.

UK glam rock outfit The Darkness reunited for their first live performance since 2006 at UK’s Download Festival.

In celebration of their 45th anniversary, The Monkees hit the road for their first live performances since 1997. Unfortunately, the final eight dates of their trek were canceled “due to internal group issues and conflicts.”

Chicago’s own Hum delivered their first performance in a decade.

San Diego-based post-hardcore outfit Hot Snakes reunited at ATP’s Nightmare Before Christmas in December.

Austin, TX, noise rock pioneers Scratch Acid toured extensively for the first time in over two decades.

NYC punk band D-Generation hit the road in the fall for their first performances since 1999. A new album is also in the works.

Mexico City rock band Caifanes reunited after 15 years for a performance at Coachella.

The End of An Era: 2011′s Breakups

Bands, like trends, come and go. Some last for decades with deep catalogs, and others only survive a couple years with an album or two. Their presence has a lasting impact on our lives and ears, and thus their disbandment has the same. To the greats we lost this year: Thanks for the tunes. -Ben Kaye

R.E.M. (1981-2011): Seminal, legendary, and unequaled, Georgia’s alternative rock icons ended their career after three decades. From their 1983 debut, Murmur, to their 2011 finale, Collapse Into Now, to the world’s first GIF album cover, the band exemplified how to be successful, innovative, and cool while remaining uncompromising. Their legacy will be felt for decades more to come.

The White Stripes (1997-2011): One of the greatest bands of the era, this garage blues-rock duo left an indelible mark on music with six albums. Jack White will continue on in his myriad of forms, but The White Stripes will be remembered as the band that started it all and his most widely celebrated triumph.

LCD Soundsystem (2001-2011): These modern dance-punk virtuosos left us with three full-lengths and a year-long swan song, culminating in a finale at Madison Square Garden. And we still wish we were getting more.

Rilo Kiley (1998-2011): Fourteen years of indie rock ended rather unceremoniously. Regardless, their sophomore full-length, The Execution of All Things, will go down as one of the best albums of the last decade.

The Stills (2000-2011): These Canadian indie rockers released three albums over 10 years. They will likely be best remembered for 2008’s Juno Award-winning Oceans Will Rise.

The Academy Is… (2003-2011): These Warped Tour regulars dispersed while in the process of recording album #4. At least they got to tour with KISS before it ended.

Dear and the Headlights (2005-2011): Two full-lengths and extensive touring proved too much for this Arizona indie pop rock band. Scared by all the lights.

The Felix Culpa (2003-2011): Unsung heroes of the Midwest post-hardcore scene. Despite the success of last year’s self-released sophomore effort, Sever Your Roots, there will be no more happy mistakes.

Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon (1984-2011): Founding members of Sonic Youth and godparents of indie rock. What the power couple’s separation means for their iconic band is yet to be seen, though side projects abound.

Ben Gibbard and Zooey Deschanel (2009-2011): This pair of indie darlings split after only two years of marriage amidst heavy work schedules for each. While separations are always sad, we can’t help but swoon over the idea that Deschanel is technically available…

Digital Takeover

On July 14, 2011, millions of music fans sighed in relief: Spotify hit U.S. shores, and the end of the war on music drew closer to its end. Now, that’s not entirely true – the labels still aren’t too happy, neither are the artists – but the idea that “music is free” has never been more agreed upon until now. Thanks to Spotify, users can legally check out a variety of new releases in addition to a fully digestible catalog that spans everyone from ABBA to John Zorn, at any time — even on their phones, though that option will cost them. But it’s a price that many will pay, simply because it’s the way of the future.

It’s the death of the mp3 and the dawn of the truly, strictly digital age, where music listeners can immerse themselves in digital clouds of music. This year, Apple, Amazon, and Google Music all introduced similar formats, asking users to upload their collections into digital lockers, where they’ll always have access. Anywhere. Anytime. Where else can you go from there?

How about interactivity? Online forums evolved this year, too. “You should check this band out” is so passe. Instead, online users are opting for more media savvy formats, where they can turn their textual suggestions into aural delights. Through a service like Turntable.fm, which surfaced earlier this year, users now create rooms, throwing online soirees, where they DJ their own stations. All of this comes at little to no price and with zero trouble (although, there are always exceptions). So, it’s been a pretty transitive year in the music industry. A game changer, if you will. -Michael Roffman

An Odd Future, Indeed.

There’s that wonderful exchange at the end of Batman Begins, when Lt. Gordon digresses on The Caped Crusader’s influence over Gotham City, calling attention to like-minded criminals with a “taste for the theatrical,” stating plainly, “You really started something.” So true of the internet. Most of the time, you’ll find a chunky, melting pot of deep-seeded opinions, but sometimes, just sometimes, they all come together to agree on something. That’s when true change is had. And it can happen overnight.

Case in point: Odd Future and Lana Del Rey.

Controversy played a big role in the successes of these two – the former because of obscenities, the latter because of collagen – but, really, it only fueled it. The real credit, however, goes to the blogosphere. It’s the classic “she tells her friends” routine – only to an ungodly nth degree. One blog hypes a track, one site swears by another, and all of a sudden you’re trending on social networks nationwide, then worldwide, then… yeah, it sort of stops there. It’s nothing new. That’s the true nature of a fad (see: Trapper Keepers, Pogs, LA Gear). But, it’s never seen extremes such as this.

And as polarizing as these acts may be – “Aren’t they being misogynistic?”; “She’s not real! Her real name’s Lizzy Grant! OMFG, hate her!!1!” – it’s the way they came to fruition that’s far more interesting. It reveals a true power within the internet, one that may or may not be good. Regardless of its moral worth, though, it’s here to stay. As the Joker, essentially a by-product of Batman, ominously declared in the film’s follow-up, “There’s no going back. You’ve changed things… forever.” Yep. Deal with it, folks. -Michael Roffman

The Return of R&B

Some guy somewhere jokingly called it “PBR&B” and that gained traction for a little while — R&B for “hipsters.” If we take one thing away from this, let it be this: The resurgence and strength of R&B in 2011 had nothing to do with “hipsters,” a word I apologetically use here (and if I had two wishes for Christmas this year, it would be that I never hear that word again). The strength of The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, The-Dream, How To Dress Well, Active Child, and tangentially Drake this year was born from little else than a defibrillator to a dormant art form using a bit of indie sentiment.

The Weeknd’s sudden and (not so) mysterious arrival drew the highest peak in the EKG chart with the hedonistic, dripping-wet jams of his House of Balloons mixtape, sampling Beach House and Siouxsie and the Banshees, which of course reached across the aisle to white tumblrites more ostensibly than Aaliyah and R. Kelly ever did in the 90’s. From there, Frank Ocean bowed out of producing pop hits for Biebs and made known his association with OFWGKTA for his Nostalgia Ultra mixtape, a damp and druggy confessional. Kanye took a liking to him, as well.

The cross-cultural movement was just as strong for Active Child’s choir-boy jams and How To Dress Well’s shrouded pangs, both of whom collaborated with each other on the song “Playing House”. There are many more artists working with these tools: production rooted in current trends, voices like butter, beats like woah. Perhaps the response to the hidden vocals of last year’s genre de l’année Chillwave is that these artists are putting the spotlight back on the soul of the human voice.  -Jeremy D. Larson

The Return of the Legacy Act

It’s been seven years since Tom Waits released his 23rd album, six years since Kate Bush released her 9th, and 13 years since Jeff Mangum (as Neutral Milk Hotel) released his second. Not all acts that resurface have to have page-long catalogs, and like Mangum, not all comebacks have to include new material, but these three artists made the biggest impact in 2011 after some time away from the spotlight.

Not even just away from the spotlight, but in some cases purposefully reclusive. Before this year, Jeff Mangum appearances were becoming lore, like seeing the face of Mother Mary in a Crunchwrap Supreme. Mangum only did some one-off shows in barns or was seen looming backstage at some gig. But last January, he announced his reemergence for ATP New Jersey at the “I’ll Be Your Mirror” event — a festival! He went from barns to a major festival in like a year! He then went on a small U.S. tour and released a career-spanning Neutral Milk Hotel box set, and there are no signs of him stopping with tour dates already stretching into 2012.

For Kate Bush, pace is the trick. With 10 albums in over 30 years, we’re running on her press cycle — releasing her babies into the world only when they’re ready to leave the nest. With a flurry (ahem), she dropped two albums in 2011 — her self-explanatory Director’s Cut and her acclaimed new studio album, 50 Words for Snow. With no tour or late-night performances, Bush is still staying out of the limelight for now. But it’s not like she needs the press.

And then there’s the categorical Tom Waits, doing his thing for the 24th time with not a hint of phoning it in. Bad As Me is another trophy for his buckling shelf and his most commercially successful album to date, peaking at #6 on the U.S. Billboard charts. Twenty-four albums in 37 years with rarely a misstep or an eye roll, soundtracking movies, musicals, German surrealist plays, and with his release this year, he’s only further cementing himself as an American cultural icon. We await for “Waitsian” to be added to dictionaries. -Jeremy D. Larson

The Return of Radiohead

Photo by Nate Slevin

It’s a predicament: A member of Radiohead posts something online (e.g. new track, obscure art, a haiku-like blog entry, et al.), and you’re a.) out at lunch, b.) four hours into a deep sleep, or c.) at your own wedding. Whatever the situation, you’re finding the closest computer and fast. That sort of conundrum plagues every blogger’s life annually, but especially in 2011. As of today, Consequence of Sound has 10 pages of Radiohead-related news for this year alone. Quite a lot. To think, it all started in the eye-tweaking, early morning hours of February 14th, 2011. That’s when the group announced the release of their eighth LP, The King of Limbs, set to deliver only four days later. Naturally, the ‘net exploded soon after; in fact, as one reader put it that morning, “I just pooped my pants.”

That reaction turned sour (or just downright polarizing) when the LP eventually surfaced. Some complained about its length (a copious 37 minutes), speculating on a second part (which never materialized), while others wondered where the band went, calling it a Yorke-centric effort. A week after it was announced, Consequence of Sound awarded the album four stars, hailing it as “one of their most absorbing efforts to date.” (Currently, the album has a Metacritic score of 80.) Despite the general acclaim, critics everywhere levied their slight disappointment between their words.

But that hardly stalled the group. Since 2007′s event release of In Rainbows, the UK collective has stayed ahead of the curve, and this year was no different. Things just got weird. They issued a free newspaper, their “Lotus Flower” video sent dance enthusiasts on edge, and Yorke started hitting the DJ scene hard. But, on the other hand, they struck all the right nerves by releasing an exclusive Record Store Day 7″, “surprising” festivalgoers at Glastonbury, endorsing an album of remixes, and media blitzing NYC for a week (which included stops at Fallon, SNL, The Colbert Report, and two sold-out nights at The Roseland Ballroom). It doesn’t look like it’ll end for 2012, either, what with another LP and a proper tour on the way. That’s okay, though. Our stomachs, sleep schedules, and loved ones won’t appreciate it, but hey, more Radiohead, right? As the old adage with this group goes, “Stay tuned.” -Michael Roffman

The Day Trent Reznor Won An Oscar

When first approached by director David Fincher to score his film about the founding of Facebook, Trent Reznor had just wrapped up Nine Inch Nails’ lengthy farewell tour and was planning to take time off. However, as Reznor later explained, “When I actually read the script and realized what he was up to, I said goodbye to that free time I had planned.” Undoubtedly attracted by the film’s sentiments on isolation, greed, and entitlement (all familiar issues to the Nine Inch Nails frontman), Reznor graciously accepted his new role as film composer.

Teaming with longtime collaborator Atticus Ross, the duo would go on to create a masterpiece of “alternative-rock infused ambient electronic music” that as our Drew Litowitz writes, “mimics the anxious ambivalence that Sorkin’s script and Fincher’s direction convey so similarly.”  The score amplified the angst and turmoil that accompanied the success of Mark Zuckerberg. For a movie with no ostensible “action” sequences, the score built tension to great heights alongside Aaron Sorkin’s signature verbose script. One question remained: Would movie critics give praise to an outside artist who once sang, “God is dead and no one cares/ if there’s a hell, I’ll see you there”?

With 15 nominations for Best Original Score, it seemed Reznor and Ross had created a score that struck an international cord. Even after winning the Golden Globe, skeptics wondered if The Academy would give Reznor and Ross the Oscar over perennial favorites Hans Zimmer and Alexandre Desplat. All doubt dissipated when Nicole Kidman and the all-too-pleased Hugh Jackman called the duo up to accept each one’s first Academy Award. “Wow, is this really happening?” Reznor asked during his acceptance speech.

Reznor’s now working on the score for the Fincher-directed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Will he need to make more room on his trophy shelf? Plus, with an alt-rock artist taking home the coveted award, might Reznor’s win, combined with the efforts of Daft Punk and The Chemical Brothers, be incentive for more contemporary artists to try their hand at composing film scores? We’d like to hope so. -Derek Staples

Who is Arcade Fire??!!?

Sunday, February 13, 2011. Talk about a tumultuous 24-hour news cycle: Hours before Radiohead resurfaced to wreak havoc on the ‘net with The King of Limbs (see page nine), Arcade Fire walked home with a Grammy for Album of the Year for their 2010 album, The Suburbs. As Win Butler & Co. cooked up an impromptu cut of “Ready to Start” over the ceremony’s closing credits, fingers raced across keyboards, mouses clicked, and emotions ran wild. Some praised the news – Kanye West tweeted, “#Arcade fire!!!!!!!!!! There is hope!!! I feel like we all won when something like this happens! FUCKING AWESOME!” – while others, many others, updated their Facebook and Twitter accounts in utter confusion. Thus, one of 2011′s most popular internet memes came to fruition: Who Is Arcade Fire??!!?

For days following the Grammys, the widely celebrated Tumblr account reposted countless social media updates from users everywhere, all of whom had no clue who these Canadian indie rockers were. Some were angry, some were frustrated, and some felt victimized – as if the Grammys robbed Lady Antebellum, Eminem, Lady Gaga, or Katy Perry of a truer win. Naturally, as with anything this insubstantial to normal, everyday life, the wake calmed and most of the anger turned to curiosity. This partly speaks for the thousands upon thousands of fans that arrived in droves to catch them headline festivals, or take over their nearby venues. Creation through chaos, so to speak.

So, while recent Grammy-nominee Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver) might think otherwise, the Grammys proved that they do still hold some weight, turning an indie rock icon into a household name. Admittedly, you might not appreciate your mother keeping The Suburbs on rotation with Taylor Swift, but hey, it’s an improvement, right? Yep, Jimbo: “Strange days have found us.” -Michael Roffman

Lulu and more WTF collaborations

We’re generally all for unique, head-turning collaborations, but some instances of teamwork insanity in 2011 really had us going “WTF?” For instance, just last week director Darren Aronofsky glorified Lou Reed and Metallica’s Lulu, which our own Jeremy D. Larson so bluntly described as ”a complete failure on every tangible and intangible level of its existence,” with a music video for “The View”. But not even a video by a top-notch director can save an album doomed by its concept and only further hindered by poor production that awkwardly abandons Reed’s vocals on top of the mix

If Metallica and Lou Reed would have spent a bit more time exploring other odd collabos of 2011, they possibly could have avoided their joint tragedy all together. Back in July, SuperHeavy, the supergroup made up of Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, Dave Stewart, A. R. Rahman, and Damian Marley, dropped their first single, “Miracle Worker”. The bloated, inorganic track felt stapled together, with many critics and listeners calling it a marketing ploy by Warner Music Group.

Then in August, profanities flew left and right when we were presented with this picture of Jack White and Insane Clown Posse. If the pic wasn’t awful enough, whoever chose to listen to the White-produced “Leck Mich Im Arsch” and “Mountain Girls” were subjected to ICP at their crudest and most bizarre. Once again, we were left with two very important questions: Was this some maniacal plan each shared during their days in Michigan, or was this collaboration the strange payoff of a backroom bet?

Arguably, Re:Generation takes the prize for most “WTF”-worthy collaboration. Presented by the Hyundai Volster, the concept of Re:Generation was to explore jazz, R&B, country, classical, and rock through the eyes of five modern DJ/producers. Pairings included the Crystal Method and Martha Reeves, Pretty Lights, Leann Rimes, and Ralph Stanley, and the most noteworthy, Skrillex and the remaining members of The Doors. All that bass resonating from “Breakin’ a Sweat” had Jim Morrison rolling in his Parisian grave.

Here’s hoping 2012 finally brings us that Celebrity: Apprentice-inspired boy band featuring Meat Loaf, Lil Jon, and Mark McGrath. -Derek Staples

The Year of the Gummy Fetus

This past January, the often-unconventional Flaming Lips did something decidedly conventional: re-sign with Warner Bros. Records for a multi-year deal. However, with the deal came a newfound level of creative freedom, which Wayne Coyne and co. used to build their wildest and wackiest year to date. Seriously, some weird stuff’s ahead.

The band’s 2011 was marked by decidedly gimmicky ploys to sell music. If they weren’t schlepping tunes inside of gummy skulls or gummy female anatomy, they were creating songs that were six and 24 hours long (though proceeds from those massive, massive “songs” did go toward charity). That, or the group was busy crafting tunes about copulating blobs with the use of YouTube. Some of their releases, like where they wrote people’s name into songs, were decidedly hokey (even if, once again, they were for a good cause). If there were any legit music-making endeavors, like collabos with Prefuse 73, Neon Indian, and Lightning Bolt, not to mention super-shows with Weezer and Yeasayer, they were outshined by graveyard gigs and playing human Whack-A-Mole with SUNY students. If it made headlines while generating mass confusion this year, The Flaming Lips were undoubtedly behind it.

There’s no way to catalog these decisions and projects as true artistic exploration. If anything, nearly everything the band did this year were either jokes and goofs or absurd, almost harebrained marketing schemes. But when someone gives the inmates the keys to the asylum, should anyone be surprised when they smear the walls in green paint and dress up like penguins? We, for one, applaud Wayne Coyne and company for doing what they do best: entertaining us with their increasingly batshit hijinks. Here’s to the kooky things the band will cook up in 2012. -Chris Coplan

Stage Collapses

In the span of two months between July and August 2011, a freak trend hit the music world. Four stages in three separate countries collapsed, killing a total of 11 and injuring many more. The first collapse occurred on July 17th at the Ottawa Bluesfest, where strong winds caused the festival’s main stage to implode 20 minutes into Cheap Trick’s set. Gusts blew the stage backwards, which pushed the scaffold to teeter under the force. Three people were reported injured, and the remainder of the fest – one headlining spot by Death Cab for Cutie – was canceled.

Then, just weeks later on August 7th, a similar occurrence befell Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Brady District Block Party. Moments before local heroes The Flaming Lips were scheduled to go on, a lighting rig was struck by wind and fell into the stage. Though the stage was evacuated beforehand, preventing injury to fans, band members, and road crew, some $800,000 worth of the Lips’ equipment was damaged or destroyed.

The summer festival circuit’s worst incident occurred six days later during country duo Sugarland’s set at the Indiana State Fair. A massive gust of wind toppled the stage, sending steel scaffolding, lighting, and sound equipment into the audience. The destruction of the stage had come just minutes after organizers had announced the storm and outlined evacuation plans. Seven people died as a result of the collapse, with another 44 receiving treatment for various injuries at nearby hospitals.

The fourth and final collapse took place on August 18th at the Pukkelpop festival in Hasselt, Belgium. As Chicago-based indie rock band Smith Westerns were playing on The Chateau Stage, bursts of wind uprooted trees and collapsed several festival tents. The band was evacuated offstage just prior to its collapse. (A second construct, the Shelter stage, was also damaged by weather.) Four people were killed, with another 75 reported injured. The festival, scheduled to run until the 20th, was canceled Friday morning (August 19th).

Late last month, in the aftermath of the incident in Indiana, 51 individuals connected to the collapse sued Sugarland, concert promoters, and those who built the stage for breach of reasonable care. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. A state-sponsored investigation of the collapse will be completed before the case moves forward.

On a more positive note, following the tragedies, fans, musicians, journalists, and festival promoters alike have all emerged to sound the call for increased safety measures, demanding better crowd accommodation and weather preparedness. While festivals will always contend with X-factors, better preparation can only benefit subsequent summer festival seasons. -Chris Coplan

And the Rest…

Clearly, as you’ve just read, a lot of things happened to the musical landscape in 2011. Some occurrences, though, were so darn awesome, head-turning, or just downright strange that they can’t be classified anywhere else. So, here they are, the rest of the biggest news stories of the year. -Ben Kaye

Kanye: The Musical: Ya know, this was probably bound to happen. Students at Australia’s Sydney University told the tale of Ye, from making beats for Jay-Z to his solo ascension, in this September production “about a guy who took a shot at the throne and didn’t miss.”

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks hold a “blowjob” contest: Seems the lyrics to “Senator” weren’t exactly FCC-approved. The line “I know what the senator wants/what the senator wants is a blowjob” needed a rewrite for the radio, so Malkmus reached out to fans for help. Turns out the senator actually wanted a corndog (who doesn’t?).

Bon Iver Day: Even a perfunctory listen to Bon Iver’s music reveals Justin Vernon’s strong affections for Wisconsin. That love was returned on July 22nd when Milwaukee’s Mayor Tom Barrett christened the day “Bon Iver Day” in celebration of Bon Iver’s WI ties, musical accomplishments, and the beginning of their world tour.

Beavis and Butt-Head: America’s favorite slackers/social commentators returned to MTV this year for all-new animated episodes. With a whole new slew of modern musicians and pop-culture to mock, this news… hee… errm.. uhh huhuhuh… rules.

2011: A Rock Odyssey featuring Jack White: For three epic nights, Stephen Colbert joined Jack White at the musician’s Third Man Records. The goal was to revive Colbert’s “music career,” and it ended up giving us three awesome segments, a Catholicism-off, and a duet of The Star-Spangled Banner.

Nick Oliveri arrested after S.W.A.T. standoff: When his girlfriend called the police, ex-Queens of the Stoneage/current Kyuss Lives! bassist Nick Oliveri refused to let her leave the residence or let the cops in. Four hours and a L.A. county S.W.A.T. team later, he was arrested for felony domestic violence. While the case awaits trial, Kyuss still lives, though Oliveri, out on $100,000 bail, won’t be joining them for any international tour dates.

Mic Todd arrested for armed robbery: On tour with Soundgarden, Coheed and Cambria bassist Mic Todd went out and robbed a Walgreens in Attleboro, MA, by telling the pharmacist he had a bomb. He was arrested that night at the Comcast Center on charges of armed robbery and unlawful possession of prescription narcotics. A month later, he was looking for a new band.

Courtney Love dates SALEM’s Jack Donoghue: So, Courtney Love thinks Dave Grohl is a dick, but witch-house is sexy. You know, sometimes I just don’t understand that woman.

Metallica Monopoly: Because nothing says “metal” like family game night.

Luther Campbell runs for mayor of Miami-Dade County: Admittedly, it takes some cajones to choose the eighth-most populous county in the country as your first foray into politics. Probably takes more to try to tax strippers. He lost, by the way.

Joe Jonas says he’s influenced by Daft Punk: The middle Jo Bro cites Daft Punk’s Tron: Legacy work as an influence on his solo debut. So, in essence, you’re saying this led to this.

Image via Tumblr

It’s been a bad month for music’s power couples. On the heels of Thurston More and Kim Gordon’s break up, Us Weekly reports that Zooey Deschanel and Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard have ended their marriage of two years. According to a representative for the couple, the decision “was mutual and amicable. There was no third party involved.”

Thank god Mandy seems to be a fan of Ryan’s whole metal thing.

Gone are the more complex arrangements and lush production of Volume One and Volume Two, swapped here for sparse instrumentation and a focus on Deschanel’s vocals, a decision that yields mixed results. It is no secret that Deschanel’s talents as a vocalist are limited, but what she lacks in range she makes up for with abounding adorableness – a measurement that is not to be ignored when discussing Christmas music.

On tracks like opener “The Christmas Waltz” and “Christmas Day”, her vocal vulnerability lends an undeniable layer of sweetness, but on others such as “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”, her inability to belt it out leaves the listener unfilled. That song at least is salvaged by Ward’s precision guitar playing, which is tasteful and subtle throughout the record, almost to the point of being underused.

The album’s finest moment is the pair’s duet on “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”. The vocal interplay between Deschanel and Ward, the whistling bridge, and the brush-stroked snare make for an irresistible two minutes and 17 seconds, and it’s by far the band’s most successful attempt at making a retro Christmas album for hipsters.

Ultimately, A Very She & Him Christmas is an enjoyable if forgettable project that its creators probably had a very fun time making. It is background music for baking cookies and wrapping presents. Nothing more, nothing less.

Essential Tracks: “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”, “Silver Bells”

Following in the footsteps of her boo, Zooey Deschanel sang The National Anthem prior to game four of the 2011 World Series. Check out the video replay below.

Zooey Deschanel’s next musical foray, She & Him’s holiday album A Very She & Him Christmas, hits stores tomorrow, October 24th via Merge Records.

The new television sitcom from actress turned indie-pop princess Zooey Deschanel, New Girl, premieres tonight at 9/8c on FOX. Right below, via Vulture, you can hear the show’s theme song, which Deschanel wrote and sings herself.

And here’s the show’s trailer (if you dare):

Ben Gibbard threw a monkey wretch into anyone and everyone’s dreams of spending Christmas morning fireside with Zooey Deschanel, but all is not lost. Thanks to the October 25th release of a new holiday themed album from She & Him, we’ll all able to jimmy jangle along to the indie-pop princess this holiday season. The 12-track compilation, titled A Very She & Him Christmas, sees Deschanel and cohort M. Ward taking on such classics as “Blue Christmas”, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”. ‘

Right below, we have She & Him’s cover of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”. The album’s entire tracklist is after that.

A Very She & Him Christmas Tracklist:
01. The Christmas Waltz
02. Christmas Day
03. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
04. I’ll Be Home for Christmas
05. Christmas Wish
06. Sleigh Ride
07. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
08. Silver Bells
09. Baby, It’s Cold Outside
10. Blue Christmas
11. Little Saint Nick
12. The Christmas Song

With such a massive, sweeping influence on the genesis of rock and roll, it’s no surprise that Buddy Holly would be honored with the all-star tribute compilation Rave On Buddy Holly. And while acts from Paul McCartney to Fiona Apple already got their chance to pay homage, this September 6th sees a new set of musical superstars praise the bespectacled rock god with the release of Listen To Me: Buddy Holly.

This second compilation will feature offerings from Zooey Deschanel, Brian Wilson, Patrick Stump, Jackson Browne, The Fray, Chris Isaak, Ringo Starr, Cobra Starship, Natalie Merchant, Linda Ronstadt, Ringo Starr, Stevie Nicks, and more. The album’s proceeds will go to benefit The Grammy Foundation’s “Grammy Camps” and Artists’ House Music, both of whom develop programs and support for the future Buddy Holly’s of the world.

The album is available for pre-order here. In addition, watch a behind-the-scenes video of several artists, including Starr and Browne, and producer Peter Asher talking all things Holly at RollingStone.com.

Winnie The Pooh is back on the big screen, five years after something to do with Heffalumps, and what seems like ages since anyone cared (though author A. A. Milne would have likely preferred this version of his honey fiend forgotten). In our music circles, the news has nothing to do with bouncing tigers, emo donkeys, and pigs who look more like pink beehives with rabbit ears, and more about Deschanel and the guy who brought you “The Internet Is For Porn” working on family film soundtracks.

Winnie The Pooh as a She & Him project works about as well as Yellow Submarine worked for The Beatles, because, if you’re going into this thinking “Oh, B-sides!”, you’re sorely mistaken. Composer Henry Jackman helms over half of the album, a whimsical score that should only interest fans of film’s orchestral compositions, while the rest is divided between original, charming-as-can-be kiddie tunes by Lopez, and repeatedly-reprised Deschanel/Ward covers of the Pooh theme (plus one original song, “So Long”).

Three-fourths of this record could be lopped off for the sake of its purpose here, rounding down to a few choice tracks like “So Long”, “Woods And Words/The Backson Song”, and Jim Cummings showing off his Tigger voice on “It’s Gonna Be Great”. For what Winnie The Pooh represents to many a childhood, the movie will no doubt not sell as well as it deserves to, and the soundtrack will most likely be completely overshadowed by the compilation for Transformers: Dark of the Moon. In the end, though, you get drawn in by the indie artists, a Tony Award winner, and the man of a thousand voices coming together to bring out your inner Christopher Robin, only to get sucked dry by overzealous scoring that really brings nothing new to the table.

It’s difficult to say who this album caters to. Maybe it holds appeal with the parents of kids who are just now getting their proper introduction to the living stuffed animals of yore. However, fans of Deschanel and Ward won’t likely find this worth listening to.

Admittedly, there’s probably no act as bright and bubbly as M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel, collectively known as She & Him. They’re so wuvvy duvvy that it it made perfect sense that the duo were tapped to provide three songs for the upcoming soundtrack to the Winnie the Pooh reboot. With the theme song already so adowable that we want to squeeze a box of kittens, another sample drops in the form of “So Long” (which was previewed during the initial announcement.) To almost no one’s surprise, this offering is quite possibly more cutesy than the first track; so much so, in fact, that we’d like to rip a rainbow from the sky, bake into little cakes, and hand them out to every pudgy faced child in the world.

Check out the track at Some Kind Of Awesome. The OST drops July 12th, with the movie hitting theaters July 15th.

As previously reported, Zooey Deschanel made time between baking a chocolate cake for @gibstack and starring in Your Highness to compose music for the forthcoming Winnie the Pooh reboot. The soundtrack doesn’t arrive until July 12th (with the film following three days later on the 15th), but thanks to Covering the Mouse, you can now hear one of Deschanel’s three contributions — her take on the film’s classic theme song. Though it’s not billed as a She & Him production, the track also features M. Ward, who provides the musical support. Hat tip to Largehearted Boy for the find.

News:

Cluster 1 News with Sami Jarroush – Updates on LCD Soundsystem, The Strokes, Foo Fighters, Zooey Deschanel, and more!

Animation:

Skateboardanimation – A paper animation short of some dudes who can truly shred the gnar in their Honey I Shrunk the Kids-type environment.

HP – invent – Computer technology has come a long way, and as a result, HP has made some pretty rad printers. But these printers + techno + an amazing sense of rhythm and editing = HP – invent.

Music Videos:

cubesato – “Le Petite Prince” – Some amazing geometry to trip you out to this soothing track. iTunes visualizer doesn’t have shit on this.

Cinnamon Chasers – “Love Deluxe” – One small decision can trigger numerous events. “Love Deluxe” shows alternate realities of the same road trip that celebrate that concept (see: Richard Linklater’s dream in Slacker).

The Kills van Kulls – “Fools Wish” – Watch a tortured artist go crazy with the images that haunt his mind. Although, you can do that in a number of metropolitan areas.

Documentaries:

Vincent Moon’s Take Away Show #100 – Soema Montenegro Part IV – In the final installment, Moon and Montenegro continue their journey around Buenos Aires, as she jams with the sounds of the world on her acoustic guitar.

Don’t Forget…

– Want a constant stream of musical goodness? Check out our Channel, featuring over 30 music videos, several short films, and other nifty clips, all crammed together in one non-stop barrage of visual and aural stimulation.

- Social networking is a way of life, so follow us at @cluster1tv and on Facebook

In news that makes all the sense in the world, Ms. Ben Gibbard has contributed music to the forthcoming Winnie the Pooh movie. According to an issued press release, Deschanel “joins Winnie the Pooh and all of his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood, performing three songs for the film,” including her own take on the classic “Winnie the Pooh” theme song, “A Very Important Thing to Do”, and the original end-credit song “So Long”.

The press release goes on to note that “A Very Important Thing to Do” is “a song that helps illustrate the contest the friends from the Hundred Acre Wood take on to find Eeyore a new tail.” “So Long”, on the other hand, will be played during the end credits. Deschanel wrote the song with She & Him collaborator M. Ward, and you can watch a preview in the video below.

If that weren’t enough, Deschanel also lent her voice to songs entitled “Everything is Honey” and “Pooh’s Finale”, joining Jim Cummings (the voice of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger) and other cast members.

The soundtrack for Winnie the Pooh will be available July 12th via Walt Disney Records. The film itself hits theaters three days later on July 15th.

We’re not discussing their ability to sell bullshit, either. (We’re looking at you, Mr. Sean Penn.) We’re also not hinting at their knack to change face, or physical presence. (Christian Bale, how do you do it?) No, we’re talking about their raw talents. Some actors can do things that go outside acting. A few might dabble in painting, and prove incredibly worthy. Others might be great politicians… sh’yeah, right. For the most part, if any cross over into other industries, it’s more often than not into music. It just makes sense.

But not all can pull it off. Think about the real blunders of the past: Russell Crowe, Lindsay Lohan, Bruce Willis, Don Johnson, shall we go on? Okay, one last one: Steven Seagal. Horrible. (Actually, Don Johnson gets a bad rap. “Heartbeat” isn’t that bad. It’s a little cheesy, but think about the times. He nailed the time period.) Some can really pull it off, though. Enough that we decided to put together a list. Sure, some of our choices will no doubt come off as obvious, but others might surprise you. Regardless, this list is an honest carving of pure, real talent. These aren’t ironic choices. These folks deserve the spotlight, simply because they can deliver. They didn’t cross over for cash grabs — well, not that we’re aware of. No, they tried their hand and they succeeded.

So, take a gander. You might be shocked. If anything, it’ll certainly give you some perspective if you watch the Oscars this Sunday. Speaking of which, stay tuned this weekend, as we unveil our Top 5 Oscar Musical Performances (Saturday) and 10 Film Scores You Really Should Know (Sunday). Trust us, you’ll be sick of Hollywood and everything involved with it by Sunday night. We know we will.

p.s. The Social Network better sweep, Christian Bale deserves the damn Oscar, and give Christopher Nolan the Original Screenplay award. Okay, we’re done.

-Michael Roffman
President/Editor-in-Chief

10. Jeff Bridges

When you think of Jeff Bridges and music, your thoughts may not immediately settle on his own work in the field. The actor has been a part of many films with well-known soundtracks. You may think of his turn as The Dude, dancing to “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)” during a dream sequence in The Big Lebowski. You may wander back to late last year where he reprised the role of Kevin Flynn, running from his controlling program Clu to the tunes of Daft Punk in Tron: Legacy. But if you just listened to the soundtrack of Crazy Heart without knowing anything else about it, his work on tracks like “Hold On You” and “I Don’t Know” is nothing short but brilliant. With a rich timbre that fits the country-fueled tunes, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if Bridges released an album that was as successful as the film that started him down the path. Country may not be my favorite genre, but if Bridges wrote it, I’d definitely buy it. -Dana Grossman

09. Jeff Daniels

For better or worse, Jeff Daniels will always be remembered for his portrayal of Harry Dunne in 1994’s incendiary Dumb and Dumber. His knack for slapstick and obvious chemistry with Jim Carrey is what makes that film the cultural icon it is today. But it sort of overshadows his other work. The man has hit mainstream success (Arachnaphobia, Purple Rose of Cairo, Fly Away Home), as well as indie success (The Squid and the Whale, The Lookout), and has flourished in just about every role thrown his way, crumby or ground-breaking. What you may not know about Daniels is that he’s a self-proclaimed folk artist. He’s recorded songs throughout his life, and has released two full-lenghts: Grandfather’s Hat, and Jeff Daniels Live and Unplugged. If you haven’t had the chance to check out Harry Dunne’s music, he did a captivating session with Daytrotter, which you can download for free here. -Winston Robbins

08. Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx is a triple threat. Not only did he become an enormous name in Hollywood after getting his start by joining In Living Color, eventually landing larger-than-life roles in blockbuster films (Ray, Collateral, Jarhead, Miami Vice, Dreamgirls, The Soloist, etc.), but he’s an established musician as well as a legitimate stand-up comedian. He’s released four solo albums, all of which charted on Billboard’s top 200, but that’s not where his musical legacy will lie, I’m afraid. The man has appeared on just about every keynote rapper’s albums as a featured guest, most notably on Kanye West’s club hit “Gold Digger” and other track “Slow Jamz”, which also features Twista. You have to admire a man who can sing, rap, produce, act, and do stand-up proficiently in every category. -Winston Robbins

07. Juliette Lewis

She survived Quentin Tarantino’s perversion and a Mexican vampire nest in From Dusk Til Dawn; she went on a killing spree with Woody Harrelson’s red tea-shades in Natural Born Killers. Juliette Lewis is a darling and a psycho, a Christian follower of a trendy “cult”-ural conversation called Scientology, but more than that, she is now a musical entertainer.

Lewis’ career in rock has spawned two LPs under the banner of Juliette & The Licks, while later forming The New Romantiques, credited solely as Juliette Lewis for the album Terra Incognita. Taking into account the sexy romps of “You’re Speaking My Language”, the attack on society with “American Boy, Pt. 2″, even a Patti Smith vibe as of late…Lewis does not give a fuck what you think.

Move, ’cause Mallory Knox did it. -David Buchanan

06. Ryan Gosling

Aside from being everyone’s man crush (it’s okay, you can admit it, this is a safe place), Ryan Gosling is a spectacular actor and musician, though the musicianship facet of his career is a fairly recent development. You may know him as Noah from The Notebook, that kid from Remember the Titans, or that little boy who used to be on The Mickey Mouse Club, but Gosling’s film career goes much deeper than that. Gosling’s days of mediocre acting jobs are behind him, and he’s now become a marquee name. His accolades include two Golden Globe nominations, two Academy Award nominations, and two Independent Spirit nominations. He decided to try his hand at music in 2009 with his project, Dead Man’s Bones. By all accounts, this should have been a flop, but it was surprisingly endearing and honest. Their self-titled debut was dark, yet jauntily poppy, and was a collaboration with L.A.’s Silverlake Conservatory Children’s Choir, who added an eerie aesthetic that bolstered the album immensely. And although the performances by the group were few, they were successfully raw and full of energy. -Winston Robbins

05. Zooey Deschanel

Almost a full decade before She & Him entered anyone’s radar, Zooey Deschanel was already mixing together her interests in music and acting. One of her first appearances on-screen was the music video for The Offspring’s 1999 single, “She’s Got Issues”. A large movie audience got the first taste of her vocal abilities in Elf, where her deadpan character unknowingly duet-ted with Will Ferrell on “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”. From there, she starred in a variety of films, including The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Bridge to Terabithia, and (500) Days of Summer. Musically, she formed a jazz cabaret act called If All Stars Were Pretty Babies, though they never released any studio recordings. Once she got working with M.Ward in 2007, she found the perfect outlet in She & Him. While many artists crossover and then stay in that field for a while, it looks like Deschanel will continue to move between the lines of her two professions as smoothly as her singing voice. -Joe Marvilli

04. Jack Black

It wasn’t too much of a stretch for comedic actor Jack Black when he went from the silver screen to the world of rock and roll. If you’ve seen the vast majority of his films (High Fidelity, Orange County, and School of Rock, to name a few), it’s obvious rock ‘n’ roll is a very important part of Black’s personality. That’s why it made sense in 2001 for Black and acting companion Kyle “KG” Gass to team up together and officially form Tenacious D. What started with a short-lived television series in the late ’90s blossomed into a self-titled debut that captured nearly every fan of rock ‘n’ roll. In addition to playing the greatest song in the world (for the devil himself, no less), Tenacious D has gone on to sell millions of records, even headlining numerous festivals (let’s not forget their surprise Coachella performance). Sure, the group’s long gestating 2006 film, The Pick of Destiny, was a flop, but nearly five years later it has become a stoner cult classic. What else did you want it to be? With promise of a new album and some potential tour dates with the Foo Fighters later this year — oh, by the way, Dave Grohl was their studio drummer — Tenacious D has solidified itself in the rock ‘n’ roll genre. In hindsight, Jack Black has become just as famous in the music biz as he has in the film industry. You might not think of this, especially when the guy’s arguing about cock pushups, but he’s definitely smarter than the average bear. -Ted Maider

03. Woody Allen

Oy vey. When he’s not romanticizing about past love, or trying to seduce his latest leading actress behind the camera, director-writer-actor Woody Allen spends some time playing jazz. You heard that right: jazz. Since the ’60s, Allen has performed as a clarinetist for a handful of acts. (Fun fact: His stage name comes from legendary clarinetist Woody Herman. That one’s on the house.) This isn’t an old passion that he’s dropped, either. He continues to consistently play alongside The Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band every Monday night at the Carlyle Hotel in New York City. Allen may be prolific for his filmography, but he’s turned some heads with this music career. In 1996, director Barbara Kopple followed Allen and his group around, documenting their tour in a film entitled, Wild Mans Blues, the soundtrack to the film being one of two albums the group’s since released. The other? 1993′s The Bunk Project. Not too shabby for Alvy Singer, huh? So, if you don’t subscribe to Bruce McCulloch’s hatred of the genre, perhaps your fanaticism of Allen doesn’t stop with film. -Michael Roffman

02. Jenny Lewis

There’s something about a babe with a bass guitar. Jenny Lewis wears it well; a rock chick with a dress sense who can rock along with the best on six strings, as well as four, without looking like she’s about to collapse under the weight of the instrument. Lewis is a prime example of the actor turned fair musician and singer. From child acting through a raft of TV shows and teen movies, she earned her thespian spurs until finding her true mojo in 1998. At the still tender age of 22, she co-formed the band, Rilo Kiley, a made up name that sounds like it should be an anagram. The indie pop-rockers went on to release five albums over nine years, all of which would make a name for itself in the evolving indie market. She didn’t stop there, though. Lewis also has two solo records to her name, the first of which was brought together by Conor Oberst and has Lewis co-billed with The Watson Twins. More recently, however, the songstress has been performing with her partner, Johnathan Rice, as Jenny & Johnny. The two released their debut album last year, titled I’m Having Fun Now. In between, however, Lewis has a host of contributions on her CV; everything from Elvis Costello to Brandon Flowers. On the topic of the Oscars, Jenny Lewis’ proved to be a contender when her tender-sweet song, “Barking At The Moon”, from the Disney animation, Bolt, fell on the long list of potential nominees for Best Original Song in 2009. Sadly, along with Springsteen’s “The Wrestler”, she didn’t make the cut in a year where oddly just three songs got through. Shame on you, Oscar! Any song with a lyric like “I may not see in color babe, but I sure can feel blue,” deserves its moment in the sun. -Tony Hardy

01. Steve Martin

He’s been a jerk, a father (to a bride, no less), an amigo, and, on the side, he’s one of the most compelling banjo players out there. Ever since it became a staple of his stand-up routines throughout the ’70s, Steve Martin has made no secret of his skills with the eccentric instrument. It’s worked, too. His debut album, Let’s Get Small, won a Grammy for Best Comedy Album in 1978, which he followed again a year later with his work on A Wild and Crazy Guy, which featured SNL-favorite hit, “King Tut”. In 2001, Martin nabbed another Grammy, this time for Best Country Instrumental Performance on the remake of “Foggy Mountain Breakdown”. He followed this Grammy success in 2009 by releasing his first all-music effort, The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo, which brought him a win for Best Bluesgrass Album. It’s not all in the studio, either. Lately, he’s been picking up steam in the festival circuit with his group the Steep Canyon Rangers, appearing nationally at the New Orleans Jazz Fest, Merlefest Bluegrass Festival, Hardly Strictly Bluesgrass Festival, and, of course, Bonnaroo. Yeah, it doesn’t get better than that. This guy fucking bleeds talent. -Michael Roffman

Image via Hipster Runoff

Ask any member of the CoS news team what keeps them up at night and they’ll likely tell you it’s the excitement/fear of Radiohead dropping an album at 4:45 AM. That’s exactly what happened earlier this morning; fortunately, Harry Painter and Mike Roffman are insomniacs.

But Radiohead’s surprise new album wasn’t the only bombshell of February 14th, 2011. From Arcade Fire’s Grammy win to Zooey Deschanel’s new tv gig, today’s music headlines were as hot as they are heavy. So what better way to remember the most insane day of 2011 then by recapping it in bullet form below!

– Radiohead‘s eighth album, The King of Limbs, arrives this Saturday. In related news, that box of chocolates no longer qualifies as a decent Valentine’s Day gift.

– In even more Radiohead news, guitarist Jonny Greenwood will score We Need To Talk About Kevin, a forthcoming film starring the equally amazing John C. Reilly.

– Arcade Fire‘s Win Butler might be pissed at his ex-bro, but he has something that Thom doesn’t: a Grammy for Best Album. Also, we have a recap of all the Grammy performances.

– Queens of the Stone Age will take their newly reissued self-titled debut on the road this summer.

– The punk-tastic Green Day shared a mastered live version of “Cigarettes and Valentines”.

– You’ll need 12 iPhones to hear all 12 parts of The Flaming Lips’ new single, “Two Blobs Fucking”.

– Zooey Deschanel has signed on to star in a new Fox TV pilot entitled Chicks and Dicks. Suddenly, I care about sitcoms again.

– Florence and the Machine announced a series of headlining tour dates.

– Yeasayer gave us a Valentine’s Day triple whammy: a free EP, new video, and tour dates.

– Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor might need to update his resume. It looks like he is joining Velvet Revolver.

– Finally, Mavis Staples, Califone, Bill Callahan head the 2011 edition of the Pickathon Music Festival. Click here to check out the full lineup and read an interview with festival co-founder Zale Schoenborn.

Deadline.com is reporting that the 31-year-old singer/actress has signed on to star in a Fox pilot for a single-camera comedy tentatively titled Chicks and Dicks, and while she’s been rumored to have been in negotiations for the Liz Merriwether-produced television show since last week, this news makes Deschanel’s return to the screen official. She recently made appearances on Bones (which stars her sister, Emily), starred in My Idiot Brother, and was reportedly looking into taking a spot on NBC’s The Office, but her role on Chicks makes her the main character of the show.

She is set to play Jessica – an “optimistic but unlucky in love elementary school teacher who, after her most recent break-up, moved out of her apartment with her ex and moves in with three juvenile guys” – and for her part, Deschanel seems psyched. “Excited to be working on a rad Fox pilot with Liz Meriwether,” she said in a Twitter message, “I’m pretty darn lucky!” While some of her fans may feel unlucky about not being able to hear her sing for a while, her googly-eyed admirers are no doubt pleased to be able to see her on their television screens again.

She & Him are just so gosh darn cute. Zooey Deschanel’s bangs aside, proof of said adorableness can be found in their videos. Whether it’s the cupie doll winks and hula hoops of “In The Sun” or the foreign flick directed by toddlers that is “Thieves”, it’s hard not to ohhh and awww a bit when the duo show up in an embedded box. For their new “Don’t Look Back” clip, Mrs. Ben Gibbard and M. Ward continue the trend with another psuedo ’50s-inspired round of cheek-pinching cuteness, this time with cloning (multiple Zooey Deschanels are called Deschaneli), plastic furniture, holograms, robotic keyboard players, BBQs, and, of course, mass choreographed dance parties. Check out the video above and try not to pass out from the sugar rush.

Ben Gibbard wears many hats. He’s frontman of the Death Cab for Cutie, as well as a solo artist, especially in October. He’s also a husband/the luckiest guy on the face of the Earth. Yet despite his awesome life, he still makes time to give back to those less fortunate.

As Seattle radio station 107.7 The End points out, Gibbard wore all these hats (and an actual one, too) in Seattle last night. After all, at a benefit concert for Seattle-based non-profit Teen Feed, Mr. Deschanel did the following: debut a song off Death Cab for Cutie’s new album, cover Radiohead’s “All I Need”, and team up with his wife, Zooey Deschanel, for a rendition of The Shakers’ “I’ll Never Find Another You”.

Compliments of 107.7 The End, you can watch clips of all the aforementioned below.

New Death Cab for Cutie song

Radiohead cover

Duet with Zooey

New York’s annual CMJ Music Marathon more or less took over the lives of much of the music industry. And though much of our staff were among those attendees, covering the festivities, braving copious amounts of buzz bands, hipsters, industry insiders, and PBR, somehow we managed to write about a lot of other stuff this week too.

That said, this recap hardly does these past few days justice. Below you’ll find a generous sampling of recent happenings in the music world.

– Daft Punk performed for the first time in three years.

– Ari Up, lead vocalist of iconic punk group The Slits, passed away. She was 48 years old.

– Beastie Boys detailed their new LP.

– Red Hot Chili Peppers revealed some big plans for 2011.

– Thom Yorke will collaborate with other luminaries for a charity “silent single.”

– We compared album cover art . Whose did you think was better? Nicki Minaj or Kid Cudi?

– The “incredible” new Willow Smith video dropped.

– The HullabaLOU Music Festival is no more.

– An early White Stripes single sold for more than the price of a small car.

– Sufjan Stevens and Lil Wayne topped the charts.

– Joanna Newsom denied the rumor of a Simpsons appearance.

– Zooey Deschanel and Ben Gibbard played a Playoff game.

– U2 announced a collaboration with Danger Mouse.

– Crystal Castles posted tour dates. And lots of them.

– Kings of Leon offered “dick bands” some advice.

– CBGBs went on sale. Any takers?

– The Cars will reunite for a new studio LP.

– Kanye West demanded an “instant replay clock.”

– Die Antwoord finally put out a proper debut. Winston Robbins reviewed it.

– Weezer released their “odds and ends” collection titled Death to False Metal. Get Michael Roffman’s take on it here.

– Interpol inspired ”sing-alongs” at their recent gig  in Pomona, CA. Philip Cosores was there.

– We hosted a kick-off party at CMJ we affectionately called Conflict of Interest. If you couldn’t make it, don’t worry because Joe Marvilli did. We also have a video recap!

– Cosores also found time this week to take a look at music in films in a piece titled, appropriately enough, “From Dylan to Daft Punk: A History of Pop Music at the Movies.”

– E.N. May got the “skinny” on MoogFest.

– Harry Painter and Ted Maider took on Treasure Island.

Surprisingly, Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward still have enough left in the tank for final round of US tour dates. As TwentyFourBit points out, the musical duo will perform 10 times between the end of August and end of October. Included are appearances at the Treasure Island Music Festival in San Francisco and City Arts Music Festival in Seattle, as well as headlining dates across both the mid-west and west coast.

Along with the final tour dates, She & Him have also released a new 7″ for Volume 2‘s second single, “Thieves”. The limited edition release, which also features the previously unavailable b-side “I Knew It Would Happen This Way”, is available through Merge Records.

She & Him 2010 Tour Dates:
08/26 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Twilight Concert Series – Pioneer Park
08/28 – Omahe, NE @ Anchor Inn
08/29 – St Louis, MO @ Lou Fest
08/30 – Kansas City. MO @ Uptown Theatre
09/01 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
09/05 – Los Angeles, CA @ Los Angles Times Celebration of Food and Wine
10/17 – San Francisco, CA @ Treasure Island Music Festival
10/22 – Portland, OR @ Schnitzer Hall
10/23 – Seattle, WA @ City Arts Music Fesival
10/24 – Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum Theatre

A talking giraffe introduced the duo and what played out onscreen was equally lighthearted and enjoyable. You see, the great thing about M.Ward and Zooey Deschanel’s four-year-old pet project is how non-committal and carefree the tunes are, and last night’s performance was no exception.

While she looked a bit stiff leading a six-piece band (complete with color-coordinated back up singers), the 30-year-old Deschanel still appeared more comfortable than she has ever been. The singer, who has garnered a reputation for being uncomfortable in front of cameras, cracked a few smiles and seemed pleased with her relatively strong vocal performance. She even threw in some dainty piano trills before Ward ever-so-smoothly put his signature guitar passage on the song. With everything going on onstage, it’s amazing how easy it is to forget that Ward – one of our generation’s finest songwriters – is quietly leading the whole thing from stage right. In the end, it seems like Deschanel has completely put her previous late night mishaps behind her, and a tambourine-tapping good time was had by all.

Check the whole thing out below then see the pair at one of the shows listed below. Tickets are available via their website or Ticketmaster.com.

She & Him 2010 Tour Dates:
08/26 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Twilight Concert Series – Pioneer Park
08/28 – Omahe, NE @ Anchor Inn
08/29 – St Louis, MO @ Lou Fest
08/30 – Kansas City. MO @ Uptown Theatre
09/01 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
09/05 – Los Angeles, CA @ Los Angles Times Celebration of Food and Wine
10/17 – San Francisco, CA @ Treasure Island Music Festival

According the The Playlist, a Janis Joplic biopic is now in the works. Twilight producer Wyck Godfrey broke the news in a sort of nonchalant manner during a recent interview with FEARnet. Discussing his production company’s upcoming projects, he noted “one’s a Fernando Meirelles Janis Joplin movie with Amy Adams playing Janis Joplin.”

So there you have it. Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles — best known for his 2004 film City of God — is overseeing the project and Academy Award winning actress Amy Adams will be playing the legendary rocker. Godfrey said the project should begin filming this fall.

The Playlist does point out, however, that this isn’t the first time a Janis Joplin biopic has been in the works. Previously, Zooey Deschanel was set to play her in a film titled The Gospel According To Janis, but the project was ultimately scrapped. So keep your fingers crossed that this latest attempt actually works out.

Plus, with names like Lightbody, Buck, and Colburn involved, it’s not surprising to learn that the collective has tapped a few equally high-profile guest contributors, such as She & Him’s Zooey Deschanel and Editors frontman Tom Smith (via TwentyFourBit). What’s more, the legendary Garret “Jacknife” Lee handled the album’s production.

The end result is said to be a Wilco, Calexico, and Lambchop-influenced, country concept album or, as Lightbody told BBC, a “twisted love letter to the States”.

To your right, you will find the album’s artwork. You can watch a video of the band recording The Place We Ran From as well preview some of the sounds of the album on tiredponey.com.

Tickets for the newly announced dates will go on sale starting Friday, April 30th via Ticketmaster.com.

She & Him 2010 Tour Dates:
04/30 – Berlin, DE @ Lido
05/01 – Copenhagen, DK @ Loppen
05/03 – Stockholm, SE @ Kagelbanan
05/04 – Oslo, NO @ John Dees
05/06 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg
05/07 – London, UK @ KOKO
05/08 – Minhead, UK @ All Tomorrow’s Parties
05/10 – London, UK @ University of London
05/28 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Rio Theatre
05/29 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theatre
05/30 – Bend, OR @ Les Schwab Amphitheatre
05/31 – Quincy, WA @ Sasquatch! Music Festival
06/04 – Milwaukee, WI @ Verge Music Festival
06/05 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
06/06 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Theater
06/07 – Chicago, IL @ Millennium Park
06/09 – Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy
06/10 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
06/11 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music Festival
07/01 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
07/02 – Philadelphia, PA @ Penns Landing
07/03 – Oxford, ME @ Nateva Music Festival
07/04 – New York, NY @ Governors Island
07/06 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5
07/07 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
07/09 – Atlanta, GA @ Atlanta Botanical Gardens
07/10 – Birmingham, AL @ Sloss Furnace
07/18 – Hollywood, CA @ Hollywood Bowl
08/29 – St. Louis, MO @ LouFest

M. Ward is also easy not to like. Despite the fact that Post War would rate high on my top albums list of the last decade, Hold Time and his work with Monsters of Folk were not only poor, they were the kind of albums that demanded to never be listened to again. And even with a resume that is stacked with cred-building collaborations and appearances, it seems he is one fat paycheck away from being Jason Mraz.

So the collaboration between the two, titled awfully as She &  Him, seems like it should be quite easy to hate. But it’s not. It’s light, pleasant, well-produced and endearing. As much as the bitter, Bukowski-reading man in me wants to give the both of them jabs in the nose, I cannot deny Deschanel has a lovely voice and crafts memorable melodies. And, their new offering, Volume Two, actually improves on their previous album, bucking the tradition of sophomore slumps and building on their previous road-map with stronger songwriting and a more consistent sound.

Most writers compare the sound of She and Him to “70s AM radio” and I admit I don’t really understand this reference point. I was not alive in the 70′s and to me AM radio means Lakers, Angels, and a lot of Spanish programming to me. The New Pornographers get tagged with this reference point, and I find it hard to find the similarities between She and Him and The New Pornographers. The reference point I hear in the music is more 50′s and 60′s Doo-wop and girl groups (I’m thinking Back to the Future times), a genre so hipstarian (new word?) in nature that I’m surprised more bands don’t exploit this sound. Any city dweller worth his weight knows where a good Motown party is held, but the only groups smart enough to reinvent this sound are led by Hollywood celebs: Deschanel and Ryan Gosling. It could be worse though, at least celebrities are actually making rad music, something that hasn’t occurred since Eddie Murphy offered his beloved party anthem.

Of course, this sound is delivered through the folk filter made famous by the Ward/Jenny Lewis/Conor Oberst crew (or Mike Mogis, really). This is particularly effecting on album closer “If You Can’t Sleep”, a song that would be perfectly at place on Lewis’ Rabbit Fur Coat and acts as comforting and romantic as that album’s title object. Like She & Him’s first album Volume One (with this band name and these album titles, one could question if they are giving the details the attention they deserve), Volume Two’s first single is the least indicative song of the album as a whole in the collection. “In The Sun”, though containing a distinctly different production quality (perhaps because of the Tilly and The Wall contribution), does at least captures the way makes the listener feel, the intent. It’s good-time music, the songs you would want to hear if you were in a convertible; songs to soundtrack a picnic with a lover; songs to make you nostalgic for something you’ve only seen in movies, but never experienced. They are songs rooted in a simpler time. This quality, especially noticeable on the breezy “Me and You”, elevates the collection past bubblegum pop, because though the tracks tend not to be emotionally involving, the aesthetic  is captivating and it’s effect lingers beyond the act of listening. Volume Two has a strange power to brighten a whole day by opening up memories you don’t know you have. Heavy shit for music as light as can be.

Not all the songs are successful, unfortunately. The group choose a poor opener, the very average “Thieves”. The song itself is fine, but Deschanel’s voice struggles. She sounds effortless on the rest of the collection, but “Thieves” finds her straining to sound unique. It’s like if someone who wasn’t Joanna Newsom tried to sing like Joanna Newsom. The result sounds inauthentic, and at times distractingly annoying. She & Him also falter on their cover of Skeeter Davis’ “Gonna Get Along Without You Now”, if only because they finally cross the line of too cutesy that they constantly flirt with. If anything, I am shocked how tasteful the record is as a whole. Everything about the project screams sweet like a Halloween candy binge, and this was one of the faults with Volume One. But, Volume Two is tasteful where you wouldn’t expect, like (to extend a weak comparison) chocolate covered raisins. That being said, Volume One’s “Sentimental Heart” remains the band’s highpoint and nothing on the new collection touches that near-perfect song.

Whereas I enjoyed Volume One, I couldn’t care less whether or not I ever heard it again. Volume Two is, dare I say, actually important. Important in the sense that maybe vintage clothing and vinyl records and the whole of the touch and feel of cotton are more than just things people do to seem cool or interesting, activities or sentiments repeated without reason. The past lingers or is recyled because something about it was good. This album reinforces that fact and even though you may be able to listen to similar tunes on your local golden oldies station, there is a need to update and revisit these classic sounds from time to time. She & Him handle this duty like pros and despite all of my many reservations, it’s kind of hard not to like it.

Getting back to those aforementioned SXSW appearances, please find a full listing below. Thank goodness the duo has many more upcoming tour dates on their itinerary, because I can already foresee long lines in Austin this week.

She & Him 2010 Tour Dates:
03/15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Largo
03/18 – Austin, TX @ Cedar Street Courtyard (SXSW)
03/19 – Austin, TX @ Lustre Pearl (SXSW)
03/20 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s (SXSW)
03/30 – Austin, TX @ Auditorium Shores (SXSW)
03/25 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theater
03/27 – Savannah, GA @ Savannah Music Festival
03/29 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
03/30 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
04/15 – Pomona, CA @ The Glass House
04/16 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
04/26 – Madrid, ES @ Joy Eslava
04/27 – Barcelona, ES @ Sala Apolo
04/29 – Paris, FR @ Alhambra
04/30 – Berlin, DE @ Lido
05/01 – Copenhagen, DK @ Loppen
05/03 – Stockholm, SE @ Kagelbanan
05/04 – Oslo, NO @ Cosmopolite
05/07 – London, UK @ Koko
05/08 – Minehead, UK @ All Tomorrow’s Parties
05/28 – Santa Cruza, CA @ Rio Theatre
05/29 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theatre
05/30 – Bend, OR @ Les Schwab Amphitheatre
05/31 – George, WA @ Sasquatch! Music Festival
06/04 – Milwaukee, WI @ Verge Music Festival
06/05 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
06/06 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Theater
06/07 – Chicago, IL @ Millennium Park
06/09 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Theater
06/10 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
06/11 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music Festival

Basically, if you watch one video today, it should/must be this (via P4k). Volume 2 is due for release on March 23rd via Merge Records.

First and foremost, Courtney Love and the current incarnation of Hole will appear at next month’s South by Southwest in Austin, TX. The appearance, which will feature a lineup of Love along with new members Micko Larkin (guitar), Shawn Dailey (bass), and Stu Fisher (drums), will use the opportunity to showcase its forthcoming studio album, Nobody’s Daughter. Exact specifics have not yet been released.

Now on to the good news. Among one of the three acts recently added to the Matt Groening-curated Weekend #1 of the All Tomorrow’s Parties music festival is none other than the lovely duo of M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel, aka She & Him. According to ATP’s Twitter, the appearance will mark one of the duo’s first ever appearances outside the U.S. (the festival’s publicist confirms additional dates are likely coming soon). So if you add the She & Him U.K. debut with the other new additions of the Liars and  Trash Kit, as well as the previously announced likes of The Stooges, Spiritualized, Panda Bear, The xx, and Hope Sandoval among others, you basically get one hell of a festival. Maybe even better than what Pavement put together! Incredibly, limited tickets are still available.