In addition to streaming and giving away the new album from Chandra and Leigh, better known as The Watson Twins, we talked to them about the new record, where they live and Sesame Street.
Talking to You, Talking to Me displays a bit of a departure from your last couple of records. Was it just something you stumbled into, or were you trying to find something in particular musically?
As musicians we are always pushing ourselves creatively… that being said we wanted to try and explore sounds that had always inspired us, but we had yet to dig in to on previous albums. Recording with Russell Pollard and J. Soda, long time producers and two of our best friends, helped to create a really comfortable environment that allowed us to have fun with the songs. A lot of the tracks were recorded with the band live in the studio, all of us playing in one room together, which also helped to create the vibe of the record and the sonic shifts.
Not only were The Watson Twins and Vanguard nice enough to let us stream their new record, they were also more than happy to let us give away three copies of Talking to You, Talking to Me. But if you don’t win, you can just buy the record, since it’s out tomorrow.
To enter the contest, send an email to contest@buzzgrinder.com with TWINS in the subject line and NO if you don’t want to receive our newsletter. Deadline to enter is Feb. 13 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Open to U.S. residents only.
Even though the Super Bowl halftime show has been consumed with legacy acts the last few years, 2010’s broadcast did give ample airtime to music written after 1985. Granted, it was in ads — but since you have to drop a couple million to get on the air, it’s still meaningful. Then again, maybe it just means the down economy affords large corporations less money for licensing fees.
Either way, one of the few humorous commercials involved Tracy Morgan getting punched by Stevie Wonder — while Grizzly Bear’s Two Weeks plays in the background.
Additionally, that Arcade Fire song we wondered about was used on numerous NFL promos, but the only thing I could think was, “Wait, this isn’t Where the Wild Things Are.”
Because of some crazy/loud shenanigans during the Super Bowl party I attended, I missed the Foxy Shazam jam that was supposed to be used somewhere. Did anyone else catch it? Were there other bands that got some love last night?
We were thumbing through the Buzzgrinder microfiche archives, and we found this article from Matt DeBenedictis that never made it up, extolling the virtues of Shellac’s Terraform on its 10th anniversary. Even though that was a while back, we can’t deprive the loyal Buzzgrinderers from this bit of nostalgia. So have at it.
It’s been 10 years since Shellac released their second LP, Terraform, but nothing changes about Shellac over the years.
They are still juggernauts that exist between the lines of noise rock and math rock. They still hate all digital recordings. And they’re still comprised of producers Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies, Don Caballero), Bob Weston (Mission of Burma, Roadside Monument, Sebadoh) and non-producer — but awesome musician — Todd Trainer on drums.
Terraform is considered to be, by most, the worst Shellac album, but that still doesn’t mean it’s not a classic. In celebration of those 10 years, here are 10 reasons why Terraform is such a landmark album:
:: Man, 2010 was looking so promising to me… until I heard this: New MGMT album in April. Ick.
:: I used to think those Matador dudes were alright, but now that I know they killed six bulls in one day, I’m not so sure. Then again, if they’re using it for free hamburgers at SXSW, they’ll be my favorite label.
:: It seems like Stephin Merritt and covers are inseparable. Whether it involves Merritt putting his touch on someone else’s song or others having a go at his stuff, something is always within reach. Just like that Antlers‘ cover of Nothing Matters When We’re Dancing that Chromewaves recently uncovered.
:: We had a good time with One for the Team on Monday (forgot my camera, or there’d be proof of it — from the show and our trip to the Louisville Slugger Museum). It also looks like the Teamers had a similarly awesome time in Lexington the day before, which Matt from YANP actually did document.
Something about this video makes Spoon look like the most uninteresting band around. Luckily, we know it’s not true, since that distinction belongs to Animal Collective.
Hey Fred, I know you’re desperate for any exposure these days, but it would help if you did something that’s actually funny. I thought you would’ve learned that after Like Mike.
By the way, what ever happened to Reverb? That show was great.
Poor Men at Work. They can’t even afford their vegemite sandwiches anymore, thanks to a ruling that the flute riff from their hit Down Under was lifted from a song written for Australian girl scouts. A publishing company owning the rights to the original song is looking to get up to 60 percent of the profits from Men at Work’s ode to being a descendant of criminals and the mentally feeble.
But it’s not all bad, I guess. At least they’ve still got The Safety Dance. And Motownphilly. And Who Let the Dogs Out. And the Perfect Strangers theme song.
:: Jersey Shore’s Snooki is everywhere these days — even at the Grammys, interviewing Phoenix like a good guidette. Italian-American stereotypes are funny. Because they’re true.
:: MetalSucks listed five good songs by Ugly Kid Joe that aren’t Everything About You or Cat’s in the Cradle. Wait, I didn’t know there were five good Ugly Kid Joe songs including those two.
Not only were The Watson Twins and Vanguard nice enough to 
It’s been 10 years since Shellac released their second LP, Terraform, but nothing changes about Shellac over the years.
