Stunning Fan-Made Videos: Grizzly Bear, Decemberists, Laura Veirs, Wild Beasts

Grizzly Bear -- "Two Weeks"

Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear from Gabe Askew on Vimeo.

You're lucky we're nice -- these are our Top 4, from Paste's recent list of the 10 best fan-made music videos of 2009. Stunning is an interesting word to begin with, but let's just say, the above video for Grizzly Bear's "Two Weeks" defines its modern definition. That said, I won't try to throw a bunch of misplaced adjectives at this video, because it is something to be enjoyed purely -- it is a time for you to "think your own thoughts" about it. My first reaction was -- Gabe Askew (maker of the video) must be a new hire in the Wes Anderson camp, and if not, needs to be - like now. Yes, it is a great song, but in a rare twist of fate, this video only makes it better.

For the rest of our favorites (Decemberists, Laura Veirs, Wild Beasts) from Paste's list, see after the jump.

The Decemberists -- "The Rake's Song"



Laura Veirs -- "Phantom Mountain"



Wild Beasts - "All the King's Men"

No Age Keeps Busy, New EP and More

[mp3] Holy Fuck: "Lovely Allen" (No Age remix)

L.A. noise-punkers No Age, specifically Randy Randall on guitar and Dean Spunt on vocals/drums, are not for lack of work. Aside from readying to embark on a massive tour with Deerhunter and Dan Deacon (dates T.B.A.), No Age is preparing to release a still-untitled EP on Sub Pop later this fall. Randall and Spunt are ready to record a follow up to last year's highly acclaimed Nouns, which found its way on to many a Best Of 2008 list -- i.e. Paste, Rolling Stone, GVB, Vince's and Matt's. Reporting via P4K. Head there for more on No Age and their myriad of musical and theatrical pursuits. Also check out the Holy Fuck remix Matt posted yesterday above.

Campaign to Save Paste Magazine

Paste Magazine is in dire financial straits. They have begun a donation campaign to save the publication from shutting its doors. For a donation of $20, you are granted access to 70 exclusive or rare downloads all donated by bands and artists Paste has covered for years. It's worth it.

Sure, they probably shouldn't have gone for the pay-what-you-want model. Ok, BUT: The slate of popular music magazines found on the racks are frankly terrible. They've become more about celebrity gossip and T&A, than about anything really having to do with music. While not everyone always agrees about the opinions or music Paste puts forth, this magazine has always been devoted to giving press to artists who would not nessecarily get it otherwise. For the larger artists they covered, it was always another feather in the cap of any press campaign to have a great feature in Paste. Over the years, we've formed numerous relationships with thier staff, and all of them have been dedicated music fans first, and writers second. To us at least, that always hit home. Agree with their musical taste or not, Paste deserves to stay in buisness. They add diversity and passion to our ever-shrinking musical world. Make a donation, get some free music, because it's going to take more than Brooklyn Vegan to get you out of your day job.

Stephen King Has Lost It

...And you thought Paste was out of touch. Stephen King, he of those classic horror novels and the occasional Entertainment Weekly column, has exhibited his complete cultural irrelevance with a Best Albums of 2008 list in this week's EW. Dude, we love you and respect you for all that you've done in the world of fiction over the last half-century... but please stay away from writing about music.

This guy has named -- wait for it -- Buckcherry's Black Butterfly as his top pick of 2008. SERIOUSLY? BUCKCHERRY? The sleazy washed-up cock-rock band whose biggest hit was called "Crazy Bitch"? You would've been better off bestowing Hinder worthy of such a title. (We kid. Hinder can eat it, too.) Of the opus, he says it was "the best hard-rock album I heard this year (with one sweet and unforgettable song called 'All Of Me.')" He also praises Katy Perry and AC/DC in the column. (Alas, She and Him is nowhere to be found...) All other critics, take note: you're not going to beat this. Stephen King has officially one-upped all of us.

See the full list after the jump.

(To be fair, some of this is decent. But that doesn't negate anything, Mr. King.)

10. James- Hey Ma
9. Randy Newman- Harps And Angels
8. Lindsey Buckingham- Gift of Screws
7. Al Green- Lay It Down
6. Coldplay- Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
5. Alejandro Escovedo- Real Animal
4. Girl Talk- Feed The Animals
3. James McMurty- Just Us Kids
2. AC/DC- Black Ice
1. Buckcherry- Black Butterfly / the Pretenders- Break Up The Concrete

Musings on each album: Entertainment Weekly.

Paste Magazine's Top 50 of 2008

We've always had a love/hate relationship with Paste magazine. It seems they can never decide whether they want to be the leader in AAA music coverage, or the next Pitchfork. We'll say one thing for Rolling Stone, at least they're consistent in their unrequited loving of the baby-boomer generation and all its disciples. While Paste offers up great writing in places (a la Andy Whitman) and does an admirable job of trying to cover new artists, of late, they have consistently fallen behind the curve of up-to-date music coverage.

We hate to say it, but with their #1 pick of this year (after the jump) we are officially OVER Paste Magazine. There are a few nice picks in their list (Tallest Man etc...), don't get us wrong, but their #1 discredits the lot of it. We can't say we're surprised though. It's been a good run guys --Reid Davis, Jason Killingswroth (like your writing too,) Bud Scoppa...you guys still rock, but see ya later Josh Jackson. See the Top 50 list after the jump.

PASTE MAGAZINE TOP 50 of 2008 (via Paste)

50 TV On The Radio - Dear Science (Interscope)
49 Sandra McCracken - Red Balloon (Towhee)
48 REM - Accelerate (Warner Bros.)
47 Laura Marling - Alas, I Cannot Swim (Astralwerks)
46 Lykke Li - Youth Novels (LL)
45 M83 - Saturdays = Youth (Mute)
44 Kathleen Edwards - Asking For Flowers (Zoë)
43 Amanda Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer (Roadrunner)
42 Thao Nguyen and the Get Down Stay Down - We Brave Bee Stings & All (KRS)
41 The Tallest Man On Earth - Shallow Grave (Gravitation)
40 Flight of the Conchords - Flight of the Conchords (Sub Pop)
39 The Dodos - Visiter (Frenchkiss)
38 Jamie Lidell - Jim (Warp)
37 Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit - A Larum (Lost Highway)
36 The Bridges - Limits of the Sky (Verve)
35 Colour Revolt - Plunder, Beg and Curse (Fat Possum)
34 Torche - Meanderthal (Hydra Head)
33 Santogold - Santogold (Downtown)
32 Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea (Drag City)
31 The Walkmen - You & Me (Gigantic)
30 I'm From Barcelona - Who Killed Harry Houdini? (Mute)
29 Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III (Cash Money/Universal)
28 MGMT - Oracular Spectacular (Columbia)
27 Liam Finn - I'll Be Lightning (Yep Roc)
26 Lee Ann Womack - Call Me Crazy (MCA Nashville)
25 Mugison - Mugiboogie (Ipecac)
24 Santogold & Diplo - Top Ranking
 (Mad Decent)
23 Mates of State - Re-Arrange Us (Barsuk)
22 No Age - Nouns (Sub Pop)
21 The Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust (Vice)
20 Hot Chip - Made In The Dark (Astralwerks)
19 Gentleman Jesse and His Men - Introducing Gentleman Jesse and His Men (Douchemaster)
18 Death Cab
 for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
 (Atlantic)
17 Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Lie Down In The Light (Drag City)
16 My Morning Jacket
 - Evil Urges (ATO)
15 Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! (Mute)
14 Langhorne Slim - Langhorne Slim (Kemado)
13 Ida Maria - Fortress Round My Heart (Waterfall/RCA)
12 of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping (Polyvinyl)
11 The Hold Steady - Stay Positive (Vagrant)
10 Deerhunter - Microcastle (Kranky)
09 Lucinda Williams - Little Honey (Lost Highway)
08 Sun Kil Moon - April (Caldo Verde)
07 Girl Talk - Feed the Animals (Illegal Art)
06 Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop)
05. Okkervil River - The Stand Ins (Jagjaguwar)
04. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago (Jagjaguwar)
03. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (XL)
02. Sigur Rós - Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust (XL)
01. She & Him - Volume One (Merge)

Opposites Attract? Johansson and Waits

The computer keyboard seems foreign to me today, whereas I haven't posted in a fortnight or so. Since my last piece on the fizzled Hold Steady show, I have been to Florence and am now taking up residence in Nashville for the summer.

To the business at hand: Scarlett Johansson’s renditions of classic Tom Waits tunes on Anywhere I Lay My Head. I felt obligated to at least mention this unique release from Johansson because everyone else in the industry is doing so. Jon Pareles placed the album on his Times playlist, Stereogum covered it, and Paste Magazine put her on the cover.

Anywhere builds on contradictions. On one hand, you have the beautiful, young actress who starred in The Horse Whisper, then you have Waits -- does he really need explanation? Somehow, Johansson finds a middle ground on the record, making it not prophetically good, but not bad. Pareles praised producer David Steik (TV On The Radio) for the major success of the album.

Johansson finds a comfort zone on songs such as "Falling Down," but her vocal abilities ultimately lack the range needed to fulfill all the raspy, yet tonally-sound nuances of Waits. Give credit where credit is due; Johansson takes risks on this album, as would any artist attempting a Waits compilation. However, the low points on the record are over shadowed by the more fulfilling and developed tunes. It's hard to get Waits right, but any attempt is bold and should be commended.

Listen HERE

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