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  • MUSIC

    Aug 20, 2008, 04:38PM

    Maybe The Music Business Is Finally Getting It

    Warner Music, one of the four major labels, is seriously investigating a way to change the economics of their business. In addition to their own profits, they're keenly aware that the best artists really do need to make enough money to live as professionals. Their solution won't seem radical to anyone familiar with eMusic, but it's a pretty big step for companies still trying to squeeze money out of CDs.

  • MUSIC

    Aug 19, 2008, 04:34PM

    RIAA Shuts Down Muxtape

    Muxtape, a website that allowed users to upload and share digital mixtaps that got off the ground this spring, has been shut down by the cold might of the RIAA. They say copyrights have not been obtained by the website, sort of like how Napster was held responsible for what its users did. Still no explanation as to how this is different from sharing an actual mixtape with your friends, except that doing that won't get you sued.

  • MUSIC

    Aug 19, 2008, 04:23PM

    Free Online Radio Suffocating

    Last year a court ruled that online radio stations had to pay relatively more expensive royalties on music than regular or satellite radio. The result is a dramatic increase in cost that might kill of even the most sophisticated and professional online radio stations like Pandora. Score one for old media struggling to make money? Or are record companies killing a potential goose with golden eggs?

  • MUSIC

    Aug 19, 2008, 11:19AM

    Today's Philosophical Conundrum In Music

    Death Cab for Cutie announced today that they'll be opening for Neil Young at eleven U.S. and Canadian tour dates. Whose audience will expand the most from this cross-pollination? Will young Death Cab fans be scared by Young's craggy face? Does this increase or decrease the authenticity of the man who released Trans well before vocoders became cool?

  • MUSIC

    Aug 18, 2008, 05:47PM

    Can Dan Deacon Become A Superhero?

    At a show earlier this summer Dan Deacon couldn't quite get a handle on his ever-expanding audience. He no longer plays warehouses, and his fans no longer exclusively live in warehouses. Can he translate his vision of collective movement onto the bigger stage? The musician Cex tries to answer the question, encountering the economic and moral dilemas of underground art going mainstream in the process.

  • MUSIC

    Aug 14, 2008, 04:05PM

    Indie Hip-Hop Terrorism (Check Your iPods)

    Chicago rapper Rhymefest, a Kanye collaborator and Michael Jackson remixer, has generated a ton of hype leading up to the release of his second album El Che. The album itself has been repeatedly put off, but some tracks recently emerged under suspicious circumstances.  Supposedly Rhymefest left his iPod unattended at a club and someone yanked it, then posted two tracks on the Internet along with a manifesto and a threat to release more tracks if official news about the album doesn't come out. Some smell a publicity stunt. Read about it and decide for yourself.

  • MUSIC

    Aug 11, 2008, 09:44AM

    Tasty Pie Chart

    Who actually attends these summer festival blockbusters? Are there more couples where both members have dreadlocks, or people handing out zany condoms? Luckily our trusty researcher canvassed Pitchfork, Lollapalooza, and Coachella to precisely determine the demographics of music festivals in graphic form.

  • MUSIC

    Aug 07, 2008, 05:10PM

    Save Our Scene

    Some of the hottest bands from the past year are coming out of exotic locales in Europe, Canada, and Australia. Is America losing its indie rock juice? NME offered a list of 25 U.S. bands that will save our authentic souls. Hipster Runoff just wants to know who the hell Chester French is.

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  • MUSIC

    Jul 29, 2008, 11:44AM

    New Randy Newman Album Only Kinda Conceptual, Mostly Political

    At one point in time Randy Newman was an irony-laden provocateur, devoting one song to the first person account of a slave trader and an entire album to mocking southern racists. Then he went through a hazy period in the 80s and ended up making soundtracks for Pixar movies. Not a bad career arc, but next week Newman gets back into the studio album game. Here's a review of a recent live performance where he played songs from Harps and Angels, out next week.

  • MUSIC

    Jul 28, 2008, 01:55PM

    Exploring Abouretum With Dave Heumann

    Dave Heumann of Baltimore band Abouretum has been updating the Led Zeppelin musical aesthetic for the new millenium. So it shouldn't come as a surprise when he wishes he could dress up like a crazed Klaus Kinski and toss a sword around. More is revealed from the recent John Cale cover artist in this chat with Aural States.

  • MUSIC

    Jul 25, 2008, 04:39PM

    Deerhoof Doing That Radiohead Thing

    Last year Radiohead famously released master tracks for their song "Nude" so that anyone could mix their own versions, which were then entered into a contest. Now Deerhood is doing a similar, although older school, thing with the song "Fresh Born" off their upcoming album. For their contest you get to work off the official sheet music, which seems kind of crazy for those wild disjointed Deerhoof songs. Sounds like a fun project for the weekend anyway.

  • MUSIC

    Jul 25, 2008, 10:39AM

    Who Out-Authenticizes Who?

    At this point so many musicians have wandered through Paris and put in their time for a Take Away Show that Hipster Runoff is ready to put them through a little compare and contrast. Apparently the new Man Man video was just that inspiring. Are their moustaches and ruminations on the income disparity involved in lost hipster loves enough to displace the more mature approach of Animal Collective? Answers follow.

  • MUSIC

    Jul 24, 2008, 03:51PM

    Sweating Bodies For Pitchfork

    An pair of intrepid Midwesterners forged a trail to Chicago for last weekend's Pitchfork Music Festival. As they say, if you want an idea of the music, make a playlist. But if you want an idea of the people, read this article. What band does a "free spirit" want to see? How does a random spritzer dude find meaning in cooling down strangers? Wade into the irony and find out the answers.

  • MUSIC

    Jul 22, 2008, 03:20PM

    Griming With Dizzee

    Dizzee Rascal's jinking garage beats and Brit-slang raps have been lighting up parties for four years. He's touring the U.S. on his new album, Maths + English, and sat down for an interview in Austin where he broke down his affection for southern hospitality.

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  • MUSIC

    Aug 21, 2008, 02:51PM

    Running Around Alleys With Thao

    There might not be anyone in indie rock who's less embarassed about having pure fun with their music than Thao Nguyen. The singer-songwriter just seems comfortable in her own skin, writing catchy folk-pop songs. Here's one about being a girl, with an excellent video that makes her backing band look like a lot of fun to hang out with.

  • MUSIC

    Aug 21, 2008, 01:16PM

    Sucking Your Blood With Tropical Psychedelia

    Coming out of the weird and wild Philadelphia music scene, Aunt Dracula bounces with enough playful fun to last you for the rest of the summer. The Animal Collective/Panda Bear influence is clear, but with a few more palm trees and margaritas thrown in. We promise "Mongo" will be the best song with a harp you'll hear today.

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  • MUSIC

    Aug 21, 2008, 09:47AM

    Bark Hide and Horn Rock The Backwoods

    Bark Hide and Horn don't disguise much with their name. Imagine a few bearded kids with some guitars, drums, and an earnest sense of how forests and pop music connect on a thematic level. Their rock roots get shined up with delicately applied folk, storming horns, and the occasional synth, gathering into catchy hooks and raucous harmonies. Their song "This Abdomen Has Flown" shows how to be happy walking in the woods with an iPod.

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  • MUSIC

    Aug 20, 2008, 05:32PM

    Latest Installment Of Girl Talk Video Mash-Up

    Taking the mash-up concept to a meta level, one Girl Talk fan has been working on mixing the music videos from the songs sampled on Feed the Animals. Here's the version for track seven, "Like This," a tossed salad of Yo La Tengo, Metallica, Beyonce, Lil Mama, and too many others.

  • MUSIC

    Aug 20, 2008, 09:38AM

    No Laptop

    The band Growing have been droning out without the help of laptops ever since they started in 2001. Here's a recent performance at the London ULU.

  • MUSIC

    Aug 19, 2008, 05:20PM

    I'm A Bitch On Tour

    Going on tour in this gas-ravaged economy must be pretty stressful. Otherwise what could explain an otherwise steadily screaming Midwestern girl-punk covering Meredith Brooks with no electricity? It must be the desperate pining for late 90s gas prices as the minivan rolls on. Here's Kitten Forever with a neat tour video and acoustic cover of "I'm A Bitch."

  • MUSIC

    Aug 18, 2008, 11:42AM

    Thieves Like Us

    80s electro visionaries New Order understood the true capacities and possibilities of the synthesizer well before the current glitch/blip/sampler/pop revival we're in. They showed pop music that beats could be pre-recorded, keyboards could be featured instruments, and sounds could be wildly modified by electronics. Here's a clip of New Order breaking boundaries with their classic "Thieves Like Us," played live in 1983. BONUS: Current electro band Thieves Like Us video for comparison/legacy's sake.

  • MUSIC

    Aug 16, 2008, 10:07AM

    Dime Store Dylan

    Let's see...acoustic guitar? Check. Harmonica? Check. Denim jacket? Check. Donovan pulls off the tightest Dylan impression he can muster with this 1964 performance of "Catch the Wind."

  • MUSIC

    Aug 15, 2008, 03:36PM

    A Non-Lupe Fiasco

    Fiasco are a bunch of Brooklyn kids unleashing mathy guitar rock fun on their eager audiences. They're building some momentum out of their New York home base, playing a video release show tonight with the excellently enigmatic Future Islands. Here's their song "Oh You Horny Monster" live. Keep an eye on these teenagers. BONUS: An offical a cappella version that's actually kind of good.

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