In case you were living under a rock last week (hey it’s possible), the boys at Radiohead gifted the world with an incredible live performance on Current.tv rocking out to their latest album, In Rainbows. I’ll go out on a limb here and say this was probably the best album of 2007, and the greatest gift a band could ever give their fans. In fact, I think it might even be the best album of the 2000’s in my book (someone challenge me). So, go indulge yourself, grab a pair of headphones and ease your way back into the year 2008 with a little bit of Thom Yorke’s poetry and a smile on your face.
If the thought of another boozy New Years romp has lost its charm, here’s something that should help you spend the night in a less exaggerated, if not less exciting, manner. Current TV, the Emmy award-winning peer-to-peer news and information network, will be broadcasting a free, private performance of Radiohead’s In Rainbows in its entirety on New Years Eve. Showing on both the Current TV Network and the network’s website, the concert will give you an excuse to stay in that even your most dedicated drinking buddies should understand. If holing up isn’t part of your plans, have no fear — the concert will run again on New Years Day. That and a few bloody Mary’s and your hangover should be just about dealt with. Find broadcast times here.
It’s a happy coincidence that the men behind L.A. based True Love and False Idols share the same name. If it weren’t for that association, one might lean towards pairing the two in something other than their actual situation as founding partners — something like a cagefight, perhaps. Alex Vaz and Alex “2tone” come from two very distinct, very separate realms: hardcore punk/metal and rap. With alternate backgrounds in areas as varied as Fashion Design and Tattoo Art, its no surprise that the boys of TLFI generally incorporate several elements into each of their unique designs. However, what is surprising is how well those elements manage to work together; a characteristic personified not only by the success of Alex and Alex as a team, but also in the hugely diverse list of personalities that TLFI can count as fans.
Yep, from TV on the Radio to Chuck Liddell , TLFI’s been doing some serious time on the backs of high-profilers. And because this “premium streetwear” thing’s been blowing up in our faces for quite awhile now, we decided it would be a good time to chat with the two Alex’s about what exactly it is that’s helped propel their barely two year old brand into to the spotlight. Read on for a exclusive peak into the pleasantly diverse — yet beautifully aligned — minds behind TLFI, streetwear’s rising star.
JoshSpear.com: True Love and False Idols is a rather ironic name for a line based in appearance-obsessed Southern California. How did this pairing of words come to be?
Alex 1: I wanted to call it True Love and Alex 2 wanted to call it False Idols, so we combined them. I wanted to call it True Love because I feel like everyone is searching for that one True Love in life and my work would be it for me so far.
Alex 2: The honest answer: Alex 1 wanted to call the line True Love, and I wanted to call it False Idols. There you go. I might be the more cynical of the pair, hence the “False Idols” half.
Last week, thanks to the nice people at RecCenter, I was able to catch a Bloc Party set at the Ogden Theater in Denver (FYI– RecCenter is a musically inclined social network definitely worth checking out– add a measure of music, a pinch of people, and a cup of community; mix together with custom profiles and share). The Ogden has come a long way since the mid 90’s, when I regularly attended punk shows there. The new, spruced up version is most certainly one of my favorite venues in Colorado. To the crowd’s delight, the band played a diverse mix of songs from both their sophomore release ‘A Weekend in the City‘ and their rookie sensation album ‘Silent Alarm.’ U.K. based Bloc Party is one of those bands that gets – and deservingly so – a lot of attention from DJ’s and Mash-Up Artists (good resource here), but I’ve also been consistently impressed with their live performances. The band is a lot more versatile than most people give them credit for… the very same day of the show at the Ogden, lead singer Kele Okereke also played an impressive (and slower) acoustic set on radio station KBCO in Boulder. A few more photos from the show follow after the jump, courtesy of my not-as-gimp-as-I-am friend Bart Lorang. READ MORE…
Staying with our new tradition, Talk Shop Fridays, I thought I’d pose the question to you fine readers on this glorious day: Which live shows are you excited to see in the coming months? Summer is a great time for live music, especially in Colorado– we’re finally freed from the manacles of winter and go outside to venues like Red Rocks. Personally, after seeing TV on the Radio play twice in the last seven months, I don’t think it can get any better (case in point– as you can see here, they even shredded Letterman!). TVOTR aside, I’m excited to see Kings of Leon at the Ogden Theater on Cinco de Mayo. But my music preferences aside, I’m excited to hear what performances you all are excited about. Comment away!
Last week, I was able to catch a TV on the Radio show for the second time this year, and am happy to report that they are still the best live act out there right now. If you’ll remember back to September of last year, I wrote a blog post about the band– incidentally, it was the first cluster of words I ever wrote for JoshSpear.com. I gave their album Return to Cookie Mountain a rave review (as did every other music magazine and blog), but for good reason. It really is that good. But as good as the album is by itself, it’s nothing compared to watching the band perform the songs in a live setting. This time I caught them at the Ogden Theater in Denver, and although it it’s a larger venue than the Fox in Boulder, it’s still intimate enough to get a really up close and personal music experience. It would be difficult for me to say that TV on the Radio plays the best live show I’ve ever seen, because I’ve seen so many good ones, but I’ll comfortably put them in my top 3. If you haven’t yet made it to one of their shows, you really must. On a side note, tomorrow they’re releasing the Live at Amoeba Music EP– four tracks from an in-store show last September– which will be available here.
We have been enjoying assembling these ‘from the vault‘ posts in the past week. We figure it’s a great way to give you a ‘wrap-up’ of what we have been posting recently without having to dig through the archives– just in time for the holiday gift buying season I might add. Here are some of our favorite music posts from the past year or so. Mashups, pure rock, acoustic guitar and hip hop. Something here for everyone, enjoy!
• Sometimes I Rhyme Slow: Hip Hop meets acoustic guitar as Jose Gonzalaez's album Veneer (which is amazing to begin with) gets reworked and blended with hip hop lyrics. Sometimes I Rhyme Slow is an updated take on fusing acoustic guitar samples with funk… Continue Reading
• Ben Kweller: We sure do, actually we've got a few questions for the indie-pop superstar. We're sitting down with Mr. Kweller tonight… Continue Reading
• Q-Unit Greatest Hits: Ah, yes, another mash-up record. Q-Unit is a 50 Cent meets Queen mix with stellar hits like “This is How We Bite The Dust  Continue Reading
• The Bird and The Bee: Having met during the recording of her 2005 album All Rise, Inara George and Greg Kurstin have labored away in the last three years in Southern California… Continue Reading
• Ray Lamontange: New Hampshire born, Ray La Montagne’s acclaimed 2004 debut, “Trouble”, quietly sold over 250,000 copies, thanks to word of mouth praises from grassroots fans… Continue Reading
• Waking Rothko: I wanted to give a special nod to the ingenuity behind the campaign promoting Waking Rothko, a local Denver band clearly comprised of more than just stoner musicians– they're musical strategists… Continue Reading
• Kid Koala: Your Mom’s Favorite DJ: I'd consider Eric San (aka Kid Koala) a musician more so than the limiting definition of DJ… Continue Reading
• Kaki King: Until We Felt Red: Until We Felt Red is the third and latest album from Kaki King, the pretty-faced, guitar demigod-ess we've come to know and love…Continue Reading
• John Mayer: Continuum: You can't help but notice John Mayer. The self-described awkward kid from Connecticut turned what was once an escape into an inspiring career… Continue Reading
• TV On The Radio: Plug in your nicest set of headphones for this one—you will need them to fully appreciate the deep, layered audio of the newest from TV on the Radio…
• Explosions In The Sky: Chance is that even though you’ve never heard of Explosions in the Sky, you’ve probably heard their music whether it be on the masterfully done soundtrack to Friday Night Lights… Continue Reading
If you haven’t heard Grizzly Bear, trust the guys in this year’s indie rock sensation TV on the Radio that this band has some real talent– they did, after all, invite fellow Brooklynites Grizzy Bear to join them as an opening act on their Fall tour. If I had to pin Grizzly Bear into a genre, it would probably be experimental folk rock. They are the type of band I would listen to on a chill Sunday afternoon, after partying hard for the previous two nights. For that type of distant and spaced-out mood, I recommend drawing yourself a nice hot bubble bath and listening to ‘Lullabye’ and ‘Colorado,’ off their September-released album ‘Yellow House.’ You will surely emerge from that bathtub more confused than when you got in it, but with a smile on your face.
Plug in your nicest set of headphones for this one—you will need them to fully appreciate the deep, layered audio of the newest from TV on the Radio, a group of five Brooklynites who have so far impressed the toughest of critics with their newest album Return to Cookie Mountain. Hot off the press (Sept. 12), Return to Cookie Mountain may be the most original and interesting rock album you’ll hear all year. The music sounds like a mixture of Bowie (who guest-sings on the soulful pop track “Province”), the Talking Heads, and Prince—but those influences are all uniquely wrapped up in the weaving vocals of lead singer Tunde Adebimpe (who has one of the most striking voices in indie rock) and deep-voiced back-up Kyp Malone. After their 2004 debut Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes was criticized by some for being more of an audio art project than a rock album, Return to Cookie Mountain is destined to hoist the group to indie rock notoriety. The first track on the album “I Was a Lover” lets you know right away that Return to Cookie Mountain is an album unlike any other—chaotic, yet syncopated. “Hours” utilizes a wide-open beat and vocals to transition smoothly from “I Was a Lover.” The rock and roll swagger that every listener craves appears fiercely in “Wolf Like Me,” which is the true center of gravity of the album. Oh, did I mention that TV on the Radio is leading a Renaissance of black musicians in the traditionally white world of indie rock? They appear eclectic—their music is eclectic—and they are adding something exciting to the indie rock genre. TV On The Radio will also be appearing at ACL this weekend, stay tuned for special coverage!
Mass Mayhem is the new crossover project by artist collective Radioactive (RDCTV) based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Inspired by the way graffiti artists use large areas of walls to create murals, the goal of part 4 of the full print series was to utilize the t-shirt as a canvas and fill the front, back, or both with graphics and designs of any color and style, as long as the result was representative of the theme. The featured artist were selected from around the globe and include designs from Freaktendance (brothers Whip and Titifreak who live in Brazil), D/VISION (the collaboration between Furious and Hooked clothing), and Coffee & Cigarettes (C&C). Favorites from the collection include Chinese multi-disciplinary designer Qian Qian's “Hurt and Being Hurt†as well as Team Radioactive's introductory “Robot†design. With huge, rad graphics on white tees, these shirts will keep you lookin' fresh in the summer heat! Limited-edition of course!
If the thought of another boozy New Years romp has lost its charm, here’s something that should help you spend the night in a less exaggerated, if not less exciting, manner. 
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If you haven’t heard 
Plug in your nicest set of headphones for this one—you will need them to fully appreciate the deep, layered audio of the newest from 
